Carl paced, back and forth, in the brightly lit hallway, his attention on every minor detail of his surroundings, as well as his hearing tuned to catch any sound that came his way. He wasn't certain why he felt on such high alert tonight... he only knew that he did. Once he had gotten the news of Sapperstein's whereabouts - his phone call, in particular, Carl hadn't hesitated in his decision to travel to the country estate.

Brian and Justin obviously needed him. Even his concerned wife couldn't dispute that. As much as she had fretted about his involvement in the case, she still did nothing to stop him. Of course, she knew any attempts would be to no avail. Regarding stubborn behavior, they were a perfect match. And in the end, Debbie loved both Brian and Justin as her own. She was distraught by the horror Justin had not only endured, but could still face again.

He couldn't stop his pacing, nor relax in any way. The house was secure, the boys were safe in bed. Yet... he was still uneasy. In fact, he was more apprehensive than he had been since this nightmare first started. Something felt very wrong, and he couldn't get a handle on it. Carl knew he would keep trying to work it out in his mind until he did. For now, though, he was completely stumped. No matter what the cause of his alarm... he intended to stay on his guard.

Glancing down at his watch, he noticed it had just turned six a.m. He'd been here pacing the floor for two hours now. One thing he did know for certain... he needed coffee to keep up this vigil. Deciding the time was right, he hurriedly went down the stairs, knowing Brian and Justin would both be glad for the liquid sustenance once they awakened. As much as he hated leaving their door for any length of time, he also realized they needed to stay fresh and alert. The caffeine would assist in that.

Briefly, he checked in with the guard at the front door, and after several minutes of prodding, he got him to answer that nothing was amiss. Carl shook his head as he headed in the direction of the kitchen, grumbling at how much the Feds were an irritation to him. A simple question and he got the run around about it not being his concern... and that any information would be given on a ‘need to know' basis. What the fuck!? Whether they liked his assistance or not, they were all working toward a common goal. They were trying to nail this sick SOB, and protect Brian and Justin in the process. What didn't they get about that!?

Not nearly as comfortable with the layout of the house as he would like, Carl moved slowly through the various turns and hallways, at the moment the kitchen his objective. He hoped they even had coffee in the house. He remembered Debbie mentioning that Brian's cupboards were always bare of anything that could be used to prepare anything decent. He would deduce, though, that since they were virtually in a lockdown, the Feds would have prepared for every eventuality.

Reaching the kitchen, Carl breathed a sigh of relief when he found the coffee maker, his face grimacing when he noticed it was something far more elaborate than anything he had ever used for the simple task of making coffee. He raised his eyebrow at all the buttons displayed around it. Mr. Coffee this was NOT. He highly doubted an instruction manual was in a nearby drawer. The countertops, cupboards, and everything within the large kitchen was something out of a fashion magazine. He wondered if Debbie would be afraid to cook in this kitchen. And his wife wasn't afraid of anything.

Feeling he was the proverbial fish out of water and not at all comfortable fiddling around in Brian's cupboards and drawers, Carl pulled the fancy canister forward that was clearly labeled - COFFEE, and looked at the apparatus cautiously before placing anything inside of it. His main concern was whether it produced its own water supply or not. He didn't see any tubes indicating that to be the case, so he hoped for the best and added enough water to measure out a full pot of coffee.

"Phew..." he muttered when the coffee started to brew, by the looks of the dripping liquid... he hadn't screwed it up. Mentally, Carl patted himself on the back. He was a cop dammit. Of course, he could operate a coffee maker - elaborately designed or not! That minor crisis avoided, Carl decided he would head back upstairs, knowing he would feel better with a quick peek into Brian and Justin's bedroom. His nerves were fraught at this point... and he only expected the worst. For some reason, he felt it would happen soon.

Moving through the hallway, Carl paused when he heard a voice at the backdoor. He laid his hand on his firearm, preparing to be ready for whatever could be the cause of the unexpected sound. He slowly moved forward, his eyes and ears focused on what was coming from the rear entrance. It couldn't be Sapperstein. There was no way he could have ever made it this far... and from the timing of the call in New York, he couldn't be here yet. Of course, that didn't rule out his thug. He couldn't credit that, either. If the Sap's enforcer had gained access past the front gate, he would have had to incapacitate the guard standing watch. Was that it? Had it happened so quickly?

As he made his way closer, Carl only heard one voice. Immediately, he surmised it must be a phone call. By the sound of it, though, it was both unexpected... and unwelcome. He maintained light, easy steps, careful not to be noticed. At this point, he wasn't certain of why he felt that to be important... he just knew it probably was. Once he was close enough to at least make out every word, Carl flattened his back against the wall, his hand still on his weapon as he carefully listened to the agitated agent.

"Why are you calling me again tonight!? I told you earlier, the guard at the gate would be expecting you... and that you should make your way to the rear entrance..."

Carl's eyes widened as he deciphered the words. Someone other than a federal agent was being given access to the grounds! Who... and why? Both very vital questions. He was half tempted to make himself known to the guard and demand to know what was going on - when the guard spoke again, he realized that could be a fatal decision. Not only for him, but Brian and Justin as well.

"Listen, Sapperstein. I've done everything you've asked. They are asleep in bed with their watchdog just outside of their room. It should be easy enough to narrow down the room by where Horvath stands."

Carl's finger began to tremble on the trigger. He wanted to lurch himself through the door, beat the worthless agent to within an inch of his life... only pulling back to blow him straight to hell. Corruption in law enforcement pissed him off more than anything... and on the federal level - it made him livid!

He couldn't do that, though. Right now, he needed to think, and trusting that the phone lines were out. He couldn't trust the guard at the front door, either. It was unlikely that they were both on Sapperstein's payroll... but with the life of these boys hanging in the balance - he wasn't about to take any chances. There was only one thing he could do, and that would require waking Brian. A plan was beginning to form. It wasn't without risk, but right now, it might be their only chance.

Wishing he could linger long enough to hear the rest of the guard's part of the traitorous conversation, Carl knew he had heard enough to know he needed to act now. Depending on how Sapperstein was traveling, he could be here as soon as an hour. That didn't give them much time. Despite the fact he wanted to run up the stairs to the two unknowing men, Carl moved as silently as he had a few moments ago, realizing the last thing they needed now was for him to be discovered.

Brian and Justin needed him. He was determined another tragedy wouldn't rip these two men apart. He had the eerie feeling that if Sapperstein succeeded tonight, this time it could be forever.

Laying in the bed next to his beautiful partner, Brian watched as Justin peacefully slept. He marveled at the sight of him. He had been with so many men in his life. Some he had even enjoyed with Justin. Honestly, some had even been as hot as Justin - if not hotter. However, none had ever touched him on the deeper, more elemental level as Justin had. In part, he hadn't allowed anyone to get close to him. It had never been his intention for Justin to succeed in that, either. Resisting this persistent little blond had never been in the cards for him. They had been connected from day one. And now, he was the only man he wanted to see when he woke up in the morning... and the last one he saw before he drifted to sleep at night.

He knew he should be sleeping along with Justin... but something prevented it. He felt anxious, his nerves on edge like never before. Even when they were fleeing the Sap's thugs in Barbados, he hadn't felt this level of danger surrounding them. The tension he felt now was something so thick and clinging he could almost feel it. In many ways, it was almost suffocating.

When the door to their bedroom silently turned, Brian looked at it at once... immediately knowing something had to be amiss. He knew Carl wouldn't come into their room without a very good reason... and then there was that look on his face that hadn't been there earlier. Carl looked about ten years older since he had left him a short time ago. Something had happened to make Carl appear haggard, with a mixture of anger and heightened fear in his eyes.

As quietly as he could, Brian slipped from the bed, his steps taking him quickly over to Carl... for the first time, thankful he had fallen asleep earlier with his pants on. "What is it?" he whispered, glancing back to see Justin continuing to sleep unaware.

"We've got big problems, Brian. Can you step out into the hallway? I don't think you want Justin to hear this..."

Nodding, Brian hurriedly complied, his face tight with anxiety as he met the fear in Carl's eyes. This was bad. Really bad. As much as he had believed the odds were on their side... right now, he had the feeling they had suddenly gotten fucked. Closing the door silently behind them, Brian whispered roughly, "Sap?"

"I'm afraid so, Brian." Carl glanced at his watch in agitation, trying to determine how much time they had before the true war erupted. By his calculation, it could be very soon... depending on Sapperstein's travel method. "I went downstairs to start a pot of coffee for us... and I overheard a conversation. Thank God I did, or we'd probably all be dead soon."

"What kind of conversation?" Brian demanded, barely remembering to keep his voice down.

"It appears that Sapperstein's reach is much more widespread than we'd ever imagined. I could only hear the guard's side of the conversation... but the gist was very clear. Sapperstein is on his way here now; I got the feeling he's very close. The guard at the back door will let him in. That tells me that not only the guard at the back door is on his payroll, but the guard at the gate as well."

"Fuck!" Brian hissed. "We need to get Justin out of here, Carl. I'll go wake him now."

Carl reached out to place a restraining arm on Brian's arm. "No, Brian. We can't do that. Sapperstein has a hit on you. It's too much of a risk."

"Are you suggesting we just sit here and await the lunatic's arrival?" Brian shook his head in disbelief. "We need to do something... and it needs to be now!"

"Calm down, Brian. You need to keep a level head; we both do. I have a plan. It won't be without risk... but it's all we've got." Carl took in a deep breath as he began to explain himself. "We have to let Sapperstein in. If the guard is incapacitated now, Sapperstein will know we're onto him. Our knowledge of his arrival is to our advantage."

"Then what? We just let him find his way to Justin!?" Brian growled. "No fucking way!"

Carl took in a deep breath, before exhaling it quickly. He knew his plan would be a tough sell. But like it or not, it was all they had. "Brian, you know that Justin is the only one that can distract him long enough to lower his guard. We need that edge, and not only that. You can't be anywhere near Justin when he arrives. Sapperstein wants Justin back, but he wants you dead just as badly. If he gets you in his sights - he will shoot to kill."

"I hope you aren't saying that you want me to leave Justin in bed - alone and defenseless!?" Brian couldn't fathom the thought, nor could he imagine what that would do to Justin to awaken to Sapperstein standing over him.

"I know it won't be easy, but that's exactly what I'm saying. I will secure you in another part of the house, and Sapperstein will find Justin. He isn't going to hurt him. His goal will be to get him out of here, but that won't happen. Once Sapperstein is inside, I will take care of the guard. You need to lay low until I get Sapperstein disarmed." Carl hoped Brian would see things his way quickly, because he didn't feel they had very much time.

Gritting his teeth, Brian grumbled, "I don't like it, but I guess I don't have much choice. Well, let's wake up Justin. He needs to know what we're up against."

Carl stunned Brian even further when he spoke the unexpected words. "No, we can't do that, Brian. In order to deceive Sapperstein, we have to keep Justin unaware. For one, there is no time to fully alert and prepare him... and another, we need his reaction to sell this. I know it won't be easy for you, Brian. But Justin's fear will be the distraction we need to take the upper hand."

Brian looked at Carl in astonishment. "No. There has to be another way. Justin has nightmares about the abusive fucker. I won't have him traumatized... no matter how brief."

"Think about it, Brian... and do so quickly. How traumatized do you think Justin would be if he watched you gunned down before his eyes? Be realistic and face the truth. If Sapperstein manages to leave here with Justin - your reunion will have been for nothing. There's no doubt he's set up for a quick escape."

Carl watched as uncertainty turned into grim acceptance on Brian's face. His heart went out to the younger man. This was a case of survival. Sadly, sacrifice often accompanied that. "We don't have time to do anything else, Brian... and you know I'm right. Just keep this in mind, if Sapperstein gets Justin off of these grounds undeterred - we may never see him again..."

TBC