Amos leaned forward on the table, his forehead lined, and face twisted in anger. "Listen to me closely. If you don't return Carter immediately, I will find you, and I will hurt you. He hasn't done anything wrong in any of this. You want money? Get it from somewhere else. Not him."

The voice on the telephone laughed softly, maniacally. It was a male, young, going off the sound of his tone, and the way he spoke. "I think you're misunderstanding me. I have Carter. Therefore, you give me the money, and if you don't, I will continue to keep Carter."

Amos's face darkened considerably and his voice was low, threatening. "I don't think you know what you're getting into. Return Carter. Or I will personally come and destroy you."

This time the laugh was loud, hysterical almost. "Oh please, calm down, we aren't on a discarded scene of The Godfather. You can't touch me." The voice settled, tone dropping, menace replacing the hysteria. "I have Carter, and you don't."

Amos opened his mouth, rage building in the back of his throat.

He didn't get his feelings voiced.

"Well," the voice breathed. "We'll be waiting."

The dial tone echoed through the air.

"Damnit!" Amos screamed, flying out of his chair and sending it toppling backwards. "I'll get you back, Carter. I swear; I'll get you back."

Walt, dread curdling in his stomach, pushed himself from where he was leaning against the wall and stood in front of Amos.

"Did you record all of that?"

Walt nodded solemnly, eyebrows furrowed in one part worry and two parts anger. This was wrong. Carter, out of everyone here, didn't deserve this. He was just so inherently good. He protected Sadie with everything he could; he saved the planet a few times over, and he was incredibly patient with teaching. It was strange, considering he was only fourteen. But he was great at it. Most of all, Carter had this air of hope, like he saw a way out and he was determined to bring everyone with him.

He was just a good person.

Walt hated it when bad things happened to good people. It was just wrong.

Sadie wasn't handling it well at all. It was his first instinct to reach out to her, to comfort her, but she'd been pulling away ever since they'd gotten back to the Brooklyn House. He supposed it was guilt.

She didn't want to be consoled. The shock was still too fresh. It wasn't really her fault. It just happened. Yeah, maybe she shouldn't have locked Carter in the closet, but mistakes were mistakes. Everyone knew Sadie wouldn't intentionally hurt her brother.

Amos handled it differently. He was all plans, pushing forward, figuring this mess out.

Zia was… Well, Zia. Maybe she didn't realize the repercussions of what was going on, how bad this was, because she just followed behind everyone with a blank yet vaguely troubled expression on her face.

An angry growl brought Walt back to the present and he glanced over at Amos.

The Chief Lector was rubbing the bridge of his nose, face creased with stress.

"I'm going to call a friend. See if he can trace the call. Might've been a cellphone, I don't know. Let's hope not." He rubbed his forehead and jumped around Walt's eyes. He was distracted. "Why don't you, uh… Sadie. Yeah, check on her. If I get a location I'll report back. Stay in the house. Don't leave. I—"

Can't handle anyone else disappearing.

Walt nodded silently, sliding the iPad under his arm and starting towards the door.

"Walt?"

He stopped, turning back. Amos was looking at him; his eyes were smoldering. "You make sure she doesn't leave this house, got it? We both know Sadie. She's just like her brother. Don't let her go anywhere."

"I won't." Walt reassured him. He struggled to meet his eyes.

There was a picture on the side of Amos's wall. It was of Carter and Sadie, probably taken over the summer. It was an aerial view, most likely from the balcony and looking down. Carter was sprawled on his back, a wide grin on his face, and Sadie was sitting next to him, propped against the back of a chair, her head thrown back in laughter. They both looked happy, at ease, lost in some inside joke. Walt's heart dipped.

Sometimes he forgot, lost amidst a war, that although Carter and Sadie were siblings, more than anything, they were friends. They genuinely liked being in each other's company. Sadie wouldn't, couldn't, sit around while he was in trouble; she was just as designated to protect Carter as he was to her.

Walt wanted to protect them both.

He had at least fifty pounds and four inches on Carter, and even more on Sadie. It was stupid, because magic-wise they could both kick him into next week, but he couldn't help but slide into the big brother role. He hated it when Sadie was hurting, and Carter was a part of the package. If Carter hurt, Sadie probably hurt more.

Walt didn't know Carter very well, he acknowledged that, yet they both watched each other's backs. They just did. You had to know and separate your enemies from your friends.

Maybe if they weren't both so damn small he wouldn't act like this.

He wouldn't want to cut someone's eyes out after looking at that photo for three seconds.

Amos followed his line of sight and stared at the picture. He regarded Walt with a strange expression on his face.

Walt slid through the door.

"Oh, and Walt?"

Walt halted. "Yeah?"

"You can't leave either."

Zia wasn't good at this "comforting thing". She had no idea what she was doing.

Sadie was sitting on the living room floor, breathing slowly and staring at the carpet. Zia had no idea how this was going to get them anywhere; didn't they want to find Carter? But Amos had given them strict instructions to stay downstairs and not move. Sadie was taking it pretty literally.

Zia's stomach twisted in tight knots whenever she thought of Carter, or even looked at Sadie.

Carter was everywhere. His black sweatshirt was thrown over the back of the couch, stray books on the floor, iPod on the counter, loose leaf notebook with notes scrawled in his sloppy-yet-pretty handwriting. Zia remembered Sadie telling her that she was trying to get Carter to loosen up, that it was okay to be messy. Zia supposed she succeeded. She could still see him walking around the mansion, that focused yet thoughtful look on his face.

Even if Zia was a little less… tense when Carter wasn't around, this feeling was so much worse. Knowing something bad was happening to him and not able to help, not able to lift a finger. It felt like she was loading the gun pressed to his temple. Zia hated it.

"I'm sure we'll find him," she said weakly, trying to help in some way.

Sadie met her eyes for a moment and then stood up.

"I know. I'm going to. This is my fault and I'll fix it. I have to. I owe him that much." Sadie picked up Carter's hoodie, hugging it to her. She clenched the black fabric in her hand. "No one messes with my brother." Her voice was deadly.

Zia watched her with mute wonderment. Did Carter realize? Did he realize how many people cared about him?

Sadie took a deep, quivering breath. The previous fervor seemed to fade from her face. "How could I do this?" she muttered.

Zia swallowed roughly, her hand fluttering uncertainly over Sadie's shoulder. She was intruding on a private moment. Leaving now would be cowardly. Staying would be painful. Luckily Walt walked in at the right moment.

He sidestepped Zia and put his finger on Sadie's chin, pulling her head up. "Hey," he said steadily, looking her in the eyes. "Amos is going to get the call traced. He'll find out where these guys took Carter." His voice dropped, comforting; the tone Zia could never even hope to command. "We'll find him, all right?"

Sadie nodded and stepped back, her fists clenched in a death grip. Then she started yelling. "How could someone do this? Why would—. How could—. Carter doesn't deserve this! I swear I'm going to rip this guy apart! Carter? Really? Of all people? She was struggling for other things to scream. "Damnit!" she yelled. It echoed across the room.

Zia leaned next to Walt and muttered, "Well, this is different."

He shrugged. "She's more productive when she's angry."

Now that Zia understood.

"What are we supposed to do?" she asked.

Walt sighed heavily and sank into the armchair next to them. "There really isn't anything we can do, not until Amos finds out where they took him."

"So we just sit here?" she asked incredulously.

He scrubbed the side of his face, frustrated. "You have a better idea?"

Zia blinked. "I suppose not."

Walt laughed humorlessly. "You know, I don't get you."

Zia's eyebrows furrowed. "Of course you don't. We barely know each other."

He looked up from his hands. "We know each other enough. You're so… I don't know how to put this. Carter is obviously… Well, he likes you a lot. The guy trips over the leash that he's got attached to your hand. But you keep jerking him around. It's even painful to me. One second, it's like you guys might be able to attempt some sort of friendship. Something. The next, you're back to independent, condescending robot. No offense. It's just—. When we get him back, cut him some slack, okay?"

Zia swallowed roughly and stood up. She needed to move. Go somewhere. Do something. She wanted out.

"Normally I'd be offended by what you just said. But unfortunately I know you're right. It's just that—. I need time to sort this all out. None of this makes sense to me. I don't know how to act around Carter. He's so—." Zia couldn't find any words sufficient enough.

Footsteps echoed down the staircase.

Sadie, Zia, and Walt stood together, facing Amos.

"So?" Sadie challenged, anxious.

Amos unfolded a white piece of paper.

"A partner of mine traced the phone call to a cell phone in New Brunswick. I doubt that they'll still be there. Money is the only factor in this. There's no connection to Carter and anything to do with magic. I promise."

"But it's a start," prompted Walt.

"Yes, it's a start. But we're not going to New Brunswick."

Sadie shook her head. "What? Why not?"

"Because. I called another friend. I think we may have a way of casting a tracking spell on Carter."

"Good!" Sadie said. "What are you waiting for? Let's do this."

Umm... It's been a while... I really really long while. Writer's block :/

I'm sorry this chapter was so short, but I felt like I owed you guys something. Anyways, I've been busy, you know, publishing a whole bunch of other crap for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Feel free to check that out!

I promise the wait won't be that long between these next chapters.

Love!