Bet you weren't expecting an update on this story were ya?

Fact of the matter is, I had this chapter nearly finished a long time ago. (Probably around the time drama hit my life like a hurricane.)

Anyway, I'm trying to finish all my stories, so whichever one my muse wants to work on is getting updated and my muse wanted me to wrap up this chapter and get it posted.

Huge thanks to the most patient beta in the world, JulesDPM, and all the readers/reviewers who have yet to abandon me. :)

Enjoy ...

Chapter 7

Jeff could only sit there, torn between rage and fear, as Devlon laughed in triumph at his plan. But the billionaire failed to find the humor in it, and he wasn't the only one.

"You're insane if you think we are going to pay you a cent!" one woman shouted from the far side of the room.

"When I'm through with you, you'll wish you had never been born!" a man vowed from the opposite corner.

"You'll regret this, Devlon!" Mr Gatewood roared.

"Funny you should say that," the mad man said thoughtfully. "The thing is, I regret the day I suggested this camp to you. Oh, it was stroke of brilliance to be sure, but I never wanted to run the darn thing."

As they watched, Devlon's face changed from a smug grin to a wicked snarl. He clenched his fists, staring off into some unseen part of the world. Maybe to where he was holding the children. Oh please God, Jeff prayed silently, please let my boys be okay.

"Day after day, week after week, year after year," Devlon hissed. "I put up with the complaints and the requests. The bickering and the backstabbing. The wild parties and the crazy stunts. And what do I get in return? Another year to do it all over again. Well, no more! I'm taking what I have earned, and you are all going to pay."

"What exactly do you want?" a man near Jeff demanded.

"All in good time, Mr. Astor," he replied with a sly grin. "Until then, you will all stay in this place. My people will bring you anything you may require. Once I have finished pricing your children, you will be contacted individually."

His causal comment about putting a price on their children generated several cries of outrage, Jeff's included. How dare this man try to put a monetary value on his sons, on any of their sons and daughters. The way he was feeling now, he would rather rip off the guy's arm and beat him to death with it. But the fact was he would willingly give this man every cent he owned if that's what is took to bring his boys back safe and sound. The money was just money, he could always get more. Family was his real fortune, and he was not going to lose that to a mad man.

*T*H*U*N*D*E*R*B*I*R*D*S*A*R*E*G*O*

Scott entered the grand dining room and headed straight for the table his younger brothers had currently claimed, glancing at his watch along the way. The place was closed to campers until fifteen minutes before the meal was served, giving only valets unlimited access in case one of their charges wanted a snack. This meant that Gordon and Alan had four minutes from the time the doors opened until now to get into trouble. Darn. He had been hoping to give them a smaller window.

"Hey guys!" Gordon said cheerfully as they took their seats … a bit too cheerfully.

"You seem happy," John commented, eying the red head warily.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's a great camp."

Yeah right, Scott thought to himself, He double checked his place setting, and John's, before scanning the rest of the table for something out of place. He quickly found something, or rather someone. Sitting next to Alan was a boy, about the same age as his youngest brother, with light brown hair and pale blue eyes.

"Hello," John greeted the newcomer.

"Hi," he grinned.

"This is Dennis Cramer," Alan explained. "He's one of my roommates."

"One of the better ones," Max commented, joining them with Virgil. "Good to see you again, DC."

"Always a pleasure, Maxwell," Dennis replied, tipping an invisible hat to the older boy, before turning back to Alan. "You are SO lucky you met him day one. Last year was my first time. I didn't get the survival guide until it was almost week three."

"It wasn't that bad," Max muttered, grabbing a bread roll from the silver bowl in the center of the table. "No one who goes here, with the exception of a select few, is creative enough to do anything more then hide your shoes."

As comforting as that thought was, Scott could see the wheels turning in the minds of a couple of the 'select few' at that very moment. Of course, for his youngest brothers, hiding clothing items was child's play. No, they were dreaming up something much less mundane and he was was going to have to put a stop to it immediately before Camp Gatewood became the setting for World War Three.

*T*H*U*N*D*E*R*B*I*R*D*S*A*R*E*G*O*

"What gives you the right to put a price on our children?" Lawrence Radcliffe shouted.

"Interesting that you, of all people, should ask me that," Devlon smirked. "Because wasn't it you that paid some boys to play with your son after he told you he didn't have any friends?"

"Who told you about that?"

"Oh, it was the talk of the camp year one. Young Maxwell nearly put himself into exile over it, but you didn't know that did you?"

Turning red, Lawrence suddenly seemed fascinated with his watch. Clearly he had no idea what had been happening with his son, not that it was much of a shock after what Jeff had just heard. He didn't blame the kid one bit for not talking to his father if that was the way Lawrence handled things.

"Oh, don't feel too bad, Mr. Radcliffe," Devlon continued with mock sympathy. "You are not the only parent to be out of touch. In fact, I probably know all of your brats better then you do."

Jeff knew that wasn't the case, but he could only speak for himself. Looking around at the other parents, he could tell that several were well aware of their lack of insight into their children's lives. Of course, being the bitter employee Devlon was, just mentioning their failings was not enough.

"Mr. Astor, are you aware that all the long talks that Charmaine has with her designers are not about buying clothes? In fact, she has not worn a single one of Bruno's original pieces in years and only a few of Pierre's."

"That is absurd!" Mr. Astor interrupted. "Charmaine gets a brand new wardrobe every season."

"You are right about that, sir. But the truth is, she has been designing her own clothes and has them make them for her. In return for the free wardrobe, they get the rights to anything she gives them. Not very business savvy if you ask me. She would do well to take a few lessons from her brother."

"Charmaine doesn't even have a brother!" Mr. Astor protested, though his confidence was clearly shaken.

"Not in the traditional sense, no, but both of your daughters have agreed that Maxwell is their brother ever since you married one of his father's cast off wives. Speaking of which, Radcliffe, camp gossip is a bit conflicted this year. Are you on wife number six or seven?"

Lawrence gave no answer, instead just glaring at the man on the screen. This hardly seemed to deter Devlon though. He simply shrugged and scanned the crowd, possibly looking for his next victim.

"No matter, I could always ask Maxwell to set the record straight, or Katherine Marriott. She has been up to date on all the latest gossip since our first year, her brother too." He smiled at a man that Jeff assumed was Mr. Marriott. "Just a warning, the two of them are planning to break out of their mansion and see the world as soon as you leave the country. Not that I blame them. It must be miserable being trapped in a place you hate. Young Terrence Underwood knows the feeling, since he has seriously considered burning down his private school. On the flip side Elise Jermaine once petitioned to stay at her school over winter break just to avoid spending the holidays with her step-siblings. Luckily for her, the prenup left them too poor to attend camp after the divorce. Lamont Hastings however …"

Every child mentioned made Jeff feel sick. How could so many people be so out of touch with their children? Was this what it meant to be rich? If that was true, Jeff would gladly relinquish his fortune. He wouldn't give up time with his boys for anything … but he did. He sent them to camp so that he could get work done. It wasn't quite the same as sealing them away in a mansion ten months out of the year or mailing them a birthday card from another continent because you are too busy to call, but it stung none the less.

"And Mr. Tracy," Devlon continued, smiling in delight. "Your son has quite the temper on him."

"Yes," Jeff replied calmly. "We have been working on that, but Alan does better if his brothers are nearby. Scott and John especially seem to be a calming influence on him."

His comment not only silenced the room, it silenced the mad man. But Jeff barely noticed the surprise on the faces of the other parents, his focus was on Devlon. The disgruntled director gaped at him for a moment before regaining his composure.

"Well, I don't know how much time Scott will have for corralling his brothers with all the attention he is receiving."

The man smiled slyly and Jeff knew exactly what he was doing. The cretin was testing him, trying to show how little he knew his sons. Well, if he wanted to play that game, fine. No one knew his boys better than him.

"So the girls have fallen for him already, have they?" Jeff replied. "Scott always was a charmer, but he is far too much of a gentleman to string many of them along. His attention is going to be on one girl and one girl only."

Based on the glare he was getting, Jeff knew he had hit the nail on the head. But Devlon didn't seem to want to back down and quickly came up with something else to try.

"Then maybe he should give John some pointers, because he has already broken two hearts since arriving."

"Who are you trying to bluff?" Jeff scoffed. "John barely talks to girls and has probably tucked himself in a corner somewhere with one of his novels. I would bet that the only times you have even seen him is at meals or when he's stopping a fight."

Devlon literally growled at that one as he looked down at him, his eyes burning in rage. But Jeff was not going to back down. In the end, the camp director took a deep breath and gave his final statement.

"I will call back when I have finished pricing the children."

With that the screen went black.

What do you think? It was a lot of Jeff, I know, but I thought you would all like to see how the parents are handling the situation.

So, what would you like to see in the next chapter, more parents or more campers?

P.S. anyone want to venture a guess as to what certain younger Tracys are cooking up?