The Age of The Masrui

"Get off me. I trusted you." Ronan had began to hiss at Bella, taking a step back away from her. Eyes widening when he heard Rose, turning his attention to his brother then. "Rowan.... What if Rie-" He cut off then when he spotted his brothers hand move, knowing exactly what was going next so pushing Bella behind him.

Rowan pulled a gun from his back pocket, pointing it towards Altair then. Responding sharply, "Why would we want anything to do with your brat. It is more likely that you have taken Reid as some kind of bargain chip, and are trying to turn this onto us to stop us from ruining your damn reputation."

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"There you are..." Louis breathed in relief, having followed the noise to find her. Jogging over and sweeping her off of her feet and into his arms, "I spotted the guards, you're so lucky."

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"We are triple bolted in here, the windows have bars and beyond the bars is an electrified fence. We aren't getting out of here any time soon."

"We had no idea what you were coming to us with today, why would we have any need for a bargaining chip?!" Altair hissed, putting both his hands in front of him then.

Within seconds of Rowan pulling gun out, Dane had pulled out his own, though faced his gun towards Ronan.

"Dane don't be fucking stupid. Everyone put the fucking guns down!" Bella pushed past Ronan, banking on Dane not willing to risk shooting her just to get to him, trying to hide the shaking in her voice as she suddenly went to grab the gun from Rowans hand in an attempt to disarm him.

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"We need to find Astrid." Karsi groaned, coughing and wincing violently as she did so. "I will live, you saw the guards - she might not."

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"Why would they take me when they had Karsi right there? Why would they take Reid when his older brothers are in town. They've taken the least two valuable members from both sides - and why you Dorian? Why're you here? This makes zero sense."

(( Oh. Could Ronan get like double shot - one accidently by Rowan and the other accidently by Dane? I am definitely going with a single shot by Rowan, up to you with the Dane idea ))

"What do you think you are doing you littl-" Rowan began though the insult would of been drowned out by the sound of the gun going off, his finger pressing down on the trigger just as she went to pull the gun off of him. Though, she would not of felt the repercussions of the gun shot - Ronan managing to place himself between the head of the gun and Bella just in time, resulting in the bullet hitting his stomach; sending him stumbling backwards.

"Shit! Ro, what the hell?!"

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"Hey!" Reid sneered. "I think you'll find the middle child, perfect little Ronan is the least valuable of my family. Who the fuck is this guy anyway?" he waved a hand towards Dorian. "You really are a nobody."

"Get to Marlowe, which'll get to Maddox. I am just as linked in with your family are you are now Astrid. Your family are mine, really." Dorian whispered. "It doesn't matter why we are here, lets just focus on a plan to get out of here. They will have to show up to either check on us or torture us at some point, right? We need a plan for when that happens."

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"I am getting you to the hospital, the rest of your family can help Astrid." Louis replied firmly, carrying her to the car. "Don't argue with me, I'm not risking losing you."

"No, no!" Bella screamed, wrapping an arm around Ronan and pressing her other to the wound to try and staunch the bleeding. "Ronan talk to m -" she cut off then. Altair made a sudden movement to run from the room which had spooked Dane into firing his own gun where it'd was still pointing. The resulting bullet had gone straight through the back of Bella's shoulder and would've embedded itself into Ronan's.

"Shit - shit, no Bella - " Dane dropped the gun and put his head in his hands, stumbling backwards as Caliban came rushing back into the room and pushed him aside.

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"Bite your own tongue off before you reveal anything." Astrid whispered almost robotically, something that was drilled into her - would've been drilled into them all at some point during their training. "There's nothing else we can do..."

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"Louis I wont die! She might!"

"Your whole family are going to be looking for her." Louis repeated, placing Karsi down in the passengers seat and strapping her in before jumping in his side and speeding off towards the hospital. "Your still ill sometimes, Karsi, what if this sets it off? What if there is damaging we can't see? You think your not going to die but neither of us know that for sure."

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"I know the drill." Dorian assured. "We can look for weak spots when they do get here though, reassess the situation after that."

Reid just rolled his eyes at them, sitting himself down in the corner of the room and leaning his head back against the wall. Closing his eyes to try and soothe the throbbing in his head.

---

"I don't have time for this, I need to work out if Reid is caught up in all of this." Rowan muttered, putting his gun into his pocket and leaving the room. Not batting another eye lid toward his brother.

Ronan opened his mouth to say something, though went quiet when the bullet went through Bella and gone into his arm. A moment later making a choking noise as blood came from his mouth.

---

Marlowe was pacing her brothers apartment, trying to hush Sienna as she held her phone between her and shoulder and her ear - trying to call Maddox.

"She's in more danger than I am - you saw what they..." Karsi started, though trailed off and just doubled over in pain.

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"Check him over, I've broken my wrist but I'll live. He's the one worth the most here, if he dies then the kidnappers know they're fucked and they'll just kill us anyway." Astrid whispered, gesturing towards Reid.

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"Call for help!" Caliban hissed at his brother, shoving him from the room before kneeling down, gently but firmly pushing Bella away too when he assessed she'd live. "You're not allowed to die on me, Karsi and Louis would be very upset." he hummed almost cheerily, trying to swallow down the fear that that's exactly what would happen. He took his jacket off and put it under Ronan's head, Bella shrugging out of her own without so much as a pained groan as she moved to press it to the wound on his stomach with her free arm.

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"Marlowe I'm sorry I don't have time right now." Maddox answered, out of breath from the getgo, him and his remaining family having literally sprinted from a meeting to their cars when Rose had finally got through to Thomas. "I - I'll have to call you later. I need you to go to the house, you need to be with my mother and the house guards, I don't think you're safe where you are."

"Something has happened to Dorian, I just got here to pick up Sienna - who, who is fine by the way, don't panic but he isn't here a- and the apartment is trashed. He isn't anywhere, his phone is here smashed on the floor too. Mads, what is happening?"

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"We're nearly there, don't worry." Louis soothed, reaching one hand over to rub her back gently. "They'll look you over, get you some pain killers. You are going to be fine, you just need to hang in there until we get you to the people who know how the hell to make you feel better."

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Ronan didn't manage to stay awake for much longer, his eyes rolling back into his head before his eyelids fluttered close. Body beginning to give up due to shock and blood loss.

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"Who even is he, exactly?"

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(( How long should they be hostages for; a few days? A week? I imagine all three of them will end up getting good beatings and it being used as a message to the families for money? ))

"Astrid and Karsi went to a meeting and they got jumped, Karsi's banged up badly, Astrid is missing and their entire security detail is dead. Apparently one of the Langstead's is missing as well... someone's out for blood clearly."

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"I'm okay... I'm okay." Karsi bit out, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself though wincing at the pain it caused, 

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"Ronan hang on... please." Bella begged, sobbing silently as she moved to hold his head, Caliban taking over on putting pressure on his stomach. "You can't die on me, not now. You don't get to tell me you love me then leave me a few months later you inconsiderate dummy." she cried, pressing her forehead to his.

---

"Reid Langstead, his brother is best friends friends with Louis, his father was also good friends with the Kings, tense friendly but not so friendly with my family through the connection. If you thought that my family were filthy rich then the Langsteads are basically Levi's on fucking steroids. We're talking billions, Dorian."


((A few days or a week maybe?))

(( Okay - shall we do that one week skip now then? Unless there is more you feel the need to play here. Ronan is just going to end up in hospital. ))

((Can do, will you post first?))

"A regular business meeting has ended up with me having one son in critical condition and another in some elaborate hostage situation." Mr. Langstead exclaimed, dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep as he slammed a hand down on the table in the Levi's home in frustration. "This just isn't acceptable, none of it is. Where the hell was your security, Thomas? You promised me my children would be safe in your territory, with all of our dealings, and look at the mess we are in."

"With all due respect," Louis answered in Thomas' place, running his finger along the brim of his drink anxiously. "I don't think right now is the appropriate time to be pointing fingers at one family or the other and it was your eldest whom put Ro into the hospital, why did he pull a gun out and point it toward my brother in law in the first place, hm? It is he who has to control his temper. As for Reid, we emphasise, members of the Levi family are also in the dire situation as well as an ex security guard of ours."

"Oh your taking sides, King? Your daddy has obviously been too long buried, you've forgotten that you are supposed to stay neutral." Rowan snarled.

---

"I just don't understand why they would of taken my brother, he isn't of any use to them - has no money, his only real connection to the family is Sienna." Marlowe whispered, sat in the drawing room with Rose as she watched the baby sleep happily. "And Astrid... I just - I don't understand how anyone can do something so horrible. Unprovoked too."

---

Reid was thrown back into the room after being absent for an hour, his body hitting the floor with a thud. Barely conscious from this beating, finger tips curling as he tried to grip on the floor to force himself to a seat position.

“None of Reid’s security made it out alive either, the security you sent, with all due respect.” Caliban levelled quietly. “None of us expected any of this. This wasn’t planned, we’ve been set up by someone who’s clearly infiltrated both sides. My niece is still missing, as is Maddox’s brother in law, Karsi is only due out of the hospital today and Bella had to have surgery to get a bullet removed too. Nobody got off here lightly.”

“Altair and Caius are still out looking.” Thomas sighed deeply. “We will find them.”

---

Astrid moved to Reid’s side, putting her good arm round him to steady him, body tense as she was usually next after Reid had gone.

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“This isn’t the first time... nor will it be the last. Usually they only go for the outer branches of the family, Thomas’ nieces and nephews, rough them up for a day and we usually get to them before any money is exchanged. It’s never gone on this long.”

"My tech team have been doing their best to get a location from the videos we were sent but these people have obviously been involved in things like this before." He stressed, "I am on the edge of simply throwing money into that bank account they gave us, you heard them as clear as I did. We have an hour and a half before they kill one of them. I am not willing to risk my son for any longer."

"In all liklihood of they kill anyone first it is going to be Maddox's brother in law, not Astrid nor Reid. Someone worthless, just so they can show us they are willing to kill. So, realistically, we still have twenty four hours before anyone important actually is at risk of losing their life."

---

Reid leant Into her, grateful for the help. Lifting his head up and touching his face, flinching as soon as he came into contact with his own skin. Jaw having been broken. "Where is whats his face?" He bit out painfully. "He wasn't where they brought me, they've normally thrown him back in by now."

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"How do you cope with it all?"

"Depends on who it is that's taken them... Astrid may well be the first victim. They still get a decent share of money from both sides if they kill off the middle." Caliban pointed out. "But with the effort still going, I'm sure that we'll find them."

"Did you know your sons were coming here to blackmail mine? Maybe if your sons had kept to their place then they wouldn't have been here and none of this would've been orchestrated! Ronan has been baiting Dane for months. Am I supposed to believe that this isn't a continuation of that?"

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"I don't know, he never came back..." Astrid whispered as she helped him sit up, relaxing ever so slightly when it became clear she wouldn't be taken imminently.

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"It doesn't happen often, but it happens. It's part of this life. You're just so incredibly lucky they didn't take Sienna when they took Dorian."

"She must of been quiet for once, they must not of seen her." Marlowe agreed gently, reaching over to take her daughters hand gently. "Mads and I were so, so lucky."

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"My sons came here to help save your ass." He retorted, getting to his feet and narrowing his eyes at Thomas.

"Stop." Louis close to commanded, slowly getting to his feet. "Mr. Langstead, I am going to the hospital to pick Karsi up. I reccomend you get in the car with me and visit Ronan. Everyone sat around this table isn't doing any good, it is causing more arguments and we all have enough to deal with."

Mr Langstead muttered something inaudible, but accepted the offer. Leaving the room without another word.

---

"How much longer are they going to take to find us..."

"You have a lot to say about my family, but you shot your own brother and left him to bleed out without a second look back." Caliban looked Rowan up and down with disgust, watching as Thomas left behind Louis, though he went to the living room to be with his wife.

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"Not likely my dear, they probably saw her and realised she'd be harder to keep alive and therefore not worth the trouble." Rose sighed deeply, saddened by the words she had to say. "The more durable your daughter gets the bigger the target on her back will grow."

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"We've been moved twice already... god knows." Astrid whispered. "I don't think we're going to be found at this point Reid... I think you've overestimated how important you are - and I was always worthless anyway. My grandfather has six kids left and over a dozen grandchildren. My own father has four boys after me. I'm cannon fodder and so are you. Rowan the heir, Ronan the spare and then you're just there for the sake of it like I am."

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