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Mikey, are you there? Are you okay?" Dalkon tried calling his brother again."Mikey, can you hear me? Say something. Talk to me. Please."Nothing.He didn't know what to do. He could call his mom, and maybe ask her advice. Maybe she could come and pick him up, since his family was still scattered all over Europe.He knew that his mother had always kept tabs on him, and he knew that she would probably be able to tell him whether or not this was a good idea.After all, they were practically blood relatives.When he got home, he sat down on the sofa and took out his laptop, looking up information about Michael's kidnapping. As he began reading, he realized that his brother had already paid with his life, and it was obvious that he'd been killed by a gang of drug dealers. It seemed pretty straightforward."Damn,"Dalkon murmured under his breath. Then he called his secretary again and told her that he'd had an emergency visit from his sister who needed his help."Sure thing, Doctor. Take all the time you need,"she replied. Dalkon stared blankly at the computer screen for several minutes. He was beginning to understand."Oh no," he murmured. The police were going to arrest his brother.There was no way that Michael would ever be found alive.This was it."Fuck!"Dalkon yelled as he threw his computer onto the floor. Then he grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote a quick note explaining what had happened. He folded it and placed it in the envelope he had prepared beforehand, then put the envelope into his pocket.He picked up his coat, then went outside and got into his car. He drove straight to the bank. He parked his car and ran inside. He entered the office of the president of the bank, Mr. Thomas. The president looked up."Hello, Mr. Prestcott. What brings you to my bank?"he said.Dalkon handed Mr. Thomas the letter he had written."This just arrived. A young lady from my family called a few hours ago asking for Mikey's whereabouts. She said that she had just learned that he was kidnapped by some guys from a rival company.""And do you think it's true?"Mr. Thomas asked.Dalkon shook his head."No. I don't think she was lying about that, but I also don't think she's telling us everything she knows. I just don' know what else to do,"Dalkon replied."Do you need some money?"Mr. Thomas offered."No, that's okay,"Dalkon replied."Then I suggest you go to your brother's apartment. That's where he's living at the moment, isn't it?"Mr. Thomas asked."Yeah. My house is nearby,"Dalkon said.Mr. Thomas smiled."Then I think that's best,"he replied."I think so too,"Dalkon said.They shook hands and Dalkon left the bank.As soon as he got back home, he called his mother's number and waited for her to answer."Hi sweetie. Did you miss me?""Mom, Mikey's in trouble,"Dalkon said. "What did you do this time? Did you forget to take him to school again?""No, Mom, I didn't. I found out about what happened, and I came here as fast as I could. I need you to come to my house right away,"Dalkon said. "Why? Where are you?""We just left the bank. Mikey's in danger. We need to leave town asap. They'll kill him if we stay,"Dalkon explained."Who's going to kill Mikey?"his mother asked."The guys from our rival company. They've been looking for him for months,"Dalkon replied."Why would they be looking for him?"Mrs. Prestcote asked. "Apparently, they thought he'd sold drugs to one of their rivals, which is why they wanted to kidnap him.""But Mikey hasn't done that,"Mrs. Prestcote said."So, why do you think he's going to die?"Dalkon asked."Because...because I'm not sure. It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. And he's probably the most innocent person I know. Why would anyone want to hurt him? I mean, he's a really nice person,"Mrs. Prestcote replied."It might have nothing to do with me, but there might be something more behind it,"Dalkon murmured."You know what, sweetie? You should go and help him. Tell him to escape as much as he possibly can, and to meet you somewhere as soon as possible. Otherwise, people will start thinking that he's a criminal."Dalkon sighed. "Okay, Mom. Will do."After hanging up the phone, he got dressed and packed. He took his keys and wallet, and then headed out the door and into his car.He headed toward Michael's apartment, driving very slowly because he didn't know how far away it was from the bank."I hope that Mikey's alright," he muttered.He drove along until he saw Michael's apartment building.He parked in front of the building and hurried up to the door. The security guard looked surprised to see him. He was wearing a dark gray suit and a black tie and had a serious expression on his face."Can I help you?"he asked Dalkon."Um, yes, my brother is staying here. His name is Michael Prestoncote. Do you know where he is?"Dalkon asked."I can't give out that information. Just show me your identification,"the security guard replied gruffly.Dalkon pulled his ID out of his wallet and showed the guard."What's the problem, man? He's a friend of mine. He was in the hospital a while ago. I'm his doctor,"Dalkon told the guard."I don't care.