Every word that went unsaid lowered him farther into panic, and the entire bureau knew it. The entire car was silent as it bumped along the city rode, awash with crawling traffic. With every car between them and wherever they were taking him, Blaine lost a little pinch of his resolve.

When the car finally stopped, Blaine was ushered out of the black, unmarked vehicle. His shaking hands tightened around the strap of his messenger bag as he gleamed up at their destination. It was a small house in the little known rural region of upstate New York. The structure itself wasnt much, but it had miles of farm land stretching on either side of it, pushing its neighbors far away.

"Where are we?" He asked one of the men rushing him towards the front door.

They all looked at each other, gauging how much they could divulge by each others expressions. Then one man spoke. "About an hour outside of Manhatten. Barrow requested we bring you here. Hes inside." Then the front door was pushed open.

The interior was small and neat, with many antiques and vintage furniture placed inside. But, as Blaine slowly stepped through, it was imminent that the bureau had been there. Multiple doors had been kicked in, the knobs breaking off and falling to the floor. Much like the one they stopped in front of. Three men towered over Blaine, while the fourth slipped behind the door. All that was heard was the sound of his feet on wooden stairs, then the sound of two people returning up them. The sight of Barrow was ironically reassuring to Blaine. The repugnant man was feared by the entire company, from interns to professionals. Expect Blaine. Barrow was the closest thing Blaine had to a family. For as long as he can remember, hed been under Barrows wing.

Two large hands left a reassuring weight on Blaines shoulders. He loosened his grip on his bag only a little. "Kid," Barrows voice was tight from stress, something Blaine noticed often in his small family. "I dont want to ask this of you, but sometimes we have to do the tough things for the greater good. Do you agree?" Blaine nodded briskly, his eyes wide. "Good. I have some great news; we got the blueprints. BAKS had them. The bad news—it was a bit of a trade." A part of Blaines mind wanted to jump to conclusions and break down now, but he waited it out. Maybe it wasnt what he thought. "I want you to think of this as your first mission. Its just field work. People in this buisness do it all the time and they end up fine." Blaine glanced at the goons behind him, who were nodding in agreement, but even they cast worried glances down at him. Barrows words were doing little to reassure any of them. "Hopefully you wont be gone too long."

"You mean Im-" 

"Shhh," Barrow pressed his meaty fingers into Blaines back. "You can always contact us if you need anything." He extended his hand and goon number one handed him an overfilled accordion. "Its tricky to do, but this has everything you need for it.

"Now, theyll have a mission for you, let them believe youre helping. Act cooperative. But, in here will also tell you what we really need you to do." Barrow reached past Blaine and tucked the folder into his bag for him. "Be careful, kid."

"I dont want to." Blaine whined as the first tear slipped down his cheek.

Barrow remained stoic, trying to keep professional. "I need you to do this. The entire bureau is counting on you."

Blaine shook his head vehemently. "Im going to let them down." He was clutching his bag again. He yanked his shoulders out of Barrows grasp, trying to back away. But, his body collided with one of the guys surrounding him.

Barrow confined his hands to his specially tailored pockets. "I dont believe thats true. Youre the only who wont fail us. BAKS asked specifically for you. Everyone agrees youre the right guy for this."

"But theyre the bad guys. Theyre dangerous. Youre letting them kill me!" Blaine sputtered around his stream of tears.

"Blaine," Barrow reached out to hold onto his shaking arms. He squeezed his left arm just a little too tight, when he said, "I would never just abandon you." Then he tapped his now sore left bicep. "Ill keep tabs on you, dont worry.

"You have to go now, okay?" Blaine shook his head. "Please, Blaine, dont make this harder. Put on a brave face and go be a hero, okay? I believe you can do it. And Ill always be here for you." He squeezed his left arm again. "Ready?" Blaine sniffles and pushed up his glasses to wipe at his eyes with the back of his hand. Then he nodded. 

He wasnt even given a chance to say goodbye. He was instantly ushered down the steps into the lab of BAKS. Two criminals stood before him, clad in tight all black clothing.

"Blaine Anderson," the Latina spoke his name like it was a challenge. "Its about damn time you showed up."