Date: The last week of August, the morning after the events of If Only Things Were Different

Time: Early Morning.

Billy had slept almost the entire plane ride to Montreal. He had no choice really. He was tired and he would need his wits about him if he were going to deal with what was potentially coming next. So when he woke, it was with a start as the wheels of the plane roughly grabbed the earth once again and the smooth glide through the air was no more.

Billy shook his head as he watched out the window. I was a dawn grey morning, but at least it was clear outside. Hopefully it wasn't too cold. Billy would never fully understand why Integra didn't like flying, but he did understand the fear of dying in a metal box.

He stepped down from the plane and there was a car waiting for him. He had no idea where it was going to go, but he knew that the driver did, and that's what matters.

"Alright boys, stick close, and be ready. All we know is that Durden sent some boys up here to find Tara. As far as we know they did, and they are torturing her, so we need to keep the guns holstered as long as we can. Both theirs and ours."

He knew trying to keep Durdens with guns in their pockets was futile. But he had to try to keep his own men from instigating things at least. Charlie and Oscar just nodded when he finished. Rebecca though? She was new to guarding Billy all the time. He could tell she wanted to have more firepower. She had said as much before they left. Time was a problem working against them today though, and so into the car they went, and off into the dawning light.

Billy had barely felt the car come to a stop, he had been so engrossed in his own thoughts. He was playing out every scenario. A handful of men, a dozen men, a hundred men, Durden himself, other high rankers, just goons. Every scenario he could think of except this one.

"Boss. There's nobody here."

Rebecca was the first one to say anything and Oscar shot her a dirty look for it. She gave him an innocent look and a shrug to go along with it. She had found no reason no to say something the way the two bigger men had. For all of Billy's planning, this was the one that he had no idea was even a possibility. Let alone know how to handle.

He stepped out of the car and looked around the property at a glance. He made a motion and each of his two bodyguards began to sweep around the outside of the house. In the mean time he and Rebecca walked right up to the front door. Their chauffeur stayed with the car running just in case.

Billy reached into his pocket and pulled out the front door key that Bella had given to him and he unlocked the door as quietly as he could. He then nodded to Rebecca and she pulled out her gun as they both headed in the door.

One room at a time. They had searched every nook and cranny. Billy even opened up the cupboard under the stairs. Nothing. The boys were walking around the house now and gently knocking on the walls to find any secret or hidden doors. So far, they came up empty too. It was the most bizarre thing Billy had ever seen.

If someone had come here to kidnap Tara Byrne, they either did the most immaculate job of taking her in her sleep, or they never found her and they left the place exactly as it had been. Billy wanted to lean toward the second option, but there was just no way to be sure.

What he could be sure of was that if he picked up that phone to call Bella right now without any answers no good would come of it. As soon as he found something out, then he would call. Until then.

"Alright guys, I think we gotta start looking for some real clues. Something that the mastermind of a godmother Tara Byrne would have looked for or would have taught her sister-in-law to look for."

Billy made his way up to the office, and that's when he heard a knock at the front door.

"Well you're not one of the animal people come to save their bitch are ya?"

The man in the doorway had only gotten the attention of Billy considering everyone else was roaming the house, but he had certainly gotten Billy's. As Billy wheeled to look at the man he saw first and foremost a chiseled jaw, a square, clean-shaven face and slicked back jet black hair. The man before him had a thick Italian accent. No. he had a Bronx accent. Billy knew what Italian sounded like. This guy? Probably had never set foot in Italy. Probably never even made his own sauce, not once.

"What the hell are you...?"

Billy started, but the man raised his hand quick to cut him off.

"I stayed behind to find out who they would send. I must say I'm impressed with the operation. I don't know how you all got word to her to get out before we got here, but get out she soitenly did."

He laughed then. A weasels laugh. That annoying, high-pitched breath of air. Not a real laugh, more like a man exhaling while he's got a squeaker stuck in his throat. Billy didn't know why but already this man grated on him. Every bit of of him drove Billy's nerve endings to jumping. All he wanted to do was reach out and strangle the man. He might have too, but the man was close in size to Billy. Not so close as to get rid of Billy's advantage, but close enough that it made Billy stop and think. While he was thinking, the man continued.

"I don't know how you're related to the Byrne family, but you can give them a message from Tyler. We're gonna find her, and then Tyler's not gonna be so nice."

It took everything in Billy's power not to charge the man as he started to close the door and leave. Instead he just shouted.

"Hey wait!"

The sleezeball didn't listen, instead he just closed the door and Billy could hear his footsteps retreating down the front walkway. So he ran to the door and threw it open.

"What the hell is your name shit for brains?"

The man turned just as he opened his car door and put one foot inside.

"It's Mancini you meathead!"

Billy almost rushed down the stairs after the car as it drove off. he would have too if it weren't for Charlie having grabbed his arm when he took the first step. He looked back at his loyal and oldest bodyguard.

"You got a phone call to make Boss, we'll get that guy next time."

Billy ripped his arm from the man's grip and then stepped back inside. He took the phone from the hook and dialed the number for Hollowood.

"Put Bella on now."

His tone brooked no questions or argument from whomever was sorry enough to pick up the phone that morning.

"Bella, she's safe. She made it out fine... Cause I just had one of his men here confirming and gloating over how close they were.... Nah, nothing in the house is even broken... Yeah, I'm comin' back as soon as I finish checking around for anything left behind... Ok, Will do. Oh, and tell Aurora we need to talk about a guy when I get back."