FLAG UPDATEStill haven't heard anything guys. So after 36 hours of waiting for even the faintest response, I have created a flag. Losing 13 btc is no light-hearted matter. If you're in my trusted network (as a newbie, I am sure there are only about 2 or 3 of you) please support the flag if you feel inclined to. I guess it could potentially help prevent this situation from happening to anyone else.
Link to flag is here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=trust;u=2734674;page=iflagsThanks.