Five hours they’d been gone.
Five very long hours.
I wasn’t sure which was worse, the six days Nick was missing and we didn’t have any clue where he was or who had him, or the five hours when we knew exactly who had him, Kevin, and Brian.
I should have done something. I knew that asshole was going to strike again. I can't believe I didn't do anything to stop him. I just had to go and be all cautious and keep my suspicions to myself. But I *knew* he was the one.
I punched the wall and let out a frustrated yell. Does that surprise you? Me punching a wall? I know I have this image with so many people as being the quiet, practical, and peaceful one of the group. And I like that image, but it’s not entirely the whole picture. I have a temper. It’s often hard to trigger, but when it goes off I do stuff like that. I punched the wall again.
I should have done something!
I could have done any one of a number of things. I could have confronted Ed. Maybe that wouldn’t have been the best idea, all things considered, but still I could have. Or I could have gone to Lon, or Jack, or Geo or anyone for that matter with what Nick told me. I don't know why I didn't except that I thought I'd have more time to confirm my theory before acting. But that's not a good excuse. Reality is I was too damn afraid that maybe Nick had misunderstood something and that I'd accuse Ed of being a psycho only to find out that he was innocent. But he wasn’t. He was guilty!
I can't believe I let something like this happen. Again. When Nick'd told me everything that Ed told him and everything else he could remember about what had happened to him, I'd noticed a few problems with the story. Like when Kevin was drugged at the hotel. I hadn’t really been paying attention to anything but Kevin at the time, but Nick told me that Ed mentioned to Walters that he left after the lights went out and was back before the lights were restored. But that couldn't be true because the stalker...the *killer* had been downstairs grabbing Nick right after the lights went out and he was still with Nick when the lights came back on. He wouldn't have had time to get upstairs and drug Kevin. That meant that, for whatever reason, Ed had lied about the time he wasn’t upstairs. That alone should have been enough proof for me, but I was afraid that maybe I was jumping to the wrong conclusions. What if Ed had only said that to make it seem like he wasn't gone that long so that he wouldn't get in trouble with Lon? There could have been another explanation for the lie. So I’d played it safe.
Safe for who? Safe for Ed. Damn it! Because of me ‘playing it safe', Nick, Brian, and Kevin were missing. And our bodyguard Ryan was dead. Police found his body lying under the rear stage with a bullet in his brain. They hadn't yet confirmed whose blood it was in the arena’s hallway, but they did say that it wasn't Ryan's. He'd died instantly, they said, and it didn’t appear that the body had been moved. So the blood could belong to any one of the others. One of my brothers could be dead. Or maybe all three were. It’d been five damn long hours since they disappeared.
I punched the wall again, pretending that it was Ed. My hand was numb by then, anyway. So I punched it yet again.
"Howie..." AJ grabbed my arm before I could take another swing. "Stop it, D. You're going to break something...Come here; you're bleeding."
What did it matter? I should be bleeding. I should have been the one out there. Instead I was safe. And three of my friends were missing, hurt or possibly even dead.
I couldn't believe Ryan was dead. I couldn't believe that bastard killed him. Ryan was a good man, and he was so young. But Ed shot him. Probably right after we'd gone onstage. I could have prevented it if only I'd made my suspicions--hell my *convictions*--known. I tried to pull away from AJ so I could punch the wall again, but he restrained me.
He pulled me over to the lounge's sink and turned on the water, running it over my bloodied fist. The blood rinsed away showing a lattice of gashes. He grabbed the hand towel from the rack and wrapped it around my hand. "No more punching walls," he insisted quietly, "it doesn't help."
I nodded silently. SILENTLY. What was *wrong* with me! I let out another frustrated string of obscenities, causing everyone gathered in the room to look up at me.
"D...they're gonna be all right," AJ tried to assure me, but his voice wasn't as convincing as his words. He was scared to death. I could see it in his eyes.
I wished I could believe they were all okay, but I couldn’t. Ed had proven that he was willing to kill. He’d killed at least three people already. And the way he tortured Nick! I felt sick knowing that the guys were at his mercy. But I didn't want AJ to feel any worse. "I know," I lied to him with a sigh. "I just should have done something, J."
AJ sank back into one of the lounge chairs. "I know what you mean. I should have gone with Brian. Maybe if I'd been there too things would have been different."
"You didn't know what was going to happen," I reassured him, sitting in the chair next to his. He hadn't known, but I had. Obviously I didn't know Ed was going to grab them from the arena, but I'd known he was potentially dangerous. "And Ed has a gun. If you'd gone you could have ended up being taken right along with them."
AJ nodded slowly and stayed quiet.
The door to the lounge opened and the new agents assigned to the case came in. They’d kept us waiting in the lounge without word for well over an hour without so much as a word of information. After everything we told them during their initial interrogation, they still couldn’t just take a minute now and then to tell us anything.
I got to my feet and met them before they could even get all the way into the room. “Have you found them? Are they okay?”
Agent Grey shook her head. “Please have a seat, Mr. Dorough,” she suggested as she gestured toward the seat next to AJ’s. I could see something in her eyes that told me that I had better do as she recommended. They’re dead. Oh my God they’re dead.
I sank down into the chair and stared at the wall, unable to look at her any longer. I didn’t want to hear what she had to say anymore. She was going to tell us that they’re dead. And it was my fault.
“We don’t know where they are, but we do have some news,” Agent Grey informed us as she pulled up a chair to face us. She waited until everyone gathered around. Lon rested his hand on my shoulder as he stood behind us.
“The arena’s security has cameras at each of the exits,” she reported.
I continued to stare at the wall. We already knew that they were taken from the building. They didn’t need a security tape to tell us that.
“Are they alive?” AJ asked quietly.
Grey and Nutter exchanged glances. “We don’t know the condition of your friends,” Nutter told us, though I could tell he was lying. “There are some questions that have arisen,” he added. “Perhaps you can shed some light on some things for us.”
“Anything we can do to help,” AJ replied quickly.
“Mr. Dorough?”
I stopped staring at the wall long enough to glance at Agent Grey and nod, and then turned my attention back to the wall.
“When we spoke earlier you mentioned that you thought that Mr. Paterson was the one who kidnapped Mr. Carter before,” Agent Nutter started. I looked at him with disdain. He said that like he doubted it. Come on! It was obvious now wasn’t it? Ed took my friends and was doing God only knew what to them now. God, the things Nick told me his attacker did to him or at least tried to do to him…and Ed had him again. Brian and Kevin were there and they’d all protect each other the best they could, but I feared for all of them. “Can you tell us again why?”
I sighed and leaned forward in the chair, reaching up and rubbing my temples to try and alleviate the headache that was bugging me. “I don’t just think it, I know it,” I told him bitterly. “Nick told me everything.”
Agent Grey leaned forward. “He told you that Mr. Paterson kidnapped him?”
I shook my head. “No…he didn’t know who did it.”
“Then why do you think Mr. Paterson was the one?” Nutter asked.
I looked up at him. “Because Mr. Paterson lied,” I spat out. “And he’s been messing with Nick’s head.”
“How so?”
I sighed and rubbed my temples again. “He was telling Nicky stuff. He had Nick convinced that Kevin was the one who kidnapped him.”
The agents exchanged glances again. AJ sat forward, having noticed the look. “What?” he asked them. “What was that look for?”
Agent Grey reached out and patted his knee, smiling an obviously fake smile. “Can you tell us more about what Mr. Paterson told Nick? Why exactly Nick thought that Kevin was involved in the kidnapping?” she asked me.
I shook my head. “Ed was telling him stuff. Like that Kevin hated him and had threatened him and stuff like that. And he planted a…a note or something that made it look like Kevin had gotten a prescription for Ketamine. Like Kevin had drugged himself at the hotel and stuff like that.”
“Did you see the note?”
“No. Nick gave it to Ed.”
“You said that Kevin had threatened Nick?”
“It wasn’t like that,” Geo cut in. “I was there when that happened. Kevin was mad at Nick the day of the kidnapping, but Kevin wasn’t threatening him.”
Agent Nutter nodded. “What did he say?”
Geo pursed his lips. “He just said…well…he was angry and said something like ‘someone should teach Nick that the world doesn’t revolve around him’ and that sort of thing. But Kevin didn’t mean anything by it. It was just talk.”
“Did he say how someone should ‘teach’ Nick this?” Nutter’s voice had an edge to it that suggested he was getting angry.
“What does that matter anyway?” I blew up at the agent, infuriated by this line of questioning. “He was mad. He said stuff he shouldn’t have. What does it matter when Ed’s got them? He could kill them and you’re sitting here asking about Kevin’s temper tantrum? It’s pointless! We need to *find* them, not sit here and argue about who shouldn’t have said what!”
Nutter’s eyes blazed as he looked at me critically. “I’m afraid it does matter, Mr. Dorough. You’ve been withholding important information from us that we could have been using to get your friends back safely.”
I stared at him. Withholding information? I told them everything. Not soon enough, but I did tell them. They just weren’t listening to me apparently. “I told you everything. Ed is a psycho and he’s kidnapped our friends! What else do you expect me to say? I don’t know where he took them!”
Nutter pursed his lips a moment, his eyes full of anger. But Grey held up her hand to silence him before he could respond to my outburst.
“What information is it you think we’re hiding?” AJ asked, a lot calmer sounding than he looked. What did it matter? These people weren’t helping us. They didn’t know where to look so they were wasting time by questioning us again instead of getting out there and being useful. It’d been five hours and we were still sitting in the greenroom of the arena for God’s sake! I cursed under my breath. Me and AJ might as well go out there and look for them ourselves at the rate the agents were going! We should go. I wanted to do something. Anything. I wanted them back!
Nutter raised an eyebrow skeptically but Grey was the one who responded. “Perhaps you should see the security tape and tell us what you think.”
“By all means,” I was on my feet and headed for the door immediately. I didn’t know where the security office was in the building, but if it would get the agents moving I’d find it and watch the tape. “Show it to me and I’ll tell you *exactly* what I think,” I added, fuming.
I didn’t make it to the door before Lon grabbed my arm and stopped me, though. “Howie, they’re doing all they can.”
I begged to differ. They were just wasting time. But I took a deep breath and held it in, trying to calm myself. I nodded at Lon. I didn’t want to fight with him. Or anyone else except a certain ex-bodyguard who’d better as hell hope I never saw him again. Especially if he’d hurt them. I let my breath out. “I know. I just hate waiting.”
“We all do, Kid.”
I reluctantly turned back to the agents. “I’m sorry,” I apologized, though not for why they might have thought. I was sorry that they were completely incompetent. “I’ve told you all that I know, though. You’re wasting your time questioning us again. We’ll just tell you exactly what we did before. Ed Paterson kidnapped our friends and he could be doing God only knows what to them right now!” I would have continued with my frustrated rant if my cell phone hadn’t chosen that precise moment to start ringing. Oh for God’s sake, who would possibly call at that hour?! Unless…I pulled it from my pocket quickly and looked at the ID. Phoenix General Hospital. That had to be the guys.
I quickly answered. “Hello?”
“Howie?” a quiet voice asked. It was so quiet I couldn’t tell if I recognized it or not.
“Who is this?” I held my breath as I waited for the answer.
“It’s me…it’s Brian…”
I let out my breath in a sigh of relief. I smiled as I spoke his name. “Brian.” I looked up and saw AJ bouncing to his feet and rushing toward me. “Where are you? Are you guys okay?” There was a long pause. “Brian?” Nutter was suddenly right next to me, extending his hand, apparently wanting to take my phone, but I wouldn’t give it to him.
“Sorry…” Brian finally responded and I heard him sniffling. My smile faded. Something is wrong. Well DUH. But it had to be something more than just the kidnapping. He was free, so it couldn’t be that.
“You’re at the hospital,” I prompted, cutting down on the number of questions he needed to answer. “Are you hurt?”
After another pause Brian answered. “No…I’m okay. Mostly…” he said softly. Which meant one of the others was probably hurt. I closed my eyes. The way Brian was acting I suspected that the news was very bad.
“Okay. Good. Is there maybe a doctor there I can talk to?” I suggested, realizing that he may not have been emotionally able to tell me what was going on. I wondered if it was Nick or Kevin that was hurt. Or both of them.
“Um…yeah…” Brian sputtered hesitantly. “Can you come?” Something was very wrong.
I looked up at Nutter. “He’s at Phoenix General. He wants to know if we can get there now.”
Nutter nodded and immediately pulled out his own cell phone. “Are the others with him?” Nutter asked as he dialed.
“Brian? Are Nick and Kevin there with you now?”
I heard Brian swallowing a sob. “No.”
They’re dead. Oh my God. I squeezed my eyes shut as I shook my head to give AJ and the others the answer. They had to be dead or they’d be there with him. “Okay. It’s okay, Bri. We’ll be right there. Okay? Are you in the emergency room or where are you?”
“Ung…yeah. Emergency.”
“Okay. We’ll be right there. I’ll stay on with you until we’re there, okay?”
“Thanks, D…”
I didn’t ask him any more questions. It was obvious that he couldn’t deal with whatever happened. All the way to the hospital I continued to just talk soothingly to him, not really saying much of anything other that different variations of “It’s gonna be okay”.
It only took a few minutes for us to reach the hospital and Brian, but they seemed almost as long as the five hours he’d been gone. I didn’t hang up my phone until we saw him in the small waiting room that the hospital had blocked off from the public for him to use. We had to get through a small gathering of police officers to get to him. They informed us that Brian had refused to talk to any of them and so they were giving him space. When we got into the room we found that he had forgone the chairs and was sitting crouched on the floor in the corner with his knees drawn up to his chest.
“Brian?” AJ reached him first and knelt down next to him.
Brian forced a sad smile in greeting.
The agents were actually tactful enough to let us have a few moments before they came in to question him.
After we both took a few minutes to just sit and soothe him, AJ was the one who asked him the question that we were both dying to know but afraid to ask. “Rok? Where are Nick and Kev?”
Brian squeezed his eyes shut but didn’t answer for a few moments. I don’t know about AJ but I know that I was assuming the worst when he didn’t respond right away. All he would have to say was “they’re in the ER” or even “they’re in surgery”. But he didn’t. Which meant only one thing to me: they were dead.
But that wasn’t Brian’s answer, either, when he finally did respond. His response was a little more puzzling. “I don’t know,” he said miserably. “They’re gone.”
Ed must still have them, I realized.
But that left me wondering something. “Brian…if Nick and Kevin aren’t here and you’re not hurt…why are you here? Why not the police station?”
Brian’s eyes opened at he looked at me, his face void of any expression and his eyes dark as death. After a moment, he shed a slight bit of light. “Ed’s here in surgery. He was shot.”
I noticed the agents moving closer, but they still stayed quiet for the moment. Ed was shot? I found myself fighting off a grin. Good. At least there was a little bit of justice in the situation. I wonder which of them got the privilege of shooting that bastard. It’s not that I want him to die. I don’t. I want him to suffer more than that. I want him to pay for what he’s done. But if Brian and Ed were here, where were Kev and Nick?
“At least the police’ll be here to arrest the asshole the minute he comes out of surgery,” AJ ruled.
Brian’s eyes went wide and he shook his head vigorously. “They can’t do that!”
AJ and I stared at him in surprise.
“Why not?” AJ growled. “After what he did to Nick!?”
Brian’s jaw squared and he suddenly looked extremely angry. There’s the response I expected. He should be angry at Ed.
Except he wasn’t.
“He didn’t do anything to Nick.”
AJ stared at him stunned. I looked back over my shoulder at the agents and was surprised by their lack of shock over that announcement. What was going on? I looked back at Brian in confusion.
Brian’s nostrils flared as his anger grew in intensity. “If it weren’t for Ed I would be dead right now. You want to know where Nick is? Find my cousin,” he challenged, looking up at the agents.
“What do you mean?” AJ asked, even though I think he already knew the answer that was coming. The implication of Brian’s words were just too unbelievable though. Brian glared angrily at both of us before returning his gaze to the agents.
“I mean, AJ, that Kevin’s the one who took him. And he tried to kill me.” Brian’s jaw was clenched and he spoke through his grinding teeth. “If it weren’t for Ed, I would have been the one shot. He saved my life.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
This chapter was added on 1/1/09. I'm integrating the "companion" story to NECWIFY into this one so it'll be alternating chapters. Sorry for the confusion here...
Howie POV
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: I have gotten feedback telling me that this does not match up with the ending of Ground Zero. I agree it doesn’t, you’ll just have to trust me…
