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It all happened very fast. Much too fast to even register exactly what was happening. They were screaming down the road at a devil's pace. AJ had thrown up because of all the jerks and twists and turns. Then they veered off the highway onto a ramp. They veered too fast and the car just about did a wheelie and almost landed on it's side. Almost. The car it was coming up behind wasn't quite as lucky though. That van, the same color and make as the one the bad guys were in, was innocently waiting at the stop light coming off of the ramp, waiting to make a right turn onto the main street. Jordan saw it stopped ahead but it was too late. He hit it full force, sending it careening out of control before it fell on it's side in a ditch.

Jordan didn't even give it a second thought. "We have to move and we have to move now!" He yelled as the van sped away from the horrendous car crash. Looking out the back window, Jason noticed the van they had hit was on fire. He kind of hoped that the people in the car would make it out alive or they would have murder as another offense besides robbery and kidnapping. How did he get involved in all this? He almost wanted to take his chance and jump out of the car. Roll off to the side and give himself up. He was getting cold feet now. Cold feet and a conscience.

He wasn't the only one though, he could tell Terry was starting to have her doubts about all of this too. He could tell by the way she clung on to the blonde boy. Occasionally giving Jordan a glance. She knew they were in over their heads, and if Terry felt that way, then they must really be doomed.

"Jordan, maybe we should pull over and let the kids go. I mean we have plenty of money"

Jordan looked at Jason through his rear view mirror and shook his head, "Jason, don't turn into a coward now"

"I'm not being a coward, I just think this is a stupid idea and we will get caught"

"No way!" He screamed and the subject was promptly dropped.

"How much longer?" Nick said after a few moments of silence. Jordan glanced over the boys way to notice how visibly shaken up he was.

"Why? Have somewhere you need to be?" He asked raising an eyebrow at him.

"Leave him alone. I was wondering the same thing" Terry snapped.

"Soon!"

"Good!"

Kevin had been quietly sitting in the back seat rubbing AJ's back. "You okay now AJ?" He whispered softly to him. AJ just nodded. The smell of vomit was clinging to the van which wasn't helping any of their stomachs or moods.

"I can't take this smell much longer man, I'm totally gonna hurl all over the God damned place" Chris said holding his shirt over his nose.

"I guess we lost the cops" Terry said to Jordan, while she opened a window.

"Yeah I bet they thought that was us back there" Jordan turned down another side street leading towards a big wooded area. "Well lady and gentlemen, we are here" He said driving to the edge of the woods and stopping the car.

Kevin tensed. The sight of woods had him instantly thinking the worst. He had seen too many of these scenarios play out on America's Most Wanted, and they usually ended with the innocent victims being killed and dragged through the forrest only to be found as rotting corpses years later. "Where are we going?" He asked clinging to AJ.

"We are going for a little hike in the woods" Jordan said grabbing Nick and pulling him along like a dog. "Let's go" He said as they all entered the woods.



Howie and Brian were glued to the TV as they heard about the horrible crash of the minivan, then the reports that it was on fire. The police had gotten to the car and were helping the occupants out and all Brian and Howie could do was wait. Wait and pray.

During that time, maybe it was the span of ten minutes, but it felt like hours, they entertained the most horrible thoughts in their heads. Then finally the report from the scene. They stood and listened as the policemen relayed information about the casualties in the car. Horror and relief filled their bodies when they realized that the van wasn't the one their friends were in. Relief that the guys were still in one piece but horror that no one knew where they were.

"How is it that you can possibly lose them?" Brian asked now losing his cool. To him it seemed like no one knew what they were doing

"Relax Mr. Littrell, we will find them. We had someone already tell us that they think they spotted the van turning off onto a dirt road"

"They think? You have to do something!" Brian was screaming now. Howie put a calming hand on his friends shoulder.

"Brian, relax. This won't do them any good. It will just make everyone more intense"

"This is ridiculous Howie, I mean, it's one van for heaven sakes. They have a whole shit load of police cars out there trying to track it down. What is wrong with these people?"

"We did track it down" One of the officers said standing behind Brian. "It's been abandoned"

"Abandoned?" Howie echoed.

"Yes. We aren't sure if they took another car or are now traveling on foot, but we will find them. I promise"

"No offense, but your promises mean nothing to me" Brian said still staring at the television.

"Well, I am going down to the van myself to check it out. I usually don't do this, but you guys can come if you'd like as long as you promise to stay out of my way if the need arises"

Howie and Brian looked at each other, "What do you think D?"

"It's better than just sitting here and waiting"

"I agree" Brian said then turned to the policeman, "Sure we will come. Thanks"

"Okay I'm just going to tell my chief, than we will be on our way" When the officer was gone Brian turned back towards Howie, "We've got to find them, I don't trust that Jordan guy or his no good girlfriend"

"Yeah me either Rok"

The policeman came back with a briefcase and a coat, "Okay gentlemen let's roll" And all three of them walked out the door.



"Where do you think they are taking us?" AJ whispered to Kevin. They had been walking through the woods for about a half an hour already, not much being said by anybody. Jordan, pulling Nick behind him led the pack followed by Terry, then he and AJ then Chris and Jason bringing up the rear. They all seemed to know where they were going.

"Not sure" Kevin said never taking his eyes off Nick.

"I don't like this Kevin"

"I don't either AJ, but we'll be okay"

Nick was getting tired. His legs hurt and it was hard keeping up with the bigger man that was pulling him along. He felt like total crap. His only safe moments were when he was able to turn around and make sure his two protectors were behind him. And that's how he had to think of them. His protectors. He knew that if anything went wrong, both Kevin and AJ would help him out. He needed to think that way. He was too scared to picture them any other way besides superheros. That was one of his little secrets, when he was scared, which was more than he would care to admit, he would look to his band brothers as comic book heroes. Guys who would come in and save him if things got too out of hand, and boy had they gotten WAY out of hand now.

He turned his body again to get a glimpse of Kevin. Kevin seeing Nick's gaze smiled back and winked at him. Unfortunately because he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking, he tripped and fell over a tree stump. Jordan had such a tight grip on the boy that he fell too.

"Son of a bitch!" He screamed as he landed on top of Nick.

"Sorry" Nick said before a coughing fit hit him hard. Kevin and AJ ran up to help Nicky to his feet only to be stopped at gunpoint by Chris, "Now where do you boys think you're going?"

"He needs help" Kevin said glancing over at Nick who was still on the ground coughing. Jordan stood up and grabbing the kid's collar hoisted the boy off of the floor.

"Hey! Easy...you're going to strangle him" AJ yelled.

Yup, the superheros who would never let anything happen to him. He would always be safe when they were around. "Kid pay attention!" Jordan said yanking him with such force he almost fell again.

"I swear to God I am going to kill that man" Kevin said staring at Jordan while talking to AJ.

"Here we are!" Terry announced with a big smile on her face. Jordan picked up his pace, temporarily letting go of Nick who promptly ran over to Kevin and AJ. Kevin grabbed the boy in an embrace, "You're going to be okay kiddo. Just a little while longer" He said. Chris broke up the moment by pushing them forward towards the edge of the woods and into the clearing.

"Now I know why we did that" AJ said looking at the clearing and holding his ears to shield him from the roar of a helicopter.

Chris and Jason high fived, "We did it; we actually did it!" Jason said.

Then once again the boys were separated as Jordan ran ahead leaving Jason grabbing AJ, Chris grabbing Kevin and Terry gently grabbing Nick. They all ran towards the helicopter with their heads down. When they got closer to the copter, Terry noticed Jordan pacing back and forth. She knew something was wrong. She let go of Nick and pushed him towards Jason. Then she ran to catch up with her boyfriend.

"What's the problem?" She asked a she heard Jordan cussing under the roar of the blades of the helicopter.

"We have too many people" He screamed, "They can only take four!"

"Okay well let's let the kids go then" She said motioning towards the three hostages.

"No way Terr. You know how much money they are worth?"

"God Jordan, we have to do something, the police will find us"

"Okay fine I'll do something" He walked towards Chris. "Hey Chris can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah sure" He said letting go of Kevin, who now moved off to the side. Jordan pulled out his gun and shot Chris in the chest two times making him fall with a thud. Everyone screamed, including Jason, who knew what was coming next. Jason thought about running, he thought about taking his gun and finishing off Jordan, but he chose instead to look over at Terry for one last time. Terry looked like she had tears in her eyes, as Jordan raised the gun and shot Jason right in the chest.

"NOOOOO!!!" She yelled. AJ moved away from the corpse shaking like a leaf. The sound of the gunshots barely audible over the helicopter. Jordan's eyes were glazed over like a madman's. "Okay let's see, my math tells me we still have one person too many what to do what to do"

He smiled as he raised his gun at Kevin, "You have been a thorn in my side with your smug looks and your condescending attitude" Then he moved to Nick "you have just been a good old fashioned pain in my ass" Then he moved towards AJ, "But YOU! You threw up all over my van so I guess you'll be the lucky one tonight" AJ tensed up as he saw the barrel of the gun on him. He looked at his bandmates with fear filled eyes. Now only waiting for the impact of the shot...