[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
*Hey guys, sorry about the delay. THis is for you Celtic Rose lol it was your comment that finally got my butt in gear to update this one so thanks!*

18

It was pretty easy dodging security when Dave wasn’t in the picture; almost too easy. Howie and Nick carefully made their way out of the hotel briskly with heads down, ready to run at the mention of their names. There was no way either of them were turning back now. Too much was at stake.

Once successfully out of the hotel and at least two blocks away they lightened their pace to a casual walking speed.

“You think he’s gonna tell on us?” Nick asked sounding like a five year old who had just left a little sister to lie for him.

“I don’t know Nicky…I hope not”

“This is a mess Howie”

“I know, but hopefully Jessica will have some answers” Howie stopped for a moment and looked over his shoulder. He felt like he was being followed.

“What is it?” Nick asked looking around confused. Howie grabbed his arm and started walking a little faster. Even though he didn’t see someone following him, he felt it. “Let go of me D!” Nick said pulling away from his friend and rubbing at his arm.

“Nick we are being followed, let’s pick up the pace a bit”

“I didn’t see anybody”

“Doesn’t matter, I just know we are” With that being said both men picked up their pace to a jog. Nick’s long legs causing him to run a bit faster than Howie. Making it harder for the Latino to keep up.

“Nick! Slow down!!” He yelled after Nick stopping for a moment at the sound of his name being called from behind. He stopped and turned around when he heard the southern drawl and instantly felt a bit relived at the site of Brian running after them.

“Brian what the hell are you doing?”

“Why are you running?”

“I thought someone was following me!” Howie said looking around for Nick who had run so far ahead he was now out of their site. The temporary relief he felt was now gone replaced by a whole new panic.

“Following you? That’s it; I want to know what is going on now”

“We don’t have time for this” Howie said instantly picking up his pace to try to find Nick. He relaxed when he turned the corner and saw Nick leaning against a wall of a building, trying to catch his breath.

“I knew it!!” He said when he saw Brian with Howie, “I knew you were going to follow us I should have bet money on that one”

Howie turned to look down the block in the direction which Brian had come from, he still felt like there were eyes everywhere and he didn’t like that now he had two people to worry about instead of one.

“Howie who would be following you? What is going on?”

“Not now Brian”

“Then when?” Howie rolled his eyes ready to just leave the two younger guys behind and find Jessica himself.

“Brian I have to go meet up with someone who will hopefully give me the answer to that question. I promise I’ll fill you in once I know what the hell is going on myself but for now we have to move!!”

At the urgency heard in Howie’s voice Brian nodded and followed Nick and Howie around the corner and down the street towards what they hoped was Jessica’s house.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kevin sat and stared at AJ as he slept, twisting and turning, very far from a nice restful slumber. He placed his hand behind his neck to try to work out the kink that had formed over an hour ago. He had been trying to reach Brian for the last twenty minutes but only got his answering service in return.

“Now where the hell did he go?” He asked himself surprised to hear an answer, “Where did who go?” He looked over at AJ who was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Aw AJ, go back to sleep”

“Who can’t you find?”

“Brian’s not answering his phone”

“Oh”

“How are you feeling?”

“Like the world has come crashing to an end….you?”

Kevin laughed, “How very overdramatic of you Jay”

Dave came in shortly after the exchange looking annoyed and flustered. “What are you doing here?”

“Stupid Carter lost his wallet”

“Is he here?”

“No, I told him I’d go looking for it, have you seen it by any chance?”

Kevin looked at AJ and both shook their heads. “Sometimes I think that boy just likes to send me on wild goose chases”

That made a few bells and whistles go off in Kevin’s head. Something was wrong. He didn’t want to worry AJ who already had enough to deal with. His Mother was on her way up from Florida and not very happy. He was spared detox since he didn’t really display signs of drug abuse but he was admitted into a three day in hospital program.

He was going to the psych ward.
Once Dave had left, Kevin leaned in towards AJ, “Hey, do you mind if I leave for a little while? Just for a bit. I want to find Brian”

“Nah, go ahead. You don’t think anything’s wrong do you?”

“No…I just want to make sure”

“I’ll be okay”

He didn’t look very convincing at all when he said it but Kevin chose to ignore it, the feeling he had in his gut was saying that something was wrong. He hugged AJ and left, heading towards the elevator.

He got as far as the front desk before they grabbed him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Are you sure you have the address right?” Nick said squinting at the small paper Howie had given him containing Jessica’s address.

“Yeah, I’m positive. This is the place” He said once again looking over his shoulder.

“It looks dark in there. I don’t think she’s home” Brian said. On the walk over, Howie and Nick had filled him in on some of the details of what had been going on.

“You guys stay here okay?” He whispered motioning for them to stay put. They nodded as Howie made his way slowly to the front door. He knocked a few times, trying to get a good look at the inside of the place. Like Brian had said, the place was very dark. If she was there, she was pretending she wasn’t.

Didn’t the man that called him say they knew they were going to see her? Suddenly he felt nauseous. Maybe she was already dead. Maybe this was a trap.

He felt the sudden urge to run when the door opened. He turned to look at the door and was surprised to see Jessica standing there, dressed all in black, almost like a ninja. Her hair unkempt and her eyes all red.

“Hurry up” She said ushering Howie quickly inside. “Wait! I have them with me” She looked disturbed by that but waved to them to come which Brian and Nick did.

She brought them in and double bolted the door behind them, then lighting a candle she ushered them into her dark apartment and towards what looked like a closet.

“Someone has gone cuckoo” Nick whispered to Brian. He couldn’t help it, this was a little weird. Brian laughed even though he didn’t want to, which caused both Jessica and Howie to throw a dirty look their way.

She opened the door to the closet “Quick get inside” She said just about pushing Howie in. Brian followed which left a very leery Nick just staring at her. For some reason the thought of squeezing into a tiny closet with three guys and a potential psycho was not a good idea. Brian grabbed at his arm and pulled him in before he had a chance to contemplate further.

She closed the door and turned on the light. The closet wasn’t as small as it appeared from the outside but without question it was still a closet. And it appeared that she had been living in it. There was a sleeping bag, packs of snack sized chocolate bar wrappers and some opened cans of soup.

“What is going on Jessica? Are you living in the closet?” Nick asked looking all around at the mess that was created.

“I have to…they know my every move. The only place I am safe is at work”

“Who are they Jessica?” She looked from one boy to the other than began to cry. Holding her hands to her eyes, she rocked back and forth while the boys just watched. Howie put his arm around her.

“I loved him you know…he was my everything”

“What happened?” Brian asked sounding flustered.

“They killed him”

“For the love of God who the hell is THEY?” Howie yelled which caused everyone in the small space to flinch.
“I am so sorry Jess; I didn’t mean to yell I just am getting frustrated”

“The magazine Howie. Nick...” She looked over at Nick then looked away, “I mean my Nick…started working for them for some extra money. They said they could pay him a lot because he looked so similar to him” She said pointing over at Nick.

“So he worked for the magazine?”

“You ever wonder how they get so many pictures of people in compromising positions Howie? You think people are just always in the right place at the right time? No… of course not. They are paid big bucks to be in the right place at the right time”

“I don’t understand…why are they trying to hurt me and my friends?” She nervously looked around the closet as if at any moment something was going to come through the walls and eat her alive.

“Because YOU were at the wrong place at the right time”

“Do you know who is behind it? I mean a name so I can go to the police?” She laughed, “It’s too late Howie. You can’t go to the police. It’ll just make things worse”

Howie’s heart was racing so fast that he had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. That made Nick anxious; he put his hand on the knob ready to run out of the small closet and out of the apartment.

“This is so much bigger than you think it is Howie. They are only the beginning” She once again began to cry into her hands.

“Only the beginning…” She repeated as she rocked.

“What can I do? Do they want money?”

“I don’t know what they want”

“Why are you afraid of them? Brian asked ever curious. Nick still clutching to the doorknob ready to make his escape.

“They know I…”She stopped abruptly her eyes growing bigger as she looked around the closet. “You have to go now!”

“But Jessica, please, come with us, we can try to protect you. Get you some help…please, let us help you”

She looked into Howie’s pleading eyes and smiled. “It’s too late for me Howie”

“Don’t say that Jessica. We can figure something out. They killed your boyfriend” She teared up again. “At least come with us, until we figure out what to do next” He placed his hand on her shoulder once again looking into her eyes. How he did have a crush on her. To think before this mess even happened he was thinking about asking her out. Maybe after all of this was over he would.

“Okay I’ll come with you” He smiled and so did Nick who gratefully opened the door and bolted out of the closet.

“I’m just going to go upstairs and get some stuff”

“Okay…want me to come with you?”

“No, why don’t you wait outside, I’ll just be a minute”

“You aren’t going to try to bolt on me are you Jessica?” She shook her head. He had meant it as a joke, but by the way she shook her head maybe she had thought about it.

He watched as she walked up the steps and then moved to the front door. Brian was standing with the front door open and had taken a few steps outside and Nick was still making his way towards the door standing by the steps. Howie was just turning to yell to Jessica to see if she needed anything when the huge explosion from upstairs sent all three boys flying off of their feet.