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*sorry about the wait, I hope you are sticking with the story*


30

She stood outside the nightclub trying her best not to look suspicious. When finally out he came half running out of the place. She was reminded of the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Howie seemed like he was late for a very important date. Right down to him looking at his watch while stepping out into the street trying to hail a cab.

Up until now, she hadn’t thought of how to approach her friend without making a scene. That was going to be the tricky part; how in the world does she get his attention and lead him away without everyone who was clearly watching his every move, not notice it?

Looking around she decided to make her move especially when she saw the cab slow. Just as Howie walked into the cab she jumped in as well.

“What the heck? I was here first!” He began to argue, before noticing it was her, once he did, he sat with his mouth agape.

“Where are you going?” The cabbie asked growing ever more impatient.

Jessica bent towards the man and gave him a street corner while Howie totally confused just stared.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So if she’s never late that probably means something bad happened then?” AJ asked while pacing in his little corner in the back alley they were hiding in. Matt was growing impatient and tired of his companies constant questions. He was worried about his girlfriend. He was worried about everything.

“Well?”

“Shhh” Matt said pretending to busy himself with watching the street.

“Don’t tell me to shush. Where the hell is she?”

“I wish I knew”

“Why don’t you?” Again Matt started to ignore AJ who was ready to bolt. His trust waning with every unanswered question.

Luckily right before he announced his exit a cab pulled up to the corner with a bewildered looking Howie and a beautiful Jessica getting out of it.

“I thought she was supposed to have Nick with her” AJ said still watching as the two made their way towards the alley. “She was” Matt said walking past AJ to his girlfriend and grabbing her into an embrace.

Howie walked over to where AJ stood and placed his arms lovingly around his friend pulling him in to a hug, “Are you okay?” Howie asked, not sounding quite like himself.

AJ pulled away, “I’m fine but where’s Nick?”

Before Howie could answer Jessica interrupted, “We have a lot to talk about…let’s go”

The men not knowing what else to do followed her and her boyfriend around the corner and down the street.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~
Nick sat in the car with his head pressed against the glass. The scenery moving past him so quickly everything looked like a big blur of colors. He wished he knew what was going on. Why was he leaving Howie. Boy was he ever gonna be mad.

“You know…you could have at least waited until Howie got out of his meeting. I know he’s going to be worried”

“No he won’t. He knew I was coming. I just told him not to say anything to you”

“That makes no sense” The blonde sitting next to him glared which quickly quieted him down.

Biting on his bottom lip he looked away from the woman growing ever more leery of her, not that he wasn’t leery to begin with but especially now with everything else going on, he no longer trusted anyone.

Not even her.

“Where are we going anyway?” He asked uneasily.

“Why are you nervous?” Her tone was accusatory which made him flinch.

“I’m not nervous…just that, like I said D will be worried”

“He’ll live” And that was the end of the conversation.

Not for Nick though who continued the rest in his head, “I hope so”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Howie and AJ followed behind the couple for about three blocks at a pretty quick pace. They roamed in and out of streets, through back alleys and even hopped over a fence just in case they were being followed.

The whole time not one word was exchanged, just a whole lot of looks. Mostly fear laden looks; they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Well Howie a little more enlightened now that he had gotten a peek in that envelope. He still couldn’t bring himself to tell AJ what was inside.

A friendly tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts, “You okay Howie?” He nodded at his friend who was a little out of breath and rubbing his feet. Looking down Howie noticed the slippers and laughed. That made AJ smile, “Oh sure it’s really funny that by tomorrow my feet will just be two big blisters”

“You need some shoes”

“We’re working on it” Matt said walking by Howie and grabbing his shoulder. “I’m glad you are okay man”

“No thanks to you!” Surprised by his venomous tone, Matt decided to nod and walk away. He couldn’t blame Howie for being annoyed. This did seem to be all his doing.

Jessica walked over after seeing the unfriendly exchange, she was greeted with, “I thought you were dead”

“You sound disappointed” At first she looked truly sorry but in another light, a darker one, she almost seemed like she was enjoying this.

“I’m not…just surprised. They tried to blame Kevin for your murder” She walked beside Howie then and leaned against the wall, “Yeah I know. That was the idea”

“So you were in on it then?”

“Kind of”

“How can you be kind of in on it?”

“Okay I was very in on it. Now I’m not”

“Your boyfriend…” Howie paused, not wanting to call him Nick after hearing the brief name change but not quite remembering what his name actually was, “Matt” She added seeing Howie’s search for a name. He nodded, “He said something about you supposed to be showing up with Nick? He left with you?”

“Not exactly”

“What do you mean not exactly?” Jessica started to fidget, “I was going to get him to come with me, you know make sure he was safe but then someone interfered”

“Someone? Anyone you know?”

Jess rolled her eyes and looked at her watch, hoping time would stop this conversation. “Kind of yes, I mean only just recently…”

“So should we be worried about him or not Jess? Is he okay?” Now AJ had moved in on the conversation upon hearing Howie’s escalated voice filled with a tinge of anxiety.

She looked from one boy to the other, “I wish I could say no…but I can’t”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nick once again fidgeted with the lock on the door, whenever he clicked it open it promptly was clicked closed again from the front seat. She moved to the front after scolding him and now was whispering to the driver of the car. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her, so many things he wanted to know. Starting with how in the world she knew where to find him when everyone including his management and security hadn’t known they had left.

More importantly why was it she didn’t yell at him about that. She had to realize by now that he had snuck out of the hotel. It all made no sense.

He once again tried the door, clicking it unlocked. He almost got it open at the red light before it was quickly clicked locked again.

“Stop it Nick!” She yelled from the front once again looking in his direction with that glare of hers. The same one that had frightened him since he was a child.

“Mom what’s going on? Why won’t you let me leave the car?” She gave him a half smile then said in her most motherly voice, “It’s all for your own good baby. You’ll thank me for this later. I promise”

With that being said, Nick gave up and slumped back into the back seat while the car drove closer to their destination.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kevin and Brian sat still and quiet on the very small cot in the room that held them like a make shift prison. They could have actually gotten out of the room if they weren’t so surprised by who showed up to greet them. Now they just sat in a stunned silence listening to the plan unfold. Not knowing whether they should laugh or scream. Grimes, the lawyer they had so grown to trust just stood there with a smile plastered on his face, like he was hearing the best plan in the world coming from the mouth of the person who had totally surprised them.

At one point they just exchanged glances, still unsure of what it was they should do. The door was left open, and Kevin’s eyes kept glancing over to that direction. About ten steps to freedom were his calculations. But for some reason he was stopped, maybe it was because it was too late. The damage had already been done. What would be the point now? But there was a part of him that wanted to try.

He had to try, if he didn’t by the end of all this one of them would be dead. He had to try to get out of there and he had to try now.

“Aren’t you listening to me Kevin?” Kevin looked up at the person talking and nodded.

“Don’t even think of leaving. It’s too late”

Kevin looked over at Brian and then at the door to hope that his cousin could pick up on the subtle hint of what was about to go down. He smiled when Brian nodded.

“So, I hope you were listening” The person said standing right in front of Kevin now.

“Yeah I heard you”

“Good, because like I said it’s too late”

Brian jumped up first which caused Kevin to counter with the same move as they both tackled the person standing in front of them.