Chapter 66:
Realization
AJ stalled for a moment, unsure, then
reluctantly climbed aboard the plane, not hearing the flight attendant's cheery
hello. He strapped himself into the seat next to Howie, his heart pounding
painfully, his mouth dry, as he struggled to maintain his composure. The
high-pitched whine of the turbine engines commenced and the jet began to creep
slowly along the runway, only to explode into full throttle for take-off. The
jet rose quickly, then banked, heading south. AJ bit his lip in consternation,
ignoring Howie's excited grin as he closed his eyes to concentrate.
Think, he screamed silently to himself, What's going on? You're so
close, come on, come on... AJ willed himself to relax, to let his mind see
what his emotions could not. He allowed the thoughts to flow freely, to accept
any image or insight that would present itself. A variety of visions came to
fore and AJ viewed each one, patiently trying to sort them. He began at the
beginning... noticing the radical change in Brian's appearance... the bruises...
Brian's angry denials... his mercurial mood swings... AJ remembered the
longing, the desire in Brian's eyes to disclose what was the matter, only to be
quickly replaced with stubborn defiance. He pictured the silent looks of
communication passing between Brian and Xavier, messages that only they seemed
to understand. Xavier. AJ's mind veered towards the bodyguard and he grimaced.
That damn Xavier, seemingly everywhere, smirking, somehow knowing, always one step ahead, constantly at Brian's side, almost
like an obsessed fan. Obsessed. AJ mulled that one over. Xavier seemed
possessed, fanatical when it came to guarding Brian, almost consumed by it. He
recalled the look of revulsion on Brian's face when Xavier had shook him on the
runway, remembered clearly the loathing Brian showed when Xavier had slapped
his shoulders at the press interview, considered how he himself had grabbed
Brian roughly just before the beginning of a concert. "Don't ever touch
me like that again, you got it?" Brian had screamed at him, his eyes
brimming with disgust. AJ couldn't erase it from his mind. Over and over again
he saw it, each mental picture revealing the agony and fear in Brian's eyes,
exposed in small, unguarded moments whenever Xavier was near. AJ bit his lip,
angered at his stupidity in not recognizing the connection sooner.
AJ popped his eyes open, his thoughts
disrupted by a friendly touch on his shoulder. The flight attendant was handing
him a drink and he took it, sore at being interrupted. He took a quick sip, noticing
Kevin leaning over him to reach up into the overhead compartment, trying to
pull out his duffel bag. "Head's up," Kevin growled. With a thump, he
set the heavy bag down next to AJ, bending on one knee to struggle with the
zipper on his overstuffed bag.
Heart hammering, AJ shot up out of his
seat and stood there, staggered.
He remembered.
Brian's bag of money! How the hell
could he have forgotten?
"Bone? Are you alright?"
Oh God... Xavier had picked up Brian's
bag.
"AJ?"
Because Xavier knew what was in there.
"Guys, something's wrong with
AJ!"
With sickening clarity AJ recalled Brian's
angry outburst on the bus, the strain of tension on his face when AJ had asked
if Xavier was threatening him.
What do you want me to say? That Xavier
beats me senseless...
The bruises!
That he threatens my life...
Shit! That unknown intruder was Xavier!
That he’s holding me hostage in some
bizarre way?
The bag of money!
Well, you’re outta luck, pal!
The sheer panic he felt when he discovered
the outrageous amount stuffed in there was nothing compared to what he
was feeling right now.
"Oh God, oh God, please, don't let it
be," he moaned outloud, his mind exploding with
terrifying comprehension.
Nick, Howie, and Kevin were now
surrounding AJ, their faces in shock over AJ's bizarre behavior. Howie reached
out to AJ, who was covering his face with both hands. Shaking with
understanding, AJ pulled his hands away to look at them, his eyes filled with
fear.
"Guys, Brian's in trouble."
***
