Chapter 74:
On the Town
Howie hurriedly put AJ's Mercedes in the
garage and got out, hitting the alarm key. He was glad to get back, having
listened for over two hours to the endless chatter from John/Jim. It was like a
flood-gate had opened and suddenly he was the intruder's best friend, confiding
in him as they drove by house after house, John/Jim excitedly pointing out what
mansion he had robbed, what car he had stolen… Howie was that close to telling
him to shut up when John began to talk about Xavier. Howie perked up, listening
quietly as the intruder spoke of how he met him, how the large man never gave
his name, how he always paid ahead in cash.
Now as he let himself in, he was eager to
share with the other guys what he had learned. He trotted into the kitchen; no
one there. He tried the living room. Same results. Not willing to search every
nook and cranny, Howie went over to the nearest intercom and punched a button.
"Hey, AJ, guys! Where are you? I'm
back."
A bit of static announced AJ's voice.
"D? We're in the TV room."
Howie snorted as he headed downstairs. TV
room? It was a freakin' theater, complete with every creature comfort known
to man. He had argued to deaf ears that it was overkill but AJ wouldn't listen,
going so far as to installing heaters in the leather reclining seats. Now as he
sank into one of them he had to admit it felt incredibly good and sighed in
relief.
AJ smirked at Howie, then winked at Nick
and Kevin who were lounging in the other seats. "Nothing like a nice warm
ass to soothe ya, huh D?"
"Shut up," grouched Howie
good-naturedly. "I've been listening to our intruder talk non-stop for the
past two hours, let me relax for a moment, okay?"
Kevin reached over for the remote, turning
off the movie all three had been watching as they waited for Howie's return.
"Talk? What do you mean?" he asked curiously as he handed his band
mate a beer. Howie took it gladly, twisting the top.
"Well, it seems like our intruder
couldn't keep his mouth shut when it came to talking about Xavier."
AJ glanced sharply at his friend.
"You never mentioned X's name to him, did you?"
Howie shook his head as he took another
sip. "Nope. I just let him do the talking. Seems like our John/Jim guy has
quite a little criminal history. He's hit a lot of houses around this
area."
"Do you know if Xavier has used him
before?"
Howie stretched out in the recliner.
"No. I asked him. Said he met X only once, at a bar, and that's when
Xavier paid him for the job. In advance. In cash."
AJ shook his head. "Using the money
he's been extorting from Brian."
Nick snapped his fingers. "Remember
when I went to go pick up Bri from the hospital? Xavier asked me to do it cause
he was in
Kevin scratched his chin. "Hmm. That
was a while ago. Damn. That means he's been planning this for sometime. Makes
me wonder what other surprises he has in store."
Howie stopped in mid-sip, frowning.
"Hey, do you guys remember when Xavier found out that Nick was here with
AJ?" The other three nodded. "He sure sounded pissed. Didn't X say he
was going to have to call someone?"
"Yeah, he did," drawled Kevin,
thinking. "Xavier was expecting Nick to be at his own home." Kevin
gave Howie a thoughtful look. "He probably didn't know where you were
going for the holiday."
AJ scoffed. "D doesn't have a
home to come back to. Xavier took care of that."
"Hey Howie, did you happen to mention
to X where you were going?"
Howie paused for a moment. "No, I
never said anything to him directly. Course he might have heard me talking
about going to see my family, but I can't be sure."
AJ rubbed his eyes wearily, the happenings
of the day taking its toll. "All right. One, Xavier obviously knows I'm
home, thanks to our intruder; two, he thought Nick was going home, so he had
someone watching his house; three, Howie doesn't have one, so he's out of the
picture, unless X has someone scouting his family's homes, and four…." AJ
looked worriedly at Kevin. "I guess he was expecting you to go home,
right?"
Kevin nodded. "But Xavier doesn't
know where I was staying because I wasn't sure myself. Kristin and I hadn't
made any firm plans on who we were going to stay with. She was going to tell me
when I met her at the airport."
"So Xavier would have a hard time
trying to place you, right?" asked Nick.
"Well, not that hard. I was either
going to go to Mom's cabin or to one of my brother's."
Howie spoke up. "Xavier did ask John
if any of us were with AJ, remember? Why would he be so concerned about it,
unless he had something planned?"
All four were silent as they let Howie's
statement sink in. "Yeah," breathed Kevin quietly. "Xavier is up
to something. You don't pay someone just to find out whether or not they
arrived home. Xavier wanted to make sure, he needed to know that we were
home. The big question is why?"
AJ jumped up, nervous. "Ah, I think
I'm gonna set the security alarm, okay guys? You need anything outside? No?
Good." He dashed out of the room.
Nick curled up in his seat, feeling
suddenly cold despite the warmth his heat-activated chair had to offer. "I
don't like this," he spoke softly.
* * * * * * *
Feeling more nervous by the moment, Brian
glanced quickly at his watch. Xavier said we'd be there in 20 minutes but
it's been over 45. Feeling the smooth blacktop give way to a gravel road,
he held on tightly to his armrest for support, the car bouncing roughly as
Xavier drove way too fast for the terrain. An overhanging palo
verde tree limb brushed against the car's windshield
causing Brian to wonder what the hell Xavier was doing. He felt like asking the
bodyguard but then realized Xavier would most likely ignore his question. By
the way Xavier was driving, Brian guessed he was going to find out soon enough.
Another heavy smack of an overgrown bush scraped the side of their car,
startling him. He peered outside, trying to see anything in the inky blackness
of night. Brian caught the dim twinkle of lights off to the right, the only
illumination showing in the darkness besides the car's headlights.
Xavier pointed to his right, turning at
the same time. "There it is."
"There what is?"
questioned Brian, not sure if he really wanted to know. Xavier drove into a
small clearing, free from scrub brush, and stopped to park next to a beat-up
Ford pickup. Jumping out of the car, Xavier stretched, then with a grin
motioned for Brian to get out.
With every raw nerve on end Brian
cautiously exited the security of their car, taking note of the several trucks
and motorcycles that were parked erratically in the gravel lot. Brian shivered
a little, surprised that the desert air had become quite chilly and zipped up
his leather jacket. The faint din of laughter, music, and crash of broken glass
caught Brian's attention and he glanced towards the softly-glowing neon sign
hanging above a small building. Dos Pesos. They were at a bar, and by
the looks of it, not just any bar. A bar that was in the middle of the desert,
miles away from civilization, a bar that looked and sounded like … a bar that
he was suddenly afraid to enter.
Xavier slapped Brian enthusiastically on
the back. "Promised you a night on the town, didn't I? Well, come
on." He looked at Brian impatiently when the young singer stood rooted to
the spot, not moving. Xavier leaned down, whispering into his ear. "Don't
worry. I'll protect you." He laughed, giving Brian a push. Brian took a
hesitant step forward, his mind and nerves screaming run! He glanced
into the darkness of the desert night, wondering if he could make it. As if
reading his thoughts, Xavier's massive hand came down upon Brian's shoulder,
making him flinch as the bodyguard applied pressure.
"Don't even try."
Xavier shoved Brian, this time harder, and
he stumbled. Regaining his balance, he walked slowly to the heavy wooden door,
its face scarred with numerous dents and carved grafetti.
Xavier reached over Brian's shoulder to push the door, only to have the door
swing open on its own, a cheerful and rather intoxicated man staggering
outside. The man nodded woozily to the two then shuffled a few yards more
before collapsing in a drunken heap.
Xavier gave a laugh of amusement, turning
his smile on Brian. With a flourish of his hand he waved to the Backstreet Boy.
"After you."
Brian gazed sourly at him then entered,
the stark brightness of the room blinding him for a moment before he was able
to regain his eyesight. He wished he hadn't. Sucking in his breath, he examined
what lay before him, his mouth almost dropping open in surprise. The inside of
the bar looked exactly like the kind one saw in a low-budget biker movie. The
floor was made of concrete, the bar itself one long extension of a continuous
slab of wood. Dark, crudely made tables and chairs were scattered around, and,
by the looks of the rough crowd, were most likely broken on a nightly basis. A
small, raised, half-circle of cement was located in the corner, which Brian
assumed would hold a band, if they ever had one, but right now held two people,
laughing and singing off-key to some karaoke song. To the side of the obviously
drunken singers were various pinball and computer games, all being used, and at
the very end, an old, well-used pool table. Brian tried not to stare, not
wanting to attract attention but realized it was too late as several eyes
turned curiously towards the door.
"Well, I'll be damned!" boomed a
large masculine voice. "Will ya look at who the hell just walked in!"
Brian cringed inwardly. He heard the
various hoots of disbelief, mixed in with an assortment of catcalls. He steeled
himself as he watched a giant of a man come rushing over, hoping he wouldn't be
crushed. The excited man brushed by him, embracing and slapping the bodyguard
enthusiastically on the back.
"Xavier! Damn! Long time, no see
buddy!"
Xavier nodded in reply, a wide grin on his
face. "Yeah, well…" he began, a cry of delight drowning out his
reply. Another man, even taller than the first strode over, his grizzled face
animated in delight.
"Hey, you son-of-a-bitch, you still
owe me 500 dollars!" He punched the dark-haired bodyguard affectionately,
laughing.
"I've got it, Abe. With
interest." Xavier grinned at his friend, waving a wad of bills clutched in
his hand. Abe snatched it away, eyeing it appreciatively before stuffing in
into his pants pocket.
"Hey, last time I heard, you were
guarding some bitch in
Xavier shook his head, then nodded at
Brian. "Nope. Got me a new job."
Two pairs of eyes stared down at Brian,
examining him with unfriendly curiosity. Brian shifted uncomfortably, aware of
the harsh scrutiny. So this is where Xavier wanted to take me, he
thought, his mind racing. To some God-foresaken
hell hole of a bar, in the middle of the nowhere.
"Kinda puny, ain't he, Xavier?"
mocked Abe, elbowing his friend.
"Puny and rich," winked
Xavier.
New appreciation was thrown his way as
they resized him up. "So you're Xavier's next victim, huh?"
Brian was taken aback, startled by Abe's
knowledge of Xavier's "occupation." Before he could reply Xavier was
pushing him along towards a back table, close to the swaying Karaoke singers.
Shoving Brian none to gently into a seat, Xavier sat himself, the other two
joining in. Brian felt the small lump of Rosie's cell phone in his side coat
pocket and he secretly slipped his fingers around it, trying to gain some
composure as the three large men encircled him. Ignoring the blatantly curious
stares of Xavier's two "friends", Brian craned his neck for a better
view of the room. It was surprising well lit, empty of any decoration, except
for the various neon beer signs hanging behind the bar. He let his eyes roam
slowly, taking in the clientele of the place, most of who looked liked
hard-core regulars. He tried hard not to stare at any particular person for
long, aware that he was being scrutinized too. Turning away from the crowd,
Brian sat quietly, listening to Xavier, Abe and his friend talk. From the
constant teasing and joking, Brian guessed Xavier had known these men for a
long time, that they were more than just casual acquaintances. He wondered if
they were family, then immediately rejected that idea, viewing the two before
him. The unnamed man sitting next to him was about the same height and weight
as Xavier but that was where the similarity ended, his long straggly red hair,
his pitted and ruddy complexion a stark contrast to Xavier's dark looks. Abe,
even larger than Xavier, was sporting a massive beard, compensating for his
rapidly receding hairline.
A small cough announced the arrival of
their waitress, a tired-looking woman whose hair was pulled back into a severe
ponytail. She sighed and pulled out a small flip book, her pencil ready.
"Okay, what do you want?" she asked dully.
Abe grinned, one eyebrow cocked in
question as leaned back in his seat, a heavy boot coming to rest on the table.
"Xavier? This one on you?"
Xavier mimicked Abe's stance. "Nah.
It's his treat." He reached over to slap Brian affectionately on his
shoulder.
"Well, damn! If you say so! Sweetie,
give me a whiskey. Hell, give me a whole bottle!"
Abe grunted happily, punching his friend
next to him. "It's blondie's treat, Benny. What
do you want?"
Benny, running a hand through his red
hair, studied Brian for a moment. "Just how rich is he?" he drawled,
his smile showing the few remaining teeth still intact.
Xavier shook his head at Benny and
grinned. "Just give old Ben here a bottle too, okay sweetheart?"
The waitress ignored Xavier's wink and
pointed her pencil at Brian. "What about him?"
Brian turned to look at her, opening his
mouth to say no thanks when she cut in. "Hey, you look kinda familiar.
What's your name?"
Brian stiffened and Xavier laughed
humorously at Brian's discomfort as he leaned over to whisper loudly,
"Meet Brian Littrell. He's a Backstreet Boy."
The waitress's eyes went round, her mouth
open. "Really?" She looked at Xavier for confirmation, ignoring
Brian. "Really?" she asked again. She turned to Brian, stammering.
"I… I've never met anyone famous before. I mean, I don't listen to your
music, sorry, but uh, can I have your autograph?" She shoved her pencil
and order book in front of Brian's face, not waiting for a reply.
"Sure," Brian mumbled, taking
the pencil. "What's your name?"
"Sarah. Yeah, write it - to Sarah,
you are the best. All my love, Brian." She smiled brightly, happy at her
wording.
Brian scribbled it out, handing it back to
her. Sarah looked at it a second then pressed it to her chest, hugging it.
"Thanks! Hey, is it worth anything?" She looked at Xavier with
hopeful eyes. "Do you think I can sell it?"
Xavier burst out laughing, roaring his
delight. "Damn if I know. Give it a try. You never know." He shook
his head, grinning. "Hey Brian, give her your jacket. Poor girl needs some
extra cash."
The cell phone! "No!" Brian panicked, his voice
strained. Seeing Xavier frowning at him Brian forced himself to remain calm.
"Uh, I'm kinda cold," he explained apologetically to Sarah, giving
her his best smile. "I'll send you something, okay? How about tickets? You
could always sell them."
Sarah perked up, nodding. "Great,
thanks." She wrote out her name and address, handing the piece of paper to
him gratefully.
"Hey, what about my whiskey, sweet
cheeks?" grumbled Abe, tired of waiting.
"Yeah!" roared Benny, impatient
too. "Get that cute little ass of yours moving. We're thirsty." He
reached over to swat her on the backside but Sarah was no novice and she easily
avoided the swipe with well-practiced ease. It took only a moment before she
returned, Abe and Benny whooping in delight as they saw the bottles.
"Oh yeah, here we go," crowed
Abe, reaching for his bottle and twisting off the top. He took a hefty swig,
sighing in pleasure. Benny mimicked Abe only trying to down a larger gulp. Benny
tilted his head towards the waitress as she walked away, leering after her.
"Nick piece of ass," he commented, looking at Xavier. Xavier was
still curiously studying Brian, so he missed Ben's remark. Abe eyed Ben, giving
each other a questioning look.
"Hey, ya old coot!"
Xavier swung his attention to Benny.
"I said, nice ass." He winked at
Xavier.
Xavier shrugged, not replying.
"Whassa
matter? Your tastes lie somewhere else?" Ben snickered, giving Abe a poke
and a grin, not noticing Xavier's cold stare. Brian did. He wondered if Abe and
Benny knew about Xavier's sexual preference. It was obvious that Abe and Benny
had noticed Xavier's lack of interest towards Sarah but were they just joking
with Xavier or was the question a little more serious? Brian couldn't be sure.
"Damn. Almost as good as a lay,"
Abe moaned as leaned back in his chair and took anther sip.
"I'll say. And a lot cheaper, thanks
to blondie." Ben tipped the bottle Xavier's way.
"No, thanks."
Ben shrugged. "Whatever. Please
yourself." He took another healthy sip, wiping his mouth. "Or should
I say, let Blondie please you." Ben roared at his joke, Abe joining in.
Xavier's mouth became tighter, a small
twitch forming in the corner of his eye. Were they baiting Xavier? Brian
looked curiously at the two, who were nearly falling over themselves with
laughter, then turned his attention to the occupants of the room. From the
looks of the bar and its testosterone-demented occupants, it seemed like there
would be little or no tolerance for anyone in there who wasn't heterosexual.
Brian could feel the tension radiate throughout the bodyguard and he shifted
uneasily in his seat. Xavier continued to look at his friends, an expression of
aggravation and frustration crossing the massive bodyguard's face.
Suddenly Brian saw why Xavier had taken
him here. Xavier wanted to show him off. Like a prize, or a trophy, Xavier was
hoping to impress his friends, to gain admiration and awe from Abe and Benny,
or whoever else was in the bar. Only he wasn't getting the respect he wanted.
For whatever warped reason, Brian saw as plain as day the need, the desire to
make an impression on these two.
"Go sing something," Xavier said
gruffly, ignoring the snorts of laughter coming from his friends.
Startled, Brian looked at him, confused.
"Huh?"
"You heard me. Sing. Go up on stage
and sing something."
Abe and Benny stopped laughing, eyeing
Brian. "Yeah, you can sing can't you? Go sing."
It seemed as if all heads in the bar
turned his way, a quiet tension filling the room. Brian held his breath,
gripping the edge of his seat as he paused, uneasy. Xavier leaned back in his
chair, crossing his massive forearms across his chest, the infuriating smirk of
a secret smile beginning to form across his face. Brian felt a surge of anger
and dread build up inside him. Could this possibly be game number two?
He was sure Xavier wasn't planning any more, but maybe he was wrong. It was
still before their cross-over to
Xavier said the next one was going to
be harder. "Is this number
two?" he asked, looking directly at Xavier.
Xavier tilted his head, a little
surprised. "Two?" "You know. Game two. Remember? Brownie points?
You said you'd tell me when game two starts."
Abe and Benny looked at each other in
confusion. "What the fuck is he talking about? Number 2? Does he have to
take a crap?" This set the two off again, rolling with laughter.
Xavier ignored them, staring at Brian.
"No," he said simply. Brian sagged from relief. Just as he thought,
Xavier never had planned for a second game. Tomorrow they would cross the
border, do the bank transaction, and after that… Brian didn't know what would
happen, except that Xavier was going to make good on his promise to hurt one of
the guys. Only he wasn't going to let him. Brian stood up slowly, a crazy idea
forming, so off the wall he couldn't believe it crossed his mind. He was taking
a chance, a very big chance, one so iffy that if it backfired…Brian winced
inwardly. He didn't even want to think about it. But, if it did work, if he
was successful…
Filled with determination, Brian took a
deep breath and looked around in the suddenly still bar, feeling the silent
sneers of the hardened crowd bearing down upon him. Brian realized he would
much rather have a loaded gun to his head than face this crowd but he walked
coolly over to the so-called stage, eyeing the Karaoke machine. He hadn't a
clue how to work it, much less know if the song he was about to sing was on it.
It didn't matter. He wasn't going to use the machine anyway. Brian grabbed the
portable microphone, tapping it gently to see if it was on. It was. Mentally
steeling himself, he walked over to where Xavier sat, not wanting to stay up on
stage. If things went right, he would only need to sing a few lines before all
hell broke loose and he wanted to be as close to the door as possible.
He cleared his throat exaggeratedly,
wanting to capture everyone's attention.
"Ah, I want to dedicate this song to
my bodyguard…my friend… my lover." He enunciated the last words,
staring directly into Xavier's eyes. "I just want to say how much he means
to me."
Xavier jerked in surprise, turning his
head to see everyone in the bar looking at him in complete shock.
"Lover?" yelled Benny.
"Lover? You're fucking gay?" he screeched at Xavier, astonishment
written all over his face. "Holy shit!" Benny turned to Abe who was
as equally stunned.
Brian smiled at Abe and Benny. "You
didn't know?" he cooed innocently, a fine bead of nervous perspiration
trailing down his back as he tried to act calm. Brian gave Xavier a sweet smile
but his eyes were dark with malicious harm.
You are my fire….he began, seeing the rage beginning to burn in
Xavier…
The one deeeesiirre…Brian trailed intentionally, hearing the hoots of
disbelief and laughter….
Believe when I say….Brian ran a swift hand through Xavier's hair and
quickly moved away from the bodyguard's reach…
I want it that way…the oohs and jeers of
the crowd filled Brian's ears so he couldn't hear the harsh words coming from
Benny's mouth, but he could definitely make out the raw anger in Xavier's face
as the bodyguard listened to his friend
Brian eyed the door, the weight of Rosie's
cell phone pressing against him. Come on… he pleaded silently, his hopes
soaring as Benny angrily shoved his chair away, glaring at Xavier.
But we are two worlds apart… Brian carried on, the crash of another chair
hitting the floor as Abe stood up too…
Watching Xavier rise from his seat, Brian completely
forgot what came next, his heart beating so fast it ached. "Uh, I never
wanna hear you say…he sang, reaching for any verse as he edged backwards
towards the door. He bolted for the exit when he saw Benny leap wildly at
Xavier, a mighty crash of splintered wood and glass filling the air.
Excited chants of "fight, fight"
came from the crowd as they swarmed in closer, eager to join in the fray.
Brian slipped out the front door, his
hands shaking from excitement as he fished out the cell phone from his pocket.
A powerful smash resonated against the inside of the door and Brian jumped in
surprise, moving quickly away. The light was too dim, the location too
dangerous for him to stay so he ran around the side of the building searching
for a reasonably safe spot. He spied a single outdoor light, located near the
corner of the parking lot and raced towards it, hiding behind the cover of a
white truck.
Flipping the cell phone open Brian stopped
for a moment, alarmed. The lock out number! I can't remember the lock out
number! He thought furiously for a moment. 911? No, idiot, that's
emergency. 9…9…Oh God! It was 9 something, something, so he punched 922,
ready to hit every number remaining until he found it.
The lockout signal vanished and Brian sent
up a silent prayer of thanks, flinching a bit as the blast of a shattered
window and agitated sounds of fighting filtered by. Ordering himself to remain
calm, Brian punched in the number for Aunt Ann and placed a hand over his other
ear to block out the noise coming from the bar.
He listened impatiently as the phone rang
and rang, mentally urging someone to pick it up. The answering machine came on,
its automated message droning to leave a name, number…Brian grimaced and hit
the end button, biting his lip. Who now? He punched in Nick's number and
brought the phone up to his ear, peeking cautiously around the truck. The front
door was now half-open, courtesy of the fallen body of an unconscious bar
patron. The fight seemed to be in full force and Brian grinned savagely,
praying that Xavier was getting the shit beat out of him.
The click of the phone swung Brian's
attention away from the bar and he heard Nick's voice. Brian excitedly yelled
to him, then stopped as he realized he was listening to Nick's recorded message.
He heard the beep and swore desperately, hitting the end button again in anger.
Brian began to panic a little. Where the hell was everyone?
Trying once more, he hit AJ's number and
bounced nervously on his toes, sneaking quick glimpses towards the bar. Another
unconscious person had fallen over the prone figure lying in the doorway and
Brian anxiously bit his fingernails as he listened to the repeating ring in his
ear. For a second he froze, wondering what to say. He really hadn't thought
about it, positive he would reach his cousin instead of AJ. How could he
convince AJ? Out of the four, he would be the most skeptical, the most cynical.
"Dude, who ever this is, you're so
dead for calling me at this time of night," AJ's voice warned, his
irritation obvious.
"Bone?" Brian whispered
apprehensively, fearful that AJ would hang up before he had a chance to talk to
him. "AJ?"
"Brian, is that you?"
AJ sounded upset, distressed, but Brian
couldn't be sure as he heard the cheers and sounds of fighting become louder.
He looked up in alarm as he saw Xavier stumble outside, the crowd of spectators
spilling out of the bar, cheering as Xavier held onto a death grip around
Benny's neck.
"Brian!"
"Uh, yeah, sorry to call you…"
"Where are you?" AJ screamed and
Brian recoiled from the sound.
"I'm outside, on a cell phone,"
he answered, trying to concentrate on Xavier and AJ at the same time.
"No," yelled AJ," I mean, where
are you calling from?"
The fighting was coming closer, the crowd
excitedly rooting for Xavier, who, although battered and bloody, was obviously
winning the fight. Brian winced as he watched Xavier slam mercilessly into
Benny, the sickening sound of bone snapping, being heard by all.
"Oh my God," moaned Brian,
shocked by the sound, realizing he had little time left. He frantically glanced
around, looking for escape.
"Brian, B-Rok!" came the worried
shout from his cell phone. Brain ignored AJ for a moment, beginning to panic.
There was no where to go. Crouched next to the truck he peered inside the cab
and caught his breath, seeing the glint of keys dangling from the ignition.
Shaking, he quickly opened the door and hopped in.
'Answer me!" screamed AJ.
"Brian!" Brian put the phone back to his ear.
"AJ," he spoke urgently,
"listen! Don't talk! Something's gonna happen, please God, just listen!" he pleaded as he heard AJ
beginning to speak. "Be careful man, I need you to be careful, all of
you! Xavier has something planned, something bad, I don't know what…"
Brian trailed off, seeing Benny lying in a heap, not moving. Xavier struggled
to stand upright, the bodyguard no more than 20 feet from him. Brian fumbled
for the keys to turn on the ignition. "I know you don't believe me, but
please AJ, God, please watch out…oh no…"
The door to the truck tore open and Brian
turned in shock, the bloody but grinning face of Abe just inches away from his.
With a snarl, Brian gave Abe a hard kick, then frantically turned on the
ignition, trying to put the truck in gear. Two strong arms reached in and
ripped him bodily away from the cab, his cell phone dropping unnoticed into the
soft dirt.
"Nick little trick there, Mr.
Backstreet Boy," sneered Abe. "I knew something wasn't right. Xavier
screamed at me to get you, said that you were escaping!" He shook Brian
like a rag doll. "I just earned me 200 bucks!"
Brian stared up into the wild eyes of Abe,
the grip from the giant man's arm even more powerful than Xavier's. In a flash,
Brian brought his knee up, viciously slamming into the large man's groin. Abe
screamed in agony and bent over but held onto the struggling singer. Enraged
and in excruciating pain, Abe flung Brain as hard as he could into the side of
the truck.
Brain had only a second to see Xavier's
battered face before his own hit the corner of the truck's bumper, his limp
body falling to the desert floor. Xavier leaned over the unconscious Backstreet
Boy, turning him over to view the nasty cut on the side of Brian's left temple.
Frowning, Xavier straightened up stiffly, going over to watch unsympathetically
as Abe threw up repeatedly on the ground.
"I asked you to catch him, not kill
him," growled Xavier, throwing some crumpled bills near the kneeling man.
"Asshole."
With difficulty, Xavier walked over to the
fallen singer, picking him up in his arms. He winced as a sharp pain stabbed
through his side but ignored it as he carried Brian over to their car. He
placed the injured singer in the back seat and gingerly got into the driver's
side, this time swearing as the pain in his rib burned with a vengeance. Broken.
He made a mental note to stop at the local Walgreen's for some bandages, then
took a quick glance at the still figure crumpled in the back seat. Butterfly
bandages too. Xavier tore out of the parking lot, noting how quickly the
crowd had disappeared after the excitement had vanished. He gave one more quick
look at Brian, his fury at having his night ruined overshadowed by his
admiration at the cleverness of Brian's plan. Kid's got guts. Too bad.
* * * * * *
A slim, but shaky hand reached for the fallen
cell phone, not seen by anyone except for the person who picked it up. Eyeing
it carefully, seeing the green light still on, Sarah placed the phone to her
ear. "Hello?" she said softly. "Anyone there?"
***