Chapter 94:

 

Face Off

Leaving Howie to tend to Nick's injuries, Brian stood in front of Xavier, his slight frame dwarfed by the bodyguard's much larger one, rage and bitterness the only things that kept him standing upright. He willed away the pain, the fatigue, the dizziness that he would have gladly succumbed to if given half the chance.

"No, no more games. No more tricks, no more pranks, Xavier. It's finished. It's over. You win. Hear that? You win." Brian tried to keep his words blunt, his voice composed, all the while trembling inwardly from the shock at what Xavier had in store. He tried not to stare at the loaded gun clutched firmly in the bodyguard's hand. "That's what you want, isn't it? To win? Well, you have."

Xavier smiled at Brian's pathetic little attempt to pacify him and reached out with a cupped hand to caress his chin. "Nice try," he said mockingly. "But that's not all I want. You've been quite a challenge for me, a true fighter. I appreciate that, I really do."

His hand clasped cruelly around the young singer's jaw. "But no one, no one, not even you, tells me when the game is over. Got that?" Xavier roughly released his hold on Brian, the dull red lines from his crushing fingers noticeable upon Brian's jawline and cheek.

Glancing down to check the gun once more, Xavier brought his gaze up to smile happily at the five. "Okay," he announced brightly, "who's first?"

"Me," said Brian harshly, his eyes glittering darkly.

"You just don't give up, do you?" declared Xavier. "No, no, no, you had your turn once before, remember? You passed. Time to let someone else have the fun."

"Xavier!"

Xavier ignored Brian, fondling the gun in his hand as he nonchalantly spun the chamber round and round. "Hmm, let’s see, who’s gonna volunteer…" Xavier frowned at Nick, AJ, Kevin and Howie, who were all sitting down, watching him with careful, wary eyes.

"What? No takers?" he scoffed. "Come on!"

It was easy, too easy, to push Brian aside with a single rough shove and Brian crashed into the pointed edge of a table, trying not to cry out in pain. AJ quickly jumped up, coming over to help Brian, but Xavier stopped him with a wave of the gun.

"Ah, our first contestant, and one of my very favorites too," sneered Xavier, grabbing AJ harshly and thrusting him into the nearest chair. Kevin and Howie leaped out of their own seats shouting, coming forward, the panic and fear evident in their voice and face. Wrapping his hand around AJ's neck, Xavier placed the gun to the young singer's temple, signaling with a fierce glare for Kevin and Howie to back off. He disregarded Brian's screams of no!, keeping his eyes glued to the three before him. He felt AJ move a little and so he tightened his grip, pressing the muzzle deeper into his skull. He had to give the little freak credit as he glanced quickly at him. AJ was sitting still, calm, almost too calm, while everyone around him was yelling in terror.

"Ready?" Xavier questioned to all, his eyes not on AJ, but on Brian who was shaking, pleading for Xavier to stop.

"Just do it, you stupid son-of-a-bitch!" spat AJ furiously, his voice filled with hatred. "What are you waiting for?"

Startled by AJ's vicious contempt, Xavier jerked back a second in surprise then pressed his mouth into a grim line as he pulled the trigger. The gun's chamber turned, the only thing being discharged was the sound of a dull click The desperate shouts from all four Backstreet Boys froze in mid scream as it took a few seconds to comprehend that AJ was still alive.

Xavier abruptly released his hold from AJ and with a grunt, gave him a hard shove forward. Kevin caught AJ before he fell, grabbing AJ into a tight hold to try and calm the trembling that was coming from AJ's traumatized mind and body.

"Damn, this must be your lucky day!" mocked Xavier. He spun the chamber once more, a manic grin lighting up his face. "Who's next?" he asked, waving the gun inquiringly in the air. "Aw, come on, don't be shy!"

Xavier scanned the silent group before him. "Nick?"

Hand cradling the makeshift icepack to his face, Nick paled noticeably, recoiling away from Xavier's impatiently beckoning hand. A second later, Brian was blocking the way, his breathing haggard, the pain in his body evident, but his eyes and voice firm with defiance.

"No, Xavier. No! You're going have to kill me first before …" Brian was unable to finish his threat as the bus swayed, buffeted by a sudden blast, a howling whine that swirled around the enclosure of the large bus. What sounded like fine particles of rock began to hit the outside of their windows, the darkness of the night not allowing the passengers to view what was assaulting them. Immediately shoving his gun back into the waistline of his pants, Xavier threw a warning scowl to all five and hurried up front to see what was happening.

Les, his small frame cloaked by the large captain's chair, was struggling to keep the moving bus on course, gusts of blowing dust smacking the windshield with ebbing and flowing waves. He felt the bodyguard’s presence and sneaked a quick glance at Xavier before returning his attention to the road. The visibility was almost non-existent as he tried to gauge the outlines of the road. "What's going on?" Les asked nervously.

"Slow down, slow down, you idiot!" hissed Xavier. "It's a dust storm. You'll run us off the road if you're not careful!"

Les began braking, slowing the bus down to a crawl, the headlights barely able to penetrate a few feet ahead as the clogging dust enveloped them from all sides.

"Shit!" breathed Xavier. "Go slower. No! Forget that. Pull over. Stop. Now. You're going to get us all killed by trying to stay on the road." Les guided the massive bus over to the edge of the road, feeling, rather than seeing, the bus's tires bump slightly as the smoothness of the paved highway gave way to the uncertainty of the unstable ground beneath them.

Pleased at his driving ability, Les put the engine into park, grinning at the agitated bodyguard. "Not too bad, huh?"

Irritated, Xavier lightly cuffed Les on the back of his head and then began fishing underneath the passenger's chair, pulling out a compartmental box and grabbing a large flashlight. "Turn off the engine, kill the lights," he barked. Seeing the confused look on Les's face, Xavier sighed.

"You really are a fucking idiot, you know that? Our lights, tail lights, will be visible to the other blinded drivers behind us. They'll follow our lights and ram right into us!"

"Oh," replied Les meekly, quickly shutting down. Xavier snapped on the hefty flashlight, its beam jumping erratically as he swiftly returned to the subdued fivesome.

Holding the light under his face for a second, Xavier smiled wickedly. "Anyone want to hear a scary story?" Laughing at their sullen faces, Xavier slouched casually into the seat next to them. "Guess not." With a flick of the flashlight, Xavier pointed outside. "Dust storm. We have to wait it out. Shouldn't be too long." Stretching with a large groan, Xavier settled in his seat more comfortably as the swirling dust outside surrounded the bus like a hoard of angry bees.

"Guess it's time for another game," he announced, enjoying the panicked look that flashed in everyone's eyes. "Truth or dare is always fun," he announced with a smirk. "Hmm, no objections? Good. I'll go first. Kevin." Kevin jerked at the sound of his name, questioning eyes meeting Xavier's. "Truth or dare?"

"Uh, truth…" hesitated Kevin, biting his lip.

Xavier snorted. "Whimp. Okay, truth. How did you feel when you saw that picture of your dog mutilated?" Xavier ignored Kevin's angry, choking sound and continued. "Boy, that dog of yours was sure a pain in the ass to kill. Took me a while." Xavier voice drifted, as if lost in thought. "Yep, a real pain." Raising his eyebrows, Xavier suddenly smiled as Kevin desperately struggled to contain his anger. "Oh, not answering? All right, you lose your turn. Howie."

Realizing that Xavier was trying to lure them into making a rash move, Howie shifted uneasily and hesitantly looked at Xavier.

"Truth or dare."

"Truth."

Xavier shook his head, disgusted. "Another whimp. Tell me, how does it feel to know that your Mom was this close to being torched?"

Howie's eyes opened wide as he tried to regain his composure, fighting the nausea that roiled in his stomach as he remembered the arson to his home.

"Yes, I hate having a job half-done. Maybe when I get a little extra time, I'll see what I can do about finishing it."

The dark-haired singer rose up from his seat, too furious to reply. "Howie!" yelled Brian and AJ simultaneously, their voices snapping Howie out of his bloodlust. "He's just baiting you!" warned AJ harshly. "Sit down. Sit down!"

With his free hand, Nick grabbed at Howie, tugging him back. Nick shook his head at his friend, his jaw throbbing, in too much pain to talk. Letting his eyes speak for him, Nick pleaded with Howie to sit back down. Reluctantly Howie sat, silent, glaring at Xavier.

"Well, this is no fun!" growled Xavier. "Howie loses his turn too." A tiny grin formed as he turned his head. "AJ."

AJ stiffened, waiting for the question.

"Truth or dare."

AJ closed his eyes for a second. Take dare, he screamed silently. <.i>Take dare! With a sigh, he opened his eyes. "Truth."

This time Xavier had no comment on the choice and he pushed up out of his seat, coming over to where AJ sat next to Brian. He leaned over slightly, the light from the flashlight emitting an eerie glow to Xavier's dark eyes.

"How does it feel to know that I'm gonna fuck Brian senseless and that there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop it?" he whispered.

Xavier's pleased laughter was drowned out as the blood rushed to AJ's head, his fury overtaking his rational thinking. With an enraged shout, AJ shot up out of his seat, bypassing Brian's outstretching fingers as he lunged for the amused bodyguard's face.

Xavier quickly sidestepped him, clamping down with a massive hand upon the back of AJ's neck and wrenched him backwards with a hard jerk. Tumbling to the ground, AJ immediately sprang up, a murderous look in his eyes.

The sudden banging against the side of the bus and yelling of excited voices outside startled the inside occupants, halting the fight. Confused and in a panic, they all strained to hear the faint but distinct cries of "Nick! Nick! Are you in there?" mixed with girlish squeals of delight as more voices shouted out the other band members’ names.

Livid, Xavier rushed up to the front, peering out into the inky darkness. The dust storm had lessened considerably, making visibility a little easier and in the dim illumination of a strange car's headlights, Xavier was able to make out the shadowy figures of several teenage fans.

"Damn," said Les, with a surprised whistle. "They must have followed us up from Tucson!"

"Start the bus," Xavier barked, "now!"

Knowing better than to argue, Les snapped to attention, turning on the ignition. The bus's headlights flared to life and Xavier counted just one lone car and five overly excited fans.

With a snarl, Xavier yanked Les out of his seat and climbed in, shifting the cumbersome bus into reverse. Slamming on the accelerator, he ignored the screams of the girls as they scattered haphazardly, trying to avoid the careening bus as it found its target, smashing solidly into the girls’ small compact. Grinding the gear, Xavier shifted into drive and floored the gas pedal, the tires spinning for just a second as it gained traction in the soft desert ground. Xavier's foot still pressed all the way down, the enormous sized engine rose to meet the challenge and screamed with power, pushing the heavy bus up onto the highway in a reckless manner. The squeal of distant tires and honks faded behind them as the bus picked up speed, the fading dust storm being replaced by scattered drops of rain. Yelling at Les, Xavier expertly slipped from behind wheel, shoving the startled young man quickly back into the driver's seat.

"Get going," he ordered grimly. "Head for the border as quick as you can." Marching down the aisle, Xavier disregarded the five Backstreet Boys as he began grabbing several items and shoving them into his large duffel bag. The Boys watched, looking at each other with quiet unease.

During Xavier's time in the driver's seat, Howie had changed positions, sitting in front of AJ and Brian while Kevin stayed back to watch Nick. Glad that Xavier was too distracted to notice the change in seating arrangements, Howie caught AJ's anxious look and studied Brian with a worried eye. His complexion pale, his eyes and mouth pinched from pain, Howie could tell that Brian was faring poorly. His attention was dragged away by a sudden flash of lightening, followed by a heavy smack of rain as it began to bombard the sides of the bus with a fury.

An illuminated sign passed overhead, the spotted patches of light outside indicating civilization was near as the bus sped on. Another signed flashed by and Howie was quick enough to catch the wording: two more U.S. exits before the international border. Heart in his throat, Howie knew that Xavier had seen it too by the way the bodyguard was deftly zipping up his bag. Cautiously moving forward in his seat, Howie rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his knees, his right hand trailing slowly, slowly down to lift the edge of his pant leg up. He looked up to see Xavier looming over Brian and AJ, the bodyguard's commanding hand reaching in to capture Brian's wrist. "Come on," he said quietly, his tone no-nonsense. "We're leaving. Let's go." With a sharp tug Xavier hoisted Brian out of his seat, Brian trying his best to worm out of Xavier's grasp.

Xavier turned to glare threateningly at AJ, Nick and Kevin, who had jumped up with angry shouts of "no!" Backing up slowly, Xavier sneered warningly. "I will break his arm," he promised, squeezing cruelly on Brian's forearm to make him cry out in pain, "if you so much as move another inch."

"I think you have it the other way around, Xavier. Don't you move another inch," advised Howie softly.

In the sudden silence that followed, Xavier felt the sharp sting of a knife being pressed strategically into his lower back. "Don't move," hissed Howie again, his voice cold with revenge as he pushed every so slightly.

Rigid in surprise, Xavier winced as he felt the razor-sharp blade dig into his back, a small rivulet of blood zigzagging down his lower spine.

"You're right, you did underestimate me," Howie said tightly. "Let go of Brian before I…", ending his warning angrily in Spanish. Xavier's eyes narrowed in rage and Howie took the opportunity to remind him once more with a tiny thrust. Wincing in pain, Xavier reluctantly released his hold on Brian just enough to let the young singer rip out of his strong grip.

Brian staggered back, his head spinning from pain, shock, and elation. He felt AJ's concerned hand bracing him, but he swayed again, this time violently as the bus began to squeal in protest, Les locking up the brakes as he saw the blurry, rain-soaked form of a large animal positioned directly in front of him. The slickness of the road, the speed of the bus caused the tires to hydroplane, sliding, slipping as Les tried wildly to overcorrect.

Feeling Howie stumble backwards, the weight of the blade gone, Xavier turned with a snarl and shoved Howie viciously. The momentum sent him sprawling to the floor, the knife spinning out of his hand. Unable to keep himself upright with the movement of the bus’s heavy fishtailing, Xavier staggered and dropped to his knees. Leaning as far as he could forward, he reached out for Brian again, finding contact, and curled his fingers around Brian's lower leg, jerking hard. Caught completely off-balance, Brian fell on his back, the wind knocked out of him, feeling himself being dragged forcefully into the clutches of Xavier's strong hands. Barely sensing the bus’s collision with the large animal, Brian gasped for breath as he wriggled frantically to free his left ankle from Xavier's tight grip.

Miraculously, Les managed to bring everything under control, the bus beginning to slow down. Regaining his balance, Xavier released Brian’s left leg, quickly jumping up. Looming over the fallen singer, Xavier bent over to yank him to a standing position. It was all Brian needed. With perfect timing, Brian brought his right foot up, the heel of his boot smashing squarely into Xavier's jaw. With a sickening crack, Xavier's head snapped back and he reeled backwards, crashing into Howie who had finally managed to stand upright. Like a domino effect, Howie was flung backwards, the force of Xavier's body sending him directly into the backside of Les. The momentum caused Les to lose his control of the wheel and within seconds, the bus plunged off the side of the rain-slicked road, the sodden, unstable ground unable to support the colossal weight of the bus. Tilting sideways, the bus leaned precariously on two wheels, the occupants inside tumbling, tangling, smashing into one another and any other object that came flying their way. With a groan of straining sheet metal, the off-balanced bus finally gave way to the pull of gravity, a mighty crash erupting as it fell on its side, the tires still spinning wildly as the rain pelted mercilessly down.

***

 

 

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