Chapter 8
"So, where ya
going?" Andy was lying on his side on
"Just to visit some
friends," she said, looking over her t-shirts and trying to decide what to
bring. "Nothing special."
"Who?"
"Aaah.
Those." Andy said dryly. "
"Andy…"
"Crunchy. Lovely.
Don't forget your birkenstocks."
"Very funny,"
"Why are you meeting
in
"Sarah lives
there," she said quickly, biting her lip. God, she hated lying to Andy
like this…
"You're not bringing
any nice clothes, babe," Andy was poking through her suitcase, wrinkling
his nose at the selection of jeans and t-shirts she'd chosen. "At least
one girly outfit would be nice?"
"Since when do you
like girly?" She teased.
"On girls, girly is
fine," he retorted. "One dress. Just in case. Never know?"
"Sure, a dress and
sneakers, what a look that would be."
"You would be
completely lost if not for me," Andy told her, getting up and grabbing a
dress from her closet. "Pack this."
"Fine," she
grabbed the dress and threw it on top of the suitcase. "Happy?"
"And, um," Andy
dug through the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his wallet, flipping through
it with a grin. "Here," he threw a condom into the suitcase with a
grin. "Just in case."
"Andy!"
"I highly doubt
it," he shook his head sadly. "My boy is far far
away tonight."
"Andy…"
"Oh come on, you'll
bring computer games, and not condoms?" Andy held up the game box with a
look of disgust. "Your priorities are so screwed up."
"Some would say the
same for you," she replied. "Fine, fine," she let him put the
condom back in the suitcase before zipping it closed. "I'll be back Sunday
night, ok?"
"I'll have a lonely,
boring, weekend without you," Andy sniffled loudly, and pouted at her.
"Miss me?"
"You know I
will,"
"I'm going to go
call Jess. Maybe she'll keep my mind occupied this weekend with visions of a
sweaty Alex dancing on stage," Andy grinned, and followed her through her
apartment and out to her car. "Yes?"
"Sure, Andy,
sure."
"Next time you come
home in clothes covered with sexy men's cologne, you better have done something
with the man himself, understand?" He yelled at her as she drove off.
"Make good use of my rubber!"
"Use the rubber! Be
the rubber!"
And with that thought
running through her mind,
******************************************************
After the short drive,
they entered the hotel through the underground entrance, and Billy lead her up
to the guys' hotel rooms. He knocked on a door before opening it and waving her
in, "they're expecting you."
"Hey!" He
walked over and grabbed her in a hug. "Have a good flight?"
"Fine," she
smiled at Kevin, who was waiting for a hug. "How are you guys doing?"
She asked, as she was passed from Nick to Kevin.
"We're surviving,"
Kevin said solemnly. "Nick, why don't you get the rest of the gang
here?"
"Gotcha," Nick
left the room to go bang on the appropriate doors to rally the troops.
Kevin waved her to a
seat, smiling lightly at her. "We tried to get you a room of your own, but
the hotel's booked solid. I hope you don't mind sharing a suite with Nick
again?"
"Good." He sat
back, and ran a hand through his hair. "Agent Palmer's flying in from
"Relax? Have you
been able to do much of that?" She asked him, smiling wryly when he shook
his head no. "I figured."
"Howie's like the
walking dead, wondering when this guy is going to do whatever he intends to do
to him," Kevin said softly, frowning. "The anticipation is awful,
knowing something's going to happen, but just not knowing when."
"I can
imagine,"
"Hey goddess,"
AJ waved back, smiling at her. "Glad you made it."
"
Brian sat down across
from her, a soft smile on his face, "I had no idea, I'm sorry."
"That's ok, at least
someone stopped to listen."
"Me," Nick
reminded everyone with a grin. "Thank me."
"Thank you,
Nicky," Howie said, smacking his head. "Now, can we get down to
business?" He wasn't much in the mood for small talk.
"I brought my
laptop,"
"Show us,"
Kevin said, nodding for emphasis.
"Ok."
"Jesus christ," AJ cursed, looking over her shoulder at the
site. "Pictures?"
"Yeah, that was how
I was pretty sure he actually had done something at the part,"
"Go to his
diary," Howie pointed to the link.
"You're telling
me," Kevin shuddered.
The latest diary entry
was about how the boys had a night off tonight, and they would be hanging out
in their hotel "safe and sound." But were they, really….strike three
would be soon.
"Strike three,
that's you, right?" Brian turned to Howie, a grim expression on his face.
"Sounds like it,
from the clue he gave," Howie nodded slowly. "What do I do? Just
wait?"
"All you can
do," Nick said softly. "Can you see if this freak's online?"
"You got it,"
Kevin slid into her seat and immediately began typing.
"He's asking them
who their favorite boy is," Kevin muttered, shaking his head. "He
says that's who he'll hit next."
"Oh lovely,"
Bsbh4t3rs: Ten little
Indians, all in a row. Ever read that book, oh miss katchoo?
It's the story of ten sitting ducks, who are all killed off, one by one. Me, I
think that went too fast. It's a lot more fun to torture your prey before
killing them, isn't it?
Kevin looked at
Katchoo: No, I don't. Leave them alone.
Bsbh4t3rs: They believe they are untouchable. They must learn otherwise.
Katchoo: They don't think that.
Bsbh4t3rs: No? Then why do they continue to tour? Why do they fly their
girlfriends in for fun weekends, if they think they are in danger? DON'T THEY
KNOW WHAT I INTEND TO DO??
"Ask him when the
third strike is," Howie told Kevin.
"You sure?"
Kevin looked at Howie questiongly. "We don't
want him to know this is us talking to him."
"Why not? Why don't
we just tell him it's us and ask him to stop? Tell him we'll give him whatever
he wants, just stop this!" Brian's eyes were panicked as he stared at the
screen. "We know we're not untouchable, dammit!"
Katchoo: When's the third strike?
Bsbh4t3rs: that's why I'm here. Fourth just might come before third. Throw
things around a little.
Katchoo: what's fourth, then?
Bsbh4t3rs: I'll update the website soon.
"Got it!"
"Oh," his voice
fell, and she heard him sigh heavily. "You're gonna love this, Tar."
"What?"
"The IP resolves to
you'll never catch me dot com," he said sadly.
"Fuck," she
cursed. "Proxy?"
"Must be. Sorry,
babe."
"Thanks for
trying," she ran a hand through her hair, feeling totally frustrated. That
had been her best shot at catching him.
"Anytime. Bye."
"Move over,"
Nick shoved Kevin out of the chair and sat down, staring at the monitor.
Katchoo: ok, asshole, what the fuck do u
think
Bsbh4t3rs: Dead, buried, Backstreet Boys. Isn't that obvious?
Katchoo: y?
Bsbh4t3rs: Everyone needs some entertainment.
Katchoo: we wont let you do this!!!
Bsbh4t3rs: we? Who's we?
"Nick, stop
it," AJ hissed, smacking his shoulder. "You're not supposed to let
him know its us."
Katchoo: who ya think, idiot.
Bsbh4t3rs: I think one backstreet boy is going to be in a lot of pain tonight.
Katchoo: bsb's doing just
fine.
Bsbh4t3rs: ….for now.
"Fuck," Nick
cursed when he saw the other nickname leave chat. "What was that? One of
us is going to be in a lot of pain tonight?"
"Nick, you weren't
supposed to go off on him like that," Howie said fearfully. "That's
what he wants."
"Give him what he
wants, then!" Brian argued. "Maybe that'll make him stop!"
"Nothing's going to
make him stop, he's insane, don't you get that?"
Nick shouted, standing up and walking across the room to smack the wall. "Goddammit!" He couldn't believe he'd actually been
talking to the person who was so determined to kill them, and had learned
nothing.
"Nick, calm
down," Kevin said soothingly.
"NO! We don't know
what he's doing!" Nick said angrily. "We know he might hurt Howie
tonight. Or maybe not, he said he might change the order. So he might hurt me,
or Brian. Or maybe he's just going to kill someone! How can I CALM DOWN!"
"Sit down, have a
drink, do something, Nick," Brian pleaded with him, clearly getting
freaked out even more by Nick's strong reaction.
"Drink?" Nick
whirled around to stare at AJ. "Want a drink, AJ?"
"I'll drink an
entire bar right now, to be honest," AJ ran a shaky hand through his hair.
"But Brian's right, we gotta calm down."
"Anyone
hungry?" Kevin asked, sighing when everyone looked at him as if he was crazy.
"We gotta eat."
"Get liquor with
dinner, that's all I ask," Howie waved at Kevin. "I don't care."
"Looks like we're in
for a long night," Kevin looked at
"Good, I'm glad
you're here then," he smiled lightly at her. "Want to help me figure
out what these idiots want to eat?"
"Sure."
It would be a long night,
indeed.
***