Chapter
4:
Enter the Madman
The meeting lasted for over two hours. Jive and management just sat there and
brainstormed different ideas about what to do next. The four of us just sat
quietly and listened. Some of their problem solving actually mad me sick to my
stomach.
The words "cover up" were heard a little too often for my taste. One
of the reps from Jive even did bring up the idea that we say this has all been
for publicity. What we were dreading most came up next. What to do about Nick's
solo album.
It was due to come out at the end of the month. There was to be a massive press
junket followed by a live performance on TRL. Obviously that wasn't going to
happen. Jive thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and release the album
on schedule with our reward number printed on it. I agreed. Nick would have
wanted his album to come out no matter what.
We were all just about to agree on that when management at the last minute had
a change of heart and decided they should temporarily shelf his project. There
was some more arguing and then an agreement was reached that they would push
back the release of his CD until he was found. That gave us some hope. Jive did
it for business reasons saying that when he was found album sales would triple.
They started to talk about in the event of his death and how that would affect
sales but they stopped abruptly when Kevin made a B-line over to the guy ready
to knock his lights out. Sometimes I really hate this business!
By the end of the meeting we were mentally drained. Everyone had left to go
their separate ways leaving the four of us just sitting there.
"God, that was awful!"
finally AJ was the first one to speak.
"They talked about Nicky like he
wasn't even human, like he was a dog or something!" I looked up at Howie
and he looked so sadthat I wanted to just get up and hug him, before realizing
that I probably looked the same way. We all did.
"Well, truthfully Kevin, I wish
you had gone ahead and beat the crap out of that guy! He was an obnoxious
ass!" J said as he got up. Howie and Kevin followed.
"So, what's next? Are we going
home?" I asked bringing them all to a stop.
"I don't know Rok, are you ready
to leave?" J asked while putting on his sunglasses.
"There's nothing more we can do
here. Besides like you said it would be nice to get back to Leigh" Kevin
smiled as best as he could. Smiling was hard these days.
"Well, then cousin, I say we go
home. I'll tell Kyle to make arrangements"
"Good" I need to get to the
bottom of this. I need to get to his hotel room I thought as I followed my band
brothers out of the room and began packing for home.
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No one would believe that I was doing this! I said proudly as I finished my 100th
sit up. I wish there was a way I could take a picture of me working out and
mail it to Kevin. The look on his face would be priceless!
It's funny what being a hostage does to your sense of everyday life and what
you find important. If anyone had told me that I would ignore video games and
instead exercise and write in a journal, I probably would have peed myself
laughing. My how things change. The thought of playing a video game seemed
almost repugnant to me. Here they were everyone ever made laid out in front
of me and yet they were just collecting dust. I would have given anything to
just be able to sit on my ass all day long and play video games. It's funny!
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs made me jump off the floor and on
to the couch. It was him. The madman, or The Mizpah lady! I liked that better.
Either way, he was the enemy. My enemy.
"Hello my young friend did you
sleep well last night?" Always the same questions every day
"Yeah, sure like a baby" He
came over and sat next to me patting my head.
"What have you been up to
today?" Uh, like I can be up to anything idiot! I knew better than to say
that.
"This and that" He laughed
and ruffled my hair. I didn't want him to touch me.
"Have you read the Bible I gave
you yet? There will be a test."
"No, I actually haven't gotten
around to that yet, sorry" I couldn't help but wonder if he was seriously
going to give me a test.
"You should, it's important to be
aquainted with the good book. It has gotten me through some really bad days"
"How was work?" I asked
trying to change the subject. If he was gonna be down here he might as well be
helpful.
"I was fired today" He
seemed to tense up and I was afraid he might try to hit me, he then slumped
back on the couch.
"You're damn friends recommended
that I be fired!" I smiled to despite what could possibly happen. He just
smirked back at me.
"I bet you do enjoy that don't
you?" He asked me.
"Ah, yes actually I do."
Then I laughed. He got up and moved over to my table. Never taking his eyes off
of me.
"Well, that just means that you
and I will have lot's of quality time together."
"Hey kid can I ask you a
question?" Like I'm gonna say no! He didn't really care if I wanted him to
or not.
"Those things we gave you, the
letters and the presents...what did you do with them?" I sat up straight.
That question surprised me a little and gave me hope. I was afraid that maybe
they had figured out that I was keeping them in my room. The fact that he was
asking me that gave me hope that maybe the police or someone else found them
instead.
"I had told you to call me if you
received any threats so that I could hold on to them for you but you never
did" He looked a bit annoyed. He never tried to hurt me the whole time
I've been here but still there was something in his eyes that made me afraid
that at any moment he could snap.
"I threw them all away! I didn't
want to worry anybody so I just ignored them all. I know it was stupid. Don't
worry I regret it." I was afraid to look up because I have always been a
bad liar.
"That's okay, I was just
wondering. I know you have the journal though" I couldn't breath when he
said that. I was just about to be found out!
"Don't worry I won't read it until AFTER you leave us" It's
funny how both He and Trish referred to death as leaving.
He then got up to leave. I needed some
info from him first, "Hey Joe" He stopped and walked over to me. "I was wondering if maybe you could get
me a Tae-Boe tape or something" He laughed
"Why Nick Carter, in the four
years I have known you, since when do you ever do that stuff?" I shrugged
"I've got nothing better to
do" This brought about a huge laughing fit. If I was a little stronger, I
would have tried to over take him right then and there but I wasn't confident
in myself. Not yet anyway He started to walk up the steps
"I have a copy at my house"
I yelled up to him. He turned around
"I'll tell Trish to pick it up
there after she gets off of work, oh wait a minute, she can't because the
police won't let her in there. We'll just have to buy you a copy. Too bad you
threw away that stuff. I was going to make you a scrapbook!"
"Thanks" I said as the door
closed.
I ran over to Julia and wrote I am in Florida my goal for the day complete.
Then I thought about what he said, he was gonna make me a scrapbook! I started
to shake at the thought. This guy really was a madman...
***
