Perfect.

Finally everything was almost to perfection as he raised his eyebrows haughtily.

After spending so many years of his life, reserving all his energy in revising every possibility to get what he had always been eyeing, he now had a reason to smile triumphantly at his trophy. The only reward to mark his almost glorious victory.

Of course, the beginning are always so dramatic. So emotionally involved and so chaotic.

He would have preferred to take the world by storm, by plotting a huge surprise with his scheming plans, but then his waves of desire were penetrating their realities and forewarning them in a way beyond their understanding will only ruin the excitement of the whole game.

The game was simple, comprising of only one rule and that's to stay alert. In order to make the game even more interesting, he did not leave out the spectators as they will each be given a part to play. At any time and at anywhere they got it messed up, then the road of hunting him down will totally be impossible.

So far so good. He was leading his game pretty well. Despite not having luck on his side in the past and things going against him at times, still he was doing great in his own undercover. Perhaps he should learn to be more patient. Be more patient for the right time to act his plans out rather than to act on impulse like he did for the past few years, and thus resulting his previous attempts with such a disappointing ending.

But what has happened last night was totally and incredibly unbelievable.

In one way or another, it gave a new perspective of his success in getting what he desired. A picture of his success came to mind as he never thought of accomplishing his plans better than he had hoped. That was the closest he could ever get, so far, and he knew he couldn't afford to make anymore mistakes like he did before. He couldn't let his prey slip away from his clutches again. He had to play the game well, more like a professional ravisher.

His blonde hair and the same deep blue eyes reminded him so much of Danny, his beloved son. He remembered the anxiety, the frustrations and the heartaches they had to go through, desiring to have a child of their own. After ten years of waiting in full anticipation, they were finally gifted with a beautiful son. He had spread out all his plans for his only son, and had invested all his life savings for his son's future.

Hearing his cries brought tears in their eyes. Hearing his laughter brought joys in their heart and to see him lying motionless in a pool of blood killed them instantly.

Since then, a picture of happy family was completely tarred with his son's death and his wife's suicide. These painful experiences deepened his hatred on the boy's father. If only he had been careful, all these would have been avoided and he wouldn't have to be a slave of his own revenge.

The sudden slamming of the shutters broke into his deep daze as he jerked his mind back from the past. He wanted him dead but somehow he found the fact rather disturbing. He wasn't sure what made him feel that way. Perhaps the thought of seeing the boy still breathing caused such an uneasiness inside him. Maybe because that boy was only half of his full intention of getting to the real target.

Nevertheless, he couldn't wait to get his hands on the boy, ripping his shirt off and pressed the hot metal on his chest, stomach or arms. Another alternative would simply by pulling the trigger off right next to his temple or maybe strangle him using a fine piece of nylon thread.

He shrugged his shoulders, edging himself away from the boy. No, he forced himself to calm down. Its not the right time as yet. Death would be too easy for him and his father. He wanted to see him suffering, whimpering, begging and to taste a slow terrifying death he would ever wish for.

Slowly, he limped his way towards the wooden rocking chair. The same euphoric smile never failed to fade from his face.

"Wake up Nicky...don't make me wake you up now...oh Nicky...wake up now..." he repeated in a deep, growling voice followed by a soft and irritating whistles.

The air was still.

There was nothing else except for the creaking from the rocking chair to accompany the rhythm of his breath. Then, suddenly, the still air began to change into a nasty blow of wind swirling around the room, whipping him, slapping him, and slamming him hard with nothing but pure pain.

The roaring of thunder woke him up.

Everything was damp. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his hips was so unbearable that he almost thought he was going to die soon. He closed his eyes once again hoping its just another bad dream, a dream that can never last. His eyes were adjusting to the darkness and to realise that it was real.

A cold chill ran down his back, and he felt like thousands of needles poking right though his skin, darting straight at his heart.

"Looking for something Nicky? You are such a naughty boy...you know that..." The voice kept drifting in and out of his consciousness. He tried to move but realised that both his hands and legs were tied up and his mouth was tightly taped so that he could hardly breathe.

His mind was racing crazily, he realised. It was hard to think clearly, to think in a straight line. The creaking noise made him sick. He felt everything started to spin.

He strained his mind in recalling how he got into such a state. He remembered of sneaking out of the recording studio, trying to find a cool place to chill out without anyone there to watch his every moves. He remembered telling Mike, his bodyguard, that he needed to get something from his car, whereas he used the back door as the escape route to his freedom. But it was short-lived.

When he managed to get out of the studio, he walked along the pavement and was passing by the caravan when he realised he was alone. To walk all the way to anyplace would be impossible. So, he walked back and knocked on the window screen and asked the man in the caravan if he could give him a lift.

Man?

That's it! He got it now. It had to be him and how he drove the car to an isolated road. Then he stopped his car with the reason of a sudden breakdown.

Nick waited alone in the car and then suddenly he felt a sharp pain coming from his back and within seconds his vision became blurry. He lost consciousness right after that and wasn't sure for how long he had been sleeping, but the pain was still there.

"I'm glad that you are awake now..at least I don't have to wait that long...to kill you." The growling voice brought him back to reality. It was coming closer to him as he's trying to free himself. "Here...let me help you." He pulled the tape off from his mouth leaving a pang of delicious pain on his skin.

"Ouch!" Nick groaned as he fell back to the floor. His whole was aching and his limps felt numb being left out in the cold overnight.

"I know its painful. It is painful Nick, but have you ever feel the pain of having a bullet going straight to your heart? Have you Nick? Have you?" His growls became louder as he snatched Nick's shirt and pulled him forward so that he could see the tears in his eyes.

"Who...who are you?" cried Nick.

"Who...you are asking me who am I? God! That's a very good question Nick. Nobody knows who I am and, in fact I don't even know who I am. Do you?" He released his gripped and pushed Nick back to the floor.

"Please...let me go...please?" begged Nick as his breath was getting deeper and heavier.

"Let you go, after I've gone through so much to get you? I will let you go Nick, but only as a corpse..." He laughed. "Gosh, its been a while since I've had this big of a laugh, and you know what? I'm gonna miss you for making me laugh this hard..." He continued laughing.

"What...just what do you want from me?" asked Nick. This time, he managed to sit up and leaned against the wooden wall.

"You are such a smart kid Nick, and I'm sure if my son was still alive, he'll be just as smart as you are. But too bad, your dad...your dad killed him." His laughter became an instant silence as he stopped his steps and stopped right under the dim neon lights.

His once friendly face seemed to disappear as the man who stood in front of him right now gave him a hideous stare with his gruff look, and grey hair that looked messy and dirty.

"My dad?"

"Yes Nick, if you should ever want to blame anyone for your plight right now, it should be your dad. Because of him, my son is dead. Because of him, my wife committed suicide, and because of him too...I've lost my family Nick. I've lost my son, I've lost my wife, and now I can't afford to lose you. You are the key to end all these miseries."

"What...what do you mean?" Nick's voice began to falter when his blue eyes met his viscous green eyes.

"Get it in your head, boy! Why do you think I keep you in here for if its not for revenge? I know how much your parents adore you and how much you mean to your group, and the best thing...I know how much you mean to those pathetic girls out there who keep on calling your names. You are just priceless, don't you think? But not to worry, I am not going to kill you just as yet. I was thinking of having some fun. How about it?" he asked as he dragged Nick out from his hiding place with a single force and forced him to sit on a chair.

He later used a rope to tie Nick's body to the chair. Then he left him alone feeling cold and in pain at the same time. It was not long before he returned with a bottle of wine in his hand.

"Do you like this Nick? This is all I've got to offer for now. Soon, I'll have plenty to celebrate with." He pulled Nick's head to the back and forced his mouth opened and poured the wine right into his mouth and down his throat. "Like the taste Nick? That is how I go through my days and now, you've got to taste it too!" He said as he kept pouring it down on Nick, splashing all over his face, his hair, and his chest.

Nick was struggling to be freed as he kept shaking his head, protesting for the actions on him. Finally, his request was granted. He stopped pouring the wine and let go of his grip on Nick's hair.

Nick was left coughing and vomiting at the same time. He knew the chances of him staying alive would be slim unless he put in an effort to run away, but how? His whole body was getting weaker and his mind was not thinking rationally. Tears began to flow, colliding with the sticky wine on his wet cheeks.

Suddenly he felt someone ripping his shirt from behind and in seconds, he felt humiliated to be half-naked in front of a total stranger. He was about to retaliate when he felt a piercing pain coming from his stomach. It was like having a fine piece of sharp nylon slashing across his stomach. Later, he realised something sticky was dripping down and it gave a nauseous smell.

Blood!

"No! Please! Let me go! Please! Argh!" screamed Nick as he tried to release himself from the tight rope.

"Is it really that painful Nick? That is just a minor pain compared to my loss. Now tell me, how do you run away from a nightmare? No answer from you?"

"Just let me go you bastard-"

"Uh-uh! That is not an appropriate word to say now especially to someone whom your family was indebted to-"

"Then just kill me damn it!"

"Oh Nick, I've told you I will definitely kill you but not that fast. I still want to enjoy myself slicing your white skin. You should have seen how devastated I was to see my boy lying in a pool of blood right before my eyes. I tried to wake him up, but he refused to wake up. I remember he used to have this habit of pretending to be dead so that I can hold him in my arms. But that day, no matter how hard I cuddled him in my arms, he still refused to wake up. I called his name...Danny...wake up...wake up Danny, daddy is here, but he still refused to wake up." The roaring of his growling voice changed into a sappy voice as he cried.

The pain was unbearable for Nick as the wound was being exposed to the freezing air. He was too much engrossed in dealing with the pain than to share his sentiments. After all, nothing could be done now that he was in deep trouble.

"So now, an eye for an eye, blood for blood. Your father has to pay for what he has done. He killed my son and I'll kill his..." Then, like a madman, he untied Nick and made him get down on his knees as he pressed both his knees with his heavy legs.

"Kill me now if you want to, before my dad gets his hands on you," said Nick. He closed his eyes, waiting for the moment of leaving a world which had given him so much love. Love from his family, love from his friends, and love from people who first came as a total stranger to him. It was love towards music that made him known to the world. It was a pity he was going to leave that world so soon, and the saddest part was to leave in such a pathetic way. It reminded him so much of Kurt Cobain. At least Kurt committed suicide, but him...being killed by some lunatic who's seeking revenge for his own personal agenda.

"Oh yes, he will come Nick. I've sent the invitation card out. It's just a matter of how and when he's going to get you or your dead body. But frankly, how does it feel to be down on your knees? Tell me how does it feel for you for someone who has been living in luxuries for all your life. Must be pathetic huh?"

"No, the pathetic one is not me, but you. Using me as a bait to get my dad out is such a pathetic way-" A tight slap reached Nick's left cheek as he accidentally bit his lips and thus, blood began to drip down from the cut.

"I'm sick of everything you say, and by the way fun time is over. It's payback time now. Say your last wishes before I pull the trigger."

"I have nothing to say except that you are making a fatal mistake here, Mister."

"Oh, thank you for reminding me that. Say bye-bye to the world now-"

"Stop! Freeze!"

The ambush shocked him as he gripped Nick hard by the neck.

"Hey Bob! It's really nice meeting you here!" exclaimed the man as he gripped Nick harder. The same scenario was the one that happened fifteen years ago.

"Put down your gun Randy. Killing him won't solve anything," pleaded Bob Carter as he fixed his gun right at his target. Any slight movement from Nick would cause a disaster to him.

"What's wrong, Bob? Ain't gotta any guts there? Oh my, I almost forgot... it's your son with me now, huh? So, how does it feel to have someone pointing his gun at your son's head, huh?" he asked as he pressed the gun strongly on Nick's temple.

"Let him go Randy. This is just between you and me."

"No Bob, that was in the past. I wanted to kill you, but then again, it's nothing to be compared to the victory I am going to celebrate by killing your son. I want you to feel the pain of seeing your son's dead body right in front of you Bob, like right now-"

"No!"

A shot was heard as the three of them stood still and remained speechless. It was like a scene in a photo where none of the figures could actually move until one of them dropped on the wooden floor with blood spluttering all over the place.

"Oh my God..."

Nick fell to the ground with deep impact as his mind was still not functioning well to the whole event. His body was throbbing in pain and his hands were trembling. There were tears in his eyes, picturing an unexplainable terrors he had in his life.

Bob took his son's head on his lap and began to cuddle him like he did when Nick was five years old. He covered Nick's wound with his palm trying to put pressure on them so that the blood would stop flowing, but it was too late. Nick was getting weaker and weaker as the time ticked away.

It felt like an eternity until he heard sirens coming from his back-up team and ambulance coming closer and closer.

"Hang in there buddy! They are here...you'll be alright okay...just hang in there!" Nick continued to stare in a daze and slowly he shut his eyes.

"I told ya, I will win this game," groaned Randy, and then a silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So Nick, you have just been discharged from the hospital right?"

"Yeah, two days ago."

"And we are so honoured that you are willing to be with us today even though it's from your home."

"Thanks."

"Alright Nick, I'm not going to take much of your time because I know that you need the rest so I just want to ask you a few questions. For a start, how do you find the experience? Is it terrifying, I mean to be abducted and then to be slashed in that way? You still have the scars on your stomach right?"

"Oh yeah. To be pointed with a gun on your head is indeed terrifying. The scar is definitely still there and so are the terrifying moments in my life. You know, it's unbelievable to see how revenge could bring someone sorting to all kinds of methods, you know, just to get that satisfaction."

"So Nick, what were you thinking at that time? I mean, you were on the brink of death and you must have thought of something, right?"

"I was...I was very sad at that time because I really thought I was gonna die at that moment because, you know, there are just so many things I wanna do. I think of my parents, my sisters, my brother, the guys, and of course these wonderful people who have been giving me all this support all these years. You know, to see everything end in a split second is...just too cruel, I should say. I could have died that day if it wasn't for Mike and my dad because Mike actually followed me that night because he realised how dangerous the situation was. He went back to inform the others and coincidentally, my dad received that threatening letter from this guy. So, in one way, everything was linked up."

"Okay, we know that the guy has been arrested and he was placed in the mental institute. Are you angry with him for what has happened?"

"No, not at all, but I'm kinda shocked to actually experience all these things myself. You know, I thought it could only happen in dramas and stuff, so...yeah. I'm not angry with him."

"Great, great. So, did you learn anything from this? I mean, not to mention about the bad moments...besides that?"

"I appreciate life much more now. I mean, it's not that I never appreciated life before, but you know...what has happened has taught me one thing, and that's to appreciate every breath you take in and every second you spend your life because death never comes with a warning."

"I'm glad that everything is over now. Let's all give a round of applause to Nick Carter, who has survived a kidnapping and murder attempt recently, and Nick, thank you once again for joining us and sharing us your experiences. Are there any words for your fans who have been waiting for your latest progress?"

"Well, thank you so much for all the flowers, cards and so much more. I'm glad that I managed to pull it through with all these prayers and I told myself while I was in the OT that I am not going to give up, and definitely not now."

"Oh, you have made them cry now, Nick. Anyway, from all of us here in the studio and those back at home, I wish you a speedy recovery and we hope to see you again on tour with the Backstreet Boys."

"Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, I hope to see ya around soon. Bye!"

"And that was Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys ladies and gentlemen. He was lucky that both his bodyguard Mike and his father, Bob Carter, a senior police officer, got together and figured out this whole jigsaw puzzle and thus managed to save him in the nick of time before he became a victim of a ruthless revenge. So, do join me, Lisa McManaman, next week at the same time and the same channel, bringing you more real life situations happening around us in Code Red. Good night everyone, and expect the unexpected."