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Julie knew the two men sitting in front of her. Well, she didn’t technically know them, but she definitely knew of them. She had even seen them in concert once; years and years ago when she had done her parents a favour by taking her younger sister to see their show. Julie would never admit it to anyone, but she had enjoyed that night almost as much as her younger sister. Of course, while her baby sister had spent the night screaming her heart out for Nick, Julie had found herself singing along and daydreaming about how amazing it would be to roll around in the sheets with Kevin.

“Did you get a good look at the man who chased you? Would you be able to describe him to a sketch artist?”

Julie pulled herself back to the present as her partner, Nate, continued to pepper the two Backstreet Boys with questions. AJ and Brian did not look the way that Julie remembered them from that show back in 1999. The two of them looked worn out, defeated, and sick with fear. It was heartbreaking to see the way that they kept glancing at each other for reassurance; to see the worry in their eyes as they struggled to answer the questions that were being hurled at them.

“I dunno ... no ... yes ... I could try.” AJ changed his answer several times before letting out a long sigh. “Do you want me to try?”

“It would be helpful.” Nate looked to Julie for confirmation. “Right, Detective Gallagher?”

Julie nodded her agreement. She dropped her eyes to her notes. She was a bit unsure of where to begin. The bizarre Twitter message, Nick’s kidnapping, Kevin’s apparent disappearance, Howie’s mysterious car accident; the whole situation was unnerving and more than a little confusing. Why the Backstreet Boys? These guys weren’t exactly at the peak of their career. At the risk of being insensitive, Julie just didn’t get it.

“Detective Hurley?” A young, uniformed officer stepped up next to Nate. “Sorry to interrupt, but I think that you and Detective Gallagher need to take a look at this.” The officer placed an open laptop on the table and took a step backwards to exit the room. “Chief Parker would like to speak to both of you after you’re done with the Back – with Mr. McLean and Mr. Littrell.”

“What is that?” Brian leaned forward in his chair, his voice shaking ever-so-slightly. “What’s on the screen?”

Julie stayed silent. She kept one eye trained on AJ and Brian while the other quickly took in the image on the laptop screen. She tried to keep her expression neutral as she surveyed the live video feed and the message stating the next poll would be beginning within the next two hours. Her stomach dropped as she recognized the three men in the video feed. This was not going to go over well with the two men sitting in front of her.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Brian’s voice had taken on a definite tremor. He could feel AJ’s hand curl around his lower arm as he moved to stand up. “If it has something to do with our friends then you have to show us.”

“Technically, we don’t have to show you anything, Mr. Littrell.” Nate rolled his eyes, but he spun the laptop around anyway. “At least this is verification that your friends are still alive.”

“Still alive?!” AJ released his grip on Brian’s arm and moved to stand up himself as he repeated Detective Hurley’s emotionless words.

AJ didn’t know what to think or what to feel. Was he supposed to feel relieved that Nick, Kevin, and Howie were clearly being held against their will be a couple of lunatics? Was he supposed to feel happy that his friends’ fear was being broadcasted over the Internet for the world to watch? Was he supposed to feel okay with the fact that the three of them were about to be subjected to some kind of ‘game’? Was he supposed to feel at peace with the notion that he and Brian were clearly in danger?

“AJ ...” Brian reached out and grabbed his tattooed friend by his wrist, pulling him back down into his seat. “... we need their help.”

AJ stared down into Brian’s face. He could see the tears glimmering in the corners of his eyes and the wrinkles deepening in his forehead. Brian was struggling; trying desperately to hold himself together.

“Okay.” AJ relented. If Brian was trying his hardest to stay calm then he owed it to him to do the same. He turned to the two detectives sitting across the table. “What do we do now?”

“You two aren’t going to do anything at the moment.” Julie watched the exchange between AJ and Brian with measured interest. The dynamic between the two of them intrigued her. She had a feeling that it was going to be difficult to keep the two of them under control. They seemed to feed off of each other’s emotions, and that could be a bad thing in a highly stressful situation. “We’re going to send you back to Mr. Littrell’s apartment under police escort. The two of you will remain under constant surveillance until we’re able to locate your friends and resolve this ... situation.”

“So, we’re just going to hide?” AJ challenged. His resolve to try and stay calm had just gone right out the window. “You just want us to sit around and wait for these guys to kill our friends? Howie and Kevin have families and Nick has a baby on the way! There’s no way that we can just sit around and wait for something to happen!”

“Mr. McLean, I can understand that you’re upset, but you’re just going to have to trust us. This is what we do, Mr. McLean; we solve crimes. Even if you wanted to help, you’re not qualified to do so. You would only be getting in the way.” Detective Hurley rubbed at his heavy eyelids and quickly pushed himself away from the table. He had had enough of the Backstreet Boys for one night. “Detective Gallagher will arrange for your police escort.”

“Jenn called to say that our security team is downstairs.” Brian forced himself to his feet and motioned for AJ to follow him. As much as he agreed with AJ, he knew that there was no point in arguing their case any further. It was clear that their presence wasn’t wanted. “There’s no need for an escort. Mark and Joe will make sure that we get back to the apartment.”

Julie let out a long sigh. She had already been informed that the boys’ management team had contacted their private bodyguards. Still, it didn’t feel right letting AJ and Brian leave without an NYPD escort. At this point, everyone was a suspect; even the members of their security force and their management team. The case had been active for less than five hours and it was already garnering a host of media attention. One mistake on the part of the NYPD would produce a media disaster that Julie wasn’t prepared to deal with.

“Mr. Littrell, I really do think that ...”

“Just let them go.” Nate gently interrupted his partner. “Their security, our security; it doesn’t really matter as long as they don’t go anywhere by themselves. The Chief is waiting for us.”

“Fine.” Julie gave in. She turned to the two remaining Backstreet Boys. “You’re free to go. We’ll be in touch with any new details as they emerge.”

“I’m sure you will.” AJ grumbled. “I swear to God, if I end up finding out any kind of bad news on fucking Twitter ...”

“Stay off of social media!” Julie warned as Brian practically dragged AJ out of the interrogation room. “Do not respond to any tweets or direct messages!”

“We know.” Brian gave Julie an overly forced smile as AJ wrenched his arm out of his grip. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “We know the rules.”

“I wanna punch the two of them in their stupid fucking faces!” AJ announced as soon as he and Brian stepped into the elevator. “Did you see that fucking website? What the fuck was that?! Would it have killed them to explain things to us? I mean, what are we supposed to think? Howie, Nick, and Kevin have been fucking kidnapped and we’re being sent back to your apartment to hide from the bad guys like a couple of little kids! They didn’t even give us any proper information!”

“They’re just doing their job, J.” Brian leaned against the wall of the elevator and stared the younger man directly in the face. “Besides, we can just look at the website on our own as soon as we get back to the apartment.”

AJ narrowed his eyes. Brian was planning something. He could tell. “What are you thinking?”

Brian shook his head. “I dunno yet. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know that the police are way more equipped to handle this situation than we are, but, like you said, we just can’t sit around and wait. What if – what if something happens to them?”

The elevator dinged to signal their arrival in the underground parking garage, but AJ barely heard it above the blood rushing in his ears. What if something did happen? What if he never saw Kevin, or Howie, or Nick ever again?

“We should call the wives too.” AJ forced the disturbing images of his friends being killed from his mind and returned his attention to Brian. “Ro was blowing up my phone the entire time that we were talking to the detectives.”

“Yeah, Leighanne has sent me, like, one hundred text messages.” Brian actually managed a small laugh. “She probably saw those tweets directed at our accounts and is legitimately losing her shit.”

“You want to divide and conquer when it comes to the fellas’ wives? I got Lauren, you got Kristin, and we can both call Leigh?” AJ suggested as he pulled open the heavy door to the underground.

“Sounds good.” Brian forced himself to agree. The last thing that he wanted to do was tell Kristin that Kevin was currently being held captive by some unknown psychopath. A small part of him actually hoped that she had already seen the website; that he wouldn’t have to be her primary source of information.

“This shit doesn’t even seem real.” AJ shook his head. “I feel like I’m watching a cheesy horror movie and that in a few minutes it will all be over and everyone will be ...”

“And everyone will be ... what?” Brian prodded. He turned to face AJ when he realized that he had suddenly stopped walking. “Aje, what is it?”

Brian didn’t like the fact that AJ’s skin had turned deathly white. He followed the other man’s gaze and nearly fell over at the sight. No wonder AJ had stopped walking.

“Is that ...” AJ couldn’t finish as he took a step closer to Brian.

“Yeah.” Brian nodded as he took in the body that was lying face up on the concrete floor. He could taste the bile rising in his throat as he watched the pool of blood continue to grow underneath the man’s perfectly still frame. “It’s Mark.”

“Oh God, oh God, oh God!” AJ turned around in a panic. “Where’s Joe? They were both supposed to meet us down here. Do you think ...?”

Brian couldn’t answer. He pushed AJ aside and flung himself at the nearest trash can. The sight of Mark lying in his own blood was too much for him to handle. He had known Mark for more than a decade; he was like a member of his family, and now he was dead.

AJ watched as Brian emptied the contents of his stomach into the bin; the sound of his gagging echoing through the cavernous parking garage. He grabbed at his own stomach as Brian staggered backwards and looked at him with wide, glassy eyes. It was a good thing he had already gotten rid of his dinner in Brian’s sink, or else the two of them would have been competing for space at the trash can.

“I think – I think I see Joe.” AJ nodded just beyond Mark’s lifeless body. A pair of large black shoes was just barely visible; jutting out from behind a pillar. “He’s – he’s on the ground.”

Brian took a deep, ragged breath and turned to see if what AJ was saying was true. His now empty stomach jumped violently at the sight of Joe’s sneakers. He didn’t need to look behind the pillar to know that Joe had met the same fate as Mark.

They were both dead.

AJ was still wrestling with what to say when the shot rang out. For the second time that night, AJ hurled himself to the ground to avoid being shot. He hit the ground hard and barrel rolled towards the nearest parked car as three more consecutive shots ripped through the air. AJ pushed himself onto his knees and crouched behind the car’s rear tire. He flinched as another bullet ricocheted off of one of the cement pillars only a few feet away from where he was hiding. He could hear tires squealing and footsteps pounding against the pavement, and then, suddenly, silence.

His heart was beating so loudly that AJ actually brought his hand to his chest in a futile attempt to silence it; legitimately terrified that the sound would give away his hiding place. It was too quiet now. The silence was making AJ sweat. Where was Brian? Had he managed to get away?

Desperate to find out what had happened to Brian, AJ slowly began to creep around the back bumper of the car. Where were the police? Why was nobody coming to save them? How could this possibly be happening in the visitors parking area of a New York City police station?

“Get off! Get off of me you sick fuck!”

“No, no, no, no ...” AJ whispered manically to himself as Brian’s desperate cries disrupted the silence. He bent down and peered underneath the car as Brian’s voice grew louder. He could hear shoes scuffing against the cement and, a few seconds later, Brian’s sneakers came into view along with a pair of beaten up shoes that AJ didn’t recognize.

“AJ, where arrrrrrre youuuuu?” A man’s voice sang out. “I’ve got your friend, and I’ve got a gun pointed at his head.”

AJ squeezed his eyes closed and gripped the edge of the bumper for support. This couldn’t be happening to him again. Why did he always have to be the one who managed to get away?

“If you come out now, I won’t be forced to hurt him.” The man continued. “If you’re waiting for the police, you’re going to be waiting for an awfully long time. We’ve rigged the security cameras to play old footage from last night. Nobody in the station can see that anything’s wrong, so now is definitely not the time to try to be the hero.”

“Don’t – don’t listen to him!” Brian’s voice was shaking so badly that he could barely get the words out. The mystery man’s massive forearm was pulled tightly against his neck, and the barrel of the gun was pressed painfully into his temple.

Brian knew that he had absolutely no chance of escaping, but he was also pretty sure that the man wasn’t going to kill him. If these men wanted them dead then they wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of setting up the website. For now, their kidnappers needed all five of them to be alive in order for whatever game it was they were playing to be effective. Hopefully, AJ was smart enough to realize that and stayed quiet.

“You already left Nick to die.” The man continued. “Are you gonna do the same to Brian?”

AJ opened his eyes and wiped at the tears that he hadn’t even realized were sliding down his cheeks. He was pretty sure that the man was lying; that he wasn’t really going to put a bullet in Brian’s head. But what if he called the man’s bluff and he turned out to be wrong? If this guy really did shoot Brian, AJ would never be able to live with himself.

“Last chance ...” The man’s announcement was followed by the unmistakable click of a gun cocking into position. “I’m gonna count to three; one, two, thr ...”

“Okay!” AJ leapt to his feet and threw his arms into the air. “I give up! Are you happy? I give up! Just don’t shoot him!”

The man lowered the gun from Brian’s head and gave AJ a satisfied smirk. “So nice of you to finally agree to come with us, Mr. McLean.”

As if on cue, the same SUV that had been outfitted as a TAXI only hours before materialized from the other side of the garage and rolled to a stop next to Brian and his captor. The driver stepped out of the vehicle, and AJ immediately recognized him as the fake TAXI driver who had chased him through the snow.

“Let’s go.” The second man walked around the SUV to join his partner. He swiftly placed a black pillowcase over Brian’s head and tied the ends tightly around his neck before motioning for AJ to step forward. “This ain’t the time to try anything funny.”

AJ kept his hands in the air as he walked slowly around the car that he had been hiding behind. He could hear Brian gasping for breath as the man who was still holding him by the neck forced him into the backseat of the SUV. AJ had known Brian long enough to know that he was probably angry at him for giving himself up, but at least his conscience was clear. As the pillowcase came down over his head, AJ didn’t even bother to put up a fight. They both may have been captured, but at least Brian wasn’t dead. That was all that mattered to AJ at the moment. He would figure the rest out later.