Chapter 7
Brian looked around the room. Both Nick and AJ were sleeping. He sighed and he stood up from the couch. He walked out onto the balcony and looked around. While he was sleeping, his mind and heart made him feel guilty for convincing the guys that staying was the right thing. Everything had been postponed anyway because of the recent events. Brian took in a deep beath of the fresh air that surrounded him. Thankfully nothing else had happened after the attack on Howie. Mainly because none of them were ever alone after that. Fear had been brought upon all of them and they found comfort in being with someone because they knew this person wouldn't strike if they weren't alone. Brian was startled by the ringing of a phone. It wasn't the phone to the room. Then he realized that it was his cell phone. He walked into a grabbed the phone, but went back on the balcony to answer it.
"Hello?" Brian answered.
"Mr. Littrell, you think you're slick don't you?" the now familiar voice asked.
"Why did you go after Howie?" Brian demanded.
"You didn't stay put. I told you I could see everything that you did. Did you think I was lying? Your friend was lucky this time but he won't be so lucky next time and I'll make sure of that. Now am I making myself clear Mr. Littrell?"
"Why are you doing this?" Brian asked fearfully.
"I'll be the one asking the questions if you don't mind. Now answer me Mr. Littrell! Do you understand that whatever happens from this point on is on you. I make my decisions based on our little phone chats. You fuck up, someone dies. Simple as that. So you better not fuck up because I'm watching you," the voice said and then the line went dead.
Brian took a deep breath. He couldn't believe that he had gotten another one of these phone calls. How the hell did this guy get his cell number? All Brian knew was that he was scared and wasn't sure what to do so he went over to Nick and started to wake him.
"What do you want Bri? I was sleeping," Nick answered half asleep.
"I got another phone call," Brian said seriously. Nick sat up and looked over at Brian who looked extremely frightened. You could see the confussion and sadness in his soul through his eyes.
"What?"
"This time the guy called my cell phone. Nick what the hell am I going to do?" Brian asked.
"What did he say this time?" Nick asked.
"That everything was 'on me.' He said that whatever he decided to do from now on would be based on what he said while he called me. What am I going to do?" Brian asked fearfully. Nick took a deep breath but didn't say anything. He was at a complete loss.
"I don't know what to tell you man," Nick finally answered. Brian looked even more scared now than he did before. Nick looked at him and waited for some kind of responce, but there was none. They were both scared. Nick had ruled the possibility out that this was a prank. This was for real. Way too real. When Nick thought about it, he felt guilty. That first call, the one that started this, was supposed to be for him. Why did Brian have to answer it? Nick should have been the one going through this, not his best friend. It was killing Brian inside and Nick knew it.
"I want to go home," Brian suddenly said, "I want to get out of here!"
"Weren't you the one that said that we had to stay here because security had to stay? We aren't safe without them," Nick recited, "remember that?"
"I don't care any more! This sick freak has my cell phone number and he went after Howie. What's going him from doing this all again?!? I'd rather be any place but here."
"Man I wanna get out of here but we can't. Like you said we can't leave without security. Besides if this guy knew where to find Howie even after we changed rooms, what makes you think he wouldn't be able to find our houses? At least here we have security, home we don't," Nick told him.
"Shut up so I can get some sleep," AJ's voice came over to them.
"Come on Mr. Sensitive, Brian just got a phone call from the guy that attacked Howie. You'd be scared to so don't be gettin all mad about it," Nick shot back.
"The guy called you?" AJ asked confussed. He sat up and looked at Brian who's skin was pale and his face was filled with fear. To put it rather bluntly, he looked like crap.
"Yeah," Brian answered after a few moments of trying to force himself to talk. All of this was really getting to him. The fact that he was getting these calls didn't help him understand the situation any more than he had before. Everything was still confussing, but these calls made things worse. What did this guy have against them? Or Nick? Being that Nick was the person that the call was intended for. Did Nick have someone in his past that might have wanted revenge? Or was this just some bored sicko that wanted to whipe out a band that he hated. Whatever the answer, it disturbed Brian.
"Come on, we're going to get Carlos or someone and tell them about this. This is bullshit. If you got a phone call, they should be able to trace it or something so we know where the mother fucker is. Brian get your phone," AJ said as he got out of the bed. Brian looked over at him. He was afraid to tell security because he didn't know what would happen as a result. He didn't want to make this guy angry. No one else should get hurt. Two people were dead, that was enough.
"I don't think that we should do that," Brian protested. AJ stopped in his tracks and looked at Brian, he was totally confussed.
"And why not?" AJ asked.
"When he called the first time, he told me not to tell anyone...."
"You didn't tell anyone and he went after Howie. Do you really think that this guy is playing fair? Cause from what I've seen, I don't think so. We are going to tell security about this and thats the end of it Brian because maybe they can use this. It could help them and we could get the hell out of here!"
"AJ leave him alone," Nick said noticing that Brian had seemed almost 'out of it,' "Bri are you alright?" Brian nodded but made no attept to say anything. He couldn't say anything at that point. Everything was coming at him all at once and he wasn't able to put everything together just yet.
"Rok I'm sorry about my outburst but you have to do something about this because otherwise things are only going to get worse. More people might die. That's why you have to tell security so that they know what's been going on," AJ explained softly, "I wasn't trying to scare you or anything."
"It wasn't you," Brian told AJ, "I just don't want this guy to hurt any of you guys. That's what he said that he would do and I don't want that. What would you do if you were in my shoes?"
"I don't have the slighest idea," AJ confessed.
"Now do you see why this is so hard for me? I just don't want to see anyone else get hurt. He said everything that will happen will be based on the phone calls that he makes to me."
"So that means you can just go tell security," AJ told him.
"No, he said that he see's everything that we do. I don't know how but he does. He found Howie and he'll know if I tell security."
"We can have security stand gard at our rooms so that this guy can't do anything. How's that?" AJ suggested. Brian shook his head no. "Why the hell not?"
"AJ chill," Nick said, "he's scared. Not that I can blame him. I'm scared too. This guy knows way too much and I don't like it at all. Just let Brian figure out what he wants to do. Or at least get his thoughts straight before you go verbally attacking him." AJ didn't say anything. He looked over at Brian who was staring back at him.
"Brian I'm sorry but I'm going to have to tell Carlos. I don't want this to go unlooked at," AJ said walking into the hallway. Brian stood up to go after him but Nick stopped him.
"Just let him. You wouldn't have been the one that told security," Nick said lightly hoping to soothe Brians worries a little. Brian looked at him and nodded. Brian sat down at the couch. He was then startled by what sounded like a gun shot. Nick and Brian looked at each other wide eyed and ran into the hallway. They looked around and saw AJ laying on thr ground.
"Shit, AJ can you hear me?" Nick asked.
"Yeah," he answered and they let out a slight sigh of relief.
"Brian call an ambulance," Nick said and Brian ran into the room, "What happened?"
"I came out here to tell Carlos about what happened, and then this guy came out of no where and it was like bam, I'm on the ground," AJ explained with pain evident on his face.
"You have to hang on for me alright buddy?" Nick said softly.
"I'm tryin man. Tryin real hard," AJ told him with a weak smile.
"You aren't going to die on me are ya? You'd never do that right?" Nick asked.
"I'm not goin anywhere Koas. I promise."
"They're on their way," Brian said stepping out of the room.
"Alright now get security," Nick ordered. Brian nodded and walked down the hallway and knocked on Carlos' door. "You still with me AJ?"
"Yeah," he answered weakly.
"What the fuck happened over here?" Carlos said running towards them.
"I was tired so I thought I would take a nap, what the hell do you think happened?" AJ snapped sarcastically.
"Did you call an ambulance?"
"Yeah, they are going to be here any minute," Brian answered.
"AJ, did you get a look at the guy?"
"He was wearing a mask so I didn't get to see his face at all. Besides, it all happened in like a second, I couldn't even react," AJ said flinching in pain suddenly.
"Woah man are you alright?" Nick asked, but didn't get an answer, "AJ answer me now!"
"Man, I don't know how much longer I can hold on," AJ confessed.
"Just a few more minutes and help will be here. That's all. You have to fight it. You can do it alright?" Nick encouraged.
"It's gettin really hard."
"Come on, you're strong. You can beat this," Nick told AJ. After only a few minutes, which to them felt like hours, the EMT arrived and took AJ out to the ambulance. Nick rode to the hospital with him while Brian went to get the rest of the guys.
"Howie, Kevin," Brian yelled while knocking on the door.
"What's wrong?" Kevin asked still half asleep.
"AJ was shot, he's going to the hospital. We have to go over there and make sure that he's okay," Brian blurted out quickly.
"What?" Kevin asked quickly becoming aware that this was real.
"I'll explain on the way, get Howie," Brian told him, "I'm going to get dressed. I'll be out in a minute."
"Yeah, we will too," Kevin told Brian as he watched him walk towards his room. He dissapeared inside. Kevin stepped into his room and went over to the bed where Howie was sleeping.
"Howie wake up," Kevin said.
"Is it morning already?" he asked.
"No, but we have to go to the hospital," Kevin told him.
"Why what happened?" he asked sitting up.
"AJ was shot."
"Oh my god," Howie said getting out of the bed, "are Nick and Brian alright?"
"Brian came to get us, Nick wasn't with him though."
"Do you think Nick was hurt too?" Howie asked while getting ready to run out of the hotel.
"I doubt it. Brian would have told me about that. Nick either is with Brian right now or he went to the hospital with AJ," Kevin said. Howie nodded and they were ready to leave seconds later. They went into the hallway just as Brian was walking their way.
"Is he alright?" Howie asked.
"I don't know, we have to go to the hospital and find out," Brian answered. Soon they were riding the elevator down stairs. When they reached the lobby, they were met by security. Security escorted them to the hospital to prevent futher damage. Once they reached the hospital, they were let into a waiting room where Nick could be found, lost in deep thought.
"Nicky," Howie said. Nick quickly turned to face them, he took a deep breath and sighed.
"He's being looked at right now," Nick said, "they might have to take him in for surgery to remove the bullet because leaving in there might cause permaniate damage."
"Damn it," Brian said sitting down on one of the chairs across the room. Nick looked over at him, and felt his pain. They all did. This time, this guy had hit close to home. He almost took one of their brothers and they weren't about to let that go unnoticed.
"Did they say how long it would be before they knew anything else?" Kevin asked.
"No, they said it could be quick or it could take hours. It all depends on how much damage was done," Nick answered. He looked to be close to tears.
"Then we wait," Kevin said. They all nodded, they weren't going to leave until they knew that AJ was alright anyway. Brian had sliently promised to himself that he wouldn't leave until he was sure that AJ would be alright. He didn't care how long that might take, he would stay there for as long as he needed to.
Author's Chapter Notes:
It's been a long time since I've posted anything here. This story is actually quite old and completed on my personal site so I've decided to post the rest of the story here since I got a very kind message about it today from a reader here! Sorry for any mistakes in the following chapters. I've copied and pasted them from my old personal site.
