[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
After hours of waiting in anticipation, it had finally come down to this. Part of him was expecting that it would turn out that way. He was ready to hear the bad news, but he knew he could never accept it. The awaited phone call came through and he heard the things he feared he would hear in the first place. Something that he wish he could stop. But he was no Superman. Or God.

"They told us to expect the worst Kevin.I don't know what that's suppose to mean."

Howie sounded terrible. His words were slurring and he pictured him shivering as he made the phone call, standing somewhere in a distant, staring at the house where lies the fate of their brothers.

Expect the worst.

"Was that Howie?" Brian asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation they were in, Kevin would have entertain his thoughts of finding it almost amusing to see Baylee cuddled in the secure of his father's embrace, away in slumber land. It had felt like only yesterday when he had Brian on his laps. Now his cousin is a proud father of a baby boy, and he has yet to start a family of his own.

"Yeah."

"They're calling for our flight Kev, let's go and you can tell me what's wrong when we're up there." Brian said as he swayed his body from side to side, lulling Baylee deeper into his sleep. Despite the gentle swaying, Kevin sensed the tense that was building up in his cousin. It was hard not to, he was feeling the exact same way.

He watched as Brian reluctantly let Mrs. Wallace took Baylee from him. He kissed the baby's forehead one last time and then shifted his gaze to the old woman. "I'm sorry to bother you this late."

"It's no problem Brian, he's in good hands and Leigh will be flying back tomorrow. I just hope Nick and AJ are safe right now."

The last call for the flight to Los Angeles was announced and they said their goodbyes and left. Throughout the walk into the plane and take off, no words were exchanged. Both too consumed in their own troubled thoughts. Kevin felt sorry for Brian, he had been blaming himself for what happened to AJ and Nick.

"You didn't exactly tell me what's wrong." Brian said suddenly. His voice sounded so clear and strong that early morning. Everyone else were asleep. Even their bodyguards who were with them had finally surrendered to the bliss of first class flight.

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Don't try to make it better when it's not Kevin," Brian said calmly as he shifted in his seat. Yet his face showed no calmness whatsoever. "I don't need you to sugar coat it for me."

Kevin sighed. There was no use in holding back, sooner or later, he'd find it out too. "Howie said.they told him that, we should prepare for the worst."

Brian frowned. Kevin knew he was going to hyperventilate any second. "Are they dead? Did they find them?"

Kevin shifted so that half of his body was facing Brian. He looked him right in the eyes and wished he hadn't, but it was too late to turn away now. "They found Nick, Bri.he's.he's barely alive.too much blood."

"Kevin please, don't talk to me in riddles, what happened!" Brian gritted. Kevin knew he was slowly crumbling but those gentle blue eyes had turned somewhat hard and cold. It wasn't fun being the responsible, collected one anymore. He wanted to cry as much!

"How the hell am I supposed to know Brian? Howie was rambling on the phone! He was crying! He said they found Nick, barely alive.said something about blood, too much blood.and.and."

Kevin couldn't take it anymore, why was HE trembling? He knew what should be said, why can't he just say it? Brian reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry Kevin, I shouldn't have-"

"Brian, they couldn't find AJ. He's not there and they're telling us to expect the worst because Nick doesn't seem like he will make it and.they're saying that by the time they find AJ, it would be too late."

The tears that he had held back now trailed his pale cheeks. He was angry, angry at whoever this 'they' is to say something like that and angry at himself for not doing anything when it had mattered. "Why are they saying these stuff? Nick is not dead yet and they're talking like he is! And AJ's just missing, they could try to look for him instead of wasting time saying all those stupid shit! What? Are they not worthy enough to be rescued?"

Kevin couldn't say anything to calm his cousin down, Brian had took off to the gents, ready to puke his guts.

He sank deeper into his seat, raised a hand and brushed his fingers through his messy hair. He wondered how just within a span of one night could so many lives could be affected this badly.

************************************************************************************************************

"Howie, something tells me that at least someone is in trouble right now, and it's not us."

Howie fiddled with the telephone chord, wishing that he could just laugh it of. But he couldn't, because he knew what Kevin said was right. He felt it too and he hated it. "And I have a feeling reinforcements are not going to be there in time."

"D, they won't even be there for AJ and Nick. They're heading for Florida, remember?"

"We need to call them and have them go to LA instead!"

"But Brian's not answering his calls either. He might be in danger too."

Howie went silent. What was he supposed to say? He was lost. Where should they start, really?

"Howie, I think we should go there ourselves. I can't stand not doing anything here."

Howie nodded, forgetting that Kevin couldn't see his reaction on the phone. "Yeah, we should. I.I think."

"You have that plane ticket to LA for tomorrow morning's flight right? You can make a phone call and change it for anything that is available tonight. I'll change mine for Atlanta. Oh and D, I suggest you wait for security to come to your house first, at least you can have one of them follow you."

Howie glanced at the clock on the wall. It's almost three in the morning and time wasn't going to wait on them. "Will do. And Kev, if find something wrong with Brian, call me okay?"

"You too. I just hope we don't have to make that call."

************************************************************************************************************

The doorbell buzzed just as he placed the cordless phone back to it's place. He rushed up to the speaker and pressed the button. "Yeah?"

"Kevin, your bodyguard is here, with three other police officers."

"Let them in."

He opened the front door and waited for the car to drive up to the front porch and out came Jack with three police officers. "Is everything okay here Kevin?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for coming." Jack nodded.

"Are there anyone else in this house Sir?" One of the police officers asked.

"No, it's just me. My wife is out of town. Listen officer, I understand that they're sending securities over to Florida for my friends AJ and Nick, but they're in LA right now, they need to head over there instead."

"Don't worry Sir, I'll inform them immediately."

The police officer went on to make the call while the other two officers decided to scan the area.

Kevin glanced nervously at Jack and pulled him close. "I'm going to Atlanta, I think Brian might be in trouble. Will you come with me?"

Jack, as expected, was frowning. He didn't find it a good idea. "They're sending police over there too Kev, we can just make a call and find out."

"I know.but I can't sit here and do nothing. I need to see him for myself. He's my cousin Jack and Baylee's with him tonight. I won't forgive myself if something happen to my nephew."

Jack, as serious as he look, finally gave in. "Get your stuff, I'll inform the officers."

************************************************************************************************************

Jack glanced worriedly at the figure sitting next to him. Finally, he had fallen asleep, lulled by the smooth movement of expensive tires against even mortared road. The last phone call Kevin received before they departed to Atlanta was from Howie. And by the sound of it, things weren't looking good.

"Howie said the police officers down at Florida found both their houses ransacked. They hadn't been there for the last two weeks I remember." Kevin had told him after the call.

"Don't they have anyone to take care of the house? Didn't the alarm system set off or something?"

"Nick has someone go up to his house for house cleaning but the lady said the lock to the front gate was changed and she couldn't get in. She thought Nick had fired her. I don't know about AJ."

"Look, let me call up Tony and see if they're in LA okay?" He had offered, but Kevin just shook his head.

"Don't bother. Howie said they are still on the way, I think they had some problems confirming their addresses."

"Too many houses too little time." Jack joked.

"Celebrities huh?" Kevin smiled. "Cocky indeed."

Throughout the flight, Kevin had kept to himself and Jack was more than willing to give him the space he needed. They were close but Jack was never one to pry on their personal lives and to him, what was happening was too personal.

The first thing Kevin did when they reached Atlanta was to make a call to Brian. He tried all five different numbers to his house, his cell phone and even his pager, but there was no answer. It was getting too strange that even Jack felt helpless.

It was not until they were in the car that Kevin finally doze off. Night had given way for morning to stroll in. The sky was burning with signs of the rising sun, splashed in shades of orange. And as the car drove into the compound of the Littrell's, Jack reluctantly pulled the man away from his slumber.

Kevin wasted no time and practically jumped out of the car. He saw a police car parked in front of them and he rushed up, thinking that it was too late. Whatever happened to Brian? Did the son of a bitch touch Baylee?

But the worries were left for the wind to pick up and blown away when he saw Brian's figure standing in the doorway, Baylee safely sleeping in his arms.

"Why didn't you pick up your phone? I called you for I don't know how many times already!" Kevin cried, and then bending his head down and kissed his nephew's forehead. "Thank God you're safe."

"I.they.I didn't."

For the first time, Kevin saw the helplessness in his cousin's eyes. He felt guilty for jumping on him like that. "Hey, calm down, lets go inside and talk okay? How long have you been carrying Baylee around Brian? You can put him on his cradle you know."

They went into the living room and immediately settled on the sofa. "That's okay, I need him with me." Brian replied, one hand rubbing Baylee's back.

"Brian, why didn't you answer my calls? I was worried."

"Nick called me last night-"

"He called you?" Kevin asked, wide-eyed.

Brian nodded. "He called me and asked if I did a prank call on him.said some guy was trying to scare him off.then he went out to check on the dogs cause they were making so much noise, and.and.he never came back on the phone, someone picked it up and told me that just because I'm far away doesn't mean he forgets about me. I didn't feel good so I called AJ."

"You called AJ?" Kevin asked. "He's okay?"

"Yeah, he was asleep. And I woke him up and asked him to go check on Nick. And.it's all my fault Kevin, if I hadn't told him to go, he would still be here now." Brian cried and Baylee was stirring in his sleep.

Kevin got up and sat next to his cousin. He reached out for Baylee. "Let me hold him for awhile." Brian didn't argue and handed him over. Baylee rested on his arms, oblivious to the tension surrounding him.

"Bri, it's not your fault, you can't blame yourself. AJ would have gone even if you didn't ask him."

"But I am to blame Kevin! He called me from Nick's house and he told me there was a lot of blood everywhere and he told me to call 911 but I didn't. Cause I really thought he was playing! And then he told me that it was all a prank, that Nick was there with him. I talked to him Kevin! I heard Nick! He was alive when he called me, but I failed to see that they were scared Kev! Hell, AJ told me it's all a prank and I got so mad I hung up on them and pulled out the telephone chords and switch off my cell phone.! I should have known! It's all my fault."

Brian covered his face under palms of his hands. He was crying softly, knowing that he shouldn't disturb his son. Kevin held his own emotions inside. He couldn't afford to crumble now.

"Brian, we haven't even heard anything from them yet, don't assume the worst okay?"

"Kevin, didn't you hear what I said? AJ told me there was too many blood! Nick is hurt Kev and it's been a fucking six hours ago! And to think I went off to bed after that!"

Baylee made a sound, he was frowning. Kevin swayed a little, hoping that it would calm the boy down. Maybe he sensed his father's sadness.

"Brian, Howie is on his way to LA right now. I want to go there too, are you coming?"

************************************************************************************************************

Kevin felt the empty seat next to him occupied again and opened his eyes. Brian had returned from his little trip to the gents. His face was still damp from the wash and his swollen eyes and blushed nose showed that he had been crying.

He massaged his temple lightly and took a shaky breath. Kevin reached for his cousin just like he had done for him earlier, it was all that he could offer in hope to make him feel a little bit better about it.

"What the hell are we going to do Kevin? I feel so helpless right now, they can't die.I'll die if they die!"

Kevin nodded in understanding. Yes, if AJ and Nick die, Brian, Howie and him will die too.

"Do what you're best at Brian. Pray for all of us."