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Nick and Agent Bryant ran up the slope of the pier Nick had flown over mere minutes before, both of them dripping wet. Nick pulled his shirt off to wring it out and realized that he'd had his bullet proof vest on while he was underwater. No wonder he'd felt so heavy! He twisted and squeezed the shirt as they ran. Agent Bryant stripping his scuba gear and dropping it on the pavement like Hanzel and Gretel's bread crumbs. When they reached the top of the hill and had emerged into the empty streets behind the fish markets, Bryant paused and whipped out a hand held radio from a pocket that'd been protected by the wet suit. "Agent Bryant. Mayday. Anyone copy me? I need a car. Now." The radio hissed, crackled, and rumbled, but nothing that resembled functionality ensued.

Nick swallowed back his nerves. "Broken?"

"Yeah," Bryant threw it to the ground. The plastic shattered, scattering every which way. He looked around. "We need a fucking car," he stated. Nick looked around, too. The only car he saw belonged to a man who looked very grubby and was stumbling out of the back door of one of the apartment buildings. Bryant glanced at Nick, Nick looked back eyebrows raised. Bryant nodded, then crossed the alley way with an air of determination and authority. He pulled out his badge, and caught the guy before he could sit in the car. "Sir, I'm Agent Bryant with the FBI," he stated, "And I am commendeering your vehicle for imperitive government use."

The guy blinked up at him in response, "You can't take my car..."

Bryant nodded for Nick to get in the passanger seat. "I'll return it to you safely. If any damage is done to it, you'll be repaid." Bryant snatched the keys from the man's hands and crawled into the driver's seat. The man began to protest, but before he could say much, Bryant had already gotten in and slammed the door behind him. He turned to Nick, "You ready for one hell of a ride?"

Nick smirked, "Worse than the one going to GMA was?"

"Much, much worse," Agent Bryant replied. "Hold onto your knickers, Nick."

-----

As the Lexus pulled to a stop in a parking lot across the street from the building, Kevin gulped and closed his eyes, trying to draw strength from somewhere inside of him. The Boss reached under one of the seats and pulled out a box. "I have this gift for you," he said, holding it out to Kevin. It was what looked like a giant wrestler's belt with wires and little plastic knobs and bits attached to it all over it. It had one wire that came out from the side and had a little remote with a red button on it. The Boss pushed it to Kevin. "It's simple really," he said. "You put this on, you hit this button, and --" he made the sound of an explosion with his mouth. "Just like that."

Kevin frowned and looked at the belt as the Boss laid it across his lap. "You aren't going to get away with this," he said.

The Boss smiled, "You let me worry about what I will and won't get away with, okay? You just worry about getting that thing on." He pulled out a gun. Kevin nodded and began playing with the buckle. "Careful now," the Boss chuckled, "I'd hate to see you detonate it before it's time."

-----

AJ hadn't moved much since the Boys had been put into the van. He couldn't believe that Nick was gone. He felt sick to his stomach, and the bumps and turns the van was taking wasn't helping matters, since the Boys had been tossed onto the floor. AJ laid with his hands and face pressed to the cold floor. Brian sat next to him, a protective hand resting on his back, and Howie stared at the wall and the patterns on the chairs, trying to preoccupy his mind.

When the van came to a stop, Brian and Howie both sat up straighter, looking around and at each other. "Where are we?" Howie asked the Goose.

The Goose smiled, "We're to the part where this all gets a little more fun." He pulled out a gun and cocked it. "No funny shit from you three."

-----

With Agent Bryant driving, it was no time before they'd gotten halfway to the Embassy building. Nick's eyes were wearily watching the clock as it ticked from the dashboard. "Jesus, we're gonna be late, Bryant," he whispered, his stomach turning, "What if they've already blown up ---"

"We're going to be fine," Agent Bryant replied, laying his foot heavier on the gas pedal. "Don't forget who's behind the wheel here. Were you late to GMA? No. Did you think you'd make it in time? Nope."

"No but this is way different," Nick answered, his voice tight and worried, "I mean they've got my best friends and... we're so far away and there's only... twenty minutes left to get there." He hung his head, "I'm scared of what they'll do to my friends."

"I understand," Agent Bryant replied, "I would be too." He smiled weakly at Nick as he sped through a red light at an intersection. Nick grabbed the handle over his chair and closed his eyes as the car just barely squeaked between on coming taxi cabs. If Universal studios ever needed inspiration for a new ride, they should have Agent Bryant drive them somewhere, he decided and covered his face with his hands. "So did you happen to over hear what sort of bomb they're using?" Bryan asked, "That'll help us to determine how to dismantle it."

Nick shrugged without moving his hands, "No, they didn't really say," he replied, "Isa made it, though."

Agent Bryant's eyes widened, he felt his skin go clammy and he looked at Nick, shocked. "Isa?? Isabel Romera? THE Isabel Romera?"

Nick moved his hands, "Um... Isa Romera, yes, I dunno if her name's short for Isabel or not... and 'THE' Isa? I dunno... What'd you date her too? Her laugh... Jesus. Is that obnoxious or what?"

Agent Bryant smacked his face in that "d'oh!" kind of way, "Nick, YOU dated Isabel Romera?!"

"Um... yeah... Why?"

"She's been wanted by the FBI for seven years for bombing mechanics. She's been suspect in several terrorist bombings around the city, including one at a government office in Times Square three years ago." Agent Bryant groaned, "We had no idea she was still in the city or that she was involved with this case... Nick!" Bryant's eyes widened, "Nick this is HUGE."

"I didn't know..." Nick answered, gulping.

Agent Bryant's foot slammed down on the pedal harder and Nick returned his hands to his face. "We've got to get to the Embassy before it's too late. We've gotta catch this maniac. Kevin is in very, very real danger if Isabel Romera was the bomb's designer..."

"She's the Boss's daughter," Nick added.

"Jesus--- JE--- SUS..." Agent Bryant breathed in disbelief. "Well, now, that just makes the plot thicken, doesn't it?"

-----

The Boss smiled, "I do believe we're ready for the show then," he said, eyeing Kevin's handiwork with the belt. It was securely on, the wires were all set correctly from what he could tell, and Kevin had the detonation button in his hand, ready to be pressed. "Very well done." He saluted Kevin, "I shall remember you as an intelligent copatriot, a noble victim, and a damn good firework display."

Kevin rolled his eyes, "I'll remember you for the fat slime you are," he replied.

The Boss chuckled, "A legacy I shall be proud of." He pushed Kevin, "Get the hell out there." Kevin swallowed and struggled to climb out of the car. "And remember," the Boss called after him, "We have all three of your other little friends at gun point. One false move and they'll all get it. You do what we say and we'll let those three go." Kevin nodded and climbed out of the car.

-----

Brian watched out the back window of the van, hoping somebody would find it there and think it was suspicious. No such luck. There was nobody on these streets at this hour, he decided. So much for the city that doesn't sleep -- there was nothing out there. He pressed his face and hands against the glass.

Suddenly a walkie talkie the Goose had in his breast pocket cackled and the Boss's voice snaked through like smoke. "You boys ready for the Forth of July?" he chuckled, "Get those three out on the street. Gun point. Let'em watch the show. I'm sure they'll find it... very.. inspirational."

Howie looked at AJ and Brian wearily as the Gopher and Red grabbed them and the Goose went for him. "Where are we going now?" Howie asked. AJ's knees were weak and he stood, hunched over, and shaking, even as Gopher tried to straighten him up.

"We're going to watch your friend blow up the Embassy," Goose responded, laughing evilly.

"What?" Brian's head snapped to attention, "Kevin??"

The Goose smiled, "Amazing how easily the most noble of us can be persuaded to persue less than nobel careers, isn't it?"

"Kevin would never join the mob," AJ suddenly shouted.

Gopher laughed, "That's what I always said, and yet... here I am. One of the crew." He smiled at Goose and Red. "Let's go watch, shall we?"

Brian struggled, "What'd you do to my cousin?" he cried.

The Goose smirked, "What? Didn't think he'd turn out to be a suicide bomber? Imagine how shocked the fans will be, huh?"

"Suicide bomber?" AJ's eyes widened, as did Howie's and Brian's.

"Let's go watch," Red snarled, pushing the door to the van opened. "Any monkey business and we'll shoot all three of ya, so keep your mouths shut."

-----

When they were two blocks away, Agent Bryant pulled the vehicle into a parking lot and turned it off. He cocked his gun and pulled extra ammunition out of another pocket, then handed a second gun to Nick. "Here, put this in your pocket." Nick slid it into his pocket. "We're going the rest of the way by foot because pulling up in his hunk of crap will give us away."

"Won't that slow us down, though?" Nick asked, worried, looking at the time.

"Yeah, but the element of surprise is imperative," Bryant answered. "Let's go."

They got out of the car and began running down the streets towards the building. Nick held his hand over the pocket that carried his gun, telling himself that he had what it took to shoot it if he needed to. He could save his friends, he could save the day, and even the world... even if he was a blonde.

-----

Kevin stumbled up the steps of the building, feeling the breeze dance across his face, and wishing he could see the stars one last time. He tried to remember what he'd last said to Kristin, and hoped that she'd be okay. He consoled himself with the thought that soon he'd see Nick again. When he reached the stop of the stairs, he sat down on the cold marble and took a deep breath, looking around and breathing in the cool night air. He rubbed his arms and shuffled his feet. He looked at the vans and saw them ushering Brian, Howie and AJ out of the backs, at gun point. He frowned. Brian's eyes were wide and wild with fear, AJ's face was downcast, refusing to look up, and Howie had his arm around AJ's shoulders, his face carrying a worried expression. Kevin hoped that those three would be okay, too.

When the door to the Lexus opened, Kevin stood up. The Boss climbed out, reminding Kevin of Jabba the Hut from Star Wars and held his hands on his belt loops, looking quite smug. He smirked evilly at Kevin, and shouted so Kevin could hear him, "Are you ready for the show?" Kevin looked down at the red button in his hand. "Press the button, Kevin... Press the button, or your three friends here will pay your penalty."

A wild and very fleeting thought occurred to Kevin that if he allowed them to shoot Brian, Howie and AJ that the five of them would be reunited on the Other Side. But he pushed that thought away and turned back to the only option he had. "I love you guys," he whipsered, "You were my brothers... my best friends... and I'm proud of you." Then he brought his thumb down on the red button, pressing it and held his breath...