Crash Course
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Chapter 16
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"Yes?" The slightly overweight man seated behind the main desk looked down at them with a condescending glare. He obviously was not fond of his job. Or that fact that it dealt with people.
"We need help," AJ said lamely. He glanced at Howie and shrugged. Howie rolled his eyes.
"Doesn't everybody here?" the man muttered. "Why don't you fill out this sheet and wait over there?" he suggested, sliding a clipboard across the counter with a form. "Then we'll see if we can help you."
"If," Howie mumbled. "Sure thing." He took the form and grabbed AJ's arm. The place was extremely busy. Howie wondered what half the people were doing there to begin with. The towns around here were so small- how much crime could they have? Then he remembered back to Joe. Obviously too much. It looked like the whole population hung out here.
"Let me see that thing," AJ directed, pulling the clipboard out of Howie's hand as they sat in the green plastic waiting chairs that were scattered around. "It's . . . a questionnaire." He shook his head, immediately regretting it. The dizziness was slowly coming back and he noticed his vision occasionally blurring. AJ shoved the board back at Howie. "Here."
"You okay?"
"Fine," came the sharp reply.
Howie shook his head and looked down at the sheet. "Only the top is a questionnaire, Aje." He started to read the rest of it. Have you been in an accident? Are you filing for a missing person? Have you been attacked?
Yes to all the above, he thought wryly. The list went on. Howie read them off to AJ. "Pick one."
"Um . . . missing persons," AJ answered. Sounded good enough. As soon as they found Kevin, Brian, and Nick, everything would be okay. They could just forget about everything that had happened and finish up the tour.
Howie checked it off and filled out the rest of it before looking up. "Should I give it back to the guy?" AJ shrugged. There was a pause.
"Oh, I'll do it. Geez." AJ grabbed the clipboard and marched over to the desk, nearly shoving it the guy there. Howie had to laugh as the man gave AJ a dirty look in return.
This was the weirdest station he had ever been in. Not that he'd been in many to begin with, but it just seemed that this place was run really differently. He wondered how long they'd have to wait to get anything. AJ sat back down with a huff next to him.
"Damn donut-eating cops can't even do their job right . . ."
- - -
"Where are we going?" Brian whined softly. Kevin glanced over at him with a sigh.
"I don't know, bud." The three of them had shifted to sit on the same bench seat that attached to the long side of the van's inner wall. They had been traveling for over a half hour, passing no signs that any of the boys had caught, only more woods.
"Well then when are we getting there?" Nick continued in the same tone as Brian.
Kevin stretched his feet out in front of him and shook his head. "No clue, little man. Why don't you get some sleep, guys."
"Right," Brian muttered. "I'm gonna just fall asleep in this situation." Kevin shrugged at him.
"What the hell are you all talking about now?" Nick jumped as Jill's voice boomed from the front of the van. She didn't even turn around to look in their direction this time. Brian rolled his eyes.
"We're plotting an evil scheme. Was it on three, Kev? Or one, two, three, and then go?" he said sarcastically. The only answer he got from Kevin was a smack to his side and a scowl.
"You obviously don't value your life too much, do you?" Jill demanded. "How much did you say you were worth again? Huh, Blondie?" Nick stayed silent and the woman chuckled lowly. "That's what I thought. Shut your mouths."
"Why don't you tell us where we're going?" Kevin charged.
"Is it that important to you?"
"Yes," Nick and Brian chorused. Kevin smirked as Jill shook her head.
"I'm not even sure yet myself. We had our headquarters hidden on the border of the state but I'm not sure if it's still operable. Gonna stop in less than a minute to call my boys." She paused. "And that's all you need to know so don't ask any more." They were silent.
True to her word, only a moment later, they pulled off onto a bumpy road and into a gas station. It looked empty except for the owner's car; obviously not a popular place. As the van pulled to a stop, Frank jumped out to fill up on gas and Jill turned to look at them.
"Move an inch and I swear-"
"I have to go to the bathroom," Brian interrupted. She looked at him exasperated.
"Are you kidding?"
"Does it look like I'm kidding?" he returned. Jill grumbled something and then nodded.
"Fine." She hopped out of the passenger door and slid open the side door. "Come on then."
Brian stood up from the seat and smiled at the guys. "Be right back . . ."
Kevin pulled him back a second. "Don't," he ordered before releasing his younger cousin. Brian didn't answer. He hopped out and breathed deeply.
"I'm warning you now, try anything and I'll smash in your pretty face," Jill threatened. "Clear?"
"Crystal."
"Frank, take the kid to the bathroom. I'll finish that."
"Sure Jill," the man said gruffly. He took Brian's arm and dragged him in the direction of the restroom sign on the side of the building. He paused in front of the door and let go of his arm. "Hurry."
"Sure thing, man." Brian left the man outside and locked the door. He rubbed his face roughly with his hands and took a deep breath, heart pounding. Here goes nothing, he thought. He turned toward the window at the end of the small tiled room and slowly slid open the wooden frame. It took him a minute to slide it up all the way quietly. By the time he finished, a knock came at the door.
"Quick, kid."
"One sec," he called back. Using the sink as a step, he climbed up to the sill's level and slid through the open window to the outside, landing on the grass with a thud. He let out a breath. Free at last. Now-
"Hey!"
"Shit," Brian muttered as Frank slammed him against the wall of the building. He was caught off guard as the man delivered a blow to his stomach. Brian bent over as all the air rushed out of him and the pain filled.
"Didn't we warn you?" Frank demanded. "Dumb kid." Brian tried to crouch down but the man pulled him him back up roughly. "Let's go," he ordered, pulling him back in the direction of the van. The man had to half carry him before reaching the vehicle and shoving him roughly back inside.
"Brian, what the . . ." Kevin's anger flared at the man as he saw his cousin and he lunged at the open door. Frank shut it before he reached. "Dammit."
"Brian," Nick whimpered. Brian just moaned.
"I said don't," Kevin mumbled. They never listened. Brian lay curled on the floor with his eyes shut in pain. Kevin crouched down next to him and stroked the younger man's head. "You okay?" Brian nodded. "What'd you do?"
"I jumped out the window . . ."
"God, Brian," Kevin muttered. "They could've killed you." Brian just moaned. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah . . ."
"Brian . . ." Nick stared down at him worriedly.
'"I'm okay, Fracks," Brian said. "It's going away . . ."
"Okay boys, let's make a deal," Kevin said seriously. "You both listening?" They nodded. "Here's the deal. We plan together, okay? No more single stunts, you got me?"
"Okay," Nick said.
"Good. Right, Superman?"
"Got it," Brian agreed softly.
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Chapter 17
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"You've killed how many people?"
"Just two."
"Well, I've killed four . . ."
"These people are sick," AJ muttered, scooting his seat closer to Howie's. He was getting a little tired of listening to the guys in cuffs next to him bragging about their lives of crime. Honestly, it was scaring him.
"Well, hopefully we can get out of here soon," Howie reassured, looking at his watch. It had already been a half an hour and nothing had happened. They weren't called anywhere, no one asked them anything, nothing.
Just as he was giving up hope, Howie looked up and saw a female officer approaching them with a clipboard. "Follow me," she said gruffly, not waiting for an answer before turning on her heels and heading toward the hallway. AJ and Howie scrambled up from their seats and followed her.
Officer Whyte, as her tag read, led them down the hallway and into an office where another man in a police uniform sat behind a desk, drumming his thick fingers against the top of the wooden desk.
"Hello boys, take a seat. I'm Sergeant Grahm." He looked down at the paper on his desk and read silently for a minute. "So you're filing for a missing person."
"Three actually," Howie spoke up.
"Oh really. How long have they been missing?"
"Over two days . . ." Howie said after a second pause. He had lost track of time while they had been separated. It seemed much longer than two days to him.
"Names?" Grahm requested. Howie listed off their names and the man scribbled them down. He looked up suddenly and snapped his fingers. "You're those . . . Back . . . Boys or something, aren't you?"
"The Backstreet Boys. Yeah, that's us," Howie said.
"I knew you boys looked familiar. Your faces are plastered on my daughter's walls," he said, rolling his eyes. He grimaced suddenly. "I'll see what we can do." He rose from his seat and left them in the office.
"Not a fan?" AJ muttered to Howie.
"Didn't seem to be."
- - -
"Well boys, we're here," Jill sneered toward the back of the van. When no answer came, she glanced back to find all three of them asleep. She became annoyed. "Frank, wake them up. I'll check in with the rest."
"Sure thing, doll."
Within seconds, Frank had the three boys up and out of the van. Nick balanced on one leg between Brian and Kevin as they waited with Frank for Jill to come back. His other leg throbbed, but he tried to ignore it. There were more things to worry about right now.
"It's a hotel?" he whispered questioningly when he looked up at the building in front of them. It looked like it was about to rain, but he could make out what looked like an abandoned motel in front of them.
"Looks like it," Brian said. Kevin shrugged and looked around the perimeter for any place they could go if they got away. The road led absolutely nowhere, so that was out of the question. He watched Frank drop the van keys in his pocket and a thought hit him. If he could get the keys to the van, that would be the perfect way out. They wouldn't get far on foot with Nick, and he wasn't about to leave the boy anywhere to come back to. No way.
So to get the keys. How? He looked Frank up and down. The guy was big, but he could take him. No problem. Unless there were more people on Jill's side hidden out in the motel. That would be a problem. They could still probably get away unnoticed though. While everyone was sleeping. They didn't expect them to make a move anyway.
"Kev?"
"Yeah, bud?"
"Plan?" Brian mouthed. Kevin nodded and his cousin's eyes lit up.
"Later, I'll fill you two in," he whispered.
"Okay." Brian grinned.
"Ready, boys," Jill announced, coming across the dirt and graveled ground toward them. "Let's go, follow me." She spun around on her heels and Frank nodded at them.
"You heard the woman. Move."
Kevin chose to carry Nick rather than to have him walk and so easily hoisted him up before moving. They followed Jill as Frank walked behind, as if they would try and get away. Entering a small doorway, they found themselves in what probably would have been the lobby of the motel. A long wooden desk sat at the far end and assorted couches and chairs littered the rest of the area. A staircase hid in the corner of the room.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Jill said in a joking tone. "You'll be here awhile."
Not if I can help it, Kevin thought. He glared at her and rested Nick on the couch, dropping down besides him. There wasn't much room, but Brian squeezed in on his other side.
Jill locked the front door and moved with Frank toward the desk. She shot the boys a look. "Try anything and I'll shoot you."
"She doesn't even have a gun, does she?" Brian said softly, voice amused. Kevin took him by the chin.
"You try anything by yourself and I'll shoot you myself," he warned.
"I know, okay?" Brian rolled his eyes at his overprotective cousin. Nick sighed.
"What's your plan, Kev?" he whispered. He was dying to get away from these people. They scared him. Kevin paused and glanced toward Jill and Frank at the desk. Jill was on the phone.
"I'll tell ya a little bit later, okay?"
"Now . . ." Nick growled. Kevin wrapped an arm around him.
"I don't want them to suspect anything, ok? And I'm still thinking it over. Alright, buddy?" Kevin gave him a squeeze.
"Okay."
"Do you think this will be over by tomorrow?" Brian asked.
"I think so," Kevin answered. He wanted to give the guys a little hope out of the situation. He honestly believed things would be better off by tomorrow. After this, they were taking a vacation. This was a crash course to hell.
Nick coughed slightly and moaned. "I miss AJ and Howie," he said.
"Me too, baby. We'll see them soon, don't worry," Kevin said reassuringly.
"Tomorrow?"
"I don't know, buddy. Maybe."
"I hope so," Nick answered.
"Do you think they came back to the cabin and found out that we weren't there?" Brian continued.
"Possibly . . ." Kevin said. "Most likely."
He just hoped to God that the other two guys were safe somewhere.
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Chapter 18
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"Alright boys, if you'll follow me . . ." They looked up as the man named Grahm reentered the room, and AJ jumped back from the desk. They'd been waiting for so long that he had begun to play around with the paperweights and other assorted objects on the tabletop. Grahm made no comment.
"Where are we going?" AJ asked, standing up slowly next to Howie. He waited a second for the pounding in his head to fade away as it usually did. What he wouldn't give for an Advil right about now.
"Cell number 7," Grahm replied matter-of-factly. Both Howie and AJ's eyes widened at his words.
"Excuse me?" Howie stared at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Just joking," Grahm answered with a light laugh. Their frightened expressions amused him. "Sergeant humor."
"Not funny," AJ muttered. He glanced at Howie, who pressed his lips together in a frown. Why couldn't they ever run into anyone normal? With a regular sense of humor?
"C'mon, Aje," Howie said when the sergeant was already out the door and halfway down the hall. He pulled on the younger man's arm to get him going.
"I don't like this guy, D. Doesn't he seem a little strange to you?"
"Yeah," Howie admitted. "But it's not like we have much of a choice on where we can go."
"I know, but maybe we should call a taxi or something. Look for the guys ourselves."
"Buddy, have you looked around this town? Where do you think the nearest taxi is?" Howie shook his head. "I don't think you're gonna find one."
"How 'bout we borrow someone's car?"
"You mean steal?"
"Yeah . . . Borrow."
"Forget it. Get it out of your head." Howie stared at him. Was he even thinking straight? Probably not.
They caught up with Grahm, who had taken them to another office, this one with several cubicles. Various officers sat in the different corners, and they were led to the back left where a man in his early thirties sat behind a computer.
"Hey there. You can call me Bob." Bob was dressed in casual clothes, jeans and a light plaid shirt. His black hair was cut spiky and his blue eyes were piercing.
"Bob is our missing persons expert," Grahm said with a smile. Howie frowned. Was that sarcasm in his voice? He couldn't tell. When he looked at AJ, the younger shrugged.
"Have a seat," Bob said as Grahm left the room. "I'm just gonna make a few phone calls." He picked up the receiver as AJ and Howie each took a folding chair and dialed a number.
"Yeah, Bob here. We've got the rest of them." AJ and Howie froze at his words and Bob shot them a look. "Yes, that's a missing persons report filed for three in the area. Yes, thank you." He placed the receiver back in the cradle and sent the boys a thin smile. "I love my job."
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"Okay boys, I thought you might like to know what's going to happen to you," Jill said airily as she came across the worn carpet and sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch the three occupied. "Are you interested?"
"Not really," Nick replied, resting his chin on his hand as he leaned on the arm of the sofa. Jill sent him a glare that gave him chills and he swallowed uneasily.
"Go ahead, tell us," Kevin muttered, tired of the woman's demeanor towards them. It was getting on his nerves and he couldn't wait for things to calm down so they could try and get out of there.
"Well, handsome," Jill started with a sneer. "I thought you might like to know that this may be the last time you'll see one another." She laughed at their expressions and let the comment sit for a minute. "Just kidding. You have until at least tomorrow morning before things get rough."
"Oh goody," Brian answered sarcastically. She glared at him.
"You, Mr. Jokester, we might be able to make an exception for, so keep your mouth shut. I hate smart alecks." A pause. "That goes for you too, blondie," she added angrily when she saw the youngest boy open his mouth. He shut it and gripped Kevin's arm tightly.
"After we finish planning, I'm going to be making a few phone calls to your record company. See how much you're really worth to them. Or maybe we'll call your families," she said as an afterthought. "I haven't decided yet."
"Don't," Kevin said flatly. He couldn't even imagine his mother's face if she got that sort of call. Or any of the other boys' for that matter.
"Try me," Jill answered. She smiled sweetly. "That's it, boys. Enjoy your stay at our motel." She got up easily from the table and headed toward the far counter. Nick’s slowly ungripped his hand from Kevin's arm.
"Evil," Brian muttered, making a face at her turned back. Kevin groaned and rubbed his eyes.
"What am I gonna do with you? Do you ever learn?" Kevin muttered, sending his cousin an exasperated look. He was going to get himself hurt if he kept it up. Worse than a bruised stomach.
"Nothing'll happen, Kev."
"Just don't, Bri. For me, okay?"
"Tell me your plan," Nick interrupted in a hushed voice. He figured that Jill and Frank wouldn't be paying much attention to them after that, so looked at Kevin expectantly. "Hm?"
"Alright. Listen up, boys." Brian and Nick leaned in closer to hear Kevin's low voice. "When things get quiet and Jill leaves, which, I'm assuming she will eventually, I'm gonna get the keys from Frank and we're gonna get out of here."
"That's it?" Nick frowned. "Nothing else? Just take the keys and go? That's boring."
"What? You want some major fighting, a shoot off, some magic, that type of thing?" Kevin laughed lightly when Nick nodded. "Sorry Nicky-boy, we kinda just want to get out of here alive," he told him with a smile. "So you best settle for it or you're on your own."
"Ah, I'll deal."
"Atta boy." Kevin smiled. "How about you, Brian? Sound good to you?"
"Yeah . . . But how about I get the keys from Frank?" he whispered.
"How about not."
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