[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
** KEVIN **

Must find coffee …

The thought of gulping down no less than a gallon of caffeine was the only thing keeping me coherent at the moment. I hadn’t slept at all the night before, and I had just used the last ounce of concentration that I possessed to film a short statement regarding AJ’s accident. Normally, I wouldn’t have gone ahead without input from the others, but Eddie had been insistent; claiming that the fans were frantic, that we didn’t have time to put together something as a group. In the end, I had succumbed to Eddie’s pestering. The two of us had composed a generic statement video that he was probably uploading to our website that very second. Our tour production team was now handling the logistical nightmare of cancelling tonight’s show, and I was on the hunt for coffee.

In hindsight, I should have just ordered coffee from the hotel, but I desperately wanted a Starbucks latte. The craving had hit me as soon as I had finished recording the video, and I hadn’t been able to shake it. Regular coffee simply would not suffice at this point.

Even though it was a weekday, the street on which the hotel was situated was all but deserted. The few people that I did pass appeared to be in a daze; their heads down, their fingers flying over their phone screens. I rounded a corner and finally saw the welcoming lights and glowing green sign of my desired destination. There were more people on this street; early commuters in business attire, clutching take-out cups and travel mugs as they hurried towards the entrance to the subway.

Nobody paid me any attention as I weaved my way towards the beckoning lights of the coffee shop. The smell of freshly ground coffee beans was suddenly everywhere and I breathed it in. My mind was so busy crafting my order that I didn’t see him until it was too late. Our shoulders connected with enough force to send me reeling backwards, and I focused my eyes just in time to see the man’s take-out cup fall to the ground; coffee splashing against the cement and across what I knew to be very expensive leather shoes.

“I’m so sorry!” I drew my eyes up to the man’s face. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

The man slowly attempted to shake off the offending drops of coffee from his shoe before pulling his eyes up to meet mine. A flash of angry recognition crossed his face. “You’re in that boy band ...”

I cringed. I was pretty sure that no self-respecting forty-something would enjoy being referred to as a member of a boy band. “Yes, I’m in the Backstreet Boys.”

“So you have enough money to replace my shoes ...” The man continued to glare at me. “... and my suit.”

I started at the man’s directness. “Y-Yes. Of – Of course.” I turned to reach for my wallet, but stopped when I felt a strong hand curl around the upper part of my arm.

“How ya’ doin’, Kevin?”

“What is this?” I could hear the tremor in my own voice. My heart was beating intently in my chest. “What’s going on?”

I had been set up.

This wasn’t going to end well.

These men were going to try and take me somewhere.

I should have stayed at the hotel.

The thoughts were racing through my mind as the man in the suit and the expensive shoes calmly turned and began walking towards a Suburban that was parked a few feet away. The man holding my arm jerked me roughly in the same direction; urging me to follow his partner.

My feet dragged against the sidewalk and I stumbled forward. The few people on the street remained oblivious to my presence as I allowed myself to be forced towards the waiting car. The early commuters were too tired, too consumed with their online worlds to notice what was happening to me. I debated yelling for help, but I knew that my cries would be futile. Nobody would have the time or courage to come to my rescue. If I was going to escape, I had to do it on my own.

Knowing that I would only have one chance, I faked another stumble and pitched forward. The mystery man lessened his grip in surprise and I seized my opportunity; twisting my arm out of his crushing hold and spinning my body around so that I was facing the way that I had come. I didn’t even take the time to look at his face as I took off in the direction of the hotel.

My feet slapped against the sidewalk creating an urgent, steady rhythm as I sprinted back the way that I had come. Just as I had suspected, nobody on the street paid me any notice. Apparently, it was a normal sight for a practically middle-aged man to be running full-speed down the street first thing in the morning.

Pivoting sharply to my right, I began to tear down the alley that would take me to the hotel. All I had to do was make it to the front doors and I would be safe. My breathing was becoming laboured and I silently cursed myself for being out of shape. I should never have taken that hiatus. Hell, I should never have come back to the group. If I hadn’t returned then I wouldn’t even be in this position in the first place.

“Too slow, old man!”

The mystery man overtook me as I rounded the corner. His hands wrapped around my waist and the two of us crashed to the ground. My knees hit the cement with damaging force. I could feel my skin tearing as my pants ripped. Small stones embedded themselves into my flesh as the man skilfully flipped me over onto my back.

This was not happening; I wasn’t going down without a fight. “Help!” My voice came out weaker than I could have ever anticipated. The man was sitting on my chest, obstructing my breathing. Still, I tried again. “Help!”

“No one is going to help you.”

The man’s fist connected with the side of my face and the metallic taste of blood invaded my mouth. My cheek was throbbing from the impact and my mind was reeling from the suddenness of the violent attack. I hadn’t been expecting the situation to escalate so quickly.

“Help!” I summoned all of the strength that I possessed and I cried out again; my voice a little stronger this time.

Encouraged by the small victory of being able to raise my voice, I focused my attention on fighting back. I swung my right fist out in the direction on the man’s head and groaned in satisfaction as my knuckles connected with the rough stubble on his cheek. The force of the blow was enough to send the man tumbling off of my chest, and I began inching backwards along the pavement as soon as his weight left my body.

Unfortunately, the man recovered quickly and he was on me in a matter of seconds; his foot connecting soundly with my rib cage. I gasped frantically as I lost the ability to breathe, quickly realizing that I could do nothing to stop the man’s relentless assault. His foot connected with my body again and again; the pain shooting across my chest and up my sides. I was going to die. I was going to be beaten to death in the middle of downtown Baltimore all because I had wanted an overpriced cup of coffee.

“Hey!”

My eyes flickered open at the sound of another voice. My vision was blurry from the assault, and I blinked rapidly in an attempt to focus on my surroundings. Was it possible that someone had come to save me?

“Stop! I’m calling the police!”

My assailant gave me one final kick before he fled and, as I lay there clutching my battered body, our eyes locked. It was in that instant that my brain was finally able to make the connection. I knew my attacker.

The past came flooding back to me in a tidal wave of emotion; the un-ceremonial way in which he had been dismissed, the look of utter depression on his face, the acknowledgement that he had been cheated out of a life of privilege. I hadn’t thought about him in over twenty years, but it was clear that he had never forgotten about me.

“Buddy, are you alright?”

It was becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep my eyes open. I could feel the blood pounding behind my heavy eyelids as I struggled to focus on the face of the man who had, more than likely, just saved my life. I wanted to say something, anything to let him know who I was, who my attacker was, but I couldn’t convince myself to speak.

“You’re going to be okay. An ambulance is on the way.”

I let out a strangled grunt in response. The distant wail of a siren was the last thing that I heard as I allowed the heaviness in my eyelids to overpower my brain’s desire to remain awake. I slipped into unconsciousness with his face fresh in my mind, and all I could do was hope that the image would still be there when I woke up.