TROUBLE CHAPTER 28
It was barely after eleven when a figure emerged from the shadows of the docks. Even if the docks had been used recently, it was far too late in the night for anyone to be inhabiting them. The figure stopped and leaned against a wooden crate to catch his breath. He had run all the way down to the docks with little rest for his taxed body. As he bent over with his hands on his knees, his limp blonde hair fell into his glazed blue eyes.
The figure knew his body could not take much more of his pushing, but he put that aside as he set his mind of his goal. He steeled his mind and pulled himself upward, the moonlight illuminating his tired face. The moonlight revealed his identity to be that of Nick Carter. ‘Just a few more hours,’ he told himself as he began to trudge along again, limping noticeably as he held his side.
Finally, Nick came to the door of a certain warehouse and paused. He steeled himself, and schooled his features to appear neutral. He took a deep breath to ward off dizziness and pushed open the door.
Inside the warehouse, it was pitch black. Nick frowned as he considered he did not know where Ace and Viper had taken his friends after all. As despair threatened to overwhelm him, Nick leaned against the wall and sighed, closing his eyes…only to open them seconds later. His senses kicked into overdrive and he looked around warily into the darkness. Slowly, Nick took a few tentative steps forward into the black and paused again. Moments later, his senses alerted him to danger and he ducked quickly just as something flew over his head.
Nick kicked back and felt another presence to his left as soon as his foot connected. Nick twirled and struck that body too and only relaxed as he heard the body hit the floor. Satisfied, Nick allowed him a moment of victory and elation at the fact that he knew he was in the right place.
Carefully, Nick walked further into the darkness and towards a door that he knew would lead to the main training room. When he opened the door, he was met with slightly less black. He felt his senses kick into overdrive again and readied a fight. None came. He walked into the room slowly and noticed a spotlight on a figure in the shadows. Taking a closer look, Nick felt relief as his gaze fell onto the form of his brother. “Aaron!” he cried taking a step forward.
Aaron was on his knees, trembling and eyes wide. Black and blue bruises littered his body that could be seen without his shirt. The boy looked completely exhausted and had a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. His eyes were very wide as they seemed to relay a message of warning. “Aaron!” Nick repeated in relief, “Are you alright? Where’s Brian?”
Aaron bit his lips to keep them from trembling and merely kept his gaze leveled on his brother. Nick grew concerned. “Aaron? What’s wrong? Why won’t you answer me?” Again Aaron remained silent. Nick then went from concerned to alarmed. “Aaron! Answer me! Are you really hurt? Where’s Brian?” again a pause. “Answer me!” Nick yelled almost angrily.
The sound of a gun cocking reached Nick’s ears and he tensed as Aaron clenched his eyes shut and whimpered. “Aaron, answer your brother. Tell him that you’re alright,” Viper’s cool voice came from the shadows.
Aaron gritted his teeth. “I-I’m alright Nick,” Aaron managed to choke.
Nick felt extreme anger wash over him. “Viper, let them go. Now!” Nick snarled.
Viper laughed from the shadows and the lights suddenly clicked on. Nick clenched his eyes at the sudden intrusion and shielded his face. A few moments later he opened them and wished he could close his eyes once again to the sight in front of him. A loud gasp escaped his mouth. Viper stood behind Aaron, a handgun trained to the head of the younger Carter. This, Nick realized, was why Aaron refused to talk to him. To Aaron’s left, Brian lay sprawled on his stomach, seemingly unconscious. Nick could see his chest rise and fall with his shallow breaths, though Nick didn’t know how that was possible. Brian’s entire torso and abdomen was completely black and blue and there was a small pool of blood beneath him. His best friend was curled in on himself on his side, with his arm resting beneath him. Ace stood behind him with another gun trained on his weakened body. Ace’s gun was the one he heard cock.
Nick swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and turned away. “You’re sick, Viper” Nick whispered in anguish suddenly feeling lightheaded, “I always knew you were sick, but you’ve truly outdone yourself this time. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”
“My, my Nicky!” Viper gasped in astonishment, “Not only have your manners been terrible lately, but now I do believe your physical appearance has seen better days too.”
Nick ignored the comment and merely raised his eyes to stare hard at Viper. “I will not say this again Viper,” he growled back, “Let. Them. Go.”
“You’ve ruined my life Nicky,” Viper said in reply, “I cannot let that stand without punishment.” Viper cocked the gun he currently had trained on Aaron as he spoke. The younger blonde tensed but gave no other outward reply.
“So, punish me!” Nick cried in outrage pointing to his own chest with his hands, “but leave them alone!”
“I believe this is the best punishment I could give you Nicky,” Viper replied honestly, “and to think, this could have all been prevented had you just submitted to me in the beginning.”
“Submitting to you in the beginning was my first mistake. Then when I corrected that mistake, you came after not only me, but my friends as well! You preach so much about ‘honor’ and ‘loyalty’! But where is your honor Viper? Attacking innocents? Beating defenseless children? If that’s your idea of loyalty I have to say that your views are pretty damn skewed!” Nick roared.
Viper sneered at Nick for a moment before laughing uproariously and pressing his gun into the back of Aaron’s head. “That fire Nick!” he laughed, “THAT is what I saw in you from the beginning. If only I could go back to when I first acquired you, I would have been stricter and things would be different.”
“If we could go back in time, things would be different,” Nick agreed quietly staring his former mentor in the eye, “but I think we both know that it would not be different the way you think it would.”
Viper grinned. “Perhaps,” he replied. There was a tense silence as both Nick and Viper stared at each other before Viper shook himself and gripped his gun harder. “I know you want this whole ‘nightmare’ to be over Nick. And I can make that happen. All I have to do is kill your brother, Brian, and you and then it can be over.” Nick swallowed but didn’t react otherwise. Viper grinned sadistically. “I hope you have said all you need to each other. Because Aaron is going to die now.”
Nick gasped as Viper began to squeeze the trigger, his brother’s cry of panic forcing him to act. “Wait!” he cried before Viper could pull the trigger.
Viper looked back up. “What is it?” he snapped impatiently.
“You don’t want to shoot Aaron,” Nick insisted.
“I believe I just told you that I do,” Viper replied with a smirk.
“But that’s not characteristic of you Viper! You like to toy with your prey before you kill them,” Nick enticed. ‘Take the bait, take the bait,’ Nick pleaded in his mind.
Viper appeared to be considering it. Finally he nodded. “You’re right Nick. Just what are you proposing?”
“Give me missions Viper. Two final missions and let me compete for their lives,” Nick suggested.
“What mission would I give you that you haven’t already had?” Viper asked.
“That is up to you Viper. You’ve always called the shots in this case,” Nick responded.
“What are the terms?” Viper demanded curiously.
“If I win both missions you let Brian and Aaron go,” Nick replied.
“What about you?”
“Since it’s my blood you’re after, you can have me either way,” Nick choked. Aaron made a noise of protest earning him a hard rap on the head with the butt the gun.
“Quiet,” Viper snarled. “What about if I win?”
“Then you can carry on as you please,” Nick replied. Aaron made eye contact with his brother. The younger Carter’s eyes were wide in panic. Nick smiled and tried to look reassuring. ‘That won’t happen Aaron, don’t worry,’ he thought fiercely.
Viper was quiet as he mulled it over. “Very well Nicky. We shall do it your way. Only…instead of killing you, if I win you have to return to being my apprentice. No conditions this time. You’re mine forever with the knowledge that you let down your friends.”
“Deal,” Nick replied without a second thought.
“You wait here while I consult with Ace about the missions. Don’t try anything heroic either. There are guards on the catwalks above you training their weapons on Aaron and Brian. If you blink the wrong way, then they will kill them both,” Viper ordered as he walked away waving Ace with him.”
Nick did not respond as Viper and Ace walked away from the group. Nick looked back at Aaron and smiled at him. “Aaron, are you truly alright?” he asked quietly.
Aaron nodded slowly. “As well as I can be,” he responded before redirecting his gaze to Brian’s prone form, “but Brian’s not doing so hot. They beat him Nick. They beat him because I couldn’t protect him.” Tears began to fall from Aaron’s eyes as he struggled not to sob.
“Don’t say that Aaron. That’s what they want you to think. It’s part of the mind games that they play. Do not play their games. That was my mistake. Brian will be just fine. I’ll get you two out of here okay?” Nick soothed.
“But what about you Nick?” Aaron cried.
“I…don’t worry about that Aaron. All that matters is that you’re safe,” Nick responded. He paused before continuing, “I want you to promise me something okay?”
“What?”
“I want you to promise me that you’ll cooperate with whatever Ace or Viper tell you to do until you’re released okay? Don’t give them reason to hurt you.”
Aaron stared at Nick as if he had just grown two heads. “But-“
“No buts! Just do as I say,” Nick snapped. Aaron winced at Nick’s harsh tone and Nick immediately felt bad. “Please?”
“I…okay,” Aaron finally agreed.
Nick smiled before turning his attention to his best friend who was still laying as he’d first seen him on the ground. “Bri? Brian,” Nick called attempting to rouse his friend to coherency. Aaron leaned over and nudged Brian gently eliciting a groan from the other blonde. He moved sluggishly and his eyes barely cracked open. “BRIAN,” Nick tried again. Finally Brian looked up at the figure of Nick. Nick hissed in a harsh breath. Just seeing Brian’s body was bad enough, but his face was worse. Brian was incredibly pale and looked like he had been in a horrific traffic accident. “Jesus…” Nick murmured to himself before he smiled reassuringly.
Brian looked surprised to see Nick before a look of absolute relief crossed his features. “Nick,” he whispered in great relief, “You ARE alive.”
“How are you doing Bri?” Nick asked ignoring his statement.
“Peachy,” Brian replied sarcastically, “don’t I look it?”
Nick chuckled. “Hang in there Bri, this is almost over.”
“But at what cost?’ Aaron whispered back angrily turning his head from both of the boys.
Brian looked at Aaron in confusion. “What’s he talking about Nick?” Brian asked.
Nick just stared sadly at Brian before forcing a smile. “Don’t worry about that right now. You just think about what you’re going to do when you get home,” Nick replied softly.
“He’s giving himself back to Viper, AND he’s volunteered to compete in two missions for our lives,” Aaron informed angrily.
Brian looked horrified. “NICK NO!” he cried in protest, “Your body cannot possibly handle that!”
“It’s done. Deal with it,” Nick snapped. His tone softened when he saw the despaired look on both of their faces. “It will be alright,” he soothed once again, “it’ll all be alright.” There was a long pause as all of the boys attempted to curb their emotions. Finally uneasy with the silence Nick cleared his throat. “What happened to you Brian? You look terrible.”
Brian managed a wry smile. “Just a minor scuffle with Ace,” Brian replied.
“Minor?” Aaron snorted and Brian glared.
Nick smiled back. “How seriously do you think you two are hurt?”
“We will live,” Brian replied assuring Nick, “at most probably a concussion and few broken ribs.”
“Good. When you are set free, just continue down to the main road until you can flag someone down. Do not look back,” Nick ordered, “Promise me.” The pair in front of him gave him identical rebellious stares. “Please?” Nick begged staring Brian straight in the face, “Please think of Aaron! Get him safe!”
“Shut up Nick!” Aaron cried “We won’t leave you! Right Brian?”
But Brian was not looking at Aaron. His eyes were locked to Nick’s pleading ones. Nick was right, Aaron needed to get to safety. And in their current condition it was unlikely that he or Aaron would be of much help to him anyways. Sighing shakily and averting his eyes Brian nodded. “I promise,” he whispered.
“Brian!” Aaron cried disbelievingly.
“Thank you Brian. Hush Aaron. It will all be okay,” Nick assured again.
Viper and Ace decided to reappear then, both wearing sadistic smiles. Nick’s eyes met Viper’s and the pair on the ground also watched the approach. “Well Nicky we’ve decided on the final two missions. Are you ready?” Viper asked.
“I am,” Nick replied quietly.
“Very well. Wait here Nick while we prepare them…Aaron, you come with me, Brian you’re with Ace” Viper ordered approaching the younger blonde who looked hesitant to leave the safety of Nick and Brian.
“It’s okay Aaron. Just do what he says,” Nick whispered. Aaron made a whimpering sound as he painfully pulled himself to his feet. Viper grabbed his arm tightly and started to pull him away. Ace did the same to Brian. Nick felt his blood boil but bit his tongue when he felt the urge to growl. “I love you Aaron,” Nick whispered.
Aaron halted in his footsteps causing Viper to stumble much to his annoyance. “I love you too,” Aaron whispered back.
“Come along Aaron,” Viper muttered pulling hard on the young blonde. Aaron kept eye contact with his brother until he disappeared around the corner. Nick then turned his gaze to Brian who could barely keep his feet even with Ace’s arm around his neck for support. Nick forced a smile. “Brian, thank you for your promise. I’m holding you to it,” Nick said quietly.
Brian managed a weak smile back. “I’ll keep it,” he choked back.
“I’ll come for you Brian, I promise,” Nick replied fiercely.
Brian smiled wider. “I know,” he replied, “I’ll be waiting.”
“Hold tight Frick,” Nick whispered as Brian disappeared from the room.
“I’m holding Frack,” Brian whispered in reply.
Author's Chapter Notes:
yayyy!!! updated! sorry about the wait! it wasn't this chapter that held me up, but the next one, and i did not want to post this one when it would have been likely that the next would have been out soooo much later! So enjoy!
