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A/N: *Drum roll please* I did it, that’s right, I along with my talented sidekick Ana are coming with the sequel to “Troubling Gifts” Yeah, aren’t ya happy? To all my readers, enjoy this new part and watch where the “Gifts” take our Boys. If any are new to this story I suggest to first read “Troubling Gifts” in this section before attempting to read this sequel. When done, must I ask, drop a review, hehe. Till later I’m out and Ana the next chapter is yours! *grins*

“Contributions of Dilemma”

**~A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.-Proverbs 18:16, NIV Bible.

**~Chapter One- A Predicament of Offerings~**

He steps out of the taxi and breathes the night air. He hands the driver a tip and waves bye as the taxi pulls away from the front of the house. Gulping, he passes his light chocolate hands through his black unruly curls. He didn’t know how his family would react to seeing him back home. His father was still away working for the military government army. After the destruction of CAPPA, all the surviving employers were transferred to work either in the army or sent to the White House to train soldiers for the top notch air force. Riley steps on to the familiar walk way leading to the front door. He remembered when he was a child, the joy he felt playing here, sitting in the green blades of grass playing with his toys. Now after years of training and his experience with CAPPA the innocence was gone. He wanted a change. A change to escape from the devastating job he once worked in. No longer did he want to kill and the thought of holding a weapon, a gun of any kind disturbed him. He walks through the white gate that surrounds his house, passing the bright green grass at either side of him. The small sprinklers went off at the sound of his footsteps, spraying gentle drops on the green blades. A small mist of the spray hung in the dark air drifting through the soft breeze. Riley smiles, he was back home and he couldn’t wait to hug his mother and siblings.

Ringing the doorbell, he waits patiently for the thick mahogany door to open. He gazes his eyes at the white porch swing at the corner and smiles recalling the times when he was young how his mother would take him on the porch swing and sing him to sleep if he was scared or needed comfort. He remembered his first kiss there with a girl he started dating at thirteen. He remembered his first heart break on that swing as well, when that same girl was using him to get to his friend. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted when the front door opens. Riley smiles and turns to see who answered but to his surprise was met with a pistol in his face. Backing away in sudden fright, Riley drops the book bag with his items in it on the porch and back away to the porch swing. A large muscular light skinned man steps out the house pointing the rifle at Riley. The man’s light pale complexion almost matched the white wife beater he was wearing, his dull light green eyes bore into Riley as he approaches him with the pistol.

Riley felt the fear crawling into him as he backs away, falling onto the porch swing. Riley knew he couldn’t run if he did, there will be others waiting around for him. The man laughs, his gruff appearance looking like one who’s in need of a shave. Riley stares at the small pistol the man is holding and suddenly he feels his breathe caught in his throat when he sees fresh blood stains on the man’s white wife beater.

“What are you doing here?” Riley asks calmly as he raises his hands showing the man he had no weapons.

The man laughs and with the other hand wipes off some blood drops that hung in his black spikes. “I came to finish business.” His thick German accent boomed Riley’s ears.

“What business is that?” Riley asks confused, the fear nagging at his heart but he pushed it away.

“To finish you off by the command of Cyrus. He stated that Roy sent him a message before dying in the hands of those experiments.” The man states: fingering the trigger of the pistol and pushing it into Riley’s forehead.

Riley could feel his heart pick up and he sighs nervously, “Who’s Cyrus?”

The man laughs, “The President of CAPPA, that’s who.”

Riley shakes his head slowly, Cyrus was appointed by Dr. Sanchez before his death to replace the doctor if anything. Riley closed his eyes tightly knowing he forget to kill him. Cyrus was away during the findings of the experiments and survived through luck. Riley knew someone was missing and it was Cyrus. Riley had only met the man twice on occasions when he was sent to deliver some medications and chemicals to him. Cyrus co- owed the business of CAPPA along side the former doctor Sanchez. Both were friends from college who decided their next move would be wise if they maintained a working relationship with one another for CAPPA.

Riley swore under his breath as he feels the trails of sweat appearing on the side of his temples. He was scared and he was unarmed. He would scream but why bother? If he fought he couldn’t stand a chance. Either way the same result would end: death. Riley gazes at the man, “What did you do to my family?”

The man laughs, “They screamed loud before my nice bullet killed them. They were nice too. Too bad. They thought I was coming with news about you. But they were wrong, dead wrong!” The man emphasizes the last words, the German accent making it almost sound like he was talking gibberish to Riley’s ear. Riley knew once you’re in this business you can never get out unless however you die.

Riley sighs as the man the pulls the trigger. Riley had the sweet memories on the porch and along with it he can add his death will take place on the swinging porch. The loud shot echoed in the quiet suburban community as birds flutter and fly to the sky in fear, even they were better off than poor Riley.
~**~

He yawns and leans back on the bus seat. Today marked the last concert of their tour and he was happy for it. He wanted to go home and be with his family. He knows he’ll miss the screaming fans and the dancing and singing, but he needed his rest and touring seemed to have sucked the energy out of him. Since the group’s departure from Washington D.C. after kidnapped, it seemed everyone, the news, media swarmed them with endless questions about their experience, but they all swore that they will not tell a soul about their situation. What can you say about a secret organization that the government had installed. Nothing, and that is what they will say, nothing. If they spoke they fear someone could be after them and they could endanger not only themselves but their families along with the women that helped them get out of the organization. He pulls off his soak sweat yellow t-shirt and throws in on the bus floor.

“Eww, man. That’s gross. Is that how you have your house? Cause I won’t visit.” Brian states, his bright blue eyes glimmering in the yellow lights inside the bus.

Nick shrugs his shoulders and leans back on the soft smooth cool bus seat, “Dude whatever man. I don’t want you over any way.” Nick states smiling.

Brian laughs and throws the sweaty shirt in Nick’s face, “That was a hazardous thing, leaving that nasty shirt on the floor. What if I fell and that was the ground when I landed?”

Nick laughs and flings the shirt off him, “Hey at least you would have something to break your fall.”

“A t-shirt?” Brian asks smirking.

Nick nods and gives him a thumbs-up sign. “Be happy that could have broken your fall and not one of A.J.’s little toys.”

“Hey, hey man. I have no toys.” A.J. states interrupting the laughter between the two, “It called big boy play objects, things one buys for a woman that will… you know.” A.J. states smiling.

Howie enters the back area of the bus where the conversation was talking place and laughs, “That’s real gross A.J. Thanks I’ll sleep well tonight knowing where your mind is.”

A.J. sticks his tongue out, rolling his deep chocolate eyes at Howie, “D, man come on, don’t tell me you don’t own any of those things.”

Howie licks his lower lip softly and blushes, “I, uh, I. Well at least I don’t carry them around, their at home, where they should be. Cause my girlfriend isn’t on the bus.”

Brian and Nick’s mouths drops open, “And to think you know a person. Come to find out something new about our boy here.” Nick states shocked and smiling.

Brian shakes his head, “And to think, I use to look up to you bro and I found out about this. I don’t think I can ever look at you the same way.”

Kevin’s laughter breaks the shocked expressions in the back area of the bus. “You guys are too much.” And he grabs a seat beside Nick and picks up a folded newspaper. Flipping through the pages, he stops and gasps.

“Oh, oh, God guys. Look at this.” Kevin states nervously, holding up a picture of a body covered with a sheet on a stretcher. The name below the picture was what surprised the guys.

“The body of a young man by the name of Riley Atlin was found murdered along with his family at their suburban home. No suspects or witnesses are said to be found at the moment.” Brian read the caption below the picture.

“Oh man. What could that mean? Could someone have been after him. Cause that could mean we’re in danger as well.” Howie whispers, hoping the manager didn’t hear their reaction from the front of the bus.

Kevin shakes his head, “It doesn’t mean anything. The fact that someone was shot, what makes you think it’s the Riley we know. People get murdered everyday, the possibility that the Riley that we know could be the one shot is small. After all we came from the government junk and people could be watching us. But let’s not jump into conclusions. Do any of you guys have Riley’s number, maybe we can call and see where he’s at.” He states smiling, hoping to ease the sudden tenseness that had arise in the room. His emerald eyes were full of joy but in his heart, Kevin was beginning to have doubts and that the picture is the picture of their Riley.

The bus pulls over to a road side and enters a gasoline station. They hear their driver exit the bus to put gas into the bus. After a minute it seems the driver boarded back on the bus and pulls away driving down the busy streets and pulling into a highway.

A.J. raised his eyebrows and poked Kevin in the side, “Yo Kev, I know it don’t take a minute to full up this bus gas tank. And since when do we take a highway after getting off to get to each of our houses.” He states, running his tan colored fingers through his black and blue dyed hair.

Kevin nods his head, “I’ll talk with Jimmy, he might have forgotten we’re getting dropped off at the station, not the airport lobby.” He heads to the front to talk with their driver and a scream is heard from him.

Nick sits up in his seat abruptly as Howie and A.J. rush to the front of the bus.

Brian could feel his heart hammer against his chest as he along with Nick walk to the front of the bus to stop in front of their dead manager and security guard on the floor. A tall muscular bound light skinned man with piercing dark brown eyes and dark jet black hair stands in front of the five men with a rifle pointing in their direction, “Move and I’ll take you out like I did them.” His gruff voice states. “I suggest you stand over there and sit down. We’ll be here for a while. In the order of Cyrus, it looks like we found our Boys. He’ll be happy to see ya.”

The guys do want the man said afraid of dying for no reason with the manic holding the pistol and sit down on the wooden plank floor. Kevin being the eldest of the group remained standing up to see if he can get any information about the man.

Kevin stands there fear etched in his face, “Cyrus? What?”

The man laughs and shoves Kevin to the floor next to the dead corpse of their manager. “Thought you could get away from us. We’re been tracking you for a while now. Since the demise of Sanchez, Cyrus thought he should take the responsibility of getting you and seeing what you’re all about. It’s seems you’re the experiment we were looking for. You guys are the first in human race to develop powers within yourselves. And we’re gonna get to the bottom of this and find out how you did this.”

Nick looks confused and touched Brian on the shoulder, whispering in his ear, “What the heck is this guy talking about? I’m not a freak and neither are the rest of us.”

Howie feels the cell phone on his belt and gazes down at it. If only he could call without the manic noticing.

“The names Edgar, and I pleased to have kidnapped some wealthy people. I don’t know anything about you guys but I heard you’re famous so that means money. So if ya don’t mind pull out your wallets and I’ll see what you got there. Maybe on the way, I can spend it. After all I have a family and I have to feed them.” The man states grinning, holding the rifle. The driver of the bus turns around and laughs and A.J. realizes it was their bus driver they had hired recently for the new leg of the tour.

“Didn’t anyone research him before he took up the job?” A.J. asks quietly.

Howie gulps and nods his head, “Yes, but we’re messing with the government Alex, what can we do? All the info they gave us was useless.”

“And to think we trusted you!” Nick shouts at the driver who’s laughing. The dark caramel complexion of the driver glittered in the hint of light from the bus.

Brian shakes his head softly and tries to calm down an angry Nick. “Don’t give him a reason to pull the trigger.” He whispers to his younger band mate.

“Does it matter? We’re screwed anyway!” Nick shouts again staring at Edgar holding the pistol to Nick’s temple.

“Looks like it’ll be a fun ride up to Washington. Cyrus and the others are waiting to see you Boys. You’re the talk of the company if I should say so myself.” Edgar states eerie quietly.

The guys look at one another confused and shake their heads trying to understand what is happening. Howie closes his eyes and pulls on a strand dark short brown hair on his head. He hopes they won’t die trying to get out of organization again and this time it seems they are in this alone.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**