Mind Games Index
Michelle T's BSB Stories
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX - NORTH OF THE BORDER
AJ expected any moment to hear the wail of his activated alarm system, sure that Nick was going to leave the security of the house and take off. Scared, AJ called out Nick's name several times, hearing no reply. Noticing no alarm being triggered, AJ began to search hurriedly for his whereabouts, checking the kitchen first, then the lower level bathrooms. No sign. Crossing the hallway AJ paused, hearing clinks of glass coming from his den. AJ entered, trying to adjust his eyes to the dimness of the room and then sighed in relief. There, behind the bar was Nick, bent over and searching irritability for something to drink.
AJ walked up and sat on a stool, leaning over the bar counter to watch Nick. "Here, let me," he ordered, getting up off his seat and coming around the corner. "I hide the good stuff." He shooed Nick away and crouched down, reaching in to pull out a dusty bottle. "Cuervo. Anejo." AJ licked his lips approvingly and poured Nick a double shot. "Sip. Don't gulp," he advised.
Nick ignored him and tossed it back in one swallow. "Gimme another."
AJ began to argue, then thought the better of it. He had seeing the grimace Nick had made when he had knocked it down. He poured another shot and handed it to him, smiling inwardly as Nick took his advice and slowly began to sip the tequila.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Nick stared at AJ in amazement. "That's the second time tonight! What are you, my shrink?"
AJ smiled but said nothing, capping the bottle tightly and quietly put it away. Nick looked at him sourly. "All right. Jeez. So I came unglued a little. Big deal." He glanced down at his drink, swirling it absentmindedly, then looked up, noticing AJ's lack of comment.
"Well?"
"Well, what?" AJ replied.
"Aren't you gonna say something….uh, Kevin-like?"
AJ gave Nick a look of mock hurt. "Man, what a cut. Thanks a lot."
Nick sighed in exasperation. "You know what I mean, Bone."
AJ smiled tiredly at his friend and nodded at the drink. "Finish it up, Nick. It's your last for the night." He glanced at his watch. "Or, should I say, morning."
Nick shook his head and handed his drink back to AJ. "No thanks. I think that first one was more than enough." Leaning over the bar top Nick crossed his arms then rested his head wearily on top.
"What do you think about what Brian said?" Nick posed the question so softly that AJ was barely able to catch it.
"Um, which part are you talking about?"
Nick raised his head to see AJ fiddling nervously with an ice tong. "You know which part."
AJ threw the tongs back into the ice bucket, distressed. He really didn't want to talk about it, much less think about it. "Nick, I don't want to go there, okay? What Brian said about Xavier and him and what actually is true could be two worlds apart."
Nick wasn't about to give up so easily. "Yeah, I know, but haven't you ever wondered exactly what sort of hold Xavier has over Brian?"
AJ rubbed his brow. "It could be a lot of things, Nick. Physical abuse, obviously. Blackmailing? Absolutely."
Nick frowned at AJ. "Yeah, but Brian is incredibly strong-willed. X would have to be doing something pretty awful to keep Bri so afraid."
"Don't you think I know that?" shot back AJ, exasperated. "I know Xavier. I know whatever he did or is doing to Brian has to be terrible."
"So, what about sexual abuse?"
AJ looked away. Nick had finally said it, damn him, the one thing he didn't want to talk about.
"Bone? Answer me." AJ could hear the harshness in Nick's voice. "Do you think Xavier is sexually abusing Brian?"
AJ slowly turned back to face Nick and Nick caught the despair, the torment in his face.
"I don't know Nick. I really don't. Yeah, I remember what Sarah said about Bri being X's lover. I'm just praying he said that to get Xavier into a fight, to escape. I'll be honest with you Nick. I’m not sure I can handle this right now. It's too much and I … we need to focus on getting Brian back and not on what might have happened to him."
Nick nodded, hanging his head, letting the information sink in. He sighed and glanced up, giving AJ an encouraging look. "Okay. You're right, as usual." Nick smiled faintly at AJ. "I guess we'll be able to find out a lot more tomorrow, huh?"
"More like today," AJ replied, reminding him again how early in the morning it was. "Come on, let's see if we can get a few hours of sleep. I have a feeling we're gonna need it."
* * * * * *
Hurriedly stumbling into the bathroom, Brian was barely able to make it to the toilet before miserably vomiting the side effects of the painkiller/sleeping pill Xavier had shoved down his throat. Upon awaking, it had taken him several minutes to figure out where he was, the pain in his head and stomach excruciating. He had heard Xavier rustling about, getting dressed, and had turned painfully on his side to watch the bodyguard getting ready for the day, humming quietly as he inspected his belongings.
Xavier had glanced at Brian. "Get up. Time to get moving." Brian had struggled to comply, hearing the firmness in Xavier's order.
Now, as the spasms from his stomach quieted, he listened to the sarcasm in Xavier's voice as the bodyguard peered into the bathroom, noticing Brian slumped exhaustedly on the tile floor.
"Guess the big breakfast at Denny's doesn't sound too good right now, does it?"
"Sure it does," snapped Brian. "Then I'll make sure to puke all over you after I'm done eating it."
Xavier snorted, giving his head a shake. "Testy, testy." He leaned over to yank hard on the showerhead. The hot water sprayed out, a fine mist of steam curling upwards. "Come on," he ordered," time to take a shower. You're a mess." Xavier eyed Brian thoughtfully when the singer made no move to stand. "Hmm. Perhaps you need some help undressing?"
Brian quickly struggled to stand upright, a panicked look crossing the young singer's face. Xavier laughed as Brian closed the bathroom door with a solid slam.
"I guess not."
* * * * * *
Kevin rubbed his face as he trudged wearily into AJ's kitchen, hoping to God there was fresh coffee brewing. He needed about a gallon of it. He glanced disappointedly at the unlit coffee machine and sighed, wondering where AJ kept the coffee filters. Noticing a slip of paper lying on the countertop, Kevin picked it up, recognizing AJ's scribble.
Guys, took Howie, went to Mickey D's. Back soon with breakfast.
Ugh. Kevin hated McDonalds. "Just remember to bring back some coffee, please?" he pleaded.
"Remember to bring back what?" questioned Nick as he straggled in, his hair defying the laws of gravity as it poked up in various directions.
Kevin sat on a kitchen stool. "Coffee. I hope AJ brings back coffee. He and Howie went to McDonalds." Kevin eyed Nick curiously as the youngest singer hopped easily onto the granite countertop. "How ya doing? You okay?"
"Yeah, fine." Nick yawned expansively. "Not much sleep, though. How about you?"
"I'll manage." Kevin strummed his fingers, impatient. "Come on, guys. I need my coffee."
Nick shook his head, amused. "You really need that stuff to wake you up? I don't."
Kevin stared at Nick in disbelief. "Whaddya talking about? How about all that sugar cereal shit you eat in the morning? Don't talk to me about not needing a buzz."
"It's not as bad as coffee."
"Are you kidding? It's worse," scoffed Kevin.
"You're full of it, Kevin."
"Me? Who's grumpy if he doesn't have his bowl of Twinkies in the morning?"
"Fruit Loops. Not Twinkies."
"Whatever. It's still crap. You need to stop…" Kevin trailed off, his lecture forgotten as he heard, then saw AJ's dogs dance excitedly around Howie and AJ as the two entered the kitchen, their arms loaded with take-out bags.
"About time," grumbled Kevin, searching the various McDonalds bags for his treasured caffeine.
"Aw, damn it AJ, you forgot the…" Kevin's eyes widened in surprise as a Starbuck's insulated cup was shoved in front of his face. AJ smirked as he also waved a tantalizing onion bagel loaded with crèam cheese, eliciting a groan of pleasure from Kevin.
"Thanks, AJ. I'd kiss you if you weren't so butt-ugly in the morning."
"This is the appreciation I get for driving five miles out of my way?" AJ moaned theatrically, turning to Howie, who was diving, along with Nick, into the McDonalds bags.
Howie shrugged, licking his fingers. "Well, you are butt-ugly in the morning," he admitted, dodging a biscuit thrown his way. Jack and Vegas eagerly scooped it up, trotting out the doggie door before their master had a chance to stop them.
AJ frowned at his departing dogs for a moment before turning his attention to Howie. "Hey D, I hear the grease in your sausage biscuit can do wonders for your hair."
Nick snickered, grinning at Howie's look of pretend hurt and threw a piece of his own sausage patty at him. "Here, try it."
Howie tore off a piece of his food, ignoring AJ's cries of "no food fight!" as he sailed one at Nick. Nick moved quickly and the piece of biscuit landed squarely into Kevin's open cup of coffee.
Dark, emerald green eyes rose to match Howie and Nick's scared ones, promising dire payback. "Uh, I'm gonna go get ready," announced Howie and Nick agreed, snatching his food and running out of the kitchen with Howie.
Long fingers picked the offending floating particle out of his cup, and with a sigh Kevin flung it away, hearing the muffled laughter of Nick and Howie heading down the hall. AJ smiled at Kevin's long-suffering look and shook his head sympathetically.
* * * * * *
"Oh, come on," pleaded Nick in an intentionally whiny voice, "let me drive your Mercedes, pretty please?"
AJ held the keys away from Nick's wiggling fingers, shocked. "What? And let you dent my baby? No way, sorry," he said, not in the least. He motioned for Howie and Kevin to follow him into the garage, tossing another set of keys to Howie. After the near breakfast food fight, all four had quickly showered and shaved, eager to head downtown. They decided to pair off, taking two of AJ's vehicles for safety. AJ began to regret his pairing up with Nick, as the youngest Backstreet Boy continued begging, unfazed by AJ's refusal to hand over the car keys.
"I swear I'm a good driver, right?" he asked Kevin, waiting for a reply. Kevin rolled his eyes, not wanting to answer and hopped into AJ's Landrover with Howie.
Nick, sensing defeat, turned back to AJ. "Okay, so I dinged my SUV a little."
"A little?" AJ's voice rose a notch.
"Um, okay, maybe a lot. But it happened in the parking lot, I swear. It wasn't my fault."
"Yeah, sure."
Nick ran in front of AJ, his hands clasped in prayer. "Come on, AJ! Just this once. Pleeaase." He threw a quick glance at the black gleaming Mercedes. "I promise, if a bird so much as craps on it, I'll have it repainted."
"Wow," drawled AJ sarcastically. "What a deal." He heaved a sigh as he looked into Nick's beseeching eyes. "Oh all right, you big whiner," he conceded, tossing a delighted Nick his keys. AJ signaled to Howie his intentions, ignoring Howie's warning look of disapproval.
Nick hopped happily into the sleek car and started it, admiring its many gadgets as he waited for AJ to enter the passenger side. "Sweet!" he commented, giving AJ a look of admiration.
"It should be," admitted AJ grudgingly. "It cost me a fortune."
Nick leaned over and punched the CD player, his face wide-open in shock as the beginning verse of the song began to play. He started hooting with laughter as AJ hurriedly hit the eject button.
"Oh my God, you've got to be shitting me!" howled Nick, pounding his hand on the dashboard in delight. "Britney Spears? You're listening to a Britney Spears CD?"
"It's not mine," denied AJ heatedly, knowing his face was turning red. "Uh, … it belonged to the last chick I was dating."
"Oh sure," drawled Nick, not believing a word. "I remember her! She was like, uh, 13 right? Yeah! That's it! The 21-year olds were getting just a little too old."
"Fuck you," growled AJ, irritated. "Do you want to drive this thing or not? Cause right now, I'm having second thoughts."
"Okay, okay," said Nick, trying hard not to laugh. He put the car in gear, glancing at AJ.
"Ready?" he questioned as AJ struggled with his buckle. Nick took off without warning, the tires smoking in protest as he floored the Mercedes, wanting to see if AJ's boasts about the awesome power of his car were really true.
"Nickkkkkk…." Kevin and Howie heard AJ scream, as the Mercedes screeched out of the driveway and turned the corner. Howie hurriedly put the Landrover in gear, sighing, hoping he could keep up with "Mario Andretti" Nick.
* * * * * *
Whether it was atop a hamburger or a breakfast sandwich, Brian noticed with disgust that Xavier still had a craving for jalepeno relish. The drive-through McDonald's cashier handed the bodyguard several packets of them and Xavier whooped, delighted in the amount.
He pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and turned off the ignition, nudging at Brian to eat something. Brian slowly peeled back the paper to his bacon-egg and cheese biscuit, hoping he could force it down without gagging as the greasy smell of it cramped his still upset stomach.
Xavier watched Brian carefully, noting his reluctance. "Believe me, this food is gourmet next to what you'll find in Nogie. That is, if you're brave enough to try it down there. Eat." He prodded an elbow at Brian, his look commanding.
Brian took a small bite, trying to ignore his roiling stomach as he gazed outside the car window. He was glad they were at least eating in the car, not wanting the stares and looks of amazement coming from the customers who would see their battered faces. Brian had gazed once and once only after he had finished his shower, not willing to believe the magnitude of the ugly gash and bruise crossing his brow. Xavier looked even worse, his injuries even more intimidating that the sheer size of the massive bodyguard himself.
Brian noticed Xavier getting out of the car, having already finished his food. He hastily crammed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, praying that it stayed down. Exiting the car, Brian stared suspiciously at Xavier, wondering what they were going to do next. Xavier locked the car, motioning with a quick hand for Brian to hurry as he took off at a brisk walk. Brian caught up to him, wincing slightly in pain as he placed his sunglasses on to protect against the bright southwestern sun.
"Where are we going?" he asked curiously, trying to keep pace with the longer strides of the bodyguard. Xavier pointed a finger and Brian strained to look.
"The border is right over there. We're gonna walk across."
"We're not going to drive?"
Xavier gave the singer a snort of sarcasm. "Yeah, right. Cross the border with guns in our back trunk. You may be in a hurry to rot in a Mexican jail, but I'm not." Xavier jaywalked across the street and Brian raced across, ignoring the blare of horns as he tried to catch up with him. "Besides," Xavier added, "it's not that far to the border. Maybe a half-mile or so." Xavier placed dark sunglasses on himself, throwing the Backstreet Boy a satisfied grin as he picked up the pace, eager. "Yep, soon I'm gonna be a rich man."
* * * * * *
"You are so fucking lucky you didn't damage my car," threatened AJ as all four piled out of the cars. He walked around, inspecting it closely as Nick smirked at Kevin and Howie. AJ sighed in relief, vowing never to let Nick even breathe on his Mercedes again.
"Lucky?" scoffed Nick, crossing his arms in protest. "Who was the one who managed to swerve just in time to avoid that idiot?" Nick nodded importantly, pleased at his quick reflexes. A blue truck had narrowly missed them, coming from a blind spot on the road. "If I remember correctly, and I do, you were screaming at the top of your lungs as I saved our asses."
AJ placed his shades on, staring up at the tall building towering over them. They had found the Backstreet Human Resource address easily, thanks to the Mercedes' Northstar navigation system. Ignoring Nick's gloating and not willing to acknowledge Nick's skill at preventing an accident, he turned to Kevin instead.
"HR knows we're coming?"
"Yeah, I called them this morning, talked to the secretary. She seemed kinda pissed; sounded like they were planning to leave early for the holiday weekend."
"Well boo-fucking-hoo," scoffed Nick, anxious to go in. "Like I care."
Howie grabbed Nick's arm, worried. "Jeez, Nick, remember what we're trying to do here. If you go in with that attitude, we'll never get the information we need on Xavier."
AJ nodded as the four entered the building. "D's right. I don't know what information we can pull from them, but I'd rather have them happy than pissed."
Crowding into the elevator, Nick punched the 11th floor button, then glanced at the other three. "Okay. Time to turn on the Backstreet charm." He threw a cheesy grin and Kevin groaned exaggeratedly.
"Sheesh, now I know we're in trouble."
* * * * * *
"Oh, shit, hurry, hurry!" yelled Terri frantically at her secretary who was struggling to make the office look presentable. Elaine threw Terri a resentful look, noticing that her boss had no time to help her but had plenty of time to put the last finishing touches of makeup on.
"There, best I can do," Elaine said dryly, hiding the garbage can under her desk before sitting down.
Terri frowned, meaning to chastise her when she noticed the office door open, Nick, Howie, AJ, and Kevin entering. Terri froze to the spot. Oh my God. Kevin. Terri threw Elaine a nasty look. The little bitch! She never said anything about Kevin coming! If I had known, I would have changed into something sexier!
Elaine smiled inwardly, maliciously enjoying the surprised look on her boss's face and coolly turned towards the guys.
"Hi, how can I help you?" she asked, using her usual standard greeting to everyday customers.
Terri snorted quietly in disgust, extending her hand professionally to Kevin. "Hello, I'm Terri Hamilton, VP of Human Resources." She about swooned as she felt Kevin's strong hand grasps hers in a warm handshake. She kept a firm grip on Kevin's hand, not letting go. "I'm honored to have you all here," she announced not giving the others a second glance. She smiled, her gaze fixed only on Kevin.
The look was not lost on the other three; they had seen that lustful look too many times before. Nick sneaked a peak at Elaine and grinned, and Elaine grinned back, rolling her eyes.
Kevin cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Uh, if you don't mind, Ms. Hamilton,…"
"Terri, please."
"Terri. Okay. We'd like to ask you a few questions…"
Once more Kevin was interrupted, only this time it was a male voice and coming from the open office door.
"Kevin? Howie? Is that you?"
All six turned to see an older gentleman standing by the door, a leather briefcase in hand. Kevin smiled gratefully at the interruption, recognizing Daniel as one of their accountants.
"Dan! How are you? You're located in this building now?"
Daniel walked in, grinning. "Yeah. Moved in a month ago. Management thought it would be easier to keep track of everything if we were all located in one place." He shook hands with all four Backstreet Boys, nodding politely.
"What brings you guys down here? Need a loan?" he joked.
Terri butted in. "They're here to see me, Dan." Her eyes were shooting little daggers of "get lost."
Daniel smiled good-naturedly at Terri, taking the not-so-subtle hint. "Oh, well. Guess I'll be going, let you guys get down to business." He turned towards the door, then stopped and turned to face them again. "Say, Brian wouldn't happen to be with you, would he?" Daniel didn't notice the tension that suddenly filled the room.
"Uh, no, Brian isn't here. Why?" questioned Howie.
"Well, I've been trying to get a hold of him lately. I wanted to talk to him about his bank account. I guess it can wait. When you see him, let him know I want to talk to him, okay?" Daniel waved a friendly goodbye and left.
AJ threw Kevin a concerned look and Kevin caught the look, giving AJ one back. He glanced at Terri, who was trying to mask her adoration, but failing miserably. He sighed inwardly. "AJ, Howie? Why don't you guys go talk to Daniel, all right? I think I'll be able to handle things here with Nick." He looked meaningfully at AJ who nodded, understanding completely. Whatever information they pried out of Terri, Kevin was obviously the man for the job.
AJ punched Howie lightly in the arm. "Let's go. I need to ask Daniel a few questions."
The two left and Terri turned towards Kevin, ecstatic. She stuck out a well-manicured hand, pointing the way. "Won't you come into my office?"
"Said the spider to the fly," whispered Nick wickedly, giving Kevin a grin.
Terri looked at Nick confused. "Um, did you say something?"
Nick shook his head innocently. "Nope. Say Kev, why don't you go on in? I think I'm gonna stay out here and get acquainted with my new number one fan." He gave Elaine a flirtatious wink.
"Thanks, Nick."
Nick heard the payback in Kevin's voice and gave the dark-haired singer a sickeningly sweet smile. "You're welcome." He chose to ignore the look Kevin gave him before Terri's door closed, turning his attention to Elaine. "Okay, number one fan, what do you want to talk about?" The secretary's eyes lit up and Nick had a feeling he was going to learn a lot.
* * * * *
Brian, along with several other tourists, waited patiently for their turn to walk through the metal revolving door, their entrance into Mexico. He was surprised that no one asked for a passport and Xavier explained sarcastically that no one ever wanted to live in Nogales, just visit. It was on the way back that border patrol looked for aliens trying to illegally cross into Arizona.
"But I'm sure border will check you, what with your dark complexion and all," mocked Xavier.
Brian ignored Xavier's taunt as they passed through the metal bars, trying his best to sightsee as he struggled to keep up with the bodyguard's fast pace. Having been exposed to many foreign lands he was sure he had seen it all, but what lay before him took him by surprise. Various vendors dotted their pathway, colorful blankets spread on the ground to display their wares. He stumbled for a moment, tripping over a large crack in the crumbling sidewalk and made a mental note to be more careful. The waft of an indescribable odor floated in the air as they saw a local street peddler cooking on a makeshift grill.
Xavier nodded knowingly at the grimace on the young singer's face. "Told you," he said as they paused to look at the chunks of questionable meat searing over an open flame. Xavier picked up the pace again, weaving skillfully through the tourists. They passed by several open-air shops, their hard-core owners standing just outside, eagerly looking for their next possible customer. A number of determined owners cut in front of Brian, each with a large smile, an open arm, greeting him in broken English to come inside and inspect their goods. Xavier cut them all off with a frown and a few harsh words spoken rapidly in Spanish. From the look in their eyes, Brian knew that whatever Xavier had said stop them dead in their tracks, wise enough to know when to quit.
The local beggar children were made of sterner stuff. Raised on the streets, quick to pick out what tourist looked like an easy patsy, they zeroed in on Brian, their soulful brown eyes, grubby clothing, and pleading cries as they held out dirty styrofoam cups enough to melt the most callous of hearts.
Brian stopped, fishing out his wallet, dropping a twenty dollar bill into the nearest cup. It was definitely the wrong thing to do. From out of nowhere he was suddenly swarmed by a horde of hopeful faces, each trying their best to joggle for best position as they tugged and pulled at Brian, their outreached hands waving wildly.
Brian had to laugh a little at the sight as he tried valiantly to accommodate them. A large hand reached in, clamping onto Brian's wrist and yanked the blonde singer away from the excited group of beggars, throwing a heated warning at them. They scattered, gone as quickly as they had come.
"Why did you do that?" asked Brian exasperatedly. "You know, I've got enough for you too."
Xavier frowned warningly at the sneer on Brian's face. "You just gave them more money than they earn in a week. Stuff like that doesn't go unnoticed by others. Others that wouldn't think twice about helping themselves to what you've got, dead or alive."
Brian tried to hide his uneasiness. "Well, I guess that's what I'm paying you for, isn't it? To protect me." He spoke the last three words sarcastically, both understanding the lie in it.
Instantly Xavier was all over him, grabbing Brian tightly around his upper arm. "You're pushing it," he hissed. "You're lucky I need your hand to sign at the bank, otherwise I'd snap it like a twig. Remember Benny?" he said lightly, waiting for Brian's reaction.
Brian nodded, the throb of Xavier crushing his arm enough to make him realize what horrible pain Benny must have experienced.
"Good."
Xavier relaxed his grip, his face smoothing out. He turned away from Brian to scan the street, catching the eye of an observant taxi cab driver and waved him over. The battered station wagon rattled up and the over-exuberant driver jumped out, waving for his customers to enter. Reluctantly Brian stepped in, holding his breath as the cab driver took off, barely missing another car. Having hopped into the front passenger side, Xavier turned around to smile at Brian, his voice radiating enthusiasm.
"In about an hour I'm gonna be an ex-bodyguard. Think you can handle it?" He laughed uproariously as Brian looked back at him, expressionless.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN - TRACKING IT ALL DOWN
Howie and AJ found Daniel's office a few doors down from Backstreet HR and they walked in, impressed by the elegant furnishings and quiet ambiance of the place.
"I think we're paying these guys too much," whispered Howie, listening to the strains of Bach float soothingly throughout the room.
"We pay everyone too much," grumbled AJ. He curiously peeked down the long hallway, wondering where the secretary was. Shrugging, he motioned for Howie to join him and the two wandered down the hall, glancing into every opened door. They found Daniel in the third room, his office every bit as stylish as the reception room. AJ rapped on the open door, startling Daniel, who had been reclining in his high back leather chair, phone in hand.
"Gotta go, call you later," he announced, hanging up the phone. Daniel stood up, his hand ushering for AJ and Howie to take a seat.
"Mr. McLean, Mr. Dorough, won't you sit down?"
Howie eased into his with a smile. "Danny, come on, call me Howie, okay? But you can call AJ anything you want."
AJ threw Howie a sarcastic smile as Daniel laughed, sitting back down. "It's good to meet you, AJ. Paul is the one who handles your account, right?"
AJ nodded, feeling out of place in this office that reeked of establishment.
"So, what can I do for you gentlemen?" Daniel leaned back in his chair, his hands folded, bright blue eyes flickering from one to another.
AJ cleared his throat, deciding to be blunt. "We heard you talking about Brian's bank account and wanted to know what's up. We're thinking maybe we could help you with some of your questions."
Daniel smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry guys. Confidentiality clause."
AJ shifted in his seat, leaning forward. "Maybe you don't understand, Daniel. We need to know, and we need to know right now."
Daniel pursed his lips together, frowning. "AJ, I'm sorry, I just can't. Legally, my hands are tied. I'm sure you understand."
"Then you're fired."
AJ turned, slightly shocked at Howie's announcement. Daniel blinked in surprise, not believing what he just heard. "Excuse me?"
Howie look straight at him, calm and composed. "You're fired. You and who ever else are our accountants. As of this moment." He glanced at AJ for confirmation and AJ nodded, the slightest smile touching the corner of his lips. Go Howie!
"Now just a moment…" began Daniel, alarm rising in his voice.
"Dan," said Howie soothingly, "we have to know. It's an emergency. Either you help us or you can walk out right now. I promise, in writing if you want, that we won't hold you responsible. We think Brian is in some sort of trouble and we need your help."
Daniel stood up and nervously paced for a moment. Backstreet was huge, their largest account. He could kiss his lifestyle, along with his partner’s goodbye if they lost it. He glanced sourly at Howie, then AJ. "Are Kevin and Nick in agreement?"
"Yes," replied AJ firmly, happy to see Daniel beginning to waver.
"And you all will sign, not holding me accountable?"
Two eager nods.
Daniel sat down and heaved a sigh. "Okay, what do you need to know?"
* * * * *
Damn Nick! I'm gonna kill him just as soon as I get out of here! Kevin smiled weakly at Terri, who was trying her best to make him feel more comfortable. She had insisted on taking his coat and was now offering a drink, a hard one at that.
'Uh, it’s a little early in the morning don't you think?"
Terri frowned prettily and indicated for Kevin to take a seat. She hopped onto to the front of her desk, crossing her legs, her dress not-so-innocently hiked higher than necessary.
Kevin groaned inwardly. He was surprised at how nervous he was, not accustom to the femme fatal wiles of an older woman. Screaming, fainting, I-love-you teenagers, no sweat. Blatant come-ons from a Backstreet employee, not so easy.
"Now, Kevin, you don't mind me calling you Kevin do you, how can I be of service?"
Kevin tried to keep his face blank as possible, hearing Terri lower her voice seductively on the last word. "Um, first of all I'd like to say that the guys and I want to thank you for all the tremendous work you have been doing for us." Kevin knew he didn't need to praise her, she was already glowing, but he figured it wouldn't hurt. "I'm also wondering if I can talk to you about one of our bodyguards, Xavier Delgado."
Terri brightened. That wonderful man! He said he would try to get them over to see me and he did! She made a mental note to thank him the next time she saw him. "Oh, Mr. Delgado! Such a gentleman!"
Kevin coughed. "Uh, yeah. Well, you see he has helped us a lot." More than you could ever know. "The guys want to thank him, surprise him if you will, with a …" Kevin thought furiously, "with a birthday party. Only he's so stubborn. Xavier never tells us anything about himself. We want to see his personal records so we can find out a little more about him, when his birthday is." Kevin tensed, wondering if Terri would believe him.
She did. "Oh, how nice! However, I can't release that sort of information."
Kevin frowned inwardly. "Even to me?" He gave her a pleading look, staring directly into her eyes. "Please?"
Terri's heart skipped a beat. Oh my God! He's so gorgeous! He sounds like he really needs that information. A slow smile crept across her face, wondering how far she could push it. Here goes nothing! She shook her head reluctantly. "Even to you. I'm sorry."
Kevin sighed. Great. Now what? Force her to? Fire her?
"Unless…" she drawled, hopping down off her desk and coming up close to Kevin.
Kevin caught the tone in her voice and looked at her hopefully. "Unless? Unless, what?"
Terri smiled, a smile that made Kevin suddenly edgy and he stood up, staring down at her.
She placed a light hand on his chest, then looked up at him. "Unless you and I might be able to work out an agreement, say something that might be beneficial to both of us?" She barely finished the last word when she snaked her hands up to his face, bringing his head down to firmly plant a passionate kiss on his lips.
* * * * * *
Nick could hardly contain his delight. Elaine was a veritable goldmine, showing him anything he wanted on her computer. Every few minutes Nick pointed to the screen, nodding his head for her to make a hard copy as he searched for what he was looking for.
"Damn! I never knew you guys had this much information on us!"
Elaine clicked away on her mouse. "This isn't the half of it. My boss's office has a ton too."
Nick threw her a teasing smile. "Say, doesn't the Enquirer pay big bucks for this info?"
Elaine laughed easily, leaning back in her chair. "I happen to enjoy my freedom, Nick. Besides, my boyfriend wouldn't be too happy visiting me in prison."
"What?" cried Nick, shocked. "So I'm not your boyfriend?" He was enjoying their flirting, knowing neither of them was taking each other seriously. He couldn't remember the last time he talked to a girl the same age as him without her swooning all over him.
"Well, maybe you can be," she drawled jokingly. "Do you like bikes?"
Nick nodded. "You bet. Harleys, low riders…"
'No, no, no. I mean mountain bikes, racing bikes. You know, ironman? My boyfriend is a triathelete."
"Oh." Nick gave her a defeated pout. "One of those. Lean, mean, a real stud."
Elaine pouted along with him. "Poor baby, I'm sorry. You're cuter than him, does that help?"
Nick sighed dramatically. "I guess." He noticed another screen. "Hey, give me that too." He tried not to show the excitement he felt as he studied Xavier's personal bio for a moment. Ecstatic over obtaining the information, Nick looked up and smiled sincerely at Elaine. "Ya know, you're really helpful. I say we give you a raise."
Elaine's eyes opened wide. "I say we give me a raise too!"
* * * * * *
Howie raced to catch up with AJ as he hurried to Backstreet HR. "Do you think that was such a good idea freezing Brian's bank account? What if he needs money?"
AJ stopped just before the HR door, turning to Howie. "D, didn't you just see the amounts Xavier pulled from Bri's account? Shit yeah, it was a good idea! Besides, it's not completely frozen, he can still get $500 a day. We didn't leave Brian completely broke."
"Do you think Xavier will know it was us?"
"How the hell could he? He still doesn't think we know anything, remember?"
Howie fidgeted nervously. "Yeah. Well let's see how Nick and Kevin are doing. I want to get out of here."
"Me too." AJ opened the door and both walked inside, noticing Nick leaning over Elaine, staring intently at her computer. "Wassup?"
Nick turned to them, a wide grin spreading across his face. "A lot." He waved several pieces of paper excitedly at them. "Jackpot."
'Great! Where's Kevin?"
"In with the spider."
"Huh?" Confused, AJ looked at Nick as Elaine tried to smother a giggle.
"Never mind."
"Well, go get him, Nick. We gotta talk."
Nick nodded, shoving his papers at AJ. "Okay. Read these. Really interesting." He walked over to Terri's door and opened it, not bothering to knock. There, pushed almost all the way into a corner of the room was Kevin, Terri's body pressing against him.
Startled, Kevin looked up, relief washing over him at the interruption. Nick just stood there, mouth agape. Kevin pried Terri's arms away from his neck, coughing apologetically. "Uh, well I see Nick is here. Time to go?" He questioned Nick, not waiting for an answer. "Oh, okay, sure," he babbled nervously, grabbing his coat and walking quickly over to Nick, who was still frozen to the spot. He pushed Nick out the door, glancing back at Terri. 'Um, sorry. I have to go. See ya." He closed her door, heaving a huge sigh.
"What the hell was all that?" cried Nick, finally finding his voice. Kevin ignored his question and marched out into the hallway, AJ and Howie following closely behind. Nick shot Elaine a quick look and waved goodbye to her before running out. He caught up to them at the elevator, Kevin punching the down button furiously. He turned to Nick before the blonde singer could open his mouth.
"Don't say a word. Not a goddamn word, okay?" he warned, his index finger pointed directly at Nick.
Nick grinned wickedly and turned to AJ and Howie, who were watching them both curiously. "Hey, when I said let's pour on the Backstreet charm, I didn't think Kevin would take it that seriously." Nick cracked up, shaking his head.
Howie looked at Nick, then Kevin. "Huh?"
"Shut up, Nick."
"What's going on?" asked AJ, irritated, looking up from the papers Nick had handed him.
Kevin hit the down button again, swearing under his breath. "I didn't get the information we wanted. Ms. Hamilton uh, sorta wanted to make a deal."
"Seal a deal is more like it," smirked Nick.
"Nothing happened, Nick, nothing," growled Kevin. "But if you so much as breathe a word of this to Kristin, I'll break your scrawny neck."
"She came on to you? Our HR person?"
Kevin frowned at AJ's disbelief, his pride hurt. "Yeah, AJ. Newsflash. Even I, an old married man can still turn on women."
AJ snickered, then started to laugh along with Nick and Howie. 'I'm sorry, Kev. Really. I didn't mean that way, it's just …damn! I would have loved to seen that! Quick Nick, tell me all about it."
The elevator door opened and all four piled in, Kevin unsuccessfully trying to shut Nick up as Nick gladly spilled his guts.
* * * * * * *
For the first time since crossing the border Brian felt on more familiar ground. He looked around at the surroundings before him, noticing with some curiosity the similarity between American and foreign banks. Tellers, customers, bank vault, all the same except that here everyone spoke Spanish.
Xavier had been in high spirits when they arrived, the most enthusiastic Brian had ever seen him. Various papers had been shoved Brian's way and he signed each one, not giving so much as a glance at them. Brian could feel the curious look from the bank officer but he didn't care, his own eagerness growing as he realized that any moment he would be rid of Xavier. He knew with out a doubt that Xavier would never cross back into Arizona, that he would take the money and run.
Now as they both waited anxiously for the bank officer to come back from processing the transfer Brian felt a wild triumph coursing through him. Free. Free from the agony, the pain, the nightmare that this human monster sitting next to him had created. Brian craned his neck around, searching for the dark-haired officer and located him standing next to a teller, both of who were staring intently at a computer, the teller shaking his head and pointing to the screen. Brian smiled. Probably can't believe how much I have in there.
Brian sneaked a quick glance at Xavier, noticing the large bodyguard watching the two bank employees with interest. He wondered exactly how much he had signed away to Xavier but then realized he didn't care, any amount was worth it if it meant getting rid of this madman. Both watched with anticipation as the heavy-set bank officer sat back down, folding his hands carefully in front of him. The officer spoke slowly and Brian grasped that the officer wanted him to understand what was being said by talking in English.
"Gentlemen, lo siento, I am sorry. We cannot complete the transaction. Senor Littrell's account has denied the transfer."
"Denied?"
Brian hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath until he exhaled in shocked surprise. He turned to face Xavier, noticing the quiet fury seething in the bodyguard's eyes. "Why was it denied?" he asked frantically, a wave of utter desperation overtaking him as he saw his freedom evaporating before his very eyes.
The bank officer shrugged kindly, hearing the anxiety in the young man's voice. Xavier began to speak to the banker rapidly in Spanish, the sharp, barking language telling Brian in no uncertain terms that Xavier was incensed, even if he didn't understand the words.
The banker tried to calm Xavier, his voice soothing as he spoke quietly in Spanish to the bodyguard. The officer glanced around his bank, his eyes darting back and forth to see what effect Xavier's angry words had on his customers. No curious heads swung in their direction and the bank officer sighed in relief, turning his attention back to his two customers. The seats were empty.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT - SPLITTING UP
Realizing that they needed to talk, all four Backstreet Boys huddled in the corner booth of the nearly deserted coffee shop, located on the first floor of the building. Nick had made sure that Elaine printed several copies so that they were all able to look at their own copy. They scanned the information quietly, waiting for the waitress to hand them their drinks before saying anything.
Kevin sighed and placed his copy down, stirring his coffee. "Well?" he questioned.
"Backstreet sure has a lot of personal information on us," observed Howie, not liking what he saw.
'No shit," agreed AJ. "Now it's all starting to make some sense. Somehow Xavier was able to get a hold of this information. I wondered how X was able to do some of the things he did. Now I know."
Nick nodded, leaning back into the cushion of the high-backed booth. "I think we need to tighten up a lot on our security."
"Well, we already closed Brian's bank account," announced Howie, nodding at Nick and Kevin's surprised look.
"How did you do that?"
AJ smiled, punching Howie lightly. "D made Daniel an offer he couldn't refuse," he informed. "We got a look at how much X was stealing from Brian. Unbelievable! So we had Daniel put a hold on his account. I wish I could see the look on Xavier's face when he finds out he can't get his hands on anything!" AJ grinned wickedly and sipped at his coffee.
Kevin looked at AJ and grinned, taking a sip of his own brew. "Not bad. Do you think Xavier will know it's us?"
"That's what D said. No, I don't think so. Hopefully he'll just think it's a computer glitch."
"Well the last thing we want to do is make Xavier suspicious of us. That could ruin everything. We gotta be careful." All three nodded solemnly at Kevin's statement, aware of the terrifying consequences if Xavier ever found out.
"Okay, we've stopped Bri's account. We know where X got the info on us. Now what?" Nick looked at Kevin, Howie and AJ with eager eyes.
Howie was still studying his paper on Xavier, his hand covering his mouth in contemplation. He tossed the paper onto the table. "I say we go look up Xavier's sister."
AJ turned to Howie, confused. "His sister?"
"Yeah. Look. Notice how X didn't give an address for himself? But he put one down for his sister. Must have been living with her. And, she lives here in Orlando." He pointed the address out to AJ and AJ grimaced at the location.
"Great."
He thought for a moment, trying to figure things out. "Okay, here is what we'll do. D, you and I will go check out his sister, see what we can dig up. Kev, you and Nick head back to my house, wait for us. Read over the info again, okay? See if you can find anything else worth looking into." AJ stood up with the rest of the guys, throwing a twenty on the table.
"Hey, why can't we come with you?" argued Nick, not liking the arrangement.
AJ put his glasses on and stared at Nick, looking him up and down exaggeratedly. "Because, Nicky, your lily white ass is gonna be toast if they see someone like you down in that area. And, as much as I worry about you, I'm more worried about my Mercedes. I'm not letting my baby in that neighborhood!"
Nick perked up. "So I can drive your car home?"
AJ snorted, tossing Kevin the Mercedes keys as they headed for the parking lot. "No way." He gave Nick a warning look. "I mean it Nick. No driving." Howie and AJ hopped into the SUV and started to drive away, AJ's threatening scowl still visible as they exited the parking lot.
Nick turned to Kevin, an evil smile forming. "All right Kevin, hand them over," he demanded, his hand outstretched.
* * * * * *
Brian winced in pain as they hurried, almost raced along the broken, crumbling sidewalks of Nogales, Xavier's hand wrapped cruelly around Brian's upper arm. Half dragging, half-pulling the young singer along, many tourists stopped to view the sight, stunned by the raw anger in the strange man's face, sympathetic to the younger man's fear.
Xavier refused to take a cab, instead walking the distance to the border, his anger fueled to the point of boiling over. He refused to listen to Brian's excuses, wanting instead to sort the matter out himself as he yanked the Backstreet Boy along the way. For a moment Xavier stopped, his hand held upright as he motioned for Brian to remain still, his eyes promising dire consequences if he didn't obey.
Flipping open his cell phone, Xavier dialed a number, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. He swore mightily as the phone searched for a satellite, roaming, trying to connect the call, the tall, dilapidated buildings on the street blocking a clear shot. He flicked the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket, ignoring Brian's curious stare as he picked up the pace again. In short time they were at the border entrance and Xavier immediately relaxed, shaking himself into a composed manner. As he expected, they let Brian through, only stopping him briefly to ask if he was a U.S. citizen. Xavier immediately showed his driver's license before being asked, the border patrol officer more interested in the bodyguard's facial injuries than the legitimacy of his citizenship. The officer waved them both through, his attention turned to the people waiting behind.
Satisfied that he could now get through, Xavier stopped after a few hundred yards, pulling his cell phone out once more. He quickly punched in the number, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited.
"You there?" he barked into the phone, listening intently. "Good. Do it." He closed the cell phone and gave Brian a satisfied sneer of revenge. Brian's knees buckled underneath him, too overwhelmed with anguish and he realized Xavier had just ordered the "surprise."
* * * * * *
"Jeez, D, will you relax? It's not that bad!" AJ had to laugh a little, noticing his friend's nervousness as they cruised slowly down the derelict residential street, trying to pinpoint the exact address.
"Yeah, well how would you know? You don't live here around here. For all we know, this address could be fake!" He yelped as a group of rough-looking teenage boys suddenly jaywalked right in front of them, causing AJ to hit the breaks a little too hard. "See that? Did you see that? They didn't even look! Damn! Aren't they suppose to be in school or something?"
AJ held his hand up to his mouth, trying to cover his smile as he decided not to tease Howie about his "mothering" attitude. They waited patiently for the swaggering youths to cross, both careful not to make any aggressive eye contact with the group, who were now staring menacingly at them.
Howie prodded AJ. "Man, we are so lost. Let's get outta here."
AJ shook his head, tapping the piece of paper that held the address. "Not until we find that house. Say, roll down the window and ask those guys for directions, okay?"
"Are you nuts?" yelled Howie, his face registering his shock. He relaxed when he saw the smirk on his friend's face. "Real funny AJ, ha ha. That's what I've been trying to tell you! This area is pretty scary."
"Exactly why I wasn't going to drive my Benz down here!"
"Okay, so let me get this straight. We're expendable, but your car is not?"
"Yep," answered AJ, not listening to Howie's heavy sigh. He turned onto another street, sure they were close to finding the address. AJ nudged Howie, pointing with his finger at a non-descript house sitting on a corner lot. "Bingo!" He swung the Landrover into the driveway and parked, his eyes bright with anticipation. "Come on, D. Let's go see what we can find."
* * * * * *
Kevin wondered what had possessed him to let Nick take the wheel, knowing that AJ would freak once he found out. He braced himself against the dashboard as Nick turned the corner, the tires squealing in protest at the high speed.
Nick threw the oldest Backstreet member a crazy grin, thrilled by the engine's raw power. "Isn't she awesome? I'm gonna get me one!"
'Nick, slow down! Jesus! You won't live long enough to get one!"
Another wicked grin was tossed Kevin's way and he groaned, knowing Nick wasn't listening to his advice. Another corner, taken faster than the first, put Kevin's heart up to his throat and he quickly understood AJ's fascination with this car. Nick floored the pedal, the sleek car effortlessly matching the demand for speed. Caught short by the timing of a red light, Nick suddenly hit the brakes.
"What, no beating the red light?" mocked Kevin dramatically.
"I'm a responsible, careful driver," Nick joked in a high, prim voice, his eyes glancing into the rear view mirror.
"My ass you are," scoffed Kevin, shaking his head.
"Kevin."
Nick's voice had changed, the tone a mixture of alarm and apprehension. Kevin glanced at him curiously, noticing that Nick's entire body was tense.
"What?"
"Keep your head forward, don't turn and look," spoke Nick quietly, his eyes trained on the red light. "Remember when AJ and I almost got into a accident coming downtown? It was with a blue truck."
"Yeah, so?"
"So, the same truck is right behind us."
Involuntarily, Kevin began to turn his head around and Nick barked at him. "Don't! Don't move. He's watching us! Shit!" He tapped his long fingers anxiously on the steering wheel, biting his lip.
"Are you sure?"
Nick nodded slightly, his eyes flickering nervously at the rear view mirror. They both heard the ominous sound of an engine rev up from behind them, indicating the driver's intentions. "Somebody Xavier sent?"
Kevin could feel the panicky sheen of sweat spring to his brow. "I don't know. Why is he revving up like that?"
"Because as soon as the light changes he's gonna floor it, maybe shove us off the road."
Kevin couldn't believe it. It was the middle of the day for Christ's sake, on the outskirts of downtown Orlando! He immediately noticed that the intersection was void of cars, a strange lull in the normal daily flow of traffic. Son-of-a-bitch! Kevin suddenly understood the truck driver's intent. So did Nick.
With a squeal of power the Mercedes and the truck's tires raced for position as the light turned green, the truck illegally jumping the gun and shooting ahead just fractions before the light turned. Kevin watched in shock as he saw the truck come up even with the Mercedes, the truck's body dangerously close to scraping the driver's side of their car. Nick concentrated on his driving, expertly maneuvering the Benz away from the truck's attempt to sideswipe them. He floored the gas pedal savagely and the Mercedes kicked into high gear, sending it screaming away from the truck. But not for long.
"Fuck!" breathed Nick, shaken by the truck's power as it quickly pulled up next to the Benz. Both machines jockeyed for position as they raced along the nearly deserted street, the truck edging closer.
Wild-eyed, Kevin clung on, scrambling to get a closer look at the driver. He felt Nick slowing down and wondered why, turning his attention to the front and noticed a construction site looming, their lane forming into one. The truck slowed too, matching Nick's speed, and now Kevin could see the driver clearly, the passenger side window rolled all the way down.
Kevin blinked in surprise, his mind registering in slow motion the glint of a gun being pointed at them. With a surreal, dreamlike cry of desperation Kevin lunged for Nick, yanking him and the car's steering wheel hard towards him, the sharp crack of their shattered window exploding around them, just seconds before the Mercedes plowed head on into the construction site.