CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE - AGGIE AND LIZZY

Howie gave AJ an irritable look as they both stood before the front door, poking his friend in the ribs when AJ leaned forward to ring the doorbell. "Take those stupid sunglasses off," he ordered. "No one likes talking to someone they can't see!"

AJ heaved a sigh, reluctantly pushing his shades up to rest on his head. Howie was right, of course, but it still annoyed him that his friend never stopped ragging him about it. The glasses were now such a habit that he felt naked, insecure without them. He pushed the bell again and turned to see Howie giving him an approving nod. AJ tossed him a peevish look, quietly mouthing, screw you. Intent on returning the compliment, Howie opened his mouth but stopped when the door suddenly opened.

A young, obviously exhausted young woman stared at them harshly, her eyes shifting questioningly at the two men before her. She swayed back and forth, the natural motion of a new mother who held her baby in her arms. A curious head popped around the mother's waist, two brown eyes filling with excitement.

"I know who you are!" she announced importantly, jumping out from behind her mother.

"You're AJ and you're Howie!" She turned to her mother, her voice filling with pride. "I told you Uncle X said I could meet them. I told you, but you didn't believe me!" Her bright smile was contagious and AJ and Howie grinned back, charmed by her childish confidence.

"Where's Brian?" she asked suddenly, her eyebrows knitting together in concern. "He's my favorite. Didn't he come?"

Howie could hear the disappointment, the hurt in her voice and bent down to come eye level with her. "Uh, no sweetheart, Brian couldn't. He's sorry. He's with your uncle right now." Howie looked up from his squatting position to catch the mother's uneasy expression. AJ caught it too and gave Howie a knowing look, one eyebrow raised high.

Howie stood up, offering the apprehensive woman an easygoing smile. "Aggie, right?" She nodded, switching the sleeping baby to a more comfortable position. "Would it be possible to talk for a moment? We won't take much of your time, I promise. I can see you have your hands full." Howie smiled again, looking politely at her and the baby.

Aggie stared at Howie, her excited daughter, and then at her sleeping baby. The instant she had opened the door her heart had sunk, understanding why they were here. She had hoped to be long gone by this time, out of state, away from the whole mess, but the couple whom she decided to sell the baby to had refused to pay her exorbitant fee. Not liking the way she had smoked, the way she had taken care of herself during her pregnancy, they went searching elsewhere, looking for a more "suitable" mother, as they had so scornfully informed her before leaving. Now she was stuck with another mouth to feed, no money, and no prospect of leaving Florida anytime soon.

Aggie eyed the two Backstreet men before her, a tiny smile creasing at the corner of her mouth as an idea began to take shape. She ushered them both in with a wave of her hand and led them to the family room, shoving the toys off the couch. "Lizzy!" Aggie shouted to her daughter, "go get them something to drink!" She glanced at AJ, then Howie, who both shook their heads as they sat down. "No? Okay. Liz, go get me a Sprite."

Declining to take a seat, Aggie stood, cautiously checking to see that her daughter was out of earshot. "Okay," she whispered hurriedly, " I'm not going to beat around the bush. I know exactly why you're here. You want information - I've got it. But it's gonna cost you. A lot." She stared directly into AJ and Howie's eyes, her no-nonsense attitude almost as intimidating as her brother's.

AJ was more than glad to stop the petty small talk before it even began. "Done. How much do you want?" he asked bluntly, pulling out his checkbook. Aggie thought for a moment then named a number, mentally scolding herself for not asking more when AJ calmly wrote the check out and handed it to her.

Lizzy came back with the drink, careful not to spill. Aggie frowned, wondering how to get rid of her daughter so that they could talk. Howie sensed her hesitation and smiled at Lizzy, grabbing her small hand and pulling her over to him.

"Hey, Lizzy. Your mom, AJ and I need to talk privately for a moment, okay? Nothing about you, just some grownup talk. Would you mind drawing, coloring something for Brian? He's not feeling too good right now and I think a picture from his number one fan would really cheer him up!"

Lizzy's eyes lighted up, nodding her okay. She ran towards her room, stopping to pause at the doorway. "What should I say?"

All three smiled at her eagerness. "Anything sweetie," replied AJ. "Anything you want." Lizzy nodded, skipping away. AJ turned his face away from the departing child, his smile turning into a frown. "Xavier has a niece that sweet? He's doesn't deserve her."

Aggie shrugged indifferently, staring down at her child who gave a sickly cough. "Whatever. So what do you want to know?"

AJ stared at her. Lizzy doesn't deserve you either, he thought contemptuously.

Howie took over, curious to ask a question that had been bugging him. "Aggie, Xavier is your brother. Why are you willing to make a deal with us, to betray him?"

Aggie looked up from examining her baby, her dark brown eyes glittering. "Because he's a monster," she answered, her voice filled with loathing. She looked at the distressed expression on the two singer's faces and nodding perceptively.

"But I'm guessing you already know that."

AJ sat on the edge of the couch, his hands rubbing together agitatedly. "Yeah. So, what's going on? I mean, what's this all about? Why is Xavier doing this?"

Aggie sighed and put her sleeping baby into a portable playpen then straightened up, her face drained. "Because he likes it. Because it amuses him! Because it's all just a game to him." She noticed the confused looks exchanged between the two Backstreet Boys and continued. "Lemme explain. You see, Xavier will pick out a victim, always someone rich. He'll study them, find their weakness, then use it to his advantage to carry out his sick little mind games, if you want to call it that, until the person breaks. Then he moves on to his next target and starts all over again."

Howie gulped. "Until they break?"

Aggie nodded, now sitting across from the two singers. "Yeah. Xavier says half the fun is seeing how long it takes before they crack." She gazed solemnly at them. "It's a contest. He likes the challenge, the game of power and control between him and his victim."

It took a moment before AJ found his voice. "What kind of things does Xavier usually do to his victim?"

Aggie pressed her lips together, wondering how far she should go. Well, he did pay me for it. She decided to be honest.

"First, he usually gets their confidence, their trust." She saw them both nodding their heads and carried on. "Then Xavier will do something, something to terrorize the person. Like beat 'em or intimidate 'em with promises to hurt their loved ones if they don't play along." Aggie noticed Howie's head bow and she sighed. "That's what happened to Brian, right?"

'Yes," said AJ roughly. "Go on."

"Well, it usually ends after a few weeks or until …." Aggie was roughly cut off by AJ.

"A few weeks?"

A sick look crossed over their faces and Aggie tilted her head curiously at them. "Yeah, why?"

AJ got up and turned away, the pain almost too hard for him to bear. Howie stood up too, his eyes closing for a moment in distress before opening them to see Aggie's inquiring stare.

"Because this has been going on for months."

Aggie sucked in her breath, shocked at Howie's announcement. "He, he never does that," she stammered, at a loss. "Xavier gets bored pretty quick, he's always careful not to stay too long, in case he slips up and gets caught. I can't believe my brother has been with your friend for that long. It doesn't make sense."

AJ tried to remain calm as he turned towards Aggie, the nagging suspicion he carried for so long finally becoming a reality. "It would make sense if Xavier is attracted to Brian." He watched the young mother carefully, seeing her face fall. Aggie lowered her eyes, unwilling to look at him. AJ walked over to her, bending down to grab her hand and forcing her to look up.

"That's it, isn't it?"

"No, no," stumbled Aggie, confused. "Xavier's not like that, he's not gay…" she trailed off, recalling the fascination, the look of excitement Xavier had displayed when he saw the young Backstreet Boy for the first time on TV. That predatory look had made her queasy and she knew now that it had nothing to do with her being pregnant.

"I know Xavier was pretty obsessed about the whole thing, more than I've ever seen him, but I thought it was just because it was a new victim; not someone he was attracted to…," she whispered, almost apologetically.

AJ stood up resignedly, rubbed his eyes then put his sunglasses on. "Just how dangerous is Xavier?" he asked quietly, trying to keep any emotion out of his voice.

Aggie glanced at Howie, seeing the pleading in his eyes for the truth. "He scares me," she whispered. "More than you'll ever know. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants." She stood up, alarming both men with her last words. "And Xavier never loses."

* * * * * * * *

The shock of being shot at scared Kevin more than the crash itself. Not being able to see the collision due to yanking Nick and steering wheel towards him, Kevin instead felt the impact of the crash, his neck and back slammed hard by the side air bag of the Mercedes, which had instantaneously exploded on contact. Nick fared a little worse, not having the advantage of sitting upright when the front bags burst. His left shoulder and face were hit by the front passenger airbag, smashing him into Kevin's upper body.

Hearing Nick moan, Kevin struggled frantically to sit upright, finding it impossible as he was pinned firmly by the air bags and Nick.

"Nick!" he yelled hoarsely, his throat raw from inhaling the gas and chemicals of the exploding bags. "Are you okay?" He winced in pain as he tried to move a little, not sure whether it was because he was wedged in so tightly or that he actually might be hurt. He felt Nick move a little, his moan louder. Trying desperately to shift around, Kevin began to thrash wildly about, determined to see if Nick was all right. He suddenly felt himself fall backwards, a pair of strong arms yanking him out as his door was wrenched open.

"Hold on, hold on, we gotcha," came a deep masculine voice, filled with concern. Lightheaded, Kevin shook his head to clear it as he was carried away from the crash, straining anxiously to locate Nick. Gentle arms laid him down on the ground, excited voices telling him to relax, that help was on the way. Kevin ignored the advice and sat up, frantically calling out Nick's name.

"I'm here, Kev."

Kevin heard Nick's reply and followed his voice to where Nick stood a few yards away, holding the side of his head with his hand as if trying to keep it upright. Concerned, helping construction workers led Nick over to where Kevin sat, gently lowering Nick to the ground. The faint wail of a siren vibrated in the background as Kevin reached out to grab Nick in a weak embrace.

"You okay, Kev?"

"Yeah, I think so," Kevin nodded, releasing Nick to inspect the blonde singer closely. Except for the bright red mark on the side of Nick's face, he looked pretty good. "How about you?" Kevin brushed some of the shattered glass gently off Nick's clothing.

"I think I'd better start looking for a new Benz for AJ," Nick stated soberly and Kevin laughed a little, giving Nick another thankful hug that he was feeling well enough to joke.

A creaking, groaning noise pulled their attention away from each other and they turned in astonishment as they watched several workers scramble away from the Benz. Like a whale's tail that rises up then sinks back under water, the Mercedes' rear bumper tilted upwards then slid quickly into a deep hole, a vibrating boom and dust filling the air. Nick helped Kevin up, both staggering slightly as they walked over and peered down into the black cavity. Blue eyes met green ones, both in obvious shock. The only thing that had kept them from crashing into the deep construction pit had been the quick rescue of their helpers and a small but very important mound of dirt that had acted as a barrier between them and certain death.

* * * * * *

Noticing that his Mercedes was not already parked, AJ was pissed but not surprised when Howie and he drove into the garage. Oh man, I knew it! Kevin let him drive! Hopping out, he slammed his SUV door hard in frustration, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he looked at Howie.

"He's not here," he announced in a warning tone.

Howie sympathetically threw his arm across AJ's shoulder and sighed dramatically. "What can you do? He's young, he's in love," he mocked jokingly, trying to account for Nick's absence.

"With my car," retorted AJ gruffly, smiling a little at his friend's humor. He eyed Howie curiously as they entered the house. "Hungry? I can make you a special AJ gourmet delight while we wait for the guys."

Howie frowned, his voice tinged with concern. "Is this anything like the last one you made?"

AJ nodded enthusiastically, pulling open his refrigerator. "Yeah. Even better!"

Howie groaned and slumped dejectedly into his seat, bravely preparing himself.

* * * * * * * *

AJ leaned over the counter, his hands clasped as if in prayer, as he watched Howie intently.

"Well?" he questioned impatiently, annoyed that Howie had curled his lip before taking a bite. Howie chewed slowly, his eyes closed, waiting for the gag reflex to kick in. His eyes popped open in surprise as he swallowed.

"Not bad!" he lied, hoping he could keep it down.

AJ grinned in delight, giving a whoop of satisfaction. "Told you!" he nodded, grabbing a plate for himself.

Howie sighed inwardly. The sacrifices I make! He picked a huge chunk off of his plate and secretly dropped it into the waiting mouths of Jack and Vegas, smiling politely and nodding his approval every time AJ looked his way.

"When do you suppose Nick and Kevin will get back?"

Hoping it landed somewhere near the dogs' eager mouths, Howie hurriedly dropped another piece to the floor just as AJ swung his attention towards the kitchen's clock.

"Better be soon. This food isn't going to last forever, ya know!"

Howie glanced at a piece skewered on his fork. It will be, the way you made it! He managed to toss several offending pieces to the floor when AJ stood up and went to search for something in the refrigerator.

"Good God, what is that smell?"

AJ poked his head out of the frig, seeing Nick and Kevin walking awkwardly into the kitchen, their movements stiff.

He opened his mouth to reply when he realized that he hadn't heard the sound of the garage door opening. Suddenly suspicious, he walked over to where the two were gingerly lowering themselves into chairs. He eyed them warily.

"Niicckkk," he sing-songed in a warning tone. "Where's the Benz?"

Nick rubbed the back of his head and winced at the touch, finally getting the nerve to look AJ straight in the face. "Um,…what color would you like?"

AJ opened his mouth to scream but stopped, carefully giving Nick and Kevin a closer look. Their faces were creased with fatigue and distress, their clothing rumpled and dirty, the side of Nick's face reddened as if he had been sunburned.

"What happened?" asked Howie, a step ahead of AJ. He abandoned his food, giving AJ a worried look as he went over to inspect them both.

"A little surprise from Xavier," snapped Kevin grimly, informing them of what had happened.

Nick watched AJ as Kevin explained, grimacing slightly as Kevin demonstrated with his hands how the Mercedes took a nose-dive. AJ looked at Nick in shock and Nick feebly smiled up at him, waiting for the ranting and raving to begin. Instead, he got pulled into a fierce hug, AJ clinging to him tightly.

"Oh, God," he choked, his voice blurred.

"I'm sorry about your car," Nick began but stopped when AJ pulled away from him in amazement.

"Nick! I don't give a shit about the Benz! It's just a car. I can replace a stupid car. I can't replace you and Kevin." His voice shook with emotion and Nick placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, giving AJ a warm smile as he turned to look at Howie and Kevin. For a moment they were silent, each realizing how close Xavier had come to destroying their lives. Nick coughed, breaking the silence.

"Does this mean you'll let me drive your new one?" he asked, giving AJ a smirk.

The emotional tension shattered and everyone laughed, AJ shoving Nick playfully away from him. "No way. I love you man, but not that much!"

Nick nodded, a fake look of hurt crossing his face. "AJ really doesn't love me," he pouted to Kevin as he sat down again, noticing that AJ had placed a plate of food before him. "What is this?" he pointed, his tone changing to shocked disgust.

Howie smiled maliciously. "AJ's gourmet delight," he informed him. "Go on, try it."

* * * * * * * *

AJ glared at Nick's dramatic groans of pain as he clutched his stomach. "Oh shut up, you big baby, it wasn't that bad!" he said crossly, tossing Nick a couple of antacids. They were still in the kitchen, finishing up the rest of a Chinese take out after Kevin emphatically refused to touch AJ's cooking.

Howie popped four beers, handing one to each guy before sitting down. "Okay, as much as I'd like to spend the day debating AJ's cooking skills, we need to seriously decide on what to do next."

Nick nodded, chewing the tablets quickly and washing them down with his beer. "D's right. Now that we know Xavier has tried once, do you think he'll try again?"

Kevin frowned as he studied his beer bottle. "Possibly. I'm sure he knows by now that we're not dead. What he doesn't know is that we know he was behind it."

Vegas jumped into AJ's lap and he rubbed the little dog's head absentmindedly, troubled by what he was thinking. "Guys, listen to this. X was trying to hurt us, kill one of us. So, if he had been successful, what would have happened? The tour would have stopped, been canceled, right?"

"Yeah…" said Howie, curious.

"Which means that Xavier never intended on coming back for the second half of the tour to be a bodyguard!" reasoned AJ.

"So why did X take Brian with him, if he planned on there not being a tour? Why not just leave and go on to the next victim, like Aggie said?"

"Because he's not through with Bri," explained Nick, closing his eyes tightly, sickened by the realization. "He needs him, …for whatever reason."

Kevin could hear the panic in Nick's voice, the alarm. "Nick, hang in there," he said quietly, praying that Nick wasn't going to lose it again.

Nick opened his eyes and bit his lip hard, trying to gain control of his emotions. " Guys, we need to find Brian. Quick."

AJ placed his dog on the floor, rising to his feet. "I think I know how. We need Sam."

Nick looked at him quizzically. "Sam, our manager? I thought we were gonna keep this to ourselves."

"Yeah, well plans change."

"So what's your idea?" asked Kevin.

"Well, I'm thinking Sam might know how to get a hold of Xavier. If Sam can reach Xavier he could tell him that there's been an emergency, oh, have him say that a few of the dancers and musicians quit suddenly and that we need to meet immediately in Tucson to rehearse with the new group before our next show. And, in order to do that, we need Brian there." AJ looked at all three. "See where I'm going? Xavier has no reason not to believe Sam. I'm figuring Xavier will bring Brian to us, especially if Xavier is still playing his "game."

Nick nodded, trying not to get too worked up. "That's if Sam even knows how to reach Xavier."

AJ looked at Nick. "You've got any better ideas?"

Shaking his head, Nick grabbed the portable phone. "No. Call him."

* * * * * *

Brian barely felt Xavier shove him back into their grimy hotel room, still too shocked to notice much of anything. He stood numbly where he was, sickened by the fact that he had not been able to stop Xavier; that no matter what he had tried, it had all been a pathetic, worthless effort. It would have been laughable if not for the fact that his failure would now cause untold suffering; that his lack of courage and insight would forever haunt him at his inability to save his friends.

Brian glanced bitterly at Xavier, remembering the look of pure revenge Xavier had thrown him when he ordered the "surprise." A raw wave of anger coursed through him, a burning of such intensity that it snapped him out of his trauma. Brian heard the small beep of a cell phone and watched as Xavier calmly opened it, as if he was expecting the call.

"Is it done?"

Brian saw the transformation in the bodyguard's face as it went from relaxed to furious, Xavier's hand gripping the cell phone tightly.

"Are you sure?"

Brian heard the stunned disbelief and watched with interest as Xavier swore mightily at the unknown caller.

"I paid you three grand and they didn't even get a scratch? I shoulda known better than to hire you, " he hissed savagely.

Brian felt a heated rush of relief, realizing Xavier's surprise had somehow gone sour. They're okay! They're not hurt! Xavier wasn't able to carry out his plan! A wild thrill of satisfaction ran through him as he observed Xavier closely, the bodyguard's face twisted in fury. The idea that Xavier's carefully laid plans had so spectacularly backfired on him made Brian laugh outright, a exhilarating feeling of satisfaction flooding his senses. He laughed again, the time more forcefully and Xavier stared at him hard, his eyes narrowing as he snapped his phone shut.

Right then Brian realized Xavier was not invincible, that he could be thwarted at his own game; that no matter how careful and exacting plans were, fate could come in and screw everything up. Feeling a fierce desire to ridicule the livid bodyguard standing before him, Brian threw Xavier a wicked smile of contempt, suddenly unafraid, not caring anymore what happened to him or anything else for that matter.

"Ah, poor Xavier. Too bad. Life sucks, doesn't it? No money, no Backstreet Boy, no nothing."

Xavier eyed him darkly. "Says who?"

"Says me. Game's over. You lost."

Xavier cocked an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Brian ignored the agitated clenching and unclenching of Xavier's fists. "Because I'm not playing anymore. Because you can't make me."

"Oh really?" Xavier purred, a tone of sexual intimation heavy in his voice. "I'm pretty sure I could convince you," he challenged, grabbing Brian's arm into a tight grip, his warm breath barely grazing the young singer's ear.

"Could you?" Brian sneered, seeing the intense desire in Xavier's brown eyes. "I don't think so, faggot." Giving a sharp tug, he yanked himself out of Xavier's grasp. "Face it, Xavier, you're a fucking loser."

Brian knew the first punch was coming and prepared himself for it, the blow coming down low, across the small of his back. I can take this, Brian thought, it's not too bad…Oh my God! Brian's mouth hung open in a silent cry, as the force of the second punch paralyzed him, sending him quickly to the floor. Without a pause, Xavier slammed into him again and Brian refused to scream, to let Xavier know the extent of the agony he was inflicting. He could hear his own erratic wheezing of his lungs, the pounding of his heart as he struggled to stand upright, to ward off another blow, but he was too late as another punch landed on his right shoulder, a sharp stab of pain piercing right through him. He screamed or maybe he didn't, he couldn't be sure. It didn't matter anymore as he looked up into Xavier's expressionless face. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing and he was taking careful, well-timed blows, trying to extract the most amount of pain with the least amount of effort.

Brian didn't think it was possible to endure any more, but he did, feeling each hit become surprisingly less painful, replaced by a kind of numbness that he welcomed gladly. He swayed a moment, but managed to regain his balance, staring coolly into Xavier's eyes, daring him with a silent hit me, go ahead, I've come this far.

A small twist of Xavier's lips let Brian know that Xavier understood his unspoken boast. He took the next hit and cried out, but the cries were of triumph, not pain, as he grinned savagely to let Xavier know that he could stand it, would stand it, not matter what damage he inflicted.

Xavier nodded when it was finally over, rubbing his knuckles tenderly as he stared impassively at the unconscious form sprawled out on the floor. He regretted his actions only for the sole purpose that he now didn't know what to do. With a conscious, awake Backstreet Boy he could still continue, still have an opportunity to play the game, to get more money. But now that was gone, due to his lack of control. He sat down on the edge of the bed contemplating his rash action, irritated that Brian could make him lose his self- control, something he prided himself on maintaining. He stared at the unconscious singer, slowly regaining his composure as he brooded over what to do next. Obviously the young Backstreet Boy needed medical attention but there was no way he was going to seek medical help. Something told him he should quit, take his losses and run, but his perplexing attraction to this clever and determined young man ruled out any idea of leaving.

The small vibrating hum of his pager jerked his attention away from the fallen singer and Xavier tugged the pager out of his pocket, eyeing in quiet surprise. It was displaying AJ's home number. Only AJ should have no way of knowing his pager number. The pager was used for one thing and one thing only: that Sam, the stage manager needed to get in touch with him right away. Curious, Xavier picked up the phone and dialed the number.

CHAPTER EIGHTY – SAM

Sam rubbed his face wearily as he leaned back into his seat, quietly listening to AJ and Kevin, his eyes clouding over occasionally when AJ described some of the suffering Brian had been put through.

"I sure wish you guys had told me sooner," he exhaled with a heavy sigh.

"Well, we didn't," Nick spoke up, annoyed at Sam's disapproval. He had been standing quietly in a corner but now crossed the room, flinging his large frame into the nearest chair, his hands running irritability through his hair. "We wouldn't have told you at all, except that we need to know if you can help us."

"I think you need the police, not me," Sam said bluntly.

Howie shook his head, wondering if it had been a smart idea to inform their manager of what was going on. He glanced over and noticed that Kevin was having the same misgivings.

"Sam, the guys and I have decided not to get the police involved. Whether that's wise or not, who knows? But knowing Xavier, and believe me we do, we sure don't want to endanger Brian by some police foul-up."

Sam stood up, restless from sitting down too long. "Okay. I don't agree with you, but I respect your decision. What can I do to help?"

Relaxing for the first time since Sam had arrived, Howie gave him a relieved smile. "We need to know if you can locate Xavier, get in touch with him. Brian's with him and we gotta find a way to get to him away from X."

Their manager began to pace, a routine habit that all four had witnessed when Sam was faced with a problem. "Yeah, I can reach him. Every one of the stage crew and help are required to carry a pager so that we can get a hold of them at a moment's notice. Xavier should be carrying his, but by the way you've described things, he might not be." Sam stopped pacing for a moment, his temple furrowed in concern. "So, say we get in touch with him. What then?"

Nick looked expectantly at AJ. "Bone?"

"Well, check this out," explained AJ. "We're not expected in Tucson till the first of the week, right? So we need a reason to be there earlier. What if we tell X that some of the crew quit, that we need to regroup quickly and practice with the new hires?"

Sam gazed up at the ceiling for a moment, letting AJ's suggestion sink in. "Not a bad idea, but I don't think it would work. Xavier knows the crew too well and would check it out. So we would really have to fire someone and if we did that, it would be impossible to find someone new on such short notice. If Xavier is as smart as you say he is, it wouldn't be too hard for him to figure out that we were lying. No, we need a fool-proof excuse, one that he would believe totally."

Nick perked up, interested. "Such as?"

Sam gave the young blonde singer a reassuring smile, reaching over to snag AJ's phone and punched in Xavier's pager number. "Watch," was all he said.

* * * * *

More than just a little curious as to why Sam would be paging him, Xavier waited impatiently as the phone rang and rang, not sure if anyone was going to pick up. He eyed Brian, still slumped on the floor, one arm wedged unnaturally beneath his body. Xavier contemplated for a moment, wondering if he had broken the young singer's arm, then quickly dismissed the thought, confident enough in his own expertise to know if he had. His attention swung away from Brian when he heard the abrupt click of a phone being picked up.

"Cooper speaking."

"Sam? This is Xavier. You paged?"

"Yeah, hold on a minute." Xavier could hear the clatter of a phone being settled into its cradle. "I've got you on speakerphone cause AJ, Nick, Howie, and Kevin are here with me."

Nick shot Sam a look of pure shock and jumped out of his seat, turning his astonishment towards Kevin. Kevin had his hand over his mouth, studying Sam intently, and shook his head warningly at Nick.

"Okay," they heard Xavier cautiously reply, his voice holding a hint of suspicion in it.

"I've been trying to locate Brian. His cell phone and pager don't seem to be working. Do you know where he is? We've got some problems."

Xavier glanced at Brian lying on the floor, remembering the deactivated devices shoved into his suitcase. "Brian's here with me. But he's taking a shower right now."

Howie glanced at AJ, who was frowning at the way Xavier ignored Sam's question about Brian's cell phone.

Al four guys listened as Xavier grunted into the speakerphone, as if trying to stand up. "What sort of problems?" he asked brusquely.

Howie, AJ, Kevin, and Nick looked at Sam expectantly, wondering what he would say, their faces taut.

"All sorts of fucked-up problems," Sam answered harshly, his irritation clearly evident over the phone. "Someone broke into AJ's house and some things were stolen…"

Xavier eyes narrowed. That little prick! I told him not to take anything!

"…then some jerk tried to run Nick and Kevin off the road…"

"Kevin?"

AJ could hear a trace of incredulity in the bodyguard's voice, realizing X thought Kevin was still back home. A fine bead of nervous sweat trailed down his back as he shot the dark-haired singer a concerned look.

Kevin butted in, understanding Sam's aggressive approach, realizing the best defense was to use an offense tactic.

"Kristin and I had a little disagreement at the airport Xavier, so I came here," Kevin drawled, making his voice sound bored and annoyed at the same time. "It's not something I'm really want to go into, okay?"

Xavier relaxed a little, his wariness gone. He smirked a little at the tone in Kevin's voice. He had heard rumors about some of their fights and realized Kevin must have flown back to Orlando.

Sam continued on, acting as if the interruption between Xavier and Kevin hadn't occurred. "…and now I've got security problems at the Tucson McKale center! I'm sick and tired of all this shit! So I'm calling a meeting…" Sam's voice faded, as if he had turned his head,…"and don't give me that look, AJ! I don't care if I am interrupting your time off!" Sam's voice became clearer. "I'm not too happy about our standard of safeguards for these guys, so I'm assembling everyone early in Tucson to overhaul security. The last thing I need is for some idiotic person to get to these guys. Then you, me and everyone else can kiss our jobs goodbye, got that?"

Xavier bristled at Sam's contemptuous tone but stopped, his lips pursed, his mind racing as he glanced once more at Brian's limp form. Oh, this is too good to be true! he smirked, a wicked grin forming when he suddenly saw the chance, the break he had been searching for.

"Sam, I completely agree. Security has gotten sloppy. In fact, we ran into trouble today too. Some over-infatuated fans. Being just one bodyguard, I wasn't able to keep him completely safe. Brian got knocked around a little." He nudged Brian's motionless figure with the tip of his shoe, not expecting a response and not getting one.

By now Nick was literally jumping up and down, fuming with rage, his face contorted as listened to Xavier, hearing the smooth lie in the bodyguard's calm voice. Kevin grabbed him by the arm, his eyes wide with concern.

"How is he?" questioned Sam, butting in before Nick could say anything. "Is Brian okay?"

Xavier eyeballed the fallen singer, a satisfied grin on his face. "Yeah, he should be just fine. I'll make sure of it."

"X, this is AJ. Put Bri on the phone for a minute, will ya? I need to speak to him." The rest looked at AJ in alarm, surprised by his request. They listened with baited breath to see what Xavier would do, Nick praying that Brian would indeed pick up.

"Wish I could, but as I said, he's in the shower right now. I'll make sure he calls you." Xavier's voice was cool, in control, unnerving all four Backstreet Boys with his chilling demeanor; all of them knowing Brian would never call, just as they knew he was not taking a shower.

Xavier quickly changed the subject. "When and where do you want to meet?" He listened intently, jotting down the information Sam instructed to him. Xavier hung up, a gleam of pleasure displayed upon his face as he got up off the bed, bending down to lift Brian up. "Looks like our lucky day," he informed the unconscious figure. "You're still get to make me a rich man." He placed the blonde singer gently on the unmade bed, propping a pillow under his head. Xavier studied the Backstreet Boy for several moments, frowning as he took note of the injuries he had inflicted upon the young man. Reaching over into his bag, Xavier pulled out a fine nylon rope, thoroughly tying Brian up, careful not to make it too tight. Making a mental list of the things he would need, Xavier patted Brian's face tenderly, careful to avoid touching the angry wound to his temple, which was now oozing blood from the fall. He checked his handiwork once more then headed out the door, turning back to view Brian lying prone on the bed.

"Gotta make a run to the border," he notified the silent form, "so don't get too comfortable, okay?" He laughed a little, then shut the door.

CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE – PLANNING

Sam hung up the phone, his eyebrows raised in question as he glanced at the four guys before him.

"So, how was I?"

"Awesome," replied Howie, coming over to give a congratulatory slap of approval. "Your idea was perfect. I don't think Xavier doubted you for a minute."

Sam nodded his agreement and sat down on the couch, taking a sip of the cold drink offered to him by Kevin. "Yeah, well I figured our story would be more believable if it was based in fact. Since Xavier knows already what I've told him, he won't check deeper into it." He took another taste from his drink, scrutinizing AJ and Nick who were in the corner talking quietly to one another.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Sam asked to Kevin, concerned about Nick’s dark and brooding behavior.

"Nick should be all right," sighed Kevin, watching closely. AJ had one arm wrapped around Nick's shoulder, Nick nodding every now and then in reply to what AJ was saying to him. After a minute they broke up, coming over to the group. Kevin raised his dark eyebrows at AJ with an inquiring look.

"I'm fine, Kevin," answered Nick exasperatedly, not giving AJ a chance to respond. "I can handle it. But once I see Xavier, all bets are off. I'm still gonna put a bullet in his brain." Nick smiled bitterly at his boast.

"Bullet is too good for him, Nick," AJ snorted. "I bet we can come up with something better than that!"

"You guys can plot revenge later, okay? Cause right now, we've got more urgent things to do," stated Sam.

"Like what?" AJ tilted his head to the side, interested in what Sam had to say.

"I wasn't kidding when I told Xavier we need better security measures. That X has so much personal information on you is scary and if what you told me is only half true, you're in deep trouble. We need to change things as much as possible before we leave. Phone numbers, bank accounts, anything you think Xavier has access to, change it. Get your door locks re-keyed. Alter security codes. Understand?" Sam waited until he saw four heads nod in response before carrying on. "I know it's the holiday weekend, so it's gonna be a headache. Anyone that you trust, family who could help out…oh shit!"

Sam shot up out of his seat and began pacing intensely as all four guys looked at each other, then at Sam in distress.

"What?" said Kevin and Nick simultaneously, on edge.

Sam rubbed his head wearily and heaved a big sigh, stopping his pacing to look directly at the worried singers. "Your families. I forgot about them. If Xavier has info on you, he sure as hell has it on them. Sam watched as their faces fell, confirming his fears. He nodded grimly. "There's no way we have the time to change their records. And, from what you've told me, you don't want them to know what's going on, right?"

"So what do we do?" asked Howie, a small note of panic creeping into his voice.

Sam hung his head for a moment, deep in thought. He brought his head up, a small, mysterious smile playing upon his lips. "It's gonna cost ya, big time, but I don't think you'll mind."

"Sam, don't beat around the bush. What?" cried Nick.

"I'm going to hire private security. The crème-de-la-crème. Twenty-four hour protection for everyone that you think might need it. It's probably not as good as carting everyone off to a deserted island, but damn close."

Kevin nodded in agreement. "What kind of security people are we talking about?"

"Ex-Secret Service, ex-FBI. Maybe ex-military who've gone private. I want to hire people that are experts in low-profile, so that your family doesn't know they’re being guarded. Sound okay to you?"

AJ heaved a sighed, impressed. "Yeah." He glanced at Nick, Howie, and Kevin, each expressing their approval. "Get the best. Money is no object."

Sam nodded. "I thought so." He reached into his pocket, bringing out a small personal recorder and pressed the button. "Call Mark. Inform him on change of plans. Have him call other crew, set up meeting times. Get in touch with Eric, inform other bodyguards. Call Chris to discuss hiring security." He clicked off the recorder for a moment, a frown on his face. "Well?" he barked irritably. "Do I have to do this all by myself? Get off your ass and help me!"

Nick, AJ, Howie, and Kevin sat there for a second, frozen, then shot up out of their seats, each scrambling to obey as they hurried off in different directions. Sam smiled a little at their madcap rush, shaking his head. "Amateurs," he scoffed good-naturedly, then turned his attention back to his recorder and flicked it on.

* * * * * * * *

A drenching shower of cold water stunned Brian's system, his body stiffening as the iciness shocked him into consciousness. He felt himself being supported upright, too much in a stupor to do anything but blink the dripping water out of his eyes. The shock of his abrupt awakening faded as the coldness of the water took effect. It was sheer heaven, the coolness bathing his body, the cold rawness soothing the burning ache. It felt better than anything he had ever felt, …Brian arched and screamed a silent cry as his body slammed full force into reality, the pain savagely ripping his breath away as it coursed throughout him. He wildly flailed his arms about, struggling against the strong hands that held him down.

Xavier's face loomed suddenly before him, trying to get his attention, but Brian was in too much pain to notice. He felt Xavier grab hold of his face, forcing him to look straight at the bodyguard. A pill was being shoved powerfully into his mouth and Brian shook his head no, fighting, clamping his mouth tight.

"Brian!" rasped Xavier angrily. "Take it. Otherwise you won't be able to stand the pain."

A fierce wave flowed up and down Brian's body, confirming the fact with a vengeance. He gasped in agony and Xavier took the opportunity to pop the white pill in his mouth, forcing him to swallow.

With every ounce of energy left, Brian shoved Xavier away, coiling his body into a ball and panted, his blue eyes dark with pain. "How long?" he pleaded hoarsely.

"For the pain to go away? About five minutes."

Brian moaned and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to bear the pain. Five minutes! It might as well be five years. He curled his arms around his stomach, as if holding himself would help to alleviate the agony. He tried to count off the minutes. God, this is worse than anything I've ever felt! He wanted nothing more than for the pain to go away, for someone, anyone to put him out of his misery. He knew he would have no suck luck. Bravely, he cracked one eye open to find Xavier staring calmly at him, waiting. Brian curled up tighter as another spasm of pain hit. "I thought you said five minutes," he gasped harshly. "It's not getting any better."

Xavier frowned a little then walked over to Brian's bed, sitting his large frame down on the edge. He fished a plastic bottle out of his pocket and shook out one more. This time Brian needed no prodding. He snatched the pill out of Xavier's hand and quickly swallowed it.

"You're gonna be okay, if you follow my instructions," began Xavier in a soothing, almost hypnotizing voice. "I hit you, hit you hard, but only enough to do external damage, not internal." He stopped for a moment to observe Brian's breathing. "It's working, isn't it?"

Brian nodded, brushing a trickle of sweat from cheek with a shaky hand. His body relaxed a bit, enabling him to straighten out on the bed.

"Good," grunted Xavier, rising from the edge of the bed. Xavier followed Brian's gaze and noticed the young singer staring longingly at the bottle of pain pills he had inadvertently placed on the side table. Xavier reached over to seize the bottle just seconds before Brian did, clucking his disapproval.

"No, no, no," he chided. "Anymore and you'll be a walking zombie. I need you awake and alert."

Brian pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed, slightly amazed and slightly worried at how good he felt. He knew without a doubt that he would not be able to function without those wonderful pills. Brian shifted uneasily, realizing that Xavier had complete control over his pain. He tried to block the thought of seeing himself begging, pleading to do anything Xavier asked if only he would give him another pill.

"So why do you need me awake and alert?" he asked suspiciously. "Game's over, remember?"

Xavier let loose with a hearty laugh, shaking his head at Brian's bewilderment. "Sorry to disappoint you, but it isn't. Change of plans. You can thank Sam for that."

"Sam? My manager?" Brian watched as Xavier went into the bathroom, hearing him yank the handle to turn the shower on full-force.

Xavier came back. "Yep. Seems like he's unhappy with security measures. Wants us all in Tucson early to go over some new strategies. Apparently you guys have been having some trouble. Gee, I wonder how that could of happened? " he smirked, enjoying his sarcasm. "Anyway, the game's still on. Banks are closed for the holiday, but come next week you and I got some business to finish. Okay, come on, strip."

Brian was trying to digest all the information, so he almost missed Xavier's last words. He jerked his head upright, his blue eyes filled with confusion. "Huh?"

"You heard me, strip. You need to take a shower, and I need to see what damage I did to you, see what needs to be fixed."

Brian's eyes of confusion turned to ones of fear. "No."

Xavier shook his head exasperatedly and gave a short scoff. "I'm not going to molest you! As tempting as that sounds, being rich is more of a turn on."

"No."

Xavier's eyes narrowed dangerously, impatient. "You think you can refuse?" He strode over to the Backstreet Boy, towering over him. "I'm asking you nicely. I won't ask nicely again."

Brian swung his legs over the edge of the bed, avoiding eye contact with Xavier. He now knew better than to argue and slowly grabbed the edge of his shirt, wincing slightly as he pulled it over his head. He wondered if the pain medication could be wearing off so soon, scared that if he angered Xavier anymore he wouldn't get the relief he needed.

Xavier studied Brian's chest for a moment. "Stand up," he barked. "Take your pants off."

Hoping to keep his shaking hands to a minimum, Brian stepped out of his pants. "Turn around," instructed Xavier. Brian complied, feeling the intent gaze as the bodyguard scrutinizing his back closely. He felt Xavier's hand press into the small of his back, examining a bruise. "Okay, now face me."

Once more Brian obeyed, meeting Xavier with defiant eyes. "I'm not taking anything else off."

Xavier rolled his eyes dramatically. "Did I ask you to?" he jeered. He jerked his head in the direction of the bathroom. "Go on, take a shower."

Brian wobbled unsteadily towards the bathroom, stopping to regain his balance and glared at Xavier's silent look of "need any help?" He'd rather fall flat on his face than let Xavier "help" him.

Xavier nodded in respect as the young singer made his way into the bathroom, encouraged by Brian's determination to do it alone. Determination that Brian was going to desperately need if he was going to pull himself through the next few days. Because Xavier had seen the damage he had inflicted on the young Backstreet Boy and was disturbed by what he saw. Apparently he had overestimated his boasts about not damaging him internally.

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