CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR - FACE OFF

Leaving Howie to tend to Nick's injuries, Brian stood in front of Xavier, his slight frame dwarfed by the bodyguard's much larger one, rage and bitterness the only things that kept him standing upright. He willed away the pain, the fatigue, the dizziness that he would have gladly succumbed to if given half the chance.

"No, no more games. No more tricks, no more pranks, Xavier. It's finished. It's over. You win. Hear that? You win." Brian tried to keep his words blunt, his voice composed, all the while trembling inwardly from the shock at what Xavier had in store. He tried not to stare at the loaded gun clutched firmly in the bodyguard's hand. "That's what you want, isn't it? To win? Well, you have."

Xavier smiled at Brian's pathetic little attempt to pacify him and reached out with a cupped hand to caress his chin. "Nice try," he said mockingly. "But that's not all I want. You've been quite a challenge for me, a true fighter. I appreciate that, I really do."

His hand clasped cruelly around the young singer's jaw. "But no one, no one, not even you, tells me when the game is over. Got that?" Xavier roughly released his hold on Brian, the dull red lines from his crushing fingers noticeable upon Brian's jawline and cheek.

Glancing down to check the gun once more, Xavier brought his gaze up to smile happily at the five. "Okay," he announced brightly, "who's first?"

"Me," said Brian harshly, his eyes glittering darkly.

"You just don't give up, do you?" declared Xavier. "No, no, no, you had your turn once before, remember? You passed. Time to let someone else have the fun."

"Xavier!"

Xavier ignored Brian, fondling the gun in his hand as he nonchalantly spun the chamber round and round. "Hmm, let’s see, who’s gonna volunteer…" Xavier frowned at Nick, AJ, Kevin and Howie, who were all sitting down, watching him with careful, wary eyes.

"What? No takers?" he scoffed. "Come on!"

It was easy, too easy, to push Brian aside with a single rough shove and Brian crashed into the pointed edge of a table, trying not to cry out in pain. AJ quickly jumped up, coming over to help Brian, but Xavier stopped him with a wave of the gun.

"Ah, our first contestant, and one of my very favorites too," sneered Xavier, grabbing AJ harshly and thrusting him into the nearest chair. Kevin and Howie leaped out of their own seats shouting, coming forward, the panic and fear evident in their voice and face. Wrapping his hand around AJ's neck, Xavier placed the gun to the young singer's temple, signaling with a fierce glare for Kevin and Howie to back off. He disregarded Brian's screams of no!, keeping his eyes glued to the three before him. He felt AJ move a little and so he tightened his grip, pressing the muzzle deeper into his skull. He had to give the little freak credit as he glanced quickly at him. AJ was sitting still, calm, almost too calm, while everyone around him was yelling in terror.

"Ready?" Xavier questioned to all, his eyes not on AJ, but on Brian who was shaking, pleading for Xavier to stop.

"Just do it, you stupid son-of-a-bitch!" spat AJ furiously, his voice filled with hatred. "What are you waiting for?"

Startled by AJ's vicious contempt, Xavier jerked back a second in surprise then pressed his mouth into a grim line as he pulled the trigger. The gun's chamber turned, the only thing being discharged was the sound of a dull click The desperate shouts from all four Backstreet Boys froze in mid scream as it took a few seconds to comprehend that AJ was still alive.

Xavier abruptly released his hold from AJ and with a grunt, gave him a hard shove forward. Kevin caught AJ before he fell, grabbing AJ into a tight hold to try and calm the trembling that was coming from AJ's traumatized mind and body.

"Damn, this must be your lucky day!" mocked Xavier. He spun the chamber once more, a manic grin lighting up his face. "Who's next?" he asked, waving the gun inquiringly in the air. "Aw, come on, don't be shy!"

Xavier scanned the silent group before him. "Nick?"

Hand cradling the makeshift icepack to his face, Nick paled noticeably, recoiling away from Xavier's impatiently beckoning hand. A second later, Brian was blocking the way, his breathing haggard, the pain in his body evident, but his eyes and voice firm with defiance.

"No, Xavier. No! You're going have to kill me first before …" Brian was unable to finish his threat as the bus swayed, buffeted by a sudden blast, a howling whine that swirled around the enclosure of the large bus. What sounded like fine particles of rock began to hit the outside of their windows, the darkness of the night not allowing the passengers to view what was assaulting them. Immediately shoving his gun back into the waistline of his pants, Xavier threw a warning scowl to all five and hurried up front to see what was happening.

Les, his small frame cloaked by the large captain's chair, was struggling to keep the moving bus on course, gusts of blowing dust smacking the windshield with ebbing and flowing waves. He felt the bodyguard’s presence and sneaked a quick glance at Xavier before returning his attention to the road. The visibility was almost non-existent as he tried to gauge the outlines of the road. "What's going on?" Les asked nervously.

"Slow down, slow down, you idiot!" hissed Xavier. "It's a dust storm. You'll run us off the road if you're not careful!"

Les began braking, slowing the bus down to a crawl, the headlights barely able to penetrate a few feet ahead as the clogging dust enveloped them from all sides.

"Shit!" breathed Xavier. "Go slower. No! Forget that. Pull over. Stop. Now. You're going to get us all killed by trying to stay on the road." Les guided the massive bus over to the edge of the road, feeling, rather than seeing, the bus's tires bump slightly as the smoothness of the paved highway gave way to the uncertainty of the unstable ground beneath them.

Pleased at his driving ability, Les put the engine into park, grinning at the agitated bodyguard. "Not too bad, huh?"

Irritated, Xavier lightly cuffed Les on the back of his head and then began fishing underneath the passenger's chair, pulling out a compartmental box and grabbing a large flashlight. "Turn off the engine, kill the lights," he barked. Seeing the confused look on Les's face, Xavier sighed.

"You really are a fucking idiot, you know that? Our lights, tail lights, will be visible to the other blinded drivers behind us. They'll follow our lights and ram right into us!"

"Oh," replied Les meekly, quickly shutting down. Xavier snapped on the hefty flashlight, its beam jumping erratically as he swiftly returned to the subdued fivesome.

Holding the light under his face for a second, Xavier smiled wickedly. "Anyone want to hear a scary story?" Laughing at their sullen faces, Xavier slouched casually into the seat next to them. "Guess not." With a flick of the flashlight, Xavier pointed outside. "Dust storm. We have to wait it out. Shouldn't be too long." Stretching with a large groan, Xavier settled in his seat more comfortably as the swirling dust outside surrounded the bus like a hoard of angry bees.

"Guess it's time for another game," he announced, enjoying the panicked look that flashed in everyone's eyes. "Truth or dare is always fun," he announced with a smirk. "Hmm, no objections? Good. I'll go first. Kevin." Kevin jerked at the sound of his name, questioning eyes meeting Xavier's. "Truth or dare?"

"Uh, truth…" hesitated Kevin, biting his lip.

Xavier snorted. "Whimp. Okay, truth. How did you feel when you saw that picture of your dog mutilated?" Xavier ignored Kevin's angry, choking sound and continued. "Boy, that dog of yours was sure a pain in the ass to kill. Took me a while." Xavier voice drifted, as if lost in thought. "Yep, a real pain." Raising his eyebrows, Xavier suddenly smiled as Kevin desperately struggled to contain his anger. "Oh, not answering? All right, you lose your turn. Howie."

Realizing that Xavier was trying to lure them into making a rash move, Howie shifted uneasily and hesitantly looked at Xavier.

"Truth or dare."

"Truth."

Xavier shook his head, disgusted. "Another whimp. Tell me, how does it feel to know that your Mom was this close to being torched?"

Howie's eyes opened wide as he tried to regain his composure, fighting the nausea that roiled in his stomach as he remembered the arson to his home.

"Yes, I hate having a job half-done. Maybe when I get a little extra time, I'll see what I can do about finishing it."

The dark-haired singer rose up from his seat, too furious to reply. "Howie!" yelled Brian and AJ simultaneously, their voices snapping Howie out of his bloodlust. "He's just baiting you!" warned AJ harshly. "Sit down. Sit down!"

With his free hand, Nick grabbed at Howie, tugging him back. Nick shook his head at his friend, his jaw throbbing, in too much pain to talk. Letting his eyes speak for him, Nick pleaded with Howie to sit back down. Reluctantly Howie sat, silent, glaring at Xavier.

"Well, this is no fun!" growled Xavier. "Howie loses his turn too." A tiny grin formed as he turned his head. "AJ."

AJ stiffened, waiting for the question.

"Truth or dare."

AJ closed his eyes for a second. Take dare, he screamed silently. <.i>Take dare! With a sigh, he opened his eyes. "Truth."

This time Xavier had no comment on the choice and he pushed up out of his seat, coming over to where AJ sat next to Brian. He leaned over slightly, the light from the flashlight emitting an eerie glow to Xavier's dark eyes.

"How does it feel to know that I'm gonna fuck Brian senseless and that there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop it?" he whispered.

Xavier's pleased laughter was drowned out as the blood rushed to AJ's head, his fury overtaking his rational thinking. With an enraged shout, AJ shot up out of his seat, bypassing Brian's outstretching fingers as he lunged for the amused bodyguard's face.

Xavier quickly sidestepped him, clamping down with a massive hand upon the back of AJ's neck and wrenched him backwards with a hard jerk. Tumbling to the ground, AJ immediately sprang up, a murderous look in his eyes.

The sudden banging against the side of the bus and yelling of excited voices outside startled the inside occupants, halting the fight. Confused and in a panic, they all strained to hear the faint but distinct cries of "Nick! Nick! Are you in there?" mixed with girlish squeals of delight as more voices shouted out the other band members’ names.

Livid, Xavier rushed up to the front, peering out into the inky darkness. The dust storm had lessened considerably, making visibility a little easier and in the dim illumination of a strange car's headlights, Xavier was able to make out the shadowy figures of several teenage fans.

"Damn," said Les, with a surprised whistle. "They must have followed us up from Tucson!"

"Start the bus," Xavier barked, "now!"

Knowing better than to argue, Les snapped to attention, turning on the ignition. The bus's headlights flared to life and Xavier counted just one lone car and five overly excited fans.

With a snarl, Xavier yanked Les out of his seat and climbed in, shifting the cumbersome bus into reverse. Slamming on the accelerator, he ignored the screams of the girls as they scattered haphazardly, trying to avoid the careening bus as it found its target, smashing solidly into the girls’ small compact. Grinding the gear, Xavier shifted into drive and floored the gas pedal, the tires spinning for just a second as it gained traction in the soft desert ground. Xavier's foot still pressed all the way down, the enormous sized engine rose to meet the challenge and screamed with power, pushing the heavy bus up onto the highway in a reckless manner. The squeal of distant tires and honks faded behind them as the bus picked up speed, the fading dust storm being replaced by scattered drops of rain. Yelling at Les, Xavier expertly slipped from behind wheel, shoving the startled young man quickly back into the driver's seat.

"Get going," he ordered grimly. "Head for the border as quick as you can." Marching down the aisle, Xavier disregarded the five Backstreet Boys as he began grabbing several items and shoving them into his large duffel bag. The Boys watched, looking at each other with quiet unease.

During Xavier's time in the driver's seat, Howie had changed positions, sitting in front of AJ and Brian while Kevin stayed back to watch Nick. Glad that Xavier was too distracted to notice the change in seating arrangements, Howie caught AJ's anxious look and studied Brian with a worried eye. His complexion pale, his eyes and mouth pinched from pain, Howie could tell that Brian was faring poorly. His attention was dragged away by a sudden flash of lightening, followed by a heavy smack of rain as it began to bombard the sides of the bus with a fury.

An illuminated sign passed overhead, the spotted patches of light outside indicating civilization was near as the bus sped on. Another signed flashed by and Howie was quick enough to catch the wording: two more U.S. exits before the international border. Heart in his throat, Howie knew that Xavier had seen it too by the way the bodyguard was deftly zipping up his bag. Cautiously moving forward in his seat, Howie rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his knees, his right hand trailing slowly, slowly down to lift the edge of his pant leg up. He looked up to see Xavier looming over Brian and AJ, the bodyguard's commanding hand reaching in to capture Brian's wrist. "Come on," he said quietly, his tone no-nonsense. "We're leaving. Let's go." With a sharp tug Xavier hoisted Brian out of his seat, Brian trying his best to worm out of Xavier's grasp.

Xavier turned to glare threateningly at AJ, Nick and Kevin, who had jumped up with angry shouts of "no!" Backing up slowly, Xavier sneered warningly. "I will break his arm," he promised, squeezing cruelly on Brian's forearm to make him cry out in pain, "if you so much as move another inch."

"I think you have it the other way around, Xavier. Don't you move another inch," advised Howie softly.

In the sudden silence that followed, Xavier felt the sharp sting of a knife being pressed strategically into his lower back. "Don't move," hissed Howie again, his voice cold with revenge as he pushed every so slightly.

Rigid in surprise, Xavier winced as he felt the razor-sharp blade dig into his back, a small rivulet of blood zigzagging down his lower spine.

"You're right, you did underestimate me," Howie said tightly. "Let go of Brian before I…", ending his warning angrily in Spanish. Xavier's eyes narrowed in rage and Howie took the opportunity to remind him once more with a tiny thrust. Wincing in pain, Xavier reluctantly released his hold on Brian just enough to let the young singer rip out of his strong grip.

Brian staggered back, his head spinning from pain, shock, and elation. He felt AJ's concerned hand bracing him, but he swayed again, this time violently as the bus began to squeal in protest, Les locking up the brakes as he saw the blurry, rain-soaked form of a large animal positioned directly in front of him. The slickness of the road, the speed of the bus caused the tires to hydroplane, sliding, slipping as Les tried wildly to overcorrect.

Feeling Howie stumble backwards, the weight of the blade gone, Xavier turned with a snarl and shoved Howie viciously. The momentum sent him sprawling to the floor, the knife spinning out of his hand. Unable to keep himself upright with the movement of the bus’s heavy fishtailing, Xavier staggered and dropped to his knees. Leaning as far as he could forward, he reached out for Brian again, finding contact, and curled his fingers around Brian's lower leg, jerking hard. Caught completely off-balance, Brian fell on his back, the wind knocked out of him, feeling himself being dragged forcefully into the clutches of Xavier's strong hands. Barely sensing the bus’s collision with the large animal, Brian gasped for breath as he wriggled frantically to free his left ankle from Xavier's tight grip.

Miraculously, Les managed to bring everything under control, the bus beginning to slow down. Regaining his balance, Xavier released Brian’s left leg, quickly jumping up. Looming over the fallen singer, Xavier bent over to yank him to a standing position. It was all Brian needed. With perfect timing, Brian brought his right foot up, the heel of his boot smashing squarely into Xavier's jaw. With a sickening crack, Xavier's head snapped back and he reeled backwards, crashing into Howie who had finally managed to stand upright. Like a domino effect, Howie was flung backwards, the force of Xavier's body sending him directly into the backside of Les. The momentum caused Les to lose his control of the wheel and within seconds, the bus plunged off the side of the rain-slicked road, the sodden, unstable ground unable to support the colossal weight of the bus. Tilting sideways, the bus leaned precariously on two wheels, the occupants inside tumbling, tangling, smashing into one another and any other object that came flying their way. With a groan of straining sheet metal, the off-balanced bus finally gave way to the pull of gravity, a mighty crash erupting as it fell on its side, the tires still spinning wildly as the rain pelted mercilessly down.

CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE - SEARCH

"Holy shit, would you look at that!" pointed Zac excitedly, yanking on the car door handle, jumping out before their small truck had even stopped. Bringing his hand up to shield his face from the stinging rain, Zac motioned for his friend to hurry up, then began scrambling down the small, muddy embankment in a rush to get a closer look. Turning around, Zac caught sight of his friend, half-slipping, half-sliding behind him, trying hard not to lose his balance.

Zac reached out, catching his friend's hand to steady his wobbly descent. "You okay, Matt?" shouted Zac, flashing him a smile when he saw a thumb's up sign.

"Hey, it's the same bus that cut us off a while ago!" cried out Matt, stunned. "I'm positive!"

Zac nodded in agreement, remembering how the gigantic bus had appeared out of nowhere, nearly colliding with them when it suddenly swerved onto the freeway during the dust storm. With a yell of "come on", Zac carefully wove his way towards the toppled bus, the feeble glow from the bus's interior lights the only illumination helping to guide the way. He grimaced as his hand came in contact with a needle sharp bush and wisely raised his hands above his head, thankful that he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and denim jeans.

The underbelly of the bus appeared before them, effectively blocking Zac and Matt from any kind of a view inside, so Zac signaled to his friend to split up and they separated, circling the enormous bus from opposite ends. Trying to keep the driving rain from pelting their faces, Zac and Matt bent their heads, their hands carefully outstretched as they traced the perimeter of the bus, hunting for any sign of an opening.

Rounding the left side of the fallen bus, Zac's fingers came in contact with an immense windshield. Excited, he began rubbing the mud-smeared window with the back of his sleeve in a wide, circular motion, hoping for a better look. Finally clearing a large enough section to see through, Zac pressed his face against the window, gazing in. With a dissatisfied grunt, Zac scooted over to the other side of the windshield, vigorously wiping in a different spot, unable to see anything on the first try. Another circular hole, another attempt to peer through…oh, shit! Zac stumbled backwards into the muddy brush, screaming in horror as the grotesquely mangled and bloodied face of the driver stared lifelessly back at him.

Turning his head, Zac knelt on one knee and breathed in deep gulps of air, trying desperately to suppress the urge to vomit. Careful not to glance at the windshield again, Zac struggled upright and began to curve around the corner of the bus, still searching for an opening. Hands pressed upon the bus's exterior, it took him only a second to recognize that he was touching the roof. Zac stood there in frustration, thwarted in his attempt to reach any occupants inside, knowing that the bus's side door was inaccessible to him. Wondering what to do next, Zac froze for a moment, not sure if he heard his name being called out. The rain and wind had lessened in its intensity and he cocked his head to one side, straining to listen. There! Hearing the muted but excited cries of his name being shouted, Zac struggled in the muddy soil to locate Matt. He found his friend at the bus's rear section, pointing animatedly at the back window, watching with fascinated alarm as the window shook again and again from repeated forceful blows.

Before Zac could get closer, the window cracked then shattered as a heavy boot smashed through. Once, twice more the boot lashed out, kicking the remaining shards away. An arm, then shoulder, and finally a head popped out, the bloody face almost unrecognizable. Swallowing down his nausea once more, Zac hurried over to him, yelling for Matt to come help. With great difficulty they managed to ease the wounded man out, all three panting from the exertion.

Stepping back a moment to wipe the rain from his brow, Zac was startled to see Matt frantically struggling with the injured person, a huge, brute of a man who was shaking Matt like a rag doll. Horrified, Zac rushed near to help his friend, only to be backhanded viciously across the face.

"Where, where?" Zac heard the man scream, watching as Matt pointed up towards the road. "Give me the keys, now!" roared the obviously insane man, his demand terrifying by the way his massive hand was wrapped around Matt's throat. Gagging, Matt fished wildly into his pocket, dropping to his knees as the bloodied man released him to snatch up the offered keys.

Incensed, Zac lunged at him, only to be shoved violently backwards. Zac tumbled into Matt and they both crashed to the ground in a tangled heap. Helping his friend back up, Matt watched in disbelief as the injured man made a mad scramble up the embankment, disappearing from view.

"He's stealing our truck!" rasped Matt hoarsely, trying to shake free from Zac's grip in order to give chase.

"No! Matt, no! Are you crazy? He's twice as big as you!"

Zac yanked hard on his friend's shoulder. "Forget it! Let him go!" Remembering the busted rear window, Zac glanced back at it and then faced Matt. With one hand he reached out to grab a hold of Matt's sleeve, dragging him towards the bus. "Come on, come on, we gotta help!"

Sliding one leg in, then another, Zac carefully maneuvered himself through the exposed window, turning to help haul Matt in. Stepping on some overturned object, Matt nearly lost his footing and reached out to grab Zac before he stumbled. Righting himself, he didn't hear the sharp intake of breath coming from Zac, nor heard what Zac said, his own words drowning out Zac's.

"Holy Mother of God," Matt breathed, viewing the scene before him.

CHAPTER NINETY-SIX – RESCUE

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his jaw and left arm, Xavier scrambled up the side bank, heaving himself up towards the highway. Squinting in the dim light for the truck, he spotted the vehicle a few hundred feet away and limped to it, wondering if he had also injured his leg in the crash. Not feeling any noticeable pain in his leg, he shrugged it off, not concerned with anything but reaching the safety of the truck and getting the hell away. He opened the door deftly, glad that he still had use of his good right hand. It had been only through a miracle that his fall had been cushioned by the body of a Backstreet Boy, otherwise he knew he would have been more severely injured.

Squeezing his large frame into the small cab of the truck, Xavier fumbled for a moment with the unfamiliar keys before finding the right one. The little truck roared to life and Xavier shifted it into gear, thankful that it was automatic, rather than standard shift. With a squeal he merged onto the highway, not pausing to seeing if any traffic was coming his way.

* * * * * * * * *

Zac and Matt both stared in shock, dumbfounded at what lay before them. It looked like an explosion had occurred; bits and pieces of gear, luggage, and whatever broken remnants had been violently thrown out of their containers. The tilt of the crushed bus gave it a bizarre perspective and it took Zac and Matt a moment to visually correct their sight. It was then that they noticed the bodies, the weird and twisted shapes of the bus's occupants.

"Shit!" inhaled Zac with a sharp hiss. Wading through the paraphernalia, trying to hop over the slanted seats, Zac snarled in frustration as he tried to reach the first prone figure. The man was lying on his side, face turned away, and Zac stretched as far as he could to touch him. No response. Scooting, wedging himself as close as he could, Zac managed to get a hold of the guy's wrist and wrapped his fingers around it, feeling for a pulse. Good! It was strong, not the least bit thready.

"Matt, I've got one! He's alive! Can you get to yours?"

"I'm trying!" grunted Matt, crawling haphazardly through the chaotic mess. It was more difficult to reach the other man than he thought, having to weave himself past Zac without banging into him. He passed Zac and the hurt young man, stopping for an instant to look. All he could see in the soft illumination was the man's dark jacket and pants, a stark contrast to the blonde hair that was matted in blood. "Is he gonna be all right?" Matt huffed as he heaved himself closer to the collapsed figure.

"How the hell should I know?" hissed Zac. "You're the one whose dad is a surgeon!"

"Oh, and that makes me automatically a doctor?" scoffed Matt angrily. "I got a scholarship in athletics, not medicine, Zac!" They both glared at each other, nervous, troubled, and afraid. A soft moaning broke eye contact and they turned to see the injured blonde man moving slightly.

"Okay, don't move him!" advised Matt. "Talk to him, ask him where he's hurt. Don't move him!" admonished Matt again as he creeped towards the other slumped figure.

"All right, all right!" agreed Zac, biting his lip. He tentative touched the man's shoulder, then withdrew, remembering Matt's warning. "Hey…hey you, wake up. Wake up. Listen to me. Can you hear me?" Anxious, Zac glanced at Matt who had now reached his target. With a more audible moan, the blonde man moved a fraction more, turning his head to Zac’s side. Zac peered closer, trying to see. Except for a rather nasty injury running along his jawline and a cut high on his forehead, he seemed facially intact. Zac breathed a sigh of relief, remembering all too well the mangled face of the dead driver. Bending nearer, Zac nervously touched his face, trying to wipe some of the blood away. The injured man's eyes flew open, blue orbs staring back at him in panic.

"It's okay, it's okay," soothed Zac, not sure exactly what to do. "You're gonna be all right. We saw the bus tip over. We'll help you. Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

The young man mumbled a reply and Zac strained to listen. "What? What? I can't hear you! What's your name?"

Zac caught the name. Nick. Or was it Rick? He couldn't be sure. "Okay, Nick, look at me. Look at me! That's it. My name is Zac. Can you see two of me?"

"Idiot!" yelled Matt, listening. "Ask him where he's hurt! Jesus!" Shaking his head, Matt returned to examining his own injured person.

"Right! Right! Okay Nick, how ya feeling? Where does it hurt?" Seeing the blood oozing freely down Nick's forehead, Zac yelled at Matt.

"Hey, he's bleeding! A lot!"

"Don't move him!" reminded Matt. "Find some kind of cloth. See if you can get him to press it to his wound!"

Nodding, Zac scanned around, finding, of all things, a sock. Snatching it up, he leaned over Nick only to find the bloody young man struggling to sit up.

"No, no! Don't get up. Stay where you are!"

Nick groaned, ignoring Zac's warning. His jaw hurt like a son-of-a-bitch and this guy's frantic cries only added to the pain. "I'm okay, I'm okay…I think," admitted Nick, wincing as he sat upright. "Leave me alone…Jeez!" He swatted irritatedly at Zac's hand when he realized Zac was trying to shove something into it.

"Take it, take it!" urged Zac.

"No."

"Nick, you're bleeding!"

Nick blinked several times, uncomprehending. "Bleeding?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah! Bleeding! Here, here, like this, press it like this." Matt gently guided Nick's hand up to his face. "There, that's it, right there."

Nick winced as he pushed on the wound, the pain immediately clearing his bewilderment. "Oww! Shit!" He suddenly realized that not only his jaw and head throbbed, other parts were now too screaming for attention. "Oww, God, it hurts!"

Zac's eyes opened wide. "Where? Where?"

A wave of nausea overtook Nick and he turned, gagging from the taste of blood. "Everywhere," he replied weakly, wiping his mouth. "Help me."

Agitated, Zac shot a frantic look over to Matt, who seemed to be helping a man sit upright "Matt! Matt! We need more help!"

"I know!" yelled Matt back in frustration. They had tried to call for help as soon as they had seen the accident, but the combination of rain, wind and location had rendered the cell phone completely useless. "What the hell do you want me to do about it?" he shouted, glaring at his friend.

Matt turned back to the dark-haired man who was bent over, swaying a little. Glad to see no visible injuries, he touched him tentatively. "You okay? Are you gonna be all right?" Matt studied the slim-figured man, watching him cautiously as he nodded his agreement. Sighing audibly, Matt grinned. "Great. My name is Matt. Do you have an emergency medical kit on board? Your friend there is hurt."

Startled, this news seemed to shake the last cob-webs of confusion away and the young man straightened up. "Yeah, we've got a med kit." His brown eyes widened for a moment as he took in the sight before him. "Oh my God," he whispered and Matt moved closer, a worried line creasing his brow.

"It's okay, you're okay. Everything will be fine. What's your name?"

"AJ. My name is AJ." With a shaky hand, AJ rubbed his mouth. He couldn't seem to think clearly. Oh yeah. "The med kit." His eyes darted around the tumbled interior. "I don't know where the kit is," he said helplessly. Remembering Matt's words, AJ's fingers dug tightly into Matt's flesh, alarmed. "Hurt? Who's hurt? Who?"

Seeing him clearly for the first time, Matt gazed at him curiously. He sure looked familiar. "Uh, your friend over there… Nick." He pointed towards Zac, who was hovering over Nick.

"Nick? Nick!" AJ struggled to remember something else, something that also screamed for his attention, but for the life of him he couldn't concentrate on anything but finding his friend.

Matt heard the beginnings of panic in AJ's voice and frowned as AJ began to stumble over towards Nick. "Hey, no! AJ! Wait!" Realizing that AJ was not going to listen, Matt crawled after him, shaking his head in exasperation. He caught up, watching along with Zac as AJ hesitantly skimmed his hands over Nick, his voice shaky with concern.

"Nick, Nick! Look at me. It's AJ, man. Come on."

AJ's pleading struck a chord in Nick and with some difficulty Nick turned his head towards him, his blue eyes glazed with pain. "AJ?"

"I'm here."

"What happened?"

"The bus crashed, Nick. Remember?"

"Yeah." Nick groaned a little.

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere." Narrowing his eyes a little, Nick surveyed his friend, troubled. "Are you hurt?"

AJ shook his head. "Naw. Bumped my head pretty good, but otherwise I'm fine."

Nick groaned again, grimacing as he shifted gingerly into a more comfortable position. "How come you are always so lucky? I hate you, you know that?"

AJ visibly relaxed, feeling slightly giddy with relief. "He'll be okay," he informed Matt and Zac with a slight tremble in his voice. "Anytime Nick can joke, means he's fine."

Nick glared then applied more pressure to his jaw. Recalling who had caused the pain, Nick glanced at AJ in dread.

"Where's Xavier?"

Startled, AJ scanned around, his gut wrenching in fear. "Good question. I don't know."

He rubbed his head gingerly, wincing slightly at the touch. Why couldn't he think straight? He was missing something, or someone…

"Xavier? Is he large, dark-looking?"

"Yeah."

"Is he a friend of yours?" asked Zac.

"No."

"Oh, well he smashed out the back window and just about strangled Matt trying to steal our truck! I feel sorry for the person who makes him really angry." Matt and Zac shook their heads in disbelief.

AJ wavered for a moment, suddenly remembering. "Brian."

Nick looked at him, their shock simultaneous as they gaped at each other in alarm.

"Who's Brian?"

"Brian! Brian!" yelled AJ, as if he was an idiot. Frantically peering into the depths of the bus, AJ grabbed Matt. "There's more!"

"More?"

"Yes. Oh God! Brian! Kevin! Howie! There's more! Help me find them!" Shoving roughly away, AJ started a mad scramble towards the front of the bus.

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