72 Hours, Ch. 8

Arrangements were being made downstairs with hotel management for another suite while Chris and Justin were being prepared to be moved into the new suite that they would be sharing with Dr. Shannon upon his arrival from Orlando. Johnny had bodyguards, Mitchell and Simon moving about in the boys’ rooms gathering their few belongings together while Mike and Lonnie were with Johnny in the room that Chris and Justin were currently sleeping in.

Chris was still heavily under the influence of the sedative that he had been given after hearing the kidnapper’s phone call and would have to be carried by one of the men. Justin, on the other hand, was somewhat more alert and would be able to make the move with their assistance.

“Now…why are we moving again and why is Chris so out of it?” Justin asked watching the movement about him, his voice somewhat sleep laden due to the tranquilizer that he had taken a few hours earlier. He had no idea what had happened to Chris nor did he know that the kidnappers had made contact. Johnny was waiting not only for both Justin and Chris to be more alert, but also for Dr. Shannon’s arrival before disclosing what had happened during the first phone call. He knew that the physician would be able to provide a certain level of calm to the pair…something that he was certain was going to be needed even more so for the next several days.

“The hotel doctor gave Chris another sedative…that’s why he’s sleeping so hard,” Johnny quietly explained, stepping out of Lonnie and Mike’s way as they moved to Chris’s side.

“We’re moving you into a different suite…doctor’s orders,” Johnny added, not revealing the doctor’s identity as he sat down at Justin’s side and carried on a quiet conversation with the young man, which soon turned more into a one-sided conversation when Justin slowly drifted back into a light slumber.

In the meantime, Mike and Lonnie quietly began discussing how they wanted to move Chris to the new suite.

“Okay…I’ll get the door and you can carry him, or…vice versa,” Lonnie said indecisively as he watched Mike pull away the light blanket that had been draped over Chris’s still form without the young man even being aware of the movement or their presence.

“That’s fine,” Mike replied before bending over Chris, gently running a large hand over his young charge’s head.

“Hey…Crazy. I need to take you to another room…okay?” he quietly whispered into Chris’s right ear, letting him know what was going on so that he would not become alarmed in his drugged state if he did become aware of the situation. The bodyguard really didn’t expect Chris to respond and wasn’t at all surprised when there was no sound or movement in response to his statement. Mike then gently grasped Chris’s shoulder and ran his other hand once again over the young man’s head before adjusting his lax body so that he could be more easily lifted off the bed.

“Alright, Chris…here we go on three,” he said while looking at Lonnie who was ready to help guide Chris up from the bed.

“One, two, three,” Mike murmured as he pushed his right arm under Chris’s knees while at the same time lifting the young man’s shoulders off the bed with his left arm. On three, Mike in one fluid movement, lifted Chris off the bed and gently held him against his chest, seemingly without any effort at all. At the same time, Lonnie reached over and carefully guided Chris’s lolling head forward until it rested against the crook of Mike’s thick neck then moved toward the door across the room.

Johnny felt his heart sink as he watched Chris being carried through the bedroom door and into the suite’s living area. He could feel the enormity of the situation weighing heavily on his shoulders. Fighting the mixture of emotions raging within him, he turned his attention back to Justin, preparing him for his move by removing the blanket covering him, all the while praying for all five of the boys, their families and for the strength and guidance in knowing what to do and say in the days to come.

* * * * * * * *

“Okay…Mr. Bass…you’re first,” one of the four masked men said as he stooped down before the obviously trembling young man while another of the men stood nearby, pointing a handgun at him.

Just seconds before, the masked men descended the basement stairs causing Lance’s heart to once again begin to beat wildly within his chest while his breaths seemed to become caught in his throat. He hated the fact that he was unable to stop his body from shaking, but there was no way that he could control the intense fear coursing through his being as he looked directly at the gun pointed in his direction. For a small instant he found the entire situation rather ironic. Just a few hours earlier he had fainted due to his heart acting up. Minutes later, he had come to with two of the kidnappers leaning over him, seemingly to be working feverishly to get his heart back into a regular rhythm and now…now, they were creating a situation where his heart was once again threatening to jump back into its irregular, sluggish pattern.

Lance’s frantic thoughts were temporarily interrupted when the gunman took a step forward. In the background he could hear Joey and JC’s quick, shallow breaths as the remaining kidnappers, who were also toting their own guns, confronted them. For a few seconds, Lance could only focus on the gun pointed in his direction, not hearing the words being spoken to him and the others until the man standing before him, knelt down into his line of sight. Lance immediately started and attempted to shrink back but stilled his movements when his shoulder was roughly grabbed.

“I’m going to remove your gag and you will take another pill…this one is going to help continue to keep your heartbeat regulated,” the figure said as he first forcibly pushed Lance from his side to his chest then grabbed a handful of his hair and pressed his head to his mattress, causing him to mumph into his gag in both surprise and discomfort. The muted grunts of pain that sounded from behind his gag became louder as Lance endured the pulling of the sticky tape away from his face and hair while Joey and JC winced at the sounds of distress coming from the younger man.

JC felt tears pricking the back of his eyes as he watched Lance writhe in pain not ten feet away while Joey felt a certain level rage beginning to build up within his being…fury against the men holding them captive and anger against the fact that he was unable to provide protection for his younger brother. Furiously, he tugged at the bonds holding him immobile, knowing that his efforts were futile, but at least he felt as if he was doing something.

“I don’t think I need to remind you that if you choose to speak…someone is going to get hurt,” the man prompted, ignoring JC and Joey as he briefly stopped what he was doing in order to roughly pull Lance into a seated position. Lance nodded his head then tightly clinched his eyes shut as he felt the tape once again not only pull hair painfully away from his scalp but also skin from his face. He winced when he felt his bottom lip suddenly split then grimaced when he tasted blood mixed with the sour residue left from the tape when, instinctively he licked his lips. Glancing back up at the kidnappers, he remained silent throughout in the hopes that if he kept their captors happy, he and the others might be spared further injury.

Once the tape had been pulled away, the rope that held his arms behind his back was removed as well as those tied about his ankles. He couldn’t help but flinch as feeling slowly began to return to his numbed limbs and found it difficult not to groan aloud when one of the other kidnappers bent over and roughly grasped his left arm in an effort to get him upright.

“Stand up, Mr. Bass,” the man said, his grasp becoming so tight that Lance gasped out in pain then moaned even louder when he was pulled forcefully to stand upright. His legs and feet instantly screamed in protest to the sudden movement after having been suffering from hours of inactivity and restraint. His knees then gave out on him and he had to depend upon the hand tightly grasping his arm to keep him from tumbling face first to the floor.

“Ahh…please,” he whispered hoarsely, the pain causing him to forget his promise of remaining silent. “Just…just give me…just a second…please…my legs…feet…I can’t…they hurt…please,” he quietly pleaded, before slowly realizing that he had just put one of his brother’s in a dangerous position and he quickly glanced up at the strangers around him, his eyes wide with panic and fear.

“Please…please don’t hurt them. I’m sorry…I know…I’m sorry…please…don’t…please” he franticly pleaded as inwardly, he shuddered at how pathetic his voice sounded, but he was desperate to protect JC and Joey. In the background he could hear Joey and JC’s harsh breathing and nothing more as he continued to stare at the four men all the while inwardly quaking…knowing that he had probably gone too far. He knew that he shouldn’t have said anything, but there had been no way that he could have remained silent…he had let the pain get the best of him and now maybe JC or Joey…maybe even both of them would possibly suffer as a result.

The oppressive silence weighed heavily on Lance’s shoulders until finally, one of the men spoke.

“Fortunately for your friends, I’m in a very forgiving mood right now, Mr. Bass,” Lawrence said as he stepped closer to the young man’s trembling form. In response, Lance took one tentative step backward but his attempt to move further away were stopped by another pair of hands that tightly grasped his right arm. With eyes wide with growing fear, Lance glanced at the three men who were now surrounding him.

“Notice that I said it was fortunate for your friends, Mr. Bass and that makes it not so very fortunate for you.”

With a small nod of his head, Barrett and Zachary pulled Lance’s trembling, protesting form away from the middle of the room toward one of the far darkened corners while Cary briefly closed his eyes then took a deep breath.

“Guys…we just got his heart regulated again,” he reminded them, knowing that Zachary was well aware of the fact since they had both been the ones to watch over the blond for more than an hour until his breathing and heart rate had stabilized.

“Be careful…okay?” he added, frustration evident in his tired voice.

“Cary…you need to shut up,” Larry growled from the opposite side of the room, causing the younger man to cringe.

‘Geez…I hope I just didn’t make it worse for that Bass kid,’ Cary thought before slowly rotating his head on his shoulders in an effort to relieve some of the tension he was beginning to feel build in his neck before looking down at the two figures still lying on the floor at his feet. He instantly regretted having done so when he saw the anguish on JC’s ashen face while Joey’s face revealed intense anger, causing him to be thankful for the fact that the young man was still tightly bound, unable to lash out.

Cary swallowed hard then knelt down so that he was at eye level with the pair. For several seconds, he made no effort to speak, knowing that there were really no words that he could say to either one of them…he was the enemy…the dangerous foe and, no matter how badly he was beginning to feel about it, he would continue remain in that position until the nightmare would be over with the ransom being received.

From the dark shadows beneath the staircase, sounds began to drift out toward the middle of the room. The unmistakable sounds of someone being hit…hollow sounds of fists hitting solid flesh…moans and grunts of pain…harsh breathing…more pain filled moans…then…then a sound that caused the two young men to suddenly still and stiffen their awkward postures on the floor…the sound of Lance’s low voice pleading…no…begging for the beating to stop, but Cary knew that that would not make much difference to Lawrence…very little at all. With a small shake of his head, Cary looked at JC before beginning to speak to the pale figure.

“I’m going to untie you, Mr. Chasez. There’s no need for me to warn you about speaking, is there?”

Not expecting a response, Cary made quick work of releasing JC of his bonds all the while feeling Joey’s hateful gaze bouncing off his back. Just as Cary finished untying JC, shuffling footsteps along with the distinct sounds of something or, more than likely someone being dragged across the dirt floor could be heard.

“Hey…Cary…get the first aid kit,” one of the men said aloud, his voice full of amusement. The man stooped over JC slowly stood up then turned around to see Zachary pulling Lance’s still form over to his mattress all the while hearing Joey’s muted, but distinctly angry cries and JC’s quiet sobs.

* * * * * * * *

Dr. Shannon walked anxiously down the ramp toward Mike Headnot, his stomach in knots over the reasons why he had been asked to rush to New York.

“How was your flight, doc?” the bodyguard asked trying to put the man at ease as he reached for one of the medical bags that the he was carrying.

“Long, Mike…long. How are the boys? Any word on Joshua or the others?” he asked, his tone almost desperate while at the same time hushed, understanding that he needed to keep his voice low so that those around them couldn’t hear him. As of yet, the kidnapping had remained out of the media and it needed to remain that way until the proper time.

“Justin and Chris are doing about as well as expected, doc,” Mike answered just as quietly, his eyes roaming about at the people passing by, to and fro, always on the lookout for trouble of any kind.

“We haven’t heard any more about the others…not yet, at least. The investigators seem to think we’ll hear from them in the morning sometime.”

Dr. Shannon sadly nodded his head at the information as he followed the bodyguard through the crowded terminal to where the rest of his baggage was located. The pair made small talk but for the most part, they immersed themselves in tense silence, both knowing that there really weren’t any words that could be said to make the situation any better…none at all.

After fighting through more crowds, as well as security surrounding the baggage claims area and waiting through more than and additional thirty minutes of delays, Dr. Shannon’s baggage was finally gathered. Mike then led him to a limousine parked outside and the driver quickly placed the baggage, with Mike’s help, into the trunk while Dr. Shannon got inside the vehicle.

“It’ll take about 45 minutes, doc before we get there,” Mike said as he settled himself into he seat opposite the doctor who simply nodded his head before turning to watch out the window as the vehicle merged into the slow flow of traffic.

“Well…accounting said that they would take care of everything,” Johnny said, his voice taking on an almost monotone quality as he hung up the phone with an exhausted sigh. He had spent the better part of the day following Lance’s desperate phone call scrambling to find the money necessary to meet the kidnapper’s demands. The actual difficulty did not lie in being able to raise that amount of money…$12 million…since the group had very often made that much money, if not more in a week or two’s worth of concert dates. The difficulty lay in transferring the money through the proper channels. All assets were tied in various investments and commitments. Certain shareholders and investors also had to be notified of their dilemma and advised on what to say and not to say to those who might ask questions. And, if that did not cause enough complication, the tags that the investigators were placing upon the money at the same time was making the job of handling the ransom demands even that more problematic. The FBI and others who were handling the investigation into the kidnapping were placing carefully developed tracers on the accounts being set up for portions of the monies being demanded, as well as notifying officials at the various banks holding the accounts listed during the phone call. Investigators were also working to come up with some special measures that would help in tracing the cash that would eventually be carried by hand to the yet to be disclosed area that the kidnappers wanted Chris and Justin to deliver it to.

“When will it be here, Mr. Wright,” Detective Tarkington asked as he sat down on the far end of the couch.

“Jeffrey Gable, one of our senior accountants said that the accounts would be taken care of by midnight and that the cash would be here in the morning just as soon as the banks opened. Mike and Lonnie will be able to withdraw the money after a few last minute phone calls are made.”

After speaking, Johnny glanced down at his hands in his lap as he tried to calm his tumultuous thoughts.

“The kidnappers want Chris and Justin to take some of the cash to them,” he said in a low voice, more as a statement than a question.

“Yes…that’s something that we’ll need to plan for very carefully. While you were on the phone, we worked out some preliminary plans. You did say that their personal physician would be here this evening, right?”

“Yes…Dr. Shannon should be here within an hour or two,” Johnny answered. He had overheard some of the plans and didn’t like them…not at all. “What do you need with their doctor?”

“I’d rather not get into that right now, Mr. Wright,” Detective Grayson said as he walked up to the pair after overhearing their conversation. “Plans haven’t been finalized yet, we’re just needing the doctor’s opinion to help us in making some decisions.”

He didn’t think Johnny needed to hear all of what they possibly had planned until they were ready. There were still some details that would need to be ironed out first and the chance of having Johnny possibly attempting to interfere with those plans was something that no one wanted to see happen. He would need to remind Johnny, family and friends that the ultimate goal was to have the three kidnap victims returned safe and sound through any means necessary…even if that means involved putting the lives of Justin and Chris into temporary jeopardy.

“Have you spoken with family members lately, Mr. Wright?” Detective Tarkington asked, hoping to change the direction of the conversation and fortunately, he was successful.

“Umm…JC’s parents called again…so did the Fatone’s,” Johnny answered tiredly recalling the anguish and fear he heard in the voices of those family members he spoke with. Speaking with both families had been heart-wrenching enough. Knowing that he had three more families to speak with was causing a small headache that he had been trying to ignore to slightly escalate in intensity. He lightly rubbed his temples as he continued speaking.

“Lance’s parents are supposed to be calling around 10:00 this evening. Lynn, Justin’s mother and Chris’s mother, Beverly will be calling sometime later this evening too. They know…they know about the demands and…and they have strong feelings about their sons participating in the demands.”

While Lynn had adamantly forbade Justin from complying with any demands being made by the kidnappers, Beverly had been almost the exact opposite in that she wanted Chris to do whatever he felt he needed to do. She realized that with her son being almost 30 years old, he was fully capable of making his own decisions and would do so anyway…no matter what her feelings on the situation.

“When they call…I want them to hear the tape of Lance’s phone call…that just might persuade Mrs. Harliss to allow her son to help out,” another detective said as he stepped forward.

Johnny shook his head. In no way did he want the two women to hear what he and Chris had heard, but he knew that it would probably create the turning point in Lynn’s mind if she did happen to hear it.

“Mr. Wright…all families involved need to hear that phone call…no matter how difficult it will be for any of them. You do understand that…don’t you?”

In response to the last statement, Johnny simply nodded his head in agreement…he had no more words to say…none at all.

More than an hour later, Dr. Shannon strode behind bodyguard Mike Headnot, down the long, narrow hallway leading to the suite where Chris and Justin had been moved to several hours before in anticipation of his arrival. Much of the hour-long drive from the airport to the hotel had been spent with Mike answering as many of the doctor’s questions as he was capable of. Now the only thing on the doctor’s mind was getting to Chris and Justin as quickly as possible.

The phone call that he had received earlier in the day from the group’s manager, Johnny Wright had been totally unexpected. Granted, he had received phone calls in the past concerning the health and well-being of JC, Joey, Chris, Justin and Lance but never had he even dreamed that he would get a phone call like the one he had earlier in the afternoon.

‘Kidnapped…they’ve been kidnapped!’ his mind screamed.

“They’re right in here, doc,” Mike said quietly as he and Dr. Shannon stopped before a door near the end of the hallway.

“Hi, Mike,” a police officer said as he stood up from a chair he had been sitting on. “You must be Dr. Kenneth Shannon,” he added, putting out his hand. “I’m Luke Moyeda…NYPD.”

“Nice to meet you, Officer Moyeda,” the doctor replied shaking his hand after shifting one of his bags to his left hand.

“There hasn’t been any more word from the kidnappers, Mike,” the officer said without prompting. “Everything has been pretty quiet since we moved Mr. Timberlake and Mr. Kirkpatrick over here. I think we’re supposed to be hearing from one of the families in a few minutes. The…Bass’s I believe.”

Mike nodded his head and stepped back when the officer opened the door for he and Dr. Shannon and seconds later, the door closed behind them as they walked into the suite’s entryway.

“Is that Dr. Shannon?” a soft voice asked from across the room.

“Yes…I think so, J.”

Dr. Shannon immediately recognized the voices as being Johnny’s and Justin’s and he quickly made his way across the large room to the sitting area. Hearing the doctor’s approaching footsteps and Mike’s voice, Justin turned to look behind him.

“Dr. Shannon?” he said quietly as he stood up shakily from the couch on which he had been reclining while Dr. Shannon immediately put his bags down on the nearby coffee table before being almost instantly enveloped by Justin’s long, lanky arms.

No words were exchanged while Dr. Shannon held Justin’s shaking form and he soon realized that Justin was silently crying when he felt his shoulder becoming wet with the young man’s tears.

“Justin…shhh…Justin,” the doctor said quietly as he looked over the young man’s shoulder to see that Johnny was now standing along with a few others that he recognized as being the various bodyguards of the group. He and Johnny gazed intently at each other until Justin moved away and put his hands up over his face in an effort to wipe away his tears.

“Sorry…sorry,” he whispered as Dr. Shannon placed his hand on Justin’s shoulder, ushering him back to the couch while Johnny nodded his head at the other men, effectively dispersing the small group.

“I’ll go check on Chris,” Mike said quietly and was joined by Lonnie, while Dre and the others stepped into the kitchen area.

“Sit back, Justin,” Dr. Shannon said. “ I want to see how you are doing. Could you get the lights for me, Mr. Wright?”

Johnny moved away to turn on some lights as requested while Justin sank back into the pillows at one end of the couch.

“You need to check on Chris first, doc,” Justin murmured through his hands. “He’s been out of it since…since…since the phone call.”

Dr. Shannon nodded his head before realizing that Justin wouldn’t see his reply since he was once again struggling with more tears.

“I know all about it, Justin, but I want to spend some time with you first then I’ll see Chris. Maybe you’ll be up to going in there with me too.”

“Okay…okay.”

Dr. Shannon opened two of his bags and quickly went about the task of checking Justin’s vitals all the while asking the young man questions in an effort to not only find out how he was doing physically but also emotionally. After several minutes, Dr. Shannon was relieved to find that although Justin was doing fairly well physically, he didn’t like how slow his reflexes were, but the doctor knew that not only the medications that had been prescribed were more than likely the culprits but also the lack of restful sleep.

“Justin…I want you to get something on your stomach. I need for you to eat something for me, son,” Dr. Shannon said, but was immediately interrupted.

“I can’t…no…not…I just can’t, Dr. Shannon...no. I don’t want to,” Justin said quietly, his face dropping back into his hands while his shoulders began to shake with quiet sobs.

“Your stomach bothering you? Have you been nauseous…cramping? The medications might cause that kind of reaction, Justin if you don’t eat something.” Dr. Shannon concentrated on Justin’s shaking figure until Johnny carefully touched him on the shoulder then began whispering to him.

“Doc…he hasn’t wanted to eat at all because he doesn’t know if Joey, JC or Lance are being fed. He can’t stand the fact that he can eat when they might not be able to or possibly even allowed to,” Johnny said so quietly that both were sure that Justin had not heard a word.

Dr. Shannon looked up at the manager never expecting that response…but at the same time, he could also admit that he wasn’t in the least bit surprised at the young man’s reasoning. Justin had always seemed to be the most sensitive of the group when it came to his older brothers. And…in all actuality, Justin’s way of thinking made all the sense in the world, but he was going to have to find some way to convince the young man otherwise.

The doctor nodded in understanding then bowed his head, his thoughts tumbling about as he weighed his few options in trying to get the young man to eat. Mike had told him about what the kidnappers were demanding…that Justin and Chris deliver part of the ransom to an undisclosed location. He had also been told that neither Chris nor Justin had handled hearing the phone message very well. Although Justin had not collapsed like Chris, he had become physically ill, according to the bodyguard. Maybe he could try convincing him that he needed to eat in order to prepare to meet the demands, but that possibility caused his own stomach to churn.

‘Okay…I’ll check on Chris, then come back and tackle this problem,’ the doctor thought to himself before looking up at the young man.

“Justin…I’d like for you to do something for me…okay?” He had to watch closely to see Justin’s small nod before he spoke again.

“I need for you to just take it easy for a little while. I’m going to go check on Chris and I’ll be back in a few minutes…okay?”

The blond looked up and shook his head. “No…I’m coming with you, Dr. Shannon.”

He slowly turned on the couch and swung his legs over the side then shakily stood up. Not two seconds later, the color seemed to completely drain from his face and he wavered on his feet as a wave of darkness swept through him while the room seemed to tilt wildly back and forth.

“Whoa there,” Dr. Shannon said as he immediately stepped closer to the young man in order to grab the young man by the shoulders, preventing him toppling over. Justin seemed grateful for the help and did little in the way of protest when he was quickly lowered back onto the couch. Once seated, he lowered his head into his hands and gently rubbed at his temples with his fingertips, all the while muttering to himself about just being a little bit dizzy.

“This is exactly why you need to get something on your stomach, Justin,” Dr. Shannon said firmly, leaving no room for argument. “The dizziness will pass just as soon as you eat something…I can guarantee that.”

Justin simply nodded sadly in response to the comment without looking up, knowing that the doctor was right. Dr. Shannon patted his shoulder before picking up one of his medical bags.

“Mike? Can you show me where Chris is, please?”

“Right this way, doc,” the bodyguard said as he allowed the doctor to walk ahead of him toward two sets of doors on the far end of the room. “The door to the left, doc.”

“Thank you, Mike. I shouldn’t take very long in there. If I need any help in getting Chris up, I’ll call for you. In the meantime, call up some soup and a sandwich for Justin. If he argues about eating, tell him he can’t see Chris unless he does.

“You got it, Dr. Shannon,” Mike replied with a small smile before walking away while the doctor quickly opened the indicated door and stepped inside the dimly lit room. Walking over to a tabletop lamp, he turned it on, bathing the bedroom in an even warmer glow, revealing the still figure lying on one of the beds across the room.

“Chris? Chris?” the doctor called out as he walked across the room, noting that the slumbering figure remained motionless, other than the slow and steady rise of his chest.

Putting his bags down, the doctor walked into the nearby bathroom, grabbed a washcloth off the wall rack and quickly wet it then rung it out into the sink before walking back out into the bedroom.

He then sat down beside Chris as he folded the cloth then placed it on his forehead, all the while looking for some sort of response.

For a few seconds there was none…then…a small shifting across Chris’s features let the doctor know that the young man might be attempting to awaken.

At the same time, even in his deep state of sleep, Chris could sense that he was no longer alone…there was someone within inches of him…speaking to him…calling his name.

“Chris…Chris. I need for you to wake up for me…just for a few minutes,” a familiar voice said, softly pulling the young man from his deep, drug-induced sleep.

The feel of a damp cool cloth being removed then once again being placed on his forehead further brought him closer to the surface of consciousness and he mumbled something as he moved slightly under the light blanket spread over him.

There was slight laughter from the disembodied voice and Chris felt a cool, dry hand on his cheek. Then, without warning, soft, warm light invaded the darkness cocooning Chris when his right eyelid was gently pulled up.

“Nngh…ungh…mmm,” Chris moaned while trying to avoid the light. Sluggishly, he raised one hand and weakly grasped the wrist connected to the offensive hand when his right eyelid was allowed to close.

“Christopher Alan…it’s time to wake up…come on,” the voice encouraged and Chris made a great effort to fight against the strong pull of sleep.

“That’s it…keep on waking up…come on…come on…that’s it…almost there, Chris,” the voice said and somewhere, through the thick fog, Chris could finally put a name to the voice that was speaking to him.

“Doc…Dr. Shannon?” he whispered as he slowly cracked his eyes open to see the blurry and fuzzy, yet familiar figure of Dr. Shannon seated at his side on his bed.

“What…what are…what are you doing here?” Chris asked quietly, confused by the doctor’s presence in his hotel room in New York.

“Johnny called me early this afternoon and here I am,” was the doctor’s gentle response.

Chris simply nodded at the reply before allowing his eyelids to slowly droop shut again…the pull of the drugs were just too strong for him keep them at bay.

“Nope…Chris…come on, son. I need you to stay awake for me,” Dr. Shannon said as he gently patted Chris’ lax features, but his efforts were now going unrewarded.

“Boy…I’ve never seen you this out of it before,” he said, slightly puzzled and a little worried by the fact that Chris was unable to remain awake for more than 30 seconds.

With a deep frown, the physician glanced at the pill bottle standing on the small bedside table then leaned over and picked it up.

“Geez…no wonder,” he said with an even deeper frown marring his usually relaxed features. “Okay…I guess the hotel doctor thought you needed the big guns instead of what he told me he gave you. I guess you’ll be out a while longer, kiddo.”

With a small sigh, he stood up and readjusted the blanket covering Chris before reaching for one of the medical bags he had placed on the floor. With sure, deft movements the doctor made quick work of checking Chris’ vitals while at the same time keeping up a quiet, one-sided monologue knowing that even though the young man was seeming dead to the world, he would be able to hear his words…maybe not fully understand him, but would at least be able to hear his reassuring tone. The drugs that had been prescribed very often had some harsh side effects including nightmares and restlessness and, hopefully, he would be able to help Chris in avoiding those snares as long as he kept a watchful vigil over the young man.

Finishing his work, he picked up the damp cloth from Chris’s forehead and walked back into the bathroom to wet it again. At the same time, a quiet knock sounded on the door before it opened to reveal Mike holding a tray with Lonnie standing behind him assisting Justin in walking over to the table and chairs nearby.

“He said he’d eat if he could be in here with Crazy,” Mike said with a small smile and a shrug of his shoulders. Having a soft heart for Justin he had not had the heart to say no to his request. In a sense, he reasoned that he would be killing two birds with one stone in allowing Justin to eat in Chris’s room.

“That’s fine, Mike,” Dr. Shannon said with a small smile of his own. He walked back over to Chris’s side and laid the washcloth back on the young man’s forehead while Lonnie sat with Justin, who was taking small, tentative bites of his sandwich.

“It looks like it’s going to be a long night, Christopher,” the doctor quietly whispered. “A very long night, indeed.”

* * * * * * * *

JC, Joey, and Lance uneasily watched the last pair of feet disappear at the top of the stairway at the far end of the basement before releasing the collective deep breath that they had been holding. The three were all seated on their mattresses, their backs pressed against support poles, their arms pulled behind them and securely bound with duct tape. The kidnappers had also taped their ankles together, but had decided to forgo taping their mouths shut, without explanation or instructions.

Although they had not been directed to remain silent, the trio looked about them, somewhat fearful of taking a chance in speaking. After several more minutes of tense silence, it was Joey who decided to take that chance.

“Um…are you two doing okay? Lance…are you okay? Are you hurting or anything,” he asked, all the while watching the ceiling in anticipation of heavy footsteps sounding overhead. There were a few seconds of nervous silence, before Lance answered in a voice that was just as quiet and laced with pain.

“I’m…I’m doing…better…not hurting as badly since one of them gave me something,” he said incredulously before looking tentatively at JC, waiting for his reply but there was none.

“Jace…are you okay?” Joey asked as he pulled against his bindings so that he could better see JC’s features, which was next to impossible, since the older man’s head was bowed, his hair slightly hiding his face.

“Josh?” Lance asked, watching the older man raise his head then lay it back against the pole that he was bound against.

“Yeah…I’m doing okay, I guess,” JC answered, his voice momentarily faltering. “What about you, Joe? You going to make it?”

“I’m hurting, but…it’s just crazy,” he said with a shake of his head. “They beat us up…then they give us something for the pain. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“Like any of this does?” Lance said, his tone bitter as he tugged futilely at his bonds. “Nothing makes sense.”

“Well…there is one good thing, though,” JC said quietly. “At least we haven’t seen their faces. That has to be something in our favor. I mean…they’re bound to let us go if we can’t identify them.”

“You’re right, Jace. And…they’ve been feeding us too,” Joey added as he tried to find a comfortable position on his mattress before giving up on his attempts with a small groan of frustration.

“Geez…I can’t believe this is happening to us. We’ve been kidnapped…kidnapped,” JC said in disbelief. “World famous singers…kidnapped right off their tour bus out in the middle of nowhere.”

“Guys…it won’t be just us,” Lance said, looking at the others. “In less than three days…they’re going to have Chris and Justin here too.”

“What will happen to all of us then?”

“I don’t know, Joey…I don’t know,” JC answered sadly.