The Price of Friendship Chapter 28
Fear was not the word that Chris would use in describing the emotion that was threatening to overwhelm him. Chris had to admit that his vocabulary was limited as to what word would best express what he was feeling. Terror�dread�horror�panic�alarm�those were all words that came to mind as he glanced wildly at the room that he had been put in a short time ago.
Chris swiveled his head as far as his restrained position would allow him in order to further take in his surroundings. Along two walls of the large room were two windows, which were opened�a breeze gently blowing gauze-like curtains about. Chris�s gaze then wandered from the fluttering material to a third wall that held a door which had been locked when the four, dark-skinned men had left him alone in the room, not that it really mattered. He wasn�t going to be going anywhere�not for a while anyway. Finally, Chris strained to look behind him at the fourth wall and found that it was void of any windows or doors.
About 10 minutes ago he had been unceremoniously dumped on his stomach onto a high, four posted bed. He felt a knife slice through the ropes wrapped about his wrists and, before he could react or try to make a move to escape, he was flipped over to his back and his hands had been tightly bound before him then drawn over his head and tied to the bed�s headboard. His blindfold was yanked down and retied over his mouth creating an even thicker, impenetrable gag and his legs were pulled taunt, spread eagle and tied to the footboard. All of these actions took less than 2 minutes causing a whirlwind to swirl about in Chris�s head so quickly that he felt an overwhelming sensation of dizziness wash over him.
With a small groan that was barely heard due to the cloths over his mouth, Chris looked pleadingly up at his attackers in an effort to communicate with them, but he was ignored and left alone.
As Chris began to fully realize how helpless his situation actually was, a lone tear made its way down his face and disappeared into the fabric covering his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut and allowed the dam behind his eyes to break and his tears began to fall in earnest for himself�for his loss of Justin�his friends, whom he may never see again�his family�for what was to come at the hands of the strangers. The tears fell heavily and finally, after several minutes of muted weeping Chris cried himself into an exhausted sleep.
Davis and James knew who was probably behind Justin�s violent attack and more than likely why, but now was not the time to discuss it. For the moment they needed to get the injured young man and JC somewhere safer than out on the trail�especially with night rapidly falling, but they did were not sure if the cave would be the best place to head back to. They could not escape the possibility that Marco and his cousins were possibly still nearby or soon returning and they didn�t want to take the chance that the cave could possibly be discovered. As a result, Davis and James decided that one of them would take JC and Justin to their mother�s home while the other returned under the cover of night to the cave to lead the others to safety of the house before morning.
Davis knelt down beside JC who was still cradling Justin�s limp form in his arms. The three had managed to tie crude bandages over the worst of Justin�s cuts and scrapes knowing that they would have to wait until they reached a safer location to properly care for the young man�s injuries.
�JC�we must take him to my home,� he said in quiet tones. He watched as JC nodded his head, not looking up from the head of brown curls resting in his lap.
�What about the others? We need to take them there too, don�t we?� JC asked in hushed tones. If Justin was able to face such a terrible fate, couldn�t Lance and Joey?
�Yes,� Davis answered as he waved for his brother-in-law, James to join them.
�James is going to return to the cave and help my brothers bring your friends to my home once night has fallen while you and I take Justin to my home tonight.� Davis saw that JC seemed to think the plan through before looking up at him.
�That sounds like a good plan, Davis, but I don�t think we should wait to help Justin until night time,� JC quietly commented. �He needs help now and Chris�we need to find him�you know where he is�we need to go get him.�
�Yes�I know that my young one, but first we must take care of this one,� Davis said as he placed his hand on JC�s shoulder and pointed to Justin. �We will take care of him now. James will wait until it is night to return to the cave. He will use the darkness as a cover so that the hiding place will remain secret.�
�Okay, but what about Chris?� JC asked in a voice full of anguish.
�When we have everyone at my home, my brothers and I will go to find him�I promise this to you�we will find him.�
�Not without me,� JC said firmly. �Chris will be scared. He doesn�t know you�he�ll need me. You�ll have to take me.�
�Yes�you are right,� Davis admitted. �You will come with me and my brothers, but for now, we must get your friend to my home.�
With those decisions made, James helped to lift Justin�s limp form from the ground and carefully slung him over one of Davis�s broad shoulders.
In their native language Davis and James exchanged some words. Although JC could not understand what was being said, he could see that whatever was being said was heartfelt. Davis had reached out with one hand to grasp one of James�s hands in what looked like an emotional good-bye. It was then that JC truly understood the danger that was surrounding them all. He stood in silence, listening to the words�possibly the last words that either man might speak to each other.
Minutes later, the group separated. James slinked into the heavy undergrowth to wait for nightfall while Davis, carrying Justin with JC close behind him, walked on the trail toward safety.
Lance felt his muscles twitching back to life. He felt a cool rag on his forehead and felt cool hands smoothing his hair back from his forehead.
�He waking�eyes�they move,� a voice said in the background.
�Lance�you fine now�sew cut,� another voice said, but this time right beside him, causing Lance to slightly jump in surprise. Lance slowly opened his eyes and gazed up into the dark brown, almost black eyes of Thomas, who was leaning directly over him. Weakly Lance reached up to his head and found that a cloth had been wrapped about it. A hand gently grasped his and Thomas shook his head at him and lowered his hand to his side.
�No touch�later touch.�
Lance cleared his throat and Thomas reached behind him and took a water soaked cloth handed to him by Matthew. He motioned for Lance to open his mouth and he carefully placed the cloth in his mouth.
�Um�you�um,� he said as he struggled with the words that he didn�t know. He then made a sucking noise and Lance had to bite back his weak laughter.
�I need to suck on this,� he said in a voice full of amusement.
�Yes�suck�no drink�too much make sick,� Thomas said with a large smile. He quickly turned his head and spoke rapidly to Matthew, relating what he and Lance had just spoken of. Both men laughed and looked down at Lance who was slowly drawing the liquid from the cloth in his mouth. Minutes later, Lance pulled the cloth from his mouth and handed it to Thomas.
�Um�how is Joey doing? How long was I asleep?� Lance slowly drew himself up so that he was propping himself up on one elbow. He looked a few feet away to see that Joey was still unconscious but appeared to be resting more comfortably than before. A cloth was still wrapped about his right arm and his coloring looked better than it had before he had put to sleep.
�Joey�much finer�no more hot. You sleep�three�what you say�um�� Thomas once again struggled with the words.
�Um�hours�was that what you meant to say?� Lance asked.
�Yes�hours.�
Lance slowly sat up with the dark man�s help. He had to sit still for a moment or two to allow the room to stop moving as a wave of dizziness passed over him, but soon he was able to scoot over to Joey�s side. He ran his hand over the side of Joey�s face and was instantly relieved to feel that his temperature was almost normal.
�Thank you for taking care of both of us,� Lance said quietly as he looked up at both men seated on the floor beside him. �I really appreciate it.� Both men nodded at Lance and Thomas was about to speak when a body burst through the waterfall covering the cave�s entrance.
Lance�s first instinct had him quickly drop from his knelt position to cover Joey�s body with his own while Matthew jumped to his feet and stood in a defensive posture. In the meantime, Thomas had quickly put himself in between the intruder and Lance and Joey. It took just seconds for the entire group to realize that the person who had jumped through the water was a very out of breath James.
Words were flying quickly between the three natives while Lance, in confusion, brought himself up from over Joey�s inert form.
�What is it my brother? What is wrong?� Thomas asked as he jumped to his feet and strode quickly over to James�s side. He grasped the man�s arms and searched his face for any clues to what had caused him to burst through the cave�s entrance like that.
Matthew grabbed a leather pouch filled with water and thrust it at the older man who gratefully took it from his hands and began to greedily drink from it.
In between gulps he explained what had happened on the trail. Once finished, he apologized for his abrupt entrance.
�I was to wait until nightfall to come to you, but realized that carrying the one called Joey in the damp air might not be best. I wanted to make sure that no one had followed me so that is why I entered the cave so suddenly.�
�You were right in coming sooner,� Thomas said as he motioned at Matthew to begin gathering items from the floor.
�We must leave now�as quickly as possible.�
Lance watched in bewilderment as the three natives quickly gathered their belongings from the cave floor.
�What�s going on?� he asked. �Did something happen?� Then he suddenly realized that JC was not with James and he put two and two together.
�Where�s JC�did you find Chris and Justin�oh man�where are they?� he asked in a voice that was quickly escalating in the panic that he was beginning to feel.
Thomas stopped what he was doing and dropped to the ground beside the distraught young man and, in quiet tones began to explain what James had told him.
Lance became more and more distressed as Thomas repeated James�s story. Chris taken somewhere�Justin presumably left for dead�JC going with the four natives to look for Chris on another island.
�We need to get out of here,� Lance said once Thomas had finished. �JC won�t be going anywhere by himself,� he quickly added as he grabbed what few belongings that he and the rest of the group had managed to save two weeks ago after the boat accident.
�You need to stay with Joey�Justin. They not know us�they afraid. You help them not afraid,� Thomas said in his broken English. He could only imagine the agony that the young man before him was facing�being torn into several directions at once�not knowing exactly who he could help best.
Lance stopped his movements and looked at the older man before him. He knew deep in his heart that the native was right in his thinking. Joey and Justin would need him once they would awaken just as Chris would need JC in knowing that he can trust the four men who would be helping him.
�You�re right,� Lance said. �Let�s get going so you and JC can go get Chris.�
It didn�t take much longer before the group was on their way out of the cave and into the dense cover of the forest.
Davis stepped up onto the wood porch of his family�s small bungalow and pushed through the blanket that was draped over the front entrance.
�Mama,� he called out as he carried his limp burden into his mother�s bedroom and laid him on her bed.
�My son?� Imelda called out as she walked into the home through a back entrance. She entered her bedroom and was startled to see a new figure lying upon her bed. Her gaze traveled from her oldest son, who was bent over the figure to the dark haired young man who had lay injured in the same bed the previous evening.
Alarmed, the woman rapidly began speaking to her son as she left the room for a basin to fill with water and a rag to wash the new, young man�s face with.
�My son�what has happened? Is this another one of the Americans?�
�Yes, Mama. He fell into Marco�s hands.�
�Marco�oh my heavens.�
Imelda rushed back into the room and pulled a stool up to the bed�s side and quickly glanced over the young man lying before her.
�I will need bandages, my son. Bring Thomas�s healing ointments from the shelf in the next room�bring his healing powders also. We will make him something to drink for the pain that he will be feeling when he awakens.�
�You�okay�my son?� Imelda asked JC as she waited for Davis to return with the items that she had requested. She saw pain and sadness wash over his face while he shook his head slowly.
�No ma�am,� he whispered without looking up. He kept his gaze on Justin as he continued to speak quietly to the older woman. �I don�t understand what is happening to us...why all of this is happening to us. We only wanted a vacation�just a simple vacation away from our families�management�the fans. That�s all�just a simple vacation and now we�re fighting for our lives and I don�t understand why.� JC�s voice choked and he quickly ran a hand through his hair, being mindful of the bandage still wrapped about his head. He knew he wasn�t making much sense, but right now, nothing was making any sense to him�nothing at all.
The woman dropped the cloth she had been running over Justin�s features. She tentatively reached out to the young American seated before her, not knowing how he would react to her offer. JC took one look at the kindness etched on the old woman�s face and he immediately stood before her then dropped into her open arms.
�Sh�sh�my son�my son,� the older woman crooned into JC�s ear. �You go home soon. Friends okay�promise.�
With those words said, no other sounds could be heard in the room save JC�s weeping and the occasional gentle tones the woman uttered as she would to one of her own children in their time of distress or sadness.
Davis stood in the doorway and watched realizing that his earlier actions had brought the young men into this situation�this nightmare. Somehow, with the help of God, he would make things right�even if he had to pay the ultimate price of the pain he caused with his life.
An opening door brought Chris out of his uneasy slumber. He jerked awake and his eyes darted wildly in the direction of the door on the wall directly across from him. He tensed up in anticipation of who might walk into the room. With quick breaths, Chris watched as the door swung open slowly to reveal an older woman. Chris�s spirits lifted immediately at the sight before him. Surely this woman would find his position to be horrifying and would quickly release him and let him go.
Chris mumphed as loudly as he could into his thick gag and pulled at the bindings wrapped about his wrists and ankles knowing that she would most likely understand that he wanted to be untied.
Much to his surprise, the woman did not rush across the room to give him aid. Instead, she simply stood at the doorway and stared at him in an almost disinterested manner.
Again, Chris thrashed about the bed against his bindings and moaned into his gag and this time, the woman spoke.
�You don�t know how long my husband has waited for someone like you to come,� she said in a breathy voice.
Chris looked at her in deep confusion.
�You have no idea,� she said as she slowly crossed the distance between the door and the bed on which Chris lay. Once at the bedside, she looked down at the figure and with a small almost shy smile she sat down at Chris�s side.
�For years Russell�my husband worked tirelessly,� she said with pride evident in her voice and on her face. �He worked very hard to develop a serum that could be used to control emotions�to bring out the best in people or bring out the very worst in them.� Chris looked at the woman in confusion. Where was she going with this one sided conversation and what did it have to do with him?
�You�you will be the test subject for my husband�s greatest work,� Leigh said as she reached down to caress the side of Chris�s face. She watched the young man lying before her. The emotions that played upon his face deeply amused her. She saw confusion�the dawning of understanding�disbelief�fear�they were all expected and much appreciated by the woman.
With a small smile she leaned in and gave the young man a gentle kiss on his forehead. As she drew back she saw disbelief once again cross Chris�s features.
�My husband will begin his work with you tomorrow. In the meantime, you must rest.� With that said, Leigh reached into one of the deep pockets of the apron she was wearing over a floral print dress and pulled out a small brown bottle and cloth. After opening the bottle, she poured a small amount of liquid onto the cloth, soaking it.
Chris began to writhe upon the bed and voice his protests but to no avail.
�This will help you to rest,� Leigh commented as she grasped Chris�s face in one hand and firmly placed the soaked cloth over his face with the other.
Chris struggled against the woman�s hands, but knew that his situation was indeed hopeless. As he drew in one breath, his thoughts began to swirl with the drug�Justin�JC. Another breath�Lance�Joey. A final breath�someone�please help me.