The Price of Friendship Chapter 7
Russell Johnson watched the video monitors as the events surrounding the experiment slowly unfolded before him.
One monitor displayed Marco kneeling over the sleeping form of Joey with the unconscious Lance lying not far behind them, tightly bound and gagged. A second monitor showed a now semi-conscious Justin sluggishly struggling against his tight bonds as he lay on the forest floor. The third monitor revealed Lance and JC still searching for Justin with Davis not too far ahead of them.
�It looks like the plan is coming along nicely dear.� Leigh Johnson walked into the room and set a cup of coffee down in front of her husband.
�Yes�I do believe it is. The next phase will begin soon.�
The pair returned their attention to the third monitor and watched as JC and Chris continued their search for Justin.
�Justin! Justin!� JC and Chris had been yelling their friend�s name for almost an hour without luck. They were genuinely becoming worried. In less than an hour they would have to turn back and head to the beach where Lance and Joey were waiting for them.
�Hey�sh�� hissed Chris. He turned his head in the direction of a sound he had heard.
�Did you hear something?� whispered JC as he quickly turned left and right, looking for any sign of movement.
�Look�I think I see something up ahead�something moving on the ground.� Chris pointed at some slight movement in the underbrush about 50 feet away.
�Do you think it�s an animal or something?� JC searched the ground around him and spied a large stick that he quickly picked up.
�I don�t know�let�s just be careful.� Chris took tentative steps in the direction of the movement but stopped again when he heard slight grunts coming from the brush ahead.
�Did you hear that?� Chris turned to look at JC and saw that the young man�s eyes were just about to pop out of his head.
�Chris�it�s a person up there�a really big person.� JC pulled Chris down to the ground when he realized that the large man had not yet seen them.
The two men stayed completely still and watched as the man again bent over the lump on the forest floor and seemed to be doing something to whatever was lying there. The grunts that they had heard earlier were turning into very shallow groans and then there was no sound at all. They continued to watch as the man finally stood up and looked directly at them. Both young men�s breaths caught in their throats as they looked at the blank expression written upon the man�s face. Then, the man pointed at them and then brought his hand down to point at the figure lying on the ground at his feet.
�Oh�oh no,� whispered Chris.
�What?� JC hissed as he watched the man slowly turn and walk away into the dense underbrush.
�Justin�that could be Justin up there.� Without a second thought, Chris leapt up and raced toward the form lying on the ground. JC quickly followed suit and they both managed to reach the figure at the same time.
Russell and Leigh brought their attention to the second monitor so that they could watch what JC and Chris were going to do next.
�Oh no�I was right,� said Chris as he dropped heavily to his knees beside the semi-conscious Justin who was feebly struggling against the bindings wrapped around his wrists and ankles. His eyes were closed and he seemed completely unaware of JC and Chris� presence.
�Chris�he�s bleeding,� JC touched at the scalp wound and traced the thin trickle of blood that trailed down the young man�s face. At JC�s touch, Justin jerked away, eyes still closed and his movements became more sluggish than before while small whimpers could be heard escaping from the young man�s gagged mouth.
�Let me see.� Chris bent over closer to see that the wound was bad, but not so bad that he and JC would not be able to handle it.
�Justin�Justin�it�s Chris and Jace. We�re going to help you now�you�re safe�you�re okay�� the older man murmured as he looked over Justin�s still weakly writhing form. Both Chris and JC realized that Justin still did not seem to comprehend that the hands that were now touching him were those of his friends when he began to moan and thrash his body about in an attempt to move away from them. JC and Chris looked at each other and then, back down at Justin�s writhing body�both unsure of exactly where to start.
�Justin�Justin�you need to be still�we�re not going to hurt you,� Chris again murmured as he ran a slightly shaking hand repeatedly over Justin�s sweaty hair. His stroking motion seemed to calm Justin and his writhing motions slowly began to turn into slight movements.
�Is he awake?� asked JC as he looked for an easy way to reach the bindings since Justin was lying more on his back than on his side.
�I don�t think so. Let�s turn him over onto his belly so that we can get this stuff off of him.�
�Support his head Chris and I�ll turn him over.� Chris positioned himself over Justin�s head and carefully held it while JC pulled Justin�s now limp body over so that he was now lying on his stomach, giving them better access to the bindings. The pair carefully began untying the bonds that were wrapped tightly around Justin�s hands and ankles.
�Why do you think that guy did this?� Chris paused long enough to look around him.
�Do you think he could come back?� JC asked. �Do you think we need to worry about him coming down to the beach?�
�I don�t know. Oh man, it looks like Justin has been here for awhile, Jace. Look�his ankles are a mess.� JC turned to look Chris� pained expression before looking down at Justin�s ankles to see that there were deep, raw welts that had formed along with bruising. He brought his gaze back to Justin�s wrists and noted that they were not in much better shape.
�His wrists look the same�maybe even worse.� With a shake of his head, Chris moved from Justin�s ankles when he had finished his task and began untying the gag wrapped tightly around Justin�s head.
JC moved up to kneel on the other side of Justin and carefully lifted the young man�s head as the gag was finally removed only to reveal that the corners of Justin�s mouth were slightly bleeding and chafed from the pressure of the rough cloth.
�Justin�Justy�come on�wake up.� JC carefully gave the young man�s face some slight slaps as he spoke. In the mean time, Chris pulled his shirt off over his head and began to tear it into strips. He looked around him and saw Justin�s near empty water bottle lying a few feet away in the thick growth. He quickly grabbed it and handed it to JC as he spoke
�Here�use some of this water to pat on his face. That might help. I�m going to use these strips to wrap around the welts and sores around his ankles and wrists.�
�Okay�I�ll wrap one around his head too,� JC said as he poured some water over one of the cloth strips then lay it across Justin�s sweaty brow.
It was several minutes later when Justin finally showed signs of consciousness. His eyelids fluttered then opened as he groaned when JC and Chris turned him over onto his back and then into a reclined position.
�Justin�we need to get out of here,� Chris said urgently, patting Justin�s face with a wet strip of cloth in an effort to speed his coming to full consciousness while JC stood up and gazed about them, making sure that they were still alone in the forest.
�Wha�where�� Justin asked in confusion as he shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. He opened his eyes and looked at Chris and JC with a dazed expression on his face.
�JC�Chris�what happened?� Justin reached up and touched the small strip of cloth that JC had wrapped around his head. As he did that, he noticed the cloths wrapped around his wrists and began to whimper in fright as the memory of the attack came back to him.
�He was choking me�he had a knife�I couldn�t breath�I thought I was going to die�� he whimpered in fright as tears streamed down his face.
�J�it�s okay�he�s gone�we�ll talk about it later�� JC crooned as knelt down and wrapped a protective arm around the shaking man�s shoulders.
�Sh�we need to get up J. I know you don�t feel like it, but we need to get back to the beach now,� Chris said with urgency in his voice. JC and Chris stood up and pulled Justin to a standing position. The young man swayed uncertainly on his feet, but remained standing.
�Let�s go.� Chris and JC pulled Justin�s arms over their shoulders and took off at a good pace toward the beach.
Russell Johnson stood up and walked over to a microphone mounted on the wall by the video monitors.
�Marco,� he stated as he turned his attention to the first monitor to watch as Marco stood up and looked toward the camera hidden in the trees.
�Yes sir.�
�They have found Justin and should be back at your location within the next 15 minutes. Have you completed your task?�
�Yes sir, but he did show signs of a reaction to the drug that you wanted me to administer so I did not give him the full dosage.�
Russell gave the screen a hard gaze with the information that he was given.
�What kind of reaction?�
�His breathing became somewhat labored and he had the beginnings of a rash forming around the injection site.�
�How is he now?�
�His breathing has returned to normal and the rash is beginning to disappear.� Marco heard Mr. Johnson sigh.
�Do you want me to go ahead and carry on with the plan?� Marco asked as he returned his gaze to the now moaning Joey.
�Is he awakening?�
�It appears so.�
�What about the blond?�
Marco took a few steps in Lance�s direction and saw that he had yet to open his eyes or move from the same position that he had been in for the last hour or more. Marco returned to stand in view of the camera.
�He has not moved a muscle Mr. Russell.�
�Fine. Go ahead and complete the task. Make sure that his bindings are loosely done. We need others to think that you were surprised by their approach.�
�Yes sir. Do you want me to administer some chloroform?�
Russell Johnson contemplated the question for a few seconds before answering.
�No�gag him firmly to prevent his crying out any kind of warning and go ahead and make the bindings around his wrists tight. Leave his ankles loosely bound. That will help in keeping him occupied until his friends arrive.�
�Yes sir.�
Marco returned to Joey�s side and saw that he was now awake and struggling to sit up. Marco took some delight in seeing Joey�s shocked expression when he spied Lance�s unconscious and bound form lying some 10 feet away.
�Lance�� Joey looked up at the giant of a man approaching him and screamed, but then suddenly became silent when the man powerfully tossed a knife in Lance�s direction. The knife embedded itself in the log that Lance was lying beside, just above his head.
�You�ll not do that again if you want your friend to live�understand?�
Joey meekly nodded and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he continued to back away from the approaching figure.
�Stop, or I will kill him,� the stranger said as he moved back toward Lance�s prone figure.
Joey stopped and held out his hands.
�Wait�okay,� he stammered nervously. �I won�t move any more.�
�Good�now lay down and turn over on your belly.�
Joey complied with the order and looked fearfully over his shoulder as the large man approached him carrying several lengths of rope in his hands.
�Hands behind your back.�
�Please don�t do this,� Joey whispered, his voice full of fear as the man knelt beside him. If he were tied up, who would take care of Lance�how could he warn JC and the others? These questions swirled madly in Joey�s mind as his left arm was jerked behind him and held in place as his right arm was also jerked behind him. Joey winced in pain as one of the coils of rope was tightly wrapped around his wrists.
�Why are you doing this?� Joey asked, his voice trembling in fear. Maybe if he were able to get the stranger talking, he could delay him long enough for the others to come, but the stranger remained silent. Joey�s fear began to grow as he felt the man grabbing at his ankles to tie them also. Moments later, over his shoulder, Joey saw the man pulled another length of rope out a bag then he was lashed into a hog tie. Unbeknownst to Joey, the man had decided to totally ignore the orders that he had been given only minutes earlier�Marco was enjoying the feeling of power that was surging through him as he overpowered the young American at his feet.
Once Marco had finished binding Joey hand and foot, he then pulled from his pocket a long piece of rough cloth. He bent over Joey�s head and pulled the cloth tightly between the young man�s lips then tied the ends off behind his head.
�That should keep you busy for a while boy.� Marco stood up and watched in amusement at Joey�s futile attempts to pull at his bonds.
Just seconds later, Joey and Marco could hear the voices of JC, Justin, and Chris as they approached the beach.
Joey frantically began grunting into his gag, trying to warn his friends, but he knew that his warnings would go unheard.
Marco bent over Joey, pushed him onto his side and put a meaty hand onto his neck, lifting the young man�s head up.
�Nighty night Joey,� he whispered as he raised his fist and slammed it into the side of Joey�s head.
Joey�s last vision was of the sand rushing up to meet him as Marco released his throat, allowing his head to hit the sand.
With a grin of satisfaction, Marco stood and waved at the trio emerging from the trees before racing into the thick undergrowth just ahead of him.
The Johnson�s sat down in nearby chairs to continue sipping their coffee all the while reveling in the fact that the plan was indeed getting off to a good start.
�You will need to deal with Marco, won�t you dear?� Leigh asked as she watched her husband shake his head in slight annoyance at Marco�s last act against the young American.
�Yes�yes, I will, but first things first, my dear. The plan will first be putting into play.�