In a dimly lit room in some �abandoned� building 33 year old Ray Adams stood in front of local lone shark Tony Collins, surrounded by several of the latter�s men. Ray was an extremely big guy, in both height and weight, particularly compared to the men that were currently surrounding him, in his particular line of work he almost had to be, and you would think that alone would intimidate the numerous men around him, but instead, Ray himself was the one that stood nervously waiting for the man in front of him to acknowledge his presence.
Several of Tony�s men had shown up just an hour earlier telling the big man that his presence was required and when Ray tried to refuse stating that he was currently on duty the men did not hesitate in showing him the guns each one of them had in their possession and quickly escorted him to where their boss�s workplace was located.
�Well?�� The man in front of him finally asked
�I�m sorry Tony but I still don�t have your money�. I�m working on it and if you�d just give me maybe another month or two I�ll for sure have it ready for you by then and even with some interest probably�� Ray started babbling but was quickly interrupted
�Raymond, Raymond, Raymond, you mean to tell me that you are one of the bodyguards to one of the biggest groups out there right now and you don�t have a measly � of a million dollars handy at any given time�.? You swore to me that you were good for the loan and it would be nothing to pay me back��
Noting the shocked look of the bodyguard in front of him Tony had to chuckle slightly.
�Ah yes Raymond I know all about your job including who you work for and how much they make a year.�
�But�� �
I�ll tell you what Raymond I�ll make a deal with you� you either get me my money or you bring me at least one of those kids so that I can ransom him to pay for your debt��
�I can�t��
�The minute his ransom is paid, and not any sooner I might add� I will erase your debt completely and that will be the end of our acquaintance.�
�How can you ask me to do that? Those kids are like my little brothers! I can�t just sell them out like that!�
�Well it is either that Raymond or well I�m afraid I�ll be forced to have you killed.�
A look of fear, realization and defeat quickly passed over the larger man�s features as the words just spoken sunk in.
�Can I at least have a couple weeks to think about it? Try to get your money another way?� Ray asked hopefully.
�Certainly Raymond, I�m not a completely unfair man I�ll give you two weeks, but be warned in no more than two weeks time one of three things will happen.
A.) You will pay me my money,
B.) You will bring me one of those nice boys you guard, or
C.) You will die.�
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He had been walking aimlessly about for a couple hours thinking of his wife and children, how that he couldn�t just leave them� his children were so small only babies� But the boys whose lives were entrusted to him were also like a family to him, they were his family away from home. How could he just go and change all of that. But there was no way he would be able to get that kind of money in just two weeks it was impossible�
So wrapped up in his thoughts Ray hadn�t even realized that he had unconsciously made his way back to the venue where the guys were playing until he had stumbled into the Nsync toy room and came across the five guys wrapped up in what appeared to be a tickling battle/wrestling match and couldn�t help but smile at the sight in front of him.
The boys were all in one big pile, slightly pink from exertion and laughing so hard, still going at it as the bodyguard watched. Noticing that one of the boys had managed to sneak out of the fight and sit off to the side watching the spectacle with a smile on his face. However the others would have none of that.
�Hey guys! Looks like Jace isn�t having enough fun!� Chris exclaimed to the other 3 members of Nsync
�Ya JC don�t you want to be part of the excitement?� Justin added
�I have been, but now I�m resting in case you three idiots have forgotten we have to perform in a couple hours, it is time to save energy not spend it.� The Brown haired man replied with a smile.
�I don�t know I think he needs to have some more fun what do you guys think?� Joey asked, evil smirks spreading across the four faces across from JC.
�Oh no you stay away from me!� He exclaimed attempting to back up as his band mates approached him.
�Attack!� they all yelled and pounced on their brother, his small skinny frame mixed with the four of them working together allowing them to easily pin him to the ground and sit on him keeping him in place.
�Get off me!� JC said while trying unsuccessfully to hold his laughter.
�Oh hey Ray, where have you been, haven�t seen you in couple hours.� Lance said after looking up and finally seeing the bodyguard.
�Oh you know out and about Lance, making sure everything is cool� So it looks like you guys have been keeping yourselves amused�� Ray added with a smirk� �Care to get off the skinny man before you crush him?�
A chorus of four �Nopes� and one �Yes� rang out which set the bunch off into another fit of laughter.
�Ok, but JC here is right you guys should start thinking about conserving energy now�� Ray said knowing that there was no chance of that� �I�ll see you guys in a bit� he added with a chuckle and exited the room, smiling as he heard the laughter and noise pick up again. �Poor JC�� he thought with a smile and shaking his head while walking down the corridor.
The musical tune of his cell phone going off jarring him once again from his wandering thoughts.
�Hello?�
�Hi Ray.� The voice of his wife came through the phone.
�Hi sweetheart, anything wrong?� She didn�t normally call him until after they had the boys secure in the hotel or buses for the night unless something was wrong.
�No not really we all just miss you. Sammie was crying today because she missed her daddy� do you think there is any chance you can get home for a visit sometime during the month?�
The word month stopped Ray in his tracks completely, he might not live passed two weeks if he didn�t get Tony Collins money� but he was needed at home and in that instant he knew what he had to do.
�Sure babe, I�ll try to get some time off in a couple weeks�.�