Lance followed Ray from a safe distance ducking behind something every now and then when the bigger man went to turn around and look behind him. He wasn't ready for the bodyguard to spot him just yet, concerned that if he did he would never get to the bottom of the man's strange behaviour and his suspicions of the bigger man.
Lance quickly ducked behind something for what seemed like the millionth time as the bodyguard once again looked over his shoulder. He was starting to wonder whether or not Ray knew that he was following him and was in fact leading him somewhere or to something, and Lance was now questioning his judgment in not telling anyone his suspicions and following the bodyguard alone.
He was fairly certain Ray had yet to see him though. He had been following him for the last twenty minutes and the bodyguard - other than the questionable checking over the shoulder - hadn't given Lance any real sense that he knew the younger man was following him. Strangely enough in all the time they had been walking Ray was not making any attempt to flag down a cab. An event Lance was grateful for but puzzled by none the less� that means wherever they were going it had to be fairly close by and easily accessible on foot. It also means that if Lance's suspicions were right and they were heading towards where JC was then their bandmate had been taking to a place not an hour from them this whole time.
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JC moaned loudly as his beaten body was dragged back into the small room and dropped to the floor. He lay still hoping they would just leave him alone and not tie him up, but much to his disappointment hands grabbed at his arms and roughly jerked them behind his back once more. He groaned loudly as pain stabbed through him, his bruised body reacting to the sudden movement. He waited quietly as course rope was once again wrapped around his wrists and tied off tightly cutting the circulation to his fingers and then as the man moved lower doing the same with his ankles. A gag was pressed into his mouth and tied tightly behind his head and then the man left him there, the loud clicking sound of the lock turning over signifying their departure.
He tried to roll over off of his stomach and sore ribs into a more comfortable position but stopped short as pain took a hold of his body yet again. To say that they hadn't been happy with his escape attempt would have been an understatement. They had beaten him up pretty badly to the point where JC was certain every inch of his body was going to be black and blue. He was also fairly certain that at least a couple of his ribs had been broken throughout the beating. Everything hurt and he was having a hard time focusing on any one thing, right now he was desperately fighting not to lose consciousness.
He had gotten to speak with Joey and while he could hear the worry and panic in his friend's voice and the voices of the rest of his bandmates in the background it was nice to hear the friendly and somewhat reassuring voice. He hated himself for being the cause of such distress.
A loud noise coming from somewhere in the outer room caused JC to jerk from his thoughts abruptly and pain once again overtook his body and blackness crept into his vision until there was no choice but to give into it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lance watched as Ray stopped a short distance away from a large building that looked as though it was used as a warehouse for storage. A shorter building stood just off to the side and he went and hid himself behind it. He watched as the older man paced back and forth a bit muttering something to himself. Deciding to try and move a little closer and see if he could hear what the bodyguard was saying Lance tried to inch himself quietly around the garbage cans his was partially standing behind when something rubbed up against his leg making him jump and inadvertently knock over the garbage cans and he tumbled over them falling to the ground causing the bodyguard to spin around and spot him.
"Thanks a lot." He muttered to the tabby cat as it sat staring at him, meowing in response to Lance's acknowledgment of its presence.
"LANCE!" Ray yelled and Lance couldn't help but wince at being noticed and the angry tone. "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!"
"I'm following you." Lance said dully standing up and brushing off his pants.
"Do the others know you are gone?"
"No as far as I know only I have you figured out so far."
"What does that mean? I think you better start explaining things quickly Lance�"
"NO� I think you are the one that needs to be explaining things Ray." Lance said his frustration and anger getting the better of him.
"I have no idea what you are talking about�" Ray said stunned.
"I don't believe you. Let me guess that's where they are keeping him?" Lance asked pointing towards the warehouse.
"I�"
"What was it Ray? Money? They promised you a cut of the ransom? Or have we been so terrible and demanding of you that you decided to put us all through this?" Lance said ranting and raving starting to go red in the face from anger.
"No Lance, it wasn't anything like that� you don't understand." Ray said trying desperately to get the blond to calm down.
"Then what was it Ray? You better start explaining right now or I'm walking back to the phone over there and calling the police." Lance said practically screaming now.
"It was debt. I had several thousand dollars worth of gambling debts and was foolish enough to take a loan from them. And when it came due I didn't have it. They threatened to kill me Lance, to kill my wife and children I couldn't let that happen!"
"So instead you arranged to betray JC and us by planning for his kidnapping?"
"They promised me that they wouldn't hurt him. That in a couple days it would all be over and he would be returned safe and sound."
"THAT IS NO EXCUSE RAY! We treated you like you were part of our family! Family doesn't go and do this to each other." Lance screamed
"I know that Lance but what else was I suppose to do?" Ray said desperately.
"Did you ever think to tell us? To tell Lonnie? We could have helped you."
Ray's silence was all the answer Lance needed. He sighed and shook his head bowing it slightly so that he wasn't looking the bodyguard in the eye.
"You and I are going to get him out of there. Tonight." Lance said
"Lance I can't�" Ray tried
"Yes you can. You got him into this and you are going to get him out of this!" Lance said anger clear in his voice. And Ray to stunned at this side of Lance that is rarely seen could do little else but nod.
"Listen I don't know where in the building he is and it probably isn't a good idea for you to be seen around here. Wait here, and try to stay out of sight while I try and find out where they are keeping JC. Then I'll come back and we will figure out how to approach this." Ray ordered.
Lance was going to protest being left behind but the older man simply turned and jogged toward the building without giving Lance a chance.