Chris looked about at the chaos within the room. They had received the ransom call from JC's kidnappers about an hour before and now the room looked like a 3 ring circus. There were police everywhere, one group talking about how they can trace the money, another about how they could orchestrate JC's return, and another talking about possible locations the kidnappers could be holding JC based on sounds heard in the background of the call verses the amount of time it took them to call when JC was first taken, hoping that they could find the young man before it ever came to giving the money over.
In another corner sat their manager Johnny Wright. He had been on the phone basically non-stop since the call came in trying to organize the money the kidnappers were requesting. He had talked to the banks, the record company, accountants and everyone else trying to figure out the best way to come up with the money in under 24 hours.
Joey was sitting quietly beside him on the couch staring off at something in front of him. He had come to sit down shortly after the phone call had been replayed for the others and had yet to move significantly or say anything since. Chris being the one who had answered the first phone call could understand what could possibly be going through Joey's head right now and simply patted the bigger man on the back when he had sat down and left it at that. Choosing instead to keep an eye on his friend but letting him work through whatever he was thinking at his own pace.
Justin was walking back and forth in front of him and Joey. He was on his cell phone to JC's parents letting them know what was happening. Judging by the phone call he was being asked more questions then he really could answer. He focused on the young man pacing back and forth in front of him for a few minutes listening to Justin's end of the conversation.
" I don't know Mrs. Chasez� No� yes I know� I don't know that either. I'm sorry Mrs. Chasez all I can tell you is that it was definitely him and he said that he was fine and that they had not hurt him� Pardon? 2 days� Yes, Johnny is working on it now we are hoping by mid-day tomorrow. Oh. I� Yes� No, I understand�"
Chris couldn't help but smile slightly at his young friend's difficulty. Getting dizzy from watching Justin pace Chris searched out the remaining figure he was interested in checking up on. Scanning the room Chris furrowed his eyebrows when the object of his search wasn't readily spotted. Looking around the room again he frowned realising that Lance was in fact not in the room at all. The sofa dipped beside him as Justin sat down, apparently finished his phone call.
"I swear if there was any doubt where JC gets it there isn't anymore." Justin said trying to get the oldest Nsyncer to smile. Frowning when Chris seemed to ignore him and search around some more.
"Hey what's wrong Chris?" Justin said growing more concerned.
"Have you seen Lance?" Chris asked not looking at Justin.
"Well isn't he around here somewhere?" Justin said searching the room for signs of their bandmate as well, realising that they were in fact missing the bass signer. "Well maybe he just went up to his room to get some sleep or something? I'll go check." Justin continued getting up off the couch and making his way through the crowd of people to the stairs.
Chris watched as his bandmate disappeared upstairs only to return again a few minutes later shaking his head.
"He isn't in his room or any of the other rooms upstairs." Justin said grabbing Lonnie's arm as the bodyguard went to move by him. "Hey Lonnie, do you know where Lance is?"
The bodyguard as Chris and Justin had done looked around the room quickly then over to where his staff was noticing that Ray was nowhere in sight either.
"Did you check upstairs Curly?" the bodyguard said watching as Justin starting nodding before he even finished his sentence. "Well Ray isn't here either the two probably went for a walk around the building or something. I wouldn't worry guys, they'll probably be back any minute."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ray entered the building with little more then a couple dirty looks from some of Tony's men. He knew right where to go to find Tony Collins. He opened the door to the big room that he knew Tony used as his office and immediately saw the man sitting at his desk talking to a few of his men and made his way over.
"Why Raymond. What a nice surprise." Tony said looking up and noticing the bodyguard standing there. "Don't you think it is a little risky coming here? After all you didn't want anyone to know your part in this whole plan� What if I had had the kid out here with me and he was awake? He would have seen you and then you would have been in trouble."
"I know that Mr. Collins but I had to come and see that you were keeping your end of the bargain and hadn't hurt JC." Ray said trying to keep a steady face, knowing full well he had already been found out.
"Aw now Ray that isn't very nice not to trust me."
"Why should I? I only owe you 750 thousand, yet you are asking for a million."
"Now Ray� lets call it interest. Besides what would it look like a big pop star such as JC and a ransom that wasn't even a measly million dollars?"
"Where is he?" Ray changed the subject.
"In that room over there." Tony said pointing to a door across the room.
"Is he awake?"
"No. One of my men checked a few minutes ago."
"I want to see him."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lance was pacing back and forth waiting for Ray to come back. The bodyguard had been gone for twenty minutes or so and Lance was again starting to think it wasn't wise on his part not telling anyone where he was going.
He stopped to look at his watch for the 7th time in the last 2 minutes only to resume his pacing once again moments later.
"Ok. He has 10 more minutes and then I'm going to go call the police." Lance thought to himself stopping yet again to check his watch noting the time.
Lance was about to start his pacing again when a hand reached out from behind him and clamped itself over his mouth stifling the surprised scream that came out of the singer.