The panic on the faces of the four young men in the room was clear and immediate. It took a split second of silence before the room erupted in sound. The men who had just entered being bombarded with questions that grew more frantic with every one.
�WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE SHOULD SIT DOWN?�
�TALK? WHY WE WOULD WE HAVE TO TALK?�
�I DON�T UNDERSTAND?�
�WHERE�S JC?�
�IS HE IN HIS ROOM?�
�WHEN CAN WE SEE HIM?�
�IS HE HURT?�
�WHY IS RAY HERE AND NOT JC?"
�PLEASE TELL US HE ISN�T IN THE HOSPITAL?�
�PLEASE TELL US IT ISN�T WORSE THAN HIM BEING IN THE HOSPITAL?�
�FOR CRYING OUT LOUD LONNIE TELL US WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!! WHERE IS JC?�
Trying to compose himself before answering Lonnie took a few deep breaths and spoke in a voice that he hope held more confidence and control then he currently felt.
�You boys need to calm down. We are going to tell you what is going on but it isn�t helping anyone if you are like this. Have a seat please guys.�
He watched as the four remaining members of Nsync lowered themselves to various pieces of furniture with frantic and frighten looks passing amongst the young men. Once all were seated and at least remotely settled down he started talking again.
�Now I�m not going to lie to you boys because you�re all smart and probably have figured it out already. It isn�t good news.�
He had to pause here and cast a stern look at the 4 young men before him to get them to be quite again so he could continue.
�We�re not to sure exactly what is going on or what happened, that is why Ray and these officers are here. We brought them here so Ray only had to do this once. What I can tell you is that we found Ray unconscious just a little way from the car. He had been hit in the back of the head by someone and well� we can�t find JC anywhere.�
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�Yes� perhaps now is a good time for you and I to talk Mr. Chasez.� Tony Collins said. �Or can I call you JC? You don�t mind do you? I hate the formality of using a last name.�
Receiving nothing more than a glare from JC, he watched as his captive scooted back away from him a bit and attempted to right himself into a sitting position. Only to be unsuccessful and wince in pain as his head throbbed once again.
�Does your head hurt?� Uncertain of whether or not the man in front of him actually wanted an answer JC slowly and hesitantly nodded his head watching the man in front of him with a cautious and confused look.
�Not to worry it is just a side effect of the chloroform my men used on you it should go away soon.�
�Not to worry?� JC thought to himself. Surely this man knew that he had kidnapped JC and currently had him tied up on the floor of an unknown location with no apparent means of an escape in sight? �Sure not to worry the headache would go away in a while and all will be just peachy�. Never mind the fact that I will probably still be kidnapped and god forbid whatever else, but as long as the headache is gone��
�I�m sure you�d like to probably know what is going on? I know I would if I were in your position.� Tony said breaking him out of his thoughts.
JC nervously nodded his head again unsure if he really wanted to know what this man said, but certainly wanted to know why he was being held captive.
�You my dear boy are here as a kind of collateral. You�re here so I can collect the money that I am owed by someone you know very well. Someone who has betrayed you and your trust.�
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Ray cleared his throat and kept his head bent eyes focused on the carpeted floor. He was about to �reveal all he knew� about JC�s kidnapping and he had to be sure to choose his words carefully or else they would know he had something to do with it and he was afraid that if he looked up at the wide-eyed and pale faces of the young men before him he would mess up and reveal something he shouldn�t.
�Well� we arrived at the exhibit and there was a fair sized crowd outside of fans and reporters. I had asked JC if he wanted me to have them cleared away before he got out of the car, but he said no and got out. He signed a few autographs and talked to the fans then went over to the reporters and started talking to them. I don�t know about ten minutes later there was the sound of glass shattering. Since it was just me there with him I signalled to the museum employees to clear away the crowds and grabbed JC�s arm and out him back in the car and drove off. I couldn�t see anything and I had thought it was best to get him out of there until I knew it was safe. Just like I would do for any other of the boys if the situation had arisen with them. I had discussed security with Mr. Sterling earlier and he knew that in the event something like that occurred his men were to clear and check the area while I took JC a few blocks away to the parking lot you found me in to wait for his call telling us it was all clear. We pulled into the parking lot and I turned off the car and got out, went to the back to bend in and see JC� he was a little pissed that he never actually made it inside and we were talking about how it was for his own safety when his eyes focused on something behind me and he screamed for me to look out. I went to turn around and see what was behind me but before I could I was hit in the back of the head and that is the last thing I remember until I woke up and the paramedics were checking me out.�
�Michael Sterling said that he didn�t know where you had taken JC, are you sure you told him?� One of the officers asked.
�Yes, I�m almost positive I did. It is second nature to do so, so naturally I didn�t really think anything of it. But I�m sure I did.� Ray answered.
�So you didn�t see how many men, what kind of car they were driving or anything?� another officer spoke up.
�No sir.�
�Why did you park so far back in the parking lot?�
�JC has a lot of fans, I didn�t want him to be recognized and cornered. He was already upset about being followed to the exhibit.�
�Why that parking lot? Why not just drive around the museum until Mr. Sterling called you?�
�You above all people officer should know what it is like to try and drive around this city� It is common practice for us to pick a secluded spot to wait. We�ve just never had to use it before.�
�Can any of you think of anyone who might want to Kidnap Joshua?� The officer asked and then quickly scribbled down something in his notebook after receiving negative gestures from everyone in the room. �Well until we get a call for ransom all we can do is wait. I suggest none of your go far or alone, you don�t know if Joshua�s kidnappers are watching and waiting to get another one of you boys.�
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It had been a couple hours since Lonnie and Ray got back and had told them JC was missing. All of the boys had retreated to their own rooms for a while to try and collect themselves and their thoughts.
Lance sat staring out of his hotel window lost in thought. Something just didn�t seem right about the whole thing to him�
First Ray volunteers to go with JC to an event he usually pays someone else to take body-guarding duties off of him.
Second the sound of glass breaking that could have very well have been as simple as a camera�s light bulb popping sends Ray into full blown panic. He knows himself first hand that Ray has never done that before. The bodyguard accompanying him and several occasions where he can recall hearing glass shatter and Ray doing nothing more than stepping in front of him and making sure everything was alright.
And there were other things� ones that Lance just couldn�t put his finger on but there was certainly something off there�
�I�m going to have to have a talk with Ray� and watch him closely� my instincts are telling me something definitely isn�t right here�� Lance said quietly out loud to himself.
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A/N � To all of you who were asking� LOOK LANCE! ;)