"Do it Nickolas!" 'The Boss' yelled as a young Nick Carter aimed a gun towards a young man that couldn't have been much older than he was. Nick stared at the person before him fell to the ground. This was the moment of truth. Would he be able to do this? Nick took in a deep breath and pulled the trigger without giving himself a chance to think. The sound of the bullet and the brief scream of his victim rang in his ears. A laugh that could only be described as evil could be heard from behind Nick. Nick let his arm fall limp with the gun still held tightly in his hand.
"I knew you had it in you," the voice called. Neither of them was showing any emotion. Nick stared into the pool of blood that had poured from the man he had shot. He took a breath and looked towards the man who had encouraged his act of evil. Nicks eyes remained fixed on the dead man, shock running through his veins.
"Like I said, you don't have to worry about me," Nick replied, hoping that his shock wasn't evident in his voice. The man only grinned in return.
"That was a test of loyalty Nickolas," he stated. "And I'm glad to say that you've passed."
"What does that mean?" Nick questioned.
"You aren't that naive are you? It was quite obvious what the test was. Either us or friendship. You went the right way and chose us."
"I don't believe in friendship. It's just a waste of time. Besides, I didn't even know that guy. How could that have been a test of friendship?" Nick replied bitterly as he thought of all the people that he blieved were his friends who had ended up hurting him in the end.
"Not all friendships are bad," the man stated as he put his arm around Nicks shoulder.
"Oh yeah? Well, then explain to me exactly what sort of friendship is worth having because I haven't found one just yet."
"The one you will gain by joining us."
~*~
"Nick, wake up!" AJ yelled as Nick started to stir. "Come on, you over slept again and Kevin is about to go nuts. Get up and get ready."
"Where am I?" Nick mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Back at the hotel.." AJ answered carefully, "Where did you think you were?"
"No where. I just had a bad dream, that's all. Nothing to worry about," Nick assured AJ as he attempted to get out of bed.
"What was the dream about?" AJ questioned.
"That's none of your fucking business," Nick replied.
"Like hell it's not. I tell you all my shit so come on, spill it Carter."
"Forget it."
"Alright, how was your date with that hot chick?" AJ questioned, smirking but continuing before Nick had a chance to reply. "Obviously not so well if she's not here right now."
"I didn't want her around," Nick answered with an angry glare in his eyes.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want some airheaded bimbo around me any more," he answered. "I was getting sick of her shit man."
"You only knew her a week man."
"Well she annoyed the crap out of me already."
"You know man, I'm gonna write a book about you man and call it the 'Do's and Don'ts of Dating As Displayed by Nick Carter.' This is just another thing that I've got to write about."
"Real fuckin' funny man. You should consider an autobiography, you've got more shit than I do," Nick snapped.
"Screw you.. oh wait that's right, you're not getting any," AJ replied playfully. "Seriously though dude get your ass outta bed 'cause Kev is gonna be down here any minute and if you're still in bed he's gonna have a fuckin' tity attack."
"I don't give a shit, I'm just gonna stay here."
"Dude that's not a good idea, even I know that. It'll look real bad if you don't show up. I don't want to hear any more shit that we hate you because of your solo album so get your ass outta this bed right now or I'm getting Kev."
"What the hell has gotten into you man," Nick snapped as he finally rose from the bed and walked towards his bag. "I never did this to you."
"Just call it payback for the things that you did do."
"Whatever," Nick said. "Just keep Kev from getting down here and I'll be ready as soon as I can, okay?"
"Yeah, I'll do what I can but I can't make any promises," AJ returned as he headed for the hotel room door. "He might be so pissed he might head-butt me or something."
"Yeah whatever," Nick said bitterly as he walked into the bathroom.
"Kev!" AJ said happily as he stepped out of Nicks room only to find that Kevin was making a dash for it himself. "How's it goin'?"
"Is he up?" Kevin asked, ignoring AJ completely.
"Yeah, he'll be out in a minute."
"Good," he replied, turing around to walk away.
"Good fuckin' morning to you to," AJ muttered to himself as he walked down the hallway of the hotel towards Brians room and knocked. "Hey Rok," AJ greeted when Brian opened the door.
"Hey," Brian answered. "Nick ready to go yet?"
"Yeah, he'll be out in a few," he explained. "Dude you know you're startin' to sound like Kev man. I just had this same conversation.. well that is if you can call it a conversation, with Kev."
"I just want to make sure that everything goes okay for us."
"Yo, I understand that man but cut the kid some slack. He's the only one of us that didn't have any time to his self during our little hiatus, well not really little, but you know what I mean. He's probably about ready to burn out," AJ said knowingly. Brian sighed.
"I know, I just don't want this to start out with us surrounded by negative press."
"None of us do, but what are you gonna do about it? You just sit back and let the media have all the fun that they want 'cause we know that what they're printin' is a bunch of bullshit and is just another rumor for us to shoot down."
"Hey," Nick said as he walked out of his room, is hair was still wet from the shower he just took. Brian smiled as Nick made his way towards him and AJ.
"Hey," Brian replied. "Maybe you should have dried your hair at least that way Kev wouldn't have known that you were just getting up," he continued with a light chuckle.
"He knows. Trust me he knows. Kev always knows," Nick replied. "Besides its not like I've ever been on time for anything else in my life. He's used to that by now."
"Nicky!" Howie called as he too walked towards the gathering of his fellow bandmates. "How you doing?"
"I'm alright, still a little tired."
"Had a late flight huh? I didn't hear you come up here," Howie stated.
"Yeah, I got my tickets for the first plane that was leaving after I got everything together," Nick explained. "It totally threw me the fuck off. I wish we had another day before we start all our shit so that I could atleast have gotten a little shut eye."
"Ya just gotta make it to the weekend," AJ said. "Then you can sleep your ass off man. You look like you need it cause from what I see, you look like shit."
"Gee thanks, but did I ask for your opinion?" Nick shot back. AJ smiled.
"Lets go, NOW!" Kevin yelled from down the hall. Nick rolled his eyes as he and the guys started to walk towards where Kevin was waiting for them.
"Yeah, missed you too man," Nick replied sarcastically as the elevator door opened before him. Kevin glared at him as he walked onto the elevator. "What? You weren't exactly mister sun shine a minute ago."
"Maybe if you'd gotten up on time," Kevin replied.
"Hey man I was tired. I went to bed the second I got here from the airport," Nick said before a yawn escaped him. Kevin pressed the button for the lobby and the doors shut.
"Lets not start this fighting," Howie said as he looked from Nick to Kevin. "Lets act like we're happy to see each other for a while."
"Who said I wasn't happy to see you guys?" Kevin asked, turning to face his younger bandmates; brothers.
"I don't know maybe it was that lovely attitude that you had," AJ responded. "I guess we read it as anger instead of joy. Sometimes I get those two mixed up."
"What the fuck.." Kevin growled as the elevator came to an abrupt stop. "Great, just our luck. The elevator's stuck."
"I'm gonna call for help," Nick stated as he reached for the phone but paused when the phone rang, he laughed. "Guess help called us. Hello?"
"You made a big mistake," the raspy voice on the other side of the line stated.
"Yeah, I'll say. I shoulda just taken the stairs," Nick joked.
"That's not what I meant Nickolas and you know it," the voice returned. Nick froze holding the phone next to his ear. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done."
"Who is this?" Nick asked, his voice coming out weaker than normal. The guys immediately turned their attention to Nick.
"There's no need to worry about that," the voice answered. "You're time is just about up."
"If this is your idea of some sick joke then cut it the fuck out," Nick snapped.
"This is no joke Nickolas. You'll soon find out that it's much more real then you ever could have imagined. I'll see you in hell," he voice stated, ending the connection between him and Nick. Nick's shaky hand brought the phone back to the box where it was.
"What happened Nick? Who was it?" AJ asked.
"I... I don't know, but I don't think that the elevator stalling was an acident," Nick replied.
"What makes you say that?" Kevin asked. Always had to be the locigal one.
"Whoever it was on the other line said that I had made a big mistake and that he was going to make me pay for it," Nick stated fearfully. "You think that someone found out that it was me who killed him, that it wasn't suicide?"
"Maybe you're just over re-acting," Kevin suggested.
"I don't think so Kev. How many mob leaders have you killed lately?" Nick snapped angerly. "When you do, let me know about it, alright?" Nick continued when he recieved no answer.
"Nick, that happened two years ago," AJ reminded him.
"Maybe they just figured it out. Or maybe they knew all along and they just wanted some time to go by to make me think that they didn't know so I'd let my guard down. I shoulda known better damn it," Nick mumbled nervously.
"Just relax," Brian said. "Call for help and we'll be outta here before anything can happen." Just as Brian reached for the telephone, the lights blinked out and the elevator started to shake.
"We've gotta get outta here now," Nick said sternly.
"Yeah, but how, the phone's out!" AJ called. Nick stuck his hands into his pockets and moaned angerly when his hands came out empty.
"I left my cell phone in my room. Someone call the police or the fire department, something, we have to get the hell out of here," he said as he started to move around the elevator nervously.
"I'm not getting a signal," Kevin announced.
"Neither am I," Howie replied.
"Me either," AJ said.
"Same here," Brian answered.
"What the fuck are we going to do now?" Nick demanded as he hit the wall of the elevator.
"I'm sure someone down stairs knows that there's a problem and they'll get it fixed as soon as they can," Howie suggested. "Besides, when securtiy sees that none of us showed up down stairs they'll come up and find out what happened."
"What if it's too late?" Nick snapped. "What if the elevator already fell with us in it?"
"Nick calm down!" Kevin yelled just as the elevator began to shake again.
"Lift me up," Nick suddenly demanded.
"What?" Brian asked, not sure if what he heard was correct.
"Lift me up. There's a trap door up there. If I can get up there, there might be a way out," he explained pointing to the door.
"Why don't we send AJ up? He's the lightest," Howie commented.
"Hey, when did I volunteer for that?" AJ snapped.
"You want to get out of here alive don't you?" Nick remarked. AJ sighed in defeat.
"Do you really think that we're in danger right now?" AJ questioned.
"Yes," Nick answered honestly.
"Alright," he replied. "I'll take a look around and see what I can find. Maybe there's a way for me to open a door or something."
"Whatever, just get us the fuck out of here," Nick said.
"Lift me up," AJ said grabbing onto Nicks shoulder as he and Kevin lifted him. After a moment, AJ was on top of the elevator.
"What do you see?" Kevin called.
"Nothing. It's dark," AJ responded. "I'm gonna light up my lighter." After a few minutes of hearing AJ bang around on top of the elevator, Kevin called up to AJ.
"J, what's going on up there?"
"I found a way out but the door isn't budging," he called back.
"Can you see why the elevator was shaking?" Brian asked.
"It looks like the cables snapped," he answered.
"Shit," Nick whispered to himself. Brian looked over at Nick and put his arm around him.
"It's gonna be okay, alright?" Brian whispered assuringly. "We're going to get out of this mess. Don't worry about it."
"I got it!" AJ yelled down. "Try and pry the doors open down there so that ya'll don't have to climb up here to get out."
"Come on, lets go," Kevin ordered while he and Howie took one side and Brian and Nick took the other. "On three, pull. One... two... THREE!" They stopped when the elevator began shaking violently.
"J get your ass down here!" Brian yelled up.
"He's probably safe on the ground right about now," Nick told him. "Come on, we gotta get this door open." The four of them pulled at the doors with all the strength that they could muster until finally, they opened.
"I was wondering what was taking so long!" AJ said jokingly from the other side.
"Fuck off," Nick snapped.
"Everybody out," Kevin said, stopping Nick and AJ from getting into a fight. Brian was the first to grab onto the floor and pull himself out of the elevator, next was Howie.
"Ready kid?" Kevin said to Nick.
"You go first," Nick replied. Kevin looked at him questioningly for a second then turned around the climb out of the elevator. Just as Nick was heading towards the opening, the elevator began shaking violently again.
"Nick get outta there, NOW!" AJ yelled. Just as Nick was about to grab onto the floor, the final cable snapped. Sending the elevator speeding down.
"NICK!" Brian yelled.
Chapter 2