JC just smiles at me, "I told you you'd find out everything in the morning. Now," He looks around the room. "I suggest we get some rest. We aren't going to get much in the next couple of days. I don't want anyone alone, break up in pairs and stay together. These people could strike at any time. Joey, you go with Murphy, Chris, I want you with DJ. Lonnie, would you stick with Rodney please?"

"Sure. You want me to get their security team involved?" Lonnie asks.

"Not yet, let's see what we have in the morning. Everyone should be here no later than 10. We'll have a briefing at 1030 and then break after that. If we need anyone else, we'll get them then."

"Sounds good to me boss. It's good to see your back to your old self. I thought you were starting to believe all this shit." Lonnie smiles and pats JC on the shoulder. "Ok, little man," He grabs Rodney's arm. "Let's go."

Rodney looks up at Lonnie, then around the room. "Man this is one messed up...whatever."

Everybody else leaves the room, leaving JC, Justin, Lance and myself. I turn to JC, who is currently leaning over the bed whispering to Justin about something. //Well...maybe the reason he's not interested in Lance is bacause he has a thing for Justin.//

All of a sudden JC turns to me and gives me his 100 watt smile. He takes my arm and leads me towards the bathroom. "I'm not with Justin either, in case that was what you were thinking." He blushes, "There's only one person in this room that I'm attracted to."

"Well...who is that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Instead of answering with words he leans in and lightly brushes his lips across mine, then pulls away. "That answer your question?"

I smile, "Yeah. I think so."

"So...Care to join me in that big ass bed over there to get some much needed rest?"

"Um..."

"Just sleep. I'm not gonna jump you or anything. I'm just tired and would really like to fall asleep in your arms again."

"Now that's an offer I can't refuse." I smile.

We both climb back in the bed. JC places his head on my chest. I was almost asleep when he states, "I know all this is a bit strange for you but, you gotta trust me. Ok?"

"Ok. I'm trying. It just all seems rather strange but being here in your arms is enough to make me willing to wait until morning. I just hope you know what you're doing Josh."

"I do baby. You gotta believe me when I say that."

***The next morning***

I wake up to an empty bed. //Where'd he go?//

"Hey. You're awake." JC kneels next to the bed, "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, considering all the shit that was dumped on me last night." I take a good look at him and realize he's only wearing a towel around his waiste. "And this," I reach out to pull him closer. "Is the best way I can think of to wake up."

JC gives me a quick kiss, "I wish we had time for more, but you gotta get up, showered and dressed. We don't have time for anything else, sorry."

I stick my bottom lip out, "Damn. You look pretty good standing there like that."

"Sorry, baby. We got people to handle this morning. Hopefully this little situation won't take to long to take care of."

I crawl out of the bed and head for the bathroom. //Where'd Lance and Justin go?// "Hey Josh?"

"Hmmm?"

"Where are..." I trail off as he drops his towel. "Um..." //Nice. Very nice.// "Where'd Lance and Justin go?" I finally stammer.

Pulling on a pair of boxer-briefs he looks up at me, "They're waking up the rest of the guys. We've all been up for a bit. We thought you'd want to get as much sleep as possible since you're new to all this."

I turn back to the bathroom, "Thanks. Something tells me this is going to be one looooong day." I close the door and start the water. Thirty minutes later I come out in basically the same attire JC had been in when he woke me up.

"Nice way to make an entrance there Mark." DJ states.

I look up to a very crowded room. JC steps out from behind the wall of men and drags me back into the bathroom, in his hands he's got a set of clothes for me.

"Sorry man. They started showing up a bit early. We were waiting for you before we started." He smiles as he hands me the clothes.

"Thanks. Who are all those people?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Just get..." His eyes wander over my upper body, "Get some clothes on and we can get this over with."

"K. Hang on." I drop the towel and start putting clothes on. I feel a hand trailing across my back. Tracing my 'Irish' tatoo. Smiling I turn to JC, "Hey. I thought you wanted me to get dressed here."

He yanks his hand back as if it were burned, "Sorry. I didn't..."

"It's ok, but...It's a bit distracting. You want me dressed I'd suggest you try keeping your hands to yourself, otherwise..."

"No, no. You gotta get dressed. We gotta get this meeting going. It's already 1030. We got a schedule to keep here."

We step back out of the bathroom to find that the room has cleared out except for Lance.

"Sorry Jayce. I moved everyone down the hall. The hotel gave us a conference room." JC raises an eyebrow and frowns, "Don't worry," Lance rushes. "We had it swept. It's clean."

"Ok, well...lead the way then."

We walk into the room and a hush falls over the crowd of men. JC ushers me to the other side of the room, near Justin and Lance, then heads for the podium that's set up in the front of the room.

JC clears his throat, "Gentlemen. If you could please take a seat we'll get this started." Lonnie walks up to JC and whispers something into his ear and then takes a position behind JC.

Everyone in the room begins to take seats in the chairs provided.

"Is everyone here?" JC asks, turning towards Lonnie.

"We're still waiting on Kevin and Jeff."

"Ok, well maybe we should do a little explaining for the benefit of the newest group to join this little party of ours." He smiles at me and then looks at DJ, Murphy and Rodney. "Gentlemen. This is Rodney, Murphy, DJ Homicide, and Mark McGrath. Guys meet my team of specialists." He goes on to introduce every person in the room and what they do as members of the 'team'. Just as he's finished introducing everyone the door opens and five people I never expected to see in the same city as Nsync, let alone the same room, walk into the room. JC looks up and smiles, "Kevin. It's good to see you again. I need you to join me up here please. The rest of you just take a seat. Thanks." Kevin walks up to the podium and the two of them share a hushed conversation before Kevin comes over and shoo's Lance over a seat and sits down next to me.

"Hey. How you doing?" Kevin asks.

"Um...fine."

"Good. He's a good man. You hurt him and I'll kill you, you understand?"

"Uh...Yeah. But...what do you care?"

"He's my supervisor, and he's damn good at his job."

I furrow my eyebrows, "Your supervisor?"

"Yeah, now hush. You're gonna need to hear what he has to say. This first part is all for your benefit anyway."

"Gentlemen?" JC states. "May I have your attention please?"

The room quiets down once again.

"Thank you. Now as I was saying. Mark...guys...I'm sure you're asking yourselves a few questions. If you'd care to go ahead and ask whatever you'd like to know I'd be more than happy to explain what I can."

I stand up, "Well...You could start by telling us 'exactly' what is going on and who the hell you really are."

JC smiles at me, "I'm Joshua Scott Chasez. Member of Nsync by night, and by day I'm a member of an integence team for a group that is better left un-named at the moment. And I'll explain what's going on when the rest of the team arrives, if you can wait that long?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

I nod, "Are they (I motion to Chris, Joey, Justin, Lance, Kevin, Howie, Nick and AJ.) members of this team too?"

"They are members more by default than by training. I can't do my 'cover' without Nsync's members, and by the same token I can't use my cover for work if they aren't around. Kevin and the rest of Backstreet are the same. Kevin is a member of the team and BSB is his cover. The others have become involved because of their relationships with us."

The door opens again and 98 Degrees filters in. Jeff approaches JC, after a brief hushed conversation Jeff shoo's Justin over a seat and plants himself on my left.

"Hey. Hey Kev."

"Hey Jeff," Kevin smiles. "This is Mark."

"Yeah. That's what the boss said. We got security. That means this one's important to him." Jeff states.

"Yep. Boss must really like him." Kevin nods.

"No kidding. Otherwise he'd of given the job to them idiots. (He motions to a group of men in black suits.)

"Now that everyone is here." JC states. "We can get on with this meeting. As some of you know Glen Quill was killed yesterday. For those of you who don't know, Glen was the team profiler. Before he left he had a few suspiscions as to who really had Lance's mother. Well...after a call was traced from Lance's cell last night we now know who has her." JC raises his hand as several groups of the men start asking questions.

"Gentlemen...The Rocsputin family has become active again."

I thought the room had been quiet before but it became eirily quiet after he said that. I stand up again, "Um...At the risk of sounding really stupid here. Who the hell are the Rocsputin's?"

JC smiles at me, "No, your not stupid. Most of the people in this room have dealt with them in some way or another in the past but you're new so I'll explain. The Rocsputin's are a very old and very powerful Family. They have ties with every known mob or gang in this country and most countries in the world."

"If they're this powerful," DJ finally speaks. "What do they want with Lance's mother?"

"Like I told you guys before...Lance is a member of their family. Unwittingly, but he's still a member. When they realized that he was they made a move on his mom, to gain control over him."

About this time two large men come barging into the room dragging a limp body with them. One of them looks to JC and states, "Sorry to interupt boss, but we found him scrounging around your room." They drop the body at JC's feet.

"Wade?" Justin, Chris, Lance and Joey whisper.

JC kneels down in next to Wade, "Who are you working for?"

Wade just lays there.

"So you wanna play it that way Jeremy? Fine with me." JC pulls a 9MM from the back of his trousers. "Now...you sure you don't want to tell me who you're working for?"

"You know who it is. What do you need me to say it for?" Wade smirks.

JC looks up to the two men, "Take care of him." He then turns and looks at the room of men, "It's time to make our move gentlemen. We've got more than enough to bring him in. Now. We're in three teams. Lonnie will take Team A, you will be the men to take the family down. I lead Team B for point and survielance. Kevin and Jeff. You guys are on security for the non team personnel involved. That includes the rest of Lance's family. Justin, Joey, and Chris...you guys are welcome to join me if you'd like. Lance I need you to take base over if you don't mind? You can use the rest of BSB, 98 and Mark's guys if you need to."

"Sounds good. Thanks Jayce."

"Not a problem. Now, lets move."