Nifty

The short flight to Paris was an uneventful one, and there was none of the jet lag that had plagued them on the flight over from New York. Their Hotel was once again five star, though they had to admit not quite as plush as the Hotel The Savoy.

The food was magnificent however, especially the French pastries which the boys scarfed down like candy. A tour of the city including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de triumph, and Notre Dame was an eye opening cultural experience the would stay with the boys for a long time. 

The only regret Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds had was that the newest members of the family weren't old enough to appreciate the culture. Instead they slept most of the time when they weren't eating or pooping.

The show was booked for the second day they were there at the AccorHotels Arena which could seat 17,000 and was one of the biggest venues they'd played at home or abroad. The pyramid shaped arena was not only beautiful, but functional, and the boys were excited about the upcoming performance.

The night of the concert Jimmy seemed a little down again, but Jaden was busy with rehearsals and he didn't have a lot of time to devote to his lover. He vowed to make it up to him once the concert was over, but as fate would have it, that was not to be.

"I don't think I've ever been this nervous before a performance, well...not since that first time," Aidan admitted on the way to the arena.

"Yeah, all those crazy French people coming to see us is pretty intimidating," Jaden laughed, "Hey, I wonder if they throw cheese instead of tomatoes if they don't like you."

"They're gonna love us," Jeremy assured them, "sales in France through Google Play and I-tunes account for about 8% of our total sales, and that's a lot of cheese."

"Isaac is very popular here," Greg said beaming, "he'll bring lots of screaming fans in."

"Oui," Isaac said laughing.

"It's not that small," Jaden joked.

Jimmy was quiet, almost sullen as he sat beside Jaden in the back of the van, but Jaden had other things on his mind and wasn't ready to deal with his boyfriend's mood at the moment. Instead he stared out the window at the rain slick streets of Paris and thought about his life and how much it had changed since fame had forced itself upon him.

Jaden had never been keen on performing with the group, but once he'd dipped his toes in the ocean of fame and fortune, he couldn't resist the temptation to immerse himself all the way. He didn't think he was especially talented, but he could hold his own when it came to vocals since his voice was almost the same as Aidan's. The only real difference he guessed was that Aidan put his heart and soul into his music, but lately Jaden had began to feel that same urge to put all of himself into his music.

At the arena, the boys unloaded and followed Henry inside. They stared in awe at their surroundings but allowed themselves to be led to their dressing room where they were once again awed by the opulence of the place.

Thirty minutes before the show was scheduled to begin Jimmy excused himself to the bathroom, but  Jaden was busy with last minute preparations and barely noticed his departure. Jimmy shrugged as he walked away, he knew Jaden was busy and had a lot on his mind, and he knew it was unreasonable to expect him to drop everything just for him, but he couldn't control how he felt.

There was a bathroom backstage, but Jimmy decided to go out into the lobby and use the facilities there just to get away for a few more minutes. He hoped Jaden would miss him and come looking for him, but he was pretty sure that wasn't going to  happen.

As he entered the restroom he was happy to discover that he was alone, but he was just zipping up after a long satisfying pee when the door swung open and two men in suits entered. He ignored them at first, but then he noticed they were eying him rather closely. As he watched them in the mirror he became concerned when one of the men nodded to the other and they began to move his way.

"Uh, hello," Jimmy said, hoping they could understand English.

"Bonjour," the man closest to him said, then nodding at the other man he added, "la porte."

Porte, wasn't that door? Jimmy thought glancing toward the other man who indeed was headed for the door. Jimmy wasn't sure what was going on, but suddenly cold chills ran up and down his body as he realized that the two men might have sinister thoughts in mind.

He'd heard about kids getting kidnapped in foreign countries and being sold as sex slaves, but surely they weren't interested in him for that. He almost laughed as he thought about the absurdity of that, who'd want him anyway? He was just a loser and not a kid any more. He was 17 and almost an adult, and if these guys wanted trouble he'd give it to them.

But his bravado did little to stop what happened next. From his coat pocket the man nearest him produced a syringe and injected it into Jimmy's neck before he could react, causing him to go limp. If not for the man catching him he would have fallen to the floor, but instead the man pulled him into the back stall and began to undress him while the other man watched the door.

**********************

The audience was chanting softly as the boys waited backstage, their emotions running high as they prepared themselves for the greatest performance of their lives. Jaden had an odd feeling as he stood there toying with the purple tie he wore with his sequined shirt. He wished he'd had more time to talk with Jimmy and to try to pull him out of his current funk, but he was sure he could make it up to him once they were back in the hotel.

"Ladies and gentleman, from the United States of America, I give you that famous musical sensation Alternate Love," the MC said, then again in French, "Mesdames et messieurs, des États-Unis d'Amérique, je vous ai donné cette fameuse sensation musicale Alternate Love."

The applaud was thunderous, and as the boys took the stage, the audience, which consisted of mostly young teens and college kids were on their feet clapping and yelling at the top of their lungs. Cell phones were flashing, and since the band didn't restrict photography at their concerts many were recording already.

"Bonjour," Aidan said above the din of the crowd, but he had to repeat himself several times before the crowd died down. Aidan had rehearsed his intro over and over till he had it fully committed to memory, and even his accent sounded French, "Bonjour à tous. Je suis Aidan Reynolds et nous sommes un Amour Alterné. Merci beaucoup d'être venu et j'espère que vous apprécierez le spectacle."

The resulting applause was so loud it could be heard in the lobby where two men were carefully helping their elderly grandfather out to his car in a wheelchair. Except the grandfather in question was really a 17 year old boy who had been drugged and made up to look like an old man.

**************

The boys played a diverse mix of songs, but it was the Beatles song Yesterday that brought the crowd to their feet and so Aidan decided to make some changes in the second half of the performance.

At intermission time the boys headed to the dressing room to hydrate and use the bathroom and Jaden hoped to talk to Jimmy, but apparently he was still in the audience with the adults, and although Greg was there for Isaac, Jaden didn't approach him about Jimmy.

In the second half of the performance Aidan added two Beatles songs, Love Love Me Do, and And I Love Her, which were greeted enthusiastically by the audience. The boys had their own unique style but the spirit of the songs prevailed.

Even as Zak pounded out the beat for the second Beatles song and Aidan and Jaden sang vocals, a white van was pulling into the open roll up door of an abandoned warehouse several miles away.

By this time Jimmy was beginning to come around and was moaning lowly as he tried to collect his wits about him. At first he thought it might be a dream and he would awaken at any moment, but a sudden pain brought him fully awake as one of the men who'd kidnapped him in the bathroom slapped him hard across the face.

"Oww...why did you hit me? What am I doing here? Who are you?"

"Silence," the man who seemed to be in charge barked out, then he said something to the man in French, but with his limited understanding of French Jimmy had no clue what the man said.

However, he found out a few minutes later as the man came over and took one of his arms while the first man took the other and they led him out of the van and into a door at the back of what seemed to be a dirty but otherwise empty warehouse.

"Whaaat...?" another slap quieted any further questions from Jimmy who was crying softly now as he realized just how much trouble he was in.

Would he ever see Jaden again? he wondered, Are they going to kill me. But why? Then it occurred to him that he might be of some value to the men if they knew he was Jaden's boyfriend. Was this a kidnapping for ransom thing? If so, he knew that most kidnap victims seldom ever made it home. After all he's seen the guys faces and he was a witness, there was no way they would free him, even if they got what they wanted. With those thoughts running through his head he almost missed what was said next, in perfect English, "Jaden Reynolds will pay a fortune for this little piece of tail."

Then the door slammed shut as he was thrown into a dark room that was about 8 feet square. As he recovered somewhat he noticed that there was a little light coming in through a window about ten feet up the wall and over the door. 

There was a cot along one wall and another door set in the back wall, and beyond it he could just make out a toilet and sink. At least I won't have to pee on the floor, he mused, then he began to cry in earnest. How ironic, he thought, one minute I'm living it up in a five star motel and the next, well...best not to think about that. This is probably the last place I will ever see alive, he lamented, and the worst part is...I will never see Jaden again and he will be so sad. With that he collapsed into a heap and cried himself to sleep.

***********

After two encores, the boys finally managed to leave the stage, but the crowd's roar could still be heard even back stage. 

Exhausted, but yet exhilarated, the boys returned to the dressing room and were soon joined by Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, Henry, Greg, and Dee.

"Uh, where's Jimmy?" Jaden asked as soon as the others were in the door.

"I haven't seen him all night," Mrs. Reynolds said, suddenly as concerned as Jaden was.

"Has anyone else seen him?" Jaden asked with alarm.

"Not since we first got here," Greg said, looking up from where he was hugging Isaac.

"He went to the bathroom right before we went on stage," Jeremy said frowning, "You don't think anything's happened to him do you?"

"Oh God," Dee said near tears, "He's gone and none of us noticed. What kind of friends are we?"

"It's all my fault," Jaden said jumping up, "If I'd just taken time to talk to him..."

"I'm going to go talk to the manager," Henry said starting for the door.

"I'll go with you," Mr. Reynolds said, "The rest of you, go ahead and get changed and then fan out and see if you can find him."

"Right dad," Aidan said already beginning to strip off his clothes.

The manager notified the chief of security, and after a thorough search of the facility it was apparent that Jimmy was nowhere to be found. At Henry's insistence the manager called the police and an hour later the building was swarming with cops. 

The management was concerned of course with their reputation, and they were willing to do whatever it took to find Jimmy and safely return him to the band. However, there was a certain amount of concern about that fact, since there didn't seem to be any clues to where he was or why he had come up missing. 

It was only after reviewing the surveillance cameras footage that they finally found a lead. 

"There, see those two pushing the old man in the wheelchair. Do you see anything odd about them?" the police captain asked the manager.

"No, I'm sorry, what should I be seeing?"

"Look closely, the shoes."

"Aww...yes. Very odd for an elderly man to be wearing purple tennis shoes, but not impossible I'd think."

"Perhaps, but if you will recall, the boy who is missing was wearing just such footwear when he went missing."

A further check turned up footage of the van being loaded and driving away, but a check of the license plate proved that it was stolen from a Mercedes the day before. 

Back at the hotel the band and the adults gathered in Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds room and awaited word from the police. When they heard the latest news it was Henry who spoke for the group. 

"I have been in touch with our people back in LA and I have been authorized to hire a private investigator to look into Jimmy's disappearance. The police have the resources, but a private eye can go places and find out things that the police can't."

"Do you know someone here?" Mrs. Reynolds asked curiously.

"No, but fortunately I was referred to someone who is local. A transplant actually. His name is Rick Barnes and he's originally from the States, but has been living in Paris for the last twenty years and I'm told he is very good at what he does."

"I'll pay him double if he can get Jimmy back to me unharmed," Jaden said near tears, "And if they want a ransom for him, I'll pay it, as much as it takes."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Henry said frowning. He knew the statistics concerning kidnapped victims and didn't want to think about what might happen to Jimmy once the kidnappers got their payoff.

"There's nothing more we can do tonight," Mr. Reynolds said, "I suggest we all get some sleep and check on things in the morning."

No one could come up with a better plan, but the boys and Dee decided they were spending the night in the same room and chose the twin's room since it was the biggest.

Jaden was especially quiet, but then none of them had much to say as they watched TV and thought their own thoughts. The others knew Jaden blamed himself for Jimmy's disappearance, but the truth was, each of them felt they were responsible to a degree, simply by not including Jimmy in their plans and making sure he was where he should be at all times.

It was going to be a long night, but eventually the group settled down on the two king sized beds, tightly packed together in some cases, but the closeness was somehow comforting and what they all needed at a time like this.

The police managed to keep the story out of the papers for the time being so as not to alert the kidnappers that they had any leads, but they didn't have to wait long till the kidnappers contacted them. 

An email send to Jaden's personal email address included pictures of Jimmy laying on a cot in a dark dirty room, and a warning that his health and safety would depend upon two things, 100,000 Euros being wired to a numbered Swiss bank account, and the promise that no retaliation would be attempted for his kidnapping.

"Can we believe they will keep their word if we pay the ransom," Henry asked Rick Barnes, the private eye.

"I won't like to you, kidnappers are notorious for offing their victims once paid, but these two might be on the up and up. Wiring the funds eliminates them having to risk exposure by picking up the ransom, and if the police give them their word that they will not pursue the matter, they might just do what they have promised."

"That's a lot of ifs," Henry sighed, "any suggestions?"

"They gave us 48 hours, let me see what I can come up with in the meantime. I assume you can pay what the kidnappers are asking?"

"Yes, we have the funds available, but I want some kind of promise that no harm will come to Jimmy before we pay them."

"I'm wasting time. I'll go see what I can find out and keep in touch, oh and by the way, I did find out something the cops haven't yet. That van was also stolen, and I know where and when. It was the same night, and I have a pretty good witness who might just help me figure out who these guys are and where they might have gone."

"Good luck then," Henry said giving the man a half smile, "I'll be waiting to hear from you, call anytime night or day."

"Will do," Rick said as he headed to his car,  a sporty Mini-Cooper.

Morning came, and everyone gathered in the dining room to have breakfast. No one really had much appetite, but they knew they had to keep up their strength, and managed to down some of the delicious food provided, especially the pastries.

"I can feel him out there," Jaden said suddenly, "I know it's crazy, but my connection to Jimmy is almost as strong as my connection to Aidan.  I sense that he's okay, but that he's scared and cold...and, and hungry."

"Maybe we can use those feelings to find him," Dee said looking thoughtful, "I mean if the feelings grow stronger when you're close to him, then maybe we could try driving around and see if we can find out where he is."

"That's not a bad idea," Aidan said, "at least we'll be doing something instead of just sitting around and worrying."

"What do you think, mom...dad?" Jaden pleaded.

"I think any plan is a good plan right now," Mr. Reynolds said, "after breakfast we'll take the van and drive around. We'll leave Henry here to coordinate with the police, and he can call me on my cell if he finds out anything."

"I think I'll stay here as well," Mrs. Reynolds said, "I'm going to call Jimmy's folks again and tell them what's going on."

"Good idea mom, I'm sure they're out of their minds with worry by now," Aidan said.

The van held everyone without any problem, but since the city was foreign to all of them they had to rely on GPS to help them maneuver the city streets. The began at the arena where it all had begun and drove the streets nearby then began to fan out putting more distance between them and the arena with each sweep.

"Any change?" Aidan asked as they made their way slowly up a narrow street in a less populated part of the city.

"It seems a little stronger, but it's still weak. I think we should go that way," Jaden said pointing down a side street.

"No problem," Mr. Reynolds said slowing down to make the turn, "let me know if you feel anything."

************

A short distance away, Jimmy was just waking up from a long troubled sleep. He was cold and dirty and hungry and needed to piss badly. Sitting up from the cot, he stretched his stiff limbs and wrapped his arms around himself in and attempt to warm himself up.

Yawning, he noticed that there was a tray by the door that held pastries, fruit, and some bottled water.

"Well, at least they're not going to starve me," Jimmy muttered, "maybe they really will let me go...when they get what they want."

After peeing and washing up as best he could, he discovered he was hungry and attacked the food on the tray. He considered saving part of it for later, but he was so hungry that he ate all of it, hoping it wasn't his last meal.

Stirring around had warmed him up some, and the little window at the top of the door let in some sunshine from a skylight he hadn't noticed the night before. The door however was solid and the window was at least 10 feet off the floor, so there was no way he could see what was going on in the warehouse.

Putting his ear to the door he heard nothing at first, then a grinding, scraping noise that he recognized as the huge roll up door moving in it's tracks. Whether it was opening or closing he had no idea, but the next sound, the sound of tires on concrete and the sound of an engine running convinced him that he was hearing the arrival of a vehicle.

There was the slamming of car doors, then footsteps and he stepped back, his heart beating nearly out of his chest as he realized the footsteps were coming his way. He stared at the door as if some horrible beast might emerge from it at any minute, and his breathing became labored as panic overtook him.

"Something's wrong," Jaden cried suddenly, "I can feel his terror. They're doing something to him," he wailed, "Oh god, please don't let them hurt him."

"Am I headed the right way?" Mr. Reynolds asked frantically.

"I'm not sure, maybe...go faster..."

The sound of a hasp being released and a barrel bolt withdrawn proceeded the opening of the door which swung open on rusty hinges making a teeth jarring sound. Jimmy had retreated as far back in the room as he could, and he had that fight or flee look in his eyes as he waited for what was to come next. 

Stepping into the room was the man that Jimmy took to be the leader, and he gave Jimmy a nod as he entered.

"I hope you slept well," he said in near perfect English, "I see you found your breakfast," he added chuckling.

"Who are you, why am I here?" Jimmy asked, despite his fear of the man, he still thought he deserved an answer.

"You are our guest, that is all," the man laughed, "at least until your friends decide whether you are worth what we are asking for your safe return."

"I've been kidnapped?" Jimmy said, his worst fears finally confirmed, "but why me?" he added, wondering why of all the group he had been singled out.

"Because you were convenient," the man said smiling evilly. "You were not our first choice. We had hoped to capture one of the twins, or at least another member of the band, but you fell right into our hands, and who are we to tempt fate? You walked right into our little trap, even if you weren't the mouse we had in mind."

"But what if they won't pay?" Jimmy said, voicing his worst fear.

"Then my friend, you will die," the man said simply, "but have faith, apparently your lover, as disgusting as I find it, has deep feelings for you, and I believe he will pay whatever it takes to get you back."

"But...um, will you really free me...once you have the money?"

"Of course, we are not bad men, just desperate men. Once we have the money in our Swiss account we will leave you here, and once we have arrived at our final destination we will inform them of your whereabouts."

"It's so cold here. Can I at least have a blanket?" Jimmy pleaded.

"I'll see what I can do. Meanwhile, enjoy your stay," the man laughed as he headed toward the door.

For one moment Jimmy considered rushing the man and trying to overpower him, but he wasn't sure where the other man was, or if this one was armed, so he just sat down on the small cot and accepted his fate.

"He's calmed down some and I sense that he's okay," Jaden said looking relieved, "Maybe they really won't hurt him...if we pay the ransom."

"I'm sure he will be fine," Mr. Reynolds said soothingly.

They continued to drive around for another hour or so but Jaden could not sense any change in Jimmy's feelings and finally decided he must be sleeping. He could almost see Jimmy's face, the face that softened and relaxed when he slumbered, making him even more beautiful than when he was awake. As tears ran down Jaden's cheeks he thought about the last time they had been together and how he had laid there beside him watching him sleep in the early morning hours. He loved waking up first and watching his lover sleep, and it was at those times that he truly appreciated just how lucky he was to have Jimmy as a boyfriend. He felt as if a part of him was missing when the boy wasn't around, and to think he might never see him again was too much to bear.

"I...don't feel anything..." Jaden said wiping at his tears, "let's go back and have some lunch and see if Henry has any news."

*****************

"Henry, this is Rick. I have a lead, but I want to talk to you in person before I go any further. Where are you now? At the hotel, okay...I'll be there in a half hour if traffic permits."

Henry had just ended his call from the detective when Mr. Reynolds and the others came rushing into the room where they'd set up a sort of headquarters/watch room.

"Oh, just in time. Rick just called and he had a lead. He should be here shortly and he can discuss his findings with all of us. I'll have room service bring up refreshments for everyone."

Henry took drink orders from everyone and included a pot of coffee and one of tea just in case. Meanwhile the boys had used the bathroom and washed the tears from their eyes and were ready when the private detective showed up. 

"Oh good, you're all here," he said looking around, "I can share what I have with all of you at once. First though, a cup of joe would be nice."

The others waited impatiently as Rick poured himself a cup of coffee, added sugar and a little cream, then took a sip, "Ah, good stuff. Better than the swill my secretary Marge makes. Okay, where was I?"

"You were about to tell us what you've found out," Mr. Reynolds said growing more impatient by the moment, as was everyone else.

"Oh yeah, well like I said, the van the perps used was stolen that same day and I had a witness. He identified the two guys from the surveillance video we showed him. The Van was reported stolen that same day, but there are so many vans just like that one, and of course the plates were swapped with another vehicle, so...the cops weren't able to locate it."

"Okay, so we know the two guys stole a van, changed the plates, then drove here the night of the concert, and kidnapped Jimmy, but that doesn't explain how the knew Jimmy would be at the right place at the right time or where he is now."

"I don't think Jimmy was their first choice to be honest," Rick said refilling his cup and taking a big swallow, "Ahhh...that's good. But getting back to what I was saying, I think they really wanted one of the band members, probably one of the twins, since they are in the public eye most. No offense to the other guys, or to Jimmy, but I think they would have asked for more ransom if they had snagged one of the twins."

"So, you think Jimmy was second choice or something?" Jaden said angrily, "he's as important as any one of us, and I'll pay whatever they ask if they promise not to hurt him."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply..."

"I think we understand," Mr. Reynolds said, trying to smooth things over so they could continue, "So the big question is, what now?"

"Now I just gotta find out where they took him."

"But this is a big city, he could be anywhere."

"Not anywhere. You gotta think like a criminal to figure things out sometimes, and I've had enough experience doin' that," he chuckled, "I'm thinking they are gonna wanna make this quick and easy, so I'm guessing they are within a couple of miles of the arena. Second, they're not gonna want anyone to see them unload a teenage boy, probably drugged, so they are gonna want to use some place with a garage or....a warehouse."

"If you'll excuse my saying so, that sounds awfully trite, like something out of a novel or a bad movie."

"Ah, but crooks read those novels and watch those movies, and warehouses are infamous for being used for shady deals. So, I've had my guys looking into any empty warehouses that are nearby, and we've come up with two that are within 3 miles and secluded enough to make them good targets for further investigation."

"But even if you found out where they are keeping Jimmy, what can you do without endangering his life?"

"That's where the cops come in. I have a good working relationship with the locals, and they appreciate the fact that I can go places and find out things they can't. So here's the deal. I want to turn what information I have over to the cops and let them figure out what to do next, but I wanted your okay first."

"I don't think there's any question that we're okay with that.  Am I speaking for everyone here?" Henry asked looking around.

"Whatever it takes to get my boyfriend back," Jaden said, looking hopeful for the first time since the ordeal began.

Everyone else was in agreement, although Jeremy had a few questions.

"What if they do find him, how will they get him out safely?"

"Trust me, these guys have ways. If it can be done they'll find a way."

"But wouldn't it just be safer to pay the ransom?"

"I'm not going to sugar coat this for you guys. Most kidnappers could care less what happens to their victim once they get paid. Some just leave them where they are, but if the victim has seen their faces, then it's best to get rid of them, if you know what I mean."

Jaden was crying now and Aidan was right by his side, his own tears mixing with his brother's as he held him closely.

"So, in my expert opinion, our best bet is to find out where they're hold up and move in. From what little information we have there are only two of them and that makes sense. Two is the ideal number for such an operation as this. They only have to split the loot two ways, and with only two people involved they have less loose ends to wrap up."

"How soon will you contact the police?" Mr. Reynolds asked, trying to hold back his own tears and stop the trembling in his hands.

"As soon as I leave here. Time is running out. The kidnappers only gave us till midnight to get the funds transfered."

"And if you can't find them...?" Greg asked, speaking for the first time.

"Then we pay the ransom and hope these guys are good at their word."

When the private eye was gone, everyone settled down and Aidan and his parents tried to comfort Jaden as much as possible. This was a nightmare that no one had anticipated when they became celebrities, and they wondered if they would be able to go on even if Jimmy was returned safely. No one wanted to think about what would happen if Jimmy didn't return, if his life was snuffed out like a candle for a hand full of gold. If that did happen, there was no way the band could go on, and everyone knew that. And even if, and when he was returned there would have to be changes, tighter security, maybe even body guards for each member.

And what of the tour, should they cancel the rest of the tour? Certainly they would if anything happened to Jimmy, but if he was returned safely, could they go on as if nothing had happened?

By dinner time no one was really hungry, but Mr. Reynolds urged them to eat just to keep their strength up. With less than 6 hours to go till the deadline they were on pins and needles and running on pure adrenalin, and they would crash soon if they didn't refuel.

They opted for burgers or sandwiches in the room, and the hotel took care of everything without charge. Everyone at the hotel had been kind and sympathetic and were as anxious for Jimmy's return as the group was.

Unfortunately the story had finally leaked to the papers and now the press was trying to gain access to the group for interviews, but hotel security made sure that they were  not disturbed, and for that they were grateful. The less they said to the press the better, for fear the kidnappers might be watching and speed up their plans.

At 8:15, Henry's cell phone chimed and he nearly dropped it as he fished it out of his pocket and answered it.

"Yes, are you sure. Okay, what next...all right. I'll tell them. Please call me as soon as you know more."

"Was it Rick?" Mr. Reynolds asked before anyone else could.

"Yes, they think they have found the warehouse where the two are hold up. A security guard at the warehouse across the street ID'd the van, and even wrote down the tag number. I guess it's all part of his job or something. Anyway he was very happy to share the information once he found out what was going on. Seems his kids are big fans of the group."

"So what next?"

"The police are planning their next move now. Rick said they will moving in within the next hour and that he will call  us as soon as he finds out the results."

"Oh God, please let him be okay," Jaden cried, "I will never take him for granted again if you will just bring him back to me." 

As he dissolved into tears, his brother and fellow band mates gathered around him for a group hug, and Aidan led them in prayer as they turned to their higher power for comfort.

The adults for the most part were holding up a little better, but even the men felt the pain and were fighting hard to be strong and supportive. They knew it was important not to give in to worry or grief and to be there for the teens in case something went wrong. They were praying that nothing did, but they were after all adults and knew the world could be a sad and violent place, and that not all people were decent and fair.

Coffee and beverages were served by the hotel staff as the group waited for word from Rick or the police, and the atmosphere in the room was subdued and tense, but at least the tears had subsided for now.

*******************

A short distance away Jimmy sat on his cot staring at the wall and wondering if this was the last place he would ever see? Was the sandwich and Gatorade the last food he would eat, was this the end? He wasn't as afraid as he supposed he should be, for he had considered suicide many times, though not recently, and had always believed that death was the only true relief from the turmoil of life. He wasn't sure if he believed in God or Heaven, or Hell, but he supposed it really didn't matter in the end. He had no choice now, and if God or whatever wanted him dead then it was out of his hands.

He was still staring at the wall when he heard the door latch being thrown and he turned to see one of the men, the one he thought of as the follower, enter the room.

"Ah, my young friend," he laughed, "but the look in his eyes said he was up to no good, "So it is your boyfriend that is paying your ransom. I am wondering, what is so special about you that he would do this? Maybe I need to see for myself," he said moving closer and running a hand along Jimmy's cheek and then across his lips, "You do have lovely lips, the kind of lips perhaps that can bring great pleasure to a man," he added raising an eyebrow.

For the first time Jimmy noticed the bulge in the man's pants, and he panicked. Was the man going to rape him? He could probably fight off this one man, unless he had a weapon, but there was the other man and he didn't know if he was nearby or not, but he was sure he would come to his partner's aid if he was. 

The other man had been kind to him so far, and hadn't even hinted that he was interested in him sexually, but this man before him now  he knew little about. He had always been in the background and Jimmy assumed he was just there for muscle and backup, and that the other man was running things.

"Perhaps you can show me what it is that makes you so valuable," the man said, excitement tinging his voice. Then reaching for his zipper he began to lower it, the sound seeming impossibly loud as Jimmy watched in horror.

"What are you doing?" Came a loud booming voice from the doorway, "get away from him you pervert."

It was the other man, and he was angry and agitated, but the man in front of him didn't seem to be worried or afraid.

"I am just having some fun. It has been a while and there are no women."

"Leave him alone or I will gut you where you stand," the man said pulling a rather large switchblade from his belt.

"Okay, okay...saving him for yourself?" the man muttered as he began to zip back up.

"I am not a pervert. I do not like boys like you. Shut up if you want to receive your share of the reward."

"Don't even think about double crossing me," the man snarled, "I will kill you and this pouf and take it all."

"I don't think so, you do not have access to the Swiss account, only I do, and it is up to me to make the withdrawal and pay you. If anything happens to me, no one gets paid."

"I was just having some fun," the man grumbled as he started for the door. 

The other man moved aside to let him pass then looked at Jimmy and frowned, "You perverts corrupt even those who are not perverted. I will be glad to be rid of you," he spit out as he turned to go.

Jimmy frowned, pervert? He muttered, at least I don't kidnap people and threaten to kill them if someone doesn't pay me. 

*************************

Outside two police vans were in place, and officers began to filter out and move into position. Some went to the back, some stayed in front and a few climbed the ladders to the roof where they positioned themselves above the two skylights. Attaching repelling ropes to nearby girders, they tested them, then placed small explosive charges on the glass of the skylights and snapped their lanyards into place.

"We are in position," one of the policeman whispered into his shoulder mounted radio.

"Await my signal," came the reply.

Meanwhile a single policeman, dressed all in black and wearing a black ski mask, was making his way slowly through the warehouse from the rear. He had expertly picked the lock on the door and was now creeping toward the main part of the warehouse, his body cam being picked up and directed onto a screen in one of the vans.

"I hear voices," the man said stopping abruptly, "two voices, angry, but I can't make out the words."

"Proceed with caution, we are ready to breach the door and skylights at your command."

"Yes, I'm almost there."

A few steps further brought the man into a hallway. Along one wall were doors to offices, a bathroom, perhaps a breakroom, and the door at the far end seemed to lead outside. He made note of that door for future use and then pulled out the electronic map on his handheld. It showed the layout of the warehouse, and he soon got his bearings again. Through the door in front of him was the main parking bay with it's huge rollup door, as well as smaller side door, at which six other policemen were stationed.

Inching forward, as quiet as a cat on carpet, the man came to the door and placed his hand on the knob. As expected it was unlocked, but he didn't want to risk alerting the perps to his presence by opening it until the others were in place and ready to go.

"I am in place," he said simply, and seconds later the command was given to go ahead.

As the two kidnapper sat drinking wine and glaring at each other they were suddenly brought to their feet by the sound of several explosions, the breaking of glass which rained down on them, the sound of a door slamming behind them, another explosion taking down the front door, and seconds later they were surrounded by a dozen or so policemen with weapons drawn.

"Halt, you are under arrest," the captain said as two of the officers cuffed the suspects, "Where is the boy?"

"What boy?" the leader protested, but he knew he was beaten. How had he been so careless. If he had insisted on the ransom up front they would be far from here by now.

"Here, here!" A voice accompanied by pounding on a nearby door told the police where Jimmy was, and moment later he was freed.

"Thank you so much," Jimmy said as tears ran down his face.

A special officer trained to deal with victims had wrapped a blanket around Jimmy and was leading him to a nearby ambulance for evaluation. Later he would be interviewed and a statement taken, but there was no hurry. They knew what had gone down and they had the perps and no one got hurt. All in all it was a good day.

"They have, is he...oh, thank god," Henry said as tears finally came. 

Misreading his expression and his tears Jaden collapsed in a heap, "They killed him, didn't they?" he wailed.

"NO! NO!, he's fine. No shots were fired and they took the two suspects into custody then rescued Jimmy. They'd taken him to the  hospital and we can meet him there and bring him back. He's fine...they even fed him," Henry said, wiping tears from his eyes. "He's fine, and he'll soon be back in your loving arms Jaden."

"Thank you God," Jaden said sniffing back tears, "I promise I will take care of him from now on and love him forever."

The reunion at the hospital was emotional and loud as everyone wanted to hug the boy and kiss his cheek, or in some cases  his lips, and look him over to make sure he was indeed all in one piece.

For the most part Jimmy was calm, at least until he finally fell into Jaden's arms that is, "I'm so sorry..." he began.

"For what love? You didn't do anything wrong. If anyone is to blame it's me for now paying more attention to you, and making sure you were safe. I promise you from now on I'm gonna know where you are every moment."

"Oh man, does that mean I can't even take a crap without you knowing?" Jimmy teased, and soon everyone was laughing.

 

End Chapter 37

Wow, didn't see that one coming, did you? Thought I'd throw out a short dramatic chapter just to start off the New Year, since the story has been on hiatus since the Holidays. Next, the boys decide if fame and fortune is worth the price of their safety and those they love.