Chapter 4 - Untouchable
Howie’s fever was gone the next morning. There was silence as they waited for the door to open. AJ was sitting next to it, ready to go once it opened.
Brian glanced sideways at Nick, who looked very nervous. There’s got to be some way to talk them out of hurting him, he thought. I can’t let these monsters hurt him.
Howie watched AJ, trying to figure out why he was intent on going today. How could he be so anxious to find out what they had in store for him? Each torture was new, but not necessarily worse.
At exactly nine, the door swung open.
AJ jumped to his feet. “Today it’s my turn, bastard.”
“I’ll be the judge of who’s turn it is,” the man replied evenly. “Today, it’s Nicky’s.”
“No!” Brian shouted, unsteadily getting to his feet. “You leave him the hell alone.”
“Brian don’t,” Nick told him, wishing he could melt into the wall and escape the torture.
“He’s the youngest,” AJ snapped. “You’ll get plenty outta the rest of us. Leave him out of it and take me.”
“Guys, quit it!” Nick yelled at his bandmates. He couldn’t believe what was happening. I don’t want any special treatment just ‘cause I’m the youngest! he thought.
The man looked around the room. “Do you all feel the same? That you’ll endure more torture to spare Nick?”
“Yes,” the four of them answered together.
“Don’t I get a say in this?!” Nick cried, standing up. “I can’t let you guys do that!”
The man nodded to himself. “Very well.” He left the room and closed the door without locking it.
Tense silence hung in the air.
A few seconds later, the door opened again. This time the man in black held a gun and leveled it at AJ’s temple before he could move.
“I said I decide who goes and when. And today is Nick’s turn. Nick, if you would be so good as to come over here without any trouble before I have to hurt AJ.”
“You won’t kill me,” AJ said. “You need us for ransom.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Who said anything about ransom?”
“You’re bluffing,” Kevin said.
“Then call it,” the man replied.
“No!” Nick said, walking towards the door. “I’ll go.”
The man smiled ever so slightly. He lowered the gun and led Nick through the doorway by his arm. The door closed behind them and locked once again. Brian slid to the floor.
AJ kicked the door. “Stop playing fucking mind games with me!”
Kevin used the wall to pull himself up and walked over to his cousin. Brian’s face was buried in his arms and his shoulders were shaking violently. Kevin dropped beside him and hugged him fiercely.
“He’ll be okay,” Kevin murmured. “He’ll be all right.”
AJ leaned against the wall and also slid to the floor. He lightly banged his head against the concrete. Why not me? Why not ME? Why won’t they take me? Are they saving the worst torture for me? I don’t get it . . .
“Quit it,” Howie said, putting a hand on AJ’s shoulder.
AJ stopped, his head aching.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Howie told him. “Leave that to them. You’ll get your shot tomorrow.”
AJ nodded, planning to fight them as much as he could. If he could just get free, he could tell someone where they were . . .
~~~
The man in black returned two hours early with Nick. He shoved the blond into the cell and slammed the door behind him. Nick fell to his knees, crossing his arms across his chest. The other four BSB were immediately beside him.
“Frack, can you hear me?” Brian asked, his eyes already starting to water. “What’d they do to you?”
Nick didn’t answer, just knelt in place shivering.
Howie frowned and reached out gingerly to touch Nick’s hair. Ice crystals came off and melted on his fingertips. “They froze him,” Howie whispered.
“Fuck,” AJ muttered, trying to tell if Nick had a fever. It was impossible; all of his outer skin was chilled.
Brian immediately starting pulling off his shirt and the other three followed his example.
“It’s all right, Nicky, we’ll get ya warmed up,” Brian soothed, still concerned by Nick’s silence.
“We should put him in a warm bath,” Kevin suggested.
“We have to be careful,” AJ said. “If you warm him too quickly, he’ll go into shock. We have to go slow.”
The others nodded.
~~~
“How are you feeling?” Brian asked Nick later that night.
The youngest BSB was still shivering very slightly. “Better,” Nick managed.
“Is that all they did to you? Froze you?”
Nick nodded, trying not to think about it. “They just locked me in a freezer and slowly lowered the temperature.” He closed his eyes. “I thought I was gonna die.”
“Shh, it’s over,” Brian told him. “They haven’t killed any of us yet.”
“They almost killed AJ.”
“We don’t know that. He might have been bluffing, like Kev said.”
Nick sighed, shivering a little more.
Brian hugged him, trying to keep him warm. As an afterthought, he put a hand to the back of Nick’s neck to check for a fever.
“Damn,” Brian muttered.
“Am I sick?” Nick asked, his voice wavering.
“Probably just a little,” Brian lied. He had no idea how sick Nick might get. “You’ll be all right. You should get some sleep.”
Nick nodded and laid down.
Brian rubbed his back soothingly and hummed very quietly.
The other three BSB tried not to think of what the next few days would bring.
~~~
The next morning, AJ was again sitting right next to the door. Nine o’clock came . . . and went. AJ tensed, looking at his watch. They’ve never been late before, he thought. Maybe they’re just tryin’ to make me sweat. They must really have it in for me. There was silence as they all waited. Brian told Nick to go back to sleep. The blond agreed.
“What’s taking them so long?” Howie asked at 9:50.
“They’re fucking with me,” AJ snapped.
No one asked anything else.
Howie watched AJ carefully. AJ didn’t move as he waited, except to check his watch.
Ten o’clock rolled by . . . followed by eleven.
AJ jumped to his feet and started shouting at his captors, demanding his turn. He used every swear he could think of.
Nick woke up, startled by the noise. Brian put a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him not to say anything.
AJ stopped, breathing hard.
“Bone,” Kevin said softly.
“WHAT?!” AJ yelled back.
“Maybe this is your torture,” he suggested. “They’re torturing you by not touching you.”
AJ stood absolutely still. Then he started shouting again and kicking at the door.
And the other Boys had to watch him endure his torture. He wouldn’t let any of the others touch him.
When lunch came, AJ refused it.
Once they had eaten, Howie got up and tried to forcefully stop AJ from kicking the door.
AJ pulled free of his grip and shoved him back. “Hit me, damn it! Hurt me! It’s not fair that you guys all took shit and I get off free!”
“Be thankful, AJ! You can stay strong and help the rest of us!” Brian cried.
“IT’S NOT FAIR!” AJ roared. He shoved Howie again. “Hit me, damn it!” Tears were running unchecked down his face. “Please!”
“I can’t,” Howie replied, close to tears himself.
“DO IT!”
“Howie, don’t!” Kevin shouted. “They might get him next time ‘round.”
“You don’t know that!” AJ yelled at him.
“AJ, I’m not gonna hurt you,” Howie said. “And I’m not gonna let you hurt yourself.”
AJ fell to his knees, sobbing. “It’s not fair. I just wanna get hurt like you guys did . . . it’s not fair . . .”
Howie hugged him tightly. “We’re not mad at you, Bone. Don’t let it get to you. That’s what they want.”
AJ started punching the concrete floor, but Howie stopped him.
The only sound was AJ’s quiet sobs.
~~~