Now that I've written this I realise that maybe this two-shot thing wasn't such a good idea. If you hate it I can write another chapter. I realised I used English currency, just go with it pretty please. All my love!
...
Big Time Rush.
Traitors in our midst.
Kendall.
"I'm going to murder you!" I vowed, staring at my unlikely kidnapper with fury.
The masked face moved forward and lips hovered close to my ear. The ropes around my wrists chaffed as I tried to automatically move away.
"Not if I kill you first."
A very high, very sharp stiletto heel came crashing down on my unprotected foot and I couldn't hold back my scream of shock and pain. I saw the recording light from the video camera click off and scowled when I could see through my tears.
"Why did you do that?"
Scarlet lips quirked upward. "Well it had to be realistic; they've got to believe it."
"The moment I get loose you better run as fast as you can!" I threatened. The basement door opened and those dreaded boots clipped away. "Hey wait! You can't just leave me here!"
"Sure I can. You're being held for ransom, it'll look odd if you suddenly appear back in your apartment."
"It'll look even worse if someone comes down here and see me tied to a chair! Seriously let me go!"
"Oh don't worry about that, no one ever comes down here. Besides I've got the only key. I'll be back in a few hours, Kendie; I need to make sure that no one does actually call the police. That'll just be awkward."
The door slammed shut and the key turned in the lock.
"Let me out! Hello? Hey come back! This isn't funny anymore, seriously! I bet Logan's having a heart attack right now and it's all your fault! Let me go!"
...
Logan.
Kendall's been kidnapped.
Insane amount of money needed for his return.
Someone wants to kill him.
We don't have that kind of money.
Kendall's been kidnapped.
They hurt him.
Made him scream.
What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?
God, I'm having a heart attack at eighteen.
Kendall's scream rang never ending in my ears, intense and enough to fracture my soul. It would never leave me. James was pacing around the room with the heels of his hands pressed into his eyes, muttering something I couldn't hear. Carlos rocked gently back and forth on the couch, staring at the blank television screen. I sucked in a greedy mouthful of air and tried to loosen the crushing vice on my chest.
"OK. OK. OK. OK. James stop panicking!" I demanded.
"This is the perfect time to panic!" James argued loudly. "Someone's kidnapped Kendall! Where are we going to get that amount of money?"
"I don't know!"
"What about Gustavo or Kelly or Mama Knight?" James suggested.
"Then the crazy person will kill Kendall!" Carlos shrieked.
"How much money do we have?"
I tugged my wallet from my pockets so fast my fingers got caught on the belt loops of my jeans. My heart sank when I opened it and fingered through the dismal amount of notes inside.
"Thirty pounds." I groaned.
"Twenty." James waved his sorry notes around.
"Five pounds thirty."
"Between the three of us we only have fifty five pounds thirty pence? We're a boy band how did that happen?"
"There's more in my account but only a couple of thousand."
"We'll have to go and get whatever we have. Maybe we can make a deal with them."
"Yeah like what? Here's a couple of grand, what body part will that buy us?"
"James!" I hissed and put a comforting hand on Carlos' trembling shoulder. "He didn't mean it, buddy. Don't worry, we'll get Kendall back."
...
Kendall.
My arms had gone numb a long time ago, there was an itch on my right cheek and a splinter digging into my wrist. The air around me was stale and musty and it coated the back of my tongue. There were thirty seven cracks on the wall in front of me and six patches of mould. I had revised my times tables, planned James' surprise birthday party that no one knew about and had plotted my revenge. And it involved green paint, buckets and doors. Now I was just plain bored and trying to pretend that I wasn't bothered by the shadows in the corners. Not to mention more than a little concerned about my friends reactions to this mess. There was going to be some serious damage control and clingy band mates when I was finally released from my basement prison. The door clicked open again and my ninja masked kidnapper danced back into view.
"Why are you wearing that mask? I know who you are."
"I have to keep the scenario going and in this case masks would be worn."
"You've been watching too many movies. Are you going to let me go anytime soon?"
"At midnight."
"What's the time now?"
"Three in the afternoon."
I groaned and tried to kick out. "What's really the point to all this?"
"I told you, silly."
"Right." A make-up brush like I had seen Jo use once suddenly careened into my vision. Startled, I jerked back and nearly toppled the chair. "What was that?"
"I don't really want to hurt you, Kendall. But I need to make it look authentic."
"You slapped me and stamped on my foot a few hours ago."
"Fine, I don't want to leave any permanent marks. Now hold still."
The soft bristles of the brush dusted over my right eye and across the same cheek that had been hit before.
"Are you putting make-up on me?"
"Yeah."
I wrinkled my forehead. "Feels funny. I don't like it."
"Tough."
"Everyone's going to be so angry with you and I'm going to stand around and laugh. I hope Logan never talks to you again."
"He will. This will all be forgotten by tomorrow."
"For you maybe. Did at least go and see them? Are they OK?"
"They're a little freaked out but everything's under control. I've got people working with me."
"You mean you've brought other people into this? You're insane, you know that? Who's in on this because I will kick their butts too?"
"There, you're done."
"Done? What did you do to me?"
"Nothing. Now, smile for the camera."
...
Logan.
"What's up dorks?" Jett smirked as he strolled past our doorway.
"Keep walking loser." James snarled.
"Just checking you weren't doing anything stupid. Oh this was by your door. Later."
Tossing the package into the apartment, he walked away whistling loudly. We stared at the brown envelope until James finally crept forward and picked it up.
"Kendall?" Carlos whispered.
"God I hope not."
James opened the envelope and tipped the DVD out into his hand. He walked toward the television and barely waited for us to be by his side before he inserted it into the player. The scene was the same, dark and dingy with a flashing bulb. But Kendall's face was a mess of bruises and dark colours. His lip looked raw and the damage to his skin nearly made me bring my breakfast back up. But he looked thoroughly furious and dangerous.
"These are your instructions." Kendall spoke through gritted teeth. "Place the money into a plastic bag and at five minutes to midnight go down into the Palms Wood Lobby. Put the bag into the trash bin and leave. If everything is correct I will be returned to you by one am." He looked directly into the camera again and smiled. "I'm all right guys. I'll be home soon."
The recording cut off again and Kendall's injured face faded from view but never our memories.
"They really hurt him." I whimpered.
"Afternoon boys!" Camille greeted. "Hey what's wrong?"
I knew I wasn't supposed to tell her, Kendall's life depended on her but the words spilled out and I really had no control over it.
"Someone's taken Kendall." I wept.
Behind me James and Carlos were sobbing into each other's shoulders. Loud broken sobs that only Kendall could stop. Camille's eyes widened and she stepped toward me, folding her arms around my torso.
"What do you mean?" She questioned.
"They're holding him for ransom and if we don't get £100,000 in five hours they'll kill him. What do we do, Camille? We can't live without him."
"Ssh, everything will be all right."
"Nothing's going to be all right." Carlos denied angrily. "I want him back. Why him? Why not me or somebody who wasn't important?"
"Don't think like that, sweetie." Camille cautioned.
"Is this our fault? My fault? Kendall never wanted to come to Hollywood. Oh God, what if he dies here? We need to find him! Where would they take him?" James wept.
I was barely supporting my own weight, leaning against Camille and sobbing into her neck. Her hand weaved in my hair and trailed down my back but all I could think about was the empty, gaping hole inside my heart and the raw fear that would never be quenched.
"I can't lose him. Not him. Please, give him back to me."
"He'll come home."
James sank down to his knees and buried his face in his trembling palms, Carlos was on the verge of hysterics and I could feel all traces of reason leaving my mind.
"They hurt him, Camille. Made him scream and all the bruises on his face...what if they're doing worse to him right now? And I'm not there? I'm always there for him. He's afraid of the dark, did you know that?"
"No. I didn't."
"They could be holding him in a dark room with no way out and hurting him. How could I ever forgive myself for this?"
Camille's arms tightened around my and her nose pressed into my shoulder. In my grasp her delicate body trembled.
...
Kendall.
I am OK. I do not need to panic. This is a game. The shadows are not going to devour me. I am an eighteen year old man. I am not afraid of the dark.
"I will keep screaming and singing badly until you let me out! Then I am going to sue you and make sure that Logan breaks up with you!"
The door slipped smoothly open and stopped my rant in its tracks. The pretty pale face was tear stained and her eyes were full of guilt.
"Are you going to let me out now Camille?"
"I shouldn't have done this. I'm sorry Kendall. My audition isn't worth this."
"You're going to let me go?"
"Yeah."
She rushed across the room and with a few tugs the ropes slipped from my wrists. I winced at the circulation of blood around my arms and the stiff muscles in my back.
"What made you change your mind?"
"Your friends are losing it."
I darted for the door but paused for a moment and glared over my shoulder at the petite actress.
"Don't think this means I forgive you though."
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were afraid of the dark."
I barely paid her any attention though and sprinted away from the nightmare basement and craved the safety of my friends.
I burst through my front door with a heaving chest and the grudging knowledge that I was bothered by the shadows in the hallway. My friends jumped in shock at my loud entrance and looked up from the stack of money in front of them. Their faces paled and they blinked at me, like they had seen a ghost.
"Guys?"
"Kenny?"
"I'm home guys. You can stop worrying now."
James vaulted from his chair and threw his arms around my neck, nearly cutting of my air supply but I held him back tightly. His body quacked and he kept gasping into my hair like he couldn't breathe. Concerned I tried to pull back but he whimpered and clutched me closer to him.
"Easy Jamie, it's all right. Just keep breathing."
Finally he moved and leant back to touch my face softly. "Does it hurt?"
"Hurt?" I echoed. "Oh! One sec."
I dashed into the bathroom and frowned at the blue and purple smudges on my face. Where had Camille learnt to do that? I scrubbed at my skin and stayed in front of the mirror until I had irritated my skin but the phantom bruises had faded.
"Kendie?"
I stepped back out to my frightened friends and smiled. "Better? I'm really not hurt."
"H-How?"
"It's...a really long story...Can I sit down?"
They scrambled to make the couch comfortable and folded down around me the second I had sat down. But they soon eased me into their arms until my head was resting on James' lap and my two smaller friends were using my legs as pillows.
"People are going to talk." I joked.
"Don't care." James growled.
His hands were playing with my hair and touching my cheek occasionally. I reached up one hand and grabbed hold of his wrist in comfort.
"James, I promise I'm OK. I was never in any real danger."
"What happened? Where were you?"
"The basement. I must have been there since lunch."
"Who put you there?"
"...Can't we just be happy I'm not there anymore?"
"Who was it, Kendall?"
"Promise you won't freak out?"
"Promise."
"Camille."
Everything was eerily calm for a moment then the grip on my knee tightened and Logan's face went red.
"Oh that bitch. How could she do that to us? Send us those videos! I'm going to murder her."
"Do it tomorrow." I begged. "I'm comfortable here."
"Why did she do it?" James asked softly.
"Research I think. She never really said. I'm hungry."
"I'll get you something. Stay here." Logan ordered.
I obeyed with a small shrug and batted James' hands away again.
...
"No! No you, go away!" James' angry voice made me look up from the play station screen.
"James?"
I rose from the seat slowly and passed Carlos the platinum controller.
"NO! Sit down Kendall!"
Startled I complied and sank back down on the orange couch silently. Logan appeared at the top of the swirly slide and his face went stormy like I had never seen. Betrayal flooded across his features and flooded his eyes and I suddenly realised who was at the front door. I ignored James' order and moved toward my friends. Logan rocketed past me and nearly knocked James over in his haste to get to the front door.
"You have no right to be here, Camille."
"Logan I just wanted to make sure Kendall was OK. That's all."
"He is, no thanks to you. He could have been hurt!"
"I'd never hurt him, you know that."
"I used to think that but now I don't know anything like that."
Camille's face was tear stained and pale underneath her make-up. She cowered in front of my friend's angry wrath, her lip caught between her teeth. I was prepared to shout at her and hate her for the rest of my days but then I looked again at Logan's face, through his hurt and betrayal and saw heart break. He loved Camille more than he had loved any girl and he was doing this for me. How could I let him sacrifice his heart for me? I stepped forward and pressed my hand against his shoulder blade.
"Let it go, Logan." I begged. "No one was hurt and I'm home OK."
"I can't. You didn't see the videos or believe that you were dead. Every time I look at her I'm going to see your face covered in bruises and I know now that they weren't really bruises but at the time I didn't."
"But I..."
"Kendall, its fine. I'm sorry for what I did to you, it was mean and cruel. I won't ever forgive myself for using you like that."
"Goodbye Camille."
He shut the door on the fiery actress and clicked the lock firmly shut. Camille sobbed on the other side of the door.
"You shouldn't have done that Logan. She made a mistake."
"She shouldn't play games with people's hearts and no one gets to treat you like that Kendie."
"Logie..."
"Just don't Kendall. I've got you back, that's all that matters."
...
