Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally.

Radio Signal

Chapter 2: Lost At Sea

He felt sick to his stomach; he wanted to hurl. Everything was pitch black when he finally came to. It felt like he was moving; he swore he could hear a car motor but he wasn't sure. His mind was still lost in a haze of confusion and his queasy stomach wouldn't let him think about something for more than a few moments. He couldn't move. He tried to move his arms but they refused to leave their position behind his back. He was incredibly uncomfortable and he couldn't move to a more comfortable position.

Where was he? What happened? He tried to remember but his mind was just too scrambled, his stomach too uneasy. He groaned and took notice of the way his voice came out muffled. He tried to move his mouth and found that he couldn't. Suddenly, the small place he was crammed in was thrust upward. Austin's head slammed into the top with a painful "thump". Pain erupted in his skull. Now he really felt sick. He let out a muffled moan of pain.

His right side was suddenly jerked forward by an unseen force. He could have sworn he heard the sound of car brakes. He was no longer moving. He could hear something slamming shut followed by muffled voices. He tried to move around in the crammed area. He didn't like the feeling he was getting. Something was seriously wrong.

He heard a door very close to him open. "Hey, the brat woke up." He heard a deep, male voice say. He could have sworn he recognized it.

"Not completely, though. He still looks pretty out of it."

Were they talking about him? He couldn't be sure. A familiar scent invaded his nostrils. Salt, and lots of it. He could here it now, water. It was loud yet calm at the same time. They must be very close to the ocean.

"Pull the kid out and get him ready. I don't want him getting sick on the boat when it docks."

"Sure thing." A pair of arms grabbed at him. He wasn't prepared for it, making his fight just a slight jerk in protest. He was carried out of what ever he was in and placed on what felt like a wooden ground. The blindfold was ripped off and so was the duck tape over his mouth.

Austin took in his surroundings in a haze. He saw ocean and boats. They were at a private ship dock. There were quite a few people there but he and his captors were separated from the rest.

"Untie him, I don't want to draw any unwanted attention." With that, his wrists were freed and his legs no longer duck taped. He moved to get up but felt a wave of nausea hit him. He was throwing up his stomach contents before he even realized what was happening. The half digested mess went over the dock and into the ocean.

"Whoa, the chloroform really did a number on ya, didn't it kid?" One of the men joked. Austin didn't react to his taunting. He didn't react to the fact that they were in normal civilian clothing, masks no longer hiding their faces. He knew that meant something, but he wasn't sure exactly what at that moment. He just stayed on the ground, hunched over the edge of the dock, waiting for another wave of nausea to hit.

He was lost in a complete haze. He still had no clue what was going on. All he knew was that he felt like he had been hit by a train and that he was somewhere where he shouldn't be. He knew he shouldn't trust the men, but at that moment, he paid them no mind. A fatal mistake on his part.

The men ignored him for a while and chatted amongst themselves as they waited. What for? Austin wasn't sure. " So what's the plan from here?" One of them asked.

"Hershel is going to meet us here with the motor boat. We're going to fuel up and then haul the kid out to Nassau and transfer him to the cruise ship waiting for us there. Then the brat becomes the Colonel's problem."

"Which cruiser, the leviathan?"

"That's the one. It's that stupid cruiser turned mercenary ship."

Austin caught sight of a motor boat making its way toward them in his haze of confusion. It was a good sized boat but it wasn't anything impressive. It was red and white and had the title: Joan on the side. He felt himself being lifted up an dragged to the boat as it docked. He let himself get pulled around, still too nauseous to think of anything else

"Come on! We gotta go!" The man driving the boat, Hershel, yelled at them.

"We're coming!" The man dragging him yelled back. The man picked him up and handed him to Hershel. He was put on the floor as the other men climbed in.

"I'm going to refuel. While I do that, you get that kid tied back up. We don't want him getting any ideas on our way to Nassau." The motorboat driver huffed out. He didn't seem to be happy to be there.

In a haze, Austin watched the man climb out, paying no mind to the men tying him up until his wrists were tied a little too tight. He cringed in pain as the rope dug into his skin. The men laughed, one of them smacked him on the cheek as they finished their work, finding humor in his pain.

Austin must have dozed off, because next thing he knew, the boat was being fired up again and they were pulling out of the dock. He tried to watch over the boat's side as the treeline began to shrink away. He should have been panicking, throwing a fit, doing something; but he didn't move. He didn't react. The drug in his system left him too calm, too relaxed. He watched in fascination not horror. That was something that would quickly come back to bite him in the ass.

He felt the driver's eyes linger toward him. "That's a good looking kid. What're you going to with him?" He asked. Austin wasn't sure why, but the man's tone and that smile he wore made his heart clench.

"That's classified, buddy. You just do what you're paid to do and don't ask questions." One the other men said.

Austin was getting sick of not knowing the other men's names. It starting to hurt his brain trying to differentiate them. He heard Hershel snicker.

"What? I don't get any bonus, hauling your asses out across the ocean with some pretty boy brat? I could easily rat your sorry asses out cause that's definitely not your kid." He chuckled out.

"You want something else added to your salary, put it up with the Colonel when we get to Nassau. Until then, keep your hands off the boy." One of the men hissed.

Austin wasn't liking this conversation. It was making him incredibly uneasy. A mist of salt water hit him in the face, dampening his white v-neck. The haze seemed to clear a little, the water waking him up just slightly. Another mist hit as the boat skidded across the ocean waves. Water dotted his dark jeans and the back of his head was hit with warm salt water. His hair clung to his neck; the smell of salt overwhelmed his nostrils. He felt another wave of nausea hit.

"Aw! Gross!" One of the men shouted as Austin threw up on the boat's floor. Not very much came out. Seeing as he already threw up most of his stomach contents at the docks.

"S-sorry." He croaked out. He didn't know why he said it. It hurt his throat to. But he said it anyway. The men barley seemed to hear his raspy apology. They were too busy shouting at each other to clean the mess up.

"You get that crap off my boat, right now!" The driver shouted angrily.

"It's your boat, you clean it!" One of the men argued.

"I'm driving you dumb ass and that kid is your problem. You brought him on here."

"Make the kid clean it!'

"Does he look coherent enough to do anything? Do your job and take care of this mess!"

Austin stared out over the boat's side and stared at the ocean. He couldn't help but think about how beautiful it was. Another mist hit him. The fog in his head was starting to clear. Both from time and from the water. He began to realize the seriousness of the situation he was in. He was on a motorboat, out in the ocean, miles from his home and his family. The men took him without warning. He was starting to understand now. He was now one of those statistics. One of those faces that you never wanted to be on the evening news. He was being kidnapped. No, he had already been kidnapped. Now his captors were taking him further away from home. Austin was starting to fear the reason behind their motives. From what they were saying, it sounded as if these men were paid to kidnap him. But why and who paid them?

The mess had been cleaned as Austin lost himself in his thoughts. He was in deep trouble and he had no way to escape his captors. The land was just a dark sliver on the horizon now. He felt wide awake now but full of despair. The panic was starting to set in. Somewhere on the dark sliver was his home and he was being taken away from it.

His thoughts went to his parents; to his friends. Did they know yet? How long had has it been since he had been taken? He needed to get back to them. He wanted to go home. But how? He was on a motorboat in the ocean, speeding away from civilization. Where did they say they were taking him? Someplace called Nassau. That name rang no bells. He was always terrible at geography. Now he felt incredibly stupid for not understanding it. Tears stung his eyes. All he could now was sit and wait. Then, when they reached Nassau, he would try to escape his kidnappers.

It felt like an eternity when he finally saw another set of land again. But in reality, it had only been a couple hours. They passed that piece of land and headed toward another one that was much smaller. They were islands and he could still clearly see the larger island close to the one they were heading to.

The smaller island must have been Nassau but what was the other island? He hadn't a clue.

"Hey, you guys wanna head to the Bahamas after we hand this kid over?" The driver asked.

"Can't, Colonel wants us heading recon out in the Black Sea. We gotta head there right after we give him pretty boy." One of the other men answered.

Hershel huffed in annoyance. "Don't you two know how to have any fun? Work and no play. You wont even have a little taste of the kid. Man, I'd love me a slice of that."

Austin cringed in disgust. Now that the drugs had almost completely worn off, he understood what the man was hinting at. He was glad the two men wouldn't let the driver touch him. He'd definitely lose it if the freak tried something.

"Just shut up and drive." One of the men hissed.

"Alright, don't get your panties in a twist. Which dock did you say it was?"

"British Colonial Hilton. You'll see the ship as we get closer. It'll be the smaller one with the dark blue hull."

Austin gaped in awe as they got closer to the dock. It was nothing like the first one. Massive cruise ships were docked in rows, towering over the little motorboat. There was a smaller cruise liner. It about half the size of the others. It was still a very beautiful , jaw-dropping ship. He could tell it was the ship they were talking about. Its hull was a dark blue and the name: Leviathan was painted on its side. He needed to get free and he needed to do it now.

He pulled at his bindings, trying to pry himself free. They refused to give. He growled in frustration. He thrashed harder, ignoring the flurry of pain erupting from his wrists as he rubbed them raw against the rope. It didn't break. It didn't even fray.

"Hey, get that kid under control. I want him drawing attention to us." The driver snapped. The other men grabbed at him and tightened his binds. Austin could feel blood seeping from his wrists. He thrashed at them, kicking one of them in the shin. He yelped in pain. Austin glared at his captor with hatred.

"Knock it off or we'll drug your ass again." The man he kicked threatened angrily. Austin continued to glare but ceased his thrashing. He eyed the men warily, ready to defend himself if need be.

"There's the ship. Let's just drop the kid off and be done with this."

"Duck tape his mouth again. We don't wanthim screaming and alerting everyone within a 5 mile radius."

They had to hold him down in order to get the tape on. Austin wasn't going to take this sitting down now that he was coherent enough to know what was going on. He got a few good hits in before they were able to get the tape in place, but he still lost.

The driver parked the boat at the docks and killed the engine. The Leviathan stood next to them. A group of men walked off the gangway connecting the Leviathan and the dock. They were all dressed in black skin-tight t-shirts, cargo pants, and black combat boots. They screamed military men. Austin stared wide eyed in confusion at the men. Why would the military want him?

Austin watched in wary silence from the floor of the motorboat as the men approached his captors. They saluted each other and began to speak. "Did you get him?" One of the military men asked.

One of his captors nodded. "Without incident, sir."

"Did anyone see you?"

"No, sir."

"Good, let's have a look at him shall we?" They all turned to Austin, who glared at them with a burning hatred.

One of the military men grinned at the sight of him. "Kid's got some fire." He quipped.

"Hell, yeah he does. I suggest drugging him, though. He'll fight your men tooth and nail."

"I'll go get the Colonel, he'll put the kid in his place real fast."

"He's a good looking kid." One of the other military men said. Austin tried not to shiver under their intense gazes and he tried not to think about how his soaked white shirt clung to his frame. His head perked up when another man walked over to the boat. He was older than the other men, maybe mid 40's. His hair was cut in a standard military buzz cut and his whole body was an endless bulge of muscle. He had an air of confidence and he reeked of Alpha male dominance. He was rather handsome for his age and he seemed to be aware of it. Austin hated him the second he laid his eyes on him.

"Colonel!" One of the military men said to the older man. "They got the kid."

The Colonel's eyes shifted to Austin. He grinned at the sight of the glaring blonde. "Ah, so that's him. He's quite a looker but he doesn't seem like the smart type. I hope the Secretary of Defense was right about the kid."

Austin raised an eyebrow in confusion. What? Was this guy saying that the government had to do with his kidnapping? No, that was insane. Why would they do such a thing. The U.S. government would never do something so defiling. The Colonel was just toying with him.

"Get him out of that boat and onto the ship. I want to set sail as soon as possible." The Colonel ordered. The military men obeyed immediately. Four of them grabbed at him and pulled him out of the boat. One of them slung him over his shoulder and began carrying him toward the gangway. Austin started screaming against the tape and thrashed in the man's grip. He kicked at the man's back and muffled curses at him. His struggling seemed to do nothing to the man carrying him. He watched in horror as the motorboat with the three men sped away, leaving him with his new set of captors on a much larger ship. He screamed as hard he could with the tape on his hoping, praying that someone would hear him. See him, anything.

He was suddenly dropped onto the deck. His side hit hard against the wood. He moaned in pain as he lay on the ground. His bindings were suddenly cut and the men pulled him back to his feet. Two men held him on each arm, leaving no chance of escape, though he fought them anyway. The Colonel was standing in front of him, grinning. The man ripped the tape off in one quick motion. Austin screamed in pain as it pulled at his skin.

"Let me go!" He screamed at the man as he attempted to free himself from the two men's grip. They were both incredibly strong, though, making his efforts almost pointless.

"Whoa there pop star, no need to get all bent out of shape." The Colonel chuckled. "We're all friends here."

Austin stared daggers at the older man. "What the hell do you want from me?" He tried to ignore the way his voice wavered as he spoke, his fear and panic breaking through. His heart beat against his chest.

"Want from you? Boy, I don't want anything from you. I'm just doing the job I was paid to do." The Colonel chuckled.

Austin ceased his struggling and blinked in confusion. "P-paid?"

The Colonel got right in his face. "Oh yes. I don't know why, but the U.S. government wanted you in their possession. Don't consider this as a kidnapping, consider it as a draft."

His mind was reeling in shock. This couldn't be happening. This had to all be a dream or a sick prank. There was just no way in hell that the U.S. government had instigated his kidnapping.

"Son, do you know what we are?"

Austin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the sudden question, wondering why the large man as asking him. "Military men, I don't know. Navy?" All the surrounding men laughed whole heartily at Austin's answer. The blonde shrunk in humiliation, his cheeks flushing red.

"Navy? I'm afraid you're wrong there, pop star." The Colonel said, still laughing. "We're not part of any military branch. We're American mercenaries, hired by the U.S. to kidnap you."

Austin thrashed at the men holding him again. "WHY?" He screamed. "Why do they want me? What can I possibly do that can help them?" He had to have gone insane. This had to be a hallucination. There was just no way this was real. His heart hammered against his chest. He was scared out of his mind. All he wanted to do, was go home.

He flinch when the Colonel grabbed him by the jaw. He was barley able to hold back the yelp that threatened to escape his lips when the man's grip tightened painfully on his jaw bone. "That's what we're going to find out." The man hissed with a crazy grin. "Take him to my quarters. I'll deal with him by myself."

"Yes Sir!" The two men said in unison. They immediately started to drag him off.

Austin fought with them, not wanting to be taken anywhere else on the ship. "Hey, hold on minute!" He yelled in panic at the Colonel, who was just starting to walk away. "What the hell is wrong with you people? You can't do this! All of you will get put behind bars for this!" He yelled as he struggled against the men's grip. "Let me go!"

The Colonel marched back over to the struggling boy. In a quick, fluent motion, he struck Austin hard across the face. The sound resounded on the ship's deck as Austin''s head whipped back from the force of the blow. He yelped in pain. "It would be wise to watch what you say to your elders, you disrespectful brat!" The Colonel hissed.

Austin stared wide eyed at the floor. His head was reeling from what just happened. He watched droplets of his own blood splatter on the ship's clean deck. He could taste copper in his mouth and his bottom lip stung terribly. He must have bit it. Still in shock, he looked up at the man who just hit him through his mess of blonde hair. He heaved for air and his heart beat rapidly. Panic and fear tore at his very being. The Colonel was glaring down at him; his eyes full of raw anger.

"Go!" He snapped. "Get this worthless whore out of my sight!"

This time, he didn't fight. Austin let himself be drug away from the angry man. He didn't pay attention to where they were taking him. He didn't even pay mind to the way his blood started to stain his white shirt red. Austin was terrified of now. His mind was a jumbled sea of confusion. Why was this happening to him? What did they want him for? Was he ever going to go home?

His mind went to Ally. He almost smiled at the thought of her. What would she think when she found out he was gone? It seemed like a lifetime ago since he last saw her. But didn't he see her today? Was it even the same day? He didn't know, he was knocked out for god only knew how long.

The two men threw him in a room and shut the door. Austin was immediately enveloped in darkness. He sat on the floor, his weight on his knees. They didn't tie him back up. He looked around, wondering if there was a window he could escape through. There was only one window and it was the size of a bowling ball.

He turned his head away from the window and wiped the blood from his mouth. His face suddenly felt hot yet wet at the same time. He reached up and touched his right cheek, not caring that there was probably blood on his hand. Tears coated his cheeks. A sob suddenly racked his body, the shock wearing off leaving the effects to hit him head on. His lips twisted into a pained grimace. His breath came out in choked sobs. He wiped his face with his sleeve.

He cried in the pitch black, alone and scared of whatever might happen to him. He felt like he was five again, scared that the monster under his bed was going to get him. Now, the monster was real; in the form of an over-sized man. But this time, his parents weren't here to scare the monster away. He was alone and was god knows where.

Oh man, a lot went down in this chapter. So, why does the government want Austin? What do you think? What's Ally going to think when she finds out? Find out in the next chapter.