The mall's security team led the miserable boys to a side door in the wall and through. After the bright lights and colors and noise of the mall, it was like moving from a carnival to a morgue - silent and monochrome and...well, spooky. The ceiling soared above them, but the walls felt close and they curved out every twenty feet or so. Everything was shades of gray with occasional delicate touches of chrome. James thought it looked cool; Carlos thought it looked like a mobster had been their interior decorator. Kendall was still seething and hardly noticed anything. All of them except James pulled their towels off their heads, wanting to see better in case something was going to jump out at them. But nothing did and it was a long walk.
For the first five minutes, Logan bit back the words, "I told you so." Even James had told Logan he was silly for feeling unsafe at the Mall of America, and guess who's instincts were right? Guess who! Logan settled for saying, "Remind me again why you guys never listen to me?"
"I was just trying to get you to calm down," Kendall snapped back, "Excuse me for trying to get everyone focused and ready for a performance."
"We all could have died," Logan stopped to point out and Kendall stopped right beside him.
"You want me to start yelling again because I am this close - ?"
"No, stop it!" James shouldered his way in-between them, looking splotchy and pale and worried under his towel. "You're right, Logan, but this isn't helpful. We need to keep moving." The guards shifted as if to remind them they were there and both boys felt bad for slowing them down.
"It's just a few minutes farther," said the tall guard with the mustache. When he turned to continue, the boys and Kelly fell in silently. Freight Train brought up the rear.
After three minutes more of walking, they stopped in front of an industrial elevator that required two keys and a keypad code to open. They stepped inside the large space, surprised to find that they could easily fit the whole band, Freight Train, Kelly and their five guards.
"Cool," Carlos said as the doors closed silently. The subsequent upward movement was so gentle that they could barely feel it. The boys looked around and registered for the first time that the guards with them weren't dressed in mall guard uniforms. Instead, they wore black tactical gear that looked bulletproof and seriously cool. James couldn't keep his eyes off their chunky black military boots that laced up the front and had cool black suede leather patches on the sides. He wanted them so bad he actually forgot about his facial tragedy for a few minutes.
"Their boots are so cool," he whispered to Kendall.
Kendall nodded, his attention focused on the big black man at the front with a handlebar mustache. He was barrel-chested and stern, giving off large-and-in-charge vibes. When the big man gave a nod to the smaller white guy, he pulled out his radio and alerted headquarters where they were.
"Can you tell us where we're going?" Kelly asked the mustache man.
"Not yet," he told her without changing expression. "Not until we're safe."
She sighed. "And what do we call you?"
"Captain McLemore. We shouldn't be much longer."
"Okay, that sounds great. It's been a long day," she said, giving the boys a tired smile. They looked terrible and close to despair and none of this was their fault. It was no wonder Kendall had completely lost it out there. Unfortunately, Griffin wasn't going to care whether this was their fault or not if this caused him to lose more money. What were they going to do?
Logan nervously eyed the Hispanic guard up front carrying an automatic gun across his chest. Another guard at the back held an identically massive gun. Surely the band was safe now, right? There was no way they worked for Moon...right?
The elevator finally came to a halt and the doors opened. The boys were led outside into another gray, shadowy hallway, but this one had a moving sidewalk. They streamed out and onto the conveyor in a clump and easily doubled their walking speed. After the concert and the second rush of adrenaline when the purple goo fell, the boys were feeling wiped out, except, of course, Carlos.
"Cool!" Carlos said as they sped forward, realizing that the ceiling was so far above them that it was lost in the shadows. "What is this place? Are we still in the mall?"
The Hispanic guard smiled at him. "We're adjacent to the mall in the security building. From the outside, you can't even tell it's there."
"No way! We're in a secret security building, guys!" he said, bouncing in his excitement.
Captain McLemore took over the narrative. "The security division of the mall is housed here. This sidewalk is the fastest way to the panic rooms."
"You have a panic room - wait, panic rooms?" Logan asked in shock.
"Is that where we're going?" Kendall asked the guard in front of him, who nodded. Kendall raised his eyebrows in shock.
"Wait- what's a panic room?" James asked in a slightly hysterical tone. He stopped walking, finally pulling his towel off his head. "Why are we going there? Oh my god - is it because I'm starting to panic? "
Kendall stopped, too, at the very end of his patience. "No. Not at all."
"James, a panic room is a secret room in a building that is designed to be invulnerable to attack or intrusion," Logan explained to James. "And I am perfectly fine with going there right now because it will be very safe. It just surprised me that there was one inside a mall, but then this isn't an ordinary mall."
Captain McLemore in front spoke up. "We know about Atticus Moon and it seems a good idea to get you boys safe while we figure out what else he's got up his sleeve. All you need to do once we get there is sit tight and relax while we check everything out. Now, let's keep moving."
They all complied, but Kendall still had questions. "How will you do that? I mean, how will you check everything out?"
"We're evacuating the mall even as we speak. Once it's empty, we'll sweep the stores and see if Moon has planned any more...surprises. Since your agenda included a visit to the LEGO store, the ropes courses and the roller coasters, we will pay special attention to those areas."
"You know about that," Carlos asked in shock.
"The perks of video surveillance," Logan told him. "They hear everything we say here."
"Oh."
"And I'll stay with you guys in the panic room," Freight Train spoke up from the back. "So you don't have to worry."
"See?" Kelly said in a perky voice. "Everything is taken care of, boys - nothing to worry about." Kendall snorted but kept himself from saying anything and Kelly appreciated that.
"Is there a shower in the panic rooms?" Carlos asked, not because he cared, but because he knew that getting clean would help James stay calm.
"Yes, they have showers, beds and food, everything you need to get comfortable," the Hispanic guard said.
"See buddy, everything's fine," Kendall said to James, giving him a pat on the shoulder. James wanted to point out that he didn't have any clean clothes to change into, so really everything wasn't fine, but he knew better than to annoy Kendall right now.
"Eyes up front," the captain warned as the moving sidewalk ended and they had to step off. The walls were still the same color, the ceiling just as high, but now they had the uncomfortable feeling that they were creeping along far too slow.
"I just don't get why the purple goo," Logan said after a few moments of tense silence.
"It's purple pickle tattoo goo," Carlos reminded him.
"Right, yes, okay," Logan snapped. "I just mean...it seems random, like there must be another reason - "
Suddenly, the lights in front of them blinked off. James shrieked and clutched Carlos. Then the lights went off behind them. Both James and Carlos shrieked, whipping around to look behind them.
"Why are the lights going off?" Kelly screeched. Seconds ticked by, the entire group shifting uneasily within the one circle of light.
"Moon's not done yet," Kendall muttered, dread pooling in his gut.
"Please don't say that." Logan looked up at the single globe of light suspended by a long line from the ceiling - the only thing keeping them from plunging into complete darkness.
A girl's giggle echoed around the space, shocking everyone.
Then the light went out.
"Keep your positions," Captain McLemore said sharply before fading off. "What..."
There were gasps of astonishment and everyone stared as the boys of Big Time Rush started...glowing.
Logan gasped. "This is why he did it - the purple pickle tattoo goo glows!" In the pitch black, every place on the boys that had purple splashed on it was glowing bright.
"Wow, James you glow brighter than anybody," Carlos said with a laugh.
"Of course I do," James said with a slightly hysterical dash of his usual confidence. His glowing was mostly one-sided, but it was very bright. "Hey, does my hair have a halo?"
"Oooo, it does," Carlos said. "And I sat in the stuff. Is my butt glowing?" He turned around and wiggled his brightly glowing butt while the boys burst into nervous laughter. Kendall turned around and showed his glowing back and legs. Logan only had one arm and part of one leg glowing. It was strange to be able to see each other, or most of each other and not a single bit of the guards or Kelly unless they got close to one of the boys.
Kendall finally sobered enough to say, "But this doesn't make sense. Why would Moon do something that's basically...cool?"
"Right," Logan said, "there must be another reason."
"Station Five, this is unit Delta.," one of the guards said in the dark. "Please explain the current power outage." Everyone sat silently until the answer came:
"What power outage?
"Right. This is an isolated incident specifically targeting the boys," McLemore warned the guards. "Guards, safety lights on!"
There was a lot of rustling in the dark. Then a guard spoke up. "My safety light isn't working, sir."
"Any of them?"
"Not a single one, sir."
"Our equipment has been tampered with," McLemore announced. "Be ready for - "
SHHHHUNKT!
"What was that?" Kendall cried out, tense as a bowstring.
"Ow!" James said, clapping a hand to his neck. When he pulled his hand away, a small, feathered dart was between his glowing fingers. "Is that a..."
"James!" The boy's eyes had rolled up in his head and he fell sideways into the arms of the nearest guard.
"Guards to four corners," the captain snapped and there were the sounds of guards moving into action. James was dragged to the center and the remaining boys and Kelly were maneuvered inside the circle of guards.
"How do you boys get into this much trouble?" Kelly whispered in the dark. They shrugged unhappily. "Is James all right?"
Kendall checked James over. "He's breathing," Kendall said. The tall boy looked asleep, the purple on his clothes, face and hair softly glowing.
"You know, I got shot by those a lot when we were in London," Logan reminded everyone. "I don't remember anyone being worried about me."
"You were unconscious," Kendall pointed out. "How would you know?"
"I was worried," Carlos said.
"My point is - he'll be fine," Logan insisted. "And what about these useless guards? How can you not have working flashlights or any way to keep us from - "
SHHHHUNKT!
"Ow. Okay, fine," Logan snapped, looking at the dart in his glowing right arm. "But why is it always...meeeee," he asked as he slumped forward.
"I got you, Logie," Carlos said, lowering him to the ground. "This is terrible! Kendall, what do we do?"
"I don't know," he ground out in response, feeling furious and helpless and out of ideas.
"Guards, turn on night vision," Captain McLemore commanded.
"Not working, sir!"
"Are you kidding me," Kelly cried out.
SHHHHUNKT!
"Aw, man," Freight Train rumbled from in front of Carlos. "I think I got shot in the thigh. Hard to see since I don't glow." Carlos moved around to the side of Freight Train to shed some light on his big friend. "No, no - you stay back there," the big man insisted, pushing him back to the center of the circle.
"Get behind the guards, Carlos," Kendall snapped. "Without them, you'll be next!"
SHHHHUNKT!
"Going down," said the guard in front of Kendall, "Sorry, sirrrrr."
SHHHHUNKT!
"How did they know I was...ugh," said another guard quietly, down for the count.
"Moving!" Kendall snapped, stepping over bodies to stand behind Freight Train with Carlos.
"Station Five, we need back-up. Unit Delta is under attack from unidentified shooters with knockout darts," a guard said again in the dark.
"Are you boys okay?" Kelly asked, moving over to join them.
"We're down to two, Kelly," Carlos answered, trying not to panic, "and they're shooting from all over!"
"Unit Delta, did you say unidentified shooters?"
"Confirmed," Captain McLemore agreed, "multiple shooters in the dark. Without night vision, we can't see well enough to take them out. Send back-up with working equipment!"
"They are en route, sir."
"Is there any way to get to the panic room now?" Kelly asked. "They're just going to keep picking us off - "
SHHHHUNKT!
"Ow...how did they see...me..." Kelly's voice tapered off. Kendall helped catch her as she slumped to the floor, laying her down carefully by James and Logan.
"It's just us now," Carlos said, grabbing hold of Kendall's arm. "What do we do?"
"We still have three guards," Kendall pointed out as calmly as possible.
"Yeah. And I'm not down yet," Freight Train said in the dark. "Takes more than one dart to -"
SHHHHUNKT!
"Aw, man," Freight Train said again, "really? They must really want to see me go down."
"No - don't go down," Kendall said quickly. "Which direction is the panic room? Freight, can you take us?'
SHHHHUNKT!
"Sorry...three strikes...I'm out," Freight slurred as he also fell forward.
"Ahhhhh!" Carlos cried out. "We're the only ones left, Kendall!"
"No, sir," a guard called out, "stay behind me."
"But they're shooting from this side, too!"
"Station Five, are you sending back-up.? Unit Delta- "
SHHHHUNKT!
"..is...going down."
"Okay, nobody else talk!" Kendall yelled. "That's how they're finding people in the -"
SHHHHUNKT!
"Well, shit," Kendall said, glaring at the dart stuck in his shoulder. "Sorry 'los, you're on your...own..."
Carlos watched in horror as Kendall slumped into his arms. "What do I do? Wait - am I the only one left for real?" His eyes grew wet as laid Kendall down.
"Captain McLemore at your service. Stand behind me."
"O-okay."
"And Private Huego here, on your other side. Do you want to make a break for the Panic Room?"
"I can't leave my friends here!" Carlos cried. He looked right and left at the slumped bodies of his friends and the other, darker figures he could barely make out.
"We'll come back for them once we - "
SHHHHUNKT!
"Sorry. Private Huego...out," the young guard said as he fell.
Captain McLemore pulled Carlos behind him. "Sorry, Carlos. Moon must have infiltrated my guard before - "
SHHHHUNKT!
"Dart...in the back. Carlos, run!"
Carlos watched as the vague outline of Captain McLemore fell. Then he picked his way over all the bodies and started running back the way they'd come, screaming a war cry. He made it ten steps before -
SHHHHUNKT!
"But..." Carlos slowed down to stare at the dart in his stomach, "I can't...oh man..."
There was no one to watch him as his eyes rolled up and he fell forward into darkness.
After a moment or two of silence, a voice rang throughout the darkened hallway. "Well done. Now, get 'em, boys. And make sure you bring all your ropes."
James stirred groggily, his head rolling on his neck. Why did his whole body feel so heavy? Wraiths of memory drifted through the fog in his mind. The band...and fans, there were definitely fans... somewhere big...a mall...no, a supermall. And goo? Glowing, purple, goo that smelled like...pickles?
James shook his head, feeling like something was really off in his brain. He tried getting his eyes to open, to see if he was really glowing but his eyelids were too heavy. It took several tries and yes...the first thing he saw was his own glowing torso. Well, half of it was glowing. It didn't make sense, exactly, but at least that agreed with what he remembered. He wanted to check his arms, but they weren't cooperating and neither was his head.
For some reason, his arms were pulled out to the sides really far and they were stuck that way. James twisted and squinted and saw rope wrapped around his right wrist. Ohhhhhh. Got it. Looking down he saw that his right leg was still glowing and his right shoe, and there were ropes wrapping his ankles together and attaching to the metal girder underneath him, too.
Leaning forward was difficult. There was a rope tied under his arms and behind his shoulders that lashed him to the beam above. Another rope was tied around his torso and the beam behind. Why so much rope? And why was he up so high? James stopped moving and stood still, trying to remember. As he thought, the aches and pains of his body crept into his awareness. He wasn't very comfortable. In fact, his back was killing him, and his arms and legs were fatigued to the point of exhaustion. James gritted his teeth. Why am I here? The last thing he remembered was the goo - and a dart!? I was drugged.
But what had happened to everyone else? They had all been stuck in the dark and terrified when the dart struck James. Cold fear spread in his stomach.
"Kendall?" His voice echoed strangely in the huge, dark room. "Carlos? Logan?" he asked, louder this time. "Guys? Anyone?"His breathing hitched and panic started working its way up into his throat. All he could see around him, by his own glowing light, were metal girders disappearing up into the shadows. "Kendall!" he called louder, and noticed the sound went far below as well. Where in the hell am I?
The ropes were tied so tight that he couldn't budge them anywhere. All he could do was shift and feel the burn of the rope in so many places. Even that small movement felt good, but no matter how hard he tried to break free, he was trapped.
An image flashed into his head of a bug collection he'd seen once in a museum. The specimens had been killed "humanely" and pinned in rows with placards beneath, identifying each bug. It was horrifying. How was this any different? He was helpless, stretched out and fixed like a bug pinned in one of those awful shadow boxes - a glowing, splotchy purple bug. His placard would read: James Diamond, a specimen of Boybandocera Iconigmata, a flashy, glowing boy band member who never reached his full potential.
The image shook him and he was trembling as whispered "Help?"
The sound of a door cracking open broke the silence like a gunshot. James' head whipped to the side as ambient light spilled through. "Hello?" Far down below, there were footsteps, a figure made of shadows and a voice drifting up.
"What are you doing awake already?"
The someone mounted a set of metal steps, or was it a ladder?
"Hello? Who are you? Are you...are you here to rescue me?" James was shocked to hear how frantic his voice sounded. The footsteps came higher and then moved onto what sounded like a metal catwalk below James. There was no answer, which was an answer in itself, but he still called again. "Hello? Can you help me please?"
"Now why would I want to do that?" a sweet, feminine voice asked.
The incongruity of the response threw him for a moment. "Do...do I know you?"
"Let me come closer and maybe you can tell me," she drawled out, climbing what sounded like another metal ladder. "Though I guess it might be hard to see me since you're glowing like a lightning bug in the dark." This time her voice sounded like she was almost on level with James. In the dim light cast upward from the door, he could make out what looked like a girl in a skin-tight outfit with a mask on...a hot girl, he couldn't help but think.
"So I don't know you?"
"I'm Catgirl, and I'm a pretty good shot with a dart gun." She was pulling something from a pack at her side, but he couldn't make out any details. "I also have some friends who are excellent with ropes. Let me tell you, it was not easy with security on our asses every step of the way."
James shoved his fear aside and tried a smirk in her direction.. "So, Catgirl, feel like untying a future rock star and receiving his undying gratitude and...maybe a signed photo? Or even a kiss." he added desperately.
"Talking in the third person, an odd choice. Tempting, but no," she replied. "Moon has gone to a lot of trouble to get all four of you captured and strung up. He'd be so disappointed if I let you go."
"Strung up?" James' whole body went cold at the thought of Kendall and Carlos or - oh god, Logan - tied up and feeling like this.
"And you are not supposed to be awake yet. I'm here to take care of that."
"No," James said in despair, "no, please, don't - "
SHHHHUNKT!
Like a memory out of a nightmare, the dart hit James in the neck, only this time his hands were tied. He jerked in place. "Where are my friends?"
"Hmmm. Maybe you need two doses," Catgirl said before shooting again.
He didn't really need two doses, but had no time to tell her. James was already fading and the last thing he heard was -
SHHHHUNKT!