Chapter 38

“So where’ve you been?” Jackie Littrell stood in front of her son and nephews, Ann came to join her.

Harold hung his head, trying not to make eye contact with his mother. That’s how Jackie knew that where ever they had been was someplace they weren’t supposed to be.

“We went to get something to eat,” Tim said smoothly, “We got a little tired of the stuff we were getting brought.”

Ann narrowed her eyes, “Where did you go?”

“Dunkin’ Donuts...” Tim went at the same time Jerald said, “Burger King.”

“Two places?” Jackie said sounding amused, “So what all did you eat?”

“Kolaches and some burgers,” Jerald answered innocently.

“Oh,” Jackie said seeming to let it go, “How come you guys didn’t bring us anything back from MacDonald’s and Donut Heaven?”

“We didn’t think you’d want anything, I mean you hate donuts Mom,” Hal said, his eyes barely hiding his relief, his mother was buying it.

“But I love Big Macs,” Jackie said.

“Yeah I know, next time we go to Mac Donald’s we’ll get you one. I just forgot that...”

“I thought you went to Burger King?” Ann interrupted abruptly.

Hal blinked and his eyes went wide when he realized what his mother had done. Tim cursed under his breath and quickly jumped in to save the mess Hal had gotten himself into, “We went to all three places really. Burger King had been much too crowded so we ended up at MacDonalds.”

“MacDonalds and Donut Heaven?” Jackie looked at the three of them intently.

“Yeah, MacDonalds and.... wait Donut Heaven?” Jerald looked confused, he looked to Tim for help, but Tim’s hands were clamped over his eyes and Hal had his head down looking guilty. There was no saving him now...

“Uh...”

“So which is it guys? The questions aren’t that hard are they?” Ann nodded to the children and both she and Jackie looked at them expectantly, finally the truth from Tim erupted, as Ann knew it would.

“Mother I am in my thirties, Jerald and I are both in our thirties and don’t have to stand here and be questioned like teenagers! You can question Kevin like that... BUT NOT US! What we do is our business...”

“And just what did you do? If it was something good you have told us by now,” Jackie said with her lips pursed, arms folded. Harold came to stand behind his wife wondering what was going on. Hal’s heart plummeted. He may be well into his adult years, but he still respected and feared his parents... his father in particular, “What’s going on here Harold Baker III?”

Uh-oh, the whole name... Harold kept his eyes to the ground and bit his lip. If the others weren’t going to say anything... “Son?”

Awww.... “We went back to the hotel.”

He felt the glares of both his cousins’ eyes on him.

“Why?”

He heard Tim groan beside him, “I thought the Carters would be there, and I wanted to give them my opinion of the situation.”

Both Jackie and Ann gasped, “You didn’t scream at those children did you?”

Harold, Ann, and Jackie all stood with their arms folded with fire in their eyes.

Tim sighed, “BJ Carter’s a bitch.”

He held his head high, fully prepared for the slap his mother was about to deliver across his face. She did not slap him, instead she only stared at him in a way that made him feel lower than mud.

“I have never been as disappointed with you as I am right now,” Ann said in a low voice, “I thought I’d taught you better than that, I thought your father taught you better than that. But yet you come here and spit in my face, in your fathers!”

Both Tim and Jerald cringed, that hit home, “We’re sorry Mom...”

“Did you get satisfaction from scaring those children Tim . Did you enjoy screaming in a little girl’s face, like I know you did?”

Tim blinked, his mother’s correct assumptions were scaring him, “No, Mom. I didn’t like it. I’m sorry, and it makes me feel sick to even think about it.”

“Then why did you do it?” Ann pressured him.

“I was just so.... so angry! I took my anger for their parents out on them...” Tim looked down at the ground, “Hal and Jerry were there to keep me in line. They really only got in the car to calm me down... They didn’t do anything.”

“But help you lie, which might I say, they did a rotten job of,” Jackie said glaring at her son.

“Mom, why won’t they just let the FBI ask a few questions?” Tim knew he was losing with the hotel incident, but if he just switched gears, back to the whole Cater situation maybe it would get him out of trouble.

“Did you see Nick, Tim?” asked Harold.

“No,” Tim shook his head, “I think he was in the other room...”

“Why would his younger sister answer the door and not him?” Harold asked still peering at Tim.

“I...I...”

“And then with all the yelling you did, why wouldn’t he come to the door?”

“Well... maybe he didn’t hear it. You know the Carters have like 5 rooms, he could have been in one of those!” Tim knew what Harold was getting at, “I don’t care if he’s like traumatized or something.... he can answer a question, Uncle Harold. It’s not hard.”

“Well you seem to have a hard time answering questions Tim,” Ann said cooly.

Tim blinked and was at a loss for words, he sputtered, “So...so what? Now you’re on their side? When did you guys stop caring about Kevin and Brian?”

“Never!” Ann did slap him then, “Don’t you ever say we’ve stopped caring about our children! We are on no one’s side...”

“So then...”

“Shut up Tim,” Hal elbowed him hard with warning in his eyes, “Just let it go. You’ll only make them angrier.”

Tim bit his tongue, taking the warning from his cousin. He almost punched him for elbowing him though.

Jerald, Tim, and Hal stood facing their parents silently for 5 minutes. Their parents were the first to break the face off. Jackie looked in the direction of the motel and took her husband’s arm. She, Harold , and Ann turned away and began to make their way back into the FBI crowd.

“Damn,” Jerald muttered.

“I second that one,” Hal said watching his mother’s retreating back.

“Who taught you guys how to lie?” Tim snapped, “That was terrible....”

“I didn’t want to lie anyway Tim. I hate lying to my parents,” Hal said bitterly, “and I can’t believe you put me in a situation where I had to.”

The glares from his brother and his cousin made Tim hold in his next comment, “Ok, look guys, what I did was stupid, and I’m not proud...”

“Neither are we....” Jerald muttered.

“Look, lets just... forget it happened ok. I’m letting it go. Lets just go, and see what’s happened since we’ve left, ok?”

Hal and Jerald glared at him. Slowly they broke away from Tim and began walking away taking the same route their parents had taken. Tim sighed, What could he do to make this right?

“AAAAAAAAAAAHH!!”

Kevin, Howie, and AJ bolted up from their sleeping positions. Brian was sitting up, panting and rubbing his eyes. He looked around the basement wildly, his eyes finally relaxing as he laid them upon Kevin, Howie, and AJ. “What Brian?” Kevin inched closer to his cousin who was trembling, “N...n..nothing,” Brian’s teeth chattered, “Just a dream Kev, go away.”

“Well if you’re going to wake up screaming and scaring the shit out of us each time, then it’s something Brian,” AJ said crankily. He lie back down and tried to shift himself into a comfortable position, he found none and moaned. Howie sighed, “What’s up J?”

“Howie, can you put your leg back down here so I can lie on it?” AJ batted his eyes.

Howie groaned and lie back down in his previous position before Brian woke him, “Whooo! See, Nick’s not the only one who can do stuff like that.”

That got a snicker from Howie and Kevin, Brian’s face only blanched.

“Damn it Brian, what is it?” Kevin asked catching his face and trying to touch Brian’s shoulder.

“Nothing!” Brian shouted, “Just... just forget about it ok? OK?”

Kevin stared at him, concerned, “Ok, fine Bri... So, anyone hungry?”

Howie lowered his head, “Not really Kev... I’m too nervous to eat.”

“I’ll puke,” AJ offered weakly with a smile.

Kevin frowned, “Bri?” He didn’t answer. He instead stared otherworldly at the wall.

“Brian?” Kevin attempted to touch him again, and Brian jumped, he spoke suddenly, “Guys... how do you think Nick’s doing right now? Do you think he’s ok?”

“Is that what you woke us up for?” AJ asked from his curled position with his head resting on Howie’s leg.

“AJ!” Howie snapped.

“What?”

“Brian, did you have a nightmare about Nicky?” Kevin questioned.

“Not exactly, but if I try to explain it to you, you’d all think I was crazy,” Brian said still staring at the wall.

“Try us,” Howie said with a shrug.

“Yeah, it’s not like we have anything else more entertaining to listen to,” AJ muttered. He smiled as an answer to Howie’s glare.

“I don’t know how to explain it guys,” Brian said with a suspiration.

“Try,” Kevin coaxed him.

All three eyes were on Brian as he sat shivering lightly and coated with sweat. The heat of their eyes were enough to free Brian from his trance. His blue eyes blinked and he turned his head to look at his friends. Kevin nodded his head in anticipation.

“Ok.... Well....”

“Hello?” His voice sounded so small. It resounded off the thousand walls that enclosed him. He ran on endlessly never seeing anything that resembled an exit, never seeing anything at all but black stonewalls. The temperature dropped rapidly, and kept dropping. He walked with his arms wrapped around himself, his steps becoming slower and slower as he felt his blood beginning to thicken and freeze in his veins. The ground began to come closer and closer as it became coated with snow. Snow so thick he soon lost his feet beneath him, then his knees. It took all his strength to lift his feet and take his next step. It got dimmer and dimmer in his frozen hell... Snow flakes coated his hair, ice hung in his lashes. He shivered violently and clenched onto the cold stones of the wall for support. He hissed as the sharp stone cut into his fingers. Red blood dripped into the white snow turning it pink.

A strange creaking noise grabbed his attention and he gazed up at the unforgiving black sky. The rumbling of thunder rippled through the air... no not thunder a gun shot. More blood splattered into the snow turning it pink.... the whole maze was pink... and it was getting smaller. He gasped and tried to move yet again, to get himself out of his prison but found that his legs wouldn’t move. He crumpled down into the snow. His tears fell freely landing in the pink snow. His hands planted themselves in the snow, freezing. He pulled his aching joints from the snow to discover them to be drenched in warm blood. He heard a cry out... a yell for him. Brian? Was that Brian? Help me Brian, he thought desperately... Where was his voice? Why couldn’t he yell? Why couldn’t Brian hear him? Brian promised him that he would never be left alone, never. But he had lied, cause he was alone now. “Somebody help me....” he whispered, “Brian you lied to me....”

The sky grew darker and darker until he could no longer see himself or his bloodied hands, but he could still hear the screams. “Brian! B-ROK! BRIAN, I’M HERE! Please come get me Brian, please come get me!”

He woke with a start, he sat up in bed terribly hot and in the dark. He couldn’t see.... “BRIAN? Kevin? Howie? AJ?” he began to shake and felt his breathing speeding up... it was getting harder and harder to exhale. He was so hot. He felt his arms and began to peel off his jacket. He felt cool air rushing at him, but he could not enjoy it as his chest continued to tighten cutting him off from his air supply. The lights snapped on suddenly as the door crashed open, “Nick! Are you ok?” Nick’s eyes scanned his sister BJ, BJ why was she here? His nervous eyes slid over his surroundings.. Where was he? “Nicky?” Leslie entered the room followed by Aaron and Angel.

“Oh God, he is soaked,” BJ was saying. Nick felt fingers in his hair, “Leslie go into Mom and Dad’s room and get his inhaler. Angel, can you get a few towels.”

The room was starting to spin and Nick wanted so desperately to close his eyes. It was making him dizzy. “No, no, Nick, stay with me. Keep your eyes open. Please calm down,” He felt hands over his shaking ones. “Calm down, it’s ok...it’s ok Nick. You just had a.. Had a bad dream.”

“I told you!” Aaron was shouting, “He wanted me in here, and we should have left the lights on!”

“Aaron shut up!” BJ snapped. Leslie came bustling back into the room and BJ took the small inhaler from her and handed it to Nick, “You know what to do.”

Nick was still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that his brother and sisters were with him.... and he still couldn’t remember just where he was. He looked at BJ and gasped at the bloodstains on her hands. He looked into his hands at the small contraption she was holding. Blood, it was covered with blood. He dropped the thing directly onto the soggy blanket below him. He was getting lightheaded. He saw BJ’s bloody hands reach onto the blanket and lift the bloody object, it was a gun. She was talking to him. She looked scared, but so was he. He backed away from her. He felt arms close around him, holding him in place. He tried to fight them off but could not find the strength to. He felt the slimey exterior of the gun slid into his mouth. He shut his eyes.... Shit...

“Nick, just breathe,” he heard his sister’s voice saying. How could she do this to him. He heard a small puffing noise and felt a cushion of air rushing into his mouth. He swallowed it. He felt his chest loosening a bit. He opened his eyes to see his sister’s blue eyes staring at him, the fear in them evident. He looked at her hands.... which were clean, no blood. And the gun, the gun was an inhaler. He slowly took it from his sisters hands and removed it from his lips. He took a deep breath and coughed. “Oh my God...”

“Nick are you ok? What happened?” Aaron was on the bed beside him clutching his arm and rubbing his back.

“Do you need me to call Mom and Dad?” BJ asked also sitting beside him. Leslie and Angel sat in front of him. BJ grabbed a towel and began to dry his hair, which was dripping with sweat. She wiped his face and his palms. He let the inhaler fall to the blanket again and slumped back against the bedframe.

Nick stared at the pale worried faces of his younger siblings and shook his head, “I...I’m ok.”

“Are you sure?” Leslie asked, “What happened?”

Nick shook his head again, “I forgot where I was, that’s all...” his voice was shaky, shaky enough to let them know that’s not all it was.

“Did you have a bad dream?” BJ questioned.

Nick nodded and lie his head in his hands. He was crying, his shoulders were shaking, and he kept coughing. BJ handed him his inhaler again, “You need another dose, here.”

Nick took it obediently this time.

After a few minutes his breathing was back to normal and he had stopped shaking so much.

“You want to tell us about the dream?” Angel asked him.

“No...” Nick said looking alarmed.

“Angel!” BJ snapped, “Easy Nick, you don’t have to tell us about anything you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want to,” Nick said quickly. He rubbed his eyes.

“You want to go back to sleep?” Leslie asked.

Nick shook his head, “Where are Mom and Dad?” he looked to BJ, “Why would you have to call them?”

BJ looked heavenward, here was the question.

“What, where’d they go?” Nick moved hair off his forehead.

“They...um... they left.”

“Left? To go where?”

“They went to.... to go see if...”

“They went back!” Nick yelled, “How come they didn’t wake me up? I wanted to go with them! I want to see the guys when they...”

“Nick, they don’t want you there,” BJ said softly, “They’re afraid...”

“Afraid?” Nick blinked, “I don’t understand, afraid?”

“Nick, we just got you back... and you’re, well you’re not as strong as you could be. They’re scared that you’ll....”

“Freak out, get kidnaped again?” Nick’s voice was jumping octaves. He jumped off the bed nearly knocking Aaron over, “Damn it! I need to go to them...”

“You need to go to... Nick, you need to rest,” BJ said, “You had a nightmare Nick, a simple nightmare and we all saw, you saw, how worked up you got. How are you going to deal with going back out to that place? What if someone gets hurt or killed, how are you going to react?”

“NO ONE IS GONNA GET KILLED!” Nick yelled covering his ears. He was starting to wheeze again.

“Ok, ok,” BJ said seeing the situation, “No one is getting killed Nicky. Everybody’s gonna be ok... Come sit down.”

Nick glared at her, “I’m leaving...” He stalked to the door and threw it open only to be face to face with two bodyguards. He stared at them then shut the door, “This is house arrest,” he muttered angrily, “How old am I here? Damn it! Give me the phone, give me the damn phone!” Leslie had covered the phone, denying Nick any access to it, “Nick you’ll talk to them when they get back. Now get back in bed you look tired.”

Nick stared at her incredulously. He looked from her to the phone behind her, to his other siblings, “This is crazy.” He sat back on the bed and barely blinked when he felt Aaron fluffing the pillow behind him.

“Hey I know, we can watch a movie!” Angel said snapping her fingers, “We can order pay-per-view.” She clicked on the TV.

“Angel...”

The television showed a screen full of people holding signs and police tape blocking them off. A reporter stood in front of the camera, “....another gunshot has been heard from the complex, police still do not know...”

The TV clicked off and all eyes went to Nick.

“I’m leaving!” he tried to jump off the bed, and was brought down by a whole platoon of Carter brats... Now Nick was finally figuring out why his parents decided to have so many. They could come in handy sometimes.... This is crazy.

< The Boys In The Basement >