"Nick?" she yelled. She found him where she had left him, in the garden.

When he heard her, he looked up and met her eyes.

"What?" he asked angrily. She approached him and grabbed his arm and started dragging him into the house. He tried to get loose, but her grip was too tight. When he stopped squirm, she let go and began telling what was going on.

But before she could finish the first sentence, he cut her off.

"What’s wrong with you? I don’t want to hear it, you are wrong" he yelled.

"Fine, if you want to stay here, with the kidnappers, be my guest" she yelled back. He just looked at her.

"Kidnappers?" he whispered. She nodded. She saw the fear in his eyes, fear of being sent to a place like the one he had left a month ago. No, not fear.

Pure terror. Her face softened, and she gently took his hand.

"I’m here with you Nick. You are not alone. They won’t take you again" she said calmly. His blue eyes told her that he didn’t quite believe her, but she had no time to waste by talking.

"I want you to take your gun and go up-stairs. Hide somewhere…" Stacey said.

"Hide? Why can’t I run out of the house?" he asked.

"They’re already outside" she said, and saw how the terror increased even more in his blue eyes.

"Just do as I say, ok?" she said firmly. He nodded and ran up the stairs. Stacey looked at him as he disappeared and sighed. She didn’t like the thought of him being without supervision. He could do anything. She walked around on the first floor searching for stuff to use.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Three men entered the Carter house. The first man, dressed in horrible Bermuda-shorts and a T-shirt, held a Smith & Wesson 28 in his left hand, and a syringe in his right. His name was Thomas Hanson a.k.a. Richard Forsythe a.k.a. Carzo Butera. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and he had early learned to kill.

He knew this would be easy, kidnapping a young, defenceless pop-star. Of course, he had heard about the last, failed kidnapping, but he though that his forerunners had been careless. He could do better.

The other men were his friends, and they trusted each-other with their lives. As he entered the house, he heard music.

I see lies in the eyes of a stranger

You’ve been living in danger

Keep moving your feet

Don’t go wasting your time

Everybody’s moving, yeah they’re getting in line

Get up, get in, get the rhythm, get down

I see lies in the eyes of a stranger

You been living in danger

As they moved into the house, the volume increased. Thomas looked carefully around. It was getting dark, and who knows what’s in the shadows? He spotted the stereo, glanced around and turned it off. He turned around and realised that his two friends had disappeared, probably to search for that Nick-guy.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Stacey smiled. Now she knew where one of them was. She looked down on the un-conscious body, lying at her feet. "One down, two to go" she thought. She hadn’t killed him. Sven could take him later, maybe the man had some information he could reveal…

*~*~*~*~*~*

Thomas moved around quietly, searching for Nick. He thought it was weird that the whole house was dark, the music blaring and no sissy pop-star in sight. He knew that Nick hadn’t left the house, the house had been watched. Suddenly, he heard a noise from the porch in the back-yard. He approached the window, constantly looking behind him, if someone was sneaking up on him.

In the mean-time, Nick hid in a closet, scared to death.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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