The next day, we decided to go out to a club to celebrate Shane's 21st birthday.
"Hey guys do you want something to drink?"
"Good idea, AJ. And while you're at it why don't you talk to that hot girl up there?" D knew me all to well. I made my way up to the bar and sat down next to the girl. The bartender came and took my order.
"What'll it be tonight AJ? Vodka martini, shaken not stirred?"
"Sorry. I'm not gonna be James Bond tonight. I need 3 Cokes, 1 iced tea, 1 ginger ale and 1 Dr. Pepper. We have a new friend with us who doesn't drink so we're gonna stay sober tonight."
"Good choice." He turned to another customer and I turned to the girl.
"Hello, I'm AJ. And who might you be?" She turned to face me and I almost fell off my stool.
"Kat?!"
"AJ get the rest of the guys together and get outta here. The blue ninja gave me word that Ryan's gonna try something here tonight." I started to ask her what but she got up and went out the door. I got up and went after her but when I got outside, she was already gone.
Howie's View
"Thanks man," I said as I took my drink from the waiter. "Hey are you new? I don't think I've seen you before."
"Uh-yeah, I'm new. First night on the job. See you guys around." We exchanged a brief look and guzzled down our drinks. No sooner had we set our empty glasses down than AJ appeared at the table looking winded.
"Whoa AJ! You already on your way to the hotel?"
"Not now Nick. That hot girl up at the bar was none other than Kat! Ryan is here and Kat said the blue ninja told her that he was gonna try and pull something. We gotta get outta here." One look and we were gone.
***
Kevin decided to be the designated driver even though we were all firmly on earth. But on the way home, Shane and Brian started acting weird. It was if they were high or drunk or something. AJ spoke up.
"Are they drunk?!"
"There's no way," I said, "All they had were Cokes."
"It's like they've been drugged."
We all looked at each other. "RYAN!"
Nick's View
"Well now we know what he looks like. He's the only one that waited on us and the Coke machine was no more than 50 feet away." The face flashed across my mind as I watched my two best friends act like they'd had one too many martinis. It was unreal.
***
"Now that we've got those two to bed, who's gonna watch them?"
"I will."
All heads turned to see the blue ninja standing in the doorway. I got a little pissed off at the site.
"You. Why didn't you stop Ryan before this?"
"Because it isn't the full attack. Only part of it. He's planning to hit tonight while the guys are on their way to a major drug hangover."
"So they were drugged!"
"Very much so. The famous date rape drug. Guaranteed to knock out anybody."
"When will he hit?"
"Not long from now. You guys need to get away from this room. Go hide in another. I don't care. He won't be expecting me - he never does - and I may be able to make this the final battle before the big one. But if he sees one of you, he'll run off. That can't happen again."