Hello everyone! OK, it's been a week and a couple of days. That's pretty quick for me! LOL Anyway, I'm tired of war. As many of you may have noticed, regular programming is being replaced by war coverage. I say boo to that! How is the bombing of Iraq more important than Are You Hot? I just don't understand! (BTW, I'm joking)
I was dead-on with my predictions about the cliffhanger last chapter. I know most of you don't like them, but you have to admit they make things interesting. And I'm willing to bet that you've been waiting for this chapter to see how it all turns out. Besides, I've been a good boy and haven't used them that often!
As always, I do not know NSYNC, anyone affiliated with them, or any other celebrities that may appear in these pages. Thus I have no knowledge of their sexual habits/orientations or personalities. This is fiction. If you are offended by stories centered around relationships between men, or are not old enough to legally read them, please go somewhere else for your entertainment.
Warning: This chapter may contain subject matter that is disturbing to some readers.
A Light in the Tunnel
Chapter 14
It was a risk. Purposely patronizing someone who was barely hanging onto a shred of sanity wasn't the smartest thing to do. But Burke, willing to do anything to stay with his new family, had to do it. If he just sat complacently by, he would end up at a place he knew too well, a place where death was better than one more minute of hell. Even if his mother went off the deep end and killed him, it was better than leaving.
"If I were you, I'd get on the freeway right here. The intersection up ahead is tricky. There are a lot of wrecks there because out of town people don't drive aggressively enough."
Beverly's grip on the steering wheel became tighter. Since they had gotten in the car, he had not stopped talking, badgering her about directions. "Shut up, Burke! Damn it!"
"Fine, have it your way. I'm just a stupid kid, what do I know? You did get me a first class ticket for the trip home, didn't you?"
"First class! You're sitting in coach, next to me. I don't have enough money to fly around everywhere."
Burke smiled inwardly, ready to push the envelope further. "Coach!," he whined. "There's not enough leg room back there. And the food is bad!"
"Why the hell do you think you are better than coach?"
"I've been flying first class for a while now, mother." He hoped she hadn't been paying close enough attention to know that he had only been on a plane once, and that flight was a disaster.
"Sounds like you've been robbing those men blind. Typical."
"Maybe, but now I'm spoiled. We'll stop by the counter to have our tickets upgraded."
"Like hell I will!"
"You want me to go calmly, don't you?" Burke pouted like a child, batting his gray eyes. "Speaking of money, where are you getting your second job at? I mean, the finer things in life cost a bit more."
Chris cussed himself as he pulled out of the driveway, forgetting that he was on the cordless phone from the house and would soon lose the signal. Thinking quickly, he used three-way calling, and dialed his cell phone. Luckily, that was fully charged and he could tail Burke and his mother to the airport. Speeding along the quickest route, he wondered if the police were sending cars out like he had demanded or if he would have to stage a rescue himself. Listening to the conversation on the telephone, he managed not to chuckle at the rich kid act his son was putting on. At the same time, he prayed Burke had enough sense not to push things too far. Beverly had a short fuse, and he didn't want her to explode. Silently praising Burke's strength and quick thinking, the boy annoyingly counting out mile markers on the freeway, Chris's call waiting beeped. He quickly flipped over to the other line, already deciding to put whoever it was off without apology. "Hello?" "Chris? It's JC. What's going on? I'm at your house, and the front door is unlocked." "God, Jayce! I'm in the car, trying to get to the airport as quickly as possible. Burke's mom has kidnapped him and is trying to take him home!" "What? Have you called the cops?" "Yeah. Listen, I've got Burke's cell on the other line. He called me secretly and is letting me listen in so I know where they are. I want to get back to him in case something happens." "Right. I'm on my way to the airport too. I call the guys. Bye Chris." "Bye Josh." Going back to Burke, Chris was slightly relieved to hear him still pestering his mother. Chris wove in and out of traffic, a flurry of beeping horns following as he cut people off. He didn't really care about getting a ticket, or what the other drivers were thinking. His son was in trouble. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shaking from fear and anger, Josh leapt into the jeep, the tires squealing as he shot out of the driveway. He had gone to Burke's house to keep him company while Chris was finishing up things with his clothing line, trying to squeeze one more private moment in before they left for the tour. He swiped at his eyes, clearing them of tears. Burke was being taken away from him. Josh couldn't imagine how things would be without his newest little brother and boyfriend around. In the short time he had been with them, Burke had changed everything, making them see the world in a larger perspective. They were more than international pop stars. They were role models, comforters, and, for some people, personal heroes. Making music had taken on a bigger meaning. Almost sobbing, Josh growled, his foot pressing harder on the accelerator. No one, especially Beverly, was going to take Burke away. Doing as he said he would, he quickly called each of the guys, telling them as much as he knew. Chris had been rightfully short with him, so there wasn't many facts he could give them. As he talked to each of them, cars could be heard starting, a convoy forming. Josh wished he knew what was going on, hoping for the best, but imagining the worst. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "If you don't shut your mouth, Burke, I'm going to smack it off you!" Beverly screeched as she took the off ramp that would take them to the airport. Driving around the parking lot, Burke scanned the area, looking for any sign of police or security people. A frown spread across his face, seeing nothing but empty cars. "Our flight doesn't leave for another forty-five minutes." The gun carefully concealed in her pocket, Beverly steered Burke toward the terminal, the boy lugging her large, heavy suitcase. His mother checked her bag, Burke taking notice of which airline they were flying on. "This is a good airline. But I figured you'd have a better plan than this. We have to sit here before taking a 12:50 flight." Smiling sweetly at the woman behind the counter, Beverly slipped her hand around the back of Burke's neck, pressing the tips of her fingernails into his tender skin. "You have to love traveling with teenagers," she sighed. Burke winced from the points almost breaking his flesh. They sat at a small table in a fast food restaurant, glaring at each other. Although he had a good idea, Burke wanted to know why she had come for him after throwing him away. "Why are you doing all this, mother? And I want the truth, not some line about family." "Don't make demands, son. You don't have any choice in this. You are going to live up to your responsibilities, no questions asked. I'm tired of people looking at me like a horrible person. I've done the best I've could, especially with your stupid pranks making it that much harder. It's time for you to grow up, Burke." "You're tired of not having me to kick around. For the first time in many years, you're having to do more than just sit on your ass. So you want me back to make your life easier." Her hand flashed out, leaving a red blotch on Burke's cheek. "Don't talk to me like that!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hanging up after talking to a near frantic Josh, Joey ran out of the house, stopping just long enough to grab something from his bedroom. Careful not to point it at himself, he laid the one shot pistol on the seat beside him. Joey had bought the small gun after receiving prank phone calls from someone that had gotten his private, unlisted number. He had been mildly worried about them trying to break in, and had gotten it for protection. Now, if it came to that, he would use it to stop, even kill, Beverly Kennedy. Burke was his little brother, and no one was going to take him away. Thinking back over the time they had known each other, Joey realized how hard it must have been for Burke. He had tried to take his own life rather than live another moment of hell. They wanted to step in, but had not deterred the boy. Almost losing him to death, he and the others had pledged themselves to making Burke's life better, to giving him every happiness they could. After he had moved to Orlando, things were still touch and go. No one had thought to explain certain things to him, and those caused brief periods of trouble. But despite all the setback, Burke was different. Gone was the scared, sad little boy they had first met, replaced by a fun, loving young man. Joey knew he would rather go to prison on murder charges than live a million years knowing Burke was hurting. "I swear," he muttered to himself, "I'll blow that bitch's head off, and I won't feel sorry about."Chris was somehow holding it together as he neared the exit for the airport, taking all the shortcuts he could think of. He had let Burke down, failing to protect him from being hurt again. He would do whatever it took to keep his son safe.
Josh screamed at the cars not going as fast as he was. All he wanted to do was get to the airport, praying some brilliant idea would come to him once faced the evil hag trying to steal Burke away. A tear rolling down his cheek, he pictured saying goodbye to everyone after he was convicted of murder.Burke sullenly watched people walk by, smiles on their faces as they arrived for warm, sunny, happy vacations. If not for sheer nervousness, he might have looked that way when he first arrived. He had moved to Orlando in hopes of building a new life, one free of despair and darkness, and had done that with the love and support of his best friends. Glancing up at the oversized clock on the wall, he saw that there was only twenty minutes until he returned to the fiery pit he had escaped. No security guard had approached them, no police officer was suspiciously milling around. His call to Chris had gone unanswered, and no one was coming for him.
From NSYNC, Burke had learned strength. They had shown him what a real family was supposed to be like, and, compared to them, nothing would ever match up. They had stuck their necks out for him, standing sentry as past ghosts haunted him. Growing a spine, Burke realized there was no one, not even his mother, who would take that joy from him. He didn't care if fighting cost him his life. At least he would go down doing what was right. Taking a deep breath, his eyes locked onto Beverly's. "You may get me on that plane, but I'm never going to live with you. You're going to get fired from every job you get because you're always going to be chasing me down. I hate everything about you," he hissed. "I'm not going to let you rip away every good thing in my life."
Beverly's face went blank, never hearing such venom in the voice of her son. It surprised her. "You will do exactly what I say. No one wants you, Burke, except me. Why would they want a dirty, stupid, selfish, fag? You think you're so smart, think about it."
"I have. You are so miserable. You know that don't you? Aunt Lisa can barely stand to be around you, and the sight of you makes my stomach turn. I don't know how you wake up every day. I guess denial is a powerful thing."
Chris slammed his car into park, not caring if it was a fire lane or not. The police could tow it if they wanted. He ran into the airport, lost as to wear he should start looking. Desperate, he dashed to the airline's desk, cutting to the front of the line. "Excuse me, ma'am. I'm looking for a guy and his mother. He's 17, just a bit taller than me, light brown hair, red t-shirt?" The woman's face flushed. "Oh my God! You're--" "Chris Kirkpatrick, yes, I know. Have you seen them? They're flying out of here, headed for St. Louis." "Uh, I think so. The lady seemed upset of something, and the boy was talking sort of loud. They went that way." She pointed down the long, bustling hallway. "Thank you." Chris searched for Burke, hoping to see him sitting on one of the many benches or rows of chairs along the way. A hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping his progress. "Mr. Kirkpatrick?" Chris spun around, seeing a police officer. "I'm Sergeant Lewis. I was sent out here because of an alleged kidnapping." "Thank God! Yes, my adopted son, Burke. His mother is trying to take him back to Missouri. She has a gun or something. He have to find them, and stop her!" "Airport security has been notified. Do you know which flight they are supposed to take?" Chris gave him the information Burke had secretly relayed. Officer Lewis radioed someone to keep that plane from taking off. "If this woman is armed, she'll have to dump her weapon before boarding. That will be the smartest time to make a move. It's less likely to have casualties."Joey spotted Chris' hastily parked car. Hiding his gun in the gym bag he had forgotten in the back seat, he rushed in, ready to do battle. Walking around, he spotted his friend talking to a cop, the uniformed man seemingly trying to calm Chris. He maneuvered around them, not wanting the officer to keep him from doing what was necessary. He knew he probably looked slightly suspect, the bag unzipped and clutched to his chest, but that didn't really matter. Moving quickly, it took no time to figure out there was only one plane leaving for St. Louis anytime soon. Guessing that he might miss them if he kept searching, he positioned himself within eyesight of the gate, his hand slipping inside the bag to grip his pistol.
Josh pulled into the airport, dread setting in. It was a huge building, and Burke was just one person among thousands. No matter how long it took, he would find him, even if it meant going to Missouri to track him down. "Josh! Wait!" Lance came sprinting across the road, his face red. "Is anyone else here yet?" "I don't know. Chris probably is since he was driving when I talked to him. How did you get here so fast?" "I was at the office. It's pretty close to here." They passed through the glass doors of the terminal. "How are we ever supposed to find him in this crowd? It's like finding a needle in a haystack!" "I don't know, Lance, but we have to. We just have to." They approached anyone that vaguely resembled Burke, scaring several families as the grabbed young men, apologizing each time before setting off again.A girlish shriek caught Burke's ear as the minutes before they left the restaurant ticked away. Hoping it meant Chris had come, he allowed a smile to grace his face.
"What are you so happy about?"
"Oh, just good news. Did you just hear that scream?" She nodded warily. "That means the cavalry has arrived. We're not getting out of here as easily as you planned."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Hoping he was right about his father, he pulled the hidden cell phone from his pocket and sat it on the table. Beverly looked at it, then at her son. "Say hello to Chris, mother." A confused glare came to her eyes. "I called him after you kidnapped me. I've been telling him everything. Why else do you think I was saying the road names? He's been listening the whole time." Puzzlement turned to rage in a moment. Beverly smashed her hand upon the phone. "Temper, temper! What's wrong, mother? Things not working out like you wanted them to?"
"This doesn't make any difference! You're going home with me!"
"I really doubt that," a voice spoke as a chair was pulled up to the table. Justin, seeming very calm, sat down.
"Justin!" Burke squealed from joy and relief.
"It's ok, Burke. I'm here now. Are you alright?" He tenderly ran his fingers over the scratch on Burke's cheek.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Beverly demanded.
"Trying to keep you from making an awful mistake. I've been past the gate your flight is at. There are a dozen guards and cops waiting for you there. So," he said, leaning closer, how much?"
"How much, what?"
"Money. How much is it going to take to get you to leave and not come back? Three, four million? That's what this is all about, isn't it? Burke isn't at home to take care of things, so you have to do it all yourself? I can give you enough to hire several housekeepers if you want."
Beverly thought about it in silence, then shook her head as if she were clearing out cobwebs. "No! He's my son, and I need him home! You should be thanking me. He'll only ruin your life. He's a filthy homosexual. You don't want him taking you to hell right along with him! Get out of here!"
Justin slowly shook his head. "Justin, she has a gun."
"Shut up, Burke! You're coming home with me, even if it's in a body bag!" She stood up and yanked Burke to his feet. "We're walking out of here. If you try to interfere, I'll make your life hell. Just stay where you are!"
Justin got to his feet, his hands held out. "Think about what you're doing. You aren't getting out of this airport. Let's just solve this before there's major trouble."
Joey heard the commotion from across the airport. Having listened to it for many years, he knew the sound of a female fan. Trotting, he made his way toward where the screech had come from, his finger winding around the trigger.Lance and Josh stopped in their tracks, heads spinning as they searched for the source of the scream. It was somewhere just up ahead, so they started running, both hoping everything was under control.
The shrill, echoing yell was followed by the phone in his hand going dead. Chris bellowed Burke's name a few times, hoping that he would hear something back. "It went dead," he moaned. "This way," Sergeant Lewis said. They raced through the concourse toward the noise. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Mrs. Kennedy, please stay calm. Let's just talk this out. No one has to get hurt." Justin remained still as he reasoned with the woman, not wanting her to become desperate. Burke's eyes were frantic as he felt the barrel of the gun pushing into his back, his breathing fast and erratic. "Please mom, just calm down. Justin and the guys will give you all the money you want. You don't have to do this." "Shut up, Burke!" They continued backing out of the restaurant, Beverly's eyes on Justin. Knowing they weren't going to make it to the airplane, Burke could feel his mother's tenseness. She wasn't going to give up, and he would die during her stand. If that was the case, he wasn't going to be a helpless victim. "Burke!" Tears came to the boy's eyes as Lance and Josh came running up. "Please, just let him go," Lance pled, nearly sobbing. "I'll give you anything you want," Josh offered, "just don't hurt him!" "Get back!" Beverly barked. "We're getting out of here! He's mine, damn it, mine!" "Let the boy go, ma'am," a police officer standing beside Chris spoke, "and no one will be hurt." Joey can rushing into the crowd. "Let him go, you stupid bitch, or I swear you'll die seeing my smiling face." "Stop guys," Burke whimpered, hearing the gun cocked behind him. "Everything will be alright." "Listen to him!" the woman snarled. "Chris, I love you. Thank you for showing me what a parent's love is really like. Joey, you will always be my big brother, no matter what happens. Lance, thank you for letting me have the chance to be honest. Justin, we'll have plenty of shopping sprees in the future." His voice cracked as he said goodbye to his family. "Josh--" Bawling as he stared into the man's blue eyes, he slowly reached out to the table beside them. "I--I--" "I know, Burke. It'll be alright. Please, Beverly, it's not too late!" Everyone stood watching each other, afraid to move lest Burke be hurt. The tension in the small restaurant grew thicker than the Orlando humidity, the people panting for each breath, adrenalin pumping. Hoping his mother was looking elsewhere, and that he had the speed and strength, Burke grabbed a butter knife from the table, spinning. He saw his mother's wide eyes as he screamed, and heard the muffled voices of his friends as he plunged the dull blade into her stomach. Time slowed as the metal slid into the woman. They gazed at each other, Burke's gray eyes glowing with fury, vengeance, and strength. Beverly roared, her hands moving to clutch at the knife protruding from her stomach. Seeing his chance, Burke rushed into Chris' open arms, shaking as he cowering within the sheltering embrace. Officer Lewis radioed for paramedics as he ran forth, quickly tossing the gun out of reach. Burke was enveloped by his family, all six men watching the woman writhing on the ground. An ambulance soon arrived, loaded Beverly, and took her away, a policeman riding along. "Don't worry, young man. She'll never hurt you again. We'll need to take your statement. I'm assuming you want to press charges." "Could it wait, Officer Lewis?" Chris asked. "I want to get Burke home as quickly as possible." "Of course. I'll send a detective by later this afternoon." "Thank you." The cop took Burke's hand. "You did a very brave thing, young man. I'm proud of your calmness and courage. Your quick thinking let us know where you were." "Thank you, sir," Burke murmured. The man left them standing there. Burke pressed his face into Chris' shoulder. "I thought I'd never see you again," he bawled. "It's over, Burke. Nothing will ever keep us apart. Nothing." There were no dry eyes as the men hugged each other, knowing how close they had come to losing one of their own, and thankful that they were still a family. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Drama! Lots of drama! I hope you all like this chapter. I enjoyed having Beverly brought down, especially by her own son's hand! Hehehe, go Burke! Stab the bitch! Please let me know what you think. You can reach me at cameronwriter@hotmail.com Always, Cameron