JUSTIN

When we got to Brian’s loft, we went straight to the storage area and dropped off my boxes. He got a call from a client, so I took his key and told him I’d meet him at the car. He stopped me, kissing me before letting me go. Distracted, I opened the door, only planning on dropping my bag and hurrying back. Because my mind was on Brian, Ames managed to shut the door and lock us in together.

“Do you know what the fuck you're doing?” Ames asks, blocking the door.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, looking around for some way to get out.

“My job. The one you seem to be making impossible lately.” He tells me.

“Why are you here?” I ask, again.

“To take you to see Julian, so be a good boy and just agree.” He tells me.

“I quit… tell Julian nothing will change my mind.” I tell him, hoping he’ll leave.

“Nothing will change his, so why don’t we just go out the back so I don’t have to do anything to the idiot putting these ideas in your head.” He tells me.

“Not going to happen. You’re no longer my watchdog.” I tell him, getting angry.

“Then instead you can consider me your jailer.” He smirks right before I feel the someone hit me from behind, and see the smirk on Ames’s face just before I black out.

BRIAN

I got outside, letting Leo Brown ask why I hadn’t contacted him about a campaign. I explained that in the past he wouldn’t take an appointment from me or anyone else at Ryder. 

“I hate Marty and the rest of his crew. You on the other hand I would have agreed to an appointment with if you’d gotten yourself away from them.” He tells me.

My phone beeped with an incoming call from Ben, which I ignored, planning to call back after I finished with Leo. After Ben called back two more times, I agreed to meet with Leo as soon as I could and dialed Ben who called again.

“What’s the emergency?” I asked, looking back at the loft and going back in since Justin should have been back by now.

“Michael called me…”

“Which isn’t an emergency.” I tell him.

“Shut up and listen, Michael called because someone stole his wallet and keys. He recognized the guy. It was Ames, Julian’s pitbull.” Ben tells me.

“What the hell made Ames target Michael?” I ask, having a hard time thinking when I didn’t see Justin anywhere. 

“Brian, Michael has a key to your loft, which is likely the reason Ames mugged Michael.” He tells me.

I kept trying to find Justin, until it finally registered what Ben was saying. I saw the window to the fire escape open and looked out to see a car racing out of it. I ran out the door trying to get outside to my car, while Ben was yelling through my phone.

“When did this happen?” I ask him, trying to think through my panic, but not seeing the car from the back alley anywhere.

“About two hours ago, but Michael just told me about it. Why?” Ben asked.

“Because we came to the loft to drop off Justin’s shit and I got a call so I let him go to the loft alone, he’s not here.” I told him, wanting to kick my own ass for not just following Justin into the loft.

“Brian, don’t panic. Ames knows Julian would be pissed if anything happened to Justin.” Ben tells him.

“Justin quit his job this morning, so I doubt Julian’s rules for Justin still apply.” I tell him.

“Stay there. Carl and I will be there in minutes. We’ll help you find him.” Ben tells me, hanging up.

I went to the alley, not expecting anything, just lost as to what to do. When Ben hung up I called Justin’s phone, not sure what good it would do. Hearing the ringing behind me in the dumpster didn’t register at first, but when it did, I didn’t want to look, fearing how far Julian would go knowing he’d lost any hold he had to keep Justin with him. It took until the phone stopped ringing to know I had to make sure Justin wasn’t in there. I’m not even embarrassed at the scream that came out of me when a hand came over the top of the dumpster. But seeing Ames looking confused at where he was, scared the shit out of me. I called Ben, planning to let him deal with the asshole after he told me where the fuck Justin was, only Ben was once again demanding that I stay where I was and make sure Ames didn’t go anywhere.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t, but sitting on my ass while Justin is God knows where isn’t in my plans.” I told him. Then angry that  Ames smirked, I threw the punch to keep him there until Ben and Carl arrived. 

It took everything I had not to go look for Justin, but where would I look. Julian could have Justin gone in minutes with his resources. Carl arrived, holding my arms while the men with him dragged the sorry piece of shit out of the dumpster. The fucker would end up getting away with everything, but I wanted answers before Ames was taken anywhere and Carl didn’t have a problem with it. He wanted answers too. Ben arrived after we got Ames in the loft, Carl arranged for the officers to guard against any escape Ames might try. Ames really didn’t try, he was still dealing with the two bumps on the head that knocked him out. When he realized where he was he wasn’t defiant but scared, which scared the shit out of all of us.

“Where the fuck is Justin?” I demanded.

“I don’t know, we were just planning to go see Julian.” Ames tells us, as if he and Justin were friends.

“How did you plan to make Justin go?” Carl asks, but Ames was staring at Ben.

“I knew you weren’t doing what Julian wanted.” Ames tells him, ignoring Carl.

“I wouldn’t do anything that bastard wants, but Carl asked you a question.” Ben tells him.

“He understood he owed Julian an explanation and agreed to go.”  Ames said, lying through his teeth.

“Justin wouldn’t go anywhere with you.” I tell him.

“He said he was tired of playing the game with you, something Justin does so well.” Ames tells me.

“Justin doesn’t play those kinds of games.” Ben tells him.

“You were one of them. But Justin said you were boring and weren’t worth his time.” Ames tells him.

“Game or not, where is Justin?” I ask, pissed at the game Ames was playing to avoid answering.

“You don’t believe him do you?” Ben asks.

“I know Justin and I know he wouldn’t have been capable of those kinds of games. What I want to know is why Ames seems scared, and it’s not of us.” I tell Ben.

“Where is Justin?” Carl says pulling out his gun.

“You don’t scare me.” Ames sneered.

“I have no plans to scare you, just shoot until you decide to talk. Ask Ben if you think this is a bluff. I found out that while distasteful, losing a kneecap tends to make people talk.” Carl said cocking the gun looking willing to fire it.

“Can we at least cover the floors, I like them.” I said willing to let Carl blow Ames dick off if it told us where Justin was.

“Don’t worry son, I have people who can make it look like nothing ever happened here.” Carl tells me, serious.

“Fuck. Alright, Julian wanted Justin, he promised it was just to talk to him. Like always the little shit couldn’t just go.” Ames tells us.

“And so you made it so he didn’t have a choice, didn’t you?” Ben said, nodding to Carl.

Carl put a silencer on his gun, the fucker looked ready to pee his pants when none of us tried to stop Carl. 

“You’re fucking crazy! You can’t just shoot me!” Ames yells, staring at all of us.

“Where is he!” I said, getting in his face, willing to shoot the fucker myself if he didn’t answer.

“I don’t know, the guy who helped me apparently had other instructions. Something I had nothing to do with.” Ames tells us, eyeing Carl.

“Why if you were both just doing what Julian wanted?” Carl says, moving me away. “Blood splatter isn’t fun.” He tells me.

“Lots of people are interested in Justin, which one did you trust?” Ben asks, backing up as Carl walked around closing the window, letting the shades down.

“Nothing you can do is worse than what they will do if they think I said anything.” Ames tells him, watching Carl.

“You really think that? I learned a lot before I came here to retire. One of the things is how to keep you alive and screaming the answers.” Carl tells him.

“Right old man. I’ll be sure to tell the lawyer who bails me out all about this bullshit.” Ames tells him.

I wanted to rip the bastard’s head off to get answers. Not let him go where Julian would likely have Stockwell get him out. Which Ames seems to think as well.

“I doubt the fact that you once again lost Justin will have Julian willing to help you at all. He’d have to admit he asked you to kidnap Justin, and we both know Julian hangs others out to dry for what he does.” Ben tells him. Then when Ames doesn’t seem worried he adds, “You really think Julian gives a rat’s ass about you?” Ben asks, and Ames thinks hard at that moment, but seems to think he still has the upper hand.

“I’m ready to go in Officer.” Ames taunted Carl.

“No problem. Just don’t expect anyone to help you, since you’ll be taken somewhere where violating your rights won’t bother anyone.” Carl says, confusing me and Ames. “Stockwell has no power where the guys outside will be taking you. And the people you’ll be dealing with are more interested in Justin than in you. I doubt your going to be able to talk to anyone until they get some answers.” Carl tells him.

“Those officers are going to go against Julian? Sounds like you're fooling yourself, they know better than to mess with Julian.” Ames tells him, blowing him off.

“We aren’t on the payroll, and we do respect Carl. If he says take you out back and lose the body, well then, we lose it. All of us really hate the bullshit Stockwell does for people like your boss.” The officer standing at the door tells him.

“Where are you taking me?” He asks.

“The CIA decided not to blackmail Justin, just help him. Granted, they want him badly, so if it means hurting you to find the prize… well, you get what you ask for.” Carl tells him.

“Or tell us what we want to know and likely you can sit safely in a cell at headquarters.” Ben tells him.

Ames stood there weighing his options, seeing the guys waiting outside made him know this wasn’t a joke. Knowing the CIA were the ones taking him was enough to have him talking.

“He was just supposed to help me wrangle Justin. I don’t really know him... except that he works for a few of the other businesses Julian deals with.” He tells them.

“Why would this guy take Justin?” Carl asks.

“Because it would be a way to make Julian beg.” Ben tells him.

“Who does the guy work for normally?” I ask.

“The one who pays him the most.” Ames tells us.

“One last chance to save yourself. WHO?” Carl asks him, aiming.

“Shit man, you don’t understand. I’ll be dead.” Ames tells him.

“You think keeping silent is going to help you?” Carl asks.

“I didn’t do anything, other than try to protect Justin.” Ames tells him, trying to save his own ass.

“Then save us the trouble and tell us where Justin is, since this is all a misunderstanding.” I tell him.

“For that we make a deal.” He tells us, no longer answering when the Agent stopped Carl from taking it any further.

“We have to do this the right way.” He tells Carl, dragging Ames out of the loft.

“I miss when we didn’t.” Carl tells him.

“What do you want us to do?” The agent asks Carl.

“Make him sweat, and get me answers. I told you what Sapperstein was likely doing and he would love to get his hands on Justin to make Julian beg.” Carl tells him, receiving a nod before they drove off.

“We’ll find him son.” Carl tells me.

JULIAN

I waited with little Miss Chanders, who wasn’t that hard to find when she walked into my office. Which she did while shutting down the power in the building. While impressed at her gaul, it was parlor tricks, not something that would do anything for me. I let her have her fantasy that she impressed me, while I read all about the spoiled debutant with aspirations to rebel. The idiot in IT brought me the information, likely hoping I’d see him as my next Justin. I dismissed him, when by ignoring everything to get  the information, it left us open for the girl sitting in front of me to get in my office. 

I was getting annoyed that Ames was taking so long to get Justin to me. Justin really thought I’d let him get away with emailing me as if everything he had in life didn’t come from me. I checked my watch, wondering how long it took Ames to knock Justin out and drag him here.

When my phone started ringing I didn’t answer. It was Gary, and the man was on his way out of my life. I’d freed my company of anything related to him. All it took was telling the guy it was done today or he went for round two with Gary’s friends to get him to sober up and finish. I contacted each person who bought merchandise, letting them see a copy of what the world would see if for any reason they included me if they were caught. I didn’t trust that information sent via mail or anything that could be traced, so I gave Gardner a second chance, which he grabbed willingly to live the life he sold himself for. He didn’t even ask, just went where I told him and delivered the messages.

Now all I needed was to keep Justin out of Gary’s reach until Stockwell held up on his end of the bargain. While the clients would do what I asked, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t tell Gary his life was about to be ruined. Which meant Justin wouldn’t be safe from Gary no matter what I threatened him with. I wanted it so no one would want to be associated with Gary. And Stockwell saw all he needed to see to know this would only make his ‘Family Values’ sound less like he was a homophobic dickhead, and more like he was a savior to the city.

“You’re looking worried.” Daphne says studying me.

“Not about you, don’t let your ego get above your worth.” I tell her.

“Is there a reason we’re still sitting here?” She asks, as if she expected a medal.

“I don’t know, why are we sitting here? From what I'm reading you’re nothing more than an annoyance, really not worth the time I thought you were.” I tell her, starting to get worried, since they should be here by now.

“I’m hurt, really.” She tells me, rolling her eyes.

“Not to worry, you can tell the police all about it.” I tell her.

“Police. Are you sure you want to go that route? You might want to rethink that.” She tells me.

“Not really, you just aren’t that interesting.” I tell her.

“I guess not, well as much as I’d love to talk to the police, I have other things to do.” She tells me, getting up as if she could just walk out.

“My men are waiting outside the door.” I tell her.

“They were.” She said walking out, shutting the door.

I got up, running to the door but not being able to get the lock to disengage, or any of the cameras to work. My phones were all dead, and by the time they were back on she was gone. And the security guys I told the idiot in IT to get, weren’t there. I planned to kill the shit, until I found him locked in the supply closet. 

Where the fuck were Justin and Ames?

MICHAEL

I left the police station, bummed because Ben didn’t show. I didn’t have anywhere to be today, and no one was answering their phones. With nothing to do, I wander around hoping for someone to call me. I’d been window shopping when I saw Blake on the other side of the street going somewhere in a hurry. I’d been less than friendly towards Blake, and in my hopes of improvement, I decided to support my friend’s decisions even when they seem wrong. I ran after Blake, planning to see if he wanted to have lunch and maybe hang out. 

I ended up following him to parts of Pittsburgh I tended to avoid, then wondered what the hell Blake would be doing here. It was hard to get past the only reasons Blake might come here, but I did, wanting him to be what Ted wanted him to be. I ended up losing Blake and deciding operation ‘accept my friends choices’ could be done later. I took a shortcut through a few alleyways, finally seeing Babylon, almost getting hit by a car blowing past me as if he didn’t care if he killed someone. It turned the next corner and I followed, planning to report the person for driving like a maniac. When I got to the corner, I was happy to see I didn’t have to chase the crazy asshole down, since the car was stopped at a warehouse I thought was condemned.  

I ended up ducking back around the corner when I saw the guy hauling someone over his shoulder and walking away. Then I saw the guy who I wanted to blame for everything in my life being dragged out of the car by another guy. I didn’t know what the hell was going on until Justin turned his head and stared directly at me. As the other guy spotted me I did exactly what Justin told me to. I felt like a coward, but who was going to tell everyone where to find him if I didn’t get away.

“RUN.” Justin yelled, right before the other guy hit him.