by Bell, Adora
***
Jack rolled over and looked at the clock. 1 am. Dammit. His body clock was screwed up from crossing so many time zones. He'd got back to the apartment around nine, too tired to do anything but peel his clothes off and fall between the sheets. He'd dreamt, as ever, of Sara, her hot little body writhing on top of him. He was painfully turned on, his cock hard and throbbing between his legs. But he didn't feel like masturbating. It only left him feeling more lonely. His cell phone was flashing, showing three new messages, but he didn't feel like talking to anyone. He padded into the kitchen in only his underwear, and opened the fridge. The only thing inside was beer; he hadn't told his housekeeper he was coming home today. He cracked a can and settled himself at the kitchen table with his laptop. Jack wasn't much one for staying connected while he was travelling; he relied a lot on Jared to keep on top of things for him. His personal email had over a hundred messages sat waiting. Since he'd stopped expecting messages from Sara, Jack had stopped bothering to check. Sara. He tried to push her image out of his mind. Instead, he scrolled through his inbox,, deleting old bits of news that no longer mattered, flagging things he would come back to later. Then one message, marked URGENT, caught his eye. It had been sent a couple of months back, not long after the whole drugs scandal blew up on him. Some 'anonymous tipster' had sent a photo of Jack to one of the daily rags. The picture was old and blurred, but it clearly showed Laura and her friends, his poor sister high as a kite no doubt, crowded round a table covered in drug paraphernalia. Jack was handing a bag full of something that looked like cocaine to one of the girls; Katie, was it? Something like that, one of Laura's high school friends. Jack sighed at the memory. He had hated those nights. Laura was going to go out, there was nothing he could do to stop her, so he'd tagged along. At least that way he could keep an eye on her, try to keep her out of trouble. It was the same with the drugs. If he didn't give her cash for the good stuff, the pure stuff, then she'd be out on the street doing god knows what for those bastard dealers. All in exchange for a bag of shitty dope, cut with rat poison, the kind of crap that could kill her. He'd known then that he was treading a fine line, but it seemed worth it to keep his sister close and out of harm's way. He couldn't have known he would lose her anyway, and that those nights of keeping watch would come back to bite him in the ass. He was lucky that Jared had talked some sense in to him, convinced him to speak up and reveal that painful piece of his past to the public. It was tough, but it had been the right move. By some miracle, he had kept his career.
Jack flicked his focus back to the email. The sender was a journalist he'd worked with years ago, back when Compass were just starting out. She'd been a big help to the band, profiling them for one of the big music magazines and giving high praise to their first album. It had been a long time since they'd spoken. Jack read the contents of her message carefully. Then he read them again, to make sure he hadn't mistaken the meaning. No. Surely not. If it hadn't been such a trusted source, he wouldn't have believed the accusations, but he couldn't deny they had a ring of truth to them. Jack felt sick. Was there really nobody he could trust? Jared. He could always rely on Jared. No matter what happened, his manager was always on his side, believing in him even when he didn't believe in himself. He practically sprinted to the bedroom and grabbed his phone. Four messages now, and all from Jared, urging him to call. It was important, he said. It was about Sara. Jack's heart sank lower as he registered the panic in Jared's voice. First the email, now this. What the hell was going on?
***
When Sara hadn't arrived home by midnight, Erica began to worry. She tried her friend's cell numerous times, but it just rang and rang, until eventually her calls went straight to voicemail. She made Matt drive her out to the Pussy Parlour, but the place was closed early, the doors and windows securely locked behind metal grilles.
"Maybe she met some friend, went for a drink after? Maybe she met a guy?" Matt suggested, trying to calm his frantic girlfriend.
"Yeah, because Sara's exactly the type of girl to pick up a random dude in a strip club. Can you picture her just going home with some stranger?" Matt had to admit she had a point. They had called all Sara's friends, even her parents, but nobody had heard from her.
"Something bad's happened Matty," Erica said quietly, trying not to cry. "She went looking for that douchebag's sister and now she's missing as well."
Matt didn't need to ask which douchebag she meant. He had heard the whole sorry story enough times, including the latest update on the Laura situation. Sometimes he regretted being such a good listener.
"Come on baby, I'm sure she's fine. Look, if she's not back in half an hour then we'll go down there and look, okay? I'll drive you. Sara's a smart girl, she can look after herself, you know that. Try not to get worked up." Matt slid his arm around Erica's waist and pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers. He felt her respond, sliding her soft tongue into his mouth as he cupped one of her full breasts and squeezed gently. Matt took Erica's hand and slid it down to his crotch, so she could feel how hard he was. But Erica pulled away, her face creasing into a frown.
"I'm sorry baby. I just can't get in the mood, I keep thinking about Sara. I know it's stupid, but I've just got this bad feeling. Something's happened, I know it."
Matt sighed, trying to will his erection away. Erica could be a little overdramatic, but she had a point, it wasn't like Sara to be out of touch like this.
"Maybe we should try calling the cops. If she's broken down, or - God forbid - there's been an accident, they'll know."
"Thanks Matty. You call the police, I've got one more number to try."
***
Jack couldn't wait for the elevator, choosing instead to sprint up the stairs to Jared's modest penthouse apartment. He was getting out of shape, he thought to himself, feeling the burn in his thighs. He paused to catch his breath before knocking on the door. Jared wore a grave expression as he ushered Jack into the lounge.
"Oh, hey...it's Erica, right?" Jack felt awkward seeing Sara's best friend again. Last time they met, the vivacious blonde was beyond wasted, and Jack had to put her to bed in his hotel suite.
"Hi Jack. Nice to see you again. Um, this is my boyfriend, Matt." Matt looked slightly starstruck as he shook the lead singer's hand.
"Nice to meet you. Now, would someone please tell me what the hell's going on?"
Erica took a deep breath, and cast an anxious look at Jared before she began. "Sara's missing. She went out this evening and she's not come home. Her phone's going straight to voicemail. I'm worried she's in real trouble."
Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "Look, I don't mean to sound cruel, but might you be overreacting a bit? She's a grown woman, is it really a national emergency if she's not checked in by 2am?"
"I should have known you'd say something like that.Why would you even care?"
"Hey, wait, that's not what I meant! I just mean, she probably just met up with some friends, or, you know, met someone... "
"She's not like that. But look, that's not all, I mean..."
"Jack, she went looking for Laura." Jared cut through Erica's mumbling. Jack felt like he'd been stabbed in the gut.
"Sorry, what?"
"She went looking for your stupid sister, because despite the fact you treated her like a complete asshole, she still seems to care about you."
"Erica thought she'd spotted Laura in a bar the other day," Jared clarified, "so Sara went to check it out. She knew how much finding Laura meant to you."
"Yeah, and now she's fucking missing. Some strip joint sleazeball could be doing god-awful things to her right now, and it's all your fault."
"Woah, Erica, I'm sorry but...wait, a strip joint? Laura was at a strip club?"
"We don't even know that it was Laura, Jack," Jared said levelly, ever the voice of reason. "But we do know that Sara went to investigate, alone, and now nobody can get in touch with her. That probably isn't good."
"Did you call the police?"
"They
said pretty much what you did, " Erica snarled, " that she'd probably hooked up and forgotten to call. They won't even do anything until she's been gone for 48 hours."
"Which I think you'll agree, is too long to wait." Jared said.
"Damn right it is. Shit, Sara, what were you thinking? Why would she go alone?"
"I should have gone with her. I knew something was going to go wrong." Erica's voice cracked a little, and Matt put his arm around her.
"Jack, I figured we should go down and have a look for ourselves. I've called the security company, a couple of the boys will meet us down there for back up. I hope you don't mind me calling you...I figured you'd want to help. And if Laura is there, well, it's you she's going to want to see."
"Thanks Jared. You did good. And Erica, look, I know I hurt Sara a lot. But please don't think I don't care about her. I really, really do. And I'm going to do everything in my power to get her back safe, ok."
"Let's all just try to stay calm, okay," Jared reasoned. "With any luck, it will all be a big misunderstanding, a flat tire or something."
***
Sara's eyes burned as the room suddenly flooded with light. As her vision adjusted, she saw a tall, bulky figure silhouetted in the door way. A spasm of fear ran through her.
"Wakey wakey sleepy head," the man grunted, giving a low chuckle.
Sara opened her mouth to speak, but fear made the words stick in her throat.
"Seems like you've been asking a lot of questions. Poking your nose in where it isn't wanted. Now I've got a couple of questions for you, missy." The man moved closer, and Sara willed herself not to flinch. He had a sallow, flabby face, with a pair of dark eyes that seemed to bore into her. Dressed in a grubby tank top and ripped jeans, his muscly arms were covered in garish tatoos. Sara shuddered as she noted the handle of a gun poking out of the waistband of his jeans. The guy radiated agression. She knew she was in trouble.
"So tell me, little girl. What are you doing, barging into my club, bothering my best dancer."
"I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother anyone. I thought she was someone I knew, but I guess I was mistaken."
"You sure were. Now quit fucking around, and tell me who sent you."
"What? Nobody sent me...I just, I saw her and I thought I recognized her. I didn't mean to cause any trouble." Sara's voice shook as she spoke, and she struggled to keep her breathing steady as panic gripped her.
"Tell. Me. Who. Sent. You." Her captor brought his face close to Sara's, so she could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"I told you, nobody sent me, I was just-" Sara was cut off mid sentence as a hard slap landed on her right cheek. Pain exploded through her face and tears sprang to her eyes.
"Liar!" The man screamed at her. Sara was shaking all over with shock and pain. Her captor abruptly turned and stormed out of the room. Sara began to sob uncontrollably. She had no idea what this man wanted from her, or why she was being held there. He seemed like the kind of person who would kill her without a second thought. She might never see her family again. And all for Jack Carter, a man who most likely barely remembered her name.
Sara heard footsteps approaching, and tried to reign in her tears. She braced herself as they neared the door, but then they stopped abruptly.
"Bitch isn't talking, man. What do you want me to do with her?" Her captor's voice sent chills through Sara. A second voice, male, answered him.
"Make her talk Dan, that's what I fucking pay you for. I told you to get out as soon as Laura's picture started popping up in the papers. It was a mistake staying this close to home, it's not safe here." Sara strained to hear. The voice seemed slightly familiar, like she'd heard it before, but she just couldn't place it.
"The girl didn't want to go. I didn't figure anyone would come looking for her in this hole."
"Well you were wrong, weren't you? And now we're in this mess. Fuck, Dan, I can't trust you with one simple task... What exactly did Laura say?"
"She says she's never seen her before today. But I don't know, she was being kinda shifty, like she knows more than she's letting on."
"Interesting. We need to know if this nosy bitch has told Jack anything. Either way, you and Laura need to get out of here, no arguments. Did you get the girl's phone?"
"Yessir."
"Good. If we're going to move Laura across the country, we'll need money. This chick's got to have family, a boyfriend, someone who'll put up some cash to get her back. Start looking through her phonebook."
"Isn't that a bit risky? Surely you've got enough money to take care of Laura?"
There was a stony silence. "My funds are kind of tied up right now, Dan," the mystery man growled.
'Right, of course, sorry. Hey, boss...Jack's number's in here. And, this guy, Jared...isn't that your -"
"Let me see that." The voice laughed, but it was not a happy sound. "Well well, who have we here? Jacky's little girlfriend, I presume? Forget the ransom plan. I've got a better idea."
Sara gasped. She did know that voice. The sarcastic tone, the way he spat Jack's name...it didn't make sense quite yet, but it was clear something truly terrible was going on. And that two-faced bastard was right in the middle of it.
***
Jack sat in the front seat of Jared's SUV, his stomach churning with anxiety as they sped along the wet streets. Erica and Matt were following them in Matt's blue station wagon.
"At least there's no traffic. We'll be there in another half an hour, all being well." Jared spoke just to break the tense silence that filled the car.
"Jared...when I got your message, I was going to call you anyway. There's something I needed to talk to you about."
"Jack...I know you love Sara. I knew it the moment I saw the two of you together. And I know you've got your reasons for not giving it a try, but...if you don't take risks, then you might miss out on a chance for happiness."
"Thanks, buddy, but that wasn't it."
"Oh. Sorry. But still, when we track her down - which we will, don't you worry - don't you think you should at least talk about it?"
"Jared, I'm sure she's moved on by now anyway. I did the right thing. I can't drag someone like Sara into all my shit...it's not fair on her."
Jared sighed. "Jack, I don't know why you can't see yourself the way everyone else does. You're a great guy. You deserve to be happy. You just have to stop beating yourself up about every little thing, and allow good things into your life."
"Are we done with the psychoanalysis now? Like I said, it wasn't Sara I wanted to talk about."
"Okay, okay, sorry. Go on."
"I got an email from Ellie. Ellie Tanaka, from the Herald?"
"I remember. Nice girl. What did she have to say?"
"She said... oh man, this is going to sound crazy. Basically, she knows the guy who broke the story about me dealing drugs. You know how he would never reveal his source?"
"Of course I know, do you know hard I leaned on that guy? But he wouldn't give it up. Journalistic integrity and all that." Jared rolled his eyes.
"Well, Ellie took him out for a few gin and tonics and...Jared, she says it was Michael who gave that photo to the papers. He's the anonymous source. He's been trying to screw me."
"Holy shit, Jack...it can't be. wouldn't do that to you. What's he got to gain? The band would be ruined...it doesn't make sense!"
"Well that's what I thought. But then...you know how he's been lately. Always wanting to be centre of attention, trying to squeeze me out. And Ellie's got no reason to lie. I don't want to believe it...but the more I think about it, I can't help but be suspicious."
Jared was silent for a moment. Jack could almost hear the cogs turning in his head, analyzing situation before he dared to speak.
“Jack…of course, I don’t want to believe it either. But I have to admit, there’s been something a bit off about him, especially lately. When the whole scandal broke, the rest of the boys were upset, worried about you and about the band’s future. But y…he didn’t see
m worried at all. He was so ready to push forward. I thought he was just trying to think positive, to keep the band on track…” Jared trailed off. Jack could see the pain on his face, and he felt almost guilty for raising the question. Jared had been like a father to them all, guiding them from a naïve bunch of kids with a little talent to the stars they had become. But then, hadn’t Jack and Michael been like brothers? Once…it seemed like such a long time ago now. Fame had strained that bond to breaking point. Jack hadn’t wanted to admit to himself how far apart they had really grown. But still. After everything they had been through, would really betray him like that?
“Do you want me to talk to him?” Jared said at last. “Not that I know exactly how to broach the subject…if Tanaka’s wrong, well, it’s not an accusation you can take lightly. There’d be no going back for the two of you.”
“No.” Jack said, suddenly decisive. “If it was Michael, then his attempt to squeeze me out failed. He knows that. There’s nothing to be gained from dragging the whole thing up. I owe it to the rest of the boys to keep the band together, especially when things are going so well. I’ll just have to be careful what I say around him in the future.”
“Maybe you’re right. Let’s just hope none of the press get wind of this, rumour or not. You know how much they love a bit of band in-fighting.”
“Tell me about it. No, for now, let’s focus on tracking Sara down. Erica’s got me really worried, I don’t mind telling you. I just want to know she’s okay.”
Jared nodded, and pressed a little harder on the accelerator.
“If the cops pull us over, let’s hope they’re Compass fans. “ he said, and Jack returned his grin. “Autographs are a hell of a lot cheaper than speeding tickets.”
