Chapter 56
"Where are we going?" Zac asked Taylor. They were both in the backseat of John Conover's car after having dropped Jason off to pick up lunch.

"Have you told him yet?"  The lawyer asked Taylor.

"Told me what?"  Zac asked the man.  He then looked at his brother.

"Zac," Taylor signed.  "I know you feel like you O-W-E me, or like, you have to P-R-O-T-E-C-T me or something..."  He smiled, "I feel like H-A-N S-O-L-O and you are C-H-E-W-B-A-C-C-A."  Zac was getting alarmed, he had no idea what was going on and there was something weird about the look in Taylor's eye. Taylor continued, "but, after this, we are E-V-E-N."

"Stop the car! What's going on Taylor??!!" Zac demanded.

Taylor could tell he was scaring his brother, he put his hand on his arm.  "Zac, I am going to see him and you have to go with me."

"Who Tay?! The guy that drugged you and tortured you and ruined your life?! That guy!!??"

Taylor looked back at him defiantly, "yes."

Zac furrowed his brow.  "Why?"  He asked softly.

"Because I have to!"  It would have been a shout.

"And you're alright with this?"  Zac asked the man driving.  Now, he looked back at Taylor, "I guess we just dumped Jason, huh? And I'm sure Mom and Dad don't know anything about this, am I right?"

The lawyer spoke to him.  "Taylor wanted to do this, Zac.  I don't know that I agree, but, against my better judgment, I set it up.  If anything goes wrong, I'm screwed...  So, little brother, I think it's up to you and me to make sure nothing does go wrong. Agreed?"

Zac didn't answer, he looked at Taylor, his blue eyes looking deeply into his own.  "Please," he mouthed, "do it for me." As they passed the Hall of Justice where the prisoners were held while awaiting trial, Zac sighed.

~~~~

Mr. Conover pulled the car up beside a meter, put it in park and turned to look at the two boys.  "Well?"  He asked.

Zac looked at both of them.  "Ok." He said quietly.

The man then looked at Taylor.  "You better know what you're doing. I could get disbarred if your parents freak."

"Yeah," Zac added, "and I could get grounded 'til my 18th birthday and that's like, October of 2003."

~~~~

In the small room, Taylor and Zac waited. Zac was nervous, his foot tapped, his leg bounced, his fingers played a beat on the table.  Taylor just sat.  "How many of those pills did you take this morning?"  Zac asked.  Taylor held up two fingers. "Well, you don't have any on you right now, do ya?" Taylor smiled at his brother and shook his head. Just then, the door opened and Tom Harris was led into the room.

"Taylor! How are you?!"  He asked, grinning.

Zac could feel himself begin to shake and he stuck his clammy hands between his knees.  He could still envision the man holding a gun to his brother's head.  The two guards led the man, who was shackled and handcuffed, over to the table where the two boys sat.  Then, they stood back in the corner of the tiny room.

"How's it feel?"  Taylor asked him. At first, he looked back at Taylor, confused, then he realized what he'd said.

"Good one." He answered.

"No T-R-I-A-L."  Taylor signed to Zac, "tell him."

"Uh..."  Zac started, "he says, 'no trial.'"

Tom Harris threw his head back and laughed.  "Yeah, right! You know, Taylor, I am gonna enjoy telling the media everything.  You wouldn't believe how much money I've been offered.  If I'd known that before, I wouldn't have wasted all that time and energy on Med School.  I could have just bought a few pairs of handcuffs, grabbed me a few rockstars, and voila!  Instant millionaire!  Hey, maybe they could put the pair I used on you in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame after the trial."  His eyes lit up.  "And, that little vial, I hear your father was the one that found it. They could make a little Mmmbop shrine. Too bad I didn't videotape it."  Zac's fear was being replaced with anger.  If not for Taylor's hand on his arm, he would have strangled the man.  Tom Harris noticed, "Zac, been locked in any dumpsters lately?"

"No," he answered.  "Have you been fucked in the ass in prison yet?"

Taylor snapped his fingers in Zac's face and signed, "stop now.  Just say what I tell you and I-G-N-O-R-E him."

Zac turned so he was facing Taylor now.  Taylor began to sign and he repeated it word for word.  "I don't want this to go to trial, my brothers have a future in the music business and I don't want my crap to follow them forever.  You plead guilty and I will continue to not remember."

Now, he had the man's attention. "Remember what?"

Taylor looked at him and mouthed the word, "her."

The man looked at Zac who looked puzzled by Taylor's statement.  Now, he looked back at Taylor, "they don't know where she is anyway."  He said, narrowing his eyes.

"I do."  Taylor said, his icy eyes looking right back at him.

Again, Taylor signed to Zac, "If the trial goes on, she'll be in custody within 24 hours.  I don't think her family could take it.  So far I am the bad guy to that family, let's leave it that way."  Zac was saying the words, but he wasn't really understanding what the two were talking about, he could see both their minds working.

"So, in return for me not telling about Sarah and the baby...  You'll lessen the charges?"   He said, looking at Taylor suspiciously.

Taylor shrugged, then turned to his brother.  "That's up to my parents and the lawyers, I'll do what I can."  Zac wanted to say to them both that his mother would die before she'd agree to that, but he decided to do as Taylor asked and just say what he told him to.

He watched as Taylor took out a pen and paper and wrote, That woman, she reminded me of someone.  He leaned across the table, and wrote again, I just haven't figured out who...  but, it could come to me at any time.

Zac knew now who the woman was, and he understood now why Taylor had wanted to protect her—it would lessen his own guilt. What he couldn't believe though, was that Tom Harris was obviously considering what Taylor was asking of him.
 
 
 

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