"Hey Nicky. Boy have I missed you." They pulled out of the hug. "You look good. At least they didn't starve you." Kevin said seriously.

"They said I wouldn't be any good if I was starving and weak. I wouldn't be able to do the heavy lifting." Nick said. Kevin noticed a scar on Nick's arm.

"How did that happen?" He said pointing to it. Brian looked at it and knew what happened cause Brian had it happen to him. It was from a beating that much he knew.

"Well...hummm... the first day with Jahed I decided to rebel and run but I was caught. They beat me until I couldn't move. And I didn't move for a few days. That next week I had to do double the work for the days I had missed." Nick explained to Kevin. He and Brian looked on and nodded in understanding. "Wait, Kev how did you get away? You were the first to be sold." Nick asked scratching his head.

"A month after I was sold, my owners were killed by another family. I was beat up pretty bad and they thought I was dead as well so they left me there. I was found the next day by the resistance and they took me in and got me better and after a while I became one of the leaders." He stated. And then smiled "Most of the guys didn't have a problem with a Backstreet Boy telling them what to do." The three laughed. Nick laughed for the first time in 2 years. "We should get going before we get stuck here."

"Yea good idea." Brian said and the 3 men walked out of the shack and though the woods away from the places they were imprisoned the last 2 years.  

"Where are we going?" Nick asked.

 "First we are going to an underground shelter which is like an hour away. The resistance has quite a few that the Talaban doesn't know about. We will need to stay there until nightfall. We can move better over the cover of night." Kevin said and the two guys listened as he continued. "Now I, myself can walk outside during the day cause no one knows I am supposed to be a slave. You and Brian have a tattoo on your hand saying who you belong to. I don't because the people I was with died before I could get one. So I can go into town scope out who are slaves and who their masters are. I try to figure out who I can save. I found Brian last week but didn't have direct contact with him till tonight. He got my letters and I told him when I would be there to pick him up. It wasn't until I got to him that I knew you were alive." Kevin finished and put his arm over Nick's shoulder and then over Brian's. "I'm so glad you're alive. Both of you." They went on walking.

As they walked the men talked and tried to catch up on each other's lives. "What about AJ and Howie or any of our families?" Nick asked. "Do you know anything about them? If their alive?" His voice was full of hope.

"That Nicky, I don't know. Although I heard from James, another leader for our side, had heard a rumor that you brother made it to Long Island. Sometimes our old celebrity could work to our advantage. Although it isn't confirmed I think AC might be there." Kevin said wiping his head. Nick smiled. His little brother was probably safe. 

"Long Island isn't that big. I mean people are housing other people. They're maybe up to 30 people living in a 4-bedroom house but they do it so they can be free. But once we have enough people and can gain control over some cities again, we can begin to get our country back." Kevin said giving Brian and Nick so info on the place they were trying to get to.

Nick looked up ahead and stopped. "What is it Nick?" Brian asked.

"Look up ahead. It looks like a search party." Nick said fearfully.

 "Shit. Ok this way guys." Kevin said. The 3 men made a right and ran through the woods. "We were almost there too. I have to get you in the back way." A few minutes later Kevin stopped and moved a few leaves around. Nick looked on wondering what he was doing but then Kevin lifted a small dirt door and told them to climb in. Kevin followed and closed the dirt door. "Ok we are here. We just have to walk a mile under ground to get to the hide out." Kevin took out his flashlight and they walked about 15 minutes until they got to a wooden door. Kevin put his key in and they walked in. He told Nick and Brian to have a seat on the couch that was by the wall while he went you to tell the person at the desk that was there that he had brought 2 new people into the place.

When he came back he took the guys down a small hallway and it lead into a big room. The 2 men were surprised that such a big place could survive under ground without the dirt-caving in. they later learned that there were supports that prevented a cave in.

In that big room there were others that used to be slaves that were hiding out and waiting for the time to get moving on the road to freedom. 

Kevin showed them were they could wash up and rest. They did just that. After cleaning up they both fell asleep on one of the small beds in that big room.

 ........................................

Kevin, after seeing that the 2 men fell asleep, smiled to himself. 'Two are alive! I can't believe it!' he thought to himself. He had thought that none of his friends or family was left but him. Then he heard Aaron probably made it and it gave him hope, then he found Brian, then Nick! He was really happy and was going to find out who else had made it.

He told James that he was going to take Brian and Nick and go find all of their families. James told him not to go and to wait, that eventually they would stumble upon their families. But Kevin said that he had to do this. For Nick, Brian and for himself but he also told James that he would keep freeing slaves along the way and that made James happy.

Kevin would wait after the 2 men woke up to start out on the journey to not only Long Island but to also see who survived.