Standing By

4:05

(Rob)

Dunno what the hell Adam thought he was doing, or trying to do, by sending Chance and Austin along and telling Tim and me to stay put, but that wasn't happening. No way I was staying back here in the dark. As soon as Austin and Chance went running down the hallway, I vocalized my displeasure at my instructions and took off after him. No sooner than I'd turned the corner, I saw the sound crew open a side door and swarm after the two of them.

Stephen grabbed at Austin's arm. "Guys, I am so sorry about the way it went down in the auditorium."

"Very unprofessional of security," Hank said steely.

William held onto Chance's squirming elbow, both he and Austin trying to get free of them. "Granted, maybe I shouldn't have been tinkering with the PA system, but still."

"Let go of me!" Austin shouted. "Let go!"

"We're going to let Rick know about security's behavior," Stephen told him. "OK? We will get thing straightened out and make them right."

"Later!" Chance snapped, trying to shake William off. "We don't got time!"

"I know you don't. I know you're in a hurry," Hank sympathized. "You got a lot to do."

"Then get the hell out of the way and let go of us!" Austin snapped, pushing on Stephen with his forearm.

"It is one hundred percent against corporate policy to interfere with performers' rehearsals and such," Stephen told them.

"I am so sorry they pulled that," William apologized. "They never should have. It is a cardinal rule they broke."

"You're interfering now!" Chance pointed out, trying to knee and push William away.

"Get the hell out of their way!" I shouted at the three of them. They may have meant well here, but they were blocking the hallway, crowding Austin and Chance in, and for God's sake, holding them! What the hell gave them the right to hold them in place?

"You all—the performers—are the reason we have jobs here and you ultimately keep the theatre afloat," Hank seemed to quote.

"Can we show you the downstairs stage?" Stephen suggested.

"That's exactly what they need!" William agreed.

"Take them downstairs!" Hank said brightly.

"Yes, let's!" William and Stephen turned Austin and Chance right back in the direction they'd come from and tried to force them to retreat against their will.

"No! No! No!" Austin shrieked, pulling against them.

"Stop it, or I will retaliate!" Chance warned, pushing William hard.

"We're trying to help you." William grabbed right back onto him, pushing him backwards.

Oh holy hell. Thanking genetics for a tall and hefty build—and a wide wingspan—I spread my arms out and ran forward, yelling like a Comanche to run interference for them. The sound crew scattered and Austin and Chance scampered towards the front. I let my momentum propel me after them, panting slightly as we reached the lobby.

"We're here—we're here!" Chance gasped out, Lorenzo, Sandy, Gen, and two officers turning to look at them.

"About damn time! You know how long we been paging you?" Sandy snapped. "Fifteen minutes! Fifteen minutes!"

"We didn't—," Austin started.

"You think we don't got other things to do than just wait around for you?" an officer scolded sharply. "We got a hundred things to do but you two entitled celebrities have been dillydallying around, making us wait on you!"