The network’s security team had formed a tighter ring at the stage edge, but their retreat off stage was still cut off—they were stuck. Instruments abandoned, they milled around, uncertain what to do. Stu had tight hold of Ceedee—he wasn’t grinning now—and Rie came to stand at Rand’s side. His heart was doing a thumping version of Metallica’s My Apocalypse.
This was likely to get worse before it got better. He looked at Stu, “Get ready.”
Then Rie started to sing—Soul Death, unplugged. She stepped away from his side and moved to the middle of the stage. He moved with her. She was a genius. Her powerful voice soared, giving the crowd something they’d never heard before and slowly changing their mood. He joined her, singing low notes to her high ones, then Ceedee, Jeremy and Stu’s voices added volume. The fighting at the edge of the mass brawl tapered off. People stilled. The sounds of shouting stopped, and eventually the hardcore fighters traded fewer and fewer punches and stopped. They kept singing while the cops ordered people out, starting with those on the street and at the edges, moving them on until there was a collective understanding the event was over and it was time to go.
When they finished to sustained applause, there were still hundreds of people in the area, but they were calmly waiting to move off. It was over. Rand wiped a hand over his face. Fuck. Never again. Fame had its privileges. Getting mobbed wasn’t one of them. He’d aged five years in that moment between the fight breaking out and Rie opening her mouth.
“Sorry guys,” he said, facing his band, all of them looking hot and edgy. There was nothing more he could say now. He had plenty to say later. He’d rip Ron Teller a new one. They milled around waiting for their exit to be cleared, all of them breathing easier when the security team visibly stepped down from their high alert stance. They split ranks, three men staying with them and three going to clear the exit to the side street and the waiting cars.
But the minute the security team split, disaster struck. Rand saw it coming like a king-hit. A group of fans rushed the stage and hurdled it. He made a grab for Rie but a security guard cut him off. In seconds the stage was overrun. And she’d been separated from them by an excited mob.
Jake had started making his way towards the stage when it happened. His relief morphed to dread in an instant. He yelled, hurling himself through the milling crowd to get to the stage. He saw Rand take a punch defending Ceedee while Stu fought a path to the exit. He could see fists flying and bodies going down. He couldn’t see Rielle and dread became a cold clutch of fear, and when he saw her roughly lifted above the heads of two men, it became an agony of panic. He screamed her name.
He was still too far away to get to her. He could see her kicking and shouting as the two men dragged her to the opposite side of the stage from the exit. There were four cops in front of him. They reached the stage first, but he was hard on their heels. He vaulted its edge, coming up on his feet and fending off a punch and a kick, never taking his eyes off Rielle.
The two men had her on the ground now and her screams were curses. She was fighting hard, kicking and clawing. From somewhere out of the melee, Rand appeared taking down one man with a barrelling tackle. Before the other had time to react, Jake was on him. A punishing combination of punches to his stomach and jaw, and the man was down and Rielle was in his arms, still cursing, almost climbing him. He moved fast, stopping only to see that Rand was okay, carrying Rielle through the exit, down the side path and into the last of the waiting cars.
Rand was on their heels, panting and swearing, a bright mark blooming on his jaw line. At the open car door he put a hand to Rie’s face and said, “Jake, did you see Harry?”
“No.” Jake lifted Rie inside and scooted in beside her.
“I’m going back for her.” Rand slammed the door, thumping the car roof to signal the driver to move.
Rielle was trembling, curled on the seat beside him. She’d lost her