The week went by in a blur if i'm being honest. I helped Ethan and Ryder do some last minute things on the garage and studio. Ethan's was decorated tastefully with vintage cars. And i helped Ryder hang up the new art work i had gotten him. Then i started packing while simultaneously worrying about my mom. And every time she insisted she was okay i felt better.

        Finally it was time to leave. The motorcycle was attached to the SUV. The back was loaded down with all of our things and we even had to buy one of those dorky things to fit on top to hold all of our stuff including the gear for the mission. Ethan was driving. We honestly had no plan. We had a general idea of where the warehouse was but we didn't book a hotel but we didn't know long we'd be staying. But one thing was for sure, once we busted the case we had to leave. It was to risky to stay around.

       "Good bye Virginia hello New Mexico. " Liam said taking a photo of the sign on the way out of town. The gps said it would take us 27 hours to get to new mexico. But it would really take us much longer. We had to keep stopping. "Ethan man you need to stop with those energy drinks." Caleb warned. "You pee to much." Caleb said. "Well at least i'm going on the side of the road so we don't lose time." Ethan said.

       "Yea i got a great shot of your butt, thanks for that." Liam said laughing. "I know a few girls who would pay you a pretty penny for that." Ethan said back.  "I'll send you a copy." Liam said.  Day two of our trip it was late and already dark when we pulled into a small cafe. It had a hotel across the street. We'd go in and grab a bite to eat before we checked in.

        Standing in line Caleb nudged Jake. He pointed to a guy sitting at a corner table. Jake groaned "Oh no what is Conner doing here?" "You know what i bet? He's working for his dad. Why else would he quit?" Caleb said. "Wait Conner was in the heart breaker society?" I asked. "Yea i recruited him about a year and a half ago. Because his dad runs a huge operation he could give us Intel. I didn't know his dad ran the whole operation. Conner looked up when he saw us he glared.

       "Well well what do we have here?" He asked walking over. "Hey were just uh..." Ethan started. "Save it, i was once one of you. I know what you're here to do and i can tell you right now, it's done. You're finished. You're not getting anywhere near my dad's compound. I'm going to call him right now and tell him everything." Conner said. Caleb ushered us back to a quiet corner of the cafe. "What happened to you man?" Caleb asked. "I did what any kid would do. I sold out to get to know my father. I'm working for him." Conner said.

      "But why? When i offered you a job you took it immediately because your dad wasn't a good guy. You said so your self and you said this could be your way out. And it would be nice to stick it to your old man. Now your working for him? When you left you said you needed to go find yourself." Caleb said. "Yea and that was a bust i thought if i got to know my father i'd be happy." Conner said. "And he took you in, just like that?" Liam asked. "Yea if i promised to keep eyes and ears around town for you guys. Since the government keeps your identities so well hidden only i know what and who you guys are." Conner said.

       "Man you're nothing but a sell out." Jake said. "Hey i wanted to know my father you can't blame me for wanting that." Conner said. "Like heck we can, what you're doing is wrong!" Ryder said getting loud. "Hey don't talk to me about wrong. How many kids did you beat up on. And now whats this?" he laughed pointing in my direction. "You've got a girl on the team, oh that is just weak. What is she gonna do wave her pom poms and cheer you guys on?" He asked.

       I rolled my eyes. "Don't you worry about what i bring to the team. Worry about yourself." I said. "Oh i am honey, i'm gonna make a quick phone call to my dad and it'll all be handled." "No, i call bull on that. I did not just spend two days cooped up in a car with five guys just to have to turn around and go back home. Caleb took his shoes off. Jake was trying to win a burping and farting contest against him self. Ethan was listening to terrible old rock music. I came here for this mission now we are gonna do it." I said. 

       "You are not hearing me. YOU ARE DONE!" Conner said. "You are not hearing me. What you are doing is wrong. Look let's make a deal. You don't call your dad right now. You meet up with us in the morning and you let us convince you. If we can you don't tell your dad a thing." "But if i let you guys bust his compound then where will i go? I'll have to leave." Conner said. "Or if we can't convince you then we'll go home and you'll never hear from us again." I said. "Well fine, you have until the morning." Conner said. "You won't double cross us?" Caleb asked. "I was once one of you. So i owe you this much. But it's not gonna be easy to change my mind." Conner said. "Okay then, see you here at eight?" Caleb asked. "Done."

       With that we went to order food and then left. "Sydney i'm all for good ideas but please tell me you have a plan." Caleb said. "Obviously and even if i didn't it buys us some time. But you guys do your best to convince him not to rat us out. Not gonna be easy." I said. "It won't be as bad as he thinks. He can go home to his mom she's probably worried sick about him." Jake said. "You think?" I asked. "Sure, she knows what kind of man his father is." Jake said.  I pulled out my lap top and portable printer. I started hacking into every single file i thought would help and finally i found it. Boom. I just had to hope it was enough to stop Conner. I left the boys in their room and went to mine that adjoined it. But i didn't sleep great that night.

       The next morning over pastries Conner sat in front of us with a smug smile on his face. So sure that he had already won. Caleb went first talking about loyalty. Which Conner threw back in his face that he was being loyal to his father. Jake said he was doing something illegal. Conner threw back that he had no proof and he wasn't going to let him get any. Jake even offered to let him off the hook if he let us do our mission. No dice.

       Liam tried telling him that he never knew his dad but it wasn't worth it. Even if he found out his dad was alive and doing some sketchy stuff he wouldn't want to know him. That the society was the best thing to ever happen to him he made lifetime friends even family. Conner said he understood that but he was doing what he thought was right.

     Ethan said he was being a punk and to help a brother out. Conner rolled his eyes and turned to Ryder. He told him he felt powerful getting in all those fights, that people were afraid of him. He must feel the same being that his dad is the boss but that it didn't make it right. He's happier now that he's on the right side. Conner sighed and said Ethan just didn't get it.

     He rubbed his hands together looking at me. "This should be good." He said. I slapped my first sheet down in front of him. He furrowed his brow. "What's this?" he asked. "This is the number of drug overdoses in just this year alone." I said. "Wow, that is a lot. My dad should also sell coffins." He noted. I smacked another sheet down. "This is how many people were arrested on drug related charges." I said. "Rookie mistake." He said clicking his tongue. I slapped another sheet down. "Craig Marshall Dean teenager was found dead he had his whole future in front of him!" I said. I had other pictures and stories of people his age and younger. But i didn't need them. He picked up the picture.

       "Craig? That was my best friend. The only guy who was ever nice to me some days. He..He died?" His eyes conveyed sadness. He crumpled the paper in his closed fist. He looked up at me "Look i really want to help you guys i do. But i just can't. If i step out of town my dad is going to know that i was in on the whole thing." Conner said. "Are you sure about that?" Caleb asked. "I'm positive i was once one of you." Conner said. "But how would your dad know that unless you told him??" Ethan said clinching his fist's together. "I'm sorry you guys i really am but when i showed up on my dad's doorstep he told me to give him one good reason why he shouldn't turn me back out on my behind. I said i was once a part of a group that would try to shut him down if they could that i would have his back. Now i'm turning it on him!? He's gonna kill me!" Conner said.

          "Then we just need to make sure your dad doesn't find you. We'll send him away." I said. "Sydney is it? Look your'e new you don't know how all of this works. If you think my dad being behind bars means anything your'e wrong. He's to powerful. he will get out. And even if it takes a while all he has to do is bark an order and three or four men will fight on who gets to do it. He's ruthless and he doesn't care." Conner said. "He's right about that." Caleb confirmed. "He has lot's of money and people high up get things out of him being free. But i never thought we'd get him in the first place." Caleb said thoughtfully. "Then why are we here? Because i know we didn't travel all this way on Liam's insistence." I said.

       "No of course not, but we have to keep everyone safe! If we do something that could hurt Conner we didn't do a good job." Jake said. "Then what do we do? If we can't stop them then this was a waste. I don't even know why were here. Everything you said about me was right Conner." I got up and walked over to the side of the restaurant. 

       "I'm sorry about what i said, of course your a valid asset to this team or you wouldn't be here." Conner said coming up behind me. "No you're probably right and were wasting our time.." I said.  "Look you're not. I was sure you couldn't convince me it was a good idea. But you did. Other that my whole safety thing that is." He laughed. "How can you be so calm about this?" I asked looking out the window. He shrugged. "Dunno, i mean i guess the whole time i was working for my dad i knew he was a bad guy. But it never fazed me. I knew what he was and i just wanted to have him in my life even if it meant i had to look the other way a lot. I mean it wasn't like we even had any man to man or heart to heart talks. He's never even told me he loved me." He said wistfully.

       "I understand that. My dad spent my whole life in jail. I think about all the thing's he's missed. Might be why I've recently started to have a relationship with him." "Man you have to go there to see him. I'm sorry." "No it's fine he's gonna get out soon and he's gonna be good. he just did a lot of bad things and it's fine. Look okay so you worked for your dad. Now don't you want to take him down? Don't you owe it to those guys? I mean my family sucks and when i joined the team i finally felt like i actually had a family." I said. "I have to agree, they had my back. When Caleb found out who my dad was they didn't run from me. They embraced me with open arms. And for the longest time i kept telling myself they only kept me around because of who my dad was. That maybe i'd give them some sort of information. So that i wouldn't feel bad for leaving. Deep down i think i always knew i didn't belong." He said.

       "Don't sell yourself short. They wouldn't of asked you to join the team otherwise. Poor Caleb kept tabs on me for a year before he asked me, and it's not because i'm a girl. Look we have to do something. Weather we get in that suv and go home or we take down your dad." I said. "Well you know one of the reasons i was on the team was because i was a quick thinker in bad situations. If we can find a way to make it look like i wasn't involved maybe my dad will spare me. I mean it's a long shot but worth a try." Conner said. "Yea but after we bust up the operation. Are you going to go back and work for him?" I asked. "That's the question isn't it?" The guys started to walk over to where we were. "Everything okay?" Ryder asked looking from me to Conner.

       "It will be. Conner is in. We just have to find a way to take the heat off of him. But he has to figure out if he's going to keep working for his dad or not." I said. "I think i will. It's what i can to do keep you guys safe. If i decide it's not worth it in a few months i'll quit." Said Conner. "Okay we're all on the same page?" I asked. Yes's went up from around the table. But now how did we keep Conner safe? "Wait." I said. "What if you call your dad and tell him were here?" I asked. Conner laughed. "And why would i do that? He'll be ready for sure." Conner said. "I know that. Just tell him you saw a guy you used to work with and you're pretty sure he's here. But that he only had one other guy with him so he has a heads up. He'll tighten up on security a little bit. But you couldn't of known how bad it was going to be. Right?" I asked.

       "Right, i see what you're saying. I give him a heads up but don't tell him how bad of an assault it's going to be. Then i keep working for him to shield off suspicion. I mean i wasn't planning on leaving anyways." Conner said. "Okay i'm going to stay in town. I'll give my dad a call now." He pulled out his phone and hit a button on speed dial.

       "Hey dad, look i wanted to give you a heads up. I was at the diner this morning and i ran into a guy i used to work with. He ducked out before i had a chance to talk to him. It was only him and another guy. But i wanted to let you know.......No....i'm sure.....okay great. Sure i'll deliver the package to Melborne. Okay bye dad." He hung up. "Everything is good to go. He's gonna put a few extra guys out there. Are you sure you guys are ready to take over the compound?" Conner asked. "Ready as we can be, thanks man." Caleb said standing up to give him a man hug. After all the guys hugged we left to explore the town.

       "Man i see lot's of unsavory guys walking around here. I wonder if any of them work for Conner's dad?" Liam asked. "Nah you can't judge them, look at Biker Barry over there. He's knitting. Yep biker Barry is knitting." Jake said laughing a bit. "I don't know what were going to find but i'll be glad when this mission is over." I said. "Me too, but hey for real can we all just give a shout out to Sydney for saving the day!" Caleb said. "Oh yea that was great." Liam said. "My baby is amazing." Ryder said kissing my cheek. "Awe thanks guys. It was for the team. I had to do something. I just cant believe it worked so well." I said. We spent the day shopping and walking and decided to get in bed early so we'd be well rested for the next day.