Part 28: ************************************************************************* AJ let himself into the beach house and set his gym bag down, he'd brought enough clothes for a couple days and figured he could make the quick trip back to Orlando if he needed anything else. "Yo fellas?" he called hearing how silent the place was. "Anyone?" he walked down the hallway and stopped finding Kevin sprawled across the couch, a half empty bottle of vodka in his hand. "Kev?" Kevin moved his hand that was covering his eyes, "J what are you doing here?" "Today's the start of our little brainstorming." he kicked Kevin's feet off the couch. "How long you been here?" "I don't know." Kevin yawned and lifted the bottle to his lips taking a generous drink. "Okay, how long do you THINK you've been here?" J asked, taking a good look around the room. Judging by the empty cans and the box of pizza on the table he judged Kevin had been living there a good two or three days. "I have no clue." Kevin struggled to sit up. "You the only one here?" "Guess so." AJ sat on the other couch. "Ya might want to clean up before the others get here oh great leader." Kevin looked down at his wrinkled clothes and nodded, "Yeah guess your right." "I know I am." Ty walked around the living room of the cabin glancing over where E was busily typing things into the computer. "Any luck yet?" she asked. E shook her head, "We can't go after Nick's photographer because the boys will be hot on his heels but David said he did get her name so we'll track her down before they do. Right now I'm searching for Taylor in the phone directories...then we'll get into Howie's." Alec poured herself another drink and leaned back on the couch. "I can't believe all this..." "Me either." E said, turning around in her chair. "How'd they get into all this shit?" "I have no idea. When are the other two coming?" Ty looked at the clock, "They should be landing any minute. You checked on Shan yet?" "No she was sound asleep when we got here so I figured let her sleep. She'll know we're here when she sees the suitcases upstairs." "To disprove everything is the only way to go. If Lou gives anything to the press or in D's case the authorities we've got to be able to go that isn't possible and here's why." Nick said as all the group turned to him mouths wide open. "Guys? Hello?" he said waving at them. "Damn Nick when did you get so..." AJ started. He shrugged, "You just never noticed." he smirked. "Has David found anything yet or do we need to find someone else." Kevin asked, rubbing his temples. He was beginning to get one hell of a headache. "Serves you right for that hangover." D said slidding a bottle of anacin down to his friend. "David and E are working round the clock, although E kinda disappeared." Nick stated, getting up and grabbing a couple drinks from the fridge. "Disappeared???" AJ questioned, "Should we be worried?" "I don't think so. She probably went to track down some leads." Howie cleared his throat, "Uh guys I've got something serious to say....." he glanced at AJ who gave him a reassuring nod. "What is it bro?" Brian asked, Howie had looked a little distracted during the whole meeting, but who hadn't? Half of them were having marital problems, maybe something was going on with him and Ty. "Lou called a meeting yesterday." he stopped, staring into his coffee cup for a minute wishing he'd been drinking something stronger. "There's a price for his silence on my money laundering." "D you don't even know your business is laundering money." Nick interjected. He shrugged, "All the papers seem to indicate it Nick...anyways the price is him to manage us again." "Wait a minute, we're not even a group anymore. He MADE us break up remember?" Brian stated. "Uhm, he wants to manage us individually. He thinks we'd all be very successfully as solo artists." "No way in hell." Nick said shaking his head. "That guy is not going to screw us over one more time." Kevin stood up and pushed the table over, "That son of a bitch!" Lis set her magazine down and turned to Jenn. "So are you going to tell me now why you're dragging me away?" Jenn sighed, "I had a long talk with AJ last night...about everything the guys are going through." "And?" "And I'll tell you but I don't feel like repeating it five times so wait till we get to the cabin." She groaned, "Not even a hint?" "Its bad..." "How bad??" "Real bad." They had finally managed to calm Kevin down and had him sitting in the living room while Brian and Nick tried their best to clean up the mess in the dining room. Nick set the table back up and groaned seeing the one part of the glass table was no longer part of the table. "I thought J was supposed to be the destructive one." Nick joked. Brian chuckled and set up the overturned chairs. "Guess the trait got passed on. He's in bad shape." "Your telling me. I've never seen him lose it like that before. Didn't think it was possible." "Me either." Brian admitted and sat down, looking at the coffee stain on the carpet. He made a mental note to call the carpet cleaners when everything was over and done with. Nick took a check on Kevin and shook his head, "Maybe he's better off drunk bro." "He's gotta face this...we all do. Numbing ourselves does nothing remember?" "Yeah your right." The cabin door opened and Jenn and Lis walked in, "Girls we're home!!" Jenn yelled causing Alec and E to walk into the foyer. "Hi." E greeted the new arrivals. "Hey welcome to wives central." Alec said giving them each a hug. "How you holding up?" Lis asked, as they all headed into the kitchen. Alec shrugged, "Barely hanging on..." "Where's Ty and Shan? We should all be here when we talk." Jenn said. E nodded, "That way everyone hears the same info." "Ty went for a walk outside and Shan's..." "Right here." Shan finished for her walking into the kitchen. "Since when is this an impromptu get together." "Since early this morning." Lis explained, still feeling clueless. "When Ty shows can we start??" Alec nodded, "I'll go call her." David flipped through his phonebook, the name Donnie seemed familiar to him but he couldn't place it. Giving up, he slammed the book closed with a thud and booted up his computer. Within minutes he found what he was looking for, Donnie Davidson Photography right there in Orlando. "Bingo!" he yelled.