The wives all filed into the conference room slowly, all armed with notebooks and various things. Lis yawned as she sunk into the chair and looked around at the boxes covering the table. "What's all this?"

David walked into the room. "Everything you need to know about Lou, TransCon and everything we managed to dig up on Paul Hardy."

"Guess we won't be leaving for a few years." Jenn muttered, sitting behind a box. "Where'd you all disappear to?" she joked.

David chuckled. "You're all seriously crazy for wanting to tackle this."

"We want an end to this whole deal." Ty said slipping by him into the room. "Can you grab those two boxes D's carrying? They're financial records and stuff."

Lis walked out of David's office, a stack of printouts in her hand and a pen in her mouth. "You look wore out."

She smiled tiredly at the man behind the voice. "Could say that."

He kissed her forehead. "The girls said you're due for a lunch break and I brought food." he held up a bag of burgers and fries. "So you eat, I'll rub your shoulders and we'll relax. Sound good?"

"Uh huh." she let him lead her back into the office and shut the door. Nick stood behind her rubbing her shoulders as she ate the food and stared at the computer screen. "How's this going?"

She tilted her head back so she could look at him. "Don't ask."

"I'm really going to have to make this up to you later aren't I?"

"Oh yeah..."

He grinned. "Good." he kissed the tip of her nose. "Now go, you've got mail." he said nodding towards the computer causing her to groan.

*****

Howie put the two containers of coffee down on the table and looked at the women who were poring over all the papers. "Anyone need anything?"

Shan shook her head. "No I'm good."

"D?" Jenn glanced at him.

"Yeah Jenn?"

"You want to come over here and explain something to me? I don't understand something in your paperwork."

Ty smiled to herself as she watched him walk around the table and crouch down beside Jenn, looking at the papers and beginning a whispered conversation.

*****

AJ noticed the tension in the room grow as Kevin made his way inside, carrying a box of drinks. "Hey Train."

Kev nodded and set the box down. "Where's the girls?"

"Conference room." he answered, glancing over at Nick and Brian who were now noticeably tense. "Any of you three want to tell me what's with you?"

Howie walked out of the conference room. "What's going on out here?"

"Just asked that myself." J said, leaning back on the couch.

"Go on Kevin...tell them." Brian demanded, his voice rising ever so slightly.

He sighed tiredly. "Fine. I most likely will be signing with Lou..."

"Have you lost your damn mind???" Howie asked, moving in front of him. "You cave we're as good as done. Damnit Kev you're the rock of this group...if he gets you it gives him free reign to go after the remaining three of us. Damnit!!!!!"

Nick pulled Howie back a little. "He won't listen D, he's too damn caught up in his own self-righteousness."

"Shut up Carter." Kevin snapped.

"Make me." he said moving past Howie and getting in front of Kevin. "You wanna be the big man around here Kev, go right ahead."

"Stop it!!" AJ said, pushing his way between the two. "Look damnit stop this right now."

Brian walked into the conference room, "I have an announcement. Seems as though the five of you are working for nothing."

"What? What are you talking about?" Shan asked. Just ten minutes ago he was fine with what they were doing.

He cleared his throat. "Kevin is going to sign, which means Lou has two out of the five he wants and he'll continue to terrorize the three of us unsigned ones until we do so...this is it we're done, through, over. Come on Shan, lets go home."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Why waste your time?"

"Because what if we found out Lou has a nice set of Swiss bank accounts that have seen some rather substantial deposits in the last year?" Lis spoke up.

"So what?"

"So..." Shan started, her voice rising as she looked at her husband. "That means that the so called Big Poppa is up to way more than we ever thought he was...and if we can find out exactly what maybe we can get the five of you out of this hole you've dug yourselves into...but hey if you don't give a damn then maybe we shouldn't either..."

*****

Alec stared blankly at the piece of paper in her hands, nothing made sense to her at the moment. As far as she was concerned it was written in some foreign language she'd never seen before. With a soft sigh she put the paper down on the conference table and glanced at the door.

"You okay?" Lis whispered, leaning over to check on her friend.

"I don't know...I can't concentrate...I'm afraid of what he could be doing right now..."

"Why don't you go after him?"

Alec chewed her lip in thought for a minute, "Maybe I should, I'm not being of a lot of use around here right now."

"Trust me if that was Nick I'd be the same way. Hell I have been that way most of this ordeal."

Gathering her things, Alec laughed quietly. "That's true..." she smiled at her friend. "Thanks."

"No need. Go find Kev."

David peeked outside, "What the heck happened?"

"World War Three apparently. Some sort of yelling match between the men and then they tried to drag their wives out of here, Brian told them they were wasting their time and to give up...Shan gave him a piece of her mind and he left. Kevin stormed out...Alec tried to work but gave up after about half an hour later and went after him." his secretary explained.

AJ walked in. "Man they're crazy."

"Have to be to stay through all of this." David agreed. "To be honest I would of figured you'd have at least one of you guys on the road to divorce."

"Hey its not over yet." AJ said, falling back onto the couch.

*****

Nick parked his car next to Brian's and stepped out, looking at his friend heading towards the basketball courts. "Bri?"

The older man turned, "Hey Carter. Following me?"

Nick shrugged, "Maybe?"

"Well better you then Richardson." he said, beginning to head for the courts.

"You wanna play a little one on one?"

"Course."

Brian took his jacket off and tossed it on the nearby bench while he waited for his friend to catch up. "So you took off too?"

"Yeah couldn't stand being there...couldn't see going home or to the beachhouse..."

B nodded his agreement, "And anywhere else I thought of I figured Kev could go there too and I don't feel like running into him again."

"Me either." Nick agreed, "The further away I am from him, the better off I'll be."

*****

"So he's got a nice collection of Swiss bank accounts." David commented, taking a seat at the conference table.

Jenn nodded, "A big collection of them apparently. But where's the money coming from?" she asked, pouring herself another coffee.

"My guess is TransCon's investors..." David mused, flipping through the statements that had arrived via the fax only a few moments before. "He's probably moved from stealing from his artists to his company and investors."

"That would make sense...so he's actually stupid enough to steal from the mob?" Lis asked.

E nodded, "Lou isn't exactly the smartest guy in the world."

"Wouldn't they realize it though?" Shan questioned. "Money just vanishing from the financial records...I mean I would think that would be suspicious."

"Unless Lou covered it well." E answered. "And he is a master at covering his tracks."

*****

Finding Kev laying in his hammock in the back yard, Alec sighed with relief and kicked her shoes off walking barefoot through the grass towards him. "Didn't think I'd find you here." she said as she reached him.

Kevin's eyes fluttered open. "I had to get away..."

"I figured..."

His hand reached out and entwined his fingers with hers. "What is with them? Why can't they see that this is my only option?? I'm not putting you through anymore..."

Kneeling in the grass, she rested her chin on his shoulder. "They see signing with Lou as giving in..."

"Its the only way..."

"Are you sure?"

"We had this talk all ready..."

"I know but..."

"I have to...its the only way to end the nightmare that our lives have become." he said, gazing deeply into her eyes.

"Okay...I'm behind you a hundred percent. Maybe they just need a little time to adjust...I mean the decision did kinda come out of nowhere..."

*****

AJ walked into the conference room, stopping mid step as he saw how tired they all looked. "Ladies? And David..."

Ty yawned as she set the papers down. "What is it J?"

"Its late, you're practically half asleep as it is...I say we call an end to the day."

"That might be a good idea." Jenn said, "The words were starting to blur..."

AJ smiled. "Good, so what do you say I treat you all to dinner? David and E you're invited too."

"Food sounds good." Shan said, putting her files away. "Just anywhere but McD's okay?"

"Course."

Ty pulled Jenn aside, "I booked us an appointment."

"When?"

"Friday."

Jenn took a deep breath. "Okay we'll tell the others when J's not around."

"Yeah, the last thing we need is a protective husband interfering right now."

"We'll take a couple days off and meet up Friday...I'll make sure we've got everything we need."