Grabbing the phone she covered her face partially with the pillow. "Speak...you better have a good reason for calling at this hour." Her hand reached over to the clock and hit the time button, groaning as she saw it was after three in the morning.

"E its David..."

"Shoulda known."

"I think we've got trouble."

Yawning she rolled over, "What now??"

"I think they're about to explode."

Staring into his coffee cup he ignored his surroundings. They'd been in the all night coffee shop since they'd left David's office. Ty was afraid to go home, she thought that as soon as she saw Howie she'd lose it and Jenn agreed. In fact if she saw Howie, she thought she'd go a little crazy on him herself.

Jenn watched as AJ poured another sugar into his coffee. "Uh J...you know that's the fourth sugar you put in there?"

He shrugged as he stirred, not raising his eyes to look at his wife.

Jenn drank the last of her coffee. "Okay mister its time you get some sleep."

"Why?"

"Because we can't hide out here for the rest of our lives."

"Awww why not?? Nothing wrong with the blue linoleum and steel look is there?" he asked, taking a quick look around.

Lance shut his car door and looked up to see Chris walking towards him. "Hey Chris."

"Hey."

"Got any clue why JC's calling a meeting?" he asked as they walked towards the house.

"He didn't say much on the phone, just it was rather important and the sooner we discussed it the better."

"Wonder what he's thinking about."

"Wait up!!" a voice called from behind them and they turned seeing Justin jogging towards them.

"Hey fellas. Group meeting?"

"Looks that way."

JC opened the door before anyone had been able to ring the bell. "Inside, come on."

Justin laughed as he walked in, "That sounds like something out of a spy movie man."

"TransCon."

He took a deep breath, "I'd like to make an appointment with Lou."

"Hold on, I'll transfer you to his secretary."

"Thank you." Tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair he wondered if this was right. Who knew what was right anymore? He hadn't since this reign of terror began.

"Mr Pearlman's office. Kendal speaking."

"I'd like to make an appointment with Lou."

"Of course, your name?"

He took a deep breath, "Richardson, Kevin Richardson."

Letting herself into the house, Ty was surprised at the silence. Tossing her purse down on the table she locked the door behind her and headed deeper into the house. She was startled to find Howie sitting in the living room, staring blankly into the distance, a drink in his hand. "Howie?"

He stared at her blankly, almost as if he didn't see her. His mouth opened a little but quickly closed before uttering a word.

"Howie I know what's going on."

"How could you?" he asked, his voice was hoarse and low.

She knelt in front of him, taking the glass out of his hand making a face at the strong smell of alcohol. "I was there tonight."

Blinking a few times he stared down at her, "How the hell could you do that? Don't you know how dangerous that was? Paul had a gun Tyler!! A gun!!!! One he couldn't hesitate to use."

"He didn't use it though did he?"

"That's not the point, it was there..." he let his eyes close as he took a ragged breath. "He could have...and he WOULD have."

"Then don't you think its time we ended this Howie...once and for all..."

"I will...when the time is right."

"What does that mean?" she questioned as he got up and walked past her.

"It means Paul and Lou have messed with the wrong man."

Jenn looked at AJ passed out on the bed, as soon as they'd walked through the door of their house he'd suddenly realized how tired he was. She put it down to two nights without sleep and this whole situation had taken its toll on him. Crawling in beside him she realized she could do with a little rest too. She reached over and turned the ringer off on the phone and slowly fell into a restful sleep.

JC sat at the table glancing around anxiously at his four friends. His bandmates. This would not be easy. Taking a breath he figured everyone was ready to talk.

Lance noticed JC's anxiousness. "Something up?"

"Yeah, you don't look to great. You all right?" Joey questioned.

"I'm uh okay...little worried."

"Oh no they got to you." Justin stated, shaking his head.

"Who got to him?" Chris looked at his two friends. "Am I missing something?"

"You wouldn't be the only one." Lance commented.

JC stared at Justin, "They didn't get to me Justin, I talked to them..."

"Anyone care to fill the rest of us in?"

"The Backstreet Boys..." JC paused, "Kevin and his wife and one of the others wife came to see me."

"About what?"

Justin laughed, "This is good really go on JC..."

"Why don't you?"

"All right, seems they blame their whole breakup on Big Poppa Lou."

Chris made a face, "But they're not with Lou...haven't been for years."

"Here's the kicker...according to them he's blackmailed them into breaking up...he's apparently made some outlandish stuff up on each of them which could be believable and in order to keep it quiet they've got to what was it again JC?"

"Go back to Lou, have him manage their solo careers. Apparently AJ's all ready gone back. I have a few friends at TransCon still."

"What's this have to do with us?" Lance asked, taking a sip of his coffee. This sounded like something out of a bad movie.

"If they could use what we know about Lou's money dealings they could use it against him."

"A blackmail for blackmail deal?"

"Sorta."

Justin laughed, "I told them no. I mean why should WE help THEM?"

"Because there's nothing stopping Lou from doing the same to us."

"Oh yeah."

"Look we've got a lot to loose if he came after us. Lance is managing, I'm producing and so are the rest of you...you guys know the kind of dirt he could come up with."

"So its all in the past."

"So was theirs." JC shrugged, "I just know I'm not willing to go through what they went through."

Lance nodded, "I've got a lot to lose guys...we all do."

"Don't tell me you're buying this?" Justin whined, shaking his head.

"I'm buying it." Joey said, "I mean we help them, we're helping ourselves."

Brian found Kevin sitting in the dining room, milling through the report David had given them. "What you up to?" Brian asked, sitting across from him.

He didn't raise his eyes, "Just reminding myself of things."

"You mean you managed to forget? Damn how'd you do that? I could use some tips."

Kevin didn't see the smile on his cousin's face as he spoke. "Watching my four best friends start to self destruct does that to a person."

"Anyways what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"I doubt it."

"How bad do you want your life back Rok?"

Brian frowned at his cousin's words. "I'd love to have it back...to not see the fear in Shan's eyes all the time...hell I'd like to not be scared to pick up the paper or answer the door...but unless we give in its not going to happen."

"Maybe there's..."

"There's what?"

"A way..." Kevin trailed off, "I've got some stuff to do, I'll see you at dinner."

"All right man." Brian stared after his cousin as he left the room then moved around the table to see what he'd been reading. He flipped through the report but found nothing. He'd been hoping for some notes written in there or something to help him figure out what Kevin was thinking.