heyyy! Kat here.

Okay, this chapter has a lot of author's notes so I'll keep it short. I messed up with the previous chapter and put "Abernathy" as a city in New York. There is no city in New York called Abernathy. As you can see, I switched it to Albany, which is what I meant. This is what I get for not researching.

R&R

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN MAXIMUM RIDE!

Re-cap

After that, every one of the crew emptied their bank accounts and gave it to World Vision. I was so proud of my family at that moment. But we knew that we had to give more. Thus, a brilliant idea formed.

5 hours later, it was 11:00pm and time to hit the first house in Albany. We ditched the conspicuous limo and decided to rent a big, black SUV. Okay, maybe a black SUV is kind of cliché, but hey, it's classic. Fang took the drivers seat (yes he does have a legitimate license, courtesy of our parents) and I, of course, hopped in shotgun. After about 2 hours of driving down I-95, the kids (including Iggy) fell asleep. I was about to tell them to get their lazy butts up, but Fang stopped me.

"Let them sleep, Max. We can wake them up when we get there." He said softly.

I nodded reluctantly, and turned back to the map. I have beast navigational skills. We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, but I felt that I had to make something clear.

"Fang?" I whispered.

"Yeah Max?" He said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Fang, I just wanted to say," I took a deep breath. "that I love you."

Fang turned his head sharply and stared at me incredulously. I continued,

"You're my best friend, and I hope you know that I love and appreciate you so much." I paused. Fang opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "You're the big brother I never had. I just wanted you to know that."

Something like realization dawned in Fang's eyes. He turned his eyes back to the road and sighed.

"Max, I already know that. And I love you too okay?" He said with an emotion I couldn't immediately place. What was it? Wait- was that… bitterness? I had just told him I loved and appreciated him and he was bitter?

Boys are so weird.

Another hour later and we arrived. Well, technically, we were about a mile away from the actual house, but, close enough. I had woken the kids up 30 minutes ago and gave them all half a can Red Bull. They were tired, and I needed them to be awake and alert. Fang, Iggy, and I didn't need it, being big, bad fifteen-year olds.

The house was isolated, having a 2-mile radius of forest. We had stopped by the side of the road a mile in. I felt uneasy about jobs like this. Our van was in plain sight of anybody else coming down the road; hopefully we would be in and out fast enough. I knew I was just being paranoid; the Hendricksons were vacationing in Europe.

I looked at my crew and smiled. We were all dressed in black. Black jeans, black long-sleeved shirts, black boots/sneakers, black gloves, and black ski masks. We quickly trekked the mile, as we were all very fit. Not bragging, just stating a fact.

As soon as the gate of mansion was in sight, I put out my fist.

"Ready guys?" I whisper-yelled. They all nodded in determination and stacked their fists on top of mine.

"Lets do this thang."

Gazzy and Iggy deactivated the intercom in 45 seconds flat, which was not their best time. I gripped the white bars of the 20-foot gate, and slowly pushed them open. They didn't make a sound. Everybody grabbed their partners, ready for our mission.

The mansion was four stories; Angel estimated it to be a whopping 12,000 square feet. It had five tall, Greek-like pillars in the front, with lots of (bullet-proof) windows and balconies.

3rd person POV

Nudge and Angel stood about 50 feet from the house, assessing the security system with their eyes. They knew that this type of house would definitely require an ISFX 4.0. Which meant there would be Hi-Def cameras, touch-sensitive lasers, and a 115 decibel alarm. Taking out her laptop, Nudge typed in a 6-page code and smiled, knowing it would successfully send out a signal to block the lasers. She and Angel waited to scale back wall with Fang and Max to a 2nd story, darkened window.

Meanwhile, Gazzy and Iggy had begun to make their way past the house into the back woods. Gazzy giggled as they reached a clearing. Iggy unzipped his backpack and took out his baby.

"Ooooh. Are you gonna cause trouble Winky-poo? I think you are. I think you are." Iggy cooed, setting down the grenade in the middle of the clearing. Gazzy took the activator and led Iggy about 15 meters from the site. It would be a small explosion, but it'd be big enough. Talking into the walkie-talkie, Iggy said,

"Blind Bat to Queen Bee, Winky is a go. Are you ready? Over and out."

Max took the walkie-talkie from her belt, having entered the house with the rest of the crew.

"Roger that Blind Bat, activate Winky. Over." Max had seen security guards pass down the hall, and didn't want to fight them with Angel and Nudge still here. Sticking her head out from the dark room into the hallway, Max drew her M9 pistol and, seeing nobody, beckoned her crew members.

Just as they stepped into the long hall, they heard the explosion. Max smiled and counted to 60, knowing that the guards would clear out in less than 30. The pairs parted and went opposite ways down the hall.

Nudge and Angel stuck black duct tape over any cameras they encountered, but weren't too concerned. If they had timed it correctly, the screens in the security room would be showing the west wing, which they weren't in. Once they got to the control room, Nudge could hack the firewall and erase any evidence that could be held against them.

Fang and Max made their way to the Hendrickson's daughter's bedroom. How did they know where the master bedroom was you ask? They had known the Hendricksons most of their lives. People with lots of money tend to run in the same circles. They had been to this house on more than one occasion.

The Hendricksons were big, fat jerks- to say the least.

And their lovely daughter?

Lissa Hendrickson.

Yeah, I'm gonna enjoy this, Max thought, stepping into the deserted room.

Fang had found the vault the last time they had visited, when Lissa wanted to hang out with him. Alone. Fang shook his head in disgust at the memory.

Fang had asked to see the ring and Lissa obliged, opening the vault.

Flashback

"Fa-ang. You know how our parents are making us get married and stuff?" Lissa fingered the promise ring Fang's father had made Fang give to Lissa 9 years ago. She licked her lips. Paired with her bright green eyes, it made her look like a snake. She was wearing a white cami and really tiny D&G shorts. Lissa was not the classiest fifteen year old.

"Since we're going to end up together anyway, don't you want to have a little… fun?" She then proceeded to shove Fang against the wall and smash her mouth against his.

That was right when Max had walked down the hall and glanced in. Fang shoved Lissa off him, but the damage was done. Max hadn't let him live that down. She always teased him whenever anybody mentioned Lissa. But Fang remembered the look of devastation on her face that she had tried to pass off as disgust.

Fang remembered, and even though he would never consciously recognize it, it was his sole hope.

Third Person POV

They entered the room, and Fang quickly re-located the vault. The huge safe was right next to the vanity. He had memorized the combination when he got Lissa to open it. Directing Max, he spoke softly,

"13 right… 5 left… 1 right."

The vault swung open.

Nudge and Angel succeeded in locating the control room, where they quickly incapacitated the two guards with chloroform. Oh the joys of drugs,Nudge thought with a happy sigh. They worked together to shut it down. Rewinding the tapes, they erased the evidence. Since they never hit the same house twice, Nudge upgraded the system's firewall, just cause she was nice. Angel gave an hour for the system to reactivate. They left when Max's voice calmly blared on the walkie-talkies.

"Everybody out."

Max POV

"Because when I arrive, I- I bring the fire. Make it come alive, I can take you higher. What is this, forgot? I must now remind you, let it rock. Let it rock. Let it rock!"

We were all singing (even Fang) at the top of our lungs in giddy happiness. I had broken out what was left of the Red Bulls as a reward for a job well done. I reached to the back seat and slapped Iggy and Gazzy a high five.

"Nice distraction guys. Although I do not, I repeat do not, encourage it for everyday use... it was good." I grinned at them. "And Nudge and Angel, nice job disarming the security system. And not getting caught."

They looked mock offended.

"Why so little faith in us Max?" Angel giggled.

I smiled and turned to Fang.

"Thanks for having my back Fangles."

"It's not over Max." He said in a warning voice, deflating my ego. I nodded and checked myself. He was right.

This was anything but over.