A/N: A big thank you to my reviewers- sn0zb0z, Vikki and X-Kate-X. Please review this chapter as well :D

Chapter 9

"DC Nadir" the voice on the other end said

"This is Michael Stone, Stacie Monroe's friend." Mickey said, "I was wondering if you were free to listen to a… business proposition I have for you." There was a pause on the other end, and Mickey could hear muffled voices in the background. Finally, DC Nadir said,

"I'll be at the hospital in fifteen minutes," before hanging up.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mickey returned to Stacie's hospital room.

"Well?" Albert asked.

"He's coming" Mickey said, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. "But I'm still not happy about this"

"He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it" Albert assured him, although he was secretly wondering if he could give any form of protection to the undercover cop.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty five minutes later, DC Zain Nadir returned to the room.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming" Mickey said irritably.

"Traffic" he replied shortly, "So what's this proposition?" All five con artists glanced at one another, each having their own personal doubts about asking the detective for his help. Finally, Albert spoke,

"What we say to you now will have to be off the record."

"Okay" he said, sitting down on a chair next to the door, waiting for him to go on.

"I hear that you specialise in undercover work" Albert began, "Frankly, we know that you know what we are, what we do, and we want you to pose as one of us in order to reach a mutually beneficial result."

"So you're admitting to being con artists?" he sounded disbelieving. Danny and Mickey exchanged a glance. They knew what the cop was thinking. He could arrest them all now if he wanted too.

"Yes, but as we said, this is all off the record and as far as all your friends are concerned, this conversation never took place." Albert said

"And this 'mutually beneficial result'… What would that be?"

"I presume you've heard of a drug dealer named Hendon? I hear a lot of police resources have been spent attempting to arrest him. Imagine if you were the one to finally bring him down."

"You can get us Hendon? How? And why?"

"He got one of his men to stab Stacie" Danny said, speaking slowly, but clearly and for the first time since the policeman had entered the room, "He is not going to get away with that"

"Why would he stab you" Zain asked, looking at Stacie," And why didn't you just tell me that before?"

"If we'd told you before, you would have arrested him, he would have come up with an alibi and he would be out by the end of the day" Mickey answered for her, "And then, he'd come looking for the rest of us for grassing" Zain nodded, and asked again,

"Why?"

"We've been planning to con him. Looks like he found out"

"Conning a drug dealers a dangerous game. Why him?"

"Because he was the one that beat up Eddie the barman a few weeks ago too"

"So you want me to go undercover because you're afraid they'll recognise you?" Zain guessed correctly.

"Yes" Albert answered honestly, "We will make it worth your while though"

"It'll be dangerous" Mickey put in, still worried about the detective getting hurt, or even killed. There was a short silence before DC Nadir glanced around all of them, and said,

"So what's the plan?"

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Tell me in your reviews :D