Just a quick reminder, DC Mickey Webb is not in this fic, so all references to Mickey are about Mickey Stone, leader of the conartists.

thanks to my reviewers Vikki, Sn0zb0z and ami :D

Chapter 9

Zain slid into the seat of the blue Vauxhall, inserting the key into the ignition and fastening his seatbelt. In his pocket, his mobile began to ring and he took it out, hoping it wouldn't be Kristen.

A month ago, when they'd first begun sleeping together, Zain had been amazed by Kristen. To him, she was the vision of the perfect woman. Unfortunately, he had discovered that she was far from perfect, far too late. She'd manipulated him into caring enough to break the law for her, and now he was stuck in a relationship he didn't want, with a woman he didn't care for. He knew that if he were to leave her now, she'd turn him in, undoubtedly making him look like an evil mastermind and her the innocent bystander.

He sighed as he saw her name on caller ID and answered with a sigh,

"Hello Kristen."

"Hey. Are you free?"

"I'm working. What's wrong?"

"I really need your help." She said without the slightest hint of worry or fear in her voice at all.

"What's wrong?" he repeated, starting up the car, losing the little interest he ever had in the conversation.

"Just come down to the club. Please." She hung up. Zain sighed, checked his watch and decided he would drop into the club on his way past.

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"What's wrong?" he asked as he climbed down the small steps towards the bar where she was waiting.

"I just realised that I haven't seen my boyfriend in days." She said, standing up and pulled him in for a quick kiss.

"That's it?" Zain said, close to losing his temper.

"I'm serious. You've been avoiding me. What's wrong," she asked, looking worried.

"Nothing's wrong." He said running a hand through his hair and backing away, "I'll see you later. I'm supposed to be working."

"Zain, wait!" She called after him, when he stopped, she said, "There isn't someone else is there?"

"No." he replied honestly, leaving her and her bar behind for what he hoped would be a long time.

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He glanced at his watch again as he stood outside the hotel room for the second time that day. Kristen hadn't delayed him too much; he was less than ten minutes late nothing he couldn't blame on the traffic anyway. He walked into the room and instantly Stone snapped at him,

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

"Traffic." He replied automatically, "So what's this proposition?" He saw all five con artists glance worriedly at each other. Finally the oldest man, Albert Stroller, spoke.

"What we say to you now, must be off the record." Zain nodded. He'd figured as much. He crossed the room and sat in a vacant seat

"I hear you specialise in undercover work." The oldest man spoke again and again Zain nodded, wondering how he'd known that. The man continued

"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."

"You're admitting to being con artists?" he asked in a state of confusion. He could arrest them now if he wanted to, but something made him hold back.

"Yes, but as we said, this is all of the record and as far as your friends are concerned, this conversation never took place." Albert said. Once again, Zain nodded, knowing that he would tell Phil and Sam as soon as he got back. He had enough secrets in his life right now.

"And this mutually beneficial result… What would that be?" he asked.

"I presume you've heard of a drug dealer named Hendon. I hear that a lot of police resources have been wasted trying to catch him. Imagine if you were the one to finally bring him down…" the elderly man said slowly. Zain's eyes widened, his interest peaked. Hendon would be a great result. A lot better than some measly con artists anyway,

"You can get us Hendon? How? And why?" he asked. The young, blonde member of the group, Danny Blue spoke up for the first time, great anger and frustration radiating in his voice

"He stabbed Stacie. He is not going to get away with that." Zain glanced at him, before his eyes flicked back towards Stacie.

"Why did he stab you? And why didn't you just tell me that?" he asked. Stone looked at him in disbelief,

"If we'd told you before, you would have arrested him, he'd have come up with an alibi and he'd be out by the end of the day. And then he'd come looking for us for grassing." Zain nodded in agreement, knowing full well that that was how the system worked sometimes. Though he still didn't understand why Hendon would go for Stacie, so he simply asked,

"Why?"

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

"Conning a drug dealers a dangerous game. Why him?" Zain asked. There were thousands of potential victims on the streets. Why would this gang fixate on a violent drug dealer?

"Because he was the one that beat up Eddie a few weeks ago." Zain nodded, remembering from Neil's brief that Eddie was the man who managed the bar that the gang often went to. He knew now what this proposition was about. The gang were afraid another one of them would get hurt. They wanted him in the firing line instead of themselves.

"So you want me to go undercover because you're afraid you'll get recognised." He voiced his thoughts.

"Yes." The older man answered honestly, "We will make it worth your while though." Zain glanced around all the other members of the group, wanting to know their opinions on the matter, but they remained silent. Finally he caught Stone's eye and Mickey said,

"It'll be dangerous." Zain was about to snap at him, wanting to tell him that his life was always dangerous. That even being with his girlfriend risked the job he loved. Then he saw something in Mickey Stone's eyes. Worry and fear, so instead he sighed and asked

"So what's the plan?"

A/N: so what does everyone think? press the big blue button to found out