Chapter Three

"There we go! Try walking on it."

Kendall heaved himself off of the patient's table with a grunt of effort. With a light clunk, his right leg rested on the tile floor of the doctor's office he was at. His right leg, from his ankle to his thigh, was bound in a tight, white cast. He wiggled his toes, feeling his muscles tense throughout his leg as they tried to move, but were trapped by the bindings around them. He smiled in satisfaction, and heaved himself up into a standing position. His leg felt strange, resting awkwardly to one side as he balanced on his unbound leg. Taking a cautious step forward, he found it difficult to balance at first, but quickly figured out how to juggle putting his weight on one leg and then the other. "Perfect."

He looked up to see Logan leaning against the wall, rubbing his chin as he gazed at the cast. On the counter next to him was a pair of medical scissors, gauze, glue, and the rest of the materials he used to make the cast. He had insisted on doing Kendall's cast at his office instead of the house. It was too "hazardous" to do it elsewhere, he'd said. Whatever that meant.

"Does it feel too tight? Do you feel numbness anywhere?" Logan asked fretfully, tapping the ankle of Kendall's cast with his foot.

Kendall shook his head, sitting back on the patient's table with a grunt. "It feels great. You did a good job, Logie."

Logan looked unsatisfied with his work, but turned to the counter and picked up the materials. He quickly wiped off the scissors and secured the gauze on its roll before sticking them in the cabinet. Kendall looked back down at his cast, wondering if it would be difficult to sleep with. Oh well, he'd invested this much into his plan, he could deal with it.

His plan was one unusual proportions. In the past, he had always worked on his cons by himself. He could never really trust anyone else to go through with the plan with accuracy. He needed to be sure that everything was perfect. However, in this situation, he had made an exception.

You see, when they were in Vegas, Kendall and Logan had decided to make a deal amongst themselves. When they had left James at the bar that night, they had headed to an empty section of the slot machines so they wouldn't be overheard.

"I have to admit something." Logan had said, looking slightly nervous as they sat in front of their respective slots. Kendall had furrowed his brow, giving him a look of confusion before Logan continued, "As much as our pride makes us want to believe otherwise, James is a threat to us."

Kendal had opened his mouth in a retort, but Logan silenced him with a glare as he went on, "James has succeeded in more cons than we have combined. He's been married four times, Kendall, for christ sake. We can't expect to just sit by and let our own wits help us win this bet. No, Kendall, we can't hope to stand a chance against him. Not now. He isn't just playing this one for the money, not this time. Now he's playing to win. That makes him a dangerous opponent."

Kendall felt his mind whirl as he considered Logan's words. As much as it hurt to admit it, Logan might be right. Kendall had been out of the game for over a year, after all. That made him at less of an advantage than James. And if Logan, a fantastic con man with a medical degree and certified genius, thought James was a threat to them, he was obliged to believe him. "What do you suggest we do?" Kendall had asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"We should work together," Logan suggested, "To get him out of the race."

Kendall adopted a confused expression once more. "You mean, trick him into losing?"

"Something like that," Logan nodded, looking deep in thought. "We should work out our plan together. Like partners, even, and once James is out, we can go our separate ways and work on our own. I like you, Kendall, but only one of us can be the victor."

"Do you have a plan in mind?"

"Well, I've always had luck posing as a doctor. I've never had trouble reeling patients in. The trouble is, there isn't anyone in Carlos' inner circle that is even remotely ill. Carlos himself is in perfect health - believe me, I checked." Logan went on, ignoring Kendall's look of surprise. This wasn't the time to explain how he obtained Carlos' medical records. "You're an actor. You've never had a problem adopting whatever character would help you pull through with a con. You could act as my patient."

"Let's say we do all that," Kendall interrupted, "How would we make Carlos care about me being ill? He doesn't know me. James might be able to capture people's emotions, but that isn't really my forte. I've never used pity in my game."

"Well, here's the idea…"

Logan had eventually convinced Kendall to follow through with his idea. It made sense, anyway. Together they would be stronger against James. He agreed with Logan, too. Once James was out of the way, they would each have a fair chance at getting the prize. The cast had been Kendall's idea, after several that Logan had nixed, and he was feeling like it might actually work.

"Well, we can't stand around here all day." Logan interrupted his thoughts, "We have an appointment, remember?"

It was rather chilly, for Los Angeles, as Kendall slid into his wooden seat. A light breeze ruffled his hair and he squinted as grit from the road blew into his eyes. He was sitting on the outdoor patio of a small restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, under a canopy that overhung the dining area. His wooden chair creaked slightly as he shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a comfortable position for his leg, and he rested an arm on the glass table in front of him. Beside him, Logan sat in another wooden chair, his legs crossed as he watched Kendall with amusement.

Clouds blocked the sun and dark clouds threatened to bring rain, but Kendall knew better than to hope for a storm. It wasn't often in LA that it rained, though Kendall loved when it did. However, in this situation, he couldn't help but wonder if the storm clouds were a bad omen for his plan.

Logan kicked him lightly under the table, catching his attention. He glanced away from the clouds to see a man weaving through the tables toward them. He was short, with a large bald spot in the center of his scalp. He wore sunglasses despite the clouds, and a camera around his neck. By the smile on his face, Kendall could tell he was excited about this meeting.

This man was John Fredrickson - one of the most well known paparazzo in the business. He was most known for being able to capture things no one else could, risking being arrested just to sneak into a celebrity's vacation home or record secret meetings between two stars who didn't want to make their relationship public. He was the kind of person that most celebrities hated, but the tabloids adored. He'd uncovered more scandals than Kendall could count, and his determination to get what he wanted made him just the man that they were looking for.

Fredrickson trotted over to their table, ungraciously sliding out a chair and plopping into it. He placed his arms on the table and gave them a toothy grin, "How can I help you boys?"

Kendall and Logan exchanged a glance before the blonde spoke, "We work for a magazine. We need you to follow someone and give us everything you find out about him."

Fredrickson's grin fell away and he slowly took off his sunglasses, looking at them through narrowed eyes. He furrowed his brow before asking, "What magazine."

"That's for us to know. We don't want you running to one of our rivals with the story we need." Logan snapped, "But, if you bring is something good, we'll pay you double."

Fredrickson didn't flinch at Logan's words, but looked even more skeptical. "How's the guy?"

"James Diamond."

"Diamond…. Diamond…" Fredrickson looked lost in thought for a moment before brightening suddenly, "Ah, I know him. Typical LA socialite. Pretty high profile guy. Why do you want to follow him?"

Logan ignored the question and began his request, "We need you to find out everything about him. Where he goes when he leaves the house, where he eats, whom he's dating, the works."

"Sounds easy enough," Fredrickson stated.

"This won't just be a one time thing," Kendall put in, "You'll be tailing him for weeks. And he can't find out about it - at all."

"What do you guys take me for, some kind of amateur?" Fredrickson acted hurt for a moment before obtaining a serious expression, "If it goes on too long, he's bound to figure out that he's got a shadow. I hope you boys know what you're looking for."

"We do."

A week passed, and it was time for Fredrickson's first report. They agreed to meet at the house, on a day when they knew James had plans with Carlos. It was risky - allowing James to get a week's worth of time with him before they finally dove in, but Kendall knew it would be worth it.

The week had also given Kendall some time to adjust to his cast. Every day he and Logan would map out their plan, making it more elaborate as they went along. Kendall's gambit was that he'd recently been shipped back from the Navy, where he'd been injured in his hip, which caused a fracture down to his femur. He'd come up with an answer for any question Carlos may ask - where he'd been stationed, why he joined the Navy, when the fracture was supposed to be healed - the works. It was a lot of work, researching and consulting with Logan on how patients acted when they were injured in the field. He felt as if Logan had something, some kind of plan, up his sleeve, but he didn't bother to ask. He was too busy figuring out what he would do when James was finally out of the picture.

His plan, when he no longer had to worry about James, was to convince Carlos that he was getting better, and no longer needed Logan's expertise. Behind Logan's back, he'd done a lot of research on vets who struggled with poverty after being rotated back to civilian life. Along with being the injured, helpless character he planned to be, he would also pose as a veteran who needed help getting back on his feet. He knew he'd be able to get Carlos' pity, and it wouldn't be hard to pull some strings on his heart for a few bucks.

But first, he needed to put the plan in action, and he needed Logan's help.

He and Logan sat side-by-side at the counter island in the middle of their kitchen, facing Fredrickson, who held several papers in his hand. Kendall grunted as his leg hung uncomfortably off the stool he was sitting on, but quickly adjusted it to a position he had gotten used to using recently. Logan took a sip from a white mug, which was filled with black coffee, looking expectantly at Fredrickson.

The man shuffled the papers in his hands before placing them on the island and sliding them across. As Kendall looked a them, he realized they were photographs. In the first one, he saw James standing outside of Platinum Edition Studios, staring up at the tall building. In the second one, Kendall recognized the interior of a restaurant he infamously knew as the one where James usually took his significant others when he wanted them to fall for him. In the photograph, James and Carlos were sitting across from one another at a table, and James had his hand over Carlos'. He heard Logan grunt with disapproval at the bashful look Carlos was giving him, and let his gaze flick to the last picture. It was James and Carlos again, except this time outside of a condominium. Carlos had his back turned to the front door and James had his hand on the other boy's cheek. Kendall felt his heart race as he realized James was advancing much quicker than he had originally thought.

"It seems he's currently dating Carlos Garcia, CEO of Platinum Edition Studios. They were so wrapped up in each other they wouldn't realize if I got up in their faces for a picture." Fredrickson reported, "I've also kept a log of their dates. They've been on four this week - rather excessive if you ask me."

"Yeah, it is." Logan responded absently, furrowing his brow as he looked at the pictures, examining them closely.

"I hope this is the kind of intel you boys were looking for." Fredrickson said, eyeing them doubtfully.

"It is, thank you." Kendall replied, crossing his arms, "You do good work, Fredrickson."

"This ain't all of it. I've got lists of shops, restaurants, businesses: all the places he's visited in the past week."

"We'd like a copy of that - and everything you've got on him." Logan gathered the pictures together, tapping them on the countertop to make them straight.

"When am I gettin' paid?" Fredrickson demanded.

"Well, you did give us some pretty good information and it's only been a week. How much do you charge per photograph?" Kendall inquired.

"Hmm." Fredrickson rubbed his chin, taking the pictures from Logan and eyeing them carefully, "I'd say about a thousand a pop."

"Then we'll double that." Logan said, exchanging a look with Kendall before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a thin checkbook. "How about I write you a check?"

Kendall sighed, looking up at the building in front of him. The logo was written in thin, stenciled letters, surrounded by images of people dancing. Music filtered through the front door to the sidewalk where he stood, and he could barely make out the french words that the singer spoke. He had a pair of crutches underneath his arms, biting into his ribs as he leaned to one side. He hated having to carry them everywhere with him, but it would be worth it in the end. At least, he kept telling himself that.

The sound of buttons clinging together sounded from his chest as he looked up at the sign. He was wearing a black, Navy uniform, sporting a collection of badges on his left shoulder. He'd picked out each badge carefully, making sure he knew the meaning of each in case he was asked. The yellow cuff links on his sleeves bunched up uncomfortably, causing him to shake his arms in attempt to straighten them out. To be completely honest, he liked wearing the uniform. Something about the seriousness of it made him feel important - even if it was fake. He let one of his hands brush against his stomach, where the jacket of his uniform was buttoned neatly by six large, golden buttons. On his right shoulder was a name tag that said "KNIGHT" in golden letters, and a black tie was tucked beneath the color of the jacket. His black uniform slacks were awkwardly bunched up where his cast was, but he had made sure that he wore the appropriate footwear on his un-cast foot.

Laughter jolted him from his thoughts and he glanced at the door, watching as a couple pushed through the front, deep in conversation. The girl was hunched over laughing, and the guy looked pleased with himself. Kendall couldn't be bothered to wonder what the joke was, but he shrugged as he walked past, gathering himself to go in.

Briefly, he went over his character in his head for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Something in the back of his mind told him that things would go well, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy. This was the first time he'd ever competed with James in a con, and he would be stupid to say he wasn't nervous. James was a worthy opponent, but so was he.

Taking a deep breath, Kendall hobbled to the front doors, pushing them open with one hand. In the past week he'd gotten used to using one hand for things that usually required two, and wasn't bothered by the heaviness of the door. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim lighting inside, but quickly the interior of a restaurant came into focus. It was a fancy place - not as fancy as the restaurant that James took Carlos to on their first date - but close. The attire wasn't as formal, Kendall was pleased to find out.

The ceilings were high above his head, painted with a mural of what looked like a garden party. He was too busy admiring it to notice the hostess who walked up to him, and was startled when she cleared her throat. He turned to look at her, feeling slightly embarrassed, "Hi," He murmured.

"How many are in your party?" She asked kindly.

"Oh, my party is already here," He assured her, "I can find them myself, thank you."

She nodded and walked away, leaving him to glance around the dining area. The tables were made of mahogany, shining in the light as if they'd been recently polished. A lot of people filled up the tables, filling the room with endless chatter, almost drowning out the sound of french music playing overhead. Large light fixtures hung from the ceiling, looking like sea shells with a light bulb in the center. He scanned the tables, looking for one person in particular, his green eyes flashing when he finally found what he was looking for.

Making his way through the tables, he rather ungraciously weaved through the chairs and people clustered everywhere. Once he almost tripped over a woman's purse, but quickly caught himself. He was already getting rather curious stares about his cast, he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself by falling over.

James and Carlos sat across from each other at one of the mahogany tables, digging into their own respective meals. James watched Carlos intently, who was staring down at his food bashfully. Kendall couldn't help but frown with disapproval as he neared them, sliding into a chair at the table next to theirs. He straightened his jacket casually, glancing over at Carlos, who was talking to James about something that happened when he was in college. By the smile on James' face, he guessed it was funny.

"What would you like to drink, sir?"

He snapped his head back to the table to realize a waitress was smiling at him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, "Wine, please."

The waitress nodded and turned away, stopping at James' table to ask if they needed anything. As James looked up to answer her, he noticed Kendall in the corner of his eye. Turning to look at the blonde, his expression changed from shock, to disbelief, to casual in a matter of milliseconds. He spoke animatedly to the waitress and she left, leaving James to pretend he didn't notice Kendall in the table beside theirs.

However, he wasn't the only one who had seen the blonde. Carlos looked at Kendall curiously, leaning towards him slightly before speaking, "Hi! Are you in the Navy?" He asked.

Kendall nodded, smiling mostly at James' reaction of annoyance than Carlos' interest, "Well, I was in the Navy. I was rotated back last month."

"Where were you stationed?" Carlos inquired.

"South Germany. Near Munich." Kendall replied.

"What happened?" Carlos eyed Kendall's leg, looking wary about asking the question.

Kendall shifted his leg slightly so it was more exposed from under the table, adopting a sad expression, "I was injured in a training exercise. Shattered my hip and fractured my femur pretty bad. The kind of injury that gets you shipped back immediately. Kind of a lame way to go out, if you ask me."

Carlos gave him a sympathetic look, but before he could respond Kendall's waitress returned with a bottle of wine. The blonde smiled at her as she tipped the bottle, pouring the red liquid into the glass on his table. When the liquid almost lapped at the corners, she stopped and placed the bottle on the table top. "What can I get you to eat?" She asked nicely.

"Nothing, just the wine." Kendall replied. The waitress furrowed her brow but didn't protest before turning away, smiling at James and Carlos as she went.

"Don't you want anything to eat?" Carlos asked. He flashed a look at James, who shrugged.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Kendall explained, "The wine is about all I can afford."

"What do you mean?"

"Vet benefits don't really cover much, especially with the medical bills I've had to fork over." Kendall scoffed.

"Don't they pay for your medical expenses if you've been injured?" Carlos asked with a confused look.

"Not if you aren't injured on the field. Getting hurt during a training exercise is laughable let alone something they'd actually want to pay for."

Carlos exchanged a look with James, who was staring furiously at Kendall. The blonde knew that James was catching on to his plan, and he knew by the angry look in the brunette's eye that Kendall would be the challenge he hadn't expected.

"Well, we'll have to do something about that, then." Carlos declared, moving his chair to the side so there was space for another next to him, "Come sit with us."

Immediately, Kendall pulled himself out of his chair, gripping the wooden back of it as he dragged it across the floor to their table. He sat down again between Carlos and James, flashing a smug look at the brunette. James narrowed his eyes, but said nothing as Carlos spoke again.

"So, tell us about Germany."

Kendall quickly launched into the story he'd rehearsed to many times with Logan, acutely aware of James scowling at him in the corner of his eye. He didn't care though, because he knew by the sympathetic smile Carlos was giving him, that he was officially in the game.