Chapter Six

Honk!

Logan sighed, rubbing the bridge between his nose in frustration. Rain pattered against the windshield - unusual for Los Angeles - and the windshield wipers creaked after being used for the first time in several months. In front of him, miles of traffic stretched out, with cars moving at an agonizingly slow pace and a few impatient drivers attempting to weave in and out of the lines of traffic. In front of him, a car had tried to squeeze into his lane, and the car in line ahead of him was laying on their horn, clearly furious.

Traffic didn't usually bother him, he was pretty good at controlling his anger and usually just let things roll off his back, but he was in a hurry. Eyes trailing from the road to the dashboard behind his wheel, he read the clock through narrowed eyes. 3:37. Sighing again, he glanced back up at the road and glared at the endless expanse of traffic.

He had a rather important appointment to get to - and he was already running about thirty minutes late. It was about a week after Kendall and himself had seen the video from James and Carlos' date. James had come home later that night, long after Fredrickson had left, shooting smug looks at the two men, gloating about his date. Kendall and Logan already knew the details, but hearing about it from James' lips had made it more intimidating. James' constant confidence really got under Logan's skin, and he often found himself doubting if he and Kendall really stood a chance.

"Don't be stupid." He murmured out loud, his foot riding the brake as the traffic crawled along the rainy highway. Part of James' plan was to make Kendall and Logan scared - and the raven-haired man wasn't going to let it get to him. He'd known James long enough to know that the overabundance of confidence he portrayed was just to intimidate everyone else. James believed that if he was confident in his work - that everything would work out exactly as it should. However, even though James would never admit it, there were times when his cons needed more than empty confidence to succeed.

The patter of rain on the foggy windows seemed to blur as Logan let himself get swept into his memories.

Logan had met James just over five years ago, when they were both twenty-two and had been conning for several years. The actual memory of their meeting was fuzzy, but he knew the general plot. Logan had recently moved to Los Angeles from Fort Worth, Texas, and had a certain d-list celebrity in mind for the con. They'd ran into each other at a Gala in downtown LA, and quickly realized that what they both were doing. James had insisted that he would be the victor, and Logan had been willing to see him try, wanting to know if the taller man was any good. Turns out, James managed to swindle the actress in less than thirty minutes, and Logan had been impressed. After that, they started consulting each other on their own cons and ended up becoming best friends.

About a year after, Kendall showed up at the after party of an award show, and ended up getting a pretty high-profile actor to buy him dinner by pretending to be a student from the actor's acting class. The actor had been surprised that one of his students was attending the party, and even more shocked when he discovered that Kendall couldn't afford any of the food. Logan and James had seen his skill and cornered him after the party, where the blonde explained he'd only been conning for six months. James offered to 'train' him in the skill, and they quickly took him under their wing. Four years later, the three were best friends and lived in their mansion in Beverly Hills. Logan had to admit, James and Kendall were some of the best con-men he'd ever met - although, personally, he knew he was better.

You see, Logan had always been brilliant. He'd been the valedictorian of his high school class -graduating after just two years at the age of sixteen, and had a bachelor's degree in psychology, and a doctorate in medicine - which he achieved by the age of nineteen. At twenty-two he finished medical school, completed his residency training, and received his doctor's license. His first ambition had always been to be a doctor, and he had loved medical school and his internships at local hospitals - but then he had discovered the con. At age twenty, he had a patient who was suffering from tuberculosis. He thought she would die, but he managed to cure her in half the time he thought it would take. One of his friends at the office he worked in said that he should keep the treatment going to the expected length, and pocket the money. At first, Logan had felt dubious about swindling people, but after an extra month, he had pocketed several thousand dollars.

Since then, he had found several ways to con people in both the medical field and out of it, but he always relied on his education to help him come up with the perfect plan. He knew every loophole, every possible outcome, and was prepared for anything. He knew that both James and Kendall preferred a more simple approach in their cons, but Logan was sure that his method was the best.

You see, Logan had never failed a con. However, Kendall and James didn't know this. There were several times over the years, when he would come home, distressed, claiming he had failed. What they didn't know, was that it was all an act. Logan was not only smart, but a good actor was well. He'd taken theatre classes as an elective in both high school and college, so he knew a thing or two about acting. Kendall and James had never suspected that he lied to them, and therefore didn't know his reputation for never losing. And he liked to keep it that way.

If Kendall and James knew that he had never lost, they might try to work together against him - or worse, try to expose him to keep their own competition at bay. Los Angeles was a popular hub for con-men, and they always managed to reap any competition that appeared in town.

Logan found himself smiling, relieved as he felt his own confidence begin to grow. As he'd been lost in his memories, the traffic had ebbed away and he was again flying down the highway. He glanced again at his dashboard. 4:03. Not too bad.

Taking his exit, Logan slowed his speed as he found himself in downtown LA. He knew the destination well enough, but he went over the directions in his head over and over, anxious to get to his appointment. He passed several blocks, the rain slowly growing harder until he could barely read the street signs. Finally, he saw the letters etched into the black sign that he was looking for. Schaffhausen Lane. That was a mouthful.

A tall apartment complex loomed overhead. Logan wrinkled his nose in disgust at the cracked windows and cluttered balconies - spotting a few loose bricks and a leaky gutter from the top floor. He shook his head slightly as he pulled into a parking spot in the front of one of the buildings, and reached for his briefcase in the passenger seat. Inside were his traditional medical supplies, equipped with his license and proof of medical degree. He'd learned from experience that some people needed to be sure of who they were getting medical help from. The irony of it always made Logan chuckle.

He pushed the door of his Tesla open, blinking at the torrent of rain that instantly hit his side. Quickly, he stepped out of the car, holding the briefcase over his head as a makeshift umbrella. He strode across the small walkway, grateful of the tin overhang that hung above the front door. It was broken in some areas, leaking to the stone porch below, but it shielded him from most of the rain. Letting the briefcase rest in one of his hands, he reached up with the other to knock on the door.

He heard a muffled conversation inside, and bounced on the heels of his feet as he listened to the sounds of locks being unhooked on the other side. He guessed that a place like this required several locks. He plastered a smile on his face as the door was pulled open, and his locked eyes with the one who had called him here in the first place.

"Dr. Mitchell!" Carlos stood in the doorway, flashing a bright smile at Logan. He stepped to the side, gesturing for Logan to step inside. Happy to be out of the rain, Logan stepped into the small foyer, wiping his shoes on the tattered rug in the doorway. Carlos closed the door behind him, and pushed past Logan to pad down a hallway, where he peered through a gap in the wall.

"Kendall, Dr. Mitchell is here." He explained excitedly, and Kendall's response was too quiet for Logan to hear.

Glancing around, Logan tried to keep his face from betraying his disgust of the interior. There were cracks in the plastered walls and the air smelled stale. The foyer was connected to a narrow hallway, with a single overhead light to brighten the corridor. The tile of the foyer was stained and ended a few feet into the hallway, where clumped, dirty carpet covered the rest of the floor. Logan followed Carlos down the hallway, feeling rather cramped. Carlos didn't seem to mind, and flashed Logan another smile as he stepped into the room that branched off from the hallway, and Logan stepped in after him.

It was a small living room, connected to an even smaller kitchen. The square room was covered in the same dingy carpet, and a single sofa stood against one wall. On the other side was a small television, resting on a wooden box, playing some game show. The wall behind it was covered in unframed photographs, some that Logan knew were professionally taken to look as if they were taken in Germany during Kendall's 'service.' His Navy uniform was hung on the wall, his badges shining in the flourescent lighting overhead. The kitchen was equipped with a bar counter instead of a table, with mix matched chairs sitting beneath it. Several bags of chips and canned food littered the counters, and Logan couldn't help but be impressed by how convincing it was.

Kendall was sitting in the wheelchair that Logan had given him, looking annoyed. He was facing the television, on elbow propped up on the armrest of the chair and holding his chin in his hand. When Logan stepped into the room, The blonde looked up and sighed, narrowing his eyes at him.

Logan knew that Kendall resented his "discovery" of the abscess in his spine. He knew as well as anyone that it was just a ploy to make Kendall's con harder, but the blonde didn't say anything. Kendall was too prideful to give any hint that it was too difficult for him.

Logan gave him a smug look before turning to Carlos, who had crossed the room and placed a hand on Kendall's shoulder. He gave Logan a worried look as he opened his mouth to speak, " I called you here because I'm worried about Kendall." He wasted no time in getting to the point.

"What is worrying you?" Logan asked, lifting his eyebrow.

"Tell him, Kendall." Carlos pressed, taking a seat on the sofa beside him. Kendall sighed and turned his wheelchair to face Logan, putting his hands in his lap angrily. When he spoke, his voice was convincingly filled with anxiety, "I-I think it's getting worse."

Logan tilted his head to the side. Kendall had mentioned nothing about this, but he figured that he shouldn't have expected the blonde to tell him anything - especially not after confining him to a wheelchair. The blonde continued, "I've started to lose feeling in my legs."

"That's bad, isn't it?" Carlos asked worriedly before Logan could speak.

Logan ignored the question, stepping forward to gaze down at Kendall, "When did this start?"

"A few days after I started using the wheelchair." Kendall explained, his eyes glinting. Logan instantly knew that this was an attempt to make Logan relieve him of his wheelchair confinement.

"Do you have any feeling at all?" Logan asked, crossing his arms and pacing across the room.

"N-no."

"Huh." Logan replied, letting out a long breath. "Let's test it, then."

Kendall gave him a questioning look, and Logan rolled his eyes. Kendall should know that Logan always had a plan up his sleeve. The raven-haired man crossed the room to his briefcase, which he has propped against the wall. He unclasped the locks and lifted the top, rummaging through the supplies that cluttered the interior. His fingers grazed across a plastic rod and he knew he had found what he was looking for. Pulling it from his case, he revealed a long, white rod with several notches along the spine.

"What is that?" Carlos asked, looking just as confused as Kendall. Logan turned to face him, reaching for a notch on the rod and turning it sideways. This let an extra length of rod that was hidden by the notch unfold, until he held a rod that was about a yard in length. "I use this for testing nerve damage, reflexes, and feeling loss. For smaller cases, I usually prick the skin with a needle, but I feel like this might be more effective."

He faced Kendall, who was looking at him with an expression of comedic horror and expression. "You're going to hit me? With a plastic rod?"

"It won't hurt - if you've lost feeling like you've said."

Kendall's eyes grew wide and his jaw fell open, but he couldn't protest. Not when he had already dug this hole for himself. Logan stifled a laugh as he locked the notches on the rod, and swung it back and forth experimentally. This would be fun.

"Okay, Kendall, let me know if you feel anything." Logan explained, and stepped towards the blonde in the wheelchair. Carlos switched positions on the sofa so he could watch, looking concerned. Kendall glared at Logan as the raven-haired man pulled back the rod and tapped it on Kendall's knee. The blonde looked taken aback, as if he'd expected something worse.

"Nothing." He replied.

"Odd." Logan responded and tapped his leg harder, and Kendall shook his head. Logan tilted his head to the side and knelt in front of Kendall, feeling a bubble of laughter start to swell in his throat. He grabbed the cuff on one leg of Kendall's jeans, since the other was covering his cast.. When Logan's hand reached behind his calf, Kendall shoved his leg back against the chair, pinching Logan's hand between himself and the chair. Logan squeaked and pulled his hand back, glaring at Kendall.

"What happened?" Carlos asked anxiously, peering over Logan's shoulder to try and see.

"Just pinched myself." Logan muttered, standing back up and shooting a mischievous look at Kendall. "Okay, Kendall, let me know if you feel this."

He brought the rod back, and slapped it against Kendall's shin. The blonde narrowed his eyes, clenching his jaw as he held in a squeak of pain. He was silent for a moment before shaking his head and letting out a deep breath, "Nothing."

"Strange." Logan replied, hoping that Carlos didn't catch the hint of laughter in his voice. He brought the rod back and hit is against Kendall's shin, leaving a dark red line in his skin.

Kendall's eyes seemed to bulge out of his head, looking so funny that Logan almost burst out laughing, but he sensed Carlos looking at him and held it in. This time Kendall didn't speak, but shook his head furiously.

"Well then," Logan concurred, turning to face Carlos who was looking at Kendall with an anxious look on his face, "It seems that his condition is worse than I first thought."

Kendall, who had seemed to recover, shot him a smug look. Clearly he thought that Logan was giving in, and would tell Carlos that he needed to be out of his wheelchair, but Logan smirked, relishing in Kendall's naivety. He stepped away from Kendall crossing his arms and letting the rod hang on his side. He looked at Carlos, who looked very concerned at this news. "Can I talk to you for a moment, Carlos? Alone?"

The shorter man looked confused, but quickly obliged. He stood up, not noticing Kendall's look of dismay, and followed Logan into the hallway outside of the living room. Logan stepped closer to the foyer, hoping that the distance would keep Kendall from overhearing. The rain still thundered outside, slapping the windows on either side of the door like hail. He stared at the torrent of water outside before facing Carlos, who was looking at him expectantly.

The shorter man looked so concerned for Kendall that it actually surprised Logan. He had never spent time alone with Carlos before, and he instantly understood why Kendall and James thought he would be so easy to swindle. Carlos' heart was easily taken advantage of, and he was quick to trust people. For a moment, Logan felt a hint of regret. Did Carlos deserve to be treated like this? There were plenty of other rich idiots in Los Angeles who they could con, and Logan wouldn't bat an eye if he hurt their feelings. There was something about the depths of emotion in Carlos' eyes that made him consider calling off the bet for a moment.

Then he silently cursed himself, feeling embarrassed that he would feel so soft. Carlos was nothing more than money - just like every other person he had ever conned. James and Kendall had no problem taking his money with no regard of his feelings, so why should Logan? Anyway, it wasn't like one million dollars was anything to Carlos. The man in front of him had hundreds of millions in his bank account. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat and spoke in a quiet voice.

"Kendall's condition seems to me much more severe than I originally thought." He explained, "The abscess in his spine must be deeper than I thought, and I will have to bring him to the office for a full examination and blood sample. However, we should talk about long term treatment."

Carlos nodded, looking shocked by the news but determined to help the blonde.

"I've seen cases like this before. If the abscess has reached the nerves in his vertebrae, it could make him lose feeling in his legs forever. He could never walk again." Logan ignored Carlos' gasp of shock and continued, "However, there is way to make him better. It involves a very extensive treatment of injections to his spine, physical stimuli to his legs to keep his muscles from atrophying, and surgery on his spinal column to keep the abscess from spreading. Also, with his broken hip and femur he will need special accommodations to allow them to heal."

Carlos crossed his arms and nodded, looking at the ground as he thought it all over. He shook his head, looking up at Logan in despair, "How could he possibly afford it? He would never let me pay for it - it would kill him to feel like he's too helpless to pay for his own medical bills."

"Are you willing to pay for it?" Logan asked, his gaze steady as he locked eyes with Carlos.

"Of course," Carlos explained, his voice merely a whisper, "I could never live with myself knowing that I didn't do everything I could to help him."

Again, Logan felt the twinge in his heart at the thought of conning someone as pure as Carlos, but he pushed it away. He stepped closer, lowering his voice so Kendall definitely wouldn't hear his words, "Don't tell him. You can pay me directly, and I'll tell him that the VA is paying for his treatment."

Carlos gave him a confused look, "He told me he was wait-listed for any benefits from the VA."

"Tell him that you made some calls to the VA office." Logan explained, "He'll believe you - you're a pretty important person, so they'll definitely do anything you ask - and he'll be happy to know that he's going to be taken care of. However, you can't tell him that you've so much as tipped me for my help."

"I can't lie to him." Carlos protested.

"You have to, Carlos." Logan insisted, "Or he'll never let us help him."

Carlos held his gaze for a moment before looking away, shaking his head slightly. "Okay. As long as he gets better, that's all that matters."

"That's a good way to think of it," Logan replied, turning back to head down the corridor towards the living room, "We should tell him the news."

"Wait, Logan." Carlos called him back, and the raven-haired man turned around, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "How much will it cost?"

Logan was silent for a moment, ticking off his fingers silently as if adding up the treatment plans and surgeries. He looked back up at Carlos and cleared his throat, "We're looking at about 1.3 million."

Carlos didn't seem phased at the number, and nodded with a determined look. "Let's go tell him."

Logan lead the way back to the living room, letting Carlos pass him in the entry way. Kendall was staring back at the television, and didn't seem to notice their return until Carlos put a hand on his shoulder. The blonde looked up, his green eyes flashing when he looked from Carlos to Logan and back again. "What was so secretive that you had to go into the hallway?" He asked accusingly.

"We were discussing your treatment plan." Carlos explained, "Logan's gonna fix you up."

"How?"

Logan explained what he had told Carlos, and watched as Kendall's expression changed from dismay to disbelief to annoyance by the time he had finished. "And how do you expect me to pay for all of this?" He asked, and Carlos knelt down beside him, flashing him a comforting smile.

"I'm going to make some calls to the Veterans Affairs office. I'll make them help you." Carlos explained. He placed a hand on top of Kendall's and turned to smile at Logan, who gave him a thumbs up. Over Carlos' shoulder, where the shorter boy couldn't see, Kendall shot a furious glance at Logan. He knew exactly what Logan had done - he wasn't as smart as the raven-haired man, but he wasn't stupid either. He knew that Logan had worked it just right so that he would pocket the money for his "treatment."

His voice sounded happy but his eyes betrayed his anger as he spoke, "Perfect."

My first chapter without a line break! I'm surprised that I managed to write an entire chapter with only two scenes, but I'm really happy with how it turned out! I really hope that you guys like this one, I finally let things be told from Logan's perspective! I wanted to give him a bit of a backstory, and look into the history of the other boys as well!

I feel like the story is progressing well, but please let me know what you guys think! What do you guys want to see, and what do you not want to see? I'm very interested in your thoughts and if I like any ideas, I might end up using them in the story!

So, I have a few questions for you guys! What do you think of each guys' individual con? Especially, who do you think is going to win? I'm interested to see who is Team James, Team Kendall, and Team Logan! Do you think Kendall and Logan's plot to get rid of James will work? Do you think Logan will eventually leave the competition because of his thoughts about Carlos? Let me know what you guys think!

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Thank you wickedbad, lalalalalalala123, conversequeen11, theguestreviewer, and the guests who left me reviews! They keep me inspired to write and I love seeing the input of readers!

Much love, Carnie