Disarmament

“The way I see it, from what Ashley told me about the situation last night, you guys already have the means to exonerate Lisa, right?” Peter spoke to the gathering of teens seated around him, continuing when they nodded. “The challenge isn’t how do we use it without Hannah retaliating, it’s how do we take away Hannah’s leverage.”

“You mean destroying the video she has?” Heather asked, leaning forward and resting an elbow on her crossed legs. “That’s a fanciful idea, but how do you propose that we do that? It’s not like we can just walk up to her and ask her for it.”

“We don’t need to. I think it’s likely that she has it stored somewhere, possibly uploaded to a site where she can quickly and easily make it live if she has to. Keeping it on an external drive means having to connect it up if she wants to use it, vital time that would be wasted if the police were knocking at her door,” Peter reasoned, looking around for anyone who would agree.

“You’re probably right. When we confronted my sister, she was able to throw the video onto the television for all three of us to watch,” Ashley confirmed, biting her lip. “But it’s going to be difficult to get her phone. She always carries it with her.”

“That wouldn’t be necessary,” Gavin spoke up, standing beside the loveseat where Chloe and Trent sat. He wanted to sit too but his ass was still sore from the pounding it had taken from both Trent and Chloe. “It wouldn’t be difficult to whip up some code that would search synced devices and delete similar files.”

“Excellent,” Peter clapped his hands. “I was just gonna say we’d need a computer guy.”

“Does it have to be Gavin?” Ashley frowned and looked worryingly at the tall, brown haired, bespectacled teen. So far anyone who had come into contact with Hannah had come under threat. Herself, Lisa, Heather, Zack, even Chloe and her father were being dragged into this mess. She was loathe to add another of her friends to that list. “You’re good with computers. Can’t you do it?”

“I can’t. I’ll be distracting Hannah.” Peter shook his head. “We have a lot to talk about, so it won’t seem strange for me to reach out if I’m back in town, and as far as she knows, I’m back for spring break. It’d be suspicious if any of you talk to her.”

“Ok, but really, me?” Gavin raised a hand to his chest and shrugged. “I’m not even that good with computers.”

“Don’t be modest,” Zack encouraged his best friend. “You’re like king of the computer club at school.”

“Yeah, you’re selling yourself short,” Chloe said, looking up at him with calm, soothing blue eyes. “No one else here thought to write an algorithm that would erase all the files simultaneously.”

“If you don’t want to, I won’t **** you,” Peter assured him. “I don’t want to make anyone do anything they don’t want-”

“No, I want to.” Gavin said firmly, thinking of everything he’d been through over the last few days. Losing his virginity to one of the most beautiful girls in school, a threesome by a waterfall, becoming friends with benefits with one of his oldest friends and one of the hottest cheerleaders he knew, being fucked by both a strap-on and a real cock. He’d become so much more experienced and confident sexually in a short period. It was time for the rest of him to catch up. “I’ll need a laptop though, to write the code, and Zack forbade me to bring mine.”

“Well, sorry I didn’t anticipate having to take down a blonde evil genius,” Zack joked, before looking to Heather. “I saw you had a laptop in your room. Could he use that?”

“Oh sure,” Heather agreed happily.

“I’ll go get started then,” Gavin insisted, immediately heading to the room. The coding wouldn’t take long, but he was getting tired of standing and didn’t want everyone watching him wince in pain as he tried to sit.

As Gavin left, Kurt counted to four with his fingers, naming each finger with a person and role. “OK, so you’re the distraction, Gavin’s the tech guy…I guess we’re gonna need a couple of people to get inside the room.”

“Yes. Preferably someone who would know the layout,” Peter said, turning his head to the dark-haired cheer captain sitting on the arm of the sofa. “I was thinking you’d be perfect for this job, Heather.”

“No can do. Zack and I have other arrangements, but…” She reached into her pocket and produced a keycard. Waving it in her hand, she said, “I got this from my dad earlier just in case we ever had to go back.”

“Nice thinking,” Ashley said, playfully nudging Heather’s thigh with her shoulder. “I guess I should go. I don’t know the apartment well, except for the one time I was inside, but if anyone is going to go into the belly of the whale to save us from my sister, it should be me.”

“I want to go too,” Chloe declared, inspired by Gavin’s courage and challenged by Ashley’s willingness to put herself at further risk. “I’ve sat on the sidelines for too long because I wasn’t sure how I felt about Hannah after all this came to light…but of all of us I’m the one who has spent the most time in the apartment. I can’t let indecision keep me from being involved any longer.”

“That’s admirable,” Peter praised her with a smile. “Ok. I’ll distract Hannah, you two girls and Gavin will get inside the room and destroy the video. Someone will need to keep watch in case something goes wrong I think.”

Victoria fidgeted with her hem. “Do you mind if I wait here? Someone should be here if Madison comes back,” she said, though part of her was simply afraid to go back into town where Shawn might be. Though it was just a cabin, made of wood and easily accessible, to the tall blonde it felt safe and secure and out of Shawn’s reach.

“And this really has nothing to do with me,” Trent confessed, stifling a yawn. “So, I’m probably just gonna go home.”

“Nice to know you’re there for someone in times of trouble,” Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Let him go,” Kendra insisted, as she smiled at the blonde-haired boy beside her. “Kurt and I will be the look-out.”

“Actually, I was thinking of cloning your phone, Peter, and connecting it with one of ours in the room,” Ashley suggested, watching the young man’s expression turn to mild annoyance. “That way we could know instantly if something went wrong and be have to abort.”

“Yes, and be able to listen in on our conversation.” Peter tapped the floor with the toe of his shoe, as he frowned.

“Yes, but I’m sure we’d be too busy getting rid of the video to even pay attention to what you’re saying,” Ashley feigned ignorance, while glancing aside at Zack, who smiled, sensing that this had been her true motive. “Keep your watchmen if you must, but this would be more convenient, no?”

“You’re right,” Peter relented with a sigh. “Having you guys listen in would be more productive. Just…don’t judge me too much for what you hear, okay? I was young, and in love.”

Heather arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “If it’s going to come out anyway, you might as well tell us now. Some of us won’t be there to hear if first hand you know.”

“No. I don’t feel like opening up these old wounds twice in one night. I’m sure you’ll hear soon enough, when it’s tomorrow’s gossip,” Peter said, his voice tight. He looked at Kendra. “I do think you could be useful though if things go south. Run interference while Kurt gets the others out in time.”

“Can do,” Kendra sang, giving Peter a thumbs up.

“I guess I don’t get a choice.” Kurt chuckled. “But that’s fine. I know what’s at stake.”

“We should get going,” Heather said, standing and looking down at Zack, prompting him to stand too. She glanced around at Ashley, Peter and Chloe, as she added, “Let me know when the plan is in motion. My father has an announcement to make but we have to make sure that it happens while Hannah is otherwise occupied.”

After receiving confirmation from the others, Heather and Zack made their way from the cabin to Heather’s car. Zack felt uneasy, abandoning the others to deal with such a serious and dangerous situation while he left so that he could be made head of Ravers Enterprises. It almost felt like deserting in the heat of battle. But he assured himself that they had it under control. Hopefully…There was something about what Peter had said that he still didn’t trust…oh, how he wished he could stay and listen to what Peter had to say to Hannah.

Heather wasn’t as conflicted about leaving. She worried for her friends, sure, but she was concerned also for her father, for their relationship, and continued freedom. Just as Kurt had said, she knew what was at stake, so she placed her trust in all of her friends to take care of Hannah, while she dealt with what she knew; the family business. And if everything paid off, tonight would be the night that she’d finally…

“Do you think your dad was able to convince the board?” Zack interrupted her thoughts as he crossed to the passenger door. “I imagine it’s a risky decision for them.”

“I’m sure he succeeded. My father has been dealing with the board of directors for many years now. He knows his ways around them,” Heather answered, opening her door. “Regardless of anything else, the board always goes where the money is. They invested a lot in the Silver Lakes Project. You’d be surprised how many of them would be willing to sell their own mothers down the river if it gives them even a sniff of green.”

Zack wasn’t the richest kid in the world, though he wasn’t poor. He knew the value of the almighty dollar, and yet there things that were more important to him in this world than making a dime. Family, friendship, love; ideals that had begun to blur together over the past week. But even as he was growing and maturing in this world, he wondered if money was really enough. He wasn’t gullible or naïve; he knew that some people were really so greedy that their whole existence resolved around expanding the figure in their bank account. There were nine members on the board. Surely, they couldn’t all have dollar signs in their eyes?