Midnight Memories

t h i r t y // s e v e n

"Your smile's forever in my mind, and memory." - Ed Sheeran

When Niall and I got back to the apartment, everyone was awake and dressed, plus Louis was back from his meeting with Blaise. He looked exhausted, but he was clean shaven and nicely dressed in a sweater and jeans. He was sitting at the counter talking to Remy, who was furiously typing away on a laptop.

Paisley, who was in a fleecey North Face jacket and leggings, was the first to see us. "You guys are back!" She smiled, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Do you want some?"

"Sure." I smiled back, even though I had had about five cups already. "What are you two working on?" I asked Remy and Louis.

"I'm trying to hack into Louis' old cell phone." Said Remy. "We want to get a location on Derrick and his men."

"I was just telling him what I talked about with Blaise this morning. About what's been going on down here since we left. Apparently things have been worse than ever since Avery and the Hartleys came to New York." Louis said. "There's this new kid that's been stirring up some trouble. Ricky something."

"Ricky Reynolds?" Ryder perked up. He was laying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. There were massive purple bags under his eyes, and his skin was eve paler than usual. He looked worse than I had ever seen him. "I know him. He's from LA, i'm not quite sure what he'd be doing out here."

"Well, he's been wreaking havoc on Blaise and his friends. But Blaise still agreed to help us with Derrick." Louis informed Niall and I. "We just haven't quite decided how we're going to go about taking him down yet."

"Well..." I started, looking at Niall. "Maybe my dad can help."

"Your dad?" Louis looked shocked. "Stella, your parents aren't exactly my biggest fans, plus they've never played a role in this. Why would they help us?"

"Niall and I ran into him while we were out, and I told him everything about what's been going on. Including about you, Ry." I nodded in his direction. "He wants you, me and Niall to go over to my house tonight so we can talk. Maybe the three of us can figure something out."

"Are you sure he can be trusted?" Louis asked. "I mean, he's a government official, why would he want to work with us?"

"Louis, he's my father! Why wouldn't he want to help us? He knows police. FBI, SWAT, anyone that we could possibly need to help us." I said forcefully. "We could end this, finally, once and for all."

"I think it's a good idea." Grier, who was sitting on the other side of Remy, chimed in. "What reason would he have to double cross us?"

"Well whatever decision we make, we better make it fast." Remy said in a worried tone. "I just hacked into the GPS on Louis' phone. If it's still with Derrick, Jet, Tripp, and Vernon, they're currently in Valdosta, Georgia, right off the Florida border."

"Valdosta?" Ryder asked. "That's where my dad's from. Sloane Rooney as well."

"They know we're here, they have too." Said Paisley. "We don't have much time."

"What should we do?" I asked nobody in particular, my throat constricting.

"We'll go to your dad, right now. We cant wait for dinner." Louis stood up. "If they're already in Valdosta, I have a feeling that this could be coming to a head by tonight."

"Tonight?" Niall exclaimed. "After all the running, and hiding, and fighting, we only have a few hours to prepare for some sort of battle royale against them?"

"Don't worry. We're going to get this all figured out." Said Louis, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair he had been sitting on. "But we have to go talk to your dad now."