The Weakness

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"You'll be staying in a house on Fallowfield Cresent. The bodyguards that you choose will be staying next to you except for Britney, Alex, and Noah. You will be staying in the other house with six rooms." Dad announced. 

"SIX ROOMS?" Shelia cried. 

I was staring my dad down, "Both of our families are rich. Like rich rich and we get 6 rooms for the 9 of us?" 

Zach looked at me sharply and I bit my tongue. That was the second time I'd spoken out of place today. 

"There are also 2 living rooms with 2 or three couches each. If you don't like the sleeping arrangements then you can sleep on a couch," Mr. Pierce replied calmly. 

I nodded, silently typing all the information into my laptop. 

"We have roles for each of you before you leave tomorrow morning. Shelia and Noah, you will be working together to create fake names and backstories for everyone. Ben and Dylan, you will be choosing which bodyguards and personnel will be joining you on the mission. You will have both mafias on standby but there will only be 10 personnel living down the street up until the real mission. Alex, I need you to add everyone to the security system. Zach and Blake, you need to choose which weapons you'll be taking with you. Make sure you choose something for everyone, including the personnel. Valerie, you're on research. Look into the town and find the information you'll need or is useful for the entire mission. Britney, you're in charge of decorating the house and finishing it so it looks like people live there.  Everyone can help when you get there. You'll have to work with Shelia and Noah to figure out who's staying in which room. You will have until Twelve PM to get the mafia members, backstories, cover names, and weapons back to us so we can sort out fake IDs and get everything together for your flight. You will each be getting a brand new phone and laptop for this mission," Dad continued. "Your plane will be leaving tomorrow morning at 9:30 where you can fill everyone in. You will have access to this room, my office, and Val you have your office you can work in. I suggest working together for this." 

I nodded, glancing at the time 7:31 PM. We needed to start working. I closed my laptop and grabbed my things. "I'll either be in my room, dad's office, or mine. Buzz or text me if you need me or have a question. Alex, you can hide in my office if you want." 

"See you there," Alex nodded. I knew he would have to grab his laptop and walk around getting everyone's handprint, face, and voice recorded. Mine and his would-be recorded last. 

"Mr. Dalton and I will be in the living room playing chess if you need us," Mr. Pierce announced, standing up and clapping his hands together. "Good luck." 

I walked out, heading for the stairs to my room. I needed my earbuds before I could think of starting my research. I concentrate better when I'm listening to music. Once I had them I settled in Dad's office, going through his files on the Bonanno mafia. I sent some important information to my laptop and secured all the files. No one could know we're looking in on that mafia. Only we could. 

I got up and pulled at 3 books on my dad's bookshelves. One of the shelves pulled forward and slid to the side, revealing the hallway to my office. Technically it was the Dalton sibling office but Ben doesn't use any offices in our house, only the one at his club, and Zach can never read through a file, so research is handed to me. I don't mind it. It's peaceful in my office and everyone knows not to disturb me. 

I open up the door and walk in. Alex isn't here yet but that's not surprising. He probably had to ask my dad a couple of questions before he could do anything and it takes a while to process all the information he needs. He'll be here soon though. 

I sat down at my desk, placing my laptop down and setting my iPad up next to it. I need to type out the information I had on my iPad before I continue my research. I turn on my main computer, letting it load while I clean up the other desk for Alex to use. Sitting down at my desk, I opened up the cameras that are around the house and left that open on one screen. It was a habit I had gotten into so I knew who was coming and if anyone was looking for me. On the other monitor, I pulled up a new document, typing out what I had gathered from the meeting, including who was working on what. 

Then I started typing up what I had found in Dad's files on the Bonanno mafia. I glanced at the monitor, seeing movement out of the corner of my eye. Alex was walking into Dad's office with his laptop. I pressed a button, I had on my desk and opened the shelf door. Alex glanced up at the camera and waved with a grin before disappearing into the hallway. The camera view on my monitor shifted to the view of the hallway outside my office and I turned back to my other monitor. 

"This is going to sound really weird but I have to measure your finger," Alex announced walking in. 

I laughed, "Hello to you too." 

Alex placed his laptop on the desk across from me and walked over with a special measuring tape. I lifted my left hand and turned back to my research. 

"Voice typing." 

"Voice typing activated." The computer spoke back to me, glancing at my laptop, I began summarizing the notes dad had while Alex measured the size of my ring finger. Alex walked away, heading for his desk and I deactivated voice typing. 

My phone buzzed next to me and I glanced at it. 

Zachy: Get Shelia to pair Ben up with Dylan as a gay couple 

Val: consider it done 😂 

I opened up my messages with Shelia and asked her to make Dylan and Ben a married couple for the mission.

Seconds later she responded: OMG THAT'S PERFECT DYLAN LIKES BEN AND I THINK BEN LIKES HIM TOO 

Val: Last I checked he did 😉 

Movement on the second monitor caught my attention and I put my phone down. Blake was outside my room. What is he doing? He glanced around knocked on my bedroom door and opened it. I switched to the camera that was stationed on the inside of my room watching the door. He walked in and his eyes fell on my desk, he looked around it and suddenly found my journal. I've had it since the start of high school and wrote random fantasies in it. They got Spicier as I grew older. He opened it up and flipped through the pages. I watched as he reached the back of the book. 

"Shit," I muttered. 

Alex looked up, "What's wrong?" 

I waved him over, "Blake's in my room and going through my journal. This wouldn't happen if I burned it this morning." 

Earlier in the morning, I had a sudden urge to burn my journal but Zach had reminded me that I was given that as a gift from a teacher. I knew now that I was going to burn it without a second thought. I stood up and walked over to the fireplace I had in my office. I grabbed a log and tossed it in, lighting a match to start the fire. 

"Wow... what the hell did you write in there? He's blushing." 

"Shut it, Alex. Just let me know when he's gone," I snapped. Those pages were full of harmless, PG ideas near the front and detailed erotic fantasies in the back. 

"He's gone," Alex announced walking back to his desk. 

"Thanks, Alex." 

"No problem and have fun burning the thing," he grinned. 

I laughed and headed out of my office, cutting through Dad's office before making it to the hallway. I took the secret staircase upstairs to avoid seeing Blake in the hallway. Grabbing the black journal off my desk I walked out into the hall and hurried back down a level. Without a word a slipped through Dad's office and tossed the journal into the burning fire. 

"Almost done?" Alex asked. 

"Yep just have to print this and delete the file," I replied, hitting a couple of keys. 

"When you're done that I need your face, fingerprint, and voice to add your full recognition to the house." 

The printer hummed as the pages printed and I walked over to where Alex sat and let him scan my face, fingerprint, and record my voice. 

"Thanks, Alex," I called over my shoulder heading out of my office. I knew Alex would be leaving soon. He would put the fire out before he left. 

Carrying my research and laptop in my hand, I headed downstairs, I wanted to see if my dad or Mr. Pierce had anything to add to my research. I yawned, reaching the main floor. I looked at the time on my phone: 1:47 AM. I didn't even know if Mr. Pierce was still here or if dad's still up. 

Walking into the living room, I was surprised to see them both up playing a game of chess. 

"Morning Valerie," Mr. Pierce greeted me. 

"Hello," I smiled, stifling a yawn. "I just finished my research and was wondering if either of you may have anything to add to it." 

"Let's see it," dad grinned, reaching for the paper. I handed it to him and took a seat on one of the plush couches. I pinched myself repeatedly to keep awake while they read over my notes. 

"I don't have anything to add," Mr. Pierce announced. 

"Neither do I. Good job Val," Dad added. 

"Thanks. I'm going to pack a couple of things and then go to sleep. 

"Be up by 7," dad told me as I collected my papers. 

"I'll try to be. Try and get Ben up at 6 if possible or else he might never be ready to go." Dad and Mr. Pierce laughed as I walked back towards the stairs. I wasn't kidding.