Leverage Fic: The Apple, Chapter 4/4: Family (Eliot, Aimee, team, OFCs) R
Title: The Apple, Chapter Four: Family
Characters: Eliot, Aimee, team, OFCs
Word Count: ~3,100
Rating: R (cursing, violence)
Summary: The kidnappers had no idea who they were dealing with…
Spoilers: For “The Two-Horse Job” (1x3).
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of Leverage. Wish I were.
Notes: This is the 4th and final chapter of “The Apple,” with an epilogue to come. Feedback is appreciated! Previous parts can be found here:
Prologue
Chapter One: Spencer
Chapter Two: Eliot
Chapter Three: Dad
~*~*~*~
“We need to call the police, Eliot!”
“Local police aren’t going to be able to handle this,” Eliot told Aimee as he threw some gear into a duffel bag.
“And you are?”
He stopped moving briefly and looked her straight in the eye. “This is what I do.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she said, her expression stoic but her eyes glinting with fear.
“No, you stay here so I don’t have to worry about keeping you safe,” Eliot said. “And what if Spencer calls the house? If you don’t hear from me in an hour, then call the cops.”
“Eliot…” she said, her voice shaking.
“I’m going to get her back,” he said firmly. “And I’m gonna have help.” Eliot dug his earbud out of his pocket and put it in. “Hardison-you there?”
“Hey, man,” was the immediate response. “How’d our girl do in the spelling bee?”
“Not now. Someone took her.”
“Excuse me-took her?”
“Yeah. On her way to school.”
“The fastest we can get there is five hours,” Hardison replied. “Next flight’s at-”
“Too long. I’m going in myself,” Eliot said, giving Aimee a meaningful look as he threw his bag into the truck and climbed behind the wheel. “But I still need your help.”
“Anything.”
“The guy called my cell a few minutes ago-who was it? He wants 500 grand in exchange for her, so I’m not sure what I’m dealin’ with here.”
While he listened to Hardison tapping at his keyboard, Eliot’s mind raced as he considered all of the criminals who had vendettas against him: Violent, angry men who would think nothing of hurting a little girl to hurt him.
“The phone is registered to… Carl Hutchens of Owl Bluff, Kentucky.”
Eliot drew a blank. “Carl Hutchens? Who the fuck is Carl Hutchens?” he asked as he turned onto the main road, his wheels spinning in the dirt.
“Let’s see… traffic incident… a few minor arrests…Hmm, it looks like Carl has been busted a few times for shoplifting large quantities of cold medicine and/or drain cleaner,” Hardison said.
“A meth dealer?” Eliot shouted. “My daughter’s been taken by a fucking crank head? Oh, this guy is dead.”
“No, no-don’t go in hot, Eliot,” Nate’s voice came over the comms. “If he’s just a local dealer, odds are he doesn’t know who you are.”
“You can use that to your advantage,” said Sophie, in her calming tone.
“You both are on comms?” Eliot asked.
“Hardison alerted us,” Sophie explained.
“I don’t know what I can do,” Parker piped in. “But I just wanted to hear you kick this guy’s ass.”
“OK, they’re at an empty stable just a few miles away,” Eliot explained, suddenly feeling calmer and more focused. “They gave me an hour to get the ransom money, so I’ll be there earlier than they think.”
“They?” Nate asked.
“There’s four guys,” Eliot said. “I made them put Spencer on the phone to prove she was OK and she slipped that in.”
“Oh yeah, she did!” Hardison said. “Wait-they gave you an hour to come up with a half-mill in cash? Sounds like first-timers to me.”
Up ahead, Eliot saw something at the side of the road.
“Eliot? You still there?” Nate asked.
“I see her bike,” he said softly. He nearly sped past in the interest of time, but at the last second, decided to pull over. He jumped out of the truck, and with one hand, picked up Spencer’s treasured bicycle and laid it gently in the bed of the pickup.
“I’m on my way again,” he said as he hit the gas pedal. “Just another couple minutes.”
“Then I think you should use the extra time to do a little recon and see what you’re dealing with,” Nate suggested.
“Right,” Sophie agreed. “If they don’t really know you, that gives you the element of surprise.”
“The big question is: Why Spencer?” Eliot asked. “If they think I’m just another horse trainer, why did they think I’d have 500 grand to give them?”
Hardison sighed. “Oh, damn…”
“What?”
“Carl is a maintenance man at Sunset Mall,” the hacker said.
“Where we got the computer,” Parker murmured.
“And the bike,” added Eliot. “Where I paid cash. Fuck.”
“OK,” Nate said loudly, in the tone he often used to get everyone back on track, “so what we’re dealing with is just a regular old ransom case. They’re not pros-they just picked a kid whose dad has money. We can handle this.”
Eliot breathed slowly, trying to shake off the feelings of guilt so he could focus on the job at hand. “I can see the place now. I’m going to park a little ways up the road-there’s a lot of tree cover around here.”
Parker snorted. “Definitely amateurs.”
The team went silent as Eliot crept toward the stable, avoiding the front door and windows while he looked for another way in.
“There’s only one back entrance,” Eliot whispered. “But it’s locked.”
“Oo! I can help with this part!” Parker hollered in his ear. “What kind of lock is it?”
Eliot squinted against the sun. “Looks like a typical padlock. It’s all rusty though.”
“Piece of cake,” she said. “Do you have the tool?”
“Always.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out his copy of the Swiss Army knife-like gadget that he and Parker had made for each team member. It included a few small weapons that could also double as lock picks.
Eliot’s feet barely made the softest crunch on the gravel as he moved toward the stable. “I’m here. Now make sure you use words that normal people can understand.”
Following Parker’s instructions, he worked as quietly as possible until the ancient lock rasped open.
“He did it!” Parker whooped. “I’d know that sound anywhere.”
“I’m goin’ in,” he whispered.
He opened the door the tiniest crack and slipped in, staying in the shadows. In the middle of the aisle between the rows of horse pens, he saw Spencer with her hands tied to a chair. She appeared disheveled, but uninjured, as she glared at her captors.
“My parents are going to be looking for me,” she spat.
“Shut up!” said one of the rangy men milling about. “You never stop talking!” He raised his palm as if to hit her but was stopped by one of his cohorts.
“Larry! Don’t hit ’er unless you have to!” shouted a voice from the corner. He walked into the light and Eliot could see he was holding a gun. “Our chances are better if this thing is clean, so don’t add assault to the list of what we done.”
“But she assaulted me, Mel! Look-I think my nose is still bleedin’!”
“Shut the fuck up, you baby,” Mel replied. “You’re just pissed that you got beat up by a little girl.”
“Shut up, alla you,” muttered a third man, who had a lump under his dirty blue jacket that could be another weapon.
“Yeah, I told Daddy Warbucks an hour, so he’s gonna be here soon and we gotta be cool about this,” said the man Eliot assumed to be Hutchens. “Just a simple switch-take the money, give him the kid, and we’re outta here. It’ll be easy money if you assholes don’t fuck it up.”
Spencer snickered.
“Shut up,” Larry said again.
Eliot left the building as quietly as he’d entered it, and went back to the spot in the trees where he’d left his bag.
“I’m out. There’s one with a gun, one who might have somethin’, and two unarmed,” he said. “Piece of cake.”
“I still say you should go in playing the worried father,” Sophie said.
“That ain’t playin’,” Eliot growled.
“You know what I mean,” she continued. “Your innocent routine always fools people. It’s a good one.”
“Plus, you minimize the chances of Spencer getting hurt in the process,” Nate noted. “Give yourself a few minutes to scope things out and get the guys where you want them before the fists start flying.”
Eliot took a deep breath as he picked up his bag and went back to the truck. “You’re right-I gotta treat this like any other job. Keep my head in the game.”
Everyone was silent as he drove up to the stable’s front doors. Eliot had been in plenty of far more dangerous situations, but nonetheless, his heart was in his throat. The ambient sounds of his four teammates listening in helped steel his nerves and ready him for the fight to come.
“Here goes,” he said as he stepped down from the vehicle.
“Good luck, Eliot,” Parker said in a small voice.
The door opened with a loud creak and Eliot peeked his head in. “Hello? I-I-I-I’m here. Is this where I’m supposed to meet you?” he called out, making sure to include a tremor in his voice.
“Did you bring the money?” one of the men called out.
Eliot walked tentatively toward the voice and held the duffel bag out at his side. “Yeah, yeah, I have it right here.”
“Stop there,” said the man in the blue jacket, pointing a gun at him shakily. Eliot glanced around for another weapon and saw that the one they called Mel was holding another gun at Spencer’s back. All of the men were too thin, with greasy hair and open sores-a clear sign that they were using in addition to dealing.
Eliot threw his hands in the air, with the bag dangling from his thumb. “Whoa, whoa-I’m going to do whatever you say. Just don’t hurt us.” He looked to Spencer, who appeared to be more angry than scared. “Are you OK, honey?”
“Yeah, Dad,” she said, biting her lip anxiously.
“Hand over the bag,” Carl ordered, puffing out his chest and clearly enjoying his leadership role. “Larry, go get it.”
As Larry stepped toward him, Eliot saw that his nose was indeed still bleeding. It might even be broken, he noted with some amusement, as he worked to keep the worried look on his face. Once the man was next to him, Eliot cried out, “Wait! How do I know you’re not going to hurt her after I give you the money? All I want is for us to get out of here safely. She’s just a little girl-please.”
Carl thought for a moment as he aggressively scratched his arms. “All right, all right. Mel, you untie her, but she stays in her seat. When Daddy hands over the money, they can have their little family reunion while we get out of here. Everybody got that?”
“OK,” Eliot said, still holding his hands up in surrender. “Thank you, sir. I just want to get her home.”
Mel kneeled behind Spencer, but his jittery hands had difficulty untying the knots so he laid his weapon in the straw next to him. Everyone’s eyes were on him as he finally loosened the bonds and Spencer rubbed her freed wrists.
“We good now?” Carl asked. “Then let’s have the cash.”
Spencer hadn’t taken her eyes off her father since he’d entered. His hands were still over his head as he turned to look at her. His fearful expression faded and he gave her a barely perceptible nod. When she raised her eyebrows in reply, he let go of the duffel bag. All four men looked up to watch it fall.
In a split second, Spencer slipped out of her seat, crouched low, and kicked straight into the side of Mel’s knee, making the man fall to the ground with a scream. She pushed his gun with her foot and it spun away into a pile of hay.
The man in the blue jacket turned around to see what had happened, and Eliot wrenched his gun out of his hand. Before he had a chance to react, Eliot punched him square in the face, then threw an elbow in the opposite direction, hitting Larry’s already broken nose. Larry fell to the floor, clutching his face, while Eliot delivered another punch to the other man, knocking him out cold. With one fluid motion, he pulled the clip from the gun and threw the weapon and ammunition in opposite directions. A swift kick stopped Larry’s wailing about his nose.
The duffel bag finally hit the floor with a thud, and Carl scurried toward it. “This was your idea, wasn’t it, Carl?” Eliot snarled as the man skidded to a stop in front of him. “Bet you thought it was a pretty brilliant plan, didn’t you?”
“I-I-I-I didn’t think-”
“You didn’t think you’d get caught, right?” Eliot grabbed a fistful of Carl’s shirt. “You thought you’d be just fine roughing up a kid so you could finance your crank habit?”
“You don’t understand what it’s like,” Carl pleaded.
“I understand that you’re not going to make this mistake again,” Eliot growled, and with a head-butt, sent Carl to the floor in a heap.
With the other three kidnappers unconscious, Eliot walked slowly and purposefully toward Mel. His splintered knee prevented him from running, but he was still attempting escape by dragging himself toward the door.
Eliot crouched over him and the man cowered. “P-p-please-don’t hurt me!” he cried.
“You pointed a gun at my daughter,” Eliot hissed, keeping his voice low. “Consider yourself lucky that hurt is all you’re gonna get.” A final, solid punch to the cheekbone made it certain that Mel wasn’t going to get away.
Breathing hard, Eliot stood up and pushed his hair out of his face. He looked around the stable for Spencer, who had backed into a corner to stay out of the way.
“Spence-you OK?”
The girl just nodded, her eyes wide, and her lower lip trembled.
“Come here, darlin’,” Eliot said, hurrying to her. “You don’t have to be brave anymore.”
Spencer threw herself into his arms and burst into tears. “I was so scared, Daddy,” she said, her face buried in his shoulder.
“Of course you were, but you still did great,” he said, cupping the back of her head in his hand. “You kept yourself safe, and that’s what matters.”
“I love you, Dad.”
Eliot’s voice momentarily stuck in his throat. It had been a really long time since anyone had said that to him. Years, in fact. “I love you too, Spence.”
“Awww!” Parker cooed, reminding Eliot that his team was still listening in.
He kissed the top of Spencer’s head and put her down, keeping one hand protectively on her shoulder. “I’ve got Spencer,” he said, readjusting his earbud.
“Who are you talking to? Is that like a Bluetooth or something?” the girl asked.
Hardison scoffed under his breath. “Bluetooth…pfft…”
“Sort of,” Eliot replied, lifting his hair so she could see the tiny speaker in his ear. “The team and I use these to talk to each other.”
“So everyone can hear me? Cool! Hi guys!”
Eliot pulled her close, with her ear pressed against his, so she could hear the clamor of returned greetings.
“Are you OK, Spencer?” Nate asked. “Did those guys hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“She’s the one who hurt them,” Eliot said proudly. “Gave one a broken nose and took out another guy’s knee with a perfectly executed side kick.”
“That kick you showed me totally worked!” she yelped, forgetting her tears. She jumped back and reenacted the kick for him.
“Told ya.”
“And you totally pounded those guys, all by yourself! Wait-” she paused, and Eliot could almost hear the gears turning in her brain. “The team-are you guys, like, superheroes?” she asked in a hushed voice. “Is that how you help people?”
“Well...” he began.
“Hell yeah, we’re superheroes!” Hardison exclaimed.
“I mean it, Dad, you were like Batman!”
He found himself blushing a little at his daughter’s praise, and was glad his team wasn’t able to see that or he’d never hear the end of it. “Maybe a little…”
One of the men lying on the ground groaned faintly, getting Eliot’s attention.
“OK, I gotta decide what to do with these guys,” he said to his teammates.
“Already workin’ on it,” came the reply from Hardison. “I heard the names Mel and Larry, and Carl’s last bust included a Melvin Gates and a Lawrence Carter, so I’m thinkin’ those are our guys.”
“What about the fourth guy? I never caught his name.”
“Whose name do you need?” Spencer asked. Eliot pointed to the unnamed, unconscious form. “They called that guy Stu,” she said. “I was keeping track of their names so I could tell the police later.”
“Good girl. Ah, Stuart Cranston, there we go,” Hardison said. “Stu’s gonna see the po-lice, that’s for sure. I’ll call 911 to report a drug deal goin' down, and I’m adding a few extra outstanding warrants and priors to these guys’ records to make sure they go to jail for a loooong time. You’d better get yo’ criminal self outta there soon though.”
“True-and I gotta get Spencer home. Soph, my phone’s in the truck. Can you call Aimee?”
“I’m on it,” Sophie said before going off comms.
“Let’s go, Spence. The police are gonna be here soon to pick up these guys, but we can’t be here.” At her questioning look, he added with a wink, “I gotta keep my secret identity.”
“But what if they tell the police what happened?”
Eliot scoffed. “Who’s gonna believe that four guys got taken out by one guy and a little girl? That’s crazy talk.”
She giggled and slipped her hand into his. He scooped up the duffel bag-which was actually full of clothes and a few books-and they left the stable.
“Listen, Eliot, we’re going to catch the next plane down there, in case there’s any cleanup needed,” Nate said. “We don’t want to leave any loose ends with this one.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking that the cops might have some questions for Spence and me.”
“But I don’t think they know who we are,” Spencer interjected. “They didn’t know my name.”
“They didn’t?” Nate asked.
“They didn’t?” Eliot repeated the question for Spencer to hear.
“No, they asked me my name and I made one up. Mom always said I shouldn’t tell any personal information to strangers. I didn’t tell them your name either-just your cell phone number when they said they had to call you to come get me.”
"That was a really smart thing to do," Eliot said, and the girl grinned.
“Excellent,” Nate said. “That’ll make our jobs a little easier. But I think we should still come just in case.”
“Right. See you tonight then,” Eliot replied as Nate left comms to go make the travel plans.
“Tonight?” Spencer asked. “Who else is coming to visit?”
Eliot gave her hand a tug, trying to pick up their pace. “Everyone. The whole team.”
The girl clapped delightedly. “Yay! I’m excited.”
They approached the truck and Spencer broke into a run. “You got my bike!”
“What-like I was gonna leave it there on the side of the road?”
She grinned and hugged him around his waist. “I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, darlin’,” he replied, the words coming more easily this time.
“We love you too, Spencer!” Parker shouted into Eliot’s ear as he boosted the girl into the truck.
“She can’t hear you, Parker, she-”
“Tell her that I’ll bring the new beta version of Jedi Academy so we can-” Hardison began.
“And we can go to the park again!” Parker squealed. “We can work on her flips off the monkey bars.”
Sirens began sounding in the distance, so Eliot quickly climbed into the vehicle and pulled away from the stable while his teammates continued making plans.
“And the zoo!”
“Yeah! But only if we can go on the carousel! And then we can-”
Eliot took his earbud out with a sigh, then looked at Spencer, who was beaming in the seat next to him. She’d already put her traumatic experience behind her, just thrilled about the unexpected visit from the team.
"What?" she asked when she saw him watching her.
“Uncle Alec and Aunt Parker say they’re excited to see you too.”
~ Next: Epilogue ~
Characters: Eliot, Aimee, team, OFCs
Word Count: ~3,100
Rating: R (cursing, violence)
Summary: The kidnappers had no idea who they were dealing with…
Spoilers: For “The Two-Horse Job” (1x3).
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of Leverage. Wish I were.
Notes: This is the 4th and final chapter of “The Apple,” with an epilogue to come. Feedback is appreciated! Previous parts can be found here:
Prologue
Chapter One: Spencer
Chapter Two: Eliot
Chapter Three: Dad
~*~*~*~
“We need to call the police, Eliot!”
“Local police aren’t going to be able to handle this,” Eliot told Aimee as he threw some gear into a duffel bag.
“And you are?”
He stopped moving briefly and looked her straight in the eye. “This is what I do.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she said, her expression stoic but her eyes glinting with fear.
“No, you stay here so I don’t have to worry about keeping you safe,” Eliot said. “And what if Spencer calls the house? If you don’t hear from me in an hour, then call the cops.”
“Eliot…” she said, her voice shaking.
“I’m going to get her back,” he said firmly. “And I’m gonna have help.” Eliot dug his earbud out of his pocket and put it in. “Hardison-you there?”
“Hey, man,” was the immediate response. “How’d our girl do in the spelling bee?”
“Not now. Someone took her.”
“Excuse me-took her?”
“Yeah. On her way to school.”
“The fastest we can get there is five hours,” Hardison replied. “Next flight’s at-”
“Too long. I’m going in myself,” Eliot said, giving Aimee a meaningful look as he threw his bag into the truck and climbed behind the wheel. “But I still need your help.”
“Anything.”
“The guy called my cell a few minutes ago-who was it? He wants 500 grand in exchange for her, so I’m not sure what I’m dealin’ with here.”
While he listened to Hardison tapping at his keyboard, Eliot’s mind raced as he considered all of the criminals who had vendettas against him: Violent, angry men who would think nothing of hurting a little girl to hurt him.
“The phone is registered to… Carl Hutchens of Owl Bluff, Kentucky.”
Eliot drew a blank. “Carl Hutchens? Who the fuck is Carl Hutchens?” he asked as he turned onto the main road, his wheels spinning in the dirt.
“Let’s see… traffic incident… a few minor arrests…Hmm, it looks like Carl has been busted a few times for shoplifting large quantities of cold medicine and/or drain cleaner,” Hardison said.
“A meth dealer?” Eliot shouted. “My daughter’s been taken by a fucking crank head? Oh, this guy is dead.”
“No, no-don’t go in hot, Eliot,” Nate’s voice came over the comms. “If he’s just a local dealer, odds are he doesn’t know who you are.”
“You can use that to your advantage,” said Sophie, in her calming tone.
“You both are on comms?” Eliot asked.
“Hardison alerted us,” Sophie explained.
“I don’t know what I can do,” Parker piped in. “But I just wanted to hear you kick this guy’s ass.”
“OK, they’re at an empty stable just a few miles away,” Eliot explained, suddenly feeling calmer and more focused. “They gave me an hour to get the ransom money, so I’ll be there earlier than they think.”
“They?” Nate asked.
“There’s four guys,” Eliot said. “I made them put Spencer on the phone to prove she was OK and she slipped that in.”
“Oh yeah, she did!” Hardison said. “Wait-they gave you an hour to come up with a half-mill in cash? Sounds like first-timers to me.”
Up ahead, Eliot saw something at the side of the road.
“Eliot? You still there?” Nate asked.
“I see her bike,” he said softly. He nearly sped past in the interest of time, but at the last second, decided to pull over. He jumped out of the truck, and with one hand, picked up Spencer’s treasured bicycle and laid it gently in the bed of the pickup.
“I’m on my way again,” he said as he hit the gas pedal. “Just another couple minutes.”
“Then I think you should use the extra time to do a little recon and see what you’re dealing with,” Nate suggested.
“Right,” Sophie agreed. “If they don’t really know you, that gives you the element of surprise.”
“The big question is: Why Spencer?” Eliot asked. “If they think I’m just another horse trainer, why did they think I’d have 500 grand to give them?”
Hardison sighed. “Oh, damn…”
“What?”
“Carl is a maintenance man at Sunset Mall,” the hacker said.
“Where we got the computer,” Parker murmured.
“And the bike,” added Eliot. “Where I paid cash. Fuck.”
“OK,” Nate said loudly, in the tone he often used to get everyone back on track, “so what we’re dealing with is just a regular old ransom case. They’re not pros-they just picked a kid whose dad has money. We can handle this.”
Eliot breathed slowly, trying to shake off the feelings of guilt so he could focus on the job at hand. “I can see the place now. I’m going to park a little ways up the road-there’s a lot of tree cover around here.”
Parker snorted. “Definitely amateurs.”
The team went silent as Eliot crept toward the stable, avoiding the front door and windows while he looked for another way in.
“There’s only one back entrance,” Eliot whispered. “But it’s locked.”
“Oo! I can help with this part!” Parker hollered in his ear. “What kind of lock is it?”
Eliot squinted against the sun. “Looks like a typical padlock. It’s all rusty though.”
“Piece of cake,” she said. “Do you have the tool?”
“Always.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out his copy of the Swiss Army knife-like gadget that he and Parker had made for each team member. It included a few small weapons that could also double as lock picks.
Eliot’s feet barely made the softest crunch on the gravel as he moved toward the stable. “I’m here. Now make sure you use words that normal people can understand.”
Following Parker’s instructions, he worked as quietly as possible until the ancient lock rasped open.
“He did it!” Parker whooped. “I’d know that sound anywhere.”
“I’m goin’ in,” he whispered.
He opened the door the tiniest crack and slipped in, staying in the shadows. In the middle of the aisle between the rows of horse pens, he saw Spencer with her hands tied to a chair. She appeared disheveled, but uninjured, as she glared at her captors.
“My parents are going to be looking for me,” she spat.
“Shut up!” said one of the rangy men milling about. “You never stop talking!” He raised his palm as if to hit her but was stopped by one of his cohorts.
“Larry! Don’t hit ’er unless you have to!” shouted a voice from the corner. He walked into the light and Eliot could see he was holding a gun. “Our chances are better if this thing is clean, so don’t add assault to the list of what we done.”
“But she assaulted me, Mel! Look-I think my nose is still bleedin’!”
“Shut the fuck up, you baby,” Mel replied. “You’re just pissed that you got beat up by a little girl.”
“Shut up, alla you,” muttered a third man, who had a lump under his dirty blue jacket that could be another weapon.
“Yeah, I told Daddy Warbucks an hour, so he’s gonna be here soon and we gotta be cool about this,” said the man Eliot assumed to be Hutchens. “Just a simple switch-take the money, give him the kid, and we’re outta here. It’ll be easy money if you assholes don’t fuck it up.”
Spencer snickered.
“Shut up,” Larry said again.
Eliot left the building as quietly as he’d entered it, and went back to the spot in the trees where he’d left his bag.
“I’m out. There’s one with a gun, one who might have somethin’, and two unarmed,” he said. “Piece of cake.”
“I still say you should go in playing the worried father,” Sophie said.
“That ain’t playin’,” Eliot growled.
“You know what I mean,” she continued. “Your innocent routine always fools people. It’s a good one.”
“Plus, you minimize the chances of Spencer getting hurt in the process,” Nate noted. “Give yourself a few minutes to scope things out and get the guys where you want them before the fists start flying.”
Eliot took a deep breath as he picked up his bag and went back to the truck. “You’re right-I gotta treat this like any other job. Keep my head in the game.”
Everyone was silent as he drove up to the stable’s front doors. Eliot had been in plenty of far more dangerous situations, but nonetheless, his heart was in his throat. The ambient sounds of his four teammates listening in helped steel his nerves and ready him for the fight to come.
“Here goes,” he said as he stepped down from the vehicle.
“Good luck, Eliot,” Parker said in a small voice.
The door opened with a loud creak and Eliot peeked his head in. “Hello? I-I-I-I’m here. Is this where I’m supposed to meet you?” he called out, making sure to include a tremor in his voice.
“Did you bring the money?” one of the men called out.
Eliot walked tentatively toward the voice and held the duffel bag out at his side. “Yeah, yeah, I have it right here.”
“Stop there,” said the man in the blue jacket, pointing a gun at him shakily. Eliot glanced around for another weapon and saw that the one they called Mel was holding another gun at Spencer’s back. All of the men were too thin, with greasy hair and open sores-a clear sign that they were using in addition to dealing.
Eliot threw his hands in the air, with the bag dangling from his thumb. “Whoa, whoa-I’m going to do whatever you say. Just don’t hurt us.” He looked to Spencer, who appeared to be more angry than scared. “Are you OK, honey?”
“Yeah, Dad,” she said, biting her lip anxiously.
“Hand over the bag,” Carl ordered, puffing out his chest and clearly enjoying his leadership role. “Larry, go get it.”
As Larry stepped toward him, Eliot saw that his nose was indeed still bleeding. It might even be broken, he noted with some amusement, as he worked to keep the worried look on his face. Once the man was next to him, Eliot cried out, “Wait! How do I know you’re not going to hurt her after I give you the money? All I want is for us to get out of here safely. She’s just a little girl-please.”
Carl thought for a moment as he aggressively scratched his arms. “All right, all right. Mel, you untie her, but she stays in her seat. When Daddy hands over the money, they can have their little family reunion while we get out of here. Everybody got that?”
“OK,” Eliot said, still holding his hands up in surrender. “Thank you, sir. I just want to get her home.”
Mel kneeled behind Spencer, but his jittery hands had difficulty untying the knots so he laid his weapon in the straw next to him. Everyone’s eyes were on him as he finally loosened the bonds and Spencer rubbed her freed wrists.
“We good now?” Carl asked. “Then let’s have the cash.”
Spencer hadn’t taken her eyes off her father since he’d entered. His hands were still over his head as he turned to look at her. His fearful expression faded and he gave her a barely perceptible nod. When she raised her eyebrows in reply, he let go of the duffel bag. All four men looked up to watch it fall.
In a split second, Spencer slipped out of her seat, crouched low, and kicked straight into the side of Mel’s knee, making the man fall to the ground with a scream. She pushed his gun with her foot and it spun away into a pile of hay.
The man in the blue jacket turned around to see what had happened, and Eliot wrenched his gun out of his hand. Before he had a chance to react, Eliot punched him square in the face, then threw an elbow in the opposite direction, hitting Larry’s already broken nose. Larry fell to the floor, clutching his face, while Eliot delivered another punch to the other man, knocking him out cold. With one fluid motion, he pulled the clip from the gun and threw the weapon and ammunition in opposite directions. A swift kick stopped Larry’s wailing about his nose.
The duffel bag finally hit the floor with a thud, and Carl scurried toward it. “This was your idea, wasn’t it, Carl?” Eliot snarled as the man skidded to a stop in front of him. “Bet you thought it was a pretty brilliant plan, didn’t you?”
“I-I-I-I didn’t think-”
“You didn’t think you’d get caught, right?” Eliot grabbed a fistful of Carl’s shirt. “You thought you’d be just fine roughing up a kid so you could finance your crank habit?”
“You don’t understand what it’s like,” Carl pleaded.
“I understand that you’re not going to make this mistake again,” Eliot growled, and with a head-butt, sent Carl to the floor in a heap.
With the other three kidnappers unconscious, Eliot walked slowly and purposefully toward Mel. His splintered knee prevented him from running, but he was still attempting escape by dragging himself toward the door.
Eliot crouched over him and the man cowered. “P-p-please-don’t hurt me!” he cried.
“You pointed a gun at my daughter,” Eliot hissed, keeping his voice low. “Consider yourself lucky that hurt is all you’re gonna get.” A final, solid punch to the cheekbone made it certain that Mel wasn’t going to get away.
Breathing hard, Eliot stood up and pushed his hair out of his face. He looked around the stable for Spencer, who had backed into a corner to stay out of the way.
“Spence-you OK?”
The girl just nodded, her eyes wide, and her lower lip trembled.
“Come here, darlin’,” Eliot said, hurrying to her. “You don’t have to be brave anymore.”
Spencer threw herself into his arms and burst into tears. “I was so scared, Daddy,” she said, her face buried in his shoulder.
“Of course you were, but you still did great,” he said, cupping the back of her head in his hand. “You kept yourself safe, and that’s what matters.”
“I love you, Dad.”
Eliot’s voice momentarily stuck in his throat. It had been a really long time since anyone had said that to him. Years, in fact. “I love you too, Spence.”
“Awww!” Parker cooed, reminding Eliot that his team was still listening in.
He kissed the top of Spencer’s head and put her down, keeping one hand protectively on her shoulder. “I’ve got Spencer,” he said, readjusting his earbud.
“Who are you talking to? Is that like a Bluetooth or something?” the girl asked.
Hardison scoffed under his breath. “Bluetooth…pfft…”
“Sort of,” Eliot replied, lifting his hair so she could see the tiny speaker in his ear. “The team and I use these to talk to each other.”
“So everyone can hear me? Cool! Hi guys!”
Eliot pulled her close, with her ear pressed against his, so she could hear the clamor of returned greetings.
“Are you OK, Spencer?” Nate asked. “Did those guys hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“She’s the one who hurt them,” Eliot said proudly. “Gave one a broken nose and took out another guy’s knee with a perfectly executed side kick.”
“That kick you showed me totally worked!” she yelped, forgetting her tears. She jumped back and reenacted the kick for him.
“Told ya.”
“And you totally pounded those guys, all by yourself! Wait-” she paused, and Eliot could almost hear the gears turning in her brain. “The team-are you guys, like, superheroes?” she asked in a hushed voice. “Is that how you help people?”
“Well...” he began.
“Hell yeah, we’re superheroes!” Hardison exclaimed.
“I mean it, Dad, you were like Batman!”
He found himself blushing a little at his daughter’s praise, and was glad his team wasn’t able to see that or he’d never hear the end of it. “Maybe a little…”
One of the men lying on the ground groaned faintly, getting Eliot’s attention.
“OK, I gotta decide what to do with these guys,” he said to his teammates.
“Already workin’ on it,” came the reply from Hardison. “I heard the names Mel and Larry, and Carl’s last bust included a Melvin Gates and a Lawrence Carter, so I’m thinkin’ those are our guys.”
“What about the fourth guy? I never caught his name.”
“Whose name do you need?” Spencer asked. Eliot pointed to the unnamed, unconscious form. “They called that guy Stu,” she said. “I was keeping track of their names so I could tell the police later.”
“Good girl. Ah, Stuart Cranston, there we go,” Hardison said. “Stu’s gonna see the po-lice, that’s for sure. I’ll call 911 to report a drug deal goin' down, and I’m adding a few extra outstanding warrants and priors to these guys’ records to make sure they go to jail for a loooong time. You’d better get yo’ criminal self outta there soon though.”
“True-and I gotta get Spencer home. Soph, my phone’s in the truck. Can you call Aimee?”
“I’m on it,” Sophie said before going off comms.
“Let’s go, Spence. The police are gonna be here soon to pick up these guys, but we can’t be here.” At her questioning look, he added with a wink, “I gotta keep my secret identity.”
“But what if they tell the police what happened?”
Eliot scoffed. “Who’s gonna believe that four guys got taken out by one guy and a little girl? That’s crazy talk.”
She giggled and slipped her hand into his. He scooped up the duffel bag-which was actually full of clothes and a few books-and they left the stable.
“Listen, Eliot, we’re going to catch the next plane down there, in case there’s any cleanup needed,” Nate said. “We don’t want to leave any loose ends with this one.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking that the cops might have some questions for Spence and me.”
“But I don’t think they know who we are,” Spencer interjected. “They didn’t know my name.”
“They didn’t?” Nate asked.
“They didn’t?” Eliot repeated the question for Spencer to hear.
“No, they asked me my name and I made one up. Mom always said I shouldn’t tell any personal information to strangers. I didn’t tell them your name either-just your cell phone number when they said they had to call you to come get me.”
"That was a really smart thing to do," Eliot said, and the girl grinned.
“Excellent,” Nate said. “That’ll make our jobs a little easier. But I think we should still come just in case.”
“Right. See you tonight then,” Eliot replied as Nate left comms to go make the travel plans.
“Tonight?” Spencer asked. “Who else is coming to visit?”
Eliot gave her hand a tug, trying to pick up their pace. “Everyone. The whole team.”
The girl clapped delightedly. “Yay! I’m excited.”
They approached the truck and Spencer broke into a run. “You got my bike!”
“What-like I was gonna leave it there on the side of the road?”
She grinned and hugged him around his waist. “I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, darlin’,” he replied, the words coming more easily this time.
“We love you too, Spencer!” Parker shouted into Eliot’s ear as he boosted the girl into the truck.
“She can’t hear you, Parker, she-”
“Tell her that I’ll bring the new beta version of Jedi Academy so we can-” Hardison began.
“And we can go to the park again!” Parker squealed. “We can work on her flips off the monkey bars.”
Sirens began sounding in the distance, so Eliot quickly climbed into the vehicle and pulled away from the stable while his teammates continued making plans.
“And the zoo!”
“Yeah! But only if we can go on the carousel! And then we can-”
Eliot took his earbud out with a sigh, then looked at Spencer, who was beaming in the seat next to him. She’d already put her traumatic experience behind her, just thrilled about the unexpected visit from the team.
"What?" she asked when she saw him watching her.
“Uncle Alec and Aunt Parker say they’re excited to see you too.”
~ Next: Epilogue ~