I do not own Leverage. This story is completely imagined. Do not take anything I state as fact in the story as actual fact in real life. I hope you enjoy!
The Carnival Job - Chapter 1
Sophie, Hardison, and Eliot shuffled into the Leverage headquarters late one night after being abruptly told by Nate that there was going to be a meeting to discuss his newest client. Nate stood already prepared in front of the television screens as they walked in, waiting for the three to settle into their seats. Hardison and Sophie quickly did so seemingly unaffected by the late night call, while Eliot stomped about in one of his usual bad moods.
"What's with this late night meeting?" Eliot complained. "Can't we have even the smallest of breaks?"
Nate sighed. The hitter was not letting up on the argument that they needed to be given a vacation. "Look," Nate tried to explain, "I just think that it would be best if we get started as soon as possible on this job. Now can I please begin the briefing?"
Eliot eventually complied and with one last growl of annoyance sat down in between Hardison and Sophie.
"Okay," Nate said clapping his hands together, glad that he now had everyone's attention for the issue at hand. "Our client is-"
"Where's Parker?" Hardison suddenly interrupted as he looked around the room.
"Yeah you're right, where is she?" Sophie and Eliot both agreed as they realized her absence as well.
Nate sighed again, having lost the direction of the conversation. "Parker said she wouldn't be able to make it tonight. She said she was busy."
"Busy?" Eliot questioned. "What could she possibly be doing? It's not like she has any social life outside of us. And why does she get the night off anyway? I've been asking for a break since-"
"Hey man chill," Hardison butted into Eliot's rant. "It's one night, not some ten day vacation."
"Look man," Eliot began, his voice starting to show his anger from before, "every day I go out there and get kicked and punched. All I'm asking for is a little break, if not from the punching than from your nagging voice as you sit at your little keyboard relaxing!"
"Relaxing? You can't even imagine how much work I put in for every job. I've had to save your redneck ass so many times that-"
"Alright, alright!" Nate shouted, cutting off the argument between Hardison and Eliot.
"Nate," Sophie finally spoke up, "you do know that the Emerson Art Exhibit is in town, don't you?"
"Yes, I know Sophie." Nate said a little impatiently.
Sophie just smiled. "Priceless paintings, eloquent statues, shimmering jewelry, all of it locked up in an overly secure building, and there is no Parker to be found. That's quite a coincidence." Eliot and Hardison began to smile along with Sophie after her statement.
"Parker promised that she wasn't stealing anything, okay. Now can we all get back to why we are here in the first place?" Nate replied while rubbing his forehead in frustration.
Everyone gave a little nod and Nate began his briefing over again.
"Our client is David Summers, brother of late Jonathan Summers. Now Jonathan died two weeks ago, and David is blaming this man here, Ethan Hubert, for his death. However, the main problem in David's argument and the reason why he won't win any court case is that Jonathan wasn't murdered. He committed suicide."
Eliot frowned at the dilemma. "Suicide? Then who is this Ethan guy? Are we supposed to give payback to everyone who ever gave this Jonathan kid a hard time?"
"No, it's not like that," Nate responded. "Ethan Hubert was Jonathan's employer. He is the owner and manager of a popular town carnival in Arkansas. But this isn't your average carnival. It's not really a carnival at all when you think about it, that's just a cover for what he is doing in the background."
"And what's that?" Hardison asked.
"Ethan holds a big unofficial 'side' show that has become very popular," Nate explained. "He puts it under the name of a carnival so he doesn't draw any attention for persecution."
"What do you mean by 'side' show?" Hardison asked again.
"A side show," Nate replied, "is just a nicer way of saying freak show. He gathers lots of people with deformities, abnormalities, and unique abilities who are usually desperate for work and offers them a job with terrible pay and contracts that last for years. He gets to make big bucks off visitors and his employees are stuck in a crappy job with nowhere else to go."
"That kind of thing just makes me sick," Sophie said crossing her arms with a look of disgust on her face. "Having people put up on display so that they can be stared at and ridiculed is just cruel and inhumane."
"And I thought it was illegal too," Eliot added.
"Only is some states," Nate explained, "and Arkansas isn't one of them. However, Ethan still tries to keep its existence hidden from state officials because he doesn't want to give fuel to having the laws changed."
"So where does Jonathan fit into all of this?" Hardison inquired.
"Well Jonathan was one of Ethan's employees," Nate answered. "David explained to me how his brother was born with albinism and how all the teasing he got growing up really affected his self-esteem and confidence. Three years ago Jonathan signed a contract with Ethan even though his brother pleaded him not to. David said over those three years Jonathan's view of himself plummeted even further until he committed suicide just two weeks ago."
"Wow, that's awful," Sophie sighed.
"Yeah, I agree with David. That bastard Ethan needs to be held accountable," Eliot concluded.
"For sure," Hardison stated loudly.
"Okay guys," Nate announced, ready to conclude the meeting, "we have all the background information down now, so we can get started bright and early tomorrow on how we are going to run the scam. I'll see you then."