Chapter One: Framed or Target?

Grand Hotel: 6:00pm

Coleen took a deep breath and glanced at the only person she trusted to have her back. He stood there and dusted off the debris of his suit coat. His eyes stared back at her and smirked with a chuckle.

"Why am I not surprised you make more enemies then friends, Jim?" Coleen reloaded her gun and cracked her neck.

"Sweetheart, when you are as old as I am you tend to have them. I've pissed off several clients in insurance. Death threats that you wouldn't believe." He walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "This is just a walk in the park."

She looked at him and slid the gun back into his coat pocket. She kissed him on the lips and glanced around the hotel lobby at the scared guests. She turned back to him and tilted her head to the side.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked.

"No, how can I be?" Sterling slipped his arm around her waist. "Just don't get caught up in the lies she tells, darling."

Coleen and Sterling stepped over the body as they walked out the front door to be greeted by armed law enforcement. Sterling pulled his badge out and raised it and Coleen followed his lead.

"Jim Sterling, how am I not surprised you'd be back causing problems," the deep voice of a man in a black suit stepped around the armed men.

Sterling smirked and slipped his badge back.

"And your partner in crime?" the deep voiced man looked at Coleen as he shook Sterling's hand.

"My wife and partner, yes," Sterling said. "And what do I owe the pleasure of your presence, Captain?"

The older man chuckled and gave Sterling's shoulder a hard pat. "The usual, I need to see your credentials."

"Call Interpol they'll fax them," Sterling said.

"I'm afraid Interpol isn't talking to us." The older man said.

"What?" Coleen said.

"We were given orders through our phones."

"Then that will have to do," The captain remarked.

Coleen pulled her phone out and opened her email. Sterling looked down at his phone and both glanced at each other.

"There's a problem?" the captain asked.

"There must be a glitch in the system." Coleen reloaded everything.

"Darling, I think we've just fallen prey to someone who can't stand us," Sterling said.

Leverage HQ: 6:30pm

Eliot stared at the file that had everything outlined for the wedding. He slid it across the table and sighed. He hated weddings and there was nothing that could change his mind.

"You're working late," the youthful voice of his soon to be brother-in-law's came.

Eliot glanced over at him and rubbed his eyes. The younger man slid him a cup of coffee before taking a seat.

"I can say the same for you," Eliot said as he brought the coffee to his lips.

Grant smiled and looked at the screen as the different images filled them. He glanced over to Eliot and raised his brow.

"You actually drank the coffee I brought? I'm impressed, Spencer, does that mean you're trusting someone like me?"

"I don't trust anyone unless it's my family." Eliot sat the cup down.

"So, you don't trust the team?"

"I said I don't trust anyone unless it's my family. Geez for a G-man you don't have great listening skills."

Grant chuckled and nodded. "Alright, so finally trust."

"Doesn't mean you," he remarked. "I'm still trying to get a read on you."

"Hillary wouldn't have said yes to me if she didn't trust me."

"No offense, Grant, but my sister is still a little naïve. She trusted DeVille and look how that worked out. And the whole idea that you drugged people makes me not like you at all."

Grant shook his head and stood. He walked around the table and stood in front of the screens watching the screen.

The silence between the two was broken, by the ringing of the phone. Eliot walked around and looked at the computer.

"How the hell do you answer this?" Eliot said.

Grant walked over and woke the computer up and hit the icon. Eliot looked at him and Grant gave a smirk.

"Smart ass," Eliot muttered.

They turned and looked at the screen.

"Thank goodness, you're here Agent McCoy. There's a bit of a problem I need your help," Eleanor's voice of concern remarked.

"What's going on?"

"My daughter and son-in-law have been arrested for conspiracy."

"How'd that happen?" Grant looked at the older woman.

Eliot looked at the older woman. She was holding something back from them.

"Interpol's computer system was hacked earlier this morning by an unknown source. All systems were knocked off line and we lost valuable information that allows us to contact our agents through a secure line to their phones. Coleen and Jim were ambushed at the Grand Hotel. I received an S.O.S. by my daughter before she and Jim were escorted off the perimeter. And before they were ambushed they were met by this woman."

A picture of well to do woman appeared and Grant looked at her. He stared at the chain around her neck and looked at Eleanor.

"I've met this woman today too," Grant said.

"Her name is Danielle Chandler; she's a very, very dirty agent for Her Majesty's secret service. We had been watching her movements up until Interpol's servers went down. We believe she got some very sensitive information and my daughter and Jim were her prime targets."

"Vendetta?" Grant said.

"She's not just any agent, Eleanor, she's an assassin." Eliot looked at the older woman.

"How do you know?"

"Look at her facial expression," Eliot pointed to the picture.

"You can tell she's a trained assassin by her facial expression."

Eliot looked at Grant and narrowed his eyes.

"It's a very distinctive expression," he snapped.

"Mr. Spencer, I need you to call the team. I'm hiring you to get to the bottom of this. Agent McCoy, find any way you can get into the secure prison to talk to Jim and Coleen. I believe we may have mole in Interpol. I'll be in touch, gentlemen."

The screen went dark and Eliot shook his head.

"What is it with your damn family?" Eliot said. "If you or Sterling gets a promotion on this teams account I'm going to kick both your asses."

"Relax," Grant said. "I got to make a call."