The Deep End

Chapter One

Lying back in his big king sized bed Eliot Spencer closed his eyes and took a deep breath and tried to decompress from the last week. Everyone was safe at home. Vance had his terrorist and Sterling was happy with the art thief Nate and Sophie had captured for him. Now they were all back in Portland. What was Nate thinking? Winter is was just around the corner and it rained a lot in Portland, in the winter. He hated rain. It was suppose to cleanse the soul, or so his mama had always told him. It would take more then a long, rainy, Portland winter to make his soul clean again. He had done a lot of good these past five years. They all had. They were still the bad guys but they helped the good guys. His phone vibrated on his bed side table. Glancing at the clock next to it, he groaned. Three AM phone calls were never good.

"Yeah."

"Eliot?" The voice on the other end of the line was one he never thought he would ever hear again in his lifetime.

"How did you get my number?"

"Shelley." Eliot swore under his breath.

"I knew I should never have had him over for poker."

"He said you would never forgive him." The woman on the other end of the phone was a past he didn't want to revisit. "If it helps any, I threatened to call his mom."

"Have you forgotten, I'm not talking to you, Charlotte?"

"No, Eliot. I haven't forgotten. Just listen. I know you don't owe me or my team anything but I need your help. Your teams help."

"How do you know about my team?"

"After all these years, you don't think I wouldn't want to know what my best man was up to."

"I thought Vance was your best man?"

"He thought he was the best everything." Charlotte Rourke was always as bad ass as any man could be. She changed her hair color to suit her mood and her mood changed on a dime. Her knowledge of weapons and explosives surpassed his as did her temper. "Eliot…I know when we saw each other the last time we…said some things…"

"You threatened to kill me Charlie." His voice softening more than he would of liked it to.

"You blew up my Jeep." He smiled. She loved her jeep more than anything else in the world. It had been her pride and joy.

"I said I was sorry."

"You didn't mean it."

"What did you need Charlie?" He really didn't want to have this or any discussion with Charlotte Rouke at three in morning.

"The bank is saying my dad defaulted on a loan and he put the ranch up for collateral." Eliot swore under his breath. He knew the ranch that Charlie's dad had built to help out Viet Nam vets rehabilitate after the war and then had turned into full fledged charity to help all soldiers returning home.

"How bad?"

"He never would have done it Eliot. We owned the land outright. I just can't prove it." Eliot knew Trevor Rouke put everything he had into the ranch. It had state of the art rehab equipment as well as a job training center set up on the one hundred acres.

"Send me everything." Eliot got up.

"It'll be on your doorstep by sunrise."

"I'll see what I can do." He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry about Trevor."

"Thank you."

"I tried to get back for his funeral…"

"He's been gone a long time Eliot. I know you and him didn't always see eye to eye but I need you to fix this."

"I'll do what I can Charlie." Eliot never made any promises he couldn't keep. She knew that. He looked out the window at the Portland landscape and sighed.

"I know. Talk soon." The line went dead and Eliot threw the phone on his bed. Charlotte had been a force to be reckoned with when they served together. She had been a mother hen, little sister and the best damn partner anyone could ask for. Eliot pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed a Henley out of the closet. He wasn't sure if they could help Charlie but he was going to do what he could. She got him out when things got too deep for him.

(Brazil 2002)

"You need catch the next plane out of here Spencer." Charlie sat next him at the bar. She had a few too many drinks and she was not in the mood to be told no.

"You're the one they want Charlotte."

"You know you only call me Charlotte when you think your gonna win a fight?"

"Yep."

"You don't always win Spencer."

"You don't always know when to say when, either." He took the bottle from her and put it back behind the bar. "I'll drop you off in Texas and I'll head home."

"I'm not going back Eliot." She looked at her glass and swirled the liquid inside. Turning she looked at him. "Get out, NOW!" She kissed him and slid off the bar stool. He learned a long time ago never question Charlie's orders. Eliot watched her leave and then turned and headed the opposite direction.

(Present)

He learned later that the bar was raided and fifteen freedom fighters had been arrested and later put in front of a firing squad. Charlie had made it out and the information they had come for was safely in the hands of the right government. He only crossed paths with her one more time after that and, well that was when her jeep mysteriously exploded and they vowed the weekend would never, ever be spoken of again. She brought up the explosion. He wondered if she would mention the other thirty-six hours they spent together back then. He smiled. It had been a wild ride and he knew she would never let her guard down like she did in those few hours. He would find a way to help her and then he would decide if their past needed to be relieved just one more time.