THE CLUELESS JOB

Book #2 in The Saving Eliot Series

A gentle breeze rustling the dry cornstalks.

A sound is heard as a goblin walks.

A harvest moon suffers a black cat's cry.

Oh, do the witches fly!

Bonfire catches a pumpkin's gleem,

Rejoice! Rejoice! It's almost Halloween!

Richard Anderson -

Saturday Morning in Vermont - October 15, 2o11 - Roughly one month since the events of Saving Eliot book one in series...

"Listen, Kat..." Bella Thompson began as she struggled to keep her cell phone pressed firmly between her right ear and her shoulder. She needed her hands free to sort through all the paperwork that currently littered her desk top. She was swamped with work and she needed to catch up. The summer cabin rental season had ended long ago and they were now between the fall and winter holidays which meant she and Sam might rent a couple of their larger cabins for families wanting a homey type Thanksgiving or maybe a white country Christmas, but for the most part their season was over till the new year rolled around. "I'm neck deep in paperwork here that I put on hold just so I we could get your plans changed to a Halloween Murder Mystery Weekend.

"I'm not trying to put any guilt on you nor am I trying to wheedle out of this, but I want you to remember that if every bad thing you are imagining could go wrong and you actually let this thing fall apart because of your worrying... well, just remember that I tried to be the voice of reason." She smiled to herself because she knew this plan of Kat's was awesome and it had the potential to be the best possible thing to happen in light of the past month's events. She also knew everything would workout despite this latest glitch that Kat was obsessing over.

"But Bella... what am I going to do?" Kat practically whined into her phone. "I need all of these roles to be filled for this to work and this latest problem is just too much. I need everyone involved in this to know exactly what my agenda is here. With this growing guest list it means I need to hire more people to cover all of them, and it's just not possible. I don't know that many people that owe me favors enough to keep quiet about what I really plan to do and I can't risk an innocent person getting hurt." She sighed as she mentally rolled over the guest list in her mind. "I'm beginning to think I was dreaming too big; I just don't see how we can pull this off. I need at least 10 more players and 4 are really important rolls. I need at least one person focusing on each couple and I've already got everyone I trust involved in this project. I don't know anyone else and I can't hire outsiders to play these parts for obvious reasons. There's just no way. There's too much at stake here."

Bella could just picture Kat sitting in the middle of the floor of her home curled up against the bottom of her couch with her fat old white tom cat, Kitter Kat in her lap. Kat always felt comfortable with that cat and he seemed to know how to ease her stress perfectly. Since Kat had been forced to practically stop both her public job as well as her secret job to recover from the events of the last month with Eliot and his brother Evan, well... Bella knew she was getting bored staying cooped up and away from where the action was all really happening. Bella and Sam had taken over the actual physical workings of this plan while Kat healed, but Bella knew that while Kat trusted them with her very life, she was used to handling all the harder more intense stuff herself. She knew Kat hated sitting out when it was coming down to the actual preparations.

Bella laughed out loud at Kat's pouty voice while she could just see in her mind's eye that Kat was stressing and was probably brushing that cat of hers bald with his favorite brush, a back scratcher. The darn animal hated combs or brushes, but if he saw that backscratcher he didn't shut up meowing until he was being brushed with it. "I've got it all covered." She said into the phone. "You know you can trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Kat stated immediately. "It's just..."

"I know, it's just that you always handle everything. You don't want anyone getting hurt, so you try to do everything yourself. But Kat..." She spoke softly as she reached up to clutch the phone in her hand. "You can trust me... and Sam. I've called a friend for help and she's getting the people we'll need; and before you ask, I trust her and her choices completely. You will too, I promise." She smiled wickedly to herself at that, because she knew Kat might be okay with the friend, but maybe not all of her choices.

It didn't matter though, because Bella was going to get Kat hooked up no matter how hard she fought it, and she knew the perfect match for this woman; and he just happened to be related to her new friend, who was also willing to help Kat out. Bella's new friend would be able to manipulate Mr. Eliot Spencer just as easily as Bella could Kat. If everything went according to their plan, Kat and Eliot would get hooked up over this weekend and they'd fill the local jail with a long list of criminals that had been above the law for far too long. Everyone would be happy, including Bella and her friend.

Yep, she thought. In two weeks time, everything would be perfect. All she had to do was keep Kat clueless until the weekend before Halloween when they all showed up for this event. That was going to be the hard part, because sometimes Kat was too smart for Bella's own good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nate stepped into the dimly lit bar of McRory's. The sun was shining brightly this cool October morning, but the windows were still shaded at this hour even though the bar was technically open. Cora always opened early on Saturdays for some of the regulars to enjoy an Irish breakfast or for Nate to meet an early client.

He spotted the woman instantly. There were only two other people in the bar, so even if he hadn't spotted her right away, the process of elimination would have led him to her. She was sitting huddled over a steaming mug of coffee wearing a dark brown hoodie that shielded her face from the other customers. But she had that Spencer air about her that, like Eliot, was just too hard to ignore.

Emma had called him last night to set up this meeting and requested he not say anything yet to the other team members. He was intrigued despite her saying that while it was an emergency, it was not life threatening... yet. She'd been evasive over the phone, which was normal with a lot of their clients, but this was Emma Spencer-Whitmore. She was Eliot's twin sister and she was married to a career soldier. She knew stress and she knew how to handle it. Whatever she was being evasive about, must be important he thought, as he watched the way she was nervously rubbing her hands over the ring-stained table top as he approached her.

"Emma?" He asked, as he slid into the vacant seat across from her.

She looked up and then nervously looked around the bar's room. He guessed she wanted to be sure he was alone.

"Your alone, right? I mean..." She pointed her index finger towards her left ear. "No Eliot or Hardison either, right?"

He smiled at her. She was really taking this seriously. "Yes. Just as you instructed, I left my earbud upstairs and no one is here. All of them are currently at whatever home they are using right now." He looked up over Emma's shoulder and motioned for Cora to bring him a cup of the steaming coffee and mouthed the word 'Irish' to which Cora rolled her eyes, but nodded. "So what exactly is all this intrigue about? Nothing bad, I hope?"

Emma smiled back at him and reached up slowly to push the hoodie away from her face and let it fall to rest on her shoulders. Her hair had grown out since he'd last seen her, but she didn't appear to be physically upset over anything. She looked just like the Emma he remembered that had burst into his apartment ready to tear into her husband and his boss, Colonel Vance. "No, nothing bad really. It's just... well, I need help, and I think you're the only one who can help me here, Nate. You and your team."

Cora brought over Nate's coffee and quickly topped off Emma's with a smile before returning back to her account books laid out on the bar top. The woman kept a careful eye on her patrons, but especially Nate as she knew he rarely met with a client without Eliot somewhere nearby.

She knew Eliot wasn't here right now, and while the man was very good at hiding, she didn't think he'd hide from her. Eliot always blended into the scenery whenever Nate was meeting someone, especially at odd hours, but she always sensed him close by and right now she wasn't getting that feeling she knew meant he was there, hidden among the furnishings of her bar.

Cora remembered seeing the woman Nate was talking too before, about a month ago. She guessed she was related to what Nate and his team did to help others. They were very good at keeping secrets, but Cora had known Nathan Ford all her life, and she knew what he had done and she knew what he was currently doing. She'd have to be dead to not have guessed with all the secrecy surrounding him and his team especially after they'd helped her to save her father's bar.

She smiled sideways at Nate as he met her eye and winked. All was good, he was telling her, so she went back to the books and let him do what he did best, helping people.

Emma followed Nate's eye as he winked at the woman who had brought him his coffee. She smiled as she remembered Eliot talking about the woman being the daughter of the owner of the bar and now ran it since his death. During the last couple weeks, Eliot had been checking in more regularly, and he was telling her some things, although she knew he was leaving a lot more things out. She frowned about that, but she wasn't about to complain, because at least he was talking to her and she'd needed that. She needed to know her brother was at least alive, and whatever he chose to tell her, well at least he was opening up and it was beginning to help heal old wounds; and that was all she could hope for right now.

"Something worrying you?" Nate interrupted her thoughts. He'd seen the sudden frown cross her features when she'd turned back to face him.

Emma quickly shook her head in the negative before replying, "Yes, but not anything bad, promise." She took a small sip of her coffee before continuing. "A friend of mine is planning one of those Murder Mystery Weekends during the weekend before Halloween and she needs help filling some of the roles." She didn't meet Nate's eye. There she'd said it, and while she knew this wasn't going to be easy, it was going to be interesting to see how this played out.

Nate groaned. "You are not going to ask me to play the part of the killer, are you?" He shifted in his seat. He didn't have any good memories about the last time he'd been accused of murdering the mark and having his own team think he'd actually killed the man. "In my opinion nothing good ever comes from those kind of things."

Emma chuckled at his sudden discomfort. She remembered Eliot telling her the story of how the mark had suddenly died, and Nate had appeared to be the suspect. "No, I don't need you to be the killer unless you really want to. This particular weekend isn't about fun, though. I'm going to be truthful with you here Nate, but you cannot tell Eliot about it. Parker, Sophie and Hardison fine, but not Eliot. He has to think it's just a favor to help me and a... friend."

Nate's eyebrows shot up. "Wait a minute, your 'friend' needing help wouldn't happen to be a Florence Nightingale blonde nurse who happened to save Eliot then just up and disappear on him over the past few weeks, is she?"

Emma smiled at Nate's assessment. "See there Nate Ford, you solved that right off the bat. You are a natural born Sherlock Holmes. You'll be great at this. Just what we need."

Nate actually groaned again. "Not words of encouragement here Emma." He sighed as he ran a hand nervously trough his hair. "Do you know how hard it is to hide anything from Eliot? Not to mention Hardison or Parker? Those two can't keep a secret unless it's to torment someone else. Tell me I can promise them they can torment Eliot with this later, and then I might be able to get them to stay quiet. And that's a big might." He took a sip of his own coffee as he watched her over the rim.

Emma was smiling full on now and he could tell there was more to this little favor than met the eye. Something big was going on here and he suddenly felt the urge to ask more questions. She was definitely getting his interest peaked. He was about to ask what she wasn't telling him, when she reached into the large messenger bag resting on the chair next to her. She pulled out a fairly thick file folder and slide it across the table towards him.

"Everything you need to know is all in that folder. Everything. Just don't let Eliot see certain things in here. And before you ask what things, just let me say you'll know which things once you read it." She released her hold on the folder as he reached out for it. "Everything is in there... your parts and biographies for the weekend, the guest list and their biographies, what's at stake here and what isn't. All of your travel plans are there along with everything you'll need to bring with you and your team. There are more private details on everyone on this..." She laid a bright yellow flash drive on top of the folder, "for Hardison to work through. Most of the work has already been done, but I know how good Hardison is, so anything he can add to this would be fabulous."

She paused as she watched him pick up the yellow drive stick and slip it into his jacket's breast pocket. "Everything is in there Nate. And yes, my friend is Kat. That's what you need to keep from Eliot. He does not know I've been in touch with her or that I've grown very fond of her. And she doesn't know I'm recruiting him and your team just yet, or she'd kill me. While I want very much for those two to get their grip on reality and get together, this weekend is not just about them. The people in that folder, the guests on that list... well, they've evaded the law for far too long and they need brought down. That's what this is all about, Nate. Doing the right thing and I know you are just the team to do that.

"That's the real reason for this whole event; Kat has been planning this for months and had to put it on hold last month because of... what happened. This was supposed to take place weeks ago, but everything went into a holding pattern of sorts. Kat's worked hard and because of postponing the event, she's lost some of her available help, but thank goodness all the guests still accepted their invitations and the extension with no problem." She reached out and tapped her finger on the closed file folder in front of Nate. "She's got an impressive list and I want to help her take them down. I've roped Matt and Vance and Vance's wife into helping me and I even have my grandparents, Albert and Marion on board. They'll be doing parts in this as well. But there are still roles I need filled, important roles that I want you and your team to handle. There cannot be any outsiders involved in this, Nate.

"I even have your friend, Det. Bonanno on the list. He's working the cop end and is willing to work with us as long as everything goes strictly legal, which with your help I think it will. You know both sides of the law, Nate." She spoke softly, as she watched the man across from her. "You know what to keep Bonanno from having to deal with, when it isn't exactly... black and white. You know what we need to bring these people down and your team knows you and they will follow your lead. All of them will follow you if you take this as a job."

Nate listened to Emma as she spoke, but he knew she hadn't needed to say anymore after mentioning the guest list. He knew he'd take this job and he knew his team would back him up. He flipped open the file on the table top and focused on the first page. A list of all the people including his team was on that page; and their roles were typed out and staring him in the face. He couldn't help but laugh. "Who came up with these names, Em?"

Emma laughed, too. "That's all on Bella Thompson, Kat's friend. You remember her and her husband Sam?"

Nate nodded looking up from the file. "Yes; they're doing okay since everything that happened?"

Emma nodded her head and smiled softly "They're fine. And they've got the perfect place already located. Just outside of Grafton, Vermont. It's a huge old mansion on a private stretch of land with one way in and one way out. Only accessible by car so far, then you have to take a helicopter ride or a four wheeler. The property is a bit overgrown, but it's perfect for the Halloween theme Bella threw together. Huge stone and wrought iron fencing surrounds the entire property and no way anyone will get in and out without Hardison knowing about it. We've already posted security cameras in over 15 locations outside, not to mention every room of the mansion itself. And that was a job; the place is three stories tall with an attic and a full basement. So there are almost five full floors with over 40 rooms to this place. It's perfect and we'll install any additional security Hardison wants. We're blocking off the basement for him so he can work quietly when he isn't performing his role."

Nate looked back down at the list of parts and laughed again. "Hadison is going to kill you when he reads what you want him to do."

"That's okay." Emma smiled. She knew all the roles by heart. "I can handle Hardison. It's Eliot who isn't going to be happy with his role."

Nate looked at her questioningly before returning to the folder and reading down a bit more, then he burst into full on laughter. "Oh yeah. I can believe that. Sheriff Randy Taylor... let me guess - he's not an Andy Griffith fan?"

"Actually the opposite. He loved the show when we were kids. Loved how the man never had to wear a gun and didn't have to hurt anyone." She sobered at the memory. "Eliot always said, that was a great show. Now days, criminals don't leave the cops much choice about using their weapon. Eliot always wished things were like they were in Mayberry. But we were kids then so kids always think like that." She sighed, before finishing. "The times Eliot has had to use a gun... in the military, and well... afterwards... they were hard on him. I'm probably the only one who knows the real reason Eliot hates guns."

Nate watched the woman sitting across from her. He felt the urge to tell her about what Eliot had done to save him and their Italian friend back when he took on Damien Moreau's men, but he wouldn't break Eliot's confidence. Nate wanted to ask her what she knew, but he knew she wouldn't tell him anymore than he would have. What Eliot had done in his past, well... that was Eliot's past and it was Eliot's choice to talk about it, not Emma's or Nate's. He knew Emma would never break the bond she'd managed to repair with her brother over the past weeks, and he knew he had no right to ask her to.

"No, Nate. You're right, I won't say." She smiled softly, as she could see what he had been thinking. "I'm a Spencer at heart Nate. I will always be a Spencer." She paused before she went on softer this time. "We can read people better than most grifters; with the exception of Sophie. Eliot was... is... the best at reading people I've ever seen, he's had to be, to stay alive. I'm not a fool, Nate. I can guess at what Eliot's done in his past, and I can see how it's almost broken him many times, but I also know what's best left unsaid." She reached out for to circle her coffee cup between her hands. "That's why I know you will do this job. Not just because you want to help me or even Kat, but because you're just itching to get a good look at that guest list. You're dying to know what put them on that list. I can tell you that once you find out, you will agree and you won't be disappointed." She watched him as he closed the folder for now and looked at her.

"Okay, Emma. We're in. I'll have Hardison get in touch with you on what else he needs done and then we'll see you in two weeks in Vermont."

"Thank you Nate."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kat sat in front of the warm fireplace on this cold Saturday morning in the simple one room cabin hidden on some property she owned near Sam and Bella. She'd just finished talking with Bella, and she still had her doubts they could pull this whole con off without a hitch. There was so much that could go wrong and this was just one in the long list to already cause her grief.

There were too many variables and with all the stuff that had happened over the last month, she was still worried about her physical strength. She had Quinn's help, but he was still not at a hundred percent either. She wished she could call Eliot and see if he'd help, but she knew she couldn't. While her own wounds had healed, her heart hadn't. She would have given anything to be able to pick up the phone and call him even to just talk; to just hear his voice, but she knew she couldn't. Not now anyway. Maybe not for a long time. And she knew Eliot wouldn't let anyone see him reaching out to her either, in case Evan hadn't been acting alone. She knew as well as Eliot they had to stay apart to protect each other. He had enough on his plate right now protecting his team and his family.

Besides Eliot's wounds had been more severe than her own, and while she knew he would heal quickly and he was probably out of his leg cast by now, he'd still be needing lots of physical therapy. And even if he didn't enlist anyone's help, he'd still be doing it himself no matter what. Just as she knew Quinn had been working out since practically the very beginning, she knew Eliot would be, too. A hitter couldn't afford to be down long and she knew Eliot couldn't afford to be out of commission because he couldn't leave his team unprotected. News spread fast in their line of work, and if it was known Eliot was out of commission, that left the people he cared about in harm's way; and she knew there was no way Eliot Spencer would ever put his own life above his team or his family.

Kat didn't go one minute without reliving that moment that she took that third bullet meant to end Eliot. From the time she'd last seen his face to the moment she'd woken to see Benji hovering over her instead of Eliot, she'd thought about nothing else. Her last actual site of Eliot had been of him bleeding and not moving on that warehouse's concrete floor. She couldn't close her eyes without that image popping into her mind and she was having a hard time dealing with it.

It had been a long time since she'd cared for another man. A long time since she'd opened up to another man. She'd known Eliot barely hours before the man had been able to break though that carefully constructed wall she'd built after letting her former husband abuse her the way he had. She'd fought hard to keep all men at bay. She never dated, she never talked to anyone outside of Bella or Sam, and she especially never talked about Adam or her daughter, Hannah and in the space of days, she'd told Eliot everything.

She sucked in a shaky breath as she felt this heavy weight in her heart. She knew she loved that man, now anyway, but she didn't know what to do. She couldn't see him and he couldn't see her. Not now anyway and with her last sight of Eliot being the image of him looking dead, well she just had a hard time focusing on the fact that he was really okay. She believed Emma when she said he was fine and getting better everyday, but it was still hard to imagine that with her last memory of him was what it was.

She sighed loudly as she pushed her fat cat off her lap and got up to walk into the kitchen. "Come on, Mr. Fat Man, time for some breakfast." She spoke softly, but the cat knew what she meant and he was already in the kitchen waiting for her. She laughed at the sight of him sitting by his empty food bowls waiting for her. "If you would move that fast when seeing a mouse or something, you'd earn more rewards you know."

Her remarks didn't faze him. He knew exactly how to get food out of her whenever he wanted it. He had her wrapped around his furry little paws. She bent down to pour the kibble into his bowl and let him reach up to bump his wet nose against hers in his thank you kiss. Then he bent to the task of finding the bottom of the bowl and she knew she was now forgotten in lieu of the food.

AN: I'm back! Sorry I've been gone so long, but things needed done in my life and I just wasn't feeling in the right place for writing. This story comes from an independent piece I was working on that was really going nowhere, so I've re-tooled it to for Leverage. I think it's going to work out just fine. I've also got copies of all the biographies I made for each character if if you like, I might just post them for fun! Warning, this book is going to have a lot of characters because I needed a lot of people that I could 'kill off' for the murder mystery part of the story. So be prepared. If you need a score card, let me know and I post the Cast list too. Thanks and hope you enjoy this first teaser chapter.