Leverage: Thicker Than Water
Eliot reclined lazily on the deck of the large yacht. His hair lay flat underneath him and his eyes were closed under the shades he wore to block the intensity of the sunlight. For all intents and purposes, he appeared to be asleep.
Nate turned away from the wheel for a moment, and glanced at the younger man. He was glad his hitter was finally able to relax. The whole team needed some down time, but Eliot wasn't the kind to take it. All those times he had bitched to Nate about having time off, Nate later discovered, had been mostly for the team's benefit. Eliot was usually found during that time doing something for various and sundry friends of his—most of them military—some…others. Nate wasn't really sure who they were or how they knew Eliot, but he hadn't asked. He might not get an answer if he did ask.
Nate dropped anchor in the middle of the harbor. He settled down to read, thinking he might do some fishing later if Eliot wanted to. Moments later, he got caught up in watching the dolphins circling a shrimp boat further out to sea, and he didn't realize how much time had passed. He jumped when he heard a beeping sound and a muffled vibration. Eliot opened his eyes and sat up, faster than anyone had a right to do so. Withdrawing the phone that Nate had taken to calling his "other" phone from his pocket, he touched a button and held it up to his ear.
He listened for a long time, without saying a word, and then finally said, "Patch him through. Thanks Vance."
There was another period of silence, and then he said, "Ben. My man. Howya doin'?"
The smile on Eliot's face froze there, and then slowly faded as he listened. "Whoa. Slow down. Say that again?" After a moment, he said, "Where are you?"
Nate couldn't hear the voice on the other end of the telephone, but he did hear Eliot's, and he heard the timbre of it change. There was an urgency in his voice that Nate seldom heard there. "Stay Put. I'll come to you."
When he hung up the phone, Nate didn't give him a chance to say anything, before he spoke. "Bad news."
"I don't know. Maybe. I need to get back."
Nate turned his head sideways and studied Eliot for a few moments. Then, he started steering the boat. After a moment, he said, "Care to tell me what the phone call was about?"
Eliot didn't answer at first. Nate shrugged and turned back to the boat. He was surprised when a voice sounded behind him a moment later.
"That was my nephew, Ben. He didn't want to tell me what was wrong over the phone, but if he's calling me, it's bad."
"What? A nephew can't call his uncle just to talk?"
"Not like this. If he's calling on this phone, there's something wrong."
"I heard you thank Vance."
"Yep. No service out here. But Ben called on this phone, following specific instructions he has known since he was little, and that's how Vance knew to patch him through."
"So, what now?"
"I'll need to pick Ben up."
"I'll gather the team and get them ready."
"No." Nate shot him a look and he said, "I have to do this…you all don't. It's my issue, I'll take care of it."
"Meet me back at the office", he asked Eliot, and the younger man nodded once.
(0o0)
Nate and Eliot had gone their separate ways in the parking lot at the marina. Nate immediately drove to the office let himself in, and sat down at the large computer screen in the back room, and began pulling up a browser and typing in the search box. A moment later, Harrison walked out of his office, unaware that anyone else was there. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Nate seated at the table.
"Nate. What are you doing here? We're supposed to be taking some time off."
"Well, something happened, and Eliot had to come back from fishing early. He says it is his issue and he'll take care of it, but he agreed to meet me here. I want to have some idea of what I think is going on, and to be ready if he changes his mind."
"Do we need to call the team together?"
"I don't think so. I just want to do some research right now."
"Research on what exactly?"
"It's probably nothing, and Eliot might not appreciate it if I tell you."
Shaking his head and muttering to himself, Hardison went back into the personnel office for the brew pub and closed the door.
(0o0)
Half an hour later, Nate heard a key in the back door, and Eliot stalked inside. A young man with roughly the same build as Eliot, and with the same startlingly blue eyes, though without the hardness of manhood, followed him. Acknowledging with a glance that Nate was there, Eliot seated himself at the table and motioned Ben to sit down beside him. He swiveled the stool to face the young man.
"Tell me what happened." Ben glanced at Nate, and Eliot laid a hand on the young man's shoulder. "He's a friend. It's all right."
"Mom's in the hospital. Police say her brakes failed. She wrecked the charger."
"How's she doing?"
"I don't know. When I call the hospital where the police told me they took her, they tell me there isn't anyone there with her name. Papaw went to see about her, and he hasn't been home either. This morning, he sent me this text."
Ben held his phone out to Eliot and Eliot stared at it for a long time. Without a word, he passed the phone to Nate. Nate tilted his head sideways, thinking. He caught Eliot's gaze and held it, and then he jerked his head sideways, toward the closed door, indicating that he wanted to talk to Eliot privately. Almost imperceptibly, Eliot nodded, and focused on Ben.
"You hungry?"
Ben nodded.
"Okay. I want you to go on out to the dining room and eat something, while I make some arrangements. We'll leave as soon as we can."
"Come on. I'll show you where to go." Nate led Ben out to the dining room and signaled the waitress to put it on the team's tab. Nate left him there and joined Eliot again in the back room.
"What do you think, Nate? Eliot asked.
"Before I can answer that, I think I need a little more information."
"What kind of information?"
"Information such as what your relationship with Ben and his mother is. More information about the whole situation. That kind of information." He paused. "I'm assuming he is part of your family. The resemblance is unmistakeable."
"He's my nephew. My sister, Angela, borrowed my Charger while her truck is having its transmission replaced. Drove it out last weekend." He opened his mouth and closed it again.
"What aren't you saying, Eliot?"
"I service that car myself. Weekly. I replaced the brakes less than two months ago."
"So what do you think is really going on?"
"I don't know, but I intend to find out."