This content is rated T for blood, violence, and injuries. Please acknowledge this before reading.
I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the original characters.
Without any further yada yada yada...
Chapter 1- Jordan Jordan.
Eliot watches Hardison explain why Moreau is back, and in Eliot's head, Eliot watches Moreau get beaten to a pulp. Nate watches Eliot closely, and raises his eyebrows, effectively stopping Hardison's rant. Eliot looks at Nate for a moment, before saying,
"I'm calling in backup." Nate acknowledges this, and asks,
"Where to, Eliot?"
Their flight finally lands in Ireland at 3am. Thanks to Hardison, they all had whatever they wanted to watch on the fight, but landing at 3 A.M. was just too much. Sophie yawns.
"Agreed, Sophie," Nate also wants his sleep.
"Wait, are you guys tired?" Parker asks, definitely hyper.
"Who gave her chocolate?" Eliot asks.
"Um, might've given her some after the last job," Hardison confesses.
"Hey, let's not start a fight," Nate warns.
"We'll go check into the hotel, and we'll find your friends in the morning," Sophie suggests. Eliot having already gained his 90 minutes of sleep drops the crew at the hotel.
"Where are you going?" Parker asks, realizing Eliot is going somewhere in the cheap rental car.
"Well, I have to find my friends in order to convince them to do the job, might as well start now." Eliot helps them unload their bags.
"Can I come with you?" Parker asks. Eliot rolls his eyes, and they head off while the rest of the crew gains their precious sleep.
Parker and Eliot drive off.
"So, which friends?" Parker asks.
"You know Quinn, and he has a friend that worked with Moreau before, so-"
"Do you know the person that worked with Moreau? I mean, you worked with Moreau," Parker cuts him off.
"I don't know, Parker, I don't even know their name yet, and we need to find Quinn first," Eliot states.
"Ok!" Parker chirps.
The next morning, the crew meets with Quinn in a coffee shop. He and Eliot shake hands.
"You're not charging payment." Nate points out. Eliot cringes.
"Of course not. I need you to watch out for my friend," Quinn tells Eliot. "Oh, and I'm not doing this job with you." Quinn gets into their rental with the crew and tells Nate where to go.
The first things they see are the cars. Lots of cars. It's a large lot, with a small garage in the middle.
"She only accepts payment in cars." Quinn explains. Eliot gives Quinn a glance. They make it to the garage, and Quinn produces a key. He unlocks the big door and shoves it up high enough to duck under, then open it automatically with a button on the inside. He flips on the lights, and Quinn and the crew see no sign of anybody. "I wonder where she is."
J. Jordan's name is Jordan Jordan. That's what she tells everybody, never giving her actual last name. Well, that's because she doesn't know it. Why is she thinking about this now? Oh yeah. Now JJ opens her eyes and sees the balcony above. She remembers now. She got pushed off the balcony. She remembers her head cracking against the pavement now, too. Whatever. Injuries are injuries, and she is pretty sure her right arm is broken, but JJ always makes it out with the merchandise. And she does. She can feel the merch in her pocket. Taking 1 more look around to make sure she's alone, JJ hops to her feet and slowly jogs down to her van, which is parked a couple blocks away. When she gets to it, she fumbles in her pockets for the keys. She sits in the driver's seat for a minute, trying to calm her concussed head, then she drives to her garage.
When she gets home, she can tell she isn't alone. Seriously. Why would she ever own a cheap car like that? Plus, she recognized it as a rental. Oh yeah. Quinn called her a 6am this morning saying something about people looking for a hitter. Well, she needs staples and a sling before she starts another job. Thankfully, she has numerous first aid kits that should do the trick. She goes in through the back door, and JJ can hear Quinn talking. Another voice seems familiar, but JJ blames it on the concussion. She keeps moving until she is behind Quinn, but she still can't see anyone else. She almost trips in the ball gown that she's wearing because of her last job. She watches him, until her turns around, saying,
"I know you're there, JJ. It's not polite to eavesdrop, you know." JJ comes out and shrugs slightly, until she sees Eliot. And Eliot sees her. She gives Eliot the stink eye.
"Jordan? I thought- I thought you blew up," He says, quietly, carefully. Quinn glances between the 2. Jordan instinctively scratches the burn on her face.
"Nice dress, JJ," Quinn remarks, trying to break the tension. JJ huffs.
"Grifting really isn't my thing." JJ says tersely, not taking her eyes off Eliot as she maneuvers to her small kitchen. There she takes an icepack out of the freezer and a first aid kit from the cabinet.
"Oh, jeez, Jordan, when I said 'expand your expertise' I meant try some different jobs, not, 'grift'," Quinn rubs his forehead. JJ glares at him. "Yeah right 'I didn't phrase it that way'," Quinn says sarcastically, understanding what she meant when her eye twitched.
"Well, I hate to break up retrieval specialist reunion, but we have a job offer for you," Nate mentions.
"And, we've never been introduced," Sophie tells JJ.
"Jordan Jordan. You can call me JJ or just Jordan." JJ says quickly.
"Ok," Nate says. "You already know Eliot, I'm assuming. But I'm Nate, this is Sophie,"
"Hello," Sophie says. Nate continues.
"This is Parker,"
"Hi," Parker says, smiling.
"And Hardison," Nate finishes up the introductions.
"Sup," Hardison says.
"So you'll do the job? We can't exactly pay you in a car-"
"I don't wanna get paid." JJ cuts Nate off.
"Ok, let's go then," Sophie quickly seals the deal.
"She'll meet you at the airport in an hour," Quinn says, glancing at JJ. JJ glares at him. "Jordan, that's plenty of time to do your staples," Quinn says. A sort of staring contest has broken out between the 2. Their identical faces reveal it to the crew.
"Wait a minute," Hardison says.
"Are you guys, twins?" Parker asks.
"Yeah," JJ says hesitantly. Quinn shrugs, and loses the staring contest.
"Whatever. I have to go, but you guys all have to get back to the States. See you all later," Quinn nods in departure, JJ rolling her eyes. Then the crew leaves and she starts to patch herself up.
When they meet at the airport, JJ is dresses in jeans and a plaid shirt, and has one small backpack. Her right arm is in a sling. They get on the plane, and in no time they are back in the US. Jordan's Irish accent stands out more now that they are among Americans.
"Ok, guys, tomorrow, 10:00, brew pub." Nate sums up. The crew departs. "Where are you going?" Nate asks Jordan.
"I have a house, somewhere around here."
"Prescott and 33rd, Jordan," Eliot reminds her. JJ nods and walks away.
The next morning, JJ arrives at the brew pub at 9:45. Everybody else is there, and promptly comes out when Jordan drives up in a Military tractor trailer.
"What the heck, Jordan?" Eliot asks her. She climbs out the door and jumps off the truck, a 5 foot drop.
"I forgot it was the only vehicle I keep in Oregon." She says, locking the doors.
During the briefing, JJ stands and watches. When they come to the security detail, Eliot and Jordan move in for a closer look.
"This is our best bet," Eliot remarks while pointing to a spot on the screen. JJ nods. The crew watches as Jordan points out a spot, and Eliot draws from that spot to another. After going on for awhile, Eliot finally says, "We have a plan."
Said plan does not work out for Eliot. Once he and Jordan had separated, Eliot had been immediately swept up by Moreau's guys. He was in the heart of Moreau's base, and he is in there now, watching his beloved crew members be brought in, one by one. The only one still out on the field is Parker.
"See Eliot? You aren't better than me." Moreau says, his voice dropping. "You never will be." Just then, another retrieval specialist walks in, dragging handcuffed Parker. This guy has a mask on his face. "Ah, Johnison, you are a respectable employee. I suspect the Irish lass has been taken care of?" Moreau asks about Jordan. Johnison nods, and throws Parker towards the crew. He then goes to stand with the other hitters. "Eliot, there is a hitter you can look up to. Playtime, boys," The hitters surround Eliot, and one of them hits Eliot over the head with his gun. Johnison stops him before he can do it again. Moreau takes notice, saying, "This below you, Johnison? Would a 1 on 1 suit you better?" The hitters pull Johnison and Eliot to opposite sides of the room, and Eliot's handcuffs are removed. He growls and prepares to demolish Johnison. However, Johnison gets Eliot into a chokehold, and whispers to him.
"Eliot, stop it, I'm working on the plan." Johnison consequently lets Eliot flip him over. Then Johnison pulls a gun, and tosses a kitchen knife to Eliot. Johnison aims the gun at Moreau, and moves so he and Eliot are back to back.
"So you're my little traitor." Moreau says, unsurprised.
"Duh," Johnison says, pulling off his mask and revealing himself to be Jordan.
"What do you know? It's my favorite crew. Eliot Spencer and Jordan Jordan. You 2 were my invincible people. Oh, well, until the accident," Moreau watches them carefully. The crew stays still as Parker, who's handcuffs weren't actually locked[because Jordan brought her in, frees the rest of the crew. "Oh yes, the accident." Moreau sneers. She shoots the gun at an approaching hitter. She hits him in the shoulder and he falls. The other hitters close in, and they separate Eliot and Jordan. More and more retrieval specialists flood in from other areas, and they keep coming until the crew can't see Eliot or Jordan. Eliot can't see Jordan either, and when the window smashes and a large cluster of people fall into the frozen lake below, Eliot can only assume she is in that group.
Eliot finishes up the fight quickly, with some help from Parker and her taser. Then the crew takes their client's merchandise and information from Moreau. Then they head down to the lake to help Jordan.
Jordan is having a bad day. When she fell, she was somehow pushed under all the hitters, and hit the ice first, effectively cracking it for the other guys. She fell down deep, and she couldn't tell if she touched the bottom or not, because of the numbness. Oh jeez, the numbness. When she came back up, she couldn't even tell they drugged her because she never felt the prick of the needle. She falls backwards onto another hitter who is choking on the icy water. One of his buddies pulls him up from under Jordan. Then they kick at her, moving her towards the hole in the ice. One of the guys gives her a final kick, and she slides back into the icy water. As her head hits the bottom, she forgets everything.
The crew finally makes it down to the lake. Eliot walks cautiously onto the ice, and he peers down the hole in the ice. Moreau's guys already cleared out.
Down at the bottom of the water, Jordan forgets. She forgets about the numbness. She can see the hole in the ice, and it is shrouded with light. But the light is blocked as somebody leans over and looks down. Then she is drowning, and the water sloshes in her lungs. As she breaks the water's surface, Eliot pulls her out. She kneels on the ground, coughing out water. She pulls herself up, shivering. "You ok?" Eliot asks. Jordan nods. The crew moves back towards the van, and Jordan's tractor trailer is there as well. She climbs up in the cab and sighs. Within a minute, the driver's seat is soaked with the icy water. The crew hasn't left yet, and neither has she. As she leans her head against the steering wheel, Eliot knows something isn't right. "Something isn't right," Eliot says.
"It's not in her nature to stick around after a run," Sophie muses.
"You guys go back to the brew pub. I'll catch a ride with Jordan." Eliot gets out of Lucille and walks across the street to the giant truck. He climbs up in the passenger side, and Lucille pulls away. "Hey," He says, nudging Jordan, who shoots up.
"What?" She asks urgently.
"Nothing, just wondering why you haven't left yet. You usually disappear after jobs." Eliot points out. Jordan glances at Eliot.
"You don't stick around either," She counters his argument.
"Then let's go," Eliot tells her. Suddenly, Eliot hears a slight whine in his ear as his comm is activated. "Dammit, Hardison, what was that for?" Eliot growls.
"Um, Eliot, we, uh, just wanted to let you know the brew pub sorta' blew up." Hardison says.
"It's like when I was a kid," Parker says happily.
"Nobody even wants to know what that means," Hardison comments.
"We still don't know who did it," Sophie says. Eliot pulls out his extra comm and gives it to Jordan. She pus it in her ear as Eliot starts talking.
"I was obviously Moreau's guys," Nate thinks for a minute. "But is that what Moreau does when he gets ripped off?"
"It's what he does when he gets ripped off by former employees." Jordan points out.
"It was like time when we had to set the guy's house on fire." Eliot says.
"Yeah." JJ adds. She pulls off her soggy sweatshirt and pulls out a dry one from behind her seat. She puts it on.
Suddenly, a van pulls around the corner. Eliot and JJ see it.
"We need to go," Eliot says.
"Agreed," JJ starts the trailer. She presses on the gas.
"What's going on?" Sophie asks.
"Oh, just some more of Moreau's guys," Eliot says as Jordan pulls a hard left. Eliot slams against the window. "Jeez, you drive like Parker," Eliot growls.
"Is that a bad thing?" Parker asks.
"Not, necessarily," Hardison tells her. Jordan pulls into a parking lot, thinking she lost them.
"I think we lost them," She tells Eliot. Just then, the van also pulls into the parking lot. "Or not," She adds quickly. She tries to pull out, but the tractor trailer is too big. The van is hurtling at top speeds, straight at JJ and Eliot.
"Great," Eliot says.
"I know," JJ sighs. "I just got this truck 2 months ago. But, it should hold up." She pulls the air-brake, and Nate starts talking over the comms.
"Talk to us, what's happening?"
"Well, we're about to be rammed by a van," Eliot says. Then the van hits, and the truck shakes.
"It's our turn now." Jordan shouts.
"Our turn for what?" Eliot asks. Then she gets a mysterious gleam in her eye.
"We're gonna ram them." She starts the tractor, and rams the van. It skids out of the parking lot, clearing a path for Jordan. She starts to leave, but suddenly she freezes.
"Jordan?" Eliot asks. She doesn't respond, only slumping forward in her seat.
"JJ, wake up," He says. He nudges her, slightly harder this time, but she still doesn't wake up. "Hardison," He says into his comm. "You hacked Moreau's camera feed, right?" Eliot starts to move Jordan into the passenger seat, and he moves into the driver's seat.
"Yeah man. What do you want?" Hardison asks.
"Can you check the parameter cameras and see what happened outside, before we got down to the lake?" Eliot asks.
"Yeah sure man, just, gimme a sec," Hardison types on his computer. "Woah, woah, we never knew that happened!" Hardison shouts.
"What happened?" Eliot growled.
"They drugged her and kicked her back in the water," Sophie says quietly.
"Dammit," Eliot growls under his breath. He stops the truck and shoves Jordan. "Wake up!" He yells. Jordan shifts a bit, but doesn't wake up. "Nate, where do you want to meet?" Eliot asks through the comm. "Jordan has a house here, I'm pretty sure Moreau doesn't know about it." Eliot points out.
"Where?" Nate asks, starting Lucille's engine.
"Prescott and 33rd," Eliot says, also starting his engine.
When the crew arrives at JJ's house, they expect another garage home. Instead, they find a regular one-level home, with a fenced-in yard. Eliot picks Jordan up and hauls her out of the cab. They are all inside and Eliot has secured and swept the house for bugs. Hardison, however, is going through JJ's Wii system.
"Man, she has 4 remotes. Doesn't she live by herself?" Hardison points out, holding up a Wii remote.
"Dammit, Hardison, you don't just randomly go through people's stuff!" Eliot growls.
"I randomly go through people's video games, though," Hardison flips through her games.
"Hey, stop fighting," Sophie says.
"There's no food here," Parker says after her exploration through the kitchen. Nate tosses Eliot a cell phone.
"You may want to call Quinn, considering this is his sister," Nate tells him. Eliot dials the phone.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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