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Solitary Confinement – Part 2
Eliot checked his watch, grinding his teeth as he watched the seconds tick past. It had been three hours. Three damn hours too many. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel of the van he had parked across the street from the bank. "Hardison, where's our in?"
"Hold on, I need a few more minutes."
"What's Parker doing right now?"
"At the moment? She's still going through the safety deposit boxes. Kudos to her to being able to do that in the dark, all by touch. That girl is talented."
"She wouldn't be on this team if she weren't the best," Eliot suggested.
"Looks like her pile of booty in the middle of the floor is getting bigger. I'm seeing uncut gems in there, lots of paperwork, lots of cash. And there she goes pulling out a painting from another safety deposit box." Hardison sounded nothing if not impressed with Parker's tenacity.
Eliot grinned a little at the image. He stopped just before asking his next question when the lights started to flicker on and off for the illuminated signs that beckoned to the pedestrians walking along the block. A few seconds later the lights went out and stayed dark. It didn't make a huge difference in the middle of the afternoon, as it were, but he saw shop owners starting to peek their heads out their front doors to see how widespread the problem was. Hardison had apparently succeeded; the whole block's power was down. "Good job, Hardison," Eliot muttered over the comm, relief rushing through him. He turned around in his seat to face Sophie in the back of the van. "You ready?"
"There is no way I'm getting out of this van in this ridiculous get-up. I don't think my dignity would survive the experience," she said, crossing her arms across her chest as she pouted.
Eliot hopped out of the van, walked around back, and popped the rear doors open. "You'll recover. Come on, let's go. Parker's counting on us."
"Eliot, this costume is-"
Eliot growled, grabbed one of her hands, and practically dragged her out of the van, shutting the doors quickly and locking the van to cut off her route of escape. "There, now you don't have to make the decision. Let's go."
Sophie huffed, brushed some imaginary dust off her orange coveralls and straightened the helmet that had gone a bit crooked on her head. It was about three sizes too big and sat lopsidedly on her head. They didn't usually make utility uniforms for dainty people her size. The sight made Eliot's mouth twitch, though he didn't show it- Sophie was adept at ingenious revenges at the most unexpected of times. "Explain to me why we couldn't just walk in like normal people and let me flirt my way past security?"
"Because I doubt that the guards who would be vying for your attention would take too keenly to the idea of you bringing a boyfriend along. Look, decision's been made; your fashion sense has already been knocked down a few pegs seeing as we're already out in public. Let's go," Eliot prodded again as he picked up his repair case off the ground.
Sophie rolled her eyes but fell in step next to Eliot easily enough as the two of them proceeded into the bank. Eliot let Sophie take the lead, then. She deftly engaged the single teller in a bit of small talk about the power outage and then explained how the power company had sent them over to check things out. It wouldn't do for a bank to be without its security system, now would it? Sophie flashed a smile that screamed confidence, and even Eliot had to give her, her due.
The teller disappeared for a few moments after muttering something about checking with her superiors. She returned with one of the security guards.
"Susan here tells me you want to check on the bank power hub?"
Eliot nodded, hefting his tool case onto the counter. "Yep. Figured we'd stop here first before we take care of the rest of the block." Eliot's next words died on his lips as the lights started to flicker on for a moment and then they didn't go dark again.
The guard smirked. "We appreciate your concern, but as you can see, our generators are working just fine."
"But sir, surely it wouldn't hurt to just let us check out your systems," Sophie suggested in that flirtatious voice she favored. "We have to inspect all of the power set-ups on this block to determine which is the one was responsible for the outage. It could very well be some glitch in your system that dropped the power on the whole block."
The guard looked her up and down, obviously paying more attention to the curves of her body than the words that were coming out of the grifter's mouth. "Make an appointment and come back tomorrow when we're fully staffed. These sorts of requests have to go through the district manager and today's his weekly golf outing."
Eliot growled and took a step forward but Sophie's delicate hand settled in on his bicep, stilling his motion. "Of course. We'll see you tomorrow perhaps, then," Sophie finished.
The guard's smirk widened. "I wouldn't mind seeing you again at all. Sorry we couldn't be more helpful."
"Nonsense, you've been a perfect gentleman. You're just doing your job," Sophie added before the two of them turned and exited the bank.
As soon as the door had closed behind them and they were around the corner Eliot was yelling over his comm. "Hardison! What was that? You said the power outage would last at least an hour."
"I don't know, man! I looked at the schematics for this building. There wasn't any information about generators. They must be a recent addition." Hardison sounded irritated- he hated nothing more when things like this undermined his work.
"Well just great. Now how are we supposed to get Parker out of there? She's got to be running low on air by now," Eliot grilled Hardison.
Nate cut in before it could get nasty. "Eliot, Sophie, get back to the van. We'll start working on a new plan. In the meantime, the two of you stay low."
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Eliot was back in the van watching people mill in and out of the bank entrance. For each person that went in and out, he swore silently to himself, getting more and more furious. All of these pedestrians going about their daily lives could pass in and out of bank at their leisure. Yet that was the one thing he couldn't do. He was the retrieval specialist. Every part of him was screaming for him to say to hell with the consequences and just go in through those doors and take down anyone who got in his way.
This was Parker. She didn't get caught. She snuck about, in and out, without so much as running into anyone. For cons where she was at risk of getting caught, he always made sure he was there at an arm's length. Close enough to put a fist into the face of anyone who would so much as look at her funny. Now some stupid rent-a-cops had decided to lock her in safe for some entertainment. He wanted more than to crack their faces open. He wanted to break every bone in their bodies for what they were putting Parker through right now. "Nate, Hardison, you have a way in yet?"
"Hardison's doing his best. He's rerouted the calls going in and out of the bank. If they call the cops it'll come to us instead of to them. That should keep the authorities off our backs and give us more time to get Parker out," Nate replied over the comm.
Eliot shook his head. "Hardison, how is she doing?"
"Well, it looks like she's gone through most of the safety deposit boxes. She stopped rooting through those awhile back."
"And what is she doing now? Any sign that she's running low on air? It might not be too noticeable, she might be a little wobbly or her movements might be lethargic."
"I set up a simulation for that. According to my program she should be ok for up to eight hours, assuming she remains relatively calm the entire time," Hardison said.
"She's been in there for five. And forget the damn computer program for a minute. Is she looking tired or clumsy?" Eliot continued to press for more information.
"Hang on; I'll take a look…Damn. She's by the door. Pounding on it by the looks of it. Now she's pacing the vault. Maybe just looking to stretch her legs? Nope, back to the vault door. She's kicking it-"
Eliot was moving, sliding out of the car. "She's panicking. She's been in there too long."
"There's no way she's running out of air. My calculations can't possibly be that far off."
Eliot growled as he ran across the street, causing a car to slam on the brakes as he darted in front of it. "She's been in a small dark space for several hours with no assurance that we're coming for her. She's human, Hardison. And her mind's decided she's had enough."
"But Parker likes small spaces-"
Sophie came over the comm next. "Eliot, where are you going? Do you have a plan?"
Nate interrupted then. "Eliot, back to the van! Do not do anything stupid. We need to be smart about this!"
Eliot ignored the demand and muttered low under his breath. "We need to get Parker out of there, now." Now was not the time for distractions. He'd tried Nate's way and they'd failed. They'd failed Parker. It was his turn now. He pulled the ear bud out and dropped it into his pocket for the time being. He needed to be able to focus his full attention on the task set out before him and that meant he couldn't have three other people in his head.
He saw a pair of uniformed figures in the alleyway and curved his path in that direction. A pair of bank guards was taking a smoke break in the alleyway. "So when are we gonna call the cops and give that thief over to them?"
"Eh, soon enough I suppose. It's been an entertaining afternoon though, hasn't it? I told you this was a good idea."
His anger rose at that, thick and hot in his throat. The fury was almost blinding. Parker was locked in a vault, clawing to get out, and they were out here laughing with one another and smoking as though this was acceptable behavior. Eliot recognized the taller one from the back. It was the one who had turned Sophie and him away in the lobby. The man's girth rolled over the top of his belt, the result of far too many dull days spent loitering behind a desk.
He couldn't help himself.
Eliot's fist connected with the back of the man's shoulder. The man spun from the impact, Eliot saw the look of shock and fear that washed over the man's face. He didn't pause in his onslaught. His next kick went right for the man's groin. The man folded. Eliot felt a sense of satisfaction but the pain he'd inflicted wasn't nearly enough to equalize the balance for what they'd put Parker through for their own amusement.
The smaller of the two guards was stupid. He should've run, but he instead tried to play the hero and stepped between Eliot and the larger guard who was babbling on the ground. Eliot put the smaller guard out with two well-delivered strikes, watching the man slump down against the wall, unconscious.
As Eliot stepped forward toward the still-conscious guard who'd been joking about what they'd done to Parker, the man tried to scoot backwards away from the hitter. Eliot bent down and grabbed the man by the scruff of his uniform, forcing him to his feet.
"Wh-what do you want? Look, I can't get you any money, if that's what you're hoping for." The guy's eyes narrowed as he managed to scrape some sense together. "Wait, you're the repair guy. What game are you playing here?"
Eliot snorted. "I think it's my job to ask the questions here. You've taken something of mine and you're going to make it right."
The man put his hands up in defense as Eliot tightened his grip on the jacket collar he held firmly in his hand. "I don't know what you're talking about! I don't have anything."
Eliot pushed the man ahead of him toward the steel door that led into the bank from the alley. The man hit the door with a solid thud but managed to keep his balance.
"You have a friend of mine locked in that vault of yours. You thought it was funny, did you? Well I'm here to show you just how wrong you are. But first, you're going to let her out. And maybe if you do it fast enough, I won't have to break a few bones to make my point."
The guard fumbled for the key ring on his belt. His eyes kept darting over at Eliot as if he expected the hitter to come at him again. Somehow, Eliot managed to keep his cool- ensuring Parker's safety was more important than his satisfaction he'd get from beating the man to a bloody pulp. When the guard managed to still his shaky hands long enough to get the lock undone and the door open, Eliot stalked after the man through the door.
Eliot followed the man as he limped forward through a series of hallways. The hitter tried to commit their path to memory, attempting to match it to the floor plans that Hardison had showed them during the briefing. He was drawn out of his thoughts as the security guard stopped in front of a vault.
"Better make it quick," Eliot suggested. "I'm not too patient with a guy who holds one of my people hostage."
The man mumbled something incoherent and began spinning the dial. A few turns later he tried the handle with his sweaty fingers but it didn't open. The man cursed.
"I thought we agreed on no funny business," Eliot snapped as he cracked his knuckles meaningfully and took a step forward.
"Look! I just need a minute. You're pressuring me!"
Eliot shook his head and bared his teeth but didn't advance any further. The man tried the combination again. Eliot held his breath as the guard pulled the steel handle. How long had Parker been in there? What would she being doing now?
As the door swung open Eliot kept his eyes locked on the entrance of the darkened vault. A figure clambered out of the steel enclosure and then stood up to her full height. Her eyes were red and she was breathing hard. She kept her eyes on the guard and then she pulled something up from her hip on the side facing away from Eliot.
As the item came into view Eliot's eyes widened. Parker evened out her breathing, narrowed her eyes, and leveled the barrel of the gun at the guard. Shit. Where the hell had Parker gotten a weapon?
"You find the most interesting things in vaults," Parker spoke in a shaky voice as she advanced on the guard, not once looking over at Eliot. "People hide all the things they would never want other people to find. Drugs, money, stolen goods. Hell, even a gun or two," she added with a quick, hysterical laugh bubbling out of her throat before her voice cracked and then died.
Eliot moved slowly. He didn't want to startle her. The last thing they needed was shots being fired. "Parker, I know it was probably hard being in there. But look, we got you out. Now we both need to get out of here. The cops will be coming any time," he said, trying to soothe her raw nerves.
Parker didn't even spare the hitter a glance. Her full attention was on the fumbling security guard who had backed up against the wall. "What makes men do things like this? I mean, I really want to know. You think it's funny to lock a woman in a small space? Does it make you feel like the man you never were and never will be? Is it the rush you get over inflicting pain on another person?" she sneered. It didn't sound like Parker- not innocent, fun Parker. Eliot swallowed.
The gun was shaking in her hand. Eliot had gotten two steps closer but he was still out of range to do anything.
She pulled the trigger.
Eliot flinched at the sound, a strangled cry erupting from his throat as he stared at Parker in shock and horror.
Damn it.
What had Parker done?
The security guard released a startled cry and his hand leapt up to his chest.
Eliot examined the man for the red stain that should be blossoming there, but to his surprise, there was nothing. His gaze raked the man. If not the chest- no, not the man's legs are arms either. There was absolutely no sign of a wound. He looked to Parker next. She was snarling.
The safety.
She had forgotten to switch the safety of the gun.
Eliot let out a breath, trying to keep himself from shaking a little with relief. Thank god for small blessings.
The hitter darted in, knocked the gun from the thief's hand and kicked it away. He hated guns. He hated them, loathed them, absolutely despised them with all his heart. He grabbed her hand and practically dragged her back from the cowering guard.
"What the hell are you doing, Parker?" he demanded.
She was a mix of emotions. Aggression flashed in her eyes. He'd seen Parker upset. He'd seen her crying and sad and frustrated. But he'd never seen her angry like this before, angry enough to pull the fucking trigger of a gun. He shook her harshly. "Parker, snap out of it! We need to get out of here." She gritted her teeth at him and tried to pull away from his grip on her wrist.
He was conflicted. He wanted to tear the guard limb from limb for the change he'd wrought upon their normally at least partially-sane thief. All he saw in her eyes right now was a crazed fury. She wanted blood. No, he corrected himself; she had wanted this guard dead. And one small overlooked detail had been all that had kept Parker from staining her hands with a crime she never would have washed off her conscience. Eliot knew what it was like to kill a person. He also knew what it was like to live with that guilt and the scars afterwards.
To beat the guard to a pulp would mean letting Parker go, however, and that was something he couldn't allow. He didn't trust her to do anything right now. The girl wasn't in her right mind. So he did the one thing he could do, he dragged her away from the vault and the guard and whatever had transpired behind those steel walls that had brought about such a vicious change in her personality. He took her away from all that, even with her protesting the whole way. He kicked open the door and took the two of them down into the alley and back toward the van.
Nate and Hardison were in the car waiting at the end of the alley. Sophie had apparently abandoned the van as well; she was seated in the passenger seat of the car. As they approached Hardison popped open the back door for them and scooted over to the far window to make room for them.
None of his teammates spoke but their gazes said it all. Is she ok? they were wondering. He didn't really have an answer for that himself.
Eliot released his iron grip on Parker's wrist. He kept his full attention focused on her in case she chose to make a dash for it. But he saw fear wash over her face as she eyed the confined space of the rear of the car.
She cleared her throat and spoke in a much more uncertain tone this time. Whatever fury had overcome her back in the bank had been burned away. Just the exhausted husk remained. "I…I'll walk. Just go ahead."
Nate furrowed his brow. "Parker, now's not the time to indulge those crazy whims you get. The cops are going to be all over this place and it's more than seven miles back to HQ. Hop in the car and let's get out of here."
She took a shuddering breath. "I can't…"
"Just go, Nate. I'll make sure Parker gets home." Eliot's voice was tightly controlled.
Eliot watched the muscles in Nate's neck tense as he prepared to shake his head in a second refusal of the notion. But Eliot locked gazes with him, mentally pleading for the man to just take his word on this. Parker needed lots of space right now.
Nate sighed. "Fine. But do us a favor and make sure the two of you get home in one piece." His voice was full of the sort of soft concern that Eliot saw Parker flinch back from.
The only thing he did, however, was nod and keep his position right next to Parker as the car rolled away, leaving the two of them alone, together.
Parker started walking, taking Eliot by surprise. He jogged to catch up with her. "We really walking the whole seven miles? I know we're both pretty in shape, but that's a long distance no matter how you figure it."
"I'm going home," was the little blond thief's only verbal response as she continued to stomp down along the sidewalk.
"How far is that?" Eliot asked as he fell into step a few feet behind her.
"Close enough."
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