I again appologize for another boring chapter. I'm trying... I keep getting distracted with new ideas for other fanfic. Action should improve soon. After rewatching The Gone Fishin' Job, I realize I have at least 10 days to freakin' figure out!

But thank you all again for the support, favoriting, encouragement, and offers to help!

"Let's go steal us a cartel."

The plan was to get an early flight down to El Paso that evening, have Parker and Eliot do recon at a couple of Espinosa's haunts, while Hardison, Sophie, and Nate set up cover stories. Unfortunately, El Paso was getting socked with major thunderstorms, causing their first flight to be canceled and their subsequent one to be delayed… twice. When all was said and done, it was almost 2 am when they finally reached their destination. Cranky at being cooped up in a giant can all evening, Nate checked his weary crew into a hotel and mumbled something about getting underway later on that morning, preferably after some sleep and coffee; lots of coffee.

When 8 am finally rolled around, Nate went out to the living area of their hotel suite and found Eliot already up, drinking coffee, and reading the sports section of the El Paso Times. Both men nodded their acknowledgement of each other, and Nate poured his own cup brew. He turned and sat down in a plush chair across from the Hitter. "How's the inventory?" Nate asked, nodding to Eliot's knee.

"Black eye's almost better," the younger man responded, "Ribs still ache when I breathe, wrist is sore, back aches, and the knee is better, but if I step just right, I get some jarring pain." He took another sip and turned the page. "All-in-all, it's nothing I can't handle."

Nate nodded. He knew, deep down, he had to back off soon to allow his crew to heal- especially the Retrieval Specialist. Yet the people in need kept coming and they had to help. "I'm sorry for having to keep you throwing yourself into harm's way, Eliot."

"It's what I do," Eliot shrugged and smiled, "Though I do gotta tell you, I'm really gonna need a break here, soon."

"I understand," Nate sipped his own coffee.

"Don't get me wrong," Eliot began, tossing the paper onto the coffee table, "You broke me, man. I wanna help these people. Yet, I need to step back for a little bit." He hesitated before going on. "And so do you, Nate."

"I'm good, Eliot. Thank you, though."

"Nate, seriously, man. You're bouncin' back and forth between one addiction to the other." The conversation had officially entered an area Nathan Ford did not wish to go.

Mercifully, the girls' bedroom door opened and Sophie came out to the living room. "Good morning," she smiled. They each reciprocated her greeting. She made herself a cup of tea and sat down on the couch and looked back and forth from Nate to Eliot. She could tell that something was amiss between the two. "So what's the plan?" she asked, hoping to diffuse the tension.

"You and Hardison are going to go down to the INS/U.S. Marshal headquarters and see what Pablo's status is," Nate began, "See when they're planning on transporting him.

"Eliot, you and Parker scope out known areas where Espinosa and Las Serpientes hang out. Try to stay low until you see him, and only until you have an excellent opening can you make your presence known."

"What're you gonna do?" Eliot asked, finishing the rest of his coffee.

"I'm going to search for something we can use to convince Espinosa to work with us."

Eliot stood up and gradually put weight on his bad leg, wincing as he started to walk. "I'll go wake up Hardison," he said through clenched teeth.

"I thought you said your knee wasn't too bad?" Nate called out.

"It's not when I'm moving. I've been sitting for an hour, so it's a little stiff," Eliot answered, his limp decreasing as he neared Hardison's and Nate's room.

Sophie watched as he went in and felt sorry for how much damage Eliot let himself take all so the rest of the team didn't have to. She smiled, though, remembering that it was Eliot's own fault for the beating he took from the old woman in Wisconsin. He did take her grand-daughter for a "roll in the hay," so he deserved it a little.

Nate sighed loudly and Sophie turned her attention back to her leader. "He needs rest," she simply and quietly stated.

"I know, Soph," he sounded worn himself, "He and I were just discussing that." She raised an eyebrow for him to continue, but Parker opened the door and stepped out, rubbing her eyes. From the other doorway, Hardison yawned and stretched. Eliot scooted out behind him, all trace of the limp gone. Once the newly awakened members of his crew assembled what drinks and munchies that they wanted and sat down- Parker on the other end of the couch and Hardison in Eliot's vacated seat- Nathan went over the plan with them again, only this time with a bit more thorough description than what he had with the Hitter and the Grifter. Eliot, standing behind Hardison, shifted his weight and folded his arms across his chest.

As she listened to the game plan, Parker tilted and cracked her neck, causing Sophie to grimace and twitch from the sound. The thief's face drained of all emotion and she settled into "game mode". It still astounded and even impressed Hardison how quickly the little blonde could go from being as psychotic as a fruit bat to zoned into the mission in a drop of a hat. It made her even more mesmerizing. "Hardison?" Nate was asking.

"Wha- ? Yeah, sorry man," Hardison turned his attention back to their leader.

"Do you have that business listing for Parker and Eliot?" Nate repeated himself.

"You bet." He started up his computer and within a jiffy was rapidly typing away. Eliot's and Parker's cell phones vibrated with new multimedia messages.

Parker looked up from the message to Hardison, her eyes softening for only a moment, then clouding over once more as she stood and headed towards the door. "C'mon, Sparky," she hit Eliot in the ribs and continued walking. Eliot's breath caught, and he let out an audible groan. "WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!" came the yell just as the hotel door was closing. The Hitter rolled his eyes and followed her out on their mission.

"Good luck!" Nate called to them. Then once the door closed, "You'll need it."