This is a week of funerals with Mick's as the first of many. Fortunately for Eliot, Mick is the only one who passed that Eliot knew well. Mick was a brother from another. The others Eliot knew but he did not serve with any of the others. For Vance this is four circles of Dante's inferno. The four men were his men, his responsibility. There are four wives and children who lost a huge part of their world, their pain is Vance's pain. There is a nation demanding an explanation as to how this happened and why it went so very wrong. There is a pound of flesh demanded as retribution from men in suits who have not tasted combat which encompasses the remaining circles of hell for Vance.
Vance and Eliot spend a quiet day in preparation the solemn tasks that await the morning light. The next morning brings them to Arlington and the somber reality of goodbye to a brother. Eliot stands with Vance and numerous old friends for the pomp and ceremony due their friend. As the their goodbyes come to a close, Eliot's senses are triggered with a glance over his shoulder. Vance does not turn to look but offers a simple answer. "She's there, Eliot." The "she" Vance is referring to does not need clarification. There has only every been one "she' in the context of their Delta days and only one who would not miss a goodbye to Mick. Charlotte Banning is present and accounted for.
Eliot had a feeling Charlotte would be lurking in the shadows out of love for Mick. Mick meant the world to her and Eliot saw Charlotte on the footage from the State Department hack but Charlotte was not who triggered his mojo. After this long with Nate and team, Eliot can feel their presence like a disturbance in the force. Eliot turns around to see Nate, Sophie, Parker and Hardison lined up against their car at a respectful distance from the funeral activity. Vance has noticed the presence of Eliot's new team too. Honestly, both Eliot and Vance are glad to see them.
Eliot nods to Vance as he takes a stroll to talk to the team before he and Vance head to spend some time with the rest of Vance's team for their own time tested tradition of goodbye. Eliot had a feeling that Nate and company would be making an appearance in DC, in many ways Eliot is very happy that they are in town. This situation requires a set of skills that are not his forte. Navigating a political quagmire is best left to the likes of Nate and Sophie.
After a brief conversation with Nate, Sophie, Hardison and Parker, Eliot rejoins Vance. Eliot drives Vance to the reception and then to the obligatory toast to with their brothers which has always been their ritual when one is laid to rest. Late into the evening, Eliot drops Vance off at his house parting on the premise that Eliot is going to meet up with Nate and the others. Eliot heads to the hotel, he needs Hardison. He needs to see that footage again.
"Eliot, man, that is a big ask." Hardison rubs his temples. Hacking State was one thing. Now... Now, Eliot is asking for him to hack State when everyone is watching. When he originally hacked the feeds, every one was hacking the feeds. Now, Congress is getting ready to extract their pound of flesh. Vance is family to Eliot which makes him no less than a brother from another by proxy. Hardison knows that Eliot would not ask if it was not critical. "Hardison, I wouldn't..." Eliot's voice trails off for a moment as Hardison starts to boot up his device. "Hardison, before you hack, can you do me a favor first?"
Hardison knows that Eliot needs no pretense but now he is curious as to what kind of favor preempts hacking the US Government. "Sure, what's on your mind?" Hardison interlaces his fingers and stretches out his hands. Eliot grabs a pen from the desk and pulls the note pad from the drawer. He jots down a name before placing the paper on the surface in front of Hardison's eyes. Hardison looks down at the name written in Eliot's scrawl. Charlotte Banning starts to take form on his screens. "Ah, Eliot, your friend here has a rather "interesting" resume." Hardison cannot even help himself, his statement came with the required air quotes.
Hardison's verbalization intrigues the room as the others gather around him. "Smithsonian, Department of Agriculture, Cultural Envoy, speaks 7 languages, and a passport with more stamps than the postal service... some how me thinks that apple imports out of Iraq just might be a ruse." Hardison looks up at Eliot with a smirk. Eliot knows what Charlotte looks like on paper. Eliot actually wonders if Charlotte is even her actual name but he has to know. Charlotte just might be the key to saving Vance.
Hardison shows Eliot all the information that he can dig up out on one Charlotte Banning. Hardison delicately navigates to the videos that Eliot wants to see again. Eliot watches the same frames over and over. Eliot asks Hardison to slow down several of the scenes. Hardison sees only chaos at full speed or in slow motion. He truly wonders what Eliot sees. Eliot thanks Hardison before departing for the night to return to Vance's house.
After Eliot leaves, Nate has Hardison show him the footage that Eliot stop and started over and over again. Nate watches intently with the same requests as Eliot. Hardison again starts, stops and slows down the chaos.
Vance is still waiting up as Eliot walks into the house. Eliot joins him near the fire pit with Vance handing him a glass of whiskey. One hard day is done but the hard days are far from over. With a final toast, the pair sits in silence staring into the flames as if the fires of hell could somehow provide answers to the questions that are coming.
Eliot replays the scene in his head as he sips the glass of whiskey. It was not what he saw, it was what he heard that has fully captured his attention. Ironically, in DC, Nathan Ford realizes the same thing as he has Hardison run the footage again and again.