Neal tried to relax as they waited in the parking lot. He looked to Nate, uncertain that this plan was going to work. He looked to where Parker was behind him and then back in front of him to make sure that they were at the right place. He was on edge, but also sure that nothing could happen to the people he cared about. He was certain though, that the FBI was going to swarm down on them any moment due to the fact that he was outside of his range and not anywhere close to Peter. He blamed that feeling on Peter and the fact that he was actually growing more of a conscious than he had before. He was broken – he wanted to help people, by extension, the FBI, and it was all Peter's fault. He added the grievance to the list that he was keeping in his head to yell at Peter about when he was better. "Explain to me how this is going to work again," he said quietly to Nate. "Gray said only one of you."
"Yes, but he did name Parker," Nate said with a simple shrug. "Better to bring her with and see what she says about your nemesis. Also, we're in the middle of a parking lot and nothing is going to happen that we're not ready for."
"Plus Eliot's with everyone who needs protecting," Parker replied to Neal. "Hardison's in our heads and hopefully can provide backup if he's not playing WoW."
"I heard that," Hardison replied to Parker's comment. "I am not playing WoW. However, if we could wrap this up quickly so I can get back to what I was doing, that would be nice."
"Hardison, focus," Nate said as he fought back a bit of a sigh. "Do you see anything on the cameras or is he going to appear out of thin air?"
"We are on time, right?" Neal asked as he checked his watch. He blinked at his empty wrist and turned to Parker. "Give it back."
"I like it though," Parker said with a grin and gave it to him. "You're slipping."
Neal grinned and held up Parker's cell phone, giving it back to her. "So are you."
"How about we both just blame the honest father figures or real fathers that have made us go straight?" Parker asked.
"I am not a father figure," Nate corrected Parker. "And I made you go honest. If you were going straight, you would not be here right now."
"True," Parker said and looked at Neal.
Neal just grinned and turned his attention to where he heard a car coming. "That for us?"
"Yeah, heads up," Hardison says. "Got visual confirmation that it is Gray in the car. This is bad – I'm getting Torchwood vibes every time I think of that."
"Hardison, stop being a geek," Nate said, his tone being even though he wanted to go sharp. He knew that his hacker couldn't really stop ever being a geek. He had hopes though, mostly for his own sanity but he should have realized that left a long time ago. "Parker, ready?"
"Yep," Parker replied. "Even though you said my role was to look nice."
"Still, got to ready yourself for that," Neal quipped.
"Oi," Parker said and groaned. "I'm sounding like Sophie."
"Enough," Nate said, letting his tone sound sharp as a black Lexus coupe stopped in front of them. It framed them in the headlights, attempting to blind them. Luckily, they had on contacts that would help contract that so they could see what was really happening. "Mister Gray?" He asks, loud enough to be heard.
"Neal, I do believe that I told you only one extra person," Emmanuel said, ignoring Nate for the moment. Neal noticed that the man looked older – no, it was just was a harder look than the one he saw before. There were grey touches to the man's hair and he made no effort to cover them. He was tall for a man and about the same build as Eliot. Neal thought to himself that the man could still wear a suit well, even if he did just want to reach out and kill the man by breaking his neck.
"Considering all you've done to me, I think you can be flexible for me," Neal replied as his hatred for the man showed through his voice.
"I do know of your flexibility in more than one are," Emmanuel quipped back as he turned his attention to Nate. "I hear you're good, Nathan Ford. Mister Sterling speaks highly of you."
"And here I thought the bastard couldn't be bought," Nate replied to Emmanuel.
"Depends on what a person is selling, especially to get back the usual for IYS," Emmanuel said with a smile as he noticed the very slight bit of discomfort in Nate. He did like toying with his playthings so. "Miss Parker though – perhaps it is best that you brought both of them."
"What do you want me to do?" Neal asked. "In order to get you out of my life once and for all?"
"I want you to go to the National Archives and get the Constitution for me, Nealan" Emmanuel answered.
Neal tilted his head in confusion at the request and looked to Parker. She nodded a yes to him with one of her smiles that always made him think she was manic rather than just one of the best thieves in the world. "Sure. What's the time frame?" He asked.
"Hell no. Oh hell no," Hardison said through the comms. "I am not helping with this. I am not. This goes against everything that my Nana told me about. Also, it's the Constitution! How are we going to get through that?!"
"National Treasure," Parker said casually with a bit of a shrug. "Got something harder?"
Neal turned and gave Parker a look. "Stop it."
"What?" Parker asked. "It's easy. I did it three months ago when I was bored and put it back."
Neal somehow was able to keep his jaw from falling open and gapping at Parker. He was more of a gentleman than just gapping at Parker and he would have a talk with her later. Mostly about the putting it back part, but in all good time. He turned back to Gray and nodded a yes. "That's what you wanted my mother for?"
"When she was alive, she was the best thief of all time," Gray replied. "Even better than Parker. But, that's not all," he said as he pulled out a portable television unit and threw it to Nate, who caught it. "Turn it on," he said.
Nate looked oddly at Gray before doing so, after giving a prayer to God that it wouldn't just blow up in his hands. It was times like these he wished that he hadn't given up drinking. The screen lit up and split into three. One part of the screen was where Hardison was held up doing the computer work, another part of the screen was inside of Peter's hospital room, and the third showed Sophie, Kate, Elizabeth, and Eliot at a diner close to the hospital. "Alright," he said as he handed the television to Neal. "Bombs or snipers?"
"Why pick?" Gray said with a grin that bordered between manic and psychopath. "It is now seven thirty. You have until eleven to get the Constitution and get back here. Or all three parts on the screen will go into a nice snowy grey. Now, I would run along and do what I want. Unless you want to lose half of your team and all of Neal's family."
"Leave them out of this," Neal said with a growl underneath his breath. He didn't mean for the growl to come out but it couldn't be helped.
"And lose your inspiration to get the job done, Nealan?" Gray asked with an icy chuckle. "Do it and we'll meet back here at eleven sharp. Be even a second late and one of them dies. I get to decide which one though. Oh, and don't try to get any of them out. If any of them move, I will give the go ahead to the sniper to make their move."
"Fine," Neal said as he started to think of different things. One of them being that he would need to call Mozzie in order to get a message to Elizabeth.
"Oh, and Nealan?" Gray asked. "Don't bring one more friend into this. You may not have seen him on the television, but I just thought you'd rather see someone that you love more than someone you trust."
"Fuck you," Neal replied to Gray.
"We've already been through that," Gray said smoothly as he got back into his Lexus, backed up and sped away.
"I really hate that man," Neal said quietly as he looked to the other two. "You put it back?" He asked of Parker.
"I was bored," Parker said with a shrug. "Did the same thing with the Hope Diamond. It's all Nate's fault. If he had just kept us together, I wouldn't have done it."
Nate sighed softly. "We all needed a break then," he replied to Parker. "So, what's the plan?"
"Well, I know a way in," Neal replied. "I was going for another document but I know how to get in via the back channels to where the Constitution is held after hours."
"So do I," Parker replied. "Want to go my route or your route?"
"Flip a coin or we go by whichever is faster," Neal replied. "Five minutes."
"Four," Parker said with a smile.
"Flipping," Nate said as he did so, hoping to keep the two thieves away from each other's throats.
"Lady's call," Neal replied.
"So what are you calling it?" Parker asked of Neal.
Neal grinned. He forgot how much fun it was to work with Parker when she felt like working with others. "Just like old times?" He asked.
"Yeah, save for the fact that we have a deadline this time," Parker replied and looked to Nate. "We're going to need him as the backup."
"Nah," Neal said as he sized up Nate. "Bait or distraction?"
"Distraction," Nate replied. "Bait's already in the water. We don't need more. Hardison!" He said.
"I'm listening and already looking through security systems," Hardison replied.
"Yeah, about that – don't leave from where you are until we give the go ahead," Nate replied. "Eliot!"
"Yeah boss?" Eliot asked as he came on the comms.
"Get Sophie on too," Nate replied.
Parker grinned and gave Neal a comm.. Neal looked at it oddly until Parker took it back and less than gently put it in his ear. "There."
"You could have been easier on my ear," Neal replied.
"What is he doing on the comms?" Sophie asked.
"We've been asked to do a job," Nate said, taking back over the conversation. "Just Parker, Neal, and myself. The rest of you need to stay where you are. He has snipers and bombs where you are and in Peter's room. Hardison, use your cover and call one of Peter's team to do a sweep of the room and maybe move him for medical reasons. Do it off comms. Sophie, Eliot – make sure that Elizabeth and Kate don't know what is happening. We don't need a panic and he will shoot if you try to move them or blow the bomb. We'll call when we're done and everything is right again."
"Nate – Just – a bomb? Seriously? Tell me you're joking," Hardison replied to all of this.
"I'm not," Nate replied. "Everyone, for once, Parker is in charge."
"….So we're all dead," Eliot quipped.
"Hey!" Parker replied to that. "Neal's helping. So we're both in charge with Nate backing us up. So, we're going to go do a National Treasure and everyone will just be happy."
"Parker, National Treasure is a movie," Sophie replied quietly and her mind clicked. "Gray is an insane bastard."
"So you're finally on my page," Neal replied to Sophie.
"I was on your page to begin with," Sophie said. "How long?"
"We have until eleven," Neal replied as Nate turned and started walking. He saw Parker walk after Nate and caught up easily. "Hardison, please tell me you still have my tracker hacked."
"Yep," Hardison replied. "However, I am busy right now, Neal, so take a number and I'll get back to you," he said as he went off the comm.
Neal sighed and got into the shot gun position as he put on his seat belt. He looked at Nate. "It's going to work, right?"
"It better," Nate replied as he sped away towards the National Archives.
