Leverage

Chapter 8

Ave climbed into the closet in which Hardison had found her earlier. Her bag with all its content was still there. She curled up in a ball between all the things in the closet and pressed her forehead against her knees. She didn't cry, she never cried. Crying was a sign of weakness. But the façade that protected her from the memories of her past began to crumble. She knew she was safe here, these people didn't want to hurt her. They may not all like her but at least they didn't have the intention to harm her. If that would be the case they had already done it long ago, she reasoned.

But when the fear of danger decreases the awareness of everything that happens around you increases. If you don't need to be attentive and look out for danger all the time you are no longer distracted from everything else. That's the advantage of a rough and bad life. You don't have the time to think about how bad your life really is. You just do everything you can to survive and to make it as pleasant as possible. You push away the dark and depressing thoughts and concentrate on the obvious problems: food and preferably not being punished.

But now Ave saw it. She saw all the happy and smiling people around her. Now she wasn't scared anymore, no, she felt anger and envy arise inside of her. Even these criminals had people who loved them, a family. But she, a child, she was alone. Completely alone.

Suddenly Ave heard a noise and the door to the closet opened slowly. "Here are you!", Parker exclaimed at seeing Ave.

The girl was still curled up but now she carefully lifted her head. "I want to be like you.", she said sadly.

Parker looked et her, surprised. "Oh, no. Believe me, ending up like me is a bad thing.", Parker answered emotionally.

"But look, you are free, you can do whatever you want. You can steal money if you need it, you can steal chocolate if you like.", Ave insisted, her eyes shining because of the appealing vision.

"Yeah, you're right!", Parker smiled, satisfied, and sat down cross-legged beside Ave. "That's the nice part of my life." But then her face became somber. "But nonetheless. I want nobody to become like me. There's something wrong with me."

Ave scrunched her face indignantly. "No, there's not. Who says something so stupid?"

"Eliot.", Parker answered carelessly but as soon as she saw Aves dark glare at the mention of his name she added quickly: "But don't be angry with him because of what he said to you. He says things like this all the time but I know him by now for long enough to get that he doesn't mean it."

"There has to be something wrong with him, too, if he says things although he doesn't mean them.", Ave stated while shaking her head incredulously.

"I guess there is something wrong with us all.", Parker replied pensively. "Otherwise we wouldn't be thieves and grifters and so on."

Ave grinned slightly and finally sat up in an upright position. "Yeah, you are certainly not normal. But you know what? I don't like normal people. They are boring!"

"And I like kids like you because they are not so spoiled like the normal kids!", Parker told her smilingly. Ave smiled back. It was nice to have someone be friendly to you, she thought happily.

Ave flinched when suddenly the door of the room opened but she relaxed as soon as she recognized Sophie. "Everything okay with you two?", she checked on them. Sophie didn't even wonder anymore about the fact that Ave and Parker sat in the closet.

"Yes!", Parker answered cheerfully and jumped to her feet. Ave crawled out of the closet, too, and the three returned into the living room.

Sophie whispered to Parker: "Good job!", whereupon Parker smiled proudly.

As soon as Eliot saw Ave he said reluctantly: "I'm sorry for what I said." Then he looked to Sophie as if to say: Now satisfied? She nodded and couldn't hide a smirk.

"He didn't want to hurt you.", Sophie added. "It's just his unique way of expressing that he actually likes you."

"He says something although he means the complete opposite?", Ave couldn't understand that.

"That's irony.", Hardison added grinningly. "The thing you have a problem with."

"No, in this case it's not irony.", Sophie disagreed understandingly. "In this case it's just… Eliot-ish. You have to know him to understand it."

"Honestly guys, could you please stop talking about me while I listen?", Eliot complained, eyeing them strangely.

"Would you like it better to be talked about when you're not present? So you know at least what we think about you!", Parker told him, smirking.

"Parker - I don't want to know it. I don't care what you think!", Eliot growled.

"Do you do it again? Speaking Eliot-ish?", Ave asked, tilting her head to the side pensively.

"Yes, he does. I know he cares about me.", Parker stated convinced. "Otherwise he wouldn't protect me all the time, wouldn't he?"

"Eliot-ish?", Eliot exclaimed incredulously. "Sophie! What a rubbish did you tell her?" Sophie shrugged, trying to look innocent.

"Isn't it annoying that he is always so… grumpy?", Ave whispered in Parkers ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Parker giggled. "Yeah, it is, but you get used to it. And he can cook.", she added happily as if that would compensate everything.

Eliot shook his head incredulously. "Guys? I can hear you, remember?" Parker and Ave looked at each other and giggled. "And damn it, I'm not grumpy!", he added.

"Sorry Eliot, but yes, you are!", Hardison said, smirking.

"Oh no, that sounds like fun!", Eliot groaned.

Suddenly the door bell rang.

"Oh, I completely forgot to tell you!", Nate exclaimed, slapping his hand against his forehead, and jumped to his feet.

"To tell us what?", Sophie asked suspiciously. "Who is this?"

"A… client.", Nate answered hesitantly and hurried out of the room to open the door. "Behave yourselves, kids!", he shouted to the others.

Sophie followed him, replying: "A client? We didn't even finish our current con!"

"I know, she belongs to the Ronson-case. She is more of a… witness.", Nate explained hastily.

Sophie frowned. "What do I hear there? A witness? You invite a witness, without telling us, but refuse to use Ave as an informant?"

"It's not the same, Sophie.", Nate insisted resentfully. "She is like a second accuser in the same case. She just tells us her version of the story."

"And if it's so natural, then why did you hide her from us, your team?", Sophie demanded to know angrily.

Nate spun around to face her. "I didn't hide her from you! I forgot to tell you!"

"Nate, the mastermind? Somehow I don't believe you! I thought we work together, no secrets!", Sophie retorted sulkily.

"Sophie! I just forgot about it, okay?", Nate shouted impatiently. "As flattering as it is that you seemingly think I have an eidetic memory but even I am not perfect!"

Sophie laughed ironically. "Believe it or not, I become aware of that more and more with every second I spend with you!"

Finally Nate held up his hands. "Stop, Sophie, our guest is waiting. We continue arguing later.", he beat off another of Sophies ramblings. "Anyways, why do you always have to argue with me?", he grumbled.

Sophie shook her head indignantly. "Oh, of course, now it's my fault again! Incredible, this guy!"

But then Nate opened the entry door and Sophie clothed her face in a friendly smile to greet the client or whatever she was. "Hello! Nice to meet you. Sophie Devereaux."

The other woman entered and shook Sophies extended hand. "Natasha Naryshkin.", she introduced herself. "I am very thankful that you took the time to meet me." Sophie immediately noticed that the woman spoke with a strong Russian accent. She had auburn hair and dark eyes and Sophie guessed she was in her early forties. When she gave Sophie a friendly smile dainty vivid wrinkles arose from the corners of her eyes.

Nate also extended his hand and told her gallantly: "Nathan Ford. We talked on the phone. I really hope we can help you." Then he and Sophie guided the tall but thin woman into the condo and sat down so they could talk.


Aves gaze followed Nate and Sophie. "What about you? Don't you talk to the client, too?", she addressed Eliot, Parker and Hardison.

"No, that's Nate and Sophie's job.", Hardison explained. "We look too weird, we would just scare the clients away."

"We? More probably it's Parker who scares them!", Eliot corrected him grinningly. "And we have to play babysitter."

"No, no, no. I look friendly and innocent.", Parker disagreed. "You are the hitter, you always look as if you would punch everybody!"

"Possible, but I can be friendly if I want to while you can say what you want, it always offends your opponent!", Eliot reasoned harshly.

"Take it easy, buddy, okay?", Hardison interrupted Eliot in order to protect Parker. "No need to be mean!"

"You two argue all the time, too. Just like Nate and Sophie.", Ave stated, smrking. "Well, the quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love…"

"Fortune cookie!", Hardison exclaimed and Ave gave him a high five.

"What are you talking about?", Parker asked totally oblivious. Ave wasn't sure wether her clulessness was faked or not.

"Let's go listen to the conversation with the client!", Eliot suggested hastily and changed masterfully the topic.

So Ave followed the others to the big glass wall through which they could see Sophie and Nate talking to a middle-aged, very thin woman.

When Aves glance fell on the woman her eyes widened in surprise. "I know her!"