Harkness' Eleven

Author: Milady Dragon

Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or Oceans' Eleven, but I'd love to.

Author's note: Well, here I am, with another chapter. I'm sure you all were getting a bit concerned about me updating, but I've had a lot on my plate lately, with two other stories that are insisting on being written. Unfortunately this took a back seat…

But I hope this makes up for it a little. Thanks to everyone who has been reading, reviewing and alerting. I love you all!

New Vegas City

John waited in the lobby of the Gallifrey, his sharp eyes on the lookout for the hover van that he knew was on its way. A part of him had almost wished that Mickey hadn't come up with an alternate way to take down the power grid, but at the same time he was really looking forward to things starting to heat up. He was getting a bit bored with all the planning, and wanted to be acting.

The van pulled up under the ornate vehicle port, spilling Jack and Andy. The older conman slapped the top of the van, and it pulled off, leaving the three of them to enter the hotel.

John noticed there was something wrong.

Jack seemed his usual, intense self; but Andy kept glancing in Jack's direction, a tight look around his eyes. The first thing that came to John's mind was that Jack had gotten on Andy's back for some reason, but since neither man said anything he decided to drop it. He'd keep an eye on the situation, and intervene if he had to. As long as it didn't interfere with the job, he'd let it lie.

The ride up in the lift was quiet, and John rolled his eyes at it. Well, this was what happened when you got a group of people together with different personalities…there was bound to be conflicts.

They hadn't even stepped one foot into the room before being met my Toshiko. "We have a problem."

"Not what I want to hear on today of all days," Jack quipped.

"You've been red-flagged, Jack," she went on, as they joined Owen and the Doctor in the hotel room.

"What does that mean?" Andy asked curiously.

"It means," the tech went on, "that the moment he sets foot on the casino floor, they'll be watching him. Like hawks, only with lots of fancy surveillance equipment."

"That's a problem then," the pickpocket murmured, quite unnecessarily.

"You got any idea how this happened, Jack?" John asked, aware of every eye suddenly on the pair as they faced off.

Jack simply looked at him. John wanted him to say anything than what he was actually thinking, but Jack didn't seem to want to admit a thing.

"I do," Andy spoke up. "He's been chasing Saxon's guy." He seemed to wilt a little under Jack's sudden glare in his direction. "I've been tailing you."

"Who told you to do that?" Jack growled.

"I did," John answered. "I knew you wouldn't leave Ianto alone."

"Who's Ianto?" the Doctor demanded, standing from where he'd been seated on the sofa.

"My husband," Jack ground out, looking very pissed off.

"Ex-husband," John corrected.

"Coffee-boy is here?" Owen snapped, looking well disgusted.

"Don't call him that!" Jack retorted.

"I'm sorry, Jack," John murmured, feeling strangely sympathetic. "I didn't want to think this would sting you, but it did." He sighed. "You're out."

"What?" the Doctor fairly screeched.

"It's that or we shut down right now. His involvement puts us all at risk."

Jack squared off with John, fury screaming from every pore even though his face was stony. "This isn't your call."

"You made it my call," John snapped. "When you put him ahead of us. You made it mine, Jack."

"This is my job!"

"Not anymore."

If looks could kill, John knew he'd be a puddle of body parts on the floor. He wanted to apologize, to somehow make this right…but he knew he couldn't. Jack had been stupid and let personal feelings get in the way. This was his fault, not anyone else's.

"He can't just be out," the Doctor said, looking between both men. "Who's going to take his place?"

There was only one other person John could ask. He turned to Andy. "Kid, you up for it?"

Andy glanced between the two conmen, swallowing convulsively. John could see read him like he could the cards: half-cocksure and half scared shitless. He could remember when he'd felt that way, on his first long con…it had been a heady experience, almost as good as sex.

The young man nodded, licking his lips nervously. "I can do this."

"You'll be fine." That was all the confidence building John had time for at the moment. He turned to Toshiko. "Gorgeous, find everyone else. Let 'em know the change in plan. Curtain goes up at 19:00."

She nodded, then headed back to the computer set-up in the second bedroom. John took a look at the members of the crew in the room; pretty much everyone looked gobsmacked, except for Jack of course, who looked plain furious. Well, he didn't have a right to be; the man had been rumbled, there was no call for him to be pissy over it.

"Can't believe Coffee-boy is with Saxon," Owen muttered. "Hell, I knew he had shit taste for marrying Harkness, but still…"

Which pretty much summed up what John was feeling…without the Jack-bashing.

Harold Saxon paced his penthouse, com unit to his ear. He was only halfway listening to what was being said; his eyes were on Ianto, who was getting dressed in one of the suits that had been chosen for him to wear, instead of the one the younger man had wanted. A part of him was disappointed in not being able to see that delectable body in the charcoal pinstripe, but this would work out much better. He didn't want anyone paying attention to what was his, anyway.

He finally got tired of the droning in his ear. "You inform Mr. Sherman he'll find a better view of the fight in front of his vidscreen. I'm sure he has access to the pay channel carrying it." With that, he closed the connection, letting his irritation go. It wouldn't do, and he had better control than that.

He caught Ianto looking at him. Saxon met the gaze. "What are you thinking about?"

A slight smile cracked the mask that the young man was wearing. "You."

"Finish getting dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs." Saxon left the suite, completely missing the look of pain that flickered through his lover's eyes.

Saxon took the private elevator, glancing at his wrist chronometer. As the doors opened, the time clicked over to 19:00.

Right on time.

His manager, Aaron Copley, was waiting for him just outside the lift doors. "Any sign of Harkness?" Saxon asked, taking a look around himself.

"No, nothing," Copley answered. "If you want him gone, I can probably have him bounced from the planet on a parole violation…"

Saxon appreciated the thought. "No, not yet. Put a guy on him. He's here for a reason, and I want to know what it is. But if he goes anywhere near Ianto, take it to the next level."

Copley nodded. "Janet?"

Saxon smiled. He clapped the man on the shoulder, then headed out into the casino, toward the meeting he knew he had. He collected two security men on his way, hoping to be able to get this piece of business over with quickly.

Henry Parker was standing just inside the lobby doors, his back ramrod straight in the designer suit he was wearing. "Mr. Parker," Saxon said, getting his attention.

The rat-faced man nodded. "Mr. Saxon," he returned the greeting.

"It's a very busy night for me. Are we on schedule?"

"Yep. Got no reason to think otherwise. My couriers should be here shortly."

As if on cue, an expensive looking flitter pulled up at the curb. Two men got out; both were dressed in black, and wore fashionable dark glasses. Saxon could swear he could make out the concealed holsters under those suits, but didn't let it worry him. He was on his home turf. Nothing could happen to him there.

One of the men had a plain black case; only when he got closer could Saxon see that it was handcuffed to his wrist. Well, that's a bit melodramatic, he thought as the man approached Parker, removed the cuff from his own wrist, and snapped it in place around Parker's.

"Thanks, guys," Parker said. As if that was a dismissal, both men turned and left, getting back into the flitter.

"If you'll follow me." Saxon ushered them back through the casino. Parker walked beside him, the two security men flanking them and looking quite menacing.

They were just passing a bank of slots when a familiar face caught his eye,

He motioned one of the security men forward. "Find Mr. Walsh. Tell him Mr. Harkness is in the west slots."

The guard dropped back, and Saxon was confident that the matter would be taken care of.

Jack's eyes followed Saxon and Owen – as Henry Parker – as they walked by, heading toward the cages. He slipped the credit coins he'd managed to win from the slot machine into the pocket of his tuxedo, then he got up from the stool he'd been seated on.

He then walked away.

John took a turn circling an obviously nervous Andy. The pickpocket fidgeted in the smart suit he was wearing; John wondered if the kid had ever worn anything but casual clothes in his entire life.

He'd do.

"Where you gonna put your hands, Sunshine?" he asked, coming to stand in front of the young man.

Andy promptly clasped them in front of him.

The older conman barely stifled a sigh. "Nope. Try again."

Andy goes for his pockets.

Normally John would use this chance to feel up the new guy in the name of teaching him a few lessons in grifting, but he barely managed to restrain himself. "Not the pockets either…although that does stretch your trousers out quite nicely." He enjoyed Andy's blush. "And don't mess with your tie." Goddess, it was at this point that he actually wished Eye Candy was on their side, because he could teach this youngster a thing or two about wearing a suit… "Look at me."

Andy raised his eyes, staring somewhere on John's face that wasn't his own eyes. He looked a bit uncomfortable, holding himself ramrod straight.

"Is the how you're gonna stand?"

Andy promptly shifted his feet, but really didn't do much for his posture.

"Wrong again." This was like pulling teeth. "I ask you a question, you have to think of an answer…where do you look?"

Andy looked down, effectively dodging John's gaze.

"Sweet Goddess. You look down, they know they're lying – "

Andy looked up, as if the ceiling just got really interesting.

" – and up, they know you don't know the truth. Don't use three words when one will do, don't shift your eyes, look always at your mark but don't stare, be specific but not memorable, be funny but don't make him laugh. He's got to like you, then forget you the moment you leave his sight. And for Goddess's sake whatever you do, don't under any circumstances – "

"John," Toshiko interrupted, "can you come here for a sec?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

With that, John wandered off….and he barely hid the smirk as he left a completely baffled Andy Davidson in his wake.

Owen Harper placed the black case down on the empty table, then ran his thumb over the DNA scanner and popped it open.

Inside were five perfect Arcadian diamonds.

Or, at least that's what they looked like.

He glanced up at Harold Saxon; the casino owner was looking at the diamonds avidly, and Owen could almost read the greed in the man.

The counting room that he'd been escorted to was empty, but the equipment scattered around the room spoke to what it was used for. Owen vaguely wondered just how much money passed through this room on an average day, then happily imagined himself rolling in it.

"They're very beautiful," Saxon breathed. "Were they a gift? Or payment?"

Owen stared at him, not answering. He wanted to give an aura of mystery, but really…why would anyone really answer that?

Saxon apparently hadn't expected an answer, either. "Can you life them out, please?"

Owen carefully pulled out the black satin pillow the diamonds were on. Saxon examined the case very thoroughly, before motioning him to set the jewels back inside.

"All right, Mr. Parker. I acknowledge that the case doesn't contain any dangerous or illicit material. I further agree to take custody of your case for a twenty-five hour period to store in my secured vault. While I can't permit you to accompany the case to the vault – "

"Why not?" Owen demanded, even though he'd known this would happen. He did have to keep up pretences, after all.

"Insurance, for one. Security, another. Besides," and Saxon looked at him, smiling in a way that made him closely resemble one of those Boeshane sand-sharks he'd heard Jack talking about. "I just don't trust you."

Before Owen could answer, there was a knock at the door. Saxon excused himself, and the grifter kept his ear cocked without seeming to eavesdrop. He caught the words "Harkness", and "bar" and Owen suddenly didn't want to hear anymore.

Damn Jack, never could keep it in his pants!

"Mr. Parker," Saxon said, cutting through Owen's inner rant about certain conmen and coffee-boys, "this is Mr. Copley, my casino manager. If you'll follow him, he'll arrange for your case to be stored inside my vault, while you watch on a security monitor."

Owen glared, keeping up the act. "I guess I don't have a choice." He unlocked the handcuff from his wrist.