Chapter 11: To the Rescue
Jamie thrummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she waited for Eliot to pick up his phone. To her surprise, a woman's voice answered, whispering, "Hello?"
"Parker?" Jamie asked.
"Yeah. Who's this?"
"It's Jamie."
"Oh! Hi!" her voice faded out a little as she added, "It's Jamie."
Jamie figured she must be on coms, "Parker, why are you whispering? Are you on a job?"
"Yes."
"Okay, just… wait, why are you answering Eliot's phone?"
"He's unconscious."
"How unconscious?"
"Very. His head is bleeding."
"Shit!" Jamie slammed her palm against the steering wheel. "Where are you?"
"We're hiding in an air duct. There's bad guys all over the conference room and I can't get us out."
"No, Parker. What city?"
"Salem, Oregon."
Jamie glanced down at her map, "I'll be there in 20 minutes. Text me the exact address and hang tight."
Jamie hung up and stomped the gas as she leaned over to rummage through her glove box for the com Hardison had given her last month. She should be in range. She slipped it into her ear as she sped around an old Buick.
"Hardison, can you hear me?" she asked.
"Yeah, girl, I got you. Parker already texted you the address."
"Forget the address, I'm driving too fast to pick up my phone. Give me directions off I-5."
Fifteen minutes later, she pulled her Chevelle into a space a block down from the building where Parker and Eliot were trapped.
"Hardison, you got the cameras?" she double-checked as she approached the entrance.
"You know it." the hacker confirmed.
"Parker, you still good?"
"Eliot's not moving." Parker whispered.
Jamie forced her panic down, "Hardison, where am I going?"
"Follow the hall you're in past the first T-off and take a left at the first 4-way. Conference room will be on your right."
"How many guys am I dealing with?"
"Two in the hall, five in the conference room."
Jamie took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders before turning the corner. Both of the guards in the hall immediately started toward her. She smirked as she realized that moved them out sight from the conference room windows.
"Howdy, gentlemen. I believe you have something of mine." she greeted them.
The bigger of the two smirked and said, "Not unless you're looking for a couple sloppy thieves."
The second made an obscene gesture and said, "Maybe I do."
"Awh, now that's just nasty." she heard Hardison commentate in her ear.
Jamie looked at the first goon, "Try world-class. They'd take offense at being called sloppy."
"He called us sloppy?!" Jamie heard Parker's furious hiss.
Jamie turned to the second, "And as for you… ew."
She cracked her knuckles and held her hands out, beckoning with the tips of her fingers.
"You sure about this, Jai? These guys are massive." Alec said.
Jamie laughed, "Have you seen my brothers?" she asked incredulously. "These guys are tiny."
The first guy looked at her like she was crazy for talking to herself as second made the mistake of walking directly up to her. He reached for her arm and she grabbed his wrist, twisting it hard enough to break as she squatted and used her shoulder for leverage to flip him over her back. He slammed into the closest wall before falling unconscious from landing on his own head.
The first guy was more cautious after that display. He surprised her when he charged from halfway down the hall and bent, tackling her around the middle. She landed hard; the wind knocked out of her, but she recovered quickly and used the advantage of her smaller size to get out from under the guard. She rolled over and then back, pushing herself partially up to her feet and landing hard on her knees right on the guard's chest as rolled onto his back. As he gasped for air Jamie pushed to her feet and kicked him hard, just behind the ear. On more swift kick to the temple, and he was out cold.
"Damn, girl." Hardison chuckled.
She peaked into the conference room and drew her gun. She couldn't take all five hand-to-hand, but she could sure as hell handle them with a gun.
"Uh, remember we don't like killing folks." Hardison reminded her.
"I'm not killing anyone, Hardison, just offering incentive to see things my way." she reassured him. "Parker, once I'm in position, I'm gonna need your help. Do you have any zip ties?"
"I have duct tape." Parker answered.
"Is Eliot wearing cargo pants?"
"Uhh… yeah."
"Check the middle pocket on the left side."
"Oh! Zip ties. Cool"
Jamie grinned and took a deep breath before spinning into sight and kicking the door open. The guards all froze and stared at her in shock.
"Keep your mouths shut and your hands where I can see them."
Hands went up. Jamie was always amazed at how quickly trained professionals responded when they recognized a steady gun hand.
"Anyone so much as flinches wrong and I will shoot. Nod if you understand."
Five heads nodded even as their eyes all turned calculating.
"Parker, now." Jamie said quietly.
A vent cover came flying into the room and Parker dropped lightly into the room, duct tape in one hand and zip ties in the other. A few of the guards jumped a little, but no one made any other sudden movements, and all hands remained in the air.
Jamie nodded to Parker, "Put their weapons on the table, make sure you check hips, ankles, and shoulder holsters."
Parker worked quickly, assembling a neat pile of blades and guns. By the time they were all disarmed, most were glaring furiously, but obediently keeping their mouths shut.
"Now what?" Parker asked.
Jamie nodded to the guard closest to her, "You, on your knees. Zip tie his hands behind him. Then duct tape his mouth."
They repeated the process with the other four guards.
"Alright, everyone on their bellies, nose in the carpet." Jamie demanded.
Once the guards were all face down, she lowered the gun, but kept it in hand. She jerked her chin toward the vent in a silent question, and Parker nodded and dragged a chair over and climbed back in to her waist, coming back seconds later, dragging Eliot by the shoulders. Jamie cast one more glance at the guards before sticking her gun in her waist band long enough to help Parker get Eliot to the floor.
She pulled her gun out with her right hand and wrapped her left arm around Eliot's waist as Parker propped up his other side. Hardison directed them out a back service entrance and had the van waiting. Jamie directed Hardison to her car and handed Parker her keys.
Hardison's eyes bugged out, "You do not want to let Parker drive your car."
"I do not want to leave my car here and I cannot leave Eliot with an untreated head wound." Jamie snapped up at him. "Parker, do not crash my car."
An hour later, Eliot was conscious enough to mostly get himself up the stairs, but was out again before they made it past the living room, so Jamie let him collapse onto the couch before she went for his medical kit. She washed her hands in the bathroom before lugging the black tote back into the living room. She didn't notice until she was done stitching the gash just under his hairline that two people had already been sitting in the living room when stumbled in.
Those two people were currently in an impressive yelling match with Hardison and Parker.
Parker noticed first that Jamie was done working on Eliot. She stopped mid-scream and turned worried eyes to Jamie, "Is he gonna be okay?"
Everyone else silenced.
Jamie's shoulders tensed, "I won't know until he wakes up."
Nate turned to Hardison with his scary calm voice, "You said this was an easy job. You said you didn't need us."
"It should've been!" Hardison's voice rose again.
"Besides, if you'd been there, Jamie would've had to get twice as many people out." Parker reasoned.
Nate looked like he was going to yell again. Parker glanced desperately at Jamie.
Jamie cut Nate off before he could start, "Any more yelling, and I'm going to start shooting people."
Parker smiled at her gratefully.
Hardison took a step back, "She'll do it too."
Sophie followed Hardison's example and stepped back from the dark-haired woman in front of them before she registered Parker's earlier comment, "Wait… you're Jamie? The Jamie?"
Jamie raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know about The Jamie, but I am Jamie."
"Oh! How exciting!" Sophie stepped back toward her and extended a hand, "I'm Sophie. This is my husband Nate."
Jamie relaxed upon hearing their names, so Sophie reasoned that Eliot, or Parker and Hardison, had told her at least something about them. She reached out to shake both of their hands without hesitation.
"Pleasure to finally meet you." Nate told her.
"Same to you." Jamie responded. "Not to be rude, but I really need to sit down."
"Of course. Please." Nate gestured to the couch as if he still owned the place.
Sophie saw Hardison roll his eyes toward Nate. She had to fight the urge to do the same thing herself.
She noted with interest that Jamie chose to wedge herself into the corner of the couch Eliot had collapsed on, positioning his head in her lap, instead of taking one of the many open seats. Nate followed Parker and Hardison into the office, grilling them about where the con had gone wrong, but Sophie stayed behind and sunk into the chair opposite Jamie.
Jamie eyed the grifter across from her. She'd heard a lot about the woman, and she was curious. Apparently the same could be said for Sophie. She looked like she was about to explode with unasked questions.
Jamie decided to beat her to the punch, "So, "the Jamie"?"
Sophie laughed, "Oh they all just go on and on about you!"
Jamie arched an eyebrow, "All?"
Sophie shrugged shamelessly, "Okay, not so much Eliot, but he doesn't stop the other two. And he actually smiles when they talk about you. With Eliot, that's basically the same thing."
Jamie laughed and looked away, trying to swallow back the tears that had suddenly sprung up.
Sophie noticed anyway and moved quickly to kneel in front of her, "Oh, dear! Don't cry! Please! What did I say wrong?"
Jamie shook her head and swiped angrily at her eyes, "Nothing. You didn't say anything wrong. I just…" Jamie trailed off, gathering her thoughts as Sophie moved back to her chair. "I know how Eliot feels about me. But he and I both know we just can't work. So hearing about it from someone else is bittersweet."
"Why can't you work?" Sophie asked softly.
Jamie paused before answering, "It's complicated."
Sophie smiled sadly, "That's the exact same thing he told me."