Chapter 35
"Whaa? What do I look like to you? You're personal travel agency? Or a golden retriever? Go get Eliot. Go get the freaky looking female fighter. Go get a private flight from Dutch harbor? Go get…" The rant got cut off when the door slammed closed behind the angry muttering Hardison. Resulting in a big slightly manic grin on Parker's face and a shaky one from Eliot, the others were looking dumbfounded for a few seconds, then all hell broke loose.
"What the fuck does he mean, female fighter? How did the two of you end up in the water? Why is your back covered in puncture marks? Who are these two idiots and how did they know you were in danger? Who are the other idiots on deck?"
A barrage of questions all directed at the still shivering Eliot. Only he isn't really paying attention, he is way too busy with Parker and her wickedly poking fingers. Because Parker, for some strange reason all of her own, finds the befor mentioned puncture marks on his back fascinating and is trying to avoid his slapping hands to at poke them.
But before he can answer a single question or really get away from Parker's poking Hardison shows up back inside followed by Hawaiian looking guy who is carrying a spluttering Charlie flung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
All of a sudden the mood goes from accusatory to celebration with smiles all around.
"Eddie! Great to see you man. How did Eric treat you?" Now the questions are for the long lost Eddie. The prodigal son coming back from the dead, or close to it, living on another boat for a trip.
"I'm fine, just fine. But you." Pointing an accusing finger in the direction of Johnathan "Have a mess on deck. And I am not the only one doing clean up." And with that Eddie throws a growling Charlie on the bench opposite Eliot. Her hands, thumbs and feet tied by zip ties in different colors. Seems Hardison came prepared with a bag full and he did learn something from hanging out with Eliot and Parker.
Soon after the other four amateur fighters are also lined up inside with their hands zip tied behind their back with just a single zip tie. Everybody agreeing that they aren't the dangerous ones who could handle the pain of breaking a single zip tie.
The police is on the way after a quick phone call about the breaking and entering on the Time Bandit to collect the four amateurs. Not Charlie, she is going along to LA as leverage and it goes against Eliot's code of honor to surrender a fellow hitter to the police. Sure it seems she doesn't know anymore then that she is working for a Delores Malaguff. She has been working for Delores for a few years now, on and off. Yes Delores is a leggy redhead. And Delores gave her a bad quality picture of Eliot two weeks ago with the order to take the guy out. It was clear to Charlie that Delores didn't even knowing who Eliot really was. And she didn't warn Delores that Eliot was known to be a whole lot more dangerous then you're average crab fisherman or retired baseball player in her eagerness to proof to the Hitters world that she was the one to take out the famous or infamous Eliot Spenser.
Even if Eliot was really retired as hitter and retrieval specialist and gone into crabbing ( weird job choice by the way). She would still be the one to take out Eliot. That was her ticket out of Delores employ and more lucrative jobs.