Nate got out of the taxi, looking drunk. Kaira watched as he stumbled to the entrance. Kaira was acting as a guest, watching the crowd. She kept an eye on Sophie and Eliot, who were also at the party. Sophie and Eliot were playing art experts. Nate headbutted a security guard and the target went up to him. Nate had grabbed the gun and cocked it and pointed it right at the target, an older blond man in a suit.
"Are you here to kill me, Nate?" The man asked, unconcerned.
"Not tonight." Nate said, still aiming the gun at the target's head.
"Well, in that case, come in. There's shrimp." He said.
The target walked away as Nate lowered and uncocked the gun.
"I do love shrimp." Nate said.
Nate tossed the gun. Kaira watched Nate and the target walk.
"My wing at the museum opens this week. A little celebration for the fund-raisers." The target said.
"Yeah, blood money buys the best art." Nate said, going to the bar and opening a decanter, and pouring the liquid in a glass.
"I heard a rumor that you'd-" The target said. Nate took a swig of his drink.
"I'm here to sell you something, Ian." Nate said.
"I don't need anything, Nate." Ian said as Nate whispered in his ear.
Kaira watched nervously. This job was important for everyone involved.
"You're lying." Ian said.
"Lying to you would not be worth my time." Nate said.
Ian called for Portia. Portia was actually Sophie. Sophie walked over to Nate and Ian.
"Portia, this is Nathan Ford. He used to work for me. This is Portia DelDuccio from the Vatican Museum." Ian introduced them.
"Buona Sera, Signore Ford." Sophie said in an Italian accent.
Two Weeks Earlier at Leverage Headquarters
The team gathered in the meeting room. Sophie told them she had an idea to help Nate with his drinking problem. She handed them cards and waited for Nate to show up. Sophie was at the right end, then Eliot, Kaira, Hardison, and Parker was on the left end. Nate did show up.
"Hello?" Nate said, slurring. "Where is everybody?" Nate said, still slurring his words a bit.
Nate opened the door to the meeting room. It was obvious to Kaira he was drunk.
"All right guys, what's going on?" Nate asked.
"Ian Blackpoole. C.E.O of I.Y.S Insurance." Parker said.
"Millionaire, famous art collector." Hardison said.
"Two years ago, Ian refused the claim for your son's treatment, leading to his..." Kaira was saying.
"Enough!" Nate yelled.
Kaira exhaled, showing her annoyance.
"Oh. Drunk again?" Sophie questioned, unamused.
"Are we still unclear? I'm a functioning alcoholic, you know? And the trick is not to get hung up on the "alcoholic", but celebrate the "functioning" part of the sentence." Nate said.
"You're getting worse." Eliot said.
"This - this is messing you up, man." Hardison said, reading his card.
"We can't keep watching you do this to yourself." Parker said, also reading her card.
"Is this my intervention? Are my bags packed and in the car, ready to take me to rehab?" Nate questioned.
"No. Though that was the second idea." Kaira said.
They all threw their cards on the table in frustration. Eliot rubbed his face.
"You don't need rehab, Nate." Sophie said, walking to him.
"You need revenge." Eliot said, coming behind Sophie.
Nate looked at the image on the monitor.
Their target: Ian Blackpoole - the man who ruined Nate's life. Who allowed an innocent child to die. Who led Kaira's friend, and father figure, to the downward spiral of losing everything. If it wasn't for her no killing role, she would have already put a bullet in Ian's skull. But humiliating Ian would be much more satisfying.
Back at the party
Kaira continued watching the interaction. Kaira and Eliot were flirting with each other and talking with a blond woman.
"Portia here is negotiating for a loan for some of the Vatican collection to my wing." Ian said.
"Ian has the most wonderful collection of Renaissance Art I've seen outside Roma." Sophie said as Portia.
"Well, his collection's gonna be better than Rome's if he writes me a check." Nate said.
"Where's your art expert?" Ian asked.
"Oh, there is, uh, Professor Sinclair." Sophie said, nodding to Eliot's direction.
Eliot and Kaira were still chatting with the blond.
"You want I call him over?" Sophie asked.
"No. No, not yet. Come on. Follow me. My restoration vault." Ian said, leading the way.
"Oh. What's this about?" Sophie asked.
Nate was following behind.
"He's found the Second David." Ian said.
"Oh!" Sophie said, excited.
Flashback to Leverage Headquarters
Sophie had the team sit down as she explained her plan.
"Michelangelo's David. The most famous statue in the world." Sophie said, turning around to look at the screen.
She turned back around.
"Sculpted between 1501 and 1504, commissioned by the city of Florence. Like all sculptors, Michelangelo made small-scale models, or, well, what's commonly known as maquettes, first." Sophie explained.
"I-I know all this." Nate said, unsure why he listened to that.
"No, no, no. See, while you are well-versed in dead-guy art, I myself am not. My entire criminal career is based on technology built after 1981. So I am riveted, quite so. Please, do go on." Hardison told Nate off.
Sophie smiled and pulled up the images of the Two Davids.
"He famously made two models for the statue, Clay-fired, then bronzed, identical. Over the last 400 years, they have been sold, lost, stolen, rediscovered dozens of times." Sophie informed them.
"Who has them now?" Hardison asked.
"Well, the Second David was stolen from the Vatican 10 years ago. And, well, it's never been found. And the First David... well..." Sophie said.
At the Party
Ian, Sophie, and Nate went into the vault. Kaira knew Nate was taking in all of the information about the exhibit.
"Man, am I glad I don't have to break in there. That is one sick security system." Hardison said.
"What, with our tools? Give me three days of prep, It'd be like taking diamonds from the French National Bank. That's like taking candy from a baby." Parker said.
"I got it." Hardison said.
"A very easy thing to do." Parker said.
"Got... it." Hardison said, annoyed.
Parker and Hardison were in the van on the lookout.
"Oh, look little buddy. That's your new home!" Parker said in a high pitched baby voice.
"Parker." Kaira warned.
"Can you please not play with the little naked man? Please." Hardison asked.
"I'm not." Parker whispered.
Flashback to Leverage Headquarters
Sophie continued laying out the plan. "We sell Blackpoole a fake second David. You know he's gonna insure it with I.Y.S." Sophie said.
"Then we let him put it on display in his museum." Parker said.
"And when it's discovered as a fake, his own company, I.Y.S, accuses Blackpoole of fraud." Hardison said.
"And the son of a bitch bastard is out on his ass." Kaira said, smirking at the idea.
"His reputation's ruined. Nobody will ever work with this guy again." Eliot said, liking the idea.
"Only one problem." Nate stood up. "He is not gonna buy the fake David until he has it verified by an expert." Nate said, standing by Sophie.
"That's right. By one of us." Sophie said.
"And how do you guarantee that?" Nate asked.
Sophie scoffed.
At the Party
Sophie, Nate, and Ian talked some more. Nate gave Ian the time frame to buy the David. Tomorrow. Sophie tried to insist that Ian donate it to the Vatican, but Nate argued saying he has an oilman who wants to buy it and slap it on a mantelpiece. Ian said he'd buy it, but donate it after he died. Sophie said she wanted "Professor Sinclair" to examine it.
They exited the building and went back to the crowd.
"Eliot. Eliot." Nate said, grabbing a glass.
"What? Give me a second. I'm hitting it off here." Eliot said.
"Bring her along. It'll help sell the character, but now - do it now." Nate ordered.
Then Ian came from behind.
"Nate. Why did you come to me?" Ian asked.
"Well, I knew you'd pay the best price. Renaissance art is your life. Guilt was a bonus." Nate said.
"You hate me." Ian said.
Kaira tried really hard to keep a straight face and not punch Ian.
"Yeah. Of course, I hate you. I mean, what - what? You think I want to be here? I don't have a choice, all right?! I'm drunk, I'm broke, I'm living out of my car, I just want the paycheck, and at this point, I don't care where it comes from." Nate exclaimed.
Eliot, Kaira, and the blond were behind him.
"Nate?" The blond questioned.
Nate turned around. "Maggie." Nate said, surprised.
Kaira gasped a bit but tried to keep a straight face.
"You guys - you know each other?" Eliot asked, trying not to break character.
"Of course. Maggie is Nate's ex-wife." Ian said.
Eliot tried to stay calm. It was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds.
"What is she doing here?" Parker asked.
"Guy, guys, s-stay in character." Hardison said.
"Nate Ford." Nate extended his hand.
"Hi. Sky Davis. This is my boyfriend, Adam Sinclair." Kaira said, shaking Nate's hand, trying to break the uneasiness.
Kaira managed to keep her nerves in check. Nate moved his hand over to Eliot to shake.
"Yeah, Maggie here is, uh, my ex-wife." Nate said.
"Yeah. Caught that." Kaira said.
Sophie walked over before Eliot could embarrass himself more.
"Signora Ford, Signora Davis?" Sophie said.
"Collins. I use my maiden name." Maggie said.
"Oh. Scusi. Do you mind if I borrow Professor Sinclair for a moment? Yes, uh, we must talk with Mr. Blackpoole. Gratzie." Sophie asked.
"Yeah. Just as long as you get him back to me in one piece." Kaira flirted a bit as Sophie took Eliot away.
Kaira turned back to Maggie.
"Uh, Maggie, I'm gonna leave you two alone. It was nice meeting you." Kaira said, giving her a hug.
Maggie hugged Kaira.
"You know, I think it's badass you use your maiden name." Kaira smiled as she left.
"Which conversation do you want to listen to?" Parker asked.
Kaira went over by the bar and grabbed a drink and took a long swig.
"That's what stereo was made for." Hardison said.
Maggie was sympathetic to Nate, saying she had no idea things were hard for him. Kaira was confused. Hardison warned Nate to stay in character.
"Why is Maggie working with the guy who killed her son? And why isn't she mad at Nate?" Kaira wondered to herself. Then it hit her. "She doesn't know, does she?" Kaira realized to herself.
Nate and Maggie talked while Sophie still talked with Ian and Eliot.
"She's pretty." Sophie complimented Maggie.
"They met while he worked with me. Maggie's an art expert - helped him track down fraud. Quite a glorious pair for a while - very Nick and Nora." Ian said.
Kaira groaned at this development. "Looks real. There's a technique that Michelangelo uses when he works with clay, and... I mean, I'd obviously have to take a closer look at it, but, yes sir." Eliot said.
Nate was trying to say he didn't need money, but then Hardison yelled at him and Natesaid he needed this deal. Maggie said to go get the deal and walked away, leaving a stammering Nate to follow. Maggie walked up to Ian, Sophie, and Eliot.
"What's Nate here for?" Maggie asked.
"It's an art sale, but private." Ian said.
"I'll verify the art." Maggie said.
Kaira stumbled a bit.
"No! She can't examine the art, or she'll blow the whole thing." Kaira said.
"Scusi. No. We agreed - no outside people." Sophie said.
"No, no, no. No, that's all right. I-I've been a little hesitant. No offense, but I don't know you that well." Ian said.
"But you know me. You know my reputation. If my presence will help you close the deal, then I'm in." Maggie said.
"Agreed. My one condition. Maggie examines the sculpture or I walk." Ian said.
"We have to. I have a hunch. Accept the condition Nate." Kaira said.
"What? No." Hardison argued.
"Hardison, trust me. I've been reading Maggie all night. Just trust me this once." Kaira begged.
"Agreed." Nate said.
He and Sophie left to go get drinks.
"Now, Nate... is Maggie a very good art inspector?" Hardison asked.
"Yeah, she's the best." Nate said.
"No, no, no, we can't let your ex-wife anywhere near our little naked man." Parker said.
Kaira groaned. "Parker, call it a statue." Kaira said.
"We have to show her the real thing. We have to steal the First David right now so we can show it to Maggie tomorrow as the Second David." Sophie said.
"That's too risky." Nate said.
"Blackpoole knows our faces. We're never gonna get him on the hook like this again. You honestly think that we can fool Maggie with a fake?" Sophie questioned.
"No. She's too smart and too experienced. When we worked together, there was nobody better." Nate said, walking away from the bar.
"A simple no without the cheerleading would have done. This does complicate things." Sophie said, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"All right. Well, one crisis at a time. Parker, get in here." Nate ordered.
"No, no. Nate, we haven't done any prep. We don't have our tools." Hardison argued.
"You want me to break into a secure storage facility with whatever I can scrounge up at the buffet table?" Parker questioned.
"Pretty much, yeah." Nate confirmed.
"Cool. I think Sophie left some dresses in here." Parker said.
"Let me know if you need anything." Kaira said.
She did feel kinda useless at the moment, which she hated. "Princess, you can come over by me and see if I can get Blackpole to agree to let you in." Eliot said.
Kaira made her way over. "I'll go too. I, uh, I got a white shirt. I can go waitstaff." Hardison said before going suspiciously quiet.
"I'm in." Parker said.
Kaira had made her way over and was talking with Eliot and Sophie. Kaira watched as Parker went up to the bar.
"A glass of ice, please. I need a big roll of aluminum foil." Parker said.
Hardison walked in, looking like the waitstaff.
"Uh, um, you know what? I'm gonna just - I'm gonna wrap up some of these shrimp for tomorrow. Breakfast jambalaya, you know." Hardison told another waiter who had foil.
"I got it. Now what?" Hardison asked.
"I need dark eye shadow." Parker said.
"I assume she's talking to you." Eliot said, looking at Sophie.
"Scusi. I must go powder my nose." Sophie said, leaving.
The three went down into the vault while Eliot and Kaira kept Ian busy.
"What was it you were talking about?" Kaira asked.
"Oh, it was just a private deal me and Mr. Blackpoole made." Eliot told her.
"Really? Need me to help? I am good at keeping secrets." Kaira questioned, acting innocent.
"No, I think we have plenty of people involved already. We don't need more." Ian said.
Kaira thought a moment.
"Well, part of my business with Adam is knowing about his deals, as I schedule everything. So, I must be there so I can make sure it all goes smoothly." Kaira said, showing some control.
"Alright. Promise you won't tell anyone." Ian said.
"I promise." Kaira said.
They chatted some more when Nate came over.
"Door's got a silent alarm. You should hide. We should pretend to make out." Parker said.
"Make what?" Hardison questioned, getting flustered.
Then they heard kissing sounds and tried to keep their covers. Then the guards must have come over and Hardison and Parker got them to leave. Then Parker asked for the makeup as Hardison was still dealing with the kiss. It was a moment before Parker spoke.
"Eye shadow." Parker said.
"Um, can we talk about what just happened?" Hardison questioned.
"Weird, huh." Parker said.
"You could say that." Hardison said, chuckling.
"Nate's ex-wife coming out of nowhere." Parker said.
"Yeah. No, no, that's - that's not what I meant at all." Hardison said.
It was a moment before they spoke again.
"Chew some gum." Parker said to Hardison.
"Is my breath funky?" Hardison said before exhaling could be heard.
Sophie had come up and went by Eliot and Kaira.
"Which one of you did she kiss?" Eliot. Sophie sighed.
"Obviously it was Hardison." Kaira whispered.
"T-1300 Makashita. We got about 10 seconds, even in the blindspot, before it picks up our body heat." Hardison said.
"Stick your gum on here." Parker said.
Hardison realized what Parker was doing.
"Ha ha! Gotcha. Yeah, can't pick up our heat through the ice. Nice." Hardison realized.
Kaira was kinda amused. It went silent again before Hardison got worried.
"Parker, Parker, what are you - no, no, no. What are you doing? This system resets in like five minutes. You know what? Okay, I want you to know, if you set off the lasers, I'm running like a bat out of hell. I pray you can keep up - just saying. What are you - Park - s -" Hardison was freaking out before chuckling.
"You're reflecting the beams back. Sweet." Hardison realized.
"You did not just think about this on the way in from the van." Hardison said.
"Some people do crosswords." Parker said. Nate had walked with Maggie. "Nate, we're almost done." Hardison said. Nate didn't respond. "Nate can you hear me, I just said we're almost done." Hardison said again. "Yeah, he heard you." Kaira said. Maggie said that she still cared about Nate. "Great!" Sophie exclaimed in her normal voice. Kaira looked at her with dagger eyes. "Portia, don't practice your accent here." Kaira argued. This was the only time Kaira had heard of Sophie breaking cover. "Get it over with." Eliot ordered. All of a sudden Kaira heard car alarms going off. Kaira figured it was for the vibration alarm on the statue. Hardison told Parker off for throwing the David statue at him. Nate told Maggie he had to leave. Maggie offered him a place to stay, and Nate declined. He met with Eliot and Kaira. "Adam! Sky!" Maggie got their attention. "Uh, yeah?" Eliot said. "Let me give you my number." Maggie said. Kaira accepted and got her number. They left and met back up at the office.
"I don't want to talk about it." Nate said.
"It was only to coordinate where we were gonna go." Eliot said.
"Not talking about it." Nate said.
Parker went over and grabbed Nate and Eliot's shoulders.
"We just stole an eight million dollar staue on like, our day off!" Parker exclaimed, sitting down the statue.
"Yeah, and we're giving it back." Nate said.
"Technically, we're selling it back." Hardison said.
"Doesn't it seem like there might be a better way? I mean, let's just think about it, huh? What if both of Blackpoole's statues were fake, right? It would be even worse for him. The David he's had on display for years, insured and verified by I.Y.S." Sophie suggested.
Kaira sensed something weird with her voice.
"Wait. Every sale he's made in the last ten years would have to be audited." Hardison said, liking the idea.
"He wouldn't just lose the company. His own board of directors would sue him." Sophie said.
"He'd be finished for good." Kaira realized.
Nate was silent. "I'd like a word with you right now." Nate said, leaving for his office.
Sophie followed as Eliot whistled.
"That ain't good." Hardison said, nervous.
Sophie walked into Nate's office and shut the door.
The gang at the table could hear everything.
"I know that voice. That's the voice you use on a mark." Nate said, accusingly.
"I can think of a dozen other times an opportunity like this lands on our laps. We take it!" Sophie argued.
"You don't con us. You don't con your own team." Nate argued back.
"You're just getting cold feet because your ex-wife could blow it for us!" Sophie exclaimed, taking the heat off her.
Kaira knew something was off with Sophie's intentions.
"Oh, Maggie - Maggie wouldn't." Nate argued.
"Maggie, who works for the man who let your son die? She doesn't have a problem with that!" Sophie exclaimed.
"She doesn't know!" Nate yelled.
\Kaira perked up and exhaled. She was right.
"She doesn't know that I.Y.S... and Blackpoole denied Sam's treatment." Nate said, calming down some.
"How can she not know?" Sophie asked. Nate sat down.
"She doesn't know... because I never told her. She pities me. Didn't you see that?" Nate said.
Sophie exhaled and sat down.
"You're lying to her, Nate. You're not who she thinks you are." Sophie said.
"She thinks I'm a drunk... maybe even a criminal." Nate said.
"You're still an honest man, Nate. It's the rest of the world that's gone crooked." Sophie said.
She went silent for a moment.
"Do you want to walk away?" Sophie asked.
"How many other kids died just like Sam because this bastard put his profits above their treatment? How many? And it's not just me and Sam. I mean, that is what I keep telling myself." Nate said.
Kaira could tell he was emotional. Sophie walked to the door and said something to Nate. Kaira then walked into his office.
Nate looked like Hell. He had tears in his eyes and his nose was red. Kaira sat down opposite him.
"Nathan. I'm sorry about what happened to your kid. No one in the world should have to go through that. Especially an honest, good man like you." Kaira said softly.
She placed a hand on Nate's shoulder. Nate grabbed it on comfort.
"What made you stay?" Nate asked.
"You changed me, Nathan. You helped me to do good in this world. In a way, you broke me down and rebuilt me to be better." Kaira said.
She was getting emotional.
"Thank you. For staying." Nate said, giving a slight smile.
"Thank you for giving me a chance." Kaira smiled.
She went to hug Nate, but Nate pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck. Kaira rubbed his back to calm him down. Kaira hummed softly. They stayed like that for a while until Nate was calmed down enough.
"You ready to get this bastard?" Kaira asked Nate.
"Ready." Nate told her.
They walked out of the office. Kaira and Eliot went home. Kaira sat on the bed and was numb. Eliot sat down next to her and pecked her cheek.
"What's wrong? And don't say nothing because I know it's bullshit." Eliot said. Kaira turned to face Eliot.
"How in the hell can Nate even function with the guilt he has? I mean, living all your life knowing that your old boss let your son die, and not telling your wife? I mean how did she not suspect anything when Nate started drinking. All she had to do was ask Nate if he was okay. Even if he lied, she could've suspected something was wrong. But she did nothing! And Nate paid the price." Kaira started ranting.
"I don't know, Princess. All I know is that sometimes grief can make people do things we can't explain." Eliot said.
They hugged.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." Kaira said, wiping her eyes, which were starting to form tears.
"Nate's like a father to you, ain't he?" Eliot said.
"Yeah. I mean, he did change our lives. He made us who we are today. He helped me get the courage to admit my feelings for you. He lead me to think about our future." Kaira said.
Eliot nodded in understanding. "I understand. Why don't you head to bed? We got a long day tomorrow." Eliot said.
Kaira agreed and the next day, they got ready to do the deal.
Kaira drove Eliot and Nate to the airport.
"Hardison. Three minutes before they arrive." Nate said.
"Gotcha, boss." Hardison said before talking to the pilot and co-pilot to get the plane.
"You ready?" Kaira asked Nate and Eliot.
He was sitting on the chair. "We're up." Nate said just as Maggie and Ian arrived.
They said hi and shook hands.
"An interesting place to meet." Ian said.
"Nathan Ford?" Parker said behind the desk.
"Yeah?" Nathan said, the group going to the desk.
"I've got a call here from flight 7-tango-8-2, inbound from Dubai. They'd like to know if your party's here." Parker said.
"Yes. We're all here. Where are they?" Nate asked.
"They're just pulling in now." Parker said.
Nate gestured for them to follow.
"I'll stay behind and keep the car warm, Adam." Kaira said, giving Eliot a smile.
Kaira went out and followed.
Maggie told them it was real. Kaira met them upfront. Maggie revealed she had fun and it reminded her of when she'd help Nate get his merch back. She also said for him to call her and left. Eliot and Kaira walked up to him. Eliot and Kaira went around the back. Sophie met with Ian to give him some stuff from the Vatican. Nate punched Ian. Ian asked if he felt better. Nate said he did. Kaira couldn't blame him. Ian left with the fake David.
"Was that absolutely necessary?" Sophie asked in her normal voice.
"He wouldn't have believed a handshake. And it felt good." Nate said.
"Hardison, where are you?" Nate asked.
"Halfway home already, Nate." Hardison said.
"You got it?" Nate asked.
"I've got the money right here." Hardison said.
Eliot and Kaira saw a guy with a camera taking pictures.
"I'm gonna count to three." Eliot said.
The guy then turned around and punched Eliot, sending him into the barrels.
"Nate, we're blown!" Kaira yelled before the guy, who Kaira realized was Quinn, a guy she and Eliot once did business with, punched her.
"We are blown!" Kaira and Eliot yelled, but both their comms were out of their ears.
Eliot went to crawl to his comm, but Quinn kicked him in the ribs multiple times.
"That rib's broken." Quinn taunted.
Eliot was groaning, which only fueled Kaira. She crawled to her comm, but Quinn kicked her in the ribs multiple times. Kaira was groaning and holding her chest, moaning in pain.
"And your rib is broken. He said you'd be tougher than this." Quinn taunted again.
Eliot stumbled up, but Quinn pushed him a bit and Eliot got ready to fight.
Kaira stood up and went for her comm, but Quinn turned and punched her in the face, knocking her down and then threw her into the barrels. Kaira groaned in pain more as Eliot yelled for her. Kaira chuckled as Quinn went over to Eliot.
"I would laugh, but it'd hurt to much. You're so stupid, Quinn. You just pissed off the bull." Kaira said.
Eliot used the lack of focus to tackle Quinn, but Quinn pushed him out of the way. Kaira got up and Quinn just kept punching her in the face. She went down, groaning. She knew she had multiple rib fractures. Eliot steadied himself, but Quinn managed to dodge Eliot's hits and hit him in the back. Kaira tried to get up, but Quinn kicked her again. Quinn then tackled Eliot through the luggage. Eliot got up to fight, but Quinn threw him across the floor. Eliot stumbled back up and Kaira stood up, steadying herself. Quinn kept jabbing Eliot with his left hand.
"Better keep that left up." Quinn taunted.
Quinn kept punching Eliot, but he dodged one and Quinn and Eliot kneed each other and Quinn punched Eliot, making him stumble. Kaira then leaped on Quinn's back, using the belt she quietly took off and used it to start choking Quinn. Quinn grabbed Kaira's shirt and pulled her over him, landing straight on her back. She groaned in even more pain. Eliot went after Quinn, but they quickly backed off after landing some good punches on each other.
"Why won't you go down!" Quinn exclaimed.
Kaira managed to push through the pain and stand up. Quinn looked at her, shocked.
"Because we're just too damn stubborn." Kaira retorted, gaining the adrenaline.
Eliot chuckled, blood dripping from his mouth. Quinn rammed into Eliot. Eliot and Kaira grabbed him and kneed him hard into the ribs.
"Now that rib's broken." Eliot said.
They threw him to the ground. Kaira superman punched Quinn, knocking him down. Kaira and Eliot ran to their comms and placed them.
"Nate, we're blown!" Kaira yelled, breathing heavy, from the pain as they walked away, holding their chests from the broken ribs.
"Nate..." Eliot said before Nate cut him off.
"Eliot, Kaira, what's going on? Talk to me, Eliot. Kaira." Nate said.
"Hello, Nate. Love this technology." A male voice with a British accent came across on comms.
"What do you want, Sterling?" Nate asked.
"Well, first, let's see how many birds we have in hand. You know this is Parker's. Now, Alec Hardison?" Sterling said.
"Accounted for, Mr. Sterling. And we have the cash, too." Another guy said.
"Marvelous. Mr. Spencer, Miss Newton?" Sterling said.
"Hey, Sterling. I got some dental work with your name on it. What do you say me and you hook up so I can give it to you?" Eliot said, panting in pain.
"Sterling, don't even bother threatening any one of us. You won't get anything. The only thing that'll get you is my foot up your British ass, you son of a bitch!" Kaira exclaimed, getting out her anger.
Eliot and Kaira started walking to the cars.
"Seems that Mr. Quinn was not quite as effective as promised. Still, two birds in the hand are worth three in the bush." Sterling said.
"Eliot, Kaira, stay low." Nate ordered.
"Got it, boss." Kaira said.
"Sterling, what do you want?" Nate asked.
"Tell you what - why don't you meet me in the place where we used to go for a drink after work? I'll come alone. I promise." Sterling said.
Kaira heard a thud, so she assumed a comm was thrown. And Kaira knew the guys who had Hardison weren't listening to the comms. Kaira and Eliot got to the car.
"I'm driving." Eliot said.
"No, I am. You have a concussion." Kaira argued.
Eliot blocked Kaira from getting in the driver's seat and she walked to the passenger seat. Kaira and Eliot both moaned and groaned getting in.
"Yep. Definitely have broken ribs, probably multiple stress fractures. Oh, and probably a concussion." Kaira said, trying to smile through the pain as she put on her seatbelt.
"What now?" Eliot asked, slowly getting on his seatbelt.
"We wait until dickwad and Nate meet, then we get Parker and Hardison." Kaira suggested.
Eliot turned the key and started driving to the offices.
After a bit of time, Nate and Sophie went to the I.Y.S office roof.
"Do you remember when we were friends? After work, we used to come up here, have a drink, watch the sunset." Sterling said.
"We were never friends, Sterling." Nate said, not happy.
"So the answer to my question would be no, then." Sterling said.
"What do you want?" Nate asked.
"A trade." Sterling said.
No." Nate said.
"Come on. It's no big deal. I just want the Second David." Sterling said.
"Well, you got it. It's on the truck. Parker couldn't make the switch." Nate said.
Kaira stayed silent, wondering where this was going.
"Not the First David. The Second David. 10 years ago, I was the investigator when it went missing from the Vatican. I want it." Sterling said.
"Well, I don't have it." Nate said.
"Of course you do. Just ask yourself one question. Who came up with the plan to break Ian Blackpoole?" Sterling said.
Kaira leaned back in the seat and looked at Eliot. She muted her comm.
"Son of a bitch! I knew Sophie didn't have kosher motives!" Kaira exclaimed but groaned again. Eliot groaned too.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Eliot exclaimed.
"I knew you'd come after Blackpoole eventually. You had to. And when you did, I knew that the way in would have to be the First David. She wouldn't be able to resist. It's how she thinks. And I know how you think. Come on, Jenny. Make it official. It's the name she was using back then. Might be her real name for all I know. I've no idea." Sterling said.
Kaira was getting pissed. There was a pause.
"I stole the Second David 10 years ago. I still have it." Sophie admitted, painfully.
"Dammit." Eliot muttered.
"I know." Kaira said, understanding.
"See? There you go. Wasn't so hard, was it? I want the Second David here, this spot, no tricks, end of day." Sterling said.
"I'll bring it." Nate said.
"No. I don't know why, but I don't trust the two of you together. So, you will go meet my men at your offices, where I know you'll be safe and sound, and Sophie will bring me the Second David, which I will exchange for Parker. After all, she stole it. How else is she gonna learn?" Sterling said.
It was silent for a while. Kaira wanted to get angry and yell at Sophie, but she couldn't. She had to stay cool to get Parker and Hardison to safety.
Nate drove Sophie to a storage locker.
"How much is in here?" Nate asked.
"As much as I need. When you found me in Chicago, I told you I'd become an honest citizen. I was just an honest citizen... with a very good retirement plan." Sophie said.
She blew on something.
"So why the hell didn't you say anything that night?" Nate questioned.
"Oh, when you were standing next to your ex-wife? You were in no condition -" Sophie said before Nate cut her off.
"Yeah, so, this whole scam to burn Ian was basically to get your hands on the First David, isn't that right, Jenny?" Nate said, not happy.
Kaira heard a slap.
"Don't you dare pretend this has been a selfless crusade on your part! It wasn't a coincidence that you set up our offices in the same city as Blackpoole. You knew one day you'd go after him and you'd use us." Sophie argued.
"Yes. Well, I was right, wasn't I? That is the voice you use for a mark." Nate argued back.
"I meant it, Nate. Going after Blackpoole. I wanted to hurt him - for the way he'd hurt you. But I'm a thief. And stealing both Davids... no one's ever done that, not in 400 years. And there it was in front of me, and... and stealing the First David helped you, and it was... I don't know. It was like it was meant to be." Sophie explained herself, her voice going soft.
"We're both addicts." Nate said.
"We're all addicts, Nate. We're all addicted to our pasts. Don't tell me you weren't tempted when you were talking to Maggie. You wanted to feel how it used to feel. You still think of us as just criminals. There's always gonna be a part of you that thinks you're better than us." Sophie said, getting emotional.
"Where do we go from here?" Sophie asked.
"We do this." Nate said.
"Sterling knows us. He knows how we think." Sophie said.
"So, we think like somebody else." Nate suggested. Kaira unmuted her comm.
"Okay, I got to get this off my chest or I'm not gonna be able to do this. Sophie, what the hell were you thinking?! You used Nate's son to get the First David, which goes against my rules I play by! And you don't think I wanted to hurt Ian too? Yeah, I'm pissed off at you, Soph! You broke our trust! You used us and Nathan's grief over his son to get the First David. You didn't think about Nate! You only thought of yourself. But then again, you are a grifter. Making people trust you, only to break it in the end. That's what you do. And I am not addicted to my past. I moved on from my past, which it is no secret that it's shady as hell. But I changed, Sophie. I help people now! I can't help but wonder if you were just playing us all along so you could steer us into going after Blackpoole. Normally, I would say screw you and leave, but my friends are on the line, so I will hold it together for as long as I need to to get them safe, but then I am done with you Sophie." Kaira exclaimed, getting all her emotions out.
Eliot looked at Kaira and went to hug her. Kaira did the same. They hugged, groaning a bit in pain. Eliot kissed Kaira's forehead, leaving some blood behind.
"What's the plan?" Eliot asked, unmuting his comm.
Nate laid out the plan. Nate drove Sophie to the I.Y.S building and then drove to the offices.
Eliot and Kaira also made there way over. Kaira and Eliot were almost at the offices when they heard Sophie.
"You said you wanted to see it, Sterling. Parker comes to the middle of the roof. We circle her. You get to the David when I get to the door. Parker comes to me, and we're gone." Sophie said.
"I'm not doing anything until know that Nate Ford has turned himself in." Sterling said.
Eliot and Kaira arrived just as Nate walked in. A few minutes later, they heard Nate on the comms.
"We've got him." A guy said.
"Boys." Nate said.
There was a moment of silence.
"Yeah, he's here." Another guy said.
"Put him on." Sterling said.
"Tell your guys to cut Hardison loose, let Sophie and Parker go." Nate said.
"Of course." Sterling said.
He told his guys to keep him.
"All right. I'm a man of my word. Let's do this." Sterling said.
"You go first." Sterling finished.
Kaira and Eliot made their way into the offices.
"You know he's got guys at the bottom of the stairs, right?" Parker questioned.
"Of course." Sophie said.
Kaira and Eliot opened the door and went to the meeting room, where they saw four guys surrounding Nate and Hardison. Both Kaira and Eliot had animalistic looks on their faces.
"Four guys?" Eliot questioned.
Two more guys showed up.
"Six guys?" Kaira questioned.
She stood up straighter due to adrenaline.
"See, they're good, but they're not that good." A security guy said.
"So, how are you gonna get us out of this?" Parker asked.
"I had no idea how to get us off this roof. And then I asked myself... what would Parker do?" Sophie said.
"With a couple of broken ribs and a concussion each, I don't think our hitter duo can take out six guys. You know, but then I thought, what would Hardison do?" Nate said.
Eliot then pulled out his cellphone that sent a high-pitched tone to the comms. Eliot and Kaira took on the four guys behind them as Nate and Hardison took the ones holding them. Kaira could hear Parker yelling in delight as Kaira kept fighting. Finally, they took out everyone. Hardison pointed at Eliot, who pointed back at Hardison and Kaira, and Kaira pointed at Eliot and Nate, who pointed at Kaira and Hardison. Nate got the money and answered the phone as Eliot, Kaira, and Hardison readied the office.
"Nate, we're good to go." Kaira said, going to the front with Eliot and Hardison.
Eliot called for Hardison, who soon arrived. Hardison got Eliot and Kaira's attention to grab the painting of Old Nate. Kaira groaned but helped Eliot lift it with only minimal complaining. They got out and loaded the painting up in Hardison's car.
Kaira watched from afar as the offices blew up. She got a bit emotional. It was like she was destroying a piece of herself. The team met back up and agreed to scatter. They had no choice. Kaira got Hardison to set up her contingency. They all went their separate ways.
Kaira and Eliot loaded up in his truck and Eliot started the truck.
"What's the plan?" Eliot asked.
"We go back to our house, gather up anything we can. I cleaned our house yesterday so we should be good there. We load up our clothes and our gear. We throw away our food and burn our cards and I.D's and destroy our phones. I got us a lockbox that has new identities that Hardison never put on Leverage Consulting records. There's also cash and a key to a safe house I bought with my money from the Nigerian Job. You switch the license plates and registration, both in the lockbox, and I'll gather up everything. We load it in your truck, and we drive to the safehouse. We burn our old identities, and our trash at the new place, then we get cleaned up, drink some bourbon, and sleep." Kaira said.
"You thought about this before." Eliot realized.
"Yeah. Oh, I should add that Hardison put the house on a realtor site, so in case Sterling decides to look at it, anything they could use is destroyed." Kaira continued.
"Damn. I didn't know you had this big of a plan if this happened." Eliot said.
He started driving.
"Well, once we heard about Sterling, I had to make a plan for us. So I had Hardison create us new identities that weren't on file in case Sterling managed to grab them, and I had the house plan in case we had to scatter and go dark. I knew Sterling would be after us, so I made a plan." Kaira explained, getting out her worry.
"I'm glad you thought of a plan, Princess." Eliot said, smiling at her. Kaira smiled back.
They arrived at their house and got to work. Eliot helped Kaira gather up their dishes and cutlery in boxes. Kaira packed up her and Eliot's clothes as Eliot grabbed their gear. Kaira grabbed the lockbox and opened it. She handed Eliot the license plate and registration to Eliot's truck along with his new identity. She locked the lockbox again and sat it aside. She stripped the beds as Eliot changed the license plates. Kaira put the sheets and blankets in a garbage bag. She put the bathroom towels in another bag as Eliot gathered up the food and garbage. They were done by the time it was almost dark. They loaded everything up and locked the doors, putting the key under the mat.
They drove to the safe house. "
This is really happening." Kaira said, starting to panic.
"Hey, it's okay. In six months we'll see them again. This is only temporary." Eliot said.
"I know. I was starting to like having a team again." Kaira said, sad.
After an hour of driving, they arrived at the safehouse. It was dark and Kaira and Eliot were in a lot of pain, so they decided to just bring everything inside the house and deal with it tomorrow. Kaira and Eliot went into their new two-story house.
They brought everything in and sat on their new bed.
"This is home." Kaira smiled at Eliot, wanting to lay down, but couldn't.
Eliot grabbed the first aid kit as Kaira took off her shirt, then her bra. She had bruises on her ribs. She went to stand up.
"Cowboy, let me help you, first." Kaira groaned getting up.
"Not happening, Princess. Not until you get help first." Eliot said, stopping Kaira who sat back down and nodded.
Eliot wrapped bandages around her chest, holding her ribs in place to heal. Kaira poured two glasses of the bourbon she had Eliot grab before leaving their old house. She sat the one glass on the nightstand and started drinking hers. The cold liquid felt good running down her dry throat. Soon the alcohol worked and her body went numb. Kaira watched as Eliot put cream on her cut lip and her bruised cheek. Kaira put one of Eliot's shirts on and had Eliot sit down on the bed. Eliot grabbed his glass of bourbon and drank it. He took off his shirt and Kaira bandaged up his chest. She applied the cream to his lip and rubbed his head for comfort.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Eliot asked, using a hand to cup Kaira's face.
"I just hate seeing you hurt." Kaira said, nearly in tears.
"Hey, don't cry, princess. I'll be okay. And so will you. You have me. As long as we have that, we'll be okay." Eliot said, comforting Kaira.
Kaira got up and put the medical kit away. Kaira grabbed pain meds and gave two to Eliot and kept two for herself. She used the remaining bourbon in her glass to take the pain meds. Eliot did the same. Kaira looked at Eliot and Eliot looked at Kaira. The only thing they had at the moment was each other. Which right now, was all they wanted.
Kaira walked quickly to Eliot and pushed him on the bed. They locked lips, hard. The taste of the bourbon on their lips got each other drunk and wanting more. They let go, breathing heavily as Kaira took off her shirt. Eliot helped and rubbed his hands on her waist. They went back on the bed, Kaira holding Eliot's face. They kissed again. After a couple of minutes, Kaira rolled on the empty side of the bed and cuddled into Eliot, being mindful of his bruises. They kissed again, this time much softer.
Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the adrenaline from the pain. But at that moment, nothing was going to stop Eliot and Kaira from being in this moment. Just the two of them. That's all they ever needed.
The next morning, Eliot and Kaira woke up sore and hungover. Eliot went grocery shopping and cooked them eggs and they ate, staying silent. Then they unpacked everything. Later that night, they piled up the trash for the burn pile. Eliot used the cash from the lockbox to buy lighter fluid and matches. Kaira dumped the lighter fluid on the pile as Eliot lit a match. He threw it in the pile and it ignited.
Kaira pulled out her old identities and looked at them one last time. Each I.D had a story behind it. She remembered those stories. Then she threw them in the fire. Eliot did the same thing. They watched as their new-old life went up in flames. Kaira flashed back to the office exploding and started crying. Eliot hugged her, mindful of her bruises. Kaira was mourning the loss of the office because that office changed her life. It's where she had 4 new friends, well three minus Sophie at the moment, and she got her boyfriend. This was gonna be their new lives for the next six months. Kaira couldn't wait for things to be normal again.