Kaira and Eliot were looking over wedding plans when Nate called them. Their client was a woman whose father tried to kill himself after a news reporter got a hold of him, placing the blame of a bus crash that killed kids on him. Nate and Sophie had met the client already as Kaira and Eliot waited on the couch, looking at the list of ideas they had for their wedding. Nate and Sophie came into the apartment. Hardison went to the fridge to grab his orange soda.
"Now we've stolen a lot of odd things before, but how to we steal back a man's reputation?" Hardison asked as he walked to the couch.
"We get the network to issue a complete apology and utterly disavow Monica Hunter's story." Sophie said the plan.
The team looked confused.
"What?" Sophie questioned.
"Yeah, Sophie's gonna be doing this one." Nate informed the team.
"What?" Eliot questioned.
"Yeah." Nate confirmed, not really liking this.
"Yeah. I'm gonna be Nate on this one, only, you know, nicer." Sophie said.
"But if you're gonna be Nate, then who's gonna be you?" Parker asked.
"You." Sophie said to Parker.
"Me?" Parker questioned.
"I could be Sophie for this one." Kaira said.
"I-I don't mean to obsess about the last time Sophie ran a con, but, I'm sorry, where we had to blow up the offices." Eliot said as Sophie scoffed.
"Really? Because I don't remember that." Sophie said.
"I do." Hardison said.
"You know, after I watched the offices blow up, I cried when I had to burn me and Eliot's identities. That was not pleasant at all." Kaira cut in, not happy.
"Um, Hardison, just run it." Sophie ordered, ignoring Kaira.
"If you don't mind, I thought I would still do the "Hardison, run it" thing. Hardison, run it." Nate said.
This was gonna be a long job. Sophie sighed as Hardison started his briefing.
"Monica Hunter's "Hunt for the Truth" has been the top show in her time slot for the last eight years. She calls it an exposé show. Each episode includes three elements - incriminating documents, embarrassing footage of the subject, and an expert to make it legit. Now she mixes this all into one hatchet job on some poor citizen, turning them into the boogeyman - doesn't matter whether or not they're guilty. If the victim tries to sue, the network just buries them in lawyers." Hardison explained.
"Yeah, she demonizes perfectly innocent people for ratings and then stands behind the network, thinking they're gonna protect her. We're gonna sever that relationship." Sophie went into the plan.
"How?" Parker asked. "By getting her on-air with a fake story that destroys her reputation." Kaira explained.
Sophie looked at her.
"It's like when you find a crooked cop, you know? A-all his cases go right out the window." Eliot pointed out.
"Exactly." Sophie said, standing up.
"And then, to protect themselves, they issue an apology to Mr. Pennington, and then they throw Monica Hunter into the jaws of the very media machine that she bent her own malicious will!" Sophie said, dramatically.
"Wow. I got to say, Sophie's briefings are much more dramatic." Parker said.
Kaira, Hardison, and Eliot nodded their heads in agreement.
"And poetic." Eliot said.
"You see, what we need to do, though - what we need is - we got to sell her a fake news story that she - she can't refuse. That's what we got to do, because what does she have? She has fame. She has money. What does she need?" Nate said, going up to the screen next to Sophie.
Sophie cleared her throat.
"She - sorry." Nate realized, sitting back down next to Eliot and Kaira.
They looked at each other and leaned back, with Kaira leaned into Eliot.
"What does she have? She has fame. She has money. What does she need?" Sophie repeated as
Kaira smiled in amusement. Hardison had a light bulb moment.
"Respect. Yeah, she's a joke among serious journalists. Look, here's emails from her agent and internal memos from the network. See, every time her contract's up, she tries to go and get a job on a serious news show, but she gets laughed out of the room every time." Hardison explained.
"Yeah, well, we can't sell her respect." Nate observed.
"But we can sell her a story that commands respect - a story that she's gonna chase to get the respect she craves. Hmm? Pack your bags, everyone. We're going to D.C to make news." Sophie said.
It was silent before Nate spoke.
"That's when you want to..." Nate suggested, motioning that's when she leaves.
"I'm gonna do that bit again." Sophie said, sniffing, resetting herself.
"Pack your bags, everyone. We're going to D.C to make news." Sophie said, walking to a door.
Nate cleared his throat.
"That's the closet, ain't it?" Kaira questioned amused.
"Yep." Nate said.
They made a plan and arrived in D.C the next day. Parker was gonna play another reporter who was gonna get caught stealing Monica's Pentagon press pass, Hardison a crazy conspiracy theorist, Eliot and Kaira were gonna be Parker's shadows, and Nate a three-star General.
Parker had gone into the studio offices and stole the press pass as Kaira, Hardison, and Eliot got the room ready, placing maps and photos and news articles that Hardison printed out on the wall.
"I got the pass - easy." Parker said, missing the memo.
"Parker, we went over this. You're not supposed to take it. You're supposed to get caught with it." Sophie said.
"I don't know how to get caught." Parker said.
Kaira chuckled.
"Yeah, I know it's difficult to steal badly. Just-just try." Sophie said.
Parker started rattling various things at Monica's desk.
"What the hell are you doing?" Monica asked Parker.
"Cindy MacAllen - Casperkill nightly news." Parker said.
"Casperkill? How'd you get in here?" Monica asked.
"That's your cue. Go on, leave now." Sophie ordered.
"Apparently, I have to go." Parker said.
"Hey! Hey, I will have you arrested for trespassing if you do not tell me what you are doing here." Monica said.
Kaira got nervous, listening to the conversation.
"Well, technically, you can't have me arrested for trespassing because you don't own the station." Parker said, unamused.
"Parker, just tell her the story." Sophie ordered.
"I have a story - a huge story." Parker said.
"Pentagon." Sophie reminded Parker.
"Right. There's been a high-level source at the Pentagon that's been evading me." Parker told Monica, giving her the bait.
"So you were gonna sneak in using my press credentials?" Monica questioned.
"Yes." Parker said, a bit of shamefulness in her voice.
"Tell me the story." Monica said.
"No, I can't." Parker said.
"Tell me or tell the police." Monica threatened.
"I have a story that will bring down... the President of the United States." Parker whispered.
She then left the station and drove Monica to the building as Kaira and Eliot went to hide so Monica wouldn't see them.
"I have to warn you about my source. He doesn't like strangers." Parker warned.
"Strangers? I'm Monica Hunter. I'm in 41 markets." Monica said, proudly.
Kaira watched as Monica and Parker walked into the room. Kaira heard their conversation through the comms.
"Monica Hunter, meet Wade Perkins." Parker introduced Hardison's cover.
"I told you, don't bring nobody here. They can't know what we know - not now." Hardison said. "I'm out." Monica said.
"No, I know how this looks. Just hear him out." Parker said as Monica opened the door.
That's when Eliot and Kaira rounded the corner, wearing a black suit and black tie and a black dress, respectively. Eliot and Kaira stared at Monica threateningly before walking away.
"Okay. Three minutes." Monica said. Kaira and Eliot went into the hall to wait.
"Tell me a story that'll bring down the President." Monica said.
"T-The Pre - the President? Man, the President said he was gonna close down Guantanamo Bay. He lied. Guantanamo is being replaced by a network of secret prisons right here in the United States, man." Hardison explained in character.
"These are satellite photos of vacant military installations. across the country - empty missile silos closed bases - places we've abandoned since the end of the Cold War. Then suddenly, three months ago, the photos were taken offline and classified." Parker continued giving Monica the story.
"U-u-until I cracked the encryption. See, this h-here-here's what the government doesn't want you to see, man. Come look. This - construction sites, working around the clock, installing generators and water-filtration systems and-and-and-and - and -and fully stocked kitchens, man." Hardison continued explaining.
"There's a word for that. It's called government pork." Monica said, unsure why it was a big deal.
"No, no. A-all this construction is going on underground, under - beneath the eyes - the eyes of the world, man. They don't want you to see. Congress doesn't know. Governors don't know. Red Cross, A.C.L.U, National Geographic - nobody knows, man - nobody, man. They're putting terrorists in your backyard - terrorists under your backyard. "Hey, little Billy, go outside. Dig in the sandbox." "Oh!" Clank! "What did you find, little Billy? What did you find?" "It's a terrorist! It's a bunker full of terrorists, man!" Bunker, man." Hardison started ranted, getting dramatic.
"What other sources do you have besides tinfoil hat over here?" Monica asked Parker.
"Hey, hey, hey, man! Being a tinfoil hat is better than being a lap dog for the four corporations that control the global media, man." Hardison said, offended.
"General Mark Chesler at the Pentagon is running this program. He's been ducking me. That's why I needed your credentials." Parker said.
"Okay. Call me tomorrow. We'll hit the General in the morning." Monica said, leaving.
They waited for her to be out of earshot.
"That's what I'm talking about." Parker high fived Hardison.
"All right." Hardison said, glad the meeting went well.
Kaira and Eliot walked past Monica as she was on the phone with someone named Steve, saying as soon as she had Parker's sources, she was gonna kick Parker to the curb. Eliot and Kaira smiled as they walked in.
"Hunter's hooked." Eliot reported as Kaira shut the door.
They walked to the wall of random conspiracies.
"Our mark has a story and a source. We're halfway home." Hardison said, proud of himself.
"Now for the hard part. We need to steal a General." Sophie said, stealing Nate's line.
Kaira chuckled.
"No, it's "Let's go steal a General," you know? It's a rallying cry." Nate corrected Sophie.
"Yeah." Kaira said, smiling.
"" We need to steal a General" - it's a little naggy. It's kinda like, "We need eggs," you know? "We need eggs." "We need eggs!" you know?" Nate said, showing the difference.
Sophie sighed and left.
"No, I'm just trying to give you a little..." Nate tried to explain.
"You-you see what you did?" Hardison said, leaving with Sophie.
"Eliot, these conspiracies aren't real, right?" Parker asked Eliot.
"What do you mean?" Eliot asked, looking at Parker.
"Like that one over there that says all the major wars of the past 50 years were ordered by members of "The Council"?" Parker said.
"Parker, I'm not a liberty to discuss that with you." Eliot said, walking away with Kaira chuckling.
Parker scoffed.
"Well, you're not a member of The Council, are you?" Parker questioned.
"Eliot?" Parker called out, curious.
"Is he?" Parker asked Nate.
"Oh, I don't know." Nate said as he left.
"Uh, Nate, is he?" Parker questioned.
"Kaira?" Parker got Kaira's attention.
"That's none of my business. There's no such thing as The Council, right babe?" Kaira said, serious to Eliot. Eliot looked at her.
"I cannot discuss that with you, sweetheart." Eliot said.
"What? Babe." Kaira caught up with Eliot.
They went back to the hotel and got ready for tomorrow, where they'd have to deal with the real Mark Chesler and get Nate the I.D and the office to show Monica. Kaira was sitting on the bed, spinning her engagement ring on her finger. Eliot had gotten out of the bathroom and sat down on the bed next to her.
"What are you thinking, Princess?" Eliot asked Kaira, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Just nervous, I guess. For us. For our future." Kaira admitted, sighing.
"What about it?" Eliot questioned.
"I guess I'm just overthinking how our lives are gonna be once we get married." Kaira admitted.
"Kaira, if I didn't want to be married to you, I wouldn't have asked you to marry me." Eliot said, smiling.
"I know. I guess I just am still trying to figure out what I did right to get you." Kaira smiled.
Eliot moved his hands and placed them on Kaira's neck, cupping it. He gently pulled her into a kiss. Kaira chuckled as she kissed Eliot.
"I love you Eliot Spencer." Kaira smiled at Eliot.
"I love you so damn much Kaira Spencer." Eliot smiled at her. Kaira chuckled again.
"Already with the married last name, Cowboy." Kaira chuckled amused.
"Why not? Gotta get used to it." Eliot chuckled.
"What if I wanted to keep my last name?" Kaira asked, half-joking.
"If that's what you want, I'm not gonna stop you." Eliot said, honest.
"Woah. Cowboy, I was kidding. I'll gladly be Kaira Spencer." Kaira said, taken back.
"If that's what you want, then that's alright by me. Just as long as I get to call you my wife, I'll be happy." Eliot smiled again.
"And I get to call you my husband." Kaira added.
"Of course, my wife." Eliot said.
Kaira started laughing. Then Eliot smiled, amused at his fiancé. They went to bed and got ready to get the I.D and the office for Nate.
They got changed. Kaira wore a black simple dress with wide shoulders and a black jacket with black, rimmed thick glasses. Eliot wore a black button up suit jacket with a dark blue undershirt and black tie. He had his hair back and had on the same glasses as Kaira. Kaira changed in the hotel room while Eliot changed in the bathroom. He walked out just as Kaira put the dress on. His jaw dropped. Kaira chuckled, amused.
"Can you zip me up?" Kaira asked, her back facing Eliot.
Eliot got out of his trance and zipped up Kaira's dress.
"Thanks." Kaira said, giving Eliot a peck on the cheek.
She walked to the bathroom and put on simple make up.
"You look absolutely breathtaking, Kaira." Eliot complimented, smitten.
"Thank you, baby. You look devilishly handsome as well." Kaira complimented, teasing Eliot.
Eliot was flustered.
"Cowboy, you have to put your jaw back on your face and not have it on the floor when we meet the General." Kaira said, amused.
Eliot composed himself.
"Right." Eliot said, He put his hair in a ponytail.
Kaira smiled and they walked out.
They drove to the Pentagon and Eliot and Kaira met with the real Mark Chesler. They walked up to him just as he finished a meeting.
"General Chesler, We're from Senator Ruden's office, and he needs to speak with you immediately." Eliot said, holding a clipboard and a pencil.
"They are about to put a spike in the XJ-12 Armored-vehicle project." Kaira continued, sounding innocent.
"We're just relaying the message. We don't even know what that is, sir." Eliot finished.
"It's the last eight years of my life. That's what it is!" the general said, not happy with the news.
"Yes, sir. Uh, the senator would like you to meet him in his office A.S.A.P and bring the latest XJ-12 files." Eliot said.
"I don't have them on me!" The General exclaimed, still not happy.
"I'm sorry, sir. That's what the Senator told us, right?" Kaira said, looking at the notepad in Eliot's hand. "Yeah, he said, "Call your secretary and have her meet you there, pronto." And again, sir, we're just the messengers." Kaira told the General as Eliot used the magnet in the pencil that Hardison gave them and grabbed the I.D. Eliot stuck the pencil out just as Hardison grabbed the I.D and walked away.
Eliot and Kaira went in the opposite direction. Hardison got the I.D to Nate, with Nate's face instead of the Generals.
"Is she gonna buy this?" Nate asked Sophie, who was in the meeting room.
"Hardison changed the general's profile online. When she's on camera, Monica only looks at Monica." Sophie said.
"Can't argue with you there, Soph." Karia commented, walking with Eliot to the General's office.
"Parker, what's your 20?" Nate asked Parker.
"Seconds away." Parker reported.
Eliot and Kaira neared the office, waiting for Parker and Monica to arrive.
"Shouldn't we have called first to schedule an interview?" Parker questioned, innocently.
"Schedule a - ah, skipper, you're not covering the tulip festival for the action news, anymore. This is the real world." Monica said, amused a bit.
"But what if he won't talk to us?" Parker asked.
"Then we celebrate." Monica said.
"Celebrate?" Parker questioned, confused.
"Denial means guilt. Refusal means more guilt. Punch out my cameraman, and I'll kiss you on the mouth." Monica explained, stopping.
Eliot and Kaira walked towards where Monica and Parker were, a threatening demeter about them. Eliot took of his glasses as they walked past.
"I knew it. We've got a shadow." Monica said.
"What?" Parker questioned.
"It means your being followed. It means there's some meat on this bone." Monica said.
Kaira was out of sight to watch, but she heard Monica knock on the door and start recording.
"My friends, we are outside the office of General Mark Chesler to discover the truth about America's secret prisons." Monica explained.
Kaira heard a door open.
"What's going on here? Who - who the hell let you in this building?" Nate asked, in an American accent.
"General, who is being held in the secret underground bunkers?" Monica asked. Nate cleared his throat.
"I am late to a meeting." Nate said.
"Then you don't deny that these prisons exist?" Monica asked, getting excited slightly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Nate said.
Kaira saw Nate walk away.
"So, how long have you been in charge of the prisons, General?" Monica called out.
Kaira and Eliot met Nate back at the cars and listened to Parker and Monica, who went into the room, which Nate set up. It was silent for a moment before Parker spoke.
"This is it - construction memos for the sites in the satellite photos, all classified. Cell requirements are eight square feet per bed." Parker said.
"They are prisons. We've got ur proof." Monica said.
"Yes." Parker said, defensively.
"Parker. Be nice." Kaira warned, sitting in the car with Eliot.
"Fair enough. You bring that crackpot source of yours down to my studio right now. I'm gonna obscure his face, disguise his voice, refer to him as my secret informant." Monica said, laying out the story.
"Do you have any idea what this story might mean for Democracy?" Parker questioned, excited.
"Whatever. I just wish I could see the faces of those bastards at the Times and The Post when they find out they've got to chase a Monica Hunter story." Monica said, excited.
Parker mocked Monica quietly.
"My story, too, right?" Parker asked.
They met back up at the meeting room as Parker and Hardison went to the studio. Kaira, Nate, and Sophie were at the meeting room and Eliot was out somewhere. Sophie was at the table in a light blue sweater, Nate on the recliner in his general outfit, and Kaira still in the black dress, but without the glasses or the jacket.
"Hey, make sure to set the TiVo. I want to see how I look with the fuzzy dot on my face." Hardison reminded the group.
"All right, just don't push too hard." Nate said.
Kaira smiled as Sophie cleared her throat, gesturing to remind Nate she was the mastermind for this job.
"What? I'm..." Nate said before Sophie cut him off.
"Bury her." Sophie ordered.
Kaira sat on the arm of the recliner and listened to the conversation. Monica went on air. It went silent for a moment.
"Hardison! Hardison! Go in!" Sophie exclaimed as Hardison stumbled. Kaira got nervous.
Parker cleared her throat as Hardison got Monica's attention.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, chief. What happened to the prison story, man?" Hardison asked in character.
"Renfield, Betsy Wetsy. I'll admit I was tempted. I figured here's my chance to finally stick it to the D.C Press Corps. But then I got to work, and I read these." Monica said.
"Nielsen Media - these are your ratings." Parker realized.
"On Monday, I had "Suburban Teens in Secret Pregnancy Pact" - number one in the time slot. Then Wednesday was my social security show - "Will Your Safety Net Be There When You Retire?" I lost to the Discovery and History channels - sharks and Nazis. Now, granted, sharks and Natzis are cable Tv's heavy hitters, but that's no excuse." Monica said, nonchalantly.
"But this is a national scandal!" Parker exclaimed.
"No, a scandal is whatever scares Monica Hunter's viewers." Monica said.
Kaira couldn't believe it.
"Now, who are they gonna put in those secret prisons? My viewers? No. They're gonna put bad people in there. Secret government prisons make Monica Hunter's viewers feel safer. My job is to sell the morons a steady diet of scary. They want a reason to lock their doors. Fear sells, and Monica Hunter is in the fear business." Monica explained, with no sympathy.
"That's not cool." Hardison said.
"Don't you understand? If you don't get this, someone else will." Parker started yelling.
It went quiet for a moment.
"What are we gonna do now?" Hardison asked.
Sophie moved to look at the wall of conspiracy theories. Kaira and Sophie looked at each other, having the same idea.
"If it's fear Monica Hunter wants, let's show a bitch some fear. " Kaira said.
Sophie approved. Nate looked at them, a bit worried.
"This is how it starts." Nate said.
They made a plan for the next day. Parker was gonna be at the studio, where Eliot and Kaira would "run her over" after calling Monica about a development for the story. So they put the plan into action. Parker stood on the parking lot looking at Monica's office. Monica answered the phone.
"Monica, it's Cindy MacAllen. There's more to this thing than we thought. The general called me." Parker explained, setting the hook.
"Look, Cindy, I told you, there's no "Hunt for the Truth" story here." Monica said, unamused. "Please, I'm right outside! Give me just two minutes. It's big Monica. It's bigger than we thought." Parker started walking towards the studio as Kaira and Eliot rammed into Parker, sending her over the hood and on the road.
Eliot and Kaira ran out to grab a red file Parker had on her. Eliot turned Parker over as Kaira grabbed the file. They looked at Monica, who was shocked. They got back in the car and drove off, leaving Parker on the sidewalk. Then Hardison grabbed Monica.
"Don't stop. Come on." Hardison said, nervous.
"They ran her over!" Monica exclaimed, getting worried now.
"I know, I know, but we got to go. The security cameras, the ATM cameras, the traffic cameras - we're always being watched. Just put your head down and act natural." Hardison tried to explain to Monica.
"Wait, why are you dressed like a mailman?" Monica asked Hardison.
"I'm invisible, man. Mailman - nobody notices the mailman. He blends right in just like a-a circus clown. Wait, wait - did she tell you?" Hardison said, nervous.
"The General called." Monica informed Hardison.
"Yes. He called last night. He wants to meet - had a bad case of the sweats and a guilty conscience." Hardison said.
"What's this all about?" Monica asked.
"Something worth killing her over. Is it a big enough story for you now?" Hardison said.
Once they were confident that Hardison and Monica were out of view, Parker got up, scarring the crowd. Kaira drove around the back and picked her up to go to the meeting room. Hardison alerted them that they were outside of the meeting location.
"Where the hell are we?" Monica asked.
"No windows, no cameras, no crowds - it's the perfect place to meet. Now, look - look - look, do you want the truth or not, man?" Hardison said to Monica.
"Miss Hunter! Where's MacAllen?" Nate asked in character.
"MacAllen had an accident... right in front of me." Monica informed Nate.
"They're tying up the loose ends." Nate stated.
"Not the ends, man, not the ends, man." Hardison started ranted, getting quiet after a bit.
"Trimethylxanthine - I'll try to see if I can get you some." Nate said.
"Trimethyl what?" Monica questioned.
"It's an antidote the CIA came up with in '73 during the Tokyo Intervention." Hardison informed Monica.
"Antidote to what?" Monica asked.
"Well, there's been an incident." Nate said.
"An incident?" Monica questioned, not amused.
"Don't spin me, General. I'm Monica frickin' Hunter, and I am on a hunt for the truth." Monica said, almost warning Nate.
"Three weeks ago, there was a breach at one of our weapons-research labs outside D.C. Something got inside the water." Nate explained, setting the bait.
"It's in the water? I always knew it was in the water." Hardison was about to start ranting before Monica yelled at him to shut up.
"A virally replicating chemical nerve agent - a nerve gas. Dissolves in the water, spreads like a disease." Nate explained.
"No. No, we would have heard from the hospitals, people coming in with symptoms." Monica said, not believing the story.
"It takes a while for it to rise to toxic levels in the human system. People should start getting sick any day now." Nate said.
"I don't understand. What does this have to do with the secret prisons?" Monica asked, confused.
Nate scoffed. "She thinks they're prisons! Out here's the prison. They're shelters for the elite - environmentally sound safehouses with their own refiltering water supply - good for two years of underground living, even though I think we'll only need about six months." Nate informed Monica.
"If you think the American people are gonna stand by and watch while thousands of D.C residents get sick and-" Monica was saying threateningly before Hardison cut her off.
"T-t-thousands? Thousands? You-you don't get it, man! It's-it's in the water! Once it's in the condensation cycle, it starts getting in rain clouds and raindrops. Rain - it keeps falling, man! It's not raining men, man, it's raining death! It's raining death, man!" Hardison exclaimed, upset as Kaira tried to not laugh at Hardison's dramatics.
"In a couple of days, being in one of those bunkers will be the only safe place in the entire country." Nate finished, serious.
"I still need more proof." Monica called out.
"It's all in the file that MacAllen took - the red file." Nate said.
Kaira figured Monica was remembering the "accident".
"They stole that file off of her body." Monica informed Nate.
"You have other sources. Use them. Project is code-named Destiny. It's up to you, Hunter. It's up to you to warn the American people. Now go hunt for the truth!" Nate finished.
Kaira, Eliot, Parker, and Sophie met back at the meeting room, looking at the other conspiracy theories on the wall as Sophie waited for Hardison and Nate to show up at the table.
"We totally went to the moon." Parker said.
"Movie sets. I've seen them. They're outside of Albuquerque." Eliot said.
Kaira laughed at her fiancé. "Eliot, the sets were probably for a movie being filmed there." Kaira said, rationally.
Parker leaned on Eliot like a little sister would do.
"Why would there still be sets there?" Parker asked, quietly.
"Because they're gonna reuse them for the Mars mission - repaint it all red." Eliot said.
"I can't believe I'm marrying an idiot." Kaira joked. Eliot scoffed at her.
"But I'm your idiot." Eliot said.
Kaira laughed as Nate and Hardison walked in. Nate threw Parker the orange pill bottle, filled with peppermint candy that looked like pills.
"Oh, peppermint!" Parker said, shaking the bottle.
Hardison went over by Sophie and Nate joined the trio at the wall.
"Are you sure it's cool to let her loose?" Hardison asked Sophie, setting down his bag. Sophie thought for a second before speaking.
"She has to have corroboration from her own sources. She has to craft the narrative. Monica Hunter has to be the author of her own personal nightmare." Sophie said, sounding like Nate.
"Do I sound that creepy when I-" Nate was saying before Eliot cut him off.
"Hell yes." Eliot said, a beat in between words.
Parker agreed and Kaira was silent.
"Really?" Nate questioned.
"You do." Eliot confirmed.
"The only question is whether Hardison guesses her sources right." Sophie said, cueing up Hardison.
"G-g-guess? Guess?" Hardison questioned, offended.
"Well, you know..." Sophie said to explain before Hardison continued.
"Woman, my name's Alec Hardison. I do not guess, okay? Look, journalists - they're lazy. They always go back to the same sources. I compared Monica Hunter's stories from the last 10 years and created a heuristic model based on her sources. I filtered by story type, priority, and evidentiary chain. Look. Sex scandal - 87 percent she goes to these sources. Serial killer scare - 90 percent, she contacts these sources for confirmation. Government secrets and health scare intersects - 95 percent chance she goes to these sources. Look, look. You - right there, she's emailing them right now. Look. I... am answering for them." Hardison started ranting, typing on his computer.
"See, now all of her cellphone calls to these sources go straight to voicemail." Hardison said.
"Leaving her no choice but to contact the one and only source that we let her speak to." Sophie said.
Kaira remembered Hardison learning about who Destiny really is. Kaira chuckled at the image in her head of the congressman freaking out once heard the name Destiny, who was actually a stripper.
After a while, Hardison reported something troubling. They looked at the security footage of Monica panicking over water. Kaira and Eliot were drinking beer near the desk and Parker was on the recliner, and Nate and Sophie were at the laptop.
"This is the studio security footage from three hours ago." Hardison said.
"Now, that is what I call control." Sophie said, proud of her work.
"Yeah, we might've pushed too hard." Nate said.
Sophie scoffed. "Please." Sophie said.
Just then there was a knock at the door.
"It's me - Monica Hunter. Are you there?" Monica said, worried and scared.
The team scrambled to hide in the next room and closed the door, staying silent.
"Let me in!" Monica exclaimed weakly.
"Oh, thank God." Monica said, relieved to see Hardison.
"You're the only one I can trust to help me get this footage." Monica said.
"Fo - some footage, man?" Hardison questioned, hoping he could dissuade her.
"I need you to take me to one of the bunkers, now. We need video proof. We are gonna blow this wide open." Monica said, laying out her plan.
Hardison tried to object and Monica told him to come with her. Hardison reluctantly went with Monica. Once the door was shut, the team exited the adjacent room.
"Too much." Parker pointed out.
"Little bit." Eliot said, taking a sip of his beer.
Kaira took a sip of hers.
"Well, she did say she wanted fear." Kaira pointed out.
Sophie had a face and Nate looked at her, his face saying "I told you so". Kaira got on Hardison's laptop and breathed in. The team had confused faces.
"What? I'm not hacking, I'm looking on Google maps to see if I can find Hardison a base that'll pass as a bunker." Kaira pointed out as she started typing.
With minimal problems, Kaira found Hardison an army base that was on his wall of conspiracies.
"I got you, Hardison. Go to the Army Reserve Base." Kaira said to Hardison.
She told him the address and waited. It was a while before Hardison and Monica arrived.
"Here?" Monica questioned. Hardison said to hold on.
"H-hold on. Hold on a second. Okay, all right, as Kaira said, your satellite photos have something that will pass as a bunker at the Army Reserve base. I'm right behind you." Nate said.
Kaira, Eliot, Parker, and Sophie were at the laptop with Kaira behind the screen on Eliot's lap.
"But there's nothing in there but tank parts. Just get the footage and run. And Nate's right behind you. He's gonna pick you up and do the blow-off." Sophie said.
"Hardison, be careful." Kaira said, getting a bit nervous.
"Okay." Hardison said, quietly.
It was a silent moment before Hardison spoke.
"Well, there you go." Hardison said.
"We're not close enough. Shoot me." Monica said.
Kaira silently cursed and groaned. Kaira then heard through Hardison's comm Monica speaking to the camera.
"This is Monica Hunter, coming to you from a secret military base just outside of Washington D.C, with the most shocking "Hunt for the Truth" ever." Monica said, then it went quiet.
"You -" Hardison said, annoyed.
Then chain link fence was heard rattling.
"Oh my god. Hardison, watch yourself." Kaira warned again.
"Hey, Hardison, Hardison. What's-" Nate asked.
Then Hardison was heard groaning and then soldiers telling them to put their hands up and drop the camera. The team at the meeting room looked at Sophie.
"Glass half full - she really buys the bunker story." Sophie said, leaving.
"No! There's no glass half full here, Soph! Hardison is in an army base with no backup and Nate has an I.D that's already been reported stolen. Even if he gets in, they're gonna be coming in hot." Kaira said, getting worried for Hardison.
There was silence as Hardison and Monica were dragged into the building.
"A-all this - this is an army base?" Hardison questioned.
"What did you think it was?" The soldier asked Hardison.
"I - don't know. I don't know that white woman. I met her at a bar. She said we was going back to her place. I thought it was a gated community." Hardison tried to explain.
Kaira tried not to chuckle at the excuse.
"And the video camera?" The soldier questioned.
"S-she a freak, man." Hardison said, nervously.
The soldier left.
"Get me out of here." Hardison ordered.
"Yeah, I-I'm working on it." Sophie said.
"I'm on it." Parker said, leaving the adjacent room, and putting on her jacket.
"No! Parker, Monica thinks you're dead. She sees you, the con is blown." Kaira said.
She was thinking of how to get Hardison out of the army base.
"Right." Parker said, sitting down.
"Damn the con. I'm a black man caught on an army base with a video camera. I am going to jail forever." Hardison said, his voice cracking at the end in fear.
"Let's see, Nate is the only one close enough to get you." Kaira said.
"Yeah, but Nate's five minutes away and still trying to figure out how he's gonna walk two prisoners off an army base using an I.D that's already been reported stolen. No guys, we're gonna have to stall." Nate said.
"S-stall?" Hardison said. Kaira was still thinking.
"Hey lovebirds, get me everything you can on a Lieutenant Abbot. Just - just do - do - do what I taught you both." Hardison said.
"Got it." Kaira said. Eliot tried to type.
"The http thing comes before the "www.", right?" Eliot asked.
Kaira shoved Eliot out of the way.
"I got this." Kaira said, starting to type.
"It ain't the time, Eliot. It ain't-it ain't the time." Hardison said, not happy.
"You see, it's not that much fun when you're hanging out there in the wind and there's a dude behind a laptop cracking jokes, is there?" Eliot said, getting a slap behind the head from Kaira.
He looked at her, shocked as Kaira continued searching for the information.
"I like it when we switch jobs. It's exciting." Parker said. The trio at the laptop looked at her. "Well, when you're a jack of trades, it's easy." Kaira said, still searching. Kaira finished her search and relayed the information to Hardison.
"That's everything on this guy." Kaira said.
She exhaled to calm down.
"Sir, I need to know why you're on this base." Abbot asked Hardison.
"Yes. Why am I on this base?" Hardison asked, calmly.
"I'm asking you." Abbot said.
"No, I'm asking you. Why am I on this base? Why am I in this room?" Hardison questioned the poor soldier.
"So I can ask you questions." Abbot said.
"Well, maybe it's so I can ask you questions, Lieutenant Kyle Abbot, social security 823 dash 24 dash 6270." Hardison said, intimidating Abbot.
"I don't know what you're up to-" Abbot said, not having it.
"Maybe you're not cleared to know. Two disciplinary actions? That one in Germany - tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. Maybe you're just too much of a security risk." Hardison said.
He banged his hand against the table and Kaira jumped, getting worried.
"Did I say you could leave?" Hardison asked the soldier threateningly.
Sophie came up with a plan to get Nate through the gate and told Nate.
"Not gonna work." Nate said.
"It's all in the salute, man." Eliot said.
"Just act like a general and work the stars and bars. They'll let you through as soon as they see the bars. Believe me, I was one of these guys." Kaira said, assuring Nate.
"Good form, soldier. As you were." Nate said, presumably to the soldier at the gate.
It was a moment before they heard anything from Nate.
"No, not, insane - just a reporter. Well, congratulations, gentlemen. This base has passed with, uh, flying colors. Well done." Nate informed the two soldiers.
"Passed what, sir?" One of the soldiers asked, worried.
"Have you not been briefed? You were supposed to be briefed. The Department of Defense has decided to reassure the American people about the safety of their military bases, so we've agreed to cooperate with the network and make a television special - you know, to show off just how effective our security is." Nate said.
"They were pretty easy to catch, sir." Abbot said.
"Well, for you. But at Camp Munroe in Idaho, those two were signing their name on nukes with shiny silver pens. Turn them loose now, and I'll get them out of your hair." Nate said.
The two soldiers let Hardison and Monica go.
"Sorry to waste your time, gentlemen. All right, well done, men." Nate said.
Kaira breathed in relief. Kaira heard the doors open, so she assumed Nate, Hardison, and Monica left.
"Oh, trimethylxanthine. Thank you." Monica said.
"It just slows down the effect of the toxin hopefully long enough for you to get the truth out." Nate said.
"How did you find us?" Monica asked.
"Are you kidding me? A famous reporter shows up at one of the bunkers, sets off alarms all over the city. Yeah, we're gonna be lucky if we get out of here in one piece, I'll tell you that." Nate said.
"We'll split up." Hardison suggested.
"No." Monica said.
"Yes, your car is still parked out over by the fence. Wade, you pick it up, and we'll meet you back at the apartment." Nate said, laying out the plan.
"We'll gather the evidence, and we'll meet up at the studio." Monica said.
Just then a soldier was heard telling them to stop. Monica told Nate he was right as they got in and drove away.
Hardison grabbed the car and drove to the apartment. Hardison arrived first, and they cleared out the room and put the red file on the table near the door. They hid and heard Monica and Nate arrive.
"I've got the footage of the shelters and the testimony of a three-star general." Monica said.
"They can't continue the program with this kind of exposure." Nate said.
"We're gonna grab the satellite photos, go down, and put you on the air. I'm gonna make them pay for keeping me out of those bunkers..." Monica said.
"Yeah." Nate said.
"...and lying..." Monica said.
"Yeah." Nate said.
"... and injustice." Monica said.
"Yeah." Nate said.
Kaira heard the door open as Eliot got ready. Monica gasped.
"Where did it go? The photos! The maps! Where's Wade Perkins?" Monica said, getting panicked.
"Thank God, the red file!" Monica said.
She gasped again as Kaira and Eliot revealed themselves. Eliot was wearing a black apron and a white polo. Kaira was wearing something similar, only a white t-shirt instead. Eliot had gloves on and was taking them off.
"Pardon me. I was just cleaning up." Eliot said, calmly.
"We hunt for the truth... through many dark places. I am a patriot, Miss Hunter. I'm sorry. Earl? Dawn?" Nate said as he was walking over to Monica, standing in front of her.
Monica then sprayed Nate with pepper spray as he started yelling. Monica ran, and Eliot and Kaira grabbed Nate. He leaned against the cabinets in the room, groaning in pain. Eliot chuckled.
"Good thing Parker switched that with water." Eliot said, hitting Nate in the back, thinking he was faking.
"Didn't-didn't switch. Oh!" Nate said as the trio started coughing as they smelled the pepper spray.
"Sorry, Nathan." Kaira kept coughing.
"I'll get the milk. It should help." Kaira said, leaving the room, still coughing.
She grabbed the milk and flushed Nate's eyes out with it. After a bit, they calmed down.
Hardison did the breakdown and they met back up at the offices the next afternoon, where they watched the news report on the small screen in the kitchen of Monica going batshit crazy on air. Kaira watched as Ray Pennington, the bus driver, said he was glad to have his reputation back. Eliot was wearing a chefs apron and a blue bandana as he was chopping up some red bell pepper and Kaira at a cutting board next to him, cutting cucumbers and peppers, Nate behind her with the wine opener with pink wine and clear wine glasses on the table, and Hardison next to her, drinking his orange soda out of a wine glass, and Parker looking at the conspiracies from the wall.
"See, Ray was just the beginning. I'm telling you, every person that Hunter slandered is gonna get a second chance." Nate said.
"Just like a crooked cop." Kaira smiled at Eliot, amused.
"Loch Ness monster?" Parker asked the group, holding up the picture.
"Loch Ness submarine." Hardison said as Nate poured the wine and Eliot grabbed the red bell peppers.
"No!" Parker exclaimed.
"Scottish waters are cold and deep. It's the perfect place to test." Eliot said.
"Area 51?" Parker asked, holding the picture of Area 51.
"True." Eliot said.
"False." Hardison said.
"True." Kaira said, putting her peppers in the bowl.
"That's true." Eliot said.
Nate smelled the wine.
"False. No, she said Area 51-51." Hardison reiterated.
"I'm sorry, false - Area 52." Eliot said.
"Been there." Hardison said as Nate left with the wine.
"Nathan, you don't drink the wine until the food is done!" Kaira called out to him.
Kaira got a look from Nate and Kaira laughed as she saw Nate walk towards Sophie on the couch.
"Woman, no." Hardison said.
"Yes. That was the rule at my nonna's house when I was younger. You weren't allowed to drink until the food was served." Kaira answered, setting dishes in the sink as Eliot got the bowls of snacks finished.
"Actually, you're right babe." Eliot smiled at Kaira.
Hardison scoffed at them.
"It's Italian culture. Wine and food are very important. And so is family." Kaira answered, pouring herself a glass of wine.
They moved to the other table and Parker kept asking about different urban legends as Nate and Sophie talked at another table, Sophie drinking the wine. Kaira smiled. This was what she loved about her job. These little moments. She would cherish them forever.