"Yeah."
"Oh, we have a terrible connection. It sounds like you're in a tunnel."
"No, wait." Eliot fumbled for a bit, taking out his ear bud, shoved it in his pocket, then sat on a crate. "I am in a tunnel. Well, really a maintenance access hallway, but same thing. I have time."
"You do? Are you on a job? Do I want to know?"
"Yes, yes, no."
"Huh. Oh. Uh."
He waited, smiling. "So- you called me. Everything okay?" He finally asked after a long wait.
"Everything's fine. Sometimes I forget."
He waited again. His attention began to wander, looking up the cool, dark hallway. It looked like a hundred other hallways he'd been in.
"So, I was reading a book on the plane. A spy novel. And I wanted to know. Can you really break out of a jail with a tooth pick, three rubber bands and a cellphone?"
"Hmmm. Could this be used against me?"
She laughed. "Hypothetically."
"Hypothetically yes, although- you don't even need the toothpick or the rubber bands."
"Really?"
"So I've been told. Course we, uh, the hypothetical people involved just had two cellphones and maybe a paperclip."
"Huh. So, should I leave the book with the Brun's, too, Sebastian?"
He laughed. "No, I'm more a Popular Science/Sports Illustrated kind of guy."
"Really, all the issues or just the swimsuit?"
"Have you seen the Popular Science Swimsuit edition? Ew."
She laughed. "I better get back to work."
"Me too." He shoved the phone back in his pocket and the earbud back in his ear. He listened. Not much going on. Hardison was jabbering away about not being appreciated.
"Eliot, are you there yet?"
"I'm here."
"Any movement?"
"Nope. Not a thing."
"Okay."
Eliot could hear the chill in Nate's voice.
"Alright Sophie, you and Parker are on the mark."
"Right."
"And Eliot, after, you and I are gonna talk."