Eliot and Parker both stood by the opening of the air duct. The hitter waited patiently as the thief worked to disable the alarm. It was almost midnight by now as the hitter ready the lines for their harnesses. They were to lower themselves down and follow the vent to their targets.
"Got it," Eliot heard Parker exclaim as the alarm disabled itself "You ready," was the next thing he before tossing one of the line to her.
"Alway," he turned towards her as she attached her line to the harness "alright Nate we going in," Eliot spoke over through the coms as he and Parker began their decent.
"Just be careful," Nate reminded them as the rest of the team sat in the back of the van. He still had a bad feeling, but he knew worrying wasn't going to do them any good.
Hardison guided Eliot to the file room while Parker made her way to the vault. None of them gave the thief a second thought know full well that she was more than capable of finding her way through the vent. It was the hitter although that they focused their efforts on. He wasn't nearly as experienced crawling through the vents as the thief.
"Alright you should be coming to an opening in the ten feet. This one opens directly into the file room from the ceiling..." Hardison said as the hitter found the grate that led out.
"I got it," Eliot snapped getting a little tired of listening to the hacker giving him directions. The hitter remove a screw driver from his belt as he to help pry open the grate. When he was able to get the grate open he swung his body so that he entered the room feet first before letting himself drop. Much to his surprise he did not exactly land on his feet. The drop had been a lot further than he originally estimated "damn it Hardison," the hitter growled through the coms.
"Hey man you're the one who hushed me before I could warn you about the fifteen foot drop," the hacker defended as he made out the sound of another growl.
"Cut it out you to," Nate said putting an end to the argument before it could really get started "Eliot focus, the sooner you get what we came for the sooner we can go home," Nate's voice was unusually calm. His nerves were growing more and more uneasy. He sat back and listen as the thieves when to work completing their tasks. Parker was the first to finish as they could hear the sound of the vault click open.
"I'm in," was the next thing that they heard.
"Good, Eliot how are things on your end," Nate asked checking on the hitter's progress.
"Still look...theres an entire cabinet containing the reference number Hardison gave me," Eliot said looking through one shelf after another.
"Eliot they all have the same first six digits the last three are what you are looking for," Hardison reassured the hitter.
"You could have said that earlier," the hitter growled.
"I did you just weren't pay me attention," the hacker sniffed acting as if his feeling were hurt.
"Hardison when I get back the..." the hitter started.
"Eliot find the file and get out," Nate ordered eyeing the hacker out of the corner of his eye.
"Got it," they heard the hitter exclaim grabbing a fold.
"Good now get out of there," he said breathing a sigh of relief "Parker where are you at," Nate asked realizing the thief hadn't checked in since the vault.
"I'm almost back to the van," her voice was cheerful like it always was after a thief.
"I'm on my way back up...whoa...ow," they heard their hitter exclaim.
"Eliot," Nate shouted "whats wrong."
"I'm fine...mmm...my rope snapped," Eliot said examining the rope.
"Is there another way up," Nate asked praying he'd say yes.
"No, it's too far up to try to jump and there is nothin' I can move to use to give me a boost," the hitter said letting out sigh.
"Eliot hold on a sec," he said turning to Parker who a had just gotten in the van "Parker how long would it take you to get to Eliot...," he started.
"No way Nate it would take her to long to get to me and trying to get back trying to come back a second time could draw unwanted attention," Eliot reasoned knowing the mastermind would tried to argue
"No we...," he tried before Eliot cut him short.
"No Nate there's only one way out and you know it," tried to reason feeling as it was a losing battle.
"No we can..." the mastermind was racking his mind trying to figure out some way to get the hitter out without taking him through the parking deck.
"Just forget it Nate, I'm already halfway there," Eliot spoke calmly as he made his way through the hallways. He knew would catch hell for it later but he couldn't put any of the others at risk for him. It was his job to protect them not the other way around.
"You're where," Nate shouted through the coms.
"Nate there is no point in arguing. We both know how this was going to end the moment that rope broke. Dream or no dream there is only one way out for me now." The hitter did his best to keep his voice from showing the worry he felt rising in himself.
Nate took a deep breath to steady himself as the realization took hold of him, and the sinking feeling that something terrible was going to happen. Not know what else to do he just had to trust Eliot would do his job.
"Hardison," Eliot's voice came through the coms.
"Yeah man," Hardison asked.
"What does it look like in the parking deck," the hitter asked as he crouched at the door leading out while Hardison pulled up the security footage. The hacker took a moment before answering the hitter question.
"There are a few cars out there, but for the most part its open." As the hacker spoke the hitter couldn't help but close his eyes. If there was a sniper waiting for him then he didn't stand much of a chance.
"Eliot are you there," Sophie's voice came over the coms. The hitter opened his eyes knowing that it was now or never. He would have to make a run for it sooner or later making now just as good as any.
"Yeah Soph, I'm still here." He took another deep breath before opening the door.
Eliot slowly open the door as the rest of the team watch on the events unfold from the Hardison computer. The hitter remained low as he slowly crept from the safety of the door. He made it as far as the first car before the first shot was fired the bullet narrowly missing his head. He huge the side of the car knowing that it could only offer him protection before he would have to make a break for it. He ignored his teammates questions asking if he was all right. He had to keep his mind focus as he made his way to the exit. He took another deep breath before darting out into the open one more. This time how ever he was met with a hail of gun fire. He kept himself low moving as swiftly as he dodge the bullets making to the second of the few objects he could take cover from. He crouched behind a support column to catch his breath. As he inhaled he felt a sharp pain in his side. Looking down at his hand which touch to his side he saw it covered in his blood. He looked over to the entrance of the parking deck from where he sat it seem a hundred miles away. He had manage to make it half way through the parking deck before making it to the column. The hitter rested his head against the column as he let the sound of his friend's questions about his safety fill his ear. He took a few more deep breaths before making a dash to the safety of the entrance. This time just a few second too slow. He was hit for a second time as he ducked behind the wall. Eliot lend against the wall before the weight of his body pulled him down as his mind began to grow clouded.
"ELIOT! ELIOT!" It was the sound of Nate's voice that brought him back to reality.
"Nate," Eliot finally manage to speak. His voice cracked as he tried to keep his emotions to in check.
"You all right," Nate asked already know in the answer.
"Nate...I'm...in trouble," Eliot gasped. It was becoming harder to breath as he listened to the sound of Hardison placing a call to 911.
"Hang on we're on our way..." the rest of the masterminds words were lost on the hitter as his mind began to grow clouded again.
"ELIOT!" Nate shouted as he exited the van. It didn't take long before he was at the hitters side. He had lost consciousness from what he could only assume was blood loss "Eliot wake up, wake up." Nate said gently pulling the hitter into his arms. He raised his fingers to his neck and to his relief there was a pulse.
"Is he..." Hardison asked as the rest of the team stood over them save for Parker who had chosen to kneel on the other side of the hitter.
"He's alive," Nate assured the hacker "but bailey." He looked down to see the hitter stirring.
"Nate," the hitter whisper trying his best to open his eyes.
"I'm here," Nate's voice was soft.
"We...need to...have...a...talk ab...about...your...dreams," Eliot said in between gasps.
"We will just as so as you've had a chance to heal," Nate let a slight laugh escape at the thought of the hitter feeling the need to criticize the master mind in the state he was in. A small smile spread across the hitter's lips at the sound of the masterminds, but it was not to last as fell into a coughing fit that caused him to wince in pain. His horror only grew as he saw the hitter was cough up blood. He was now more than ever glade to hear the sirens as the pull in behind them.
