AN: I'm sorry this chapter is late; due to ' Error Type 2' I was unable to post this last night. At least I got it online now, and I plan to update on schedule this evening (GMT). To make it even worse this chapter is a bit on the short side, but at least you only have to wait five or six hours for the next one.
.oOo.
Feeling surprised is never good in a fight. If someone is able to surprise you you have probably underestimated them, and that's dangerous. Never underestimate, always expect everything, Eliot Spencer has lived by this for years. It is a lesson he learnt early in his career, when he'd found himself held at gunpoint by a seven year old girl in pigtails. After that he never again considered anyone dangerless.
Due to this philosophy he's able to take it in stride when Dean notices his presence far earlier than planned, but it is almost creepy. Eliot knows he can run silently when needed, and he should have been well out of his opponent's field of vision. It's almost as if the simple disturbance of air tells Dean something's happening.
Luckily Eliot is no more than six feet away when Dean notices him. Although another one of his rules is to never rely on luck he takes it where he can get it. Eliot slams into Dean the same moment that the gun is fired, managing to avoid the bullet by a hair's breath.
They both tumble to the ground from the impact, but Eliot is better prepared and comes out of the tangle with the gun in his hand. He quickly dismantles it and throws the offending piece of metal away from them. Hopefully Dean's not carrying a backup.
The second it took him to get rid of the gun is nearly Eliot's downfall. Dean's rolled gracefully to his feet and managed to produce a knife. Just as Eliot's hands are finally free of the firearm he feels the chill of the metal against his throat.
"Who are you?" Dean asks hoarsely. The scuffle has only been going on for a few seconds but Eliot's no fool. This guy knows how to fight. He's almost impossibly fast and has apparently trained for a long time. One aspect he seems to have overlooked though is pressure points, rookie mistake.
Eliot let his left hand shoot out with all the speed and precision he can muster. Luckily (and that word has come up far too often in this fight) he's right that Dean's not protecting the nerve centre he has at his elbow. The arm retracts and Eliot steps in to use the turn of events.
At one point in the skirmish that follows Eliot's pretty sure he can feel a rib or two breaking under his fist. It's not a particularly strong or well-placed hit but maybe they were cracked to begin with. Something he definitely feels is when the jagged edge of Dean's knife slices into his left arm.
Not long after that Eliot liberates Dean of the knife and buries it in the man's right bicep. It buys him the time to strike out towards one of the more vulnerable spots on Dean's skull. The man's unconscious body slumps to the ground.
"Eliot, you ok?" The voice floats through his ear piece and he glances over towards the cars to see his friends peeking out.
"I'm good. Dean's out. We need to get him of the road before someone drives past and sees him." The practical things always come first for Eliot, he can think about his injuries later. "Hardison, get over here and help me carry him behind the cars. Parker, fetch me the first aid kit from your car."
The orders are followed and soon enough they have Dean stashed out of sight. Eliot has wrapped up the two knife wounds, retrieved the weapon parts, and by now he just wants to call it a day. Unfortunately that's not possible yet. He rejoins his team next to Dean's unconscious form.
"What now?" It's Parker who asks, but he knows it's for the both of them. It's usually him who handles messes like this.
"We told him our real names." Hardison helpfully supplies. "We can't let him go or he'll probably come after me, but we can't just kill him either, can we?" Even the implication of the later solution makes Eliot nauseous. No, he definitely will not kill this man. Not now, not in cold blood. He has sworn to himself he'll never do that again, that he is different now.
"Whoa man, not like that. I didn't mean it like that."Apparently some of his inner turmoil has shown on the surface clear enough for Hardison to notice. The two of them has gotten uncomfortably good at reading him lately.
"Dammit, why did you have to tell him your names? We'll have to get rid of everything that can be used to trace us. We've started over before, we just do so again."
"I don't want to leave Portland." Parker's voice is decidedly miserable.
The fact is none of them want to start over again. They've begun to root themselves in the town. It's the first time in his grown up life that Eliot feels he belong somewhere. Maybe it's not the city itself as much as it is the Brewpub with its kitchen and all the work he put into making a decent menu for the place. Maybe it's their office that's also basically their living room, complete with movie nights and beer in front of the tv. Or maybe it's the house he lives in, one he has finally found worth really moving in to. No, he don't want to leave Portland either.
"Maybe…" Parker begins, and there's hope in her voice again. "Maybe we could make him see that Hardison is just himself? Then we could stay, couldn't we?"
Even Hardison looks hopeful at that prospect and Eliot can't find it in him to deny them that hope. He is really growing far too soft. Yet there is nothing to lose by trying, they can just leave later if it doesn't work. Which Eliot is convinced it won't.
Principle alone dictates that Eliot looks displeased for a second before grinding out an acceptance. It might be a pointless, stupid idea but the smile it brings to Parker's face makes it worth trying. Because somewhere along the way his role with the team has stopped being about simply keeping them safe. He wants them to be happy.
Evaluating the situation Eliot makes a few fast decisions for how to proceed. They need a safe place, preferably with an attached garage. The cars need to get off the road as quickly as possible and some information about who they're dealing with wouldn't hurt. To top it all off Eliot has a sinking suspicion that Dean won't stay out for long. In less than a minute he has the full plan mapped out in his head.
"This is how we do it: You guys take Alec's and my car back to the brewpub. Leave Alec's car there and come back to tow Parker's to the same place. In the meantime I'll take Dean and his car back to my place, where we can enter through the garage. Parker, I'll need your taser in case he wakes up." Two heads nod their consent and Eliot continues.
"When you are done just take the truck to my house, park it in the driveway and come in. You look suspicious in any way and I swear I'll kill you." After all they are kidnappers now, they can't afford attention. "Oh, and Hardison; while Parker drives back here you find out who we're dealing with."
Alec looks a bit green at the prospect of being on the computer while riding with Parker, but Eliot's orders are followed without discussion.
AN: Sorry about the abrupt ending, but I had to cut somewhere :)