A/N: Leverage characters are not mine. Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment.
Chapter 3
Missing
"So?" Eliot looked at Michele who was shaking her head.
"We've been working with Isaiah for three weeks and his response have been minimal. You put a cowboy hat on him and walk around with him on your shoulders within five minutes of meeting him."
"Again, so?"
"Eliot, Isaiah was physically abused by his step dad. The man took that boy's right arm and twisted it until it fractured."
He looked at her. "Is the step dad still walking around?"
She nodded. "Isaiah's mom kicked him out after that happened and came to us because he was so fearful."
"So, I could be a therapist?"
Michele laughed. "Careful, that's an unpaid position."
She walked off towards the barn as Eliot watched the woman pulled her car on to the county road.
A truck with a flat bed trailer loaded with hay backed up to the barn. A young man got out of the truck. He walked over to Eliot. "I'm Jeff, Sam's son. Michele wanted hay and straw." He handed Eliot a clipboard.
Glancing at the board, he nodded. "I'm Eliot. She's in the house."
Jeff laughed. "Not at 7 AM, she's never in the house. She's either the arena or the barn. She practically lives outside."
Jeff looked over to the arena to verify it was empty. He furrowed his brow. Walking in the barn, he started looking in each of the stalls. Passing by Jose's stall, he touched the name plate, something Eliot had seen Michele do several times. He stopped in front of Freckles Fancy's stall, her cane was hanging on the exterior of the stall wall. Walking to the back of the barn, he did a quick check in the small round pen behind the barn.
Jogging back to the tack room, he opened the door. "Her saddle is gone." He looked at the gun locker. "Can you open this?"
Eliot pulled the key ring from his side and unlocked it. Opening the door, one slot for a rifle was empty.
Jeff looked at Eliot. "Any problems since firing Hank?"
"How did you...?"
Jeff smiled. "Small town."
He moved to Matt Man's stall. Unchaining it, he put a lead rope on his halter. Cross tying him, Jeff went into the tack room and grabbed a blanket and saddle throwing it on him. He looked at Eliot. "Hank got blitzed last night at the local bar and was making threats towards the ranch, Michele and you."
Eliot went to Charlie's stall. Jeff spoke up. "Not him. Take Rex Alan."
In minutes they were leading the horses out of the barn. Jeff looked to the right. "My best guess, she went that way." He looked in the distance and saw several heads of cattle. "Our land is adjacent to Michele's He opened the gate and they led their horses through.
Stepping up into the saddle, he waited for Eliot to mount his horse. Starting at a lope they headed out into the pasture. Twenty minutes later, they spotted Michele working on the fence line. Freckles Fancy had her lead line tied to a post while she munched on the pasture grass, a rifle was leaning against another post.
Getting off the horses, they walked to the now standing Michele. "Hey."
She turned to resume her work, when Jeff pushed her out of the way. "Just sit down."
"What's your problem?" She looked at Jeff, who had his back to her. "I saw the cows and knew the fence line was down."
Looking at Eliot he walked by her. "You do know, this is the kind of thing you hired me to do." He worked with Jeff and the quickly completed the repairs.
Michele laid in the tall grass while she waited for them to finish, as standing without her cane was not an option. She heard one of them release the wire stretcher and then fold it down. It needs to be oiled. Hearing them drop the metal items in her saddle bag, she waited. Jeff stood over her, extending his hand. Helping her up, she saw that he was no longer angry, but his eyes showed concerned.
"Michele, you can't go riding off alone and not tell anyone. Eliot would have gone with you."
She looked over at Eliot, who was getting on Rex Alan. "Come on, we got hay and straw to unload."
Untying Freckles Fancy, she put the lead rope in one of the saddle bags, holstered her rifle and stepped up into the saddle with ease. With an light cue, she had her horse in an easy lope. Jeff watched her, shaking his head. "I don't know one gal that can ride like her."
Eliot was also watching. Leaning on the saddle horn, he looked at Jeff. "So, when are you going to ask her to marry you?"
Jeff shook his head. "She's a head strong woman."
Picking up his reins, Eliot glanced a Jeff. "She needs someone stronger than her." He squeezed his knees to put Rex Alan into motion.
Jeff gave Matt Man a gentle kick and quickly catching up to Eliot. They rode side by side watching Michele in front of them. Eliot looked at him. "So, why are you back here?"
Without any words, he pulled Matt Man's reins which sent the horse in motion. Eliot grinned.
Having groomed their horses, they put the saddles, headstalls and weapons away. Michele was giving the three horses a piece of apple and talking to them as Jeff walked up to her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he turned her around, holding her face in his hands he gave her a deep kiss. Michele dropped the apple and knife and put her hands on his waist pulling him closer. Jeff put his forehead to hers. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
"Hey, if you two are about done in there, we got a trailer to unload." Eliot's voice came from the other side of the door, to give them some privacy.
Michele grabbed her cane and walked past Eliot without looking at him. She knew her face was flushed and didn't want any type of conversation. Sandy came out the front door "Where have you been?"
"Fixing the fence line." She watched as Jeff and Eliot unloaded the hay and straw.
"Well you missed Sophie Devereaux and Alice White. They are going to help us with the Gala. They waited an hour."
Moving into the kitchen, Michele grabbed a cup and poured herself some coffee. Walking to her desk, she retrieved a calendar and Sam's check. Sitting at the table she opened the calendar and looked under the current date. Spinning it around she pushed the calendar towards Sandy. "Where does it say that?"
Sandy glanced at the calendar and pushed it back. "Well, okay, I didn't write it down. But when do you ever go out riding the fence line?"
Taking a sip of coffee Michele looked at Sandy. "Fair enough. When are they returning?"
"Tomorrow at 9 AM."
"Can you be here?"
Sandy smiled. "You know I will."
"Great." Grabbing a pen out of the nearby drawer, Michele made a notation on the calendar. "Could you bring an assortment of pastries from town on your way in?"
Her smile got bigger. "No doubt. These look like two classy ladies."
Jeff walked into the kitchen, followed by Eliot. Passing a cup to Eliot they poured themselves some coffee and sat at the table with with the women.
"The hay and straw are unloaded." Eliot announced.
"Thanks." Michele took a sip of coffee as she passed the envelope with the check to Jeff.
Jeff nodded, taking his hat off he placed the check inside and set it near his chair on the floor. Straightening up, he he sipped his coffee, giving Michele a side glance.
"We might have a couple of women that can help us with the Gala." Sandy was beaming.
"That's great." Eliot looked around the table.
"How much will it be changed?" Jeff studied Sandy's face.
"Well, I think we need to think outside the box this year." She was not to be deterred.
Michele took a sip of coffee. "It's more of a meet and greet meeting. We'll listen to their plans and go from there."
"Why are you so against change?" Sandy threw up her hands in frustration.
"Change is difficult." Eliot offered. "Especially when something has become a tradition."
"Yes, but, everything is on the line this year." Sandy was quick to remind them.
"True. But who do we lose and who do we gain?" Michele absently tapped her cup with her spoon. "Do we lose our good supporters who help us throughout the year in risk of gaining one or two rich who are looking for a one time tax write off?"
"But if they give well once, it might be all we need for the year." Sandy pressed.
Michele frowned, adjusting her seat. "I am interested in hearing what they have to say and if they have numbers to back it, all the better."
"That's all I ask. Keep an open mind." Sandy looked at Jeff and Michele.
A/N: Leverage characters are not mine. I hope you are enjoying, please leave a comment.