<Hotel Entrance>
Knock knock knock knock
"Hi, I'm here looking for some friends," a drenched Maria Shipp announced as she knocked on the door, shivering from the cold.
"Yeah, we're closed. Storm season," Boggs replied gruffly.
"Well, how 'bout I come in and find them?" Maria said, stepping into the inn despite the protest.
Boggs and Abel quickly moved to block her way. "Are we gonna have a problem?" Boggs asked, eyeing Maria with suspicion.
From around the corner, Sa-i watched the unfolding scene. "You already called backup," she remarked to Eliot.
"My name is Maria Shipp, I'm a U—" Maria began.
"You, you! Good to see you! Ha ha ha ha!" Eliot interrupted, pulling Maria into a hug. "Keep your badge hidden," he whispered. "It's my friend Maria. She came to get us off the island. Let's get you dried up and get out of here." Eliot laughed as he guided her toward the bar.
"Hey, I told you to stay in the bar," Boggs said sharply. "It's for your own safety!"
"Yeah!" Eliot responded, gesturing towards the bar as he and Maria walked past.
"Four more people know our faces. I told you to lock this place down," Abel hissed angrily.
"We're in the middle of a hurricane. I mean, who comes here—" Boggs started to explain.
"I don't care. They don't leave the bar. Lock it. Nobody else gets in or out," Abel cut him off.
—--------------------------------------------------------
Roxie tugged at the locked bar doors, frustration evident on her face. "Roxie, kiddo, come away from there," McCloud said gently.
"They locked it. Why would they lock us in? I just want to go home to my husband," Roxie lamented.
"We'll get through this. Promise. Let's go get some coffee. I'm buying," McCloud reassured her with a kind smile.
Meanwhile, across the room, Eliot was helping Maria dry off while Parker and Sa-i were busy casing the bar. "What is going on here?" Maria asked, concern etched in her features.
"These cops seem to have taken over the whole hotel. I have a bad feeling that McCloud and Roxie might not be safe," Eliot replied, leaning against a pool table. "Think you can get us all on your boat?"
"That's not the problem. The storm was bearing down fast when I got here. By now, the swells off the coast must be 20 feet," Maria said, joining Eliot by the pool table. "We're going to have to ride it out."
Parker finished her inspection of the bar and nudged Eliot slightly to lean on the pool table as well. "No points of access in here, and Abel smells like Drano."
"And walkies only work on a short-range cycle, can't modify one," Sa-i added, walking up and leaning on the pool table across from theirs.
"You must be Parker and Sa-i. Eliot has told me so much about you," Maria said with a warm smile, extending her hand for a handshake.
"Every truth serum known to man," Parker muttered.
"Don't—Parker, we don't talk about work," Eliot huffed.
Sa-i took pity on Maria and gave her a brief but firm handshake. "Hey, nice to finally meet you," she smirked, winking at Eliot.
Eliot turned around with a scowl. "You two!" he pointed at Roxie and McCloud, followed by Sa-i and Parker doing the same. "What do you know about the people who locked us in here?" he demanded.
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The Shadow Job | Leverage : Redemption
FanfictionA new team member joins the leverage crew, Who is she and what does she bring to the team? *Set in Leverage : Redemption*
