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Bring on the Wonder	By : Azuriel Category: G through L > Leverage Views: 487 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I am in no way connected to the Leverage series. I own nothing in that universe. Therefore I cannot and am not making any money off of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Elliot was woken in the early hours of the morning by Will mumbling in his sleep and tossing his head back and forth. “Hey,” Elliot gently shook the other man to wake him out of whatever dream was causing distress.

Will's body jerked and he inhaled sharply as his eyes opened. “Sorry,” he said when his mind cleared and he was back to reality.

Elliot gently caressed Will's cheek. “You don't need to apologize for having another nightmare. I've had a few myself the past week.”

Will sat up and brushed his hair out of his face with a deep sigh. “I wasn't looking forward to a blast from the past, but I didn't think it would affect me this much.”

Elliot sat up and pulled the other man into a close embrace. “It's affecting me, and I was only a third party witness. Honestly, I didn't think Nate would be able to get this close to Moreau. He's good with corrupt business men, but this... We underestimated him.”

“The man is motivated.”

“Yeah. That Italian woman will throw his ass back to prison and toss the key.”

“Are we going to tell him what we probably should have from the start?”

Elliot shook his head. “Not yet. That is a card we need to keep up our sleeves until the right time. We haven't got the slimy son of a bitch yet. Right now all we've got is Keller. Hopefully it'll be a quick take down at the airport.”

“Think he'll recognize us? That'll pull the card right out of our sleeves.”

“I don't think he'll recognize me. I was just a hired goon to them, not worth paying much attention to. You on the other hand... You've grown up enough to not look exactly the same, but he spent enough time with Moreau while you were in the room, so I don't know. That's why you'll be working with Parker instead of me this time. Make sure he doesn't get a good look at your face.”

“I'll do my best. I just want this whole thing to be over. It may sound a little selfish, but I hope we get close enough to get the Italian's off our backs, but not close enough for a reunion.”

“If you're being selfish, then I'm just as guilty.” Elliot planted a tender kiss on Will's shoulder, then moved up toward his neck.

Will whimpered and a shiver ran down his spine from the attention, but he pulled back. “I don't think that will help right now. It helped a lot at first, but I think a stiff drink will help more now that we're close.”

Elliot pulled back a little bit, looking disappointed. “It still helps me. When I'm making you squirm I'm not thinking about anything else.” His fingertips started ghosting up and down Will's bare back, making his eyelids flutter from the pleasure.

“You do know what buttons to push.”

Elliot stopped and started playing with Will's hair. “I'm not gonna push you any farther than you want to go, so don't worry about that. I haven't said it out loud yet because it scares me a little, but I think I love you. And I hate seeing what this is doing to you.”

Will turned and cupped Elliot's cheek with his hand. “I don't know if it's love, but I am rather attached to you.”

Elliot shook his head. “Don't we make a pair...”

Will pulled Elliot in for a tender kiss before retreating just a bit. “Darling, we were forged in fire.”

Elliot let out a soft chuckle. “You know, you're not wrong. I do have a soft spot for stray puppies, and you're why. When we met I didn't think I was capable of caring about anyone or anything. And then I saw a pain in the ass little punk get himself in too deep. I couldn't stop what happened that night.”

A tear welled up in the corner of Will's eye just thinking about it. “I know, but you pulled me out of the deep end as soon as you could. Elliot, if it weren't for you I would probably be dead in an unmarked grave somewhere. I was stupid.”

“You were young and extremely foolish. But you're still here, so I must've at least taught you well.”

“You and a few other decent men I met during my adventures. Sometimes I'm a slow learner, but I learn eventually.”

Elliot glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “We need to get some sleep. Think you can relax if I rub your shoulders for a bit?”

“Won't hurt to try.” Will turned so that he was facing away from Elliot.

Elliot started massaging the other man's back and shoulders. “You know, I really like having someone around I can talk to like this. While I really like the sex, just having you here is enough. I want you to know that.”

“I know that, but I also really like the sex. I just don't want it right now.”

The next day they had all taken their places at the airport. “It's taken us four months to get even this close to one of Damien Moreau's guys,” Nate reminded them. “Now we have a chance to hit him and get closer to Moreau. Hardison, take us through it.”

“Flight manifest for global transit airlines 485 out of Baghdad shows John Douglas Keller in business class,” Hardison took over. “Now, Keller, he moves antiquities for our primary target, Damien Moreau. It shows he has no checked luggage, just probably a carry on. You know what, guys? I don't get this. It'd be a lot easier to intercept him out in the terminal.”

“No, if this guy is as strapped as I think he is, he's gonna have a gang of security waiting outside the airport for him, one bodyguard on the plane. You want to get close to him, you do it in here,” Elliot said before yawning.

“Was I boring you?” Hardison commented with a sarcastic tone.

“Shut up,” Elliot growled. “I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, okay?”

“And Will's on his fourth cup of coffee,” Parker broke into the conversation. “Long night?”

“None of your business,” Elliot responded before Will could say anything. “Just focus on your part.”

“Right,” Parker quickly backed off. “While Eliot distracts the bodyguard, I'll lift Keller's wallet and phone and do a briefcase switch.”

“I'll help with the distraction; trip him or something,” Will added before he also yawned and tried to shake himself awake.

“Hardison intercepted an email,” Nate continued with the briefing.

“And decrypted it,” Hardison puffed out his chest a little. “These guys use a variant of Larry Duberman's algorithm. It's not as easy as baking a cake.”

“Did you want a cookie?” Will snapped.

“Moving on, yes,” Nate interrupted to keep them on task. “So, Keller has something valuable on this flight, probably Iraqi antiquities. Now, if we get him from all sides, one of us can grab the goods, and then I'll put our hooks into him.”

“I've got him,” Elliot announced. “That's the bodyguard. I'm going in. Parker, he's got a black briefcase, silver hardware.”

Parker and Will started looking through the luggage they were moving on a cart. Will found a good one for the switch and handed it to Parker. “On it,” Parker responded as she moved in place.

Before Elliot could do anything he was approached by a little girl speaking in a foreign language. “Will,” Elliot grabbed his attention before trying to guide the girl. “Remember what I said this morning.”

“I got it,” Will followed Parker.

Nate was also watching. “He hasn't talked to anyone. He hasn't exchanged his bag with anyone. So whatever he's smuggling is probably in cargo and probably under a different name.”

“Maybe,” Will sighed as a hard lump formed in his stomach.

“Do you know something we don't?” Nate was suspicious.

“The man deals in antiquates,” Will pointed out. “And the artwork Sophie stole from my father wasn't cheap mass produced pieces from Target if you catch my drift.”

“Do you think he'd recognize you? Because that's something you should've told me months ago.”

“I don't know, but that's why Elliot put me with Parker this time.” Will decided to go with the truth, just not the whole truth. “I was never the center of attention, only a kid in the room. Plus it's been a long time.”

“Well, these are things I need to know,” Nate did not sound happy. “Not much we can do now, but don't let it happen again.”

“Sure.”

Keller moved to the security kiosk Hardison was stationed at. Hardison took the man's papers and gave them a once over. “Sorry for the delay, sir. We, uh, we've had a yellow alert issued.”

“Oh, no trouble at all,” Keller didn't seem at all bothered.

“Son of a bitch, he's got a mule,” Will mumbled.

“Who?” Nate asked.

“Do I look like a psychic with x-ray vision to you? My father would use someone unassuming, someone security wouldn't expect any trouble from.”

“Like a little girl,” Elliot put the pieces together.

“Mr. Keller, what are your reasons for visiting Boston?” Hardison asked without giving anything away.

“Business, I'm afraid. Just a quick dinner meeting. Then I'm off home to London.”

“Can't see much of Boston in three hours, can you? Anything to declare?”

“No, nothing at all. No time for shopping, really; not even duty free.”

An alarm started going off and security rushed over to a counter. Sure enough they found a statue in the little girl's bag. “Color me not shocked,” Will sighed.

“May I?” Keller grabbed Hardison's attention, not showing any emotion. “I'd hate to miss my appointment.”

“Oh yeah,” Hardison tried to keep up the facade and stamped the man's passport. “You're clean and good to go.”

Keller watched security surround the girl and drag her off to a side room before nonchalantly walking away with his bodyguard. The original plan was blown. “Okay, Hardison, Eliot, I want you to tail Keller, discreetly. No contact. Surveillance only. Parker, if you get an opening, I want you to lift Keller's cell phone and clone it, nothing else,” Nate ordered.

“I need access to that girl,” Sophie was insistent.

“No, it's too risky,” Nate pulled her back while trying not to draw attention. “We can't have access to one of those holding areas. It's deep security. We can talk to the family. It's a start. Let's get this little girl home.”

They found her advocate pacing around the lounge. “I have spent the past six years trying to reunite war torn families. I meet people off the plane and hope the smugglers and drug dealers haven't gotten to them first,” he explained to Nate and Sophie when they approached him.

“But she's innocent,” Sophie was still upset.

“More like desperate and naive,” Will said as he joined them. Sophie shot him an angry glare. “Sorry, but I call it like I see it, and I've seen this before.”

“Well, there must be something you can do,” Sophie turned back to the advocate.

“I can file paperwork. That is all I can do. She's sitting alone in a holding cell, and I don't know what to tell her family.”

“She could be kept in the system for months without being processed. The laws haven't caught up with this type of crime yet,” Nate spoke the uncomfortable truth.

“And Keller just moves on,” Will added. “No risk to him because there's no way to tie him to anything.”

Nate turned his attention to Will. “And your father, he does this with drugs?”

“He prefers bribes and blackmail, but when those don't work at certain points of entry, yes.”

“I've seen it too many times,” the advocate said as he looked toward the security line with sad eyes. “The girls are threatened. She won't talk because she was probably told that if she did her family would be killed.”

“Well, we will do our best to exonerate A'Yan,” Nate made the man a promise. “Now, you just keep filing the paperwork, cross your T's, dot your I's, and we'll be in touch.”

“Thank you,” the advocate gave Nate a small smile, but glared at Will.

“Hey, sins of the father do not fall on this son,” he said in self defense.

They went back to headquarters to come up with a new plan. “If I just take Keller out, is there another way to Moreau?” Elliot asked, still angry that a little girl was caught up in it all.

“Not a fast one. Moreau got his start smuggling antiquities from war zones,” Nate explained. “The more experienced a criminal becomes, the more sophisticated he gets at covering his tracks. You go back to his first crimes, and that's where you see the rough edges. It's sort of like...”

“Archaeology,” Sophie finished the thought. “Archaeology of crime. The further back you go in a criminal's career, the more primitive his methods, the more mistakes you can find as a way in. A lot more mistakes.”

Hardison was going through the data he collected. “Since Moreau started with antiquities, these companies and these bank accounts are the closest ties to his real life. And since he's moved up, Keller's started running that part of the business. And it's a cash cow. The valuables from the looted Iraqi museum or an archaeological dig, they fetch millions on the black market in the west.”

Parker got a far away look in her eyes. “Yeah, but unlike a stolen Monet or the Rosalind diamond, these pieces aren't registered or insured, so they're impossible to track. Man, I should've got into that years ago. Yeah. I mean before we went straight, of course.”

Elliot shook his head in frustration. “So Keller steals a statue from a dig in Iraq. and he mules it through customs using a little kid, and he sells it to rich Americans for five million bucks.”

“That five million funds terrorist training camps, weapons sales...” Nate reminded them.

“And drugs, and booze, and sex...” Will added. Both Sophie and Nate turned their attention toward him. “After he mastered antiquates he moved into human trafficking. You didn't know that?”

“How do you know that?” Nate asked suspiciously.

“The man has a reputation in circles. That he's much more careful about.”

“I never realized...” Sophie mumbled softly.

Hardison brought up some information on the screen. “Leaving that disgusting topic and moving back to the job at hand... The one thing that's got me stumped is that little girl's arrest didn't break Keller's stride at all. I mean, he's already off on a flight to London. Apparently he's a regular at Claridge's auction house.”

Sophie let out a deep sigh as something occurred to her. “Because you don't just sell on the black market. The real payoff, the big money is when you move it through legitimate auction houses. You fake up the papers, you scrub off the blood and dirt, and you clean it up so that all the pretty people can show it off in their pretty bloody houses.” She got off the couch and stormed out.

Nate was going to chase after her, but Will was a little bit faster. He found his mother pouring herself a drink at the bar. “You're starting to see yourself in these people a little bit, aren't you?” he commented as he sat beside her.

“I stole from rich wankers who never really missed it, and I kept telling myself no one really got hurt,” she said as she took a large sip of her drink. “And I didn't see the way things really were because I didn't want to.”

Will shrugged and poured himself a drink. “No one really wants to see the ugly side of the world, not if they can help it.”

“But you've seen it.”

“I have,” Will nodded before he slammed back the shot. “And honestly, I was afraid something like this might happen once we got close.”

“How do I know that children were never used to smuggle anything I stole?”

“You don't.”

“Some pep talk.”

“You have been complicit in the past, but you're making up for it now. And as I've said before, you brought me here to be a part of it. You saved me. You're trying to save that girl. That's what counts.”

“If this were any other mark I'd say we go to London. What do you think?”

“I think Nate is in over his head. That being said, he has to make the Italian woman happy if he doesn't want to go back to jail. I don't think you want that either.”

“No, I don't.”

“And if we go to London I can visit my Aunt Beatrice and my sisters.”

“Victoria and Elizabeth?”

“Elizabeth is in Luxembourg with Aunt Sophie. Victoria and Ivy are in London. Ivy is four years younger than me, you never met her. She and I are fairly close. I video chat with her as much as I can.”

“Let's go to London then,” Sophie said as she got up from the bar. “I don't think it will be difficult to sell to Nate.”

Nate agreed to Sophie's plan, and they were soon in London. Everyone but Will went to the auction house. Sophie's plan was for her and Nate to go in as bidders. They still weren't exactly sure how they were going to get Keller, but they'd figure it out based on his behavior.

“I love Claridge's auction house. Even the air feels more expensive,” Sophie got a far away look in her eye as they entered.

“You should see this house,” Will joined the conversation.

“Aren't you spending time with your sisters?” Sophie asked, surprised to hear his voice.

“I am,” Will answered. “But I wanted to stay in the loop as it were, so I excused myself out to the garden. Everyone else is having afternoon tea. I never did like those stupid little sandwiches.”

“Glad you could join us,” was all Nate had to say as he took everything in. “So, this is where Keller moves most of his goods. And his calendar says that he should be arriving here just about now. Hardison, are you in their computers yet?”

“Accessing,” Hardison responded as he tried to bring everything up. “Okay, apparently their computer system is also an antique. Possibly steam powered, which would be cool.”

“Hardison, this is an extremely old house,” Sophie said as she kept an eye out. “They believe in tradition. The computer records are gonna be bare bones. The real contracts are gonna be paper files.”

“So all these filing cabinets, they're not for decoration?”

“I don't think you're going to be needing your computer skills for this one,” Will teased a little.

“Look under K,” Nate directed. “I need a record of everything he's sold here.”

“Or we could just ask the man himself,” Sophie motioned to Keller as he walked in.

Parker approached Keller dressed like an employee. She took his jacket, and his wallet. “What do you got, Parker?” Nate asked when she made her way to them.

“Nothing unusual, but he does have an auction card from Claridge's,” Parker answered.

“Does it have an item number on it?” Sophie asked. Parker read the numbers on the card out loud. “If the number starts with an eight, then it's a bid card. He's not selling today. He's buying something. Why?”

“I'm not sure why. But if this is his hub, I'm gonna give him one more item to move through it,” Nate started forming a plan. “Parker, return the wallet. Keep the bid card. Find the vault. It should be filled with antiquities waiting to be processed. I need something to establish my credentials with Keller.”

Eliot was in the garage pretending to work on a car so he could keep tabs on who came and went. “Eliot, did they bring backup?” Nate asked.

“Keller showed up with just his bodyguard. Driver's waiting. They won't be long,” Elliot reported.

“Okay, keep an eye on the front door.”

Sophie got to work looking up Keller's buying history so they could figure out what might entice him. “I looked up the number on the bid card. And get this, Keller bought a ring.”

“A Mason ring or an engagement ring?” Nate asked.

“A signet ring belonging to George, the prince regent. Doesn't make any sense. I mean, considering the priceless antiquities that Keller handles on a daily basis, this little trinket isn't worth very much.”

“Well, maybe he's buying it for a client,” Nate threw out an idea.

“But there'd be no need to shift something like this on the black market when it's right here in the open. No, he wants this for himself. I just have to figure out why.”

“Parker, what do you got for me?” Nate asked.

Parker was going through a crate of items that hadn't been sorted yet. “This place is great! I recognize over half of this stuff. Oh. Last time I saw you was at the Louvre. Well, actually, you were in the back seat of my car, but before that you were at the Louvre.”

“Parker, focus!”

“Okay. We've got Napoleonic silver, some great Russian icons, 17th-century, and, statue, gold guy, loincloth, pharaoh beard, and very rectangular feet.”

“Falcon head, dog head, or human head?”

“Bird head. And I think he's smirking at me.”

“Okay, perfect. Statue of Ra. Bring it to me.”

“And grab the Russian icons,” Will added. “Only save them for later. They might come in handy.”

Parker waited for Nate's input. “Yeah, he might be on to something.”

Sophie was still focused on the ring. “You mean something. You're not worth anything, so you mean something. Hardison, did you find those files yet?”

“Yes,” Hardison answered. “Now look, when we get a moment, y'all are gonna have to explain this English filing system. Now, as far as Keller goes, there's a big file and a small file. Big file is all sales, antiquities, mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan, all with fake provenance.”

“What's in the small file?”

“Small one is land purchases, old manor houses up for auction, all within the last two years, all in Scotland. Places like, uh, Loch Glengorra, And Loch... I'm not even gonna try to pronounce it, man. It's just a bunch of random g's and n's.”

“Scotland? Thanks, Hardison. You can get out of there.”

“Prestige?” Will threw out an idea.

“Maybe something like that,” Sophie agreed.

“Okay, I'm gonna go in. You want to play a little Nick and Nora?” Nate motioned to the door.

Sophie shook her head. “No. I'm gonna stay on the outside for a bit. There's something about this Keller guy that's vexing me.”

“Hey, listen, Sophie, you never intentionally put an innocent person in danger,” Nate tried to comfort her.

“Just don't let him put you in danger. Good hunting.”

Nate found Keller in a hallway and approached him. “Ah, Mr. Keller. Yes, I believe you dropped this,” he handed Keller back his auction card.

Keller took the card and reached his hand out. “Thank you, mister, uh...?”

“Jensen. Tom Jensen,” Nate introduced himself as he firmly shook Keller's hand.

That started a conversation, and Nate talked about his own antiquities ventures. He worked in that while he acquired the pieces, he didn't have a way to move them. Then attention was turned to the statue of Ra Parker had found. Keller took a close look at it before he sniffed it. “How does it smell?” Nate asked.

“He smelled it?” Sophie found that interesting.

Keller smirked and shook his head. “No, that's not from Egypt. And see this here?” He showed Nate something on the bottom. “No, I'd say this is from the Bellingham collection which is slated for auction in two weeks, which means you are either a con artist or a cop.”

Keller's bodyguard started moving toward Nate. “I'm just trying to make a deal here,” Nate said defensively as he backed up against the wall before being punched.

“I told you,” Will sighed. “You aren't dealing with corrupt CEO's anymore. This is a whole other league.”

“Nate, hold on. I'm on my way,” Elliot started to move from where he was.

“Eliot, stay where you are,” Sophie ordered. “You go in now, you'll blow the con.”

“Sophie, the con's already blown,” Elliot argued.

“Yeah, the old one is. Not my con. Will's right, and I've dealt with men like this before. The ring, Scottish manors, I know Mr. Keller's heart's desire.”

“Who are you working for?” Keller demanded as the bodyguard had Nate by the throat.

Sophie made her entrance. “I beg your pardon, but you're manhandling my employee. Kindly call off your dog, Mr. Keller.”

Keller paused a moment before motioning to his bodyguard. “Ennis, that's enough.” Then he turned toward Sophie, his eyes full of interest. “You know my name. I can't say I've had the same pleasure.”

“Charlotte Prentice, 18th duchess of Hanover,” Sophie introduced herself.

Keller reached to kiss her hand. “Your grace.”

Sophie glanced over to Nate for a moment and shook her head. “What happened? He try the Egypt story? This statue comes from a private collection. I meet a great deal of people in my travels who wish to have such collections liquidated quickly and quietly. The buyer I have lined up for this particular piece is in America, and I have no one I can trust to traverse customs.”

Keller gave Sophie a once over. “If your story checks out, though, on principle I would never doubt someone of your standing, I will do you the courtesy of not hunting down and killing your man here. But I'm not taking on any outside clients right now.”

“I'll double your commission.”

“I'm afraid the answer's still no, your grace. Now, if you'll pardon me...” He started to walk away.

“Perhaps I can provide you with something else, something worth more than money?” Sophie called after him.

Keller turned back to face her. “I'm afraid there's really no price.”

“A knighthood, perhaps.”

“A knighthood? With all due respect, your grace, her majesty hands out thousands of those a year. Any pop star can have a knighthood.” He started walking away again.

“I see. Your aims are a little higher. One of the lost baronies, then?” That stopped Keller in his tracks.

“Sophie, are you sure this is a good idea?” Nate mumbled.

Keller came back toward her. “One of the lost baronies? Not possible.”

“There are about ten people in the world who can secure an interview with the Earl Marshal, and I happen to be closely related to three of them. If you help me with my little venture, then I'll help you claim a lost barony... My lord.”

“How?” Keller was very intrigued.

“Meet me at Porter's tomorrow. Afternoon tea.”

Keller gave her a little nod. “I look forward to it. And, uh, let's leave our pets at home, shall we?”

“Certainly.”

Keller left the hall this time. “Brilliant idea,” Will commented when Keller was gone. “But I don't know if I can get Uncle Daniel to cooperate.”

“Daniel Paddington?” Sophie asked with surprise in her voice. “You're related to Daniel Paddington?”

“Yes,” Will answered. “You didn't know that's who my Aunt Beatrice married?”

“No, I didn't. Hopefully that doesn't complicate things.”

Will sighed. “Well then I'm confused as to how you think you're going to pull this off.”

“Hold up, what's a lost barony?” Hardison asked.

“We have a lot of work to do, about two hundred years worth actually,” was all Sophie would say.

“As much as I hate to say this, I'm out because I need to go shopping,” Elliot said. “Where was I supposed to meet you?” he asked Will.

“I texted you the address.”

“Why do you need to go shopping?” Sophie asked.

“Because the Paddingtons dress for dinner,” Elliot responded before taking his comm out.

“Elliot's staying with you?” that caught Parker's interest.

“Of course,” Will answered. “I had to smooth things over a bit, but Ivy helped me with that. She wanted to see Elliot again.”

“Again?” Sophie blinked at that. “He knows Ivy?”

“He was around long after you, remember? It's a long story, and like Elliot said, we need to do some shopping. I can't believe the man doesn't already own proper dinner attire.”

“I'd like to hear more about these long stories,” Nate said before Will signed off.

They gathered in a hotel room the next day. “The royal cover story is easy to check, hard to fake,” Nate commented, still unsure of Sophie's idea.

“I spent years establishing this persona. Trust me, Nate. It's rock solid,” Sophie assured him.

“How'd you know he'd go for it?”

“Keller's been buying up small but specific pieces of Scottish land. Well, that's one way to obtain a minor barony. He's also a royal fetishist. I mean, there was no reason for him to overbid on the prince regent ring. It had to be emotional. Plus, when I introduced myself, he addressed me as your grace rather than the more common my lady, and he gave a little bow and kissed my hand.”

“Pretty spot on,” Will said as he entered the room.

“What part does this Earl Marshal play?” Nate asked.

“Oh, he controls the succession of titles in the peerage. So, this is key, there are eighty six unclaimed baronies in Great Britain.”

“Does it come with a castle?” Parker asked.

“Sometimes, yeah,” Sophie answered.

“So, this is Keller's heart's desire, I take it?” Nate asked.

“Oh yeah,” Hardison nodded. “Checked into it, man. He's applied for an audience with the Earl Marshal six times in the past two years. Denied.”

“Good guess,” Nate gave Sophie half a compliment.

Sophie only smirked. “It's not really a guess when it's that good, is it?”

“So this son of a duchess thing, can I use it to my advantage?” Will asked.

“Since you were born out of wedlock, I'd say no,” Sophie answered.

Will huffed and crossed his arms. “That part's not exactly my fault.”

“I'm gonna need all of you on this one,” Nate grabbed everyone's attention. “This kind of con, it's almost impossible to pull off in a country with an established monarchy. What we need is a forged relic that can be used to purchase a royal title.”

“A forged relic. That means we need a forger. I know a couple of guys in the states,” Hardison said.

“I know a handful of guys all around the world, but that will take time,” Will pointed out. “And a lot of money for the best.”

“That's why Hardison's gonna do it,” Nate responded.

Hardison shook his head. “I'm a hacker. I hack. I don't forge.”

“You're not making a forgery. You're gonna create a work of art,” Sophie spun it a little. “Smell it. That's how he knew that Nate was lying.” She held out the statue.

Hardison reluctantly sniffed the statue. “It smells like statue. And gold.”

“And?” Sophie pushed for more.

“And some cinnamon, there's a little cinnamon on there.”

“And cardamom. Those are the spices that statue was packed with as it lay in its tomb for thousands of years. But those spices were only used in Libyan tombs, not Egyptian ones.” Elliot grabbed the statue to sniff it for himself. “Elliot, feel the base.”

Elliot ran his fingertips along the bottom. “It's rough. It's been sanded.”

“Markings from the acidic cleanser used in the British museum in the 1800s. And that's how he knew it wasn't a recent find.”

“Can I taste it?” Parker asked.

Sophie nodded. “You should. Go on.”

“Something is very wrong with her,” Will muttered as Parker licked the statue.

“Tastes like cold,” Parker commented.

“Yeah, so as you know, Parker, most metals heat up when they're held; platinum for example, but gold, no. Gold stays cool and impassive as a God. So, if we're gonna fool an expert of Keller's caliber, then we're gonna have to overwhelm his senses with something too real to be fake. Hardison, get busy. There's your shopping list. Don't skimp on supplies.” She handed Hardison a long list.

“Use Eliot, Will, and Parker,” Nate added. “We're gonna go finish the deal with Keller and get him to transport our secret stash of treasures back to the States.”

Hardison was looking over the list. “What secret stash of treasures? I'm sorry, does this say goat marrow?”

Will grabbed the list to take a look. “I know a French antique dealer who might have some of this stuff, and he won't ask a lot of questions if I drop my father's name.”

“Then drop it twice,” Nate ordered. “Let's go.”

Sophie went to lunch with Keller as promised. She dangled in front of him a tale of a lost diary that belonged to a mistress of King George III. There were quite a few legends surrounding the woman, but Sophie pointed out that someone with the diary could claim to be a descendant of Catherine and King George, and there was no way that person could be refused a title.

Back in the hotel room Hardison was hard at work while Will watched. Elliot carried in a box full of the needed supplies. “I got your turpentine. I got your walnut oil. And a bucket of soot. It's everywhere.” He grabbed what he thought was a rag to wipe his hands on.

“Hey, put that down, man. That's my paper,” Hardison snapped at him.

“It's a rag,” Elliot snapped back.

“No, that's what printers used to make paper back in the 1700s. Use a moist towelette, please and thank you.”

“And that stuff isn't easy or cheap to come by,” Will added. “So if this doesn't work you owe me.”

Elliot wrinkled his nose. “What's that smell?”

“Uh, you don't want to know how they wet the paper back in the day,” Hardison responded.

“Did you...?”

“Do not ask me, man.”

“Damn it, Hardison!”

“Why you so sensitive? You touch worse.”

“I'm going out.”

“I'll come with you,” Will got up from his chair. “I'm getting bored, and there's nothing else I need to go to France for, at least for now. That, and my aunt has requested my company for tea in a little while.”

What Sophie didn't know was that their tea was going to be interrupted by a surprise guest; the countess of Kensington.” Keller wanted to make sure Sophie wasn't trying to con him. Nate thought they were blown, but the older woman recognized Sophie right away as Charlotte.

The two women were given a chance to catch up privately when Keller got a call from Moreau. “So, my dear Charlotte, where have you been all these years?”

Sophie had to think about how to answer that. “Oh, you know, traveling. I always wanted to see the world. How have you been, Auntie?”

“Oh, well enough, in spite of my pains, what with our dear William gone these eight years come April. Oh, don't look so sad, girl. It'll pucker your looks.”

“I miss him, that's all.”

“Yes, well, he never blamed you for running off like you did. But the drink helped to console him. I did hear some interesting rumors though, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were true. So I invited another guest.”

Sophie's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw Will walk in with two women. When Will saw Sophie he stopped in the middle of the restaurant, causing the women to stop and turn to him. “Something the matter, dear?” Beatrice asked.

“Why did you want to come here of all places?” Will asked as quietly as he could.

“Auntie asked me to come,” Beatrice answered. “I know this may be a sore subject for you, and I'm sorry for not warning you, but shortly before you were born your father sent me a picture of your mother. Daniel didn't show Auntie the picture, but he described the woman, and Auntie said she sounded awfully familiar. Well, wouldn't you know, she's shown back up here. It's been a while, but I do believe that's her. That woman has a lot of questions to answer.”

Beatrice started toward the table again, but Will grabbed her arm. “Aunt Bea, please,” he practically begged her. “The questions have been answered, for me anyhow.”

It was Beatrice's turn to look shocked. “You know who that is?”

Will bit his lip for a moment. “I know more than I can say. And please, if you have any love for me at all, don't ask me.”

“Why should we?” Beatrice asked.

“All I can say is that it's personal, all right? There won't be any harm to anyone in telling a little fib, at least not to anyone who doesn't really deserve it.”

Beatrice thought it over for a moment. “Well, it seems to mean a lot to you, so I suppose.” The three of them made their way to the table. “Auntie,” Beatrice gave a little curtsy before taking a seat.

“Beatrice,” the countess gave them a little nod. “Is there a problem?”

“Only an error in my judgment,” Beatrice answered quickly as they all took a seat. “I didn't realize how the subject of this afternoon's gathering might affect my nephew.”

“I see.” the countess turned to Sophie. “Charlotte, this is Beatrice Wiltshire Paddington, Daniel's wife. They met shortly after you left us, so I doubt you remember. And this lovely young lady is her niece Victoria. The young man is her nephew Ian.”

“Such a pleasure to meet all of you,” Sophie reached to shake hands with each of them. “I didn't realize my presence would cause such a fuss.”

“You have no idea,” Victoria said, though she went quiet again after a threatening glare from Will.

They were interrupted by Keller's return. “Oh, I didn't realize others would be joining us,” he commented as he looked around the table.

“I didn't think you'd mind,” the countess said. “This is Daniel's wife Beatrice, and two of her brother's children.” Will kept his face down to lesson the chance of him being noticed.

Luckily Keller seemed too preoccupied to really pay attention. “I am so sorry to cut this short, your grace. That call was my employer. There's been an incident in Boston that's made him more cautious about our next shipment. Is everything well and good here?”

“It is,” Beatrice answered. “And I'm sorry you can't stay. Actually, neither can I now that I think about it. My son Charles is bringing a young lady home to meet the family. It's a moment you're never really prepared for.”

“And I should go take care of some details then,” Sophie said as she stood.

“Instead of next week, we'll be taking it out tomorrow. That's not gonna be a problem, is it?” Keller asked.

“I'm sure I can arrange everything,” Sophie responded.

Beatrice followed Sophie out and got close enough to whisper in her ear before they were out the door. “You're lucky your son is more forgiving than the rest of us.”

That shook Sophie up, and when she saw Will out on the street he didn't look much better. “What did you tell them?” she asked when she approached.

“Not much,” Will answered honestly. “Aunt Bea already knew who you were, and I requested that she keep it to herself. I told her no one was going to get hurt if she left it alone.”

“Good,” Sophie took a deep calming breath just as Nate came out.

“Now I really need to know what is going on here,” Nate demanded.

“The only thing going on is that British aristocracy is a very small world,” Will answered. “You have your work cut out for you, but I did my part. Elliot is coming to get me, so you don't have to worry about us seen leaving together. I'll be fine.”

“Your color seems a bit off,” Sophie was worried. “Are you sure you're all right?”

“It's just a stomach ache. We'll talk when this is over. The less you're seen with me right now the better. And since everything has been moved up, Elliot needs me.”

“He's right,” Nate ushered Sophie away. “By the way, how real is this duchess persona?”

“Where are we exactly on your side of things?” Sophie ignored the question.

“Everything's okay,” Nate answered, though he didn't sound too sure of himself. “I mean, you know, Keller is shipping his antiquities out of London in the morning. We have to finish forging a two hundred year old book that has to hold up to expert scrutiny, and take over an auction, and deliver to Keller a treasure trove of antiquities that we don't actually have.”

“Piece of cake,” Sophie didn't seem worried at all.

“Okay, Hardison, I need that book now,” Nate ordered.

“Hey, man, Sophie said flawless. Now you're saying fast. You two need to have a conversation and figure it out,” Hardison replied.

“Go with fast.”

“Okay, but the glue on this binding, it takes two weeks to dry naturally. Now, a hair dryer is too hot and too powerful. It'll curl the pages and melt the spine. I managed to find a manicure dryer, so you're just gonna have to wait. And as stunning as my work is, stunning I say, it's still a rush job. It'll pass the first inspection, but it won't hold together for very long.”

“It doesn't need to,” Will commented. “Keller is trying to move fast, it just needs to fool him at first glance.”

“Eliot, what's your status?” Nate asked.

“We're meeting with Keller's transport guys right now.”

“You sure about that?”

“He could use the backup, and the thugs aren't gonna know me,” Will answered the question. “Plus I have some frustrations to work out.”

“Remember what we talked about. No lethal force,” Elliot reminded his partner.

“I'll do my best.”

They met the transport guys at the arranged location. “Hey guys, how are you?” Elliot greeted them. “We're under orders to inspect your facility before we can move the things.”

Keller's bodyguard Ennis stepped forward as the one in charge. “I see where you're coming from, and I respect your work. But we've only got two jobs today. One is to accompany you to your lady's storage bin and empty it of its contents. The second is to take it back with us. We won't be needing your accompaniment on that second leg.”

“That's... One second.” Elliot grabbed his phone and acted like he was making a call. “Nate, these guys want us to take them straight to Sophie's secret stash. What the hell are we supposed to do with them?”

“Stall,” Nate answered. “London city tour. You're good at that.”

“You want us to stall them? They're former British paratroopers!”

“How do you...?”

“Why do you even ask at this point?” Will joined the conversation. “We just know.” He winced and put a hand on his lower abdomen.

“You sure you're all right?” Elliot asked.

“Fine. And you definitely need me on this one, so stop asking.”

“We could do a slow goose chase to buy some time,” Elliot suggested. “Pretend to be very lost tourists.”

“Then you're gonna have to trust me and hand over the keys,” Will held his hand out.

While Sophie worked on getting Keller to win the bid for the diary Keller's men chased Will and Elliot all around London. They finally came to a stop at a storage facility. “If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to lose us,” Ennis accused.

“Of course not!” Will laughed it off. “I just spent too long in the states, you know? Those round things, and driving on the other side of the road. Sorry about the trouble, but I got us here.”

“You have the keys, right?” Elliot turned to Will.

“I thought you grabbed them.”

“Gentleman,” Ennis growled as he pushed Will up against the wall with his body. “Enough.”

“At least buy a guy dinner first,” Will joked.

Unfortunately Keller didn't like everything he'd heard about Charlotte and decided to double cross her. Ennis' phone rang. “Are you still at the storage unit?” Keller asked.

“Yes,” Ennis answered.

“Clear it out. And their men, shoot them. Throw them in the Thames.”

“Oh, you know, I did grab the key,” Will pulled a set of keys from his pocket.

Ennis pointed a gun at his chest. “It really hurts me to have to do this to you, I've quite enjoyed your antics. But I'm gonna need you to open up the storage unit now.”

Elliot tried to put himself between Ennis and Will. “Listen, let me explain something to you. This thing, there's nothing in here, okay? Our boss is running a con on your boss, man. We don't need this. We didn't sign up for this, okay? This thing is empty.”

“I don't care if it's empty,” Ennis growled.

Both men sprung into action and tag teamed the thugs. In a little over a minute they were all on the floor. “I've quite enjoyed your company today as well,” Elliot said as he stood over them. Then he saw Will clutch his stomach and fall to his knees. Elliot rushed over to him. “You hit?”

Will shook his head. “I don't think...” Before he could finish the sentence he passed out.

“At least Keller will have to explain those Russian icons when he goes through customs,” Sophie seemed satisfied. “Among other things. That was a brilliant idea. You two work well together when you want to.”

“We got bigger problems,” Elliot spoke to the rest of the team. “I'm taking Will to the nearest hospital.”

“What's wrong?” Sophie stopped in her tracks. “Was he shot?”

“I don't see any visible injuries, but he's unconscious, burning up all of a sudden, and barely breathing.”

“Tell me which hospital and I'm there.” The color drained from Sophie's face. “I knew he didn't look right. I knew there was something wrong.”

“It's not your fault,” Nate tried to comfort her. “He insisted he was fine, and I'm sure he will be.”

A half hour later Sophie rushed through the emergency department doors. Elliot was already sitting in the waiting room and joined Sophie at the desk. “She's here for the guy I brought in,” Elliot spoke to the woman at the desk. “Ian Wiltshire.”

“Are you family?” the woman asked. “Because his emergency contact information lists an aunt. I called her and she's on her way.”

“I'm his mother!” Sophie shouted, near hysterics. “And you're going to tell me what's going on!”

“Hold on.”

Ten minutes later they were all taken back to speak with a doctor. “Your son had appendicitis,” the doctor explained. “I don't think it was severe initially, but a blow to the abdomen caused it to burst.” His eyes glanced at Elliot for a moment before he continued. “As soon as he was stable enough I sent him to the surgeon on call. It's a fairly routine procedure, and I'm sure he'll be fine. Because his appendix burst, that raises the risk of serious infection, so he'll be staying with us for a few days so we can keep an eye on him.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Sophie shook his hand.

When they were shown back out to the waiting room they saw Beatrice come in. “Appendicitis,” Nate filled her in with the short and sweet version. “As soon as he's out of surgery they'll let us know.”

“I see,” Beatrice nodded as she sat down beside Elliot, with Sophie on the other side. “I don't know who the rest of you people are, or why you had to go and stir things up...” she mumbled mostly to herself.

“We're his friends,” Parker snipped at her. “We care about him more than you do.”

“Little girl, you know nothing about our family.”

“That's enough, Beatrice,” Sophie interrupted her. “Think of me what you will, I don't care about your opinion. The fact is, I did leave when he was a baby. I had my reasons, but it doesn't matter anymore. Something happened that made me really think about some things. Whether you believe it or not, I loved him. I still love him, I'm just not sure how to show it sometimes, much like your family.”

Beatrice's features scrunched a little. “You have some nerve. But what are you doing here now?”

“I approached Ian, a name I gave him by the way, last year because I wanted to get to know him. As to why I'm here in London now, that's need to know. I suppose you were the one who tried to bugger all that up for me.”

“Actually, I didn't. I keep my promises. You created your own scandal.”

Sophie was quiet for a moment. “Fair enough. I know I left him, but I'm here now, and that's not changing.”

“Actually...” Elliot interrupted the exchange. “You do have a little girl to clear. If Mrs. Paddington would be kind enough to extend her hospitality, I'll stay.”

“Of course,” Beatrice agreed. “I don't exactly approve of the lifestyle that boy leads, but you seem all right enough. He seems happy with you.”

“I'm at least staying until he's out of surgery and awake,” Sophie insisted. “I want him to know I was here. That we were all here.”

“But then we need to finish the job,” Nate said, agreeing in his own way.

Three days later Elliot returned to a hospital room with a cup of coffee. “Just talked to Nate, and good news,” he said to Will as he sat down in the most uncomfortable chair he'd ever sat in. “Keller got caught up in his own game, and the little girl he used is back with her family.”

“Good,” Will commented as he finished his jello. “Despite all the mess, it's good to hear that the job still got done.”

“Yeah, more questions than answers. You know, that storage unit we ended up at, according to the papers it wasn't empty.”

“I know. It's an old stash of Sophie's. She told me to use it if I needed to. Nothing there really meant anything to her anymore.”

Elliot put his feet on the side of the bed trying to get comfortable. “I'm telling you though, it was weird and kinda cool the way she stood up to your aunt. How do you feel about it all?”

Will took a moment to think about it. “Like you said, it's weird. I don't have a typical parent and child relationship with her because I didn't even know her most of my life.”

“It scared her when you went down. She cares about all of us, but you'll always be the favorite because you're actually her kid.”

“What really blows me away is the fact that my family is playing nice for my sake. My father even called to wish me a speedy recovery. He's known all along.”

“You're family is messed up, there's no arguing that, but you're more loved than you think you are.”

Will raised an eyebrow with a little smirk. “Do you still include yourself in that?”

Elliot smiled as he shook his head. “Against my will and better judgment. You should have stayed out of it if you weren't feeling well.”

“One, I thought it was stress. Two, you obviously needed the backup. I had to spend a few days in here. Tomorrow I go back to my aunt's house. Day after that we go home. You never did tell me if Hardison was able to trace the money.”

“Of course he was able to trace the money. It led to shell companies, but one he traced back to some hockey player.”

“Is that our next target?”

“I don't know. He's already turned federal witness. I don't see how, but I'm sure we'll get filled in when we get back to Boston.”

“Things are getting really sticky, aren't they?”

“You can say that again.”
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Bring on the Wonder