Hardison is checking his email on his home pc, tv tuned into some criminal fiction show. He begins hacking some top level government facility for fun. Someone knocks on his door. He shuts his hacking attempt down and heads to the door.
A white/Hispanic girl in jeans, a black and pink plaid shirt, and cowboy boots carrying a guitar, a backpack, brown leather purse, and a suitcase stands there. Her red hair is down with a pink flower pinned neatly on one side. Her eyes meet Hardison’s, and he pulls her into a hug.
“Now, what the hell are you doing here, Sadie?” He asks, eyeing her stuff.
“I didn’t know where else to go,” she says.“Why me?” he asks, reluctantly letting her and her things inside.
She frowns (mama bear frown) at him. “I know you think I betrayed you when I flipped, but I didn’t. I was protectin’ ya. I almost got caught. If I had stayed, you woulda been caught too. I couldn’t stand to see you get put in jail. I took the deal as a consultant as long as they didn’t look into the alleged crime.”
“Hold up, girl!” Hardison pinches his nose. “You flipped to keep my ass outta jail?”
Sadie nods.
“I shoulda known you weren’t betraying me, girl,” Hardison says.
She hugs him. “Of course not. Michael’s the friendly traitor.”
Hardison laughs and pulls back. “You still shouldn’t be here.”
“Y’all are sanctioned,” she says, reaching in the backpack and pulling out a stack of thin FBI files.
He takes the one marked “Hardison, Alec” and looks it over. “It says I’m cleared of all past crimes and that alleged future crimes, according to Interpol and the FBI, shall be sanctioned unless merited otherwise. What the hell does that mean?”
“It means, short of committing murder, y’all can get away with anything,” she says.
“Did I mention that you’re my favorite?” Hardison says, hugging her.
“Yeah,” she says with a grin, hugging back.
“So, why are you here?”
“Nana’s been kidnapped,” she says.
“Nana’s been what now?” Hardison stands back.
“Here,” Sadie hands him a note.
Sadie and Alec, If you want your Nana back, give me what you stole from Domain Enterprises back in the 90’s. More instructions to come. Keep checking your email, Sadie.
Signed~L
“Seriously?” Hardison asks, handing her the note back.
Sadie nods. “I called to confirm. She’s been missin’ for three days and the police have no leads. The FBI took over the case. Michael suggested seekin’ y’all out for help.”
Hardison grumbles. “Nobody messes with our nana!”
“Ya think Nate’ll go for it once he sees the sanction?” Sadie asks.
Hardison nods. “I’ll beat him up if he doesn’t.”
Sadie grins and shakes her head. “More like, I will on your behalf.”
Hardison nods sheepishly.
“What now?” Sadie asks Alec.
“Now, we get you situated, then head over to the bar to meet the team,” he says.
“But, it’s three in the mornin’.”
“Okay, so we get you situated, get some sleep, then head to the bar to meet the team.”
She grins at him and picks up her backpack and guitar, following him down a small hallway to the extra bedroom.
“Hope this is okay,” Hardison says, picking up some of the accumulated clutter from the bed and chair and checking the bathroom to make sure there are clean towels.
“This is fine, baby bro,” she says, hugging him again.
He hugs her back.
“I just wish I were visitin’ under better circumstances.”
He nods. “You and me, both, girl.”
She chuckles and kicks him out of the room.
****
Hardison leads Sadie into the bar. “I wish he’d email, already.”
“You and me, both,” she says.
Nate eyes them as they head his way.
“Nate, meet Sadie,” Alec says.
Nate nods. “Sadie.”
“Nathan,” she says, offering a hand.
He takes it and shakes it.
She hands him his FBI file and explains its contents. “There’s one like this for everyone on your team, by the way.”
He nods.
Parker enters and eyes Alec, who has a hand at Sadie’s back.
Sophie settles a hand on Parker’s shoulder. “We have no idea who she is,” she whispers.
Parker nods.
Alec hugs the red-head.
Parker turns away as she passes.
Sophie shakes her head.
“Your girlfriend thinks I’m your girlfriend,” Sadie whispers to Alec.
Nate eyes her.
“Who? Parker?” Alec asks. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“And neither am I,” Sadie says with a grin.
Nate chuckles. “So, Miss FBI, what are you to Hardison and why are you here?”
“I’m Alec’s sister from the foster home. Our Nana’s been kidnapped,” she says.
Nate nods, taking the note as she hands it to him. “Sister, huh?”
Alec nods. “We took the name Hardison when we were old enough. It’s Nana’s last name.” He shrugs.
Nate stands and motions them to follow as Eliot moves toward the group.
“Come on,” Sadie says to Alec. “Let’s go tell your girlfriend I’m your sister.”
Eliot eyes Alec, who’s grumbling at Sadie.
Nate sits next to Sophie as Eliot pulls up two chairs to the booth and sits in the one near Nate. Hardison sits next to Parker, who squirms.
“Y’all ain’t gonna believe this,” Sadie says, turning to Hardison and sitting in the chair nearest him.
“This is my sister, Sadie Hardison,” he says.
Sadie explains as Parker gapes at her.
Eliot chuckles.
“Nana took me in when I was 6, about two months after my biological parents were killed,” Sadie explained. “She liked my spunk and my accent.”
Eliot can’t wipe the grin off his face.
Nate nods to the files in her hands.
“There’s a few things y’all should know before we start. Hear me out before y’all go judgin’ anythin’, okay?” she says.
Nate nods.
They all scoot in closer.
Sadie pulls out the files, the FBI seal towards her chest. “I consult with the FBI.”
Eliot curses under his breath.
She puts a hand on his arm. “But…” She hands each person their respective folder and explains what it means.
Nate nods. “So, tell us the problem again.”
“Our Nana’s been kidnapped,” Sadie says, eyeing Hardison. She hands Nate the note so he can pass it along to the others.
“Give us a second to discuss,” Nate says.
She nods and moves toward the bar, sitting and accepting a beer.
“I don’t like the FBI thing,” Eliot says. “But I’d trust her to do just about anything.”
“She’s my sister, so you know my opinion,” Hardison says.
“I like her,” Parker says. “And not just because of the cute accent or the sister thing.”
“I think we can trust her, Nate,” Sophie says.
Nate nods. “Just making sure everyone was on board. I agree.”
“She can be helpful to the investigation,” Hardison says.
Nate nods.
“Not just the FBI thing,” Hardison says. “We used to pull off heists together from the time I was nine and she was fifteen. I’m betting she can still charm the smile right off a snake.”
Nate nods. “All right. She’s in.”
Eliot stands and motions her over.
Sadie moves toward them, beer in hand. She looks at Nate expectantly.
“You’re in,” he says. “So, what did you steal from Domain Enterprises?”
“That’s just it,” she says, sitting. “We didn’t. We were plannin’ on stealin’ the plans for a computer chip that would be placed in cars. Hardison thought he might be able to use it for somethin’ else.”
“When was this?” Nate asks.
“1997,” Sadie says.
“Hardison would’ve been in middle school?” Eliot asks.
Hardison nods. “I was 11.”
“And I had just turned 18,” Sadie adds. “Anyway, we went to the place with a group of school kids from Ally’s school.”
“Ally?!” Eliot asks.
“I am the only one allowed to call him that. Got it, cowboy?” Sadie says, staring him down.
Eliot nods, grinning.
“Anyway, I pretended to be a chaperone, got in, Ally—Hardison got me to the vault and inside. The plans were gone. In fact, the vault was completely empty,” she finishes. “We don’t have it, nor have we ever seen it.”
“So, who knew about our attempted heist?” Hardison asks, looking at her.
“The Torrel brothers, but they’re too stupid to do anythin’ about it. Our crazy uncle hinted he knew we were up to somethin’. Our Nana probably knew. She knew most of the time when we weren’t at the movies and were out stealin’ things what didn’t belong to us.”
Eliot smiles.
“It’s not your Nana,” Nate says. “It could be any of the other three or someone they let it slip to.”
“Not the Torrel brothers,” Hardison says. “Sadie woulda kicked their sorry asses if they so much as thought the wrong thing about what we did.”
“So, focus on the crazy uncle,” Eliot says.
“Why was he crazy?” Parker asks.
“You don’t wanna know,” Alec and Sadie say simultaneously.
Sadie sticks her tongue out at Alec. Hardison smirks at his sister.
Nate shakes his head. “We might need to know.”
“He creeped us out,” Hardison says. “He told us gross-out, scary, creepy-ass stories and fed us goat meat mixed with mayo.” (fyi...this was actually part of the dream...just sayin')
Sadie shivers.
Eliot notices another memory pass before her eyes, but says nothing.
“Goat meat?” Sophie asks.
“Bathroom?” Sadie asks.
Nate points her in the right direction.
Sadie runs off to vomit.
“Both Michael, our older brother, and I begged our Nana to not make Sadie go there, ever. She agreed,” Hardison says. “We speculated over things he told her or did, but never confirmed.”
“I think he did more to her than she’ll ever say,” Eliot says on a growl.
Hardison eyes his friend.
“Something in her eyes,” he replies.
“She’s coming back,” Parker says.
Sophie stands and motions her to the bar for something to drink.
“Look,” Hardison says. “He’s a bad dude, to put it lightly.”
“Let’s get him, even if he isn’t the one threatening your family,” Nate says.
Hardison’s eyes light up. “All right. What now?”
“We wait for further instruction,” Nate says.
****
Eliot moves to the bar to check on Sadie once Sophie has returned. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she says. “Just glad y’all are takin’ this case.”
“Of course,” he says. “But, I kinda meant from earlier. Are you okay pursuing this man?”
She nods. “It happened when I was eight. He tried to…hurt me, but I kicked him in the balls and ran away with my teddy bear and the picture of my biological parents. He was always sayin’ he was glad my parents were dead and tellin’ me, just me, stories of little girls who got captured by men.”
Eliot sits next to her, close, and grabs a beer.
She leans forward laying her forehead against his shoulder. “He didn’t ever rape me, just tried to.”
“Doesn’t mean we have to like him,” Eliot says, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She sighs, sits up, and takes out and turns on her netbook. It beeps. She checks her email.
The email reads:
Sadie and Alec, You will go speak to Big Man Tiny at Bootsie’s Biker Bar about a “deal gone awry” and reply to this email with his answer. If you give me the correct answer, I will give you further instructions. I just need to make sure it’s you, Sadie. Signed~L
Sadie motions to Hardison.
“What was your uncle’s first name?” Eliot asks.
“Darryl,” she says with a grimace.
“Don’t think about him,” he says. “Think about something else.”
“Think about you and me and a gray speckled stallion ridin’ off into the sunset?” Sadie asks.
Eliot grins. “Sure,” he says. “Although, I had somethin’ more like dancing and whiskey in mind.”
She giggles. “I could handle those, too.”
Hardison and the others head over their way. Nate reads over their shoulders.
“I want you and Eliot to go to the bar, Sadie,” he says.
“Why Eliot? It’s not his Nana,” Alec says.
“Eliot can fight,” Nate says simply.
Eliot nods. “We’re on it. Are we going tonight?”
“Yes,” Nate says. “Go tonight. I have a feeling Sadie will come in handy, charming the bikers.”
Eliot nods. “We should change before we go.”
Sadie nods. Hardison moves to take her to his place.
****
Eliot appears at Hardison’s door in a leather jacket and muscle shirt with his blue jeans and boots.
“Please tell me you’ll be careful with my sister,” Alec says.
“It’s a short motorcycle ride to the bar,” Eliot says.
Sadie comes around the corner dressed in blue jeans; a sleeveless, collared white shirt; and a biker vest with her red hair pulled back in a ponytail and leather, studded flower replacing the pink one at the nape of her neck.
“Whatcha starin’ at, cowboy?” She asks with a wink.
He smiles and shakes his head. “A biker chick, apparently.”
“Get outta here, you two,” Alec says, shoving Sadie’s purse and guitar into her hands and pushing them out the door.
****
Sadie manages to ride on the back of the bike with the guitar balanced between her body and Eliot’s. They arrive at the bar and hop off. Sadie grabs her guitar and Eliot’s hand and leads the way inside.
The room is full of leather-clad bikers with beards and tattoos.
“This is like that stereotypical scene from the movies where the cute girl walks in the bar and all the bikers are lookin’ at her like she’s completely outta place,” Sadie says.
“But, then she charms their beards right off,” Eliot adds with a smile.
“Fine, fine. I got this,” she says and waltzes up to the bartender, Eliot in tow.
“What’ll it be, miss?” The bartender asks.
“I’m lookin’ for Big Man Tiny,” she says.
Another biker butts in. “I don’t think you’re cute enough.”
Eliot shakes his head and says, “Are you kidding? She’s downright adorable!”
“Why thank you, honey!” She says.
The biker says, “He only talks to singers.”
Sadie gets her guitar out and heads for the mic. “All right, boys, what’ll it be? Jazz? Rock? Country? A specific song that reminds y’all of home, but you’d never admit it unless you could shout it out in a crowd?”
Several rounds of “Songbird” float around in the air with a couple “countries” and a couple “rocks.” (In the dream, it was "Wheels on the Bus"...LOL...thought I'd make the song choice more believable.)
“Songbird it is, fellas,” Sadie says, then begins to strum her guitar and sing.
Eliot sits at the bar and smiles, enjoying the sound of her voice wafting over the seedy-ish bar.
Once she’s done, several big biker dudes are blubbering like children.
Big Man Tiny emerges, sniffling into a handkerchief. “What do ya need?”
“I need to know about a ‘deal gone awry’?” Sadie asks him, moving to put her guitar up.
“Tell your contact ‘it wasn’t the baron’s fault. It was the lady’s.’ and he’ll give you what you need,” the large, bearded, tattooed, sniffling teddy bear says.
“Thanks, big guy,” Sadie says then lowers her voice to a whisper. “Go call your mama and tell her you love her. No one’s gonna fault you for that.”
He nods, hugs her, sniffles, and moves toward his private booth and his cell phone.
Eliot chuckles and takes her guitar from her. “First off, you sing like an angel,” he says.
She blushes and smiles at him. “Thanks.”
“Second, you really could charm the smile off a snake, couldn’t you?”
She laughs. “It’s possible, but I don’t ever wanna have to try that.”
He laughs with her as they head back home.
****
After getting the go ahead from Nate, Sadie sends the reply email.
“Now it’s a waitin’ game, again,” she says.
Eliot rubs her shoulders gently.
Hardison eyes them, but says nothing.
She sighs. “If he hurts my nana, I will make sure he hurts worse.”
Eliot grins. “I’ll help.”
She smiles up at him and whispers, “You really are just a teddy bear of a cowboy with iron fists, aren’t ya?”
Eliot blushes. “Don’t tell anyone else.”
She winks at him. “Your secret’s safe with me, darlin’.”
He leans down and kisses her.
She kisses back.
“Alec in the room,” Hardison says.
Sadie eyes her brother.
Eliot pulls back and whispers, “I shouldn’t do that.”
“Why not?” She asks.
“‘Cause, I’m not who you think I am,” he says.
“You’re not a teddy bear of a cowboy with iron fists who’s maybe had a few girlfriends before me, but nothing ever serious, except maybe one, and some of them were on purpose and some weren’t?” she asks.
Eliot blinks.
“Just ‘cause I don’t see Ally ever doesn’t mean we don’t talk via email and instant messenger,” she says.
Eliot eyes Hardison momentarily then turns back to Sadie. “But I want to do this the right way,” he says. “You deserve better than the old me.”
Sadie smiles softly. “You’re already doin’ that.”
Eliot smiles back.
She kisses him.
He kisses back.
Hardison sighs. “You two are gonna keep doing that, aren’t you?”
Sadie stops mid-kiss and nods at her brother.
“Just…go to his place, will ya?” Hardison says.
Sadie looks at Eliot. Eliot shrugs and nods. Sadie moves to gather her things.
****
The phone rings.
Sadie taps at Eliot’s chest and grumbles, “Your phone.”
Eliot grins at her as she snuggles back up on his shoulder and reaches for his phone.
“Yeah?” He says.
“Any word, yet?” Nate says on the other end.
“None, so far,” he says. “We’re waiting.”
“All right. Call with the first bit of information you get. Hardison is here pacing around and talking a mile a minute.”
Eliot nods. “Will do.”
Sadie kisses his cheek as he hangs up and stretches under the covers. “I should check, shouldn’t I?”
Eliot nods. “Probably.”
Sadie gets up, throws on Eliot’s work shirt over her bra and underwear, and moves toward the laptop. “No new messages.”
Eliot nods. “You look good in my shirt.”
Sadie grins at him and moves toward the bathroom.
He sighs and lies back against her pillow.
****
While eating breakfast, the laptop dings.
Sadie pauses, forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth.
Eliot nods.
She stands and walks over to the email.
It reads:
Sadie and Alec, If you want your nana back, you will bring the plans or the device or both to the natural museum gala in two nights. Leave them beneath the new dinosaur exhibit (the skull of the triceratops). If done, I will send you instructions to where your nana is the next morning.
Signed~L
She forwards it to the others.
“Now what?” Eliot asks, running a hand through his hair.
Sadie sighs. “We need to find Nana before the gala and get her out during the gala. But, how do we do that?”
“Maybe, Nate will have the answers,” he says. “He always seems to know stuff.”
They get dressed and head to the bar.
“Ya get it?” Sadie asks, as she and Eliot enter.
Nate nods grimly.
“So, how’re we gonna find our nana and get her out during the gala?” Sadie asks.
Nate looks at her and grins. “I have no plan, yet.”
Sadie sighs and hugs her brother.
Parker smiles at her.
She hugs Parker, too.
“We need to find an in to the gala,” Nate said.
“I’ve found Sadie’s, but no one else’s,” Hardison says.
“What’s Sadie’s?” Parker asks.
“They’re looking for a replacement female singer for the diva that just quit,” he says.
“We don’t know if she can sing,” Nate says.
“She can,” Eliot and Hardison say in unison.
“O-kay,” Nate says.
Sadie blushes.
“There’s an audition today at one,” Hardison says, looking up. “Go diva-fy yourself.”
“Black dress, red flower, red shoes, red lips,” she says.
“Yeah, that’d be good,” Hardison says.
“Divalicious!” She says.
“Did I mention that I like her,” Parker says.
Sadie grins and heads out with Eliot.
“Is it just me or is Eliot different today?” Sophie asks.
“It’s Sadie,” Hardison says. “She has a way of getting in your head and wending her way into your heart. I like to blame her cute, little accent.”
Nate chuckles.
****
Later, Sadie and Eliot reenter the bar, Sadie in a formal black dress with red high heels and red toenails peeking out of the peep toe.
“She’s in,” Eliot says. “It was too easy.”
Hardison nods. “I figured it would be. She carries herself like a diva but oozes with southern charm.”
“I ooze…thaaaanks,” she says with a smirk.
Nate laughs. “I think we found yours and Parker’s in, Eliot. Now, Sophie and I just have to get invited.”
“No need,” Sadie says. “I got two free invites. They’re y’all’s if you’d like.”
Hardison smiles at his sister.
Nate says, “We think we’ve found Nana Hardison.”
“Let’s do this,” Sadie says.
****
Wearing a sleek red dress and black heels with a black flower in her hair, Sadie moves toward the entrance of the museum. She hums a tune to check her earpiece.
“Reading you loud and clear, sis,” Hardison says from the van.
Parker moves among the servers, arranging trays and organizing bottles. Once alone, she says, “Hi.”
“Parker, check,” Hardison says.
Nate and Sophie check in from their limo.
Eliot checks in from security.
“It’s a go,” Hardison says.
“Let’s steal back Nana Hardison,” Nate says.
Sadie grins and offers her hand to the maestro.
“You are even more stunning than I remember from the audition,” he says.
“And you, sir, are married,” she says with a grin.
Eliot smiles.
“Why are you smiling?” The head security guy asks him.
“I was thinking about my girl,” he says. “Sorry. I will continue to frown.”
The head security guy nods.
Sadie smiles and turns to the band. “Ready to warm up, boys and girls?”
The maestro grins and gets everybody situated where he wants them.
Sadie begins to scat gently with the band’s warm up.
Nate smiles. “She really can sing.”
Sadie scats, “Deebadothankyouverymuch.”
The instrumentalists laugh.
Sadie winks.
“This will go very well,” the maestro says.
“My sentiments exactly,” Sadie says with a grin.
****
The gala starts. Nate and Sophie arrive in time to hear Sadie’s first song.
“Love the entertainment,” Sophie says to the hosts, a charity organization for furthering literacy.
“She’s a gem,” the main host says. “We can’t believe we managed to snag her at the last minute.”
“This is an amazing gala,” Nate says. “Thank you for all you’ve done for the community.”
“You’re welcome. But, we couldn’t have done it without donations,” the co-host says.
They smile, shake hands, and move on into the main room.
Sadie’s in the center on the stage, lighting up the museum with her voice.
Parker passes a note to Sophie as she goes by with a tray.
Sophie hands the note to Nate, who looks at it and slips it in his wallet.
“Nana Hardison is upstairs in the unopened exhibit locked behind solid, metal doors,” Nate whispers, snagging a couple of crackers with some cheesey spread on it.
Eliot says, “On it.”
The head security guy pauses by him.
“I just heard there might be some teenagers in the boarded up exhibit,” he says.
“Check it out discreetly,” head security guy says.
Eliot nods and moves toward the stairs. “I’m on it, guys,” he whispers.
Parker moves toward the opposite stairs with a tray of goodies for the people on the second floor. “I hate walking upstairs with these heavy trays.”
Sadie switches to singing “Dance with Me.”
Eliot grins. “Showtime.”
Parker dumps the tray at an empty table and follows Eliot through the closed exhibit to the back.
Parker manages to get the secured door open by picking the lock. Eliot smiles and pushes it open. Parker lets him go first. Punches are thrown, two guys down. They fairly easily locate Nana Hardison.
“We’ve found her,” Eliot says.
Sadie gives a lovely high note and takes it down.
“I think that was a thank you from Sadie,” Parker says.
“That was too easy,” Hardison says.
Eliot nods. “I agree.”
“Who are you people?” Nana Hardison says. “Wait! You’re Alec’s friends!”
Parker nods.
“Let’s get out of here before my creepy brother comes back,” she says.
“So it was the uncle,” Eliot says.
Nana Hardison nods.
Parker hands her an ear piece. “Now you can hear us, too.”
They share a smile.
“Hey, Nana,” Hardison says. “You okay?”
“I am now,” she says. “Is that my Sadie-bug singin’?”
Sadie’s response was a glissando on an “oh yeah.”
“Yep, that’s her,” she says with a smile.
“Hardison, I like your nana,” Parker says.
Alec smiles. “Look, get out of there before Uncle Creepy gets back.”
Eliot and Parker make their way down with Nana Hardison toward the main room.
Sadie begins the introductory “hey” for “Ain’t No Other Man.”
Uncle Darryl spies Eliot and Parker and sics his men on them. He looks up and realizes it’s Sadie on the mic. Realizing he’s cornered, he gets ready for a fight.
Punches are thrown near the stage. Eliot gets thrown on stage. Sadie reaches down, helps him up, and fixes his hair before sending him back down. When Darryl gets too close to the stage near the end of the song, Sadie kicks him in the head to knock him out and sashays toward the drummer and a sip of water.
****
Michael Hardison arrests their uncle Darryl, whom he called L when he was little because he couldn’t pronounce the whole name.
“That was the sexiest fight I’ve ever been in,” Eliot whispers to Sadie, ear pieces out.
Sadie grins at him and hugs her nana. “I’m so glad you’re safe, Nana!”
“My Sweet Sadie-bug!” She says, hugging her tightly. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Michael and Alec join the hugging.
“Now, you three better not leave your nana hanging like before!”
“Yes, Nana,” they say in unison.
“I raised some handsome boys and one fine lookin’ girl,” she says.
“Aw, Nana!” Sadie says. “You’re makin’ me blush!”
“Go on, you three,” she says, but catches Sadie by the arm and pulls her tight for a second. “Go nab that cowboy.”
Sadie winks to her nana and heads back to Eliot.
“You wanna still stay with me?” he whispers to her.
"Of course, cowboy," she replies.
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