InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'm one HELL of a butler"

Leon Vance (leon_vance) wrote in omega_reality,
@ 2012-11-14 17:01:00

Entry tags:

*complete, 2012 11, character: alexis castle, character: april kepner, character: brian kinney, character: bud hammond, character: claudia donovan, character: derek morgan, character: derek reese, character: dominic vail, character: elaine barrish hammond, character: eliot spencer, character: emily prentiss, character: g callen, character: john connor, character: margaret barrish, character: marty deeks, character: nell jones, character: robert callen, character: sam hanna, character: savannah monroe, character: sean hanna, character: tim riggins, character: troy bolton, dead: eric beale, dead: jenna hanna, dead: leon vance, dead: mike renko, dead: nathan ford, dead: nick green, dead: sheldon cooper

RP: Trip to Nevada
Who: Everyone
Where: Nevada
When: November 15, 2012
Summary: Leon tells them the reason for their trip

The trip wasn't long, but it certainly felt like it. First, they were driven in army trucks to the Jersey base where they used military transport to Nevada. Military planes were never comfortable and five hours felt like fifteen. Once they got there, they were moved to barracks.

Leon had people leave their bulky items on a truck used to move them from the runaway to the living areas. "Ladies and gentlemen, take your bags and settle in. We are in building 782, is a 1+1 shared bathroom dormitory building. The rooms are spread out on the third floor. Housing assignments: Elaine and Nell, Margaret and Donovan, Eric and Green, Bolton and Hanna, Callen and Sam, Robert and Renko, Alexis and Riggins, Sheldon and Reese, Deeks and Brian, Ford and Bud, Morgan and Prentiss, Spencer and Spencer, Vail and Vail. Don't make yourself too comfortable, since we are only staying the night. Also we will have lunch in thirty minutes. Please be prompt."

Unpacking didn't require those thirty minutes and if people were complaining about sleeping in barracks, he wasn't paying attention. There were worse things than sleeping in a giant room with seven more people, or not sleeping as the case might be for some.

Lunch was at the enlisted mess hall and the food reflected that, but then most military bases were not equipped to serve officers' meals for thirty extra people. He didn't even want to know what they would have said if they had showed up with all the dogs at an officers' mess hall.

With time zones, it was still early and Leon got cars to look over the base. He brought them near the airstrip, before getting out of his car and waited for everyone to join them. The noise from the planes gave them the perfect cover. Electronic devises, including sat mikes, wouldn't be able to pick up anything they said. He wondered eve if someone like Renko could listen in, but he dismissed the thought.

He thought about preambles but decided against it. Instead he jumped in with both feet. "This training exercise is a rouse to give us time to disappear. With a new president and a change in party, any promise made to us will be null and void by Inauguration's day. Everyone expects us to leave tomorrow for a training exercise and not return here until November 30th, home by December 1st. By the time people realized that we're not coming back, we'll be long gone." He knew he was springing this on everyone, including his ADs, but he didn't care. There were things that were not shared. With anyone. Maybe Hetty if she'd been alive and Elaine might have the title, but he was hardly Hetty and Leon didn't trust her when protecting a secret could mean torture and death as opposed to a political defeat.

"Once again, you are being given a chance to leave, however if you choose to stay, then this is it. It's unlikely that you will be given the choice again." He would not compromise their new location. "I can tell you that it's a remote location, with no connection to the outside world. Living conditions are harsh and we will depend on each other for everything. While we will still retrieve new arrivals, we will increase the search for a way home. When we aren't doing that, we will be training. Office staff will have increased time, work will be spread on a 24 hour basis if necessary, including shifts. This will be a mix of a military life and Land of the Lost for those who watch TV. There will be no clubs, no going dancing, no spas, manicures or whatever else you might have wanted to do in New York," he continued. "If you leave now, you will have a two week head start and the possibility of returning in the future. I can't obviously guarantee that, but others have attempted it before as you know. We are leaving tomorrow morning. I will need an answer by eighteen hundred tonight to give us time to give you IDs.

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	_nick_green 2012-11-15 06:05 pm UTC (link)
	"Can we still play video games if there's time? And have internet access?" Nick asked, hoping that his access to porn wouldn't be in jeopardy. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	leon_vance 2012-11-15 06:08 pm UTC (link)
	Leon smiled and nodded. "You can definitely play video games. I'm sure eventually we'll have internet access. I might take a little while like in everything else." He looked around the rest. "That reminds me, we will be going to town this afternoon. If you need anything, you can purchase it there. Anyone else?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_claudia_d 2012-11-15 06:16 pm UTC (link)
	Claudia raised her hand. "If we're going Land of the Lost, should be pick up anything special when we're in town gear-wise? I know it's not kosher to say where we're going, but if there's some sort of weather that we need to be prepped for, I think now's the time to snag things." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

leon_vance
2012-11-15 06:20 pm UTC (link)

"Time to snag special equipment might give a lead on where we're going for anyone investigating." He shook his head. "No, not really, we'll have a few rough days, but we'll settle when we reach our destination. Basic necessities will be obtained. I was more talking about people who decide to leave."

He turned his focus on everyone. "In case I wasn't clear, we will provide a start up sum and documents as we have for others, but then it's up to you. Keep in mind what I just said. If you get anything that's specific to one area, you will give them information."

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b_kinney
2012-11-15 06:30 pm UTC (link)

Brian had let people ask their questions. He didn't need to. The words 'isolation' and 'harsh living conditions' were enough to make him decide. They had done this in Arizona, and John had been the only thing making life tolerable. That wasn't him, not the type of life he wanted.

Maybe he'd die on his own, but he didn't care. He'd rather die while enjoying himself than live like that. "I don't need to think about," he said, speaking up. "I'm leaving."

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April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-15 06:14 pm UTC (link)

April didn't say anything in front of the group, but waited until they were disbanded and could go off to talk amongst themselves. If it had been her choice, she would have spoken to Eliot alone, but Nate was the closest thing Eliot had to family and no matter what decision was made he'd be a part of it. She was starting to get used to having him always around.

She just wished he didn't drink so much.

When they were alone, and away from the others, she looked at Eliot already sensing what he wanted. "You want to leave," she stated, not even asking because she knew. She'd known about his doubts before, and she'd felt them grown when Savannah and John died. He had never trusted G and Sam, but he had shown some level of trust in Vance before their deaths. Now she doubted there was any trust left in him.

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

_eliot_spencer
2012-11-15 06:32 pm UTC (link)

"Yes." Eliot didn't beat around the bush. The reason they'd finally chosen to stay was access to the hospital and Eliot's gut instinct to help those with the terrorist attack. He'd done what he could with the latter, and now the group was going to a place where it sounded like there'd be no hospital for miles around. And while he still desired to protect the children, it wasn't truly necessary he be there to do so - their parents and extended family would take care of them, more so now that Savannah was gone.

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-15 06:47 pm UTC (link)

April wasn't as sure as Eliot that leaving was the right thing. While Nate gave Eliot a pat on the shoulder and walked off, apparently perfectly at ease with the situation, she hesitated. "We'd be leaving everyone behind," she said. "We'd be leaving Nick behind." There was no way that he could come with them. It would be dangerous for him and for others, and completely unfair. Staying with the group was the best thing for him.

She took a deep breath, trying to make her mind work. "Every problem we talked about at the school would still be there. We wouldn't help anyone. We'll never be able to leave this dimension."

Nate spoke up. "He said we could return, nothing harmful in trying." He wasn't exactly keen on harsh living conditions or isolation. He liked his comforts and he'd lived on the run before. It was a shame they didn't have Hardison though.

April turned to look at Eliot, stepping up and taking his hands. "Where would we go?"

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

_eliot_spencer
2012-11-15 07:20 pm UTC (link)

"No guarantee we're leaving this dimension anyway," Eliot said. "Besides, they can always send us an email if they succeed and as Nate said, we have the potential option of going back." Eliot was not the most technologically savvy, but he had paid attention to Hardison. A drop point could now be a web-based email account accessed from anywhere.

"I can't say anyone would miss me or the other way around. Morgan's the only friend I've got, now that Savannah's gone, and we haven't been exactly close since the ranch. Can you say you're close to anyone still?" Eliot squeezed her hands. "And you know Nick is better with them. We've seen how good he is with the rigid structure." A trained assassin with DPD on the loose wasn't the best for anyone.

"As for where we'd go, since we're in Nevada, first stop: Vegas." Eliot shot a pointed look in Nate's direction. He wished they had Sophie, Parker or Hardison. They could really use a grift. "We'll have to the end of the month to play vacationers while planning our next steps." It'll also give them a good location to obtain additional false IDs and cash.

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-15 07:37 pm UTC (link)

April looked at him, wishing he could look back. "You really think we'll get word?" April asked. "We can't ask for that. We can't ask them to wait once they have a way home. If we leave... If we leave we risk being stranded here forever." She squeezed his hands. "If we leave we're settling somewhere, at least later, after Eve is born. Before then..." Well there was no sense in settling. Wherever they went it was likely they'd have to leave after the birth.

She wanted to say she was close to several of them but Eliot was right. She wasn't. Savannah had been her friend, but she was gone now. She loved Nick like family, but he'd put them out of his mind because of who he was. At one time she'd thought Alexis would be a friend, but after their discussion at the school she doubted that would be the case. She liked many of the others, but could she say they'd miss her? That they were friends? Not really.

Her eyes widened at the mention of Vegas, however. While Nate smile, she was looking horrified. "You want to go to Vegas?" she asked. "Have you lost your mind? We shouldn't use two weeks to play tourist, we should disappear. Go somewhere, find jobs, save up money to buy a place after Eve is born, or at least save up money while deciding if that's what we want to do."

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

_eliot_spencer
2012-11-15 07:55 pm UTC (link)

"We can and will ask. Doesn't mean they have to do it, or even will," Eliot said. He wasn't going to seal their fate in staying here by not asking, even if Vance was a prick.

"No, I haven't lost my mind. It's cheap, it's close, it has some things we'll need, and we can't run off half-cocked. I can't see anything. You're pregnant. We need time to plan and we can't do that here. We have 'til the thirtieth to use our current IDs, then we'll have to ditch them for a new set." Eliot had ideas of where they could settle but they'd all have to agree on one and that wasn't going to be done in a day.

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-15 08:09 pm UTC (link)

"So not only are we abandoning people, but we're asking them for favors too?" April shook her head. "Do that and the option of returning won't be there, not in reality."

"The Director said we'd get new IDs if we leave. We won't need to get new ones until it's time for Eve to be born. We find a cheap place to live in a town somewhere there are jobs. Then we work, all of us, and save - as much as we can until Eve is born. We don't know if there will be a display of power when she's born, but if there is we need to have enough money to go somewhere new. Maybe even buy a place of our own if we decide to not return. Settle down and focus on what's best for our daughter."

She sighed. "I'm tired of running. I'm tired of trying to do everything right and never measuring up because it's not what I'm good at. I want a home. In this dimension or another one, I just want a home where we can raise our daughter in peace."

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

_eliot_spencer
2012-11-15 08:36 pm UTC (link)

Eliot's mouth thinned. "They're all high and mighty about doing what's right. Let them show it." It wasn't as if anything he or April did would help build the thing to take them home, or that they helped in any other way that was wanted. "And you can't abandon people that don't want you around."

Eliot took a step back, folding his arms. "I know what Vance said. We're not going to be using what he gave us until we know where we're going, and we're going to take the time to get that settled. That ain't gonna happen here and now."

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

nate_ford
2012-11-15 08:58 pm UTC (link)

"We can't use our work ones either," Nate pointed out. "Not when we're supposed to be training. If they're picked up where they're not supposed to be we're blowing everyone's cover and effectively removing the head start we have."

"Not that it matters, because it would be a cold day in hell before we were allowed to bring them with us," he added. "Wherever we go, we do it on new identities."

He did like the idea of Vegas. Everything would be so easily accessible. Money, whiskey, people with low morals and people in trouble. Then again, they didn't have the team, running their old operation wouldn't work. Not the way it had, nor could he see April agreeing to it. Eliot had not married the right woman for that kind of operation.

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	Re: April, Eliot and Nate _eliot_spencer 2012-11-15 09:07 pm UTC (link)
	"You know full well there's ways around that," Eliot said, without going into more detail. Nate knew what he meant. "We're paying in cash and we're not staying on the strip. This is temporary. We're making a plan, getting supplies, and taking off." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-15 09:24 pm UTC (link)

April wasn't sure she liked what she was hearing, but Nate only smiled in some secret understanding which made her like it even less.

"I don't like it," she said, she wasn't even sure about leaving but Eliot was so certain this time. There wasn't a shred of doubt in him that this was the right thing to do. She wanted to trust him - she did trust him - but she wasn't so sure that Nate was a good influence on him. "Vegas doesn't feel safe."

Nate was the one to approach her first. "April, we wouldn't risk you or the baby. Don't worry about it, it's only for a night or two while we decide where to go next. You'll get your way once we're really gone. Trust us, we've done this before. You haven't. As much as you don't like the reason why, we know about disappearing." Eliot more than him, he had to admit. He'd never really tried, it was always Hardison who had arranged for those kinds of things.

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	Re: April, Eliot and Nate _eliot_spencer 2012-11-15 09:33 pm UTC (link)
	That Nate even said it made Eliot's hackles rise. "You'd better not be thinking I'd ever put you and Eve in danger," Eliot said tersely. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-15 09:45 pm UTC (link)

"I know you wouldn't," she said, wishing he wouldn't have moved away from her. She always felt better when he touched her. "But Vegas? It goes against all the training we've had. It's a big city, there are bound to be cameras, cops... all the things we've been taught to avoid."

"Sometimes the best hiding place is in plain sight," Nate said, never one to be too worried about those things. He'd gone to Boston when LA didn't work, his old home town, and he'd been perfectly fine there until people started to disappear on them."

"I feel like I'm failing a test here," April said, and she hated failing tests. "We're doing this all wrong. Eliot please, can't we pick somewhere else?" She knew Eliot and Nate knew more than her, that they'd done this before, but if she didn't have her lists, her rules, then what did she know at all about any of this?

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	Re: April, Eliot and Nate _eliot_spencer 2012-11-15 10:00 pm UTC (link)
	"Their way ain't the only way. Never has been, never will be," Eliot said. He reached out his hand in the direction of where she'd been before he'd stepped back. "I know what I'm doing, so trust me." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-16 04:49 pm UTC (link)

"But it's the only way I know," April said sounding miserable as she reached out and took Eliot's hand.

"I trust you, you know I do, but how can I trust myself if I can barely handle what we've been taught? You'll be fine on your own but I'll be a liability. How can I live with myself if I did something wrong and we were caught because of it?"

"Why Vegas? What's there that's so important that we can't get it when we go there with the group?"

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

_eliot_spencer
2012-11-16 05:13 pm UTC (link)

"Don't go borrowing trouble when you don't need to," Eliot said, pulling April into an embrace. "Besides, we're not going to be parading around with signs reading 'Look at me'. In fact, you don't even have to leave the hotel room if you don't want to, so you won't have to worry about what you are or ain't doing wrong." Eliot didn't plan on bringing her with him and Nate anyway.

"We're going to need transportation and additional insurance to keep us off the radar. The new IDs we're being given is for us to use where we're settling, but we want to cover our tracks getting there, have something for emergencies, and then there's Eve to plan for," Eliot said. "As Nate said, we've done this before - me a lot more so than him. And we have a leg up because Vance is giving us the total package, something that'd cost us nearly all the money we have to set up ourselves. All we need is some added protection and to find a suitable place to go, and we're gone."

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Re: April, Eliot and Nate

april_kepner
2012-11-16 06:06 pm UTC (link)

"I miss Hardison," Nate muttered from his end, though he didn't say anything else.

April still wasn't sure, the decision left her feeling insecure and useless, but she didn't argue when Eliot hugged her, just let him embrace her. "As long as we don't stay long," she said, finally giving in.

"I suppose we need to tell the others." Not that it would be a big surprise. It was strange though, because the last time they'd had this conversation the only reason she'd even thought about leaving was because they were returning to base. Now Savannah and John's deaths had changed everything and she didn't really see a reason for staying anymore. She wanted a life, roots, and she couldn't get that here.

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