Meeting the brothers and sisters of the group took quite a while. The meet and greet was followed by a tour of the compound and then a mass group prayer. Most of the people they encountered seemed…well, happy wasn't the right word. Maybe content was more apt, a sort of general, bland non-displeasure. It was a bit creepy.

After the prayer, it was meal time. Up to that point, Eliot, Parker and the other two who had entered the compound with them, had stayed together amidst the larger group. Allison and Sonja seemed to feel a sense of solidarity to them, as they had gone through the month of meetings together, while Eliot and Parker simply felt it a better strategy to remain together for the moment.

But at the dining hall, Stone placed a hand on Eliot's arm. "Join me at my table, Brother," he intoned, pulling the specialist away from Parker, who was drawn over to a table with a group of women. After a moment, they both realized the tables were separated by gender, so they wouldn't have been able to dine together even without the 'Prophet's' intervention.

The women surrounding Parker…well, she was fairly certain there was something wrong with them. They were a bit too insipidly docile, all blank, empty stares and vacant smiles. It reminded her of when the well-meaning, but ultimately way off the mark doctors at the rehab had put her on anti-depressants. But even then her chemically induced happiness had been exuberant. These women seemed more like the cows she saw in fields in Maine. Bad Parker, she reprimanded herself. Women do not like to be referred to a large farm animals…though I don't think any of these kewpie dolls would notice.

Most of the men were equally meek, save a few that seemed to be Stone's inner circle. They seemed to be more alert, though still eerily serene as they gathered at Stone's table, surrounding Eliot, who looked small among the mass of larger men. Still, Parker had no doubt her could take all of them down without breaking a sweat.

The young children, at least, seemed a bit more normal. There were a few of them with the flat affect of the adults, but most simply seemed like kids. True, they were well behaved, but they showed signs of life, fidgeting, having quiet little arguments and even lobbing peas at each other. But as the children got older the more insensate they became and by the pubescent stage they were little Stepford children.

"You're friends with the man you came in with?" one of the interchangeable zombie women said, actually making eye contact for a moment. Parker thought this on was named Tina…or Gina…possibly Lena….not that she really cared. I doubt they'd notice if I got it wrong.

Parker looked at the woman and nodded. "We met at the prayer circles."

Another woman said, "He seems nice."

Tina/Gina/Lena nodded in agreement. "Friends are nice."

They fell silent again, happily eating their unseasoned vegetables and rice. Cramming a forkful of carrots into her mouth, Parker thought Okay, when I'm the normal one in a given group, even I know something's wrong!

Glancing across the room, she met Eliot's bright blue eyes, sans glasses. To anyone who didn't know him, he had the look of someone who was simply overwhelmed, wide eyed by all that was happening around him. To Parker, he had the look of a man about to undergo a bikini waxing procedure. Brazilian Style.

Dinner couldn't be over soon enough. She really wanted to know what he was thinking. Plus, she'd spotted Rachel among the women who had prepared the meal. And she was the reason they were in this wacko factory to begin with.

***********************************************************************

After dinner, people split off into groups and pairs. Some went to pray, others to their rooms and still others simply took walks. Eliot met Parker outside the dining hall and they set off to wander around, not hurrying, but meandering as they saw the others doing.

When they were sufficiently isolated, Parker said, "I think they're drugged."

It was, for Parker, said very quietly and Eliot nodded slightly. "Oh yeah. Small doses that build up until you have a cult full of highly suggestible shiny happy people."

"This is not good," Nate said over the comm. "Are you two feeling any effects?"

Eliot glanced at Parker, who shook her head and Eliot said, "No. As I said, it'll probably take a while to build up enough in our systems to impair us."

There was a moment of silence before Nate said, "You start feeling anything, we're pulling you out of there."

As they murmured their ascent, Hardison asked, "Dude, what was with Chief CrazyPants doing, taking your glasses off like that? I'm surprised he still has hands."

Beside Parker, Eliot frowned and pulled the glasses out of his pocket. The specialist slipped them back on his face and said, "I think we should move quick like Nate said. Parker ID'd the girl, so we can find out her schedule and make a move."

Again, silence over the com, before Sophie asked, "Eliot, what happened?"

The specialist sighed and fidgeted, face screwing up in an expression that reminded Parker of the time she had accidentally stepped on a sensitive region of his body while using the chair he was seated in to reach a ceiling panel. Finally, he muttered, "I played dumb, but I don't know how long that will work."

"What do you mean?" Nate pressed, not liking the evasiveness Eliot was demonstrating. They needed to be in the loop about everything that was happening inside the compound in order to make a proper extraction plan.

The specialist sighed and rolled his eyes, before grumbling something so inarticulate even the comm couldn't suss it out. Parker looked at him and jabbed him with one of her pointy little elbows. "English," she demanded causing him to sigh again.

"He made a pass at me," Eliot said in a disgruntled monotone. "I pretended I didn't get what he was saying, but he won't buy that for long…or he'll get less subtle and I don't think no is considered an acceptable answer! He other guys at the table made some noises about Stone's husbands and wives."

There was a choking noise heard over the comm, followed by rustling and then a sort of wheezing howl of laughter in the background as Nate said, "How long do you think he'll buy your brush off?"

Even Nate's voice held a bit of mirth, and they could still hear Hardison, who Sophie was admonishing and ordering to get up off of the floor. Eliot's scowl ratcheted up to a dangerous level when the heard the hacker choke out, "BugNuts McLooneyToons wants Eliot to join his Big Love: as remade by the LOGO network style harem…." Then he dissolved back into howls of laughter.

Parker raised a brow at Eliot and shrugged, while the specialist growled, "Nate, tell Hardison I can hear him and I will be back soon."

The ex-insurance man relayed the sentiment and things were quiet for a moment before the laughter started again. "Nope, sorry, can't do it," Hardison gasped, before succumbing to the guffaws.

"Look, can we just do our surveillance, so we can get out of here, then send in the Feds to take this creep off to jail where he belongs. He's basically raping these people, cause those drugs take away their ability to say no and if I have to spend too much time with the guy he's gonna know a world of hurt," Eliot ground out, then ran a hand through his hair in frustration, pausing when he saw the stricken look on Parker's face. "What's wrong, Sunshine?"

Raising her troubled eyes to meet Eliot's questioning stare, Parker said, "I'm pretty sure some of the kids, little kids, are being drugged…You don't think…."

Before she finished the sentence, Nate was saying, "Parker, take the camera. Get photos of anything we can use to send the authorities in. Eliot recon Rachel and work on an egress plan. Now."

Handing Parker his glasses, Eliot offered her a small, smile and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "We're gonna get him," he assured her and felt her clasp his fingers in return.

"Yeah," she breathed, accepting the frames and then pulling them into her chest. "Yeah we will."

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Three hours later found Eliot in a slightly better mood. For one thing, Hardison had finally ceases snickering in his ear at random intervals. For another, while the compound was well protected from assaults from the outside, there was no fortification against an inside job. Finally, one of Rachel's duties was to clean the kitchen at night and she would be there, alone, after dark. If they were calm they might just be able to walk out the gate.

As dusk fell, he sat against a tree by he dining tall, waiting for Parker to arrive. Most people were at a sing along in one of the larger buildings, but a few groups were simply wandering around. Stone and a two of his inner circle were in the small building that served as his inner sanctum.

A twig fell from the branches above, landing on Eliot's head. Most people wouldn't think anything of that, but it made Eliot glance up. Parker waved at him from a perch in the leaves.

"Did you get the photos?" he murmured, knowing the comm would transmit the question to her.

The lithe thief frowned pensively. "Oh yeah. Weapons, lots of financial records…and he had photos…."

"Come on down from there," he told her and a moment later she was crouched on the ground beside him. "Okay, go on in and ask Rachel to come take a walk with you."

As Parker scampered into the Dining Hall, Stone and his two minions came storming out of his building. None of them looked happy. Apparently they hadn't been subtle enough.

Pushing himself to his feet, Eliot murmured, "I think our cover's blown."

"We're on our way," Nate said. He and Sophie were in a truck a few miles away, ready to speed over and retrieve them as soon as they left the grounds of the compound. "Hardison, send the pictures Parker got to the authorities."

"On it," the hacker murmured, voice grave. The young man had not liked whatever it was he had seen on the pictures. Not one bit.

Face flushed with anger, Stone demanded, "Who are you?"

The question was meant to draw Eliot's attention, but he saw the flash of metal as one of the acolytes pulled a knife and swung it at him. The attack was clumsy, over handed attempting to stab the specialist in the chest. Eliot countered the thrust with a cross handed block, then kept a hold of the man's forearm, twisted his own body sharply to the right, bringing the attackers arm down quickly and throwing him off balance. A well placed left elbow to the face dropped them an like a sack of potatoes just as the second minion stepped into the fray.

This guy had a baton, so Eliot stepped into the attack, blocking his right handed swing with his upraised left arm. Instead of stopping there, he let his arm shoot past the attackers head, then brought his hand and forearm under the cultists arm, trapping it against his body. This rendered the baton useless as a defense against the impact of the heel of Eliot's hand to the man's jaw. He dropped beside his buddy.

All this happened in a matter of seconds, as Stone stood there in shock. As Eliot approached him, the man pulled a handgun, which Eliot ripped from his grasp.

"Who am I?" Eliot growled as he ejected the clip and cleared the chamber before tossing the weapon away. Stone backed away from the smaller man until he bumped into the side of a building. Well, boy, I'm wrath, come to make you pay for all your sins."

Though obviously terrified, the false prophet took a swing at Eliot, swatted the punch away, then buried his fist in the man's stomach. When Stone doubled over in pain, Eliot brought his knee up into the man's face, knocking him out cold as Parker and Rachel walked out of the dining hall.

Rachel looked at the three crumpled bodies, but couldn't seem to work out what she was seeing. "Are they sleeping?" she finally asked as Eliot helped her step past them.

"Yes," he assured her, steering her toward the gate, even as he heard Parker deliver a solid kick to Stone, probably in a sensitive region where a man never wanted to be kicked. "They needed a nap."

"Move," Nate ordered. Eliot could see the dust the truck was kicking up as it approached. "The cops are only a few minutes out."

"Aw hell," Eliot muttered, then swung Rachel up over his shoulder. The girl let out a surprised sound but didn't struggle. "Parker, run. Now!"

Side by side, the specialist and the thief made their way to the gate in a matter of seconds, and in just as little time, Parker had the gate unlocked. They ran to the road as Nate skidded to a stop and Sophie tossed open the door. Eliot gently tossed Rachel in before he and Parker scrambled in and slammed the door.

Nate jammed his foot to the gas pedal and the took off in a roar of dust. "Everyone good," Hardison asked as they drove along.

"We're good," Nate assured him, glancing back in the rearview mirror. True to his words, Parker, Eliot and even Rachel looked no worse for their time at the compound.

In fact, the young woman was looking around with a sort of mild interest. "Are we going on a trip?" she asked lightly, watching the scenery blur by.

Parker groaned. "Please tell me I didn't sound like that when I was on the happy pills."

Nate and Eliot chuckled, but Sophie said, "No, Parker. You were just a bit…artificially happy and….cuddly."

After she said that, Sophie's eyes flicked to the rearview and a broad smile crossed the grifter's face. Eliot had an arm along the top of the bench seat and Parker was snuggled against his side, her head resting on his chest.

Sophie's smile got even wider when Rachel saw this and decided it was a good idea. Apparently, while comfortable cuddling with Eliot, having Rachel curl up against her other side was a bit too much for the young thief, who looked stricken. But as Eliot dropped a kiss to the crown of her head, she settled back down and basked in the knowledge that they had completed their job and a bad man was going to get what was coming to him.

Which was really what they were all about.

TBC….maybe

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