Chapter 1

This is for YeahLev who gave me the inspiration for this story. I hope you enjoy it.

"Parker…" Nate called out as he pulled the car up at the curb.

Parker ran for the car jumping in and telling Nate to go. Nate did not ask questions he floored the accelerator and with wheels squealing he pulled away. The reason for the haste became clear as gunshots rang out and bullets bounced of the back of the car one breaking the back window as both he and Parker ducked instinctively. Nate saw in the rearview mirror that a car had pulled off, a black SUV and was tailing them with somebody shooting wildly at them as they raced to catch up.

"What the hell Parker…?" Nate asked as he sped along the deserted streets of the industrial area near the docks.

"I'll explain later…go faster Nate…" Parker said coolly as she watched the SUV gain on them.

"I'm trying…" Nate gritted out as another barrage of bullets hit the car. Nate swung the car to the left the back of the vehicle sliding as he fought the wheel getting the vehicle under control again and he sped down the little alley he had turned into. The SUV followed behind bullets still flying as they came. Suddenly out of nowhere a truck started to reverse into the narrow road they were on and Nate seeing his chance once again pushed the little car into the red and narrowly made his way around the truck before it blocked the road completely stopping the SUV from following. He did not however slow down as he pulled away into the darkness and away from the danger.

Once he felt they were far enough away with no sign of pursuit, Nate slowed down and looked at the blonde woman beside him.

"Ok Parker what is going on?" Nate asked. He had been awakened by a call from her. She had told him she was in trouble and that she needed him to come pick her up. He had wondered why she had not called Hardison or Eliot, or even where they were.

"I got into a little trouble." Parker said simply.

"I can see that Parker…" Nate said exasperatedly. "What kind of trouble?"

"Ok…" Parker said taking a deep breath. "Archie asked if I would help out with a…a problem a friend of his was having. You know the usual…"

"No Parker I don't know." Nate said glancing over at the woman and raising his eyebrows at her.

"Well he kinda lost something and he wanted it back…so I came here to get it back for him." Parker said.

"Who is this friend of Archie's?" Nate asked.

"Bogden Jovitch." Parker said softly.

"Seriously…?" Nate said slamming on the brakes of the car and halting it in a flood of dust as he pulled it off the road. "And what did he loose?"

"This…" Parker said taking out a little statue from the bag that was slung around her shoulder.

Nate looked at it and then took it examining it closely. "It doesn't look very old or valuable." Nate said confused as to why such an object would warrant the kind of attention it had garnered.

"I know right…" Parker said looking at the object. "But those guys seemed to get very angry when I took it, I was in and out without a hitch but then something happened and they were on to me."

"Who did you steel it from?" Nate asked.

"I didn't steel it I was returning it to it's rightful owner..." Parker said indignantly and then seeing the look on Nate's face she continued. "I don't know his name but he has a large boat docked in the harbor, lots of security. They spoke Russian, I think they may be Mobsters..."

"The Russian Mob…you went up against the Russian Mob." It made sense. Bogden Jovitch was rumored to be one of the most powerful members of the Russian Mob in the US. But it was unusual for mobsters to steal from each other and for them to use outside parties to reacquire their stolen merchandise. He knew Archie was very active in Moscow and he probably had dealings with these guys. But to send Parker in on her own was…well irresponsible at best, not that Nate was surprised, he was however surprised that Parker had not learnt that they did not do things on their own anymore, especially things like this.

"Where is Archie now?" Nate asked the Thief. He was going to have a few words to say to the man when they met again.

"He said I should meet him at a little diner just outside of town." Parker told him. "I wouldn't have called but well they kind of had my getaway car under surveillance." Parker explained.

"Where are Hardison and Eliot?" Nate asked still wondering why she had called him and not either one of the other two.

"They went on a 'boys weekend'." Parker told the Mastermind. The crew was between jobs and the last one had been a little heavy so Eliot had decided that they all needed a break. Parker was not particularly interested in going away so he decided it was time for him and Hardison to go fishing, real fishing not the kind Hardison liked to do in the comfort of his home on a computer. Parker had agreed to stay and keep an eye on things around the microbrewery.

"I see…" Nate said. "Well we better get out of here before those guys catch us up." Nate said starting the car and pulling out into the road.

They arrived at the diner thirty minutes later to find it deserted. The sign said 'twenty four hour service' but there was absolutely no movement and although there were two cars parked outside, one of which being the one Archie was driving according to Parker, it seemed oddly quiet.

"I don't like this…" Nate said as he pulled the car up and switched the engine off. He was still straining to make out any movement when Parker opened her door and climbed out. "Parker…" He hissed at her.

"Archie's in there…" Parker said and without waiting for him she moved lithely towards the diner disappearing into the darkness. Nate cursed and climbed out the car following her at a brisk pace. He caught her just as she was about to enter and grabbed her arm holding her back.

"Careful Parker…" He said moving in front of her and pushing the door open. The squeak of the door sounded loud and eerie in the quiet of the night. He stepped into the diner and then moved forward quickly towards a body that was lying on the floor. It was Archie and he was bleeding badly.

"Archie…" Parker cried out when she too caught sight of her friend and 'father' lying in a pool of blood.

"Ppp..aa…rker…" The old man managed to get out as both Nate and Parker fell to their knees beside him.

"It's ok Archie we'll get some help…" Nate told the man reaching for his phone. This had not happened long ago and he could see that there were two other bodies behind the counter.

"No…" Archie said grabbing hold of Nate and pulling him down towards him. "Get her out of here Ford…" He said his voice coming in short bursts as he gasped for breath.

"I am not leaving you Archie…" Parker said hearing Archie telling Nate to take her out of there.

"Ford…run…" Archie gasped out blood trickling from his mouth as he struggled to speak.

That was when they were interrupted by a deep voice speaking Russian. Nate closed his eyes and carefully took out his phone turning it off in case Sophie or anybody else called. He needed the phone to be found by the team, and he had no doubt they would find it, then he dropped it into Archie's pocket. He met Parkers eyes and spoke to her silently, instructing her to get the little statue into Archie's pocket too. This had something to do with that statue and if they got their hands on it then he and Parker were as good as dead. Nate then stood and turned to face the large man who stood a little way away from him. Nate looked him up and down and then looked at his companion who was just as big and imposing as his friend. He raised his hands up drawing their attention to him giving Parker time to get rid of the article.

"I don't speak the language…" He said.

"You have the statue…?" The man said in broken English. Nate shrugged and smiled at him turning his head slightly to see if Parker was ready for any move he made. The woman was still kneeling beside Archie who had now breathed his last, his eyes staring up sightlessly at the ceiling.

"I don't know what you are talking about, we just came in for a cup of coffee and…" Nate said sweeping his hands across the room. He was looking for an out, some weapon he could use on the man in front of him. That was when three others stormed into the diner stopping at the sight of Nate and Parker.

"That's them…" Parker whispered to Nate.

Nate sighed heavily and looked at the now five men facing him.

"Really…" Nate said as the first man stepped forward after being told something by one of the new comers and before he could say any more he felt a heavy blow to this head and then complete blackness.

"Nate…" Parker shouted out as she saw the Mastermind fall, but the man standing before her caught her and grabbed her tightly too him. She fought for all she was worth to get free until she too felt a heavy blow and then nothing.

"Check them…" The smaller of the two new comers said casting his eyes around the diner. His friends searched Nate and Parker for weapons and for the statue. They found Parker's mobile and threw it on the floor along with some of the other things she had on her.

"Witnesses…" The man asked looking to the large man who had disposed of Nate. The man shook his head and smiled.

"Bring them…" The small man said turning and leaving the diner. The others followed him carrying the unconscious bodies of Nate and Parker.

So that is the start of the new story. I hope you are all going to enjoy it. Please let me know what you all think of the first chapter.