Chapter 5

Eliot sat holding the weeping woman. He wanted to tell her it was going to be ok but he couldn't. If Nate did not make it then he was not sure what was going to happen. He was absolutely without any shadow of a doubt sure that somebody had made Sophie do this. Somebody wanted Nate killed and had used Sophie as the weapon. That however would make no difference to Sophie if Nate died. She would never forgive herself. He was not sure if Parker and Hardison would ever forgive her. It would be the end of their family, of that he also had no doubt. Even if both the youngest members of the team accepted that Sophie had done what she had done under the control of another person, If Nate died…that would not matter.

"Sophie…we have to figure this out and quickly. Somebody is obviously after Nate and if we are going to protect him we have to know who." He said saying the one thing he knew would get Sophie to stop crying and pay attention.

"Oh God…do you think they will go after him again?" Sophie asked sitting up and wiping away the tears. "Eliot, this can't be happening…" She said raw emotion in her voice.

"It is Sophie, and you are the one that holds the key. We need to figure this out through you."

"How…I mean I was in Paris on vacation, I went shopping…I didn't meet with anybody, I didn't spend time with anybody…I am positive about that. I don't remember anything out of the ordinary happening." Sophie said wracking her brain to remember the events of the last four weeks during her vacation time. "I should have just gone with Nate on that damn boat." She said softly.

"Sophie…this is not your fault. You have been used. We just need to figure out by whom." Eliot told her. "You said you went to the bar for another glass of wine. You did not come back with wine…think Sophie…what happened?"

"I was getting wine for myself and some more whiskey for Nate when…" Sophie looked up at the Hitter as she remembered the phone call. "Then my phone rang." She said

"Your phone…who called what do you remember about the call?" The Hitter asked he knew she would not be able to tell him, the last piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place. The manner in which they had activated Sophie was the phone call.

"I…I…I don't remember…I don't remember anything after that until I woke up in the offices with Parker hovering over me. I don't remember…shooting Nate either." She said the last part coming out in a hushed voice.

"You wouldn't. That was how you were activated. The phone call...Where is your phone now?"

"I…I don't know, I think at the bar…it must be at the bar."

"Ok, well we need to get that to Hardison, maybe he can get something from it…what else to you remember Sophie, even the smallest thing can help. Was it a man on the phone, a woman's voice…Sophie think." Eliot urged her.

"I don't know Eliot…I just don't know…"

"Alright…alright." Eliot said giving Sophie another little tot of whiskey. "We'll figure this out Sophie, we will…"

"But how…I just don't understand. How did they know I was with Nate, how did they know I would be able to get a gun…" Sophie said shaking her head.

"I don't know Sophie, but we need to know what happened to you during the last four weeks. You need to make a detailed description of what you did in your holiday. Where you went, where you stayed, everything…Hardison can check all of it out and make sure your memories are real." Eliot said.

Sophie nodded and immediately set about her task. She sat making the list as Eliot called Hardison at the hospital.

"Hardison…any news…?" He asked the Hacker.

"No, the doctor has not been out since they took him into surgery." Hardison said softly.

"Ok…we are coming to you at the hospital can you secure us a room somewhere where we can't be disturbed?" Eliot asked.

"You're coming here…?" Hardison asked surprise plain in his voice. "With Sophie…?"

"Yeah Hardison…we have work to do. Somebody used Sophie as a trigger and we are going to figure out who that somebody is. You need to check her details from the vacation…verify she was where she said she was. She was activated using her phone, we'll be bringing that with to for you to check."

"Ok…you need to bring my stuff when you come."

Eliot nodded and then wrote down the list of things Hardison would need before hanging up.

"Eliot what are you doing…? You said I should not go near Nate…?" Sophie asked looking at the Hitter questioningly.

"And you won't, but we need Hardison to trace your steps and he isn't going to leave the hospital. Sophie…you know why I don't want you near Nate don't you."

"Because I might try again…?" Sophie said softly. She also knew about mind control. Not on such a scale but NLP techniques and hypnotism were arts she had perfected. She knew that sometimes, once a program was implanted it could not be stopped. She might try to kill Nate again if she got close to him. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

"You don't trust me around Nate…I get it. I don't trust me around Nate. I will not go near him you have my word." Sophie said quietly looking at the Hitter with big eyes. "Like you said, we need to know who wanted Nate dead so that we can stop them…I…I won't go near him I promise."

"Ok, but Sophie…I know something about programming and if you have been programmed to kill Nate, you will try again when you get near him. So you don't Ok…" Eliot said his fear for Nate as great as his fear for Sophie.

"I won't…" Sophie said softly. "I just hope he survives this…please let him survive this." She added to herself. Then she looked up at Eliot, her eyes showing her determination to keep Nate safe, even if it was from herself. "If I never can go near him again Eliot, to keep him safe, I will leave, I will go as far away as I possibly can." She said earnestly.

"I know you will Sophie, but that is not going to happen. We are going to solve this puzzle and we are going to get through this…all of us." Eliot said.

The two of them gathered what Hardison had told them he would need and then made their way into the front and picked up Sophie's phone before leaving for the hospital.

They were watched as they left the bar. He was furious. She was not being held by them. She was not being pursued by them. She had not run from them. His plan had failed. He could not understand why. He was sure they would turn on her when she killed him. That was it. He was not dead. Even whilst dying he held them together. He had to die to be gone, out of their lives, out of her life…that was the only way. His obsession was slowly turning from his need and desire for Letitia the woman he had loved all those years to a burning desire to see Nathan Ford dead. He was sure that was the only way she would be his. Well if Nate Ford survived the surgery he would not survive his men.

"Make sure Ford never leaves that hospital alive." He growled at his enforcer. "Do not harm her…and no mistakes…or you will die in his place." He added then with an angry snarl left the room and retreated into his study.

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