"San Lorenzo?" The hitter asked softly.
"San Lorenzo," the mastermind repeated.
"What's San Lorenzo?" Parker demanded of the two.
Eliot took a deep breath and rocked back on his heels. He stepped back in defense and tried to create as much space as possible. Then he reopened his eyes and glared daggers into his boss.
"It's Moreau's pocket country," he explained, "His back-up plan should anything go south. He'll run to San Lorenzo where there are no extradition treaties and he's free to rebuild his empire. He'll wait out the warrants for his arrest and come back twice as strong."
"It's a little island located in the Mediterranean," Nate finished for him, "and it's the perfect place to start. If we overthrow the government…"
"We'll have complete access to Moreau," Hardison realized with a gasp, "He'd be completely defenseless against any attacks. We'd be free to turn him in and then some."
"But how are we going to make him run?" Eliot demanded harshly.
"We frame him," Nate explained softly, "with the murder of his wife and the attempted kidnapping of his son."
"Son?" Hardison gasped, "He's got a son? Are you telling me evil people are actually born? They don't just come up out of the ground!"
"So that's the little weakness you found," Eliot huffed, "I should have known."
The thief seemed to be the only one who didn't have a thing to say. An argument started, naturally, as the hacker and hitter came up with many scenarios for how everything could go wrong. They didn't notice the bright glow in the thief's eyes. They were completely blind to her look of glee. So it was no surprise to the mastermind when she startled the others with a simple stunt. She merely flipped onto the table and sat herself directly in the mastermind's bubble. Then she opened her mouth and voiced her opinion on his plan.
"How?" She asked.
"It's simple really," Nate explained, "You and Eliot are going to work on a smear campaign while Hardison and I destroy Moreau here. You two will pull out all of the stops to win the election for the opponent with most promise against Ribera. Then you will both report to me when the country is won."
"Are we going to kill anybody?" The thief questioned in excitement. She even clapped her hands together and did a back flip off of the kitchen island. Her broken interior still showed her strength from time to time.
"NO," the mastermind replied, "but you're going to win Michael Vittori the election."
"And how are we going to do that?" Eliot asked in amazement, "I know the guy. He's just a school teacher who can't even speak up to General Flores, who was killed during the last election by the way. How are we going to turn him into a leader?"
"Teach him how to be one," Nate supplied, "You have one week. I suggest you work on ruining Ribera while you train him up."
"And what are you going to be doing?" Parker demanded fiercely, "We shouldn't do all the work while Hardison is here having fun."
"Hardison's going to make me look like Moreau."
The hacker jumped at that.
"Hardison's doing what?" He asked, "Excuse you but do you have any idea how difficult it's going to be to make you look like a bad guy. Why am I even doing it anyway?"
"So I can pretend to kill So… somebody's wife," Nate explained, "We're going to make it look like Mrs. Moreau wanted out of the game. We're going to make it look like she filed for divorce and custody of the child. She's going to officially separate and take her son; his name is Sam by the way, out of there. Then we are going to make it look like Moreau had her axed so the F.B.I. will have a reason to catch him."
"Why the kidnapping charge if we're getting him for murder?" Hardison demanded in confusion.
"Because kidnapping is something that can't be swept under the rug," Eliot supplied, "Nobody's going to care of Charlotte Moreau is dead. She's not a nice person but their child is innocent. It shows weakness on Moreau's part and also establishes a target a mile wide on his back."
"Even if he's cleared of the charges," Nate finished, "He will still go down. All we have to do is make the case as public as possible."
"And with the internet we can," Hardison grinned.
"I like this plan," Parker smiled in agreement, "but how are we going to get her to agree to it?"
"We promise immunity for her and her son," Nate explained, "We'll give her the clean slate to start anew somewhere safe. She already wants out. I'm just giving her a reason to do it."
"How do you know she won't raise the kid to be just like his father?" Eliot asked.
"I don't," Nate huffed. Then he took a deep breath and tried to stamp out the jealousy filling his every breath. "Hardison-"
"They just finished printing," the hacker supplied, "All they need is the information and I can do the rest."
"What are we going to do with the kid?" Eliot demanded softly.
"We're going to make certain he gets back to his mother," the mastermind shouted over his shoulder.
He immediately raced towards the printer and removed the stack of papers. He grabbed a couple of pens as a precaution for one of them not working. Then he slowly approached the grifter's room. He knew he was losing his team's respect with the constant visit to their guest but he couldn't help it. Even if she wasn't Sophie Devereaux he was still drawn to her. The intelligence inside that pretty head was still just as enthralling as ever. It was even sharpened by the knowledge of evil she had learned under Moreau's guidance. He was going to have to be mean in his approach.
He twisted the doorknob and wasn't even surprised by what he saw. Charlotte was dressed in lingerie and nothing else. She struck a seductive pose against the wall by her desk. There was a brush in her hand and the lights to the desk mirror were on. Her food from lunch still lay on her bed completely untouched. Her smile was still a self-satisfied smirk.
Nate didn't even bother to stop for idle chit chat this time around. He just threw his tiny stack of papers on the table right in front of the grifter. He watched as her eyes narrowed and her hair was whipped back. Then he waited for a field of cold black to fill his vision.
"Sign them," he ordered.
"What are they?" She demanded, not even bothering to take a peek.
"Divorce papers," he explained, "I need you to sign them with the name you used when the two of you got married."
"And why would I do that?" Charlotte demanded coyly.
"Dammit Lara, just sign the damn papers!"
Smack! The grifter's hand collided with his cheek in spectacular motion. The mastermind grimaced in pain at his mistake and felt his head reel at the hard contact. She had gotten more powerful with those since the last time she slapped him. Of course, in this world power was her only goal.
"What did you call me?" She demanded.
Nate stopped at that voice. He remembered that voice. It was pure and innocent. It was raw with emotion. He heard the slight lilt of Cockney in her musical voice. The ice had thawed. Bells were ringing and music was singing in that voice. For just a tiny moment he had the woman he cherished returned to him and it was fantastic. Sophie was still in there.
"Lara," he replied stepping forward with renewed interest.
"Where did you hear that name?" She growled, but fear was evident in her voice. She sounded downright terrified by the fact that he knew that name, her name.
"It's your real name, isn't it?" He pushed enjoying the power switch a little too much.
"Nobody knows that name," she hissed. Then she slammed a hand into his shoulder. "Who are you to know that name?"
She repeated that question several more times. Then she cursed him and swatted at him with renewed vigor. She was screaming and fighting against him. Tears were staining her soft, olive cheeks as she continued to struggle against the one word he whispered towards her again and again. Finally she managed to gain enough control over herself to push him away. She found her clothes and stared at them.
"Go away," she whimpered.
"I'm staying," he argued, "Hardison worked very hard on those forms and I don't want him to have to print out some more."
The grifter spun around with hatred on her features; her narrowed, black eyes shown with anger and vengeance. Everything about her displayed nothing but ill thoughts towards the man she used to love. It was gut-wrenching to say the least.
"What did he do to you?" She demanded bitterly, "What did my husband do to make you so invested in our doom? Why are you doing this? How do you know my name?"
"I told you I had a son," Nate answered to both of their surprise.
The grifter nodded, her mind whirling behind those cold eyes.
"I lost him," Nate continued, "but I didn't tell you how."
"Was it my husband?" she asked. There was a slight hint of hesitation and fear in her voice. "Did he… did we sell him away?"
"No," Nate shook his head, "Cancer. Sam died of cancer at the age of eight. You had nothing to do with it."
"Is that what spurs you on?" Charlotte demanded briskly, "Your life was ruined so everybody must suffer."
"I had a team once," Nate supplied, "a hitter, hacker, thief and a grifter."
"The three in there," Charlotte guessed.
"Similar but different," the mastermind nodded.
"What happened to them?" she asked.
"A job gone wrong put me in a bad place," Nate replied, "My thief was put into the hospital with nothing but broken bones and an inch of life in her. My hitter couldn't stand to be in the same hospital and my hacker wouldn't leave."
"Why are you telling me this?" Charlotte demanded bitterly, "What do I care about a bunch of thieves playing Robin Hood."
"Sophie Devereaux," he said.
The grifter's expression showed no signs of recognition. The name was completely unfamiliar to her ears. She really had never known the woman he spoke of and that was disheartening. Of course she was the best so she could have been faking. But her eyes didn't tell the same tale as her face. She was genuinely interested in the way he said that name, her real name.
"You asked me why I'm targeting your husband," Nate explained, "That's why. He took her away from me and destroyed every inch of her. That's why I took you."
"I remind you of her?" Charlotte guessed.
"I thought you were just as precious to him," the mastermind nodded.
"Well you thought wrong," Charlotte said rolling her eyes as she spoke, "Did my husband take a special interest in your grifter? I'm assuming she's the grifter of your little band."
"She was," Nate agreed, "but she's gone now so it doesn't matter."
"Did my husband take a special interest?"
Her voice had dropped back to ice again. There was no love or hurt in it, only scorn. She was more than aware of her husband's habits and she settled for it anyway. She allowed him to break his vows to her because it maintained the power between them. She didn't care about the pain her captor was going through. No, she cared about getting even and where it would be. It was something her husband would do.
"Yes," Nate growled, "a very special interest. He squashed out every ounce of her and then he cast her to the side like she was nothing."
"Is she still alive?" Charlotte asked in a business tone.
"If you can call it living," the mastermind answered.
"What guarantee do I have for my son's safety?" She questioned bitterly, "If I sign those papers will he be protected?"
"What is your price to get you to join us instead?" Nate asked with a cold smile on his face.
"My son," Charlotte stated simply, "Give me my son and I will be whatever you want. My loyalty has always been to my son."
Nate stuck out his hand and waited for the shake. Charlotte eyed it carefully and then nodded her head. They both shook on the dark bargain they made.
"Deal," Nate finished unnecessarily, "Your son will always be yours. I just hope you teach him how to be better than his father."
Charlotte laughed and signed the papers as she went.
"Bring my son to me and I'll let you have a say."
