Chapter 10

"Where…where did you find him…where…?" Eliot asked the man his voice low and dark.

"Just down the alley man…"

"What alley?"

"Two streets down man…he was just lying there I swear man…" The man said, he could see his own death in this man's eyes.

Eliot nodded at the man and then released him.

"Let's go…" He said putting his hand on Sophie's back and guiding her out of the house.

"He said a few blocks down right…?" Hardison asked.

"Yeah…" Eliot said then his eyes caught sight of something a little way down the road. There was obviously something happening and he picked up speed as he led Sophie towards the place the man had said he had found the phone, and Nate.

As they approached the place the saw an ambulance and police cars parked at the entrance to the alley. There was police tape spread around preventing them from getting too close. They came to a stop just behind the tape and Eliot called one of the police officers over.

"What's happening here man…?"

"This is a crime scene, please keep back." The officer told him and then turned away.

"My name is Chelsea Warren from the Portland Chronicle." Sophie said as he turned away from them. "We were here doing a story on urban decay and we saw this…can you tell me what is going on Officer…" Sophie called to him drawing him back to them.

"Portland Chronicle?"

"Yes…Officer…" Sophie noted the name tag on the officers' shirt and smiled sweetly at him. "Tabart…I would personally appreciate it if you could tell me what happened here." She said using all the charm she could muster.

"Well…there was a body found...looks like a jacking and robbery got a bit out of hand." The officer said smiling at Sophie.

"A body…" Sophie gasped, she did not have to feign her distress at that.

"Yeah…well we were told it was a body but apparently the guy is still alive…barely…the paramedics are working on him now."

"Who is he…?"

"Well…"

"Please Officer Tabart…I would be so…grateful to you if you could help me out on this." Sophie said smiling at him, she could see he was young and was probably a rookie, that would explain why he was on tape duty. "It's been a slow news week and…well my boss…he is about ready to fire me if I don't come up with something good. Just a name…It would help me so much…" Sophie said pulling out her best Grifter persona she could.

"Well…I shouldn't say anything, but I don't see how that could do any harm." The officer said looking around to see if anybody was close and would be able to hear him. "There was no ID on the man so…John Doe I guess."

"And where would they be taking John Doe for treatment." Sophie asked touching the Officer's hand lightly and smiling at him.

"Well probably St Mary's, it's the closest hospital to here." He said.

"Thank you officer…" Sophie said and then her eyes caught the paramedics rolling a gurney towards the waiting ambulance.

She could see that the person on it was still alive because he was not covered with a sheet or in a body bag and she breathed a sigh of relief. Of course they did not know for sure this was Nate but it was a good bet it was. The face of the person was obscured by the oxygen mask over it but she could see the wild and curly black hair and she knew it was him.

"St Mary's you said…" Eliot spoke for the first time. "And where would that be?" He asked.

"About two miles to the south on Carston street." The office told him. "Are you alright Miss Warren?" He asked as he saw the woman go white in the face and saw tears gathering in her eyes as she watched the medics load Nate on the ambulance.

"She's fine officer…" Eliot said looking at Sophie and seeing her distress. He knew all she wanted to do was get into the ambulance with Nate and tell him everything was going to be alright. "Thank you for your help…" He said and before the officer could say any more he turned Sophie around and led her back up the street towards Lucille. Parker and Hardison followed as they moved quickly to the van.

"He's alive Sophie…" Eliot whispered to her as he helped her into the van. "Just hold on to that."

Then he and the other two climbed in and he set off in the direction the ambulance had gone. As they drove Hardison worked on his computers and by the time they arrived at the hospital he had ID's for all of them as detectives from the local precinct. It was the best ID's he could think of that would give him the information they needed. Sophie wiped the tears from her eyes as they pulled up in front of the hospital and took the ID before climbing out of the ambulance and heading into the hospital. The ambulance had arrived a few minutes before them but they had rushed their patient into the ER before the team had arrived. Sophie lagged behind Eliot knowing he would be the best one to handle this. They made their way to the front desk.

"Detective Frank Costello…I need to know the condition of the man just brought in from a mugging." He said brusquely as the duty nurse looked up at them.

"I don't know his condition, they have just brought him in." The nurse told him.

"Well could you find out?" Eliot asked still keeping his voice very brusque and business like.

"He is not the only patient…"

"Nurse, this is urgent police business…" Eliot said and then Hardison stepped forward leaning into the nurses' station and smiling at the nurse.

"Hey partner…sorry, he's just a little antsy because this is the sixth mugging of this type and the first one to make it through if you know what I mean…We really need to know his condition and when we would be able to speak to him." Hardison said playing the good cop to Eliot's obnoxious one.

The nurse looked from Eliot to Hardison and nodded and stood up walking into the ER room they had taken Nate into. She returned a few minutes later and smiled at Hardison.

"He is not in good shape but they have managed to stabilize him and are taking him into surgery now." The nurse told him. "The sixth mugging…?" She asked fearfully.

"Yes…but don't worry, we'll catch the guy." Hardison said. "But we are going to have to talk to the guy as soon as possible." He said making his voice as serious as he could.

"Well…you can wait up at the OR waiting area and I will get the doctor to see you as soon as he is out of Surgery." The nurse said. She lived in the area and anything she could do to help the officers catch the mugger she would. She was frightened by Hardison's words and could not believe that they had not heard about the serial mugger and by the sound of it murderer that was out there.

Eliot read the fear on the woman's face and smiled at her.

"Sorry I came of so harsh but I don't like this guy running around our neighbourhood. None of us do. Anyway, trust me, me and my partners here…" He said indicating the whole group so that she would know Sophie and Parker were also police. "We are going to make sure that this poor guy is his last victim, with his help and yours."

The nurse smiled back at Eliot and smiled. Somehow the man made her feel safer already.

"You can go up, I will have the doctor come and talk to you." She said then told them where they could go and wait for news.

"Thank you." Hardison said and then they all moved off towards the waiting area she had indicated to wait for news on Nate's condition.

Three hours later they were approached by a doctor.

"Are you the detectives here for the John Doe brought in?" He asked them as he approached them. They looked to him like anxious family members waiting on news of a loved one.

"Yes…how is he?"

"Well he made it through the surgery. We removed the bullet…" He said handing Eliot an evidence bag with the bullet in it, this was not the doctors' first rodeo Eliot thought, but then this was a very dangerous neighbourhood. "But there was another injury, a knife wound which had been closed and then reopened, probably due to a blow he took to his stomach, there was some serious internal damage done there too. Also I would say that your man took a beating a few hours or days before this attack. He had definitely received earlier treatment including a transfusion. I would say he was in a bad way before this attack happened."

"Will he make it?" Sophie asked trying to sound professional and not like a woman who was worried sick about her husband that could be dying.

"He is critical, the next twenty four to fourty eight hours will tell." The doctor said.

"Thank you doctor..." Eliot said. "We will need to speak to him as soon as possible. Also, we believe that the mugger could try to finish the job, we think this guy could ID him and he has not, to date left anybody alive that could." Eliot told the doctor. "So we will be here with him until he wakes up and is well enough to go into police protection."

"Very well…" the doctor said, he was used to having the police either have suspects brought in or victims of crimes. "I will arrange with the nurses that you are allowed access to his room. But please remember this man is in critical condition. I can't have people traipsing in and out of his room all the time."

"I understand doctor. It will only be the four of us, one of us with him in the room at all times." Eliot told the doctor.

The doctor nodded his agreement and then told them that they could wait there and a nurse would show them to their John Doe's room as soon as he was out of recovery. Eliot thanked him and then watched him walk away.

"Hardison…"

"Done man…" Hardison said as he got to work making sure their story held up and that the local police were under the impression that a special unit was taking over the case. He was sure the locals were under enough strain that they would not mind and anyway they saw it only as a mugging gone wrong, not a priority case.

"He's going to be alright Sophie." Eliot said looking down at the Grifter who had sunk back down onto a chair as soon as the doctor had left and he could see the tears in her eyes she was fighting to hold back.

Sophie nodded at him not trusting herself to speak as she fought to maintain her control. She had to believe Nate would make it; she could not even contemplate the alternative.

"Sophie…" Parker said approaching the Grifter.

"Not now Parker…I…just not now." Sophie said. She was angry with the Thief, she was angry and she knew that if she spoke to the woman now she would say something she regretted. She needed to see Nate, she needed to know he was going to be alright…then she would deal with Parker.

Parker nodded tears forming in her eyes as she turned away from the Grifter.

"Hey girl…" Hardison said pulling Parker to him. "It's going to be alright. Nate will be alright and then everything will be fine…I promise." Hardison said throwing Sophie a look that said 'why did you have to do that she feels bad enough already'. Sophie ignored the look and turned away from them. Hardison pulled Parker closer and closed his eyes. Please Nate, you have to be alright he thought, if the Mastermind wasn't, if he did not make it through, then he could lose not only him but his family too…he could lose Parker and that scared him silly.

Will Nate be ok? If he does not make it what will happen to the Leverage family? What will happen when Sophie finally does confront Parker on what she did? How will Parker react? Thank you all again so much for the reviews, they are as always my inspiration for writing.