Chapter 10

Nate took a deep breath and dialed the number. He waited as the phone rang five times before it was answered.

"Hartley." Garrison Hartley answered is phone.

"Hartley…we speak again old boy." Nate said using his James Beckett's voice and accent.

"Beckett…?" Hartley said surprise showing in his voice. Not only that Beckett would call him but that he would have his private number to enable him to do so.

"That's right Hartley. If you are wondering how I got your number…well I have resources, maybe you did not do as thorough checking as you thought you had…" Nate said speaking in a slow and deliberate voice, one that held confidence and a little arrogance.

"What do you want?" Hartley said recovering quickly from his first surprised reaction.

"Well Hartley, the way I see it Old Chap is that you owe me. Not only for the painting but also for the part where I believe you tried to have me killed. Now I don't take kindly to that, it's just not cricket old boy." Nate said in his most condescending voice he could muster.

"Now you look here Beckett, I owe you nothing…you and that woman tried to swindle me. Now why don't you take your veiled threats and run back to daddy in England."

"Now, now Hartley…don't you take that tone with me old boy. I told you I have resources, I know about your business dealings, I know where your money is and I know about what you did to your wife and child. Oh and I know about the hit you put out on them…typical you not doing your own dirty work again…the only thing you are good at is hiring things out, don't have the balls to do it yourself hey. Oh and sorry about your friend Montgomery wasn't it…and of course the painting."

"What…why you…" Hartley started to say before Nate continued ignoring his interruption.

"Now I don't like it when people try to kill me, especially when it is an upstart American. Now I am going to use those resources Hartley, I am going to use them to make your life not worth living; you are going to pay for crossing me. I am going to bring you down…you…your business…your entire life as you know it is at an end…" Nate said again using his very calm, very arrogant and very confident voice. He needed to get Hartley angry, so angry that he would become reckless.

"You son-of-a-bitch…I'm..." Hartley shouted into the phone.

"Now, now old boy…do keep a lid on that temper of yours. You know I knew you were a worthless, spineless piece of work when you used your man to come at me and my LADY friend. You could not even take out a woman and a unarmed man...you had to outsource…tsk tsk…and you said I was worthless." Nate said interrupting with a little laugh at Hartley's outburst.

"Now you listen to me you bastard. You are the one who is going to pay. Nobody threatens me, NOBODY…I'm coming for your Beckett…you hear me, I'm coming for you and I am going to take great pleasure in putting a bullet right through your arrogant British head. ME..I am coming for you, you hear that Beckett. You want to play Beckett; well you picked the wrong person to play with." Hartley said having regained his composure.

The phone went dead and Nate looked at his Hitter. "Here we go…he's angry, and he is about angry enough to come after me himself." Nate said. "Now all we need is everything else to work…Hardison, his money?' Nate asked his Hacker.

"We got the money Nate; we can link him to anything you want to." Hardison confirmed his part was done.

"Good…we need this to be airtight, he can't be able to buy or bribe his way out of anything. What about the goods on his political pals?" Nate acknowledged.

"Done, we know who they are from the money trail. I gave Eliot the list with the details. I am also ready to follow the trail as soon as he sets it in motion; you just need to get him started down it." Hardison confirmed again.

"Good, Eliot…" Nate turned to his Hitter.

"I got it Nate, but…man I still don't like it." Eliot said. He did not like the fact that Nate had deliberately made a very vicious powerful man want him dead. This was a man that could make that happen when he wanted it to. He knew that was Nate's plan, he knew that from the beginning and he knew that he was going to get himself killed if he was not very, very careful. He did not like this plan, but he knew it was going to work. The way Nate had laid it out; there was no way that Hartley was going to be able to avoid taking a fall. Hopefully though, it would not be for the murder of James Jason Burlington Beckett IV.

"I know you don't like it Eliot. You've already said that. But it is in motion now so I need you to do your part." Nate said getting a little irritated with Eliot's continuing opposition even though he had agreed to the plan.

"Ok…ok…Eliot none of us like this plan, but like it or not it is now in motion. So we all do our parts ok…" Sophie said her voice soft yet firm. Eliot knew she did not like the plan. She was scared of what was about to go down. She was petrified of losing Nate, and for that reason she was going to back this plan completely and make sure everybody did what they had to. Nate's life depended on all of them coming through.

"Right…so…so Parker you need to get your part done." Nate said to her.

"Got it, Hardison has given me the stuff and I will make sure it is where it should be." Parker said, she had gone through what was expected of her and was sure she could pull it off.

"Sophie…" Nate said looking at his Grifter.

"I have an appointment tomorrow with him. Don't worry Nate, my part is covered." Sophie said confidently.

"Ok then…well I think it is time for James Beckett to head home." Nate said.

"Nate…" Eliot said as he turned to leave.

"Don't worry Eliot, he won't try anything tonight. He is going to find out what I know, who I have spoken to. He is going to check his sources and he is going to check his assets…then he will come, but then we will be ready." Nate said in reply to Eliot's unspoken warning.

"I hope to God you are right Nate, because if you have got this man wrong again…" Eliot did not finish the sentence.

"Right, yes, ok… well time to go…" Nate said. He walked over to Sophie and kissed her gently on the lips whispering his goodbye. Then he left.

The game was now on and the ball was in Hartley's court. Nate could only hope he had not misjudged the man again. His life, the con and not to mention Hartley's wife and child's lives depended on him not getting it wrong again.

OK so I am sure that some of you are a little confused. I did not lay out the plan, I am sorry but you will just have to wait and see how it plays out. I hope you are still enjoying. Thank you Sphinx and Stella and Carebear818 and all the rest for your kind words…