Chapter 20

The meeting with Jacob was set for three days after their planning session and Nate remained under the strict care of Sophie. He was watched to ensure that he remained in bed the entire time with them having their meetings and everything in his room where Hardison had set up makeshift screens and everything else they needed.

"Ok guys, remember no interference." Nate said softly as he walked towards the building that Jacob had set his offices up in. "Hardison are you ready?"

"Ready Nate."

"Good, ok it is show time." He said taking a deep breath and entering the building.

Nate walked up to the main reception desk and announced his presence. He was met with a cold look and told to wait somebody would be down to fetch him. He smiled sweetly and looked up at the cameras that he knew Hardison had hacked into. A short while later two large men made their appearance and ordered him to follow them. They took him to the elevator and they made their way to the top floor. The elevator opened onto a large, brightly lit office space. Jacob was sitting behind a heavy ebony desk and did not even look up as Nate entered. The men indicated that Nate should stand where he was and then went to stand behind the man at the desk and silence settled over the room.

"Nathan Ford." Jacob said as he looked up and sat back in his chair holding his hands together and tapping his fingers.

"Jacob." Nate said. "Long time."

"Not long enough, not for what you did." Jacob replied acidly.

"Yeah well." Nate said moving forward towards the wet bar in the corner of the room and pouring himself a whiskey.

"You drink now." Jacob said watching the man. "Oh yes of course when your brat died you became a useless alcoholic didn't you? Trying to drown you guilt at not being able to save him Nate?"

The listening team drew a collective breath and waited for Nate to explode, one thing he did not handle well was anybody talking about his son, especially referring to his death in the way that Jacob had. But Nate said nothing, he simply closed his eyes and ground his teeth controlling his anger. He was here for a reason.

"So you looked after Jeni's interests while she was away?" Nate said changing the subject much to the surprise of his team.

"Somebody had to, after what you did to her…"

"I did my job."

"Right. You destroyed her and I am not talking about her empire."

"Well…"

"Don't try to justify what you did Ford."

"I wasn't going to." Nate said walking away from the bar towards the man's desk and taking a seat on one of the plush chairs.

"So what do you want from me?"

"Nothing. I want to meet Jeni."

"Why so she can shoot you again and you can pretend to be dead. I mean how many times do you want to take her for a fool?"

"I want a meet Jacob. Take it to her, see what she says."

"Maybe I just put a bullet in your head here and now Nathan, save her the trouble."

Nate heard the low growl from Eliot and the gasp from Sophie. If that is what Jacob decided to do none of them would be able to stop it.

"Right yeah well you know and I know that you do nothing without her say so Jacob." Nate said not at all phased by the threat. "So why don't you ask her what she wants, and if that is what she wants, well here I am."

"Dammit Nate you are playing with fire." Eliot growled at the man.

"Times change Nathan." Jacob said motioning to his men who instantly drew and cocked their weapons.

"Nate…" Sophie said her voice fill of angst.

"Yes they do Jacob, but you don't and Jeni hasn't so either tell your goons to pull the trigger or get in touch with her and get your instructions." Nate said calmly.

There was complete silence with Jacob staring at Nate the two goons ready to fire and his team holding their breaths. Then Jacob let out a sigh and rose from his place motioning the men to put their guns away.

"Stay here." He ordered as he pulled out his mobile and left the room.

"So you guys, are you happy working for this idiot?" Nate said standing up and walking around the desk nonchalantly. "Now I am not going anywhere just looking the place over, he didn't say I couldn't do that." Nate said as they stepped forward to take him back to his seat.

Nate's words did not stop them but before they could grab him and forced him back to the chair he had been sitting on he managed to plug in the flash that Hardison had given him.

"I'm in." Hardison said starting the downloads on his phone and whistling as the information came through, everything they needed to put Jenifer Laybrand away for a long time was all there.

"Well?" Nate's voice cut through on the coms. "Do we meet or do you kill me now?" Nate asked with no emotion in his voice.

"God knows why but she wants to meet you." Jacob told him walking up to Nates chair.

"Great. At your warehouse on Main in two days?" Nate said softly. He could see Jacobs face darken at the mention of the warehouse and he knew he was wondering how Nate knew about it.

"No, she wants to meet you at her place, now." "

"No way Nate." Eliot said into the coms. If that happened then Nate was a dead man.

"No, no that does not work for me." Nate replied. "She wants to meet and she picked the time and place last time, now we play by my rules."

"Her place now." Jacob repeated.

"No Jacob. The warehouse in two days or you can just get your guys there to shoot me like you wanted to. If they don't I am walking out of here and I will see you and her then."

Nate watched Jacob and he could see the torn look on his face. He could see Jacob just wanted to give the signal to end him there and then, but he couldn't. Jeni wanted to meet and he could not go against her wishes.

"Ok then Jacob." Nate said standing up and putting his glass down on the desk. "Really nice seeing you again. See you in two days." Then he walked into the elevator and pressed ground.

As the doors closed he took a deep breath before asking if Hardison got what he needed.

"Yeah Nate got it all man, and then some." Hardison confirmed.

"Good, I'll be out in a minute or two." He said then leaned back against the elevator wall. His chest felt like it had a tourniquet that was being tightened around him. The goons had not exactly been gentle with him.

"Nate are you alright?" Sophie asked anxiously hearing his laboured breathing.

"Fine Sophie." He said trying to hide his pain from her.

"Ok we are outside waiting." She said not believing a word he said.

Nate climbed into the van laboriously and then fell back against the chair.

"Nate." Sophie asked looking at him. He was sweating and his breath was now very laboured.

"I'm fine Sophie really, just overdid it a tad."

"You think?" Hardison said softly also taking in the sight of the Mastermind seeing that he was really struggling now.

"Let's just get home ok." Nate said closing his eyes.