Chapter 27

The plane landed and after making their way through the terminals they headed towards the car rental agency. Nate had ordered Parker to remain out of site and let Derby come to him and Sophie. She was his whole card in this game along with the other arrangements he had made.

The plan was simple. Draw Derby out, get the police to arrest him. Nate was sure that he would come for Sophie and then they had him. They walked towards the private wing of the airport to the supposedly waiting plane that was there to take Sophie back to her husband as she had told Derby. As they exited the terminal building two men stepped in front of them.

"Mr Derby would like a word." The one said showing his gun so that they understood it was not a request but a demand.

"Who are you? Get out of our way we have a plane waiting." Nate said playing the indignant and arrogant husband.

"Just move now." The man said cocking his gun to let Nate know he was not playing with him.

Sophie smiled at the man and stepped away from Nate. Derby thought she was trying to get away from him if she stayed next to him and tried to protect him the game would be up. She did not like this plan at all and she had let Nate know that but Nate had insisted it was the only way to get Derby.

"What the hell are you doing Lauren?" Nate asked in a harsh menacing voice.

Nate looked at the two men and then at Sophie playing his part and blustering on about did this Derby fellow know who he was and he did not have time for all of this. The bigger of the men stepped towards him and pushed the gun into Nate's gut.

"Mr Derby would like a word." He repeated putting more pressure and almost doubling Nate up.

Nate nodded and walked in front of the man, he could feel the gun at his back now. Sophie walked a little ahead. She did not have a gun on her and that was good Nate thought. The police would not make a move until Derby made his appearance. The men led them into the underground private parking area that was deserted and kept them walking until they were right at the back.

"Parker." Nate said softly but got no reply. Nate panicked for a moment and then realised that it must be this area of the parking that was blocking the coms. He sighed slightly but kept walking his eyes taking in his surroundings. He hoped the Interpol agent he had made the arrangements with was ready or they were in some deep trouble. He had not expected Derby to be at the airport, although it was always a possibility, that is why he had told the agent to be at the airport with his men just in case and then follow them if nothing went down there.

"Look, enough now, where are we going." Nate asked the man behind him getting a shove in the back for his efforts. He turned to face the man and received a heavy blow to his stomach doubling him over.

Sophie watched the man hit Nate and wanted to spring forward but knew if she did that the con was blown. This was her abusive husband and she was supposed to relish this treatment of him. She did not know if Derby was there and watching but she could not break her cover. She too had tried to contact Parker or anybody and came to the same conclusion about Nate as he had.

"Mr du Bisson I presume?" Jonathan Derby asked as he stepped out of the large black SUV that was parked only a couple of meters from where they were.

"Who the hell are you?" Nate asked trying to sound indignant and angry and not just in pain as he was.

"I am the man your wife would prefer to be with." Derby told him motioning his men to take hold of Nate's arms and hold him up in front of him and Sophie.

"What?" Nate almost shouted at the man. "She is my wife you son-of-a-bitch." Nate said locking eyes with Derby. The cops should have made their appearance by now he thought, they had better make their appearance soon or this was not going to turn out as well as he had planned.

"You really are an arrogant arse, aren't you?" Derby sneered at him and then suddenly the air was split by the sound of bullets. Nate's body jerked once, twice, and then a third time and he was thrown backwards onto the hard-concrete surface of the carpark. Then all hell broke loose as Parker sprang into action and the police came running in as well guns drawn. Derby's men opened fire at the oncoming police and Interpol agents, Parker pulled Sophie down and out of the line of fire, fighting the woman to stop her from breaking cover to get to Nate's prone body. Then it was over, Derby was in handcuff and his two men were lying dead on the floor.

Parker and Sophie ran to Nate and dropped to their knees beside him. He had three bullet wounds, two in the chest and one in the abdomen. Parker ripped his shirt open exposing the wounds which were leaking blood at an alarming rate. There was nothing she could do but apply pressure to the wounds, with Sophie applying pressure to one of the chest wounds and whispering softly to Nate to stay with her. He was battling to catch his breath and blood was seeping out the side of his mouth.

"Nate stay with me Nate." Sophie said softly.

Nate looked up at her and smiled revealing blood covered teeth. "Sorry… I love you Sophie." He said and then his head fell to the side.

"No. NO. NO. Don't you leave me Nate Ford, don't you leave me." She cried taking her blood-soaked hands off his wound and pressing down on his chest before breathing for him. "Don't leave me please Nate." She said begged him as she did CPR desperate to save him.

A few minutes later the paramedics arrived and moved Sophie out of the way taking over CPR from her. They also moved Parker out as the worked on trying to stem the blood flow from his wounds. Parker and Sophie were covered with the Masterminds blood, but they hardly noticed as they watched the Paramedics work. Finally they had a heartbeat and the one paramedic had a bag over Nate's mouth breathing for him. It took them another five minutes to get him on the stretcher and load him into the ambulance. They apologised to Sophie who wanted to come with them telling her there was no room. They would be taking him to Milpark Clinic she could see him there, the one paramedic told her and then shut the doors and the ambulance sped off.

"Ms Devereaux?" A man asked walking towards them as the ambulance sped away. I assume you are the people Agent Ford was talking about, those helping him in taking down Derby. Sophie did not even respond to the man, she just wanted to go, she needed to go and be with Nate.

The agent looked after the ambulance and then called one of his men over.

"Take these two ladies to Milpark Clinic now please." He instructed the man and then motioned for Sophie to go. She did not need another invitation and said thank you to the Interpol man before climbing into the waiting car with Parker.