Chapter 17

Nate climbed into the cab and sat back closing his eyes, he was tired, he did not think he had ever been this tired. He hoped to God this planned worked because if it didn't well the consequences for his team and for Sophie were not worth thinking about. It did not take them long to arrive at his apartments and he climbed out of the cab. Then he decided to go into the pub first for a quick drink before heading upstairs. They knew that the authorities had eyes on his place and was expecting them to take him into custody at any time and he needed a drink before that he thought. Walking into the bar he ordered himself an Irish straight and then stood and stared at himself in the mirror at the back of the bar. He looked like hell he thought to himself. The whiskey came and he downed it immediately ordering another as he heard the bar door open and saw out of the corner of his eye two detectives and a slew of police officers enter. He did not turn to look he just stood and waited, his whiskey came and he downed it as the detective came to stand behind him.

"Nathan Ford?"

Nate turned to face him and smiled at him looking as confused as he could muster under the circumstances.

"Yes and you are?"

"Detective Daniel Cox." The man said showing his badge. "Nathan Ford you are under arrest for the murder of Lord Peter Barrington and his sons." The detective said. "Turn around and face the bar please hands behind your back." The detective said and Nate could see the man had his hand on his gun and so did the other officers just waiting for him to make a move.

Nate did as he was told and listened to the Miranda Rights that were read to him.

"I don't know what you are talking about, I have just come back from rehab, I was brutally attacked and…I don't know what's going on." Nate said stumbling over his words and sounding as confused and scared as he could, playing his part perfectly.

"Just come with us please Mr Ford." The detective said taking his arm and leading him out of the bar and into the street and the waiting police vehicles.

"Ok, well first part is done." Eliot said as he sat with the others watching the feed. "Now Sterling and Bonano have to play their parts."

"They will." Sophie said, the question was whether they were going to be believed?

"Ok well we are ready with a plan in case this one goes pear shaped right?" Hardison said, it was not really a question though.

"Yes we are." Sophie said smiling at the young man. None of them liked watching Nate get arrested and all of them worried that this plan would not work out the way Nate wanted it too. They had spent a lot of time working out what they were going to do if Nates plan did not work, how they were going to extract him and where they were going to go if that did happen. The only part they had not worked out is if Nate would allow them to do it, but Sophie had assured them that he would not resist because that would get them all caught, it would be too late for him to say no by the time the plan was in motion.

"Which police station they taken him too?" Eliot asked knowing that Hardison had hacked into all the police channels.

"Police Headquarters." Hardison told them. "I am hacking in now to all feeds there."

"Good." Sophie as she stood to go and make herself a cup of tea. There was nothing they could do now, like Nate had said they had to let this play out, they had to see if the plan worked and she and the others had no part in this for now except to watch and wait.

Nate allowed them to put in him the car and then sat back. There was nothing he could do now it was out of his hands. He relaxed slightly although still continued asking the detective who sat in the front what this was all about, that he had just returned home after more than a month of rehabilitation and that he knew nothing of what they were talking about. He watched out the window and realised they were taking him to police headquarters which was understandable, this was extremely high profile, and they were not going to make any mistakes. As they approached the plaza, Nate could see a slew of reporters already gathered so the word was out he thought. They drove past the reporters and into the basement avoiding the press and he was taken out of the car and steered into the elevator as quickly as possible. The ride up was silent and then Nate was taken into one of the interrogation rooms and left alone. He looked up into the camera knowing that his team was watching and then settled back in his seat to wait for the next act in this play.

He was left sitting for a period of an hour before the door opened and three men stepped in. Nate surveyed them carefully as they took their seats.

"Mr Ford, my name is Devon Paulo, I am an agent with Interpol, this is Detective Inspector George Mullens from Scotland Yard and this is Special Agent Devon Johnston from the FBI. You have been read your rights and understand that you are entitled to an attorney which I believe you have waived."

"Yes, look Agent Paulo I don't know what is going on here, I did nothing wrong I was a victim, and I don't need a lawyer." Nate said locking eyes with the Interpol man.

"Are you saying you had nothing to do with Lord Barrington?" The man from Scotland Yard asked him his tone conveying his disbelief.

"No…no I am not saying that." Nate said softly. "He…he took me and he…his son…he… hurt me." Nate said stuttering as he spoke. "I don't know why…I don't know anything and then I woke up in the hospital and…and I have been at a rehab clinic since I was released." Nate told them. "I made a police report." He added seeing a look of confusion come over all their faces at that statement.

"You are lying." Johnston said with a hard voice. "We have an eyewitness placing you where Barrington was killed."

"I don't know how…I was really not in a position to do anything to the man after what he did to me, what his son Bertram did to me." Nate said a pained look on his face. "Check the hospital records they will tell you I am not lying."

Nate could hardly supress as smile as he saw the looks on all their faces, they did not know what to do with the information that he had just given them.

"Why would Bertram Barrington do anything to you Mr Ford?" Mullens asked him quietly.

"I don't know." Nate replied. I was taken from my yacht when I arrived in port and then…then they just…just well hurt me. They kept asking me about somebody, but I didn't know who that was and …and then something happened…I don't know what but I was left alone in a warehouse and then found by some people and taken to the hospital, that's all I know and that is my only connection with any of the Barrington's." Nate said tears forming in his eyes as if he was remembering something that was too horrible to remember.

"Which hospital?"

"Boston General." Nate replied. He was about to say something more but then a knock at the door interrupted him.

The door opened and a man stepped in and whispered something in the ear of the Interpol man who turned back to Nate.

"We will be back Mr Ford." He told the Mastermind and then indicated to the other two to step out of the room leaving Nate alone again.

Nate was left alone again for a period and then when they returned to the room he was told that they would be looking into his story but until then he was to remain in police custody. Nate did not say anything to that and looked up at the cameras and shook his head imperceptibly, the last thing he needed was his team rushing in now. He assumed that both Sterling and Bonano had stepped in and done their part and now the three men who had interviewed him wanted to investigate both his claims and the those of the two men. If that meant he spent a night in jail, well he could live with that. At least they had dismissed both him and them out of hand, if they had he would be on his way to some other prison for holding and not the police cells.