Chapter 21

Nate was in a decidedly bad mood. He wanted a drink and he wanted out of this prison. He felt like hell, his whole body hurt and his mind cried out for alcohol, he knew he was over the worst of the withdrawals as this was not his first rodeo but still, the after effect was bad and he wanted nothing more than to just lie curled up in his bunk when he the door to his cell was opened and he was told to get up and go to breakfast.

"Not hungry."

"Don't care, get up now Ford." The guard said. Nate glared at him but rose and followed him to the line of men waiting to file into the dining area.

Nate followed the line and took the food that they called breakfast making his way to a table and sat down heavily. He was joined by a few other inmates but ignored them all.

"Hey, you going to eat that?" One of them said and Nate looked at him, he was a young man no more than twenty or so and Nate wondered briefly what had got him thrown into a federal penitentiary, but then just shook his head pushing the tray towards him.

"I'll take that." A burly man said as he sat down beside the boy.

"He gave it to me." The boy said looking at the man and not seeing the danger he was in at that moment.

Nate looked up taking the measure of the man who had joined their table and realising immediately that the boy needed to back off. He stood up and moved grabbing the tray muttering that he was hungry after all. The boy looked at him and then at the man and was going to say something when the big man spoke.

"I said I'll take it."

"Well it's no longer up for grabs." Nate told him his voice hard and forceful. The man stared at him and then laughed loudly.

"Do you know who you are dealing with?" He said his face darkening and his voice conveying the threat to Nate.

"Do you?" Nate replied. He was just in the right place mentally now to ignore the warning signs and take on this man.

"Why you…" The big man said rising and making his way around the table towards Nate.

Just then the guards moved in and asked what the problem was. The big man backed down and moved back to his seat.

"No more trouble Ford." The guard said as he watched the man sit down.

"Ford…?" The big man said looking at Nate intently and in that moment Nate knew something was wrong. His mind screamed at him to move as the big man sprang from his seat again and this time moved with lightning speed around the table pulling him up from his seat.

"Nathan Ford…" He hissed at Nate as he felt the sharp piercing of the knife sink into his side. "Elton Peterson sends his regards." The man said as he was about to stab Nate again.

Mustering all his strength Nate pushed at the man throwing his elbow around connecting with his jaw and sending him backwards before he could plunge the shank into him again. As the man staggered backwards the guards made their appearance and Nate collapsed to the floor blood pouring from the wound in his side. He saw the guards take the big man into custody and then he passed out.

He came back to consciousness a few hours later to find himself in the infirmary with the doctor hovering over him.

"Mr Ford." The doctor said as Nate opened his eyes. "Just lie still now you have been stabbed and lost quite a bit of blood there but you are going to be fine."

Nate groaned slightly then nodded his eyes falling closed again. He woke again and this time it was Tara standing beside his bed.

"Hey Nate."

"Tara…"

"What happened?"

"Don't know, was at breakfast and then…well here." Nate said. He was not going to tell her what the man had said, the threat made, the obvious indication that Elton had arranged this and wanted him dead. If he did that his team would get involved and so would she, no that was something he would keep to himself.

"Well you were shanked by a man named Robert McBride."

"Ah…big guy, picking on a young chap at the table…"

"Well he stabbed you Nate."

"Must have not liked my face." Nate smiled at her. "This is prison Tara and not a nice one so…"

"What did you do?"

"Don't know, was just sitting there eating and he seemed to take exception to that." Nate replied and the look on her face told him she did not believe a word he was saying that she knew he had caused this in some way or the other.

"Ok well you are here for a few days anyway and he is being moved out tomorrow. He was being transferred from another prison and this was just a stop over."

Nate closed his eyes and thanked the lord for that, this guy was obviously out for his blood, recruited by Elton to get to him here. His theory of Elton being here to seek revenge for Bertram was not as far fetched as he had believed he thought. That also meant that Elton had some influence because if what Tara had said was correct Elton must have known where he was and had organised for this McBride to be here for at least a period of time, that took planning and it took inside knowledge. Well that was a problem for another day, at least McBride would not be able to get to him again.

"Nate…" Tara said watching him closely and knowing that he was thinking about something or planning something, she had worked with him for long enough to know the signs.

"Tara." Nate said opening his eyes again. "Tell them I am fine."

"Yeah like they are going to believe that. Dammit Nate they are going to want to come in here…"

"I know but they can't make them understand that." Nate interrupted her. "Especially Sophie."

"You just make sure you stay out of trouble." Tara said. "Or they will come in here in force to get you out and you know that." Tara said hoping the threat of the team making a move would make Nate behave himself.

"I will…" Nate said softly. "Thanks Tara."

"Good, well you get some rest now." Tara said as Nate's eyes fell closed again. She stood and watched him for a few minutes then made her way out of the prison.

After speaking to Alan at his offices she headed off to the warehouse to tell the team what had happened according to Nate.

"Tara how is he?" Sophie asked as she walked in.

"Fine Sophie, sore and weak due to the loss of blood but he will be fine." She said pulling her friend into a hug.

"So what happened?" Eliot asked.

"According to Nate he was sitting eating breakfast when he was attacked by McBride." Tara said and saw the disbelieve on all their faces.

"But you don't believe him." Hardison stated.

"No I don't. I spoke to one of the guards and according to him Nate gave his tray to a young guy at the table with him, McBride wanted to take it from him. It seemed as if McBride was going to do something when Nate intervened. They settled down again and then Nate must have said something else again because McBride went for him, Nate hit him stopping him from stabbing him more than just the once. The story is corroborated by other inmates and guards." Tara told them.

"So Nate was being Nate." Parker said softly and they all looked at her. "Well he would not let this McBride go after a youngster without trying to step in especially if it was a result of something he had done." Parker explained and they all nodded.

"Ok he appears again in four days and then we will have to see what happens." Tara said. "Alan said he could use this as leverage to try to at least get him bail if the charges are not dismissed."

"Well that is something." Eliot said not liking the situation at all, Nate was going to get himself killed in prison if they did not get him out, he had no doubt of that.

Nate's personality was one that would make him intervene in something that did not concern him, he would get himself killed, Nate was that type of person, just like the last time he was in prison, he could just as easily have been killed trying to help the young man as he had done. To survive in the type of prison he would be sent to, well you must keep your head down and keep to yourself, that was not something Nate was good at.

"Ok so now what?" Sophie asked sitting down on the sofa. She knew what the answer was, wait. She did not like waiting, she did not like that she was unable to see or talk to Nate and she absolutely hated that he way lying in the infirmary alone in a prison.

"We wait." Eliot said knowing it was not what she wanted to hear, not what any of them wanted to hear but there was nothing else to do.