Chapter 10

The call came in at just after 6pm informing Nate that he should be at Yuri Bronovich's house in an hour. He was a heavy hitter in the mob with his focus being on arms dealing with a side interest in running girls and human trafficking. Nate was told that he would be picked up by somebody and should be ready to go at the designated time.

At precisely seven a car pulled up outside his hotel and the Nate got in. It was a two-hour drive from their hotel with the compound being on the outskirts of Moscow of the opposite side of the city. Nate was ushered into a large lavishly decorated room on arrival and offered a glass of whiskey then told to make himself comfortable and Yuri would join him shortly.

"Mr Connor." The large overweight man said as he entered the room. His face was pale as if he had never seen the sun and his size was grotesque. He walked and took a seat on the large sofa placed almost in the middle of the room his huge frame taking up almost the whole of the two-seater.

"Mr Bronovich." Nate replied. "I am honoured to meet you."

"Yes, yes, Novich tells me you want to talk long term business in arms and other things is that correct?"

"Indeed." Nate said but not offering any further details up and not seeming too over eager in his advances.

"Well, I am always open to opportunity Mr Connor and your reputation proceeds you."

Nate raised his glass to the man without saying anything.

"Now Mr Connor, Boris tells me the shipment you are selling me is fine merchandise, good quality, where did you get it?"

"Ah yes well I have connections with the military in the US, they can…appropriate goods for me when needed." Nate said giving him the cover story he had invented. It was very plausible and did not give away anything that they could follow up with and find holes in.

"I see." Yuri said smiling at the man. "Now if I wanted say…stinger missiles…could you obtain them for me."

"Now that Mr Bronovich is not something I usually do." Nate said knowing this was test. "I could make enquiries, but that kind of merchandise is costly and dangerous to move."

"Indeed." Bronovich said, he had not expected a different answer, if the man were over eager and said he had them then he would have thought he might be a plant, those kinds of arms were difficult to procure.

"You will of course join me for dinner Mr Connor…"

"Please sir call be Abraham, my father was Mr Connor." Nate smiled at him. "And I would be honoured."

"Of course. Abraham. I think we have many things to discuss."

"Excellent." Nate replied. This was going well, but he had had to change the plan slightly, it was going to be messy and it was going to be violent, but after what he had seen, there was no other way it was only a matter of time before the game was up and he would be exposed.

"Good Boris will also be joining us shortly." Bronovich said indicating to his man to refill Nate's glass and his. "I prefer Vodka, now that is a drink Abraham."

"Yes…yes, but you know I find whiskey more to my taste, I suppose it may be a cultural thing." Nate said accepting his glass and smiling at the man.

"Yes…" Bronovich said and laughed. "You Americans like the weak liquor unlike us Russians."

Nate did not reply but raised his glass to the man and laughed with him. He was on tenterhooks waiting for what he knew was coming, he only hoped it would go the way he thought it would, and if it did it would play right into his hands.

"Something is not right Eliot." Sophie whispered to the Hitter as she listened to the conversation.

"It seems to be going well." Parker said looking at Sophie quizzically, as far as she could tell Nate was ingratiating himself with the man and the meeting was going as planned.

Sophie shook her head and continued to listen to the two men talk, she could feel it that something was off, she was not sure what, but something was about to go down. Russians were not this welcoming, especially to new commers and especially when it concerned their business.

"Well there is nothing we can do Sophie, let's just see what goes down." Eliot said seeing the look of concern on her face. He too thought the meeting was going well, although he was a little surprised at the way Nate was being received with open arms.

Ten minutes later Boris Novich and three other men walked into the room and stood behind Bronovich smiling at Nate while another man moved in to stand behind the Mastermind's chair. Nate sighed and shook his head slightly, here we go he thought to himself as he sipped his whiskey.

"So…you thought you could come here and con me Mr Ford." Bronovich said. "Surprised I know your name…you should not be Mr Ford I am no fool."

"No just a gun running mobster is all." Nate said brining curses from his team who sat listening all of them now full of angst at the sudden and unexpected turn of events.

"Before you try and con me you should really investigate who is on my payroll." Yuri said ignoring Nate's remark. Then he nodded and Novich indicated that a man should come into the room.

Nate looked at him and then closed his eyes and raised his head up.

"I see you recognise him just he did you." Bronovich laughed. "The game is up Mr Ford, and you will pay for your insolence and temerity."

"How is your father?" Pyotr asked as he stepped into the room.

"How was jail?" Nate retorted and saw the man pull out his gun and cock it anger blazing in his eyes.

"Put the gun down Pyotr." Novich said softly. "He is not going to die so easily."

"Pyotr…the Russian guy from the job with Nate's dad?" Eliot said. He never forgot a name and he knew that one, he was the lead goon from the Russians that Nate's dad had been working with.

"Oh God." Sophie whispered.

"So what now?" Nate asked and they heard no sign of fear or even surprise in his voice.

"Take him, put him with the others." Novich said.

Nate finished his drink quickly before being forcefully pulled to his feet and escorted out of the room. He did not resist at all as they escorted him down to the basement of the house and put him in a cell that was there, locking the door after pushing him in. Then the two men left leaving Nate alone in the cell with four other cells around him.

"We need a plan." Parker said looking to Eliot.

"Of all the damn bad luck." Hardison said softly. That Pyotr would be there working for Novich and Bronovich and that he would recognise Nate, it was the worst kind of luck and now Nate was in a near fortress and he had no idea how they were going to get him out.

"Juan you in here?" They heard Nate's voice after about five minutes of silence.

"Who are you?" A voice asked. "How do you know who I am?"

"Your father sent me to get you out." Nate said softly.

"How by getting locked up yourself?" The boy asked his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well yes it seemed the simplest way to find you." Nate said.

"So you have a plan?"

"Well no." Nate said again. "But I am working on it. Are you hurt?"

"No." Juan answered.

"Good." Nate said. "My name is Nate Ford, and we are going to get out of here so just hang in there ok."

"Oh my God he knew Pyotr was there…he planned this whole bloody thing." Sophie said in disbelief as they listened to Nate talk to the boy.

"What the hell was he thinking?" Eliot growled. He could not see how Nate was going to get himself out of this one and he was not sure how they were going to be able to get him out either.

"He must have a plan." Parker said. Nate did not do things for no reason so he must have a plan she thought to herself.

"So how is the hospitality around here?" Nate asked.

"You are kidding right?"

"No Juan, I need to know the routine tell me." Nate said softly.

"Ok, well we are left mostly alone, they come in once a day with food or what they think passes as food and some water."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Nate said it is what he thought, this was just a holding pen.

"What else?"

"Sometimes that other man…Novich comes down. That is when they hurt people, try and get them to talk about things and then…then sometimes kill them, either shoot them or…or do other things. They have not come for me though, not spoken to me at all in all this time." Juan said and Nate could hear that the memory of seeing people killed or hurt upset him. This boy was most definitely not his father.

"Ok." Nate said. "Well there is nothing to do for now, so I am going to get some rest, it has been a long day." Nate said softly. "Don't worry Juan, I promised your father I would bring you home and that is what I am going to do ok."

Silence met Nate's words and then a shaky 'ok' followed. Nate smiled into the darkness and then lay down on the dirty mattress that was provided and closed his eyes. Tomorrow he would see what happened, everything was in place and now it was just a waiting game.