Chapter 27

"Eliot, Sophie, Hardison and Parker, I know you can hear me so hear this. If you do not drive up to my gate in the next, let's say twenty minutes I will put a bullet into your Mastermind, into your husband Sophie, so now it comes down to this, how much is he worth to you?"

"Stay out of here…"

"Come now Nate, you have to give them at least a chance to save you right…I mean that is what family do for each other." James said turning holding the Mastermind's gaze. "Make sacrifices."

"We're coming Nate, we can make a plan when we get there…"

"No…no don't do that."

"They are coming aren't they…and there is nothing you can do to stop it is there?" James smiled at him. "Don't be so sad Nate, it just shows that they are willing to do what it takes to save your life, you should be flattered that they are willing to do that for you."

Nate stared at him his heart racing, he was not going to allow this because he knew they were going to come.

"What do they say Nate? Are they coming to your rescue?" James continued almost laughing at the expression on Nate's face. "Eliot you will drive up to the gates, you will divest yourself of all weapons and hand yourself over to my people who will be waiting, and in that way Nate lives…" He said knowing they could hear him.

Nate looked around the room his mind calming as he tried to figure a way out of this for them, he knew they were coming, he could hear Sophie telling him that they would come and then they would work something out, but there was nothing to work out, if they came he would kill them and he would be forced to watch and that was not something he was willing to allow. Then a calmness came over him and he lifted the whiskey to his lips draining the glass before turning to James.

"You are right." Nate said softly his voice devoid of emotion and his expression showing nothing of what he was feeling or thinking. "That is what families do for each other."

"Damn right…" He heard Hardison hiss out.

Nate smiled at James and then unexpectedly he turned and threw himself at one of the men who stood guarding the room. They went down together in a heap with Nate grabbing for the gun the man held and James shouting out not to kill him and he could hear his team calling out asking what was happening and then two muffled gunshots sounded and the two bodies on the floor became limp. James then watched as his man stood revealing the limp form of Nate beneath him.

"You…you…he was not to be harmed, you killed him you buffoon." James raged at his man.

"He came for me…I had no choice." His man said looking down at the body of the Mastermind.

"Nate…Nate…talk to me Nate…"Sophie called into the coms but got no response.

They could only imagine what had happened and Eliot pulled the car over and off the road again out of sight, they were almost at the house but it was pointless now, and he was determined to keep them safe.

"Eliot…" Parker almost shouted at him as he brought the car to a stop.

"Parker no, we can't do anything now and going in there would just be…It would…"

"Be pointless...suicide…" Hardison finished for him as they listened to the scene playing out through the coms. It was clear that something had happened and from what was being said it seemed Nate was dead, shot by one of James's men.

"No…no Eliot you move, no…Eliot start this bloody car we are going there we are going to get Nate and…Eliot please."

"I am sorry Sophie but we…I am sorry." He almost whispered as they heard James curse his man and then two more gunshots sounded almost deafening them.

The shot were followed by a short period of silence and then they heard the voice of James's brother as he entered the room.

"What the hell happened?" Carl asked as he looked from the one body to the other.

"I told him that he was not to be harmed…he killed him."

"Good." Carl said looking down at the Mastermind with a satisfied smile. "He deserved to die."

"I am going to kill you both." Eliot said under his breath his voice hard and deadly and completely calm.

"Nate's dead…" Sophie whispered.

"Frederick…get rid of the bodies." James said to his other man then walked out the room pausing briefly to look at Nate's body. It was not what he wanted, but he had his revenge as did his brother and that was going to have to be enough.

Carl watched his brother leave then turned to look down at Nate and smiled before turning and following James out the room. Frederick watched them go then called in some other men. They quickly loaded the bodies into the van outside, they had to make the bodies disappear and that was not particularly hard in Las Vegas, just drive out into the desert and dig a hole. Once both bodies were loaded he and three other men climbed in and he set off. Not far from the gate Eliot waited and then they followed the van keeping a good distance away with Hardison tracking them and guiding him along. As they drove out of town silence reigned in the car and on the coms. They had to get Nate's body so that they could give him a decent burial, then they would take care of James and his brother.

"He's pulling off the road ahead, heading into the desert." Hardison said after about an hour's drive.

Eliot nodded and slowed down slightly, they did not want to be too far behind but they also did not want to be seen, not until it was time. The drive was slow as they headed out into the desolation before them and then Hardison told Eliot they had stopped. Eliot nodded and then stopped the car.

"I'm going to go get Nate." Eliot said turning to Sophie. There was no point for the woman to go with him. He would go, get Nate's body and bring it back, taking care of the men who were there.

"I'm going with you…" Parker said softly and when Eliot looked at her she shook her head. "You are going to need some help."

"Fine." Eliot said. "Hardison stay here…Sophie…"

She looked at him but said nothing and her expression almost broke his heart. He nodded at her and then climbed out the car and closed the door. Parker joined him and then they set off in the direction Hardison had told them that they had taken Nate. The walked fast and without a word until the approached the group. Two of the men were busy digging graves while the other one dragged the bodies over to them.

"Damn man what was Cedric supposed to do, I mean the man went for him right…just let himself get shot?" One of the men were saying as he dumped Nate's limp form beside that of the fallen henchman.

"Let's just get this done." The other man said, he did not want to debate the issue and the others nodded with the third man also picking up a shovel and joining in digging the graves.

Eliot motioned to Parker to stop. Then he crept forward keeping his eyes averted from the innate forms on the ground before springing forward with Parker, and within a few second all three men lay motionless on the ground. Parker moved to Nate's body and dropped to her knees beside him.

"Bout time you got here." Nate said opening his eyes.

"The hell…" Eliot growled as he joined Parker just as Nate started to sit up giving him a hand.

"Vest." Nate said letting Eliot pull him up into a standing position. "Let's get out of here before they wake up."

"Nate…Nate…" He heard Sophie's voice over the coms.

"Sophie I'm alright, I'll explain when I get to you." He said then they set off towards where Eliot had left the car.