Chapter 19

"You alright?" Hardison asked as Eliot jumped in the car.

"Fine…" Eliot growled. He had a little trickle of blood on his forehead but otherwise looked unscathed.

"They shot you." Hardison said shaking his head he had never understood how Eliot always came out of these confrontations alive and not looking too bad.

"Yeah…" Eliot smiled at him. He had worn a bullet proof vest which he had taken with them when they had left Johannesburg. "Luckily I always come prepared." He said as he pulled open his shirt to show Hardison the jacket.

"They're leaving…" Parker interrupted, she was not surprised Eliot was prepared for anything and had come out reasonably unscathed, she had almost as much believe in him as she had in Nate for being able to get out of any situation.

Eliot nodded and watched as the car left the parking area. They had Sophie on tracker so he was not going to risk following too closely behind the vehicle.

"Sophie…we are right behind you." Eliot told the woman over the coms. He did not like the fact that she was separated from them and in the company of Derby alone, but it was the only way.

"So where are we going?" Sophie asked Derby trying to ignore his hand which had come to rest on her knee.

"Not far from here." Derby said gently stroking his thumb across her knee.

"What business do you do?"

"Oh a little of this and a little of that." Derby smiled at her. "Mostly trade in commodities." He said squeezing her knee gently. "But I am sure we have much better things to talk about than that…"

Silence fell over them as Sophie turned to look out the window. It was taking everything she had not to slap the man, as he felt his hand slide up her leg. The rest of the drive was spent in relative silence and it was not long before they arrived at a large compound.

"Ah we are here. Now my dear it would be best if you remained in the car, I will not be long I promise." Derby said as they drove through a large gate.

"I need to stretch my legs…"

"I really would prefer if you stayed in the car."

"Well I really would prefer if it didn't." Sophie said sternly opening turning towards the door which was now blocked by one of his men.

Derby stared at her back and then shook his head to indicate he should let her out. Then he climbed out of the car and walked around to her.

"Happy…?" He asked her softly. "But stay here understand?" He said kissing her softly on the cheek,

Sophie leaned into him and gave him a hug patting him on the back and whispering that she would stay where she was. Derby smiled at her and then turned and walked towards one of the large structures on the compound.

"Well done Sophie…" Hardison's voice came over the coms. "I got ears."

Sophie nodded slightly knowing that one of the three would be watching her. He had managed to slip a listening devise onto Derby's jacket before he had walked away, now they would be able to hear what his business was about and if it involved Nate and Sterling.

"What the hell happened to you?" Asked as Johannes him halfway from the car to the building, looking dishevelled with dried blood on his forehead, his son did not look much better either.

"Those two men, they… They got hold of a gun and took the truck and…"

"You idiot. How the hell did they get a gun?"

"You see they played dead and…"

"Stop." Derby said holding up his hand. If Sophie had not been standing there watching him, he probably would have shot the man down where he stood. "Where did they go?"

"We don't know sir." Another man said stepping forward. "These two…" He said pointing at Johannes and Wicus… "Drove them out of here…"

"They had the drop on us." Wicus interrupted earning himself a withering glare from Derby.

"Keep your mouth shut…" Derby hissed at Wicus then turned to the other man. "We have a shipment coming in in a matter of hours and now we have two Interpol Agents on the loose who know where to send the cavalry."

Silence fell on the group with nobody wanting to say anything to Derby in fear of his reaction.

"You and your son, you find those two and make sure they do not put a spanner in the works." Derby told Johannes. "If you don't end them, I WILL end you… BOTH, now get out of my sight."

"Nate and Sterling I suppose… damn we missed them." Hardison said listening to the conversation.

"What the hell is going on?" Sophie said turning to face away from her bodyguard. The others could hear the conversation but she could not.

"They are gone…" Eliot said with a long sigh.

"What do you mean gone…" Sophie said suddenly alarmed. Did gone mean GONE… no…

"I mean they got out, God alone knows how but they managed to get away."

"Oh thank God." Sophie said softly taking a deep breath.

"Now how in the hell do we find them?" Hardison asked despondently.

"Well normal people would head back to Johannesburg but those two idiots…"

"What are you saying Eliot?" Sophie asked.

"I'm saying the man was talking about another 'shipment', I would not put it past those two to hang around and try to do something about that." Eliot said a hint of anger in his voice. It would be something Nate would try even though it would be suicide plain and simple.

"No I don't think so." Sophie said turning as she spoke to see Derby walking towards her. "He's back…Eliot."

"There you are my dear…" Derby said as he walked around the car to join Sophie. "What have you been doing?"

"Oh just looking at the country, it is really beautiful here." Sophie smiled disarmingly at him.

"Really…" Derby said looking up at the sparse landscape around them. "I suppose it has a beauty of its own…" He smiled back at her. "Now my dear, I know I promised that we would go and get to know each other better after my visit here, but something has come up and I have to stay and take care of some other business."

"Oh…"

"I would ask you to stay with me, but that would not be fair." Derby continued. "There is no accommodations fit for a lady here."

"So what are you suggesting?" Sophie asked looking up at him.

"Well, my man here is going to take you back to the lodge, he will make sure you have a room and are well taken care of until my return."

"And when will that be?"

"I am afraid only tomorrow morning, but then I am all yours." Derby smiled taking her arm and leading her back to the car. "Anything you need Jason here will make sure you have it ok?"

"What about…"

"Don't worry yourself about your former bodyguard or your husband for that matter. Jason is the best there is and no harm will come to you." Derby said cutting her off before she could ask the question. "No run along my dear, this really is no place for a woman."

"Ok…" Sophie said hesitantly. "I don't mind staying you know."

"I know, and that is very kind, but you need to be comfortable and safe, that is a priority for me now." Derby said leaning forward and kissing her gently. "And always, now and in the future." He whispered to her.

Sophie blushed slightly and nodded. Then she turned and climbed into the car. Derby told Jason to take her back to the lodge and make sure nobody bothered her. Then he leaned in to Sophie and again and whispered how much he looked forward to being with her. She smiled and return and Jason drove off towards the lodge.

Well sorry for the delay… hope you enjoyed. Next chapter up soon.