Chapter 21
"Eliot…"
"Nate…"
It was early morning and Eliot was alone in his room at the Linga Longa Lodge.
"Before you say anything…" Nate said softly. "It was for your own…"
"Good yeah right…" Eliot growled not allowing Nate to finish. "Did you ever think what this does to Sophie, never mind the rest of us?"
"Can we hold the lectures for later?" Nate replied unapologetically, he knew what he had done was wrong, but for the right reasons, or at least that is what he told himself. "You are in South Africa I take it?"
"Yes, at the Linga Longa Lodge just a stone's throw away from where Derby is supposed to be holding you."
"How did you know where that was?" Nate asked getting a distinctly uneasy feeling in his gut.
"We bumped into the man at the Lodge and well Sophie weaved her magic." Eliot said in explanation.
"Sophie is not with him…" Nate said suddenly alarmed.
"No… well not any more. He took her to where they were holding you but you had just… left. He stayed behind and sent her back here to wait for him."
"Eliot you cannot let Sophie..."
"I would not start with 'Eliot you cannot anything' right now Nate." Eliot growled. "We wouldn't be in this situation if you had just been completely honest and not let us have to be following bread crumbs…"
"Ok fine…" Nate said softly, he knew that Eliot was right, but he had done what he had thought was right. "You're right."
"So what is the plan?" Eliot asked dropping the subject as he knew when Sophie got hold of Nate there was going to be hell to pay. He had made it plain where he stood and that was enough for now.
"Get Sophie and the others and meet me at bungalow 10 at Die Oog Resort in Kuruman. Sterling and I are booked in here."
"Ok. Just be there when we get there ok?"
"Eliot…"
"Just be there Nate, I don't want to get there and you two have gone off again on your own tangent. We know what is going on with Derby at the compound, and I know you are going to try to do something about it. So just wait ok or so help me…"
"We are waiting for you." Nate replied with a slight grin on his face. Eliot knew him far too well, under normal circumstances he would have gone off with Sterling and left a note for them to stay put until he returned. He was not sure when he had started to protect the team instead of using them, but it had happened. Now he would rather die than put Sophie, or any of them really, in danger, but especially Sophie.
"Good see you in a short while." Eliot said then hung up.
"And…?" Sterling asked rolling his hands over at Nate indicating he should tell him everything.
"He's going to get the rest and then come through here."
"Great, so what is the plan for stopping Derby?"
Nate smiled down at his glass. Why was he the one to have to come up with a plan? Sterling was supposed to be a Mastermind in his own right… He had no bloody idea what the plan was, now he had more than just his and Sterling's safety to think about. Sophie was in the mix, which was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. He sighed heavily and poured himself another drink.
"Nate…"
"I'm thinking." Nate said as he took a sip of his whiskey.
Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter coming soon.