Disclaimer- I own only Kate Macy and Nikolai Petrechenko, all other characters are the property of Tailwind Productions and NBC. (pout)
Author's Note- Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and to jtbwriter for her fantastic epilogue idea and as always for being a wonderful beta. Jules, later gator.
Garret looked over at the clock and stood putting on his coat. "Ready, Kate?" He asked, picking up the case with the money.
"Just a moment, let's have one drink for luck, mo brathair." Kate turned to the desk and poured them each a measure of scotch. She took both glasses and sat on the couch; Garret came over and sat beside her. As he took his glass, she raised hers in a toast. "Slainte mhath. That's Gaelic for good health."
Garret touched his glass to hers and they both took a sip. "You know Garret, I meant what I said. If this goes to Hell in a handcart, I want you to take the money." He opened his mouth and she raised her hand. "I know, you willna allow me to come to hurt, but you mayna have a say. I've left the codes in an envelope on your desk and final instructions for my body. I want to be laid out proper and buried in the Highlands. Promise me you'll honor my final wishes, Garret. It's important to me."
"There's not going to be any need, Kate, but if it makes you feel better, I agree."
"I thank you, Garret. It eases my mind to know that things will be done proper, should it be needful." She sat for a moment watching him as he drank the last of his scotch. As he leaned forward to set his glass down, he blinked and shook his head. "That'll be the wee mickey I slipped you taking effect, Garret."
He looked at her, feeling the room spin. "Why, Kate."
"For family, my niece deserves to have her father for a long time. I've come to love you these past few days, mo brathair and I willna see harm come to you through my folly." She stood, pushed him back on the couch and leaned over to kiss his head as his eyes closed. "Tha mi duilich. Tha gaol agam ort, Garret."
Kate picked up the case and turned to look at the unconscious man, she brushed away a tear. "Bennachd leibh, mo brathair." She walked out and took the stairs to avoid Nigel and Jordan.
Fifteen minutes later Nigel realized that he hadn't heard Kate and Garret leave, he sprinted down the hall to remind them of the time, it was already 9:30 and it took at least 15 minutes to drive to the Commons. When he saw Garret on the sofa and two glasses on the coffee table, he knew immediately what Kate had done.
"Jordan." He shouted and the lithe brunette came running at the panicked sound.
"Nigel…..?" She started to ask what was wrong and then saw Garret on the couch.
"She slipped him a mickey, stay with him, I'm going after Kate." Nigel spun and ran for the stairs, praying he wasn't too late.
Boston Common
Kate made her way across the expanse of green hoping that she'd see the sunrise, but fairly certain that she and Harry would be dead very soon. The man leaning against the rock ahead of her would see to that.
She suddenly had an audience for her stroll as an armed man stepped out from behind trees, came up beside of her, shadowing her progress to the man at the rock. As she came close enough for them to speak in a normal tone of voice, he spoke.
"You have the egg, da?" Petrechenko asked.
"Yes and your money as well, where's Harry?" Another goon moved forward with Harry beside him, he was walking on his own so at least they hadn't killed him yet.
"Will you let us leave?" Kate knew the probable answer, but asked anyway hoping for time to at least bargain for Harry's life.
"You may both go now." Petrechenko said waving the guy next to Harry back to the limo.
"And you'll no shoot us in the back, Mr. Petrechenko? I wasna born yesterday and I'll thank you to have the decency to allow me a word with my father and to see my death through head on." Kate knew the man would understand such a request.
"You are a smart and brave woman. I give five minutes to say your farewells to each other." Petrechenko smiled "And I give you each my word that it will be quick, in honor of your bravery." The Russian moved away giving them privacy.
"How goes it Harry?" She asked wondering how she would get them out of this.
"I have had better days, Katie." The older man sighed moving slowly to her.
"How bad did the bastard rough you?" She slipped an arm around him to take some of his weight.
"Not bad enough for me to look forward to the bullet."
"Aye, but maybe we willna have to worrit. If I get you out of here, go to Garret." She smiled as Harry's eyes widened. "Aye, I've met him and he knows everything, so doona fret. He'll see you safe and tell him I said you were to have your money from the Caymans account and Harry, when he tells you to go straight, for the sake of the sweet Virgin, pay heed." She hugged him and turned to the Russian mobster.
"I would offer you a deal, Petrechenko." Kate called out.
He turned back to her. "A deal? What can you offer that I do not have already? I have my property, a million dollars and your lives in payment."
"Five million more to let us both walk, no retribution now or in the future." Kate said praying he'd be greedy enough to take the deal. That hope died at the sound of his laughter.
"I am a proud man, little one and my pride has been stung. It is worth much to me." Kate thought she heard the beginnings of an offer to haggle in that.
"Six million." She offered.
"I wonder how high you will go, little one." He smiled pleasantly, but her skin crawled.
"How high do I need to go?" Kate asked already knowing the price.
"Money is a poor coin for a man's pride, Dushka." He reached out to stroke her cheek.
Kate squared her shoulders. "How many nights?"
"You are a rare find, Dushka. I would need time to explore all your treasures." Petrechenko's smile was lecherous.
"One week for both our lives." She stated.
"One week for the old man, but you are worth much more. For you, one month." He countered.
"One month and only my services in bed, as a thief, I am retired." Kate came back.
"One month and one week, the egg, and six million dollars American." Petrechenko declared extending his hand. Kate shook on the deal and fought the urge to wipe her hand on her coat.
"Harry goes now." She said. At the flash in his eyes, she added. "He walks or you kill us both and you can explore the treasures of my corpse." Kate knew he would only understand strength.
"Let the old man leave and tell Yuri to start the car." Petrechenko said to his goon, who headed off to the limo. "Come, Dushka. I want to drive back to New York tonight." He took her arm and she started toward the limousine, when they both heard sirens.
"You called the police, bitch." Petrechenko pulled his gun and Kate put a hand over his.
"Now why in the name of God would I call the police, you wee bastard. I'm the thief here, you own the egg legally, what can I prove against you and I did call the coppers. Think, man, where's the sense in it, when it would be me they be hauling off as a thief." Petrechenko relaxed under her hand. The sirens moved closer as Kate's heart pounded fiercely and she prayed, but she wasn't certain if her prayers were for the sirens to come closer or move away.
She watched as Harry entered a cab and disappeared into the night. At least her father was safe and with luck five weeks from now, she would be too, not much the worse for wear. The sirens moved off and Petrechenko held out his arm for Kate. She suppressed a shudder and took it.
As they neared the limo, a shape stepped out from behind it and into the light.
"Let her go, Petrechenko." Nigel leveled one of the thugs' guns at him.
As Kate's eyes widened at the sight of him, the Russian pulled her in front of him and held his gun to her head.
"I think not, you will drop yours." He said with an evil chuckle.
Kate looked hard at Nigel willing him to understand the message in her eyes. Seeing him nod almost imperceptibly she slumped as though fainting and became dead weight in Petrechenko's arms. As he fumbled to keep her upright, Nigel fired and struck him in the shoulder. Kate felt him release her and dropped to the ground rolling away as Nigel fired again. The scream told her he'd hit Petrechenko and then she heard another shot at the same time that she felt a sharp pain in her side.
She stopped her momentum and lay still for a moment trying to catch her breath, the burning pain in her side told her she'd been hit as well. Kate didn't raise her head, afraid to see if Nigel was standing or not.
"Kate?" His soft voice whispered as he knelt beside her. "Are you hurt?"
She felt at her side and looked at the blood on her hand. "The bastard shot me." Nigel started pulling at her clothes to check the wound. "Doona fash yourself laddie," Kate hissed. "I doona think it's bad but the way you're moving me hurts like hell burning."
Nigel finally got through the layers to see for himself and let out a sigh of relief. "It looks like it only grazed you, Katie luv. Don't move the police will be here soon and we'll get you to the hospital."
"Petrechenko?" She asked.
"I think he's dead." Nigel sounded happy at the prospect.
"I suppose I should be giving my hero a kiss then." Kate grinned up at him
"Why would you agree to his bargain, Kate?" Nigel asked.
'Twas nothing I havena done before, mo caraid. Once upon a time I put food in my belly by working on my back." She looked up at him, praying he wouldn't hate her.
Nigel smiled and kissed her. "The past is the past, luv."
She smiled and then realized they may still be in danger. "But what happened to his men?"
"Well, I think they'll be waking up about the time the handcuffs go on." Nigel grinned. "You're not the only one with a checkered past, lass."
"A man of many talents, I see. You know laddie, it may take at least year to properly appreciate a man like you. Perhaps I should start now." She pulled his head down and kissed him as sirens began to wail in the distance, coming closer. For once Kate found that she didn't care whether the police showed up or not, she was too busy having her toes curled by Nigel's kisses.
Epilogue-
Garret listened to Harry promise yet again that he was going straight and wondered if the old man even knew how any more. They sat with Jordan in Garret's office sipping scotch and waiting for Kate to call. She and Nigel had gone off for the weekend and she'd promised to call by seven that evening with some news.
He was finally getting used to the idea of having a sister and to the fact that she was dating Nigel. Kate had settled in Boston and spent the last several months working as a freelance security consultant. Most of her clients had no idea how perfect she was for the job of finding the weaknesses in any system. Thanks to Kate's insistence and her checkbook, Abby was going to Harvard and because of Kate, Garret and Abby were actually working on a real relationship.
The phone rang cutting off Harry's protestations and Garret picked it up.
"Hello, Garret, put your phone on speaker; I've something to tell you both."
"Hi, Kate, where are you?" Garret, Jordan and Harry could hear a crowd in the background and sirens, bells and shrieks of elation.
"We're in Las Vegas and we're marrit." There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.
"Nigel's my brother-in-law?" Garret couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea.
"Aye and he says to tell you he'll be a bit late Monday, our flight doesna leave until noon. But you'll be giving him the day off won't you, mo brathair. I have to go, Nigel's off at the tables and I mun see that he doesna lose too much. Oh and Garret, you might want to be telling someone how you feel about her yourself." Kate hung up on a stunned Garret. He looked at Harry and Jordan who were laughing.
"What's so funny?" He growled.
"Garret, you looked like you swallowed a fish." Jordan laughed. "And who is it you should be telling how you feel?"
Garret blushed, menatlly cursing Kate's sense of humor and growled out. "Later Jordan."
THE END?
A/N- Here's your Gaelic lesson (Matt if you'd like to know where I got my info email me, the address is on my profile page). The first syllable of caraid is a soft guttural K sound made at the back of the throat.
"Mo caraid" (mo CHA-ray) "My friend"
"Slainte mhath" ( SLAN-juh va ) "Good health!" (Gaelic Toast)
"Tha mi duilich." (hah mee DOOH-lich) "I'm sorry."
"Tha gaol agam ort." (Hah Geul AH-kum orsht.) "I love you.
"Beannachd leibh, mo brathair " ( BEN-uk leave, mo BRA-thayr ) "Blessings With You, my brother or Goodbye, my brother"
Thanks for all your reviews and don't forget to leave one on your way out and from Kate and myself 'Tapadh leat' (TAHplett orTAH-puh LAHT ) 'Thank you'.