Chapter 9
Nate walked into his bedroom and closed the door. The woman he loved was out there along with the rest of his family and she was carrying his child and they were all in danger. Not because of something he had done, or even something he had been involved in, but because of a serial killer that had sent a man into the brewpub to kill somebody and had hit him. This man wanted him dead, and if he did not die then he would go after his family and that he could not allow. His choices were limited though, he could kill himself and give the man what he wanted, or he could try to outwit a man who had evaded the FBI for a long time and wait for him to make a move on any one of the people he held dear.
He sighed heavily and lay back on the bed. He was catholic, yes a lapsed catholic but none the less, suicide was a mortal sin, but if he was going to ensure the safety of all of them then he might have to commit that sin. Damn this man whoever he was damn him, finally his life was in a good place, he was in a good place. He was in love with a woman whom he had loved for more years than he would like to remember, she had agreed to marry him. Marry him he thought, something he never had believed he would do again, get married. Now she was pregnant with his child and he had never been happier. He had a family whom he cared for dearly, more than he liked to admit. Eliot, Hardison and Parker, they meant a lot to him. So what were his options, take a chance that he could beat this man and risk the life of his wife and unborn child and his family on the assumption that he was good enough to beat him, or just give him what he wanted. Nate sat contemplating his options when his phone rang.
"Ford."
"Mr Ford, this is agent Penton from the FBI, we came to see you before."
"Yes what can I do for you?"
"I was just calling to follow up Mr Ford, have you had any correspondence from him?"
"Yes." Nate said and heard a slight intake of breath from the other side of the line.
"What did he say?"
"He wants me dead. If I don't die then he is going to kill either my wife or one of my friends." Nate decided to be honest with her and see where it went.
"I see. Well I will be over and we can discuss how to proceed."
"No, no don't come here. He is probably watching this place."
"Mr Ford, you are the closest we have ever come to catching this man, he made a mistake, a mistake with you."
"Well not really a mistake, he just misjudged who he was dealing with and the resources I have."
"Yes, yes of course but now he had to change his MO, he seems to be forced to come after you."
"Agreed." Nate said, the man had to see him dead or at least somebody connected to him dead to continue with whatever damn crusade he thought he was on. "But that in itself Agent Penton does not make sense, not for a typical serial killer."
"No it doesn't, but it gives us a way to get him." Penton agreed, she was starting to think they had profiled this man wrong he was not a serial killer in the traditional sense, he was a mission focused killer who had gone through something to trigger his killing, the mission he was on, she just did not know what.
"Really?"
"Yes, he will come after you Mr Ford, he will not be able to let this go, he has to have his victim and in his mind you are that victim, the others are he did not consider victims but tools, he will not move on until he has completed this mission, he is driven by something we do not understand to do this, and he will not stop until stopped."
"You are right however it is not just me he will take out one of my family if I don't give him what he wants, that is what he said." Nate said taking a sip of his whiskey. "So what, you want me to expose myself and let him do exactly that?"
"Mr Ford, I know this is dangerous but there are a lot of people who will die if we do not catch this man and you are our best chance, the best we have had in months."
Nate said nothing, the only problem with this situation was that this man was not after killing him was not out to kill him but one of his family if he did not give him what he wanted, because as far as he was concerned he was already dead, if not yet buried.
"Look Ms Penton, this guy, he is not going to come after me understand?"
"Mr Ford…"
"No he is not, he has given me an ultimatum, either I am dead or one of my family is, he wants me to kill myself understand?"
There was silence at the other end of the phone, and he could almost hear the woman thinking. Then she cleared her throat before speaking.
"You can't really be considering that Mr Ford, let us help you, let us get this guy off the streets, we can protect your family." She said and was met by silence from Nate. Finally she sighed and then asked him what he was planning to do.
"I don't know Agent Penton, I don't know." Nate said honestly.
"Would it not be better to try and get this guy of the streets than to do what he demands of you? If you and your family come in we can protect you." She repeated to him hoping he would realise she was his best hope to keep himself and his family alive and take this man down.
"Really?" Nate almost laughed at her, they had been on this case for months and had no clue who this guy was. The FBI were going to protect him and his family, no he did not think so.
"Mr Ford."
"Look thanks for the call Penton, but I think I can handle this." Nate said then hung up.
Just as he had laid back on the bed and closed his eyes his door opened, and Sophie walked in.
"Nate." She called out softly as she approached his bed.
"Sophie, has something happened…"
"No, no Nate I just thought we should have a talk." She said taking a seat beside him as he pushed himself up in the bed.
"Sophie I am fine really…you need to worry about yourself and our child."
"I am, I am worried for this child's father and what he is thinking of doing." Sophie said softly.
"Sophie…"
"I just thought I would come up here and tell you that no matter what happens I will never forgive you Nate if you even contemplate walking the path this man is leading you down."
"Sophie…"
"Do you understand me Nate. I will never forgive you, not ever. Tell me you understand Nate."
"I understand." Nate said quietly.
"Good, now you get some rest and then we can all put our heads together and find a way out of this mess, as a team, as a family, your family." She said leaning in and placing a kiss on his lips, hers lingering a little longer than necessary.
"I love you Sophie." He whispered to her and his voice was so full of emotion it brought tears to her eyes.
"And I love you now get some rest and then…then we will find a way to beat this madman." She said smiling at him as she ran her hand through his hair.
Nate lay back again and watched as Sophie threw a blanket over him. Then she leaned in and gave him another kiss before leaving the room and him to his thoughts.
