Chapter 22

Nate awoke again six hours later with Father Paul sitting beside him.

"Welcome back Nate."

Nate looked at him and then tried to sit up wincing in pain as he did, and Paul put his hands on is shoulders pushing him back onto the bed.

"Easy there Nate, just take it easy."

"Did you…"

"Nobody knows you are here." Paul said. "But you are going to have to tell me what is going on."

"It's a long story." Nate said running his hand over his face.

"Well I appear to have time and so do you." Paul said moving to take a seat on the chair beside the bed. "Start talking Nate."

The next hour was spent going through everything that had happened two years previously and everything that had happened in the last few days from when Sadiski had first contacted him. Paul sat and listened without interruption, then rose and handed Nate a glass of whiskey and poured one for himself.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know." Nate told the Priest. "I don't know if Penton or the Marshals got one or the other of them, I don't know where they are, and we are back at square one."

"Playing cat and mouse."

"Yes. I am sorry Paul for involving you but I couldn't go to the hospital."

"I understand Nate." Paul said smiling at his friend.

"I will be gone by morning."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know, but I can't stay here, if they find me here you and your parish are in danger, I won't allow that."

"You know Nate you need help, and I am willing to help you. You can stay here nobody will look for you here." He held up his hand and smiled at his friend. "No more arguments, for once in your life accept the help offered will you."

"Fine, but just until I am a little stronger." Nate said closing his eyes. "Paul you can't tell anybody…you can't tell Sophie where I am, this is between me and Sadiski, if they get involved they could get hurt, I can't allow that." He said opening his eyes and looking up at his friend. "Promise me Paul, give me your word."

"I promise Nate. But I think you need them, you need help."

Nate said nothing, the loss of blood and the fatigue along with the pain pills that Paul had given him were pulling him back into sleep as he closed his eyes again, Paul sat with him until he saw his breathing had evened out and he was asleep.

Walking into his kitchen he poured himself a cup of coffee. He thought about the man lying in the other room, he had gone through so much in his life. Even as a child he had not had an easy time of it, and now, when Paul had thought he would finally find the happiness he deserved, this was happening. He sat for an hour debating with himself if he should call somebody and then decided that despite what Nate wanted, he needed help.

"Paul…" Sophie said answering the phone after only one ring when she saw it was Father Paul's number.

"Sophie…"

"Have you spoken to Nate." She asked immediately, that would be the only reason he was calling and after what they had seen on the television she was sure he was calling with a message from Nate to say he was alright, at least she hoped so. She put the phone on speaker and laid it on the little table so that they could all hear the conversation.

"Yes. He told me what was going on, this Sadiski caught up to him."

"Oh my God is he alright." Sophie asked thinking of the footage she had seen and imagining Nate being shot.

"Frankly no, but he is alive, and he will be fine given some time and some rest."

"Where is he Paul, he needs us, he needs our help." Eliot said.

"He is here with me. He is safe for now." Paul said saying sorry in his mind to his friend for betraying his trust for breaking his word, but these were his family and he needed help, the kind that Eliot and the others could give him, and he could not.

"We are on our way." Eliot said.

"How badly was he hurt?" Sophie asked her voice full of angst.

"You know what happened?"

"We saw what happened on the streets in the news." Hardison said.

"Ah yes that was Nate and Sadiski, Nate had contacted the FBI and they intervened before they could finish him off. He came here and I have patched him up as much as I can. He is sleeping now." Paul told them. "He is fine Sophie, considering everything he was not too badly hurt."

"Paul you have to be careful. These people will stop at nothing to kill Nate."

"Yes he told me the whole story and I understand the danger, but I doubt they will look here for him, I have him in the rectory and nobody knows he is here, we are safe for now." Paul told them, he understood the risks, but Nate was in trouble and besides the fact that Nate was his friend, he was a Priest, and he was bound to help those in need.

"Ok it is going to take a few hours to get there, just keep your head down." Eliot said.

"He wants to leave…to protect me." Paul told them he was not sure if Nate would still be there when they arrived.

"You have to keep him there Paul." Sophie almost pleaded with him.

"Sophie you know as well as I do that nobody can stop Nate from doing what he wants to do, now I think I have convinced him to stay until he is stronger, he said he would, but I cannot stop him if he wants to leave." Paul told her he was not prepared to tie the man down to keep him there.

"Just…please Paul try and keep him there." Sophie whispered. "We will take a charter we will be there in at most three hours." She said looking at Hardison who nodded.

"I'll do my best." Paul assured her then hung up returning to Nate's room to find the man still asleep. He sighed then closed the door and went into the living room taking a seat on the sofa to wait for Nate's family to arrive.

"Sophie, you and Michael cannot come with us."

"Why Eliot do you think we are safer here alone? No I am going."

"Sophie please…"

"We are wasting time Eliot. Sophie said pushing past him and walking out to the car. Maggie will look after Michael, we will stop there on the way to Paul, I called her, and she has agreed." She said as she climbed into the car and smiled at the Hitter.

Eliot looked at her and then shook his head slightly, he had never met two more stubborn people than Sophie and Nate and with Nate now injured and still in danger, well there was no way he was going to stop her from going. Then the others climbed into the car and set off for the airport where the charter plane Hardison had organised for them would be waiting.

"Well it wasn't the seal of the confessional this time Paul." Nate said as he walked into the living room. He had woken about an hour after Paul had left the room and had heard the end of the conversation with Sophie. "You should not have told them I am here."

"You need their help Nate."

Nate did not reply but shook his head, he was not going to allow Sophie to get involved in this, under no circumstances and he knew if they were on their way so was she. The problem was if Sadiski spotted them or his Hacker did, then he might think that he had brought them in and then they would all be fair game.

"Paul I don't think you understand. If he thinks I have brought them in, then they become targets as well." Nate stated as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"They are good at what they do Nate, and don't you think they know the risks, don't you think they would have taken precautions." Paul said slightly alarmed at what Nate had said.

"I am sure they will, but when they get here they are not going to leave it alone Paul." Nate said. "So I am leaving now."

"Nate…"

"Thanks Paul, for everything." Nate said walking towards the door.

"Wait Nate, what about the FBI, at least contact them again and the Marshals, they can help you."

"I think that is how Sadiski found me." Nate said over his shoulder. "Tell Eliot his only duty was to protect Sophie. Tell Sophie…tell her I am sorry, and I will be in touch. Take care Paul."

"Nate…" Paul shouted as he followed the man out the door in time to see him hail a cab on the street and then drive off before Paul could stop him.

The Priest stood and watched as the cab disappeared and then shook his head as he turned and headed back into the rectory. He was not sure what he was going to tell Nate's wife when she arrived but he was sure that the four of them were not going to be happy, not with Nate and not with him.