Chapter 29
Just after 2am Nate met Isabella Bianchi at hanger four at LAX. She walked off the plan and straight to the man coming to stand in front of him.
"So Moreau is here."
"Yes and he is coming after me and my family."
"How did he get out and how did you find out?"
"It's a long story, let's get out of here and then I will tell you all about it." Nate said and the Italian nodded showing Nate to her car and climbing in.
"So?" She asked as they drove away from the airport.
"About two years ago a man named Sadiski tried to kill me."
"Seems to happen to you a lot." She said and Nate smiled at her.
"He was a serial killer, had nothing to do with me or my team. I took him down and put him in prison. He got his people to investigate me and my life, found people who shared his passion to have me dead and picked Moreau to help him, he got him out and here to the States."
"I see."
"Yes well he had no idea who he was dealing with and Moreau took him out, now Moreau is focused on me and my team."
"Speaking of which where are they?"
"Safe."
"Ah…so you are doing this alone?"
"Not alone, not anymore." Nate replied and she smiled at him.
"I see." She said again then sat back. "Well I have a safehouse we will go to and then we can discuss how we are going to do this."
"Sounds good." Nate said sitting back in his seat and closing his eyes. He was tired, he wanted to have a shower and a change of clothes and he wanted to put a workable plan in place to get Moreau and get it done as soon as possible.
"You don't look too good Mr Ford."
"Nothing a shower and good nights sleep won't cure." He said knowing he looked like hell.
They arrived at the house a half hour later and after getting inside Nate immediately poured himself a whiskey and took a seat on the sofa.
"It is late Mr Ford, I am tired." She said looking at the man. "Jason, get Mr Ford some clothes, I am sure we have his size and show him to his room. We will talk later when you have had some rest." She said and before Nate could reply she walked out of the room and into her suite closing the doors.
"This way." Jason said looking at Nate who sighed and then rose and followed him.
At Leverage HQ three members of the Leverage team sat and listened to the conversation, Sophie had put Michael to bed and fallen asleep herself and Parker had decided that it was best they let her sleep, they would fill her in on everything in the morning. Maggie and Paul and had also retired to get some rest.
"So from now on the game is on." Parker said listening to the conversation between the Italian woman and the Mastermind.
"Yes he is going to try to get Moreau to come after him with her backing him up."
"That is a very high-risk play." Hardison said but knowing that Eliot was right.
"Sophie is not going to like this." Parker said softly, she didn't like it either and she could see nor did the other two.
"As much as I don't like it, it's probably the only way to get Moreau out of the shadows. He did not dirty his own hands unless forced to, I doubt he has changed." Eliot told them.
"So he will send his team after Nate."
"Yes Parker I think he will, he will send them to bring Nate too him, or in the alternative kill him." Eliot agreed.
"So what would the plan be?"
"Well I think Nate will get Moreau's men caught up with the Italian woman and then separate himself from them in order to give Moreau a chance to come after him on his own." Eliot said looking at the Thief.
"But that is not going to be easy to do Eliot, I mean surely Nate will stay with the Italian and the team." Hardison said not liking what Eliot was saying.
"No I think Nate knows Moreau, maybe as much as I do, he will know what Moreau's reaction will be and he will separate himself to give Moreau a target."
"But that is suicide." Hardison said wide eyed.
"Not if he takes him down first." Parker told him.
"Yes but Nate is not a Hitter and he may know Moreau, know how he thinks, but he doesn't know who he is, what he is capable of. Moreau won't hesitate but Nate might." Eliot said and they could hear the fear in his voice, something they never heard from Eliot.
Parker nodded, Nate was a strong man, a hard man in many ways but she also did not think the man could take a life not without trying everything to avoid it even the life of a man like Moreau, but he could use a gun and surely he knew it would be necessary in this case.
"But we will be there Eliot, we know where he is, and we will be there." Hardison said indicting the red dot on the screen showing them where Nate was at that moment.
"Yeah, let's just hope he keeps his jacket with him." Eliot said and they had no guarantee of that, Nate had been given clean clothes, but he might keep the jacket.
"He will, Sophie gave him that Jacket." Parker smiled at the Hitter, she was sure that Nate would not leave the jacket behind.
"Well let's get some sleep in, they will probably be up early, and we have to be ready to follow Nate's lead when he puts the plan together." Eliot said, the coms had gone quiet and he doubted there would be anything more before later in the morning.
"Yeah right." Hardison said standing and reaching for Parkers hand. "See you in the morning." He said and taking Parker's hand he led her to their room.
"Don't do anything stupid Nate, use her, use her team and keep your head down, don't try to take him on in a fight, he will win, this is who he is, it's not who you are." He whispered then took a seat on the sofa and closed his eyes.
