Chapter 32

Nate drove to Peter's offices. He parked the car and removed his jacket placing it in the car before locking it and heading up to see his friend.

"Nate good to see you again." Peter Krige said as he greeted his old friend and then showed him to a seat. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to make some arrangements Peter." Nate said then took out five envelopes and handed them to his friend.

"What's this?"

"Something I need you to deliver to Sophie if anything happens to me."

"You are expecting something to happen to you?" Peter asked this time with a note of concern in his voice.

"Peter I also need you to deliver the other two envelopes to Maggie and to Paul."

"You are scaring me Nate." Peter said putting the envelopes on the table.

"Something has happened, I need you to do this for me, and…" Nate took a deep breath. "The Fourth envelope is for Michael, for when he is old enough to understand."

"My God Nate what the hell is going on?" Peter asked now scared of what was happening. "Are you sick are you dying…"

"No. No nothing like that, just taking precautions." Nate told him. "I also am making you my Medical Proxy."

"Not Sophie."

"No."

"Should I ask why?"

"Your instructions are in the last envelope. Peter I know this is confusing and I know you want to know more but I can't tell you. I have to do something, and it may go wrong so I am trusting you to do this for me, can you do that?"

"Yes but Nate…"

"Look Peter this will go down in the next few days so…thanks Peter." Nate said then rose and reached out his hand.

"Nate…"

"Just do it Peter." Nate said and then walked out the office as Peter sank into his seat watching him leave with a confused and scared look on his face.

The four people sat in the safehouse waiting for Nate to meet with his friend, but no sound came over the coms. They could see by the signal that he was outside the building, but it had not moved from where he had parked the car. About a half hour later the signal moved again, and they realised that Nate must have removed the jacket, so they had not been able to listen into the conversation between himself and Peter. Sophie wondered if that were on purpose, but then dismissed the thought, Nate did not know about the bugs so it could not be that.

"Ok so where is he headed now?" Parker asked as she watched the signal move again.

Maggie studied the map and then gasped putting her hand in front of her mouth.

"He's going to see Sam." She said looking towards Paul who studied the map and noted the direction Nate was taking and nodded.

By the time Nate had arrived at the cemetery Sophie was sitting on the sofa with Michael who had woken shortly after Nate had left Peter's office. The others were also spread out around the living area. They signal had stopped in the cemetery but again there was no sound from the coms.

"Hello Sam." Nate said as he sat down in front of his son's grave. "I miss you son." He said softly.

Nate sat before his son's grave. He felt he needed to come here. He had not been to Sam's grave in many years, but he felt he had to seeing as he was in LA and he might never get the opportunity again. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked at the gravestone and pictured his son, then he pictured his other son, his living son, one he also might never see again. He sat there for a long time before standing and wiping his eyes before putting his hand on Sam's tombstone.

"I love you son." He said then moved off towards his car pulling out Christopher's mobile phone as he went.

Reaching his car he pressed the re-dial button and waited.

"So you survived."

"I wasn't there." Nate said as Moreau answered.

"Of course not."

"So now Moreau it is you and me as it should be."

"Indeed it is." Moreau said although it was not strictly true he had five of his best men with him.

"So what do you suggest Ford, we meet and settle this?"

"That's what I am thinking."

"No tricks, no games?"

"No."

"Very well, where do you propose this meeting take place?" Moreau asked.

"I will send you the address."

"So on your terms, on your ground?"

"Seems fair, we went to yours last time." Nate said.

"Good, you took four years of my life Ford, I look forward to repaying that debt." Moreau said and Nate could hear the anger in his voice before he hung up.

Moreau sat and stared at his phone, Ford had orchestrated this, he had wanted to separate him from his men and from his team, it was time for the games to end, first he would kill Ford, then his team and his family. The man was cleaver yes, but he was not in his league when it came to killing.

Nate sighed heavily then pulled out his own mobile and dialled a number.

"Eliot."

"Nate what the hell man?" Eliot said as he put the phone on speakers and placed it on the table.

"Eliot I don't have time to explain, I need you to get Sophie and the others somewhere else, I assume that Hardison had that place wired up?"

"Yeah Nate nobody coming here without us knowing," Hardison said.

"Good." Nate said. "Sophie."

"Nate…"

"How are you, how is my son?"

"We are both fine Nate." She said her voice full of emotion, she wanted to say so much more but this was not the time, Nate obviously had a plan and she wanted to know what it was, and she knew they would have to go along with it.

"Good…good…Sophie I am so…"

"Don't Nate, there will be plenty of time for apologies when this is all over." Sophie said.

"Ok." Nate said blowing out a breath. "Eliot, you have to get Paul, Maggie, Sophie and my son ready to leave, Hardison you find another safe location and do it now. I am going to use the safehouse for the meeting with Moreau. You need to text me the address."

"You taking him on alone?" Eliot almost growled out.

"No." Nate said softly. "I need you and Parker with me, Hardison you need to make sure the others stay safe, then when Moreau arrives here I need you to get the Penton and Isabella, the Italian as you know her to get here to take him down.

Sophie felt emotion well up in her as she heard him ask for their help, even if it was not hers.

"Nate he is not…"

"I know Eliot, but I have to try." Nate said. He knew what Eliot was going to say, that Moreau was not going to allow himself to be put back in prison and he was not going to go out with a whimper either. But he did not want to kill the man if he did not have to, he had already killed one man and that was enough.

"I have the address. I am on my way." Nate said then hung up the phone and sped up.

He arrived at the safehouse to find all of them waiting for him outside. The minute he stepped out of the car Sophie threw herself at him and pulled him into a long, deep, and passionate kiss.

"I missed you too." He whispered as he pulled away but rested his head on hers. "I love you."

"I love you too Nate." She whispered back. Then he heard his son and looked up to see Maggie holding him just behind them.

"Michael." Nate said moving away from Sophie and holding his arms out as Maggie handed him over. "Oh Michael your dad has missed you so very much." He said placing a kiss on his head.

"Maggie, Paul, I am so sorry you got caught up in all of this." He said looking up at them. "Hardison do you have a place."

"Yeah man but…"

"No buts Hardison, you need to keep them safe, if…if Moreau wins then he will come after Sophie and Michael." He said handing his son to his wife.

"Then don't let Moreau win." She said softly as she took Michael into her arms. "We need you Nate and we need this to be over."

"Ok, so now you have to go." He said locking eyes with her and seeing the fear in them.

"Nate…"

"Now Sophie, we have to move fast before Moreau can regroup and get more help understand?"

"More help?" She asked not wanting him to know they had listened in to everything.

"Yes more help." He smiled at her. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and handed a flabbergasted Maggie the listening device as well as the tracking device. "I hope you enjoyed the show."

"Nate we…"

"I know and it's ok." Nate said smiling at his ex-wife then pulling her into a hug. "Thank you, for looking out for me and for them." He whispered into her ear.

Then he looked at his wife and the rest of his team before turning to Paul and thanking him too for all he had done for him and his family.

"Nate…"

"Sophie, I love you, I will always love you, now you have to go, take our son and keep him safe." He said wrapping his arms around her and Michael. "Now go please."

"Ok, I have a place Nate and…just don't get yourself killed." Hardison said pulling the Mastermind into a hug.

"Thanks Hardison." Nate smiled at him. "Take care of them."

"I will." Hardison said then turned to Eliot and pulled him into a hug before turning to Parker.

"We'll be fine." She said as she saw the anguish in his eyes then jumped forward and flung her arms around him squeezing him tightly.

"I…I love you Parker." He whispered tears forming in his eyes. "If I…if you…"

"I love you too Alec." She whispered back her emotions also building, this was the first time they had verbalised her feelings to each other. "Keep them safe, keep our family safe and I'll see you when all of this is over."

Hardison nodded then kissed her before walking to the car and getting in along with the others. Nate, Eliot and Parker stood and watched as they drove off then turned and entered the safehouse, they had plans to make for when Moreau made his appearance.