Chapter 1

"Nate you there, did you hear anything I said?" Sophie asked as she lay beside her husband in bed.

"What…yes sorry I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About us, about our lives, about…well about everything."

"Any regrets?"

"No…no, no regrets, just, well just thinking about the last seven years and…"

"And?"

"And what my life would be like if Dubenich had not come to me in that airport lounge."

"And?"

"Well I would most likely be passed out somewhere, or maybe even…"

"Dead?" Sophie asked seriously. Nate had been spiralling then, he had been just marking time until the end came, and they both knew it.

"Well I would not be lying here in bed with my wife thinking about the last seven years."

"And I would not be here lying here in bed with my husband thinking about how happy I am." She said softly.

"What time are you meeting him today?"

"Nine."

"Then Mr Ford you better get going." Sophie said leaning in and giving him a kiss.

"Mmmm, that is not going to get me out of bed." He smiled into the kiss pulling her closer.

"Come on Nate, I also have to be at the theatre at ten." She said stretching out and then pushing herself up in the bed.

Nate watched her as she stood and moved towards the bathroom. "I love you you know that?"

"Of course I do." Sophie smiled at him over her shoulder. "You never said what he wanted to see you about?" She called from the bathroom as he heard the shower taps turn on.

"He didn't say, just that he needed to see me." Nate said as he rolled over on the bed and then sat up.

An hour later Nate kissed his wife and told her he would see her at the theatre later and they would go to lunch together. Nate left the house and drove towards the café he had agreed to meet Sterling at. It had been two years almost to the day that they had pulled off that last job and obtained the black book. He had pulled Sophie and himself out of Leverage, mainly because he did not want Sophie in the thick of things anymore. He wanted her safe and secure and not taking risks trying to entrap 'marks'. She had grown her theatre and it was now a successful playhouse, she also still held her acting classes and he knew she was happy. He had spent his time helping the team on jobs, not getting directly involved just helping when asked on the planning side. He had also helped a few times on jobs with Sterling, in fact he and Sterling had become friends again with him and Olivia visiting them at the house at times and he was at Nate's wedding to Sophie too.

Arriving at the Café he made his way inside to find Sterling waiting for him at a table in the back. He sat down ordering himself a cup of coffee and then waited to hear what the man had wanted to see him about.

"We have a problem." Sterling said softly.

"What problem?" Nate asked as his coffee arrived and noting the worried look on the Interpol Agents face wondering what the issue was.

"Jacob Perkins is out."

"What?" Nate asked staring at the man intently.

Jacob Perkins was a dangerous man who was one of the best thieves in the world in his day. He was also a man who took pleasure in hurting people and did not hesitate to kill when necessary. Perkins was a job that Sterling and he had worked on together when they were at IYS. They had managed to not only recover the items the man had stolen but had set him up to be taken down by the police. It had been a long and dangerous job and they had both been relieved when it was over, and Perkins was given a long prison sentence.

"He was released two weeks ago, and he arrived in the States four days ago." Sterling told him.

"So?"

"Nate have you forgotten his promise?"

"What that we would pay? No I haven't forgotten Sterling but that was a long time ago and I doubt he has any intention of coming after us."

"He contacted some, let's just say unsavoury characters since his arrival. As soon as I was told he was being released I have been keeping an eye on him."

"You really think he is planning on coming after us?"

"I don't know Nate." Sterling said honestly. "You and me, we put away a lot of guys and some of them made threats, but Nate, Perkins he was serious, and I don't think he has forgotten. I just thought I should give you the heads up."

"Thanks."

He could see that Sterling was worried and although Perkins had promised that he would get them both for taking him down he was not sure why this was any different from others that had made the same promise. They had put away a lot of people as Sterling had said, although they only worked for an insurance company, they had often ensured that the guilty party was taken into custody for their crimes as well as retrieving their merchandise. He was not sure if Perkins would still hold animosity towards them, but he was a man who tended to ensure that anybody who crossed him or anybody who stood in his way paid a heavy price. He was not only convicted of theft, but also of murder and assault with intent to commit murder, and all due to the investigations by Nate and Sterling in conjunction with the French police. Nate cast his mind back to the day in court when he had been given a sentence of twenty years and remembered the last words Perkins had said to them, that he would find them and make them pay no matter how long it took.

"Anyway Nate I thought you should know."

"You got eyes on him?"

"Yeah, but there is nothing official, he was convicted in France and served his time and now he has come to the States and I doubt it is on vacation."

"Ok, well thanks for the warning, I'll keep my eyes open."

"Good." Sterling said motioning to the waitress to bring their bill. "I got a bad feeling about this Nate."

"Yeah got it Jim." Nate smiled at the man.

"Ok well I got to go. Be careful Nate and say hello to Sophie."

"Will do." Nate said shaking his hand before sitting down again as Sterling walked out of the place.

Nate ordered another cup of coffee and sat back casting his mind back to that time fifteen years ago when they had taken Perkins down. His thoughts were interrupted as a man sat down on the chair opposite him.

"Hello Ford." The man said smiling at him.

"Perkins." Nate said looking up at the man and his stomach tightening as recognition set in.

"I'm touched that you remember, or is it just because Sterling has giving you the news that I am out and have come here to your fair country on…well business?"

"What do you want?"

"Well just wanted to let an old friend know that I am back."

"Thanks."

"You know Ford I had a lot of years to think about what you did."

Nate did not respond to the man, he was watching him, weighing up his demeanour and waiting for him to let him know what he wanted.

"A long time. French prisons are not the nicest places earth. Anyway, this was just a courtesy call." He said as he stood up. "No please don't get up." He smiled down at Nate. "I'll be seeing you." Then he walked out.

"Here we go." Nate said sighing deeply and pulled out his phone dialling Sterling's' number.

"Nate."

"You were right."

"What happened?"

"He came to see me just after you left. He hasn't forgotten and he hasn't forgiven."

"Damn, I am going to have to get Olivia safe, and I suggest you make sure they understand the situation too. This is going to get tricky."

"And dangerous." Nate said, Perkins was a dangerous man back then and had probably picked up some new tricks during his stay in prison. He had had fifteen years to plan and organise his payback for Sterling and himself and it had taken Dubenich only three to cook up a scheme that almost killed him and did kill his father.

"Yeah and dangerous for everybody." Sterling agreed.