Chapter 3

"Ok Eliot this is it. Now I am going ahead you guys hang back and make your move when I give the go." Nate said as he drove towards the house. The rest of the team followed him leaving a respectable distance in the van.

"Be careful Nate." Sophie said.

"I will and you too."

Nate parked the car and climbed out heading towards the door as he approached he saw the door open and Perkins standing there with young Olivia in front of him a gun pressed to the young girls' head. Nate bit back a growl of anger as he walked towards them. Perkins waved him into the house and he moved quickly passed him and Olivia and into the living room where there were four other men all heavily armed and one James Sterling sitting tied up to a chair and looking like he had been through a meat grinder.

"So I am here Perkins, let the girl go." Nate said turning towards the man and ignoring the other four men standing around.

"You did not think that was really going to happen did you Nate." Perkins almost laughed at him. "No, she will be the last to go after watching her father and you."

Nate stared at him and then smiled brining a perplexed look to the face of Perkins as he watched the Mastermind.

"You know Perkins fifteen years ago you underestimated me, and you have done it again." Nate said softly. "You only bring four men…" He continued knowing that Eliot would hear and know what he was going to be dealing with.

"I don't need more than that Nate, you were lucky fifteen years ago, but your luck has run out and so has his and, sadly, hers." Perkins said pushing Olivia towards Nate.

Nate reached out and brought the girl to him and then pushed her behind him. He was not sure if he was going to get out of this alive, or if Sterling was but Olivia had to, that was his only priority now.

"So now what you kill us?" Nate asked keeping his eyes on the man,

"Yes Nate that is exactly what is going to happen now." Perkins smiling at him. "You know I don't like to procrastinate." He said as he turned the gun at Sterling and pulled the trigger.

"Nate…" Sophie cried out as they all heard the conversation and then the gunshot, they had just pulled up outside the house and Parker and Eliot exited the van at a run.

Nate moved quickly turning and pushing Olivia away from him and telling her to get down behind the large chair just as she moved he felt as if a sledgehammer had hit him in the back and he was propelled forward into Olivia taking her into the chair, then another bullet hit him in the back as chaos reigned in the house with Eliot entering through the door and Parker coming in through the window.

Parker came through the window using her taser to take out two of the men who were with Perkins and Eliot crashed through the door immediately taking out one of the other men before engaging in a battle with the fourth. Perkins watched and then moved swiftly to the back of the house and disappeared just as the fight ended.

Parker moved to Nate who had fallen onto Olivia and was covering her with his body. She pulled him by his shoulders and then lay him out on the floor. Olivia immediately stood up and moved to her father who sat slumped in the chair he had been tied too. Eliot moved to her and felt for a pulse, then he untied the man and laid him out on the floor. Olivia who was covered in Nate's blood took his hand and looked up at Eliot her eyes questioning. Eliot was about to say something when he heard Parker.

"Eliot." Parker said looking up at him from where she knelt beside Nate. He saw something in her eyes and moved quickly to kneel beside her.

"Olivia…" Nate said his voice barely a whisper as he stared up at his Hitter.

"She's fine Nate." Eliot said looking down at the man. He had seen that he had taken two bullets in the back when he entered but could only see one exit wound through which blood poured out. "You just hold on there ok. Hardison get an ambulance here now." Eliot told the Hacker.

Two minutes later Sophie entered the house followed by Hardison. She immediately moved to Nate and knelt beside him. He was struggling to breathe but his eyes were open as he fought to hold on to his life. Parker knelt opposite her pressing down on his wounds trying to stem the flow of blood.

"Nate, it's going to be ok, you are going to be fine, just hold on now the ambulance is on the way." Sophie said as she leaned into him putting her face inches from his.

Eliot turned and went back to Sterling who lay with Olivia sitting beside him holding his hand, the man was unconscious, and his shirt was also soaked in blood from the bullet that Perkins had put through his chest. There was nothing Eliot could do for him either, but he knew that he had an obligation towards Olivia, so he stayed with him and her. He also knew they could not stay until the cops arrived because they would all be arrested and there was no cover for this. He looked towards Sophie who was beside Nate talking to him telling him to hold on in soft soothing tones and shook his head, there was also no way he was going to get her to leave him now and Nate's wounds were not the type he could take care of on his own.

Nate fought to try to keep his eyes open, he stared up at Sophie and wanted to tell her it was going to be alright, but he could not. He felt his eyes droop and heard Sophie beg him to keep them open and to stay with her, but the pull of the darkness was just too much for him.

"Nate…Nate.." Sophie said as she watched his eyes close. "You don't die on me Nathan Ford you hear me you are not going to die on me, not today."

The sounds of the sirens broke the silence and then Eliot turned to Hardison who shook his head, he had no cover for them. Then he looked at Sophie before standing and moving towards her.

"Sophie…"

"I am not leaving." Sophie said looking up at him. "I am not leaving him."

"Sophie we have no cover, no explanation for any of this and there is an Interpol agent down with four criminals with outstanding warrants, he doesn't have any warrants and…we have to go Sophie."

The sirens grew closer and Olivia turned to watch them all gathered around Nate all of them in two minds as to what to do.

"I will take care of him, of them." She said softly.

Eliot turned to the girl and smiled at her, she may only be a teenager, but she had gone through a lot in her life and she was world wise. She knew she had them to thank for her freedom all those years ago and now again she had them to thank, Nate to thank for her life.

"Sophie please, we need to go…"

"Ambulance just pulled up EMT's in coming." Hardison said.

"Sophie go..." A soft voice said, and Sophie looked down at Nate who stared back up at her. "Please."

Sophie bent down and kissed him softly tears now escaping her eyes. She ran her hand down his cheek and whispered to him that he had to hold on, that he had to for her. Then she looked up at Eliot and he nodded pulling her up. She rose and looked at Olivia who told her she would stay with him and her dad and make sure they were both ok, and then the four of them moved to the back of the house and disappeared the same way Perkins had just as the EMT's came through the door.