Chapter 15

It seemed to Nate that they had been walking for days by the time the made it to the cabin that Georgi was leading them too. He was weak from blood loss and so was his companion. Finally they made it inside and collapsed into the chairs that were there.

"Nice place." Nate said looking around. The cabin was a sparsely furnished bachelor pad with a single bed to one side and the two now occupied chairs. The floor was bare wood and there was a small kitchen in the one corner.

"Hunting cabin." Georgi said. "We have to see to our injuries."

"Yeah." Nate said but he felt like he could not move, and his eyes were heavy.

"Nate…" Georgi said forcing himself up and walking towards the bathroom. "Nate we have to fix you up." He said as he took the first aid box off the shelf and made his way back into the room.

Nate was passed out on the chair. Georgi sighed and shook the man calling his name. Nate opened his eyes and looked up at the Russian and groaned slightly.

"Well you are a lot worse off than me so let's get you to the bed and then I can take care of these wounds." Georgi said trying to pull Nate up. "Nate get up now." He said and Nate nodded pushing himself up with difficulty and then they both staggered towards the bed with Nate collapsing into it.

Georgi lifted his legs and rolled him fully onto the bed and then removed his shirt revealing the wounds he had suffered. Georgi set to work cleaning out the wounds and then sowing them up. The wound to Nate's back was a through and through and thankfully had missed his arteries. The wound to the arm was long and bloody but not in any way dangerous. The bullet that had hit Nate in the side though was not a through and through and the bullet needed to be removed. Georgi dug it out thanking the lord that Nate was unconscious for that particular procedure, then cleaned the site before sewing it up and putting a bandage on it. Then he set about taking care of his own wound which was a through and through in the shoulder, he cleaned it the best he could and bandaged it up, when Nate was awake again he could sew it up for him. Then he moved to one of the chairs and sat down and putting his head back he closed his eyes falling into unconsciousness.

Nate came back to consciousness seven hours later it was dark and quite cold in the little cabin. He lay looking up at the ceiling trying to recall everything that had happened. He pushed himself up and grunted at the pain it caused his eyes falling on the still unconscious figure of Georgi who sat slumped in the chair where he had collapsed. Swinging his feet off the bed Nate stood unsteadily then stumbled to the unconscious man's side noting the blood-soaked clothing where the badly dressed bullet wound had wept blood. Casting his eyes around he found the first aid box and then set about pulling the unconscious man forward and taking off his shirt to expose the wound. Nate felt a little lightheaded and the pain was enveloping him, but he continued drawing deep breaths as he cleaned and dressed the wound. Then he moved over to the chair opposite and sat down.

Two hours later Georgi opened his eyes and looked at Nate who sat opposite him his eyes closed.

"Well aren't we a pair." He said softly.

Nate's eyes opened and he looked at the man and smiled.

"We are. But on the upside we are alive." Nate said.

"True." Georgi said. "I think we stay here for a few days at least if we want to stay that way."

"Yeah well I am not walking anywhere soon." Nate agreed. They had no car and when they left here it would be on foot. "I take it there is no phone here."

"Even if there were there is no service. I used to come here to get away from it all." Georgi told him.

"Ah…another Eliot." Nate said softly. Nate was aware that Eliot had a few cabins in the middle of nowhere that had not signal or any kind of technology or earthly comforts where he went when the world got to much for him, much like Parkers warehouses did for her and Hardison's games did for him.

"Eliot…?"

"A good friend." Nate said although Eliot was so much more than that it was not something he could explain to an outsider.

"So you got anything to eat in this haven, I feel like my throats been slit, oh and maybe some whiskey?" Nate asked hopefully.

"No whiskey but I have vodka." Georgi said pushing himself up and moving to the little kitchen. "I also have some soup."

"Chicken I hope." Nate said smiling at him.

"A joke…?" Georgi asked looking at Nate.

"Well no…yes…chicken soup is what is always given to those who are sick." Nate said trying to explain the comment.

"Ah, an American thing." Georgi said turning back to the task of boiling the kettle to make them each a cup of the instant soup he had taken out.

"The vodka?" Nate asked. He needed a drink.

"That cupboard." Georgi said indicating the liquor cabinet on the opposite side of the room.

Nate pushed himself up and walked to the cabinet pulling out two glasses and the bottle of vodka before returning to the chair and sitting down heavily. He felt like crap, he was sore, and he was weak. He wanted to get home but knew it was pointless trying to do anything of the sort until they were both in better condition and that would take at least a week if not longer.

Georgi joined him placing a cup of steaming soup on the table in front of him before taking a seat. Nate raised the bottle of vodka, but Georgi shook his head, he was not much of a drinker.

"The boy get out?"

"Yes." Nate said.

"Good so we get paid no?"

"Yeah, as soon as we get out of here." Nate said.

"Good." Georgi said not that he had been worried that Nate would not pay the fee they had agreed on even if the boy had not gotten out he just wanted to make sure.

"So Georgi how far away exactly from civilisation are we if we have to avoid that compound?" Nate asked.

"We will have to go the other way, there is no way we will get passed them now, after what happened Bronovich will have the whole place under surveillance, guards and more. No we will have to go the other direction."

"And what is in the opposite direction?" Nate asked.

"About twenty miles in your American terms there is a town, we can contact somebody there to come and collect us."

"Twenty miles." Nate said closing his eyes. That was a long walk and he doubted they would make it in their condition.

"Yes so we are going to have to stay here for a while until we are strong enough to make the walk." Georgi said seeing that Nate had already accepted that.

"Well I hope you have more soup then." Nate said taking another sip of his vodka. He wanted to get to a phone he needed to call Sophie, to tell her he was alright. Then he remembered the letter he had given Antonio and cringed slightly.

"Nate you alright there?" Georgi said seeing the look on Nate's face.

"Yes, yes I just remembered something." Nate said softly. If the Don heard he had died he would have that letter delivered to Sophie and she would…oh God Nate thought as he realised the anguish he was going to cause the woman he loved and the rest of his family.