Chapter 17

Nate and his captor pulled up to the entrance of Moreau's house and the man got out immediately then indicated that Nate should get out holding a gun on at him. Sterling watched as the Mastermind was herded into the house and then gave instructions for his men to start closing in. They would wait for Nate to give the signal, although he did not like it, it was what he had agreed to, Nate wanted to speak to Moreau first and then move in.

"Ford we meet again and so soon." Moreau said as he walked into the room Nate had been ushered into.

"Indeed."

"So now it ends Ford, you made a fatal mistake."

"Oh I think the mistake is yours Damien. Do you even realise what is happening right now?"

Damien looked at him with a knotted brow, he was totally calm, he had no emotion and he was not at all worried about what was about to happen.

"And what is happening?"

"Well right now there is an army of Interpol agents outside just waiting for my signal to come in and take you and your men here." Nate smiled at him.

"What the hell Nate?" Sterling growled out on hearing Nate tell Damien about his presence.

"You lie."

"Do I?" Nate asked raising his eyebrows.

"Charles…" Moreau called out. "We have company, keep them entertained." He instructed then told his henchman holding Nate to bring him with as he turned and left the exposed environment and into the back rooms of the house.

"Damn you Nate." Sterling said as he heard Moreau tell his man to get ready for a breach.

"Nathan Ford I will never forgive you for this." Sophie almost sobbed out as she listened to the scene play out.

Nate ignored both Sterling and his wife concentrating on Moreau and getting ready to act. He was pushed after the man into one of the small back rooms. As soon as they were inside Moreau pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.

"Now you die Ford." He hissed out.

"Moreau you are missing the point aren't you?"

"What point?"

"There is no way out of here. Interpol has this place covered and they outgun you five to one."

"So what are you suggesting Ford?"

"Just that it is over one way or another Moreau. You are finished."

"No…no that is your friend Sterling out there isn't it? Well he will not want to see you dead Ford, you miscalculated, you are the one who miscalculated."

"Was I?" Nate smiled at him.

"Check him…" Moreau shouted at his man. "Check him for bugs."

The man walked up to Nate and patted him down then pulled the earwig from his ear handing it over to Moreau. Moreau smiled at Nate and put the earbud in his ear.

"Sterling." He said softly.

"Moreau." Sterling answered cursing Nate under his breath.

"I have Ford. You come in here and he is a dead man."

"Your men are finished Moreau, come out and throw down your guns and this ends peacefully."

Moreau looked from Nate to his man who had the locked door. He knew Sterling was right, that it was over, he was cornered with no way out. But he was sure the man would want to save Nate.

"You back off Sterling. I walk out of here with Ford and drive away without pursuit."

"Why would I do that Moreau?"

"Because otherwise I will shoot him down now and you can do your worst." Moreau said cocking his gun and putting the barrel against Nate's forehead.

"No…" Sophie's voice came through the coms. "Let him go Sterling."

"Ah the beautiful wife." Moreau said hearing Sophie's voice and her words to Sterling. "So you and your wife and your team are all here" He said looking at the Mastermind who just stood there and smiled at him.

"I don't need them to take you down Moreau."

"I am the one with the gun Ford."

"Yes indeed, but you are also the one with no way out of here. You are going back to prison Moreau where you belong and this time it will be one where it won't be so easy to get out of."

"NO." Moreau shouted. "No…I will not go back to prison."

"Then what?" Nate asked him raising his eyebrows.

"Moreau…Damien, Sterling will let you walk away if you do not harm Nate." Sophie said softly. "Let him go and you walk away clean."

"How do I know that Sophie my dear?"

"We will back off Moreau, you walk away but Nate stays here." Sterling interjected before Sophie could answer.

"So much concern for you Nathan, just like the loyalty Eliot showed all those years ago, why I wonder do you deserve this kind of loyalty?"

"Walk away Moreau or you die." Eliot growled into the coms. "Hurt him and you die here and now."

"So what was your plan Nate?" Moreau asked not sure what was happening. Why had he come here allowed himself to be taken and then surrounded knowing that there would be a battle and that he would be caught in the middle. That he would use him to get his freedom. None of it made sense to him.

"Well you see Moreau Mike here is a good friend of mine…well actually a good friend of Eliot's and he does not like you very much." Nate said looking at the man who had brought him in the room as he handed him a weapon. "He agreed to assist me. Now whether you pull that trigger or not Damien you are a dead man understand?"

"No…no I agree to your terms Sterling." Moreau said lowering his gun. Ford was mad, he was willing to allow him to shoot him to get his revenge and he had no doubt that Mike would shoot him he was a Hitter and that is what he did.

"Too late." Nate said softly lifting the gun and aiming it at Moreau's head.

"We are coming in Moreau, give Nate back the earbud." Sterling told the man.

Moreau nodded at his words and took out the earbud holding it out to Nate. Nate looked at him and smiled taking the bud and putting it into his ear.

"Sophie understand, I have to do this, it has to be done." Nate said softly. "I love you Sophie, I love all of you, you are the most important people in my life, but a little girl is dead and if this man goes free he will come again. Next time it may be somebody I love, and I cannot lose somebody again, I just can't, so…so forgive me all of you." Then Nate removed the earbud and crushed it under his foot, they did not need to hear what was about to happen in that room, they did not need to witness it in any way.

Moreau listened to the man speak and realised that he was going to kill him no matter what. He raised his gun and aimed it at Nate and Nate did the same. Mike stepped to the side, he was under orders to allow this to play out and only if Nate failed to achieve his goal, then he was to ensure Moreau did not walk out alive.

"Damn him…damn the man…" Eliot swore.

Sterling heard him but was moving as fast as possible to get to the room before this ended badly for everybody.