Chapter 18

Moreau stared at Nate as he crushed the earbud. He could not comprehend what was happening, he had completely underestimated what Ford was capable of and how much he was determined to get his revenge. He had played him, and he had got him in this position where there was no way out. Then he realised what Nate was doing as he watched the man. He wanted him to shoot him, that way it was not murder and Nate could kill him. He also knew that if he killed Nate before he could fire, or if Nate missed he had a contingency plan in Mike. Either way Moreau knew he was about to die.

"We don't have to do this Ford."

"Yes we do Moreau. You should not have killed Elysia, she was a ten-year-old little girl and she was not involved in this. Come after me, come after my team, but to use a child and then kill her, that is unacceptable."

"So you are going to die to make me pay?"

"If that is what I must do."

"What about your team? What about your wife?" Moreau said. There must be a reason Ford did not want them involved and it could only be because they would not want Nate to kill him. Ford had said Eliot is not that man anymore, that means he did not want them involved in murder.

"They are not part of this."

"Ah but they are Ford, they know what you are doing. Do you think if you walk out of here they are going to accept you back if you commit murder?"

"It's not murder."

"It is if you shoot an unarmed man." Moreau said dropping his gun to the floor. "So Ford are you a murderer?"

"Let me shoot him Mr Ford." Mike intervened brining Moreau's eyes to him.

"It will still be murder, just murder for hire." Moreau said looking back at Nate. "Just like Eliot did for me."

Nate looked at the man and frowned. This was not supposed to happen. He was sure Moreau would shoot, would try to get out, would do something, but not drop his gun and leave himself at his mercy. He lifted his gun and aimed it at the man's head. It had to end now he thought to himself, this is what he had to do.

"Nate…" He heard Sterling's voice through the door. "Just open the door Nate and let's end this. I will put him away and he will never get out. Just open the door Nate."

Nate stared at Moreau. He had to do this he told himself. This was not about revenge it was about keeping his family safe, if Moreau walked out of here he would be back, he would be back and then Sophie would be in danger. He had to do this he kept telling himself cocking the gun.

"Nate you can't do this, they don't want you to and you don't want to. Just open the door and this ends" Sterling's voice carried through the door again.

Dammit Nate thought as he sighed heavily. Then he nodded to Mike to open the door.

"So Nathan I was right, you just can't do it can you?" Moreau said softly watching the man as Mike opened the door. Then he moved like lightning reaching for the gun he had tucked in the back of his pants and as he pulled it out he fired three shots off, all of them hitting Nate before he dropped the gun and held his hands in the air as Sterling burst into the room. "I surrender."

Sterling looked from Moreau to the prone form of Nate who had been thrown backwards with the impact of the bullets into the wall and then slid down onto the floor. Mike turned to Moreau raising his gun, but Sterling's shout stopped him from firing. Interpol agents flooded the room taking Moreau into custody. Moreau allowed them to cuff him keeping his eyes on Nate as Sterling reached for a pulse.

"Call and ambulance right now." Sterling ordered his men as he lay Nate down on the ground.

"Sterling what is happening…Sterling…Jim." Sophie's anxious voice came over the coms.

"Sterling…" Eliot growled out when no answer came.

"Nate took three bullets." Sterling told them.

"Is he…" Sophie asked fearfully but not able to finish the question.

"No he is not but I need to get him to a hospital now."

"Ambulance is on the way sir ETA five minutes." One of his men informed him.

Sterling just nodded and ordered them to take Moreau out of there. Then he turned all his attention to Nate. The man was breathing but is breath was ragged. Blood poured from the three bullet holes in his chest, but his eyes were open as he stared up at Sterling.

"Sophie talk to him." Sterling ordered then took his earbud and put it into Nate's ear.

"Nate…Nate do you hear me?"

"Sophie…" Nate gasped out. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you die on my Nathan Ford you hear me. You don't die on me." Sophie instructed him as she listened to his laboured breathing. "Nate do you hear me? You will not die do you understand?"

Nate smiled despite himself, he could feel a numbness come over him as his energy faded. He wanted to tell her he heard her, tell her he loved her, but he could not find his voice. His eyes felt heavy and he could feel his life slipping away. He had failed, Moreau was still alive, and he was dying, he would have laughed if he could have. They were right in the end all of them he was not a killer. Then his eyes went wide as he remembered something and drawing on his last strength he forced himself to speak.

"Eliot I was wrong, please don't do anything." He said then closed his eyes tightly against a wave of pain that washed over him.

"Save your breath Nate, ambulance is on the way." Sterling said.

"Eliot." Nate mumbled he needed to know that the man heard him and understood that he did not want him to do what he had asked of him.

"I hear you Nate." Eliot said softly putting the injured man's mind at ease.

"Ambulance is here Nate and you are going to be fine." Sterling said then stepped away and watched as the medics worked on Nate and then within five minutes they had him loaded on a gurney and were pushing him out to the ambulance. He reached for his phone and dialled Sophie's number.

"Sophie they are taking him to Boston Memorial, I will meet you there." He said as he followed them out and climbed into the ambulance with Nate.

The ambulance pulled up at the entrance to emergency in under thirty minutes and Nate was taken directly to surgery. He had fallen into unconsciousness and Sterling had removed the earbud. Nate was barely breathing when they reached the hospital and he was tachycardic, Sterling told them he was an agent from Interpol to cover for the gunshot wounds and then was told to wait and a doctor would be out as soon as they could. Sophie and the rest of the team were there waiting when they arrived and Sophie watched as they pushed Nate passed her on a gurney, he was bare chested his shirt having been removed by the EMT's and she could see the three bullet wounds gasping at the sight. Then she, Sterling and the others took a seat in the waiting room.

"What was that about Eliot, what he said to you?" Sterling asked after Hardison and Parker returned with coffee for all of them.

"He asked me to kill Moreau." Eliot said looking at Sophie rather than Sterling when he spoke. He could see the shock on her face.

"Why would he ask you to do that Eliot, he knows you are not that man anymore." Parker said staring at the Hitter.

"Because Parker he was scared. He was feeling guilty for Elysia yes, but he was scared, for us, for Sophie. He knows if Moreau gets out he will come after us and he was afraid he could not do what he felt he had to do."

"And he couldn't." Hardison said softly.

"No he couldn't." Sophie said staring at the doors of the operating area and thinking of her husband tears forming in her yes. "Because Nate has never been a man that could do it, and he also knows you can't Eliot, he knew he was wrong in asking." She said turning to the Hitter.

"Yes he was wrong." Eliot said smiling at her.

"What about Moreau?" Sophie asked looking at Sterling.

"In custody where he will stay." Sterling told her.

A few hours later the doctor made an appearance and informed them that Nate had made it through surgery.

"Mrs Ford you husband was incredibly lucky, the bullets did not do any major damage to any organs, however he did suffer major blood loss. Also with the other bullet wound which he had not recovered from it has weakened his heart substantially, however he is in stable condition and should recover fully in time. He will be moved to a private room once out of recovery and you can see him then. He will be out for a few hours though."

"Thank you so much doctor." Sophie said smiling at the man.

"A nurse will show you to his room when they have settled him." He said smiling back at her before leaving.

"Well I am going to go and make sure Moreau is taken care of." Sterling said feeling that the team wanted to be left alone now. "I'll be back to see him later."

"Thanks Jim…" Sophie said taking his hand. "For everything."

Sterling smiled at her and nodded before taking his leave. Then Sophie sank down into one of the chairs and buried her head in her hands suddenly overwhelmed by emotion.

"He's going to be fine Sophie." Eliot said as he went down on his haunches in front of her.

"I know…I just…"

"I know it has been a long couple of days but it's over Sophie. He is going to be fine and Moreau is in custody and it is over." Eliot said softly.

An hour later a nurse came to fetch them and take them to Nate's room. They followed her and when they reached the room she informed them that he was still asleep and would probably remain so for another hour or so. They thanked her and walked into the room. Sophie stopped and stared at the man in the bed. He was hooked up to a heart machine which softly beeped, he had a nasal canula in feeding him oxygen and a long white bandage which extended from under his chin to his naval. She moved to the side of the bed and looked down at him. She was incredibly angry with the man for what he had done, but at the same time so happy and relieved that she was here standing beside his bed and he was going to recover fully. She reached out and put her hand on his forehead and took his hand in hers. Eliot brought up a chair and put it down behind her and she smiled at him sinking into it gratefully. Parker and Hardison both took up seats against the wall on the opposite side to Sophie and Eliot another one near the door.

"When you wake up my darling we are going to have a long conversation." Sophie whispered to her husband.