Chapter 24

Nate walked away from the prison. He climbed into his car and then sat back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted and he was struggling. He had managed to slip away from Sterling, and it had taken more than a few favours to get that writ especially in a short period of time. Now he had to get ready for when Moreau was released. He would not be able to handle a long drawn out affair, he had to end it as quickly as possible. The only way to do that was to confront Moreau as soon as he was released, not at the prison because he had no intention of spending his recovery period in a prison. He had a plan, it was simple. He would go straight at Moreau, no more games, no more talk.

Nate started the car and moved off from the prison ready to follow Moreau when he left the premises. He drove off until he was out of sight of the prison and off the road, had an hour or so before the paperwork would be done, and Moreau was released. Sitting back he made himself comfortable and then closed his eyes as he waited.

Sterling and the other arrived mere minutes later and parked the van a short distance away a van just before the prison, hidden from the entrance. Hardison had eyes inside the prison and watched as Moreau was being processed for release. They had no idea where Nate was as he had moved off before their arrival. It was now a waiting game for them, then they would follow Moreau and when Nate made his move they would make theirs.

An hour passed and a car pulled up to the prison gates. Moreau was escorted to the gates and then they were opened, and he quickly moved and climbed into the waiting car.

"Well here we go." Eliot said softly.

"This is stupid. Why don't we just take him out now?" Hardison said. He was willing to shoot Moreau himself and he knew Eliot would so would any of them.

"We can't." Sterling answered.

"No we can't." Sophie said.

Taking the man out now they would all be a risk from arrest. They had to let Moreau get away from the prison before they moved. They had discussed this, and Eliot had told them he was going to kill Moreau before Nate had to. None of them had said anything to that, they knew it had to end with Moreau's death and they did not want Nate to do it, Eliot could and he would and they were prepared to let him, even Sterling had agreed.

"Right let's go." Eliot said as Moreau's car moved some distance from them.

Hardison nodded and then moved off, he had not gone far when the van was surrounded by FBI agents and prison guards.

"What the hell?" Eliot said as he slammed on brakes.

"Exit the van with your hands in the air." The lead FBI agent shouted at them his gun held at the ready.

Sterling opened the back door and climbed out holding up his credentials.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sterling asked as he walked forward and handed his credentials to the man. "We are on an operation and you are impeding it."

The man looked from the credentials to the man himself and then handed it back to him.

"Sorry sir, we were given a tip that there would be an attempt on somebody's life here. We were given the description on this van."

"Well as you can see I am an Interpol agent, and this is my team and Damien Moreau is getting away as we speak." Sterling said.

"I am sorry for the misunderstanding sir." The FBI man said indicating that his people should move away.

Sterling climbed back into the van and Hardison immediately set off after Moreau's car. They had lost valuable time and Sterling knew that was Nate's intent. He would have known that Sterling would be with them and get them out of any trouble they may have encountered with the FBI. Damn the man was cleaver Sterling thought admiring the way Nate had set this all up in such a short space of time and with limited resources.

Nate watched as Moreau's car approached and then passed him, he waited a few minutes and then set off after him making sure he kept a respectable distance. Once they were far away from the prison on the road leading into the hills Nate sped up and caught the car, moving up right behind it and bumping it slightly.

Moreau watched as the car approached and when it was right behind him he saw Nate. So this was how it was going to happen, but he was not alone, and Nate was. He instructed his man to speed up and watched as Nate did as well. His man pulled away quickly and then slammed on brakes swinging the car around to face Nate's car head on. Nate slammed on brakes at the same time. By the time Nate's car came to a stop both Moreau and his man were out their car and taking cover. Nate quickly did the same dodging the bullets that came his way.

Moreau's man moved out to take another shot and Nate fired, the man fell and lay still. Moreau fired four shots and Nate felt the hot burn of a bullet through his shoulder. The gun fight lasted only a few minutes before both Nate and Moreau stood and fired at each other he saw Moreau take a bullet and fall and then he fell too.

As the last shots were fired the van pulled up with five people jumping out and running towards them. Sophie made her way directly to Nate and dropped down beside him. She looked him over noting the bullet in the shoulder. Nate's eyes were open, and he stared up at her.

Eliot moved quickly to the other car. Moreau's man was down with a bullet through his heart and Moreau lay with a bullet through is head, both were dead. He immediately turned back to where Sophie knelt over Nate with Sterling on the phone presumably calling 911 and Hardison and Parker staring down at the Mastermind and Sophie.

"Nate…" Eliot said as he too dropped down beside the man.

"Eliot. Is it over?"

"It's over." Eliot confirmed.

"Good." Nate said then looked at his wife lifting his hand to cup her face. "Sorry." He said then his hand fell limply to the ground and his head fell back.

"Nate…" Sophie cried out pulling him too her.

Eliot reached out and felt for a pulse, it was there but it was weak. He ripped open Nate's shirt and then took his shirt off pressing it down on the shoulder wound stemming the blood flow. The injury was not bad but with all the previous injuries and the fact that Nate was so very weak as it was, this additional blood loss and trauma could very well kill the man.

They all remained like that until the ambulance arrived twenty minutes later and then the EMT's worked on Nate before loading him into the ambulance setting off for the nearest hospital with Nate and Sophie in the back.

"Go." Sterling said to as Eliot turned to him after watching the ambulance pull off. "I'll take care of this."

Eliot nodded his thanks and climbed into the van as Parker gunned the engine and set off at speed. Sterling watched them leave and then shook his head as he walked over to the side of the road to wait for the FBI to arrive.