It had been almost a week and a half since Eliot had woken up. He had been moved from the ICU to a private room He was getting stronger but still the rest of the team could see how weak he still was. He had asked about the hit which for the most most part Nate had reluctantly told him most of what they had learn. With the exception of the rest of them being targets as well. For now Nate wanted Eliot to focus on recovery without worrying about them. He could handle being a target so long as he wasn't putting the rest of them in danger. It was probably one of the reason he wasn't in a rush to leave the hospital. Despite how much he hated them he also knew it was the safest place for them while he recovered.
Nate sat looking out the window as the hitter laid sleeping the others had gone for dinner.
"Are you going to tell me or not," Eliot asked breaking the silence in the room. Nate looked over to the hitter whose eyes were still closes. He gave a slight smile.
"Don't know what you mean," he kept a straight face as he spoke.
"Like hell you don't," Eliot kept his voice low yet strangely cheerful "Nate keeping me in the dark won't help anyone." Eliot didn't open his eyes nor did he really expect to get an answer. Although he wanted them he also knew that there was no forcing the mastermind to give up an amount of information he wasn't ready to give.
Nate let Eliot's words sink into him. The hitter was right if Nate continued to leave Eliot out then it would eventually lead to more problems. At first he was sure not telling the hitter of Hardison's discovery was the right thing, but now he wasn't so sure. Yes Eliot was still showing signs that his body wasn't nearly as strong as it should be, but he had enough time at least to where he was at least capable of participating in their planning. Perhaps it was time he brought him fully up to date on what was happening.
"Nate you there," Sophie's voice came through his earbud breaking his train of thought. He knew that if Sophie was using the earbud to talk to him then something was up. Nate gave a slight cough the told her that Eliot could hear him and that he couldn't talk. Until he was ready to tell Eliot everything he didn't wasn't to risk being over heard.
Picking up on Nate's signal the grifter continued "it looks like we being watched," There was a slight hint of worry in her voice. Nate listen not moving a muscle to indicate what he was doing. He jump slightly when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He reached for it to see that is was a text from Sophie asking what he wanted them to do. Nate thought for a moment what could they do which was little if anything. He typed a quick message before sliding his phone back into his pocket.
"What did Sophie want," Eliot asked still keeping his eyes close. Nate raised an eyebrow not entirely sure how the hitter knew who he was talking to.
"She couldn't remember what i wanted," Nate lied hoping he wouldn't pick up on it.
"You want to know something," Eliot asked.
"What," replied Nate.
"Its a good thing your a much better lier on the job..." Eliot commented as his voice began to trail off. He was falling asleep again which was fine with Nate. He waited a few moment until he could hear the faint sound of snoring before slipping out into the hallway. He made sure he was far enough away so that there wasn't any chance Eliot could over hear while keeping an eye on the door to the hitter's room.
"Did you get my reply," Nate whispered through the coms.
"Yeah, we got the pictures like you asked. Hardison can start running them once we get." Sophie answered a little surprised to hear Nate's voice over the coms.
"Good," Nate started taking in a deep breath "there is something else that I need to talk to you guys about," he kept his voice even not wanting to let them hear the uncertainty in it.
"Sure," it was Hardison's voice that he heard this time. Nate took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Do you think Eliot is ready to handle what Hardison uncovered," Nate kept his question brief. It was followed by a moment of silence as the others took a moment to consider what the mastermind was asking.
"Well...he is going to find out eventually," was Parker's reasoning.
"It is hard to tell, mentally i would say yes but..." this time it was Sophie who spoke. He could hear the uncertainty in her voice as she made no tempt to hide it "if we tell him before he has had enough time to heal then I'm afraid he'll try to rush his recovery." There was no denying the reason in the grifter's words. He knew that the other were going to agree with and eventually decide against telling him.
"I agree with Sophie about Eliot rushing his recovery, but this isn't something that we can keep from him Nate. If something happens to one of us before we tell him then there is no telling how he will react." Nate could hear the other two nodding their heads in agreement with the hacker. Hardison had made a point he hadn't even considered. If an attempt was made before they told him there was no doubt it would set off the hitter. When it came to the team's safety Eliot had made it abundantly clear that he was to be made aware of all possible dangers to their safety.
"Hardison has a point," Parker added. Nate could hear that they were starting to agree on the idea of telling the hitter about what they had learned.
"Alright then, I believe it is settled then," Nate half stated half asking as he listened to the other three mumble their agreements.
They all sat around Eliot's room and wait patiently for him to wake-up. They thought about telling him while they ate dinner but thought against it. He needed to get his strength up especially for what they were about to tell him. Thinking it would be better to wait until after they had finished, but that turned out not to be the right time either on account he had fallen back asleep. He didn't awaken until hours later only to be surprised by the sight the four of them all still there.
"You know that you don't have to stay with me the entire night," Eliot stated kinda annoyed by his late night visitors. He had expected one but not all four of them.
"Sorry, it just that there was something we needed to tell you," Nate spoke up.
"Oh, and what is it that couldn't wait until day light," Eliot asked raising and eyebrow.
Not wanting to beat around the bush Nate relaid to Eliot what Hardison had discovered a few weeks ago. Eliot listen intently a little anger that this is what they had been keeping from him, but at the same time he understood their reasons why.
"Is that all you've learned," Eliot asked trying his best to stay calm.
"That is about it..." Nate started.
"Actually," Hardison interrupted "there is more." The hackers voice was sheepish knowing that Nate wasn't going to be happy. Nate spun around to look at the hacker.
"What are you talking about," Nate questioned.
"I found that the shell companies that were attached to each contract were encrypted," Hardison choose his words carefully so that they would understand what he was saying "break through the encryption and you find the contracts in detail. Everything from who the target was to account and payment and every other possible detail," Hardison explained.
"Why did you wait until now to say anything," Nate asked taking in the information.
"Because it took till now to break through the encryption," Hardison replied "but the encryption for each is slightly different and alternates keys every few hours making it close to impossible to decode if you don't have all the keys. Even if you have a few of them there is no tell what order they will be used and if the encryption changes then it is no longer readable until it changes to an encryption that you do posses a key for." Hardison watched as the others process the information. It was clear that he would have to explain further although he was sure how much more simpler he could make it.
"And how much have you decoded," Nate asked not caring for the technical part.
"Not much, I've only cracked the first few keys," Hardison said as he rubbed a hand on his head. It was clear that he was getting frustrated "I haven't been able to gather any new information. The way the encryption is there no telling how many layers are beyond these." The hacker spoke as he gestured to the computer code on his screen.
Nate took into consideration of everything they knew. It was becoming more and more apparent that who ever was ordered the hit was extremely well connected. This wasn't the average run of the mill hit. The level of security that surrounded the file was pricy to say the least. Everything about it was pointing to someone extremely powerful, wealthy, and connected. The mastermind turned to Eliot realizing something he had over looked.
"Eliot, how would someone go about finding out about a company like Global Tech moonlighting as assassins," Nate asked as the wheels in his head began to turn. Eliot thought for a moment.
"They would need some serious underworld connections. An assassination ring like this is definitely by word of mouth only and by referral. It is not well known which means that only a hand full underworld contacts would know anything about it," Eliot answered thinking of who he knew that would have the kind of information they were needing.
"Is there anyone you know of that would know who order this hit," Sophie asked sensing the mastermind's pending question.
Eliot looked at them as he considered his own underworld contacts "There's one, he handle the big contracts that usually involve corporations."
"Can you arrange a meeting," Nate asked watching as a dark cloud grew over the hitters features.
"With you on short notice, no" Eliot replied shaking his head "it would take months to get him to even consider a meeting. He is careful the only contact he has is between his clients and who you would call his employees..." he trailed off as he though about who he was talking about.
"How do you know him," Parker asked in her child like way. Eliot glared at him as if to say that was something we wasn't talking about.
"Then can you meet with him," Nate asked. Eliot looked at him as if he was considering what was being asked of him.
"Maybe."
Sorry it has taken me so long to post a new chapter, anyway please read and review
