The mastermind's new accommodations were even less hospitable than the old, and if it wasn't for the differing floor plan Nate would've bet money that he was being kept in the same tombs that Moreau had used to hold Flores and his men. He had no idea where his team was or if they were even safe, and there wasn't a single damn thing he could do to help them even if he did know. Nate was used to being in control of the situation, seeing all the angles, but right now he was literally nothing more than Moreau's pet. Eliot's words from the park kept running through his mind.
"We're out of our league, Nate."
At the time he truly did believe that they could handle Moreau, but the last day or so had him seriously doubting that assumption. Eliot knew the man far better than he did, and he was starting to wish he'd taken the hitter's warnings far more seriously. He closed his eyes, deciding that he needed to apologize to Eliot for that. If he got the chance, that is.
He shifted, trying to shake the chill that was creeping up on him from the concrete floor.
Suddenly the cell door screeched open, the distasteful sound quickly overshadowed by the appearance of the most morally deficient man in San Lorenzo. The mastermind kept his gaze to the floor, not at all interested in another repeat of their last 'conversation'.
"Looks like we'll be welcoming a few more guests tomorrow afternoon," Moreau said as he entered the cell, his voice cheerful. "I take it you know a miss Sarah-Jane Baker?"
Nate looked up sharply at the mention of Sophie's alias. Nothing that came out of Moreau's mouth was ever pleasant, but that was most certainly not what he wanted to hear.
Moreau smiled at his reaction. "Her little entourage also booked their tickets under false names, even made sure to take different flights. Your friends can be quite clever, I'll give them that."
It was the first time Moreau had mentioned anything about the rest of the team, and Nate felt the smallest bit of relief hearing that they'd managed to evade the man's grasp. So far. But now Moreau knew they were coming, and his anxiety rose as he started to question how long their freedom would last.
Still, he needed to have faith in his team. If there was a snowball's chance in hell that a con could be pulled off under these circumstances, they'd be the ones to do it.
"It'd be a mis...mistake to underestimate them," he shot back, his voice shakier than he would've liked.
"Of course, of course. I most certainly haven't," Moreau agreed. "But I also want this to be fun. First thing they're going to do when they arrive is look for you, so I made sure there'd be two locations for them to choose from. You know, Ford, there's not a single one of my men keeping an eye on you here."
Nate tried to shake the fogginess from his mind, not quite sure what Moreau was getting at.
The man must've seen the his confusion, kneeling down in front of him to elaborate. "You're a thief, so let me put this in a way you'll understand. If you're deciding between two places to rob, looking for the big score, which do you choose? The one that's deserted, or the one with the guards?"
The guards, obviously, Nate thought. Suddenly it clicked.
Moreau smiled. "That's right. They're going to assume you're being held wherever my men are. They might be clever, but not quite clever enough. And they're going to have a lot of fun once they join the party. Spencer, especially."
"He's twice the man you'll ever be, you know," Nate said, mustering all of his energy to keep the shake out of his voice this time.
Instantly he felt the air leave his lungs as Moreau's fist plowed straight into his rib cage, leaving the mastermind coughing as he gasped for breath.
Moreau smiled and stood up, satisfied with his handiwork. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time, you know."
Nate glared at him, holding his midsection.
"Well, it's been nice chatting with you but I think I'll turn in for the night. Need to make sure I'm well-rested for tomorrow. But don't worry, I'll be sure to send someone by tonight so you don't get too lonely."
At that Nate's whole body tensed, prompting another grin from Moreau. He got up and stepped out of the cell, turning back to wink as he locked the door behind himself. "See you in the morning, Ford."