Immaculate Spirit 197 :

"Hum? Oh, yes I am."

"You're sure? You seem a little lost for a second." Lina asked with a hint of worry.

"Yeah yeah, I'm good. Do you have an address for me?"

"I do! They are close! they lived in a little town called Edison in New Jersey!"

"Of course she is." Nathaniel grumble unintelligently before clearing his throat. "That was an excellent job Lina. Don't do any more research than that on her but put a flag on that ident.i.ty, the baby and their house. If anyone made a search online or if they appear on the news or on radio, I want to know about it right away, alright?"

"Of course, piece of cake." She answer with a desinvolte att.i.tude that brought a smile to his lips.

"Thanks Lina, you're the best." He compliment her, ruffling her hair quickly before going back inside the office.

Being face with the looks of curiosity from the members of his team, Nathaniel nodded in their direction.

"Please, clear the room guys, I need to have some privacy with her. Lina will brought you up to speed if you choose to know."

Having some reservation about leaving him here alone, they still exit the office quickly, confident in his abilities and his judgement making. Closing the door once they had all leave, He walk back to the desk but simply lean on it this time, looking at her with a piercing stare.

"What is going on?" She asked.

Wordlessly, Nathaniel just give her the file that he had in his hand. Taking it hesitantly, her face became white as a sheet upon reading it. Nathaniel could see something he never seen on her before, vulnerability.

"How did you find out this fast?" She asked in a little, defeated voice.

"I have very competent people working with me and I knew where to look for. Is this true? Is Marc really the father?"

"Yes. He was the only one I was sleeping with for the last five years so it's easy to be sure."

That was true with Marc also and they had in fact a little 'rendez vous' that was consistent with the date of birth of that baby.

"And you called your son Nicholas." Nathaniel said, looking at her.

"Yes, Marc was raised by his grandfather who had that name and he always spoke fondly of him. I just thought it would be a fitting name." She answers.

"It is, more than you know." Nathaniel nodded, his eyes and thought far away.

Even if Nathaniel was and will never become Marc, he will also never go back to become like the Nathaniel from the past. Having Marc memories and experiences had changed him to the core of who he was and what he wanted to become in his life. Like that, even if he could never look at that child as his own, he could also not think about him without any feeling in his heart.

"What are you going to do with me and my child?" She finally asked with worry and fear in her voice.

"Honestly? It depend a lot on your answers to my questions. Why did you take a mission after becoming a mother?"

"Believe me or not but it was supposed to be the last. I took this one because it was near home, the money offered was good and the risk appear minimal. Obviously, it didn't turn that way but in my defense, no one could have predicted the truth."

"That is my point exactly, you know better than anyone else how everything can happen on a mission. This is not about yourself anymore, there is someone who need you now like never someone needed you before." Nathaniel said, staring at her angrily. "Get up." He order coldly.

"To go where?" She said back with anger, not appreciating the fact to be spoken like that by a kid at least twenty years younger than her.

"Where do you think? My mother want her office back, preferably without a trained killer in it. While you're at it, drop back the thing you stole from the desk. We are going to my office."

"I wasn't aware you had an office." She answers, putting back the letter opener and the pair of scissors on the desk.

"On this floor, I don't." He respond quickly before pus.h.i.+ng the door opened, revealing everyone waiting for him. "We are going to the bunker, she's coming with us."

"Nathaniel, are you sure about this?" Lucie asked, walking swiftly to be by his side.

"Yes, I'm tired of choosing carefully what I'm saying and how I say it. Everyone in the elevator now! Scott, take us there." He order.

"Yes sir." He answers, sliding his key card into the reader and pressing the b.u.t.ton to the underground parking.

While the elevator was making his way down, Nathaniel suddenly choose to speak.

"I know what you have in mind Ivania. You are currently thinking that it's now or never to flee. You already have your plan of attack ready. You identified Lina as the weak link among us so you will hit her fist with a jab to the trachea, take her gun and then start shooting hoping for the best. You know I will not kill you but if you choose that path, I promise you that I will have no calm in breaking both of your legs and arms if that's what it takes from refraining you to do something stupid. I'm already p.i.s.sed at you, don't test my patience even more." He said with a voice so cold that it made everyone in the elevator s.h.i.+ver.

Looking with surprise in her eyes at Nathaniel who had is back turn on her, Ivania didn't know what to say. It was almost exactly what she had in mind but she had no idea how he did figure it out. The doors of the elevator opened in that moment, showing a huge reinforced door in steel.

"This is not the underground parking." Ivania remarked offhandedly.

"No, it is not." Nathaniel answer, taking the time to enter his personal pa.s.sword after having his retina scanned. The system confirming that he indeed belong there, the huge door opened, letting them inside.

"No governmental logo on the screens?" Ivania asked again, looking with professional eyes the entire s.p.a.ce. It was not her first time going into place like this. She had even worked for the US on some occasion in the past.

"We are not working for the government." Lucie answers, going to the armory to secure her weapon, followed closely by Lina who was eyeing Ivania warily.

"Than from whom you are working for?" She asked. "None of this is cheap to construct and even more to maintain."

"Let's just say that we are concerned citizen and leave it at that. Follow me Ivania."

Walking to his office, Nathaniel let her in before shutting the door behind her. Sitting behind his desk, he made a movement to invite her to sit in the chair in front of it.

"I expected your office to be more extravagant." She said, looking around.

"Well, I like simplicity and most of the time I'm on the other side with them. I used this office when I have something to say to someone in particular that does not concern the others."

"How very… military of you. So, what I'm doing here exactly?"

"You are here because I wanted to spoke freely. I'm going to tell you what I expect of you and what I'm going to give you in exchange to that."

"I'm listening."

"Alright. I'm going to ask you to give me every contact you have and a detail accounting of every operation you took part for the last twenty years. I want also the name of every person you worked for and in what government or organisation. Finally, You will never allowed to go back to that line of work ever."

"WHAT? You're crazy! You don't understand what you are asking!" She shout, alarmed.

"I do in fact. In exchange, you will be given Marc personal stuff and the money that he had in his bank account and stashed in various place around the globe will be placed in a new account at Nicholas name that he will be able to used when he turn eighteen. I will also cancel the three differents arrest warrants for you here in the US and help legitimate both of your ident.i.ties. You will also be allowed to walk out of here like nothing ever happened today, completely free."

Hearing the offer, Ivania lay back on her seat. Seemingly considering the offer seriously.