Chapter Text
Nate swallowed hard and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Sully, are you sure about this?”
Sully rolled his eyes. “Relax, kid. You’re going to ruin your suit.”
They breezed along the road that hugged the Italian cliffsides as they wound their way to the auction house. Nate glanced at himself in the mirror and then checked behind them as if he expected to see someone following them.
“What if someone recognizes me?”
“Nate, you’ve been dead for fifteen years. Nobody’s going to recognize you.”
“You said I looked exactly the same. Remember?”
Sully shrugged. “Yeah well… There won’t be anybody at this party who knew who you were anyhow.”
“Quit talking about me like I’m still dead.”
Sully ignored him and continued, “They’re just a bunch of high class, low-life criminals. And you are not what they’re going to have their eyes on. This ain’t that kind of auction.”
“Isn’t it suspicious for me to just walk through the front door with you?”
“No!” Sully said. “Look, I’ve got an invitation and my invitation includes a plus one. You’re my plus one. Now quit your worrying.”
They turned the corner and the asphalt road changed into beautiful, paved brickwork as they came up to the main gate of the Rossi Estate.
They rolled to a stop and an armed guard stepped up to the car. Sully handed the guard their invitation and Nate did his best to look like a nonchalant party guest, and not like target practice for the hired guns who were smoking cigarettes and holding AK-47s like this was just a normal day at the office.
Nate was just starting to wonder if smiling at them would be too over the top when the guard handed Sully back his invitation and waved them through.
Nate let out an audible sigh of relief and slumped back in his seat.
“Kid, if you go in looking that nervous, they’re going to think we’re here to steal something.”
“We are here to steal something.”
“Yeah, but there’s no need to telegraph it.”
“Well I’m sorry, but the last time I was around heavily armed guards I wasn’t wearing a bowtie and fancy Italian leather shoes.”
Sully glanced over at him. “They’re not that fancy.”
Nate looked out the window and suddenly forgot to worry.
The mansion stood picturesque against the blue sky, its white walls and red Tuscan roofs gleaming in the golden light.
Sully’s sleek white Audi, which Nate had worried would look too conspicuous, was easily the least fancy car at the party. Next to the gleaming Ferraris and Alfa Romeos and their richly suited and gowned owners, Nate and Sully looked like the ugly cousins you forgot you had invited to the wedding.
A valet took the car key and Sully and Nate climbed up the steps to the front door. Nate tugged nervously at his neck collar and straightened his suit.
“I think we should have sprung for the fancy shoes,” he whispered.
Sully rolled his eyes. “Just focus on the job and quit worrying about your looks.”
“Easy for you to say, you look like James Bond. I looked like I showed up for prom in a rented tux.”
Sully’s mustache almost hid his smirk - almost.
If the outside of the Rossi Estate was palatial, then the inside was no less glamorous. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling above and silk covered the tables. Waiters wandered through the crowds offering expensive champagne and antipasti.
“I definitely feel underdressed,” Nate muttered.
“Shut up, you look great.” He glanced around and nudged Nate, speaking quietly under his breath. “Look. There's the door that will lead you to the cellar. From there you can cut through to the storage room.”
Nate glanced at it and nodded. He followed Sully through the crowd, smiling and nodding politely and hoping the sweat hadn’t leaked through his suit yet. Sully casually walked up to the target and gave the handle a gentle pull. The door swung open.
“Damn good luck,” Sully grinned and handed an earpiece to Nate. He tucked his own into his ear and glanced behind them. “You’d better get inside before a waiter comes by. And don’t forget, if you get caught, just play dumb and pretend you’re looking for the bathroom.”
Nate nodded and slipped through. Sully shut the door behind him, checked his watch, and walked back into the crowd.
Sully wandered around, smiling and nodding at the people around him. He didn’t notice the figure approaching from behind until something hard pressed against his back.
“Turn around slowly.”
Sully slowly turned and Nadine smiled.
“Hello, Victor.”
Sully grinned, “Nadine. Pleasure seeing you again. I hardly recognized you out of your fatigues.”
“Yeah, you know how it is. Every once in a while the job requires us to get all ‘dolled up’. Looking sharp by the way.”
“Not too bad yourself. Red’s a good color on you.”
Nadine smiled and turned to watch the crowd with him. “I feel so out of place here. It’s a relief just to find another English speaker. Even if you are American.”
“You’ll have to blame my parents for that one.”
“I’m heading to the bar. Can I get you anything?”
“Sure. Scotch on the rocks.”
He watched her leave and lifted his cigar to his mouth. Under his breath he muttered, “Nate, you catch all that?”
“Yep. Sounds like that lady’s trying to buy you a drink.”
“Nadine Ross is buying me a drink. She runs an army-for-hire. Shoreline. I had a run-in with them a while back.”
“What kind of run-in?”
“My kind.”
“Well, she doesn’t seem to be holding a grudge,” Nate said.
“Fortunately. But she’d only be here if someone hired her. Be careful and keep your eyes open.”
“Copy that,” Nathan’s voice answered.
Sully shifted and looked around the room. Something wasn’t right. The murmur of the crowd grew excited as the new auction pieces were brought out. Sully’s eyes fell on the penitent gold figure on a black cross.
“Shit. Nate, we’ve got a problem. The cross is here.”
“What? But it’s supposed to be in storage.”
“They must have changed the lot order. We’ve only got ten, fifteen minutes before they start bidding.”
“There has to be some way we can grab it.”
“What? Just walk up and take it in front of a few hundred eyewitnesses?”
“Alright, I’m heading back to you. We’ll think of something.”
Sully nodded. His eyes suddenly fell on a waiter who was carrying a tray of champagne and working his way towards the front of the crowd. Nadine reappeared at Sully's side.
“Recognize someone?”
Sully pulled his eyes away and smiled. “No. I thought I did, but no.”
Nadine studied him carefully then gave him a friendly smile. “Say, when am I going to meet that partner of yours? Drake?”
“Sam? We’re not really on speaking terms. I fly solo these days.”
“From what I’ve heard, you haven’t been flying so much as swimming.”
She smiled and handed him his glass of scotch. Sully frowned.
“Sullivan!” a voice behind him said.
Sully grit his teeth into a smile and turned around. “Rafe. Good to see you again.”
Rafe smiled and shook Sully’s hand as Nadine moved to stand beside him.
“How long has it been, Sullivan?” Rafe grinned. “Ten years?”
“Fifteen,” Sully answered. “Nadine’s with you then?”
“Little extra help to protect my property. Or soon-to-be property. How about you? You here for anything in particular?”
Sully laughed, “Yeah, like I’d want to bid against you. You could probably buy up everything on the block tonight if you wanted to.”
Rafe smirked and nodded. “Well, it’s great to see you. I would be very interested to know what finally convinced you to come out of your hole.” Rafe’s smile did not reach his eyes. “Cause we both know it wasn’t me.”
Sully smiled wanly. “Nothing particular, I’m afraid. Just thought I'd pick up a little something to add to my collection.”
“Well, the bar is that way,” Rafe smiled. “I’m sure you could find something there.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Sully saw Nate appear on the balcony behind Rafe and Nadine and look in his direction. He’d heard everything through Sully’s earpiece and knew to stay well away.
There were three people on this planet who knew Nate well enough to recognize him on sight and they were all here in this auction house. Sully cursed himself. He should have known they wouldn’t be the only ones after the cross.
Over the speakers, a soft, musical voice announced, “In a few moments, we’ll begin bidding on our next item: an inlaid wooden crucifix from the Trott Estate.”
“Well,” Sully smiled. “I know when I’m a third wheel. You kids have fun tonight.”
Rafe grabbed his arm firmly. “Just hold on, Sullivan. How’d you find out?”
“Find out?” Sully smiled. “About what, Rafe?”
Suddenly the lights cut out. Voices murmured worriedly in the dark. Then the generators kicked in and dim, emergency lights flared to life. Rafe and Nadine looked around in confusion. Sully was just as surprised as they were.
Then a voice cried out, “It’s gone!”
Rafe and Sully’s heads snapped up to the auction stand, now noticeably short one inlaid wooden cross.
Nate’s voice crackled over the earpiece. “Sully, I saw him! It’s Sam.”
Rafe’s confusion was turning to rage. Sully slipped away quietly into the crowd. When Rafe turned around, Sully had vanished.
“Kid,” Sully said, “you’d better go after your brother. Things are about to get hairy. I’ll get the car and bring it around front.”
Nate was already hurrying towards the service door Sam had disappeared through.
He suddenly slowed to a walk and changed directions when an armed guard moved in front of it. Every exit was now heavily guarded, locking the place down as swiftly and solidly as a cell door swinging shut.
Nate walked upstairs as smoothly as he could without drawing attention. He stepped onto the outside balcony and, the moment he had a clear shot, jumped over the railing onto the roof.
The entire estate had lost power and the guards were yelling to each other, the beams of their flashlights swinging in the darkness.
Nate ducked down onto a ledge, narrowly avoiding the bright beam of a guard’s flashlights that was now sweeping the rooftop. He glanced around and saw a familiar figure crouching in the shadows on a roof below him.
“Sam,” Nate breathed.
The searchlight moved on and the figure broke into a run and disappeared from sight.
Nate ran after him, leaping over the gaps between buildings, trying to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest as he chased after Sam.
When he got to the place where Sam had been, he stopped, breathing heavily. He heard footsteps on the pavement below.
Sam was on the ground. Nate didn’t have time to figure out how he got down because his brother was on the move again. Nate ran after him, following him from the rooftops above.
Nate wanted to call out to him but the guards were everywhere. Sam was heading towards the main gates. It was Sam’s only option unless he brought a parachute and felt like some nighttime cliff diving. Any other direction would lead them to the sheer cliff that guarded the estate on three sides.
Below him, Sam suddenly skidded to a stop and dove behind a low wall.
Nate could hear a guard’s voice somewhere nearby.
Sam sat with his back against the wall as the guard passed behind him. He took a deep breath and slowly started to pull his gun out of his waistband.
He froze as he heard the guard’s angry shout. The guard’s rifle swung towards him and Sam looked up just in time to see someone leap off the roof and tackle the guard to the ground.
The figure slammed his fist into the guard’s face, knocking him to the ground.
Sam leapt over the wall and raised his pistol. “Don’t move,” he growled.
The guard unconscious on the ground, the attacker slowly raised his hands and turned around.
Waves of confusion, guilt, and surprise swept over Sam’s face as his little brother gave him a nervous smile.
“Hey, Sam.”
“Nathan,” Sam answered dumbly.
“Yeah. Mind not pointing your gun at me?”
Sam stared at the pistol in his hand like it had turned into a snake. He turned the gun away and pulled his brother into a tight hug.
“Nathan, I don’t understand. How are you here? You were-”
A voice suddenly shouted in surprise above them.
A rain of bullets suddenly peppered the walls as Sam and Nate dove for cover.
“Come on!” Nate shouted. “We have to get to the main gates!”