I fixed this all up for you all, and I am still unsure as to when I'll get around to continuing it, but at least you'll have this to tide you over, kind of. Nothing too big has changed I don't think. Enjoy.
"Neal!" Peter shouted, sprinting towards the warehouse. Smoke billowed out of broken windows, and if Neal was still inside when it exploded….He left everyone in his dust as he ran, fearing for his friend's life. Upon reaching the door, he entered, coughing as some ash flew into his lungs. Peter drew his gun and wandered carefully into the building, following the voices drifting in the breeze.
"Goodbye Neal," Adler said to Neal. The con knew that he was going to be dead in a matter of moments and then remembered that he had brought a pistol in case he found Adler and Peter wasn't around. He pulled it out and fired. He heard a simultaneous bang and Adler's eyes grew wide as he looked down to the front of his jacket where red was seeping through. In Neal's hand was the now-smoking pistol. He had just shot the man who stole all of his money when he was still working for him. The man who had stolen Kate from him. The man who had almost killed Mozzie. The man who kidnapped him, Peter, and Alex to make them open the U-boat to get the treasure. The man who had tried to kill him multiple times, most recently via a gun. Neal, however, had shot first, or he thought so. Behind Adler stood a very surprised looking Peter as he walked toward him. Neal took a few steps back and dropped the pistol.
"What did I just do," Neal said to himself. His eyes widened with realization and he held his hands up and looked at them like they acted on their own accord. "No no no," Neal mumbled and put his hands on his head as he turned away from Peter.
"Neal," Peter said. His CI, and friend, looked horrified. Neal was not a violent person, in fact, he was one of the most non-violent people Peter knew. He used words to settle things, not guns, so seeing Neal kill Adler was terrifying.
"Peter no, I didn't mean, I mean I did, but not, I...I...I," Neal stammered before glancing back around at Peter who was close enough to put a hand on Neal's shoulder. Neal was still trying to compensate what had just happened when the warehouse blew again. The explosion spread more fiery debris around. Peter stepped back as a larger beam fell in between him and Neal. The flames grew and Peter could just barely see Neal. He was sent staggering back when more debris fell, causing him to lose sight of the con.
"Neal!" Peter shouted again, but he got no answer. No matter how much he wanted to go further in the building to find his partner, he had to regroup with the rest of the team so Peter turned and rushed back towards the entrance, covering his nose and mouth with his arm, trying not to inhale the burning air and ash. He broke out in a coughing fit as he broke through the smoke into fresh air, Diana helping him stagger farther away and informing him that help was on the way.
Neal coughed and covered his mouth with his sleeve. He had backed up when another piece of debris had fallen in front of him, which caused him to lose sight of Peter and caused him to fall. He tried standing, but apparently his leg was stuck. He tugged furiously at it, only to break out in another coughing fit. Smoke inhalation was never good.
"Peter," Neal called as loud as he could, but regretted it almost immediately because his throat burned. He brought both hands down and tugged at his leg, but almost blacked out in pain. He leg was wedged under the large, flaming beam that made him lose sight of his friend
The fire surrounded him and he could barely breathe. He lay sprawled on the ground, leg still trapped, wheezing and dizzy from lack of oxygen. His ears were still ringing from the initial explosion, one more muffled than the other, and as he reached up, noted that blood was running from it. He was still reeling from killing Adler, and he was pretty sure he was going into shock. Shivering even though the fire should have kept him warm, he groaned, looking at the thing keeping him pinned again. The beam had quit burning a minute ago, but it was still too heavy to lift from the angle he was at, and especially without another person or two. He tried to sit up again, but fell back almost immediately, coughing and hacking to the point where he thought a lung was going to come out.
He put a hand to his chest and pulled it away. Blood. His hand was covered with blood. He looked at his chest weakly and saw his shirt was stained with it. He undid the buttons and saw what had happened. It seems that Adler had gotten a shot off and hit his target. Neal hadn't noticed it initially because of the events that occurred. Adler being killed, the warehouse exploding for a second time, Peter coming towards him, the beam falling on him, everything. He just now noticed. Adrenaline and shock were some pretty good drugs. The wound was still sluggishly bleeding. He put a shaking hand to his wound and left it there. A wave of cruel pain hit him and black spots dotted his vision. Neal shuddered and his wound began bleeding heavily again.
"P'tr," Neal called weakly. His time was running low. A numbness started spreading through his body and he was trying to stay awake for longer, but sleep was really being a tempting mistress. Neal set his head down on the ground and he was mouthing words, but nothing came out. The black rim around his vision grew and Neal let his head loll to the side, his eyes shutting. He swore he could hear faint voices calling his name, but sleep was too great of a need right now.
"Not now...need sl'p," Neal slurred. It was painful to talk and doing so caused another coughing fit which only made the black worse and made his wound gush blood. Neal fell back and shut the world out. Darkness swarmed him and he let it. He surrendered to it thinking about how similar it was to when Peter first caught him. Neal smiled weakly, another coughing fit racking his body before he went limp. His face relaxed and his smile faded. His hand was still clutching at the wound, before it too fell limply to the ground.
Neal had no clue how close help was and thought they wouldn't mind him napping for a few minutes. Around him the fire burned on drowsily. Neal was dead to the world. The only sign he was still alive was a very faint rise and fall of his chest.
"Neal! Can you hear me! Neal," Peter called urgently into the smoldering debris. Help was close and he could hear the sirens loud and clear. Peter was worried though. There was no sign of Neal and the fire showed no signs of quitting on it's own.
"Peter, the trucks are three minutes out," Diana told her boss with a comforting hand on his shoulder. Him, Diana, Jones and Neal had gotten to be close friends. She didn't want to lose him anymore than Peter did.
"Diana," Peter said softly as he turned to face her. "Neal shot Adler, but Adler also got a shot off. Adler fell, but Neal stood shocked and he began to stagger away. I was going to get him when this happened," Peter said gesturing to the warehouse. Diana looked frightened.
"Wait you said Adler shot too. You were behind him though right? How…"
"I heard the shots and saw Adler fall, but I then looked to Neal…," Peter trailed off and Diana's hand flew to her mouth, but she put it back down.
"You mean, Adler shot Caffery when Caffery shot Adler, but Caffery didn't notice that he was hit? How?"
"I'm not sure, though he seemed to be either in, or going into, shock. Pair that with adrenaline and the situation, and I guess it would make sense he didn't notice. If he somehow escaped, he could be lying somewhere dead or dying fast. Adler got him in the chest, and from the amount of blood, I don't think he has too long. If Neal's trapped-"
"He doesn't have long," Diana finished. The firetrucks rounded the corner and parked, followed closely by paramedics and police. Peter and Diana moved out of the way as they started doing their jobs. Peter was afraid. He had no comfort at all. Diana had gone over to talk to the other agents and Peter pulled out his phone and called El.
"Hey Hun," Peter said.
"Hey Hun. What's wrong? You sound worried. Are you okay?" Elizabeth was just the one to worry about him. Peter smiled, but it disappeared quickly.
"I'm fine, but…"
"But what? I know something is wrong. What happened? Did you get Adler?"
"Yes," Peter said hesitantly, wondering what to say to his wife.
"You don't seem very sure of your answer. What happened?"
"Neal wandered off while we were searching warehouses and all of a sudden this warehouse blew up. Neal was missing and our best guess was that he was still inside. I went back in and found Neal, but the warehouse blew again and flaming debris separated us. I haven't gotten a response back or anything. I don't know if Neal made it out or not," Peter finished. There was a gasp, some sniffling and a tissue blow on the other end.
"I'll tell Mozzie; he deserves to know."
"I'll keep you updated."
"You better Peter. You make sure both you and Neal come home safely. I love you."
"I love you too," Peter responded and hung up. At the Burke's residence, El broke down on the couch. She thought of Neal like a son. He was childish and often times like a little boy. He was part of the family and she had no idea what she or Peter would do if he didn't make it.
El cried as she dialed Mozzie's number and she told him what had happened through tears. Mozzie said he would be over in a few minutes. The man was true to his words and sat on the couch next to Elizabeth, comforting the woman. He was more than worried for his friend, and when El finished sobbing, Mozzie spoke softly, hoping his words wouldn't become an omen.
"Neal may not make it out of this one. He has conned his way out of many things, but death may not be so easily fooled."
Hey y'all, I did change some things in here, made it a bit more cohesive and easier to read. It's not perfect in any sense, but I think it's a bit better than what it was. The main ideas are pretty much the same though, so no big changes, just clean up. As I mentioned at the top, I'm not sure when I'll have time to update this again, but I will try to keep working on it. I'm in a bit of a wavy time right now in terms of what catches and holds my interest, so I'll see what happens. I won't stop writing this though. Promise.