Twenty-four hours earlier…

"He took my wife."

Neal heard the strangled words come from Peter's lips, but it took a long moment before he could really process them. "Who?"

"Keller." Peter all but spat the name out, his hands shaking in fury.

Neal looked around, taking a moment to observe while he tried to process what Peter had just said. ERT members milled about, looking for evidence. Jones and Diana stood off to one side, comparing notes. It had been Jones who had called him, saying that something may have happened, and they needed the team at the Burke house…

There were obvious signs of a struggle in the kitchen. Odds and ends overturned, homemade tomato sauce spilled onto the floor. He could think of half a dozen times he'd been here, having dinner, that tomato sauce adorning manicotti shells, layered in lasagna, topping a mountain of spaghetti…

Peter was talking again, and Neal tried to pay attention. "You know what he wants," Peter said, his voice low and yet, somehow, menacing.

"He thinks I have the treasure," Neal said slowly. "I told him I didn't…"

"Neal, he has Elizabeth! And he said you have the treasure, that he's seen it."

Neal nodded, the thoughts in his head starting to come together into something cohesive. Keller had Elizabeth, he wanted the Nazi treasure, and Mozzie…

Shit, Mozzie!

Neal started toward the back door. "I need to make a call," he said, reaching for his phone. He felt a hand grab for his arm and he pulled away. "Peter, I have to make a call, right now. I'm not going anywhere."

One of the agents had Satchmo outside, so Neal chose the other side of the small yard, quickly pulling up a speed dial number. As he expected, there was no answer, but he left a message. "Mozzie, I know you're mad, but Keller has Elizabeth. Call me!" Then he quickly typed a text message and set it to send to all the numbers he had for his friend.

Keller has Eliz. Call me!

His task done, he noticed that Satchmo was straining against his leash, trying to get to him. Mustering up a smile, Neal walked over there, crouching down to meet the lab at dog level. He got a sloppy kiss for his efforts as he reached over to scratch the dog's ears. "We'll get your mom home," he whispered.


It was hard to know what to take, and what was best left behind. And it was a hard truth to admit that he couldn't take all of the treasure with him. But the sheer amount of artwork made it necessary to consider his choices. Because he'd never been the one who was good at the logistics of moving large quantities of goods. No, that had been Neal…

Mozzie stopped packing for a moment, leaning against a crate. He was still… what? Stunned? Yes, maybe stunned was the word. Stunned that Neal had turned his back on the opportunity Mozzie had laid out at his feet.

Stunned that Neal had turned his back on him.

Stunned that someone as gifted and intelligent as Neal had succumbed to the brainwashing power of The Man and elected to stay in bound servitude instead of flying free…

His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. But it was Neal's ringtone, so he ignored it. Neal had had his chance, and he had made his choice.

He'd check later, and see if there was a message. For old time's sake.

Mozzie turned back to his packing, but he was interrupted again a moment later when all three of the phones he carried started chiming with a text message alert. He emptied his pockets and picked up the first phone, an older one that flipped open, and with just a small display on the front.

Neal.

Mozzie turned the phone off, reaching for the second one. He saw Neal's name there as well, and started to turn that one off – but then another name caught his eye.

Keller.

And once he saw that, he had to look at the rest of the message.

No, not Mrs. Suit…


Neal breathed a sigh of relief as he answered the phone. "Moz."

'Keller really took Mrs. Suit?'

"Well, someone did, and Keller called Peter to take credit. I'm at the house now."

'Damn. I wish I could have taken him out on the street the other day.'

"You saw Keller?"

'He accosted me while I was shopping. Demanded part of the treasure. Damn it, Neal – he said to remember he had asked nicely. He was already planning this!'

"Breathe, Moz. I know you would have done something if he had actually threatened Elizabeth."

'Keller never would have known what hit him.'

"I believe it. Look, Moz, I know you want to leave, but I could really use your help."

'The islands will still be there. Your place, or the Suit's?'

"My place. A little too much going on around here right now."

'On my way. But Neal, I'm doing this for Mrs. Suit, not you.'

The call disconnected, but Neal just stared at the phone for a long moment. Those last words hurt more than he thought they could. Still, he had made his choice, and the lost – no, strained, not lost – friendship with Mozzie was part of the price.

He looked up at the house – the place he'd been invited to so many times as a friend. But it didn't seem as welcoming now. Not after he'd broken in, and not now when he knew that Peter must be blaming him for this mess.

He took a deep breath and looked down into the trusting eyes of the dog. "Time to go in, Satch. I have a lot of work to do."


Peter sat on the couch, still somewhat dazed. He listened as the ERT leader talked about what they had found. Jones and Diana had successfully fended off local law enforcement, insisting the FBI would take the lead. And so far, Hughes hadn't come to tell them to back off the case because it was too personal.

Yeah, it didn't get much more personal than this.

Blake was there, giving details about what the neighbors had seen. Black van, Jersey plates – that didn't narrow things down much. But they were sure she was alive…

He held onto that thought as he lifted the mug of coffee to his lips. Someone – he thought it might have been Jones – had pressed the cup into his hands a few minutes ago. The liquid was still hot, and he felt it scalding his lips and throat as he swallowed, but that didn't even seem to matter. He wasn't sure he tasted it at all.

He heard Satchmo barking, and looked up just in time to see Neal bringing the dog in the back door. Good old Satch had apparently put up quite a fight in Elizabeth's defense. The ERT techs had found blood on his muzzle, and he'd been locked in the basement…

Yes, Satch had done his job. But Neal…

Neal had gotten them into this mess.

Peter got to his feet, grabbing Neal's arm just as the younger man unhooked the dog's leash. With only the slightest pause to open the back door, Peter pushed his charge out onto the patio, so hard that Neal stumbled against the latticed wall. "This is your fault," he said without preamble. "All of this. All because you had to steal that treasure!"

"I didn't steal it, Peter," Neal replied, his voice so low it was almost a whisper. "But you're right, this is my fault."

"Damn right! And you're going to tell me everything, right now."

Neal sighed, running a hand through his hair. And then he slowly shook his head. "I will tell you everything, I promise. But not now."

"Neal…"

"No, listen, Peter! I can find Keller, I know I can. He didn't come here himself – he was watching you. That means he hired people."

"The neighbors saw at least three men," Peter said, his initial burst of anger subsiding somewhat. The analytical FBI side took over, though its hold seemed somewhat tenuous. "Local hires."

Neal nodded, and hurried to press his case. "That's what I'm thinking. Mozzie's meeting me at my place. Between us, we have a lot of contacts, and they have contacts, who have contacts."

"I can send Jones and Diana…"

"Peter, I can't take agents where I have to go tonight."

Peter considered that for a long moment, studying the other man. But the intense blue eyes across from him held no deception that he could see. Sinking onto a patio chair, Peter rested his elbows on the table, holding his head in his hands. "I can't lose her, Neal."

"You won't." Neal pulled out a chair and sat down. "Peter, she was alive when they took her, and Keller will need to keep her alive. He has to know you'll demand proof of life before any deal." There was a pause before Neal continued, very softly. "I demanded proof of life before I'd deal for you."

Peter looked up, really seeing Neal for the first time that night. Seeing his partner, the man he had called friend – the man who had negotiated for his life. Given up a ring worth almost three million dollars according to the FBI's appraiser – a ring that had meant so much more than that to Neal because of what it represented.

And he knew that no one understood unintended consequences more than Neal did at that moment.

"You really think you can find him?"

"I know we can. Peter, he's going to let you worry for a while before contacting you with demands. That's good, because we can use that time to start looking."

"What's your plan?"

"Mozzie and I will start putting the word out – we need to find Keller, not collect on the bounty. He might not have Elizabeth with him. We can find people who will look under every rock or rotted board Keller can use to hide. And a lot of people owe me favors – I will call every single one of them in if I have to."

"And when Keller calls?"

"Demand proof of life. Buy me as much time as you safely can." Neal paused, taking a deep breath. "I think we can find him before it gets to an exchange. But if it does come to that… I'll figure something out."

"Neal…"

"Peter, we both know you can arrest me right now. But we also both know that Mozzie and I have a better chance of shaking something loose about Keller than a bunch of agents waving badges."

Peter closed his eyes, willing himself the ability to think clearly, even if just for a moment. Kramer's cautionary tale about getting too close to a CI came back to him, and he couldn't help but wonder how things might have been different if the line between con and friend hadn't become so blurred.

Blurred? Hell that line was non-existent…

It was too late to re-draw the line, way too late.

"I'll be able to reach you?"

Neal nodded right away. "I may have to turn my phone off now and then, but I'll check it as often as I can." He got to his feet and then paused. "Peter, you have to know that I would never have knowingly done anything to endanger Elizabeth."

"But we're responsible for all of the consequences of our actions," Peter replied, standing as well. And there were certainly actions of his own where he'd suffered because of consequences he hadn't foreseen…

How could he have foreseen the consequences of his decision to team up with a con man almost two and a half years ago?

"Yeah." Neal sighed and closed his eyes a moment, then looked back up at Peter. "If we do find him, do you want justice, or revenge?"

It should have been such an easy question… but Peter found himself hesitating. "Justice," he finally said. "As long as I get Elizabeth back safely."

Left unsaid was the promise that if Elizabeth wasn't safe, there was nowhere on earth that Matthew Keller could hide from Peter Burke's revenge…

Neal just nodded, turned toward the door, and then swung back to Peter. His actions a bit hesitant, he reached out to hug the agent. "I chose you," he whispered.

Peter returned the hug, somewhat awkwardly. And then he watched as Neal headed back into the house.

What was it Neal had just said?


Neal made his way through the front room, his eyes set on the front door. He purposely didn't make eye contact with Jones or Diana or any of the other agents; he couldn't, not and keep going.

He paused just long enough to drop Peter's keys onto the table by the door, and then he was outside, down the steps, and onto the sidewalk. He waited until he turned the corner at the first intersection, and was sure no one was coming after him, to open his right hand and look at his prize…

The electronic fob that would open the anklet.

He had no intention of running – but he wasn't sure that he could convince the agents of that. And with any luck Peter would be told to wait by the phone for Keller's call, and he wouldn't be using his keys – or noticing what was missing. And really, compared to the other litany of charges he'd probably be facing, slipping the tracker was nothing – but necessary.

Because Neal knew he needed to move fast, and probably far underground, tonight. Electronic monitoring just wouldn't be welcome.

So, lifting the key had taken care of that problem.

There were still plenty of problems to resolve, however. For example, he had pretty much renounced any interest in the treasure earlier that evening. So if it did come down to making an exchange with Keller, he'd have to hope that that sacrifice was within Mozzie's admiration zone for Elizabeth.

The next block over held some retail establishments, and taxis plied the streets. He flagged one down, gave June's address, and then leaned back, closing his eyes. He pretty much knew where they had to start, and it promised to be a long night. Might as well get a few minutes of rest while he could.