Saturday morning Elizabeth had to get to her office by eight to plan for an event she was doing at the MET. With a large container of coffee in hand she was about to walk out the door, when the phone rang. She decided to let the answering machine pick up. She had one foot out the door when she heard her mother-in law's voice recording on the machine.
"Hello Peter, I just wanted to know if and when you're coming to help me pack?"
She ran to the phone and picked it up before the older woman hung up. "Florence, hi this is Elizabeth. Peter left last night around five, right after work."
"Well he never showed up, nor has he called letting me know where he is." She said. "He never doesn't call."
"You're right about that."
Dam was she right, El thought as she held the phone tight in her hand. It wasn't like her husband not to call if something was wrong. So many things ran threw her head at that moment that she didn't even hear the other woman talking to her.
'Elizabeth?"
"I'll try his cell phone, see if I can get threw." She said keeping her voice calm, even though she felt like screaming.
"I've tried that. Who's that man who was coming with him to help?"
"Peter's CI, Neal.. I'll try his cell phone. Then I call you and let you know what's going on."
They exchanged goodbyes then El hung up and dialed Neal's number. It rang a few times then went to voice mail, she listened then hung up. She called her office and let Yvonne know what happened and that she wasn't coming in. Her next call was to the Bureau to have whoever was there-if anyone-pull up Neal's tracking data it hopes finding them that way.
"FBI, this is Jones."
'Hi Jones, it's Elizabeth Burke. Can you pull up Neal's tracking data starting from last night around five until this morning?"
"What for?" The junior agent said sounding concerned.
"Peter and Neal never showed up at Peter's mother's last night, and I can't get threw to either one of them."
"Come down to the office and I'll have it ready for you."
"Ok, thank you."
After hanging up the phone El ran out the door and got into her car. The fifteen minute drive to the FBI office seemed longer. She kept trying both cell phones as she navigated threw the streets of New York. When finally arriving at Federal Plaza she parked in the parking garage and ran to the elevator got in and pressed the button for the twenty first floor.
The ride up was nerve-wracking all El could think of was Peter and Neal alone and hurt somewhere, or worse, dead. What would she do if she lost Peter, he was her everything, the only man she ever loved. She wondered if she'd ever see him smile again, hear him laugh at something she said or did, or feel his arms around her when they lay in bed at night. And Neal had become more then a friend to her, he was like family. They still had so much to talk about, so many art shows to go to. What was she going to do if she lost both of them? The two most important men in her life. Maybe she shouldn't think of what if's, she thought as the elevator car reached the top floor. The what if's would only drive her crazy, and she needed to stay in control.
When the elevator door opened El ran out and almost broke the glass door that separated the FBI office from the outer hallway. Spotting Jones and Diana at Jones's desk she ran over to them. They looked up at her when she reached the desk their expressions bewildered.
"What is it?" She asked.
"We found Neal's tracking data." Diana said. "Peter had it left on but turned off the mile indicator, so they could travel without causing any problems. At seven last night they stopped at a diner and were there for about thirty minutes, then got back on the road. Around nine it stopped and it's been in that location since then."
"Where is it?" El asked.
"It's in a wooded area two hours outside of Lancing New York." Jones said. "We sent a team out to canvas the area,. We also contacted officials in Lancing and they're sending out a search team too, they'll let us know what they find."
"Then you'll let me know?"
"Of course." Diana said. "Can I get you some coffee?"
"Yes please."
After Diana went to the break room El walked over to Neal's desk, and sat in his seat. She looked up at her husband's office, dark and closed for the weekend. She felt tears surface as she remembered him bringing home case files and working at all hours. She thought of when they met during his first case, he was so proud when he caught the guy. He'd been even more happier when El finally asked him to that Italian restaurant. El once thought she was in competition with Neal while Peter was chasing him. Now she loved that they were working together and El could see a change in Neal, and knew Peter was the reason.
When Diana placed the coffee on the desk El picked it up and took a sip, cringing at the awful taste of the hot liquid. When she was on her forth cup of coffee-ignoring the bitter taste- she heard a phone ring somewhere in the office. She ignored it, until she heard Jones call her name. She jumped up and walked over to where he sat.
"They found the Taurus off the side of the road, it had flipped over a guardrail, and it was torched. They're taking it, and everything else they found, to a forensics lab to examine it." El could see that Jones was trying to hold back tears, something was horribly wrong. "They found Neal's tracker a few feet away."
"Jones, what is it?" Diana asked.
"It was still around his ankle, but the rest of him is gone."
"Those bastards amputated his foot to remove his tracker." El said, chocking back tears. "What else did they find?"
"They found two trails of blood leading back to a denser part of the woods. They're searching that area looking for anything."
"Who could've done this?"
"I don't know, Diana. That's what we need to find out, call Hughes and tell him what happened."
Diana went to her desk to use her phone while Jones and El stood silently for a moment. After a while Elizabeth walked away taking her phone out of her pocket, and opening it. She dialed her mother in-law's number and listened while it rang.
"Florence, It's Elizabeth." She said when the phone was picked up.
"Did they find peter?" She sounded like she'd been crying.
El knew this was heard for her. She'd lost her husband years ago to a heart attack. Peter was an only child and loosing him would be another big blow to her. Now El had to tell her that her only son might be dead, it was all she could do to answer.
"Elizabeth?"
"They found his car on the side of the road. He's missing and they're looking for him."
There was a moment of silence then the older woman asked; "How well do you know this CI of his?"
Anger coursed threw El's body. How dare she accuse Neal of hurting Peter. She never met the man, this weekend would have been the first time she met him. She knew her mother in-law was worried about her son, she was even had a fit when he joined the FBI. The idea that either of them would hurt each other was just wrong.
"El, I asked you how much you knew about this CI of his."
"I know Neal. He's my best friend and would never hurt peter, or anyone."
"I'm sorry. I'm just so upset."
"It's ok." she said. "I'll call you when I hear anything. Do you have anyone you can stay with?"
"I called my neighbor from across the street, I'll stay with her."
"Ok. Bye."
She hung up and stood for a while and looked around the bullpen. Seeing Diana and Jones talking El walked over to them and listened for a moment, until they finally noticed her.
"Elizabeth, we're going threw all of Peter's old case files. Looking to see if anyone held a grudge against him. We learned the name of the diner they stopped at last night, and Hughes wants Jones and I to go question anyone who saw them there."
"What should I do? I can't go home and just sit." She knew there was noting she could do. What could she possibly do? She certainly couldn't go into work it would be too distracting, and she just wanted them back.
"I understand. Hughes has Missing Persons and the White Collar unit working on this, we'll find them." Diana said. "Is there anyone you could stay with? You shouldn't be alone incase this is one of Peter's old cases, or someone from Neal's past looking to cause trouble."
"June's out of town visiting her daughter. I'll go stay at my friend Dana's, she was the one whose husband you guys helped awhile back." Both Jones and Diana nodded. 'Call me if you find anything." She said before leaving the office.
Two houres later Jones and Diana arrived at The Dine inn, a Diner tucked back off the main road going threw upstate New York. They parked and went inside sitting at the bar they waited for the waitress to notice them. There were only a few people sitting in booths and one man at the bar.
"Excuse me." Jones said, after a minute of being ignored.
The woman behind the counter finally turned. "What can I get Y'll?" She asked.
"I'm agent Barrigan and this is agent Jones with the FBI."
"Is there anything I can do for Y'll?" She asked, nervously as she wiped down counter.
"Two men came in here last night around seven." Jones said, holding up two pictures. One was of Peter at a party they had at the office, and one of Neal from his file.
She examined the pictures closely and nodded then went back to her work. The guy at the counter, an elderly man who looked to be in his seventies, walked over to them and sat. He too looked at the pictures.
"They were here." The waitress said. "Quite fellows I might say, ate then left".
"Was there anyone else here at the time? Anyone suspicious?" Diana asked.
"No, just Roy and Billy. I was working the night shift, working again today because Doddie's got the flu. My name's Sally."
"I remember them." The man at the counter said. "What's this about?"
"These two men are agent Peter Burke of the FBI white Collar division, and his consultant Neal Caffrey. They were on their way up to help Peter's mother pack her house up, and never showed up. Peter's car was found on the side of the road flipped over a guardrail and torched, and they are missing."
"Neal had a electronic monitoring anklet that puts him here last night, his last location is a few feet from where the car was found, and his tracker was removed." Diana said.
"I'm sorry to here that. Wish I could be of some help." Sally said, coming out from behind the counter and sitting on a stool.
"One thing though the younger of the two seemed freaked out." The man said.
"That's because he heard you telling Roy that stupid Urban lagan of yours."
"It's not stupid. My friend Danny had an accouter with them people, and never was the same."
"Oh you friend's a nut."
"Care to share." Jones said.
They stopped bickering and looked at the two agents. There was silence for a moment then Sally went back behind he counter, and made some coffee. He looked behind him and then back at Jones and Diana.
"The story it that this gang goes driving down dark roads at night with their lights off. If someone flashes them the gang follows that person then kills them. My friend was attacked about twenty years ago while coming home from a party, he lost his wife, and now lives with his daughter and son-in law in Mane. He never recovered. Now I've been hearing stories about the same things happening around here, like a group of people copycatting it."
"Has anyone been attacked that you know of?" Diana asked. She started to fear that Neal and Peter were attacked the same way.
"No." He took a sip of the coffee that was left for him on the counter, then continued. "I know this is something that's been told for years and doesn't sound real, but I think there are some people who test it out for fun."
"People have a sick idea of fun." Sally said, from behind the bar.
"You're right about that." Jones said, taking out his business card and leaving it on the counter. "If you here anything give me a call."
When they were back in the car Diana called the office, connecting with Hughes. She told him what the guy in the diner told her, and asked him if he thought it could be someone copycatting that story. He said he'd check into it and they'd talk about it when they got back.
