Laredo (Texas), Wednesday 6:00 pm, local time

Neal came back to his senses, pasty mouthed and foggy. He blinked several times, rotating his head slowly. He tried to move and realized he was tied to a chair. His heart raced suddenly and he pulled on his hands in an attempt to free himself.

"Hello, Mr. Caffrey. Glad to have you back," said a voice with a slight southern drawl.

Neal stopped struggling and looked the tall frame in front of him. A dark haired man, with a classy linen suit was standing in front of him. He approached Neal opening a bottle of water.

"Here, you must be thirsty."

Neal hesitated for a brief second, then gladly accepted the offer, quenching the thirst he hadn't immediately realized. He sat back against the chair, and looked at the man in front of him, waiting for him to talk.

The stranger watched him in silence, maybe hoping for Neal to complain or ask questions, then had a satisfied nod when he only got silence.

"I haven't been lied to," he simply stated.

He sat in an arm chair and crossed his hands, his forefingers touching as if he was about to embark in a long lecture.

"Mr. Caffrey, I know you probably have a lot of questions. I will do my best to answer most of them. I may not be able to tell you everything this evening."

He watched at Neal's closed face.

"Yes. I did kidnap you, this morning. It is now 6:00 pm. You are probably dehydrated, so please ask me for more water if you want any."

"Where are we?" Neal asked, ignoring the offer for water.

"Good… Talking at last," the man answered with a smile. "In Texas."

Neal opened his eyes wide and cast a look at his ankle. He was so used to seeing the anklet that its absence was always surprising.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Alvaredo. I am, just like you, an art lover."

He pointed to the walls of the room and Neal watched the paintings more closely. They were unknown to him, yet the themes and techniques looked like some of the great masters. Unconsciously he moved forward to see them better.

"I see you are interested. You will be able to admire them up close, don't worry."

Neal had his eyes focused on a painting in particular. It was a Velasquez, he would bet on it, yet the painting was unknown to him.

Alvaredo let a little chuckle escape.

"So you are intrigued by the Velasquez… It is an original; you will be able to confirm it later. Mr. Caffrey, I am deeply fascinated by the unknown pieces of art of our great masters, those no one or only a very few have seen. The human eye corrupts the value of the artist's work. For decades, I have been searching our planet for disappeared sculptures, unknown paintings, the works of art that everyone has forgotten. They have a very special value; they are virgin of the comments and criticism of mankind."

Neal couldn't help raising an eyebrow at the explanation. He had met quite a few collectors in his past, all passionate about art, but the reasons of his abductor were surprising, if not slightly upsetting…

"As you can imagine, finding such pieces is a very long process, requiring a lot of research and patience. I have been studying you for a long time; I've always found your particular talents fascinating." He stopped for a moment and looked at Neal right in the eyes. "Mr. Caffrey, I want to make you a job offer."

"I work for the FBI."

"No, you are a prisoner of the FBI. And although you should legitimately be free, they have decided to keep you and exploit your gifts."

Neal clenched his teeth, fighting the sudden anger. He still hadn't got over his last conversation with Peter. He had been so sure the attorney general was going to release him.

A predatory smile flew over his kidnaper's lips.

"Hum… you agree with me," he said rising.

He took the water bottle he had set on the table and put it to Neal's lips, who accepted it greedily.

"Mr. Caffrey, for the moment you still are my prisoner; I would love to see you as a guest. I think you must be hungry, so I'll explain the reasons of your presence here while we have dinner. This property is a fortress, protected by former military guards, cameras…" He moved his hand as if bored by the details, "don't think you can get out alive if I haven't decided so beforehand."

He came closer and put a hand to the cuffs on Neal's wrists. The CI realized that the ties were conceived so as not to hurt him, even if he had fought violently. Apparently Alvaredo needed him in good shape.

"I'm going to ask for your word that you will not try to run away before I am done talking with you, then I will untie you."

Neal winced. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

Alvaredo shrugged, a fake sorry smile on his face.

"I will not try to escape, you have my word," Neal mumbled reluctantly.

"Fine."

He removed the cuffs and pointed to the table. It was set for two and a maître d' had just entered with a tray. Neal rose and moaned when a twinge went through his right leg. He rubbed the area, surprised by the unexplained sudden pain.

"Oh, right. I have been told that the area might be sensitive for a couple of days."

Neal raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I didn't know if you would cooperate, so I fit you with a GPS transmitter. The anklets used by the FBI are far too easy to remove, as you well know," he said pointing to Neal's ankle. "This one is much more subtle. It is embedded in your thigh, deep enough that you cannot remove it yourself should you decide to try. Only a surgeon can remove it. But don't worry, I have very professional staff to take care of it when the time comes."

Giving up on any futile complaint, Neal sighed and went to the table. He hadn't realized he was hungry, but when he saw the food his stomach made itself remember. He was actually starving.

Despite the hunger, he forced himself to eat slowly, Alvaredo keeping an appraising eye on him.

"Mr. Caffrey, have you ever heard of the 'Noche Triste'?"

Neal frowned trying to remember why the name sounded familiar.

"The Aztecs' victory over Cortes?"

His kidnaper had a huge satisfied smile.

"Working with you is going to be a real pleasure, Mr. Caffrey."

The contrary was certainly not true, but Neal kept silent. What did this man want?

Alvaredo nodded.

"The Noche Triste belongs to the great battles in history, just like Little Big Horn or Waterloo… It is however much less famous. I own a very large collection of books about the Spanish conquest, you will be able to consult them as freely as you want. Let me remind you the main facts. In 1520, Cortes held the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma, prisoner and as such sort of governed the territory. This leadership wasn't part of the task the Spanish kingdom had assigned to him. During the spring, he had to leave to lead a battle and left his trusted lieutenant, Pedro de Alvaredo, in charge."

He had a small smile when he saw the spark in Neal's eyes, then carried on.

"A few days after his departure, nobles and priests were celebrating a festival in the city's main temple. Knowing their taste for human sacrifices, Alvaredo was convinced the Aztecs were going to kill them and took a preemptive action by killing some 2000 Indians. Of course, when the people couldn't hear the drums anymore they realized something was wrong. They attacked the fortress. A few days later, Cortes came back from his battle. The Aztecs let him get through then laid siege to the Spanish in the fortress. Running out of ammunition and water, the situation was delicate. When Moctezuma was killed, Cortes feared for their lives and decided to escape. They took all the gold and silver they could, then let the soldiers help themselves to as much riches as they wanted."

Alvaredo stopped and sipped some wine, while a waiter cleared the dishes and brought desert.

"On the 30th of June 1520 at night, the Spanish left the city silently, using the paved road across the causeway, using a portable bridge to go over the destroyed bridges. The Aztecs surprised them and the fight was ferocious. The soldiers burdened by the gold fell into the water and drowned; men and horses were slaughtered by the Indians. A handful of men managed to escape and survive, among which Cortes and Alvaredo. The following year, Cortes led a new battle that would eventually lead to the Aztecs' demise and the creation of the future Mexico city."

Neal was listening attentively. He remembered having read the story before, but had forgotten most details. What had caught his attention though was the name of Cortes' lieutenant, the same as his host, Alvaredo…

The man put his glass down and smiled.

"What history does not tell is what my ancestor did…"

So there was a connection, thought Neal.

"Alvaredo was in the rear guard and was miraculously saved thanks to an impressive jump using his spear. His name is known in history because of this jump. What has been ignored is that he saw the place where the cart with the treasure fell into the lake. When Cortes troops won over the city the following year, Alvaredo started looking for the treasure. It still was underwater. He had paid dearly for his life, so he decided he had owned it. With time, he managed to get the loot and hid it."

"Later on, he left the city and went up north, to a secluded place on the other side of the Rio Grande. He hid the treasure and drew a map with the necessary information to find it. When he died, he left the parchment to his daughter. Time and generations went by, the parchment remained in the family and everyone forgot what it stood for. Until some twenty years ago, that document was just a family heirloom, reminding us about the past of our ancestors. No one recalled that it was actually a treasure map."

Alvaredo took a spoonful of his desert and savored the sweet taste, lost in his thoughts.

"Mysteries have always been my passion, Mr. Caffrey. That's how I came to gather the art that I own. The day I realized I had the greatest treasures of all right in my hands, I couldn't believe it. The secluded place my ancestor moved to is now the town of Laredo. I have been able to identify the older village limits and have purchased the land. Somewhere inside the property or over the hundred acres around it and that belong to me, lies Alvaredo's treasure. I need someone to decipher the parchment and tell me where to dig."

"Why do you think I could do it? From what I gather, I wouldn't be the first one to try."

"I have seen how you broke the secret of the Mosconi codex. You are quite resourceful."

"What do I stand to win?"

"Your freedom, Mr. Caffrey."

Neal gave him a skeptical look.

"From the documents I have been able to gather, I found out that the treasure is made of gold and silver bars. There is also a Shaman mask. That is the only piece I'm interested in. You can keep everything else. You should be able to buy yourself your own island this time."

"And if I reject the offer?"

"I'll give you an alternative –accept to fully engage in this quest and you will be totally free. The transmitter you carry guarantees that you remain in the vicinity. You will be allowed to leave the property, go to town; you will see Mexican girls are quite friendly. You will have all the tools, documents, any information you may need. You will be my honored guest, hosted with all the comforts and luxury available in this property. Or you can decline, and I will break you until you give up. And believe me, Mr. Caffrey, I will break you. No one has ever resisted me in the past."

Alvaredo watched him with cold eyes.

"I know your exceptional talents for escape. I need to show you a specific aspect of your transmitter."

He retrieved a small black device from his pocket. He pushed a button and Neal screamed reaching for his leg with his hand.

"The government and all those so-called humanitarian organization do not approve of the use of this kind of device. They state them as inhuman; but we both know you're not a human, just a criminal, don't you agree, Mr. Caffrey?"

He let go of the button and Neal remained folded in two, trying to get his breath back. The transmitter had generated a violent electrical discharge. The way it had coursed through his entire body proved it had been placed close to a nerve.

"One last piece of information, the discharge I generated is only half the possible power. Think about it before you have any stupid idea."

Neal straightened up slowly.

"Don't answer now. I will have you shown to your room. Rest and think about it. We will meet again tomorrow evening. That should give you enough time to think about my offer."

Alvaredo rose and a hand man came in. Neal followed him limping.

Neal was lying on the bed in the dark, eyes glued to the ceiling he could make out in the darkness.

For the past two hours, he had been weighing pros and cons. Although, he didn't really have much of a choice…

The easiest solution was to tell Alvaredo he agreed. Then, if the parchment was that difficult to translate, he would have time to find a way out.

But the more he thought about it, the more Alvaredo's offer was tempting…

When Peter had told him his release had been denied, he had felt the world crumbling around him. He had been so sure of the outcome, he hadn't considered even for one second such an answer. That's when he had decided to leave everything behind.

Mozzie was supposed to help him, but did it make a difference if the solution came from another source? If the treasure was as huge as Alvaredo said, he would be set for the rest of his life. He could start a new life, create a new identity far from his criminal past. Who knew? Maybe get an interesting job, while having a total freedom thanks to the loot. A normal life. Maybe a wife, kids…

He couldn't help a moan thinking of Rebecca. He hated her. And to think that Sara had left him. Mozzie was probably right, he and women…

Mozzie! He was probably going crazy. By this time, the FBI had obviously already launched a major man's hunt. Peter was probably convinced he had run after their last meeting… He was pretty sure Peter could find him eventually… but did he want to be found?

He rose, frustrated and angry. He went to the door and was surprised when the knob turned under his hand. He had been pretty sure he would have been locked in. He went outside, letting his feet lead him across the garden. He arrived to a little pond. The moon shone on the water and the frogs held a noisy concert. One of them jumped from a rock into the water, leaving perfect rings behind it.

Neal sighed, letting the calm setting soothe him. There were, after all, worse things in life than holidays in a luxury property while deciphering an old Aztec parchment…

In the shadows, a guard was keeping a silent vigil.

TBC…

A/N: If you wonder, the facts of the "Noche Triste" are historical and happened as described by Alvaredo. We obviously made up the story about the treasure…