Chapter 4

Neal looked around the airport terminal, half expecting to see Mozzie lurking somewhere in the shadows. But it was just he, Peter and the U.S. Marshall Kramer had sent to New York to collect Neal and bring him to D.C.

Neal had packed only the barest of essentials. He was wearing the clothes he had left prison in three years ago. He was bringing little else. He was even going to have the FBI buy him a new toothbrush and toothpaste. He did carry the pictures and the pocket watch with him though. He needed some very special, important reminders of home. Neal had decided that Byron's clothes, now his clothes, should stay in New York. That was where they belonged. That was where they should be worn. He was going to have Kramer and the D.C. FBI buy him a new wardrobe.

"This is it, Kid." Peter replied.

Neal smiled. He had never heard Peter call him kid before, despite the difference in their ages. He liked it.

"You know…" Peter admitted. "…I never expected to like you. I just figured this deal would last about a year. You would do something stupid, get sent back to prison, and that would be it."

Neal nodded. He understood completely.

"I had just wanted to get out of that cell. And 4 more years seemed like a lifetime." Neal shook his head. "I had no idea…."

Peter and Neal quickly embraced as, overhead, Neal's flight was called to board.

"Take care of yourself, Neal." Peter replied. "What you said about Kramer was right. But I still want you to be nice to the man."

Neal nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Elle and I will be in D.C. in a couple weeks." Peter promised. "Elle is already making sure she has the weekend free."

Neal nodded again. "Gonna miss you guys. " He managed to say.

Peter walked him and the Marshall as far as he could go. He stood inside by the windows and watched the plane until he couldn't see it anymore. By the time Peter got home he was wiping tears from his eyes, his reaction surprising even him.

WC WC WC WC WC

The flight was a lot shorter than Neal expected it to be. He had spent the majority of the time asleep or staring out the window. It had worked out well because the marshal sent to get him had not been talkative.

There was a car waiting for them at the airport. The marshal took Neal directly to the Hoover Building and then straight into Kramer's office.

Kramer smiled when his new CI enter the room.

"It's not going to be as bad as all that, Caffrey." Kramer said, reading Neal's expression. "I just ask you to do your job, nothing more, nothing less." Kramer looked at his clothes. "I am surprised by your choice of clothing." Kramer said, remembering his expensive suits.

"The suits belonged to my landlady's dead husband." Neal replied.

Kramer nodded. "Not a problem, there's a thrift shop in your radius. And, as you might expect, it's going to be a much smaller one. You will be on a half-mile leash." Kramer handed Neal his anklet, which he immediately attached to his left leg. Kramer also gave him a map of the area he was permitted to roam. Neal was then given a list of restaurants, movie theaters, museums, etc, all the local attractions. "You will be living across the street, suite number 23." Kramer handed Neal his key. "I have a key to your suite also. And I will be...checking on things, periodically."

Neal knew what that meant. Kramer or, most likely, one of his agents would be searching Neal's room whenever he felt like it. Neal opened his mouth to speak.

"You have no rights here, Neal." Kramer said, stopping him. "We are the ones doing you a favor. You should be sitting, rotting in a jail cell right now. Instead you're out. You are able to do and go wherever you want, within reason."

"Lucky me." Neal muttered.

"Look, you don't like the arrangement, you can always go back." Kramer replied.

Neal just glared at Kramer.

"I know you don't like me." Kramer said matter-of-factly. "You don't have to like me. That's not what this is about."

"No, this is about good PR and high solve rates." Neal replied. "Your rep here is really bad, and your solve rates are even worse."

Kramer took a menacing step towards Neal.

"You don't scare me." Neal replied. "And you won't send me back. It'll look even worse on your record. You take Agent Burke's CI from him, and you can't even handle him for one day." Neal chuckled. "Makes you look like an idiot. You need me. You need me to save your rep."

Kramer glared at him.

"Because, let's face it. "If you really, honestly, truly cared about Peter's rep as much as you claim. You would have…stepped in before now. You wouldn't have waited three years." Neal reasoned out loud. "No, what you were doing was playing a game of 'wait and see.' You wanted to see how things went with me. You knew, by reputation, I was a good thief. You wanted to see me in action as a CI. When you saw the work Peter and I did, you got jealous. You can call it whatever you want. Hide behind your 'caring' for Peter if you want to. I don't care. But between you and me…" Neal pointed at Kramer than at himself. "…we're gonna set the record straight." Neal paused. "It's sad, really sad, when men are too old, stupid, or stubborn to admit they're burned out. Or maybe they're too scared. Maybe the thought of not having a job just scares the hell out of them. Either way, they should step aside and let someone else take over, before their unwillingness to accept the truth gets their fellow agents killed."

"I want you in here at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning." Kramer growled. "Until then…get out!"

"Gladly!" Neal replied. He knew he had struck nerve, and he grinned as he left the room.

TBC