(Chapter 4)
Elizabeth returned to the corridor where her husband was after a long few minutes. She had bumped into Diana and Jones in the hallway coming to visit. Jones was working a hunch and had wanted to see Neal to ask him about it. He wouldn't tell her about what just yet but said it had to do with an active case. She had a feeling it had to do with her husband and what happened to Neal but she let it go for the moment, glad that she could get back to visiting with both of them.
When they reached the room Peter was supposed to be in they found several nurses and doctors outside along with a hospital security guard. They were all in deep discussion, Dr. Jenkins in the forefront when he turned and saw Elizabeth coming down the hallway. He looked a bit nervous at first, maybe even surprised as he excused himself from the group of anxious looking staff and motioned for the security guard to follow him.
"Mrs. Burke... Agents. I need to speak with you privately. Something's... happened." He kept his voice even and calm but Elizabeth put a hand to her mouth thinking the worse. Had Peter died? Where was Neal? She had to talk to Neal. Her face paled but the doctor shook his head and put a placating hand on her arm, looking straight at her.
"No... your husband is fine. Far as we know." He paused, looking at the security guard a moment who took over.
"Mrs. Burke... a nurse came to check on Mr. Burke and found him missing along with your friend, Mr. Caffrey. It looked like there was a struggle on the part of Mr. Caffrey, the chair knocked over and dented. Not sure what happened but we have Burt in Security looking through the tapes." The guard turned his attention to Diana and Jones who made a nod at the comment in unison.
"Would it be possible for us to see the scene? We work for the the FBI with Peter Burke. Our boss will want us to investigate." Diana asked, Jones nodding as he walked back with the security guard and Diana stayed a moment to talk to Elizabeth.
"Well figure this out. For Peter." She hugged El who stayed with the doctor, her eyes wet with tears. Peter had been unconscious and Neal... he was still healing. Who would have taken them? She felt a helplessness wash over her as she let the doctor move her to a nearby chair and sit down. He sat beside her, his hand still on her arm in a gentle manner.
"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Burke. I don't know how this happened. I don't know how to ask this but was there any chance the person who shot your husband would return? I apologize for asking but it's necessary." Dr. Jenkins seemed sincere in his concern, El shaking her head.
"No. I was told he had been shot before he could... do the same to my husband's partner. Neal was the only witness other than Agent Jones. I was out of town when I got the news. We assumed the incident was over and done with." She started to shake slightly, sniffling as she tried to hold back her tears. Dr. Jenkins put an arm around her and let her lean on his shoulder and cry.
"I'll do everything in my power to help in the investigation. I'm sure Burt will find something. Your companions... they both worked with your husband and Mr. Caffrey? I know Jones told me he worked with your husband." He was trying to distract her by getting her to think logically about the situation. She looked up at him, wiping at her eyes and he handed her a tissue packet from his pocket. El took a moment to dab at her eyes and blow her nose before answering.
"Yes. Diana and Clinton work with Peter and Neal. Jones was the one who shot the man that hurt my husband. He was pronounced dead by the coroner." She sighed ever so slightly, her stress level increasing at the thought of her husband hurt and unconscious somewhere. She hoped Neal was taking care of him if he could. She worried about them both. What was she going to tell June? Neal's benefactor was going to pick him up tomorrow morning.
"I'm going to have to call June and let her know about this. Is that ok? She's Neal's landlady and a good friend. June was going to pick him up tomorrow when he was released." She sniffled on the last word, wiping at her eyes again. Dr. Jenkins nodded, his eyes turning to the room beyond.
"Possibly but let's wait till your friends and the guards see what happened. I've dealt with this before only as a police coroner. I changed professions when it got to be too much." He patted her gently on the shoulder as he looked to see the guard, Diana and Jones exiting the room.
"Looks like they're coming out."
Both El and the doctor looked expectantly at Jones and Diana as they walked over. Jones drew closest, making a motion for them to huddle.
"We found a few things... we need to see those surveillance tapes too if possible. Hughes says we can work with PD when they get here. Elizabeth, stay with Diana. We don't know who took your husband and we need to keep you under wraps till this is solved." Jones sounded more serious than he ever had, Diana nodding when her name was mentioned and taking over the conversation.
"You can stay with me for the night if that's ok with you." Diana was smiling at her, Elizabeth nodding.
"If it's not any trouble. I mean Christie..." She watched Diana shake her head.
"She's out of town visiting family. We have a spare room. We'll leave when you're ready. Jones, I'll meet back with you in the morning." Diana was already ready to move out as Jones nodded back and Elizabeth left the scene with the agent reluctantly.
()()()
Jones wasn't surprised when he heard that Peter and Neal were missing. He hadn't exactly expected the outcome to be what it was, but after Caffrey's comment he wrote the other day about whether or not Saunders was 'really' dead, he started to look into the dead con's background and found out something that he had wanted to ask their consultant about. Now he would have to apply the knowledge into actually locating both of his colleagues vague as his intel was.
()()()
Neal slowly started to come to, the first thing he felt was his arms and shoulders aching. He tried to move but the more he woke up the more he became aware of himself hanging from something, his wrists burning and tingling with pain and a slight numbness. He struggled weakly, head falling back loosely as he opened his eyes and looked up at the blurry hint of rafter above him. The scene came gradually into focus and he could make out that he was bound overhead by a thin but sturdy cord to the ceiling. Neal opened his mouth to make a sound but only heard a quiet hiss of air, his voice still missing.
Dammit! Dammit what... where am I?
Neal was still coming too, moving his head forward and swinging some as he made a slow turn where he dangled and saw another figure come into view.
Peter? Peter!
Neal struggled to get his friend's attention, Peter's slumped form leaning back in a wooden chair, bound and gagged. The con struggled to free himself, feet just inches above the ground.
Peter! Wake up!
He was worried about his friend. He had been unconscious at the hospital, still healing and now they'd been taken by someone. He was trying to remember who, his head a bit fuzzy when the sound of a door opening drew his attention back behind him. Neal swung himself back around to see who and gaped.
"Ah. I see you're finally awake. Your partner and keeper was worrying about you earlier. He seems to have passed out. He'll be awake soon enough." Saunders was smiling at him, something small and capsule like in his hand Neal saw as the man walked towards Peter. Neal swung around to watch the man, screaming at him in silent rage, lips moving but no sound other than a soft grunt. Saunders turned and smiled evilly.
"Still no voice. Such a shame. And you were known to have a silver tongue, a tool of your trade. You won't have to worry about talking soon. Trust me."
Neal glared at the man, struggling to free his hands but feeling his wrists pulled painfully the more he struggled. He watched helplessly as their captor held the capsule under Peter's nose and squeezed it. There was a soft pop and then he watched the agent start to rouse sluggishly, a low groan escaping his friend's throat.
Leave him alone!
Neal was mouthing over and over at Saunders, the creaking of his bonds loud in the room as he struggled despite the pain. He didn't want to see Peter hurt any more than Saunders had already hurt them. He kept pulling and pulling till he felt a terrible pain in his right hand and it slipped out of the rope, chafing his skin. Neal pulled the other hand loose, falling to the floor in a crouch and dragging himself towards their tormentor.
"I wouldn't if I were you. He's already been shot once. Don't make me finish where my cousin started." The man turned and smiled dangerously at Neal, the con stopping short as he saw the gun pushed against Peter's temple. The agent was still barely conscious, moving ever so slightly.
Cousin? I don't understand...
Neal looked confused despite his anger at the situation. The man smirked.
"You couldn't tell the difference could you? We were very close and it was a strange chance we looked almost alike for having different mothers. We were often mistaken for twins despite some minor differences. I figured now that he's gone, I'd take over what plans he had. I was always wanting to join him and did on the one job that your 'friend' here caught him on. I got away but Gregory didn't. He did several years but now... well we had it all planned till your agent's subordinate walked in. Nobody even knew I was there." He kept the gun on Peter, throwing a pair of cuffs at Neal and pointing at a nearby pipe.
"Cuff yourself there or I'll splatter his brains all over this room." He made a motion without lifting the gun from Peter's temple, Neal reluctantly cuffing one wrist and starting the other one when Saunders make a tsk-tsk noise.
"Behind you, please. I know your reputation enough that you can break free of most cuffs but these were specially made. The key is very unique and there is only one of a kind. I was anticipating this... as was Gregory. He had hoped to do it himself but cest la vie. I can do this if I have to for my poor departed cousin." Saunders watched him, gun cocking loudly as Neal complied and pulled his hands behind him as he cuffed himself in place. Once done, he watched the man walk over to check apparently. He had been expecting that, his most blank but angry expression on.
"Need to check those cuffs and make sure you're not bluffing."
Neal just watched the man, waiting for him to get closer but half way he saw Saunders raise the gun and before he could move something hot and searing tore into his shoulder. The con was pushed back against the pipe and wall hard, sliding down to the ground as his face contorted in pain. He hadn't actually clicked on the last cuff but apparently Saunders knew that.
"You think I'm stupid enough to trust you?" Saunders dragged him up painfully by the hurt arm, raising Neal's arms over his head just high enough to stretch the wound and finish cuffing him. The man was smiling, poking a finger into the wound which bled heavily, Neal's white tee stained with a growing redness. He winced with barely a strangled sound, his vocal cords not projecting the pain he felt, mouth open in a silent scream.
"This was just a bonus. We'll have more fun once your friend is ready and that will be sooner than you think. Gregory had some interesting things in store for you both if he had the time but now that he's gone, I will have the pleasure." Saunders turned and left the room a moment, Neal struggling ever so slightly but unable to do much with his shoulder aching from the gunshot. It had gone clear through but it still ached, warm blood oozing from the wound on both sides as it continued to stain his t-shirt. He glanced across at Peter and tried to make a sound to gain his attention. The agent remained in a semi-conscious state, eyes closed as he sat slumped back in the chair.
A few minutes went by and Saunders appeared again. He had a large black bag with him.
"I guess you've figured out I have medical experience. How else would I have known about that interesting drug you were given. It's not widely known outside of the medical community and only used on trauma patients but I think Dr. Jenkins told you that already. He's a very good doctor. I worked under him once so I knew how to get around his hospital and staff surprisingly easy. I never made it to residency but I had friends who did and pumped them for all the info I could."
Neal watched as the man opened the large case and started to pull out some vials of things he could only guess at, syringes, and finally a dangerous looking scalpel. The man held it up, the lights in the room making it glitter ever so ominously.
"I should really take a look at that wound considering I gave it to you. I may have to cut the bullet out." The man's voice was dangerously manic, his green eyes glittering with something Neal could only think was psychotic.
"Oh I know it went through cleanly, but I must practice my trade if I ever want to be a 'good' doctor... or a bad one." He was closer now, the scalpel held up to Neal's face.
"I almost forgot." Saunders pulled out another pair of cuffs and squatted at Neal's feet, binding them with the metal manacles till they were secured.
"There. You're properly secured for surgery. Shall we get started?"
()()()
Neal slumped limply against his bonds, the cuffs chafing his already aching wrists. He had partially dislocated one hand to free himself originally and it still ached painfully as he hung there from the pipe. Saunders had cut into his wound not making it bleed more but just enough to make it hurt. Then he had brought in a small torch, heated up the same blade and pressed the searingly hot metal to the wound to cauterize it. In most cases that would be a good thing, sealing the wound and making it whole again but Saunders made a few minor cuts here and there, cauterizing them for his own amusement till Neal didn't even respond to the pain anymore. He was too far gone to even blink, his body in shock from all that he had been put through.
Breath...
Blue eyes continued to stare blankly ahead despite the familiar voice speaking to him. He could no longer deal with the pain and torture so he had gone within, hiding from himself and the agony.
Breath...
He felt himself start to come back to himself slowly, Neal responding to the memory of someone talking to him.
Peter?
Neal was suddenly focusing on the room again, looking across at the chair and seeing it empty. His heart started to thump wildly with fear as he wondered what that man had done to his friend. Where was Peter? He pulled on the cuffs despite the pain, the metal links rattling loudly in the stone room. He kept pulling, willing to dislocate his other hand if he had to.
PETER!
He kept pulling till he heard the door open yet again, not remembering it closing or Saunders leaving with the agent. The man was wearing a surgical mask over his face again, scrubs on and walking forward in an ominous manner.
"I think we're about ready for you now, Mr. Caffrey. It's your turn. The doctor will see you now."
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Author's Note: I am writing this as quickly as I can so please forgive the delay. Conveniently, my other story for NaNoWriMo also has a temporarily mute character so it's not too far off the beaten path. I'm over 20K and closer to 21K for the competition. If only there was an actual prize beyond the "virtual pat on the back." ;) Hope you're enjoying this story and thanks for reading!