(Chapter 7)

Jones and crew followed the address provided by Tanner and found themselves at an abandoned amusement park outside of town. Well it was a mostly abandoned amusement park taken over by a small industrial building and game company. The agents had their warrant, gear and were ready to go inside.

()()()

Peter sat on the floor, cradling Neal in his arms. He did what he could and bandaged the head wound, a minor gash and knot, the bleeding superficial once Peter had taken a good look at it. The voice had gone quiet, leaving them in the room alone for the moment although Peter knew they were probably being watched. He sighed in frustration, looking at his partner and then back up at the screen.

There was very little new in the image except that now it showed the outside of an office building. Peter peered up at it and realized vehicles were swarming the outside of the building in the image. FBI vehicles. Peter blinked, a small ray of hope entering his mind. Someone had figured out where they were. Peter cheered to himself, smiling but it was short lived when he heard the voice speak out again.

"Ah... I see your friends have found you. Took them long enough. I hope they have a warrant and can traverse the many 'surprises' within our offices. It's not just hot coffee and paper cutters they have to worry about." The voice laughed.

()()()

"Why are they just stuck at the exit? They've won!" Elizabeth sounded frantic, her voice cracking with emotion. She was looking over Tanner's shoulder as was Mozz. Tanner looked just as confused.

"I don't know. Your husband went back for the other figure. The way was open until they both tried to leave. Someone is blocking them. I'm working on it." He kept typing furiously, a new pile of power drink bottles and coffee cups near him. Mozz cleaned up the pile when he couldn't stand the suspense. He was worried about Neal, well and maybe The Suit just a little. June was in the kitchen trying not to think about things by making them sandwiches. Mozz went to help her, his anxiety level growing.

()()()

Neal woke up in his bed. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes, a little groggy from sleep. He looked around to see it was his room. There was something... he was forgetting something. He crawled out of bed and padded across the cool wooden floor boards to the sofa. A figure lay curled up under a blanket there. It was Peter.

"Peter... wake up." Neal didn't know why but he needed to talk to the Fed. No not Fed... friend. He nudged the man again.

"Peter?"

Neal bent over his friend, nudging him...

()()()

"Peter?" Neal's voice was hoarse, nearly inaudible but he was speaking. Peter felt the young man move, still holding him up against his shoulder. Neal was rousing, slowly but he was coming round. Peter smiled.

"Neal? I'm right here. Open your eyes." Peter spoke softly, feeling the young man turn his head and look at him, blue eyes opening slowly.

"Peter? Where... Oooo my head. What happened? Are we out?" Neal blinked, focusing on his environment and saw they were still in the maze. His eyes widened a little but Peter just patted him gently on the shoulder.

"It's ok. Calm down." Peter was looking at the door, Neal noticing his friend's glance as he pushed himself to a sitting position and sat beside him.

"Peter, something's wrong. Tell me." Neal saw Peter avert his eyes but then nod. Neal felt a sudden panic.

"Neal, I..." Peter was interrupted by the voice.

"Mr. Caffrey, your friend has become quite the chivalrous type. He has the option to leave and yet... well he chooses to stay and share in your suffering." Neal turned from the ceiling to Peter, the agent's face somewhat guilty looking. Neal paled.

"Don't stay for me, Peter. You're free! I'll be ok." Neal tried to sit up a bit more but slumped, wincing from his head wound. Peter made him comfortable.

"I'm not going. Final word... " He glared up at the ceiling, the voice laughing.

"You may not have a choice, Agent Burke. Our benefactor doesn't require an agent such as yourself in his employ. He has many but they are far less courageous or loyal. Things he considers character flaws. No... He only wants Mr. Caffrey. His skills are invaluable." The voice sounded bemused. Peter stood and screamed up at the ceiling.

"Over my dead body! You're not getting him... Ever!" Peter felt Neal tugging on his pant leg with a pleading look.

"Peter, don't do this. Please..." Neal looked desperate but Peter remained standing, eyes firmly glaring up at the ceiling. A sigh erupted from the intercom.

"I was afraid of this." The voice sounded as if there was no choice, but no choice for what? Peter grabbed at his chest suddenly.

"Peter? PETER!" Neal was yelling, watching Peter looked like he was in pain as he gave a groan and collapsed to the ground. He was twitching, body shuddering. Neal dragged himself to his friend and tried to touch him but felt a small shock, a tiny spark between Peter's body and himself. Then he realized what was up.

"No... stop it! Please! I'll go willingly. Just stop this!" Neal was trying to figure out what to do, Peter's head shaking despite the obvious pain.

"Ne... al... dddo... n'tt..." Peter coughed out the words before he shuddered one last time. Neal was crying.

"Peter... no... Please... no..." Neal hugged his friend despite the shock, his body trembling. He didn't hear the door slide open. He didn't hear the footsteps as the three goons entered the room and one pulled him away from the now still Peter. Neal yelled! He pushed at the man as the other two dragged Peter's lifeless body away.

"No! PETER! Let me go!" Neal was fighting but the man holding him was stronger, at least for the moment, Neal still weakened from his ordeal. He saw Peter's figure disappearing as the two men dragged him away out of sight. He fell limp in the goon's grasp, his body shuddering with anger and emotion. He reached inside his shirt and started to pull at something.

"Mr. Caffrey, I would advise against this action." Neal just smiled up at the ceiling and yanked hard on the disc around his chest till it started to pull off. It was almost instantaneous as the charge filled his system and he thrashed in agony, the goon moving back but not soon enough, the charge knocking him out. Neal just smiled, his eyes staring up at the ceiling in defiance as he shuddered one last time and gave a sigh before his eyes stared blankly ahead and his body went limp.

()()()

Jones and crew managed to make it through the office building of terror, mostly with help from Terrance. This was part of the maze and he had been hacking it and turned off the worse of the automatic traps. They took in the few "live" people they could find but still found no sign of where Peter and Neal were.

"They have to be here. Everyone spread out and be careful! Check out every corner!" Jones saw the agents nod and move out. He made his way with another agent down a corridor that led towards the amusement park. He saw a large steel door at the end that looked oddly out of place.

"Get some of the SWAT people here. I need some heavy equipment to open this up." He had barely said that when the door beeped as if someone had pushed in the code and began to open up. Jones and company moved back, guns ready when two men in black came walking out with a third form dragged between them.

"FREEZE! FBI!" The two men dropped the figure looking around confused as the agents swarmed them and cuffed them. Jones walked over and checked out the person they had been dragging. It was Peter Burke.

"Peter? Peter wake up..." Jones nudged the man feeling a shock when he did so. It was only a slight one like static electricity but it still smarted. Jones tried to touched the agent again, feeling around his neck and giving a sigh of relief when he felt a weak but steady pulse. He listened to Peter's heart and heard a slow beat. Peter was alive, his breath shallow but evident. Jones called for a paramedic and pushed a few of the agents to follow him inside.

()()()

"Peter?"

Neal bent over his friend, nudging him... The agent lying still on his sofa.

"Peter... wake up... please..." Neal was starting to worry now.

"Wha?" The sleepy voice of Peter Burke finally broke through, the agent moving slightly. He opened up his eyes and glanced up at Neal.

"Something the matter?" Peter sounded a bit testy, obviously having been in a very deep sleep. Neal felt relief and shook his head.

"Sorry, I had to talk to you about something. Have a moment?"

()()()

Jones and company entered a long hallway and finally found another steel door only this one was currently open. They made sure the place was clear of traps and entered, Jones kneeling beside a still figure on the floor. Other agents grabbing another that was just rousing. The goon that had been shocked was taken and cuffed as Jones looked down at a familiar figure.

"Caffrey? Hey... wake up... Neal?" Jones felt the same little 'shock' from the young man taking a moment before attempting to touch him again. Neal's eyes were open and staring, blue paled to a lighter gray. Jones sighed sadly, reaching to close the eyes when he found no pulse. He stopped when he saw the eyes move slowly, languidly towards him and close on their own. Then a quiet but audible sigh of someone taking a breath. Jones reached down again and felt for a pulse. It was weak but now he felt one.

"Neal... wake up." The young man didn't move but his eye lids fluttered slightly indicating he was alive. Jones patted the young man on the shoulder, calling for some of the agents to help him move Neal back to the front.

()()()

"I guess we aren't getting Caffrey after all?" The voice came up behind him, the masked man startled momentarily then collecting himself.

"No. Burke turned out to be more loyal than we assumed. Caffrey too. It seems we may have to try some other tactic." He removed his mask, watching the scene along with the new figure on a giant screen in a control room.

"Nobody will know we are involved although you did let Burke know who I was... well who Neal thinks I am." The 2nd man smiled, wiping at a piece of lint on his suit, a gold ring evident. The other man smiled.

"At least my men know nothing. They can't give us away. Whomever hacked the system... we'll have to trace them again. The FBI should have a record, don't you think? He would be under their protection."