Chapter 6
Peter was summoned back from the front line, an attempt to leave Neal to calm down after their encounter. If he wasn't already frustrated at the incompetence of the prison administration, the last hour had definitely left him incredibly annoyed.
This situation should never have happened. He felt partly responsible for Neal's situation, for not visiting him once in prison, for not even keeping tabs on him this time. Neal had the decency to send him birthday cards in the mail, but Peter just couldn't find the courage to do the same.
"Burke." said the warden, calmly acknowledging his presence.
"I should be out there, not in here! He's about to kill himself!"
"We need to talk."
"Damn right! Why didn't you tell me about Wilkes? Surely it's important in a situation like this!" Peter was fuming, seething… his rage indescribable.
"It happens all the time in prison. If there were something wrong, then he would've complained. And if he complained, well, then I'd tell you. But honestly, he seemed fine."
"Well he doesn't SEEM fine now! Those injuries did not SEEM fine! It's your fault we're in this position! Your fault that Neal Caffrey is about to kill himself! Once this is over, you're going down. You have my word."
Peter didn't often make threats, but when he did, they were not to be taken lightly. Especially when this one mistake threatened the life of his friend. A friend… not a con, not just a consultant, Neal was his friend.
"Burke, surely we can work something else once all this ends." He gave Peter a wink, who shot back a menacing stare. "But, here and now, this here, this situation, this is all becoming a farce – we've got to end it. It's gone on too long. I've got snipers in place if anything happens, as well as people on the ground. Either talk him down or we'll take him out."
"Isn't that a little bit extreme? I can talk him down."
"You've seen Caffrey. He's not in his right mind. I don't know whether he's going to hurt himself or attack you…"
Attack you.
Peter had never considered that Neal might harbour some hate towards him, for sending him back to prison. But he felt confident that Neal would never… but then again, this wasn't a Neal he knew.
WCWCWCWCWCWC
Peter stood at the door leading back to the prison yard, unsure of what to do, unsure of what to say to Neal, feeling utterly helpless at the whole situation. He wished that he could give Neal a 'get out of a jail free card' but this was the real world, not another game of Monopoly. How much he would give to go back to those days.
He felt like banging his head on the steel door. He thoughts all stained with regret now. What an idiot! You might as well have pushed him in front of a truck. What sort of friend suspects them of planning something when they're threatening suicide…
Peter was hyperventilating now.
He didn't deserve to be called Neal's friend.
There was only one way to redeem himself.
He had to calm down.
He had to stop him.
He had to save him.
I'll just leave you hanging here. Haha. No.
The last chapter is next. How will it all end?
Can Peter save Neal?