(Chapter 8)

Peter slept fitfully, his mind playing back what had happened to him while under Friscinetti's capture. He was only vaguely aware that someone held him close, talking softly to him. It was that feeling that gave him some distance from the scene as he had in the sessions with Dr. Erickson. Still, he was back in that horrible place, watching as the mobster's men strapped him down securely to that wooden plank. He felt as well as saw the tubing stuck down his nose, the water flowing through it just fast enough to make him struggle to breath. His mouth was stuck open and he was unable to do more than gasp as he tried to keep from drowning.

He woke up suddenly, eyes popping open. Peter sat up after a moment and looked around. He found himself in an unfamiliar space then realized it was Neal's apartment. He was on the sofa, a light blanket over him. Someone breathed softly in the background and he looked across the room to see Elizabeth asleep on Neal's bed. He started to rise when he heard a soft cough and turned to see Mozzie sitting at the table watching him. The little guy made a motion for him to follow him outside onto the terrace. Mozzie closed the doors softly and they sat at the patio table.

"Still having nightmares about what happened?" Mozzie's voice was matter of fact but Peter sensed a bit of concern there. He nodded, wiping at his face tiredly and staring back through the glass doors to the interior. He was concerned for his wife as well as his own well-being. He wasn't himself and these episodes could be dangerous if he didn't catch himself the next time. Friscinetti's warning about hurting someone came back clearly in his mind. He was vulnerable and compromised. Peter didn't want to hurt his wife but he didn't want to be without her. He sighed in frustration unsure of what he should do.

"Mozzie, we need to find Neal but... I need a place to stay. I'll see if El can stay here with June. She'll be safe." He emphasized the last part and saw Mozzie's eyes widened as he nodded in understanding.

"I think I can find you a place if you really think that's best."

()()()

Neal woke up tired and sore, his mind still very hazy. His eyes fluttered opened after a few minutes and glanced around a small gray room. The walls were corrugated metal with rafters overhead leading to a high peaked roof that indicated he was in a smaller room built into a much larger structure. His blue eyes looked around the room curiously before moving back to see what he was lying on. Neal found himself strapped down to a gurney, an IV stuck into his arm. Yellow liquid dripped slowly through the tubing from a bag off to his side. His eyes viewed it without much emotion, his eyes closing not too soon after as he swallowed, feeling something stuffed into his mouth. His lips were covered with tape but again, he was so out of it he didn't seem to care, not even trying to escape as he passed into a drug induced sleep once more.

Voice 1: You think he'll come looking here? Boss says he will.

Voice 2: Yeah, the agent looks out for him. We'll take of both of them out. Still wondering who it was tailed us that last time. Didn't get a good look at the guy but he had glasses. If I see him again, he's disappearing.

Neal heard the second voice laugh derisively, his mind too far gone to really understand the context of the conversation. Someone closed a door with a quiet clang and he continued to float there in a kind of half-conscious daze. The silence was too much after a while and his mind started to draw out a scene of something familiar to occupy him.

He found himself back at his apartment at June's. Neal was enjoying a glass of wine but he was alone. He looked up briefly at the terrace doors, noticing movement outside. His eyes widened, Neal standing as he dropped the glass to the table and moved to open up the doors. Nobody was there. Neal glanced around, the terrace empty. He sighed thinking he had seen her but it couldn't have been.

Neal...

He looked around, hearing her voice but where...

Over here Neal...

He saw Kate standing near the far wall. Neal walked towards her but she moved further back. He didn't notice he was climbing up onto the wall and statuary to follow her. She motioned for him to follow, his eyes peering down at the ground below. He felt fear but she kept talking to him.

It's ok Neal... follow me.

He was reaching for her outstretched hand, his right foot moving out into open air when someone pulled him away from the edge and he fell back to the terrace. Someone broke his fall and he looked to see that Peter was there. He stood up, moving back to the wall but Kate was gone.

"KATE! KATE!" He was screaming but she was gone. He turned and saw Peter slowly pushing himself up to his feet. He walked back and smacked his friend with his open palm in the chest.

"Why? You made her go away! It's all your fault she's gone! Leave me alone!" Neal kept pushing at the agent who finally grabbed his hand and held it before he could hit him again.

"Neal, listen to yourself! Kate is gone. It was nobody's fault. I'm not going to let you kill yourself over a ghost! Come inside so we can talk about this..." Peter put his hands up as Neal pulled out the gun from before. It was the same weapon he had taken Elizabeth hostage with. He held it steady in his hands pointed directly at Peter.

"No... no more talking! You kept things from me. You lied! Now she's dead and I should have died too! Leave me alone!" Neal saw Peter move forward slowly, his hands up in view but he panicked and the gun went off.

"Neal?" Peter's face went ashen as a large red stain appeared on his chest through his dress shirt and jacket. Neal's eyes widened as he saw his friend collapsed to the floor, the smoking gun in his hand.

"No... I... it was an accident... Peter? Peter... PETER!"

()()()

Neal was screaming, yelling and thrashing in his sleep, the straps on the gurney just holding him. Someone sat nearby and watched silently, a smirk on their face.

"I think he's almost ready. Stop the drip to be sure. He'll be more than prepared and everything will be taken care of.

()()()

It had been less than 24 hours since Neal had vanished. Peter was staying at one of Mozzie's places, a small loft in the middle of town. It wasn't the Ritz but it was ok. He didn't tell Elizabeth where he was going but left June a note for his wife to let her know he was ok and would be back when he was more himself. An agent stayed with them for security as he reluctantly left El asleep in Neal's room, kissing her cheek as he exited.

Peter sat on the small cot and hunched over deep in thought. He reached into his pocket and saw the pills there, the little amber bottle calling him. He had already had a couple but his nerves were still jangled despite everything. His physical wounds were more healed than his mental ones as he tried to remember what the good doctor had told him to do when he felt scared. It was hard for him to cope, never having been this scared in his life. Peter felt so out of control of his actions.

"Suit..." Mozzie's voice just sort of happened, making him jump and almost flip the cot over. He was standing there looking about as frightened as a rabbit. Mozz looked about the same, his hands up defensively.

"Mozz... don't do that!" Peter started to calm down, reaching for the pills again and walking over to the bathroom in the corner. He grabbed a disposable cup and filled it as he took another two pills and washed them down. Mozz was watching him curiously.

"Be careful with those, Suit. Didn't you already take two?" The little guy was watching him curiously but Peter ignored it. He wasn't in the mood to be told what he should do.

"Did you find anything out about Neal's location?" Peter walked back out, his head feeling a bit fuzzy but at least he was calm. He sat back on the cot and yawned. Mozz pulled up a chair and nodded.

"He's at the same place they were holding you. It's pretty well fortified but I think I may have found a back way in if you're intent on rescuing him." Mozzie sounded worried, shifting his weight nervously. Peter barely noticed as the drugs kicked in.

"Yeah, I am. He kept El safe. I have to do something." Peter felt sleepy, his eyes heavy but he was jarred to a slightly more wakeful nature as his phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket, pushing it to his ear.

"Peter..." The voice was weak but he recognized it.

"Neal? Neal where are you?" He wasn't sure how concerned he sounded, the pills making him calmer than he should be. Peter listened, hearing labored breathing on the other end.

"Peter... I'm cold. Help... me. Please... Peter..." Neal's voice was trailing off, the sound of something falling with a clatter to the floor or cement. Peter kept listening, calling out to his friend but only heard Neal's labored breathing. He turned to see Mozzie staring at him.

"Mozz... it's Neal. He's hurt. Can you trace it?" Peter was worried but the drugs were making it hard for him to stay awake. He did his best to fight the sleepiness overcoming him as he handed the phone to the other man. Mozz nodded, pulling something out of the bag around his shoulder and plugging something into Peter's phone. He pushed a few buttons on the device and it beeped a moment then made a little 'victory' type sound like you heard in video games. He watched Mozzie smile like a kid on Christmas.

"Found him, Suit. He's not too far from here... the place he found you at." Mozzie smiled slightly, Peter nodding as he tried to stand but he was too dizzy, the pills coursing through his system as he sat back on the cot. Mozzie touched his shoulder.

"Suit, you ok? Let me call one of your friends... The other suits can do this..." He didn't finish as Peter finally rose, if not a bit shakily.

"No... I can do this. Just... give me a moment." Peter stood unsteadily on his feet but he was calm, all his fear gone and that's what he wanted wasn't it? He could deal now. Mozz looked at him and nodded.

"Well if you don't mind, I need to make a quick call. There's coffee on the stove." Mozzie pointed as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Peter walked over to the kitchenette slowly, the room seemingly swaying but he had to stay awake if Neal was going to live. He reached for the coffee pot on the stove, his hand trembling and stopped himself before he could knock it over.

"Get a hold of yourself, Burke. You have to be awake for this not just calm." Peter sighed, moving away from the stove and instead pouring himself a glass of water as he made his way back to the cot and lay down. He was no good to Neal in his current state although his anxiety was gone with the pills, his body was practically comatose. He heard the door open and looked up to see Mozzie staring at him.

"Mozzie... I can't do this. Can you call Jones or Diana for me?" He hated to admit defeat but for Neal's sake he would. He saw Mozz nod, a nervous look on his face.

"Sure but... I already called them. Lady Suit said she'd be here in 10 minutes. Other Suit is right behind her." He shrugged as Peter blinked at him but smiled.

"Thanks. I think I'm going to sleep. Wake me when they get here."

()()()

Neal lay on the floor of the dusty tenement, the cool wooden boards rough against his bare cheek. Someone stepped close beside him and hung up his cell phone.

"I think that's long enough for your friends to track you. I think Agent Burke will come for you, don't you?" The voice was cold, menacing as it spoke to him in the dimly lit room. A hand roughly touched his hair and smoothed it, cool metal of rings on their fingers scraping at his scalp. He tried to move away from the hand but was too tired to do so.

"Please..." Neal's voice was weak but he begged, his voice breathless but pleading to the unseen figure. They nodded, making a motion to two other figures who lifted the young man up and sat him against the wall. Neal slumped as one of them held him upright while the other tied a piece of tubing around his arm tightly. His eyes, listless and glassy stared at the figure as they held up a needle and tapped the base.

"You want more of this don't you?" The third man, the one who had been talking to him spoke while the others were silent. Neal felt himself nodding despite everything. He hurt and he didn't want to hurt anymore. His body succumbing to the drug made him weak as he knew he should fight but his mind had been altered by Friscinetti's drug.

"Just give him a taste. We have to be sure he'll perform and then he'll get whatever he wants." The man patted him on the head a moment before the two men held him and injected the needle. Neal winced, body arching in agony before he slid to the ground and lay there shuddering.

"Leave him. His friend will be joining him in a little while."

()()()

Peter felt someone nudge him, his body slowly waking up as he gazed up and saw Diana sitting beside him.

"Hey Boss... how are you feeling?" She looked worried, glancing around the junkie apartment. He wiped at his eyes and smiled sleepily.

"It was just temporary. I'm not quite myself at the moment. How's El?" He didn't want to ask but he missed his wife even if he didn't trust himself around her at the moment. Diana patted him on the shoulder.

"She was asking about you but we didn't know where you were till Neal's friend phoned. I hear he called you. You have a location?" She helped him sit up as Peter tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes, nodding.

"Yeah, Mozz traced the call. Same place I was found. I don't know how much longer he has or if he's alone. Did Dr. Jacobs find a cure for the drug?" He watched her face and was surprised when she nodded.

"He said he's only seen a few cases but didn't recognize it till you sent him Mozz's little recipe he found online. He thinks he can reverse the effects but it has to be soon. If Neal doesn't detox within a certain time the symptoms will be worse." She sounded just as worried, helping him to his feet as she handed him a cup of something that smelled heavenly.

"Coffee... thank you Diana. Hey Jones." He saw the other agent walk in and wave, pulling up another chair. Mozz entered behind him with a slightly less than happy look on his face.

"Great... a suit convention. If you need me, I'll be outside." He shuffled outside as the three talked about how to get in and find Neal. Peter discovered he had been sleeping for three hours, Hughes giving them permission to storm the place if they had to but it would have to be with a minimal of men considering the circumstances. It was all he could allow with the higher ups breathing down his back about saving an ex-con who took an agent's wife hostage. Peter cursed when he heard that.

"I know Hughes isn't responsible... but they know Friscinetti's the one behind all of this, right? They can't be blind to his past. How many more agents or cops are going to go through this before he's put away?" Peter stood up and paced the small area, sipping at the coffee as he did. He didn't want anyone else to go through what he had. Friscinetti had to be put down and it had to be now. He heard movement and saw Jones and Diana stand up.

"We're here Boss. What do you want us to do?" Jones was obviously ready to fight the battle, his grin evidence of that. Peter smiled back.

"Go find Neal. You have the address. I can't do this while I'm in this state. I'll be at June's. Keep me up to date."

Diana and Jones nodded, leaving the apartment. Peter started to pack up the few things he had brought and pulled the bag over his shoulder as Mozzie walked inside again.

"You're leaving, Suit? What about Neal? You can't just abandon him!" Mozzie sounded upset but Peter shook his head.

"Diana and Jones can handle it. I'm not... ready." Peter felt his face flush as he pushed past, pausing a moment then leaving to catch a cab.

()()()

Peter walked out to the corner and waited, but there were no cabs. He pulled out his cell and started to call for one when he felt cool metal on the back of his neck.

"Need a ride, Fed? There's a car waiting for you right here." He heard the familiar voice, the gun pushed against his skin as a dark sedan pulled up.

"Get inside!"

Peter felt himself pushed inside, another figure within also holding a gun. He held up his hands as he slid inside the vehicle, the other man coming up behind him and closing the door as the car took off. There was a dark partition between the front and back which promptly lowered.

"Ah, Agent Burke. So nice to see you again. We thought you might want to go visit your CONsultant. He's waiting for you." Friscinetti's voice oozed slickly from the front seat, Peter grimacing at the man as he felt his arms pulled back behind him and cuffed tightly.

"We thought it would be nice to reunite the two of you. You have so much to discuss." The mobster made a motion and Peter felt a hand cover his nose and mouth with a foul smelling rag. He was still somewhat dazed by the prescription he'd taken earlier so the drug worked faster, his body immediately going slack, eyes fluttering closed.