AN: So another flashback chapter, mostly cause georgiamomma123 asked where Neal's back-up was, and let's face it, it's a good idea. So this chapter is dedicated to you. : )
This chapter is also brought to you by the new CD I got; Until We Have Faces by Red. I've been listening to it all day as I worked on this chapter.
Italics in the second part are the audio coming from the transmitter. Anywho, I'll be quiet now and allow you to get onto what you came here for. Read and enjoy!
1 Day Ago
Crik, crik, crik, crik
Peter's joints popped as he stretched out his back and shoulders. He'd been cramped up in the surveillance van with Jones and Diana for hours now, waiting for Neal to either get their suspects to the penthouse where they'd be arrested or call the operation off. Settling himself back in his chair, he only half-listened to the conversation Neal was having with the suspects.
"They're good." Jones murmured thoughtfully.
"Yup, it's going to be a long night." Peter yawned, stretching again.
"Oh joy." Diana said in false cheer.
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The agents became more alert when the ambient noise of the bar died down and there were only two voices being picked up by Neal's transmitter.
"Where we going?" Neal's slurred voice asked.
"Where do you think, silly? The back alley, no one will disturb us there." The woman explained, lust thick in her voice.
"You have got to be kidding me." Jones groaned. Diana flashed an annoyed look at him quickly before rewinding the audio back and listening to Neal's voice again.
"He's slurring. Is he drunk?" She asked in disbelief.
"Well, he's been drinking wine with those women for how long now?" Jones observed.
"No." Peter said resolutely, "He knows better than to do anything that would get his guard down around those women. Something doesn't feel right, let's get ready to move."
Just as Peter finished strapping on his bullet-resistant vest, he heard Neal slur out the phrase they had agreed on to pull the plug on the operation.
"Let's move!" He ordered quickly before jumping out of the van, running for the alley, and Neal, with Jones and Diana following him. As he ran, he shouted orders into a radio for a second team of agents to move in and arrest the two other sisters.
Drawing his gun, he sped around the corner shouting, "Freeze! FBI!" He himself froze for a moment, panic rising in his chest when he saw that the alley was empty. "Spread out, they couldn't have gotten too far." He said as calmly as he could.
After a few minutes of searching, Diana had found something and called him over. Seeing the look on her face, he knew he wasn't going to like whatever it was. Looking down at the ground by where she was crouched, he saw Neal's transmitter. Or at least what was left of it. A few feet away was what appeared to be the cartridge from a taser.
"Son of a bitch." Peter muttered, running a hand over his face.
"Sir." An unfamiliar voice called. Peter looked up to see a member from the other team approaching.
"You get them?"
"We only got one. The other one slipped out somehow."
Peter sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke, "I want every security tape and traffic camera from a ten block radius analyzed for any sign of Neal and where they might have taken him. And get our suspect into an integration room. I want to have a little chat with her…"
