AN: This chapter is a little short so forgive me. On the other hand, I did post two chapters in one day so...yeah, we're even.
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. I still wish I did. Sigh.
"That's one of the remarkable things about life–it's never so bad that it can't get worse." –Anonymous
In Peter's many years at the Bureau he'd seen many crazy things. This case, and the people working on it, had to take the cake. They'd sectioned a twenty-by-forty feet section of the floor off for them to work in. If a non-Save Neal Caffrey Team Member crossed that line Mozzie would start babbling about conspiracies and cover-ups until you were on the 'right' side. People had quickly learned not to cross the line.
Diana and Jones and the other agents had access to computers and were using that access to their advantage. All had been given orders to check security cameras, traffic cameras, and any other cameras they could get their hands on. Diana absently rubbed her eyes having not peeled her eyes from the screen in over thirty minutes. He turned his eyes to Bancroft, Sara, and May Lin who were all on phones, using their status to gain information. Everybody has their uses, Peter thought. He finally turned his eyes to the criminals: Alex, Mozzie, Rebecca and June, who'd showed up fashionably late. It's the way Neal would've wanted me to appear, she'd said, late and uninvited.
Agents were always useful, higher-ups were great to pull strings, but if he'd learned anything from working with Neal it was that no one knows a criminal like a criminal. He was expecting big things from the three criminals he currently had.
They'd come to some conclusions already. Rebecca told them it was likely that there was another car after the Taurus they'd switched in. Three was often the standard according to Rebecca. Rebecca, who'd been a car thief, probably knew what she was talking about.
Alex had discovered that Wilkes had recently hired some German muscle named Hugo. Wilkes doesn't like to get his hands dirty, She had said, He hired this Hugo character to torture Neal.
And Mozzie, well Mozzie did what he did best. Peter wasn't a hundred percent sure of what exactly that was but he was sure Mozzie was doing it. Neal was Mozzie's best friend, he was confident the bald man would be part of the solution.
Diana's head shot up in surprise. "I've got something!"
Peter dashed over to her desk. "What? What have you got?"
Diana pointed to something on the screen.
Neal was tired of being knocked out over and over again. All this tasering was going to cause him some permanent brain damage. He was sitting this time; he tried to move his hands but found them immobilized by chains. Wilkes was leaning against the wall yet again and Hugo was towering next to him. "Caffrey, Caffrey, Caffrey. How are you feeling?"
"Like someone shot me full of 10,000 watts of electricity. Oh wait! Someone did." Neal said.
Wilkes frowned. "I don't think bruises and broken bones are getting through to you Caffrey. Hugo, the blade."
Hugo slid a switchblade out of his pants pocket and popped it open. Neal inhaled sharply. "Wilkes…I think this might be a little over the top."
"You really think so?" Wilkes asked. He motioned to Hugo who plunged the knife deep into Neal's shoulder. Neal choked on a scream. "I don't think it's over the top at all Caffrey."
Neal's speaking was broken by gasps and sobs. "Wilkes I" gasp "I'm" sob "sorry. I'm" sob "sorry."
"You right. You are sorry. Sorry that you got caught." Wilkes said. "And by the time I'm done with you you'll be really sorry. Again Hugo."
Hugo stabbed him an inch or so below the first stab wound causing Neal to scream. "And again."
Wilkes exited the room leaving Neal all alone with Hugo.
Peter looked at the scene. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Sure is." Diana said. "A red Taurus parked in the driveway of a suburban house with Neal Caffrey's tie on the back dash."
"Let's go visit us a nice middle-class family." Peter said.
"I'll bring the doughnuts." Alex said.
"And I'll bring the fried turnips." Mozzie said. This earned him stares from everyone member of the Save Neal Caffrey Team. "Or maybe just coffee."
The Director was on the phone with Wilkes. "He called in a few people."
"How many people is a few people Director?" Wilkes asked.
"Okay, there might have been a few more than a few." He replied. "And they've already got a few leads including one on Hugo."
Wilkes swore loudly then said. "You get busy throwing them off."
"Of course." The Director said. "But he's got Bancroft here and someone from Interpol. I think this has suddenly gotten a whole lot more dangerous. I'll be raising my price another five."
"Another three." Wilkes negotiated.
"Deal." The Director said. There was a final click as he hung up.
Wilkes smiled. The Director would be dead before long. Like Wilkes was going to pay him anything…he heard another scream come from Caffrey's room and smiled wider. Today was a good day. A very, very good day.
AN: We're just short of 5000 total hits on Best Served Cold and just short of 4000 hits for June alone. We also just made it above 1000 visitors. Thank you guys so much! Don't forget to spread word I need someone with strong computer knowledge to help me out. Please feel free to review!
