I want to thank everyone for the kind reviews and for the alerts. I am glad you like this story.
/
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Tiffany and Chris walked into Matt's hospital room, El was standing by the bed holding the young boy's hand.
"Hey Mattie." Tiffany said, as they walked over to the bed.
"You look like crap." Chris said. His face was pale and he had iv's hooked up to him.
"I got shot, what's your excuse?"
"He's okay." Chris smiled.
"I'll leave you three alone." El said, gently smoothing Matt's hair. Her hand lingered for a moment on his cheek, and she smiled down at him. "You need to get some rest." Then she walked out of the room.
"How are you feeling?" Tiffany asked, as she used the back of her hand to check his forehead for fever.
"Ok, just a little sore."
"You do know you're supposed to duck when people start shooting at you, don't you?" Chris asked.
"I forgot."
The doctor stuck his head into the room.
"You girls need to leave, Matt needs all of the rest he can get. You can visit him in the morning."
"We'll see you later, Matt." Tiffany said, gently kissing his forehead. "You do as the doctor says."
"I will."
"Later, brat." Chris said, gently tousling his hair. "And no flirting with the nurses."
"Ewww." The nine-year-old wrinkled his nose at the thought of flirting with a woman.
"Remember that in a few years." Tiffany said with a smile. "Girls are nothing but trouble." Then she looked at Chris and added. "And so are boys."
"You'll take good care of him?" Chris asked the doctor.
"Of course I will." He said. "Your brother will be just fine."
Tiffany and Chris walked into the hallway, they saw that two armed men were already stationed at the young boy's door.
"Come on, girls." Peter said. "We're going to the bureau now."
"We should stay here." Tiffany said. "I don't want Matt to be alone."
"Yeah." Chris agreed. "We can get a couple cots put in there and….."
"Matt's still in ICU." El said. "The doctors won't let anyone stay with him."
"He will be okay." Peter assured them.
"We'll be back in the morning, right?" Chris asked.
"No." Peter said.
"The doctor said we could come back in the morning." Tiffany said.
"The doctor is not responsible for your protection." Peter said. "You are not leaving the bureau until Wexler is caught."
"We are not leaving our little brother here alone." Tiffany said, her eyes flashing with anger.
"He's not alone." Neal said. "We will take turns keeping him company, but you two can't keep going back and forth. Not after the attempted hit today, it's too dangerous."
"But….." Chris started, but her older sister paced a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"They're right." Tiffany said. "Thank about it, Chris. If we're out in the open, Wexler's men can find us."
"Okay." Chris sighed.
"Let's go." Peter said.
/
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Ah hour later, the two sisters were sitting in Peter's office alone.
"Might as well go after Wexler now." Tiffany said. "Since we can't see Matt until he gets out of ICU."
"What's the plan?"
"We find evidence against Wexler, that's all." The older girl said, looking into the twelve-year-old's eyes. "We don't do anything else, got it?"
"Got it." Chris said. "I want Wexler to go down; I won't do anything to jeopardize that."
"First we need to find Wexler."
"How? Peter said after the raid on the warehouse, he's vanished. Must've knew they'd find something on him."
"We need to know what the FBI knows, we may be able to figure out his next move."
"How do we accomplish that?"
"When we walked by Agent Hughes' office, I saw a couch. I think I'm feeling a little light headed, maybe a rest would help."
"I'm a better liar then you, I should do it."
"Do you know how to hack into government files?"
"Like I said, you should do it. I'll swipe a set of keys from one of the agents. That way we can get out of this place when we need to." Then she smiled. "Better idea, I'll swipe them from the janitor. That way we can slip out through the service entrance, less changes of being spotted."
"Give me an hour."
"Got'cha."
"And swipe a gun while you're at it." Tiffany said, not happy about the idea. "I want protection if we're after Wexler."
"Keys and two guns, not a problem."
"One gun, you are not carrying one."
"But…"
"I said no." The sixteen-year-old said with a determined voice.
"Fine, one gun." Chris sighed.
/
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Hughes was sitting at his desk, when he heard a soft knock. He looked up and saw Tiffany standing there, she looked sick. Hughes motioned her in and she walked in, slumping down in a chair in front of his desk.
"Are you okay?" Hughes asked in concern.
"Fine, Sir." She said. "Just a little sick, I was wondering if there was somewhere I could lay down for a bit."
"Of course, do you think you need to been seen by a doctor?"
"No Sir, I know what's wrong. It…." Then she looked down at the floor. "It happens sometimes."
"Oh." Hughes said, smiling slightly. "No need to be embarrassed. I have a wife, two daughters, a daughter-in-law, and four teenage granddaughters. Why don't you lay down on my couch, I'll draw the blinds so the light and noise outside the office won't bother you."
"Thank you." She said, feeling guilty about lying to the man, he seemed really nice. "I don't want to drive you out of your own office."
"Don't worry about it." Hughes said, as he stood and started closing the blinds, darkening the room. "Get some rest."
"Thank you."
Hughes turned out the lights, then left the office. Closing the door behind him. The teen immediately went to the computer and started typing.
She was really feeling guilty, but kept telling herself that she had to do it. They had to prove Wexler was behind Matt getting shot, they couldn't let him slip away.
/
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Chris walked by the janitor, who was wiping down a table in the café, and slipped the keys from the man's waist. She put the keys into the pocket of her blue jeans and walked out of the café.
She walked through the squad room, scanning the area. She smiled when she saw an agent placing his gun into a desk drawer and locked the drawer. Then he walked away. There was no one near the desk.
Chris quickly picked the lock, then slipped the gun into the waist band of her jeans. She made sure her tee-shirt covered the gun, which it did. She didn't notice that Diana was following her, or that she had seen her take the keys and the gun.
/
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Peter and Neal walked down a long hallway heading towards the forensics lab, Peter giving his partner a sideways glance. The younger man had practically jumped up and ran towards the elevator when Peter mentioned going to the lab. He knew it was because of Jenny, Neal was falling for her.
That surprised Peter, Jenny was not the usual type Neal went for. She was pretty, but not jaw dropping. She was about fifty pounds heavier then the other women he dated. And her nose was crooked.
But Neal was definitely falling for her, and hard. Peter smiled, Jenny would be good for Neal. She would help keep him grounded. She would help keep him on the straight and narrow.
They walked into the lab and saw Jenny sitting at one of the many computers in the room, she stood up when they walked in.
"Please tell me that the boy is okay." She said, worry evident in her voice. "Please."
"He's fine." Neal assured her. "Matt's still in the hospital and will be for a couple of days. But he's okay."
"Thank God." Jenny said.
"Did you find anything?" Peter asked.
"If you find Wexler." Jenny said. "He's going to prison, no doubt. I found his prints all over the warehouse and most of the paintings and statues." She handed Peter a list with five names on it. "I found their prints in the warehouse, but you didn't arrest them. One name is Oscar Williams, he is a known hit man. Wanted in fifteen states for murder, weapon charges, drug charges, and other crimes."
"He's probably the one who shot Matt." Peter said. "What about the other four?"
"Small time thugs." Jenny said. "I also listed possible places they could be found."
"What about the hit man?" Peter asked.
"Williams is an Italian food fanatic, one of the very few facts known about him. I requested the surveillance tapes from every Italian restaurant within a ten mile radius of the ware house and a ten mile radius of Wexler's house. There are forty-three. I am currently running a face recognition program using a picture of Williams that another FBI agency sent me."
"You are amazing." Neal smiled.
"I know." Jenny said, also smiling.
Neal once again couldn't help but notice how her green eyes sparkled.
Jenny's cell phone, which was laying on a table, started vibrating. A classic Mozart tune came from it.
"Excuse me." She said, picking it up and looking at the caller id. "I've got to take this, it's my babysitter."
"Rachael?" Jenny said into the phone. "Is he okay?" She ran a hand over her face and sighed deeply. "How long?" Another sigh. "No, it's not your fault. Please send him to his room until I get home. After I speak with him."
She waited a moment, then spoke again. This time her voice was stern. "Young man, what do you have to say for yourself? Why did you wonder off from Rachael? You know better then to go off on your own. Your sister is three, and you know she doesn't count here. You are supposed to stay with an adult."
Jenny took a deep breath and the two men saw her lips moving, she was silently counting to ten.
"We will discuss this when I get home Andrew, now for the other matter. Why did you try to sell your sister?"
Peter and Neal looked at her, then at each other, then back at Jenny.
"I asked a question." Jenny said. "Why did you try to sell your sister for fifty cents?" Jenny sank down in a chair and a strangled noise came from her throat. She was trying not to laugh. "You are to stay in your room until I get home, young man." She said, her voice still stern. Then her voice softened. "I love you, Andy. I'll be home soon."
She hung up, then hung her head and shook it.
"Okay." Neal said. "I'm curious, why did he try to sell his sister for fifty cents?"
"Because he didn't think anyone would pay a whole dollar for her." Jenny said, causing both men to laugh. "They were in Central Park and Andy noticed that a few people were standing around trying to sell watches and stuff. So he grabbed Amber's hand and led her away when Rachael was buying them ice cream. He told her to stand on a park bench, then started auctioning her off. Opening bid was fifty cents."
"Any takers?" Peter asked with a serious face.
"Go catch the bad guys and get out of my lab." Jenny ordered, but she was smiling.
Peter left, but Neal stayed behind.
"Those two must keep you on your toes." Neal said, as he picked up a framed photo. It was of Jenny's kids. Amber had shoulder length red hair and green eyes like her Mom, but she also had a splash of freckles on both checks and across her nose. Andrew had short red hair and green eyes, his freckles weren't as dark or as numerous as his little sister's. The six-year-old was wearing glasses.
"You have no idea." Jenny said. Then she smiled a warm and genuine smile. "But I wouldn't change either one of them. They are my life."
"Did you ever try to sell your sister?" Neal wanted to know.
"No, but I did try to lose her at a carnival before. I was around seven and she was four."
"Did it work?"
"No, I couldn't actually leave her. Even though she was annoying, still is."
/
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Chris saw Diana walking towards her and knew she had been caught. She glanced upstairs and saw that Hughes' blinds were still drawn, Tiffany wasn't finished.
"Give me the gun." Diana said, calmly.
Chris sighed and reached for the gun, then handed it to her.
"Why the hell did you have a gun?" Peter's voice boomed. Chris turned and saw Peter and El walking towards her. Neither looked happy.
"I was just playing FBI." Chris lied.
"The truth." Peter said. "Now."
"They were going after Wexler." Hughes said, angrily. "I just received a call from security, someone hacked into our files and read everything we had on Wexler. The hacker was traced to my office, which is where Tiffany is. She claimed to have been feeling bad, so I told her to lay down on the couch in my office."
"Upstairs." Peter growled, nodding towards the stairs.
"I think I would rather stay down here where there are more witnesses." Chris said, looking at El for help.
"You heard him." El said, sternly. "Upstairs."
Chris sighed and walked upstairs. Peter walked in front of her and went straight to Hughes' office, yanking the door open. Tiffany was laying on the couch.
"Follow me, Tiffany." Peter said. "And do not even think about lying. It's over."
Tiffany looked up and saw Peter's angry face, and then she saw Chris' dejected face. She knew their plan had been found out. The teenager stood up and followed Peter towards a conference room and then into the room.
"Corners, now." Peter ordered.
"I am not a child." Tiffany objected.
"Then stop behaving like one." Peter said, glaring at her.
Tiffany and Chris both went to separate corners and stuck their noses into them.
"Don't even think about moving." Peter said, then he turned and left the room.
The two girl's remained in the corners, wondering what Peter was going to do. He was really mad.
/
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
TBC I will post more soon.
