(Chapter 10)
The nurse was surprised to find Neal awake, considering his fever. She checked his vitals, paging the doctor as she made him more comfortable and brought him some ice chips. Peter stuck around to help, Dr. Monroe showing up soon after to check on the consultant.
"Mr. Caffrey, how are you feeling? You can nod for good or shake your head for bad."
The doctor was smiling when he saw Neal nod his head then shake it, looking up with glassy dull blue eyes, lips parting slightly as he finished an ice chip.
"So... so..." Neal muttered quietly, his voice fairly raspy as he closed his eyes again and his body seemed to relax. The younger man's head slumped to the side against his pillow, his breathing steady and calm as he seemed to sleep. Peter looked worried till the doctor shook his head and smiled.
"He's fine, Agent Burke. It's been 2 days. I'm just surprised he woke up so soon. Once his fever breaks he will be ok. He's gotten over the worse of the symptoms from both the strychnine and his bodily injuries. His right arm and shoulder seem to be healing well as are his broken ribs. You can stay as long as you want but be sure to rest yourself. I'll be back later to check on both of you."
Dr. Monroe smiled, patting Peter on the shoulder before he left the room. The agent sat there a long while in his wheelchair, holding Neal's hand and watching the young man sleep before he finally nodded off in the chair.
Peter... Peter you don't have to watch me.
The agent looked up to see Neal standing there only they were in his room at June's. Peter looked around to find he had passed out on the couch.
I must have dozed off. No, I do have to watch you Neal. You've given me few options not to and I want to be sure nobody tries to get at you again. Jarrell is ruthless.
He watched Neal make a face but nod as he walked over and lay a cup of what smelled like June's Italian roast before him. Peter nodded appreciatively.
Thanks. So I need to know if you have anyone else like Jarrell in your past. If you don't want to give specifics, fine but I need names. I don't want to make the same mistake twice.
Neal started to pace the floor, his fancy brown Italian leather shoes quiet on the wooden boards. He looked like he was having an internal debate about something.
If I tell you... this is just in case right? Not to prosecute on anything?
Peter rolled his eyes but nodded.
Yes. If I wanted to find something out, I have other ways.
Neal nodded, his pacing continuing till he stopped and looked at the agent, a serious look on his face.
Peter...
The agent turned but found himself staring into two blue eyes from a hospital bed instead as he suddenly woke up from the dream. He blinked, rubbing at his eyes sleepily as he sat up and realized Neal was awake again.
"Hey... how are you feeling?"
Peter gave a stifled yawn as Neal watched him curiously.
"I've felt... bet... ter. You?"
He sounded better than he had earlier as Peter handed him the now melted cup of ice chips. Neal took it gingerly but couldn't get a grip so Peter stood up and helped him drink.
"I'm better but hating this set up. We can't leave till they know Jarrell isn't going to send any more goons after us. El's left her assistant in charge of Burke Events and Hughes has visited off and on to let us know what's up. You feel a bit cooler now than earlier."
Peter felt the younger man's forehead, smiling as he returned the cooling pad. Neal nodded, his eyes less glassy than before but still looking a bit off.
"Tired... you look like you could use more sleep too." Neal was smirking slightly, his face slightly flush with beads of sweat. Peter hobbled over to a small sink and grabbed some towels, wet them and started to blot the young man's face. Neal sighed tiredly, holding up his good hand when he'd had enough.
"How is El?"
He looked worried about something other than just El as he stared at the agent but Peter just shrugged.
"Ok, I think. She's been having nightmares. Diana said she noticed the same thing when they had her in the other safe house. Other than that, fine. She... El told me what happened." He was looking at the younger man who's face flushed a lot more suddenly as he turned his head and nodded, eyes staring towards the wall. He looked almost ashamed in a way but not for what he had done but how it had been done.
"It was self-defense. She had to do it or he was going to hurt you." Peter had barely spoken when he saw those blue eyes turn and stare at him in surprise. There was another look there he couldn't quite figure out.
"El didn't shoot him. He hit her hard across the face..." Neal paused, licking at his dry lips before continuing on. Peter saw the look of anger as Neal had spoken about El being struck.
"He was trying to kill you, Peter. You were unconscious. He put an air bubble in your IV line. I couldn't stop him except..." His eyes looked watery, his face still flushed slightly reddish at the cheeks as he closed his eyes.
"I did what I had to. I couldn't let Jarrell do that to you... to El. I wonder why she said she shot him..." Neal was trembling ever so slightly, his eyes staring away from the agent. The shooting had obviously upset him despite the circumstances. Peter had noticed the way Neal acted around weapons yet the con was proficient with them as he'd proven on several occasions.
"You did the right thing Neal. El hadn't told me that. I don't know if anyone else knew what happened but I understand why. I'll ask her about it. If you want to talk..." Peter saw the look Neal gave him and backed off, patting him on the arm gently before turning the wheelchair around.
"I should go check on Elizabeth. I didn't expect to be gone for this long and I slept for an hour in this chair. I need some coffee but they won't let me have any yet." He probably sounded cranky, Neal smirking at him.
"Too bad we can't have June sneak in some of her Italian roast." Neal was smiling more or less like his old self as Peter nodded with his own smile.
"Yeah... I wonder if they let her know what was up. I feel bad not being able to tell anyone where we are. I was told they have a few men hidden around June's just in case." He watched Neal nod as they fell into silence and Peter wheeled himself out with a nod of good-bye.
()()()
Neal was dreaming. He found himself bound to the bed in the cabin belonging to Jarrell. He struggled, finding his mouth filled with rags and tape pulled over his lips. Neal pulled at his bonds, coughing and choking on smoke and heat as the building burned around him. He gazed up to see the ceiling smoldering, a large ceiling beam ready to fall and crush anything below it.
You must know I'll win no matter what. Even in solitary, I can still have people search you out and your friends. The little guy with the glasses... he's easy to pick off.
Jarrell was smiling, walking through the flames as if he were invulnerable to them. Neal struggled weakly as the man moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed. He felt the mattress lower under the man's weight as the racketeer moved even closer and whispered in his ear.
Your landlady. Sweet woman. If she fell down the stairs or was mugged in the dark... unfortunate accident.
Neal narrowed his eyes, mentally cursing at the man as Jarrell just laughed and smiled.
Stuck in your own body, trapped in a nightmare. I frighten you but you won't admit it to yourself, Mr. Caffrey. You killed my man to save your friends. Don't think I won't find them or you again. My people have orders to keep hunting you down till you're dead and they will.
He had forgotten this was a dream as his nightmare started to get worse, Jarrell pinching his nostrils shut so he couldn't breath. He struggled weakly till he felt himself starting to fade. Then he felt something empower him as he opened his eyes and glared up at the man.
Leave them alone!
Neal found himself free suddenly, launching himself at the racketeer as he pummeled him with his fists over and over.
I'll kill you if you touch any of them!
He saw Jarrell continue to smile despite the blows Neal rained upon him.
You can't stop me, Caffrey. Nobody can.
Neal suddenly found himself with a gun in his hands, body trembling as he held it at Jarrell's temple.
Do it Caffrey and you'll be no better than I am. Kill the one part of you your keeper thinks he can save. Do it... You already have blood on your hands, what's a little more?
Neal felt himself pulling the trigger slowly when he woke up to find himself breathless and lying back in the ICU ward. Peter was gone, a sense of panic overcoming him till he remembered talking to the agent earlier.
Peter was ok...
El was ok...
Far as he knew June and Mozzie would be fine, especially Mozz. He had a knack for disappearing when he needed to. He'd be ok but June; Those agents Peter mentioned would protect her and she was smart. She probably knew something was up.
He sighed, shifting his weight some in bed and trying to think of a way out of this. Because of Jarrell, they were under witness protection standards. Peter couldn't go to work, El couldn't run her business and he was laid up in bed helpless to do much of anything. He gazed at the small empty cup beside the bed feeling thirsty if not a bit hungry. He reached for the nurse call button and waited. The nurse from earlier showed up, smiling at him in a friendly manner as she checked his vitals before she left and returned with a cup of ice chips and another cup of very cold water in a kind of sippy cup. She helped him hold the cup, his strength returning some in his hands.
"Your grip will get better. This is just a temporary after effect of the strychnine. If you're feeling better I'll bring you something to eat."
He nodded thankfully, noting the name on her tag.
"Thank you Ariel."
She blushed slightly.
"They should be moving you to another more comfortable room once your fever goes down a bit more. You're down to 101 now. Page me if you need anything before I return, Mr. Caffrey." Ariel patted him on the arm with a slight blush again before leaving the room. He watched her leave the room, noting her long blond hair pulled back with a small jeweled comb. Swarovski he thought, his mind already calculating the estimated worth, who would have given it to her. He was feeling a bit more himself as he realized what he was doing.
He eased himself into more of a sitting position, using the bed controls to move the bed so he was sitting nearly upright. He felt silly but with his arms feeling weak he used the sippy cup to drink more water, the handle helping to keep it in his hands and the lid keeping him from spilling much if any on himself. The water was icy but with his fever it felt comfortable, his hand reaching up to spill a bit on his face to cool it off. He could almost feel the water steaming if not evaporating quickly from the heat of his skin. Neal sighed, trying to shift more but feeling the tightness of the bandages that wrapped his midsection along with the stiffness of his injured right arm in the sling. He wanted to rest but he also felt a kind of restlessness worrying about Jarrell's next move. The racketeer was in prison but he obviously had people on the outside still working for him. How long before they would have to go back into the fray, especially Peter or El. They would probably keep Neal under wraps as long as possible for protection but Peter and El had jobs, lives.
Neal sighed again, his bangs shifting as he blew a bit of breath up in frustration. Giving himself up to Jarrell or his men wasn't enough. They would go after his friends just because they could. The racketeer was spiteful if nothing else. He had to find a way to draw the hit men out, then at least Jarrell would have nobody to command and it would be easy to keep him at bay. Neal wouldn't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. He tried to think of an easy way to set up those men when Ariel returned with a small tray of food. It was mostly soft food along with some soup and a sippy cup with what looked like orange juice. He thanked her before she left, doing his best to muddle with the over-sized spoon she'd given him to help with his eating. Neal felt somewhat strange being so weak but the poison had done this and it would be a few days before his muscles relaxed enough for him to control his grip better. It would give him time to think of a plan to draw Jarrell's men out.
()()()
Elizabeth woke up as the hospital room opened up and Peter wheeled himself in. A nurse was behind him saying good-bye as he closed the door.
"How is he?"
She watched him jump slightly turning to look at her with a kind of relief. Peter was smiling which meant things must be good.
"Neal's still very weak and feverish but he woke up. I got to talk to him a bit. Sorry I was gone so long." He hobbled out of the chair towards her, plopping heavily down onto the sofa and holding her close. El smiled as he kissed her on the tip of her nose then her lips.
"I'm glad you're back. I wasn't sleeping very good and I was thinking of getting some food. I know you can't have coffee still but... maybe I can get you some of that milk tea. It's fairly caffeinated." She was smiling as she kissed him again and he nodded back.
"Sure. I could use some food." She noticed he seemed somewhat distracted, his thoughts on something else as she curled up against him and drew his eyes back to her.
"What's the matter, honey?"
She had stood up, fumbling for something in her purse when she felt his hand on her arm.
"I was talking to Neal about what happened. He told me the truth..."
El looked at him a moment, her blue eyes wide with realization as she frowned ever so slightly.
"Honey, I was going to tell you but the time was never right. I just... You had both already been through so much I was trying to help. He saved me and you and I couldn't let him get in trouble."
She was chewing on her lip, grasping his hands in hers as he realized what she was saying. Elizabeth had been protecting Neal. As an ex-con he wasn't supposed to be using a gun and luckily he didn't like to. Peter nodded his head, hugging her as he kissed her on the lips again.
"Thank you El. I guess I don't have to report this since it was for a good reason just next time... tell me."
She nodded at him, hugging him tightly.
"I will. Let me go get us something to eat." Elizabeth hugged her husband, glad he understood why she had done what she had. She knew if Neal had gotten into trouble and been sent back, Peter would never forgive himself. She settled him onto the sofa, pulling a blanket off the bed to cover him with before she left, Peter slowly slipping into a light sleep as she left the room.
()()()
Two days passed, Neal's fever going down to normal finally. They had moved him to another more private room adjacent to Peter and El's the day after he'd waken up. Neal had been sleeping quite a bit, Dr. Monroe unconcerned as he knew the young man was still healing. Peter was worried because he rarely had a chance to talk to Neal now because he was resting but he felt there was more to it than that. His gut was kicking him in the side about something although with everything that happened he was hoping it was just residual.
Another day passed and Peter finally felt he had to go in to see what was bothering Neal. He was still healing but when he had tried to visit him he had noticed an almost surreptitious manner to the young man as if he might be hiding something.
"Knock Knock Caffrey..."
Peter knocked on the door as he opened it up and peered inside. He saw the room was dimly lit, monitors beeping quietly, a form laying under the blanket on the bed. Peter hobbled over towards the figure, reaching out to nudge them when something felt wrong. He pulled the blankets aside to find pillows and sheets in a heap to simulate a person. The agent cursed, pushing the nurse call button.
"Dammit, Neal... what are you up to?"
()()()
Neal knew Peter would be angry at him leaving but he had to do it if only to draw out Jarrell's men. He had noticed Ariel carried a small cell phone in a holster under her white lab coat. The day he was moved to his new room he fell against her long enough she was flustered and didn't notice him lift her phone. She'd probably think she lost it or misplaced it at best so he had time to do what he had planned.
"Mozzie, it's me."
He heard silence a moment then a relieved exhale.
"You're alive! You fell off the radar. Did the suits kidnap you. Are you ok?"
Mozzie sounded rather panicked but Neal shushed him.
"I'm fine... well fine as I can be after what Jarrell's men did. Speaking of which, I need you to help me get out of here. I can't give you the location but I can meet you nearby. I'll have to call you with the location when I'm there. I don't want to compromise this place while Peter and El are still under protection." Neal felt guilty for planning what he was but he had to get out and finish what he started. One man alone was better than getting someone else killed much as Peter would chide him for being reckless going on his own. He heard Mozzie sigh.
"Ok, I'll be on the alert. I'm guessing you stole a cell? Do you need clothes?" Mozzie sounded like he was already planning things out in detail. Neal nodded to the phone.
"No. I still have some stuff from the last visit with June. Give me about two days. I have to make sure nobody suspects anything. Thanks Mozz."
Neal heard another sigh over the phone.
"If I don't hear from you in two days, I'm sending in the cavalry. June's house has been plagued by hidden suits. They look obvious to me and probably to Jarrell's men but nobody's been there of a suspicious nature. I've been hiding out just in case. I've had some bad vibes lately."
Mozzie sounded a bit worried.
"I know what you mean. Just wait for my call. Thanks Mozz."
()()()
Peter was cursing, pacing as best he could with El trying to calm him down as Dr. Monroe and several agents tried to piece together what may have happened to Neal. Elizabeth noticed that the bag Mozzie had originally helped pack from June's was missing which meant that Neal probably went voluntarily. Peter knew only one reason why the young man would go without talking to anyone and felt a kind of frustration or anger that Neal wouldn't talk to him after everything that had happened. He knew better than to go off on his own. He whispered to El.
"He thinks he's being brave but he's going to get himself killed with this reckless attitude." He had the feeling Mozzie was involved but he had no way of contacting him with the current lock down. He wondered how Neal had called when the regular nurse showed up.
"Ariel, did you see Mr. Caffrey any time today?" Dr. Monroe asked the nurse as Peter paused his pacing long enough for El to get him to sit down and relax. He was fuming at the idea of Neal's escape when he saw the nurse shake her head.
"When I came in the last few times he was asleep so I didn't disturb him. There was nothing to check on so I just let him rest." She sounded upset if anything, her hand unconsciously reaching down to her waist, a furrow of her brow indicating she was upset about something unrelated. Peter stood up and walked over to her.
"Ariel... did you recently lose something? I noticed you keep reaching for something on your waist..." Peter watched her look at him surprised and nod.
"My cell phone. I had it two days ago but I must have misplaced it somewhere. I usually have it on a holster here." She looked confused but Peter knew what happened.
"Do you happen to know the number? Have you tried to call it?" He watched her think a moment then dig around in her pockets for a small wallet and shift through till she pulled out a card with some writing on it.
"I haven't tried to call it. I just assumed I left it somewhere at home or here and I'd find it." She looked confused by his questions as he made a motion for her to hand him the paper. Ariel gave Peter the card and he quickly glanced at the number, memorizing it as he nodded to her. She moved back towards Dr. Monroe, the two talking quietly with another agent as Peter moved back towards his wife. El seemed to feel what he was thinking.
"Honey... what's the matter?" El was looking at him as he leaned over and whispered to her.
"I'm just playing a hunch but I need to see your cell if you still have it." He was looking at her anxiously as she nodded.
"In our room. What's going on?" She rose when he motioned for her to, excusing themselves from the scene as they went next door. Peter seemed a bit nervous but more upset than anything. He didn't say anything more till they were in their room and alone.
"Neal... I think he stole Ariel's phone. I memorized her number. I'm going to call it and see if my hunch is right." He looked tense as she nodded, grabbing her purse from a nearby drawer and opening it up. The agents had returned it to her after the kidnapping by Jarrell and she dug around till she found what she needed.
"Here Peter. Why do you think he ran? I don't understand."
Peter took the cell and started to dial, holding up a hand a moment as he heard the number ring.
"Mozzie, it's about time. I'm still waiting."
Neal's voice sounded somewhat annoyed as Peter let out a relieved sigh and he started to answer.
"What the hell were you thinking!"
There was silence on the line, Peter seeing the look on El's face at his reaction, her eyes glaring at him for a moment but he held up a hand. He was angry if not upset that Neal had run off and not told them. He hadn't expected to be yelling over the cell but it had just happened as the agent in him took over.
"Pe... ter? How..." Neal's voice stuttered slightly, a fear there or guilt. There was silence again and El reached over, taking the phone.
"Neal... we're just worried about you. Peter is worried about you. Whatever it is you're planning..." She didn't finish, Peter watching her listen to the phone before she frowned and closed the phone.
"What did he say? El..." He was watching her but she just sniffled.
"He said... he wanted to make things right. What did he mean, Peter?" She sounded worried if not confused but he didn't know if he understood it himself, a dark cloud hanging over him as he thought about what Neal was doing.
"Jarrell... he's going after him I think. He's going to take the flack for us. Dammit!" He cursed quietly as he stood and started to pace. He wanted to call back but knew Neal had probably gotten rid of the phone by now if he knew Peter was looking for him. He was going to get himself killed for nothing.
"Honey... it's ringing!" El was holding the vibrating cell, handing it back to him with a hand on his. She whispered to him: "Be Nice." Peter answered the phone and listened.
"El, can you put Peter on?" Neal was there again but he sounded just as guilty as before. Peter saw the look on his wife's face and nodded.
"I'm here." He kept his tone as level as he could but he felt anger if not a bit of frustration that Neal would go behind their backs and do this again. He had promised.
"I have to do this. Jarrell won't stop till... he won't. Then you won't have to worry anymore. I trust you Peter... Tell El I'm sorry." Neal sounded like he was holding something back, his voice trembling with emotion. Peter felt his throat grow tight as he tried to answer but heard the dial tone again.
"Neal? Neal?"