White Collar: The Nightingale

Chapter ten

Peter sat at his desk researching a seemingly endless computer file of information on the Yakuza. So far nothing he read gave him hope. After a night of research and talking with Mozzie he had decided that his original plan of actually stealing the sword was not feasible. Working harder on the problem he fell back on his training to use F.B.I resources and legal channels. He had a loose plan in his mind, but it was going to depend on a lot of things going right.

The sun had set and rose on a new day, marking the third day since Neal's disappearance. If it truly was a kidnapping Peter knew that the more time that past the slimmer the chances of finding Neal alive became. Peter still had a small voice telling him that this could all be a con, but the voice wasn't wining over his gut feelings on the matter.

"If you're not in a life and death situation right now you will be when I find you."

Looking away from the reports on Yakuza activity Peter caught sight of the rubber band ball that Neal was always playing with. Peter had no idea why Neal was so attached to the odd object. All he knew was that he almost always had it in his hands when he was roaming around the office waiting for something to do.

"There's probably a stolen diamond in it or something." Peter muttered to himself only half jokingly.

Suddenly suspicious Peter picked up the innocent looking rubber band ball. He looked around to make sure no one was watching before beginning to take the ball apart. As the ball got smaller Peter started feeling silly that he had thought the ball held anything other than rubber, until he reached the center and found that it did contain something. The heart of the rubber band ball was made of a balled up piece of paper. Opening it up Peter found a message in Neal's handwriting.

"'Still don't trust me?'."

Peter was forced to smile. Crinkling up the paper back into a ball he placed it in his desk drawer and swept the pile of rubber bands into it as well, he figured that Neal could put it back together again when he was back. The phone on his desk rang.

"Burke, here."

"Hello, Agent Burke, it's Agent Cheng returning your call."

"Agent Cheng, I was hoping to met with you if you have time today."

"I am free now."

"Perfect, I'm on my way."

"Sounds good."

Hanging up the phone Peter grabbed his jacket and headed towards the elevators. Going down two floors he got off and hunted out Agent Cheng's office. Cheng's desk was the same make and model as Peter's, but it was a totally different story. Whereas Peter's desk was neatly organized down to the number of pens, Agent's Cheng's desk was a sea of paperwork. Cheng was younger than Neal, but he'd been with the Bureau for six years. Cheng got to his feet when Peter arrived and offered him a firm handshake.

"Agent Burke..."

"Peter." He offered as he took a seat.

"How can organized crime help white collar?" Cheng asked.

"David, what can you tell me about the Yakuza in New York?"

"I can tell you everything you need to know about Yakuza if you're going after them for a white collar crime in three words."

"Let me guess: 'don't do it'."

"Yup."

"This isn't exactly about going after Yakuza for a crime, it's more like protecting them from one."

"Okay..." Cheng said slowly. "Someone planing to rip them off? If so, trust me they can take care of their own problems."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Yakuza pull in over ten billion annually here in the States. So if some clever American thief wants to test their luck by stealing some of it back, more power to him."

"I'm sorry, do we work for the same organization?" Peter asked seriously.

"Peter, not to put too fine a point on it, but when it comes to Yakuza the F.B.I is mostly concerned with trying to slow the tide of meth that they pour into the country through Hawaii, keeping their gambling to a dull roar, and stopping their sex trading."

"I need to talk to someone high on the Yakuza food chain."

"The pecking order in the Yakuza is a lot more complicated than in the Mafia. I know where you can find some oyabun, but if you think you're going to get a kumicho to talk to a Fed then I've got more bad news for you."

"I understood very little of what you just said."

"Kumicho are like the Mafia's capo, they are the top boss of the family." Cheng explained. "Do you have a particular family you want to find?"

"Someone with connections to the Yamaguchi-gumi."

"Jesus, Peter." Cheng swore. "What are you mix up in?"

"Have you heard of the Nightingale sword?"

"A Yakuza heirloom. What about it?"

"I think it's coming to New York."

"Cool. I hear that it's really pretty."

"I think someone is planing on stealing it."

"That would be bad." Cheng said seriously. "That would be bloodbath bad. Honor is very important to the Yakuza, they'd do anything to get it back."

"Which is why I want to prevent it from getting stolen in the first place."

"I suppose that falls under your jurisdiction as 'art theft'." Cheng mused. "However, the Yakuza are not going to want or accept your help. Their security is top notch, they'll just kill the person who tries to take it."

"I'd like to avoid that as well."

"Why do I suddenly get the feeling that this is all about your CI, Caffrey?"

"You know about him?"

"You two have made quite a splash, news trickles down the crack to organized crime. I thought you kept him on a leash though?"

"Long story short: he's out and I think someone's forcing him into pulling this particular heist."

"You think you can get him back by catching him in the act?"

"It's the only chance I have of helping him."

"Okay." Cheng sighed. "I'll introduce you to a member of the New York Yamaguchi-gumi family, but that's as far as I go on this."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, right...hold that thought." Cheng shook his head sadly. "How's your Karaoke?"

"Karaoke? You're kidding, right?"

"No."

"I don't even sing in the shower, let alone in public."

"If you want to help your friend you'll need to sing like a bird first."

"Why?"

"It's a test of courage."