I don't own White Collar or the characters... blah blah blah. Please be kind...re[view]...

Chapter Ten

"Neal!" His head shot up, but he didn't recognize where he was. The small room was dark and he couldn't see, but he could hear Peter's voice calling to him. "Neal, what have you done? I trusted you."

"I didn't do anything." He spun around to where he could here Peter's voice, finding him standing over Elizabeth, her body slumped up against the wall. He could feel his body shaking and he wanted to run, but his feet wouldn't move.

"She's dead, Neal. It's all your fault. You betrayed me." Peter pulled his gun from its holster, and aimed it in his direction.

"I didn't. Peter, please…"

.

Peter stood gazing out of the large glass terrace doors of Neal's apartment, watching through the darkness as the torrent of rain fell down on the bricks outside. Even though it was still early morning, he knew there would be no sunrise on a day like this; the weather seemed to match his mood. A chill ran up his back thinking that Elizabeth and Neal were somewhere out there. Jones had called about an hour ago to check in; reporting that Agent Severson still hadn't shown back up to his house and his wife had not made any phone calls. Small victories, he told himself. At least there was still hope that Severson didn't know they were on to him, and thus wouldn't have harmed Elizabeth or Neal. He knew they wouldn't be able to keep that advantage much longer.

"Suit." Peter jumped as voice beside him broke the silence.

"How'd you do that?" He looked questioningly from the little man, to the door across the room and back, waving his hand in dismissal at the little man who stood looking out the windows. "Nevermind."

"Still falls the rain, dark as the world of man, black as our loss…"

"Mozzie!" Peter interrupted him.

"Sorry. Are you familiar with the old Townsend complex?" The little man did not turn his gaze.

"Sure. It's the old defunct HRT training facility. It's been shut down for years." Peter felt a small surge of relief, but pushed it down, not willing to be hopeful. Mozzie just nodded his head.

"There may have been some unusual activity there the last few days."

"That's not enough to get a search warrant. I need more."

"The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions." Mozzie finally turned, pointing a finger at Peter. "You better think of a way, suit."

He watched as Mozzie turned and left the apartment. Peter knew better than to try and understand the strange man. He paced around the room, letting his eyes dance over the tidy space. A thick navy blue book seemed out of place, laying sideways on one of the shelves; Peter crossed over, picking it up, he recognized the Warrant Law book he had loaned Neal during their first case together. As he turned the book over in his hands, he noticed a small note card stuck between the pages. He gingerly flipped the book open to Neal's place holder, nearly dropping the book as he read the heading: EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

"Thank you, Neal." He said it to himself with a smile, remembering that first case when they had been able to catch a forger because he had been able to follow Neal, their "fugitive" into the building, preventing the evidence from being destroyed. "For once I'm glad you're a felon."

.

Elizabeth listened to the rain pound on the metal roof above her, grateful that they were at least dry. She worried about Neal, his shaking had turned to full body tremors, he mumbled incoherently and he had started scratching at himself in his sleep. The room was still dark, and she still had no idea how long she had been here, but she guessed it was nearing a full day. She heard footsteps echoing in the distance, coming closer, and she shook the sleeping man desperately trying to wake him.

"neal…" She hoarsely whispered into his ear. "neal…please…wake up."

"wh…t?" He peered up at her through drooping eyelids.

"Someone's coming." She put a finger to her lips, motioning for him to be quiet.

She heard a door open in the darkness, and looked up to find the silhouette of a man standing in a doorway about ten feet away from them. She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out his face, but had no luck.

"I just don't see why you and your husband have such an affinity for that convict." The shadow of a man closed the door, turning on the single bare bulb that from the ceiling. The light nearly blinded her, and she clutched at Neal tighter as the man's malicious glare fell on them. He was tall and slender, maybe in his mid thirties she guessed, dressed in black cargo pants and a black jacket. She had seen the outfit before, when meeting some of the other agents at various FBI functions.

"I don't know…why do you hold such a hatred for him?" Elizabeth countered, her voice cracking as it came out.

"He got my father in law killed." The man rushed angrily over to stand above her. "Your husband's one of us, he shouldn't be protecting him. You're all going to pay for your sins."

"Neal never hurt anybody." She wanted to protect Neal, but she was helpless, her own head starting to feel like it was spinning. "Your father in law was a traitor."

Elizabeth regretted the words as soon as they came out, her face blew up like it had been hit with a thousand hot needles as the young man standing above her reached out and slapped her. He grabbed her and roughly pulled her to her feet, slamming her into the wall, his eyes burning red with fury.

"He was a hero. Something Caffrey will never be." He wrapped a hand around her throat, watching as she gasped for breath. She desperately clawed at his hand and face, trying to get him to loosen his hold. "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you right now…we can't start the party without Peter."

Neal watch in horror as the man he recognized Agent Severson chocked Elizabeth; he tried to call out, but his voice was nothing but a whisper. He used every ounce of strength he had left to push his aching body up, using the wall for support. He didn't see himself making it out of here, in the condition he was in. If he could just get to Severson, maybe Elizabeth could get away; he could die in peace if he knew she was safe.

Elizabeth could feel herself starting to black out, her breaths coming in very short bursts. She managed to bring her knee up, banging it into the agent's groin. He buckled just a little, but the grip on her throat only tightened. Suddenly there was a flash of movement, and she felt the grip on her neck disappear as the man fell to the ground.

"Neal!" She shouted when she realized that Neal had rammed himself into the man, pulling Severson down with him. She rushed over, grabbing the gun out of the startled man's holster. She raised it up, supporting it with both hands as Peter had taught her, trying to keep her focus. "Leave him alone."

"You bitch." The man pulled himself loose from the now unconscious Neal, and leapt towards her. Without thinking, she felt her finger pull on the trigger, and the man stumbled backwards, falling to the floor next to Neal, a pool of blood oozing out across his chest. Elizabeth crossed over to Neal, his body trembling violently.

"Neal…Neal…wake up." She lifted him up, pulling him against her body. She could feel her body trying to give in, and she struggled to stay conscious. "I can't carry you, you have to wake up."