The penultimate chapter! Enjoy! I think you guys will like this one!
"Keller," Peter raised his gun and pointed it straight at the criminal, "hands up, stay where you are."
"Agent Peter Burke," Keller walked forward slightly, "looks like you're in this a little deeper than you'd thought you'd be, huh?"
"I said stay where you are!"
"Relax," Keller held his hands up slightly, a smile on his lips, "shoot me, the rest of the dogs come rushing in. You'll blow your location."
He had a point, but that didn't mean Peter couldn't keep his weapon pointed at him.
"That's what I thought," he chuckled deeply before looking at Neal, "Caffrey, good to see you again. You look a little pale, how are you feeling?"
Neal clenched his jaw.
"Silent treatment, huh? Is that how you treat an old friend?"
"Quiet, Keller," Peter barked, "show me your hands."
Keller smiled and lifted his hands in the air.
"You have any weapons on you?"
"Now, Burke, what sort of criminal gathering would this be if I didn't have a weapon?" his smile broadened.
"Neal," Burke said without looking at Caffrey, "disarm him."
Caffrey hesitated for a moment but moved forward. Keller's hands were still in the air and Peter's gun was pointed right at his head. Neal pulled out a handgun from his nemesis' waistband. He threw it across the room, then found a knife in a strap attached to his ankle, a blade in the toe of his boot, and a small handgun strapped under his arm.
"Surprised you showed up," Burke remarked to Keller.
"Well, why not? You are claiming the title for my brilliant work, after all."
"I thought that's what you wanted," Neal growled, "to make me take the fall for what you did."
"The plan wasn't for you to slander my name with some cheap tricks," he gestured to the fake Monet lying against the wall, "that's low even for you, Caffrey."
"Where's the real Monet?" Neal ordered.
"Close," Keller's smile appeared again.
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me!" Neal shouted.
"Neal!" Peter looked at him, shocked, "Cool it! Do you want to get shot?"
The stomping of heavy boots sounded in the distance.
"Ah, ah, ah," tutted Keller, "someone's losing his temper."
Caffrey took a deep breath.
"Keller, this will all go away if you just tell us where the painting is. I won't bring you in. A simple trade."
"Peter?" Neal looked incredulous.
"Neal, there's no way Keller will ever give up the Monet and we'll walk away from this clean if he's going to get arrested," Peter breathed deeply, "so, what do you say, Keller?"
"Interesting offer, Burke, what does your wife have to say about it?"
"Don't get her involved in this!" he growled.
"Neal, you really follow this guy?" he looked at Caffrey with a raised brow, "Day in, day out like a dog on a short, tight leash, huh? What happened to you, Caffrey? You used to be the king of the castle and now your some low-life, miserable CI with a bracelet on your foot."
"Quiet!" Neal hissed.
"Come on, Neal, show me you've still got some mojo left in you."
Caffrey growled and lurched forward. Keller's smile widened, a glint in his eye, as his hand reached for something inside his coat.
"Neal, NO!" Peter's eyes widened and he shouted in alarm.
Too late. Keller pulled out a small handgun from a hidden pocket inside his coat, one Neal forgot to notice. Caffrey registered what was happening, but he couldn't stop his momentum. He came to a stop just a few inches ahead of Keller, with the barrel of a gun pointed directly at his forehead.
"Keller, no, no!" Burke's heart raced, "Please, put down the gun," Burke's weapon was still pointed at the criminal.
Peter could see the regret in Neal's eyes at his stupidity and recklessness. Keller got to him, broke him for just a second and look what happened.
"Come on, you don't want to add murder to your rap sheet," Peter reasoned.
"Caffrey, if I take you out of the picture, that reduces a lot of stress from my life, don't you think?" he wasn't talking to Peter.
"Yeah, yeah I-I guess so," Neal gulped, eyes looking straight at the gun barrel pointed at his head.
"But then who'll go to jail for me for the Monet theft?"
"How about you own up to what you did?"
"Fat chance, Caffrey, but cute of you to think."
"WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED. SHOW YOURSELF!"
"Tick tock, Neal, the big guys are calling," Keller taunted and cocked the gun.
"Keller!" Burke diverted his attention, "Stop this!"
"No backing down now, Burke," this time his smile was tainted with maliciousness, eyes glowing with violent glee, "goodbye, Neal-"
A shot rang out in the museum.
Neal flinched, eyes screwed tightly closed.
Peter had his jaw clenched, gun barrel smoking, eyes hard, as Keller growled and groaned. His gun dropped to the floor, his wrist bleeding profusely, as Neal ran behind Peter. Keller's eyes were on fire with rage as he dropped to the floor, holding his wounded hand. Peter's gun was still pointed at him. Peter shot his hand, the one holding the gun pointed at Neal. Caffrey kicked Keller's weapon across the room.
"One more move, and I'll put another one in you."
Keller, as furious as he was, managed to release out a painful laugh as shouts and commands from outside resonated in.
"SHOTS FIRED, SHOTS FIRED!"
"WHERE'S THE HOSTAGE?"
"MOVE IN, MOVE IN!"
"A WEAPON IS ACTIVE ON THE PREMISES!"
"Too late," Keller grunted with glee.
"Tell me where the Monet is," Peter demanded, moving forward.
He didn't respond.
Heavy boots sounded from down the hall, voices accompanied with them.
"Tell me!"
Still nothing.
The voices were close now.
Burke stood over Keller. That smug smile got to him. Peter lifted his leg and stomped on Keller's injured hand. He shouted in pain and shock, Neal's eyes were wide and mouth open as he looked on at the scene before him.
"Last chance," Peter growled.
Keller was squirming and struggling, trying to break free from Burke's hold. His eyes were wide now, maybe there was some fear in them too as his eyes darted to the doorway where FBI teams would be bursting through any minute.
The boots were just down the hall.
"Keller," Peter's tone held a threat as he lifted his boot slightly, indicating he would stomp down again.
Keller's eyes were moving back and forth frantically, calculating, "Arghh! You'll promise you'll let me go?!"
"Yes!"
"Peter!" Neal shouted indignantly.
"Fine! It's in storage unit 5C at a warehouse three miles east of here!"
Peter lifted his boot, Keller pulled it away quickly. Peter turned his head to Neal, eyes filled with relief, as he saw the first blue uniform rounding the corner.
Just a second, he lost his focus for just a second and Keller struck. He snatched the weapon from Peter's hands and kicked him to the floor. Burke went sprawling against the polished wood. Neal, who was looking at the incoming men, wasn't paying attention when Keller yelled, "Neal, catch!" Caffrey turned around, but the gun was already being tossed towards him. His reflexed responded and the gun came to rest in his hands. Burke was shaking the stars out his eyes and he blinked a few times. Keller had bolted, the stairwell door across the room sliding shut. Neal was looking down at the loaded weapon in his hands in shock and fearful understanding. Burke blinked away his bleariness as ten FBI agents crowded into the room. A horrible feeling daunted upon them. He looked from Neal, to the gun, to the FBI men, and back to Neal who had turned white.
From the perspective of the FBI men, all they could see was their target Neal Caffrey, a loaded gun in Caffrey's hands, a fallen FBI agent (Peter), and some blood on the floor (Keller's), but that was enough for them.
"FREEZE, FBI!"
"PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!"
Neal was still looking at the gun in his hands in shock.
"I SAID PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!"
"Neal!" Peter shouted.
Caffrey looked up, registering Peter's voice, but a lone shot rang out, and Neal collapsed to the floor.
Next chapter will come soon! Leave me a fav/follow/review!