A/N: Okay, figured since I'm done with Federal Custody, and am working on the sequel, I might as well try to finish this one too. Maybe someday, I'll try to finish Growing Pains... I'll challenge myself to finish all my non-drabble stories before school starts on the 24th, so that's five days... Looks like I've got a lot of work to do. :) Hope you like this! And I'm sorry for the incredibly long break. (Oh, in Kidnapper, I meant the East River, not the Hudson, I was watching National Treasure when I wrote that...) Anyway, on with the story! -A

Chapter 21: Plans

"Peter," Jones said, walking in Peter's office the next day. "Have you seen Neal?" Peter's head snapped up.

"No, why?"

"He's not here," Jones told him with a shrug before turning and walking away. Confused, Peter pulled out his cell and called Neal. No answer. He tried three more times over the next hour, but nothing. Finally, he grabbed his keys and drove to June's. On the sidewalk, near a bush, was the anklet, it's little light still green.

Worried, he was let in by a cleaner, Rhonda, if he remembered correctly, and ran up to Neal's apartment. On the table was Neal's phone and a note. He picked up the latter and read it.

Agent Burke,

Lose something? Better find them before they outgrow their usefulness.

This made Peter feel sick as he sunk down onto the chair and stared blankly at it, reading it over and over again. Neal and Gale were kidnapped by the same person. A person who was not taunting him and threatening their lives. It was going to be a very bad day, it seemed.

WC

Needless to say, Gale wasn't thrilled to learn that her own dad kidnapped them. She actually looked like she wanted to puke. And she was suprised she didn't recognize him. Then again, it had been a few years...

"Gale?" Neal said, his tone concerned. She hardly heard him.

"Yeah, I'm good," she told him, answering his unasked question. he wasn't so sure. She shook her head and got back to business. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"Well," Neal said, allowing the change of subject, "he can't keep us in here forever. I can tell he doesn't just want us dead, or we already would be. So we wait. And eventually, he'll make a mistake." She nodded, hoping that was true.

WC

He chuckled. They thought that he'd make a mistake, did they? Well, let them think that. He'll show them real fast what happens when you try to outsmart the man holding all the cards. For example, they didn't bother looking for the hidden camera in the room, and that carelessness lost them any element of suprise they may have had.

Then again, they were smart. Both of them. If he wasn't careful, they'd come up with a plan and would find a way to get out. He bit his lip. If that happened, it was all over. He couldn't let that happen. He had to get them under his thumb first... But they were fighters and would be hard to control. That's where the biggest problem was. As soon as he figured that out, he'd have to figure out what to do with them once they became useless to him. Oh well, he'd cross that bridge when he got there. And I will get there, he thought, taking a swig of his beer. Mark my words, I will get there.

A/N: Sorry it's so short, I'll try to finish it or have it almost finished tomorrow! -A