Chapter 19
Big brother: a man who assumes the role of an older brother by providing guidance or protection; a man who serves as a companion, father figure, and role model for a boy.
The day Neal Caffrey, bond forger, counterfeiter, art thief and racketeer walked out of Sing Sing prison, he agreed to do so under certain very specific conditions: that he remain in the custody of the FBI for the rest of his sentence and that he assist the Bureau by consulting on white collar crimes. In other words, in exchange for his albeit restricted freedom and for the foreseeable future, he would remain at the beck and call of his new FBI handler, Special Agent Peter Burke.
Peter took his new responsibility very seriously. He realized he might not succeed in reforming the ex-con nor was that his goal, rather it was his job to make good use of the man's many talents and to keep him from straying so he could keep taking full advantage of said talents. He proceeded to keep a close eye on his CI, tracking his whereabouts obsessively and reminding him repeatedly of the consequences should the younger man veer from their mutually agreed upon arrangement. Neal played along, at least on the surface, keeping his indiscretions well concealed and playing up his skills and charm as a way of remaining under the radar.
What Peter hadn't counted on at the time was that he would grow fond of the man, warts and all. And so, despite his better judgement, he began his quest to rehabilitate Neal Caffrey, to show him there was a better way… that he could make use of his talents without resorting to crime and that an honest life on the outside was worth living.
This, as it turned out, was a mammoth task.
Neal fought him all the way, continuing to deceive, dupe, mislead and scam his handler every chance he got. Despite this fact, Peter persisted, intent on reforming the ex-con. He began to worry about the choices Neal was making and even though he strived to be a good role model, he proceeded to cover his CI's misdeeds in an effort to keep him out of prison.
Over time, the inevitable happened. The ex-con began to care about disappointing Peter and he began to feel bad whenever he did. Not that he was able to keep from giving in to his urges. But sometimes, he tried.
And so, the relationship settled into an unlikely pattern with Peter watching out for Neal, trying to keep him out of trouble and Neal testing the limits like a four-year-old with impulse control issues. Almost fifteen years later, the men still struggled with that dynamic: Peter still liked to tell Neal what to do and Neal still enjoyed colouring outside the lines from time to time. But as Neal was apt to remind his best friend, he wasn't his CI anymore. He was a forty-six year old man with a stable job, a home, a wife, a couple of kids and that he was, if not a pillar of his community, certainly a respectable member of it. The tug of war continued with Peter doing his best to give Neal the space he needed and Neal appreciative of having someone he could turn to for help and advice. Perhaps the time had come for the two men to fully embrace their new and improved relationship for what it was: a bromance between two best friends of equal stature.
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Liam's sudden appearance in the kitchen had brought the discussion between Neal and Peter to a grinding halt. Within ten minutes, the Caffreys and Burkes were all sitting around the kitchen table as Sara and Neal doled out the small gifts they'd brought along for everyone including the chocolate Neal had bought at Wallace's market.
'Am I allowed to have some chocolate before breakfast?' Liam asked his mom.
She reached out and cut a small piece off, handing it to him. 'So, who else is hungry?' she asked, getting to her feet.
'I want pancakes' Liam cried out.
'I want eggs benedict' Hope chimed.
'Whoa, whoa! I've only got two hands' Sara said as she reached into the cupboard for a frying pan.
She set it down on the counter and looked over at the group. Neal seemed more settled now that he'd seen the kids but she noticed that he and Peter hadn't made eye contact since she and Elizabeth had come downstairs. El's eyes met hers, corroborating her observation. Perhaps it was time to coax their husbands into making nice.
'I've got an idea' Sara said, looking around at everyone. 'Why don't we all go out for breakfast?'
The kids cheered and El gave a big thumbs up. Only the men nodded timidly. If the two of them weren't going to work things out by themselves, the women and kids would find a way to force them into it.
'Sure' Neal said soberly. 'Our treat.'
'I want to go to Mel's' Hope said.
'Mel's it is' Sara replied as she returned the frying pan to its spot in the cupboard.
Liam slid off his chair and climbed up onto his dad's lap. He pulled on the one week old hair growth on his chin as Neal grimaced. 'Daddy, is that man going to take me in his car again?'
Neal pulled him in to him and ran his hand through his hair. 'No buddy, that's never going to happen again.'
He looked around the table, his gaze zeroing in on Hope whose eyes had grown wide.
'What man?' she asked.
'The bad man' Liam replied, seemingly reassured. 'He came to get me at Nathan's party and he wouldn't bring me home.'
Hope's forehead creased as if trying to understand. She looked at her dad, then her mom who was suddenly looking rather agitated.
'Is it the man in the picture?' she asked her uncle. Her voice trembled as she spoke.
Peter glanced at his best friend, unsure whether or not to answer the question. Neal tried to remain calm but now that the pandora's box was open, it was obvious they would have to provide an explanation for the events of the previous day. As far as their sharp as a tack daughter was concerned, they'd already dodged a bullet when Sara had explained away her injury as a silly accident. Liam would be giving her all the juicy details of his little adventure in no time if he and Sara didn't intervene to keep her from letting her imagination run wild.
'Why don't we talk about it later' Neal suggested. He needed time to fine tune whatever explanation he was going to give her. Not that he would ever try to deceive her, she was too smart for that. But the way in which this was handled might make the difference between the return of nightmares or her ability to cope with the fact her brother had been abducted.
Hope nodded but the look of consternation remained on her face.
Elizabeth stood, breaking the sombre mood. 'Honey, why don't you and I go get dressed' she said to Peter who was only too happy to follow her out of the kitchen.
'All right you two' Sara said to the kids. 'Go get ready and then we can go.'
'That didn't take long' Neal murmured once they'd disappeared up the stairs. 'I knew we couldn't keep it a secret forever but…'
Sara took a seat next to him and reached for his hand. 'How do you want to handle it?'
He searched her eyes. 'I think I should be the one to do it. She might have some questions… she was worried Cornyn might come after me… and now this.'
Sara nodded in agreement. 'Maybe sooner than later' she advised.
'Yeah, maybe I can stay behind with her for a few minutes while you guys head out.'
'So, how did you leave things with Peter?' she asked.
This time his gaze slipped away but Sara wasn't having it. She stood and slid her body in between his chair and the table, plunking herself on his lap and holding his face in her hands to keep him from shifting.
He smiled at her. 'You look like a boxer with that bruise.'
'Nice deflection Caffrey. Now spill.'
He took a deep breath, recalling everything he'd just unloaded on his best friend. The fair points… and the not so fair ones.
'I asked him to tell me exactly what happened. In detail. I may have… raised my voice once or twice' he admitted sheepishly.
'Oh yeah?' she said playfully. 'Anything you feel the need to apologize for?'
He ran his hand down her cheek. 'Maybe…'
Sara's eyes bored into his, waiting for him to elaborate. She could see regret forming in his eyes.
With hesitation, he spoke. 'I told him… I told him he didn't do a very good job of keeping Liam safe…'
'Neal! You didn't!'
He shrugged. 'I was upset…'
Sara stood, leaving him to his thoughts. 'Don't let things fester' she said as she walked away.
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Upstairs in the Caffreys' bedroom, Elizabeth was slipping out of her robe and into a skirt and top.
'You're awfully quiet. Everything go all right with Neal?' she asked as if she couldn't guess.
He raised his eyebrows; that was all she needed to know.
'That bad, huh?'
He pulled on a pair of pants and a clean shirt - no suit today. He'd stay in touch with the office but he wanted to stick close to Neal. Just in case.
'Do you think I coddle Neal?'
'Coddle him? What do you mean?'
'I mean, do you think I hold back telling him things because I don't want him to worry?'
El sat on the edge of the bed and turned to face him. 'You used to… I don't think you do it quite as much. Is that what he's accusing you of?'
'He says I had plenty of time to get in touch with him.'
She wagged her eyebrows. 'He has a point.'
Peter rose and grabbed a pair of socks, returning to the bed. 'I tried a couple of times but… the truth is I was relieved I couldn't reach him. I thought if we could just get Liam back, I could give him the bad news and the good news at the same time and he wouldn't have to go through all that.'
'Honey, Liam is his son and Neal is a grown man.'
He sighed. Perhaps there was some justification for Neal being so angry after all.
'And he's been through a lot with Sara being attacked like that.'
'What? What are you talking about?'
'Yesterday… Sara befriended this woman while they were away and it turned out she was a victim of domestic abuse. Her husband got pissed off at Sara and he dragged her into the woods. He attacked her. That's how she got that bruise on her face. The police came and Neal finally found her with his tracking app.'
Peter's mouth dropped open. 'That's why he didn't answer his phone?'
'I guess… Honey, cut him some slack. And stop acting like he can't get along in this world if you're not there to hold his hand.'
The words stung. All he'd ever wanted was to be a friend to Neal, to be there for him.
There was a knock on the bedroom door and the door opened a crack, revealing Liam standing there with his hair disheveled in a pair of shorts and an inside out t-shirt.
'Hey sweetie, come here' El said, reaching for her hairbrush. 'You ready to go?'
He nodded enthusiastically, looking like his good old self instead of a kid who'd been abducted just over twelve hours earlier.
'Can I ride in your car Uncle Peter' he asked.
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Hope stood at the front door, tapping her foot impatiently. She'd asked if she could drive to the restaurant with her parents. Surprisingly, her mom had gotten into her uncle Peter's car with Liam and her godparents before she'd even made it downstairs.
'Daddy! We're going to be late' she called out.
Neal replied from the kitchen. 'Honey can you come in here for a minute?'
She gave an exaggerated sigh of frustration and stomped over, surprised to find him sitting at the kitchen table.
'Can you come over here and sit with me for a minute? There's something I need to talk to you about.'
Her face grew serious as she pulled out a chair. 'What is it?'
'I heard there was plenty of excitement while we were away' he said.
She touched her hair and pouted. 'But you said you weren't mad.'
He reached for her hand. 'Of course I'm not mad. It's only hair… it'll fade. No… I meant Uncle Peter told me how you went to his office to look at pictures.'
She nodded. 'That man we saw when you took me and Liam in the car that day. He was following me around. Uncle Peter needed my help.'
Neal's face drooped. As proud as he was of his daughter for stepping up, he was saddened at the realization that his undercover work had put his family in danger.
'He was at my soccer practice and he talked to me but I didn't recognize him until later. And then he was at school during recess. I was afraid he might try to hurt me.'
Neal took a deep breath and reached out for her, pulling her onto his lap. 'Come here sweet pea' he murmured. 'I'm sorry he scared you. That man was mad at me because I got him arrested. I think he tried to scare you because he knew I'd be upset about it.'
'But he didn't do anything' she stated as if trying to reassure him.
Neal pulled her in for a hug. 'Actually honey, he did.'
She pulled away to look in his eyes. 'He took Liam?'
He nodded feeling his chest tightening. 'Yeah… he did. He knew it would scare me more than anything in the world if he touched you or Liam.'
She listened, her heart thumping. 'But Liam's home.'
'He is… but yesterday, that man went to Nathan's house and pretended to be Uncle Peter and he took him in his car.
'How come? I reminded Liam about the safe word when I saw the man at school.'
Neal smiled, running his hand though her oatmeal coloured hair. 'You did?'
She nodded. 'You are the best big sister in the world, you know that?'
'But the man took him anyway.'
'He did. He drove around with him in his car and then he left him at Uncle Peter's office.'
'Why?'
Because he's a fucking asshole came to mind but Neal managed to restrain himself. 'Because… when I went undercover I pretended to be someone else so we could catch him and now he blames me so…'
Her arms flew around his neck. 'Is he going to come back and hurt us?'
Neal's heart melted as he squeezed her tight. 'No honey, no. Uncle Peter has everyone looking for him. And I'm home now. I'm never going to let anyone hurt you or Liam, I promise.'
When she pulled away, her eyes were full of tears and Neal could hardly breathe. It was going to take more than a five minute chat to work through all this chaos.
'When we get home later' he began. 'We can sit down and talk to Liam together, you, me and Mom. And there won't be any secrets. We'll come up with another safe word and maybe you can help him if he gets scared… you think you can do that?'
She nodded.
He figured that was about as far he could go for the moment. There would be time later for more discussion. 'So, are you ready to go?'
She touched her hair subconsciously. 'Maybe I'll wear a baseball cap' she said. 'Can I borrow one of yours? That blue one we got at the zoo?'
He smiled and nodded. 'Knock yourself out.'
She disappeared up the stairs while he checked everything, preparing to lock up. Satchmo whimpered and Neal went to the patio door to let him in.
'Come on Satch' he said as he opened the door. He almost jumped out of his skin at the sight of Dwight Cornyn standing at the edge of the deck, brandishing a gun aimed right at him.
'Finally' he said. 'The man himself. Come on out here, we need to have a little talk.'
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The blue baseball cap was hanging amongst Neal's collection in his walk in closet and Hope proceeded to wrap her hair into a tight bun before stuffing it all inside. She stood in front of the mirror and smiled, satisfied - it would do until her mom helped her finish washing out the rest of the hair dye.
Her ears perked up in response to voices coming from the backyard. Men's voices. For a moment, she thought maybe her uncle Peter hadn't left the house after all. She walked over to her parents' bedroom window and tried to sneak a peek. She was about six inches shy of the bottom ledge so she dragged her mom's makeup chair under the window and climbed onto it. She recognized the top of her dad's head as he stood on the backyard deck, talking to someone. His voice was soft and she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Craning her neck, she noticed a pair of feet on the grass. A further stretch and she let out a gasp.
It was him. It was the guy from the soccer field, the guy who'd taken Liam. He stood with a wide stance, both hands on a gun pointed directly at her dad.
Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she jumped off the chair and ran towards the phone on her dad's night table. Her uncle Peter would know what to do. What was his number? She knew it, of course she knew it. She called it all the time. 'It has a 7 and a 4' she said under her breath before her eyes rested on the phone with the list of the family's ten speed dial numbers. Her shaking finger lingered down the list. Sara work, Neal work, Sara cell, Neal cell, Peter and El home.
She almost let out a cry as she spotted it: Peter cell. She pressed the speed dial and held her breath as it rang in her ear.
'What's taking you guys so long?' Peter answered after the third ring. 'We're starved!'
'Uncle Peter' she whispered. 'He's here.'
'Hope? Is that you? What's wrong?'
'The man… the man who took Liam… he's in the backyard with my dad. And he has a gun.'
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Hope's mind was reeling. What should she do? She heard her dad's voice, growing a little louder. 'Come on Cornyn, you don't want to do this' she heard him say.
How long would it take her uncle Peter to get back? Ten? Fifteen minutes? Her dad could be dead by then. She needed to do something. Right away. She paced in her parents' bedroom, her feet dragging on the hardwood floor. She stopped and stared at herself in the mirror. Maybe there was something she could do…
She ran down the stairs, noticing that the voices were growing louder. The patio door had been left open and Satchmo had taken up the spot right inside the door and was sound asleep. She forced herself to slow her pace and tiptoed into the kitchen, quietly dragging a chair to the counter and climbing onto it. She still couldn't reach the very top of the cupboard so she climbed onto the counter itself and swung the cabinet door open, her eyes searching.
Had he taken it with him or was it still in its hiding place? Her hand reached the highest shelf and she poked around, pushing aside the coffee grinder as she felt around with the very tips of her fingers.
There it was. She got on her tippy-toes and felt the barrel skim the tip of her fingers. It tumbled out of the cupboard, landing in her other hand, heavy and hard.
She stared down at the gun and forced herself to keep breathing. If he was true to his word, her uncle Peter would have left the firearm unloaded but just in case, she examined it and aiming it away from her, she checked the safety, trying to remember how to make sure it was on.
A quick jump and she landed on the kitchen floor with a thump. She took one last look out the window seeing the two men still staring at each other.
She took a deep breath and headed for the door.
TBC
