A/N Thanks for your reviews and support.
Neal's POV
When the door burst open revealing to guards instinct had kicked in. He didn't even mean to hurt the guys. It was simply bad luck about who they caught in the princess's chambers.
The first went down after a strike to the throat and dislocation of the knee. The second backed out of the room realizing he was outmatched.
Neal chose that moment to go out onto the balcony. Frozen air hit him like a ton of bricks. He was as naked as the day he was born. Still, when the guard brought more he would be outnumbered. With his nerve damage, he would not be able to fight them all off.
Carefully he got up onto the ledge. The princess to his surprise followed him out on the balcony. She had put on a bathrobe to provide some protection against the night air.
She cried, "Non andare! DirĂ² alle guardie di lasciarci."
He smiled sadly at her. It would never have worked out between them. The moment he started this he knew that. Someone like him didn't deserve someone like her.
He answered carefully edging his way around trying to find a way down, "Non mi lasceranno mai andare o stare con te, Marie. Devo scappare prima che gli altri arrivino qui. Altrimenti sarĂ² in prigione."
Tears sprang up in her eyes and before she could say anything she was pulled away. Four guards appeared anger in their eyes.
He was in trouble. Jumping down was an option. The problem with that was that he wouldn't be able to run. At the very least he would twist his ankle. If he tried rolling rather straight drop his shoulder wouldn't hold up.
Across the yard and the fence, a car pulled up. A familiar brown-haired man got out. Hazel eyes looked up at him surprise in his eyes. Surprise faded right into amusement.
"What are you doing up there, Larkin?" Came the voice of Keller.
Neal snarled, "Fuck you, Keller."
Even as he said that movement caught his eyes. One of the guards got up on the ledge. He was slowly making his way closer to Neal.
Keller shouted, "It looks like you could use a hand. Give me two hours of your time. That's all I ask."
Neal bit his lip noting that he didn't have much of a choice. Either he went with Keller or he never saw the light of day again.
"Two hours. If I don't like what you have to say then I walk," he answered.
"Agreed."
The guard was almost within arm's distance. Neal jumped wincing when he heard a loud crack. Not twisted it would seem; broken. Limping and trying to put as little weight on his ankle he made his way over to the gate.
Keller had knocked out the guard at the gate and opened it. He slipped an arm around Neal's chest. This took almost all the weight off the younger's ankle.
Keller was warm to where Neal was freezing. Even only being out on the ledge for a few moments froze him to the bone. Once they were in the car Keller took off.
Two blocks away the car stopped. Turning to ask what his handler was doing he had a heavy fur-lined jacket tossed in his face.
"Can't have you freezing to death on my watch, Larkin," said Keller, "When we get to my apartment I'll set your ankle. You won't be doing any more insane stunts for a while."
Neal wrapped the jacket around him. He wasn't an idiot. Keller could have left him on that ledge. A few months or a year in prison might have made him more welcoming to a friendly face.
Awkwardly that went against everything that Mozzie taught him he muttered barely audible, "Thank you."
In the corner of his eye, he saw Keller start in surprise. He wasn't a friendly person by any means. He would recognize a good deed when it was done for him.
When they arrived at the apartment Neal still could not walk. As Keller had said he wasn't going go he running anywhere for awhile. All he could be thankful for was that it wasn't his leg or shoulder. Shoulder would have been the worst.
Nerve damage made fighting excruciatingly painful. It was part of the reason he was a non-violent criminal. If he wasn't expected to know how to fight it would be his advantage if he had to.
The apartment was sparsely furnished but tastefully. Most likely it was one of the CIA's safe houses.
Keller for a moment left him and came back spare clothes. Being taller than Keller they didn't fit perfectly but well enough.
Both men sat at the table each eyeing the other warily. Keller had his hands on what Neal could only assume was his file. Months of avoiding Keller and here he was. In a CIA safe house with the one, he had been avoiding.
Keller sighed and pushed the file towards him. Neal opened it and saw a younger picture of him. It looked like when he first joined the CIA.
Flipping up the picture he read:
Name: Neal Bennett
Agency: Witsec
Carefully he read through the file. Neal Bennett was his age and considered an orphan much like Richard Grayson. His mother had died in Witsec right before his eleventh birthday.
James Bennett his "father" was a cop who turned dirty. It was with his testimony several other officers that were taking bribes. He disappeared into Witsec and hadn't been heard from since.
Keller said after a moment, "Bennet is one of ours. An undercover agent that we use in different agencies that might have Ring members. He has agreed to support your background."
Neal questioned coldly, "Why?"
"Because the FBI are trying to find out about you. Keep the name you chose for yourself but use this background if needed. It will keep the FBI from finding out about your past."
If the FBI was looking into his past they wouldn't find much. As Bryce, he had been careful to keep his previous life a secret. The only man who knew was dead.
It would make sense that the CIA would not only be tracking him but preparing for the eventuality of Burke catching up to him. Burke intrigued him both as Bryce and as Neal. He reminded Neal of himself before the Intersect. There was no way that he would give up until Neal was in handcuffs.
This would at least give him something to build on. FBI wasn't the only one trying to find out about who he was before. Mozzie had seen him almost as soon as he came out of the facility.
Mozzie had been there in his apartment during nightmares. Despite not caring a gun any longer he kept a knife under his pillow. When the bald man tried to wake him from a nightmare knife missed him by inches.
From there on he knew that waking Neal was a deadly mistake. Still, when the younger came out of it Mozzie offered to speak to him. Allow an open ear.
Neal couldn't speak if his nightmares. Most of it was memories of the nights he died. They would haunt him until he died and stayed dead.
Neal questioned, "What's the catch for this? I am not returning to the service. I cant."
"Then don't. My job isn't to bring you in or to give you missions. My job is to look after you."
Neal considered his words before replying, "If you're going to be chasing me around you will need a cover. No conman would be caught dead with a spook."
"You have been spending too much time with the little guy," sighed Keller but with a small grin. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad. Then again there was plenty of time to find of.
A/N translations for the chapter.
1. Don't go! I will tell the guards to leave us.
2. They will never let me go or stay with you, Marie. I must escape before the others get here. Otherwise, I will be in prison.
