The Guilty Ones
Chapter 3
The news headlined all across the city: FBI DISCOVERS NAZI TREASURE IN ABANDONED STORAGE UNIT. Agent Peter Burke stares at the Saturday paper with the headline in bold letters. The article featured a photograph of the treasure and a vague description of how the FBI managed to actually find it. This would certainly boost the public interest in storage units and finding lost treasure. As if Storage Wars wasn't entertaining enough.
Peter set down his cup of coffee, was it the fifth or sixth he couldn't recall. He'd barely slept from the whole ordeal with Keller the day before. It was around noon and luckily a few pedestrians were out for lunch on a Friday. Peter approached the rendezvous point with caution. He knew well not to involve the Bureau since this was more of a personal matter. The FBI doesn't negotiate with kidnappers and CIs who may or may not be involved in the whole ordeal. It was a risk Peter was willing to take for Neal's sake.
Keller had told him to follow the White Rabbit and he was led to the Wonderland themed fountain in Central Park. The sight was foreboding since he could be walking into a trap following Keller. But he knew this was the only way to get Neal back. Before he could think twice about approaching, he spotted a discarded mobile phone at the base of the fountain and coincidentally it started ringing.
"Agent Burke. You're punctual, I have to give you that." came that all too familiar drawl from the earpiece as Peter answered the phone.
"Where are Neal and the treasure? What's your game Keller? Tell me now." A curt laugh answered him. Peter tried to keep calm, but the image of Neal chained and bloodied kept running through his mind.
"The treasure? That one's easy. It's in storage unit 227 down by the docks. As for Caffrey, we have a little problem in that department." A pause. "But in this case it's more of your problem now. But I take it you get a lot of dead agents in the Bureau anyway. I just don't know how many dead CIs turn up though."
"Damn it Keller tell me where Neal is." Peter demanded.
"Neal's dead Agent Burke. I might've gone a bit overboard if you could imagine he was too much trouble, and basically useless as a hostage. Think of it this way; I get you the treasure back and you're the hero, put in a good word for me with the Russians, and I'm out of your hair. And as an added bonus I got rid of your pain in the ass Caffrey."
It was a rare moment when Peter's mind suddenly went blank. It was like Keller's words came out very distant and he could hardly process the noise sounding in his ear. Focus in situations like these and presence of mind are notable attributes of Agent Burke, however, in that particular moment, those traits had left him.
His mind recalled the moment Neal had told him about working with Keller. How they failed a job and Keller put a bullet through the third man no questions asked.
"Does this mean we have a deal Agent Burke? I give you the u-boat treasure, and you stay out of my hair."
"No. I'm not making a deal with you Keller. Tell me where you're keeping him!" Peter all but shouted into the receiver "He's more valuable alive than dead, and you know that!"
Keller gives of another menacing laugh. "You want me to give you his heart in a wooden box or something? Cute. Agent Burke that's not gonna happen."
A click and the line was cut.
A second later his mobile phone started ringing. "Boss, NYPD scouted the vicinity around Caffery's bakery. There's an abandoned basement east of the store. Forensics is testing the blood samples from the scene right now to see if it matches Caffrey's. But no trace of where they could have gone. What's our next move?"
"Get me a warrant to storage unit 227 by the docks. I'll meet you there, and tell Jones to get me back up."
"You got it Boss." This was how Diana usually talked to her boss and role model Agent Peter Burke, however she sensed something was wrong. "Peter, Neal's going to be fine. You're getting him back like last time." She added in her most encouraging voice.
It was in that moment Peter knew Keller was bluffing and that he would do whatever it takes to get Neal back.
A.N. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and read this story. It's really awesome to open my mail and see feedback from you guys whether it's just a notice or whatnot. It takes a bit of the stress off from reading my normal work and school related mail. Once again, thank you for putting up with this story, and I do hope you enjoy reading it.