HOW FAR
Summary: "He did have that plane ready awfully fast…" When faced with life's greatest trials, what would you do for a friend? Peter, Neal, Mozzie, Diana and Hughes must find their own answers to this question as the knowledge of the U-Boat treasure surviving the fire comes to light. AU to On Guard, earlier posted on collarkink as a response to a prompt.
A/N: The story has been beta'ed by November Leaving.
CHAPTER 7
It's half past ten in the morning when Neal hears the sound of heels approaching. At first, he doesn't even bother to raise his head. Only when he hears the sound of his cell's door opening and closing, he finally looks up.
"Diana." He pauses before he raises his eyebrows in a slightly mocking manner. "Have any decisions been made, or are you here simply to smack me again?"
As soon as the words leave Neal's mouth, he regrets them because now it sounds like he blames Diana – which he doesn't; not really. But he's not okay with it either.
Fortunately, Diana chooses to ignore his words. She leans against the wall of his cell and crosses her arms.
"Neal, we need to talk," she says without preamble.
Neal sighs. "What about?"
"We got a package from Mozzie this morning," says Diana directly.
Neal frowns.
"A package?"
o – o – o
When Mozzie finally finishes gathering all the stuff he needs, it's already six p.m. That means that he has about seven hours of time to complete both parts of his plan – otherwise, he will have to go through with only the first half of it. And while Mozzie really isn't crazy about any part of this, the second half makes the first one look a bit more bearable. It's self-preserving, as well.
First, he visits Elizabeth, and after a short talk, he gives her a sealed envelope with clear instructions. Then he calls Hale and June that he'll be dropping by at their places later. Finally, he goes to Wednesday and promptly gets to work.
Wednesday has once been first and foremost Mozzie's technical lair.
He opens two of his secret caches and takes out several gadgets and devices. Then he turns on his computer and searches a small box full of CDs and notepads before he finds the thing that he needs; a CD labeled Caiman Hunting, 2003.
He puts it into the DVD recorder and opens the appropriate folder to reveal a whole bunch of files – three written documents, twenty or thirty photos and seven videos. He opens one of the videos and watches as the image of Vincent Adler appears on the screen and starts talking.
It's a good thing the man wasn't some kind of a heavy smoker, thinks Moz, and that he was in his early forties instead of, let's say, twenty years younger. Thanks to that, his voice hasn't changed much in eight years.
"Here we go," mutters Mozzie quietly.
He turns off the video and starts assembling the right equipment.
o – o – o
"A package?" asks Neal with a frown.
Diana stares at him, observing his reactions carefully. "Do you know what was inside?"
"No idea," says Neal.
He seems genuinely curious.
"You really don't know what was in there," says Diana with a hint of a question.
Neal shrugs. "No."
There is a moment of silence.
Then Neal sighs. "Look, Diana… about yesterday –"
"There was a flashdrive in the package," interrupts Diana. "Its content was encrypted."
"What? I don't understand," says Neal, puzzled. "Why would he give you an encrypted flashdrive? Have you decoded it yet?"
"We didn't have to," says Diana. "Mozzie did that for us."
"What?"
"It was an interesting move, I'll give you two that," says Diana frankly, but with a sharp edge.
"What move?" If Diana didn't know Neal, she wouldn't doubt for a second that he honestly doesn't know a thing about this. "Diana, what has Mozzie done?" asks Neal with a hint of apprehension.
"It's almost funny that you should ask that question," says Diana conversationally.
o – o – o
"And we're all done."
For the last time, Mozzie listens to the newly created recording, before he decides that while not perfect, it is the best quality he can get within such a tight timetable. It might work… at the very least, it could create some doubts.
He sighs.
While he was uploading all his materials on Adler into his improved voice-changer – a pet project that he has been working on in the past several months – he has made another audio recording. And then he used the device to create the conversation that would still enable him to free Neal, while mitigating the consequences for himself.
He quickly types down some information, then he copies all the three files onto a flashdrive and encodes them.
It's a good thing that he had been prepared to run with the treasure, thinks Mozzie levelly. Thanks to that, his safehouses were mostly cleaned out two days ago, which significantly shortens the list of things he has to do before leaving.
Elizabeth already has the envelope with half the passwords for the flashdrive.
He'll visit Hale now; leave some of his stuff with him and give him a letter for Neal.
Finally, he'll go to June and give her the flashdrive.
The timing for this could have been better, thinks Mozzie. Since he doesn't have a set getaway path, he would have hoped for a day or two of a head-start. Now he'll get six, seven hours at best.
But that's okay. It will be a bit close, but he can make it work.
Mozzie gathers all his stuff.
Then he leaves Wednesday forever.
o – o – o
"It's almost funny that you should ask that question," says Diana.
"I don't get it," says Neal. "Okay, I understand that he didn't want to come to the FBI office himself, so he gave the flashdrive to June… but why encode it, only to give the passwords to someone else? It would have to be something truly sensitive… otherwise he would have simply trusted June. Why all this?"
o – o – o
"Stupid, bloody things!" swears Mozzie as he makes yet another unsuccessful attempt. Somebody tries to shush him, because some people are still trying to sleep there.
"So, why all this?" asks the kind, young woman – Tricia.
"It's because of my… cousin," says Mozzie after a second of hesitation. "Yes, my cousin Lucy. She's a doctor, and she tells me I should get my eyes operated every time I visit her. It's scary," he adds as an afterthought.
"All right, let's take a short break and then we'll try again," says Tricia.
"I don't need a break," says Mozzie viciously. "I want to beat this thing."
Tricia sighs. "Okay. Put it on the tip of your finger again... yes, that's it exactly. Now try not to blink and just put it in your eye."
"I give up," exclaims Mozzie five minutes later when he almost jabs his eye out. He takes the container with the remaining lens and throws it into a plastic bag; followed by the other lens still on his finger.
"If Lucy has something to say about my glasses, then it's her problem. But I've had enough! Thank you for your kind help, Madam," he says to Tricia and then angrily leaves to the train's toilets, feeling the need to escape this embarrassment, at least for a few seconds.
Oh yes, he'll give Lucy a piece of his mind. He won't ever result to such desperate measures again. He'll just tell her what he thinks of her interference, and then she'll bother him no more, or there will be consequences.
Horrible, horrible consequences.
(Of course, a few seconds later, Mozzie realizes that he has no cousin – that he knows of, at least. But it was a nice image.)
Mozzie sighs.
If he wants to keep a low profile, then he might have to consider changing his tactics.
Then the train reaches its final stop.
This is it.
After the dawn breaks, Mozzie wanders through the streets of Boston and regularly checks his wristwatch to determine the time. Finally, he turns on his burner phone and sends the same message to three people – to El, to the Suit and to Lady Suit, just to make sure that it's truly delivered. It's the rest of the codes and the last piece of puzzle in his game for Neal's freedom.
Then he turns it off, takes out the battery and throws the phone into the nearest bin.
He buys a cup of a rather disgusting coffee at a nearby fastfood and takes a place at an empty bench in a park.
And then he feels a strange deja-vu, because less than a day ago, he was sitting on a similar bench, but in a completely different park, hundreds of miles away.
That was before his life changed.
Before he had to leave New York.
Before he had an epiphany and made the fateful decision concerning him, Neal – and to a lesser extent, Peter Burke as well.
'Don't concern yourself with the means,' he told Peter yesterday. But while Mozzie could give Peter the means to get Neal out of this mess, this is too important to just rely on a fed's goodwill – especially after the way Peter apparently exploded on Neal earlier.
That's why he had to give part of the passwords to El, thinks Mozzie. El would want to be a part of this; she would demand to know what happened and be there firsthand - and Moz knows that he can rely on her to plead Neal's case with Peter, and to do it immediately, so that it could make a difference.
(This is not manipulation. This is necessity.)
o – o – o
"Mozzie made a confession," says Diana suddenly, carefully observing Neal's reaction.
Caffrey looks up at her, obviously startled.
"What? Mozzie? What are you talking about?"
"Are you telling me you were truly in dark about this?" asks Diana. "That you two didn't plan this yesterday; that you had no previous knowledge of what he'd do?"
"No, I didn't!" says Neal, upset. "Moz asked me to wait – he didn't tell me what he was planning. What's going on?"
And finally, Diana can believe that Neal is being honest with her.
"Neal, if someone discovers that I told you this, I could lose my job," she says gravely. She makes a pause before she continues in a low voice. "There was an audio recording on the flashdrive. Mozzie said he switched your paintings and stole the art without your knowledge. When he found out that one of your paintings didn't burn, he told you about it and you two replaced it. He said that he offered you the treasure, but that you cared more for your life here than about the stolen loot. Apparently, he had to borderline blackmail you so that you would keep quiet." She makes a pause. "What's more, he also said that you tried to persuade him to return the art, and that you didn't know he was planning an escape almost until Jones was kidnapped."
"Mozzie took the blame for all of that?" asks Neal in disbelief.
Diana uncrosses her arms. "Not really. He also "explained" that he was forced to steal the art by Adler, who wanted the authorities – and his accomplices – to believe that the treasure burned, so that they wouldn't search for it. He even gave us some sort of "proof"; a recording he supposedly made with his cellphone when Adler threatened to hurt you if he didn't help him."
"Mozzie did that?" asks Neal in disbelief.
"Well, the quality of the recording is so poor, it's hard to prove that it's real – or that it's fake. If someone hypothetically tried to create the conversation – "
"No, that's not what I'm talking about." Neal exhales and shakes his head. "You mean, Mozzie really made a confession? I mean… really?"
"He did," says Diana quietly.
"Wow. That's…" Neal swallows. "That's… unexpected." He makes a pause. "Do you believe him?" he asks curiously.
"Which part?" asks Diana flatly.
"Good point."
"I believe that he stole the art without telling you," says Diana honestly. "I don't believe that he was the only one about to run, and don't even let me start on the fairytale how you supposedly tried to dissuade him from keeping the loot, or about the Adler mess." She stares at him. "I think that would be approximately the correct version?"
Neal gives her a blank look. "Allegedly."
"I thought so."
There is silence.
"Diana..."starts Neal at last.
"You have to make sure your story version matches Mozzie's," says Diana quietly. She looks around, but then she reaches into her pocket. She almost pulls the item out, before she hesitates. "Neal, if I and Peter help you get away with this, you have to understand this is a one-time deal."
"What do you mean?" asks Neal softly.
Diana gives him one last measuring look.
She has already done enough to put her job on line. However, if she went through with this, and she was found out… well, losing her job might just become the best case scenario.
That's not a happy thought.
But even though a part of Diana is still pissed as hell with Caffrey, she already regrets her rash actions from yesterday – just like Peter, she guesses. Because, yes, Caffrey is a felon and thief, but he also had their back numerous times in the past. In fact, if he hadn't sacrificed his escape plan to help Jones, the agent would most likely be dead, Neal long gone and they would never find themselves in this predicament in first place.
Neal is a living dichotomy; loyal to a fault, selfless and selfish, honest in his lies, a conman and a man. However, Diana knows that they can't expect some people who don't know him to understand that.
That might be the reason why she finally decides to go through with this.
She pulls a pen out of her pocket and gives it to Neal. "So that you'll know exactly what Mozzie said," she says quietly.
Neal frowns at her in confusion before he gives the pen a closer look and realizes what it is.
He carefully unscrews it and puts it to his ear before he turns on the miniature switch.
"Hello. My name is Mozzie… Mozzie Haversham… and I'm doing this to right a wrong that has been done to my friend…"
And Diana watches as Neal's face changes when he truly understands the size of Mozzie's sacrifice.
o – o – o
After the very long night and morning, Mozzie finally reaches his Boston hideout.
He doesn't plan to be there for too long; a week or two at most. But it shall give him the temporary reprieve and time to figure out what to do next.
In a week, he has made a move for the biggest score yet; he has stolen it, lost it and he has left his best friend behind. He has also given up his anonymity; handed it over on a silver platter to the feds. If there was a handbook of conmen rules, then Mozzie has probably broken everything on the first fifty pages.
But even though this went against his every instinct, he had an even better reason, and Mozzie strongly believes in what he has done today.
When it comes to his friends, Mozzie would do a lot of things… even if he has made a little insurance in Adler's forged threats for himself as well.
Of course, Mozzie doesn't think he'll ever need it. He doesn't plan to get caught anytime soon.
He has left Neal a message with Hale. Mozzie's not sure if Neal wants to be a thief or not – Neal probably isn't sure himself right now. But Moz can give him the opportunity to figure it out.
"Neal, I don't steal from my friends and I don't kill their dreams. You would have given up your dream for me – I'm trying to return the favor.
Take care, my friend."
He hopes Neal will come back; Neal's talents are too good to be wasted in a straight, legal, boring life – but if he doesn't, then Mozzie will know that he has done right by his friend. Still, just in case, he has coded a message there – a way for Neal to contact him, if he decided to ditch the Suit and his anklet.
So.
Making a confession; giving up anonymity. Mozzie has never truly lived a life on a run before.
However, there is a bright side to this as well, thinks Mozzie, because at least he no longer needs to watch out and play nice around the feds.
He hasn't had a proper, big job since Neal got out of prison. It was time to prove that his skills haven't gotten rusty in the past sixteen months.
Mozzie looks forward to it.
o – o – o
When he finishes listening, Neal gives the pen back to Diana.
"How did you manage this?" he asks in wonderment.
"I have my ways," says Diana dismissively.
"That sounds like something I might have said," says Neal with a small smile.
"Then it's your fault. You've rubbed off on me," says Diana. "And that wasn't a compliment, Caffrey."
Silence.
"So… you're telling me to lie?" asks Neal at last.
"You have to," says Diana. "Unless you want to go back to prison, you don't really have a choice. Although personally, I think you should at least tell Peter the whole truth."
"And lie to everyone else," says Neal thoughtfully. He makes a pause. "You okay with that?"
"Neal, I can't approve of your actions of the last week," says Diana firmly, and if Neal wasn't so good at reading people, he wouldn't have noticed how weary and tired she is. He sees it in the nearly invisible tightness in her face, in the tension of her shoulders, in the way she runs her hand through her hair. "But you're my friend, and… I guess we could have tried harder to listen yesterday. We didn't."
Silence.
"Okay," says Neal at last.
"I need to go now," says Diana.
"Okay."
Diana leans away from the wall and walks to the door.
"Diana?" calls Neal before she has the chance to leave. "Thanks."
Diana turns to him and sighs. "Look, this wasn't just my call. Right now, Peter's talking with Hughes; working his ass off to make sure that you stay out of jail. With Mozzie's confession, it might even work. Just… don't let him down again."
She leaves before Neal has the chance to make any promises.
"I will try," he says aloud to the empty cell.
Here it is; Mozzie's solution that, in the end, is quite mild and not really miraculous.
Two more chapters; in the next one, Peter will show up again.
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