White Collar: The Nightingale
Chapter Fifteen
Peter stood at the safe house hotel sink washing the blood off his hands. After splashing water on his face Peter vacantly stared at the red tinted water as it swirled down the drain. Grabbing a towel he buried his face in it for a moment. He wasn't sure what his next move should be. The Nightingale was the closest thing he'd had to a lead on Neal's mysterious disappearance.
"A shower," Peter muttered to himself "that needs to be my next move."
Peter was still wearing the kimono outfit that Asami had help him into. He reached up to start trying to untie the ribbons that were holding it together when something tucked into the sash vibrated. Peter had forgotten that he'd stored his cell phone in the obi until now. Pulling out the phone it notified him that he had a text from an 'unknown' caller.
"'You have something of mine, I have someone of yours.'" Peter read aloud "'Return my Nightingale and I will set yours free.'."
With his heart suddenly in his throat Peter tapped on the screen to open the attachment that had come with the text. His breath hissed across his teeth as the picture of Neal that the Wolf had taken appeared. There was no blood or bruising, but he still looked like he was about to collapse. They had forced him to look up at the camera, however his usually bright and intelligent eyes were dull and unfocused.
For a brief moment Peter was frozen in place staring at the photo of his stolen friend. Snapping out of his trance his trained instincts kicked back in. Since the text had come in from an 'unknown' number he had no way of texting back. Peter hoped the kidnapper was smart enough to know this and was just sending out a preliminary warning with plans on giving him a way to contact him later. He hit his speed dial and called Diana.
"Boss?" Diana answered.
"I need you back here now. Call Jones, have him gather up a team from kidnapping and met us in my office."
"What's going on?"
"Just get back here and pick me up, my car's at the office."
"I'm already turned around. I hadn't gotten far, I'll be there in five."
"Good, I'll be waiting outside."
"Honey?" Elizabeth called from outside the door. "Are you okay?"
Peter came out of the bathroom and pulled Elizabeth into quick embrace.
"I have to go, El."
"Is it Neal?"
"Yes. Someone is suddenly interested in ransom."
"Why now?"
"There is some connection between Neal and the Nightingale sword after all."
"Be careful." El said nervously. "I know that most ransom situations don't end well."
"Particularly when the object in question isn't mine to give."
"Go get Neal back." Elizabeth ordered as she pushed Peter away.
"I'll do my best."
Peter rushed out the door and ran down the hallway towards the elevator. He heard Elizabeth shout something to him, but he didn't quite catch the words. The elevator at the safe house hotel was programed to always be waiting on the fifteenth floor where the room was in case they needed a quick get away. Peter just had to push the button and the door opened.
As he step onto the elevator and pushed the lobby button a yellow flash bolted into the elevator just as the door was closing. Peter heard Elizabeth again and realized that she had been calling after Satchmo who had dashed after Peter. With the elevator already on its way down Peter didn't have time to take him back.
"Bad dog." Peter said with a somewhat praising tone.
Satchmo looked up at Peter and wagged enthusiastically. Peter shook his head sadly and quickly called Elizabeth to let her know that he was just going to take Satchmo with him. Part of him was grateful for the dog's show of loyalty.
Peter stepped off the elevator and went out to the curb to wait for Diana. Satchmo sat down at Peter's side and waited as well. The cold sidewalk bit at his feet and reminded him that he still didn't have any shoes on. Peter was still trying to decide if he should take Satchmo back upstairs and get himself into some real close when his cell phone rang. Holding up the phone Peter's blood flashed to ice with a shot of adrenaline when the caller ID came up as 'unknown' again. Fearing the kidnapper was ready to talk Peter took a deep breath.
"This is Agent Burke." Peter answered in an authoritative tone.
"...eter! Peter!"
"Neal? Neal, where are you? What's happening, are you okay?"
None of Peter's questions were answered. Neal's strained voice had sounded far away. Peter held his breath to help him hear every detail on the other end of the line. He furrowed his brow as he thought he heard the scrambled crunching of fall leaves. Peter was listening to the quiet background noise so intently that he jerked away from the phone in a flash of pain and surprise when a sharp gun shot shattered the silence of the line.
"Neal? Neal!"
Satchmo got to his paws and whined. Peter continued to listen to the phone call, the call hadn't been disconnected, but the only sound was an occasional faint rustling of dry leaves. Peter was so focused on the call that he didn't even notice when Diana pulled up in her federal issued Ford Explorer.
"Peter?" Diana called from the car.
Peter pulled his attention away from the phone long enough to open the back seat to let Satchmo jump in. He circled around and got into the passenger seat. Diana glanced back at the yellow lab that was now happily drooling on her back seat, but she didn't question it as she pulled away from the curb.
"Diana, I need your phone."
"Here."
"Jones," Peter greeted after dialing "are you at the office?"
"Just finishing up with violent crime, we already have a dozen lawsuits from various Yakuza in the area clamming ownership of the sword taken into evidence."
"Make sure no one touches it." Peter ordered. "I need a trace on the call that's on my phone right now. The line is open, it was Neal."
"Neal?"
"He's gone now, he must have dropped the phone. I need a location if you can get it. Send it to Diana's phone, thanks."
"You heard from Neal?" Diana asked as Peter hung up on Jones.
"Someone sent me a text and a proof of life photo, five minutes later Neal called, that call is still active." Peter explained as he listened to his own phone again. "I can't hear anything though, it's quiet. I heard a shot, but if it hit him it took him down instantly, he didn't cry out."
"Someone sent you a ransom note and minutes later Caffrey's on the run, with their phone, and calls you for help...I can believe that."
"So can I. Let's just hope we can get to him before they catch him again."
"The 'flight' half of Neal's 'fight or flight' instinct is pretty strong. He's in good enough shape to out run most, particularly if he's motivated."
Diana's encouraging words didn't help the sinking sensation in the pit of Peter's stomach. The sound of the shot kept replaying in his head and he couldn't keep himself from imagining the worst. He continued to listen to the call, but everything remained deathly silent. Diana's phone buzzed with a text.
"It's a burn phone, but the GPS is active." Peter announced as he read Jones' message. "The phone is in...Sussex County, New Jersey?"
"New Jersey?" Diana repeated equally confused.
"Jones," Peter said as he called Jones back "are you sure about this?"
"Positive." Jones replied. "It's in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, about an hour and half outside the city. The phone is stationary."
"Okay, Diana and I are going to check it out. I need you and the kidnap team to be at the office. There was an initial ransom text that I can't reply to, they will most likely make their next contact at the F.B.I. If they call I need you to stall for time. Keep me updated."
"Got it."
Peter put the coordinates into Diana's in-dash navigation system and into the one on her phone. When Diana got onto the highway she floored the gas. She flicked the switch that turned on the flashing red and blue emergency lights next to the head and tail lights. A slight smile touched Diana's lips, wasn't often that members of the White Collar division got to use the system. Peter looked over at her nervously.
"Diana...we need to get there alive."
"Are you saying you don't trust my driving?"
"Kinda."
Diana ignored Peter and continued speeding out of the city and into the New Jersey country side. Peter eventually gave up on silent phone call and placed it on hold. He switched back over to the proof of life photo and studied it for a moment. There was a small amount of the ground in the photo and Peter was able to make out the outline of a yellow maple leaf.
"It looks like the photo was taken out in the woods." Peter announced. "I heard leaves crunching on the phone as well."
"A Federal Park isn't exactly a great place to take a kidnap victim."
"No, but it's a perfect place to dump a body."
"Then why the change in plan?"
"They weren't counting on us interfering with the Nightingale sword." Peter guessed.
"They took him out there to kill him and suddenly realized that they still needed him for leverage. He must have escaped into the forest."
"Let's hope so."
"Peter, if his captors can't find him, how will we?"
"No idea."
Peter looked out into the moonlit woods as they reached the outskirts of the recreation area. The park was over forty miles long and nearly twenty across. As a recreation area it was mostly just acres and acres of wilderness. Peter asked Diana if she had another gun in the car and she gave him the combination to the glovebox which held an extra sidearm. Diana followed the directions down a gravel service road until it ended. Grabbing flashlights they got out of the car. Peter rolled down the window for Satchmo.
"Stay." Peter said firmly.
"The GSP location is another mile into the woods." Diana announced.
"Looks like the leaves up here have been recently crushed down, we might be able to lift a tire track later."
"What's our next move?" Diana asked as she shone her light into the thick autumn forest.
"Let's find the phone."
Diana nodded and the pair continued to follow the GPS using Diana's phone. They both kept on their guard as they made their way through the quiet woods. Peter could hear his own heart as it pounded in his chest. He knew that there was a good chance that they'd find Neal's body near the phone. Everything he had heard would make sense if the shot had killed Neal before he'd been able to say anything more. Diana suddenly stopped.
"We're right on top of it." Diana announced.
Peter stared sweeping the immediate area with his flash light. Eventually he got the idea of using his phone which still had the call on hold since neither party had hung up. Peter whistled into the phone and from under the leaves they could hear him. Kneeling down Peter brushed the leaves away from the phone. His eye caught a splash of color on the leaves near by, he reached out and touched the cold sticky stain.
"Blood..." Peter sighed.
"It doesn't look like a fatal amount."
"No, but it means they probably caught him again after wounding him."
"What next?"
"We can't just stumble around here in the dark. I'll get a search and rescue out here just in case, but it will take a few hours to organize. Until then we might as well go ba..."
Peter was interrupted by the sound of crunching leaves racing in their direction. Peter and Diana both raised their weapons. Satchmo came barreling through the trees towards them. Having almost shot his own dog Peter lowered his weapon. Satchmo kept going and soon they heard him barking off in the distance.
"Damn it, Satchmo." Peter growled.
"He must have jumped out the window."
"Collect the phone for evidence, go back to the car, I'll get Satch and meet you there."
Peter called for Satchmo several times, but he just kept barking. As Peter went deeper into the woods to get his dog he was reminded that he was barefoot. As the adrenaline started to fade from his system he could feel the chill in the air. He muttered a few choice words as he came to a small creek.
"Satchmo! Get over here! I swear I will leave you out here to live with the coyotes!"
Satchmo didn't take Peter's empty threat seriously and kept barking. Not really wanting to leave his dog out in the dark forest Peter grit his teeth and waded through the five foot wide shallow creek. He climbed up the small incline on the far side and caught sight of a large fallen tree. Satchmo was on top of the fallen trunk barking and wagging.
"Come on, Satchmo. We need to go home."
Satchmo jumped down and circled around to the other side of the trunk. He barked again, this time in a more high pitched tone that sounded like one of alarm. The hair on the back of Peter's neck prickled when he realized that Satchmo may have actually lead him here on purpose.
With his gun and flashlight in hand and raised Peter circled around the slowly decaying oak tree. Peter rounded the tree and caught sight of Neal curled up on his side with his back pressed up against the tree's bark. Peter rushed over and dropped to his knees next to his fallen partner. Although unconscious Neal proved he was alive by shivering violently when Peter put his hand on his shoulder.
Peter was unsure where the injury was but instantly noticed that Neal was soaked in an alarming amount of blood. Peter put his hand against Neal's cheek and found it ice cold. He pressed his fingertips against Neal's throat. It took a few seconds to find his pulse, it was weak, but steady. Satchmo laid down next to Neal and whined pitifully. Peter automatically reached out and pet Satchmo between the ears.
"Good dog."