Okay, here is the second chapter. I know I said I was going to try and update weekly, but I'm not patient enough for it. So congrats, if you like the story you'll be getting more soon XD
Also, I read through it a few times trying to find mistakes, but I'm sure I missed some, so I apologize in advance!
Thank for the favorites and reviews, I really appreciate them!
*Checks* Nope. Still aren't mine. *sigh*
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"Ah, Mr. Reese." Finch greeted as the tall man walked in.
"Morning Finch. Able to find out anything about those two men yet?"
"I was, yes. But first, I should tell you that we got two new numbers early this morning," he informed his partner as he nodded at the glass. John glanced over and saw two familiar faces staring at him.
"Those are the guys from last night, Finch," John confirmed.
"I guessed as much. Your assumption about their connection to the FBI was correct as well," Finch informed John. "The one on the right is Agent Peter Burke; he is part of the White Collar Crime Division of the FBI. The other man is Neal Caffrey. He is a con man and a thief to put it simply. Caffrey seems to be the name most people know him by, though from the small amount of digging I was able to do on him, it seems as though he has several different identities. He was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison on bond forgery charges, but has actually been suspected of hundreds of other forgeries, be it bond or art," Finch explained. "Right before his four years were up though, he escaped prison, only to be apprehended again by Agent Burke, which added four more years to his sentence."
"So what's he doing out of prison?" John asked.
"A few years ago he made a deal with the FBI to be their Confidential Informant and work cases with them in the White Collar Unit for the duration of his sentence. Agent Burke is his handler."
"And now their numbers have come up," John thought out loud. "It's logical to assume that they're in danger from Bert Rollins."
"Indeed," Finch said, pressing his lips together in a thin line.
"So who am I supposed to keep an eye on?" John asked. "Rollins or Burke and Caffrey?" Finch thought for a moment before giving his answer.
"Agent Burke and Mr. Caffrey for now. See if you can get them somewhere safe; I'll track down Bert Rollins and let you know where he is. Once the others are safe, then I would suggest you go take care of our perpetrator."
"Sounds like a plan. Where can I find Burke and Caffrey?"
"Agent Burke is currently at the FBI office, while Mr. Caffrey's tracking anklet places him in Central Park."
"I guess I'll be paying Caffrey a visit then," John replied. "It would be easier for Rollins to take him out while he's in the open instead of Burke while he's in a secure government building."
"Agreed. But do be careful, Mr. Reese," Harold implored his friend.
"Always, Finch."
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Neal sat on a bench with Mozzie, not really listening to the words coming out of his friend's mouth. Neal had told Mozzie what had happened the night before, and now Mozzie was going off on some rant about how working with the FBI was going to get Neal hurt and that if Neal wanted, he could have new passports and identities ready in a few weeks and they could run.
Neal sat on the bench, hearing his friend's words but not really paying much attention. He had a strange feeling as the two of them sat there; he felt like he was being watched. He turned around on the bench, looking around for any sign of danger. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary at first, but suddenly he zeroed in on a man standing about a hundred feet away.
"Moz," he hissed, interrupting his friend's rant. "Act normal, but the guy from last night? The one that saved Peter and I?"
"What about him?" Mozzie asked, immediately stopping his rant.
"11 o'clock," Neal muttered. Mozzie casually glanced around, eyes glancing quickly towards the man Neal was pointing out.
"Got him. Salt and pepper hair, nice looking suit?" Mozzie asked in clarification.
"Yeah, that's him. Act natural, but let's get up and see if he follows us. I have a feeling it's not a coincidence that he's here." The two of them stood up and meandered their way out of the park. As they walked, Neal used the reflections from shop windows to confirm that the man from the night before was indeed following him. Neal had to admit the guy was good, but he had had enough practice spotting a tail to know one when he saw it. "Follow me," he told Mozzie, turning down a side street.
As soon as they were out of sight of the man, Neal knew they had little time before he caught up with them. He pulled Mozzie behind a dumpster and they crouched down, waiting for the man to come by.
After more than two minutes had gone by with no sighting of the man in the suit, Neal stood up and glanced around the street. He couldn't see the guy anywhere. He came out from his hiding place, Mozzie close behind. They stepped out onto the main street again, both of them glancing around, trying to locate their mystery man.
"Looking for me?" a quiet voice asked from behind.
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John couldn't help but smile as he saw the two men in front of him jump and whirl around as he spoke.
He knew the moment the two of them got up and walked out of the park that he had been made, but he continued following them anyways. Once they ducked down the side street though, he knew that they were waiting for him. John decided that if they were going to meet face-to-face, it was going to be on his terms.
The three of them stared at each other for several long moments. John's hands were in his pockets casually. Caffrey had his arms at his side, though John could tell that he was tense. He had no idea who the third man was, but he stared John in the eyes with confidence. Neal was the first to break the silence.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Like I said last night, I'm just a concerned citizen," John replied with a smile. Neal scoffed slightly.
"And you just happen to run into me again? I know when I'm being followed," Neal added in a slightly accusatory tone. John inclined his head.
"And I know when I've been made. But you should believe me when I say that you and your friend Agent Burke are in danger."
Anger flashed in Neal's eyes. "What do you mean? What happened to Peter?" he asked, his voice dangerously low as he advanced slightly on John. Reese held up his hands peacefully.
"Nothing has happened to him, and I'm not the one who's a threat to you two. I'm trying to help. Peter still at work, so he's safe for the time-being. You on the other hand, out here in the open are much less safe."
"How do you know they're in danger?" the little bald man asked. John stared at him, one eyebrow raised slightly.
"I have a source, and my source is never wrong."
"So you were there protecting us last night?" Neal asked before Mozzie could say anything more. John shook his head.
"No. It's complicated, but I was actually there for someone else, and I'm assuming he's the one who has put you two in danger." John pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture of the man he had been following the night before. "His name is Bert Rollins. I saw him slip something into your drinks last night, which was why-"
"Wait," Neal interrupted. John stopped talking, examining at Caffrey with a questioning look. Neal was staring intently at the phone, disbelief in his eyes.
"Do you recognize him?" John probed when the younger man made no other move to speak. Neal nodded.
"His name isn't Bert Rollins, it's Franklin Delooney. Peter and I busted him a few years ago on a forged antiquities charge," Caffrey explained. John nodded in understanding.
"One moment, please," John requested as he turned away from them and called Finch.
"Mr. Reese?" Finch's voice came over the line. "Is everything alright?"
"Bert Rollins is a fake identity, Harold," John said with no preamble. "I talked with Neal and he said that the man's name is actually Franklin Delooney." There was silence on the other end; all John could hear was the furious typing of the keys on the keyboard. "Finch?" John urged after a few moments.
"It would appear Mr. Caffrey is correct. Franklin Delooney was arrested for forging antiquities and selling them for more than triple their worth. He was arrested, but Mr. Caffrey, who was working undercover as a potential buyer, was almost collateral damage. Delooney took him hostage and made his way out of the building only to be taken down by Agent Burke from behind as soon as he exited."
"Thanks Finch," John said, disconnecting the call. He turned back to the con man and his small bald friend. "We need to get you somewhere safe," John said. Neal looked back at his own bespectacled friend.
"Moz?" he asked. His friend seemed to know what he wanted immediately.
"I'll go get Tuesday ready," he assured Caffrey. He pulled Neal to the side, wanting to speak to him in private. "Are you sure you can trust this guy? I mean...he looks like a suit," he commented looking back at John.
"You know I can still hear you?" John asked with humor lining in his voice. 'Moz' didn't look fazed for a second. It was almost like he had wanted John to hear that he wasn't trusted. Reese didn't care; he got that from their numbers all the time. It wasn't his job to be trusted. It was his job to protect innocent people. Neal sighed.
"Moz, he did save both mine and Peter's lives last night," he reminded the bald man. "I can at least see what he has to offer." Caffrey's friend didn't look to happy with the idea, but he finally sighed in resignation.
"Alright. I'll call you when Tuesday is ready." With that, Neal's friend 'Moz' turned around and walked off, constantly looking around him.
"Well he seems...unique," John commented as they watched him disappear from sight. He was going to ask about what 'Tuesday' was, but decided it was probably another story for another time.
"Yeah, but he's a good friend," Neal replied. He turned back to John. "Will you at least tell me your name?"
John hesitated, but only for a moment. "John," he replied simply. Neal grinned.
"That wasn't too hard was it? I would give you my name, but I'm assuming you already know it," Neal said in a light tone. John shrugged, an unapologetic look on his face. Neal looked like he was about to say something else, but his ringing phone interrupted him before he could. He glanced at the Caller ID. "It's Peter." He answered the phone, but after a few seconds his face paled considerably, and he glanced back at John, panic in his eyes. John went rigid. The ex-CIA agent knew in that moment that something was terribly wrong.
Okay so I know there wasn't a ton of action in this chapter, but I promise it is coming next chapter!