(Chapter 4)
Neal thought about what Peter had asked him, a feeling of dread overcoming him at the thought of leaving without his friend. He wanted to ask more but Geraldi returned along with Erik and the crazy guy from before.
"So, Agent Burke... how was your heart to heart?" Geraldi was looking at Neal curiously. Peter kept his eyes away from the con man a moment, looking at the mobster in a most uncharacteristic manner.
"It's done, just keep your end of the deal." Peter's tone sounded almost defeated, Neal opening his mouth to speak but for a glare Peter gave him. He stopped, seeing something there beyond that look, at least he hoped so.
"Good... good! Untie Mr. Caffrey, Cori. Erik take him over to the others." The crazy guy from earlier walked over, that deranged glow in his eyes as he waved the blade a moment in front of the con's eyes before he lowered the blade from Neal's face. Cori stood behind the con who felt his arms being cut free. He blinked, looking over at Peter who just glanced back with a look that made him shut up. Peter must have a plan but what it was, he didn't know yet and the agent seemed to think he would just agree. Neal decided to play along with it, trusting Peter knew what he was up against. He pulled his arms forward after a moment, rubbing his wrists tenderly, Cori reaching down to cut his legs free too, that crazy look still there.
"Erik, make sure Mr. Caffrey's wounds are taken care of. I believe Jacob is in his office." Geraldi smiled amiably at Neal, Erik helping the con stand up with Cori behind him with the knife.
"Yes, boss. Come along, Caffrey." Erik didn't look too happy but he hid it well, Cori smiling some as he stuck behind when the mobster made a motion. Neal noticed, turning slightly but stopped when Erik grabbed his arm and whispered.
"Just keep walking, kid." He snarled, pulling on Neal's arm as they exited the room and made it down the hallway, door closing with a clang behind them.
They walked for a bit down several gray hallways till they entered a room that had been outfitted with some bunks and turned into a kind of field clinic. A man with strawberry blond hair, wire rim glasses wearing a brown turtle neck and black corduroy pants turned and looked up from the desk he sat at, a book in his hands. He closed it and pushed it aside with a look that spoke tons. Erik pushed the con ahead of him, standing by the door, a gun showing under his jacket.
"Behave yourself, Caffrey. Hey Jacob, we need this one well. Geraldi's orders. I'll be outside." Erik closed the door, Neal watching a moment before he heard Jacob's footsteps. He turned, looking at the man with suspicion, moving back towards the door. Jacob paused, peering over his glasses curiously.
"You don't have anything to fear from me. Let me look at your wrists. We don't want that to get infected." Jacob frowned, walking over, quietly locking the door before motioning for Neal to sit on a nearby bunk. The man seemed nice enough but Neal kept up his guard, sitting but looking around cautiously. Jacob came back after a moment with a first-aid kit, pulling up a chair to sit in front of Neal.
"Hold out your wrists. Are those saw marks?" He gave a little curse as if it were a normal occurrence, pulling out a bottle of something reddish and some cotton balls. He dabbed at the wounds, Neal wincing as the iodine burned. After the wounds were cleaned, Jacob covered them with gauze and gently wrapped them.
"That should keep them clean. I put something on them so they should heal a bit faster." He was putting the supplies away when Neal noticed the man's wrists and grabbed one. He saw old scars on the wrist like his own.
"Why are you here? You don't seem like a mobster type." Neal saw the look on the man's face as Jacob pulled his hand away, standing to replace the kit. He turned back after a moment.
"I'm not an innocent. I served 3 years for breaking and entry." He pulled his sleeves down a bit further to hide the scars, his brown eyes averted some. Neal could see the man had been beaten down.
"Once the Fed is taken care of, you'll just be another part of the team. Just keep your head down and you'll be ok." He didn't say much else, moving over to the desk again and burying his nose in the book. Neal stood and walked over, digesting what the man had said.
"Taken care of?" He remembered the look on Peter's face, the glare. Dammit! Jacob looked up from the book, his expression worried.
"You don't know? He didn't tell you? Geraldi isn't going to like this." The man buried his face in the book but he wasn't reading. Neal pulled a chair up and sat near him, putting a hand on the book.
"What am I supposed to know? All I know is I was let go suddenly. Jacob, what's going on here?" He saw the man look up, those brown eyes blank although a hint of worry did break through. The man had obviously been taught to ignore what went on around him.
"Forget what I said and just do what you're told, Caffrey! You didn't hear anything from me." He stood and moved away, unlocking and opening the door.
"He's fixed up, Erik. Take him."
()()()
Neal was led from the small clinic, Jacob looking briefly after him with a strange expression of pity before closing the door. Something stunk but Neal hadn't figured out what it was yet, wondering about the vibe he had picked up from Peter. His friend had asked him to talk to El as if he wouldn't see her again... ever. Neal looked up when Erik grabbed his arm and stopped him. The goon opened up a narrow metal door like that of a freezer, pushing it open.
"Your room." Erik was waiting for Neal to move, the con nodding without much emotion. He entered the small room that reminded him surprisingly of a cell. There was a cot with plain sheets, a small shelf for possessions but filled already with a few items maybe from a previous occupant. He wasn't sure as he looked around the small space. A closet to the side ended up being a small bathroom with shower included. There was a small dresser with some clothes in it already and a mirror on top.
"There are some spare clothes in here that should fit. I'll come get you in about three hours." Erik's tone was matter of fact as he closed the door, the sound of it locking from the outside made Neal look back briefly. He continued his explorations looking through the items on the shelf. Neal stretched and yawned despite himself, moving over to the bed and sitting down. The sheets had already been changed out, a spare in a bag under the bed. He mulled over the previous few hours.
"Peter, why are you asking me this?"
"Just promise me you'll contact Elizabeth. Ok?"
Neal played the conversation back in his head as he sat there, finally leaning back against the cot and closing his eyes. At some point he fell asleep, his mind relaxing enough to go quiet and dreamless. He only woke up when he heard the metallic clang of the door opening up revealing Erik. The goon had changed clothes.
"Get cleaned up and changed. Geraldi wants to see you."
(Peter)
When they freed Neal, Peter was relieved. He was hoping the young man would figure out what he had been trying to tell him if only not the part where Peter knew HE wasn't going to making it out. Neal must have understood something was wrong. He could see it in the con's expression when he had looked at him confused, mouth ready to speak but remaining quiet when Peter had glared at him.
Geraldi might let Neal live, trapped in a program not too different from the deal Neal had with Peter only without any chance of parole. It was better than thinking he had led the young man to his death but he still regretted that it was his fault the young man would be stuck working with mobsters. Peter hoped Neal would find a means to escape and tell Elizabeth what happened. If anyone could get out of this mess, it would be Neal. He was clever and that's what Peter was hoping for.
Peter sighed, squirming some in the chair to get comfortable. He was exhausted, his body aching not just from the position he had been forced to sit in, or the ropes cutting into his limbs but everything. Geraldi had allowed Cori to play with the agent just a bit. He looked down at his right shoulder and winced, a large red stain there from where the man had stabbed him in the shoulder. He'd lost quite a bit of blood already, Peter feeling dizzy and lightheaded, his body shivering. Had the room grown colder?
He slumped back against the chair as much as he could, head resting on the back of it, eyes staring up at the bare bulb hanging over head. It swung ever so slightly, Peter's eyes following it's movements. His vision began to blur as he continued to watch it, its motion drawing him into a relaxed state as he passed out.
Peter felt someone nudge him, looking up as his vision focused on a figure with glasses standing over him. He wasn't too much older than Neal, strawberry blond hair and brown eyes. The man looked at him curiously, something like a tackle box under his arm.
"Geraldi seems to think you should stay alive a bit longer if only to convince your friend of a lie. You didn't tell him what he was getting into, did you." The man's voice was expressionless from habit, the look of defeat obvious in his features as he pulled up an empty chair and opened up the tackle box revealing a first aid kit. Peter glanced at the man without moving, his body feeling cold and useless. He nodded his head ever so slightly, closing his eyes a moment and then opening them again.
"You're setting him up for failure. The first time he defies Geraldi he's going to get killed and then what will you have accomplished? You can't protect him from the inevitable." The man reminded him a bit of Neal had he become jaded and given in. The thought made Peter reconsider what he'd done. Maybe he should have told him Geraldi's plans but he knew if he had, Neal would just find a reason to defy the mobster and neither of them would survive. Peter was going to die no matter what, Geraldi having stated so, but at least Neal could live in relative safety till he found a means to escape. He was hoping on it.
"I just need him to stay alive. It was a mistake he got involved. He has nothing to do with what's going on here." Peter coughed, wincing a bit when the man tore open his shirt and poked at the wound. Jacob apologized, cleaning the wound with some kind of soapy solution before dabbing it with alcohol and something Peter thought could be iodine. The stuff burned but he made little noise.
"Nobody's listening. If you want to scream go ahead. The room is sound proof for a reason." Jacob's tone remained detached, Peter wondering what had brought the young man to this place. He seemed too much like Neal he thought and that disturbed him as well as put him at ease.
"I'm alright..." He paused wanting to use a name. The man kept working on his wound, pressing gauze on it and wrapping it up.
"Jacob, not that it matters. Geraldi won't let you live for much longer once the heist is over. He has to have some reason to keep your friend interested in helping him." Jacob sounded too old for his years, too used to not having a choice when he was obviously no less inventive or intelligent than Neal. The similarities between this con and Neal were incredible, his hazy mind starting to blur the line as his injuries started to draw him back into unconsciousness.
"It's ok. You'll find a way out. I know it... I trust you, Neal." His eyes rolled back and he was unconscious.
()()()
Jacob reluctantly treated the federal agent, knowing it was in vain when Geraldi was just using him to push Caffrey to work with them. Once the job was started and they were distracted, Geraldi would have the Fed quietly snuffed and tossed somewhere in pieces. It was his trademark for getting people to obey him. Jacob knew that better than anyone.
He looked at the agent who had slumped back into unconsciousness after talking to him with unusual familiarity. Jacob blinked wondering why the Fed had called him by another name. It unnerved him to think he might actually feel sorry for either of their new guests no matter how impermanent they might be. He sighed, wiping a hair from the man's face and packing up his things. He couldn't start to care now, not after all the effort to harden himself to his circumstances. Maybe he was getting soft.
Jacob walked back to the door and opened it up, stepping out into the hallway. Cori was outside on guard duty, the knife from earlier in one hand, a sharpening stone in the other. He was grinding the silvery blade to a fine edge, eyes glittering in the dim light. Cori looked up after a moment, that deranged smile on his face.
"Getting ready for later, Jacob. You remember what happens later, don't you?" He laughed almost hysterically, Jacob turning from the man with a disgusted look as he made his way back to his office. He locked the door and sat down on the nearest bunk, pulling his wallet from his pocket. He thumbed through till a picture fell out. He picked the photo up and looked at it with watery eyes. It was an image of a man smiling, his green eyes bright with life. Beside the man stood Jacob, his face happier.
()()()
Jacob Douglas had received 10 years for breaking and entering. His path to his current life starting with a chance encounter. One of the guards was jumped by several inmates in the yard, Jacob off to the side minding his own business. He watched in hidden horror but nobody came to help. Once they had finished with him, the guard lay beaten and bleeding on the grass, the prisoners going back inside as the bell rang. Jacob moved along with the rest of them, straying towards the back of the group till he passed the man and heard him call weakly.
"He...lp me..." The guard was still alive despite the pool of blood from where he'd been skivved. Jacob wasn't sure what made him do it but he crouched beside the man and tried to stop the bleeding. He pulled off a sleeve of his jumpsuit and did what he could to apply pressure to the wound and save the man. His act of kindness had been a complete disaster though. The guards finally came to see where he'd gone, saw the wounded guard and just assumed Jacob was guilty. He was dragged away and beaten, watching the guard stare after him silently.
It was days later, his isolation was ended. The warden came to the cell and he was brought back into the light. Jacob was cowed, eyes averted to the floor. Someone touched his arm to lead him down the hall and he twitched as if they'd hit him, a slight whimper coming from his lips.
"Take his man to the infirmary." The warden sounded as if he cared or maybe it was his imagination. Everything was a haze after that till he woke up a few days later in the hospital. Jacob wasn't sure where he was at first, hearing a cough as someone drew attention to themselves. He turned to his right and saw a man sitting nearby. The man seemed vaguely familiar, the hint of recent bruises and cuts healing on his face, one arm in a sling. The man smiled at him.
"I hope I didn't wake you." The man brushed a few strands of light brown hair from his face, sea green eyes glittering. Jacob just stared at the man unsure what to think of the situation.
"No, but where am I? This doesn't look like the prison infirmary." He saw the man nod, that smile still firmly planted on his face. Did he know this man and if he did, why couldn't he remember. He watched the man blush suddenly, a look of apology on his face.
"I'm sorry, maybe you don't remember me. I'm sure you wouldn't under the circumstances..." His voice trailed off as he held out his good hand. Jacob looked at it without reciprocating.
"My name is Morgan. I was a guard at the prison. You tried to help me." His smiled didn't leave his face even when he saw Jacob remembering.
"I didn't mean to intrude. It's because of me you're here. I wanted to thank you for what you did and apologize. I was out of it for a few days before I found out what happened to you. I'm sorry I wasn't able to say anything sooner." He continued to hold his hand out despite Jacob staring at him oddly.
"Just go and let me be." Jacob turned his head which was an effort in his current condition. He still had one eye partially swollen up from what the guards had done and the isolation cell hadn't helped. He still had nightmares about it. He felt a hand on his arm and twitched ever so slightly.
"I'll make this up to you. I promise. I've already discussed your case with the Warden. Just..." Morgan paused, removing his hand from Jacob's arm and standing up.
"Thank you for what you did. I'll come back tomorrow to see how you are." The man sounded sincere but Jacob didn't want to hear it. He was tired and the last thing he wanted was to deal with the guard or anyone associated with the prison. Would have been better if he'd just let the man... He didn't finish the thought because he knew he didn't actually feel that way. He was angry and why shouldn't he be? What was the saying: No good deed goes unpunished.
He watched the man leave, a part of him glad that man had survived while another part of him wasn't sure what to think of this visit. Not like he was getting out of prison any time soon. He still had a good 7 years of his sentence to serve out. He was going no where fast.
Time passed, and Jacob and Morgan became friends of a sort. The man had retired from being a guard due to his injuries but had insisted on visiting the con when he could. He even plead at Jacob's parole hearing helping the young man get out a bit sooner. Morgan became a mentor of sorts, finding the con a place to stay and a job with him as an EMT. Jacob was a fast learner and he was quick on his feet which helped in some of the more dangerous situations.
A year passed and they were more than friends, maybe brothers in a way. Morgan took the young man in as family, having none of his own. They were partners, trusting each other's lives while helping others. Jacob forgot about his past for a while, feeling almost like a real person again.
It had been a quiet night, Morgan parked the ambulance off a side street while they had a quick break between runs. Jacob had lost the coin toss and ended up going down the block for some food. When he returned he found Morgan held at gunpoint, the gunman bleeding along with another man.
"Take care of my friend or I'll kill you right here, right now!" The gunman hissed, his back to Jacob. Morgan saw Jacob but didn't make any obvious signs.
"I can help him if you put the gun away." Morgan kept his voice calm, hands held up in front of him. Jacob moved out of sight, placing the bags quietly on the ground before moving around the vehicle to see how he could help his friend.
"Don't order me around! Just help him!" The man looked insane, his eyes glittering dangerously, gun cocked. Morgan nodded, moving forward slowly to look at the wounded man. Jacob watched in silence, Morgan giving him a look to stay back without alerting the gun man. Finally he had finished stitching the man's wound and wrapping it up.
"He should be in a hospital but this will do for now." Morgan's voice was kind despite his fear, his hands up again. The man looked at him and smiled oddly, holding up his friend.
"I hope you understand but it's not personal." The man pointed the gun at Morgan, that look in his eyes turning almost deranged. Jacob couldn't hold back any longer, running out of the darkness and tackling the gunman. The gun went off nicking Morgan in the arm. They would have had the drop on the gunman but for a dark sedan that pulled up. Morgan was pulled into the car along with the two gunmen and Jacob.
()()()
Jacob dropped the photo to the floor, the memory overpowering him. It had been nearly a year since the events that brought him here. Morgan had died saving him like the Fed was about to do for Caffrey. They had need of Jacob's talents when they found out he was an ex-con. They used Morgan as leverage to have him do some work for them. Erik found out Morgan was an ex-prison guard and before anyone could stop it, killed him. Jacob found out what had happened when he returned from the heist. Geraldi had made sure he understood that if he acted against them, he would be dead too.
It was a horrible deal Jacob entered into that day. He had sworn to get revenge but never could find the nerve to do it. Morgan's death had broken him not to mention his fear of Erik and Cori. Both men were born killers and Jacob had never hurt anyone in any of his crimes. He was by nature a non-violent person and he got the impression Caffrey was too. He saw in so much of Morgan in Agent Burke and some of himself in Caffrey. Deja vu swamped him and it failed to bog him down, drowning him in sorrows for his lost friend. He wanted to push it aside but the feeling wouldn't leave him the more he thought about it. What happened to Morgan had been an injustice of fate. They had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, a circumstance that could not be reversed for him but maybe...
Jacob heard a knock on his door, standing up to unlock it and open it up. Erik stood there cleaned up and dressed. Geraldi must have called a meeting for their upcoming job. Jacob ran a hand through his hair and blinked.
"Meeting in the main room in 20." Erik's tone was blunt, Jacob nodding tiredly at the man. He wondered if they would have Caffrey show up or not since he was the new guy. These meetings were pretty intense with the likes of Erik and Cori being the two faves of Geraldi. They did a lot of the talking and it was often nothing good. Jacob sighed, closing the door when the man had left and locking it again. He walked over to a small sink in the corner of the room and turned it on, glancing in the mirror over it and washing his face. He ran his wet hands through his hair and smoothed it back before drying off and looking at his face.
"Don't do it, Jacob. You'll be a fool if you think about it." He was trying to convince himself not to do something but in his heart he knew he would have to do it. It was the only way if he was going to live with himself. He turned from the mirror and sink and walked over to a coat rack in the corner and pulled off a jacket. Geraldi was always insisting his men look professional so everyone was forced to wear some kind of blazer or suit jacket to meetings. Jacob found it awkward but he threw a black one he'd been given over his turtle neck before he exited the room.
()()()
The meeting room was filled with several chairs but currently only a few people were in attendance. Geraldi stood at the front of the group behind a small table with two chairs on either side where Erik and Cori sat. Two other henchmen sat on either side of Caffrey along with a third man Jacob only knew in passing. He entered the room and took a chair just behind and to the side of Caffrey. The con looked tired and unhappy, slumping just a bit in his chair. When Geraldi saw Jacob he smiled that crocodile smile of his and everyone grew quiet.
"Now that every one's here we can discuss the next job."
Author's Note:
I don't know why but Jacob wanted his story told so there it is.
Thank you for hanging on.