A/N : I'm so sorry! God, I suck. Seriously, I made you guys wait for this and I don't even think it was worth it! Again, so sorry. I didn't feel like writing lately; my father had cancer - fuck, cancer! - and he passed away a few days after my birthday. I love my father so freakin' much! he's the reason, I'm writing today, he's my biggest fan and my biggest inspiration. So this is for you, papa 3
Also, a gigantic thank you to all of 79 followers ! You guys rock, I love you, I don't deserve you.
DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING.
2:05 PM.
8602 2nd Street,
NEW YORK CITY
Sara groaned in frustation as she heard the voice recording of her boyfriend taunting her. As she - finally - heard the bip, she said between gritted teeth:
"Neal Caffrey, I swear to God, if you don't pick up your phone right now, you and I are done. And Peter will found your head in a box tomorrow morning."
Sara hung up and threw the phone on the table. Real smooth, Ellis, the woman thought as she ran her fingers through her hair. Biting her bottom lip, she picked up her phone and started composing Peter's number... Only to heard the older man's voicemail. She cried, restraining herself from throwing the device against the wall. She fell back on her couch, her legs resting on the armrest and her feet swinging in the air. Closing her eyes, the young woman took a deep breath, thinking.
Then suddenly, Sara opened her eyes, jumping off the couch and walking toward a cupboard. She opened the first drawer and took a set of keys. Closing it, she put on stilettos, took her jacket and bag before walking toward the door.
Here I come, whether you like it or not, Caffrey.
MEANWHILE,
RIVERSIDE DRIVE, MANHATTAN,
NEW YORK CITY.
As Mozzie watched Roark and his associates settle down and order, Alex was sipping wine and crunching chips, much to the irritation to Bryce. The brunette put down the bag of chips, rubbing her hands on her pants before putting her hair up in a ponytail. Next to her, Bryce's left phone started buzzing.
Frowning her eyebrows, Alex took it, checking who might be calling him. She smirked as she saw Sara Ellis' name flashing on the screen. Cocking her head to the side, she suggested:
"You know, B., maybe if somebody picked up your phone to tell her that you weren't her, she would stop calling."
"Do not even think about it, Hunter" Bryce threatened.
"I'm just sayin', hear me out" she insisted "I don't even have to pick up, just send her a text or somethin'."
"Or nothing, Lex'. Just turn it off if it's bothering you." He retorted.
Alex rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and struck her tongue at the screens even though she knew he couldn't see her. She could hear Chuck snort in her ear and see the ghost of a smile on Bryce's lips when the former conman said:
"Stop pouting, Hunter."
"How do- I'm not- You know what? Whatever."
Mozzie smirked as Chuck tried to hide his smile behind his hand and coughed to cover his laughs. Bryce simply shook his head at her antics. The thief groaned before taking a sip of wine. As she went to turn off Bryce's phone, she got a better idea. She smirked as she started typing a text, ignoring the looks Mozzie was throwing her way.
2:08 PM.
SOME STARBUCKS IN SOME MALL.
NEW YORK CITY
Bryce sat at a table next to Roark's, his ankles crossed and his hands stuffed in his pockets. Running a hand on his face, Bryce readjusted his Giants cap as he asked:
"Chuck, can you see Gilbert (A/N: mentionned in Chapter 6) ?"
The CIA agent quickly looked around before pretending to stretch his arms and discreetly shaking his head. Bryce groaned, rolling his eyes. Crossing his arms and leaning against his chair, he asked:
"What about you, guys? Caught a glimpse of our Scottish conman yet?"
He waited a few seconds before Mozzie's answer could be heard:
"Nope, no yet. What about Roark and Duris? Ain't they doing something?"
Bryce sighed as he replied:
"No. They're not even talking. Just watching eachother in the eyes like they were on a date. How romantic."
He could hear and see Chuck stifle another laugh and hear Alex and Mozzie snicker. Bryce chuckled before focusing his attention on Duris, Roark's partner, as the blond man took a sip of his drink. The criminal seemed oddly familiar. Bryce didn't know what it was. His expressive dark eyebrows, his square jaw or his butchin. Or maybe it was those deep brown eyes.
Straightening in his chair, Bryce frowned his eyebrows as he muttered:
"I'm pretty sure I know this guy."
"Um.. yeah! Maybe it's from the pictures that you studied for hours. He looks familiar to me too" came Alex's sarcastic reply.
"No, it's not from that. I'm pretty sure I met him before" He insisted, ignoring the younger woman. Seeing Chuck's eyebrows frown in confusion, Bryce asked "Mozzie, what can you tell me about Duris?"
"You mean, except the things that you read, like, a billion time?"
"I mean the things like what did he order today or how did he buy it, for example?"
"... Are you being serious or sarcastic? I really can't tell." Alex asked, sounding confused.
"I'm being dead serious."
He could hear Mozzie tapping on his keyboard and Alex sipping his wine and eating his food. He could almost see her lying on his couch, the bottle at her feet and her glass on her belly. But he didn't care right now. Bryce started listening as Mozzie spoke again:
"Well, he's a smart one. He bought a Russian Grey Earl Tea, using a credit card.
"How using a credit card is smart? He is supposed to be on the run, anyone could track him."
"He is smart because he's not using his credit card. Says right here that its owner is Daniel Shaw." Alex retorted, her mouth full with chips.
Special Agent Daniel. Specializing in terrorists organizations like the Ring. Previously considered to become the new Neal Caffrey. Bryce frowned his eyebrows as he remembered Beckman's words. He became even more confused when he saw Chuck's eyes widen and his face growing pale at the revelation. Mozzie cleared his throat, breaking Bryce's reverie as he asked:
"What's wrong? Chuck's white as Casper, seriously I think he's gonna pass out. And you look extremely confused. Which we don't need right now"
"Daniel Shaw is a CIA agent. One of the best I knew. And last I heard, his prime goal was taking down the organization Roark was working for. What the hell is he doing here?"
"Are we sure it's him?" Alex asked.
"It's him. I never forget a face." Bryce assured, his eyes fixed on Duris - Shaw? - as the latter turned his head, making brown eyes meeting blue.
Chuck remembered to breath after a few minutes of blank staring. He took a deep breath, shaking his head as he tried to calm himself. Seeing his discomfort, Sarah softly put a hand on his shoulder. The brunette slowly turned his head, brown eyes meeting blue as she asked:
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah. Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."
"Well, su-"
Chuck didn't stay to hear Elizabeth's reply as he switched off his laptop and jumped out of his chair, walking away from the table. He wasn't completely oblivious to Sarah's worried and suspicious glances. He caught a few. But he didn't need to deal with that right now. He'll probably regret it later but he had bigger problems. As he walked away, Chuck could hear Alex and Mozzie rambling.
As he thought he was far enough, Chuck leaned against the wall and interrupted Bryce as he said:
"Hey. We have a problem."
"Anw, thank you, Chuckie. I hadn't notice" came Bryce's sarcastic answer. Chuck restrained himself from rolling his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"No, no. You don't understand. The Agent Daniel Shaw you think you knew and have met before isn't the same as the guy sitting next to Roark. Whatever you think he is doing here, you're dead wrong.
There were a few minutes of silence before Bryce finally said, anxiety lacing his words:
"What do you mean by that?"
"Shaw is a rogue agent. He was supposed to be in a high security CIA prison. Until today."
"...What happened?"
"Do we really fucking care?" Chuck snapped "The only important thing is that I'm pretty sure that we just stepped into a trap."
Silence followed the spy's words.
Not far away, Bryce froze, his eyes widening. As he looked back to Roark and 'Duris' table, the two men seemed engrossed in their conversation. Taking a deep breath, Bryce put some bills on the table and raised from his chair. As he turned away, his way was bloked by a large and tall brunette guy. The bloke smirked down at Bryc and said, putting his hand on the former spy's shoulder:
"Mr Larkin, Mr Roark would like to have a word with you."
Bitting back a cry of pain as the man squeezed his shoulder harder, Bryce turned around and started walking toward Roark's table, the older man watching him with a murderous smirk. The former conman took a deep breath as he discreetly switched off his earpiece.
Hearing the line going off, Chuck froze and brought his hand to his ear, muttering:
"Bryce..? Bryce?! Oh, you've got to be kiddin' me."
"The moron just switched off his earpiece and mic. We can't communicate with him anymore, nor hear what he's saying." Mozzie confirmed. Chuck could hear Alex swearing in the background."
"Well, can't you reactive it?"
"What do you think I'm trying to do, James Bond?!" Mozzie shouted back, making the nerd wince.
Pitching the bridge of his nose, Chuck turned his head to see Bryce settling next to Roark. Oh boy, did they have issues!
MEANWHILE
RIVERSIDE DRIVE, MANHATTAN,
NEW YORK CITY.
Bryce was furiously tapping on his keyboard, cursing Bryce under his breath as Alex was pacing in the livingroom, nervously playing with her hair. Chuck had returned to sit with Elizabeth and Sarah, pretending that there was nothing wrong. Gosh, if only that was true. She jumped as Mozzie yell at the screens and sighed as the older man tried to establish the communication between themselves and Bryce. The brunette rolled her eyes as the conman cried again when he failed. Again.
As the young woman was about to take a sip of wine, something on the screens caught her eye. Frowning, Alex put down the glass and walked closer to the computers. Her eyes widened as she recognized the woman sitting a few tables away from Bryce.
"Hum, guys..?"
Mozzie hummed, still tapping on his keyboard and Alex could see Chuck raising an eyebrow, meaning that he was listening to her. The thief cleared her throat and continued:
"We have a new problem."
"Seriously?!" Mozzie snapped, turning away from the screens "What now?"
"I'm pretty sure FBI approved Bryce's plan."
As Mozzie frowned his eyebrows, Alex reached over and zoomed on the person that caught her eye. The older man's eyes widened as the blurry form became a person.
"Diana.." he muttered "God, could this get any worse?"
"Actually" Both conmen jumped and turned around at the sound of Sara Ellis' voice. "I think it could."
Looking slightly confused, but mostly annoyed, Sara crossed her arms against her chest and asked:
"What's going on here?" Not getting any answer, Sara narrowed her eyes at them before adding "And where the hell is Neal?"
A/N 2 : Cliffie ! I wanted this chapter to be longer but I really wanted to update something, so here you go! Is it bad? It is good? Is it really bad?! Is it really freakin' awesome? Please let me know, nerds!
Also, I'll be in Australia for the rest of the week - already am in Australia, where it's almost 1 in the morning (can't sleep!) - and then I'll have exams at school, so I don't know when I'll update the next chapter - sorry - !
Love all of you! Your support means the world to me!
Cheers!