Diana smiled briefly at him as she opened the door of the tiny ground floor office suite.
"If you're even think about leaving, Caffrey…" she didn't finish the sentence. He couldn't help grinning at her. This was familiar territory.
"Wouldn't dream of it… I like my arms intact. They are my most useful part at the moment." He replied, lifting his hands from his wheels. His grin broadened. Diana chuckled softly. In the quiet office she hesitated before she left. "What?"
"You know I've been investigating your brother's kidnapping…"
"Yeah I know" he blinked at her in surprise.
"DC police pegged him as a serial killer… but we know what he was really up too. I want you to know we're going stop him… as far as I know he's still…" she sighed "But as soon as we take down Dennison I'm going to focus on Richards.
"So there were other kids besides the twelve in DC"
"Twenty or thirty scattered across the country in the twenty years following. Who knows how many since Harrison got out of the game." Neal swallowed hard "But that's not what I wanted to tell you."
"Oh G***" he closed his eyes, trying to brace himself for something bigger… something worse than forty missing kids… forty stolen children. He swallowed raggedly.
"It's about your father."
"Diana stop…I'm not interested."
"Yes, you are." She leaned against the wall and studied him "you hate him and you have a very good reason in my book… I'm not overly fond of the son of a b**** myself but…"
"He set Peter up… he killed that cop thirty years ago."
"I know but there is something that wasn't in my files you should know." Diana met his eyes "About that cop… Let's say he was lucky Bennett just shot him. If I had been in your father's place at the time… Well… it wouldn't have been pretty."
That had Neal's attention "Why?"
"There is dirty and there is dirty. James is a self-serving jerk who deserves whatever he gets for his recent crimes but if someone took Theo and k-killed him and one of the people in our office purposely let him walk on a technicality…"
"But…" he stared at her "Kevin's alive so-"
"Bennett didn't know that. The ME tentatively identified a body as his at the time." She moved forward and with a surprisingly gentle touch lifted his chin, making him look her in the eye. "Neal, you don't have to do anything with this information. I just thought you should know."
"Thanks." He stared at his hands for a long moment "it doesn't change who he became… but it does change who he was." The young man swallowed harshly again "Makes him more like me."
"Except even in pain, Neal, you didn't pull the trigger. That's the difference, you stopped and listened. Keep that in mind"
"Yeah I guess." His eyes stayed down, his shoulders slumped.
"I have a surprise for you." Diana said into the silence.
"Really… you shouldn't have." His grin was forced but he looked up. Without a word she held out an ear piece. "Really?"
"Peter promised in the loop. This is as in the loop as we can do. Now stay here until we give the all clear and don't tell anyone I gave you that."
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Kevin leaned back on the bench, waiting. Ten minutes, fifteen… he stretched
"Do you think he got wind of a set up and spooked?" the words had no sooner crossed his lips than he caught a glimpse of a large man ambling down the dark quiet street. Light brown hair, six foot eight if he was an inch, all muscle… he matched Neal's description of Ridgemont perfectly except one detail his brother failed to convey adequately, how incredibly large the man was. A mountain of muscle, he had called Ridgemont, but somehow…
Kevin used the cane beside him to help him rise, playing the part of a frightened man recovering from many injuries. On his feet he watched the human tank move toward him and flinched, as big as he was, Henry Ridgemont didn't move with the slow heavy movements he would have expected, his steps were light and quick.
"I was afraid you wouldn't come." Kevin said when the other man was within fifteen feet.
"You said you could get me the card."
"I have it right here…. But I need you to promise me you won't bother me or Amelia's son ever again."
"I promise I will never lay a hand on either of you after this meeting." His artic smile sent a chill up Kevin's spine. Kevin smiled grimly, grateful that the FBI agents talked his brother out of being the front on this. Then squaring his shoulders he covered his face with a look of absolute relief.
"Thank you… thank you." He mumbled, broken and terrified, now all he had to do was stall until Dennison showed up. He desperately hoped the weird little guy came through. He fumbled for the memory card in his pocket, allowing it to slide through his trembling fingers and clatter to the street… "I'm sorry… I'll get it." he bend awkwardly as though to retrieve it, keeping his movements slow and uncoordinated. Ridgemont growled menacingly. As he stood and held out the card the big man moved forward
"Scott, whatever it is you are trying to sell I'm not buying." He muttered as he snatched the card. He gave Kevin a shove that sent him reeling back into the wall… hard. Gasping for breath, the young man's eyes darted around looking for…
"Henry!" Dennison shouted as he rounded the corner… with a small bespeckled man in tow. Kevin froze for just a moment. His brother's little friend was not supposed to be here. "I heard you were making off the books deals!" he roared "I might have forgiven that but with this…" He glowered
"Mr. Dennison? No, it isn't what it looks like. I was just trying to recover your card." Now Ridgemont sounded frightened.
"A completely useless plan now that the government has seen it, you should know that." Dennison produced a gun smoothly "What is he really selling you?"
"Nothing I just wanted to correct my error."
"If that's true, then kill him right now." He nodded toward the little guy "Kill both of them"
"With pleasure." Ridgemont grinned turning his large weapon toward Mozzie. Kevin met the little guy's gaze and mouthing "run" he took that moment to throw himself at the huge man. He hoped his brother's friend took the cue.
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Peter took a deep breath when the surveillance video feed showed the massive figure of Henry Ridgemont towering over Kevin. Jones nodded with amusement when Kevin spoke… His voice trembling with suppressed terror.
"He really is just as good at this as Caffrey" he muttered
"He better be." Diana replied "This could get ugly fast." As if to prove her point Ridgemont shoved the smaller man against the wall… hard. Peter flinched.
"All teams prepare to move in."
"Boss? We need to wait for Dennison to show."
"I know" he sighed forcefully not thinking about his promise to his friend. "But it doesn't hurt to be suited up and ready."
The two younger agents grinned understandingly, but they did as they were told..
"Uh… Peter we have a problem." Jones' voice was suddenly worried.
"What's wrong?"
"Well Dennison just showed up." He gestured to the screen "correct me if I'm wrong but the little guy wasn't supposed to be with him, was he?"
"D***! All units move in! Right now!" things just got ugly Peter thought as he stepped out of the van.
In his ear he heard Dennison give the order to kill both men. The thuds of and grunts of a fight followed. The agents broke into a run.
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Seven forms of martial arts, Kevin realized far too soon, only took you so far against an opponent that was three times your size, solid as a tank and as quick and agile as a cat. He got in his fair share of blows, pushing Ridgemont back for a moment, but a blow to the stomach that fell with the force of a small cannon ball dropped the young operative to his knees, another strike from that steel fist sent him to the ground… after that the fight dissolved into a rain of blows that turned the world to a kaleidoscope of agony, how Neal survived three days of this he would never know he found the time to think.
Kevin was aware of the moment the pounding stopped, of the 1911 Desert Eagle aimed at his face. The moment seemed to freeze and stretch… before it was shattered by shouts of "FBI! HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
Ridgemont's finger twitched toward the trigger and Kevin pulled his scattered mind together in a rush, aiming a strong kick at the side of the huge man's knee, the weapon fired as he grunted in pain and fell. The shot pinged off the concrete an inch from Kevin's right ear… leaving him momentarily deaf. The world slid in and out of focus as he pushed himself up to his knees.
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Rounding the corner Peter almost froze. The sight of Kevin Grant sprawled on the ground with both Ridgemont and Dennison looming over him for the kill shot turned his blood to ice. Mozzie huddled against the wall, apparently frozen… Peter hoped he wasn't hurt. This day would not end this way… he promised Neal he would take care of his brother.
"FBI!" he shouted
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Jones commanded.
Everything happened quickly after that. Dennison swung around, raising his weapon to aim directly at Peter. Ridgemont collapsed abruptly with a grunt of… surprise… pain? Kevin threw himself forward with incredible speed, jerking the gun as hard as he could by the barrel as it erupted, pulling Dennison of balance. The two of them were falling in a tangle of limbs before half a dozen Bureau issued weapons returned fire. Everything stopped for a heartbeat… two, three…
Then a swirl of activity surrounded the scene.
For a moment Peter stood rooted to the ground, staring at the three figures lying on the sidewalk…he stumbled a few steps forward to reach them before his knees gave out.
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Behind the cannon sized gun Mozzie saw the younger man mouth "run" and he had every intention of doing just that… Except that his feet seemed to have grown roots deep into the cement in the few moments he had been standing still. He stared it horror as the huge finger twitch against the trigger.
Suddenly the mountain of a man lurched to the side as the slim form of Neal's brother launched himself into his ribs. Neal should definitely get his brother to teach him to fight… the kid was really good, the calm center of Mozzie's panicked mind commented wryly.
The kid went down… no way anyone could stand up to that monstrosity of a man for long, and both Ridgemont and Dennison moved in for the kill. Both of them had lost all interest in Mozzie which would have been fine with the little man, it gave him a chance to run now that he finally felt like he could move again except… the young man they were about to wipe from existence was wearing Neal's face. He sighed and picked up a small rock to get their attention when the suits came sweeping in. That smug part of his mind with the running commentary reminded him that he never thought he'd live to see the day he would be glad to see them.
Ridgemont went down and Mozzie followed as the first gunshot rang out.
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Hanging on every sound that echoed through the ear piece Neal heard Jones' muttered voice, asking if the little guy was supposed to be there, Mozzie most definitely was not supposed to be there. What was Mozzie doing there? Peter was shouting for everyone to move in NOW and the grunts and blows of the fight filled the young man's ears in clear detail. Neal held his breath.
Peter's voice shouting "FBI" was one of the most beautiful sounds he ever heard, but his relief was short lived. He didn't need the ear piece to hear the gunshots that echoed up the quiet street.
Jones' clipped "all clear" did not release the knot of terror in the young man's stomach because his voice was far too tense. Then it was followed a heartbeat later by Diana's voice calling "Man down!" and demanding a bus. Neal choked… someone was hurt. He froze for a single heartbeat. Peter. Mozzie. Kevin… he couldn't hear any of their voices through the feed.
Neal almost threw the device from his ear. His chair was in motion and he was out the door before he drew another breath. Someone he cared about was hurt, he needed to be there. Half a block suddenly seemed much too far away.