Notes: At the end of this chapter is background information for those new to the Caffrey Conversation series.

Chapter 1: Opening Gambit

Winston-Winslow. Tuesday, September 4, 2007.

When Neal passed Peter's office, he stopped in his tracks. "You're not supposed to be here," he said, stepping inside. "You're still on paternity leave."

Yesterday, Neal and Sara had taken over a picnic to celebrate Labor Day with the newly enlarged Burke family. Danny Burke was now two weeks old.

"El shooed me out of the house," Peter admitted. "Yvonne and Rosaline came over to discuss the event schedule. Aren't you supposed to be at Columbia?"

"I'll spend the afternoon and evening there." This was the first day of classes at the university. Neal was scheduled to mentor visual arts undergrads. He enjoyed the role and was fond of the perk it brought—the retention of his university art studio. "With Sara out of town, I'll probably spend all my evenings there," he added.

Peter smiled in sympathy. "She and Diana have already left for Amsterdam?"

"Their plane departed an hour ago. It seems odd that they're conducting a diamond sting, and I'm not with them. If this weren't the first week of classes, I would have gone along."

"They'll be fine," Peter said. "Those jewel heist boot camps you ran were the talk of the company."

"They were successful, weren't they? I felt a glow of pride when I saw agents picking each other's pockets in the lounge. Henry was so pleased he's asked me to run regular refresher sessions for all agents." He adopted a serious expression. "You got off the hook because of Danny but I've already signed you up for the next one."

Peter smiled. "I'm looking forward to it. Will Mozzie be in Amsterdam too?"

Neal shook his head. "He's rushing through last-minute modifications to Red Sands before the rocket launch. That's only a little over two weeks away. Not even a diamond heist can compare."

This would be Space Horizons' first test of the rocket they hoped would eventually propel astronauts to Mars. Stefano Prestini, the founder of Space Horizons, had contracted with Scima Gameworks to develop a video game about Mars.

Prestini had been present at a sci-fi convention last winter where he heard a presentation on the yellow-faced bee project. He challenged the bee team to duplicate their success with the goal of generating more interest in a manned-mission to Mars.

Neal was a concept artist for landscapes but mainly he served as a sounding board for the others. Initially he'd been dubious that they'd be able to come up with something within the time constraints Prestini demanded. But after reading Mozzie's script and seeing the creatures Richard had created, he was convinced Red Sands would be a winner.

Prestini had invited the team to watch the launch at the complex in southern Spain. They would fly to Spain a couple of days ahead of the launch date, projected for Saturday, September 22. Before then, they had a video game trailer to produce. While Sara was gone, he planned to spend every free minute at Scima Gameworks doing last-minute adjustments to his art.

"The diamond sting should be concluded well before the rocket launch," Neal added. "Sara hopes to join us in Spain."

Something in his voice caused Peter to look at him sharply. "You know, I'm planning to work half-days this week. This would be an excellent time to hold the boot camp Henry requested of me."

"Which one's that?"

"On how to manage stress when the team members you're responsible for are in dangerous situations. It's an area I have a lot of experience with."

Neal made a face. "When did Henry make the suggestion?"

Peter stroked his chin. "A certain BASE-jumping incident comes to mind." He paused when his cell phone buzzed with an incoming text message.

As Peter read it, his expression grew grim.

"What happened?" Neal demanded.

"Rolf escaped."

Neal dropped into a chair. It wasn't that the news was unexpected. He'd had a niggling feeling that Rolf was toying with them—taking his time for the right moment to command center stage. His assistant Marta Kolar was spotted in Canada over a month ago. She'd probably helped break him out.

"Damn it, the Bureau requested heightened security after Marta resurfaced," Peter growled. "I'll call Tricia."

"Klaus needs to be notified. I'll contact him as well as Marcel and the art crimes task force," Neal offered, as he headed for the door. "I'll also let Henry know." He'd make the calls from his office. Sara was in the air so he couldn't alert her. Who would Rolf target first? As he spun through the possibilities with Danny Burke foremost in his mind, he realized Peter's boot camp hadn't come soon enough.

#

After consulting with Tricia, Peter met with Henry and Neal in Henry's office.

"Rolf disappeared during the night," he told them. "A review of the feed showed a guard leading Rolf away from his cell. The guard looked like one of the ones assigned to Rolf, but the investigation revealed someone had disguised himself to resemble the guard. The real person was found unconscious in a closet. The man remembers drinking his coffee and then nothing afterward. The contents were analyzed and revealed to contain a powerful barbiturate."

Neal picked up Henry's magnetic ball fidget toy and began clicking balls together. The sound grated on Peter's nerves, but he didn't say anything. Hopefully, it helped control Neal's stress. Judging by Henry's expression, he wished he'd grabbed it first. Rolf's last known criminal activity was to mastermind Neal's abduction a year ago. Peter could make a compelling case for Neal being targeted again. Revenge was a powerful motivator.

"I'm sure the Bureau is monitoring all exit routes." Henry's words trailed off. For a man who'd seemingly escaped from a supermax prison so easily, he'd have no trouble crossing the border.

Neal cleared his throat. "I doubt he'll try anything immediately. The smartest policy would be to lay low for a while."

"For someone thinking rationally, yes," Henry said gloomily. "But not someone of Rolf's warped personality. Doc Jacob believes he's a classic example of a psychopath, and his condition has worsened over the past few months."

"Let's assume Marta facilitated the breakout," Peter said, trying to steer them onto a more constructive line of reasoning. "Why did she wait till now?"

He could tell his question captured Henry's attention. "Over the past several months, we've grown increasingly confident that Rolf masterminded the investment club for pinprick forgeries under the alias of Phoenix. We suspect Marta has been running the operation while he was in prison."

Neal nodded thoughtfully. "Possibly something in connection with the Bolotnov sting precipitated Rolf's desire to escape. That was about six weeks ago, and Marta would have needed time to prepare. But I don't know of any specific trigger."

"I do," Henry said. "Bolotnov didn't succeed. Up to then, Rolf might have been unsure of your loyalties. But with Bolotnov's arrest, it was crystal clear you couldn't be counted on to provide forgeries."

Neal started to speak and then clamped his mouth shut. Peter knew Neal believed Klaus wouldn't con him, but as far as he and Henry were concerned, it was still an open question. One could make the case that Klaus had been working the entire time with Rolf to discover whether Neal's supposed shadow life of doing forgeries on the side was only a con.

"We need to smoke Rolf out," Henry declared. "Tomorrow morning, I'd like your ideas on how to accomplish it. In the meantime, Peter, Danny and El are expecting you. Neal, you need to leave for Columbia before long. I'm sure we'll all be thinking about this in the back of our minds." He turned to Neal. "Will you be able to drag Mozzie away from his Red Sands preparations to attend the meeting?"

"For Rolf? That shouldn't be an issue."

"Good. We'll meet at nine o'clock."

"Mozzie's usual spot?" Neal asked, arching a brow.

Henry smiled. "Where else?"

#

Sara was surprised in a good way when she was getting ready for bed. Hearing her cell phone play Carly Simon's "It's the Right Thing to Do" ringtone was unexpected. Before she left, she and Neal had agreed to talk midday. That translated into early morning for him.

"I'm glad I caught you," Neal said. "I thought you and Diana would probably be out enjoying Amsterdam's nightlife, and you wouldn't be able to hear me on the phone."

"We've scheduled that for tomorrow night," she teased back. "We will have earned it after spending the day with the police." She moved to the window so she could look down on a canal while they talked. At ten o'clock at night, the reflections of illuminated historic buildings shimmered in the water.

She and Diana had crafted a masterful sting to catch the thieves who'd broken into the Antwerp Diamond Center. Aidan spotted a sophisticated bot program buried in the security software used by the Diamond Center. He'd traced its signal to an account on the Jewel Box darknet. Analysis revealed the same program had been used to disable security alarms in several jewel heists in Europe involving spectacular large gemstones.

The breakthrough came when the International Diamond Exchange granted Win-Win permission to review its software. They discovered the same bot infection in its programs. Now they could plan a trap for the thieves . . . once they convinced the exchange to go along with the sting. That was Sara's job.

"I haven't forgotten you offered your services if the exchange refuses to agree," she said.

"You have it, plus John Hobhouse has also expressed his willingness to intercede on your behalf."

"I may need you both." The merchants were a conservative bunch. She and Diana couldn't go into the details of the bot infection since one or more of the members could be an informant. "How's the first day at Columbia going?"

"Impressive." As Neal described the undergrads he'd mentor, something seemed off. She hoped he wasn't on edge because of the upcoming sting.

Neal cleared his throat. "There's something else you should be aware of. Rolf Mansfeld escaped from prison last night."

For a moment the world went out of focus. "Are you still at Columbia?" she asked, her tone sharper than she would have wished.

"I'm taking precautions," Neal said quietly. "We all need to. Diana and you are equally at risk. Penfold has been placed in solitary."

Hearing that Rolf's doctor was under heightened scrutiny brought a small amount of comfort. "I bet Marta's behind the breakout."

"I feel the same way. Rolf's escape could be just what we needed. We've been spinning our wheels wondering whether he's Phoenix. Now that he's on the loose, we could have our best chance to expose him."

Sara liked the positive light he cast on what was a major foul-up. "I bet Henry's already strategizing a trap," she said, making sure her voice sounded confident.

"Both he and Mozzie are working overtime on it. We'll meet tomorrow morning to discuss what they've come up with. If you have any suggestions, pass them my way."

#

Henry doubted he would have picked Candy Land to plot strategy against Azathoth but Mozzie assured him it was the most appropriate game. And perhaps he had a point. It would be easy to psych yourself out of attempting to trap someone as elusive as Rolf. Mozzie's inference that it would be like taking candy from a baby, if nothing else, would keep their spirits up.

They met in Win-Win's pub, but only Mozzie had a glass of wine beside him.

For the moment, their strategy session was limited to the four principals. Neal was overseeing the operation since their client was the art crimes task force. From the beginning, Rolf had been considered a primary suspect for the criminal known as Phoenix. In the '90s, Phoenix started an investment club for mobsters and other criminals. They believed the club was initially designed for money laundering. Later it matured into a ring for extorting ransoms from art museums and by extension their insurers. The master art forger known as Leonardo was employed to make copies. Several thieves, including Klaus, switched the paintings, leaving forgeries marked with a microscopic design in pinpricks on the walls of museums throughout Europe. The switches apparently ceased in 1997 when Leonardo died.

A darker significance to the club had come to light primarily thanks to Jones's research, and that was the members of the club were being victimized as well. Their bank accounts were being unknowingly depleted of funds in sophisticated cyberattacks which continued to the present day. The inference was that once Phoenix established a link for funds to be wired to his account to purchase art, he used the link to steal from his clients.

Rolf was the only cybercriminal they knew who had the expertise both in art and in how to hack the bank accounts of club members. But assuming he was the mastermind, he would have needed an associate while he was in prison. Was that associate Klaus? He denied any knowledge of Phoenix's identity, and Neal believed him. Marta was a much more logical choice.

"Gentlemen, our objective is to lure Rolf into Molasses Swamp," Mozzie said, pointing out the location on the gameboard. "Any suggestions?"

"I have one," Henry said. "And coming from me, this will sound distinctly weird. But when I analyzed the data about Rolf, one aspect jumped out at me—Vermeer."

"I thought of that too," Neal said. "But I couldn't figure out how to take advantage of it. Rolf's fascination for the artist is well documented. Klaus told me Rolf was the one who requested Klaus steal The Woman in Blue. He'd also expressed an interest in The Lacemaker in the Louvre."

"Rolf commissioned the theft of the Vermeer from the Frick Collection," Peter said. "And then there's The Astronomer. That work defined Rolf. He had it in his office at Ydrus headquarters. Now it's back at the Louvre."

"I found another work by Vermeer that has just as close a connection," Henry said. "The Geographer."

Neal beamed at him. "You're turning into an art historian!"

"Hey, you helped me with my psychology courses," Henry pointed out. "It's time to return the favor."

"And you're suggesting we plan something with The Geographer." Neal's expression grew thoughtful.

"Isn't that work paired with The Astronomer?" Peter asked.

Neal nodded. "Many believe they're pendant paintings, meaning they were designed to be hung as a pair. Vermeer used the same model with virtually identical attire."

"I could argue that The Geographer is a much closer portrait of Rolf," Mozzie said as he pulled the painting up on his laptop. "Observe the sunlight streaming in from the window. The subject's captured as he experiences a Eureka moment. The globe on the cabinet behind him is symbolic of his global reach."

"The paintings may represent a seventeenth-century scientist named van Leeuwenhoek," Henry said. "Supposedly he was skilled in astronomy and mathematics as well as optics and many other disciplines. Rolf could easily identify with him."

"Where is the painting located?" Peter asked.

Mozzie scanned the webpage. "Frankfurt."

Neal looked at him, startled. "The Städel?"

Mozzie nodded. "That presents interesting possibilities." He turned to Peter. "It has one of the finest collections of paintings in Germany."

"Not only that. Klaus's parents are on the museum's board," Neal said. "Henry, are you suggesting we con Rolf into believing I stole it as a peace offering of some sort?"

"No, you should take it a step further. Two years ago, Rolf believed that you and Peter were interested in working for him. We used that to trap him, but there's nothing to say that you and Peter didn't set yourselves up to live the life he was counting on. Peter has usurped his role before. Given his recent move to Manhattan, one could easily wonder what windfall allowed him to purchase the townhouse. All of us are doing exceptionally well financially."

Peter shook his head. "It won't work. Not after Rolf tried to kill Neal last summer. He'd never believe I'd go into partnership with him."

"The jury's out as to whether Rolf would have arranged for you to rescue Neal at the last minute," Henry argued. "But let's put that aside for the moment. How do you think he would react if he thought we'd stolen The Geographer? And Neal, don't worry," he added as Neal started to speak. "I have no intention of painting a bullseye on Peter's back."

"Good, because Danny's not ready to participate in a sting," Neal said firmly.

"He's not but I am," Henry countered. "Suppose you turned me into an art collector too, and I decided to start with that Vermeer. Rolf thrived on taunting you at every turn. He's bound to react if we give him a dose of his own medicine. I'm willing to wager Klaus could persuade his parents to intercede with the museum on our behalf."

Mozzie nodded slowly. "The museum could claim that the painting was undergoing restoration work while I plant rumors it was stolen. Klaus could post a message for Phoenix on the dark web. If written in sufficiently vague terms, it could do the trick."

Neal shook his head. "Rolf won't fall for it."

Henry shrugged. "He doesn't have to. But he'll want to flaunt his superiority in our faces and this is the best—and safest—way of drawing him out."

"I agree," Peter said unexpectedly. "We can't afford to have him go underground. Rolf won't be able to resist making a counter-move to seize the spotlight."

So far everyone was dancing around to what extent if any Klaus had been involved with Rolf's escape. Now his connection to Phoenix also needed to be revisited.

Henry liked Klaus. He and Eric had attended Klaus's wedding less than a month ago, but he had to put those subjective feelings aside. The question was could Neal?

Notes: You won't have to wait long to find out who Rolf has targeted. In Chapter 2, he makes his move.

Background on the Caffrey Conversation AU for new readers: The series was created by Penna Nomen and begins with her story Caffrey Conversation. Our blog has a list and short summaries for all the stories. The primary initial difference from canon is that Neal was never sent to prison and the characters are several years younger. Peter recruited Neal in 2003 when he was 24. In the fall of 2004, he entered Columbia University's graduate program in art as a part-time student. In October 2006, he left the FBI and began working at Henry's company, Winston-Winslow. He and Sara were married the next month. At the beginning of January 2007, Peter moved into his new role at Winston-Winslow. In February 2007, Diana Berrigan and Clinton Jones left the FBI to work at Winston-Winslow.

Main non-canon characters:
Henry Winslow: Neal's half-brother. His husband is Eric Vasquez.
Travis Miller: tech and electronics expert.
Neal's friends from Columbia University: Richard Carlisle, Aidan Phillips, and Keiko Nakahara. Richard's husband is Travis. Aidan and Keiko are now married.
Janet Dodson: Mozzie's girlfriend and soulmate
Klaus Mansfeld: master art thief. Formerly married to Chantal.
John Hobhouse: leader of the Interpol art crimes task force, headquartered in London.
Marcel Jauffret: the French representative of the art crimes task force.

Blog: Penna Nomen & Silbrith Conversation
Visuals: The Phoenix board on the Caffrey Conversation Pinterest website