White Collar: The Nightingale Ten
White Collar: The Nightingale
Chapter Twenty-six
"It really is breathtaking."
Neal admired the Nightingale sword while working to remove Liao's blood from it with a wet cloth. Removing the last of the blood he polished it to a mirror shine and inspected the detailed nightingale bird engraved into the blade. Each feather held fine detail as the bird flew away as the sword glinted in the morning light.
"I don't have the skill to get the tracking device out of it, but it's a simple one that can be disabled with a rare earth magnet. "
"Where can we find one of those?"
"I keep one around for occasions just like this." Neal smile.
Neal went over to one of the kitchen draws and rummaged around for the small powerful magnet. He had tried using it to deprogram the computer in his anklet once, and it had sort of worked. The anklet went into instant default, which meant calling the F.B.I. Neal had claimed that he had no idea why it had suddenly malfunctioned and since there was no proof of tampering Peter had been forced to believe him.
Finding the magnet Neal brought it over and pressed it against the hilt of the sword where the tiny tracker hid beneath. Removing the magnet he carefully put it back in the drawer to keep it from accidentally erasing any number of the digital items in his apartment. Hsing picked up the Nightingale and smiled shyly.
"Would you like to hear it sing?" Hsing asked.
"It sings?"
"I am not an expert at the art, but I know a little."
"I'd love to hear it."
Hsing moved into the open space near the front door with the sword held in her hand lightly. Slashing the bright weapon through the air it sang out with a slight warble. Hsing did not have the skill with the blade that Tachi had, however the sword still sang a sweet song for her. Neal watched the performance with a smile. He could see her relaxing and regaining some of her confidence as she danced with the sword. Her training as a performer had been cut short when Liao had stolen her, but the potential was still there.
"That was beautiful." Neal praised with a light applause when Hsing was done.
"Thank you." Hsing said with a demur bow.
Hsing physically jumped with fright when there was a knock at the door.
"Neal, it's June."
"Coming."
Neal took the sword from Hsing and threw it on the bed before covering it with the sheets. He figured the less June knew about his guest the better. He came to the door and opened it. June offered him a grocery bag of medical supplies that he had asked for.
"Thank you so much, June." Neal said as he took the offering.
"I suppose it was only a matter of time before you got yourself shot."
"My ratio of having guns drawn on me and actual bullet holes is still very favorable." Neal chuckled. "June...I hate to chase you out of your own house, but..."
"I have a friend upstate that I've been meaning to visit for a while." June said knowingly.
"Thank you, June. I'm really sorry, it will only be a few days. I doubt there is any danger, but I'd hate to get you mixed up into anything."
"Oh it's a little late for that." June mocked.
"Good point."
"Take good care of her, she seems like a sweet girl."
Neal looked over his shoulder at Hsing who was standing over by the glass patio doors. She looked like she was trying her best to be invisible. When she saw that they were looking at her she bowed. June said good bye and left to pack. Neal put the supplies she'd given him on the kitchen counter, he needed to redress the wound but he wasn't really looking forward to messing with it at the moment. Neal looked at the clock and noticed it was almost noon. Pulling out his cell phone he called Elizabeth.
"Hello, Neal." Elizabeth greeted.
"Good morning, Elizabeth. How is Peter doing? Is he awake yet?"
"No." Elizabeth sighed in stress. "His blood pressure has stabilized, but he still has occasional arrhythmia, and he's still unresponsive. The doctors tell me I shouldn't worry, but I can't help myself."
"He'll pull through. I don't think the Marshals are going to let me come visit if he's not awake, but I can try to get there if you need me."
"You have your own wounds to heal. Get some rest. I will call you if anything changes."
"Thank you."
Neal hung up the phone and just stared at it for a moment. He wasn't sure what he would do if Peter didn't survive. Neal decided against thinking about that particular scenario at the moment. Calling another number he paced restlessly.
"Hey, Neal." Mozzie answered brightly.
"Moz, have you gotten in touch with Alex yet?"
"Not exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I've left hints with all the right people, but she hasn't surfaced yet. I know a few other fences you could use..."
"I'd rather deal with Alex." Neal said. "We should have plenty of time. Hsing's safe here."
"Can I come over and see the Nightingale?" Mozzie asked hopefully.
"Only if you bring Alex along with you."
"I'll find her." Mozzie said confidently. "I've also got some feelers out for the new ID, but such short notice won't make it cheep."
"We just need to get her home, there doesn't have to be any money left over."
"So...no finders fee?"
"Mozzie..." Neal warned.
"Okay, okay. I'll keep you up to date."
Neal hung up again and slipped his phone into his pocket. Feeling increasingly stressed he paced back and forth a few times. He had not been comfortable being locked up at Liao's, but he was discovering that it was only marginally better to be pent up at home. Neal felt guilty for not being at the hospital with Elizabeth, but he didn't want to leave Hsing alone either.
Feeling the start of a powerful headache coming on Neal closed his eyes, reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again he was startled to find that Hsing was standing right in front of him. She pushed herself up on her tips toes and kissed him with far more affection than a simple 'thank you'. Taken off guard it took Neal a second to react, he put his hands on her shoulders and took a step to put some distance between them.
"What are you doing?"
"You look stressed." Hsing said honestly.
"And this is your solution?"
"I owe you a great deal."
"You don't owe me that much." Neal said firmly.
"You did not mind when Tachi offered you a similar deal."
"Yeah, poor judgment on my part." Neal admitted. "At the time I was fairly certain I was going to die, and I wasn't nursing a gun shot wound."
"I did not mean to offend you."
"I'm not offended, Hsing. I just don't want you thinking you need to offer me your body as some sort of 'payment'."
"It's all I have."
"Yeah, but it shouldn't be for sale."
Hsing smiled and took a step back so she could offer Neal a deep bow. Neal bowed back to her in return, which he regreted as his side lanced painfully. The rest of the day went by without incident. Neal called Elizabeth several times, but each time the repot was the same. Mozzie was still hunting down Alex with no success. Neal decided that he would give Mozzie one more day to find her before going with a different fence.
After watching a few classic movies Neal offered Hsing his bed for the night and took the couch. It was getting late so Neal decided against giving Elizabeth a call in case she was finally getting some sleep herself. Settling into the couch Neal fell into a light sleep.
This time when someone scratched at his door lock with a pick set Neal snapped awake. Jerking up Neal looked over at the door. The stairway light was on and he could see the shadow of someone standing outside as they tried to unlock the door. Neal went over to where Hsing was sleeping and pressed his hand over her mouth. Hsing jolted awake and looked up at Neal in terror.
"Hide under the bed," Neal whispered "and keep quiet."
Neal released Hsing and she instantly scrambled off the bed and crawled underneath. Neal tugged on the sheets so they reached the floor to hide her further. A chill ran down his back when he heard the lock click as the intruder succeeded in turning the lock. He glanced around for a weapon, but the closest thing was the Nightingale sword that was under the bed with Hsing.
In a last minute decision Neal decided to get into bed and pretend to be sleeping. It was a risky move, but he feared that if he was caught on guard the intruders would be more likely to search for Hsing. If it looked like they had walked in on him sleeping alone peacefully it would be more believable when he told them he didn't know where she was. His plan depended on them being after Hsing and not him, but he couldn't do much if they just wanted to kill him anyway.
It wasn't easy to lay still while he listened to the door open. He was laying on his side with his back to them to help it look like he was just sleeping. Neal forced himself to take slow breaths as they approached even though his instincts were screaming to either fight or run. Since he knew he wouldn't get far with either option he managed to stay still.
Neal was almost relieved when someone grabbed him if only because it meant that they didn't mean to just shoot him and leave. Crying out in genuine shock Neal did his best to fight back against his attacker. Hauled out of bed he was quickly thrown back first into the wall. Already knocked breathless Neal's breath caught in his throat when his attacker gave him a sharp blow to the stomach. Instantly nauseous the jab dropped him to the floor. Gasping for breath Neal wrapped his arms over his stomach and curled up to try and protect himself from further assault.
When he was lifted up off the floor Neal realized that there were at least three men involved. Two of them dragged him over to the dinning room table while the other cleared the two bottles of wine and the centerpiece off it, letting them crash to the floor. Despite his best effort to stop them Neal still ended up on the table pinned down on his back.
Neal continued to struggle until the third man stepped up and gently put his hand directly over the now bleeding wound in his stomach. Forcing himself to relax Neal glared up at the leader of his attackers. In the silver moonlight Neal could clearly see the man's slicked back Yakuza style hair and sharp Asian features.
"Where is it?" The man growled darkly.
"Wh...where's what?" Neal asked with as much innocents as any other denial of crime he'd made over the years.
"The Nightingale."
"I don't know."
Neal cried out as the man pushed his palm down on his injured side. As the man pushed down harder Neal's strained voice cracked as he came close to passing out. The Yakuza relaxed his grip for a moment and gave Neal a chance to recover before he threatened to dig into the freshly opened wound once more.
"Wait! I...I don't have the sword." Neal insisted as he panted heavily. "I don't know where it is...I swear. Why would I know?"
"Because she stole it for you."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Neal snarled angrily.
"Save it, Caffrey. I know you were with Zhang, I know he had Hsing, and I know you used the Nightingale to set a trap for him, and I know Hsing killed him and ran off with the sword."
"Then you have a lot more information than I do!" Neal hissed. "I was on my way to the hospital when the sword disappeared. Look at my ankle, I'm on house arrest. How could I possibly have the Nightingale?"
"You are the only person she'd have to turn to."
"I don't know where the sword is." Neal repeated. "Hsing has no reason to trust me."
"Then you're no use to me..."
Neal's mind raced as the man reached into his jacket for his hand gun. He tried one last time to pull away from the men holding him down.
"Wait...wait, you kill me you won't just have local police after you, it will be the F.B.I. You have nothing to gain from killing me and everything to lose. Clearly you have contacts in the F.B.I...will they still back you if murder a CI?"
Neal's only answer was a blinding flash of pain against his temple. The strike hadn't been enough to knock him out, but it had been enough to render him mostly senseless. He wasn't sure if the Yakuza had seen the wisdom in his advice or if he'd always planed to just knock him out enough to make an exit. Either way Neal was grateful when they let him go and went to leave.
Hearing the door close behind the men Neal closed his eyes and just laid on the table trying to catch his breath. He didn't worry about the blood soaking through his night shirt and pooling on the wooden table, he knew from experience that he could lose a great deal more before it became a problem. Neal jerked with a startled gasp as a light touch brushed his cheek. He looked up and relaxed again when he saw Hsing looking down on him with a look of concern.
"Hsing..."
"You were very brave, they could have killed you."
"Yeah, well they would have killed us both if I told them you were here."
"Yes." Hsing nodded sadly. "Thank you."
"Did you recognize them?"
"I believe they were of the Inagawa-kai family, rival family."
"Of course."
Neal closed his eyes again and tried to ignore the throbbing in his side. Eventually he groaned and rolled off the table. He was unstable on his feet so Hsing slipped under his arm and helped him to the couch. Neal sat down and Hsing pulled off his shirt. He looked down at the wound and grimaced at the sight. All the stitches were broken now and most of the steri-strips were ruined.
Hsing fetched the supplies that June had brought by earlier and did her best to fix the damage. His temple was already bruising, but there was nothing she could do about that. When she finished wrapping the wound she offered Neal a new shirt. Neal pulled it on and then took her hands.
"Hsing, this is getting too complicated. I need to call my friends at the F.B.I."
"No, no, please..."
"We need their help."
"I can not, my life will be over. I am sorry I put you in danger. I...I will go."
"Hsing you have no where to go. Stay with me, let me help you."
"I will simply go to the local Yamaguchi." Hsing said sadly.
"They'll kill you."
"It will also stop the Yakuza from threatening you."
"I can't let you do that."
"You are in no condition to stop me."
Hsing pulled her hands out of his and backed away. Neal was slow to get to his feet and by the time he did Hsing already had the Nightingale and the Sapphire Waterfall in hand. With tears streaking down her face she ran for the door.
"Hsing, wait!" Neal called. "Please stay."
Hsing shook her head and left.
"Damn it."
Neal didn't have much time to make a decision before Hsing got too far away to be found. Growling in frustration Neal rushed to the kitchen and opened the cabinet. Grabbing a box of cereal he dumped the contents out on the counter. A heavy duty pair of tin snips fell out of the box along with the flakes. Bring his foot up on the counter he hesitated for one last second before using the tin snips to cut through the tracker.
The severed device made a shrill sound in protest. Neal let the tracker make noise as he placed it on the kitchen table next to the pool of congealing blood. Grabbing his cell phone and pair of shoes Neal went to chase after Hsing. Turning back for a second Neal scrawled out a quick message on a scrap of paper and placed it under the anklet before leaving.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Peter woke feeling very disoriented. He had slept through a full day and most of the next night. The last thing he clearly remembered was hearing Neal desperately calling out for help. Opening his eyes he looked up at the white ICU ceiling. The lights were turned down which gave him a sense that it was late at night. Glancing up at the IV stand with its various bags of drugs and saline he came to the sensible conclusion that he had made it to the hospital.
Taking a deep breath Peter was rewarded with a sharp pain across his chest. He reached into the collar of his hospital gown and gingerly touched at the staples that were keeping his incision closed. To repair the badly damaged sternum and release the fluid and blood that had accumulated in his chest they had cut a four inch line down the center of his chest. Attempting to sit up was greeted with another lance of pain.
Giving up on sitting up Peter turned his head and found Elizabeth curled up on the couch sleeping soundly. Even with her eyes closed Peter could see her stress, tears had streaked her makeup. He had promised her that everything was going to be okay that the kevlar would protect him and that despite his feeling on guns that Neal was an excellent shot. He had not counted on Zhang carrying such a high powered hand gun.
Not wanting to disturb his wife Peter just watched her sleep. He had gone into the White Collar division because there was a lower chance of him getting shot at. Since meeting Neal the number of 'close calls' had risen significantly. Elizabeth whimpered quietly in her sleep and for the first time in his life Peter started to reconsider his career path.
"El..." Peter called softly when Elizabeth continued to be tormented by a nightmare.
"Peter?" Elizabeth asked as she snapped awake.
Elizabeth got to her feet and rushed over to Peter's bed side. She had a mixed expression of relief and anxiety as she hesitated to touch him. Peter reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his lips he gave her a hand a gentle kiss. Elizabeth smiled brightly as tears slipped down her face once more. She ran her free hand through his hair and Peter smiled.
"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked. "I should get the nurse..."
"No. I want some time alone with you first."
"As long as you're sure you're okay."
"I'm fine. I think one of these lines has some morphine in it."
"It does."
"Good stuff."
Elizabeth chuckled quietly. Peter reached over to the controller on the bed that brought the head of the bed up. Moving wasn't comfortable, but he didn't want to be laying flat on his back anymore. In a more seated position Peter was able to convince Elizabeth to come in for a proper kiss. She was still careful, not wanting to hurt him.
Exhausted from just being awake Peter was forced to close his eyes for a moment. Elizabeth pulled up a chair and sat next to him. She put her hand back in Peter's and they spent a while in silence. Eventually Peter opened his dark eyes again and looked to Elizabeth. She was staring at him trying to keep her tears at bay. He hated seeing her so stressed.
"El...if you want me to quit the Bureau I will."
"What? Peter, that morphine must be really effecting you."
"I'm serious. Say the word and I'll find myself a corporate desk job somewhere."
"But you love the Bureau."
"I love you more."
"What would happen to Neal?"
"I can't imagine any other Agent taking him in." Peter admitted. "He'd end up back in prison for the rest of his sentence. But, don't let Neal's fate influence your decision, this is about us, not him."
Elizabeth paused, carefully considering what Peter was offering. Peter's stomach twisted slightly as he waited for her answer. He wasn't really sure what he'd do with himself if he wasn't an Agent. However, he was willing to live up to his promise if it was what she wanted. It wasn't fair to Elizabeth to put her through situation like this one.
"Peter, I would love for you to have a less dangerous job." Elizabeth whispered. "But I also know you'd be miserable. You love your job, and even though you'd never admit it out loud I know you love working with Neal."
"He certainly keeps things interesting."
"Keep your job, Hon." Elizabeth leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"Are you sure?"
"It's part of who you are, and part of the man I love."
"How did I end up with such a wonderful and understanding wife?" Peter smiled.
"You're just lucky I guess."
Peter smiled, but it was far too painful to risk laughing. Elizabeth gently brushed his cheek with her fingertips. The nurse had noticed long ago that Peter was awake and had called for the doctor who had just arrived. The doctor had waited outside for a moment to offer the couple some privacy, but he sensed that now was a good time to interrupt.
"Agent Burke." The doctor greeted as he stepped inside. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I expected."
"The surgery went well, we were able to put your sternum back in place. You'll have some precautions to follow, but you should be able to move to a TCU in a week."
"TCU?"
"Transitional Care Unit. It's like a stepping stone towards going home."
"How long till I can get out of bed?"
"Oh the therapist will have you up and walking by tomorrow morning."
"That soon?" Elizabeth asked.
"Always best to get moving as quickly as possibly, with certain restrictions of course." The doctor assured. "For tonight, just rest. If you are up to it there are two Agent's outside chomping at the bit to see you."
"You can let them in."
"Make sure they don't stay long." The doctor instructed Elizabeth.
Elizabeth nodded in agreement. The doctor stepped out of the ICU room. Jones and Diana came in. They had been taking turns keeping guard outside the door and happened to be between shifts so they were both there. Diana stepped up and smiled.
"Good to see you awake, Peter." Diana said.
"Thank you. What happened at the warehouse?"
"All in all there were three hundred twenty-seven women in the containers. We are coordinating with immigration, local hospitals, and The Blind Project to get them all the help they need."
"The Blind Project?" Elizabeth asked.
"A non-profit organization that works to end sex trafficking." Peter clarified. "How is Hsing doing? She saved everyone there."
"Uh...she's missing." Jones admitted.
"Missing?"
"Lost in the chaos along with the Nightingale sword. We have Agents and local LEOs looking for her."
"Where is Neal?"
"Marshals put him on house arrest at June's last night."
"Does he know Hsing is missing?" Peter demanded.
"Yeah...but, Peter, don't worry about any of this." Jones said. "Just focus on getting better."
"It's Neal, it's my job to worry."
"He isn't going anywhe..." Jones stopped as his cell phone rang.
Peter held his breath as he saw the expression that fell over Jones's face as he listened to the caller. Jones thanked the caller with a sad sigh and put his cell phone back in his pocket. Jones looked at Peter with a sheepish expression.
"Jones?"
"It's Caffrey, he cut his anklet."
"Of course he did." Peter huffed. "There isn't a sensible bone in his body."
"I'm sure he had a good reason." Elizabeth said.
"The Marshals aren't going to care why he cut it." Jones pointed out.
"He could end up with another four to six years if they have to drag him back." Diana added. "Hell, he'll probably still get an extra two even if he comes back on his own. He has to know that. Why wouldn't he just let us handle this?"
"Do you think he's looking for Hsing?" Elizabeth asked.
"That's exactly what I think." Peter shook his head sadly. "There are only two things that ruin Caffrey's judgment: women and shiny objects."
"What should we do?" Diana asked.
"We need to find him before the Marshals, Zhang's tong, or the Yakuza do." Peter said. "All three will be in the mood to kill him. Not that I don't feel that way myself sometimes... I have no idea how he's managed to survive this long."
"Pure charisma?" Elizabeth guessed.
"Sounds about right."
Chapter Twenty-eight
"I'm coming with you." Peter said firmly.
"Um..." Jones replied uncomfortably.
"Honey," Elizabeth said gently "you're in no condition to go anywhere. I know Neal is your friend..."
"He's more than that, he's my responsibility."
"We'll find him, Peter." Diana assured. "You need to rest."
"I'm fine."
Trying to demonstrate that he was able to participate Peter attempted to get out of bed. Even though he already had the head of the bed up he was only able to get as far as leaning forward in preparation to sit up before the broken bone in his chest protested. Laying back Peter took a second to catch his breath. Looking concerned Elizabeth put her hand on his arm.
"Okay...maybe I'm not 'fine'." Peter admitted. "Get to his place before the Marshals trample all the evidence."
"Got it, Boss." Diana nodded.
Peter watched Jones and Diana leave, wishing he could go with them. He tried once more to get to the edge of the bed, but Elizabeth stopped him with a glare before he could do any more damage.
"You need to trust your team, Peter."
"I know. I just don't like being on the sidelines."
"I'm sure Neal is fine, he's crafty."
"To a fault." Peter said ruefully. "I just hope he was the one who cut that anklet. A lot of people are interested in getting their hands on the Nightingale, he would be a good place to start."
"You sound like you blame yourself."
"I should have insisted that he be admitted to the hospital, or at the very least be taken to a safe house rather than sent home."
"Would now be a good time to point out to you that you were unconscious when that decision was made?" Elizabeth asked.
"I was?"
"You were." Elizabeth confirmed. "So you can hardly be blamed."
"I guess there is nothing I can do about it now anyway."
"You can get some rest so that you are ready when the time comes."
Peter smiled sadly as Elizabeth leaned over and kissed his cheek. Despite only being awake for an hour he was exhausted. He fought actually falling asleep in case someone called, however it didn't take him long to lose the fight.
When Peter woke again he could hear Diana and Jones quietly talking with Elizabeth. Opening his eyes he had to blink against the intrusive morning light. Jolted awake by the time that must have past Peter instinctively tried to sit up. This time he battled through the initial pain and managed to swing his legs over as he sat up on the edge of the bed.
"Peter..." Elizabeth rushed over in alarm.
"I'm okay." Peter assured. "What did you find?"
"There were no direct leads to help us find Caffrey," Jones said "but there was evidence of a struggle."
"We've run everything through preliminary testing." Diana added. "Blood spatter reports indicate an attack by more than one intruder. Quick tests show the blood is male and O negative."
"So most likely Neal's. Where was it found?"
"Um...everywhere." Diana said sadly.
Diana handed Peter a folder with eight by ten printed digital photos. Opening the folder Peter leafed through them. The photos started near the bed where there was an impact smear of blood on the wall. A scattered trail lead across the floor along with a few scuff marks from the attacker's shoes.
Peter's breath caught in his throat when he flipped to the next photo. Neal's antique kitchen table had been hastily cleared and was dripping in congealing blood. The tracking device and the note were also in the photo, but Peter was having difficulty seeing anything other than the ominous red stain.
"The pool on the kitchen table suggests someone held him down and reopened his side." Diana reported.
"Torturing him for the location of the Nightingale." Peter added quietly. "Something he doesn't know."
"Actually, he might." Jones said. "There were long black hairs from a women of Asian decent found on the pillow on his bed, as well as a set of women's clothing soaked in A positive blood in the trash in the bathroom."
"I'm guessing Zhang was A positive." Peter said. "If Hsing was there when someone broke in she must have been hiding, they must not have known she was there."
"What makes you say that?" Jones asked.
"Because if they wanted something from Neal they would have hurt her instead. It would be a lot more effective." Peter pointed out. "Besides if they found her they'd have what they wanted, and they would have killed him."
"So the girl is probably still out there. She would have left after they took him."
Taking his eyes off the photo of the bloodied table Peter went through the rest of the photos. The kitchen counter was oddly covered in cereal. It wasn't until he noticed a pair of tin snips in another photo that he guessed that Neal had hid them in the cereal box for a rainy day. Finding a photo with the couch he noted a dark patch on the blue fabric that could easily be a blood stain.
"Or they left empty handed, she patched him up, then she spooked, and he went after her." Peter said as held up the photo of the stain on the couch. "What else was at the scene?"
"There was a note on the table with the anklet, but it doesn't make much sense and it doesn't look like Caffrey's handwriting to me."
Jones handed Peter an evidence bag with a bloodstained torn piece of paper in it. Peter flipped the bag over to read the note. The simple two word note was written in an oddly slanted flowing style that had a carefully practiced feel to it. The note didn't give him all the answer, but it shed some light on Neal's motivation.
"Peter?" Jones asked as Peter continued to stare at the note.
"This is Neal's handwriting."
"Really?"
"It's his left handed handwriting." Peter replied confidently. "I can't actually prove that, but I've come across it enough while chasing him to recognize it."
"Do you know what it means?"
"'Pis aller.'" Peter read the note aloud.
"Latin?"
"French...a move of last resort."
PART Eleven http://phoenix-cry79.livejournal.com/5752.html
Chapter Twenty-six
"It really is breathtaking."
Neal admired the Nightingale sword while working to remove Liao's blood from it with a wet cloth. Removing the last of the blood he polished it to a mirror shine and inspected the detailed nightingale bird engraved into the blade. Each feather held fine detail as the bird flew away as the sword glinted in the morning light.
"I don't have the skill to get the tracking device out of it, but it's a simple one that can be disabled with a rare earth magnet. "
"Where can we find one of those?"
"I keep one around for occasions just like this." Neal smile.
Neal went over to one of the kitchen draws and rummaged around for the small powerful magnet. He had tried using it to deprogram the computer in his anklet once, and it had sort of worked. The anklet went into instant default, which meant calling the F.B.I. Neal had claimed that he had no idea why it had suddenly malfunctioned and since there was no proof of tampering Peter had been forced to believe him.
Finding the magnet Neal brought it over and pressed it against the hilt of the sword where the tiny tracker hid beneath. Removing the magnet he carefully put it back in the drawer to keep it from accidentally erasing any number of the digital items in his apartment. Hsing picked up the Nightingale and smiled shyly.
"Would you like to hear it sing?" Hsing asked.
"It sings?"
"I am not an expert at the art, but I know a little."
"I'd love to hear it."
Hsing moved into the open space near the front door with the sword held in her hand lightly. Slashing the bright weapon through the air it sang out with a slight warble. Hsing did not have the skill with the blade that Tachi had, however the sword still sang a sweet song for her. Neal watched the performance with a smile. He could see her relaxing and regaining some of her confidence as she danced with the sword. Her training as a performer had been cut short when Liao had stolen her, but the potential was still there.
"That was beautiful." Neal praised with a light applause when Hsing was done.
"Thank you." Hsing said with a demur bow.
Hsing physically jumped with fright when there was a knock at the door.
"Neal, it's June."
"Coming."
Neal took the sword from Hsing and threw it on the bed before covering it with the sheets. He figured the less June knew about his guest the better. He came to the door and opened it. June offered him a grocery bag of medical supplies that he had asked for.
"Thank you so much, June." Neal said as he took the offering.
"I suppose it was only a matter of time before you got yourself shot."
"My ratio of having guns drawn on me and actual bullet holes is still very favorable." Neal chuckled. "June...I hate to chase you out of your own house, but..."
"I have a friend upstate that I've been meaning to visit for a while." June said knowingly.
"Thank you, June. I'm really sorry, it will only be a few days. I doubt there is any danger, but I'd hate to get you mixed up into anything."
"Oh it's a little late for that." June mocked.
"Good point."
"Take good care of her, she seems like a sweet girl."
Neal looked over his shoulder at Hsing who was standing over by the glass patio doors. She looked like she was trying her best to be invisible. When she saw that they were looking at her she bowed. June said good bye and left to pack. Neal put the supplies she'd given him on the kitchen counter, he needed to redress the wound but he wasn't really looking forward to messing with it at the moment. Neal looked at the clock and noticed it was almost noon. Pulling out his cell phone he called Elizabeth.
"Hello, Neal." Elizabeth greeted.
"Good morning, Elizabeth. How is Peter doing? Is he awake yet?"
"No." Elizabeth sighed in stress. "His blood pressure has stabilized, but he still has occasional arrhythmia, and he's still unresponsive. The doctors tell me I shouldn't worry, but I can't help myself."
"He'll pull through. I don't think the Marshals are going to let me come visit if he's not awake, but I can try to get there if you need me."
"You have your own wounds to heal. Get some rest. I will call you if anything changes."
"Thank you."
Neal hung up the phone and just stared at it for a moment. He wasn't sure what he would do if Peter didn't survive. Neal decided against thinking about that particular scenario at the moment. Calling another number he paced restlessly.
"Hey, Neal." Mozzie answered brightly.
"Moz, have you gotten in touch with Alex yet?"
"Not exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I've left hints with all the right people, but she hasn't surfaced yet. I know a few other fences you could use..."
"I'd rather deal with Alex." Neal said. "We should have plenty of time. Hsing's safe here."
"Can I come over and see the Nightingale?" Mozzie asked hopefully.
"Only if you bring Alex along with you."
"I'll find her." Mozzie said confidently. "I've also got some feelers out for the new ID, but such short notice won't make it cheep."
"We just need to get her home, there doesn't have to be any money left over."
"So...no finders fee?"
"Mozzie..." Neal warned.
"Okay, okay. I'll keep you up to date."
Neal hung up again and slipped his phone into his pocket. Feeling increasingly stressed he paced back and forth a few times. He had not been comfortable being locked up at Liao's, but he was discovering that it was only marginally better to be pent up at home. Neal felt guilty for not being at the hospital with Elizabeth, but he didn't want to leave Hsing alone either.
Feeling the start of a powerful headache coming on Neal closed his eyes, reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again he was startled to find that Hsing was standing right in front of him. She pushed herself up on her tips toes and kissed him with far more affection than a simple 'thank you'. Taken off guard it took Neal a second to react, he put his hands on her shoulders and took a step to put some distance between them.
"What are you doing?"
"You look stressed." Hsing said honestly.
"And this is your solution?"
"I owe you a great deal."
"You don't owe me that much." Neal said firmly.
"You did not mind when Tachi offered you a similar deal."
"Yeah, poor judgment on my part." Neal admitted. "At the time I was fairly certain I was going to die, and I wasn't nursing a gun shot wound."
"I did not mean to offend you."
"I'm not offended, Hsing. I just don't want you thinking you need to offer me your body as some sort of 'payment'."
"It's all I have."
"Yeah, but it shouldn't be for sale."
Hsing smiled and took a step back so she could offer Neal a deep bow. Neal bowed back to her in return, which he regreted as his side lanced painfully. The rest of the day went by without incident. Neal called Elizabeth several times, but each time the repot was the same. Mozzie was still hunting down Alex with no success. Neal decided that he would give Mozzie one more day to find her before going with a different fence.
After watching a few classic movies Neal offered Hsing his bed for the night and took the couch. It was getting late so Neal decided against giving Elizabeth a call in case she was finally getting some sleep herself. Settling into the couch Neal fell into a light sleep.
This time when someone scratched at his door lock with a pick set Neal snapped awake. Jerking up Neal looked over at the door. The stairway light was on and he could see the shadow of someone standing outside as they tried to unlock the door. Neal went over to where Hsing was sleeping and pressed his hand over her mouth. Hsing jolted awake and looked up at Neal in terror.
"Hide under the bed," Neal whispered "and keep quiet."
Neal released Hsing and she instantly scrambled off the bed and crawled underneath. Neal tugged on the sheets so they reached the floor to hide her further. A chill ran down his back when he heard the lock click as the intruder succeeded in turning the lock. He glanced around for a weapon, but the closest thing was the Nightingale sword that was under the bed with Hsing.
In a last minute decision Neal decided to get into bed and pretend to be sleeping. It was a risky move, but he feared that if he was caught on guard the intruders would be more likely to search for Hsing. If it looked like they had walked in on him sleeping alone peacefully it would be more believable when he told them he didn't know where she was. His plan depended on them being after Hsing and not him, but he couldn't do much if they just wanted to kill him anyway.
It wasn't easy to lay still while he listened to the door open. He was laying on his side with his back to them to help it look like he was just sleeping. Neal forced himself to take slow breaths as they approached even though his instincts were screaming to either fight or run. Since he knew he wouldn't get far with either option he managed to stay still.
Neal was almost relieved when someone grabbed him if only because it meant that they didn't mean to just shoot him and leave. Crying out in genuine shock Neal did his best to fight back against his attacker. Hauled out of bed he was quickly thrown back first into the wall. Already knocked breathless Neal's breath caught in his throat when his attacker gave him a sharp blow to the stomach. Instantly nauseous the jab dropped him to the floor. Gasping for breath Neal wrapped his arms over his stomach and curled up to try and protect himself from further assault.
When he was lifted up off the floor Neal realized that there were at least three men involved. Two of them dragged him over to the dinning room table while the other cleared the two bottles of wine and the centerpiece off it, letting them crash to the floor. Despite his best effort to stop them Neal still ended up on the table pinned down on his back.
Neal continued to struggle until the third man stepped up and gently put his hand directly over the now bleeding wound in his stomach. Forcing himself to relax Neal glared up at the leader of his attackers. In the silver moonlight Neal could clearly see the man's slicked back Yakuza style hair and sharp Asian features.
"Where is it?" The man growled darkly.
"Wh...where's what?" Neal asked with as much innocents as any other denial of crime he'd made over the years.
"The Nightingale."
"I don't know."
Neal cried out as the man pushed his palm down on his injured side. As the man pushed down harder Neal's strained voice cracked as he came close to passing out. The Yakuza relaxed his grip for a moment and gave Neal a chance to recover before he threatened to dig into the freshly opened wound once more.
"Wait! I...I don't have the sword." Neal insisted as he panted heavily. "I don't know where it is...I swear. Why would I know?"
"Because she stole it for you."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Neal snarled angrily.
"Save it, Caffrey. I know you were with Zhang, I know he had Hsing, and I know you used the Nightingale to set a trap for him, and I know Hsing killed him and ran off with the sword."
"Then you have a lot more information than I do!" Neal hissed. "I was on my way to the hospital when the sword disappeared. Look at my ankle, I'm on house arrest. How could I possibly have the Nightingale?"
"You are the only person she'd have to turn to."
"I don't know where the sword is." Neal repeated. "Hsing has no reason to trust me."
"Then you're no use to me..."
Neal's mind raced as the man reached into his jacket for his hand gun. He tried one last time to pull away from the men holding him down.
"Wait...wait, you kill me you won't just have local police after you, it will be the F.B.I. You have nothing to gain from killing me and everything to lose. Clearly you have contacts in the F.B.I...will they still back you if murder a CI?"
Neal's only answer was a blinding flash of pain against his temple. The strike hadn't been enough to knock him out, but it had been enough to render him mostly senseless. He wasn't sure if the Yakuza had seen the wisdom in his advice or if he'd always planed to just knock him out enough to make an exit. Either way Neal was grateful when they let him go and went to leave.
Hearing the door close behind the men Neal closed his eyes and just laid on the table trying to catch his breath. He didn't worry about the blood soaking through his night shirt and pooling on the wooden table, he knew from experience that he could lose a great deal more before it became a problem. Neal jerked with a startled gasp as a light touch brushed his cheek. He looked up and relaxed again when he saw Hsing looking down on him with a look of concern.
"Hsing..."
"You were very brave, they could have killed you."
"Yeah, well they would have killed us both if I told them you were here."
"Yes." Hsing nodded sadly. "Thank you."
"Did you recognize them?"
"I believe they were of the Inagawa-kai family, rival family."
"Of course."
Neal closed his eyes again and tried to ignore the throbbing in his side. Eventually he groaned and rolled off the table. He was unstable on his feet so Hsing slipped under his arm and helped him to the couch. Neal sat down and Hsing pulled off his shirt. He looked down at the wound and grimaced at the sight. All the stitches were broken now and most of the steri-strips were ruined.
Hsing fetched the supplies that June had brought by earlier and did her best to fix the damage. His temple was already bruising, but there was nothing she could do about that. When she finished wrapping the wound she offered Neal a new shirt. Neal pulled it on and then took her hands.
"Hsing, this is getting too complicated. I need to call my friends at the F.B.I."
"No, no, please..."
"We need their help."
"I can not, my life will be over. I am sorry I put you in danger. I...I will go."
"Hsing you have no where to go. Stay with me, let me help you."
"I will simply go to the local Yamaguchi." Hsing said sadly.
"They'll kill you."
"It will also stop the Yakuza from threatening you."
"I can't let you do that."
"You are in no condition to stop me."
Hsing pulled her hands out of his and backed away. Neal was slow to get to his feet and by the time he did Hsing already had the Nightingale and the Sapphire Waterfall in hand. With tears streaking down her face she ran for the door.
"Hsing, wait!" Neal called. "Please stay."
Hsing shook her head and left.
"Damn it."
Neal didn't have much time to make a decision before Hsing got too far away to be found. Growling in frustration Neal rushed to the kitchen and opened the cabinet. Grabbing a box of cereal he dumped the contents out on the counter. A heavy duty pair of tin snips fell out of the box along with the flakes. Bring his foot up on the counter he hesitated for one last second before using the tin snips to cut through the tracker.
The severed device made a shrill sound in protest. Neal let the tracker make noise as he placed it on the kitchen table next to the pool of congealing blood. Grabbing his cell phone and pair of shoes Neal went to chase after Hsing. Turning back for a second Neal scrawled out a quick message on a scrap of paper and placed it under the anklet before leaving.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Peter woke feeling very disoriented. He had slept through a full day and most of the next night. The last thing he clearly remembered was hearing Neal desperately calling out for help. Opening his eyes he looked up at the white ICU ceiling. The lights were turned down which gave him a sense that it was late at night. Glancing up at the IV stand with its various bags of drugs and saline he came to the sensible conclusion that he had made it to the hospital.
Taking a deep breath Peter was rewarded with a sharp pain across his chest. He reached into the collar of his hospital gown and gingerly touched at the staples that were keeping his incision closed. To repair the badly damaged sternum and release the fluid and blood that had accumulated in his chest they had cut a four inch line down the center of his chest. Attempting to sit up was greeted with another lance of pain.
Giving up on sitting up Peter turned his head and found Elizabeth curled up on the couch sleeping soundly. Even with her eyes closed Peter could see her stress, tears had streaked her makeup. He had promised her that everything was going to be okay that the kevlar would protect him and that despite his feeling on guns that Neal was an excellent shot. He had not counted on Zhang carrying such a high powered hand gun.
Not wanting to disturb his wife Peter just watched her sleep. He had gone into the White Collar division because there was a lower chance of him getting shot at. Since meeting Neal the number of 'close calls' had risen significantly. Elizabeth whimpered quietly in her sleep and for the first time in his life Peter started to reconsider his career path.
"El..." Peter called softly when Elizabeth continued to be tormented by a nightmare.
"Peter?" Elizabeth asked as she snapped awake.
Elizabeth got to her feet and rushed over to Peter's bed side. She had a mixed expression of relief and anxiety as she hesitated to touch him. Peter reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his lips he gave her a hand a gentle kiss. Elizabeth smiled brightly as tears slipped down her face once more. She ran her free hand through his hair and Peter smiled.
"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked. "I should get the nurse..."
"No. I want some time alone with you first."
"As long as you're sure you're okay."
"I'm fine. I think one of these lines has some morphine in it."
"It does."
"Good stuff."
Elizabeth chuckled quietly. Peter reached over to the controller on the bed that brought the head of the bed up. Moving wasn't comfortable, but he didn't want to be laying flat on his back anymore. In a more seated position Peter was able to convince Elizabeth to come in for a proper kiss. She was still careful, not wanting to hurt him.
Exhausted from just being awake Peter was forced to close his eyes for a moment. Elizabeth pulled up a chair and sat next to him. She put her hand back in Peter's and they spent a while in silence. Eventually Peter opened his dark eyes again and looked to Elizabeth. She was staring at him trying to keep her tears at bay. He hated seeing her so stressed.
"El...if you want me to quit the Bureau I will."
"What? Peter, that morphine must be really effecting you."
"I'm serious. Say the word and I'll find myself a corporate desk job somewhere."
"But you love the Bureau."
"I love you more."
"What would happen to Neal?"
"I can't imagine any other Agent taking him in." Peter admitted. "He'd end up back in prison for the rest of his sentence. But, don't let Neal's fate influence your decision, this is about us, not him."
Elizabeth paused, carefully considering what Peter was offering. Peter's stomach twisted slightly as he waited for her answer. He wasn't really sure what he'd do with himself if he wasn't an Agent. However, he was willing to live up to his promise if it was what she wanted. It wasn't fair to Elizabeth to put her through situation like this one.
"Peter, I would love for you to have a less dangerous job." Elizabeth whispered. "But I also know you'd be miserable. You love your job, and even though you'd never admit it out loud I know you love working with Neal."
"He certainly keeps things interesting."
"Keep your job, Hon." Elizabeth leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"Are you sure?"
"It's part of who you are, and part of the man I love."
"How did I end up with such a wonderful and understanding wife?" Peter smiled.
"You're just lucky I guess."
Peter smiled, but it was far too painful to risk laughing. Elizabeth gently brushed his cheek with her fingertips. The nurse had noticed long ago that Peter was awake and had called for the doctor who had just arrived. The doctor had waited outside for a moment to offer the couple some privacy, but he sensed that now was a good time to interrupt.
"Agent Burke." The doctor greeted as he stepped inside. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I expected."
"The surgery went well, we were able to put your sternum back in place. You'll have some precautions to follow, but you should be able to move to a TCU in a week."
"TCU?"
"Transitional Care Unit. It's like a stepping stone towards going home."
"How long till I can get out of bed?"
"Oh the therapist will have you up and walking by tomorrow morning."
"That soon?" Elizabeth asked.
"Always best to get moving as quickly as possibly, with certain restrictions of course." The doctor assured. "For tonight, just rest. If you are up to it there are two Agent's outside chomping at the bit to see you."
"You can let them in."
"Make sure they don't stay long." The doctor instructed Elizabeth.
Elizabeth nodded in agreement. The doctor stepped out of the ICU room. Jones and Diana came in. They had been taking turns keeping guard outside the door and happened to be between shifts so they were both there. Diana stepped up and smiled.
"Good to see you awake, Peter." Diana said.
"Thank you. What happened at the warehouse?"
"All in all there were three hundred twenty-seven women in the containers. We are coordinating with immigration, local hospitals, and The Blind Project to get them all the help they need."
"The Blind Project?" Elizabeth asked.
"A non-profit organization that works to end sex trafficking." Peter clarified. "How is Hsing doing? She saved everyone there."
"Uh...she's missing." Jones admitted.
"Missing?"
"Lost in the chaos along with the Nightingale sword. We have Agents and local LEOs looking for her."
"Where is Neal?"
"Marshals put him on house arrest at June's last night."
"Does he know Hsing is missing?" Peter demanded.
"Yeah...but, Peter, don't worry about any of this." Jones said. "Just focus on getting better."
"It's Neal, it's my job to worry."
"He isn't going anywhe..." Jones stopped as his cell phone rang.
Peter held his breath as he saw the expression that fell over Jones's face as he listened to the caller. Jones thanked the caller with a sad sigh and put his cell phone back in his pocket. Jones looked at Peter with a sheepish expression.
"Jones?"
"It's Caffrey, he cut his anklet."
"Of course he did." Peter huffed. "There isn't a sensible bone in his body."
"I'm sure he had a good reason." Elizabeth said.
"The Marshals aren't going to care why he cut it." Jones pointed out.
"He could end up with another four to six years if they have to drag him back." Diana added. "Hell, he'll probably still get an extra two even if he comes back on his own. He has to know that. Why wouldn't he just let us handle this?"
"Do you think he's looking for Hsing?" Elizabeth asked.
"That's exactly what I think." Peter shook his head sadly. "There are only two things that ruin Caffrey's judgment: women and shiny objects."
"What should we do?" Diana asked.
"We need to find him before the Marshals, Zhang's tong, or the Yakuza do." Peter said. "All three will be in the mood to kill him. Not that I don't feel that way myself sometimes... I have no idea how he's managed to survive this long."
"Pure charisma?" Elizabeth guessed.
"Sounds about right."
Chapter Twenty-eight
"I'm coming with you." Peter said firmly.
"Um..." Jones replied uncomfortably.
"Honey," Elizabeth said gently "you're in no condition to go anywhere. I know Neal is your friend..."
"He's more than that, he's my responsibility."
"We'll find him, Peter." Diana assured. "You need to rest."
"I'm fine."
Trying to demonstrate that he was able to participate Peter attempted to get out of bed. Even though he already had the head of the bed up he was only able to get as far as leaning forward in preparation to sit up before the broken bone in his chest protested. Laying back Peter took a second to catch his breath. Looking concerned Elizabeth put her hand on his arm.
"Okay...maybe I'm not 'fine'." Peter admitted. "Get to his place before the Marshals trample all the evidence."
"Got it, Boss." Diana nodded.
Peter watched Jones and Diana leave, wishing he could go with them. He tried once more to get to the edge of the bed, but Elizabeth stopped him with a glare before he could do any more damage.
"You need to trust your team, Peter."
"I know. I just don't like being on the sidelines."
"I'm sure Neal is fine, he's crafty."
"To a fault." Peter said ruefully. "I just hope he was the one who cut that anklet. A lot of people are interested in getting their hands on the Nightingale, he would be a good place to start."
"You sound like you blame yourself."
"I should have insisted that he be admitted to the hospital, or at the very least be taken to a safe house rather than sent home."
"Would now be a good time to point out to you that you were unconscious when that decision was made?" Elizabeth asked.
"I was?"
"You were." Elizabeth confirmed. "So you can hardly be blamed."
"I guess there is nothing I can do about it now anyway."
"You can get some rest so that you are ready when the time comes."
Peter smiled sadly as Elizabeth leaned over and kissed his cheek. Despite only being awake for an hour he was exhausted. He fought actually falling asleep in case someone called, however it didn't take him long to lose the fight.
When Peter woke again he could hear Diana and Jones quietly talking with Elizabeth. Opening his eyes he had to blink against the intrusive morning light. Jolted awake by the time that must have past Peter instinctively tried to sit up. This time he battled through the initial pain and managed to swing his legs over as he sat up on the edge of the bed.
"Peter..." Elizabeth rushed over in alarm.
"I'm okay." Peter assured. "What did you find?"
"There were no direct leads to help us find Caffrey," Jones said "but there was evidence of a struggle."
"We've run everything through preliminary testing." Diana added. "Blood spatter reports indicate an attack by more than one intruder. Quick tests show the blood is male and O negative."
"So most likely Neal's. Where was it found?"
"Um...everywhere." Diana said sadly.
Diana handed Peter a folder with eight by ten printed digital photos. Opening the folder Peter leafed through them. The photos started near the bed where there was an impact smear of blood on the wall. A scattered trail lead across the floor along with a few scuff marks from the attacker's shoes.
Peter's breath caught in his throat when he flipped to the next photo. Neal's antique kitchen table had been hastily cleared and was dripping in congealing blood. The tracking device and the note were also in the photo, but Peter was having difficulty seeing anything other than the ominous red stain.
"The pool on the kitchen table suggests someone held him down and reopened his side." Diana reported.
"Torturing him for the location of the Nightingale." Peter added quietly. "Something he doesn't know."
"Actually, he might." Jones said. "There were long black hairs from a women of Asian decent found on the pillow on his bed, as well as a set of women's clothing soaked in A positive blood in the trash in the bathroom."
"I'm guessing Zhang was A positive." Peter said. "If Hsing was there when someone broke in she must have been hiding, they must not have known she was there."
"What makes you say that?" Jones asked.
"Because if they wanted something from Neal they would have hurt her instead. It would be a lot more effective." Peter pointed out. "Besides if they found her they'd have what they wanted, and they would have killed him."
"So the girl is probably still out there. She would have left after they took him."
Taking his eyes off the photo of the bloodied table Peter went through the rest of the photos. The kitchen counter was oddly covered in cereal. It wasn't until he noticed a pair of tin snips in another photo that he guessed that Neal had hid them in the cereal box for a rainy day. Finding a photo with the couch he noted a dark patch on the blue fabric that could easily be a blood stain.
"Or they left empty handed, she patched him up, then she spooked, and he went after her." Peter said as held up the photo of the stain on the couch. "What else was at the scene?"
"There was a note on the table with the anklet, but it doesn't make much sense and it doesn't look like Caffrey's handwriting to me."
Jones handed Peter an evidence bag with a bloodstained torn piece of paper in it. Peter flipped the bag over to read the note. The simple two word note was written in an oddly slanted flowing style that had a carefully practiced feel to it. The note didn't give him all the answer, but it shed some light on Neal's motivation.
"Peter?" Jones asked as Peter continued to stare at the note.
"This is Neal's handwriting."
"Really?"
"It's his left handed handwriting." Peter replied confidently. "I can't actually prove that, but I've come across it enough while chasing him to recognize it."
"Do you know what it means?"
"'Pis aller.'" Peter read the note aloud.
"Latin?"
"French...a move of last resort."
PART Eleven http://phoenix-cry79.livejournal.com/5752.html