A Matter of Trust: Chapter 2
After Neal was sure that Mozzie had left, he walked out onto the balcony from his room at June's and looked out over the New York City skyline. As he admired the view, he thought about everything that had happened since he'd been at June's. He still wished that he could give June some hint that he was leaving with no intention of coming back. At least saying goodbye to June would feel right. She would understand. But Mozzie was right. He couldn't do that.
Neal cast a glance in the other direction and sighed. The Chrysler building. A few months ago, this was just another building. Now it seemed to be angry with him. As he stared at the building, he could hear Peter's voice.
You did this.
He had successfully laughed it off from Peter's point of view. But it stung that Peter trusted him that little. Then again, he mused, maybe he deserved that little trust. He was, after all, about to throw away everything that Peter had given him over the past two and half years.
***
Neal was restless. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that was going to happen the next day. He was worried about how successful his and Mozzie's plan was going to be. What would happen if it wasn't. He kept glancing at the red dot flashing intermittently on his tracking anklet. How he was going to feel betraying the trust of his co-workers at the FBI.
Neal threw up the covers and went over to the easel in corner. He hadn't been lying when he told Peter painting calmed the nerves. Without really thinking about it, he began painting the U-Boat. As he did, he realized he couldn't separate finding the tremendous art inside from everything Peter had done the day they had found it. Peter had allowed himself to be kidnapped, drugged, and put in the way of a bomb- all for the sake of helping and protecting Neal. And then he had shot Adler. Peter's sudden outburst at the docks had let Neal loose sight of the big picture.
Doubting everything about his plan, Neal reached for his cell and dialed Peter's number into the phone.
***
Neal walked into the warehouse about an hour before he would typically show up at the FBI office. He imagined that Mozzie would be just about finished moving the art out of the building into the horse trailers they were going to drive into Canda. Then, safely out of US jurisdiction, they would take a plane to an as yet unnamed tropical island. They had decided it would be infinitely safer if Neal left to meet Mozzie halfway through work. No one would suspect Neal had disappeared during his lunch break until they were too far away for them to catch up. And his tracking anklet would again be on June's pug.
"Moz?" Neal peered into the storage room where they had been hiding the art. There were only a few pieces left against the far wall. Neal walked in and leaned against the wall to wait, assuming his friend would be back soon.
A few minutes later, to his surprise, Agent Matthews walked in the door.
"Hello, Neal" She said brightly.
"Agent Matthews, good to see you again." Neal grinned, unsure how he was going to get out of this. "As you can see, I've found part of the Nazi treasure. That's why you're here too?"
"It is. Now if you could pick up those last few pieces for me, that would be wonderful."
"Pick them up? What for?" Neal asked, confused
"So you can sell them with the others" Agent Matthews grinned at him and pulled a folded and worn piece of paper from her jacket pocket "I have the manifest now."
"Sell? Don't you work for D.C. art crimes?" Neal asked, now completely baffled.
"It is such a good cover. I find the people who do steal art and have them sell it for me. No one ever suspects the girl that dresses like a librarian and acts adamant about catching art thieves. Anyway," Agent Matthews pulled a phone from her pocket and showed a video feed to Neal, "are you going to pick those pieces up?"
Neal saw Mozzie handcuffed to a plain white wall, clearly conscious but seemingly a bit dazed. Unsure what else he could do, Neal collected the pieces and followed Agent Matthews out the door.
Neal cast a glance in the other direction and sighed. The Chrysler building. A few months ago, this was just another building. Now it seemed to be angry with him. As he stared at the building, he could hear Peter's voice.
You did this.
He had successfully laughed it off from Peter's point of view. But it stung that Peter trusted him that little. Then again, he mused, maybe he deserved that little trust. He was, after all, about to throw away everything that Peter had given him over the past two and half years.
***
Neal was restless. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that was going to happen the next day. He was worried about how successful his and Mozzie's plan was going to be. What would happen if it wasn't. He kept glancing at the red dot flashing intermittently on his tracking anklet. How he was going to feel betraying the trust of his co-workers at the FBI.
Neal threw up the covers and went over to the easel in corner. He hadn't been lying when he told Peter painting calmed the nerves. Without really thinking about it, he began painting the U-Boat. As he did, he realized he couldn't separate finding the tremendous art inside from everything Peter had done the day they had found it. Peter had allowed himself to be kidnapped, drugged, and put in the way of a bomb- all for the sake of helping and protecting Neal. And then he had shot Adler. Peter's sudden outburst at the docks had let Neal loose sight of the big picture.
Doubting everything about his plan, Neal reached for his cell and dialed Peter's number into the phone.
***
Neal walked into the warehouse about an hour before he would typically show up at the FBI office. He imagined that Mozzie would be just about finished moving the art out of the building into the horse trailers they were going to drive into Canda. Then, safely out of US jurisdiction, they would take a plane to an as yet unnamed tropical island. They had decided it would be infinitely safer if Neal left to meet Mozzie halfway through work. No one would suspect Neal had disappeared during his lunch break until they were too far away for them to catch up. And his tracking anklet would again be on June's pug.
"Moz?" Neal peered into the storage room where they had been hiding the art. There were only a few pieces left against the far wall. Neal walked in and leaned against the wall to wait, assuming his friend would be back soon.
A few minutes later, to his surprise, Agent Matthews walked in the door.
"Hello, Neal" She said brightly.
"Agent Matthews, good to see you again." Neal grinned, unsure how he was going to get out of this. "As you can see, I've found part of the Nazi treasure. That's why you're here too?"
"It is. Now if you could pick up those last few pieces for me, that would be wonderful."
"Pick them up? What for?" Neal asked, confused
"So you can sell them with the others" Agent Matthews grinned at him and pulled a folded and worn piece of paper from her jacket pocket "I have the manifest now."
"Sell? Don't you work for D.C. art crimes?" Neal asked, now completely baffled.
"It is such a good cover. I find the people who do steal art and have them sell it for me. No one ever suspects the girl that dresses like a librarian and acts adamant about catching art thieves. Anyway," Agent Matthews pulled a phone from her pocket and showed a video feed to Neal, "are you going to pick those pieces up?"
Neal saw Mozzie handcuffed to a plain white wall, clearly conscious but seemingly a bit dazed. Unsure what else he could do, Neal collected the pieces and followed Agent Matthews out the door.