Shaggy C.I. - Part 4
Due to someone not reading that this was NOT for minors,
I will put a small warning that in this and the following chapter
is a scene that may bother some people.
Considering most people write far worse things,
I don't see what the complaint is but here I am
putting a disclaimer to make sure future readers
who can't read that this isn't for minors don't complain.
Peter was surprised when he’d been visiting Neal for several hours and El hadn’t shown up as planned. Hughes had given him the week off to watch over Neal so he had been letting everyone know how the consultant was. He had planned on visiting the office today but had decided it against it when he heard Neal had a close call. There was evidence someone may have been in his room so Peter asked the hospital to place security outside Neal’s room and restrict access. He worried about his friend and partner more than he cared to admit. He had meant to let June know about her boarder’s injuries but had no way to contact her about what happened. Neal had told him Friday she had gone out of town to visit her daughter. With June away Peter had no access to Neal’s apartment. This meant he was unable to contact Mozzie who would probably accuse him if he could of causing this. Peter already felt guilty knowing it was Neal walking his dog that caused the young man to be out. They still hadn’t found who hit him since the traffic cam footage was missing and there had been no witnesses. The driver had chosen his time well, still... maybe El was right. It could have just been a random act by a stupid driver but it still made him feel badly as if he had caused this. Neal was his responsibility so he had to solve this.
Peter sighed. He had been surprised when Neal had waken up briefly, calling for Elizabeth. Something in his gut told him it meant more than just a cry for comfort, the sound of his friend’s voice plaintive and worried for her more than himself. The agent left the room after he was certain his partner and friend had relaxed again, pulling out his cell in the hallway as he dialed a familiar number.
“Burke Premier Events. Leave a message.”
Peter continued to worry even though he knows it’s silly as he left a message for his missing wife.
“Hey El, just wondering where you were. Neal woke up for a moment. See you soon, hon.”
He hung up the cell and pushed it in his pocket still feeling like something is wrong. He’s deep in thought contemplating everything that’s happened when Neal’s doctor walks past and calls to him.
“Agent Burke... Visiting your partner?”
Peter nods, smiling at the man as they start to chat. The doctor says he was seeing some promise with Neal’s tests and reactions the last day or so but until he woke up they wouldn’t know anything for certain. The swelling was going down quicker than anticipated. Peter was glad to hear it as he told him about Neal trying to wake and calling for his wife. The doctor smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
“If he’s able to rouse even a little, that’s a good sign, Agent Burke. Just have faith. That’s all we need at a time like this.”
They spoke for a few minutes more before the doctor was called away by a nurse and Peter went back in to check on Neal. His friend lay sleeping, face tight and worried. Peter moved closer, brushing Neal’s hair a moment before telling him he’d be back soon.
Peter left the hospital still thinking about what the doctor had said and Neal’s call for Elizabeth. He was worrying why El hadn’t picked up. It wasn’t like her but it didn’t necessarily mean anything was wrong. The agent pulled up to the curb and parked in front of their home noticing an unfamiliar car parked across the street. Peter made a note of it and the obvious dent on the front as he turned to walk up the few steps to his home. He didn’t think much of it as he walked inside and called out for his wife.
“El? Honey?”
The house was quiet, too much so as he closed the door. Satchmo wasn’t in his usual spot as he walked over to the kitchen. He was disappointed when she wasn’t there as the agent moved towards the fridge. He was feeling like a beer when he heard the sound. It was soft but he recognized it as he looked for a source.
“El?”
Peter’s eyes moved around the space till he saw movement on the floor. His wife sat slumped on the linoleum behind the island in the center of the kitchen, her arms bound behind her, legs taped securely and a piece of tape over her mouth. Elizabeth’s eyes were closed as he crouched worriedly beside her, removing the tape from her mouth before pulling at the tape that held her arms behind her. She started to rouse at his touch, eyes flashing open with a glance of fear that quickly turned to recognition and finally relief. He saw tears there of both fear and joy.
“Peter?”
She looked shocked if not surprised as he continued to untie her.
“What happened? Who did this?”
Peter watched her lips part to answer when her eyes glanced up and behind him, widening. He didn’t have time to react as someone hit him hard across the back of the head, the agent slumping to the ground. His eyes were closed but he could sense Elizabeth beside him, her hand touching his briefly before being pulled forcibly away. His eyes opened partially as he felt his arms pulled behind him and bound securely before being flipped onto his back where a new face met his. It was blurry at first then focused somewhat as he realized who it was.
“Remember me, Agent Burke?”
The agent nodded with a tight smile as he recognized the right hand man of one of the biggest mobsters in town. The man’s face looked more scarred than it had the last time he’d seen the man going to prison. He wondered how the man had gotten out as he replied.
“Andre Pivetta. I didn’t think people got parole on life sentences.”
Peter felt the sock to his chin, the pain radiating throughout his head like a ringing bell as it hit hard against the floor aggravating the injury to the back of his skull. Andre or Andy as he liked to be called was straddling him, smiling coldly as he held the agent there securely on the floor. Peter’s arms ached as they were pressed beneath his weight and that of the man holding him down. Andy licked his lips as if anticipating something.
“Always the smart mouthed Fed. Eric... take Mrs. Burke upstairs if you know what I mean. Take care of her while I remind her husband here of past acquaintances.”
Peter watched El’s eyes widen in fear as Eric had no problem holding his wife securely in his arms. She kicked, muffled screams behind a new gag as he carried her away. Peter struggled to free himself to protect his wife but another punch to the chin stunned him into submission as he felt the man holding him down move slightly. A hand pulled his hair back, baring his neck and giving him a brief look at the other guy in the room with them before Andy met his eyes again.
“Mr. D’Arco asked me to take care of a few things so here I am. It helps to know people, Agent Burke. People can be bought and that’s why you didn’t know what was coming. Sad about that snitch of yours getting hurt. Hit and run I heard.”
Peter looked up with narrow, angry eyes at the man just before a hard slap smacked him His cheek stung as he tried to figure out what the man was going to do with him. Andy was looking up at something, seemingly distracted till he grinned broadly. Peter had a bad feeling.
“Robbie... bring me that.”
He couldn’t see what it was the other man was grabbing but he heard a kind of metal scraping on metal sound and suddenly saw one of their huge kitchen knifes from their counter in Andy’s hand. The man smiled like a deranged child with a shiny new toy, a cold feeling washing over him as the goon spun the knife in his hands.
“Aren’t these the knives that are supposed to slice through anything? I know your wife is a caterer. Maybe we should add something new to the menu. How does diced Federali tartar sound?”
Andy was grinning coldly as he gazed down at him. Peter wasn’t sure what to expect until he gave a muffled scream. His eyes were shut tight against the pain as he felt the long thin knife jabbed through his left shoulder till it stuck in the floor. His eyes opened up after a moment to show Andy still smiling.
“I’m not going to kill you yet, Burke. We’re just getting started. I want to make sure you know what Eric does to your wife before you go. Plus Robbie here might just take some pics to send your coworkers. We wouldn’t want any future interference.”
()()()
Neal lay in the darkness for some time, floating there in nothingness as if in the midst of outer space when he thought he heard a far off sound like a whimper. It was full of fear, a familiar scent of perfume reaching his nose as his mind moved towards the sound.
“You’re a pretty lady, Mrs. Burke. I’m sure people tell you that all the time.”
The unfamiliar voice was interrupted by more muffled whimpers as he felt pressure from overhead and realized he was under a bed. Neal was confused for a moment trying to figure out who’s bed and why when he heard the soft panting sound and realized he was back with Satchmo. He felt a growl growing in the dog’s throat but stopped him as they quietly slid from underneath and over by the bedroom window. They had a view of a figure laying on the bed trembling with fear. It was Elizabeth. Neal saw she was bound and gagged with tape, a very tall man with dark hair moving towards her on the opposite end as he removed his jacket and shoes. It was obvious what the man was thinking of doing as Neal felt anger growing in him and Satchmo. Elizabeth scooted away as much as she could with her arms bound with duct tape behind her. The man continued to smiled evilly at her, reaching to grab her leg before she reached the edge of the bed. He held her fast by the ankle as she pulled away from him in vain.
“You can’t leave. Our party hasn’t started yet.”
Neal saw her wrists just hanging over the edge of the bed as he thought of something to do. Satchmo started to gnaw on the tape just out of sight. If they could free her hands it might just help with what he had planned. Someone cursed and he realized the man had seen them.
“Damn mutt! What the hell are you doing?”
Elizabeth had turned to see them there, or at least she saw Satchmo as he chewed on the tape and she pulled to free her hands. The goon let go of her leg, reaching behind his waist for something. Neal worried it might be a gun as he saw the tape around El’s wrists tearing. He commanded Satchmo to stop as they suddenly leaped over the bed and flew at the distracted goon.
“Get him off of me! Get this damn mutt off of me!”
The guy fell back to the floor yelling, his one hand stuck behind him where he had been reaching for his gun when Satch attacked him. Neal was only just aware of El freeing herself on the bed and climbing off as he felt the dog also curious of his owner’s safety. The distraction was enough the man lifted them up and threw them aside, Satchmo yelping as they hit the floor with a hard thud. Neal could feel the dog’s pain, soothing the poor hurt lab as best he could when he heard the cock of a gun. atchmo gazed up, Neal seeing the crazed attacker above them.
“Stupid mutt. Think you’re Cujo or something?”
The man was aiming to shoot when there was a dull thud. Neal wasn’t sure what happened till the man dropped the gun and collapsed to the ground stunned and he saw Elizabeth standing there behind him with a sturdy but small statue in her hands. He had to compliment her on her moxie despite her face flushed with fear, body shaking in terror as she seemed close to breaking down. He wanted to comfort her but as Satchmo he was limited to a low whimper as they dragged themselves toward her and nudged at her knee. El’s attention turned to the dog as she finally put the statue down and moved to pet the lab she and Peter considered their baby.
“Good boy, Satchmo. Good boy.”
Neal knew they had to do something as he felt the dog thinking things he didn’t quite understand. Satchmo was thinking of something shiny and gray as he limped over to the man’s jacket and pulled something out with his teeth. Neal hadn’t known the object was there but Satch had, dog grinning as he dropped it next to Elizabeth. She blinked as if surprised by her pet’s intelligence then smiled. Neal wondered how the dog had thought of this, a smile in his mind’s eye. Never underestimate any one, including your own dog.
“Good idea, Satchmo. Watch the door.”
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 /
Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9