White Collar - as an unofficial novel - part 2

Work on a Saturday

Neal exchanged a desperate look with Peter.

"It's for you."

"This is Burke."

Neal sat down. It was far better to let Peter handle this. He had experience on his side. Neal had done little more than wasting money and put innocent people at risk.

"I'm sure you heard everything earlier," Ghovat continued.

"You want me to make the exchange," Peter summed it up.

"That's right. I won't waste my time telling you to come alone. Just make sure to bring the real dress."

"If it's not, are you going to make me eat it?"

"That's funny. Keep this phone on you. You'll meet me at the Central Park Bandshell tomorrow afternoon at four PM. Plenty of time for you to get your men into position."

The call was ended.

It was as if the air was sucked out of the room and they all sagged from the sudden tension.

"Alright, let's go home everyone," Peter said. "It's late and we have, as he said, plenty of time until the exchange tomorrow. Nothing more we can do now."

Peter joined Neal was they left the office. The kid always walked unless Peter gave him a ride. This day Peter had walked to work too.

"You okay?" he asked Neal. Peter was pretty sure he was not. Even if Neal had a criminal background he was non-violent and had probably no experience of hostage situations.

"No, not really," Neal replied and Peter almost smiled. The kid had not just shrugged but given a straight and honest answer. Peter also got the feeling Neal showed him that he forgave him for the pat-down blunder. To voluntarily expose a vulnerable side was not something Neal would have done if he had kept the distance he had shown in the car.

"It's natural. Want to talk about it?" Peter offered.

"No thank you, Doctor Freud. I already know why."

"Is it because of Tara?" Peter pried.

"You have to let me go to the exchange," Neal insisted. "It's my fault Tara's in trouble. I'm the one who paraded her around town in the dress."

True, but it was not your call, Peter thought. It was a good thing Neal took responsibility but he could not feel guilty every time something went wrong.

"Neal, we are a team. You didn't decide on your own to bring Tara in it. And Tara agreed to, remember?"

"Yes, but... I..."

"You charmed her to it?" Peter filled in. Neal nodded. He could not blame Neal for feeling guilty about that part. He knew what Neal was capable of. "Best thing you can do is help me figure out what Ghovat's game plan is. He knows we're going to have the place staked out."

"He knows you're running your playbook," Neal agreed.

"Right, so we're going to toss the old one, come up with a new one."

"No, no, you don't," Neal objected. "That's the point. See, he's counting on the FBI to have a plan."

"So I do nothing?"

"Roll with it."

"Like you would." Well, he was not Neal the con-man. He was an FBI agent representing more than himself. He could not waltz into a hostage situation without a plan.

"He expects you to have a plan, don't have one," Neal tried to convince him.

"Well, that's the worse idea ever."