White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 11

Safe-crack a submarine

When Peter awoke, he found the light terribly bright. He squinted and moved up to a sitting position, leaning against the wall. He was alive and just felt disoriented. It could have been a lot worse.

A silhouette of a woman appeared, towering above him.

"I can't believe it. He brought a fed here."

He knew that voice. He raised his hand to screen his eyes from the light.

"Alex Hunter."

She sat down on her heels to level with him.

"Adler must be serious if he risks getting a search posse on your tail."

Peter looked around the room. A window covered from the outside and one closed door. A bed that had been slept in. It was empty except for them and Neal, who seemed to be still asleep. Alex saw him watching the kid.

"Relax, Burke. He's got a pulse."

Peter rolled his shoulder and got to his feet. The bed must be Alex's. That meant that she was probably locked up here too.

"Adler?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I haven't seen him since he brought me here."

The kid made a sound. Alex sat down beside him. Peter sent the young con man a glare. The kid had said to do this the FBI way, and still, he had swept that glass without consulting him.

"Alex," Neal giggled, "I was looking for you."

Alex turned her head to Peter.

"Should I?"

"I think it'll help," Peter nodded.

Alex slapped the kid. Somehow he had known what she meant when she asked. Something he would never do himself. And it was not okay to do. Actually. Not even when he was angry at the stupid kid.

Neal grunted.

"Thank you."

Peter sighed, walked over, and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on."

He held a hand on the young man's shoulder. Neal felt stable. Good.

"This is part of a plan, right?" Alex asked. "You let yourselves get caught, then the FBI rides to the rescue."

Peter and the kid exchanged glances.

"You got the first part right," Peter said. It did not make the young woman happy. Had anyone even noted that he or Neal was missing yet?

"You have any idea where we are?" Neal asked.

"It's a warehouse. That's all I know. They drugged me, too."

There was a sound at the door, and it was opened by the guy from the car. Vincent Adler marched in.

"Glad you're awake."

"Why are we here?" Neal asked at once.

Adler cocked his head with a smile.

"Better if I show you."

He walked over to the covered windows and put a key in the black box under it. He turned the key, and the covers slid aside.

Outside was a large storage area, and in that area was a rusty submarine. Peter, Neal, and Alex stared out the window in awe.

"My God," the kid whispered. "You found it."

"Incredible, isn't it?" Adler said with a proud and enthusiastic face. It was no surprise to Peter that Neal and this man had become friends once. They shared the same passions. "Shall we go down and have a closer look? Miss Hunter stays here, of course."