White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 15

Busted

Peter was a professional federal agent trained to handle threats. When they walked into the wood shop and got his hands tied, he knew he would need those skills.

"What are we doing here?" he asked.

"I've got questions," Woods replied.

Peter glanced around the room. The goon, Adams, was beside him, and the headmaster, Slater, hovered by the door and looked like a scared rabbit. Woods was where he would put his focus.

"And as you know," Woods continued, "this is where I like to ask them. Who do you work for? And don't give me any of that Hong Kong banker crap!"

"You've got all the answers," Peter returned. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Did the Juarez brothers send you?"

"Hey, he's with the cartel?" Slater asked, terrified.

"You've got it all wrong," Peter said, almost smiling. "Check my jacket pocket."

Woods nodded to Adams, and the man pulled out his badge and checked the ID.

"FBI," he said.

"FBI!" Slater yelled.

"Shut up, Graham!" Woods returned.

"We can't cut up a fed," Adams protested.

"Yes, we can. Go on!" Peter could hear a sigh from the goon beside him, but he turned the saw on.

"You're gonna talk, or you're gonna disappear!"

As Neal ran through the corridors, Mozzie called.

"You'll be happy to know I just did the equivalent of the hoisting of the boom box," his friend said with a giggle at the other end. Solving Evan's love issues did not have top priority at the moment.

"Peter's in trouble. I need your help."

"I'm on my way."

"What are we doing here?" Peter's voice echoed through a corridor Neal just passed. He stopped and backtracked.

"I've got questions."

"Hang on, Moz," Neal said and sneaked down the corridor. He stopped outside the door to the wood shop room. It had a frosted window, so he could not see, just hear. And Woods was prepared to kill Peter. Beside Peter and Woods, he heard two more voices. He moved away from the door.

"Listen, I'm outnumbered three to one," he told Moz. "We need a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?"

"Anything. It's classroom 23B. Hurry." He hung up. He thumbed on his phone. What else could he do? Then Chloe came up the stairs. He could use that... It was not the best practice teacher-student behavior, but it would be harmless in the big picture of things.

"Hey, Chloe, I've been looking for you."

"Mr. Cooper, hey." She held a paper. "Someone put this in my gym bag." Probably Mozzie. Or maybe Evan but...

"Listen, we should talk."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about my dad."

"Obviously, I'm not welcome at your home, so I want to give you my number."

"You do?"

"So you can call me if you ever have questions about schoolwork once I'm gone."

She was a bit baffled but giggled.

"Okay." She handed him her phone.

"Thanks."

However, he did not enter any number in her contact list. He called her dad and put his thumb over the speaker. He also noted that her picture on the phone's screen was a photo of her and her mother.