White Collar - as an unofficial novel - part 2

Angry gangster

"He cut the tracker!" Ruiz said in a tone as if Peter was an idiot.

"Right on schedule," Peter replied without losing focus on the screen.

"You knew about this?"

"Of course. He had to convince her he's rigging the system."

"What if he really is?"

"There are a dozen unmarked in the area. N.Y.P.D. has eyes in the sky. There's nowhere to hide." He had not told Neal about this though. It was far more interesting to see what the kid would do without that information. Fiametta drove away with Neal.

"Let's go."

They had stopped at an abandoned building site. A wide open space where no one could hide unnoticed. Neal noted a helicopter in the sky to the east, hanging still in the air. Had Peter made sure he had eyes on him? Plausible. Without supervision, he could take the book and run. Would Peter believe him if he said it had not crossed his mind? Probably not.

Maria walked around the car.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." She opened the trunk. "I spent a long time looking for her."

There is was. Things with history had always fascinated Neal. And this book was Medieval, seven hundred years old. Hands from many generations had touched it. And now it was his turn.

"I guess it wasn't meant to be." Neal pulled on the white cotton gloves and picked it up. He opened it. "It's calfskin vellum. Golden chalice of Paul."

"You satisfied?"

"Very," Neal confirmed. He picked up his phone. "Sending. It's on its way... And here it is."

"Thank you very much," Maria confirmed the transfer on her side.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you," Neal beamed at her.

"You'll never know how much pleasure it could have been." And there she was pointing a gun at him. God, how he hated guns. And he disliked with all his heart how so many waved their lethal potential around as if it was capable of little else than posing as a threat.

"You know, I had a feeling all that lovey-dovey stuff last night was BS."

"Next time, you should trust your instincts."

"Oh, I did." Neal held the clip to the gun up to her. "Clip. Lifted it when I patted you down."

When she had giggled at his left hand down her thigh he had had his right in her purse.

"You forgot about the one in the chamber."

"Damn it. I've never been a gun guy." He was, actually, but he had hoped she was not. Most people carrying guns did not have a bullet in the chamber.

"Give me the book, Neal."

"Sorry. If you're gonna take me on, it's gonna cost you a small fortune." He held the book up in front of him as a shield. "You can't do it? Is it because of the money or the history?"

"You know the answer."

"Is that why you killed Paul?" Where was Peter? He was supposed to turn up now.

"Paul wanted the money and the book." Just as you do now, Maria.

"Yeah. That's what happens when you get greedy." He heard the gun fire and felt his back hit the ground.

Peter throw himself out of the van the second it stopped.

"Drop the gun!" he yelled at Maria. "Gun down or we shoot. Gun down!"