White Collar - as an unofficial novel - part 5

Just follow the red dot

Peter saw Rice walk into the office from his desk. She had two team members with her, talking to them. Then she stopped in the middle of the office and clapped her hands to get their attention.

"Okay, listen up, people. For the foreseeable future, you belong to me." Peter was on his feet. "I need traffic feeds from here to Yankee Stadium." He marched out and down the stairs. She was not walking into his office taking command over his staff after what she did to Neal. No way!

"You sold him out to get in the paper!" he interrupted her. "You hung Neal out to dry for a gold star on your resume."

"You better watch it, Burke," she hissed back at him.

"When we found that coat check stub for the club, you already knew what was going down." He was up in her face now. "But you kept your mouth shut so everything could go according to plan."

"What's going on here?" Hughes asked, appearing between them.

"She made a backroom deal with Wilkes. The girl in exchange for Neal." And now he had accused her in front of everyone. If he was wrong this would cost him.

"Rice, that true?"

"A man we believe to be Wilkes contacted Gless. He said he would give Lindsay back if he could have a face-to-face with Caffrey."

"A face-to-face? And you really think Wilkes would make good on that?"

"It was our one shot to get a lead on Wilkes and follow him back to the girl."

Peter's jaw was to tight he could have grind rocks in there. Rice stood there and defended her actions. Actions she never would have taken if it had been about a real federal agent. What was worse was that she did not even understand that she had made an unacceptable deal.

"I had agents all over that street," she finished her speech.

"How did that work out?" Peter shot back at her.

"Did you get any leads on the girl? Hughes asked.

"Wilkes made the grab in our one operational blind spot," Rice replied with a sigh.

Hughes pulled his hand over his face.

"Then you're no longer in charge. Peter, you're officially part of the show," Hughes ordered. Peter saw Rice open her mouth, but his boss raised his hand. "I don't wanna hear it, Rice. You report to Burke until you find Caffrey and that girl."

Rice remained silent. Amazing, he thought.

Peter glared at her. He had never wanted to kill anyone before, but if Neal was dead because of Rice he would make sure she suffered hell for it. He turned to leave but after a few steps, he had second thoughts. Peter walked back to her.

"If Wilkes had asked for a face-to-face with me, would you have done the same?"

She glared back at him.

"Caffrey—"

"Would you have done the same if it was about me?" Peter repeated. "Or your colleague?" He gestured to the woman beside her.

"Caffrey is a convicted felon," she stated as if that made a difference.

"That does not answer my question!"

"No. I would not have done the same. It's different."

"No, it's not," Peter objected. "You used Neal because he's a warden of the state, incapable of refusing because we own him and his time. You used him because he's a criminal. But I tell you what, Rice. Neal has a contract with us. Do you know what it says? It says that he has the same protection as any agent. We don't do to him what we don't do to ourselves. Just because he's in our care, incapable of saying no. That's a responsibility, not a goddamn opportunity to use him as bait!"