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“Do you realize what you are asking of me?” Peter looked at El and shook his head.
“I know Peter, and I wouldn´t ask if I didn´t think it was important.” El looked a bit desperate. A client who had become a friend of her, had told her about a case one of her employees was working on. He was a scientist who had been asked to consult for a company making androids. The company had had successes before, but they had never succeeded in giving the android human like behavior. With his help, they had succeeded but the android would be terminated as he had a tendency to escape. He was too much of a nuisance and the project leader had determined the android was not worth the effort in recapturing it every time. They would just build a new one without the flaw.
“Why are you so involved?” Peter asked, studying El.
“Wait till you meet him.”
If Peter hadn´t known better, he would have sworn he could see her pupils dilate at the memory.
“When did you meet it?”
“When I was catering an event at Tigris Systems. Neal was introduced that day.”
“So you met it?”
“Yes, I met him, it is a person Peter.”
“No, it is not, it is an android, a robot, it is not a person.”
“Will you agree to meet him? I am sure the FBI could use an android with his skills.”
“And what skills may that be?”
“Well, Teddy told me he is very well in math and logic, speaks multiple languages, and is a wonderful artist.”
“Artist? An escape artist?” Peter snickered at his own joke, but stopped, when he saw the skeptical look on El´s face.
“No, an artist, he likes to paint, but he can also sculpt, draw, etc.”
“Yes, that would make valuable assets for the white collar division.” Peter admitted, thinking how an android would have art knowledge and skills.
“See…” El knew she had convinced Peter or at least intrigued him.
“OK, set up a meeting with that friend of yours.”
* * *
Peter had announced his visit at the reception of Tigris Systems and he was waiting for Teddy Winters to come pick him up.
When a bald odd looking man approached him, he got up.
“You must be Peter, I´m Teddy Winters.” He shook his hand.
“Nice to meet you ”
“So, are you ready to meet Neal?”
“The android´s name is Neal?”
“Yes, we named him Neal Caffrey. Neal means champion. He would be our best project ever and he is. And Caffrey, well, one of the engineers drinks Caffrey´s beer…”
Peter smiled, drinking a beer had lead to his name, well, he supposed it was a name like any other.
“Yeah, let´s meet Neal Caffrey.”
Teddy turned and they entered a corridor with several doors, and stopped in front of the fifth.
“I must warn you, Neal is a bit agitated after his last recapture. He knows he is in trouble and I guess he realizes that Tigris has the right and the power to terminate him.”
“What do I call it? Neal?”
“Yeah, just act like he is another human being.”
Yeah, but he isn´t, was Peter first thought, but then Teddy opened the door and walked in.
“Hi Neal.”
“Oh hi Mozzie.” Neal turned around. He was sitting on a stool in front of an easel.
Peter had to admit, he hadn´t expected an android to look this human. He had seen androids before, but this was more a humanoid, he would never have guessed this was not a human if he hadn´t been told. He also noticed that Neal had called Teddy, Mozzie. Something to check out later.
“My name is Peter Burke, nice to meet you Neal.” Peter walked over to Neal and extended his hand. While he did so, he wondered what Neal´s hand would feel like. Neal quickly gave Peter a scan and shook his hand. Peter could see that Neal had the obligatory tattoo on his right hand that identified him as an android. He was surprised to find out that the hand didn´t feel different than any other hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
Peter could see that Neal was hesitant and that he was glancing over to Teddy. Like he was looking for reassurance. Strange, why would a robot need comfort?
Peter looked at the painting Neal was painting. It was a Degas, one of the many with ballet dancers on them. It was gorgeous, Peter had never expected an android to be able to do this.
“That is a nice forgery.”
“It is a reproduction. I didn´t sign it as the original artist, therefore, it is not a forgery, agent Burke.” Neal answered politely.
“How do you know I am an agent? Were you informed that I was coming?” Peter was taken a bit aback by Neal´s remark.
“No, I wasn´t, but your jacket is pulled a bit on the left side, because you are carrying your service weapon in a shoulder holster. Also, your suit suggests you are a civil servant. And I got your name out of the FBI database the moment you entered the room.”
“That quick, … impressive.”
“Neal, agent Burke is here with a proposal.” Teddy explained. “Remember what we talked about earlier?”
“Yes, I do.” Neal got up and walked over to the sink and washed his hands after taking care of his paints and brushes.
“Can we use the salon?” Neal asked Teddy.
“Sure, I will ask if catering can bring some coffee. Coffee alright for you, Peter?”
“Yes, that would be fine, thanks.”
Neal walked out of the room and Peter followed him. He noticed that Teddy hadn´t followed them.
When the entered what Neal referred to as the Salon, Peter noted that it was a sort of living room. It was a lot cozier than the other room, which had been very clinical and light.
“So, you have a proposal for me?” Neal sat down and stared at Peter.
Peter cleared his throat. The android had the most intense blue eyes he had ever seen, even more intense than El´s. Peter realized that Neal had asked a question that he still hadn´t answered. But he could see that Neal was patiently waiting for him.
“Yes, I have. You realize that the company thinks you are a flight risk.”
“I was told so, yes. Many times.”
“Well, what if I can arrange it for you to be able to walk the streets of New York.”
That got Neal´s attention, his gaze met Peter´s.
“What is the catch?”
“Well, you will have to help me out at the FBI, you will be a consultant for the White Collar unit. Your knowledge and skills could be very useful.”
The door opened and a young man with a cart entered. He placed it near Neal and left again.
“Cream and sugar?”
“Just cream, thanks.”
Neal picked up the coffee pot and poured the coffee, and added some cream in the cup he handed Peter.
“Thanks.”
Peter watched as Neal picked up his cup and drank from it. He face must have betrayed him, because Neal started chuckling. Peter smiled, realizing he was caught.
“No, I don´t need to eat or drink, but I enjoy it and it doesn´t harm me, so I can indulge. I will never grow fat, get drunk or die from diabetes.”
“Now there is a perk if there ever was one.”
Both man and android had a pleasant talk while Peter explained the terms of his release into Peter´s custody. At the end of the afternoon, Neal had agreed on the terms. It was not that he had much choice.
Neal called Teddy to tell him that they had reached an agreement. Ten minutes later Teddy entered with an older lady.
Peter got up to introduce himself. “Special agent Peter Burke.”
“Nice to meet your acquaintance, June Ellington. I am chairman of the board here at Tigris.”
“Nice to meet you madam. I assume that you were informed about Neal´s decision.”
“Yes, I was. And I am glad. You will forward the necessary documents to my office?”
“Yes, I will. Neal will also have to be equipped with a GPS tracker.”
“He already is, we will make the software available to the FBI.” Teddy said to Peter, making a note on a tablet he was holding.
“Thanks.”
“Where will Neal be staying, agent Burke?”
“Well, the FBI can provide him with a hotel. What I understood, there is a budget of seven hundred dollar a month.”
“What will that get him? Some flea infested motel? No, no, that will not do. Neal, you will stay at my place while you work with agent Burke.” June offered.
Peter was a bit surprised on June Ellington´s decision, but Neal was her property.
“OK, if you will send the address where he will be staying to my office, we will take care of the paperwork and Neal can start next Monday. It was nice meeting you, Neal.”
“Likewise.”
* * *
The next Monday morning, Peter pulled up on Riverside drive, the address June Ellington had forwarded to him as Neal´s new address. When he got out of the car, he shook his head. Unbelievable, he really had chosen the wrong career. The house was huge, well house, it was more like a mansion.
He knocked on the door and was led in by a maid. When he walked in, June came up to meet him.
“He is upstairs.”
“Of course he is.”
Peter walked up the stairs and was met with Neal Caffrey reclining over breakfast on a terrace with a view to die for.
“You´re early.”
“We´re shagging a lead at the airport. We got a hit on ´snow white´.”
“Snow white. The phrase you decoded from a suspected Dutchman communiqué to Barcelona.”
“Get dressed.”
* * *
“Who's that?” Neal looked curiously at the woman that was walking up to them.
“That's Diana. Diana is my probie.”
“Probie?”
“Probationary agent. She does everything I don't. She's very good at her job, and she can do way better than you.”
“You must be Neal Caffrey. Nice hat.”
“What have we got?”
“His name's Tony Field. Customs flagged him coming in from Spain in response to our snow white BOLO.” “What's he carrying?”
“Oh,you're gonna love this.”
They entered a room where several suitcases filled with books lay. Peter had a glance through them but they were in Spanish. "Blanca nieves y los siete enanos"?
"Snow white and her seven little men.” Neal provided. "This is what triggered our alert? What do we know about this guy?”
“Says he's a rare-book dealer.”
“Anything wrong with his paperwork?”
“No.” “He brought in the same books in the same quantity on three previous trips. He declared them each time.” “All right, Neal. Are we wasting our time?”
Neal checked out one of the books.
“They're not limited runs or special editions. Can't be worth much. So why go to all the trouble of flying them in?” “He sure is nervous for having all the right paperwork.” Diana said. “I want to talk to him.” “I'll set it up. Hey, boss, I'm grabbing some coffee. You want some?”
“Yeah. Anything but decaf.” “Diana, I'll take mine straight.” Diana looked at him and then towards Peter, but Peter just smiled. “Neal, the coffee shop's outside.” Diana said before she left the room.
* * *
In the end, Neal managed to identify the bond as a forgery, The next step was to find the forger. Jones had reservations working with an android at first, but had soon found out that Neal was legit and wanted to help.
Before Peter had brought in Neal into the White Collar Unit, he had called a meeting and had explained to the staff, that he expected them to treat Neal with the same courtesy they would any other colleague.
Now that they were in the middle of the case, Peter and the rest of the team could see the perks of having an android to assist them. Neal never got tired. He was always on top of his game. So when they were yet again pulling an allnighter, Neal was still full of energy and playing with a rubber band ball he had gotten somewhere.
“So the question is, why go to the trouble of making a really nice forgery, on the right kind of paper, just to stick it back in the archives?
“The bond is still negotiable, as it's a zero option, so it never expires.” Neal said casually. “What's it worth?”
“Thousand dollars, face value.”
“Drawing 9% interest, compounded for 64 years.”
“Two hundred forty eigth thousand dollars.” Neal said.
“What he said.” Jones smiled
“Quarter of a million. Not chump change.”
“And he's got 600 sheets of the stuff.” Everyone looked at Neal. “Hundred fifty million, give or take.”
When El called, they stopped for the evening and Peter dropped Neal off at June´s before driving home.
* * *
“ Yeah? This is Burke.”
“It's Jones. Caffrey's GPS activated. Is he with you?”
“No. I'm coming.” Peter quickly finished dressing.
“El, I've got to go. Neal's outside his radius.” He called out to El while trying to decent the stairs without breaking his neck. He stopped somewhere half way when he saw Neal sitting on his couch next to El.
“Agent Burke, are you still there?”
“Caffrey is with me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Peter disconnected the line and walked over to El and Neal.
“Good morning, honey.”
“Peter.” Neal said politely.
“You're on my couch?”
“Yeah, I came to talk to you. And, uh, frankly, Peter, I have to say I'm surprised you have such an amazing wife.”
“Yeah, I like her. Get off my couch. “I thought you two had already met?”
“No, I told you I saw Neal when he was introduced. We never actually met in person. I was working the event. And Honey, we're just chatting.”
“Chatting? How did you get here?” Peter addressed Neal, who was looking with big innocent eyes at him.
“Cab.”
“You activated your GPS tracker. I'm bringing you back to Tigris.”
Neal suddenly looked fearful at Peter. “I know who the Dutchman is.” He blurted out.
What, he had been working this case for months and Neal just cracked it?
“Enlighten me.”
“Curtis Hagen. He's an art restorer -- one of the best in the world, but his own work never took off. He's particularly good at Goya restorations. That's what this is, Peter. The bond is him showing off.”
“Interesting theory.”
“How do you prove it?”
“He signed it.”
“I think we might have noticed a signature tucked in the corner.”
But Peter was mostly convinced and Neal looked sincere so Peter wanted to see what this lead would get them, so they checked it out and Peter met the Dutchman in person in a church under construction.
Peter was more than impressed with Neal´s deductive skills and he had to admit, he liked working with him.
* * *
Neal had told them they needed to look for a printing press and he as he had access to several databases and the internet, he came up with an address that they needed to check out. “Do you hear that? You hear that?” Neal asked Peter. His hearing was a lot better than a human so he hoped Peter could also hear it.
“Hear what?”
“Kind of rhythmic ssh,ssh. That's a press. Peter, that is a printing press. He's printing the bonds in there right now. You can hear it.”
Peter was surprised that an android could get so excited about something. “How long till they're done?”
“A multicolor print job as complicated as the Goya -- test proofs, ink formulation, perfect registration. He'll be running it for days.”
After Peter´s team had placed surveillance up on the warehouse, Peter and Neal went back to the office.
“Hagen is our guy.”
“But we still don't have enough for a warrant.”
“We know the bonds are there. Just open the door.”
“Yeah.”
When Neal stared at Peter with a look that asked what the problem was with just walking in, he grabbed one of the law books that where behind him.
“Well, you should read this, Warrant Law. All I've got is sound coming out of a warehouse and no way to link Curtis Hagen to the bond.”
Neal tossed the book back at Peter.
“I don´t need to read it, I can access it.” Neal reminded Peter.
* * *
Peter woke when his cell started buzzing.
“Yeah?”
Peter couldn´t contain the ´Damn´ while he got out of bed and got dressed.
“What's going on?” El asked sleepy.
“Neal ran.”
* * *
“What is this?” A bulky man called out.
“Hi there.” Neal answered polity.
“What are you doing? You can't be here.”
“Oh, I-I'm taking a photography class over at the Annex and pictures of rusty sheet metal are a sure fire A.”
“Take him in.”
When one of the men grabbed Neal, he saw the tattoo on his hand, he called out. “Jimmy! Go get Hagen! We got ourselves a rogue android.”
Hagen came walking towards them and looked intrigued.
“What exactly is going on here? Oh, that is a fine looking specimen. He should get us some nice capital. Lock him up. I will look for a buyer for him.”
The guy called Jimmy came towards Neal with a tool Neal dreaded. His hand was held out by the other man and when the tool touched the tattoo, Neal deactivated. He was quickly carried out and stuffed in a van that drove off.
* * *
“Gentlemen, we have a fugitive android hiding in this building. Knock down those doors.” SWAT moved in and within seconds, the whole warehouse was under control of LEO´s. After SWAT had cleared the building, Peter walked in with the other agents.
“This is what the law calls an exigent circumstance. Any of you Harvard grads know what that is? Huh? No hands? Diana?”
“Exigent circumstance allows us to pursue a suspect onto private property without obtaining a warrant. And to seize any and all evidence that has been discovered in plain view, regardless of the connection to the original crime.” “Remember me, friend?” Peter asked Curtis. It was only now that Peter realized he hadn´t see Neal.
“Where is he?”
“Who?” Curtis stared back with a smug grin.
“Neal, he is here, his GPS says he is here.”
“I don´t know what you are talking about.” Curtis said.
“Take him out of here.”
When everybody was taken away for processing, Diana and Peter searched the whole warehouse. Peter had checked Neal´s location on the app on his phone, but there was no signal coming from Neal anymore. He decided to call Teddy, maybe there was a problem with the app or the GPS.
* * *
Teddy had checked and confirmed that the last signal had come from the warehouse where Peter was and that the signal had been cut. When Peter had asked what could have happened to the signal, Teddy had said that the only way to cut the signal was to deactivate Neal.
“Deactivate? What does that mean?”
“It means what it means, suit. It is like knocking you unconscious, only you will wake up eventually. Neal won´t. At least not by himself.”
“How did Hagen do this?”
“Well, you know the tattoo, androids are obliged to have?”
“Yes, the one on his hand.” Peter could feel his gut clench, this wasn´t going to be good.
“Yeah, well you can deactivate an android with it. You need a special tool, but it can be done.”
“So, you are telling me there is no way we can find Neal.”
“I will see what I can do, give me some time, I will call you if I find something.”
Peter stared at the phone. Who would have known that Neal could be deactivated. Well, Hagen, that was for sure. How did Hagen have this knowledge and where did he get the machine to deactivate androids.
There was nothing he could do here, so he decided to drive back to the office and see if he could get something out of Hagen and his accomplishes.
* * *
Mozzie cursed. How could the FBI lose one of their most prized possessions? He should have known something like this was going to happen. He knew he should have built in another auxiliary GPS for cases like this. He had discussed it with Neal, but Neal was convinced that the suit was going to keep him safe.
Mozzie called in a favor and within minutes a file was uploaded into his dropbox; when he opened the file, he smiled. It was always good to have favors from influential people. The file contained satellite footage from the warehouse area. There had been a van on the terrain. It had left just before the FBI had raided the warehouse. Mozzie could follow it until it drove on a road, Mozzie knew had traffic cams. He should be able to get a license plate from those pictures.
An hour later he called Peter Burke.
“I have a license plate for you. HBU – 5543”
“How did you get it?”
“Never mind how I got it. Locate the van and keep me posted, you will not be able to revive Neal on your own.”
Mozzie disconnected the call and walked to his lab. He needed to get some tools he would need in case they found Neal.
* * *
Neal woke up with a gasp. He looked around and saw that he was standing in what looked like a sort of contraption that was holding him up. When he tried to move he panicked, was he paralyzed? Nothing moved. He focused on calming down, maybe there was an explanation.
He looked around and saw that he was in a white room which was very well lit. There was a big window he was facing and there were people standing in front of it. They looked like they were appraising him.
OK, this was not good. Where was he? He searched his memory but couldn´t come up with any memory, his brain was blank. What had happened?
* * *
“Sold for six point two million dollars”
Neal had been watching the biddings with increasing worry. Now that the auctioneer assigned the final bid, Neal stared at the woman who had bought him. She had a triumphant but sinister smile. Neal was taken off the stage and the next person was placed center stage.
Neal was carried through corridors until they stopped in front of a van. A man was sitting in the van with some kind of tool in his hand. Neal wanted to struggle but when the tool hit his hand, he was out.
When he awoke, he saw a room that looked more like an operating theatre than anything else. Steel restraints were placed around his wrists and ankles. He felt OK, which was a relief, he didn´t feel like something had happened. He was contemplating how he was going to escape, when the lady who had bought him entered the room.
Neal watched her with curiosity. A man in a lab coat approached them.
“Madam we need you to be careful, he is much stronger than you might suspect.”
“He is still deactivated partially, overwrite it.” She commanded. She sounded like a person who got what she wanted, when she wanted it.
“But…”
“You cannot get the software out of him while he is offline. Don´t make me repeat myself.” The woman commanded. Her tone of voice didn´t leave room for discussion.
Neal was now really getting worried. She wanted what? His software? What was she talking about?
“Why?” He asked softly.
She turned and walked back to the table.
“Why what?”
“Why am I here?”
“Because I want your software.”
“What software?” Neal wanted to understand.
“That is none of your business, android, you will be terminated, just like any other piece of machinery.” She stated coldly.
She turned around and left the room. One of the men in lab coats approached him.
Android? What was she talking about?
“You seem like a nice guy, but she only needs the software, you are just the packaging. I´m sorry.”
Neal started struggling. Lab technicians came running towards him to try and restrain him further, but the panic made Neal use all his strength and the metal bindings just broke. They started fighting and Neal could feel he was getting injured in the struggle, but strangely there was no pain. He kept trying to fight himself a way out until he just blacked out.
With joined forced they placed Neal back on the table and a lab technician placed a sort of metal halo around Neal´s head and new bindings so he was immobilized. They quickly reactivated him and immediately opened Neal´s chest. Neal cringed when the technician started meddling in his chest. It hurt, and he let out a cry, more out of frustration than anything else. He couldn´t see what they were doing because of the halo around his head prevented any movement. What had he done to deserve this?
* * *
The FBI was able to follow the van through different traffic cams and they also found the name of the owner of the license plate with an address.
Peter stressed to June to press charges otherwise they wouldn´t be able to do anything against the people that took Neal.
Peter sent Diana and Jones to the address and he called Teddy to meet. He agreed to meet up in Teddy´s office. At that moment Neal´s signal came back online.
“They turned him back online, we need to be quick, before they deactivate him again.”
It didn´t take Mozzie and his technicians long to locate Neal. Once Peter got they address, he called a judge for a warrant and assembled a team. He called Jones and Diana and told them to meet them there.
“He is deactivated again. But hopefully they stay at the same address this time.” Mozzie called out from behind his laptop.
“Back online, probably a glitch.”
Once they entered the building, the people they encountered didn´t put up a fight. Peter and Mozzie pushed further into the building until they encountered a steel door. When they entered it turned out an operating type room. Peter heard Mozzie gasp behind him. On a table in the center of the room under harsh lighting was Neal. Around his head a halo was placed so he would be immobilized. There were big metal strips over his shoulders, stomach and legs. He seemed online, because he could hear Neal softly begging to stop what they were doing.
“FBI! Step away from the android! Hands were I can see them!” Peter shouted.
The four people standing around Neal stepped back from the table and raised their hands. The team entered the room and took the four into custody while reading them their rights.
“Mozzie, what did they do to him?”
“Neal, please give me your diagnostic.”
It was only then that Peter realized that Neal had gone silent, the pleading had stopped.
Mozzie examined Neal and by the look of his face, Peter could tell it was not good. Peter didn’t want to think what all the parts on the table meant. Did they try to assimilate Neal?
“Talk to me, Moz. Neal, are you OK?”
“There is ninety three percent damage to my hard drive.” Neal says without emotions.
“Oh Neal.” Is all that Mozzie said.
“What? What does that mean?” Peter asked confused.
“Why am I restrained?”
Peter and Mozzie immediately started removing the restraints and Neal got up in a very stiff gait. Mozzie and Peter were not ready for what came next. Neal walked over to the see through mirror in the lab and studied the damage that was done to him. Mozzie had closed his endoskeleton, but his skin… He looked with horror and disgust to himself. Peter walked up to him and while he stoof behind him, pulled Neal´s shirt together.
“Neal, let´s go sit down, OK?” peter said gently. Peter looked towards Mozzie who just nodded.
“Neal, you will go to sleep now, OK. Do you trust me?”
“I do, I trust you both.”
Peter took Neal´s hand and squeezed while Mozzie deactivated Neal.
* * *
“We will take him to my home and I can remove the tattoo.”
“That is illegal. Maybe you forgot, but I am an FBI agent.”
“OK, tell me, suit. Are you OK with them disassembling Neal, because that is what they were doing if they realize he still exists. Neal Caffrey has to be destroyed. We will make sure that Tigris has no reason to doubt their property was destroyed. That way, Nicolas Halden can become an upstanding member of society. June is in on it and she told me Nicolas is welcome to become her boarder.
Peter looked down towards Neal, who was lying completely motionless on the table. Not only had they damaged his software, the soft other lining of his chest had been damaged, probably when Neal had resisted.
Peter thought about Mozzie´s proposal. He shouldn´t do this. It was illegal, but not giving Neal a change to live a full life was wrong. He had come to know Neal as an individual and to be more human than a lot of people he knew. He couldn´t see any other solution than having Mozzie remove the tattoo.
“Mozzie, you are sure there is no way this can be traced back to us?”
“No suit, I am absolutely sure.”
“Will he know us?”
“No, the chance that he will know us is slim, the damage they did to him is extensive. I was able to save a lot of data, but that is more in the skill set and less in the data memory. They did a good job in erasing him. But I will write a new program.
Peter sighed. Well maybe it was for the best that Neal didn´t remember all the bad stuff that happened and that he could start over with a clean slate.
“OK, do it.”
* * *
Nick opened his eyes and stared at a white ceiling. Where was he? He glanced around and came to the conclusion he was in a bedroom. He sat up and at that exact moment a man walked into the room with a cup of coffee.
“You´re awake!” the man was surprised.
The man was familiar. Nick searched is memory.
“Peter?” he asked hesitantly.
“Yeah, yeah, it´s me.”
Nick could see that Peter was emotional.
“What happened?”
“You were in an accident and were hurt pretty bad. Mozzie took care of you, but we were not sure how much you would remember.”
Mozzie walked in when he heard voices.
“Hi Nick, how are you feeling?”
Nick thought for a moment. “Pretty good actually.”
“Good, that is good. Do you need something?”
“No, I´m good.”
“Is there anything that you need?”
“No, I´m good, feel fine.”
“OK , well, then there is something that we need to discuss…” Peter said reluctantly and started explaining…