Not sure if anyone will like this one but here goes….

Missing and Presumed Dead

Neal smiled at Peter as they left the hotel lobby and walked out onto the street.

"Go ahead and say it."

"Say what?" Peter tried to keep the smile from his face.

"That I'm good, that you wouldn't have been able to break the case without me."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Well okay, you might have been able to break it but it would have taken you a lot longer."

"Okay Neal, you're good."

Neal's smile grew even wider.

"I am, aren't I?" He said proud of himself.

For the last two weeks they had been trying to break up an extortion ring which ended up leading them to two rival hotel owners, one of which, at least the word on the street was, had hired someone to kill the other before he could open his hotel. They had arrested the man who they thought had put out the contract and now they were on their way to take the other one into protective custody until the hit man could be located.

Later

Peter and Neal headed into the newly built hotel and up to the owner's penthouse suite. The hotel was scheduled to open within the next few weeks and right now only a handful of construction workers were putting the last minute touches on some of the hotel's interior. The penthouse had been finished weeks before and then occupied by Adam Randolph the owner.

"Mr. Randolph…." Peter said as he knocked on Randolph's door then held his badge up to the peek hole in the door. "F.B.I. , we have Clinton in custody."

Randolph looked through the peek hole then opened the door.

"It's about time you take that son of a bitch down. He's been after me ever since I had the idea of building this hotel."

"Well he won't be after you anymore, but we do need to take you into protective custody, we have reason to believe he hired someone to stop the hotel from opening."

"Hired someone?...I never knew he'd take it that far."

"Well apparently he did."

"So where are you taking me?"

"First to headquarters to fill out some forms, then to a safehouse."

"What if he comes after me there?"

"Don't worry Mr. Randolph you'll be well protected, we'll have an agent outside and you'll also have one inside with you….He's not going to get to you."

"For how long?... My hotel opens in a few weeks and I have plans I need to finalize."

"For as long as it takes to find him, or until we can convince Mr. Clinton to call off the hit."

"And what if he won't?"

"Then we'll find some way to draw him out, but right now you need to come with us."

"What about my clothes and things I'll need?"

"We'll send someone to collect anything you want."

It was obvious Randolph wasn't happy, he had business to attend to and he wasn't happy being pulled away from it.

"I have no say in this?"

"No." Peter said simply.

Randolph angrily grabbed a suitcase off his desk and reluctantly left with them.

F.B.I. Headquarters

It was getting dark as they arrived back at headquarters. They had just entered Peter's office when Neal noticed his cuff link was missing.

"Damn it!" He said as he looked at the floor hoping it had just fallen off and he'd be able to find it.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked.

"I lost a cuff link."

"Sorry, but…."

"Kate gave it to me." Neal interrupted him. "Peter, I got to find it, it's the last thing she gave me before…."

"Neal we're been all over the city, the odds of finding it….."

"I'm pretty sure I lost it at Randolph's hotel. I know I had it when I walked into the building."

"Is there anyone we can call?" Peter asked Randolph.

"The work crew is probably gone by now…. there's no one in the building. Maybe tomorrow I can…."

"Peter…."Neal looked pleadingly at Peter. "I got to find it."

Peter knew how much Neal had loved Kate and could see by his face how upset he was.

"Okay Neal."

Peter looked over at Randolph.

"Do you mind if he checks the building?"

"Um….well….uh…." Randolph stammered, it was obvious he wasn't pleased with the thought of someone going into his building.

"He'll be in and out in a few minutes." Peter said then added. "Don't worry, you can trust him."

"I guess it will be okay." Randolph handed Peter the key to the front door which Peter then handed to Neal who immediately started heading toward the door anxious to find his cuff link.

"Neal." Peter called to him. "Make sure you lock yourself in, and make sure you lock it when you leave." All they needed was a lawsuit if anything turned up stolen. Peter trusted Neal and knew he wouldn't take anything but he also knew Hughes and Randolph both would have their butts if anything happened.

Neal raised his hand to show that he heard him but then left without another word.

Randolph's Hotel

Neal unlocked the door then locked it behind him. He then began retracing his steps.

"Where are you?" He said as he looked at the floors and under the tables. His heart was pounding in his chest, the cuff links were the last thing Kate had given him and he'd be lost without them.

He took the elevator to the penthouse and searched the area where he had stood…nothing. He headed back down the elevator and into the lobby, he figured he must have lost it somewhere in the lobby, there were all kinds of places it could have fallen behind. He arrived in the lobby just in time to see a man leaving the building and locking it behind him.

"Hey!" He shouted to the man, he knew no one was supposed to be in the building. The man turned and looked at him and Neal could see the shocked look on his face when he saw him, the man didn't stop but kept on walking. Neal watched him for a few seconds then shrugged it off figuring it was probably just one of the workmen leaving late. He went back to looking for his missing cuff link. While searching the lobby he noticed rectangular shaped objects with a cluster of wires sticking out from them near some of the support beams in the lobby. He hadn't noticed them before.

"What the heck…." He thought it was odd and went over to take a look. "Oh my God." He said softly to himself.

The wires were attached to what looked like some kind of plastic explosives. His first instinct was to warn Peter. He took out his phone as he walked toward the exit.

F.B.I. Headquarters

Peter picked up his ringing phone.

"Yeah."

"Peter…we've got a problem."

Peter could hear the tension in Neal's voice.

"What's going on Neal?"

"The hotel's wired. I think someone wants to bring the building down."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the lobby, I was just leaving."

"Get the hell out of there and get out now!"

The next thing Peter heard was the sound of an explosion and then the phone went dead.

TBC