Hi everyone, here's another chapter to Cornered! Woot! Hope you all like it, as I was half asleep when I wrote this. If not, I'll try to impress you with the next chapter, and if you do like it, awesome! Anyway, here's the newest chapter so far! :)

Chapter 4

Neal-

Neal Caffrey woke when a sharp sting was delivered to his face. The ex-con let out a small groan, trying to force his eyes open as he shook his head weakly. Again, he felt the sharp stinging sensation of being slapped, and this time, his eyes flew open.

He let out another groan as he was jerked to his feet, as he had been sitting, well, more like leaning, on a wall. The ground spun, and Neal had to choke back the wave of nausea that hit him.

"Hello again Caffrey." A voice said, and Neal groggily looked towards the speaker, his mind fuzzy on how he had gotten in such a place as the one he was in, and why he hurt so much. The speaker's face was cast in shadow, as the room he was in had very bad lighting to it.

As his vision quit spinning, Neal could finally focus enough to take note of his surroundings. He was in a dimly lit room, lit by only a single light bulb that dangled on the edge of a chain, hanging from the center of the ceiling.

"Who? Where...?" Neal's voice was rough, as though he hadn't used it in days.

The voice chuckled, and the speaker moved so their face could be seen in the bad lighting.

Marcus DeMyers.

And then everything came flooding back to Neal, and upon remembering the agony he had felt when his wrist had broken, Neal flinched. He quickly tried to cover up the fact, but it was too late, as DeMyers had been watching Neal Caffrey closely. The con let out an amused laugh.

"Good, it's coming back to you. Less explaining for me to do." He said with a snicker.

Neal glared. "Peter will find you." He replied, his voice sounding oddly menacing.

"Good. I'm counting on him being around to watch you draw your last breath." DeMyers said, grinning wolfishly. Neal paled slightly, but kept his face emotionless as he was dragged over to where a metal pole stood. No matter how much the FBI Consultant struggled, he could not escape the merciless grip of his captors, and within moments, Neal's arms were forced behind him and both hands were cuffed behind the pole.

Neal kept his gaze locked on DeMyers throughout the entire procedure, though he winced as the two men handling him purposefully tightened the cuffs to where they were squeezing tight on both wrists, broken and not broken.

"Comfortable Caffrey?" DeMyers asked, grinning darkly. Neal replied with silence. Marcus' amused gaze went from amused to annoyed very swiftly when the silence stretched on, and the con went over to where Neal stood, putting his face in Neal's. "I asked you a question." He growled.

Neal smirked slightly. "I'd be more comfortable if you got a breath mint." He replied, grinning slightly, knowing that he stood a good chance of getting hit because of such comments.

Neal's guess was right, as Marcus' gaze narrowed, and the con slammed his fist into Neal's gut. Neal doubled over as far as he could go with the metal pole being in the way, and before the pain from his wrist became far too agonizing.

"I don't appreciate such rudeness." Marcus' voice was cold as the con glared at Neal with contempt in his gaze. Neal straightened after a a bout of coughing, and gave Marcus a blank look.

"Doesn't that just suck, because I don't appreciate getting kidnapped and beaten up." Neal replied.

Marcus chuckled. "And to think, that beating should have taught you some manners. I guess that's too complicated for you, though in my opinion, you weren't injured enough." DeMyers paused before continuing. "Let's see how you handle this."

Neal's eyes widened as Marcus turned around, grabbed something, turned back around and was holding a 9mm gun at Neal's chest. There was a pause, where Marcus DeMyers grinned evilly at Neal, and then the report of a gun went off.

White hot agony seared throughout Neal as the ex-con fell to the ground, his face white as a sheet as his shirt began to stain with a dark red color. Neal looked upwards to see Marcus standing over Neal, disgust in the con's gaze.

"You are so pathetic. I should kill you right now...but I have another thing or two planned for you before you die." Marcus sneered, just as darkness swept over Neal and the ex-con fell unconscious.

Peter-

"Agent Burke! Agent Burke!" The yell filled the FBI office, and Peter instantly leaped to his feet from where he had been sitting in his chair. Some new agent ran into Peter's office, looking breathless as he clutched a package. "Agent Burke, this just came. It's addressed to you." The new kid said, handing Peter the package.

Peter nodded thankfully to the kid, who returned the nod before leaving. Peter watched the kid go for half a second before his gaze flew to the package wrapped in brown paper, and Peter ripped the paper off as Diana, Jones, and Hughes entered his office.

Peter pulled out a CD, and a note addressed to him. He looked over the note first, his blood going cold at the words.

Figured you'd like to see how your pet con is doing. Hope you enjoy watching this as much as I did. ~Marcus DeMyers

Peter glared at the note for a moment longer before he went to the conference room, Jones and the other two following him. They watched closely as Peter put the CD in a computer, and pushed the 'play' button.

The image of a battered Neal Caffrey being thrown out of an ambulance came on the screen, and Peter and the others watched in total shock and horror as Neal was beaten. Peter flinched as the ear-splitting crack of Neal's wrist being broken, right after the ex-con had pled for the guy who had broken his wrist, not to break it.

The feed was cut short, to be replaced by another scene. Neal was slapped awake, and Peter noticed that his partner looked confused...until he saw DeMyers. Peter saw Neal say something, as the FBI Agent had gone momentarily deaf because he was so angry with DeMyers, and he saw Marcus react by walking over to Neal, and punching him.

Peter stiffened. Marcus DeMyers had hit Neal Caffrey? As annoying as the ex-con could be, that was...that was unacceptable! If anyone was allowed to hit Neal, it would be Peter, not some con who thought he was better than everyone!

And then the unthinkable happened. Marcus shot Neal. In the chest. And Peter could do nothing but watch, as he was watching from a video, as Neal hit the ground, red spreading across the young man's chest at an alarming rate.

He...I...Marcus...Neal... Peter was so furious that he couldn't even finish his own thoughts right then, and as the camera image changed yet again, Peter glared.

The screen was pointing at the sitting form of Marcus DeMyers, who held the very gun that had been used on Neal, in his lap. Marcus smiled at the camera, and waved the gun.

"I hope you are enjoying yourself Agent Burke. I do trust you will find Caffrey, as I'm sure he wants you too. You see, he and I go a little ways back, as I was going after a painting that he was going after. We teamed up, and he double-crossed me. Angry, I went after him, only to find that you got to him first, and not once, but twice! And then I heard how Caffrey was an FBI Consultant, and it all went from there." Marcus paused, and then continued.

"Obviously, Caffrey cares about you, which is why I'm going to give you the chance to find him, else he'd be dead right now. Well, no, I won't lie to you. That's not the only reason I've kept him alive. You see, he's grown close to you, as you have to him, so I would love to have you around when Neal draws his last breath."

Again, Marcus paused, and then continued.

"You have 24 hours to find Caffrey, after that, I wouldn't be expecting to see Caffrey alive, if I were you...Have a good day." Marcus laughed.

The video feed cut off to a snowy screen, as Peter stood there, rigid.

24 hours...24 hours...24 hours...Wouldn't be expecting to see Caffrey alive...24 hours... The words rolled around in Peter's head, until he blinked several times, aware that Hughes was issuing out orders to find Neal.

You. Are. Dead. DeMyers. I. Will. Find. Neal. Peter thought, giving the snowy screen the darkest of all dark looks before he stormed out of the conference room, his thoughts a blur.

I will find you Neal...mark my words, I will find you!