The night air was thick with tension as Peter leaned against his car, staring out at the city skyline. His phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. He pulled it out, seeing an unlisted number flashing on the screen.
"Burke," he answered, his voice steady but taut with the weight of the conversation ahead.
"Peter, it's Neal," came the voice on the other end, breathless. "We need to talk. Now."
Peter's pulse quickened. Neal's tone wasn't one he heard often—urgent, bordering on panicked.
"Where are you?" Peter demanded, his eyes scanning the street in front of him.
"I'll meet you at the office," Neal said quickly. "It's important."
Peter didn't waste time. He slid into his car, firing up the engine and heading toward the office. Whatever it was, it sounded like Neal had gotten tangled in something bigger than he could handle alone.
The office was dim, the usual flicker of fluorescent lights casting long shadows across the desks. Neal was pacing back and forth near the entrance, his jacket discarded on the chair as he fidgeted with his sleeves.
"Neal," Peter said, his voice calm but with an edge that came from the night's growing urgency. "What's going on? What did you find?"
Neal stopped pacing and looked up at him, eyes wide with concern. "It's Adler, Peter. And it's worse than we thought. He's not just running a network. He's playing a game... a game that involves people we know."
Peter's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, 'people we know'?"
Neal hesitated, his lips curling slightly in frustration. "He's using insiders, Peter. Law enforcement. People close to us. He's got his hooks everywhere, and I think... I think Henry's been right all along. He's not just some guy with a mysterious past."
Peter took a step closer, feeling his instincts prickling. "What are you saying, Neal?"
Neal took a deep breath, and in the dim light, his eyes seemed to carry the weight of what he was about to reveal. "I think Henry's been working against Adler... for longer than we realized. But he's not doing it alone. He's got allies in high places."
Peter's mind raced. If Henry was truly connected to this operation, and if Neal's suspicions were correct, everything they thought they knew about the case could be a lie. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Neal didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a file—its contents clearly gathered under a rush of urgency. He handed it to Peter, who unfolded it carefully. Inside were names, connections, and cryptic notes—everything that Neal had been working to piece together in secret.
"I started looking into Adler's network," Neal explained. "The more I dug, the clearer it became. He's got people everywhere. And Henry... Henry's been playing both sides, feeding us just enough to get us on the right trail but keeping the deeper game to himself."
Peter flipped through the file, his mind whirring. "This is bigger than we thought. You're telling me Henry's working with Adler, but he's also trying to take him down?"
Neal nodded. "That's the only explanation. He's got too many pieces of the puzzle, and not all of them add up. But if we're going to stop Adler, we need to understand Henry's endgame. He's not doing this for the good of the city. He's got his own agenda."
Peter let the file drop onto the table, running a hand through his hair. The weight of Neal's words settled heavily in the pit of his stomach. If Henry was playing both sides, it meant they were walking into a storm without an umbrella. "So what now?"
Neal's expression hardened. "We need to meet with him. The only way to get ahead of this is to force Henry to tell us the truth. And Peter... we need to do it soon. Because Adler's already moving. And if we're not careful, we'll be too late."
Peter stared at Neal for a long moment, his mind racing through their options. There was no more room for hesitation. If they were going to take down Adler, they had to play the game on Henry's terms—whether they trusted him or not.
"We meet him tomorrow," Peter said, his voice resolute. "And this time, no more games. I'm going in with eyes wide open."
Neal nodded, relieved at the decision but still unsure of what the future would hold. "Alright. But Peter, we need to be careful. Henry's got an angle, and I don't know what he's planning. He's not as simple as he looks."
Peter's gaze hardened. "I'll be careful. We all will be."
The next day, they met Henry in a quiet, out-of-the-way café on the outskirts of the city—a place where no one would recognize them, where secrets could be exchanged in the open without raising suspicion.
Henry was already there when Peter and Neal arrived. His face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something that spoke of the labyrinthine schemes he had been orchestrating in the shadows.
"You came," Henry said, his voice almost surprised. "I wasn't sure if you'd actually show."
Peter didn't waste time. He took a seat across from Henry, his eyes cold and focused. "Cut the crap, Henry. We know what you're doing. We know about Adler. We know you've been playing both sides. And now it's time for the truth."
Neal stood slightly behind Peter, watching Henry's reaction closely. This time, there was no room for manipulation. No more half-truths.
Henry didn't flinch. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "The truth, Peter? You want the truth? Fine. I've been keeping secrets because I didn't trust you. But if you're really ready to hear it, then listen closely. You're not just up against Adler. You're up against a network that goes deeper than anything you've ever dealt with."
Peter's eyes narrowed. "A network? What kind of network?"
Henry's smile faded. "A network built on corruption. And the people involved... let's just say you won't be able to look at them the same way again."
Peter leaned forward, his jaw set. "You're not making any sense. You want us to stop Adler, but you're still hiding something."
Henry's eyes darkened, the facade of confidence slipping just slightly. "What I'm hiding, Peter, is something I can't afford to share with everyone. But if you want to take down Adler, you'll need to follow my lead. Otherwise, you'll be playing right into his hands. And trust me, you don't want to do that."
Peter's gaze hardened. He had no choice but to trust Henry—at least for now. "Alright. We're in. But you lead. And if this all falls apart... it's on you."
Henry met his gaze, the weight of their unspoken understanding passing between them. "I wouldn't have it any other way."