Chapter 394: Disappearance

The timing of the ambush by the FBI agents was perfect. They burst in just as Vincent and his men were about to approach the submarine, where Neal and Peter had successfully disarmed the explosives. As a result, Alex was still confined in the previous room, and Vincent couldn't use her as a hostage to threaten Neal or vent his frustration by killing her. All he could do was watch helplessly as a swarm of FBI agents in tactical gear quickly surrounded him.

Vincent's men, seeing the situation was hopeless, quickly surrendered. Even a fool could see that Vincent had no chance of turning the tables. The FBI agents were clearly well-prepared, and with the explosives on the submarine now completely dismantled, there was nothing left to threaten them with. When even their boss, looking utterly defeated, raised his hands in surrender, Vincent's goons had no thought of resisting.

Peter's boss, Hughes, the director of the FBI's New York office, entered the warehouse with a look of excitement on his face, flanked by a large group of his subordinates. He first took a good look at the rusty submarine lying in the dry dock, then leisurely walked over to where Vincent Adler was surrounded by armed FBI agents. He watched as his men handcuffed the notorious con artist who had been on the run for ten years, eager to hear if Vincent had anything to say now that he was finally caught.

But Vincent Adler, maintaining his pride as a kingpin, remained silent. He understood the moment the FBI agents stormed in that his plans were in ruins and any chance of escape was gone. After his furious shout at Neal, he said nothing more, instead fixing Neal Caffrey, the man who had destroyed his dreams, with a terrifying glare.

At this point, Vincent realized the bitter truth: if he hadn't insisted on having Neal, his former protégé, brought before him to show off, none of this would have happened. It was clear that after Vincent kidnapped Alex and forced Neal to disarm the explosives, Neal had immediately informed his FBI partner. Although Vincent had planned to kill Neal after he opened the submarine, he never imagined Neal would betray him so swiftly.

Vincent's only regret now was not listening to Senator William Bracken's advice to let his men help open the submarine. Instead, he stubbornly insisted on doing it himself and bringing Neal in to flaunt his success.

Despite his shattered dreams, Vincent wasn't terrified. He had been a fugitive for ten years, but he had built up powerful connections over the years. Several congressmen and senators were closely tied to him through financial dealings, and he held evidence of their corruption. He was confident that even if the FBI arrested him, it wouldn't be long before he was bailed out, and once free, he could easily flee to his stronghold in Argentina, where the FBI couldn't reach him.

As Vincent was led out of the warehouse in handcuffs, he was determined that once he got out, the first thing he would do was kill Neal Caffrey.

Meanwhile, Hughes and a representative from the Department of Justice eagerly approached Neal and Peter, who were still standing on the submarine's deck. They glanced at the pile of military-grade explosives that had been disarmed, both amazed and excited. Hughes was thrilled not only to have captured Vincent Adler, a fugitive his office had been chasing for a decade, but also to have discovered a submarine filled with priceless art looted by the Nazis during World War II. The value of these items was astronomical, and his New York office would certainly receive a significant reward. The Justice Department representative was equally pleased, having come to New York to issue Neal's pardon and now able to return with a treasure trove.

Seeing the undisguised joy and hidden greed in his boss's eyes, Peter knew exactly what Hughes was thinking. He subtly signaled to Neal, and the two of them quickly moved away from the submarine's deck just as Hughes and the Justice Department representative reached the hatch.

Hughes, despite his desire to be the first to see the treasure, restrained himself. As the FBI director, he remembered his responsibilities and refrained from entering the submarine. Instead, he instructed Peter to lead the FBI agents in thoroughly searching the warehouse and rescuing Alex, giving Neal a chance to leave the scene.

Once these tasks were assigned, Hughes, feigning humility, invited the Justice Department representative to join him in entering the submarine to see the treasure firsthand.

But Neal, knowing that these men were in for a disappointment, had already moved away with Peter. Sure enough, it wasn't long before Hughes's voice echoed from the submarine.

"Where is everything? Why is there nothing here? This submarine was supposed to be full of treasure—where is it?"

Hughes, who had eagerly rushed into the submarine expecting a fortune, quickly scrambled back out, standing on the deck and roaring in frustration. However, he didn't suspect Neal or Peter, as they had been brought here under his watchful eye and hadn't had the time or means to make the treasure disappear. Besides, their empty hands left no reason for him to doubt them.

Still, Hughes couldn't believe that his hopes of striking it rich had been dashed.

The Justice Department representative, equally disappointed, crawled out of the narrow hatch after Hughes. Expecting to find a vast treasure, he instead found the submarine completely empty. Castle had already cleared it out using his extraordinary storage abilities, leaving the submarine spotless.

Fuming, Hughes called Peter over to discuss how to handle the situation. Though his dream of wealth had been shattered, he was still pleased to have captured Vincent Adler, and there was still the matter of finding out what happened to the submarine's contents. He ordered Peter to lead the agents in thoroughly searching the warehouse.

On the second floor, Neal, holding the recently rescued Alex, remained calm. He pretended to comfort Alex while quietly instructing her to claim ignorance about what happened to the submarine's contents during the inevitable questioning. Neal knew that after today, both he and Alex would be under intense scrutiny by the FBI, who would want to know where the missing treasure had gone. Even though he had no direct evidence against him, the coincidences were too suspicious, and Peter would surely be watching him closely. Fortunately, Neal had already received his pardon that morning, so he didn't have to worry about the FBI throwing him in prison out of frustration.

Outside the warehouse, Vincent Adler, unaware of the sniper rifle aimed at his head from a thousand meters away, was being led to a Suburban by two heavily armed FBI agents…

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]