Lawyered up

Matt knew that something was wrong as soon as he woke up. For one, he wasn’t in bed while he could’ve sworn he had fallen asleep in it. The second thing that alerted him were his surroundings.

The stench of dried blood, plumbing and smoke hit his enhanced nostrils and he resisted the urge to gag.

The movement caused chains to rattle and Matt felt something iron tied around his ankles. His fingers followed the chain attached to the manacles only to find that he was shackled to the floor. He tugged at the chain but whatever drug he’d been given was still in his system because the chain barely moved.

He tried to focus on his hearing but other than one steady heartbeat a few feet away from him it was silent. and that was definitely concerning because Matt normally didn’t have any problem with hearing everything around him. Wherever he was, it must be soundproof, which meant they knew about his enhanced senses.

He leaned back against the wall, focussing on the other person in the room.
Their heartbeat was steady and judging from the lack of response Matt’s movements had gotten, he assumed the person was unconscious.

The sound of iron shifting just slightly confirmed Matt’s suspicion that the other was also shackled. By the sounds of it, his restraints were heavier. It sounded like his hands were tied above his head, shackled to the wall. The smell of blood came from the person’s wrists and Matt assumed the manacles had cut through the skin.

A sigh left Matt’s lips. He had to wait for the other to wake up to find out what the room they were in looked like.

Surely Foggy must know he was missing, right? They were supposed to meet at court and him not showing up must have made his friend go to his apartment, right?

Their relationship had been difficult after everything with Midland Circle and Fisk, but they’d been getting better. Matt was trying to be honest and to include them. He was getting better at not letting them down.

He just hoped he’d proven enough of his changes for his friends to go looking for him.

*

Matt tilted his head when he heard the heartbeat in the room speed up. A groan of pain followed soon after. Chains rattled as the person moved to sit up.

“What the-“ the man breathed out before he tugged at the chains.

“It’s no use,” Matt spoke up.

The man’s heartbeat sped up as he shifted. “Who are you?” the man asked. His heart rate calmed down again and Matt was surprised by the calmness in his voice.

“I’m Matt Murdock,” he answered. “You?”

“Neal Caffrey, pleasure,” the man replied, before tugging at the chains again.

Matt’s eyebrows rose up in surprise. “Aren’t you supposed to be in prison?”

Caffrey moved but Matt wasn’t sure what he did. “I finished my sentence,” he answered. “Any idea why we’re here?”

“No clue,” Matt replied. He thought that they’d taken him because they knew he was Daredevil but now he wasn’t so sure. Because why wouldn’t they tie him up more securely? And why did they take a known felon?

“Has anyone come down yet?”

“I haven’t heard anyone come in,” Matt said.

Neal hummed and his chains rattled. “Well, I can’t get out of these restraints without something to pick them with. I don’t think they’ve taken the picks in the hem of my shirt. D’you mind trying to see if you can come over here and get them?”

“We can try but you’ll have to guide me,” Matt said. He knew exactly where Caffrey was but he wasn’t going to let him know. He didn’t have his glasses and it would be difficult to explain once the man found out he was blind.

Caffrey didn’t waver, just simply muttered a “sure” and told him to move straight forward. “Good, now I’ve shifted so the edge of my shirt should be right in front of you. You’ll want to feel along the hem for something sharp. There’ll be a little seam to slip them out.”

Matt did as instructed but he didn’t feel anything but soft fabric. The kind of fabric that cost a lot of money.

“There’s nothing there,” he said, sitting back. The chains on his ankles were pulled taut and Matt knew he couldn’t move much closer.

Caffrey sighed. “Damn,” he shifted again and Matt felt another chain rattle against his own. So Caffrey’s ankles were tied as well.

Matt moved back so he could lean against the wall. The room was smaller than expected, it only took about five steps for him to cross it to where Neal was.

“Describe the room for me?”

Neal hummed. “It’s small, about seven by eight feet maybe. It looks like a prison cell, if I’m being honest.”

Matt let out a chuckle.

“There’s not really anything in it. The walls are concrete, there’s an iron door on your left. There’s no lock that I can see. There’s a lightbulb in the middle of the ceiling,” Neal summed up, “I think there’s a camera in the corner on my left but I can’t see it good enough to know whether it’s turned on or not.”

It wasn’t, Matt thought. He would’ve heard the mechanical whirring of the camera.

“So nothing that can help us get out,” Matt sighed.

“No,” Neal admitted. “But the FBI will be looking for me. The agent in charge is good at his job, he’ll find us.”

*

Neal had every bit of faith in the agent, Peter Burke. He’d found him even when it had seemed like Neal ran or when there hadn’t been any evidence. He knew Peter could find him.

He wasn’t sure who took him, or why and he definitely didn’t know why they took this Matt Murdock guy, who was apparently blind. Sure, he’d heard the name being dropped in prison a few times. The guy was a lawyer and the men in prison talked but Neal had never met him.

It confused him because he didn’t know who he was dealing with. Every time he’d been kidnapped, which had been more times than he’d like, he knew who took him and why. He knew how to deal with them. Words were his strong suit, he wasn’t a conman for nothing. He knew his mark and he knew exactly how to get his way. But this was different. Because he didn’t know anything.

“Someone’s coming,” Murdock said, his head tilted towards the door.

Neal frowned but not two seconds later the door opened. How he’d heard that, Neal didn’t know, but he didn’t really care.

Neal recognised the man that entered instantly and he scoffed. “Mason,” he spat.

The man, Derek Mason, grinned broadly at them. “Mr Caffrey, Mr Murdock. It’s nice to see you two again,” he spoke, his Australian accent heavy and thick.

Matt seemed to recognise the voice because he frowned, tilting his head in confusion. “Derek Mason?” he asked.

“So you remember me, that’s good,” Mason said, the grin still on his face.

Neal didn’t like it.

“What do you want with us?” he asked.

“Well, Mr Caffrey, I haven’t forgotten the little stunt you pulled back in Amsterdam. You’re here to make up for that,” Mason said. He leaned against the wall as he surveyed his captives. “As for Mr Murdock, well he’s just here because I figured you’d need the incentive. And also because he screwed up my case and got me sent to prison.”

Matt frowned. He remembered Derek Mason’s case. He’d been suspected of assaulting a young woman in her home. It had been Matt that represented the young woman and because there’d been enough evidence, Mason was sent to prison for two years with another two on probation.

“C’mon, Mason. Just let him go and I’ll cooperate,” Neal said. He didn’t like the look of anger Mason sent to the blind lawyer.

“I don’t think I will, Caffrey,” Mason replied before he left the room. The door closed behind him and Matt heard four locks slide in place.

“At least we know why we’re here,” Neal murmured.