They were now entering the third hour of surveillance. It was 10:30pm and Keen was in the passenger seat keeping alert trying not to let any small detail get by her. She couldn't. This was too important. She had received a tip from Red about Tom's whereabouts. And ever since that day where she had let Tom walk away from the car and disappear, she had regretted it. She knew it was the decision that had to be made to try to save Fitch. But it was a decision that she had nightmares about ever since.
It didn't help that she and Ressler had been a bit distant ever since that day. Keen tried to let Ressler's words about her still being in love with Tom not affect her. But they did. Maybe because he was right. But even if he was, it hurt her to hear him say it. She felt betrayed by Tom. Her life for the past two years had been a lie. And to know that deep down there was still a smart part of her that loved him was a hard pill to swallow. She felt weak and she didn't like that Ressler saw it.
They were both startled when the door to the building suddenly opened. Ressler wanted nothing more than to see Tom walk out and put two bullets in his head. But he had to relax. His emotions were high. Not only because of what Tom had put his partner through. But also because Tom was a dangerous man with ties to very dangerous people. As he watched the door carefully, he saw Tom's face hidden by a Phillies baseball cap and immediately went on high alert.
"That's him Ressler. We need to follow him".
Before Ressler could even respond, Keen was already out of the car. He followed suit and both agents stayed far enough distance behind Tom not to cause attention. Tom turned down a street known for prostitution and both agents stopped in their tracks. It would be hard for Keen not to be noticed on a street normally frequented by men looking for female companionship.
"Dammit. I can't go down there", Liz quickly realized. "Quick, Ressler, don't let him leave your sight. Radio me before you make any contact."
This wasn't the first time Ressler had been down this street as a federal agent. It was known for back room activity and mob connections.
Ressler turned the down street and immediately spotted Tom speaking with a woman in a black min-dress and red heels about 50 feet away. Judging by the way she was positioned in front of him, there was no denying the type of business deal she was trying to close. Ressler decided to bend down and tie his shoe to figure out his next move. There was a red-head woman up ahead who he could angle himself between and keep an eye on Tom. The woman's eyes lit up as Ressler approached her.
"Damn, it must be my lucky night… What you in the mood for honey?", the woman said softly. Ressler could hardly find the words to speak back at her. He knew Agent Keen was watching him and he also knew that if he wasn't a good enough liar, the lady would think he was a cop and possibly start a scene.
"That all depends on how much you're trying to take from my pockets." He instantly regretted saying that as the redhead's hand was now on his pants coming a little too close to his "pockets".
When Ressler saw Tom go inside the building with the woman in the black dress, he told the redhead 'no thanks' and headed in that direction. If he went inside the massage parlor, he risked Tom standing right there and spotting him. But it was a risk he had to take.
Ressler came up to the door and pushed it through. Which he immediately knew was the wrong decision when a force that felt like a ton of bricks launched him sideways breaking a glass table.
"Agent Ressler, didn't I tell you not to meddle in me and Liz's business?", Tom stated while smirking above Agent Ressler's body on the floor surrounded by broken glass. The smirk on Tom's face was enough to make Ressler get up and launch himself into Tom's body punching him repeatedly. Tom wrestled back and knocked Ressler's head into the metal counter in the lobby. He was stunned and instantly fell to the floor. When Ressler finally opened his eyes, he saw the gun in Tom's hand go off aimed right towards him.
