Author's Note: All character's, quotes (indicated), and places belong to NBC and associates. I really enjoy how amazingly complex and interesting this show is, but was very surprised by how little stories there are for it. I really enjoy the relationship between Red, Dembe, and Luli, though the writers didn't explore Luli's character at all. It was so disappointing, so I decided to write about it myself. The next chapter is written, so if there's interest in this story, let me know. Please review and give the writer some creative feedback.

Raymond Reddington did not like the way this meeting was going. In the large, expansive home of the brute of a leader of the police force in Vietnam, he was tiring of their conversation. Around the large table sat about a dozen of international criminals or couriers. The home's light were dimmed and smoke filled from the heavy cigar smoke. Red tried not to cough as the thick gas tickled his throat.

As the others continued to argue around the table, the well-dressed American found himself bored with this course of conversation. The meeting of all those involved with the trade with North Korea was supposed to be productively deciding whether or not to end the life of the Korean leader or simply cut off trade, but the only thing anyone seemed to want to do was argue.

Inwardly, Reddington sighed.

"Gentlemen, as interesting as this is, and I assure you it is," he said, leaning forward, "I must insist that we get back to the focus of this meeting. Some of us have other engagement to get to after this."

Dembe would be wondering what was taking so long. They had an appointment in Cairo in a few days that needed their attention.

Trai Zeng, military general and head of the police force in Vietnam, looked like a large, uncaged lion. He was tall and bulky with a single scar stretching over his cheek. He wore his military uniform every occasion Red saw him. He was a brute, someone who liked to watch people suffer, to play with them before he killed him. Red hated doing business with him and did it simply out of principle.

Zheng continued his conversation among his men near the head of the table, looking towards the shadows and snapping something Reddington didn't catch in rapid fire Vietnamese. A girl appeared from the smoke and Zeng roughly grabbed her arm, jerking him close enough to snap something in her ear.

She was beautiful.

Red recognized this immediately. The others didn't seem to notice her in the shadows of the room, they were too involved in their own conversations, but Red made it his business to notice everyone and everything.

Though he could only see so much through the smoke and table conversation, he could tell she was young and tiny. She wore a summer silk dress with red and gold patterns on it with legging underneath and combat boots. She had long, dark hair that was pulled away from her face in a skillful fashion. Her large, dark eyes were cast down at the ground.

Their conversation latest only second before she nodded jerkily and he released her haphazardly.

A recent article he had read about abusive child marriage in Asian countries flashed through his mind.

"You're right, old friend," Zheng said smoothly. He looked around with a smile that nowhere met his cat like slits of eyes. The conversations at the table quieted slightly. "A refill before we begin everyone?"

Red rolled his and shrugged, leaning back in the chair, making sure Zeng was clearly aware of his annoyance. The others at the table continued their conversations, arguments.

The same girl Zeng had been grabbed slipped forward from the shadows of the home with a glass pitcher of lemon water in her hand.

She moved towards his glass and tipped the pitcher down. As the tall glass filled, Red's suspicions were confirmed as the black and blue handprints were illuminated on her skin.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, look up at the girl, his eyes meeting hers. She offered him a weak smile in return and quickly backed away from the table and continuing to fill the rest of the guest's glasses.

They began their discussion and Red frowned and observed Zeng. Something strange was going on with the man today and after ten years of being a criminal, Reddington knew better than to disregard his internal warning system.

But an hour into negotiations, the room began to feel distinctly warm and the lights, still obscured from the smoke started to spin. Red calmed himself before discreetly standing.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm afraid I must borrow the facilities for a moment."

He knew he was being followed and even through the drugs or poison he scanned the rooms he passed for a weapon.

As he spied a frying pan, there was a series of bangs from the other room. Followed by more gunfire. Adrenaline pumped through Reddington's system. He disarmed the first man he found, emptying three rounds into the next man, clearly one of Zeng's who aimed a pistol at him. He moved towards an exit, his head buzzing with thoughts that had no words, until he felt a shock course through his system.

He turned from the door to empty his clip into the man following him, not really bothering to look at who it was.

He looked down at his new suit to find blood dripping off it. Then the pain hit him like he was set on fire. Not stopping to assess the damage, he managed to make it out of the house, staggering with the blood spurting from the two bullet wounds like geysers.

Black dots danced in his vision. He managed to make it to across the street and into a crowd near an alley before he tumbled into the concrete.

He pressed down on his shoulder and felt around, unable to locate the bullet before the pain was too much to bare. The stomach wound was more of a concern to him. He shrugged off his jacket and tied it around his waist, not that it would do much for the profusely bleeding wound.

He began to shake and eased onto the ground, tucked into the corner, where he would be better hidden. Just as his vision darkened and lightened, he caught sight of a face.

It was the girl's.

Then he lost consciousness.