A/N Fair warning – the whole story was written quick and dirty in two days. Could use some more editing and I would love a beta for it but I know from experience that if I don't at least start posting it before 4.5 airs it will become non canon and I will never bother posting it.

Two separate time lines going on.

Go first in the world, go forth with your fears
Remember a price must be paid
Be always too soon, be never too fast
At the time when all bets must be laid
Beware of the darkness, be kind to your children
Remember the woman who waits
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate

And he who is wise will not criticize
When other men fail at the game
Beware of strange faces and dark dingy places
Be careful while bending the law
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your door

-The House You Live In (abridged) Gordon Lightfoot

The House You Live In

Reddington was giving orders. "Try to hold off on gunfire as long as you can. As soon as he hears the first shot Kirk will attempt to leave. We can't have him escaping again."

No, not like he did in Cuba or Nova Scotia or Amsterdam or New York or -

"Liz?" Tom interrupted her train of thought.

Surely Kirk had to be running out of hidey holes.

It had been more than two months and even more dead ends since Elizabeth had last seen her daughter on the web camera Kirk had set up for her.

Tom called her name again. "Elizabeth?"

Despondently, she responded. "It's been so long since she has seen us. Every night I go to sleep worrying, wondering if she will even remember me."

She shrugged off Tom's attempt to touch her shoulder. Things had been strained between them since his botched rescue attempt.

She continued. "It's been so long, she's probably changed so much. Sometimes I wonder if I would even recognize her if I saw her on the street."

"Liz -" Tom started to say something.

Reddington talked over him. "Lizzie, you would know her." He sounded so sure, so confident as he repeated himself. "You would know. A mother doesn't ever forget her child."

"You're sure Agnes is in there with Kirk?" Elizabeth asked.

He nodded.

"This is it. This is really it?" Elizabeth pleaded.

Reddington promised her. "This is it."

Reaching out, she squeezed Tom's hand. Elizabeth half sighed half begged. "We're going to get our baby back."

Coming to the back of the van, Dembe interrupted. "Something's not right."

As a group, they moved to where Baz and the others were assembled.

Baz expanded upon Dembe's concern. "I don't like it. They're not moving. What kind of a patrol doesn't patrol? "

Dembe chimed in with more doubts. "Their relief shift should have come out by now. They haven't."

Reddington frowned. "Tom, keep Elizabeth here."

Elizabeth tried to protest. "You can't just -"

Reddington pumped the rifle in his hand. "- Everyone else, let's go. Remember - hold off on your gunfire as long as you can."

000

Baz sneaked up on one of Kirk's sentries. Leaning against the wall, the man appeared to have fallen asleep at his post. Heeding Red's order, using the butt of his gun, Baz struck him in the back of the head.

The man fell to the ground dead.

Quickly, Baz realized that it hadn't been the force of his blow that had killed him.

The already dead guard had been left there, posed like a doll to give someone a false sense of security.

OOOO

Seeing she had found the chain, he explained it for her. "It's for your own protection, darlin'. You're still weak and groggy. I couldn't let a delicate thing like you wander off on your own. We are miles and miles from the nearest town and these woods aren't safe. You would never make it out on your own."

That didn't explain why he had the chains in the first place. Or why when Mr. Kaplan had thus far been too weak to even sit up unassisted the metal was scrapped in places - as if someone had been pulling on the chain trying quite desperately to break free.

Keeping a straight face, Mr. Kaplan nodded. Her voice was hoarse, but even, as she thanked him for his consideration. "That was very thoughtful of you."

She made no suggestion of him removing the chain now that he returned.

He made no offer.

tbc

A/N Yes? No? Maybe so?