A/N: I don't own NBC's The Blacklist or any of the characters. The reviews have been lovely. Thank you so much & keep them coming. ;)

Her Blacklist ~ Chapter 2

There was punch. Or she thought there had been one; she couldn't quite remember. She only felt the pain of her face swelling and was sure about a bruise already forming around her right eye. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was being pushed forwards roughly. A woman, slightly older than her, was threatening her with the riffle held to her neck as they walked into one of the storage facilities close to the airstrip.

"Look what I found outside." She said in a heavy British accent as they stopped in front of a small gathering of fine dressed men deep in conversation.

The whispering stopped immediately and it was him who first met her eyes. The one she had wanted to find. Cream suit and vest, grey tie and fedora, composed yet alerted and a little bit annoyed, despite the smug smile.

Raymond Reddington, also referred to as 'Red' by his enemies, furrowed his eyebrows and took a step closer. The other men in the group meanwhile minded their own business for he was to decide what would happen to the intruder.

She looked him straight in the eyes. It was the first time she saw him up close. He was in his mid forties but looked quite young. He had a buzz cut and a sharp defined face. His eyes however told a story of age: they were wise and cautious, yet vivid and alive. He had seen the worst but seemed comfortable with it.

She knew from his files that he was ruthless and she knew what to expect from him. But she didn't cower as he tilted his head and found amusement in her pride. "Agent Keen, what a pleasure." He purred far too casual as he scanned her from head to toe with his eyes. "It is true then, the FBI now does send their ducklings into the game. Harold must be desperate."

It took her by surprise that he knew about her. Officially her identity had been sealed.

Red turned around and addressed the group of men. "Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you all to somebody." He smiled and pointed at her with his hand. "This is my stunningly attractive new case agent Elizabeth. A pleasure to the eyes, but intolerably persistent. She has been tailing me for weeks now."

Then, within a second of a heartbeat, he produced a gun right under her jaw pointing upwards towards her brain. "Unfortunately…" he spoke close to her face in a deep but deadly voice. "… she is also the reason we got disturbed in our business meeting."

She swallowed and could feel the tiny hair in her neck raise as a slight tremble shook through her bones. She was afraid, yet couldn't close her eyes. His face was impassive as he taunted her to make a wrong move. "Your team slaughtered three of my best men."

She felt the cold steel pressing further into her skin. "My entire task force is dead." She hissed at him and tried to squirm away from the gun.

"Well, you should have considered my associates having their own security when you decided to invade this area like a hoard of teenage paintball players." He said calmly. "The bombs were Lorca's people." And he pointed with his head towards a sleazy looking Italian who motioned slicing off her head with his fingers. Reddington smiled at her. "Skipped the tactic class in Quantico, didn't you?"

"Raymond!" A voice interrupted the scene. "We have to leave. The police will arrive soon."

Liz saw an African looking, tall and very muscular guy approaching the two of them from the hall. He was carrying several weapons and had blood spatter across his white shirt.

Red relieved her a bit from the pressure of his gun and nodded towards the man. "Dembe, pack our things and get the plane ready. I'll be finished here in a minute."

Then his attention was back on her. He could detect the silent fear that was bleeding out of her. It was mere minutes left for her, being allowed to breathe. And he knew that she knew and narrowed his eyes. "Meera, check if she is wired." Of course he'd think she had called in the SWAT. And if she had, it might have saved her life.

She closed her eyes for a moment as the Indian woman started to pat her down. And while she opened her jacket and unbuttoned her blouse at the top to look for cables attached to her skin, Reddington charged his revolver by putting the bullets one after another into the barrel.

"You know, it's a real shame." His expression was business-like as he spoke of her execution. He didn't get attached, not even to his choices. He was life and death with one simply flick of the security lock on his gun. "You've got potential."

There were no hidden wires or microphones. The headset together with her gun was destroyed. But regardless the woman continued exploring her pockets. A 20 dollar bill, a pin, her ID, a flashlight and a folded piece of paper was all she found and she placed the items onto a table next to them. "That's it. She's clear."

Red eyed the contents, lowered his weapon and went through her belongings. "So, nobody is listening as we speak then. Smart move. Or not." He shrugged and opened the flashlight. It was a usual tool, no hidden blades or tracking devices. A short glance at her badge, before he picked up the paper.

"No." She said but he had already started reading.

"What's this?" His brows lifted and he looked at her sharply.

"Nothing." It was barely a whisper.

He laughed. "Oh it certainly is something. It has my name on it. And I hold place one, I might add."

Her lips were sealed and she bit her cheek from inside. It didn't matter anyway now, did it? So she took a deep breath to calm herself before she stared directly into his eyes. "It's the list of people who are responsible for the murder of my family."

"A Blacklist?" He stated. And then his mimic got calculating as he studied her features carefully. And the seconds ticked by one by one. "Who are you?"And it sounded like an accusation. He didn't like secrets, only cherished his own.

Anger rose inside of her, coloring her cheeks in a feverish red. "I'm Samuel Milhoan's daughter. And you are the bastard who murdered my father!" She spat with venom in her voice and struggled against the restrains, that were slowly cutting their way into her wrists. It cost the woman all the strength she had to keep her in place and away from Red.

And like a spark lighting a fire, his eyes began to glow and something like apprehension was written in them. "You're Sam's little girl?" He swallowed hard. He truly must remember his victims, she thought. Maybe not all murders, but her father's was bloody. "You're Lizzie?"

tbc…