AN: Right, so you know that thing I said at the end of last chapter, that I had an idea about where things were going? I proofread that chapter, and in the time it took me to do it, I bloody well lost my thoughts about it. So, that's a thing. Ugh, I'll try and get my train of thought back and keep writing. I have a very general and broad idea of where I want this story to go and how I want it to end, but the nitty gritty details are what I'm having problems with right now. Oh well, such is writing I suppose.
3 Days later, Unknown Location, code name: The Post Office
In three days they had not had a single lead pan out in the search for Elizabeth Keen. Oh, sure there had been tips called in, but none of them had led to anything. Most annoyingly, the warrant for the traffic cameras hadn't come through yet. Intellectually, Donald Ressler knew that this was most likely simply the bureaucratic process at work, but he couldn't help but wonder if Reddington wasn't slowing things down…
"Sir, the warrants came through, we have access to the traffic cams!" Aram's voice cut through the din, and Ressler hurried over to his desk. "Okay, I'm starting with when she came out of the auditorium and we can follow her from there." They watched as Keen ran out of the building, and followed her from cam to cam, noting the only time she stopped moving was to make a brief phone call, until they lost her between cams. Ressler swore, there went their only viable lead. "Keep looking, Aram, she's bound to turn up somewhere."
"Agent Ressler, what about that phone call she made?"
"Can anybody read what she's saying?"
Samar came over and watched, "She's telling whoever is on the other end where she is, that's about all I can get." Ressler nodded, we have to assume that she's talking to Reddington about getting his help, and that they met up somewhere between the last two cams. Aram, is there anything in that area that could work?" Aram start looking, "There seems to be a park in the blind spot, maybe they met there."
"Okay, Aram, look for any vehicles that seem to stop at the park for a brief time, and follow them for a while, see where they go, have Agent Navabi help you."
It was about half an hour later when Aram called him back, "Agent Ressler, I found her! Or, at least, I found her three day ago." Aram pulled up a video of Elizabeth being taken out of a van by Reddington, and sitting her down on a park bench. It looked like she was having some kind of panic attack, and after a while, they got back in the van and it drove off. "Aram, find out where that van went." He simply pulled up an address. Ressler nodded. "Navabi, you're with me, Aram, keep an eye on that place, let me know if anything happens." Just as they were leaving, the agent manning the phone came up to him. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but we've gotten another tip about Agent Keen." Ressler nodded to him, and when he heard the address, he knew that the net was closing in around Keen. He and Samar took the elevator up and met with the squad of agents that would be accompanying them to capture Keen.
Line Break
Somewhere in DC, Safehouse, 3 day earlier
The van pulled up to a nondescript diner. After making sure no one was paying them any attention, Reddington led Elizabeth inside. Once inside, they saw a man and a woman sitting inside, watching the new on their tv. Upon seeing Reddington, the man shot to his feet, "Mr. Reddington, how can I help you, sir?" Reddington, however, was focused on the woman, "David, who is this?" Losing a bit of colour in his face, the now named David quickly attempted to placate Reddington, "She's my sister, sir, the one from…" Reddington interrupted, "Texas, yes. I was unaware she had moved here." David was obviously off put by the complete lack of emotion in Reddington's voice, Elizabeth knew that this normally meant Reddington was trying to come to a decision about something. "She's trustworthy, sir. She won't be a problem." The woman, while obviously a little put out by the fact that the two men were talking about her, was too intimidated by Reddington to say anything about it. Elizabeth gave her a small smile, but was worried when she saw a spark of recognition in the woman's eyes, and then watched them flit briefly to the tv, where even now, images of her were being shown. Elizabeth nudged Reddington and whispered to him, "Maybe we should go find somewhere else to stay, she recognized me." Reddington gave his signature jovial yet intimidating chuckle, and at normal volume he said, "Oh, Lizzy, I'm sure we have absolutely nothing to worry about, isn't that right, David?" David's face, which had regained some of its colour by then, turned white as a sheet as he hurried to assure Reddington of this fact.
Reddington held out his arm to Elizabeth, and after she had taken it, led her to a sink, which actually led to a hidden basement. After releasing Elizabeth's arm, Reddington strode over to a wine rack and inspected one of the bottles. "Ah, David, you always have the good stuff. We should be fine here for a week or so, until the heat dies down," This last part was directed at Elizabeth, as David had obviously taken some movement of Reddington's as a dismissal, and had left after Reddington had complimented his wine selection. "Okay, Red, but what are we supposed to do down here while we wait?" At this, Reddington chuckled and gestured to a stack of magazines that Elizabeth had overlooked until now, "Why, catch up on the latest editions of Bass Master, of course." Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but had to smile at the very Reddington-like answer. Suddenly, she yawned, and realized just how tired she actually was, the day's events finally catching up with her. Reddington looked up from the cot he was sitting on, and said, "Here, Lizzy, take this and lay down for a while, get some rest." She smiled gratefully at him, and did just that. She was asleep as soon as her head touched the surprisingly comfortable pillow.
Time Skip: 3 Days
Elizabeth was sitting on the stairs. A Bass Master magazine in her hands, actually enjoying the articles inside and reminiscing about the times when Sam would take her fishing as a young girl. She was so absorbed in the article and memories that the yelling from above her did not register for a few moments. "…a terrorist! My husband fought and died in Afghanistan, I will not allow one to hide here, and I certainly will not sit idly by and let you do so either!" without bothering to hear David's reply, Elizabeth sprinted over to Reddington and shook him awake. "Red, get up! We have a serious problem!" Reddington shot up, with his hand reaching inside of his coat for his gun, "What is it, Lizzy?" Elizabeth could feel another panic attack coming at the thought of what was happening, between heaving breaths, she managed to tell Reddington what had happened. Reddington's face was set with grim resolve as he nodded and moved to the stairs, telling Elizabeth to stay where she was. After he had made his way into the main building, Elizabeth crawled over to the stairs to hear what was happening. She got there just in time to hear the whole thing.
"What have you done, girl?" Elizabeth could hear the defiance in the other woman's voice as she replied, "I called the FBI, they're on their way now." She could also hear the panic in David's voice as he said, "Suzy, what you done?" Apparently, Suzy didn't bother to answer her brother, at least that's what Elizabeth thought, until she heard her speak again, this time with a clear note of fear in her voice, "P-put the gun down, I-I'm sorry…" Whatever she was going to say after that was interrupted by a clearly irate Reddington, "You will be, as David here will pay the price if you do not call the FBI back right now and tell them whatever you have to, to make sure that they don't come here." But as he said that, Elizabeth could hear the squeal of braking tires outside. She heard footsteps moving towards her and saw Reddington pulling David with him with a gun to his head. "Tell them whatever you have to, or David here will pay the price."
Reddington closed the door and moved into the room, releasing David as soon as he did, "My apologies for that… unpleasantness just then my dear man." David, clearly a bit more relaxed now that he wasn't in imminent danger of being shot, just nodded and whispered furious apologies for his sister's actions. Reddington gave him a pointed look when the door overhead could be heard opening and David was quiet. They listened as Suzy told the FBI anything and everything she could in an attempt to get them to leave, and Elizabeth had to choke back a sob as she heard Ressler's distinct voice replying to her. Hearing her partner's voice irrevocably drove home the fact that everyone she knew, save for a very few select people, were hunting her down, whether they worked for the cabal or not was a nonissue at this point, even Ressler, diehard honorable man that he was, wouldn't be able to protect her from the reach of the cabal. She thought they were just about free when She heard Ressler tell Aram to call back the number that had called the tip in. She felt her heart stop when the phone rang right next to her. Reddington wasted no time, telling David to stay where he was and not point the FBI after them, and then took Elizabeth's arm and led her to what she had thought was simply a ventilation duct. It turned out that she shouldn't have thought that little of Reddington, as it ended up that this was their way out. She heard the sink being shoved out of the way and tried to crawl faster forward, towards what was her only shot at freedom.
Line Break
Ressler cursed when he entered the hidden basement and found only one person, who was neither of the people he was trying to catch. He turned to Samar and said, "Agent Navabi, arrest this man, and the woman to. I need to go and coordinate a search of the area." Without waiting for Samar's affirmation, he turned and stalked back up the stairs. Grabbing the nearest agent, he spoke without preamble, "I want a thorough search of the surrounding three blocks, teams of two, keep in radio contact. Go!" The agent nodded and began to organize the search, while Ressler pulled out his phone. "Aram, check the traffic cameras in the area, I want to know if they got caught on any of them. Let me and the rest of the agents know if you spot them." Without waiting for a reply, he hung up.
"Come on, Keen…" He muttered. Only in the safety of his mind did he acknowledge that he was secretly hoping she got away. He knew the cabal had a long and powerful reach, and should she be captured, by the FBI or otherwise, barring a miracle, the best she could hope for was a swift death, he refused to even consider what would happen to her if that didn't happen.
Of course, he would do his job to the best ability, and right now that meant capturing Elizabeth Keen, but if he succeeded, and he honestly wasn't sure of his chances given his track record with Reddington, he would do his damndest to make sure she stayed safe and was given a fair and legit trial. He wouldn't allow himself to dwell on the chances of that actually happening, however.
Line Break
Elizabeth tried to keep her breathing as slow and soft as possible. They were on a roof, hidden amongst the external ductwork, and she had just heard some agents come up to the roof as well. She waited to hear the sound of footsteps coming towards her, not knowing if she had it in her to actually hurt people who were just doing their jobs. She knew Reddington would have no such problems with it, and so she hoped, for their sakes, they didn't come closer. Her silent prayer seemed to have been answered as she heard, "There's nothing here, let's radio in and keep looking." After hearing his partner consent to the plan, and listening to him radio in, she listened as they left the roof.
They must have stayed in that spot for close to an hour before they heard the agents get into their cars and drive off. Reddington motioned for her to stay where she was, and he crept up to the edge of the roof and made sure the area was safe, before motioning her to join him, and together they made their way back into the now empty safehouse.
"Red, I know we probably could stay here now that they'll think we've moved on, but can we please go to a different safe house?" He looked at her, and saw the fear and tiredness in her eyes, "Of course, Lizzy, but we might as well check this place for anything useful while we're here." Elizabeth nodded and started moving through the diner, looking for anything useful. There wasn't really anything, save for a bleaching kit she found in the bathroom upstairs, that she assumed belonged to the sister, Suzy. Looking in the mirror, she sighed, she knew it would be better if she didn't look exactly like the pictures of her being circulated by the news and law enforcement agencies, but doing this felt a little like she was killing a part of herself, a part that made Elizabeth Keen who she was.
That thought stopped her, ever since Tom's betrayal, she had wanted nothing to do with the man, and even though she had divorced the fake, she had kept his name. At the time, it had been an effort to remind herself of the simpler times, when she was actually in love with the man who called himself Tom Keen, but recently, before this whole mess, she had started to hate the specter that followed the name. At first, she didn't notice, but over time, she had started to see the distrust in people's eyes when they mentioned her last name. Ressler, especially, had tried to hide it, but she could see it every time, and it hurt her that he didn't fully trust her based on who she had been married to. Maybe it was time for Elizabeth Keen to die.
She turned on the tap.
Line Break
Unknown Location, code name: The Post Office
Donald Ressler was conflicted. On the one hand, he was… not glad exactly – more, relieved, he guessed -that they hadn't found Reddington and Keen. On the other, however, the longer she was on the run, the more chances there were that someone from the cabal would find her, and then… he didn't want to think about it. But then again, the most likely event, were she caught by the FBI or other law enforcement, would be for the cabal to get to her anyway. No, what was best for her continued health and safety was for her to stay on the run with Reddington. His own failures with the man spoke volumes on his ability to evade capture. But that was when he was only looking out for himself, now he has to take care of Elizabeth as well, his mind whispered. He shook his head, he had to believe that she was safe with him, and so far, it seemed that way.
Aram's voice cut into his musings again, "Sir, you've got a phone call!"
Line Break
Somewhere in Washington DC
"Oh, my." That is what greeted Elizabeth when she walked down the stairs. Reddington just stood there, taking her new appearance in. "You look so much like your mother, Lizzy." She debated correcting him, but decided now was not the time, and simply smiled tiredly at him. Then he looked towards her elbow, which was wrapped in gauze. "Lizzy! What happened?" She just shook her head, and asked, "Are we leaving now?" Reddington nodded, seeming to accept that she would talk when she was ready. "We were just waiting for you," Elizabeth nodded, and walked outside with him. She touched his arm, and when he looked at her, she said, "Make sure every one there is trustworthy this time, please?" He just nodded, and helped her into the car, which then drove off. As they drove away, she touched his arm again and said, "Can you call Ressler, and tell him to go back to where we were?" He looked at her in askance, "Whatever for, Lizzy?" She just pointed to her bandaged arm, "I left him a message."
Line Break
Unknown Location, code name: The Post Office
Ressler took the offered phone and held it to his ear. "Ressler, who is this and how did you get this number?" He wasn't as surprised as he probably should have been with the answer, "Donald, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Ressler grit his teeth before walking into the relative safety of his old office. He closed and locked the door before responding, "First of all, we are not friends, understand? Second, what the hell are you thinking, calling me right now?" There was silence on the other end for a brief moment, which Ressler used to collect his thoughts and calm down a little. Then he replied, "Well, I am hurt by the fact that you don't consider us friends, but that is neither here nor there. I actually do have a reason for calling you, its about Lizzy." Ressler felt a cold fear grip his heart, "Keen, what's the matter, is she hurt, what's wrong?" There was a slight chuckle on the other end. "Relax, Donald, nothing is the matter and nothing is wrong, aside from her being chased by the cabal, but then, you already knew that. As for being hurt, well…" was as far as he got before Ressler interrupted him, "How is she hurt? Is it critical? Who did it?" Again with the slightly mocking chuckle that caused his blood pressure to rise, "No its not critical, her elbow has been cut, and believe it or not, she did it to herself. She won't tell me why, but apparently, if you go back to where you were earlier today, you will find out the reason for it." With that, the line went dead, and he had no doubt that a trace wouldn't work. He walked out and stopped by Aram's desk, "I'm going to go check on something, let me know if anything comes up." Aram looked slightly worried, but nodded anyway. Ressler turned around, only to come face to face with Samar Navabi. "I'm coming with you." Ressler considered arguing, but decided it wasn't worth it. He just gestured towards the elevator. As they drove, Samar turned to him and asked, "Where are we going?"
"Back to the diner, apparently Elizabeth has left me a message." A huff from his passenger got his attention, "What?" Her tone was slightly acerbic when she responded, "So you call her Elizabeth now? When did that happen?"
"She's my partner, I called her Elizabeth all the time, just not when we're on duty." His only reply was a scoff.
When they got to the diner, they split up, looking for the message. Ressler was just about to enter the hidden basement when he heard Samar call out, "Ressler, come here, I've found it." He strode upstairs and into a bathroom, what he saw just confused him even more. Written in what was clearly blood, Elizabeth's if he had to guess, from what Reddington told him, was a message, but not one he understood.
Line Break
Unknown Location, Air Strip
"Welcome to America, Mr. Mustermann."
AN: Not much to say here. I'll be honest, I finished writing the chapter right as the alarm for my last class of went off on my phone, so whatever I was going to say, I've completely forgotten. My first draft of this was complete garbage that I had written at 11:30 last night, so I erased it all and I'm much happier with the end result. Please let me know what you all think, and please, please, please, give me your suggestions, I want this to be a great story, but my mind can only think of so much. For those of you wondering, I've honestly got no clue as to the pairing, honestly, you all will know almost as soon as I do. It may be Keenler, it may not be. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Have a good one, everybody.