Hi there! Thank you so much for all of your reviews I haven't expected such an amazing response to the prologue!
Now...I won't be able to write or post for the next few days so the next chapter will have to wait until next week. I guess I should be able to work something out on monday and I promise it will be a lot longer:)
Alright, here ya go and I wish ya a lot of fun!
Disclaimer: Blacklist is not mine (for details, see prologue)
Chapter 1
One week earlier…
Agent Keen was late. Really late and everything was the fault of one little kitten that had suddenly appeared on her doorstep that morning. The new apartment she had found in a kind of run down part of the city, was known for dogs straying around but cats she had never seen here before. The little bundle on her foot mat had been huddled into a tight white ball and sleeping. Liz had knelt down and touched the smooth fur with her fingertips. The small head of the young kitten had shot up and a pitiful meow had come from her. At that Hudson couldn't help but trot to the door and see for himself what was making this strange noises. His head squeezed between Liz and the door, looking down and growling lowly.
"Husdon! Stop it. Be polite!" she admonished, but smiled.
The kitten stretched her front paws from her and yawned cutely.
"isn't it sweet?" Liz asked, gushing and stretching her hand out to scratch the small head. The kitten purred, snuggling into Liz' hand.
"I see you found a friend."
The deep voice made all three beings jump and look into the dim light of the corridor. Liz hand flew to her chest, breathing in fright.
"Are you insane?" she huffed.
"Why? Is it such a strange idea to think you found a friend?"
Liz rolled her eyes, shoving one hand under the kittens belly and standing up, with it in her arm.
"Ha ha…"
The footsteps neared her and Hudson's tail started to wiggle in anticipation of a good scratching in the morning. The patting and scratching and caressing began immediately and Liz found herself sandwiched between her happy and wiggling dog and the warmth of the man who had crashed a year ago into her life.
"Red, you're spoiling him."
"He deserves it. He's a good dog….he is guarding you."
"Right…." She scoffed and turned, to walk back into her apartment.
"Are you jealous?" Red chuckled, following her.
"I'm running late." She stated matter of factly, but threw her bag into a corner. She sat down on the brown, worn out sofa and positioned the kitten on her lap. Only seconds later she felt the sofa dip down beside her and Red's warmth once again penetrating her. Was she so cold or was he so hot?
"What's her name?" he asked happily. Liz looked at him with drawn together browns and a scowl.
"It's not my cat, Red. She must have gotten lost or something. I have to hang out some flyers in the neighborhood." She looked back down at the purring kitten and softly stroked her under the chin. "I have a dog and there is no way I could keep her." She didn't sound remorseful…not entirely. Maybe a hint of sadness could be detected in her voice but Red knew that she was a sucker for animals and almost every woman was crazy about kittens, puppies and so forth.
"I told you this neighborhood wasn't good for you."
"Huh?"
"The poor cat has been thrown out for sure and…"
"Stop it, Red. I am NOT keeping her." She paused. "And I am NOT moving in with you!"
He sighed and continued to make Hudson the happiest dog in the morning, scratching him into delirium.
"I have to go." She huskily said, sadly lifting the sleepy cat from her lap and handing it into Red's free one. "You take care of her, if you want to."
"Why, I haven't said that I…"
"Bye, Red! Bye, Hudson! Bye kitten!" with that she smiled at them enchantingly, grabbed her bag and walked out the door, trusting Red to lock it with his spare key. Sometimes she regretted letting herself be persuaded by Red to give the key to him, but his arguments had been quiet logical. With Berlin out there and still haunting them, someone needed to have a key to her flat in case of an emergency and since Red knew more about Berlin and the dangers now present in her life than anyone else, the choice wasn't too hard to make.
Trying not to drive too fast, Liz had cursed at least three times on the way to work and when she finally arrived, she jumped out of the car, almost running into the elevator and collided with Ressler.
"Not so fast." He grumbled at her, obviously already in a bad mood. "You're late anyway. Cooper wants to see you."
"When?"
He made an act out of looking at his watch and frowning. "Half an hour ago."
Liz groaned and leaned back against the cool metal.
"I found a kitten at my door."
"A kitten? That's your excuse? No car problems? No not working alarm clock?" he shrugged his shoulders. "At least it is creative."
"It's not an excuse. It's true." Liz huffed at him, straightening up and waiting for the door to slide open. She felt his gaze on her and she ignored it, not wanting to be questioned further.
Before Ressler could think of another thing to say, the elevator stopped and Liz shot out, in direction of Coopers office. The door was slightly ajar and Liz knocked softly, entering the room after hearing a gruff "Come in, Agent Keen."
"Good morning, Sir. I am really sorry for being late, I just had…"
"Reddington called already. I understand you had to help him with some kind of new Blacklister, who got spooked and took flight. Shame really." He eyed her suspiciously but she kept her mouth shut, sighing inwardly in relief.
"It doesn't matter right now." He finally said. "I have a little assignment for you and Reddington."
He gestured her to sit down opposite himself and she did, lying her bag on the floor.
"There is a man in the city. From a reliable source we know that Reddington had contact with him in the past. We want him. He isn't really important in an international sense but he is important for the FBI. He muddled in our business quiet…disturbingly in the last few months."
"Sooo…what? We have to find him…or..?"
"No. Reddington has to be the bait. John Rondell looks like someone who is sitting in his trailer all day and not doing anything besides watching TV but fact is: he wants Reddington dead."
"Does he know about that?"
"Reddington? No, not yet. You will tell him."
Liz had to fight back the urge to roll her eyes and groan. When she started this job the deal was that Red was only talking to her…no one said that he was only LISTENING to her. For some reason they were using her as a footboy in two directions. Not that she minded to talk with Red…not anymore at least. Their relationship had…evolved after Tom had died. Her point of view had changed slowly but surely and where she had judged him before, now she understood him and sometimes even agreed with him. Of course she would never admit to anyone that this was the case. She assumed that Red knew it already but she wouldn't say it out loud. It would only make him feel even more full of himself and take her for granted and she didn't want that to happen anytime soon.
"…and then you will arrest him for attempted murder and everyone will be happy."
Liz jerked at the word murder and was shocked to realize she had no clue what Cooper was talking about. She had been day dreaming about Red…again. This really had to stop.
"Ehm…"she muttered, thinking of something to say. "Will you give me the orders so that I can show them to Reddington? I don't want him to doubt anything. May cost us a lot of time."
"Of course. I would like to see him later though. I have to give you equipment and assign a team." The answer, allowed Liz to breathe again, but she was questioning Coopers actions to let her talk to Red first when he was planing to meet him anyway. He surely wasn't scared of him, was he? An amused smile worked its way through her frown and she took the full folder from Coopers hand and stood up.
"Keep me updated, Agent Keen."
She knew what that meant. Call when you talk to Reddington, call when he reaches a decision, call when you have a plan, call when you get ready for action, call when action is going on, regardless of what is happening, and call when everything is done. No matter if you are still alive or already dead.
She nodded at him in understanding and made her way out of the room. Walking by her own office, she caught Ressler's gaze and waved at him goodbye. By the time she reached the elevator, he was by her side and asking once again questions.
"What did he want? Where are you going?"
"I am supposed to find a bad guy and Reddington is going to be the bait."
"Mh.." he hummed in deep thoughts. "Something new."
"Yeah…"
"Are you worried?"
"No."
"You sound as if you are worried." He leaned down, to look into her down casted eyes. "You ARE worried." He stated, leaning back, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"What do you expect? This guy isn't a clown in the circus who entertains children for a living."
"Just…let me know if you're ok." He said, now a bit gentler but still firm.
"I will." Liz answered with a smile, walked into the elevator and grinned at him, while she vanished behind the metal curtain.
tbc...
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