A/N This story will be ending after the Director Part 2 episode. Thanks to work and other RL issues I can't write as fast as the episodes are airing. I'm very disappointed that TPTB have decided to bring Megan's RL pregnancy into the show. This show isn't one that will work with a baby in the mix. Do they plan on making Mr. Kaplan into the baby's nanny? Tom has no place in the show and should either be killed off or turned into a true bad guy. This whole redemption arc of Tom's is killing the show and my interest.
Disclaimer: see previous chapters.
Red and Lizzie managed to remain out of sight at the safe house Red procured for Dembe's treatment. Red spent a great portion of the time Dembe was asleep reading a stack of classic novels out loud to him. She suspected that Red had done this more than once for his dear friend. It's another hidden aspect of his personality that he was allowing her to see.
When he was away from Dembe he spent hours on the phone. He was searching for a close associate of the Director's by the name of Andras Halmi. All of his people were running down leads as to his location. All he had told her about Halmi was that he was key to getting something that belonged to Kotsiopulos.
They were scheduled to fly to Canada in two days to break into a safe deposit box belonging to Kotsiopulos. There was a team there already working on gaining access to the vault. To gain access to the box the means of fooling the biometric lock was required. They needed Halmi's thumbs or thumb prints to open it. Two days was all the time they had to locate Halmi.
The day before they were to leave one of Red's operatives confirmed that Halmi was one of the scientists that disappeared recently. An old eccentric man, Crispin Crandall, was identified as the one that was gathering up all the great minds around the globe. He has them kidnapped, but no ransom demand is made, no bodies are found. It's a mystery what Crandall was doing with them.
The next day Red gave the FBI Crispin Crandall as the next name on the Blacklist. Between the FBI and Red's team they should be able to find where Crandall's plane was currently flying.
As Red predicted the plane was found and with some cooperation they managed to force the plan to land to refuel. They left the plane with thumbs on ice and a new customer for Crandall's cryogenic business, Mr. Crispin himself.
Once they escaped the plane Red's plan was completed without a hitch. He sent Marvin back to the island paradise he and his girlfriend were hiding safely in plain sight.
Liz woke up to the sound of red talking. Since she could only hear him she decided he must be on the phone. She didn't plan on eavesdropping on his call, but she couldn't help it. When she figured out that he was talking, no threatening, the Director with the contents from the safe deposit box. She wasn't sure what she wanted to happen to the man more, his death or him under arrest.
"Where are we headed to now?" asked Lizzie from where she was slowly sitting up on the couch.
"Did you have a nice nap? And, in answer to your question, we are heading to Baltimore. We need to locate an Iranian by the name of Zal Bin Hassan. In order for me to meet with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister I need to capture Hassan and turn him over the Mr. Diaz's assistant. I don't know why they want him so badly. I'm sure the world won't mourn the loss of another terrorist," explained Red.
"Will you ever tell me why we need the Venezuelan's help?" she asked again. She's asked this same question a number of time. He either ignored the question completely or launched into one of his surprisingly interesting stories.
"You'll find out soon Lizzie. Just be patient and observe everything that occurs around you. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out their usefulness," he told her with a twinkle in his eye.
One thing that surprised Lizzie was Red's willingness and ability to continue to using the task force to help track down his targets. He fed them the information of who was behind the kidnapping of a group of scientists. She made a quick call to Samar to tell her that the man she'd been hunting for years was at the hart of the kidnapping. That information had her on Red's side, willing to do anything to capture the man responsible for the death of her cherished brother.
As so often happened, what should have been a well executed operation to free the scientists went all to hell. The surprise of finding her brother alive, a prisoner, of Zal bi Hassan the man she'd thought responsible for his death, was nothing to her surprise at hearing the other former prisoner's calling Ali by the name of Zal Bin Hassan.
Red's phone rang as he and Lizzie were trying to work on finding bin Hassan from another angle.
"I'm sorry Agent Navabi. It appears my intel is lagging behind. I had no idea Ali was still alive when I brought this case to you. I would have told you if I'd know he was Hassan," Red said to her, not trying to hide how badly he felt.
Listening to only Red's side of the conversation Lizzie was confused by the mention of Ali being Hassan. According to all of Red's intel and what she'd seen in the FBI files when she'd still had access showed that Samar's brother was dead. He was supposedly killed in a bombing in Iran years ago.
Growing up as an only child prevented her from knowing the bonds that only siblings could know and understand. The bonds of love and friendship that was always there. She could only imagine the seesaw of emotions that Samar must be felling right now. The joy of finding out her dear brother was still alive to the confusion and sorrow when it was revealed that he was the hunted terrorist.
Red tried to contact Samar again to find out her situation, but his calls went unanswered. He spent precious minutes contacting many of his varied intel sources, trying to find if Hassan had reached out to anyone for assistance. After nearly thirty minutes he found out that Hassan had arranged for a small boat to be waiting for him in a semi-deserted spot in the Baltimore harbor. He called in his most trusted men and quickly setup a trap to ensnare Hassan and his men before they could board the boat. He was relieved to hear from his lookout at the entrance to the pier that Samar was with them, but obviously as their prisoner.
Hassan and his two men were no match for Red's men. Within minutes Samar was freed and Hassan their prisoner. Listening to Hassan try and play on Samar's love for her brother sickened him. He quietly offered Samar a choice of fates that could await Hassan. The choice between Hassan being put in a deep dark hole that Homeland Security or the FBI would drop him into to be tortured for any intel he might have before letting him waste away in a cell or be executed. Her other choice was to give him to Red to use in his plan to clear Lizzie's name.
"Take him," was her anguished answer to Red. She turned and left without a backwards glance. Ali was truly dead to her this time.
Red had Baz bundle Hassan into the trunk of a non-descript sedan. Baz followed Red in his normal Mercedes to meet with Mr. Diaz's assistant, where Red made a present of Hassan to pay for his crimes against the citizens of Venezuela. If Red were to hazard a guess, Hassan's fate was doomed to be the same whether he'd been arrested by the United States or Venezuela.
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All the pieces for Red's plan almost in place. While he kept Lizzie on the move Dembe was sent to pick up a briefcase that Red had kept hidden for nearly two years. When he had let Lizzie on to his plan now that everything had come together. The only item left other than the briefcase was how to get the Director in a position where he had minimal or no protection. There was around the clock surveillance on the Director and his wife.
Liz had been surprised by Red's plan. She understood how the different strikes against the Cabal's interests caused them difficulty. What she didn't understand was how long Red has been formulating his plan against the Cabal and how her becoming a fugitive had caused him to focus almost entirely on the head of the Cabal. Even though Red never said it, she was sure she'd crippled plans years in the making.
When Red told Lizzie about what he was sending Dembe to retrieve she'd been shocked with herself. How could she have forgotten that Red had never surrendered the Treasury plates and the software for creating the new one hundred dollar bills. Exactly how did he keep himself from being thrown into some deep dark hole until he'd surrendered them she didn't know. She realized that Red had some evidence of wrong-doing by Cooper, or he did, and that is what kept Cooper from arresting him then.
Even the best laid plans can be disrupted by an unforeseen happenstance. The tactical genius of Raymond Reddington, number one on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list was tripped up by the modern day version of the James Gang.
Liz had to admit, if only to herself, she'd panicked when she exited the gas station's bathroom to find no trace of Red or their Jeep. She'd called ad texted his phone frantically. She was worried that the police had managed to capture him. That thought was quickly followed by fear for herself. How would she survive without Red's help? She finally broke down and reached out to Samar for help tracking Red's burner number. Samar had seemed a little strange, but she'd provided her the location.
She was grateful that most of the people she passed didn't seem to recognize her. The blessing of living in the country. She was sure everyone in this small town never expected to see the Concierge of Crime and the murderer of the U.S. Attorney General walking their streets.
The location that she'd gotten from Samar was spot on. She found Red's phone on the floor of the Jeep which had been been towed to a junkyard at the edge of town. Apparently the guy that delivered the car to the junkyard had given the owner an elaborate story explaining how and why it was left there. Liz managed to get the name of the driver that brought it in and the most likely place to find him.
Red woke up from his unwanted nap to find himself handcuffed and at the mercy of a group of small time swindlers. Despite a splitting headache he'd managed to turn them against their fellow kidnapper and thieves. It was after his attempted escape that they learned who they really had restrained in their disgusting RV.
While Red worked on trying to talk his way out what was rapidly becoming a very dangerous spot, Lizzie managed to find the driver and seduce him. After they reached his apartment he received a phone call that changed her plans. He obviously knew who she was after the call ended. It was only her FBI self defense skills and daily lessons with Red that allowed her to come out on top of the fight with the driver.
Using her captive's phone Lizzie called Cash and negotiated a trade. For two million dollars the highway men will let Red go. That is pocket change for Red. Unfortunately, the only way they could get that much would be with Red's assistance. Or, they can give the care package to them and hope they truly understand the package contained.
She'd met with Dembe outside of the bookstore where the care package was to be delivered. He'd glanced in the backseat where she'd forced Jasper to lay down under a blanket. As was his way he simply looked to her for an explanation. She wondered if he was ever thrown by anything he saw in Red's employ.
"I've arranged an exchange to get Red back. We give him back," she said gesturing to the man in the back, "But, we have to give them the care package."
"No, Raymond would not want that. We need it to clear your name," protested Dembe.
"It's the only way to get him back. We'll have to find another way to clear my name," she said before driving off to Red back.
After hearing for years that Ressler never came close to capturing Red the sight of the police and the taskforce surrounding the meeting place was a surprise. As Dembe held off as many of them as possible Lizzie ran off through the surrounding woods as fast as she could. Ressler with his longer legs soon tackled her from behind. She fought to get away until she saw Ressler's gun pointed at her face.
"You wouldn't," she said breathlessly.
"I would. You know I would," Ressler answered her without lowering his weapon. He pinned her down while he fastened handcuffs around her wrists. The only concession to their former partnership was that he fastened them in front of her.
Ressler arranged for Lizzie and Dembe to be held at a local jail until he could arrange for secure transport back to D.C. and the Post office. With Reven Wright's assistance they'd setup protocols to make sure Lizzie arrived in court safely. It took a few hours to get Ressler's hand picked team out to where the chase had come to an end. With Liz and Dembe in his custody he wondered where Red was at. He suspected that Red wasn't far away, but he couldn't worry about that at the moment.
As soon as Ressler's team arrived they placed a bulletproof vest on Lizzie before placing hand and leg restraints on her. The then loaded her into an armored SUV. She managed to keep her emotions off her face as she walked to the SUV. The sight of all the officers turning their backs on her hurt more than she'd ever thought it would. If only they knew what was really going on in this country. Of course, they'd never believe it possible for a group like the Cabal to exist.
They'd been on the road back to D.C. for nearly thirty minutes before Ressler turned to her and tried to say something reassuring.
"You'll get a fair trial. There are protocols in place to keep you safe."
Lizzie knew he truly believed what he was saying, but she knew there was only one person that could keep her safe from the Cabal and that person was Red. She'd been certain the Kings of the Highway had released him. With Dembe in the SUV following hers she feared that Red was more vulnerable than he'd been in years.
Ressler's phone started to ring.
"Ressler"
"Where is she?" asked Red immediately.
"You don't have to worry about Keen's safety. I've taken measures," said Ressler before being interrupted.
"Your measures will fail. Mine won't," Red told him.
"So, now you are going to share your plan with me?" Ressler asked sarcastically. "Now that I've arrested your partner in crime. Face it Reddington I beat you."
"There are no beatings here Donald, no winners and losers. There is only Agent Keen's life. I have been working on a meticulous campaign to clear her name. I need a day to put one final piece into place."
"Go for it. You know where we'll be," was Ressler's cocky answer.
"I wish that was true. But, you're about to witness the full force of a shadow government working in concert to crush you. And, now that they know you have Elizabeth they will stop at nothing to steal her. You and Agents Navabi and Mojtibai must remain by her side and guard her with your lives until you hear from me again," said Red trying to make Ressler understand just how dangerous the men they were facing could be, but he feared the man's stubbornness wouldn't allow him to believe anything Red said.
"Thanks to Navabi is no longer a e member of this task force," answered Ressler.
"Then it's all on you Donald. Keep them away from Agent Keen. And Donald, I assume you have Dembe and are being hospitable," said Red putting Donald on notice that nothing should happen to either Lizzie or Dembe unless Donald wanted to pay the price for his negligence.
Of all the things Red was known for, the ability to put contingency plans in place was considered to be one of his biggest strengths. While he believed Donald sincerely thought he could keep Lizzie safe, Red knew only too well just how dangerous the Director could be when cornered. And, Red had him forced into a corner with almost no chance of escape. He made another call to the only person in a position to help Lizzie.
"Agent Mojtibai," Aram said into his phone.
"Have you heard about Agent Keen?" came Red's deep baritone.
"Mr. Reddington," Aram asked nervously.
"Listen to me Aram. The Cabal will come for her. If they reach her, it'll be the last time you ever see Elizabeth again. At this point, only one person can keep her alive . . . you!"
"Me? Um, okay, how?" asked Aram.
"I assume one of Ressler's protocols is to put her in the box. You need to change the password and delete the Director's prints from the database. They will do their best to get the new password from you. You can't give it to the Director unless it's the only way to keep her alive. Can you do that Aram?"
Aram may not have had all the training that a field agent received. But, he was loyal to his friends. He'd endure whatever was necessary to keep the Director from gaining access to the box.
Almost as soon as the door to box was locked behind Lizzie, the Director and Laurel Hitchens came striding towards the box.
"What are you doing here?" Ressler asked the Director, placing himself between the Director and the controls that would open the box.
"We've received actionable intel regarding an impending terrorist attack. We are taking custody of Ms. Keen so she can be interrogated further," the Director said with a smirk on his face.
Ressler stood there unmoving. He wouldn't believe how obvious this play was to get Lizzie. He expected something in subtler from him.
"There are protocols in place to make certain that Keen makes it to the courtroom. Until Reven Wright appears and orders me to open this box she is staying right here. I'm not opening this door for you," he said stubbornly.
The Director smiled. That was the last thing Ressler had expected.
Ressler left the Director and Lizzie staring at each other through the glass walls of the box. He found Aram alone at his station in the bullpen.
"Reven's not coming back," he told Aram quietly yet plainly agitated.
"You talked to her?" asked Aram.
"No, she's dead."
"How do you know" asked Aram anxiously.
"Tommy Markham," was Ressler's cryptic reply.
"Who? Who is Tommy Markham?" Aram asked with deepening confusion.
"He's the man that killed by father and she's the only one that new his name. I think she was trying to let us know that Laurel is a member of the Cabal, and I told her where Tom is holding Karakurt."
"Wait, Tom has Karakurt?" Aram asked what he felt was the most important question.
Ressler glanced around, making certain that their conversation was not attracting any unwanted attention.
"Tom managed to find Karakurt and took him to Cooper. They are now in a cabin where they can keep him safe until he's needed in court. I've tried to contact him, but he's not answering. I've talked to Cooper. Unfortunately, he's not at the cabin. Even if he turned around now I'm closer to the cabin from here. I'm going to the cabin to make sure the Cabal can't get their hands on him. I need you to make sure the Director can't open that door. The Marshals are supposed to be here in three hours. Don't turn her over to anyone but the Marshals. I'll do my best to be back by then," he said before rushing off to the elevator.
Aram watched Ressler rush off in dismay. He wasn't sure how he was going to keep all of the Director's men away from Lizzie, but he'd do everything in his power to keep her safe. He not only reset the box's password, he also made it impossible for anyone else to change it again.
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Red's plan to take the Director down was now accelerated due to Lizzie's arrest. With Dembe's arrest as well he was starting to feel like he was taking on Mike Tyson with one arm tied behind his back. He depended on Dembe more than he liked to admit. The man could make Red rethink his actions with little more than a look. Without Dembe he would need to depend on his wider inner circle of trusted associates.
He was waiting at a viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic when Samar approached him. He moved to an empty bench and motioned for her to join him.
"I understand that Ressler fired you for helping Elizabeth locate me. I'm sorry for that," he told her.
"I deserved to be fired."
"Are you still willing to help free Elizabeth?" he asked, but he was pretty sure what her answer would be.
"Of course. The Cabal needs to be taken down. I have to admit I never believed there was a group at the highest level of governments and global corporations causing so much war and strife across the world. But, unfortunately, you've opened my eyes. What do you need from me?" asked Samar.
Red hated causing the loss of faith in one's government. Everyone hoped the people charged with working to keep their people safe and prosperous were doing their best to do that exact thing. That was exactly his belief before his own eyes has been opened so dramatically in 1990. He knew exactly what Samar and the rest of the taskforce was going through.
"Nothing too dangerous. I need you to play the part of a loathsome paparazzi. I'm going to arrange a meeting with the top Venezuelan aide in order to facilitate a meeting with their President's top advisor. I'll need you to take photos of our meeting that can be used to make the Venezuelan people and President think that the aide is conducting business with me. If the aide refuses to arrange the meeting I will explain how a photographer friend of mine will make sure my suggestion/threat made to him to release those pictures will force him to arrange the meeting. It's always good to have blackmail material against people in high places."
By the time the day ended Red was able to enlist the help of the Venezuelan government, thanks to Samar's help with the pictures and the recovery of the care package from the FBI's hands. Much to Red's relief Aram had proven himself equal to the task of keeping Lizzie safe in the box. At least until not releasing her would have ended with her suffocating right in front of his face. He had managed to keep her out of Cabal hands until both Ressler and Mrs. Penabaker arrived in the bullpen. Penabaker called Hitchens and Kotsiopoulos out o the supposedly vital intel linking Lizzie to another impending terrorist attack. She refused to allow either one of them to take custody of Lizzie. She was only to be released to one Donald Ressler and a team of U.S. Marshals. Ressler's timing couldn't have been better.
When Aram received a text from an unknown number telling him to meet at an address Aram realized he could be walking into a trap, but he had a strange hunch that the sender was someone he knew. After a fast check of the address he hoped he was right about not being in danger.
Aram parked his bicycle on the road near where he saw a man that had to be Mr. Reddington standing. His legs didn't want to move, but he forced himself to move next to the open grave.
"Mr. Reddington why are we meeting here?" Aram was proud that he didn't sound as scared and nervous as he felt.
"There's nobody down there. Not at the moment," Red answered the unspoken question.
"So then . . . why did you ask me to meet you at an empty grave?"
Aram was beginning to think he might not be the graves future occupant. He's never seen Reddington acting the way he is right now.
"There are . . . foundational elements in our lives. People . . . that form the brick and mortar of who we are, people that are so deeply embedded that we take their existence for granted until suddenly, they're not there. And we . . . collapse into rubble. I've stood over the open grave of someone I've loved . . . too often. Once for my mother. And then . . . the others. I needed to recall this feeling because . . . I'd be staring at another body right now if not for you, Aram. It wasn't weakness that prevented you from watching your friend die today. It was hope, and thank heavens you were in a hopeful mood. You saved Elizabeth. I'm forever in your debt," said Red showing Aram a brief glance into the man behind the persona of the Concierge of Crime. "Now gather your team. It's time to take down the Cabal."
As Aram watched Red walk away into the shadows that blanketed the silent graveyard, he decided that he may not know what Red planned to free Elizabeth Keen, but he would do anything he asked him to do.
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It didn't take long for Red to request their presence at an address for a meeting. Each of them arrived separately at the steel door of a building that was built at the rear of a meat packing plant.
Aram was the first to arrive. He knocked on the door wondering what he would find on the other side. What he didn't expect was to have one of the panels on the door slide open to show him a stern looking older woman.
"You're late," Kaplan snapped at Aram.
She slid the panel closed again before opening the door and motioned Aram to enter. He entered, not entirely sure it was the correct decision.
"You'll give up all electronics and weapons," he heard Kaplan say from behind him. He found that he was paying more attention to the man blocking his path. He gave him his gun which was tossed into a plastic bin on the table.
"Be careful with that," he told Baz as he handed him his cell phone. "I have a year before my next upgrade."
With a slight smirk Baz carelessly tossed the phone into a plastic bin and waved him passed him.
Next to arrive was Cooper, but when Kaplan opened the sliding panel all she saw was a man's shirt. She had to bend down in order to see his face. He handed over his phone and gun without comment. He joined Aram near the bar. They were both surprised to find a full bar at the rear of the meat packing plant, without any signs outside to give a hint that a bar even existed inside. Cooper suspected that if Keen had been here she wouldn't have blinked at what they saw. She undoubtedly saw a lot of things like this in her travels with Reddington over the past few weeks.
Soon enough the entire group was assembled. Besides Aram and Cooper, the rest of the group included Samar and Marvin. They all stood around awkwardly waiting for Red to arrive.
In what was only minutes after Marvin arrived, but felt like hours, Red finally strode through the door behind the bar followed by Dembe. He made it a point to pat Aram on the back with a smile before addressing the group.
"I'm sorry for the security protocols, but my better half insisted," he said with an indulgent grin toward Kaplan who nodded in acknowledgment.
"Just the fact that you are all here is a testament to the deep concern we all share for Elizabeth Keen's safety and well-being. The threat from forces within is proving to be more powerful and far-reaching than one could have ever imagined. I've asked you here because we have one chance to save Elizabeth. But, to do that we must work together. So . . . Oh, my God, this is why I'm a terrible bridge player. With anyone else, Steve Lyditt would have won the North American Pairs. We didn't even make it through Regionals. Sharing my hand with anyone goes against every instinct I have. But, such is life. Here we are. So, five weeks ago, I called the Metro PD to report a sighting of Raymond Reddington at the Del Rio diner. I created a hostage crisis so you would be so kind as to release my attorney Marvin Gerard from prison. That day, Marvin and I conceived a plan to exonerate Elizabeth Keen by targeting the Cabal, and in particular the Director. Since that day, everything we've done has been in service of that plan. The Verdiant case has resulted in catastrophic damage to the Cabal's finances. The client list we took from the Djinn gave us leverage with key players in the Cabal to further isolate and weaken the Director's influence. With Andras Halmi, or part of him, we cut a gaping hold in the Director's golden parachute, leaving him nothing to run with and causing even further distrust and divisions within the Cabal. But, the Zal bin Hassan case has opened a window of opportunity we must slip through with great haste. To save Elizabeth, we must execute a specific attack. One so impactful, it will force the Cabal to completely abandon the Director, and publicly exonerate Elizabeth Keen."
The group had listened silently as Red recapped everything he and Liz had done to get them to this point. If it hadn't been for some two-bit highway men, Red might have been able to complete his plan with them none the wiser.
"What the hell do you have in mind?" Cooper said when Red paused.
"See this is why I don't play well with partners. Don't fret Harold, I'm holding all the trumps. I'll be the declarer, you be dummy, and we'll win the hand. Anything else? Good. Let's begin."
"That's it, that's your plan?" Cooper asked after Red outlined his plan. "You want to abduct the Director of Clandestine Services?"
"Yes," answered Red.
Aram couldn't believe what he was hearing. If they attempted this and failed, they would all be in the same boat as Liz and Red.
"Okay, I really, really do not like that guy. And, I want to be a team player and all, but this sounds a little like . . ."
"Treason?" suggested Marvin. "That's because it is."
"Not to mention seditious conspiracy and felony kidnapping . . ." added Cooper.
Red simply rolled his eyes at the list of crimes being discussed. He long ago made peace with the fact you sometimes had to do bad things to accomplish goals that were ultimately the best for everyone.
"For which you all could spend the rest of your lives in prison," Marvin told them all.
"What are you going to do? Ransom him back to the Cabal?" asked Samar. "They won't exonerate Keen to get him back."
"Agreed. That's why I have something in mind that's infinitely more persuasive than ransom," answered Red.
"We've been monitoring the man around the clock. He and his wife are in martial therapy," Marvin told Samar.
"I'm actually a great proponent of martial therapy. Worked for me. Then again, I had sort of a thing for the therapist. Lovely voice," Red said to everyone's surprise.
"You were in therapy?" Aram asked surprised.
Red didn't answer him, but gave him a little grin. Aram really was like a puppy. He might just need to keep him around. He also seemed like a man who was loyal to his friends. There were not enough men like that in the world if you asked him.
"The Director's wife is a pill popper, downers mainly, to deal with panic attacks and anxiety. They see a psychiatrist every Wednesday morning, Dr. Oren Huffnagel."
"His wife meets him at the Middleton Building. A real creature of habit. She gets a latte every day at the same shop and then on Wednesdays she walks over for the appointment," Marvin chimed in.
"The Director takes a scaled down security team. Two agents. One of them stays in the lobby," added Red.
"Sounds great. Except tomorrow's not Wednesday," said Samar.
"Yes, which is why we'll need a ruse that prompts the Director to go see the good doctor tomorrow," said Red.
"And, what do we do with him once we have him?" asked Cooper.
The only answer Cooper received was a secretive smile from Red. It was apparent they were going to be trusted only so far. For once Cooper found he was fine with that.
The taskforce got a fast lesson in how Red worked. He is the ultimate juggler. He kept so many balls in the air at one time it amazed them that he could keep track of them all.
While Ressler guarded Lizzie so Red and the team could concentrate on recreating the marriage counselor's office. Aram couldn't believe how quickly Red's construction crew was finishing the doctor's outer office. Aram found out from one of the crew that only the reception area would be built out. As soon as they got the Director into the "treatment" room he'd be knocked out immediately.
Who would have thought that the success or failure of the entire op would hinge on a bowl of apples! If anyone ever asked Aram for his opinion, he thought Red would make a great profiler.
Cooper and Samar's part of the plan went off without a hitch. Mrs. Kotsiopoulos was helped by Cooper into a cab heading to the doctor's office. Within the hour the Director came rushing into the building. As per their usual habit, one of the bodyguards stayed in the lobby while the Director and the other guard rode the elevator alone to the 6th floor or just for today to the eighth floor. Aram had to confess that he was terrified that his bypass wouldn't work. If that had happened, he suspected that Mr. Reddington wouldn't care that just the night before he'd said he would always be in Aram's debt.
When the Director noticed that a statue below a mirror on the way to the doctor's office was replaced by a crystal bowl of red apples, everyone began to quietly panic. Everyone, but Red. The Director picked one up, apparently to see if they were real. When he realized they were he grabbed one for himself and one for his guard.
Mr. Kaplan greeted the Director and smoothly lead him into the inner office. Two steps into the room and the Director was shot up with Propofol. Two men in the uniform of the Coroner's office zipped him into a body bag. They almost made it away undetected, but the guard from the reception area ran out of the office just as the service elevator doors started to close. The guard started firing at them. Baz returned fire and kept him pinned down long enough to miss stopping the elevator. Somehow they reached their waiting vehicles and pulled into traffic before the two guards reached the street.
Aram returned to the Post Office to wait. This was the part of his job that he hated the most. The waiting for everyone to return safely back to the black site.
Elizabeth's hearing didn't last long. The judge allowed Ressler to stay in charge of her safety, that was a win. He also agreed to let her be moved to the army base until her trial started.
After one of the Marshals stationed in the courthouse attempted to kill her Ressler escorted her back to her holding cell. He told her that Laurel had called him just in time to warn him the hallways weren't safe. It confused them both since it would have been her plan for eliminating Elizabeth. The only thing they could think of was that Red's plan was working. It gave them some much needed hope.
The last piece of Operation Free Lizzie was up to Red and his ability to blackmail the entire Cabal and through them the U.S. Government. The Cabal could never allow the Director to be publicly tried for war crimes as Red was threatening to have happen via the Venezuelan government. They couldn't even let the President know there was a possibility that an American government official would be tried in front of the entire world.
Red didn't like the deal the Cabal was offering. It didn't clear Lizzie of all the charges against her, but he'd always known clearing her completely of Tom Connolly's murder would take a miracle. After hearing Marvin's take on the plea deal he agreed that the offer of involuntary manslaughter with only three years of probation, and no jail time was more than fair. Lizzie would never be an FBI agent again. He told Marvin to make the deal.
Marvin met with Ressler, Cooper, Lizzie and her attorney to present the plea deal. When she balked at the guilty plea to manslaughter and what it meant to her future with the FBI she balked. Ressler handed her his phone.
"Lizzie it's not everything we'd hoped for and I promise you I'll continue trying to force them to clear you completely. I told you when you shot the Attorney General you crossed over to my side of the tracks. Take the deal Lizzie," Red told her.
She handed the phone back to Ressler.
"Do you have a pen?"
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Three hours later found Red sitting in Laurel's sitting room, after completing his part of their agreement. He'd dropped Peter off in Denmark, just in time for dinner. It wasn't as drawn out a death as he felt he deserved, but he was sure Peter had enough time before he died to regret causing pain to someone Red loved. Solomon would be next. The time just wasn't right yet.
"I wonder if this wasn't your plan all along. To get a seat at the table when we were at our weakest. What is it you really want Raymond?" asked Laurel as she handed Red a glass of scotch and sat down in a chair facing him.
He smiled at her before taking a sip from his glass. It never ceased to amaze him how predictable the members of the Cabal's inner circle always seemed. Their only thoughts were of their place and how to make sure they retained it. Then a close second was what war or famine they could cause to allow their select group to step in to stop it. Making billions along the way.
"I'm not looking for a seat at the table . . . yet. Just know that when I decide I'm ready to join your merry band, a seat will be given to me without question. For now, Elizabeth Keen will not be a target of your games ever again. If you fail to live up to this agreement, I will hunt down every member of your inner circle and I will eliminate them one by one after publicly exposing their crimes. Share our agreement with your associates. They will be held to it whether they agree to it or not," Red told her without any hint of his normal, if at times forced, good cheer.
She could tell he was deadly serious. This realization showed in her expression.
Red raised his glass to her in a toast before draining the scotch left in his glass. He set the glass on the table separating them. Red moved to the door after donning his coat and hat. He glanced back at Laurel before opening the door. She sat staring off into space. He slipped through the door with a triumphant smile on his face.
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Dembe drove them down to the county courthouse where Lizzie was still waiting for her release papers to be processed. Ressler had called him to let Red know about when she would be released. He wanted to know if Red would be meeting her there. Red could hear the exhaustion in Ressler's voice. He'd been up nearly forty-eight hours straight. The feeling of pride Red was feeling for Ressler right then surprised him. He knew that if Red had told him he wouldn't be there to pick Lizzie up, Ressler would have been there no matter how tired he was right then.
The street was empty when Dembe parked across the street from the courthouse. Dembe waited on the sidewalk looking towards where they expected Lizzie to make her appearance. Red stood next to the car's back door leaning against the car slightly. He couldn't wait to see her as a free woman once again.
It seemed to take forever to get her paperwork completed so she could get out of the cell. She didn't understand how Red managed days in the cells he was forced to endure when he first surrendered to the FBI. If they were all like the one she'd seen him in at the Washington facility, holding cells with barely room to walk between the small cot, toilet and sink. He'd been kept in that cell in the dark for the entire time. She knew the reasoning for keeping prisoners in the dark. She was just grateful that she'd not endured her imprisonment in that total darkness.
"Your paperwork is complete. Follow me," the deputy instructed her.
Lizzie realized that at least some of the people who thought she was guilty might believe the news conference that announced the fact that she'd been framed by the Cabal. There would be many others who wouldn't believe it and would always consider her a traitor.
After getting her own clothes back and being lead out of the jail she found herself on an empty street. It was early in the morning, much too early for the normal courthouse staff and business to be taking place. She turned at the only vehicle breaking up the quiet stillness of the morning. An early morning bus drove by, almost empty except for the driver. It was after the bus passed that she saw the man she'd been longing to find waiting for her.
Red couldn't help the small barely perceptible grin when he realized Lizzie saw them waiting for her. He straightened up as he saw her speed towards him. She stopped an arm length away. They just looked at each other. Taking in the sight of the other unharmed and safe. She nearly launched herself into his arms, wrapping her own around him in a tight hug which he returned. After nearly five weeks together, twenty-four hours a day, these last two days were the longest they had been apart since this whole incident started. She didn't realize how much she missed his presence. His solid dependable presence. She was going to miss this. She knew he needed to get back to his business while she settled into her new role as confidential informant/consultant to the taskforce.
Their life may be different now that he didn't need to protect her 24/7, but she knew that his protection would always be around her. Hiding in the shadows until needed. This was a protection she used to resent, but now treasured. But, for one last night she'd stay with Red and enjoy their time .