Chapter 6

Restart

„1995. An abortive raid on one of BAC's branches in Baltimore.

A bomb attack on an NGO in Buenos Aires, March 1999. 23 injured.

The kidnapping of a millionaire's 10-year-old near Stockholm, 2002, the ransom paid was about 12 million dollars.

And - my personal favorite - the theft of a highly valuable matchless piece of king Atahualpa's crown jewelry from an exhibition of Inca artifacts in Lima, 2004."

Red gestured towards the stack of pictures and documents displayed on the huge monitors across Aram's desk.

„All these incidents were solved by authorities in charge, the backers responsible got impeached and finally convicted." Red continued.

„I don't see any actual case in this." Donald was bored.

„Look closely, Donald, focus!" Red approached the younger man until he stood directly by his side. "All of them share even more commonalities as it appears after a first brief view.

First of all there are video surveillance tapes for each instance. By accident every single one of said crimes was videotaped. At least partly.

Much required and sufficient proof at every penal procedure that got the bad boys behind bars. But no one noticed the even more crucial detail because there were several authorities responsible, four different countries, four different legal systems.

No one ever compared the tapes."

„But you did." Ressler was not convinced yet.

„This was not necessary. I knew it anyway."

„You bet." Ressler rolled his eyes.

Aram blew up said CCTV footages visible for everyone in the room with a few mouse clicks and started the play-back simultaneously.

The members of the task force tried to examine every detail. All eyes were riveted to four windows on the screen.

„There! This man, background, suit, glasses, half-bald head. He was at two locations at least, Sweden and Lima." Samar noticed first, pointing towards the matching feeds.

„He was in Baltimore also. Bottom edge. Barely visible." Harold got it.

Aram stopped said three feeds and displayed the frames.

The images where grainy and mostly black and white but all of them undisputedly showed the same man Navabi had described before.

„Good catch. The same guy indeed. I wouldn't have noticed him at all." Ressler was impressed.

„Exactly Donald. Barley no one notices him. He is completely average. Invisible. You wouldn't even recognize him if he fell onto your feet. He melds with the background. Staying patiently on the sidelines, hugging the wall.

And that being so he became the most successful dealer of information among current criminal communities. His business is prospering.

No one cares what is said in his presence, no one thinks he's a threat. No one notice he's even present. If you can afford his services - there's nothing he wouldn't find out when he mingles with the crowd.

I know him by the name Frank Gibbs, but he calls himself The Professor."

„Well, he definitely somehow looks like one, he reminds me of my maths teacher in highschool." Aram observed the blurry images on his screen. „Aaand - I found him on tape number 4. Buenos Aires." Agent Mojtabai cheerfully hit a key on his console and the last feed froze displaying the most detailed image yet. It showed a man in his late fifties, averagely build who faced the camera directly. His dark watchful eyes indicated a highly sharp intellect.

„Good work, Aram!" Cooper was pleased.

„Surly Gibbs was present at a lot more occasions but he was more lucky by then as there was no monitoring system in situ.

I don't think he was responsible for strategy and performance in the first place. Or even gave the order.

Gibbs deals with information and information only. Who? When? Where? What? Why?" Red counted on his fingers.

„Who is going to do what when and where. Or has. No more, no less. And if he tries hard he will tell you even why.

In all likelihood he was hired for finding the missing information required - for all of that." He pointed towards the flat screens. „Obviously he has no preferences. No distinct patterns. He accepts orders which gain his attention. Art theft, gunrunning, abduction, blackmailing...pick one!"

„Do you know him in person?" Harold was suspicious.

„Our ways have crossed one time or another." Red admitted.

„So it's not that we are supposed find him for you?"

„Harold! I'm crestfallen. What do you take me for?" Red performed the shaken one most convincingly, looking deeply offended.

„I came here today to furnish you the next Blacklister. A mighty interesting one, to put it this way. Consider what you may come to know from him. You will be capable of harvesting one or two pretty big fish if you'll make him talk and he'll share his knowledge. Everyone wants what's in his head!"

„That's exactly why I'm doubting your intentions, Reddington. That's why I think you will benefit from his knowledge more than we ever will. That's why I think you'll eventually want him for yourself. Or that what's in his head." Cooper quoted frowning.

„What has he learned that you're anxious to know?"

„I assure you that I'm currently not interested in anything that came to his ears. My proposition was to give you someone who counts a big deal. To get Panabaker and the director off your back. To catch up the last three months - at least a bit.

But I'm flogging a dead horse here. Dembe, we'd better be off now."

Red grabbed his fedora off Aram's desk.

„Ok, wait." Cooper held up his large hands pacifying. „You can't blame me for being suspicious after all our previous...experience." Harold was searching for the right words.

„But - by all means- I don't want us to have an unsuccessful restart also. For that to happen our work here is too important."

The tension was palpable for everyone present in the room. Aram Mojtabai held his breath, swallowing hard.

„I agree." Red leisurely nodded his assent.

„And you can't blame me for deriving some benefits from one or two villains on my list. Or try to do so.

As I told you before: I have no interest in cases I have no interest in."

„I'm afraid we have to take this for granted." Cooper sighed. „Whether we like it or not." He paused a second before he continued deliberately: „Now we have settled this question...for now...may we pick up where we left off before?"

All eyes were turned towards Reddington who slowly put his hat back to its former spot on the desk.

„All right, Harold. I got your point." Reds anger vanished slowly.

„What else do you want to know?"

„Do you harbor any suspicion about what Gibbs is up to? What his next assignment might be about? Whether there's one at all?"

Navabi first pulled herself together again.

„There are rumors that he was employed by a software company not long ago. CyTec Industries. They make their money with custom-tailored computer programs, I was told. I have no clue in those issues." Red shrugged.

„CyTec? Isn't that the company that devised the digital control on the new Army tank? They acquire a lot of orders from DoD." Ressler asked, arms placed on his hips.

„Ressler, Mojtabai - request all files to that cases. Contact Interpol for more specific details. Look for similarities. Everything that could tell us what he's up to or he has had a role in. Especially on who's payroll he is at the moment. Make out if he has been held for something somewhere. Even it was just an outstanding ticket. Anything that could help us track him down.

Navabi, go to see CyTec's safety representative. Figure out what they are working on that could be valuable for Gibbs. Ascertain if Reddington's information is correct.

If this is the case we have to brief Panabaker right off."

„Reddington, a word." Cooper headed towards the stairs leading to his office.

He closed his office door deliberately after he and Red had entered.

„I wanted to serve notice on you that Agent Navabi approved your yesterday's offer. She did not have to be persuaded into it really. She will officiate as our go-between. You are officially her C.I. now until...new developments emerge.

Cooper tried to avoid the „Elizabeth Keen issue" and sat down before he continued:

„Thank you for reconsidering. I genuinely appreciate your decision. Surely, we had some throwbacks and we had our differences within the last four years but overall we have achieved a lot more than I expected in the beginning."

„Becoming sloppy now, Harold? Are you trying to tell me you missed me?"

Red clasped his hands behind his back as he turned towards the window, watching the bustling activity downstairs.

„Let's put it this way: You get used to each other after a while." Cooper felt caught.

„Yeah."

Harold cleared his throat: „Talking about getting used to after a while...there's something that has been bothering me for more than four years now. Since the day the alarms went off when the security system registered your name.

Since I got the call about Raymond Reddington, who just had walked into..."

„What's the question, Harold?" Red interrupted.

„Why me? Why did you choose me of all people. There had been a good many others more powerful, more high-ranked representatives. What was it that led you to me?"

„I'm sure there were. But I also think you already know the answer to your question."

„If I did, I wouldn't ask."

„I liked the thought of FBI's golden boy finishing the task that started 30 years ago. There are not many left who where in it from the beginning.

You have had the most experience with...me."

„I doubt that. I had never met you before. Ok, I was somewhat involved in that rescue operation years ago which extricated you from Seaduke's captivity.

But I was a rookie back then, not much more than a runner. The big boys ordered what to do and achieved all the glory.

And unlike Ressler I was never a member of the „Reddington-task-force".

Cooper leant forward, staring quizzically at Reddington who turned around slowly, facing him.

„You're lying Harold or you indeed forgot about it, which is extremely doubtful."

Cooper's eyes widened visibly when he realized what his opposite was talking about. „You can't know about that. Impossible. Only a handful of people knew about it. Utmost secrecy. As far as I know the orders where issued straight from Secretary of Defense."

„And yet I know. Everything that happened since that ... eventful summer of '88 led us where we are right now. And everything that is supposed to happen will due to it."

Cooper leant back again, folding his hands on his lap. „Fortunately I was deducted at the turn of the year and reassigned with another operation. Heard about the rest of the story by office grapevine only. It must have been a terrible disaster."

„You don't say!"

Both men fell silent, peering hard at each other. Red asked himself if he had given away too much. Cooper was no dork for sure.

But Harold was the first one to look away.

„I suggest we shouldn't stir up old stories. Let's face the presence. Gibbs. Agent Navabi will contact you when we got the first results."

„Sure. Good bye, Harold."

...

„Raymond, assistant director Cooper's suspicion seemed quite reasonable. Is there really nothing you want to learn from „The Professor"? Maybe he received word about the bones and their whereabouts?"

Dembe steered the black Mercedes through the heavy afternoon traffic.

„He isn't aware of the bones and I won't tell him. Too many people already know about the damn suitcase anyway. Or better now the duffel bag. I'm not going to drag one more poor soul into it. I value Frank too much for this.

And yes, I have no interest in anything he received word or learned about.

I'm not interested what he had found out in the past but what he can still find out for me in the future. I need Cooper's help to site Gibbs where I need him right now."

Dembe frowned. „So, you are up to something? Seems that Cooper wasn't that mistaken after all."

„I am. So far, everything is going according to plan."