Mobile, Alabama

Jefferson, Gold and Belle ran through the maze of cargo containers, constantly looking over their shoulders as they did.

They rounded a corner between two rows of containers, and saw the red-haired woman from an hour earlier, standing in the middle of the row, start shooting at them with a machine gun. Belle yelped as Gold pulled her to one side while Jefferson ran to the other.

"That's right, old man!" the woman yelled with a maniacal smile.

Jefferson looked between her and Gold, looking both confused and angry. "Old man?" he asked incredulously.

"No respect." Gold replied.

Jefferson checked his gun, then released the safety. He looked back at Gold with a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Can I kill her now?" he wondered hotly.

Gold nodded, gently urging Belle further out of the way. Belle looked between him and Jefferson, feeling warier than she did before. She moved closer to Gold.

Jefferson aimed his gun ahead of him, before coming around the corner of the container. He saw that the agent had disappeared. He stomped his foot indignantly as Belle and Gold stepped out as well.

"She called me an old man! Can you believe that?" Jefferson began complaining. "I'm probably like…maybe a decade older than her, probably, but old man?!"

Suddenly the sound of gun shots bouncing above their heads forced them to once again take cover. As they ran behind yet another container, Gold pulled on Jefferson's sleeve. "Cat! Open the cat!"

Jefferson started to fumble with the pink cat until he finally found the zipper and ripped it open. He held out the cat to Gold, who promptly pulled out the grenade launcher stuffed inside. Gold gave Jefferson his cane, and, without hesitation, he stepped out from behind the container as Jefferson tossed the empty remains of the cat and pulled Belle further behind, urging her to duck her head.

Gold set up the launcher and aimed it at the shooter. When the shooter was within his line of sight, he pulled the trigger and released the grenade. With a loud hiss, the grenade flew through the air in a high curve, before landing on its target and blowing him to bits.

Gold limped back to return the launcher back to Jefferson and retrieve his cane. They started to move again when Gold spotted yet another attacker. The attacker stood on top of a container, pulling the clip off of a grenade and tossed it at the trio.

"Grenade!" Gold yelled.

Before the grenade could hit them, Jefferson adjusted his hold on the launcher and swung it as if it was a baseball bat hitting a ball. The grenade returned to its owner, also igniting in a giant boom.

"Damn satellites," Jefferson grumbled. He turned his attention skyward, lifting up the middle finger of his left hand. "Boop to that!" he called out.

Emma smiled at the image of Jefferson Hatter flipping off the satellites. Once he was done with that, she saw that he turned to his two companions.

"Yeah, you just stay right there," she said quietly. "This is gonna be good."

Jefferson and Gold looked around, searching for another threat that was sure to come. Jefferson turned to his left and saw his red-haired adversary launch a bazooka. He tugged on Gold's sleeve, motioning to the zooming weapon and the nearby shelter of another storage container. They fell to the ground, Gold covering Belle as best he could as Jefferson attempted to cover himself in the same manner.

The bazooka flew straight past them and into an innocent forklift, destroying it with a large cloud of smoke and fire.

Hesitantly, Gold looked up. He saw only flames roughly ten feet away from them, and took that as a sign that it was safe to stand up. Gold turned to see Jefferson standing up as well.

"Are you alright, Jefferson?" he asked.

Jefferson nodded. "Yeah."

Gold nodded and turned his attention back to Belle, helping her up and asking if she was alright as well.

Jefferson stepped out from behind their hiding place, facing off with the crazed agent in front of him.

"Jefferson…what are you doing?" Belle asked hesitantly.

Jefferson didn't reply, remaining more calm and focused than Belle had ever seen him. Gold, quickly realizing what he was planning to do, pulled Belle back further behind the container.

The agent reached for the bazooka from behind her back. Jefferson continued to stare stony faced at her.

When the agent was fully loaded, she aimed the weapon at him. Jefferson barely blinked an eye and raised his gun. Simultaneously, they fired their weapons. Belle watched in awe, but she felt herself tremble at the thought of the huge explosion that was going to hit her and Gold.

Except there was no boom. At least, not where she was standing.

Miraculously, the bullet Jefferson fired completely obliterated the missile before it even reached them. Instead, it exploded exclusively in front of the agent, pulling her into its inferno.

"Old man my ass." Jefferson commented, looking rather proud as he stared at the rising flames.

As flames covered the screen in front of her, Emma gritted her teeth. "God damn it!" she yelled, yanking out her headset. She stepped away from the monitors to observe the techs and their progress.

"The smoke is obstructing the thermals." One tech announced.

"The signal's fading." Another one said.

Emma narrowed her eyes. This is war, Gold. She thought angrily.

"Call local first response. And send in a search team." Emma ordered before stalking away.

She looked at her watch and saw she had to go pick up Henry from school. She quickly went to her office, grabbed her keys and rushed out of the CIA building.

Gold is going to have to wait. He may have won the battle, but not the war.

Belle and Gold slowly emerged from their hiding place. Belle looked around with wide-eyes at the destruction left in their wake. Gold walked over to Jefferson and nodded in approval.

"Nice shot." He complimented.

"I know, right? I can't believe I – "Jefferson started to say, before clearing his throat and gave a humble facade. "I mean, thanks."

The distant sound of sirens could be heard over the roar of the flames around them.

"We should get out of here." Gold said.

Belle and Jefferson nodded, followed him into the smoke just as the sirens drew closer.

As soon as the first responders arrived, the trio had disappeared and drove out in a dark green minivan.


It was dark when they crossed over from the Alabama state line to Virginia. Belle lay in the back seat, sleeping rather soundly for someone who had experience multiple near-death situations in less than a week. Gold sat in the driver seat, looking down at her with a soft smile.

Jefferson sat in the passenger seat. "You really know to show a girl a good time, Frank." He chuckled.

Gold's soft expression changed instantly to one of murderous, blank intent.

"I will kill you, Jefferson." Gold growled.

"Take it easy. It's obvious she likes you." Jefferson said seriously.

Gold raised his eyebrows in surprise. He looked back at Belle and sighed heavily. "How can you tell?"

"Notice how she sticks around?" Jefferson answered. "If women don't like you, they don't stick around. You know that better than anyone."

Jefferson saw Gold clench his jaw at the implied mention of his ex-wife Milah. And, Jefferson imagined, Cora.

"It's not as if she has much of a choice, does she?" Gold asked stiffly.

"Sure she does. It's not like you're some beast keeping her prisoner in a castle or something." Jefferson replied.

It was quiet between them as Gold contemplated what Jefferson said.

"Really? You think so?" he finally asked.

Jefferson nodded reassuringly.

They fell silent once more. The only sound that could be heard in the car were the cars passing by them and Belle's deep, sleeping breaths.

"You know, if it is the CIA, then there's only one place that we can go to find out why they're coming after us." Jefferson said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah." Gold agreed.

"We're gonna get killed there, for sure."

"In or out?"

"Oh, of course I'm in. I'm just saying…we're going to need some serious help."

Gold smiled knowingly, just as a he made a right turn into a parking lot. As soon as he stopped, he gently woke Belle up. Belle stirred, blinking away the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. Her eyes widened when she saw a statue of a snarling bear beneath a sign stating: Embassy of the Russian Federation.

"This is not the kind of help I meant, Frank." Jefferson said, his voice wavering a bit.

Belle looked between the statue and Gold. She didn't have to be in the building to know that whatever – or whoever – was in there was significantly dangerous.

"You're not actually going to go in there, are you?" Belle asked.

"I don't think I can go, Frank," Jefferson sighed. "The last time I was in their company, they put some electrical wires in some not very nice places."

Belle looked at Jefferson incredulously, her mind conjuring up images of what he could mean. She grimaced and shuddered when it finally occurred to her.

"Hang on to that for me." Gold said as he handed his gun over to Jefferson. He turned in his seat to look at Belle. "I'll be right back."

Gold took a deep, calming breath, grabbed his cane, opened the door and limped out towards the entrance.

Belle jumped out of the van and ran to Gold. She touched his arm, prompting him to stop and turn. Lifting herself up on her toes, she gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

"Be careful." She whispered.

Gold gave a curt nod, and continued to walk towards the embassy. Belle ran back to the car, and sat very close to Jefferson.

When Gold reached the entrance, he pressed a button on a call box, and looked up at the security camera that sat in a corner.

"Tell Elias Hades that Frank Gold is here to see him." He stated.

After a moment of silence, the front entrance door popped open, allowing Gold inside. As soon as he stepped in, four men came out and aimed guns at him just before the door swung shut.


Gold found himself sitting at desk in a dank, dark room. It was obviously a basement, as well as an integration room. He heard someone descend down the steps.

"I have to say, this is the last thing I expected when I got up this morning."

Gold turned in his seat to see the skinny, dark blond hair of his old friend and adversary, Elias Hades. Hades was originally from Greece, but sometime during the Cold War, he was recruited by the KGB and, like Gold, became and expatriate and a spy for another country. It was one of the things they had in common, and why they had yet to kill each other through out their espionage careers.

Hades sat down on the other side of the desk, leaning back in his chair.

"I have many times dreamed of killing you." he said, reaching inside and pulling out a small, spring loaded pocket knife. Hades held Gold's gaze as he reached inside a drawer and pulled out a large, unopened bottle of vodka.

"But now you are a pensioner." He laughed, using the knife to break the wax seal on the bottle.

"A couple of years now." Gold said quietly.

Hades shrugged. "Time passes."

Hades reached back inside the drawer and pulled out two small glasses.

"As we get older, things seem…less important," Hades mused as he poured the vodka into a glass. He handed it to Gold before pouring for himself. "Still, I owe you for killing Igor."

"Igor the Butcher." Gold snorted.

"He was a great asset."

"He was a pig."

"He was my cousin."

Gold raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm sorry."

Hades lifted his glass. Gold copied his movement.

"To Igor," Hades said as they clinked glasses. "The Butcher." He added with a chuckle as he brought the glass to his lips.

"He's not dead." Gold informed him before taking a sip himself.

Hades choked and set the glass down, staring at him incredulously.

"I flipped him." Gold said with a smile.

"No."

"He owns a string of 7-Elevens in Orange County."

"Malakíes."

Gold shook his head. "He weighs 500 pounds."

Hades started to laugh, clapping his hands together. Gold joined him with his own quiet chuckle. Suddenly, Hades stopped laughing and regarded Gold carefully. Then he reached for the bottle again and filled Gold's glass once more.

"Drink." He said.

"Who are we drinking to now?" Gold wondered.

"Veronique."

Gold narrowed his eyes slightly.

"She was mine." Hades informed him.

"Impossible."

"Yes!"

Gold shook his head as they clinked glasses for a second time.

"Whatever she got, it was worth it." Gold commented after a sip.

Hades laughed in agreement before sighing heavily. "I miss the old days," he mused. "I haven't killed anyone in years."

"That's sad."

Hades set his glass down and regarded Gold once more.

"But I think you are not here for vodka." He observed quietly.

"I'm going to break into the CIA," Gold said. "I need your complete security layout of Langley. Cracks, codes, ID swipes. All of it."

Hades gave him a wry smile. "Amusing as this would be, it is beyond my reach."

"Tha sas chrostáo mia chári." Gold said in Greek.

"A favor from Frank Gold?" Hades repeated in English. He laughed again before shaking Gold's hand. "It's a deal."