"We have his location," the enthusiastic deep male voice in Solnik ear informed, "The man in charge wishes for a team to go with you. Reddington has two teams of men guarding him. One team of ten in the house, and another ten men stationed around the neighborhood. The team will brief you on your role in the siege."

"I work alone."

"Normally, but you took the job with strings attached."

"Where do I meet up with them?" Solnik asked annoyed that he had to sink this low to get free of the grasp of the organization. He wished it had been anyone but Reddington. He had no ill will towards the eccentric criminal, hell he enjoyed sharing a good bottle of scotch with the man on occasion. Reddington had often spoken of how easy it was for friends to become enemies in this business. There was a thin line, Reddington had warned him when he first started, between enemy and friend. What decided on which side each person fell was fluid and ever changing. Today, the decision came down to Solnik wanting to walk away from the life and retire to a beautiful tropical island with his soon to be wife and unborn child.

The voice over the phone gave him a location to meet the tactical team that would help him. It warned him that the meeting was a little over a mile away from Reddington's current location, and he should take caution when traveling to the meetup point.

Solnik provided his ETA, "I'll be there in five."

On the way to the meeting, Solnik drove by Red's safe house on the way, scoping it out for himself. He only saw a few of the supposed outside team, but it was because he was trained he saw them. Reddington's men were good; he knew that from experience.

Arriving at the location, he slipped his mask on and climbed into the waiting SUV. The leader had a map on an iPad of all things. The leader's face was obscured by a tactical mask, but what Solnik could see told him it was a white male, approximately in his thirties. The skin around the eyes at least appeared to fit that description. Solnik paid attention to the briefing memorizing the location of each of Reddington's team members both inside the house (which somehow they had the schematic for) and around the neighborhood. The team leader handed him a small clear case that contained an ear piece for him, "We get real-time updates via the man in the sky."

Solnik studied the leader closer, what he could see with the man in the dark outfit with a black tactical mask on. He could see from the hair on the man's hands that he was likely a brunette, blue eyes, athletic build, and when he greeted him in the garage, he was around 6 feet tall.

The other team members were all quiet, except for one, the driver, who seemed to talk a lot on the drive over to the safe house.

The plan was discussed in depth on the short drive over. It was simple, the team would take out the people outside, Solnik had his own man to take out. Each man had his own target, and it should take seconds to take out Reddington's outer perimeter team. Then they would move to the one inside the house, with the real-time updates they could quickly locate the men inside and take them out. Solnik would be the one responsible for capturing Reddington. Once he secured Reddington, Solnik would take the second SUV and go to his meeting point with the man that hired him. Reddington would be killed there, and they already had a cleaning team to dispose of the body. It all seemed easy, but Solnik new better than to trust it. Reddington had a way of making plans go sideways.

They pulled up in the quiet suburban neighborhood; the second SUV was on the other side. Each man keeping their distance, so that they could sneak up on Red's team and take them out. They moved between and through yards, the sniper having taken his spot on the roof of a house. He would be responsible for taking out anyone who the team did not get. It was important they move fast because Red would have reinforcements ready if necessary, and was known for being able to put up a good fight even when surrounded. They had two evils to contend with Red's people (and the cavalry) and the local police that would be called the minute it started, possibly sooner if a noisy neighbor happens to notice the men with guns running through their lawns.

On the signal of the man in the sky, as they called him, they started their assault. Solnik took his man out and hauled ass to the house. He did not want to be the reason this plan failed if it did.

======x=======

Raymond Reddington was passed out on his bed. What was supposed to only be a short while in the safe house had turned into hours due to his incapacitated state? It did not take his team long to realize they were under attack. The warning came when one of the assault team members had been mortality injured but had not died right away. His warning rang through the ear pieces of the ten men inside. The man in charge rushed to Reddington's room to warn him of the impending assault. Reinforcements were called, but by the lack of response of the outside assault team, the reinforcements would not make it in time. Whoever was attacking would be inside within seconds at the least and minutes at the most.

"Sir," the man who had never expected to be in charge of Reddington's safety called out to his boss. There was a chain of command, Dembe, Baz, the new girl, and then him. Yet here he was in charge of it all. Reddington was not responding despite his calling out to him. It appeared as if he was passed out. The next thought was one filled with profane language when he saw the needle sticking out of his boss's arm. Reaching out he shook the passed-out man.

Red opened his eyes with some difficult, "What?"

"We are under attack." The man said the sound of gunfire filling the house now.

Red tried to sit up but struggled, the man had to help him to a sitting position. Red blindly reached over to the nightstand, finding the cocaine supply.

"Go help the others," Red said his voice weak even to his own ears, so weak he was not sure the man in front of him had heard his words.

Finding the cocaine, Red quickly tipped some out, spilling more than he had managed to get on the skin between his thumb and forefinger. Lowering his head, he sniffed the bit of coke he managed to get on his hand. Sitting on the bed, he finally realized the needle was still in his arm. Pulling it out he tossed it to the floor. The cocaine was now kicking in, the stimulant fighting the depressant. It was an incredible feeling, a delayed speedball really is what he had done, mixing heroin and cocaine. He felt like he was Iron Man or Super Man. Invincible, and ready to take on the entire world, and at the moment it would not be the best feeling to have because some sense of the possibility of death was healthy in any battle.

========x========

"You know this little assault on Reddington is not the best of ideas," the older gray haired lady said into the phone to her the man she had felt was closest to being a mentee. She had never wanted to mentor anyone, for the longest time all she wanted was the quiet life. However, for people like her, the quiet life was rarely possible. First came Alan Finch, ruining any chance she had at a normal life. He wanted to know information about Reddington, of course. Every bad thing in her life seemed to stem from having been introduced to Reddington.

With Alan Finch came others, who she had known from her previous life, and they had formed a plan. A backup plan for when the Cabal would fall. She knew Reddington well enough to know he would eventually win against the Cabal. They would be ended, and in their wake, a power vacuum would come. The Cabal death knell had been sounded when Tom Connolly was killed. The power vacuum had not come, simply because Plan B had been in place. Four individuals all coming to the table with different ideas for what the new organization would do, but all agreeing that it was necessary the organization exists. It was the agreement that kept them going. It was decided the circle would remain small. That was the problem with the Cabal, too many members, with too many dirty secrets waiting to be brought out in the light of day.

These four members understood there was a higher purpose to the organization beyond their own monetary success. They were all true world citizens, none of them particularly allegiant to any government, at least not anymore. The world was theirs to be taken. They would be the puppeteers pulling strings in the background. The first step was to get a president of the United States of America in their pocket. That had been ridiculously easy, and even then Reddington had almost screwed that up. The organization had collectively held their breath when Reddington had gone after their candidate. Had Reddington known of them? But soon they discovered it just happened stance.

The Dark Haired man responded, "I cannot simply let this be."

"I understand your desire. But you have to know it's a long shot."

"I know," He said, "But Solnik is one of the best, and this time it's a real assassin. Not one Tom Keen can fake for Reddington."

"Tom Keen," The woman said looking out at the lake behind the place she called home. It was a calm night, and she could hear the sound of the water gently filter through the open window, "What is he up to these days?"

"Working with his mommy." The Dark Haired man said sarcastically.

"I really wish I could have just taken him out," the Grey Haired woman said, but one of the organization members was against it because of allegiance to their offspring.

"You have not told the others about this?" The Dark Hair man asked he and his mentor had an understanding. They both came to the table with some of their own agenda. His was vengeance's, at least when it came to Reddington. He was not sure what her agenda was exactly. He knew one of her objectives, but there was more there.

"No, I have not. Just like you have not told them about the accident I'm waiting to happen to Tom Keen."

"Of course not. But I had to ask."

"I know I trained you. But remember my rule, trust no one but me. Everyone else will eventually give you up, but I would never and I expect the same from you."

"I have given you that."

"I know." She said, "I trust you."

"But not enough to tell me why you are willing to let me go after Reddington, despite the others still wanting him to be a player a bit longer."

"Yes." She smiled at the phone, he exceeding her expectations.

"I still cannot believe that they thought it was a bright idea to ask Reddington to join. The make the circle five instead of four."

"He is a powerful man. His business alone is enough to propel our Organization to the level we all want it to be. And don't forget he has managed to survive this world despite not having been trained to live in it." The Grey Haired Woman said knowing very well the improbability of Reddington surviving this long. Raymond was after all just the son of a man who only managed to rise to the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Army. An army grunt that was more often intoxicated then he was sober.

Yet, Reddington had been an exceptional candidate at Annapolis, choosing the Navy instead of the Army because of his love of the ocean and dream to be a captain of a large vessel. That was never going to happen. Those in power realized quickly that Army grunts son was gifted especially when it came to game theory, strategy, languages, and many other essential characteristics of a spy. Raymond Reddington would have been a great Admiral if he had been allowed to rise that high in the ranks. If had not been a casualty of the Cold War between the USSR and the US. Hell, if his father had been only slightly more ambitious, there would have been more debate amongst the Cabal members about taking out someone they had assumed could one day join their ranks. But the son of an Army grunt was the outsider and an unknown variable. Would he be willing to fall on his sword for the Rostova mess, which he was partly responsible for, to ensure that one of the more connected members of the team would remain unscathed? Falling on his sword likely meant a discharge from the Navy, but the promise of a future working with the up and coming Senator Alan Finch. The same Alan Finch whose son had been weighed as the alternative sacrificial lamb, and also happen to be Reddington's good friend from boot camp. The son of Alan Finch had made sure to introduce Reddington to the important people and brought him to the attention of the Cabal. Reddington's moral gray areas were large enough to entice the Cabal. None of that was to be. Reddington was too much of a risk as the unknown variable. He had to be taken out, and the Cabal had formed what they thought was the perfect plan.

The Cabal, mostly Alan Finch, had expected Reddington to collapse in grief after finding his family gone and his house covered in blood, but Reddington had surprised them all. Instead of collapsing in grief, Reddington had reached out to his friend. Reached out to get information as to what could have happened to his family, knowing his good friend and colleague from boot camp had a powerful father in a powerful organization. Alan Finch would know who had targeted Reddington's family and what had become of them. At the time of his family disappearance, Reddington had assumed Russians were the likely candidates. He, after all, had helped one of their priced spy's defect to the US. The powerful organization Alan Finch worked with would not go after an American soldier like himself, they knew he was loyal to them, right? It was not until Reddington had actually spoken with Alan Finch's son in person, that he had learned the Cabal had been the ones to go after his family. Alan Finch's son had no idea what had happened to Reddington's family and never got the chance to ask his father.

Reddington continued to surprise those that were alive and knew exactly what had happened all those years ago. Up until his death, Alan Finch had a healthy respect and for Reddington. His own son had joked that Reddington was the son Alan Finch always wanted, and there was some truth to that. Reddington had not been a fuck up like his son, the primary cause of the Rostova mess. But it was his son. Therefore, Alan Finch had ensured his safety.

"I know." The Dark Hair man responded, "I know very well you've told me a million times not to underestimate him."

"You know what happens."

"I know very well." The man said bitterness seeping into his voice.

"Where are we with our informant?"

"Clear of Reddington, so collateral damage is unlikely there."

"What about the others?"

"Still no idea they are helping us." The Dark Hair man could not believe the incompetence of some of the folks Reddington had surrounded himself with because that was what was putting him in danger. That and the nasty habit they knew Reddington had picked up after Agent Keen's faked death.

Someone should give the woman a gold medal for being the impetus for bringing the organization into action. It started when she made herself a target of the Cabal, saving Reddington's life. At the time, those in the Cabal and the Organization who knew who Elizabeth Keen really was, had assumed she was not a threat to them. The Organization would not go after her even if she were a threat. They had waited for her to be the one to help Reddington take down the Cabal so the Organization could be born. When she had shown her hand against the Cabal and made herself a target, the Cabal chooses to act, despite the warning that it could and would very likely not end well for them. It was arrogance that sounded the death knell.

However, that was not why she deserved a gold medal. Not it was when she chose to fake her death. It had been the chink in Reddington's armor that the Organization needed to set their plan in motion. It would have been easier to capture her and use her to get to Reddington, but there were members against that idea for a good reason.

The universal screw-up that had been her faked death and Alexander's Kirk's distraction had further allowed the Organization to set their plans into motion. The mess from Kirk had been enough to convince the other members of the Organization that Reddington would not be a viable member. Reddington had been so distracted with getting Keen and her child back that he did not see the attack coming his way. When the first strikes were launched, he had not understood them to attack. It was not well into the battle plan that Reddington realized his organization, specifically he, was under attack from outsiders and now insiders. All thanks to Elizabeth Keen.

========x========

Solnik and the team found that getting to the house had been a bit more challenging than they had expected. Reddington's inside team had been tipped off and fought with everything they had. Both sides knew the attackers would get inside, but Reddington's team seemed to be trying to buy enough time, probably in hopes that reinforcements would arrive and help defend their charge. However, eventually, they had made their way inside. They attackers had the man in the sky helping them locate the inside defenders via infrared satellite updates in real time. It was easy to locate them and fire through walls taking them out thanks to the large caliber bullets and weapons. The primary concern was making sure Reddington was not killed by accident. Accidentally killing Reddington would piss off the man who hired them all. It was another stipulation of the deal Solnik had made, and yet another action that went against his normal way of taking out a target.

Solnik was the first through the front door, the second team was going to the back door of the house. He shot one of Red's men, and continued on, the man in the sky had reported that Reddington was likely in the back bedroom. Up the stairs of the entry, and to the right, last door on the left. The man in the sky called out that his path was clear, and that Reddington appeared to be on his feet, but not leaving the room.

Solnik rushed to the back bedroom, slamming through the door with his foot, and rushing into the room.

Reddington had his gun out and fired, but the bullet went just a bit wide, splintering the frame of the doorway Solnik just rushed through. He was on Reddington before he could get another shot off. Lashing out with his weapon, the butt of his gun smashing into Red's shoulder as Reddington had attempted to move away from Solniks attack.

The hit was hard enough to send a shockwave of pain through Red's gun arm, making him loosen his grip on the weapon, and not be able to get the second shot off.

Solnik attacked again, this time using his knee, aiming right for Reddington's groin. It may be a low blow, but the man was a decent fighter, and the last thing Solnik wanted was a fist fight with him. Not with the police sirens in the distance and the probability of reinforcements arriving growing with each passing second.

Red went down, unable to move his body fast enough to shield himself from the knee to his groin. The drugs were the causal factor in Red's inability to shield himself. His nervous system was off-kilter with the mixture of stimulate and depressant, it left him less sharp than he normally would have been.

Once Red started to go down to his knees, Solnik attacked again, this time his gun finding its target, smashing down against Red's head, sending him to heap on the floor. Blood dripped from the wound on his scalp down the side of his face. Scalp wounds had a tendency to bleed a lot, so it made it look like there was more damage than a cut that would likely need a few stitches. Red blinked trying to fight off the impending darkness, but he knew he would lose the battle when the foot connected with the side of his head, sending him unconscious with a grunt of pain.

Solnik used the zip ties to secure Red's hands behind his back, and as well as Red's legs. Then he used the duct tape he carried in his cargo pants pocket, to tape Reddington's mouth shut. Solnik did not want to hear from Red when he woke, he felt guilty enough about what he was doing. Getting Reddington's dead weight off the ground would be difficult had Solnik not been trained in martial arts. It was a grappling move that would allow Solnik to use the momentum of his body movement to move Reddington into a fireman's carry within seconds. Grabbing Reddington's leg, Solnik swung his body into the man on the floor, feeling Red's chest depress as he landed hard on the unconscious body. The movement was fluid, as Solnik continued his spin, pulling Reddington onto his shoulder, and then up on his feet again. The initial roll momentum enough to bring Solnik to his feet even with Red now on his shoulder. It took only seconds to complete, and Solnik was out the door rushing down the hallway, gun in one hand ready to fire on anyone that got in his way. His other hand ensuring Reddington's deadweight remained in place on his shoulders.

The route to the SUV was not obstructed by any of Red's team, the lack of gunfire left Solnik to assume that all of Reddington's team were dead. At the SUV, Solnik found someone in the driver seat, having brought the car closer once they got word the siege had been successful, and the package was secured.

The driver jumped out of the SUV and opened passenger front door.

"No, I want him in the backseat," Solnik said grunting again.

The driver rushed and opened the backseat passenger door, then moved to help Solnik drop Reddington onto the backseat floorboard.

Using the second pair of zip ties, Solnik secured Red's leg ties to the under seat track, to ensure he could not lift or move them much during the drive. They would be on the road for about an hour or two to reach the out of the way location the man that hired him requested.

"Good luck. Let the man in the sky know if you need anything." The driver said walking away to the other waiting SUV.

Once inside Solnik pulled away, once he was out of site of the house, he pulled his mask off, and hid it in the center console along with his weapon. Multiple unmarked cars came streaming past him minutes later, and then a few moments after that cop car followed, as he drove slowly towards the interstate. He would only stay on it for a short time and then switch to more secluded roads. The last thing he wanted was for some noisy truck driver to see he had a man tied in the backseat.

Once they were off the interstate, Solnik stopped at a gas station. He wanted to change out of his clothes and into something different just in case someone gave a description of what the men were wearing. Looking in the back seat, he found Reddington still unconscious. Per his instructions, his go bag was sitting in the passenger seat. Grabbing the clothes out of it, he made his way to the outside bathroom. He quickly changed into a suit and tie, the outfit chose on purpose, so he looked like a businessman returning home after a long day from work. It was at that time of day. No cop would look twice at him as he drove through the country roads.

Going inside the gas station, he bought couple bottles of water, and a bag of gummy worms, his personal favorite candy. When he got back in the SUV, Reddington was still unconscious.

"You still with me." He asked out loud feeling like an idiot speaking to himself.

The man in his ear piece spoke, "Yeap. Just you and me now. Your path seems clear all the way to the meeting point. I'll let you know if any trouble arises."

"Did the others make it clear?"

"Already back to their safe house. You have nothing to worry about."

Solnik started the SUV and put it into gear. He turned the radio on, a local classic rock station, to fill in the silence of the car.

It was another thirty minutes until there were signs of life in the backseat. The first was a muffled groan. Then a few minutes later a sound that Solnik could not make out. But Reddington suddenly was restless, struggling in the backseat, his knees slamming into the backseat the best he could with the way he had been secured. Solnik looked back and saw that Red's face was red, and he knew exactly what had happened. Checking all of his mirrors, he saw no one else was around. Pulling over to the side of the road, he jumped out and moved to the passenger rear door, the side Red's head would be on.

Opening it, he moved quickly pulling Red's torso out of the car, and using his knife to slice away the duct tape from Reddington's mouth.

Red spit out vomit, onto Solnik's boots. Red gagged again and the second round of vomit came up and onto the ground, as Solnik had moved back away from Reddington and was checking to ensure no traffic was coming. The last thing he needed was some bystander stopping to help.

The man in his ear piece was asking why he stopped. Then demanding to know when Solnik had not answered.

"Reddington was choking on his own vomit." He finally snapped getting a look from Red.

For Red's part, he was struggling to focus his eyes. When he had started to come to in the backseat, he felt extremely nauseous, his head felt like someone had it in a vice, and could not get enough oxygen. He tried to fight off nausea, but when he opened his eyes the world felt like it was moving under him, and that trigger his stomach. First, he was gagging, but then he felt the contents of his stomach coming up. He had tried to swallow it when the driver seemed to ignore his attempts to get help. But that only caused him to gag again.

"Finished?" Solnik asked standing over Red again glaring down at him.

Red looked up at him, but the light from inside the car hurt his eyes, and the way he had to hold his head made it the pounding vice like pain worse.

Solnik offered him some water, screwing off the cap and pushing it to his lips. "Clean your mouth out."

Red allowed him to pour the water into his mouth. Swishing it around, he spits it back out, this time purposely aiming for Solniks boots.

"Asshole," Solnik said, but allowed Red another drink and then another when he seemed to keep it down. Putting the cap on the bottle, he tossed it into the passenger seat. Grabbing the duct tape, he pulled a strip off to tape Red's mouth again.

"Don't." Red croaked, "I am still nauseous, cannot guarantee I won't vomit again."

Solnik seemed to study Red, Reddington was pale, and he had walloped the man twice in the head, it was likely he had a concussion. "Fine but no talking. If I hear a peep out of you, I'm cutting your tongue out. The guy who hired me said nothing about caring if you could talk."

As if he was not even listening, "Why haven't you killed me?"

"What did I just say," Solnik said pulling his knife out and moving to grab Red's head.

"Come on for old times sake. I'll shut up once you answer my question," Red spoke fast trying to shirk away from Solnik.

"The guy that hired me wants to see you die," Solnik explained, "He offered me an excellent price for it too."

"Who is it?"

"Nope." Solnik said, "I answered your question for old time sake. Now if you speak again, I will cut your tongue out."

Red nodded, laying his head against the cold window. Solnik had let him sit on the seat this time. Closing his eyes, he tried to block out the feeling of the moving car. He had never been one to get motion sickness, but he suspected he had a severe concussion.

All he needed to do was stay conscious long enough for the Calvary. One of his tactical teams would have alerted the backup team of the raid. The backup team would find him, between Aram and the FBI resources, and his own resources, he hoped they would find him. Despite his earlier feelings of thinking Solnik killing him would make life easier, he found when confronted with his death, he was not quite ready to give up.

Within minutes of Solnik driving again, Reddington was once again dry heaving. Solnik rolled the window down and ordered, "Try to aim outside the car. We are going to be on the road for awhile I don't want to smell your vomit the entire time."

Simply because Red did not want to vomit on himself, he complied, the fresh air helping to calm his raging stomach preventing him from vomiting again. As soon as he sat back in the seat, his legs left at a weird angle due to how they were secured to the seat, Solnik pressed a button and sent the window back up, not saying a single word to Red.

=======X========

Ressler had been able to slip back inside of the Post Office. His absences had not gone unnoticed.

"Hey, Ressler where did you go?" Samar asked with Aram hovering behind her typing away on his keyboard.

"Get some fresh air and coffee," Ressler answered.

"Where is the coffee?" Samar asked noticing there was no coffee in sight.

"Finished it on my way back."

"Where did you get it from?"

"Why are you asking so many questions," Ressler said annoyed with Samar's interrogation.

"Just wondering," Samar said suspecting Ressler was up to something. They were all at their battle stations trying to find Solnik and Ressler had disappeared for an hour. He was not following up any leads because they did not have any leads to follow up. Yet, Aram had seen something suspicious. Ressler had used Agent Keens computer in their office. It was odd because why would he use Keen's computer when his own was right across the way. Aram only noticed when he went to update Agent Keen on Reddington's location, but she was not in the office. Aram later realized she and Dembe had disappeared to the interrogation room to talk in private. Aram had asked Samar about the suspicious activity, and she told him to wait, and she'd handle it. Aram being a careful person, found that Ressler had pulled up blueprints on a series of residential and commercial properties. At least that had been the last activity on Agent Keen's computer.

"Do we have anything on Solnik?" Ressler asked noticing that Aram was watching their conversation closely.

"Not yet," Samar said studying Ressler. She did not know what to believe. She knew he was tired of working with Reddington. He had gone so far as to ask for a transfer, which after he had returned from being with his brother, he had rescinded the request. Samar just assumed the couple of days he took, instead of the full week he had been granted, was because he cleared his head and realized they were doing a lot of good with the work with Reddington. The benefit outweighed the cost. Now she doubted that assumption. Could he be actively working as a mole inside the task force?

"Then we better get back to work." Ressler was annoyed with his co-workers.

"Just one thing Ressler."

"What?"

"Why were you looking up the schematics of various places on Liz's computer?" Samar finally asked the direct question when her indirect line of questioning got her nowhere.

"Oh, that." Ressler said, "Is this what all of that's about?"

"Yes."

"I logged out of my computer before I went to get coffee." Ressler said, "Then I got a call from Cooper asking me to pull up some schematics and email them to him. I did not want to take the time to log back into my system and look up the information. I saw Liz was still logged in, and I just used her computer to save time."

Aram quickly checked, berating himself for not thinking about looking to see if Ressler had in fact logged out of his computer. A few key strokes later and Aram wanted to smash his head into the desk. Nodding his head at Samar, who frowned at him.

"Seriously, what do you think I was doing? Sharing the schematics with Solnik. As far as I know none of those places are Reddington safe houses."

"We had to ask," Aram said feeling sheepish for making it a big deal.

Samar was not so sheepish. Part of her wanted to walk upstairs and ask Cooper if he had directed Ressler to send him the schematics. Ressler was not stupid, and he would know how to cover his tracks.

========X=======

Red found himself passing out again and waking up when he was being dragged from the back of the SUV. The zip ties on his hands had cut into his flesh, he felt blood trickling down his hands as he was dragged to his feet.

Solnik did not remove the ankle restraints. Instead, he grabbed Red and once again, and tossed Red up onto his shoulders, causing the older man to grunt in pain, as he was fireman carried into the empty church. Once inside, Red realized it was an abandoned church due state of the inside. Most of the pews were broken, the walls covered in graffiti, and the floor covered in dust and other muck.

Solnik set Red onto the floor, sitting him up, and using another zip tie to secure Red's already secured hands to the armrest of one of the intact pews.

"Stay here." Solnik joked patting Red's shoulder because he knew the Concierge of Crime had little hope of getting free. Going back outside Solnik pulled the SUV behind the church out of site, grabbing his go bag he returned to the church from the back entrance.

Setting his bag on the alter he took a seat, taking a gulp from his water. "Should not be much longer," Solnik said.

"Out of curiously, how much did your employer pay you to kidnap and deliver me. Not your MO after all."

"It will amount to six times my going rate, freedom from the organization, and a new life away from all of this."

"How can you be so sure he's just not going to kill you too?"

"Because he doesn't hate me like he hates you."

"Who is it?" Red asked, "I'll know soon enough he'll show up."

"I honestly don't know Raymond." Solnik answered wiping the dust off his pants, "I have never seen the guy before, but he comes with a lot of references willing to vouch for him. I know he's part of the organization."

"I work with the Cabal now, I doubt they hired you."

"Not the Cabal, it's well known you've chopped all the heads off that monster. No this is a different group just forming, at least that's what this guy says. But he could just be bullshit. I haven't heard anything about a new organization."

"I could have gotten you free of the Cabal."

"I know, and you could have gotten me a new life, and probably the money too. It's my Jon Wick, my impossible task to be completed to know I'll truly be free. And he seemed to be the man with the plan, I'd rather hitch my horse to a winner."

"I hate we are on separate sides." Red said, "You had so much promise when I first meant you."

"I'm getting old. I want the beautiful quiet life."

"Men like us don't get the nice quiet life," Red said shifting uncomfortably. His groin hurt where he had been kneed, and he had a raging headache that threatened to liquefy his brain, and there was that familiar itch slowly coming back. Where the fuck was the cavalry?

Thanks for reading the long update (10 pages)!