It's my birthday tomorrow so I was determined to get this chapter finished and posted so as you all got a little present as well. Thank you to everyone that has read, reviewed and favourited.

XXXX

Ruiz stepped aside to allow Red into his office first leaving Donny and Dembe to follow along behind them; Dembe shut the large oak door. The office was large and seemed as though Raphael was overcompensating for something, the walls had been painted an olive color and a large – and somewhat over the top – white marble fireplace stood proudly opposite his desk, the desk itself had been made of mahogany and could only be described as ostentatious. A built in bookshelf took up the wall behind his desk and though it had been crammed full of books not a single one of the spines had ever been cracked, Red felt for the tomes just sat there and never being red; Dembe felt much the same.

"Are you sure?" Asked Ruiz as he sat in his high-backed leather chair and gestured for Red to take a seat. "I don't mind acting as a supplier."

Dembe and Donald remained standing just over Raymond's shoulders, the taller man holding Red's briefcase tight.

"Oh, he would cause you far more problems than he's worth. I just wish to be able to tell him I asked and you said no, that should shut him down."

"Ahh, he's one of those men with too many fingers in too many pies to keep up." Said Raphael with a small smile. "Not a seasoned professional like us. If he does decide to come to me himself I'll say no for you."

"Indeed he isn't and thank you, Mister Ruiz."

"Raph, please, friends call me Raph."

"Raph it is." Red glanced around the room until his blue eyes found a small white frame on the other side of the room far from his desk and laptop. "Who is this charming young lady?"

Raph got up and went to the Concierge of Crime's side. When he looked at the picture with his whiskey eyes Ruiz couldn't help but smile, and innocent one that showed only love. As soon as he had his back to Donny and Dembe the big black man stepped into the space between Donald and Ruiz further blocking him from sight while the blonde launched into action pushing the USB into Ruiz's laptop.

"That's my baby sister, Gabriella."

"I thought your sister's name was Teresa."

"I have four sisters. Two older and two younger. Teresa, Maria, Leticia and little Gabriella."

Of course Red knew that, he knew just about everything about everyone and the fact Ruiz had four sisters was easily acquired, still, he needed Ruiz distracted while Donny worked his magic.

"Will they be attending The Game?" Red asked conversationally with a subtle glance over his shoulder to see Donny was still working.

"Maria will be here tomorrow, I'll introduce you. Teresa and Leticia are back in Mexico and Gabriella is at school in London, we're very proud."

"I'm sure you are. She must be very bright..."

Donny didn't hear the rest of what Red was saying, probably just a story about a woman he'd one known in London; Red would have one of that Donald had no doubt. The blonde watched the laptop screen as though it would suddenly explode until finally Aram announced those sort after words thought their earpieces.

"I'm in!"

Donald watched as files started to pop up and got transferred back to the blacksite for Aram to look at properly, he looked up and his eyes were met by Dembe's which seemed to say hurry up, Donald was going as fast as he could.

"You can remove the USB, Mister Ressler."

Before Aram had even finished speaking Donny had pulled it free and rounded the desk back to his original position as though nothing had ever happened.

"Would you like a spot on the release balcony?" Ruiz suddenly asked as the two men turned back to the desk, one of them completely oblivious to what had happened.

"That would be wonderful, thank you Raph."

"Come, I'll show you to the bedding room. Smallest bet is ten thousand." Ruiz slipped an arm around Red's shoulder as he guided him to the door and Donny felt the instant urge to shoot him.

"Not a problem." Said Red as he glanced to the case Dembe had been carrying since they arrived.

XXXX

Director Cooper stared up at the mass of information from Ruiz's laptop that Aram had displayed on the overhead screens. It was all very interesting but Harold was missing the one thing he'd actually wanted.

"Where are the cameras?" He asked in a deep voice.

"As we suspected the cameras are all on a separate system so Agents Keen and Navabi will have to get me access to them. I did find some sort of contestant list though." Aram leaned in as he continued to type on his computer.

"Why would he have that on his laptop and yet hide everything else?"

"Because he's em, cocky, Sir. Probably thinks no one has a chance of getting to his laptop." Aram brought the list up on the main screen and then started to read from it. "Ashton Dunne, thirty-three, florist, Kansas. Poppy O'Neill, twenty-seven, paralegal, Boston. Joshua Perrin, forty-six, chemist, Ohio. Luukas De Vos, thirty-one, dishonourably discharged from the Belgium Army, Bruges. Henrietta Wilson-Jones, nineteen, student, Cambridge. The list goes on, Sir. I'm getting missing persons hits from all over the world. Yennifer Dawson-Perez went missing almost four weeks ago from Valencia, Spain but Henrietta was only taken two days ago." Aram looked horrified.

"So Ruiz has been gathering up people from all over the world for at least a month in preparation for his game. He must be using his cartel contacts to have them moved. This is trafficking!" He paused a moment. "Aram, what are the numbers on the left hand side? They're climbing."

"Ruiz told Mister Reddington he was taking him to the betting room so I think it's a betting list, Sir. Who will win, how long they'll last. De Vos seems to be the favourite followed by a Sean Maxwell whose English Army reserve. He was reported missing from Kent two and a half weeks ago." He cleared his throat and took a sip of water. "I'll add human trafficking to Ruiz's growing list of felonies."

Cooper ignored that last comment in favour of getting his two agents on their comms.

"Keen. Navabi."

"Yes, Sir?" Keen responded first.

"Reddington and Ressler got us some interesting stuff but not the cameras, we were right they're separate, that's up to you. We do have a betting list though."

"Yeah, we're looking at the bookie now." Navabi responded quickly. "Seems smallest bet is ten thousand US dollars and there's no limit, explains why Baz has been carrying that case around with us. There's a list of everyone for the game, it's got name, age, occupation, everything. Even pictures."

"Some of these people look terrified." Added Agent Keen.

"Can't really blame them." Aram muttered.

"Hold on, Reddington is back in the room and he's with Ruiz. They look chummy." Navabi certainly didn't trust Red. "We're going to get closer."

Meanwhile Ruiz was enjoying making friends – or at least that's what he thought he was doing – with Raymond Reddington; a powerful friend to have. The Mexican man lead the shorter one over to the bookie podium which held a screen with the same list Aram and Director Cooper had been looking at displayed.

"So who will it be, hmm? The nice young Sophie or maybe our current favourite, Luukas?" Ruiz had a smiled on his face and spoke in such a way that suggested Red was picking out a puppy.

Reddington turned to his little boy and Dembe with a soft smile.

"Donny, Dembe, who do you think?"

"De Vos does look to be a strong contender, Raymond, however, Viktor Kovrov is a well trained assassin. I suspect he will surprise us."

"I agree entirely, Dembe. Although, Raph here did manage to kidnap him so maybe he's not as good as we all believed. Donny, My Boy?"

The blonde was still trying to push down that urge to kill Ruiz for having touched his Daddy but he'd remain calm and professional, he could kill him later.

"Em, De Vos obvious choice and Kovrov is the underdog, but I'd bet on Diego Cullen. You know, for old times sake." He tried to sound as though he cared nothing for Cullen.

"Yes." Ruiz suddenly sounded very interested. "Cullen is one of your preferred acquaintances, isn't he?"

"He is yes, very capable and we made a lot of money together, alas he is gone now."

Just as Donny had Red sounded nonchalant, acquaintances wasn't the correct word, friend was. Cullen had been loyal to Reddington for many years, the two of them along with Amyas Godwin had been a very effective team and Red wouldn't rest until Cullen was safe. Loyalty went both ways.

"Maybe he'll win and make it out." Ruiz encouraged.

Oh he had better fucking make it out or even Red won't stop me from beating you to death with her own foot! Donny internally ranted.

"Maybe." Red answered. "I think ten thousand on Mister De Vos, fifteen on Kovrov and let's go big or go home. Twenty-five on Cullen to win."

"Oooh, a confidence man, I like it."

It didn't really matter who he betted on, the Mikkelsen siblings would have all the money added by bit coin soon enough and Baz would get the cash.

Dembe went to the bookie and repeated everything Raymond had just said before handing over the case containing fifty thousand dollars. The skinny red-haired bookie handed him a keycard, white with a single dollar sign on it.

"Best of luck to the Concierge of Crime." He said as Dembe walked away.

Donny chuckled. "More like the man of hats." Ruiz snorted.

"That's young Donald for you." Red looked up to the cartel leader. "Always making jokes at my expense."

"As long as he keeps you alive, who cares?" Ruiz asked rhetorically. "I'll tell my men you have a place on the balcony. Anything for Raymond Reddington."

"Again I thank you, Raph. I'll leave you to get back to your other guests."

Just before Ruiz turned to leave Navabi and Keen were there each with a glass of champagne in their hands; a prop nothing more.

"Hello, girls." Red smiled as though seeing old friends. "It's been a while" Red kissed Keen's cheek and Navabi's hand. "You both look stunning."

"Oh yes, you're the sisters that purchased an invitation, correct?"

"That would be us, my big sister and I do get bored sometimes and this sounded delightful."

"Where are my manners?" Red chimed in with that soft but powerful tone he had. "This is Serena and her little sister Emeline, I was a friend of their father Jenkins Xavier."

"Please, call me Emmy. I hate Emeline." Liz reached out and shook Ruiz's hand before pulling it back so Navabi could so the same, she made sure to keep a smile on her red lined lips.

"Emmy it is, you both look beautiful this evening. I can't say that I've ever heard of you though, my men looked into you when you asked for an invitation but the name was foreign to me."

"Put it this way." Began Samar as she took another fake sip of champagne. "Try building anything over two stories in London, Tokyo, Vegas or Paris and then you'll see his name."

"I'll have to try that." He grinned. "It's always nice to do business with two beautiful ladies such as yourselves. In fact why don't you join Red on the balcony? We are about to start."

"Thank you, that sounds great." Lizzie, or Emmy as Ruiz knew her, beamed.

"Do enjoy. Bye ladies, Red."

With that Raphael was gone, the group stood there for a few moments just watching as he meandered around the room to chat with his guests. It was Donald that jolted everyone from their staring.

"There's a door via the balcony to a security room that full of servers. I could see it through the window in the back of the bookie's box."

"He's right." Dembe agreed quietly.

"Alright, I'll distract the guards once we're in there and you dear sister can get us what we need while Ruiz gives his Hunger Games speech." Liz brushed a few non-existent creases from her red dress.

A few moments later a gong was struck and everyone with a place on the balcony was invited to take it. Show time.