Raymond walked into the special unit hastily. The place was busy, it looked like an anthill. He walked over to Cooper.
"Tell me we have been able to locate Agent Fontaine."
Cooper looked at him. "Yes and no."
"What does that mean? Yes and no?"
"We were able to trace back a credit card transaction at the bus station. Our colleagues were waiting in New York City but she wasn't on the bus and the driver says that she never got on the bus. Video surveillance puts her at the but station in DC but there is a blind spot and she disappears and is no longer seen."
"Pinero must have gotten to her." He looked at Dembe, this was terrible news.
"That's not all," said Cooper as he looked at the other team members and then Raymond. "Liz is missing too."
"The last time someone saw her was last night as she was leaving her apartment building. The concierge says she never returned." Said Samar.
Donald looked at Reddington. "When are you going to come to terms with the fact that people around you are in danger. We were all leading very simple and safe lives before you barged in!"
Even though Cooper agreed with what Ressler was saying, it sure wasn't the time to start a war. They needed to work together.
"What do you know about Pinero?"
"They call him The Pirate. He buries his victims alive. He contacts the victim's families and close ones and plays a sick game of Hidden Treasure with them. One clue, leads to another and ultimately leads to the buried victims." He paused and swallowed with difficulty. "To this day none of his 128 victims were found in time."
"Then we'll wait for him to make contact. Hopefully, we have the resources and the tools to find Liz and Kate before it's too late." Said Harold.
"Don't underestimate Pinero, Agent Cooper. If he has both Kate and Liz, don't imagine for one split second that they will be buried next to each other. He's sending us on two hunts simply because he knows we have the resources and tools for one but not for two!"
"Are you saying that we are going to have to make a choice?" asked Aram disgusted and worried.
"No." said Raymond.
"Oh good."
"He's going to make that choice for us, Agent Mojtabai. Right now Pinero has the fate of Kate and Liz in his hands."
Aram who had temporarily lifted his spirits, sank again upon hearing those words.
"What I fail to see here, is the link with this Special Unit." Said Cooper.
"Agent Ressler was right, this has nothing to do with the Blacklist, it's personal."
"Why?"
"Let's just say his loyalty had a very low price and he crossed me, I left him for dead years ago. I knew he had survived and that it was only a question of time before he sought revenge. I just didn't expect him to go for Kate or Liz, I thought he would come directly for me."
Donald grabbed Reddington by the shirt aggressively. "I have two colleagues whose lives are hanging by a thread because of a personal vendetta against you. I say we exchange you for Kate and Liz. That way Pinero gets what he wants and you are officially out of our lives!"
"Agent Ressler! That's enough!" said Cooper.
Donald released Reddington.
"You really think that is what it'll take to get them back safe and sound. The wheels are in motion Agent Ressler, nothing you offer Pinero now will change that. He loves the thrill of the game and even if I would give my life for Liz and Kate, he won't turn back now."
He wasn't lying. He would give his life for them if he could. He had never doubted that he would for Liz over the years, but now it was evident that he would also do it to save Kate.
"Once he makes contact with me, we'll know the rules to the game and we will have to follow them, no Rambo or superhero style actions," said Raymond as he looked at Ressler in particular.
"When do you think we can expect Pinero to contact you?" asked Samar.
"Unfortunately, I'm not the one calling the shots, it'll be his decision. It could be in the next ten minutes, in a couple of hours or tomorrow."
"We are in a holding pattern, that puts us at a disadvantage".
"I tend to disagree Harold, it gives your unit plenty of time to prepare. What about geolocating their phones?"
"Liz's phone automatically goes to voicemail, so there's no way of knowing of her whereabouts and Kate's phone was found at the bus station and is here but it's locked and we don't know her pin code. It's not going to help us either."
Raymond walked over to Aram and put his hand out in the direction of Kate's phone. "May I?"
Aram handed him the phone. "You can try but given the numerous combinations, you'd be at it for months."
Raymond took the phone and entered Kate's pin code and handed it back to Aram.
"How'd you do that?" asked Aram.
Donald raised an eyebrow, how on Earth could Reddington know Kate's pin code?
"Aram, check for any activity on her phone." Said Samar, realizing finally that her suspicions about Kate and Reddington were no longer suspicions and that it wasn't anyone's business.
Raymond looked at her and she gave him a light nod of the head indicating she had figured it out and that, for the time being, their secret was safe with her.