She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She was drowning. The water cascaded over her face, unrelenting. The sound echoed around the walls of the emptied pool, the bucket full of water sounding like a waterfall releasing tons of water every second. And she was drowning beneath it, could feel the weight of it pulling her further into the darkness, —

"Liz! Babe! C'mon wake up!"

Lizzie's eyes flew open as she sucked in gasps of air. She fought against the person holding her down, her heart racing in panic.

"Liz! It's me! Babe, calm down."

She recognized that voice. She knew the arms that now cradled her against a hard chest. "Don?" She questioned hesitantly, still sucking in large gulps of air.

"Hey beautiful." Don murmured against her hair before placing a kiss there as he rocked her, the bed sheets gathered up near his waist.

Lizzie threw her arms around Don's bare torso, burrowing into his side as wracking sobs shook her frame.

"Hey, shh. You're alright." Don ran his fingers through her hair as he continued to rock her. "You're safe, I promise. It's going to be alright."

Don continued to whisper words of comfort in her ear as he held her until Lizzie's sobs eventually subsided into sniffles. Lizzie's grip on Don loosened but she didn't let go, merely nuzzled against his chest.

"You feeling better?" Don asked quietly, sliding down in the bed so that he was laying down once more with Lizzie laying across his chest. Don began lightly running his fingers up and down her spine in a gentle soothing caress. He knew how much she loved it.

"Yea." Lizzie whispered hoarsely.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Lizzie shook her head fervently. He knew what had happened. She had been debriefed and she knew that her dad had also told him. She knew they were worried, trying to help her deal with it. And they were so sweet, even Dembe had taken to texting her at least every hour to ask how she was.

But they couldn't do anything to stop the dreams.

"Alright, that's fine." Don leaned down to give Lizzie a soft kiss which she gladly returned. "You know I'm here though, right?"

Lizzie giggled softly, nodding. "Of course you are. I know. But for now I just… need you here. You know? Just like this." Lizzie tightened her arms around him to try and demonstrate what she meant.

"Yea, I understand."

/\/\/\/\

"Well isn't this quant?" Red said jovially as he swaggered into the conference room at the post office. Everyone else had been there for ten minutes but of course Red – and therefore Dembe – had to be fashionably late. "I hope you haven't been waiting long." Red stated in a tone that clearly meant he didn't actually care.

Lizzie rolled her eyes from where she sat. "Oh hush and sit down." She grumbled good naturedly, a small smile crossing her face.

Red smiled but obeyed, sitting on her right as Donald was already sitting to her left. Once he was situated however, an awkward silence took over as no one knew how to start.

As the moments ticked by, Aram coughed into his hand and fidgeted into his seat. Samar's eyes tracked every movement of every person in the room.

Finally, Cooper spoke up. "Miss Scott, I believe the proverbial ball is in your court on this one."

Liz winced at Cooper's purposeful slip of the tongue.

"Miss Scott?" Samar questioned. "Does the fact that you didn't say 'Agent' have anything to do with the fact that Liz is Reddington's daughter?"

"Wait…what?" Aram perked up in his seat, his head on a swivel as he looked around at the people in the room. "Really?" He questioned, looking directly at Liz.

"Uh…yea." Lizzie murmured.

"Oh…wow. Ok." Aram nodded hesitantly, his eyes flicking over to Red and back around the room. "I'm sorry, why does that mean you're a 'Miss' instead of 'Agent?'"

Lizzie lowered her eyes to the table, a sad smile on her face that grew slightly brighter as Don squeezed her knee in comfort under the table. Liz looked over at Aram. "Because I've always known. Director Cooper only found out I knew a few months ago."

"And he couldn't let you remain an agent with your father being who he is added to the fact that you clearly falsified some records." Samar deduced. "But why the subterfuge? Why pretend that you still are an agent?" Here, Samar's eyes flicked over to Cooper in accusation, the silent question of why he would allow it written all over her face.

Lizzie looked to Red, her face pleading.

Red's lips turned upward in a smile before he turned to Samar. "That, my dear desert flower, is a rather simple question with a very complicated answer."

Aram and Samar looked at each other. "Okay, then simplify it." Aram said bravely.

Red quirked an eyebrow, rather impressed at Aram's sudden backbone, before continuing. "Well, to simplify it would be to answer your question with a warning."

"And what would that warning be?" Samar questioned, clearly growing impatient with the run around.

"That if we answer your question directly and you remain on the task force – continue to work with us, you'll essentially be committing treason." Everyone turned to Don in surprise as he spoke.

Samar and Aram stared at Don in shock then as one their eyes turned to Cooper. "And so you…" Samar started hesitantly.

"Are knowingly working against the government, yes." Cooper stated, his rich voice filling the room heavily.

"Oh come, Harold! It's not so black and white!" Red said jovially. "We're not going against the government, per se…more like there are several people high up in the government who would have a vested interest in framing you all if they ever found out that this task force was working against them!" Red expounded on this as if he were announcing the week's weather forecast.

Lizzie shook her head in exasperation.

"Ok… I think we need to start at the beginning." Aram said hesitantly.

Lizzie looked intently at Aram. "Are you sure? Once you know… there's no going back. It is very likely that a time will come where we'll all become fugitives. We can't protect you from that. Not if we as a group continue on as we are."

Aram and Samar turned to each other and had a silent conversation. After a time, Samar turned back towards Red and Lizzie. "I think if the situation is dire enough to make even Captain America risk a life on the run – " Samar's eyes danced over to Cooper and everyone let out a small chuckle as Don muttered under his breath. " – then I think we need to hear it."

"Perceptive of you, Agent Navabi!" Red agreed before gazing at Aram. "Agent Motjabai, do you agree with Agent Navabi?"

Aram sat up straighter in his chair and gave a small determined nod.

Red turned to Lizzie. "Would you like to tell it or shall I?"

Liz sighed. "You should probably tell them. You've been wrapped up in this a bit longer than I have."

Red nodded and took a deep breath. "As you well know, I was Naval Intelligence. One of my assets was Lizzie's mother. She had information about a global clandestine organization that had infiltrated governments, corporations, banks, you get the idea. They're everywhere." Red's voice had turned solemn and both Aram and Samar sat up in their seats, at full attention. "My direct superiors – those that tasked me with being Lizzie's mother's keeper had no idea what they'd sent me into. However, as time went on, those up above – those who began to worry that Lizzie's mother knew too much – came after her."

Lizzie fidgeted in her seat and began rubbing her thumb across her scar. Noting her discomfort, Red shifted and placed his arm on the back of her chair before continuing.

"They set their home on fire. Her mother was worried, she felt she was being watched so she had called me before hand. I made it in time to save Lizzie." Red looked over at Lizzie and they shared sad smiles. "So I took her to Sam to raise her. I visited as much as possible and tried to prepare her for the inevitable." Red sighed, shaking his head as his eyes grew distant. "But they began to suspect me as well. The organization began to worry that I knew too much. So they came after me. They – as far as I knew at the time – killed my wife and my other daughter."

Lizzie took Red's hand and squeezed it in comfort as Red cleared his throat. "So I did what I had to do to protect Lizzie and myself. I told them that I had it – the blackmail file that Lizzie's mother had obtained, that had all the information about this organization. I told them I had it and threatened to expose them if they touched me or mine."

"So why did you become a criminal then?" Aram questioned softly.

Red smiled wanly at Aram. Poor, naïve Aram.

"Because I knew they wouldn't stop. I knew blackmailing them wasn't going to hold them back for long. And they're too powerful in the political sphere to allow me to gain any sort of foothold to keep them at bay."

"But you don't actually have the file. So you gained power in other ways. They had control of the 'legal' channels, so you took control of the illegal ones – learned who their backroom associates were by hiding in the room's shadows, building the list." Samar finished.

Red gave a simple, direct nod.

"So what does this mean exactly – for us?" Aram asked softly.

"It means that, if knowing this, you choose to remain on this task force, you will be making very powerful enemies. The time is rapidly approaching when we will have to show our hand. These people will bring the full might of the US government – as well as many others – against us."

"How could we ever hope to combat that?" Samar questioned.

Lizzie gave a quivering smile. "And because I have the file. The fulcrum."

Red nodded. "Even with the fulcrum, it's not going to be easy. I'm putting safe guards in place – if you agree to remain, there will be contingency plans made."

"You mean, if we have to go on the run." Samar clarified.

Red shrugged, his lips pursed. "It's not a matter of 'if,' my dear, but rather of 'when.'"

Aram swallowed heavily at this and Samar merely nodded. Don shifted in his seat at Lizzie's side as Cooper cleared his throat and Lizzie looked down at the table. The idea of becoming fugitives in the near future didn't exactly settle well with anyone.

"However, as I said, I have contingency plans and, well, I am the Concierge of Crime. I've quite the name for myself, I'm extremely wealthy, and I have very powerful associates." Red smiled brightly. "Yet to do what must be done, this task force is eventually going to need its own funding. I'm not sure how much longer you'll be able to act as an FBI unit. We will need money. And friends." Red gave the group another smile. "And it just so happens I've got the perfect case for that."

/\/\/\/\

"Aram, would you do us the honors?" Red asked, slapping a newspaper down on Aram's desk. "I think you'll find today's most intriguing story on page 20, bottom-left corner."

Aram picked up the paper, his eyes shifting between Red and Cooper. When his boss remained silent, Aram cleared his throat. "Uh yea… ok…" He quickly turned to the aforementioned page. "'According to Uzbek authorities, Father Aleksandr Nabiyev, a local priest in the Tashkent Region of Uzbekistan'– wait, you're intrigued because a priest was kidnapped?" Aram looked up at Red, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Red tilted his head to the side and smiled. "No. I'm intrigued because the priest is not a priest. From what I hear, the good Father Nabiyev is an agent of the CIA. That's a crime, Agent Motjabai. Going back to the Cold War, the CIA has a long and controversial history of using religious figures as spies in violation of executive orders, internal CIA policy, and promises made by every president since Ford.

Lizzie raised a brow from where she stood leaning against one of the agents' work stations. "And you know who kidnapped this agent?"

Red nodded quickly. "I do. Unfortunately, he's an associate of mine. His name is Ruslan Denisov. He commands a nasty, little band of separatists known as SRU. Translated, they are the supreme republic of a free, righteous, and independent Uzbekistan." Red shook his head ang heaved a put-upon sigh. "I told Ruslan it was a bit much, but he can be quite melodramatic, not to mention violent and entirely unreasonable. Politics are his passion, and to fund his separatist agenda, he's become something of an abduction mogul, specializing in senior executives of foreign corporations working in or passing through the region. He holds them for ransom at prices far above market standard."

Ressler looked at Red incredulously. "And you do business with this man?"

Red tilted his head back and gave Don a closed lipped smile. "Don't underestimate the usefulness of a nasty band of armed separatists. But lately, Ruslan's been breaking promises. His temper has cost me and my partners considerably more than he's worth."

"So everybody wins." Lizzie stated, placing her hands on her hips. "You help us rescue the agent, we eliminate a thorn in your side."

Red nodded at this. "Don't misunderstand me. He's currently costing me more than he's worth but I believe he has the potential of being a great ally for us." Red palmed his fedora and placed it on his head at his favorite jaunty angle. "Careful on this one, Lizzie. You have more than just a blacklister to worry about this time. The CIA will do whatever it takes to keep this quiet." With that parting shot, Red headed towards the elevators.

Don turned to Lizzie and Cooper. "Wait, did he just say 'a great ally for us?'" He questioned.

Cooper lips pursed in thought. "He did."

Lizzie looked between Cooper and her dad's retreating back.

"Reddington! Get back here!" She called.

Red stopped in his tracks before turning on his heel, his brow quirked in question, his lips pursed. She may be his daughter but they were in public and he did not appreciate her tone.

"Pardon me?" He asked crisply.

Lizzie swallowed, realizing that they'd garnered the stares of all of the agents in the war room. Her eyes crinkled in apology as she tried to back track. "Uh… I think we should have a discussion." Lizzie swept her hands behind her, indicating the rest of the team to be included. "In private."

/\/\/\/\/\

Once they were all in Cooper's office, Red looked to Liz expectantly.

Lizzie sighed and leaned against the front of Cooper's desk. "Dad – " Red couldn't stop the small smile as she called him 'dad' in front of the group. It was nice to have their relationship acknowledged. Very nice. "We're all in this now. We know you have a plan. You've gotta let us in on it."

Red sighed and and looked down at his lap, his face pensive. "Anneca Oil is poisoning the water supply of Denisov's village. We're going to save the CIA agent, make Denisov a local hero, force Anneca Oil out, and seal a deal with another oil company who are well known for ensuring the safety of it's pipelines – thereby stopping the poisoning, bringing money into the area and making a very powerful and wealthy ally in the process." Red looked around at those in the room. "Any questions?"

Everyone merely stared at him, their faces displaying various stages of shock.

"Uh yea… several actually." Aram murmured, his eyes wide.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Richard Gagnon, Executive VP for a French video-component manufacturer. Here he is before he was taken – " Aram's fingers danced across his keyboard as he brought up two pictures. One of them was obviously a professionally done photograph of a wealthy, good looking middle aged man. The other photo was of a haggard, half starved bearded man. " – and here he is the day SRU released him in exchange for $2 million cash." The two pictures were polar opposites yet they were both clearly the same man.

Liz placed a file down on the desk in front of her. "We have a list of over 30 victims."

"I don't understand." Samar spoke up. "This guy makes a fortune taking corporate execs. Now he takes a CIA agent. Why change the business model?"

"Let's find him and ask." Cooper stated darkly.

"I'm sorry, but people's faith is sacred. Religion should be off-limits to spies. Wouldn't work in my country." Aram contributed passionately.

Ressler sighed, shaking his head. "I get that. But helping this guy Denisov – he's bad news. This doesn't sit right with me."

Lizzie looked over at him, her eyes flashing in anger. "His people are being poisoned!"

"I know! Doesn't mean you should go around kidnapping corporate executives and CIA agents!" Ressler argued.

Lizzie looked around the war room and stepped closer to Don. "My dad became an international criminal in order to protect me and take down a global clandestine organization." She whispered hotly. "And you're going to become a fugitive in order to help that cause. I don't really think we should be throwing stones at people who will do anything to protect those they care about. Do you?"

/\/\/\/\/\

"We've got the green light from the CIA to go get their man." Cooper stated. "Of course, they will neither confirm nor deny that he is, in fact, their man." He continued, frustrated. Cooper looked over at Liz and Ressler.

"I want you on the first plane out of here."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey, are we alright?" Don asked hesitantly as they stood in their bedroom, packing for a longer trip – necessitating a bit more items than their usual go bags.

Liz sighed, not turning from the closet. "I don't know."

Don came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her belly. "I'm sorry." He murmured kissing her neck. "I know you worry that I don't understand what I'm getting into. I do." Don sighed as Lizzie leaned her back against him. "I just… there's a difference between being treated as criminals and actually being a criminal. We haven't crossed that line. And I'm going to be completely honest. I don't know if I can."

Lizzie swallowed before nodding her head. She could accept that. She had to. The idea of a possible life of crime to get done what needed to be done didn't sit well with her either. But she also recognized that having Raymond Reddington as her father had skewed her judgment. She would do what was necessary, even if she didn't like it.

Lizzie turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay." She murmured.

"Yea?" He questioned before he leaned in and kissed her lips hesitantly.

"Yea. I get it." She stated simply, before kissing him in return, her lips gentle yet persistent.

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie and Ressler walked out of the airport and looked around for their supposed escort. They were apparently spotted first as a man in military uniform walked up to them, his eyes hard as his men flanked him on either side. "Commander Kushan. I'm Agent Keen." Lizzie said, holding her hand out to shake. When the man merely looked at her hand with disdain, she awkwardly lowered it to her side. "This is Agent Ressler. On behalf of the Bureau, we appreciate your help."

"Let me be very clear, Agent Keen. It is you who are here to help me. This is an Uzbek military operation."

Liz glanced to Ressler. "All due respect, sir, an American citizen has been abducted."

"Which is why we have extended the courtesy of our invitation." He stated, his tone condescending. "But you will not be negotiating with Ruslan Denisov, and you will not be negotiating with me. And you will turn over your firearms. If that's a problem and you wish to return to your country –"

"No. No problem." Liz cut across him.

Kushan nodded sharply before stepping to the side, sweeping his arm out to point to the soldiers behind him. "My men will escort you to your hotel."

The soldiers immediately walked over and positioned themselves – two in front of Liz and Ressler and two behind. It felt more like they were being escorted to prison rather than a hotel.

Looking to her left, Lizzie noticed a man in a suit standing on the corner of the side walk as they walked to the Uzbek military vehicle. "We're being watched." She murmured, leaning closer to Don.

Ressler followed her eyes and nodded slightly. "I didn't notice him. I was too busy checking out Hugo Boss on the corner." He muttered, nodding his head towards a man in a luxury sedan who was wearing shades though the weather was rather cloudy. "Whoever he is, he isn't a fed. That suit wasn't bought on a government salary."

/\/\/\/\/\

Ressler and Liz entered the hotel bar, planning to grab a drink before going to bed after their long day of travelling. The moment they entered, however, they heard Red's infamous, boisterous story-telling voice.

"The other one, the watercolorist, she – legs like a shot-putter. She gets me in this headlock. I black out. Next thing I know, I wake up, no sheets, Vaseline everywhere. The lipstick on the mirror overhead reads, 'Same time next year? I haven't missed an art expo in Basel since." Lizzie stood there in the aisle, her arms folded over her chest as she glared at her dad who seemed to finally take notice of her and Don. "Lizzie!" He cried out, throwing his hands up in the air joyously before turning to the men around him who had been howling at his story. "Please excuse me."

"What are you doing here?" Lizzie questioned as he walked up to them.

Red looked at her as if she were a simpleton. "I can't be an effective resource if I'm thousands of miles from the action. I've got a deal to broker." He answered quietly.

"It's not safe. We just saw the CIA at the airport. They see you –"

Red smiled innocently. "I'll be sure to say hello. Uzbekistan has no extradition treaty with the United States." He stated before taking a sip of his Scotch.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Then the least you could have done was let us hitch a ride on the jet." She muttered. "The guy next to me kept hogging the arm rest."

"You were in the window seat, I was sitting right next – " Don narrowed his eyes. "Oh shut up." He muttered in jest.

Both Red and Lizzie laughed at Ressler's expense until they quickly realized where they were and who may be watching.

Lizzie coughed into her hand. "So should I assume that Ezra is on nanny duty again, watching Sammy since you were supposed to be doing so?" Lizzie questioned her dad, her words sharpened as her mother bear instincts came to the forefront.

Red smiled brightly. "Of course! And Mr. Kaplan has also decided to spend a little quality time with our dear Sammy. He's become quite the little mascot among my people. Rather adorable, actually." Red's eyes took on a distant note as if reminiscing.

Lizzie rolled her eyes, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling. Her dad was right. It was totally adorable the way every one of Red's men became a pile of cooing goo around Sammy. Getting her face under control, Lizzie sighed before nodding at the table that Red had just vacated. "Who are your friends over there?"

Red didn't bother looking behind him. "A few associates as well as the Senior Vice President of Savillion – the company who will be taking Anneca Oil's place. " Red smiled innocently as Ressler and Liz shifted on their feet. Rescuing a kidnapped CIA Agent was their realm of expertise. Playing a game of corporate espionage was not. They were depending heavily on Red's lead and they all knew it.

"Go get cleaned up. We'll have dinner. I know a wonderful little hole in the wall that's actually in a hole in the wall."

/\/\/\/\

The elevator dinged as the doors opened and Lizzie and Ressler quickly walked in, pressing the button for the floor to their respective rooms.

"This is weird, right? I'm not the only one who thinks this is weird, yea?" Don questioned.

Lizzie gave a small snort and nodded her head. "Yea, it's weird. Until now it's always felt like he was helping us do our jobs." Lizzie sobered up quickly. "Now it's the other way around."

Before he could formulate a reply, the elevator stopped with a thud. A second later, there was an eerie creak behind them before they were lifted off their feet, arms pulling them backwards and everything went dark.

/\/\/\/\/\

Their hoods were whipped from their heads and Lizzie blinked against the sudden influx of light. "Aah! Welcome to my country." A ruggedly handsome bald man cried. "The FBI in Uzbekistan – for a year, I tried to get your attention. Now here you are because the only thing Americans understand is violence."

Lizzie raised a brow recognized the man from the pictures. This was Denisov. "If you know so much about Americans, you'd know that our government doesn't pay ransoms to terrorists." She stated as she subtly tested the tightness and strength of the ropes around her wrist.

Denisov shrugged his shoulders. "One man's terrorist, another man's freedom fighter. I don't want your money – not for myself, anyway." He stated, shaking his head. "As you can see, business is good." Denisov said slyly, pointing towards several cages and crates that lined the walls of the cave. "I took your Agent Burke for another reason completely."

"Yea? And what would that be?" Don questioned from where he sat back-to-back with Lizzie.

"Almost 25 years ago, my country sold an American company, Anneca Oil, the rights to build a pipeline through Tashkent to Andijan Region. The price was absurd. The Uzbek people received a fraction of the value." Denisov spat. "Corruption – well, you know. These things happen, and I don't care. But now, the pipeline is leaking."

"Leaking?" She may not be a fan of what they were doing but Lizzie could be a good actress when she wanted to be. And right now, she had to play clueless.

"Hundreds of villagers have been killed, hundreds more are sick, and the company does nothing. Our lawyers are no match for your wealthy attorneys. The American embassy looks away. The CIA is here, watching, doing nothing, reporting on any threats to your American interests."

"Mr. Denisov –" Denisov silenced Lizzie with a raised hand and nodded to his guard who stood beside the two bound agents. The man quickly leaned over and sliced through the ropes binding them.

Denisov ticked his head to the side, indicating for them to follow as he headed down a passageway, further into the cave. Liz and Don shared a hesitant glance before following him. Within moments, they found him in another cavern, standing next to a large metal tank with taut chains hanging into it. The tank was too tall and Lizzie couldn't see into it. She doubted she wanted to.

"I took one of theirs. A vice president of Anneca Oil. I tell him that there are chemicals in the water that we drink, that our children bathe in. But he says no. The company did tests. The water is safe. So I did a test of my own." Denisov began cranking the wheel beside him and Liz and Don watched in horror as a man was raised from the tank, hanging by his hands. His head was dry but the rest of him had water pouring off of him as he hung limply. Lizzie gasped at the sight of the chemical burns and rotting flesh. The man didn't have a single healthy patch of skin anywhere below his neck. "I give him back to you now to show you my good faith so you can show the others the truth. The negotiations for your Agent Burke begin tomorrow."

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie sat in the passenger seat of their rented vehicle, holding her phone up so that Don could hear clearly as well as she had it on speaker. "We saw hostages, at least four. I don't think Agent Burke was one, but he's probably there."

"We have got to find that compound." Cooper's voice came over the speakers.

"That won't be easy. The local army can't even find them." Ressler stated.

"Well, we got your photo of the guy Denisov released – the Anneca VP – compared it to known company execs and got a match – Jeffrey Hanover."

"How long ago was he taken?" Lizzie asked.

"That's the thing. I don't know." Aram piped up. "From what I can tell, Anneca never reported him missing."

Don and Lizzie shared incredulous glances. "You're kidding."

"They tried to handle it privately. If that pipeline is leaking, the last thing they want is attention."

Liz scoffed in disgust. "Yeah, well, I'll tell you one thing. Whatever it was eating at Hanover's flesh, it wasn't just water."

/\/\/\/\/\

"He should survive. His skin has been burned, corroded."

Ressler nodded at the female doctor as they stood off to the side of the hospital room. "And the chemicals?"

The doctor sighed, looking down at the chart in her hands. "It's certainly consistent with prolonged exposure to benzene and polycyclic hydrocarbons commonly associated with oil development."

Lizzie's lips pursed as she held back a curse. She shouldn't be surprised that her dad was right. She wasn't. She just wished he'd been wrong. That this had all been some misunderstanding. "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor nodded and walked away just as a man wearing a suit that screamed of money walked up to them. He completely ignored Liz and stuck his hand out at Ressler. "Agent Ressler. Dean Walker, EVP at Anneca. Just wanted to say thanks for bringing Jeff home."

"Don's lips thinned as he plastered on a smile for the man. "It's all part of the job."

Walker nodded pleasantly. "I just flew in. Company sent me straightaway. If there's anything you need, I'm here to help."

Ressler and Liz both scoffed at that. Only Ressler deigned to answer, however. "Yeah, I doubt that. We saw you this morning watching us at the airport. How long have you really been here?"

Walker stared at them, his jovial manner turning to ice in a matter of seconds. "Three weeks. The company sent me to deal with Denisov, see if we could work something out."

"Privately?" Lizzie questioned.

"Jeff's family wanted it that way. They were afraid if the FBI got involved –"

"Maybe you're the ones who were afraid." Lizzie cut in sharply.

Walker merely raised an innocent brow. "Anneca's got nothing to hide."

"This leak Denisov keeps talking about –"

"He's the one responsible. It's a scam." Walker spoke over Lizzie. "His men sabotage the pipeline and then demand a fortune because the locals are getting sick."

/\/\/\/\/\

Ressler and Lizzie barely made it into the hotel lobby before they were being swarmed by Commander Kushan and his men. "So this is how you respect my operation? I told you, you have no authority here."

"Denisov contacted us." Ressler argued.

"Commander, I know this is your case, but if Denisov wants to talk to the FBI –" Lizzie started.

"Not an option."

"It's an option if Denisov says it's an option." Lizzie bit out. What the hell was with men thinking they could speak over her today? "He's the one who's holding an American hostage. Yes, a Frenchman, a German, and many others. So I'm sorry. You can't order us not to talk to him."

"I could arrest you and your partner for interfering in my investigation." Kushan threatened darkly.

Ressler scoffed, his hands on his hips, one hand inching towards his holster only to remember that these men had taken their weapons. "What investigation? You've been tracking this guy and his group for over a year. He's still abducting innocent people, holding them for ransom –"

Kushan glared at Don. "You and your partner will remain at the Tashlan Hotel under military guard. If you try to leave, your stay in Uzbekistan will be a lot longer than you bargained for, hmm?" With that parting shot, Kushan made for the exit, his men following like puppies.

"Well, you certainly make friends fast." Liz and Don spun at the sound of Red's voice to see him tipping back a finger of Scotch. "Truth is, I'm impressed. Not with you – with Ruslan. He never really struck me as a man of the people."

Ressler shook his head grimly. "The guy's a psychopath. He's in over his head. He doesn't know anything about pipelines."

"Ruslan's a criminal." Liz agreed. "Even if Anneca comes to the table, Denisov would have no idea what to ask for. The guy doesn't even know enough to know what he wants. The lawyers would eat him for lunch."

Red shrugged his shoulders, unaffected. "You may be right. When's the next sit-down?"

"Tomorrow morning." Ressler answered.

"Well, given your new entourage," Red nodded towards the door that Kushan and his men had just exited. "I gather you may need my help to attend."

Ressler and Lizzie shared a smirk. "Actually, I think we've got that covered."

/\/\/\/\/\

Liz and Don walked into the elevator and with a grim smile in Don's direction, Liz hit the button. Within moments, the doors closed with a ding. Once again, the wall behind them slid open and they were grabbed from behind, bags thrown over their heads.

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie gave a pleasantly forced smile as soon as the bag was lifted from her head and she was forced into a chair. "Mr. Denisov, thank you for your willingness to talk to us." She said, irony dripping from her words. "I've got good news and bad news." She continued. "Bad news is, since technically we got here from the hotel elevators, I must regretfully give the hotel a one out of five stars. Your hospitality could really use some work."

"Liz…" Don growled warningly under his breath from where he sat beside her.

Denisov's eyes narrowed angrily but held up his hand in warning as one of his men stepped forward menacingly.

Lizzie gave Denisov's henchman a winning smile. "That brings me to the good news!" She said brightly. "The Bureau spoke with Anneca Oil, and the good news is, they want to fix this."

"That is good news. To be honest, I was a little worried." Denisov smirked darkly. "I mean, who am I? I'm just a criminal. I don't even know enough to know what I want." Lizzie took a deep breath through her nose as she heard her own words from last night parroted back to her. "I will not be negotiating this deal myself. I've decided to bring in a professional, someone to make sure that the company lawyers don't eat me for lunch."

At that moment, Red turned the corner of the dark cavern where they were secreted, his opened coat flapping gracefully behind him in a wind he created as he palmed his fedora. Red came to a halt beside Ruslan and gave him a closed lipped smile. "Mr. Denisov, it is my pleasure to be here." He greeted as he tapped his fedora against his thigh.

"Hello." Red said, turning towards where Liz and Don were bound to their chairs. "My name is Raymond Reddington. And you are?"

/\/\/\/\/\

Thankfully, Red had pulled Denisov aside and gave him a lecture about the merits of hospitality during a business negotiation as Lizzie and Don were soon untied and allowed to walk freely. Well, of their own volition anyway. Denisov insured one of his men always had eyes on them. As They walked out of the tunnel, Red turned to Denisov and Lizzie and Don stopped in their tracks, pretending to be murmuring to each other as Red spoke, his voice echoing through the cavern. "I will see to it that every one of your interests and expectations are met or exceeded."

Denisov gave Red a small smile and walked off. Liz and Ressler quickly walked over to Red who gave Lizzie a pointed look.

"What the hell were you doing back there?" He questioned angrily.

Liz reared back in shock. "What do you mean?"

"From what I heard before I made my presence known, it sounded as if you were taunting him, Lizzie." Red bit out. "Denisov is not a man you want to mess with. I thought I made that quite clear back in the States."

"You ask me, it seemed like a bit of a like-father-like-daughter moment." Don grumbled, causing Liz to shoot him a glare.

"I was evening the playing field." Liz argued. "He sees Don and I as nothing but government lackies. I had to show a bit of backbone, otherwise, he never would have taken us serious."

"He just as easily could have taken your life!" Red barked.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "But he didn't, did he?" Lizzie questioned pointedly. "Now, can we stop yelling at the only one here trained to negotiate in hostage situations and move on to the next stage of this thing?"

"What is the next stage?" Don asked softly.

Red continued to stare at Lizzie a moment, the fire in his eyes flickering between anger and worry before he finally sighed, looking down at the ground as he scratched his forehead and clear agitation. After a breath, he looked back up, his usual I'm-innocent-and-charming smile back on his face. "Let's go on a field trip, shall we?"

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie looked around woefully as they walked through the village. She subtly tried not to breathe through her nose though she apparently wasn't very successful as Denisov looked at her from the corner of his eye and smirked. "What you're smelling is benzene, a common pollutant in oil production. It's in the air we breathe and the food we eat." He stated, pointing to a vegetable stand in the small outdoor market they were currently walking past. "This way." He murmured before heading into what looked to be a run down soup kitchen or community center.

Denisov quickly guided them to the kitchens. "We boil all our water for drinking and add andrographis to counteract the toxins."

"Does that work?" Lizzie questioned.

"No." Denisov answered grimly before leading them out into the hallway, Red and Don trailing silently behind. As they entered the hall, Lizzie had to fortify herself at the sight of so many ill people sitting on gurneys. There were elderly people, children, people of all ages. "Carcinogens are ingested and cause melanomas, damage internal organs– lung, liver, and kidney failure."

"Somewhere, 6,000 miles away, a group of bean counters in a boardroom did a cost-benefit analysis and concluded that these people aren't worth the cost of responsibly maintaining their pipeline." Red said grimly.

"The exec I talked to, he said your men were sabotaging the pipeline. Said it was a scam." Ressler spoke up.

Denison turned to face him, his nostrils flaring. "My youngest brother died of benzene poisoning last year." He stated before walking further down the hall.

The two agents and Red lagged behind. "So, who's the hostage here, Agent Burke or these poor devils?" Red murmured.

Lizzie looked back to Ressler as he shook his head in disgust. "Look, I don't care what math they did. No company can ignore this. It's bad for business."

The corners of Lizzie's eyes crinkled in sympathy. "Only if someone can prove the truth. Anneca spends a fortune on lobbyists to make sure that doesn't happen. Maybe we can contact the State Department, see if they can apply some pressure, try and clean up this mess."

"And I can see to it that Agent Burke is released unharmed." Red said, giving them a jaunty smile, any trace of his grim demeanor from moments before dusted away like cob webs.

/\/\/\/\/\

"And then he looks at me, his eyes blown wide as if he can't understand what's just happened, his little face crumples and he begins to cry." Lizzie finished the story of the time Sammy had sneezed while in the bath and blew literal snot bubbles everywhere to the delight of both Don and Red. Don had already heard the story as he had only just been in their bedroom at the time it happened but it didn't stop him from laughing anyway. It was just too adorable.

Lizzie took a bite of her baklava as she chuckled under her breath. "Mmm you were right, this is delicious." She murmured, smiling over at her dad. They were just finishing up their meals in the hotel restaurant and were taking the time to just relax and chat.

Red returned her smile and acknowledged her statement with a small nod. "Well, I for one, miss our little tyke terribly. I'd very much like to take him out somewhere when we get back – how about to the zoo?"

Lizzie smiled indulgently at her dad. "Sure, but only if we all go. It'll be his first time and I definitely don't want to miss it."

Red laughed and Don nodded his head with a smirk, agreeing with the sentiment.

"Of course, of course, Lizzie! A family day at the zoo it is then!" His eyes dimmed for a moment as he gazed around the room, a far off look in his eye that Lizzie had come to recognize. He always got that look when he was stuck in a memory and Lizzie was willing to hazard a guess that this one was about her sister.

Just as she reached out a hand to comfort him, his eyes sharpened and his brow furrowed. As he held his gaze to a fixed point.

"What's wrong?" Lizzie questioned, her eyes following his.

Red's lips purse before he muttered darkly. "Everything."

Lizzie's eyes finally alight on what he was staring at. It was a man sitting at the bar, his eyes shifting, purposefully looking anywhere but at them.

Between the perfectly clipped hair to the dark suit, the man screamed CIA.

"Shit." Liz and Don cursed at the same time.

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie and Don stood in Lizzie's hotel room. Lizzie held out the phone as they had Cooper on speaker.

"When exactly did this happen?" Lizzie questioned.

"Last night around 2100 hours. Uzbek Special Forces are reporting a full-scale raid of the compound."

Don cursed, his hands on his hips as he began to pace. "It was the CIA – the man in the restaurant, he wanted to be seen in public."

"What about Burke?" Lizzie asked. "They went this damn far, they better have found him alive."

"According to the official report, they haven't found him at all." Samar's voice came over the speaker.

"It was an all-out assault. At least a dozen SRU fighters were killed by an army unit led by Commander Kushan." Cooper explained.

"How the hell did he know how to find the compound?" Don questioned, his brow furrowed.

"Heyworth." Cooper said the name as if it were a curse. "That son of a bitch was ordered to stand down."

There was a knock on the door and Don hesitantly walked over, and swung the door open only for Red to walk in as if he owned the place. For all they knew, he might.

"Who's on the phone?" Red questioned in lieu of a greeting.

"Cooper." Lizzie supplied.

"Harold!" Red greeted exuberantly. "Good. I want you to hear this."

"Reddington, you know this wasn't our move." Cooper defended the task force preemptively.

Red nodded in understanding though Cooper couldn't see it. "The CIA – The CIA did what the CIA does. I expected as much, which is why Agent Burke and the other hostages were moved from that compound. The question is why on earth you would share the compound's location with the very people I advised you not to trust."

"I'll deal with Heyworth." Cooper growled.

Red snorted, shaking his head. "Oh, Heyworth is the least of your troubles now. I warned you about Denisov. I told you he was violent and unstable. How do you think he'll react to losing a dozen of his men?"

"You think he'll kill Burke?"

"I have no idea. But now I'm afraid Denisov may not trust me, and I certainly don't trust you. This is a huge setback, Harold."

/\/\/\/\/\

Don and Lizzie were lounging in her hotel bed, waiting to get the all clear from Red once he's smoothed things over with Denisov. Lizzie flicked through the channels on the TV aimlessly. All of the channels were in either Uzbek or Pashto.

"So yesterday – " Don led off gruffly before clearing his throat. "That was uh… weird."

Lizzie looked over at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"When you talked to Denisov…it was eerily like your dad. I uh… it was the first time I actually kind of associated you with him, as his daughter." Don's eyes flickered to the TV then back at her. "I mean, you kind of look like him but that was…weird."

Lizzie sat up, resting her back against the head board. "Weird how? Does it make you uncomfortable?" Lizzie tried to keep her voice even as her stomach became unsettled.

"I mean, it's just that you seemed so comfortable doing it – it was more than just playing a part, going undercover. It was… you. You weren't negotiating a hostage situation, Liz. That was a game of manipulation." Don swallowed. "And you liked it."

Lizzie stood up from the bed, running her fingers through her hair. "What the hell do you think negotiation is, Don?" She questioned, beginning to pace. "Negotiation is manipulating the other person to a different way of thinking – it's getting your way."

"No, negotiation is compromise."

Lizzie stopped in her tracks and looked wide eyed at Don. "You have got to be joking. How naïve can you be?" She spat. "Do you really view, say, hostage negotiation as a compromise? Are you crazy?" She shouted hotly. "It's lying to a criminal – telling them they will get what they want – to keep the hostages alive."

"Is that what we're doing with Denisov? Lying to him?" Don questioned.

Lizzie scoffed. "No, this time, it's actually a bit more what you think negotiation is. We're getting Agent Burke and helping Denisov stop the poisoning of his people in exchange."

"See, compromise." Don taunted.

Lizzie snorted, shaking her head. "'Compromise' suggests that both parties are meeting in the middle to an end that satisfies only part of their original goals. In this instance, we want Agent Burke and we want to help these poor people. It's no hardship for us to aid him with that."

Don rolled his eyes at her. "Yea, and Denisov doesn't care about Burke. He couldn't care less to be rid of him."

"Wow." Lizzie said drily. "Don – " Lizzie shook her head. "Burke is his only play. He knows we want him back and he also knows that once we have him, we could just leave and not help him." Lizzie sighed and sat back down on the bed. "You know that. I know you do. You're just arguing for the sake of arguing. Why?"

Don swept his hand through his hair in agitation. "Because you scared me, Liz. I didn't like that side of you."

Lizzie looked at Don, her eyes burning with hurt. "'That side of me' got Denisov to respect us. 'That side of me' helped us to get the ball rolling and save these people – both Burke and the villagers. 'That side of me,' as you said, proves that I am my father's daughter. He taught me – trained me I guess you could say – how to survive. In this world that we're in – that we're going to be in the thick of – surviving doesn't always mean knowing how to dodge a bullet or kicking someone's ass. It's playing the game. You have to play the game, Don."

Don shifted uncomfortably.

"Don…I'm still me. I'm using what my dad taught me to save those people. I became an FBI agent because I want to help people. But I also know that what I learned is going to come in handy in the months – years to come. But if you can't understand that, if you can't come to terms with that, Don, I need to know." Lizzie sighed in exhaustion. "Because I don't know how much longer I can handle you second guessing what we're doing, second guessing us."

/\/\/\/\/\

"I was stupid to trust you!" Denisov spat angrily as Red walked over towards where Denisov and his men were removing their dead comrades – wrapped in bloodied sheets – out of a truck and preparing them for burial.

"Ruslan." Red intoned.

Denisov shook his head angrily. "I was stupid to think that they respected us or would deal with us fairly!"

Red opened his hands out in front of him placatingly. "Take a breath. I told you to move the hostages. You did. Your assets are intact."

"He – " Denisov pointed to a man who was currently squatting in a too small cage. " – was left behind at the compound, abandoned by his commander." He spat before removing his pistol from his holster.

"Ruslan, he's more valuable alive than dead." Red said urgently.

"Not to me." Denisov shot the man and Red watched as the poor soul slumped forward, his face smashing against the rusted bars of his cell.

"I hope that made you feel better." Red said baldly and watched as Ruslan stomped away, towards one of the buildings of their temporary compound. "Apparently not." He murmured.

/\/\/\/\

Red turned the corner of the hallway just as Burke tumbled out of the closet where Denisov had apparently had him tied up.

"The CIA killed you, you understand? They did this!" Denisov shouted as he aimed his gun at the back of the kneeling CIA agent's head.

"Sacrifice the bishop. Reykjavi k, '72." Red murmured, attempting to distract Denisov. "God, I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was in Steven Bash's rec room down in the basement, eating fried egg and bologna sandwich when he did it."

Denisov looked over at Red, his gun still trained on Burke as his brow furrowed in confusion. "Did what? Who did?!"

Red smiled as he reminisced, for all intents and purposes appearing as though he were in the middle of a park on a sunny day rather than a dank abandoned building next to a CIA Agent who had a gun aimed at his head by a off-kelter terrorist. "Bobby Fischer. It was game 13, move 50– rook takes bishop, B5. He sacrificed his bishop." Red barked out a laugh, slapping his leg. "That's when Russia lost the Cold War. It was staggering. Spasky had no answer because he had no endgame, and neither do you." Red paused, his demeanor changing drastically as he gazed steadily, coldly at Denisov. "When you capture and kill a CEO, you incur the wrath of a company. When you capture and kill a CIA agent, you incur the wrath of the US government. That's boots on the ground, drones overhead. What will be your answer to that?"

"My men were murdered. A message has to be sent." Denisov dug the muzzle of his gun into the side of Burke's head, causing the man to grunt.

Red shook his head as if he were a parent and Denisov was his wayward teenager. "You're only seeing the next move. People have been pillaging your country's resources since time began. Someone has to offer a better alternative. That someone could be you. Ruslan, there is an endgame here that you don't yet see." Red looked down at the CIA Agent. "But you see it, don't you, Agent Burke?"

Burke's eyes shifted from the floor to look at Red as best he could without moving his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Denisov here is so blinded by anger, he thinks this problem started when he became aware of it. But you and I both know that's not true. Why don't you tell us about Zhabin?"

Burke froze for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know anything."

Red scoffed. "The CIA put you here for a reason. They violated their own policy and federal law to hide you among locals because there's a secret they want to protect. Now tell us about Zhabin."

"No."

Red took a step forward and squatted down next to the man, leaning forward. "Make no mistake, Mr. Burke." Red said ominously. "My friend here is still making the bed he'll have to lie in for the rest of his life. But my bed is made, and I assure you my bed accommodates a broad spectrum of behavior. So you tell us what little you know about Zhabin, or I'll put you in the ground myself." He stood back up quickly and held his hand out towards Denisov. "Give me the gun.""

"Leonid Zhabin – he's the former cabinet minister, part of the old Soviet regime." Burke said hurriedly, his speech quickened with fear. "Ran this whole region from the late '70s to the early '90s. A ruthless, corrupt, evil man. He gave Anneca the right to build the pipeline. And in return, he got a massive kickback and piece of the ownership interest. Possibly insane, very religious now, as if that can save him. All these sick people are his fault."

/\/\/\/\

Red listened carefully as the man entered the confessional and began muttering his prayers. When the man received none of the expected replies, he hesitated. "Why does the Lord hide his face from me?" He questioned in Uzbek.

Red slid back the screen so that the man could finally see his face. "Maybe he doesn't like you." Zhabin reared back, his eyes wide. "For you, I'm afraid absolution won't be quite so easy to obtain." Red stood and exited the confessional as Denisov reached into the adjacent one, pulling Zhabin out and forcing him to his knees. "I need all the details of exactly how the Anneca Oil rights were sold – for how much, including gratuities, contingencies, and all the participants."

"I want absolution in the next world, not a life in prison in this one." Zhaban stated, gazing up at Red with false bravado.

Red smiled benignly and began to walk over to a small alcove of the chapel. "Understandable. But it's the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution."

With a nod of Red's head, Denisov forced Zhabin to stand and dragged him over to Red stood, dunking the man's head into the font of holy water. After several moments, he could hear the man's panicked gurgling as his desperate lungs forced him to open his mouth, receiving nothing but water.

After another moment, Denisov yanked Zhabin's hair, pulling him out of the water.

"The US government says this isn't torture." Red said loud enough to be heard over the sound of the man coughing and throwing up water. "What do you think?"

Denisov dunked the man's head back into the water at Red's nod of command and Zhabin's hands scrabbled against the side of the font, trying to gain purchase against the wet porcelain. With another nod from Red, Denisov yanked Zhabin's head up once more.

"Let me talk, please." Zhabin sputtered.

Red came closer, shaking his head as he gazed down at Zhabin. "Look at yourself. Rich as Croesus, and you let Anneca Oil poison your own countrymen."

"We didn't just poison our countrymen. We killed them, hundreds of them."

/\/\/\/\

Lizzie's cell phone was ringing and she quickly rushed to the table where it sat to answer it.

"Where have you been?" She questioned the moment the call connected. She and Don had had to stay together in anticipation of Red's call and the time spent in Lizzie's small hotel room had been silent and rife with tension since their argument.

"Good news. I've spoken with Denisov. Negotiations will resume immediately."

"Burke's dead, isn't he?" Don questioned.

"No. We have new evidence to present. There is one proviso, however. That mouthpiece from Anneca, the one you spoke to? Bring him along." This was obviously meant as a parting shot.

"Wait, wait." Lizzie shouted before Red could hang up. "We can't leave. Kushan's doubled the guards outside. It's too risky."

Red was silent for a moment. "I may need to have a chat with this Commander Kushan. We'll come to you. See you in an hour."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Sorry. Sorry." Red apologized loudly as he entered the decadently furnished room with Denisov and Zhabin. "Traffic coming into the city. Price of progress." Red murmured. "This is Dean Walker from Anneca." Red said, gazing at Denisov as he pointed to the man who was sat between Liz and Ressler.

"Who's this?" Lizzie questioned, her eyes on Zhabin.

Red smiled brightly "The smoking gun. Ugh!" Red groaned with flare as he placed his messenger bag on the floor and sat down, motioning for Zhabin and Denisov to sit as well. "That sounded dramatic. Leonid Zhabin." He stated, introducing the man to his right.

"This is the new evidence that you were talking about." Walker, the executive of Anneca oil said with a scoff. "Ex-minister Zhabin hasn't been in power for 20 years, and with all due respect, sir, the man is not mentally well."

Red shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps not, but 'In a mad world, only the mad are sane.' Kurosawa."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Walker questioned.

"History, Mr. Walker." Red stated. "My new friend knows a great deal about the history of your company's pipeline."

Walker shook his head in annoyance. "History is not new evidence."

Red wobbled his head from left to right as if indecisive. "Or maybe it is. As it turns out, we do agree on one key detail. Your company's current pipeline is not the worst thing on earth."

Lizzie looked over at Red in confusion. "Then what is?"

"The first pipeline– the one Anneca built in 1988, four years before the current one."

Walker shifted on his seat and attempted to pull of a scoff of derision. "Is that what he told you? The man is delusional."

"Probably." Red agreed personably.

"There was only one pipeline." Walker continued. "We broke ground to build it in '92. Read the contracts."

"You're right. The contracts do say that."

"It started before the Wall fell." Zhabin cut in as he opened the leather portfolio folder that he'd brought with him, displaying a stack of legal papers. "Uzbekistan was still a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. Mr. Gorbachev was changing our future. I was allowed to secretly open our markets for an American pipeline."

Walker shook his head. "This is fiction." He stated hastily, looking over at Lizzie as if to convince her.

"I sold the rights to them that year, and they built the first pipeline right away." Zhabin stated, sliding a bill of sale across the table to Liz. "You couldn't even wait to do it right!" He shouted suddenly. "We were all so greedy. The first line was an unmitigated disaster. Hundreds were killed. Whole villages became ill." Zhabin's eyes took on a far away, haunted look. "I still see their faces."

"Then the Soviet Union collapsed, and all hell broke loose." Red chimed in, allowing the man a moment to gather himself. "Anneca paid Mr. Zhabin to orchestrate a cover-up. Bury the dead, destroy any record that the first pipeline ever existed. It wasn't the only disaster cloaked by those momentous events, hidden from view in the fog of a new world order."

"It's a good story. But that's all it is– a story from a crazy old man." Walker attempted to discredit Zhabin.

Red nodded his head slowly. "Who happened to keep a complete set of the original documents in the hope that, one day, he might find the courage to set things right. Your engineers did better the second time around. At least this one took 20 years to start leaking."

Lizzie shuffled through the papers that Zhabin had given her as Red spoke. "If this is true and Anneca is responsible for hundreds of people's deaths, then you and the other high-level executives will be prosecuted." She said, turning to Walker, her brow crinkled in anger.

Walker licked his lips as he swallowed. "Reparations can be paid to the alleged victims. We can fix this."

"Reparations are all well and good, but the people I represent don't want you to fix it." Red stated.

"They don't?" Walker asked, confused.

"No. The Uzbek people have had quite enough of Anneca's promises. They want you to leave. Pack up your pipeline and leave."

Walker scoffed, shaking his head. "That won't happen."

Red gave his best angelic smile. "Mr. Denisov thought you might need some additional incentive, so Mr. Zhabin was kind enough to direct him to one of the mass graves where victims of the first pipeline are buried. His men are on their way there now. I can stop them if we have a deal."

Walker cleared his throat as he shifted in his seat. "Can I get some water, please?"

"Oh! Yes! Of course." Red pulled a mason jar out of the messenger bag at his feet and set the jar in front of Walker. "This is the water they drink in the villages, the ones directly above your pipeline. Drink up!" He ordered gaily. "Talk to your board. You have 24 hours until we go public."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Effective immediately, Anneca Oil has elected to cease operation of its local pipeline. And we are thrilled to announce some exciting and highly profitable new initiatives on the horizon…" Lizzie turned from the TV at the hotel bar which was showing a spokesman for Anneca Oil doing a news conference at the sound of someone coming up behind her.

"We got to go." Don announced. "SRU just confirmed – Agent Burke's being released."

"Where?" Liz questioned, standing up from the bar stool.

"Drop point outside the city."

/\/\/\/\/\

Red smiled from behind the man's desk as the startled Commander walked into his own office.

"Commander Kushan. It's good to meet you. I've heard nothing but terrible things."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Agent Burke. Welcome back." Lizzie greeted the man warmly as he was led away from the SUV he'd alighted from. They all stood in the middle of a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and Lizzie tried not to let her eyes wander to the tree line and keep her eyes off her father and Denisov.

She knew the CIA, knew how they thought. They weren't going to let two targets like Raymond Reddington and Ruslan Denisov escape untouched. She could only hope that Cooper got to their superior officer in time.

Lizzie led Agent Burke to the SUV Lizzie and Don had driven to the meet and it was like the world was moving in slow motion. He climbed into the back seat and she went around the side, climbing into the passenger seat as Don got behind the wheel. She watched as Red and Denisov both climbed into their SUV. Thank god.

/\/\/\/\

The old military Humvee sputtered as it drove away, having dropped off a UN Humanitarian Aid crate.

Denisov looked to the crate with disinterest and walked over to Red. "I need your help. Commander Kushan and his men are at my compound."

Red smiled at Denisov. "His men are."

"If you can get me out of the country –"

Red nodded. "I can. But I won't."

"They will arrest me." Denisov argued urgently.

Red shrugged. "Perhaps. Sooner or later, we all must pay for our crimes." He murmured softly.

A knock came from the box and Denisov looked from the box to Red in confusion. Red smiled back.

"Is Kushan – ?" Denisov finished his question with a pointed look at the box.

Red shook his head and stepped towards Denisov. "You still don't see it, do you? The endgame. You could run this country, Ruslan." He stated passionately. "What you've done is that important. You brought a multinational corporation to its knees, saved countless lives. You'll make this country billions. You may go to prison for a bit. But you will emerge a hero. One of the few standing in your way is Commander Kushan." Another knock on the box and a muffled shout. "Well, not standing." He amended.

/\/\/\/\

"More on this breaking story. Just hours after Anneca Oil's announcement that the company is shutting down its pipeline comes this surprising development. The government and French oil conglomerate Savillion have reached a deal to nationalize a brand-new pipeline. The deal, said to be worth billions, should gain easy approval and will be finalized within days."

Liz couldn't help the small smirk as she sat at the hotel bar once more, watching the news. Turning in her seat, her smile brightened slightly at the sight of Red and a stranger walking towards her.

"Elizabeth Keen, this is Claude Hippeau, Senior Vice President of Savillion." Red introduced and Lizzie's eyes alighted with recognition. This man was an Executive for the new oil company – the one that wouldn't poison the Uzbek people and that would bring millions of dollars of revenue and jobs into the surrounding areas.

"Enchanté." Savillion murmured as he leaned forward to kiss the back of her hand.

"It's a pleasure, Monsieur Savillion." Lizzie greeted. "Congratulations on your future pipeline."

Savillion smiled brightly, nodding his head in thanks before turning to Red. "Au revoir, mon ami." He murmured and the two men embraced, giving a kiss on each cheek in goodbye.

"Give my regards to the wife – and the mistress."

/\/\/\/\

Lizzie and Don had sent Agent Burke on his merry way back to the States on a military plane and taken Red up on his offer to fly back on his jet.

Red watched as Don stared at Lizzie as she napped on the small leather couch of his plane, a thin blanket draped over her. The man was staring at his daughter, clearly lost in thought, his brow furrowed in agitation.

"It appears to me as if there is a bit of strife between you and my daughter." Red finally spoke up. He didn't like being in the dark. Especially when it came to his daughter and her happiness.

Don turned to him with a dark look. "I don't think that's any of your business."

Red raised a brow and continued. "Due to recent events, I can only assume that it is due, at least in part to how Lizzie first started off the negotiations with Denisov."

Don's silence and the way his gaze burned holes into Lizzie's slumbering form was answer enough.

"There is something you should know about my family, Agent Ressler." Red stated, his voice losing all amusement, forcing Don's gaze back to him. "Elizabeth is the North Star – she is the guiding light of my moral code."

Don scoffed, making it clear what he thought of Red's moral code.

"Everything I have done, everything I will ever do, is in an effort to keep her safe and protect her. That fact is the foundation of my moral code. I. Will. Do. Anything." Red leaned forward in his chair, closer to Ressler who sat across the small aisle from him. "I want you to think long and hard as you wait for the papers to go through that will make Sammy your son. Don't worry, Agent Ressler, I know that you don't need papers, that he is already your son in every way that matters. Which is why I want you to remember that when you get home this evening and look at our little Samuel. As you watch him sleep in his crib, I want you to ask yourself, 'What would I do to keep him safe?'"

Don swallowed heavily as he looked at Red, unable to look away from the man's fierce gaze.

Red sat back in his seat and crossed his legs. "I believe, Agent Ressler, that you will find your answer will be 'anything.'"