Once out of sight of Reddington and his army, Ressler called Gale. He knew what he needed to do.
He spoke in hushed tones, "Gale, it's a trap. Red brought an onslaught of extra security. They are just waiting for us."
"A trap? Fuck." Even on the other end of the phone, Ressler could hear Gale had punched or kicked something hard.
"Do you want to pull back, abandoned this meet?" Ressler asked hopefully.
"Abandoned the mission? I don't think so. I came here to get Reddington and that's exactly what I plan to do."
"But sir, that will mean putting many agents' lives in jeopardy knowing we are out gunned."
"Nobody out guns the FBI. I don't care how many extra guns he has. Ours are better trained. We're going in." Ressler could hear him round up the troops and give the orders to storm the building.
"He's not there!" Ressler screamed over the phone trying desperately to save as many innocent agents' lives as possible.
"What do you mean he is not there?" Gale was furious.
"He planned for you all to go into the building and once you were all inside, they were going to trap you inside. They are waiting beyond the south side."
Gale yelled at his men and hanged their tactics. They would surround the south side. The snipers changed the tactical positions on the many roof tops they were stationed on. Reddington did not stand a chance, according to Gale. Ressler thought he had made the right decision choosing not to side with Gale or Red, but with the federal agent he called colleagues who were bound to be running into their deaths if he had not snitched. That was innocent blood, his brothers in justice. He threw on a vest, marking his true allegiance now, and grabbed an extra gun.
Ressler and Gale joined the forces storming the west side of the building. On Gale's mark, both the west and east side flanks would attack to Reddington's surprise. "3, 2, 1, go go go," Gale ordered over coms.
The FBI executed the plan with lines of men in tactical gear and high-powered rifles charged the south side of the building. Only when they reached the south side it was completely empty. No SUVs, no armored men, nothing. Where was Reddington? Ressler looked around everywhere. He could neither see Red and his men or Gale. Where had Gale gone?
"Do a cursory sweep of all the surrounding buildings," Ressler ordered, now in charge with Gale's absence. "Snipers scan the area."
Meanwhile, Ressler doubled back to search for Gale. He left the swarm of FBI agents and rounded the corner of the building following their exact steps. He remembered Gale being next to him when he ordered the attack but not after that. Ressler made his way back to the street with no sign of Gale. He decided to check the building not knowing why he would run away from the mission he was leading.
Ressler got in position and entered the west side door of the abandoned building. He scanned the room, walking corner to corner gun at the ready. He checked closets and additional rooms that fed off the main room. Nothing. He started down the lone hallway that fed several small office looking rooms. He checked each room individually with no luck. In the last room, Ressler had just about given up turning to check the last closet. He flicked the ajar door open and poised his gun for what lay on the other side.
Nothing. The it all went black. He could not see anything.
There was a gun pushing into his spine and a black hood had been thrown over his head.
"Hands up, drop the weapon," said the voice. Ressler obliged and without asking if he had any other weapons, the assailant reached under his shirt and pulled out the extra gun he had stashed in the back of his jeans. How did they know that was there? His mind ran. The only person present when he grabbed that gun was Gale. That corrupt asshole. Why was he coming after Ressler? His target was Reddington. Did he think Ressler had double crossed him when in reality, Ressler double crossed Reddington.
"Walk," said the voice. It was a deep voice, it could be Gale, but it didn't sound right.
"May I ask where we are going?" Ressler asked.
"No. Keep walking." The gun never moved from its position in his spine. Ressler knew that this could not be Gale. No FBI trained agent would keep their gun this close to their detainee. It was too easy for the detainee to take away. If this was a properly trained assailant, they would be several feet back out of arm's length of their detainee. Ressler took his shot. H threw an elbow back into his assailant and ripping the hood off his head. He spun around to wrench the gun out of their hands after they keeled over from the impact of his elbow. Ressler retrieved the gun and was left stunned by who he was aiming it at.