Ressler, Listen to Me
Part 10
Author's Note: Reviews are appreciated.
DDDDDDDDDD
Don Ressler felt the adrenaline rush through his body as he drove their car quickly down the dark streets of Vaduz. They had just broken into the Government Building to retrieve some important digital files that were being stored there and had set off an alarm in the sleepy town just as they were leaving, an alarm they hadn't been aware of on the plans.
"I really need to learn how to drive stick better," Liz said as she watched him seamlessly shifting and turning a corner and looked over her shoulder to make sure they were not being followed.
"You do," Don said as they exited the town and they started to drive in the plentiful countryside surrounding the small capital toward the Swiss border. "You need to practice more."
Liz sighed, "I do, but the hills scare me to death and Europeans have no patience for my gear shifting and…."
"Liz Keen scared of a hill?" Don chuckled. "You realize we just broke into a facility to steal top secret information, right?"
Liz placed a hand on his thigh and gave it two playful squeezes. "My aren't you jovial for the middle of the night."
"I'm exhausted," Don admitted. "But we've got another twenty minutes until we're back in Wildhaus."
"I will try more," Liz said. "I'm totally wide awake and could be driving while you rest after the long haul yesterday."
"Why don't we wait until we're sure you won't stall before you drive the getaway car?" Don winked at her.
She playfully squeezed his thigh again and chuckled.
They drove in silence for a few minutes before Don broke it.
"It's because this is all they know, the European impatience with your driving," Don said. "Kids here only learn the stick, they don't get how, when you have driven automatic for twenty years, it's a challenge to learn. We'll do some more driving in the countryside."
Liz nodded and looked out the window at the passing fields. They had been away, just the two of them, for four days and it had been refreshing. Refreshing to be alone without two adults and a child in their proximity all day, every day. Nice to be somewhere other than Graz after two months of laying low. Nice to feel they were moving forward in their dual goals to eliminate Townsend and work toward the larger Blacklist Red had finally allowed them in on. And wonderful to see Don more himself again, no longer feeling like a hostage but a trusted and productive member of a team working toward larger goals. The night before they had been in Munich gathering intel on a diplomat and their surveillance had taken longer than expected. Don had spent all day behind the wheel and then driven them the three hours from Munich to Wildhaus late at night. He'd been driving more over the last four days than he had in almost three months and the late hours, long road trips, and surveillance in city traffic had taken a larger toll on him than Liz, who helped navigate but otherwise sat back and enjoyed the car rides.
She watched him roll his shoulder again and knew he was in pain from the amount of driving and shifting he needed to do with that arm. When they pulled into the small house in a valley that they had been staying in, Liz knew she needed to help him. They exited the car and went into the house, his body showing a level of tired she knew meant he was done for the day.
"I'm going to grab a shower," Don said. "All that soot needs to come out of my hair."
Liz nodded and watched him slowly walk toward the closet, grab a towel, and go into the washroom before she went to her bag and found a tub of lotion she used for her skin and decided it would have to do. The shower turned on and Liz knew he wouldn't be long—he was tired and just needed to get clean. She went to his bag and pulled out the tube of the German equivalent of A535 and walked toward their small bedroom. She pulled back the duvet and placed both tubes on the nightstand. Walking back to the kitchen Liz grabbed the open bottle of wine they shared the night before and poured the last half glass of it into a glass and brought it back to the bedroom to sit next to the lotions. Finally, she went to her bag and pulled out her short jewel-tone blue night gown and changed into it as she heard the shower stop. Liz sat on the bed and waited for him to emerge from the washroom.
When he got to their bedroom, he looked at the scene before him and gave her a soft smile.
"Liz, I don't think I'm up for…" Don said as he looked at her with tired eyes.
"No," Liz said as she rose and handed him the wine. "You need to just lay down and I'm going to give you a massage."
"The last time you did that, I didn't sleep much," Don chuckled as he took the glass from her and drank it.
"The last time I gave you a massage you weren't this tired," Liz smiled up at him. "I fully expect you asleep in about twenty minutes."
"Do you?" Don asked as he reached out and ran a finger along the inside of one of the straps to her nightie. "You should be wearing baggy sweats then."
Liz snickered at his joke and gestured for him to lay down on the bed.
"What do you want to bet I can put you to sleep?" Liz asked him.
"Liz, you won't," Don chuckled softly.
"What's the bet?" Liz asked, her hands on her hips.
"Fine, if you win, I will massage your feet every night for a week," Don said. "And if I win, you will give me a back rub once a week, every week, for a month. A good one too, none of that let me just rub your back for five minutes to get you turned on shit."
Liz smiled at his disclosure of one of her favorite tactics with him in the bedroom.
"Deal," she said as she reached out to shake hands and he leaned in and kissed her soundly, ignoring her hand.
"You seem like you are waking up," Liz said as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Parts of me are," Don leered at her.
"On the bed!" Liz ordered him as she walked around the room and turned off the lights. Everything was off except for a small lamp in the living room glowing into the bedroom a little.
"Back or front," Don asked.
"Lay on your back first," Liz said as she grabbed her lotion and walked toward him.
"Okay, but I am going to enjoy those massages," Don winked at her.
He laid down on the bed with his towel wrapped around his waist and she climbed on the bed next to him and squirted some lotion on her hand and started to rub his sore shoulder.
He winced.
"Pressure too much?" Liz asked.
"No, just sore. Keep going," Don said.
Liz continued to lean over him and massage his shoulder.
"So, I'm going to smell like roses?" Don chuckled.
Liz didn't answer as she smiled down at him, concentrating on her work.
He winced and sighed, tensed and released, his shoulder as she worked on it and his other hand softly ran a finger up and down her outer thigh as she worked. Ten minutes later, his shoulder was looser, but he seemed to be waking up and she was not going to lose this bet.
"Roll over honey," Liz said as she sat back on her heels on the mattress. "And take off the towel so you're more comfortable when you're sleeping."
"You're still convinced you're getting me to sleep with this?" Don asked.
"I am," Liz nodded.
"Alright," Don said as he stood, took off his towel, and threw it on the floor before he flopped naked onto the mattress on his stomach.
Liz climbed onto him, sitting on his ass.
"Yeah, this is making me soo tired," Don said as he jokingly lifted his ass up quickly with her on it causing her to jump and come back down.
"Stop playing around," Liz playfully smacked his back.
She got more lotion on her hands and went to work on his tense and tired back, kneading the muscles, working the shoulder, massaging his lower back, and feeling the tension and tightness release from him. And, despite Don's best efforts to stay awake, he was asleep about 15 minutes later. Liz heard his soft snores and then reached for the tube of muscle cream and carefully rubbed a thin layer on his back and shoulders as he continued to snore, his face planted in a pillow.
She got off him and walked to the washroom to wash her hands. When she returned the sight of Don, buck naked, laying face down in a pillow snoring and smelling of roses and eucalyptus was too cute. She took out her phone and turned on the video, and sparing him the nude pic, focused in on his upper body, his face buried in the pillow and the snores emanating from his mouth before she turned her camera to indicate the time on the clock, so it was clear she had won their bet. Her feet were going to thank her for this next week when they were back in Graz. She sent Aram a quick text to make new plans for the exchange and put her phone away.
Liz pulled up the duvet to cover him so he wouldn't catch a chill, and crawled into bed next to him. She left him alone to sleep, knowing he needed the rest. Liz thought about the digital files they now had possession of and hoped Aram would be able to decrypt them. He was working with a team they had assembled in Vilnius and soon Townsend would be eliminated, and they would all be in Latvia, back where the Blacklist resided and where Liz and Ressler had visited with Red, briefly, almost a month ago.
When Liz woke the next day, it was to a very naked man kissing his way across her shoulder.
"Hey, what time is it?" Liz asked groggily as she looked outside at the dark day and rain falling.
"Almost noon," Don said as he continued to kiss lower down her torso.
He was obviously well rested.
"It's dark," Liz said as he smiled at his work when he got to her breasts.
"Looks like it's just going to be a dark, rainy day," Don said absently.
Liz nodded and her thoughts started to become incoherent as he got lower and lower on her body with his mouth.
"I know we're supposed to head back today, but…" Don said, his voice muffled against her skin.
Liz panted and sat up a little, placing her hands on either side of his head, drawing his attention back to her face and away from the other area of her body where he was focused.
"You want to stay another night?" Liz asked.
Don nodded.
Liz smiled.
"Good, because I asked Aram to…wait, what time is it?" Liz asked, suddenly alarmed.
"Noon, why?" Don asked, confused.
"Shit, he'll be here any minute," Liz said as she started to pull up to a full sitting position.
"Wait, what? We were supposed to meet him in…" Don said as he sat back on his heels.
"I know, and I asked him to come here," Liz said. "It'll save you more driving and…shit."
They heard a car pull up out front, and Don got up and ran to his bag and quickly pulled on some pants and then threw a shirt over his head before he shut the bedroom door and padded barefoot on the cold stone floor to the front door, opening it as Aram was about to knock.
"Oh, hey, Ressler," Aram said with a smile.
"Aram," Don pulled the man into a hug.
"You smell like medicinal roses," Aram said.
"Oh, my shoulder…" Don said as he rotated it for Aram. "Come in."
Aram nodded and stepped inside the small cottage, taking off his wet jacket.
"Thanks for coming," Don said as he smiled at the man. "My shoulder really thanks you."
"How's Liz's driving…?"
"If stalling was the goal…" Don chuckled.
Just then, they heard a glass break.
"Shit!" Liz said from the bedroom.
"You, okay?" Don called to her.
No answer.
"Liz?" Don called as he stepped toward the bedroom.
The door opened as he reached for the handle and Liz stood there in tights, her nightie, and a haphazard sweater thrown over her shoulders with a bleeding hand she was holding up.
"Jesus Christ," Don said as he reached for her hand and walked with her to the kitchen sink to rinse it off.
"I grabbed a glass and…" Liz said explained herself. "Hi Aram."
"Hey Liz," Aram smiled back at the woman who was his friend, standing in the sexy nightie she wore to bed, the tights she was pulling on for the day, and the sweater she threw over herself to cover up the sexy nightie, but failing at covering anything up miserably.
They cleaned her hand and Aram found the first aid kit and both men bandaged her up.
"You're like the hulk," Aram joked as he helped put away the kit.
Liz chuckled.
"Sorry Aram, I hoped to get lunch ordered, but we slept in," Liz said, addressing the elephant in the room.
Aram and everyone knew she and Don were a couple, but they rarely acted like one in front of others, or even acknowledged that they were a couple to others. And here Aram had walked in on them just getting up, half-dressed and disheveled from this morning's or last night's activities. He had also noted as Ressler leaned over Liz's hand, that his shirt had been pulled on inside out.
"It's okay," Aram smiled at the pair of them, happy they were, at least, comfortable sort of being a couple in front of him.
"How about we head to that restaurant in the town and…and get some food in us before we talk about the digital files?" Don suggested.
"I'll just get dressed," Liz said as she left the room.
Aram and Ressler sat and talked for a few minutes at about the team he was working with and his thoughts on their skills and abilities while Liz threw on some clothes, ran a brush through her hair and brushed her teeth. Aram asked for more details about a woman who was a hacking wiz named Frieda and Ressler shared what he knew about her experience with the Australian Federal Police.
Liz walked from the bedroom a few minutes later with a pair of socks in her hand and a sweater for Don and handed them to him. Aram smiled at her, it was a sweet gesture to show they really were taking good care of each other. Don put on the socks and pulled the sweater over his head dutifully and smiled up at her grateful.
The three of them piled into their car and Liz drove into town for some warm stew, cold beer, and a planning session for the digital files.
"So, these files are supposed to be a list of all of the illegal uranium deals brokered between various governments around the world through the royal families?" Aram whispered as he leaned into them.
Don nodded and took a drink of his beer.
"And you just thought they cut ribbons," Liz snickered as she leaned into Don's frame and took the beer from his hand to take a drink.
"Why don't you get your own?" Don asked her with a chuckle.
"Because I have yours," Liz said as she met his eyes. "That, and their idea of a beer is like a keg in a glass."
"Europeans do have a very large portion size for alcohol," Aram noted. "Bottled beer is 1 litre. And I'm thinking these steins would be 1.5 litres…."
"They also have very lax drinking and driving laws," Liz said. "Basically, if you can make it home without killing anyone, you're okay."
"I have noticed the Europeans on the team are more…loose with their worries about rules," Aram noted.
Don smiled at him and took the beer back from Liz.
"The Canadians and Australians are polite, but also loud," Aram said.
"More vacant land back home to yell?" Don asked with a smirk.
Aram laughed at his joke.
Their pots of stew arrived, and everyone dug in.
"So," Aram said, his voice low. "This has nothing to do with T, right?"
"Tea?" Ressler asked.
"No, the letter," Aram said, clarifying.
Don and Liz exchanged a confused look.
"Mr. T…" Aram explained.
"Oh," Liz said as she placed her spoon back on her pot of stew. "No."
The waitress dropped off a plate of fresh bread on the table and walked away. Liz reached for a piece of bread and buttered it, breaking it in half and handing the other half to Don. Don took the bread without thinking and placed it on his side plate.
"But you two are working to…?"
"Yes," Don nodded.
"Okay, good, because he's crazy," Aram said.
"You think?" Don asked.
The group laughed.
"How are you adjusting to Vilnius?" Liz asked him.
"It's very different from DC," Aram said. "But I haven't really been out much."
"Why not?" Don asked, his brow furrowing.
Aram sighed and looked at the two people who were going to think he was a complete nerd in about one minute.
"We've been competing in a multi-level, muti-dimensional chess tournament at the house," Aram said as he watched Don and Liz's face contort in confusion.
"I'm sorry?" Liz asked for the pair of them.
"It's intense chess," Aram said.
Don nodded in understanding.
"We've been doing that most of our free time," Aram explained.
"Well, whatever floats your boat," Don said before he started to eat again.
"You like them?" Liz asked him. She and Don had spent very little time with the team so far and she was relying on Aram's insight into them.
"I do," Aram nodded. "Peggy is a little intense and Costa has some anger issues that he needs to spend some time in therapy on…"
"Are they smart, sound, and capable?" Liz asked.
Aram nodded.
Liz and Don exchanged a brief glance.
"Your Vilnius team will be moving for a while," Liz said as she looked at Aram. "I can't tell you where yet, but the move will happen in the next 3 weeks."
"Why 3 weeks?" Aram asked.
Don chuckled, of course Aram would ask why rather than where.
"We're thinking we'll have T eliminated by then," Liz explained carefully.
"Oh," Aram said, surprised by the revelation.
"Yeah," Don agreed with a nod.
"We're not saying anything because it's incredibly dangerous.," Liz offered, her hand extended over the table, as she tried to explain why the man they most trusted, couldn't be trusted. "And I ask that you keep the move to yourself until we're ready to mobilize."
Aram nodded.
"Agnes would kill for that," Don said as a plate of pastries passed them. He knew Liz was uncomfortable keeping Aram in the dark and the conversation needed to switch to another topic.
"She'd take out the waiter," Liz laughed.
"How is…how is Agnes doing?" Aram asked.
"Getting a little antsy," Liz said. "And I can't blame her, being holed up with four adults and no play friends."
Don covered her hand with his for reassurance. It was a subtle move, but something Aram immediately noticed.
"And how's she doing with you?" Aram asked Don as he met his eyes.
"Fine," Don said.
In all honesty, he had spent very little time alone with Agnes. They had been working on a puzzle together, but that was it besides the odd interaction throughout the day, maybe some chasing her around at the park…Don wasn't going to attempt to be some kind of step-father in these extraordinary circumstances.
"And you and Mr. Reddington are…good?" Aram asked.
"I still resent that he kept secrets about me from me, but now that I know them…now that we know them," Liz said as she glanced at Don. "I feel better about the why and knowing where we're heading."
Aram nodded. They continued to eat and share stories and returned to their house to see Aram off for his 3-hour drive back to Munich with the digital files.
Don and Liz stood under the awning of the porch to keep dry from the rain and waved to Aram as he drove off. When he looked in the rear-view mirror, Aram couldn't help think that he'd spent more time away from them in the last month then with them. He hoped in the next move they would be together more because, as much as he liked the new team he was working with, nothing beat old friends.
To be continued…