I don't own Blindspot or any of these amazing characters…
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"You left it in the duct work of the NYO?" Patterson repeated.
"Well," Rich reminded her, "I didn't exactly have time to leave and find a more convenient location."
"How did they not find it there?" Tasha demanded.
"Well I didn't exactly place it where I was sitting," Rich defended himself.
"Where did you put it?" Jane asked him.
"In the duct above where I was sitting," Rich said defensively.
"Okay," Reade tried to be the voice of reason, "Regardless of the lame ass place Rich hid the phone, let's concentrate on how we get it now?"
"Hey," Rich protested.
"We can't just march into the NYO and get it," Kurt rubbed his neck while he listened.
"What about going back in through the basement?" Jane suggested,
"I had all of that sealed off when I became Assistant Director," Reade admitted.
"Kurt do you know of any other way in?" Jane turned to him.
"No," He denied.
"Why don't you get someone from inside to bring it out to you?" Cade suggested.
"Who?" Patterson looked at him blankly.
"You must have had some allies inside the NYO, you were in charge of the entire office for years." He reminded them.
"Now Madeline has an office there and last I heard she was replacing anyone she considered a threat." Patterson denied.
"Who'd you hear that from?" Kurt was looking at her with a frown.
"I….might have piggy backed into the secure server and made contact with Afreen." Patterson admitted.
"What?" Reade was looking at her in disbelief.
"Calm down," Patterson insisted, "She didn't know it was me."
"Who does she think it was?" Rich asked her.
"Oversite," Patterson said somewhat shamed face.
"She told that to a stranger?" Jane looked surprised.
"I was a very understanding stranger," Patterson insisted.
"I'm sure you were practically Mother Teresa," Reade said sarcastically.
"I think you've been hanging around what's her name too long," Rich told him, "You're kind of snarky."
Kurt and Jane shared a look of amusement. It was though little moments throughout the day that kept them going. Their connection was like a security blanket that warmed their soul.
"Rich," Reade said with long suffering patience.
"Just saying," Rich insisted, "And what's with this crappy system?"
"We no longer have FBI resources," Patterson reminded Rich.
"Why didn't you just buy a better setup?" He asked her, "It's not like you can't afford it."
"The FBI seized my assets when they accused me of being a terrorist." Patterson growled. This was clearly a sore subject for her.
"Did they?" Rich asked with a little grin.
"What'd you do?" Patterson asked him suspiciously.
"I might…" Rich could hardly wait to tell her, "Might….have transferred your fortune to an undetectable, overseas account before they arrested me."
"What if we'd been able to stop them?" Tasha demanded.
"I would have given it back," Rich said almost convincingly. "Plus I still have that nest egg of coin, we can definitely afford a better system than this!"
Patterson began to smile. "I forgive you for leaving the phone inside the NYO."
"Thank you," Rich looked over at the others with a haughty expression, "See that's how you appreciate someone."
"Before we get too excited," Reade warned them, "We better make sure they weren't able to trace where he put it from his computer. You know they did a complete forensic work up after he was arrested."
"Oh, please," Rich scoffed, "Like there is anyone left over there that's as good as I am…"
It took him only moments to confirm the money was still where he'd left it.
"There you go," He turned the computer toward Patterson.
"It's all there," She looked up at the others with renewed hope. With Jane's contacts and these funds their chances had just gone up.
"Good job!" Tasha reluctantly conceded.
Rich preened.
"Who else is left over at the NYO besides Afreen?" Kurt asked.
"Not very many of our old crew," Patterson admitted, "Breanna is still there, but that's about it."
"Wait," Reade protested, "They kept Breanna? That doesn't make any sense. She was one of the few people that were directly involved in our attempt to bring down Madeline, I would think she'd be one of the first people they got rid of."
"Unless she was compromised," Jane suggested.
"You think she worked with Madeline to infiltrate the FBI?" Reade demanded.
"She had to have some people on the inside," Jane insisted, "Rich said that Kurt's gun was used to kill a lot of people at the power plant. None of Madeline's associates had access to that weapon. Breanna's already proven that she caves under pressure. She did give Sheppard the code to override the system when threatened…"
"But we gave her another chance," Reade protested.
"She was kind of complaining that she hadn't had a raise in years and couldn't even afford a car…" Patterson reluctantly admitted.
"Maybe we should pay her a little visit." Rich suggested.
"I'll go," Jane immediately offered, "Nobody knows that the team is alive. I'd like to keep it that way."
"No," Kurt denied, "You can't go by yourself."
"I'll go with her," Rich offered, "They know I'm alive and it would make sense since Jane just liberated me from a Black site."
"Fine," Kurt relented, "But we'll be right outside."
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Breanna sat at the kitchen counter with a bottle of alcohol on the counter before her. This was all her fault. She never would have believed that stealing Weller's gun could have led to the entire fall of the NYO branch of the FBI. She should have gone to Reade…
Her eyes welled up with tears as she thought about the team she betrayed. They'd spent their life risking themselves to save others and she'd sold them out. They were dead because of her. She couldn't fix this and now she had a front row seat to the destruction she'd unwittingly put into motion.
Even Weitz was helpless to do anything. She didn't know what they had on him, but she recognized the look in his eyes when he looked at Madeline. He hated her. He'd even stop promoting himself to get ahead. Nobody still left at the NYO was the same. She took another drink.
"If I didn't know better I would think you're trying to forget something," Jane's voice came from behind her.
Breanna jerked to look behind her. Jane and Rich were watching her with long expressions.
"Oh Jane," Breanna began to cry, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know any of this was going to happen."
Jane and Rich shared a look at how easily Breanna caved.
"What'd you do?" Rich asked her.
"I was contacted by someone the morning the power grid was sabotaged. He was offering me things if I helped him, but I said NO!" Breanna admitted.
"That's not the end of it?" Jane confirmed.
"No," Breanna admitted, "He sent me a picture of my parents, said that if I didn't help him, he could hurt them."
"Why didn't you tell Reade?" Rich demanded.
"I panicked," Breanna admitted, "He told me to break into Weller's and Jane's apartment and get Weller's gun."
"You did?" Jane confirmed.
"Yes," Breanna dropped her head in defeat, "I can't believe that one stupid thing could lead to all of this!"
"It wasn't just that," Jane reluctantly conceded, "It was just one more nail in our coffin."
"The team…" Breanna began crying in earnest.
Jane didn't reassure her. The last thing she wanted was for someone that had already been compromised twice to become aware that the team was alive.
"We need your help now," Jane told her.
"So…you're not just here to kill me?" Breanna sounded surprised.
"No," Jane denied, "I need to get into the NYO."
"Why?" Breanna looked puzzled.
"I want to clear the team's name." Jane admitted.
"Can I just get what you need?" Breanna asked her.
"Yeah," Rich was looking at Jane with a serious expression, "Can't she just get what we need?"
"No," Jane denied. She didn't trust Breanna not to unwittingly give up their biggest resource. They needed Dominic's phone or they'd never be able to clear their names.
"You are the most recognizable person that has ever worked at the NYO," Brianna reminded her, "How do you expect me to get you inside the building without being detected."
Jane had removed her contacts and put her red hair up into a cap. She looked as much like Jane Doe as she'd ever been.
"I'm not asking you how to get inside," Jane insisted, "I'm asking if you're willing to help us."
"Of course!" Breanna said immediately, "And I know I'm not the only one that feels that way. There are people still left inside the building that know what's going on."
Rich was really glad he turned on a scrambler before Brianna realized they were here. He was pretty sure her apartment was probably bugged.
"We should probably not talk here," Rich told Jane.
"We should probably not talk anymore," Jane agreed, "We need to go right now."
"Where?" Breanna stood up a little unsteady.
"The NYO," Jane told her.
"But…" Brianna hesitated.
"I thought you said you would help us," Jane grabbed her arm and began to herd her over to the door.
"We can't just march into the New York Branch of the FBI without some kind of plan." Brianna argued.
"I just need for you to get me inside," Jane assured her, "I'll do the rest."
"I think we should talk about this," Rich protested, looking at Jane with a worried expression.
"You can talk all you want on the way," Jane told him.
"We need to make a stop," Rich conceded defeat, "But don't worry, it's in route."
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"Want to tell me what the hell you're doing?" Kurt demanded from the door of the storage unit.
"I'm going after Dominic's phone," Jane explained.
"We don't know if we can trust Breanna," Kurt walked over to her and placed his hands on her hips.
"All the more reason to do this tonight," Jane insisted, "She doesn't have time to warn anyone what we're doing."
"What if she walks you to the guard desk and tells them who you are?" Kurt worried.
"I can take the two guards if I have to," Jane assured him, "If that happens we'll have to abort."
"No," Kurt denied, "You aren't doing this alone."
"You can't come," Jane denied, "Breanna thinks the team is dead. We don't want that information getting out, if you try to come with me, she'll know."
"What if she takes you down and waits until your inside before disclosing that it's you?" Kurt demanded.
"Then you're being there won't change anything," Jane argued.
"Why tonight?" Kurt demanded, "Why not wait until we have a plan?"
"We don't know if we can trust Breanna," Jane insisted, "Right now we know she hasn't contacted anyone…if we wait they can come up with a plan too."
"We'll have to do this some other way," Kurt refused to relent.
"I know you're missing Bethany," Jane argued, "This gets us one step closer to getting to see her again."
"Don't do that," Kurt shook his head, "Yes, I want and need to see Bethany, but I'm not willing to risk losing you to do that."
"This isn't just about us," Jane reminded him, "The rest of the team is affected too."
"Jane…."
"Kurt…"
"Adorable," Rich said from behind them.
"Where's Breanna?" Jane demanded.
"I locked her in the trunk of the car," Rich explained.
"What?" Kurt demanded.
"She understood," Rich insisted, "She knows she betrayed the team, she seems to be willing to do whatever we want."
"Seems," Kurt emphasized.
"I've tried to make Jane see reason," Rich insisted.
"This is the best shot we have," Jane wouldn't be swayed.
"I'm in," Cade came in the door behind Rich.
"What are you doing here?" Jane asked in surprise.
"Rich notified the team of what you have planned." Cade explained, "I wouldn't exactly say any of them are excited by the prospect of you dying. Go figure."
"Problem solved," Jane turned back to Kurt, "Cade will go with me."
"Yeah," Kurt didn't seem convinced, "It's not like either of you are known felons."
"We've worked on missions together before," Cade assured Kurt.
"You haven't infiltrated the FBI together," Kurt reminded him.
"No," Cade agreed, "I believe our last mission together before she was ziped was to infiltrate Army Intelligence, alter their orders to invade a small country off the coast of Africa."
"What?" Kurt looked over at Jane in shock.
"We now have a small military base stationed there," Jane admitted reluctantly.
"You instigated an invasion of a small country?" Rich demanded impressed.
"It's not as bad as it sounds," Jane insisted.
"It's exactly like it sounds," Cade denied, "We've got this."
Kurt didn't have a response to that.
"I'm going with you," He insisted.
"Kurt we don't have time to argue this," Jane pleaded.
"No," Rich agreed, "We don't. I have just the solution."
Kurt watched him rummage around in one of the boxes until he came up with the mask Patterson had worn to escape the NYO.
"No," Kurt denied immediately.
"You want to go or not?" Rich asked him.
Kurt reached for the disguise with a scowl at the mirth Jane was unable to hide.
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"They changed the security parameters after they finished all the personnel transfers." Breanna explained as the elevator descended.
"Are you going to get into trouble helping us?" Jane asked her.
"Hopefully nobody will ever know," Breanna insisted. She stopped the elevator mid floor. Kurt pushed open the roof hatch and pulled himself up. Once he was on top he reached back down for Jane. She joined him. Cade didn't wait for assistance, but joined them easily.
"We don't know where exactly Rich hid the phone," Jane explained to the two men. "We know it was in the storage room, but there are no maps of the ventilation system. We need to be quick and thorough."
"How do we notify each other if one of us finds it?" Cade asked her.
"Patterson has used her back door access into the system to monitor their security cameras. We all have burner phones and she's going to pass on the news when we send her the code. She's also going to warn us if she thinks we're being detected." Jane explained.
"Whoever finds the phone first needs to get out. We'll rendezvous offsite." Jane insisted.
"Copy that," Cade pushed the phone into his pants pocket and slipped into the nearest air duct.
Jane followed after him, Kurt a breath behind her.
"This brings back memories," Kurt smiled as he watched Jane's backside.
Looking back over her shoulder Jane teased him, "When I told you I wanted us to grow old together, I had no idea it would happen this fast."
"Very funny," Kurt swatted her backside.
Jane stopped and turned around. The only part of him she could actually see was his eyes. "Thanks for coming with me…" She rested her cheek against his.
"Always," Kurt assured her.
"We're going to find it," she assured him.
"Nothing is worth losing you," Kurt insisted, "Remember that when you're making your decisions."
"I promise," Jane assured him, "But you're pretty necessary too."
"Glad to hear it," He smiled.
They separated ways and began the search.
It was over an hour later when Jane's phone vibrated. Looking down she saw Patterson's text.
Cade has the phone, Madeline has just arrived with four armed guards.
Jane felt a surge of adrenaline.
Where was Kurt?
She began making her way back to the elevator shaft with haste. Twenty minutes later came the next text.
Cade's out, Madeline knows something. She's just taken Breanna into custody.
Jane stopped abruptly. She couldn't just abandon Breanna…
Closing her eyes she took several deep breaths.
Nothing's worth losing you… Kurt's words from earlier rang in her head.
There was more than one way to lose yourself. She could lose her life or she could lose the person that she was.
She texted Patterson back, "Is Kurt out?"
"No," Was the immediate response.
"Where is Breanna?" Jane typed back.
There was no immediate response to that.
"She was taken to the conference room. She's being guarded."
"Tell me when Kurt's out." Jane texted.
Jane had spent the last hour becoming more familiar with the ventilation shaft. She knew the quickest way to the conference room and headed that way.
When she arrived Breanna was sitting at the conference table across from Madeline surrounded by security.
Jane studied Madeline silently. Remi would have ended this right here. She reached for the weapon she carried and weighed her options. There was no question Madeline deserved to die, but it was unlikely she could kill her and make it out of this shaft alive. Not to mention she still hadn't received confirmation that Kurt was clear. She'd never risk him.
Then there was the choice. What did she want her life to be? Did she want to be Jane and do the right thing, or did she want to be Remi where nothing was wrong? Resting her head down she decided to listen to what was happening.
Suddenly she sensed a presence. Looking over her shoulder in startled surprise she found Kurt crawling toward her. Not elderly Kurt, but the face of the man she'd married. His expression was serious and she made room for him next to her. He didn't hesitate, but crawled in the tight space beside her and reached up to guide her mouth to his. She could feel his emotions as their lips met and knew he was a man on the edge. She gave him what comfort she could.
When he pulled back he looked slightly more in control. She brought her hand up and gently caressed the side of his face. The tension in his brow eased. She let him pull her against his chest and they listened to the voices in the conference room together.
"Why are you here?" Madeline demanded again.
"I work here," Breanna insisted.
"What are you working on that so important?" Madeline demanded.
"We've had a lot of staff turnover recently," Breanna reminded her, "There's a lot of paperwork involved in that. I'm so far behind…"
"You don't think I'm buying any of this do you?" Madeline asked her.
"Buying what?" Breanna said with genuine confusion.
"The security guard said you didn't come in alone." Madeline played her trump card.
"I came in with some of the cleaning staff," Breanna agreed, "It was more a coincidence that planned."
"Where are they now?" Madeline questioned.
"Cleaning something?" Breanna suggested, "How would I know?"
"I'm going to review the security camera," Madeline warned her, "If you're lying to me, I'll put you in a hole so deep you'll never see sunlight again."
Breanna watched her stand up and move to the conference room door.
"Watch her," She told two of her security team while the other two followed her out.
"This is our chance," Kurt breathed into her ear.
She met his eyes and he didn't look angry, he understood. She nodded against him and kissed his neck. There were two vents going into the conference room and Jane made short work of heading to the other opening. They both burst out of the vents at the same time. Madeline's security team was caught completely unaware. Jane would have bet money they never saw it coming.
"Kurt?" Breanna gasped softly, before standing up and rushing over to them.
"We have to get out of here," Jane warned her.
"I can't believe you didn't leave me," She looked between the two.
"Let's get out of here," Kurt insisted, "Then we can talk."
Breanna climbed up into the ventilation shaft with their assistance. Jane and Kurt quickly joined her.
"They're going to find us," Breanna worried.
"Not if we hurry," Jane argued.
The route out was quicker.
"Madeline knows, she's started the lockdown."
"Hurry," Kurt gave up stealth for speed.
They made it back to the elevator shaft, but with the lockdown in place the elevators weren't going anywhere.
"What now?" Jane turned to look at Kurt in dismay.
"Now we need to climb out." He told her.
"I can't do it," Breanna protested, "You need to go without me."
"We aren't doing that," Kurt denied.
"Maybe we can hide until the lockdown is over?" Jane suggested.
"You know Madeline is going to go all out trying to find us," Breanna worried.
Suddenly one of the access doors opened. Jane tried to move out of line of sight, but as her eyes met the other mans she knew she'd failed.
This was an FBI Agent she knew, Special Agent Symon. They'd worked together on several missions. Madeline was about to know exactly who had infiltrated the building. There would be no hiding…
"You have anything?" A voice demanded to Symon.
He didn't hesitate to answer.
"No," Symon denied, "All clear."
Jane silently gasped. Symon continued to stare at her when he advised his backup.
"I'm going to head up to the lobby and make sure the guards there are checking credentials."
"I'll tell Madeline the shaft is clear." The other voice said as it moved away.
Symon closed the door and suddenly the elevator began to hum.
"He's going to help us," Jane looked over at Kurt in disbelief.
"We all know what's going on," Breanna insisted, "We just can't stop it. You'll be surprised how many people want to help you."
They rode the elevator up and were able to sneak out of the building without being apprehended.
"At least the night wasn't a total fail," Breanna tried to look at the bright side. She'd just given up her life and made the FBI's most wanted list, but at least she didn't have to live with the team's death on her conscious anymore.
"Don't get too happy," Patterson warned her, "Cade took off with the phone."
"What?" Jane looked at the team around her.
"He offered to sell it back to us," Rich explained, "He seems to want to fund a new start."
"How much does he want?" Jane demanded.
"Ten million dollars," Patterson answered.
Jane and Kurt's eyes met. Just when they'd thought they could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Closing her eyes, Jane felt Kurt's arms close around her tightly. Bethany was just as far out of reach as before…
