Kate, Reggie and Hector sat in the interview room, having a not very friendly conversation.
- Hector, we arrested your brother at the border this morning!
- And I know that you have nothing against him! They can't link him to any criminal activity, he's not associated with any of those men, my brother has no criminal record in the US or Mexico. He was just someone in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Hector said with an ironic calm smile.
Kate knew Hector was telling the truth. Whatever plan Manuel was hatching with those men, there wasn't enough evidence to keep him locked up. He could claim anything: that he was a simple salesman who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, as Hector put it.
- But... so as not to say that I am unfair, and to make your trip worthwhile, I am willing to hand over a corrupt FBI agent in exchange for a change in my sentence. What do you think?
- And how are we going to know that what you say is true, and you're not doing it just to get revenge on someone?
Hector raised his hands as if asking for peace, and said:
- I'll tell you a story, and then you'll decide if it's worth giving me the deal or not. I know that you need to verify what I'm going to say, so, as I'm an honest guy, I'm going to say what you need to know.
The debauchery in his voice was infuriating.
- You know the story of when I was taken to trial, based on a single alleged witness, who couldn't even say anything in court. Well, I heard that a man known as Stewmaker kidnapped this witness. Let's say this guy's ability is to make people disappear down the drain. - Hector said with a smile as he observed the expressions of the two agents.
Kate knew well the story of people disappearing without a trace, and that was certainly due the fact that bodies were melted in chemical mixtures, but she had never heard of this Stewmaker guy. But still, the mere imagination of it happening made Kate develop a distaste for cheap motel bathtubs in the past.
Still, Kate kept her seriousness, so as not to let Lorca believe she had no information about it, and motioned for him to go on, pretending to look bored.
- So after I managed to get out of court, because they were going to convict me for something I didn't do and didn't were any witnesses left, I turned to an old contact to help me get out of the country: Raymond Reddington, I think you guys know him, you know... fourth on the FBI's most wanted list...
- Wait, are you saying you have easy contact with Raymond Reddington? Will you deliver it? Reggie asked eagerly.
- God NO! Nobody rattles off the Concierge and lives to tell the tale, and no, I don't have direct contact with him. It was always through a middle man. As I said, but you didn't pay enough attention, I'll hand you the FBI agent who's on Reddington's payroll... maybe he'll help you find the concierge, not me.
Reddie and Kate exchanged glances and waited for Hector to get on with the story.
- As I said, I ran away and later found out that Stewmaker had taken with him, as collateral, an FBI agent... the slut who had located that witness and helped make the case against me.
Kate couldn't hide her disgust at those words.
As a woman she knew that life as an agent was difficult, she felt underestimated by many colleagues, treated only as a "pretty face", and men always used words like "slut" and "bitch" to refer to women like her, demeaning the hard work they did and were very good at it.
It threatened the males' sense of superiority. Bastards!
She felt like hitting the man in front of her, slap him square in the face so hard that a fortune-teller would read her future in his face two days in the future from now, but she swallowed hard and heard what he had to say.
- To get out of the country I needed new documents, a private jet, some money... those basic things. So I contacted Reddington, and for some reason he showed up with an FBI agent on his heels.
- This agent informed that he was Reddington's contact within the FBI, and that he was the one who managed clean the documents as legitimate, kept Reddington informed about FBI operations involving his business, and so on.
- And why would this agent tell you all this?
- First because I threatened his life. But according to Reddington, the guy was hanging by a thread, and saving that bitch the Stewmaker had held hostage would put him in the good graces of your bosses. A deal good for everyone: I could leave the country, Reddington made money and kept two allies, me and the agent, and the agent was fine with his bosses solving a case. A win-win-win!
To Kate the whole story seemed logical. In fact, Reddington, as a good outlaw acted in ways that served most of his own interests, and having an FBI agent with that kind of access would make many operations easier. The story made sense, and Kate would love to take a hoodlum who had infiltrated the FBI out of circulation.
- And what is the name of this corrupt agent you claim exists?
Hector smiled victoriously, knowing he had the attention of the two agents in front of him.
- Donald Ressler.
Hours later Reggie was looking at the FBI files, unable to believe so much information about the suspect agent's career.
All the newer agents, like himself, had heard about Donald Ressler. He was the prodigy of the FBI, the institution's poster boy. Impeccable record, best grades at Quantico, sniper, tactically trained by SWAT, the youngest agent to command a task force in FBI history.
- That's not possible! - Kate protested while looking at a series of files, abashed.
- Kate, we have to stick to the facts! I know the guy is a legend, that he has a respectable career, but guess who was the target of the task force he commanded at the time?
Kate gave Reggie a serious look, and went pale as her colleague turned the computer screen to her, presenting a picture of Raymond Reddington himself.
- Kate, this Ressler guy was the leader of the task force that hunted Reddington around the world in an operation that lasted almost five years! Five years, Kate! Then, out of nowhere, the task force was disbanded and no one else looked for Reddington anymore?! And Donald disappeared from the radar too. There's been no record of him in any major FBI operation in the last three years, I mean, this guy's gone! His activity logs are protected, we don't have access. We need to get this to Dave, he should be able to access these files.
Dave Jennings was the head of the border region's anti-organized crime unit, a middle-aged, gray-haired, committed guy. He only wanted to retire in a few years, but now he had a huge bomb on his hands, with the escalation of violence on the border, resulting from the war between the gangs that depended on the drugs smuggled by Lorca. Whoever had the drugs had the power. So the dealers were robbing each other and killing everyone in the way.
"There is no power void" – Jennings repeated to himself, thinking that as soon as one drug dealer lost power in the region, another would take his place, and that could start a war, but also a good opportunity to capture some more criminals, who would act on the spur of the moment and, maybe, make mistakes.
He focused on the turn of events when Reggie and Kate knocked on his door, both looking concerned. The two had just arrived from New York a few hours ago, and the fact that they hadn't gone home meant only one thing: One more problem!
The duo entered, closed the door and quickly Reggie began to report what they had discovered with Lorca and what they had learned about the agent he reported.
Dave heard the whole story. At first he disbelieved it. He himself knew Donald Ressler's reputation, but as Reggie gave him more facts concern grew on him.
He tried to access the files mentioned by his team, but was surprised to learn that even his level of clearance could not access it's contents.
Reggie and Kate looked more and more aggravated by this discovery.
Dave tried calling the FBI director, but, to his surprise, he was directed to talk to assistant director Harold Cooper, with no further explanation.
While he waited, his mind started a theory, that it may be a scheme from Lorca do fish something… but what?
Washington D.C.
- Mr. Cooper, Regional Director of Anti Organized Crime, Mr Dave Jennings on line 1 for you.
Harold Cooper hadn't even sat in his office to start another day when he answered the call.
- Harold Cooper speaking.
- Director Cooper, I'm Dave Jennings, regional director of the border anti-organized crime division. Can we talk for a moment?
- What would be the subject, Mr. Jennings?
- Today I tried to speak with FID director earlier, but when I told him the subject he said I should talk with you, Sir. It's about Special Agent Donald Ressler.
- What would be the reason of your interest in the senior agent?
- I think it's something we should talk in person. Can we meet today? I'm sorry for the shot notice, but the matter is urgent. We can catch a flight to Washington soon and meet you wherever you like.
- We?
- Yes, me and two other agents under my command.
- Of course, I'll send you the address and wait for you.
- Thank you very much Director Cooper.
The call made Cooper suspicious, who was Dave Jennings and why was he interested in Agent Ressler?
He went downstairs and found Aram at his desk.
- Aram, good morning! I need you to check the system who's been researching Agent Ressler's internal profile and this task force, and what their jobs are inside de Bureau. I need this urgently and in absolute secrecy.
- Good morning Mr. Cooper. Perfectly, I do and I inform you of the results. Any reason someone is researching Agent Ressler? I mean, he's famous in the units, but I don't think that would be a reason for this research and...
Aram realized that, as usual, he was talking too much, and he resumed his professional demeanor and began the research under Cooper's scrutiny.
About 20 minutes later Aram walked into Cooper's office with the information.
- Three users tried to access Agent Ressler's profile in the last 36 hours: Kate Macer – field agent for the border anti-organized crime unit, her resume is impressive, almost as good as Agent Ressler's, she was reported once once for hitting a...
- Aram! - Cooper drew attention to see that the younger agent was amazed by the information and had lost his focus.
- Sorry sir! - He said, clearing his throat and continuing. – The second user who tried to access information was Reggie Wayne, he is a new agent and has more limited access so far, a rookie. The third profile was from Dave Jennings, regional border director in the Anti-Organized Crime division. All of them are respected agents, with impeccable résumés.
- Any current links between them and Agent Ressler?
- There was nothing in common in the verified operations sir. But I found this: Agents Macer and Wayne were at the New York State Prison yesterday and spoke to Hector Lorca...
Cooper looked questioningly at Aram. The name Hector Lorca was not strange, but he couldn't remember why.
- He was connected to one of the first cases that Mr. Reddington gave us, on the blacklist, the Stewmaker. This Hector hired Stewmaker to wipe out a witness and ended up kidnapping Agent Keen.
- Thank you Aram, that's all. Don't forget, absolute secrecy.
- Yes sir. – Aram left Cooper's office with the worm of curiosity corroding him form inside.
Alone in his office, Cooper tried to anticipate events before they exploded in his and the task force's faces. He remembered the Stewmaker case, and on that occasion Ressler accompanied Reddington in a meeting with Hector Lorca to obtain the whereabouts of Agent Keen, and presented himself as a corrupt agent, according to a report that was kept in limited access.
In Cooper's mind, a theory had already formed: Lorca tried to expose Ressler as a corrupt agent in exchange for a reduced sentence, because he believed that Agent Ressler worked with Raymond Reddington, and now these agents came to scrutinize their lives, and that wasn't the best interest of the task force.
Dembe answered the phone on the second ring as he had lunch with Reddington at a fancy hotel.
- Dembe talking.
- Dembe, it's Harold Cooper. I need to speak to Reddington, it's urgent. - Dembe just looked at Reddington, who reached for the phone.
- My good friend Harold Cooper! To what do I owe the honor of this call on such a pleasant day? - Reddington said with the usual cynical humor.
- Do you know agents Kate Macer, Reggie Wayne and local anti-organized crime director Dave Jennins?
- Never heard about them. - Reddington was being sincere, but mentally taking notes of the names for future research. – What is the reason for your interest in my knowledge on those people?
- These agents are on their way to Washington right now, with a special interest in Agent Ressler. I do believe that interest comes from a conversation that Agents Macer and Wayne had with a certain Hector Lorca in prison... a drug dealer for whom Ressler introduced himself as your henchmen to get the location of agent Keen on the Stewmaker case.
Cooper waited expectantly while silence filled the other side of the line.
- Oh my God! Do they think Agent Ressler's poor honest soul is a dirty? - Reddington replied in a jocular way with false drama, theatricalizing the speech by placing his hand over his heart in a dramatic way. – Don't fear Cooper, our good scout boy is safe. - Red answered and hung up the phone, turning serious to Dembe.
- Prepare the car, Dembe. Let's visit some friends.
Reddington got up, adjusted his jacket to his body, took his impeccable beige Fedora hat, opened a safe from which he took out a suitcase with money and left.
He might not show it, for decades in a life of crime had made him an exceptional actor, but that connection raised a wrinkle of concern in his forehead.
Hours after visiting his contacts, Raymond discovered that Lorca had reported Agent Ressler as dirty agent in exchange for a reduced sentence.
First: Reddington didn't appreciate his contacts rattling off another contacts, it was bad for business.
Second: Ressler wasn't a contact, he was a tool for him to work on Elisabeth's mind. Through Ressler's constant moral opposition he knew how much Keen was willing to cross the line of morality, plus he was a great personal security for her, even if he didn't know it. Reddington knew Ressler would do anything to protect his partner.
Third: Hector Lorca believed that agent Ressler was a corrupt agent who worked for him, and when the complaint didn't give the expected result, there were only two possibilities: Hector believing that corporatism did its part protecting the corrupt agent, or he would suspect that he himself was working with the FBI, a risk he couldn't take.
Reddington did not believe in luck. His motto was "better safe than sorry".
In a brief research about new agents Reddington found that both Macer and Wayne could be Agent Ressler's minions, in matters of morality. God, Wayne was even on Lawschool! No doubt they weren't going to leave a corrupt agent alone... the problem was, there was no corrupt agent.
If he got the profiles of these two new elements without much effort, there was a chance Lorca would too.
What if Manuel Lorca's arrest in the easiest operation of these two agents' lives was a planned move by Hector Lorca to get his sentence reduced? Or as a move to fish Red's relation with FBI?
Reddington felt the risk of being exposed and a lot was at stake, so the Lorca brothers had go away… forever.