The ride home was quiet. Each person too tired from the days events to put out much effort for small talk.
Red's heart went out to Elizabeth Keen. She had not had an easy time of it this past year.
The woman sensed his gaze, turning her head to offer a small smile.
His gaze softened, his fingers seeking the small hand, bring the cool appendages to his lips. "Are you tired?"
"Glad to be going home." she avoided the direct answer. "Silas, are you feeling better?"
"Don't bother me, woman," the guard looked out the window. "I'm contemplating the universe."
Liz leaned, smacking the side of the guy's head smartly, "Not in my presence you aren't."
Red winced for the man. That had to hurt, but the guard hid the fact well. He frowned his confusion when he realized the guard was holding his smile and Lizzy looked... disgusted.
"He contemplates the universe... a lot." she grimaced, her hand mimicking a jerking motion.
Red sighed, dropping his forehead into his palm. His head was throbbing. Pushing his fingers against his skin, he dulled the ache briefly.
"Can't you do something about her?" Silas turned his head lazily but even he returned to a brooding silence not having gathered a rise from the woman.
Lifting his head, Red kinked his neck moving closer to Elizabeth. Leaning into the small frame, his arm tugged her close. "When we get home, how does a nice hot shower sound and a late dinner?"
"Amazing." Liz was happy again, Silas forgotten for a moment. "We can make omelettes or–"
"Nora stayed over," Francis leaned forward, resting his arm along their seat, "she said she couldn't let her little angel come home to cold leftovers."
"Little angel," Liz quirked a brow, "meaning you?"
"Who else could she have been talking about?" Francis was stumped.
Liz sighed lightly, exchanging cryptic glances with Red, "I'm glad she stayed. Red," the woman was suddenly apprehensive, "should she have her own guard now? She should stay with us... we have the private apartment downstairs."
"Why does Nora need a guard?" Francis sat forward again, alert, "What's going on that I don't know about?" he shot Red an accusing glare. "Is Nora in danger? Why would she be?"
The throbbing in Red's head intensified. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this shit.
"The man who accosted Lizzy in Vegas..." Red reminded the young man.
"You think he's responsible for the accident today," Francis followed Red's train of thought, "but what does Nora..."
"Before the accident, he called Elizabeth, threatening her... and Nora."
"Are you fucking kidding me!" Francis unbuckled his belt, sliding even closer to get the lowdown.
"Francis don't!" Liz reacted, "Get back in that belt!"
Red shifted non-committal eyes at the unexpected outburst.
Francis slowly complied, "Okay..." he drawled, his face twisting comically Red's way in response before he settled back into the seat, clicking the belt in place.
The silence was uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry..." Liz felt foolish, "...I guess I'm a little shell-shocked." she didn't like how fast the car was moving. The road sped by at a ridiculously high rate of speed. Everything was a blur.
"It's only natural," Red soothed, "after a bad accident."
Dembe slowed to a more acceptable speed, "Forgive me, Elizabeth. I simply wished you home as soon as possible."
"No.." she laughed hollowly, "I'm all for that. I'm just being stupid. I'm sure everything will get back to normal... in time, right?"
She sought the answer from a serenely relaxed Red Reddington.
"Of course it will." he caressed her temple with the soft pressure of his lips.
Liz sighed again, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery. "Will it?" she had to wonder sometimes.
Would things ever be normal in her world? Did she even want that? Right now, the word and the idea sounded wonderful.
"Yes, baby." Red had heard the wistful rejoinder, "I'll see to it."
"I guess I'm in a mood. I wasn't expecting this set back, you know?"
She sought Silas' assistance. "We were doing so well, weren't we, Silas. I was getting stronger... wasn't I?"
"Set backs don't mean shit," Silas grumbled. "Let it roll off your shoulders. I'll have you back up to par in a week's time."
She brightened, "Oh," she reconsidered, "that's not so bad at all."
"Look on the bright side," Red chimed in, lifting her wrist, his fingers gently probing the bandaged area, "you didn't break it." he included her leg in his assessment with a look.
Liz definitely felt better, "You're right." she decided. "It could have been worse."
Each person in the car turned his head simultaneously as Francis cheerfully began to whistle the Monty Python classic, "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life."
Liz took Red's support in the way of a steady guiding hand and in moments everyone had found a plate, looking over the scrumptious offerings laid out so appealingly by a loving hand.
"I'll get that for you, Silas." Nora took Silas' plate.
"Hey, hey!" Francis let his feelings on the matter be known. "He's not dead. I am your go-to guy, remember?"
"Now you sit," Nora scolded. "I'll get to you after the injured are taken care of."
Francis sulked effectively.
"You're still my favorite." Nora soothed.
Francis felt better, clearly, making certain Silas had heard the comment.
The large guard sat heavily, his look speaking volumes. Behind Nora's back, he flipped Francis off.
"Doesn't matter." Francis was secure. "She still likes me best."
"Placates you best, you mean." Silas countered.
Liz watched Red, her eyes gentle on the man. He was doling out drinks which tonight did not include the heavy stuff.
Beers, tea and soda were the choice of beverage.
"Oh, Nora, this is absolutely lovely. Thank you for staying." Liz accepted her plate graciously, "You are invaluable and a good dear friend."
"Well, this is my new home or at least," Nora looked to Red, "you've all made me feel as much. I wanted to help out in some way. No matter how trivial."
Nora smiled for Elizabeth, clasping her hand. "Honey, are you all right? Truly?"
"Silas is the one who got the worst of–"
"I said don't be mothering me." Silas mechanically snapped. The man winced, cricking his neck slightly when fingers pinched his ear. "Ow, damn!"
"I'll show you mothering." Nora snapped right back. "Don't be surly." her tone demanded no nonsense, "Eat! You need food!"
Silas begrudgingly... ate, to Elizabeth's shock and delight.
Red beckoned, "Nora, sit." he indicated a vacant spot by Dembe, "tell us about your day."
The woman laughed bringing her coffee to the seat. Dembe arose, assisting her to situate herself comfortably.
"Well, it wasn't anywhere near the excitement of yours." she lifted an arched brow. "I baked a cake. I ran the dishwasher."
Red smiled, "You baking anything is the equivalent to Rembrandt painting another masterpiece."
"Not sure he would agree on that one." she chuckled delightfully, "but thank you."
Liz looked at Red, finding the man looking across the room, his eyes unfocused. His fingers tapped a rhythmless beat on the tabletop, nodding to himself as though having come to a decision about something. Liz's brows furrowed, wondering what the man was contemplating.
"You all look exhausted." Nora scanned the faces at the table in good time.
"Move in with us, Nora." Red said in response, shocking the woman silent.
Liz's mouth fell agape, before widening into a delightful smile, "Oh, Nora, please say you will."
"I'm..." the cook sputtered her disbelief, "pardon me?"
"Lizzy would like you to stay," Red replied, "and so would I."
Dembe and Francis lifted their eyes searching out Red, the smiles on their faces sobering.
Silas sat back in his chair, wrapping an arm tight about his rib cage.
All the men were pleased Red was taking the cook's safety into consideration. They liked Nora and hated to think of her being put in harm's way.
"There's a private fully equipped two-bedroom apartment downstairs." Red added to the allure, "All the amenities on the house grounds are available to you."
"The pool, tennis courts, entertainment room, the lake, river, stables..." Francis added, sweetening the pot.
"We don't have horses." Liz rolled her eyes.
"She gets her own parking too, doesn't she Red?" Francis continued on, ignoring Liz.
Red smiled at the man, inclining his head. "Enclosed parking."
Francis lifted a hand, gesturing excitedly. "No more cleaning your car off in the winter."
Liz was nodding eagerly herself. "And... and you can paint and decorate it any way you want." she added her two sense.
Nora swiveled her head between each person, trying to take in all the information flying at her.
"Whoa..." Nora chuckled, holding up a stilling hand, "what's this all about?"
"We would love for you to stay here..." Red repeated, "with us."
Nora looked at her boss, her head cocking slightly.
"You live alone, yes?" Red questioned.
"I do, but..."
"There is twenty-four-hour security here." Dembe joined in the fray.
Nora looked at the man with interest, garnering Red's interest.
"Is something wrong, Nora?" the man questioned.
"No..." she drawled, "I suppose it would be nice to have reliable security about." she murmured. "I am getting older after all..." she chuckled flatly.
Silas sat forward, a frown creasing his forehead. "You don't feel safe at home."
Nora laughed shortly, sitting up in her chair, "We women hear noises at night." she waved away his concern. "Just rats in the attic." she smiled at Francis and Liz, sharing the in-joke from a favorite movie.
Dembe reached, patting the woman's hand in understanding. Francis fell unusually quiet. Silas turned knowledgeable eyes towards his boss.
Carver...
Had the son-of-a-bitch been watching her? Making noises to frighten her? Or was it just the sound of an empty house?
Red couldn't be sure. And he didn't want to find out. Lifting a calming hand, he turned Elizabeth's way.
His heart tightened painfully, finding her fearful eyes boring into his. He remained calm and determined which relaxed the younger woman visibly.
"You know who I am..." he addressed Nora.
Nora stared across the table, her gaze steady on the imposing man, "...I do."
"Then you know I'm a dangerous man." Red said.
"I don't believe you are." Nora countered.
"Not with you." Red's face softened. "Never with you."
Nora's shoulders relaxed, a questioning look on her face wondering what his point was exactly.
"I can't promise that my..." Red hesitated, "occupation will never follow me home." he breathed, a sorrow filling his heart. "But I can promise you that no harm will ever come to you as long as you are here."
Liz swallowed the knot in her throat.
"I think you are well aware I would do anything to ensure Elizabeth's safety." Red stated a fact.
"I am..." Nora replied without hesitation.
"Know if you stay with us," Red continued, "I offer you the same protection I give the woman I love."
"I demand nothing less." Francis said, smiling at the woman. Though everyone at the table, including Elizabeth, knew he was absolutely serious.
Silas rolled his eyes, shoving his plate forward, garnering the woman's attention, "I demand nothing less."
Nora's eyes flit from one person to the next, until falling on Elizabeth's face. The woman pushed back from her chair, walking to the younger woman, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Liz's ear.
"I'll stay..." she murmured.
Liz's face lit with joy as she pushed from her own chair, wrapping her arms about the woman.
"Tell Joe and David to take Nora home and gather her things." Red quietly directed Silas. "I don't want her staying there tonight."
"I'll have a moving company gather the rest of her belongings tomorrow." Francis said.
"I will see to her safety personally until such time a private guard can be assigned." Dembe stated succinctly.
"We'll handle all of that tomorrow." Red decided. "All I want tonight is Nora safely here with us."
Red turned finding Lizzy hobbling towards him, beaming brightly. She threw her arms about his shoulders, squeezing him tightly.
"Thank you..." she whispered in his ear, burrowing closer to him.
Nuzzling his nose behind her ear, he inhaled her sweet scent, his heart calming. "Whatever you want..." he whispered, "you shall have."
Reluctantly stepping back, Red cupped her small face in his hands, kissing her forehead.
"...Anything." he murmured.
Liz lifted blue eyes to his, taking the breath from him. She looked so content, so happy. Pleasing her gave him so much pleasure in return.
"I have everything I need," she smiled softly, "right here."
Red inclined his head, kissing the mouth lifting to his. Settling into the soft kiss, he flicked his tongue against the sweet mouth, deeply grunting his pleasure when it opened for him.
Pulling the woman closer, Red lost himself in the hot little mouth, gently caressing the small tongue, capturing her delighted little moan in his mouth.
"She'll be safe here." Red rumbled. "I promise."
"I know." she leaned into the thick fingers threading through her hair and massaging her scalp. "That's all you had to say."
The next week passed without incident, and as promised... Silas got Lizzy out of her boot within a matter of a couple days.
Even with the threat of Carver looming over her head, Lizzy remained positive... though more alert of her surroundings, for which Red was grateful.
Having quickly become accustom to uncertainty in his world, Red learned decades ago how to let go of matters over which he had no control.
He carried on with his normal mode of operation, as was his way. Life was too short to do otherwise.
The man waited patiently outside the shower, leaning on the adjoining wall, arms folded. He could tell by the way Lizzy responded to his 'good morning', how to precede.
If the woman's tone was all soft and sultry, it was a sign Red was welcome to join her in the shower.
If a stout, 'don't you even think about it', met his ears... the man would have to contend himself with going about his normal morning routine.
To Lizzy's credit and Red's delight, it was rare he had to do that.
This particular morning was no different, for Lizzy's sensual, 'It could be...', caused Red's raging hard-on to lengthen and expand exponentially.
And now, moments later Liz panted through the last vestiges of her orgasm, arching her back, lifting her bottom into Red's shallow thrusts as the water from the shower beat down on their titillated flesh.
Red was often aroused from the moment he awoke, more than eager to sate his early morning yearnings.
Though his enthusiasm for the activity today, was more heightened than usual. There had been a particular fervor to the actions which he performed.
With little preamble, he had lifted Lizzy against the shower wall, sliding effortlessly into her body bringing her to climax rather quickly.
She had been more than confused when the man stilled in his movements, searching her face religiously, grumbling his discontent.
"No, that's not it." he shook his head regretfully, before bending her over the low shower bench. She braced her arms, supporting her weight.
Before Liz could even begin to question the statement, he stepped in behind her, sliding his stiff girth into her quivering body, resuming his previous activity with renewed determination.
He barely allowed the woman a chance to catch her breath. The man rolled his hips, pumping his shaft in short, deep strokes. His hands were busy fondling her nipples, his fingers expertly attending her clit with avid attention.
Smiling her contentment, Liz lost herself in the man's soft groans of pleasure which brushed her neckline from time to time.
"Did you ever have a crush on your teacher?" he gasped, breaking the mood somewhat as Lizzy's core tightened around his shaft deep within the tight confines of her body.
Liz's brow furrowed at the unexpected question, resenting the interruption.
"I did," Red sighed, "...in junior high," he thumbed Lizzy's puckered nipple, gently tugging the little peak into a tight bundle of exquisite delight, "... Mrs. Vivian Calderón."
Liz turned her head slightly, wondering what the hell he was going on about especially at such a pivotal moment.
"She would come to school every morning... this benevolent smile on her face," Red kissed Lizzy behind her ear, scenting her soft aroma, "her jade green eyes were... she seemed so... content."
His eyes brightened when Lizzy wriggled her mound more securely in his hold, pushing eagerly against his busy fingers.
"You better be making a point," Liz grumbled her discontent even as her core quivered blissfully.
"I always imagined she had enjoyed a morning tumble with her husband," Red nipped Lizzy's shoulder, pushing his erection deep into the creamy depths of her willing body, "that he had taken liberties and accosted her in the shower perhaps... something to put that glow on her face."
Liz's lips trembled with amusement, snickering softly through her nose, finally getting the gist of the story.
"I wonder if they'll look at you... and wonder the same?" he questioned roughly, deepening his thrusts to a frantic pace.
Liz's head fell back against Red's shoulder. "Yes, right there," she drawled breathlessly, lost in the moment, "that feels so..."
"Don't you?" Red grunted hoarsely as Lizzy's bottom shook, pushing eagerly into his thrusts. "You think they'll know you had a nice energetic fuck this morning, baby?"
"...What?" she desperately tried to focus on the words, but the thick cock moving inside her demanded every bit of her attention. "...Who?"
"Those eager students you'll be standing before in..." he supplied happily, "an hour by my reckoning."
Liz startled, her eyes flying open. "Oh my God!"
She struggled in Red's hold, dislodging his long throbbing shaft. "I'm gonna be late!"
Her time line shifted glaringly into focus.
"Oh, like hell you're going anywhere," he grunted, pulling that sweet ass back into his hold.
The thick head easily found the snug hole with no assistance on his part. The weeping crown slid past the ever present resistance with ease, her slick arousal aiding his efforts.
"Just... a few more seconds," he gasped sharply, "...damn, you feel so good."
"You asshole!" she squirmed frantically about in his grasp. "You knew about my appointment and didn't say one word–"
Reaffirming his hold, Red quickened his pace. He felt his shaft sliding determinedly along his fingers as he eagerly rubbed Lizzy's clit. "You're driving me insane!"
Liz's mouth fell agape, her body responding to Red's desperation. Her center tightened and pulled at the man's thick arousal, her lips and clit fluttering with awareness of his abilities.
She forgave him instantly, her ire fading into oblivion.
"Those aspiring profilers are gonna take one look at you," his voice shook amorously, "and know I fucked your little pussy hard."
Her sex felt heavy as Red's driving shaft manipulated her to surrender to his passion.
Everything ceased to exist except the exquisite sensation of Red's sack pressing intimately against her as his erection embedded itself deep.
"Yes..." he crooned approvingly as that little hole tightened before convulsing in a series of fluttering waves.
Lizzy moaned as he continued massaging her clit, his ass flexing with his controlled movements. Dropping his eyes, he fixated on their union. There was nothing more sensual, nor stimulating in the entire world than this sight.
Grasping her hip, he held her stationary doubling his efforts, enthusiastically pumping her tiny hole roughly.
"Jesus..." he groaned brokenly as Lizzy's cries echoed off the stone walls, "I'm gonna come." there was a little ire in his tone, for he knew he had no control at this stage.
His brow furrowed when the woman readily braced herself, lifting her bottom. "You want that, baby?" he breathed heavily. "You want my cum?"
"...Yes," she whimpered, nodding quickly, "yes... so much."
Red fully embraced the euphoria enveloping him. Concentrating his senses on the sheath tightening further around him, he lost himself to the delicious tug manipulating his throbbing cock head.
"I'll give it to you," a deep, guttural growl built in his chest, "I'll give you everything I have." he promised.
She reached, grasping his forearm, "Make me come." she wriggled back into his thrust. "God, Red..." she pleaded desperately, "make me come."
His fingers involuntarily tightened about the woman's hips in response to her desperate pleas. Yanking her back into his pelvis, his cock plunged deep inside the slick sheath with hard, sure strokes that stripped him of his thin sheer of civility.
Red's snarl of release blended with Lizzy's melodious cries... a searing heat rushed through his shaft, bursting from his swollen crown in thick, agonizingly rapturous streams.
Reaching, he cupped his sack, massaging the tight flesh, prolonging the intense climax... determined to give Elizabeth what she had requested.
Liz wriggled helplessly, pushing closer to the powerful pulses of Red's cum beating steadily from the man's bulbous head.
The warm rush filled her core, easing the ache in her sex. A bursting wave of utter completion surged through her groin, robbing her of all senses. Her weak and trembling limbs tingled pleasantly with each flex of his powerful cock.
The shower echoed with heavy breathing and blissful silence as each person attempted to regain their normal heart rhythms and equilibrium.
Liz slowly struggled upright, seeking the man out.
"There it is..." he rumbled a satisfied tone, taking in the sight of Lizzy's pink cheeks and glassy eyes, "that blissfully serene look on Mrs. Calderón's face."
He kissed Lizzy's upturned face adoringly. "The knowledge my favored teacher loved a full pussy," he continued a searing path across her torso, "well, it warms my cockles."
Liz's expression said it all suddenly. "Hot for teacher?" she griped.
She shoved against his shoulder when the man placed a gentle kiss to her nose, seeking the solace of the steamy shower spray.
"Hey..." Red was in a very playful mood, his eyes looking to those vexed ones, "while I'm in the vicinity," he motioned, "anything I can do for you?"
"Get out of my shower." Liz suggested. "This is my first day at Quantico. If you've made me late..."
"There will be hell to pay." Red nodded, chuckling his delight. "Give those eager profiling students my good wishes. If I had a teacher like you in school..." his eyes raked her nudity appreciatively, "I might have actually attended a few classes."
"Out!" Liz pointed the way.
Red inclined his head obediently, turning to the edge of the shower. "I very much appreciated the extra one-on-one lesson, . It was very... educational."
He chuckled his amusement as the woman's loofah sailed past his head, smacking wetly against the water-spotted glass before plopping unceremoniously to the ground.
"Do I look okay?"
"For the seventeenth time," Silas sighed wearily, "you look fine... very professional."
"How do you mean that?" Liz had, at first, glanced down at her smart heather grey suit with its offset tie waist, happy for the encouraging words but then, considered the source. "Professional as in... how?"
Silas stopped his steps, turning to face the woman's veiled accusation. "...Don't flatter yourself," he continued undaunted, "you couldn't hold a candle to one of those lovely ladies."
Liz gasped her indignation. "I could too!" she protested. "If I really wanted, that is."
Rolling his eyes, Silas held his smile. "Do you know how Samar looks when she comes to work?"
"...Yes," Liz's face fell, "she's so put together." she frowned after a moment. "How do you know how Samar looks when she–"
"That's how you look," Silas interrupted, his grey eyes flicked over the woman's attire with the smart matching heels which showed Liz's shapely legs, "except without that undercurrent of suppressed sexuality she exudes."
"Oh!" Liz's face brightened. "Really?!"
"Yes." Silas resumed his steps.
"...Wait." Liz's brow furrowed for she had reconsidered the last part of that statement, "are you saying I'm not... what you said?"
"Aside from the fact that you look freshly fucked," Silas ignored the woman's shocked gasp confirming his hypothesis, "negating the suppressed sexuality..."
Liz rushed for a nearby mirror, scrutinizing her appearance.
"Not to me, for the simple fact," Silas explained patiently, "I have repeatedly said, I am overly attached to my balls and want them to remain intact."
Liz blew an exasperated breath, her tongue blowing a short, but sweet, razzberry.
"Your boyfriend is rather territorial, I hear tell," Liz's cheeks flushed with delight, "so I try to err on the side of caution and keep such harmful thoughts under-wraps at all times."
"You are so full of it." Liz grumbled.
"Not so," Silas disagreed, "I had my bran and coffee this morning."
"I can be sexy if I want," she ignored the man, "maybe not in the same league as Samar, but sexy nonetheless."
Silas turned away, concealing how pleased he was to hear the woman sense that much about herself now.
"Is this the room?" he was wise enough to know when a subject change was in order.
Liz peeked into the large, student filled arena with its stepped tiers of tables and seats.
"Why did I let myself get talked into substituting for a real profiler?" she mumbled, her stomach churning with nervous energy.
"You are..." Silas reminded, a stern look on his face, "a real profiler. Besides you're doing the guy a favor. His wife just had the kid... he should be there for her."
Liz smiled wistfully, "I'm just..." she mentally counted the people gathering inside, "there are a lot of them and," she winced, biting her bottom lip anxiously, "...it's been a long while since I've done this."
"I was looking over those case files on the drive over here," Silas handed a couple to the woman. "This one here..."
Liz opened the papers, glancing over the neatly typed print interspersed with numerous notes in messy scrawl left by previous profilers.
"...Is still open." Silas finished.
"Well, yeah," Liz shook her head following his train of thought, "but I have no real answers for them..." she reminded. "How can they learn anything if no one has solved the mystery for them yet?"
"How can they not?" Silas was confused. "Text book shit, they get every day. Pick their brains." the man moved aside for a couple of giggling women who noted his presence and ... finer qualities, "if they have any."
Liz held her smile, "Weren't you ever young?"
Silas looked at her oddly. "You are only a few years their senior. Are you so ancient?"
It shocked Liz to realize, as she watched the young women find their seats, she considered herself much more mature than such counterparts now.
When had she begun thinking of herself in such terms?
"Are you so ancient," Liz turned the tables, "that you discarded that fresh, young meat without a second thought?" she jutted her chin towards the women eyeing her guard lasciviously. "Or... are you perhaps maturing and want something... more?"
"Stand up straight," Silas ignored the insinuation and Liz's knowing smirk, "look them square in their eyes and do your thing." he encouraged, sensing the time of reckoning fast approaching. "You'll be fine."
Whether or not she was, seemed pointless. She found profiling challenging. It was something she was good at. It came natural somehow. But teaching again?
Yes, she was doing this as a favor for a friend. Though, she had also been interested to see if she was up to the challenge. She was super excited over the prospect of such a hurdle.
But already the nerves had subsided. She had half-way decided in the car this was probably not the intended path her life would follow.
"You throat punched Tom Keen." Silas bolstered. "You can do that, you can do anything." he nodded.
"I missed the mark." she reminded ruefully.
"This will be a cakewalk." he gripped the handle of the door.
Liz took a deep breath and geared up for whatever would happen within the next few hours. She gave a staunch nod, allowing the man to open the door.
Silas found a seat in an obscure niche so the faces of the class would be more centered.
Liz smiled brightly, her eyes scanning the faces looking back. A horrible thought ran through her mind and she blushed slightly.
Were the men aware she had left Red's shower just an hour before?
Damn you, Reddington.
Liz shook the notion rapidly, gathering her thoughts once more. She tried valiantly to ignore the knowing smirk her guard offered, having probably determined her momentary lapse, and the reason behind it.
She cleared her throat, quickly introducing herself before holding a file folder aloft, "We're going off the expected norm today."
Silas folded his arms settling in for the duration.
"Instead, we'll be exploring the Crescent Trail killer case." she brought up the files on a monitor as she spoke. "As I'm sure you are aware we have not, as yet, identified this particular Unsub."
An excited tremor ran through the assembly.
As the hour progressed, class participation was at its peak, with several different profiles and theories having materialized. None of which she thought plausible, but the class was involved and committed.
Liz was thoroughly enjoying herself, finally. But also deeply invested.
The case was intriguing and titillated her mind. She had learned to put aside the horror of the reality the victims endured and instead investigate the circumstances, the clues.
She knew she must if she were to find justice for the poor, unfortunate individuals whose life had been tragically cut short by these deplorable predators.
While pleased the class seemed determined and enthusiastic about applying techniques and methods used to profile such a person, she also knew if they could not establish order, they would accomplish nothing.
Everyone was talking over the next person and no set pattern was emerging. The profile was entirely wrong and disjointed.
Certain criteria prevailed in the world of these psychopaths. They followed set patterns. They killed for established reasons, few ever deviating from their set methods.
This Unsub was thought to have murdered his victims as a substitute for a family member who had hurt or wronged him.
But now, after listening to all the theories put forth in class, that distinction did not seem to apply to their present case.
If she were to postulate a theory based on the care given the victims final resting place, she would say this man's story began with someone he had cared for...
He had wanted the person in his life; he wished she were closer to him.
Closing her eyes, she struggled to drown out the varied disagreements between students, instead concentrating on trying to make sense of what was niggling at her brain.
Something right in front of her, that she was missing.
"There was no evidence of sexual assault?" Silas quietly interrupted the chaos, looking over the case file himself.
Liz looked down at the notes, her eyes skimming the information.
All had fallen silent, concentrating on the natural authority Silas exuded.
"...No," Liz muttered, "there wasn't."
That was an oddity for cases such as this. Sex was normally a catalyst in some capacity.
"His methods escalated over time," Silas flipped back through the provided photographs, "he perfected them..."
Elizabeth nodded minutely, totally in agreement, following his train of thought.
"...From that of his earliest victim," Silas continued, "to his latest."
The students silently looked between Elizabeth and the imposing man, each desperately revisiting the photos and other material Liz provided for whatever clue they had missed.
Laying the photos in order, Liz's eyes focused on the wound pattern and grim scenes in which they were...
Shit.
Liz's eyes flashed to those of her guard, an instant understanding connecting them.
The Unsub staged all the scenes. The first victim... wasn't the first at all.
But how did that help her? What was it she wasn't seeing? The victims were important, but what was in that scene that spoke of the killer?
Think like a criminal, Lizzy.
She could hear Red so clearly in her head, encouraging her away from linear supposition.
Liz quickly scanned the data, new possibilities flitting rapidly through her mind. Her earlier thoughts rushed back, piecing themselves together.
While grisly, the care shown to the victim and surrounding area had been meticulous.
The first young, college aged victim presented sloppy, yet exact wounds. The makeshift bed in which she lay posed comfortably, appeared to be an afterthought, fashioned from hastily situated leaves.
The latest victim, a successful woman in her mid-thirties presented clean, precise wounds. She also lay in a supine position, though she gained a soft pillow of moss and a cotton blanket upon which to rest.
Liz's eyes darted between the two photos. Something more, demanding to be noticed. Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, she hesitated in her movements, her eyes fixated on the pictures.
Unlike the first known victim, the latest victim's hair had been fixed with the upmost care. Her long dark strands lay perfectly over her shoulders.
The Crescent Trail killer was recreating the scenario of his original victim. Trying to correct an error made.
Silas pushed from his chair, eyes on the folder in hand.
Liz asked sotto voce as he approached. "Do you know this guy?"
"...No." Silas drawled slowly, uncertainty in his voice. "Take notes." he murmured to no one in particular.
The class remained silent, but each individual rapidly situated their laptops, following the command, intent on gathering what insight they could.
Liz spun to the opposite whiteboard, quickly mapping out the victimology from an entirely different viewpoint.
"All single, white, well liked at school and work," she jotted down the known notes, "each more accomplished than her predecessor."
"All attended college on a full scholarship," Silas noted.
"Same college?" Liz questioned.
Silas shook his head, "...Ivy League."
"...Well educated." she drew an off shoot, circling it.
The profile was entirely wrong. The Crescent Trail killer would have started in his late teens to early twenties. Not his late twenties, early thirties.
Liz bit her thumb nail pensively, studying the photos intently with a fresh, new perspective.
Their eyes and hair color were all the same. Their build and height similar. Possibly a supposed crush gone horribly awry?
Taking in the photos once more, she shook her head slowly.
This was personal. Intimate. They represented one person, and one person only.
"...A girlfriend, possibly fiancée?"
Silas inclined his head in agreement, "...Yes." his tone held a resignation Liz felt as well.
"Something went wrong," Liz muttered, "in the relationship."
"He was comfortable..." Silas theorized, "content with their state of affairs. They accepted her..."
"They in turn, accepted him." she nodded. "She humanized him."
Liz looked over the victims, scrutinizing them into mental categories as they aged into beautiful, successful women.
"She was ambitious. Wanted to explore." Liz stated.
"Was leaving his worthless ass," Silas shrugged, "to achieve her goals."
"To break free from the status quo." Liz whipped out her phone, punching in numbers in rapid succession.
"He's perfecting his technique because..."
"She deserves perfection." Silas finished the realization.
"We find her," Liz's eyes flashed their intensity, "...we find him."
Her eagerness to pursue, to hunt the hunter was very prevalent in her fiery eyes.
Silas' mouth quirked, before turning to the anxiously waiting students. He hooked a thumb, gesturing to the whiteboard.
"Now, that's how you profile."
Liz slid into the leather of the comfortable seat, her mood one of rapidly rising annoyance and anger.
"I don't care what they believe...they are wrong."
Red's brows lifted, his mouth quirking with veiled amusement. He checked with Silas who had taken his usual place by Dembe in the front seat.
The guard's wry expression and curt shake of his head alerted Red there was no real cause for concern.
"The profile is wrong." Liz continued. "I've sent you the revised version, it should be in your–"
She listened impatiently to whatever response given.
Dembe pulled out, heading the large vehicle to its chosen destination as Red waved him onward.
Silas buckled up and Red returned his interest to the strong-willed woman beside him.
"If their version were correct," she narrowed her pretty eyes, "you would have caught him by now."
Red's eyes softened, enjoying the sight of Lizzy in her element. He had always loved her intelligence, that she quickly caught onto the smallest of hints.
But when she became assertive, demanding to be heard... he became utterly captivated.
"We need to search for a girl with similar wounds, a similar kill site," she stated, her tone brusque. "...Yes!"
Red's mouth pulled at the corner, the man must now be seeing things Elizabeth's way.
"A high-school girl." she shrugged. "Maybe she was his girl-friend, a co-worker..." she was saying, her features animated, her eyes alive and sparkling. "Before the time of the first known victim."
Red watched her shoulders relax. She settled back into the seat, crossing her legs. He noted the stylish heels and shapely legs.
"If we go in this direction," Liz kicked off her heels, grateful to be free of the tight restraint, "maybe something will send up a red flag."
Red smiled when she turned slightly, settling her feet on his lap, wiggling her toes. Taking the hint thrown his way, he pushed his thumb hard into her arch, sniggering softly as the woman's head gratefully fell back against the door's frame.
"We've been looking at it wrong the entire time." she finished with a small sigh. "I don't know why I didn't see it before." she frowned to herself.
Focusing for a long beat on the conversation, Liz smiled absently at Red, her eyes gentling on the man when he massaged her little toes.
"Huh?" she broke from her private thoughts. "The victims were all single, heavily involved with work..." she trailed off watching Red's fingers trail sensually along her leg. "...though sexually active."
She remembered each woman had sexual relations with men within a week of their murder. Two of which, were with different men. Due to solid alibis, all had been cleared of any wrong doing.
But she didn't recall reading in the case files how they met one another.
Arching his brow, Red gave her foot an encouraging pat.ྭ
"...Dating sites." she muttered. "Of course, it makes sense. It's ridiculously easy to narrow down potential matches to the slightest detail."
Red tilted his head, wondering what Lizzy had said on her dating profile. What had she said about herself? What had she listed as preferences in a potential mate?
Whatever it had been, he assumed by her lackadaisical and uninterested reaction to their attention, the men who approached her, fell woefully short of her desired requirements.
He wondered if he lived up to her requirements. Obviously, he knew he did in some capacity otherwise he wouldn't be sleeping wrapped around the woman every night.
But had there been no history between them, had he been an average man and approached her... would she have given him the time of day? Would she have seen a lifelong companion in himself?
"All right, well... as long as we're all on the same page, finally." she felt better, Red could tell. "I'll let you get that distributed and connect with you tomorrow, see if there has been any progress."
Red waited patiently for her undivided attention which was promptly given over the moment the call ended.
"I hope your day was as good as mine." she slid across the seat, snuggling to the man.
"Didn't sound so good when you were getting into the car." he state, tongue-in-cheek.
"Oh, that?" the woman dismissed. "Getting the Bureau's agents to think outside the box," she sent Red a wry grin, "to think like a criminal... it's like pulling teeth."
"But it turned out all right?" he was genuinely interested.
"We'll see." she chuckled, moving on to other items of interest. "What did you and Dembe come up with? Any promising leads to follow?"
Red said at breakfast he worried they missed a vital clue somewhere along the line.
Liz had not been aware the men were sensing some kind of, not danger... but something was in the wind. All had their hackles up and were more wary than the norm. Not that anything would appear abnormal to any outsider. They all looked as blasé and bored as normal.
Why Liz hadn't picked up on it, she had no clue. She was just grateful to be home, back under Nora's loving care... nothing else mattered.
The men were exemplary at their jobs, so adept at hiding any emotion... Nora explained over breakfast, that one of them probably had set to model for the Sphinx, so inscrutable were the lads.
They seemed pleased by the statement. And she, content with their ego.
"Dembe and I have revisited the letters, looking for some clue to this maniac's identity. If we could spend a little time with him..." Red sighed, "maybe some answers would start emerging on that front at least."
"So you don't think it's Tom." Liz was a little taken aback.
"You didn't." he reminded. "But that aside, we need a few concrete answers at this stage."
"If it is Stalker Boy," Silas piped up from the front, "and we find this restaurant you met at, we might find someone who saw him there..."
"Perhaps around the time frames stated in the letters stated he would expect you." Dembe finished.
"That is where you held your secret rendezvous, correct?" Red asked.
"You make it sound so sordid." Liz squirmed in her seat. "I had no ring on my finger with Nik." she defended herself stoutly.
"Sex outside the marriage bed," Silas tsked woefully, "color me shocked."
Liz rolled her eyes at her guard. "You'd know all about it, you whor–"
"All right..." Red sighed, "let's stay on topic here." he cast Silas a warning glance.
Dembe pulled into the driveway of their destination.
"We'll head out after lunch," Red had a plan which always made him feel better. "And find this damned place and see what Intel we can gather."
"It was a long time ago, Red." Liz reminded. "And if Tom hasn't been there... who will remember–"
"It's a shot in the dark," Red agreed, "but it's a starting point."
Liz looked at the stylish heels, dismay in her expression. The thought of having to force her feet back into that restrictive leather sent agonizing jolts of denial throughout her body.
She grimaced accordingly. Out of nowhere, a pair of the most comfortable looking tennis shoes appeared in her line of sight. Joy emanated in her face.
"But Red," she at least had to put up a pretense, "it's such a fancy place."
He pulled a face, shoving the shoes into her hands.
"Who's gonna be looking at you while I'm there?" Silas wanted to know.
Liz felt so much relief she didn't even question the statement, simply slid the shoes onto her aching feet.
Dembe and Silas piled from the vehicle as was their norm, giving Red and Liz a moment silence while the men scoped out the area.
"Would you have given me a chance," Red posed the question of the hour, "had I approached you on that dating site?"
"I don't know," Liz held her smile, "would you have said you wanted to fuck me?"
"No," he scoffed, remembering the tactless men in her messages.
"You wouldn't?" she seriously doubted his statement.
"Of course not." Red scowled at the absurdity. "...I would have thought it though."
After lunch, their little entourage headed out hoping to find the restaurant in question.
"How often did you meet him here?" Red asked as they drove the streets, trying to find the exact location. Lizzy's memory was a little fuzzy after such a time lapse.
"Once, when Nik was busy with a medical convention." she replied embarrassed.
At the time, secretly meeting with Tom had been thrilling. But now... she cringed at how poorly she treated Nik. She should have just ended the relationship, but being young and unsure of everything going on around her, it was easier said than done.
She admittedly enjoyed the stability with Nik, but something about Tom drew her in. Now she understood he had known everything about her and used that knowledge to impress her. To reel her in.
A couple months ago, the thought would have made her sick to her stomach. But now, she saw it as a lesson learned and understood what Red meant when he advised, always to watch her back... to trust her gut instinct.
"There..." she pointed just ahead, "I think that's it."
Dembe slowed some, but kept driving past, letting her get a good look.
"Yes," she nodded, "that's it." she felt relieved she hadn't let the guys down.
"I'll go in." Silas was unbuckling his seat belt.
"What for?" Liz questioned.
"You said you called him here to set-up ways to meet, right?" Silas said. "So I slip in, get the number so we have it on standby."
Red gestured for the man to go, agreeing with the idea. "Tom's location?"
"The little cretin isn't in there now." Silas replied. "We lost him earlier when he slipped into a block of apartments, slimy asshole he is." he admitted. "But it was miles from here."
"He'll turn up." Red sighed.
Silas halted his exit. "I still don't know why we don't just gently question when he does? Save all this time and effort?"
Red remained moot on the subject.
"I don't care what you have to do to him to get some information." Liz concurred with her guard's assessment of the situation.
"Torturing and killing Tom will be a little gift to us when this is over." Red placated the blood-thirsty pair. "Until then, we need him to lead us to the big game that hired him."
Liz peered around the seat at her guard, shrugging slightly. Red did have a point.
"Besides, Tom won't talk." Red knew for certain.
"What about Brimley?" Silas suggested hopefully. "Give him a nice ice cold enema?"
Liz looked from one guy to the next. "I've always liked Brimley." she perked up.
"I wouldn't be surprised if an ice enema," Red's jaw worked irritably, "wasn't Tom and Gina's idea of a good time."
Silas shrugged indifferently after a moment.
Red jabbed his finger towards the restaurant. "Just nose around," he waved the guard onward, "see what you can find out. Pay off who you have to for info and promise mor–"
"I know the damned drill." Silas grumbled. "Stop telling me my job."
"Actually, it's not your job, it's mine." Dembe remarked casually.
"Then why the hell aren't you doing it?" Silas was stumped.
"You volunteered."
Liz giggled at Silas' disgruntled curse. He had, after all... volunteered. Dembe had the upper hand there.
"Somebody do their damn job." Red huffed from the back. "...Anybody?"
Minutes later, the stocky man reentered the car, his face impassively set. "A waitress thinks she recalls shit-for-brains from a few weeks back but couldn't be sure."
A collective sigh arose.
"Now what?" Liz wanted to know. "I say we go with Silas' suggestion. We know he'll be back across the street at home, eventually."
"We don't have to kill him. Just beat some info out of the dumb ass." Silas nodded approvingly. "I will volunteer for that job."
"Stand in line." Red chuckled. "It may come to that, but we should exhaust other available avenues first. We shouldn't show our hand unless warranted. If we move too soon, our efforts may prove fruitless."
"I'm a determined sort of guy." Silas disagreed with Red's assessment.
"Tom was at a warehouse earlier today. The men went in after his departure, didn't find much." Silas shrugged massive shoulders. "No one came in or out, so I don't know what the hell he was doing there."
"He frequents warehouses quite a lot." Dembe pointed out.
"Which suggests he's either scoping out sites for future use of his employer," Red thought out loud, "or he's securing safe space for clandestine meetings... but with whom?" he again asked the million dollar question.
"He's working for the Cabal, right?" Silas brain-stormed. "But he can just give them a ring, I'm sure. Why all the cloak and dagger shit?"
"Why indeed." Red mused.
"Why don't I just call him?" Liz suggested. "You know he'll start spouting off, dangling clues in my face."
"Because he will want to meet," Dembe replied, "and you know Raymond does not want that."
"No, I don't." Red admitted. "Besides, won't it seem odd you're contacting him after turning your back on him?"
"He believes I'm still desperate to find answers."
"Aren't you?" Red arched his brow.
"I am curious," she admitted, "but that curiosity doesn't consume me like it once did. Tom doesn't have to know that."
"She's right, you know." Silas added his two sense. "She might not understand what he's blathering on about, but you might get a sense who he's working for."
"I'm still working out the kinks in my diabolical plan." Red evaded.
"And you're coming up empty, aside from me playing bait." she knew as much.
"As of right now, yes." Red admitted once again. "This idea may be a waste of time, but it never hurts to know the enemy's movements."
"I can do it, you know." she muttered. "Be the bait."
"I know you can do it." Red sighed. "I would rather you didn't." he confessed. "Tom may have no qualms about using you, or worrying over your safety... but I do."
"Then why suggest it?" Dembe questioned.
"I didn't... she did." Red grumbled.
Smiling, Liz slid across the seat, snuggling up to the man. Red wrapped an arm about her, pulling her closer, the concern on his face apparent.
"Worry wart." she grinned up at him impishly, hoping to curb his apprehension.
"You and I both know Tom has no qualms about using you in any way shape or form to get what he wants." he murmured. "And if that means hurting you... he'll do it." he seethed quietly.
"The thought of him harming you... I can't stand it, Lizzy." Red pulled her closer, burying his nose in her soft hair. "I just can't stand it." he whispered desolately.
Liz's face fell, hearing the pain in his voice. Her emotions were in turmoil. Her heart couldn't help but swell with love that he cared so much for her safety and emotional well-being, but she hated she might be the cause of any pain the man experienced.
She had always felt as though something was missing from her relationship with Tom, but she had assumed it was just years of being inundated with romance novels and whatnot, that she chalked it up to being too romantic while men were just... men.
But now she was learning that she had just been with the wrong man. Romance... deep love, existed and was alive and well in her relationship with Red.
The car grew silent as each man did their own thing. Dembe drove, Silas kept checking their surroundings and Red... thought of a million different ways he could keep her out of harm's way.
Red's phone ringing a few moments later broke the quiet introspection.
"Yes?" he replied, listening politely to the other end for some moments. "I'm a few blocks..." he hesitated, looking down at the woman at his side, always mindful of her comfort and safety.
Liz urged him to do what needed to be done, albeit silently, until the man relented.
"It'll be a few minutes." he said. "I'll be there shortly."
He clicked the phone off, dropping it in his pocket. "I'm just picking up a manifest." he explained. "It won't take long."
"You can drop us here." Silas suggested to the rows of shops coming up rapidly on the right.
Red craned his head looking at the agreeable surroundings.
"Don't be silly." Liz headed the man off at the pass. "You run in, run out. I'll stay in the car with Silas."
"Silas?" Red queried.
The guard conceded, "Should be fine. If the little shit actually stays in the car."
Liz stuck out her tongue, crossing her eyes at the man.
Red weighed the options, before grudgingly agreeing. There were six men all around them stationed in sedate sedans at pivotal points, so he was secure in Lizzy's safety.
"Go ahead, Dembe." he said, handing out the address.
They arrived minutes later at their destination. Dembe parked a short distance away, but in a secure location that blocked access to the car on three sides.
"I'll just be a second." Red murmured, before kissing her softly. "Silas... you get her to safety if–"
"Yeah, yeah..." the guard mumbled. "You could have been inside by now."
Pushing the door open, Red's jaw pulsed with agitation as Lizzy giggled quietly for the man's consternation.
She softened her manner, laying a gentle hand on Red's as he paused hesitantly for a beat. She leaned, opening herself to be kissed.
"Be safe, baby." Red stroked the woman's cheek, kissing the full mouth.
Liz's lips pulled into a humored smile when she heard Silas gagging up front, just as Red closed the door with a resounding click.
"He's gonna fire you one day..." she drawled playfully, watching the two men walk around the front of the large car. Red flipped Silas off as he passed. Much to Silas' delight.
"It's like I earn a merit badge, each time he flips me off..." Silas was proud of his achievement, "And no, he won't." the guard was positive.
"Oh, really..." Liz scooted up in her seat, hooking her chin near the headrest, "how can you be so sure."
"Besides the fact that I am the best." the man smirked, though his eyes scanned their surrounding methodically. "I've proven my loyalty, countless times." he said. "And that was a loyalty not paid for."
"Did all you guys take a class on how to be cryptic bastards or is that just a natural gift?"
"What I have honey... you can't get in a class setting."
"Have you ever looked up the word... conceit?"
Liz scoffed disgustedly, only to have it catch in her throat. Both occupants of the car whipped their heads towards the sound of unexpected gunfire.
"Shit, shit shit!" Silas bitched as he hopped over into the driver's seat, his thick fingers searching out the ignition.
"Don't you dare leave them!" Liz hissed, her eyes glued to the warehouse.
"My orders are to–"
"Would he leave you!" she gripped the door handle and was out of the car moving at full speed towards the door of the warehouse where she last saw Red.
"You little heathen..." Silas quickly followed suit. Just as he grasped Liz's arm, a fire ball blew out the windows of the building. Turning his body quickly, Silas shielded the woman's position.
Two more cars braked heavily as they came alongside them, men falling out the black sedans, rushing towards the building. The calvary had arrived.
Wrangling free of Silas' hold, Liz rushed for the door, ignoring her guard's vehement protests. She crouched quickly as another burst of flames shot out the open windows as a heavy body fell over hers.
"I'm gonna kick your ass when we get home!" her guard bitched as he protected her from the rush of heat.
"I like your positive thinking!" she gritted, pushing at his heavy bulk. At least he thought they'd make it home.
Snapping her eyes upright, she watched two figures burst out a side door and run across the blacktop.
"Silas!" she pointed.
The large guard let out a piercing whistle, stopping two guards in their tracks, zeroing in on where Silas pointed before taking off after their prey.
"Get back in the car!" he yelled at the woman.
"I'm not leaving him, Silas!" she pulled away, running for the door.
"Do you want to get me killed!" the man grated as he ran after her.
The sound of gunfire to their left drew the guard's attention, allowing Liz to continue on her intended path.
"No, but at least Red will be alive to throw the threat around." she panted, bursting through the open doorway.
The building was relatively intact, the heavy steel girders having withstood the percussive explosion.
The massive space was already filling with smoke, the wispy tendrils rolling and bellowing about with the power the fire emitted. At the moment, the flames were concentrated in another section but seemed fueled by some unknown accelerant.
Ominous black clouds of smoke rolled in a rippling wave along the tops of the sturdy beams, traveling rapidly throughout the expanse space.
Liz heaved a sigh of relief as she noted a crumpled heap of clothes far into the middle of the space she occupied. Rushing forward, Liz immediately recognized the stocky form.
Hastily crouching, she tried to roll the heavy body over, "Dembe!" she cried out, her voice shaking and almost childlike. It sounded so odd to her ears.
"Dembe!" Liz shook the man's shoulders frantically hoping for some response.
Silas assessed the situation having entered the building. The place was an old machine shop converted to a shipping depot for an on-line conglomerate, that much was easy to ascertain given the numerous cardboard boxes flickering to life in the growing inferno.
To Silas' right, an old stainless steel sink leaned haphazardly from the wall supported by two spindly iron poles someone had propped there years ago.
The large man watched the black smoke crawl along the top of the ceiling a few meters up. He searched fruitlessly about for something he sensed he would not find.
His eyes fell on Elizabeth Keen who knelt a goodly distance away.
Silas' survival mode kicked in. He realized sooner than later that gagging white smoke would blend with the deadly soot filled clouds prowling menacingly towards the woman.
The man removed his shirt, tearing the sturdy cotton effortlessly, rushing to soak it thoroughly in the dirty old sink. The heat was intensifying.
He was by Elizabeth's side within moments, kneeling, "Is he..." he asked grimly seeing his friend down and out.
Dembe groaned, coughing to clear his lungs.
Clamping a portion of his shirt over the woman's face, Silas lifted the prone man, hoisting Dembe's weight over his shoulder.
Liz searched the area frantically for any sign of Red, holding the shirt close to her face.
Silas grasped her arm, lifting her bodily. It happened so fast, she hardly had time to resist but came to her senses quickly enough.
"Stay on me." his muffled voice commanded. "You'll get lost in this shit!"
"Let go!" she tugged frantically on Silas' hold. "He's still in here!"
"I can't carry Dembe and him too!" Silas snapped. "I have to come back dammit, stop fighting me!"
Liz broke free, scrambling farther into the shadowy haze. Silas cursed her soundly, but she kept running, determination on her face.
"Son of a bitch!" he snapped angrily. "Elizabeth!"
For a split second, the woman halted, so unaccustomed to the sharp tone her guard issued.
She locked eyes with the man, but a small sound caught her attention. She sought the source.
Her face beamed with delight. Several feet away, laying by a stacked row of boxes...
"Red!"
Liz winced, instinctively raising an arm to shield the blinding light encompassing the room seconds before a secondary explosion rocked the building.
The percussion knocked the woman to her knees hard; the jolt jarring her teeth.
She must have blacked out for a few seconds because when she came out of the fog surrounding her brain... she coughed spasmodically.
Hastily searching about for the wet cloth, she grappled with the cumbersome mask slapping it over her mouth, drawing filtered air into her scorched lungs.
She tried to call out for Red because she could no longer assess her position... but the words burned in her throat. She simply could not speak.
Had the explosion moved her away from her projected trajectory where she had last seen Red?
Liz began a systematic but fast-paced search of her surroundings, mindless of the thick, hacking cough plaguing her.
Perspiration quickly covered her face. Wiping fiercely at her stinging eyes, she squinted, trying to make out shapes in the gray smoke.
Broken glass and still burning debris hampered her efforts greatly. Small burning embers dotted her sensitive flesh as she crept further into the unknown depths.
The heat in the cement floor left a prickling awareness traveling through her palms to her brain, that danger surrounded her.
She lowered to the floor, gasping for any clear oxygen available. None was to be found.
The surrounding heat was intense, flames licked upwards in every direction. The inferno was closing in on her from all sides.
Liz's eyes flit nervously over the certain death suffocating her, her eyes wide and vacant. She went back to her search, this time with more urgency.
She had to find him... she had to!
A staggering wave of heat brushed along her back, taking away what little breath she retained.
It was so hot, the smoke so dense... she clasped the wet cloth to her face, inhaling the damp air afforded her. She coughed fitfully as the water hit the back of her throat, but the relief on her parched throat was invigorating.
The time factor was becoming critical. The flames were getting progressively worse. A fact made apparent when a large section of wall fell ten foot away from her.
Common sense had been thrown completely out the proverbial window. She pushed thoughts of fleeing from her mind.
"Red, please answer me!" she cried out over the crackling fire.
Crawling along the floor, she winced as the heat intensified on her fingertips. The fear she had been pushing aside was creeping around the edges quickly as the flames got closer and more violent.
"Please... where are you?" she fought back tears.
A thick black cloud engulfed her as she turned the corner, she felt the unmistakable edges of a wall.
Choking on her emotions, she pushed along, blindly moving her hand about to feel anything, anything at all in the darkness surrounding her.
She blinked rapidly, shaking away hazy illusions of distorted shapes and billowing objects clouding her vision. She knew these shapes but had no time to dwell at present.
Coughing fitfully, she swiped her hand right, a ripple of cloth hitting her fingertips. Moving back quickly, she grasped at it frantically, pulling herself forward.
Waving fruitlessly at the dark haze, she moved her hands up along the body she had discovered, until her fingertips found flesh.
She would recognize that face anywhere.
"Red..." she whispered tearfully, shaking his bulk anxiously. "Please...wake up." she tugged at the man, tapping his face, calling his name.
Red Reddington groaned painfully, the sound instantly replaced by a deep, dry hacking cough.
"What the hell..." he croaked a rasping whisper, grasping his head for it felt as if it would roll off his shoulders. He slit his eyes open slowly, blinking through the reality of the situation surrounding him.
"Lizzy!" he gasped fearfully. The wide-eyed woman stared down at him, her aura surrounded by flames.
He momentarily thought, he was in a nightmare revisited... but the heat, the oppressive smoke... was a dead giveaway this terror was truly fucking happening.
Pulling at the cloth on her face, Liz placed it over his, allowing him a breath of cleaner air until he pushed it away, clamping it back over her face.
"Dammit, Liz!" Silas bellowed, the fear in his deep tone reverberated in the fiery tomb. "Where the fuck are you!"
"I've got her!" Red barked forcefully over the sound of the raging fire, his voice breaking several times as he struggled to arise. "Get out! We'll–"
"Like fuck!" the guard yelled back. "I am the way out! Follow my voice!"
Squeezing her eyes shut, Liz clamped her hands over her ears, blocking out the raised voices... the yelling.
Red turned frantic eyes towards the woman beside him, finding her frozen, her body visibly trembling.
"I'm here, baby." he soothed, pulling her closer. "We'll get out." he promised.
Red's voice cut through the fog, centering her amid the turmoil.
"I–I know that." Liz sounded far away and thoroughly shaken.
Meandering their way through the dark maze, Red hovered over her small frame, protecting her as much as possible from the searing heat surrounding them as he quickly moved them through the dense clouds and chaos.
"This way!" Silas kept yelling, the sound of his voice nearing.
"Come on, sweetheart." Red urged, trying desperately to keep his voice even and cool. Though in reality, he felt nothing but panic and fear. Feelings that were intensifying the more he felt her body tensing as shock finally set in.
"Don't stop, baby." he urged. "Go to Silas." he encouraged her to keep moving. "Can you hear him?" he pointed out the man's voice growing louder with each passing second. "He's close. We're almost out."
A sound above them alerted the man. Red instinctively raised his arm just in time to catch the falling debris. The flames wrapped around his jacketed arm, flaring up as it ignited new material.
Liz stopped dead in her tracks, a scream materializing in her mind.
"Dammit!" Red shook his arm free of the smoldering insulation, swatting the tendrils of fire sneaking up his arm. "Go, Elizabeth!"
The scream, almost childlike in its terror, never escaped, instead rattling around in a sickening echo in her head. Liz swallowed the horror, obeying the man's urging to move forward instead.
Red's lungs burned with each attempted breath. Each attempt to inhale felt as if he were drawing in the flames surrounding them, leaving a searing ache in his chest.
Lizzy continually shared her wet cloth with him but he would take a long gulp and force it back to the woman's face.
He felt light-headed, oxygen deprivation getting to him. He didn't know how much longer he could go before blacking out.
Silas' firm voice wavered, sounding further away than it did just a moment ago. Truthfully, Red believed somewhere along the way, he had led Lizzy to a certain death.
The nauseating thought forced him to keep moving, to fight past the blackness edging around his vision.
Stumbling onward, he fervently prayed to a merciful deity, holding tight to consciousness... reaffirming his grip on Lizzy's small, violently shaking form.
Out of nowhere, strong hands grasped at his clothing, tugging harshly... guiding, directing.
"No, dammit!" Red cursed vehemently, yanking the woman closer, securing her.
Hunching over the small form, Red clasped Lizzy protectively to his chest before demanding she walk.
Seconds later, a door opened and fresh clean air hit him fully in the face.
Loosening his tight hold on Lizzy's small frame, he drew in copious amounts of the crisp, life-saving oxygen then promptly fell into a fretful hacking spell.
Bracing himself on his knees, he rasped as his body fought against itself. He thought his lungs would surely collapse, so strong was the raw, dry need to expel the poisons inside.
Eventually, the burning eased, the outside air replacing the toxins if not the excruciating ache in his sternum.
He searched for Lizzy.
She was safe inside Silas' hold, although the guard's expression did not bode well when finally she was able to confront the consequences of her actions. For the present though, however... Silas was content to 'protect and serve'.
"Dembe!" Red questioned roughly, another coughing fit overtaking him with the forced taxing of his throat.
"We got him." Silas assured, stumbling their way to the vehicle.
Red only just realized, one of his men had Dembe in tow, supporting his weight for which he was grateful.
"Get in!" Silas barked as the sound of sirens grew closer.
Red yanked at the door handle, lifting Lizzy into the back, before quickly climbing in beside her.
Silas coughed, peeling away from the scene with all due haste as the sirens grew louder.
The other cars, filled with his men... who had performed heroically during the search inside the burning building, followed his lead.