Part one.

He didn't trust Reddington, and that's what it boiled down to. Liz needed space to sort through everything that had happened, and he... Well, Jacob needed to figure who he was outside of the operative he had been for the last twenty years of his life. He had hidden behind so many masks that he wasn't quite sure who he was out from behind them. It hurt to leave without her, but at least he had known that she cared about him. It gave him hope.

The news that he received late one morning about a rumoured movement and a certain fugitive from the FBI did not. Jacob had gone straight back to his boat and pulled a burner phone from a drawer, dialing three numbers before he finally received an answer from the other end, and it hadn't been one he was comfortable with. Yes, they had been compromised, Dembe told him, and yes, Elizabeth had been captured. No, Reddington would not speak to him. He was putting together a rescue team as quickly as he could pull them together. The Concierge of Crime's most trusted man did, however, leave Jacob with the knowledge that she was being held in DC and enough information that the former operative could find his way to them. Thankfully he wasn't too far away.

That was how Jacob found himself striding into the middle of Reddington's rescue operation, all guns in the room immediately turned on him and he didn't miss the subtle look of approval in Dembe's eyes as he leaned to speak directly into Reddington's ear. Jacob recognized the man that motioned for a few of the others to lower their weapons as Baz that had led the fight against the Cabal in his warehouse when they had come for Reddington a few months before. He offered a nod in Jacob's direction and Reddington looked ready to have a conniption. "I'll say this one time, Tom: leave."

"No," the younger man said firmly. "They've taken her and I'm not just going to sit back and hope you've got things under control."

Reddington bristled, and Jacob could see that, while he was probably hiding it more than he was showing it, the situation had gotten to him. This was a man that had successfully evaded both the government and the Cabal for as long as Jacob had been in the business. He was good, and there was no way to question that. Dembe hadn't gone into details about exactly what had happened, but it must have blindsided them foriz to have been taken. "I don't trust you, Tom, therefore I have no interest in risking my people going in with you."

"My guess is you need as many boots in the ground as you can get," Jacob said sensibly, glancing back to Baz to receive the barest of nods in return. "If I had any interest in hurting your people, Reddington, I would have done it at the warehouse during the shootout. I don't have anything against these guys, and they're going in the rescue Liz. I'm going to go in after her, and I'd rather not waste time standing here and arguing with you about if I'm working with your people or around them."

Reddington's eyes were fixed on him, assessing the situation at a speed that even Jacob had to be slightly impressed with. He looked up, though, as the door opened and three people entered. One was a blond man that Jacob thought worked alongside Baz, the second was Mr Kaplan, and the third was a young man that looked utterly terrified as they pulled the bag from his head. Reddington's expression shifted instantly at the sight of him and a smile spread. "Agent Mojtabai. Glad you could make it."

"I was... They..." The young agent pulled in a steadying breath and his expression grew more determined. "Mr Reddington, are you going to break Agent Keen out?"

The smile grew. "Yes, I am. And you're going to help me."

"They're holding her under heavy security at the Post Office. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I could be much help with-"

"Well I wouldn't have you inside the Post Office, would I? I'm sure you'll do just fine from right here. Mr Kaplan, would you be so kind as to show Agent Mojtabai to his set up while I handle this... complication?"

Mr Kaplan nodded, watching Jacob carefully as she motioned the man he know knew must be Aram Mojtabai further into the warehouse they stood in, and he thought he heard him ask if Jacob was who he thought he was.

Reddington's smile instantly faded and he reached out, guiding the former operative away from the main group. "As much as it pains me to say it, I don't have time to argue this point with you. Since Dembe took it on himself to lead you here,I have two options: either I let you accompany my men in to rescue Elizabeth or I put a bullet in your head here and now." He frowned a little. "Though Lizzie might never forgive me if I did, so I'll let the Cabal do that for me. I doubt I need to stress just how expendable you are to me. They would do me a favour by taking you out. Are we clear?"

Jacob tilted his head a little, studying the older man. This wasn't about them. This was about Liz and getting her out safely. "We're clear."

"Wonderful," Reddington answered with a smile that couldn't possibly be real. "Speak to Baz about what he needs from you. I understand you two fought together the last time it came down to it with these people."

"We did." He paused, eyeing the older man carefully. It wasn't ideal, but they would have to work together to save her. And they would save her. They had to.

She had never thought that she would see the inside of the box. At least not without a way out. There she was, though, sitting inside of it like she was some great threat, and they probably thought she was. Daughter of a KGB agent, hand-picked by Raymond Reddington, and she had killed the US Attorney General. The sound of the gun going off, the recoil, everything stayed with her, but it had been like she hadn't had control. Her friends were in danger and instinct had pushed her. Or memories. She wasn't quite sure which one.

The boat. The boat. Why didn't you just get on his boat?

Liz sighed. It wasn't the first time since she had walked out that she had kicked herself. Tom would have taken her, she knew, but he had also been willing to let her go to do what she felt needed to be done. The fact that he couldn't help her... She wondered just what kind of target he had on his back from his former handler. He had left, and she hadn't heard from him since. She wondered if he even knew what had happened, or did he imagine that she had cleared her name and just hadn't called?

She hadn't even told him that she loved him. Now she didn't think she would get that chance. They wouldn't keep her alive. First chance they had they would put a bullet in her head and take her out of the equation.

The former agent looked up at the sound of footsteps outside of the box and a familiar face came into focus. Ressler looked like he'd barely slept in weeks and she felt a pang of guilt at the tightness in his expression. He had asked her not to run, but he didn't know what she did. She hadn't told any of them, and now she was paying for it.

"Keen," he greeted, his voice tired and chilled in a way she hadn't heard it since her first weeks with the task force.

"Ressler, I know what they're saying, but you have to believe me. I-"

"I have to believe you?" he echoed, and there was genuine hurt in his voice. "You've done nothing but lie and run, Keen. You... Do you know the position you've put me in?"

"I'm sorry. I know... I know that doesn't even begin to cover it, but-"

"You're right. It doesn't. After you left we found a whole lot more that you covered up. Bank accounts, connections to criminal activities, and-"

"The Cabal is setting me up, Ressler."

"Do you get how crazy that sounds?"

"You've seen all the craziness that's come through here. Are you really telling me that it's out of the realm of possibilities? The paper-"

"Retracted their article. It was a hoax, Liz."

She felt her shoulders slump. Her own partner didn't believe her.

Ressler frowned deeply. "Do yourself a favour, Keen, and figure out the truth. Quickly. You'll need it."

He turned, leaving her alone with her guards again. She had the truth. That wasn't the issue. The issue was that no one believed her.

"You're Agent Keen's husband, aren't you?"

Jacob glanced over from where he'd been going over some schematics for blind spots and weak links they could take advantage of from the layout of the Post Office to where they believed they were keeping Liz. Aram - who was working on the technical end of getting them inside - was looking at him with a wide eyed expression that held no small amount of discomfort just below the surface.

He cleared his throat. "Or, ex husband, I guess?"

"That's me, yeah."

"She used to keep a photo on her desk, back when you guys were married. That's how I recognized you."

That pulled a small smile from the former operative. "She mentioned you once or twice. I hear you're good."

Aram gave a nervous sort of laugh. "I guess. Is it.. Can I ask you a question?" He waited until Jacob nodded before continuing. "Mr Reddington said something about... Well, that Agent Keen had... kept you on a boat..."

His voice grew less and less certain as he spoke and Jacob leaned back in his chair, front legs coming off the floor and he balanced back. "That's true."

The computer wiz looked like he'd just confirmed something he would have rathered not known, even if he had been the one to ask. "So why..."

"Why am I risking my life to go after her?" Jacob asked and Aram nodded. The former operative dropped his chair back to the floor, stood, and spun it around to sit backwards in it and face Liz's friend and look him in the eye. "Because I know that's not her. She's better than that. Liz is a good person."

"You still love her," Aram breathed.

"Yeah, I do." Jacob glanced behind him to where the others were working on preparations. Expendable was what Reddington had called him. He was choosing to go into this firefight, support the others going in, but likely wouldn't receive a great deal of support himself. It was something he had to make peace with. They didn't have the luxury of too much time. With a sigh, he turned back to the young man that was still watching him. "Can I get you to do something for me?"

"Uhh... I guess?"

Jacob chuckled at the uncertainty as he dug deep into his pocket. "Liz is getting out of there tonight, one way or the other. Me... maybe not. If I don't get out, can you give her something for me?"

"Sure," Aram answered, a little more certain this time as Jacob reached out, a chain resting in his open hand with a ring fastened to it. "Is that your wedding ring?"

"Yeah. Just... get it to her if I don't come back, would you?" He swallowed hard. "And tell her I love her?"

"I'm sure everyone will get out just fine. I mean... These guys are really good, right?"

Jacob smiled tightly. "They are. I'm just covering my bases, you know?"

"Keen, we're packing up," Baz called over and he stood, offering Aram a nod of appreciation as he turned to join them.

"Uh... Mr Keen? Could you do me a favour too?"

Jacob stopped, waiting. "Yeah?" he prompted after a moment.

"There's an agent...Agent Navabi. Samar. If you happen to run into her could you... Is there any way you could... I really don't want to see her hurt."

A small smile tugged at Jacob's lips. "We're going to keep the casualty level as low as we can. These are Liz's people, but yeah. I'll watch out for her."

Aram loosed a long breath. "Thank you."

"Keen," Baz called again and this time he walked when he turned. It was time to get Liz out.

TBC

Notes: While this is being posted in Truth in the Lies, it will be in 2 to 3 parts. depending on where it goes from here. I have a general outline in my head, but just not sure quite how long it will get. Stay tuned for the next part!