Chapter Thirty-One

The sound of a gunshot would elicit a fight of flight mode in most people, but Katarina had long since come to acknowledge that even her flight mode was just another layer of fight. It was a way of positioning the players on the board, in lulling them into complacency, but cornered like she was, there was no other way to go but up. Up the stairs with her gun in hand and through what could be the firefight of a lifetime. If she weren't willing, she would be a fish in a barrel and might as well have handed the Archive over to their enemies.

She hit the opening and found the room deserted. Her first move was to close the latch, watching it fall back into its secret place so that it looked like any other floorboard in the old house. Readjusting her grip on her gun she darted to the far wall to get an angle on the opening and look through it. A man lay dead one room over - Scottie's handiwork, she'd wager - but there were more shots down the way.

Katarina worked her way down the hall, finding a lone gunman and then another. She thought she'd cleared the room until a door struck out, slamming her hard in the face and sending her stumbling back. A black-clad man that dwarfed her came at her, using her dazed state against her. His hands went around her neck and he shoved her back until she slammed into the wall and she clawed at the hold he had on her. She kicked out, making contact with his knee, and she raised her gun to take a wild and admittedly desperate shot.

That only served to piss him off. He slammed her hand against the wall hard, once and then again, the gun dropping at second impact.

A shot echoed through the room and Katarina waited for the pain to follow. Instead, her attacker crumbled and she spotted the exit wound from a talented headshot that had somehow been angled just right that she hadn't caught the other end of it. She turned to find the ginger agent from her daughter's team. "What are you doing here?"

"Most people just say thank you," Donald Ressler huffed.

"I'm not most people."

"Clearly." He quirked an eyebrow up and didn't look amused. "House has been cleared. Where's the Archive?"

"Next room over in a hidden basement level," Scottie's voice drifted into the room and Katarina turned to see her disheveled, but whole. Good. That meant the first shot had been hers. "You'll need special equipment to move it."

"Agent Patel is with our Boston field office. Get him that information and we'll get it out of here before their back up shows." Ressler turned back to Katarina with an expectant look. "Your buddy Reddington is the one that called us, so you better rethink how helpful you wanna be."

Katarina swept her arm out in an overly dramatic gesture towards the room and waited until he was halfway past when she offered him a smirk. "Nice shot."


Samar watched the man named Howard Hargrave pace back and forth. She didn't know him, but from what she had been able to gather he was an engineer of some sort and possibly related to someone on the Task Force, but she was a little less sure of the latter. What she did know was that he was agitated, and with Aram back to his station, Cooper on a call in his office, and Agent Park having been sent to the hospital, there was no one watching him too closely. It was like they knew he couldn't get out, so unless he did much more than mutter to himself while he stalked a section of the War Room, they weren't too worried about him. Something deep in her knew that wasn't right.

"Howard?" she called out softly as she approached.

He turned, blinking hard as he focused on her. "Samar Navabi."

She started to correct him to the name that had been drilled into her sub odor her own protection, but stopped. "That's right."

"You're one of my granddaughter's godparents."

She offered a tight smile. "Are you alright?"

"Ahh!" he snarled, throwing his hands up. "She thinks she can come into my life, steal my tech for them, and because she claims to have had a change of heart, I'll just fold. Unravel this mess she's made."

He took a heavy seat in an unoccupied desk chair, and Samar pulled another over so that she could sit with him. "I'm sorry… I'm missing some memories."

"Like Tom, I heard. Did they find that doctor of yours?"

That's right. Liz's husband's father. "Yes, they did. She's… they think she'll be alright, but it's not exactly like your son. His was… intentional. My memory loss is because of an injury."

He offered a shrug and a wave of his hand. "You wouldn't need to remember it anyway. Long before any of you came into the picture. My wife married me to use me, and she succeeded. This computer everybody's buzzing about? The one they're transporting here? It's my design. She understood enough to transfer the specs and likely killed off anyone that helped with the project."

"And now she wants you to decipher the data?"

"She does. Says it's to help with all of this, but Scottie's slippery. Her show of vulnerability is never without an angle being played."

"Do you think it'll help them get the man that took Dr Orchard and kidnapped Agent Keen?" Funny, that didn't feel right. Liz. That's what she had called her. She was certain of it.

"Possibly."

"Then won't that help protect Tom too?"

She watched his expression close off and the sign that she'd said something wrong warred with intuition that she was pulling at just the right thread. Finally, his shoulders slouched. "It would."

"Maybe it's worth it then," she offered quietly.

He pushed a long breath out through his nose, but didn't respond directly to her statement. "The brain is a computer too, you know. In theory, it shouldn't necessarily matter if your memories were tampered with or if they were caused by an injury. It's just a matter of finding where it's stored and getting you access. After this is all said and done - assuming we make it that far, I might be able to help."

Samar stared for a long moment, startled by the flippant tone and the vague offer, but she didn't have a chance to say anything as the lift squealed its alert that someone was one heir way down. Howard clapped his hands together loudly as they opened to reveal Agent Ressler followed by Scottie Hargrave and the red headed woman she still didn't know the name of. "Agent Ressler! Where's this computer I've been hearing about?"


They should have been there by now. The longer they waited, the more daunting that became. According to Reddington, Bauer would either have cops in his pocket through bribery or by blackmail, but the fact was that he would have them in his pocket. It was the reason that they had chosen to land the plane outside the city and driven in to meet them. Even so, Liz and the others had find their way to them and there were any number of places that they could get caught and things could go terribly wrong. It was enough to make Tom squirm in the passenger seat of the non-descript van that they had procured.

Reddington, on the other hand, was sitting so calmly that it was grinding against his last nerve. Here was this man that had started everything. He had tried to escape his past and had - no matter how much he seemed to enjoy blaming Tom for it - brought it crashing down into their lives. The details of it didn't matter. The fact was that Bauer was after Reddington, if he knew it or not, and the best way to protect Liz and Agnes would be to turn the bastard over to his father.

The problem was that the idea made Tom's stomach turn.

Despite everything - the lies, the manipulations, the years that Reddington had cost them - Liz loved him. He was her father and she loved him. She'd fight for him, and that meant Tom would too. He'd have to.

"They're here."

Reddington's voice startled him out of his thoughts and Tom straightened in his seat to see a police vehicle approaching. "Are you sure that it's —?"

"I'm certain," the older man snapped as he threw the door open and stepped out. Okay. Apparently he was sure. Tom set his jaw and followed.

The sun was dipping low in the sky as what must have been a stolen vehicle - unless Reddington also had a few local cops on payroll, which would make for an interesting clash with Bauer - pulled up and killed the engine. The large man that had been ready to protect Reddington when Tom had gone after him - Dembe. That was his name - stepped out of the driver's seat and a woman that Tom felt like he was just on the verge of remembering slipped out of the front passenger seat. The door opened behind her and all of his focus turned towards Liz. Alive and whole and so close to being safe. Their eyes met and Tom felt his lips twitch up at the corners. They could do this.

"Elizabeth," Reddington greeted as he stepped forward, inadvertently cutting off Tom's line of sight with his wife and the younger man felt the irritation return. "We need to go."

She nodded and Reddington motioned towards the SUV. Dembe moved immediately to the driver's seat, Reddington taking the front passenger's, and the familiar woman brushed past Tom towards the remaining rear seats. She paused, her pale eyes watching him for a long moment as if she were studying him. She pursed her lips together for a moment. "Scottie said you lost some of your memories."

"I'm guessing I know you."

"Yeah. We're… you're like a brother to me. It's good to see you."

Tom blinked, a little startled by the soft confession as she pulled the back door open so that she could slip to the furthest bench seat. A light touch on his arm drew his attention around and Liz was at his side. "Hey," he breathed.

"Hey, babe." Her hand drifted down to find his and her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, her gaze a little desperate.

Dembe leaned out of the driver's window. "Elizabeth."

"Right," she managed and squeezed Tom's hand. "We'll have plenty of time on the way home."

He swallowed hard as she let go to climb into the waiting vehicle and he followed her in, slamming the door shut behind them. Whatever she had wanted to say to him was put aside for the business at hand. Liz leaned forward in her seat as Dembe pulled back onto the road, following the directions Reddington was giving him. "We've got a big problem. This Bauer that you didn't want us anywhere near? He thinks my mother can lead him to his son Nicholai."

Reddington stiffened in his seat for the briefest of moments. "She won't."

"Won't?" Liz echoed. "So she does know who he is? Fitch helped smuggle Berlin's daughter away. Did he do the same with Bauer's son? Do you know who he is?"

"Elizabeth, I seem to remember you saying that his family troubles were his own and that you prefer focusing on your family."

"I am focusing on my family. He's coming for Katarina, my daughter is being shuffled around agents that are watching her for her protection, and this - all of this - has to end." She turned to look at Tom and her expression - that silent plea for support - tugged at him painfully.

"We can't give him Nicholai," he said quietly, hating the words as they left him.

"I'm not saying give him Nicholai, whoever he is. I'm saying maybe he can help us. Maybe he knows a way to -"

"We need to focus on getting out of Germany. Once we're airborne, we can… bring you up to speed."

"Everything?" Liz pressed and Tom pushed an amused breath out through his nose.

"He has to. He knows it's better coming from him."

Reddington didn't turn at the statement, but he tensed just a little at the understood threat: if he wasn't honest with Liz, Tom wouldn't keep his secrets. It was time to put the cards on the table, come what may. Instead of answering his daughter directly, though, the Concierge of Crime's gaze flickered to the rearview mirror where he seemed to be looking at Nez. "I still haven't heard how you found yourself mixed up in all of this, my dear."

"Bauer killed my partner. I have skin in this," she said firmly.

"Scottie does know how to use the desperate," he mused as the city started to give way to the countryside and no one dared to argue that one.

"I didn't know you were coming."

Tom turned to find Liz watching him carefully. "I had to make sure you were okay. Agnes is fine, I promise."

"I know." She gave him a tight, tired smile and reached across the narrow aisle between their seats. "I'm glad you came."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Raymond."

Both Keens looked to where Dembe had called Liz's father's name and Tom saw the plane coming into view. It was quiet around it, but parked at the wing was a town car. The windows were tinted dark so that it wasn't immediately clear if anyone was still inside, but the cabin door opened as they approached and the stairs unfolded down, the pilot appearing there. Behind him stood another man, a gun clear in his grasp. Dembe turned to Reddington for instructions and the older man shook his head. "Her chances of escape without Edward are slim. Tom?"

Tom cringed at the sound of his name. He knew what was coming next. "Yeah."

"What we discussed."

"Yeah."

"Be ready to move quickly," he ordered as Dembe pulled to a full stop, looking very uncomfortable with the situation, but he didn't argue.

Liz whipped around and glared at him. "What exactly did you discuss?"

"How to get you out of this alive," Tom answered softly, watching the scene play out in front of them. The pilot was urged down the stairs and Bauer appeared at the opening as Reddington stepped from the vehicle. "Are you guys armed?"

"We are," Nez answered. "You thinking we'll have to fight our way out?"

"I think we should be ready for anything."

"What's he doing?" Liz breathed as they watched Reddington approach Bauer, arms stretched out to show that he wasn't armed. He was negotiating, that much was clear even if they couldn't hear exactly what he was saying. The two men spoke, Bauer with the high ground and his thug had a death grip on the poor pilot. After a long moment he nodded and motioned. Bauer's man let Edward go and Reddington turned towards them and echoed the movement, indicating that they could approach the plane. Liz drew in a trembling breath. "What's he doing?" she demanded again.

"He's giving him Nicholai," Tom answered softly as he opened the door. He unfolded out of the vehicle and turned to offer Liz a hand.

She followed him and he hovered close as they made their way towards the waiting aircraft. Bauer moved down the stairs and towards Reddington, a vicious expression etched into his aged features. Tom had seen his fair share of demons over the years, but something about this man in close proximity chilled his blood in his veins. Any hope for a last-second reprieve washed away as Red started towards the waiting town car with Bauer.

Liz stopped on the first step up, realization clearly hitting her that Reddington wasn't coming with them. "No. No, he can't -"

"We have to go," Tom said tightly and blocked her as she tried to come back down the air stairs.

His wife turned a dangerous look on him. "I'm not leaving him here! He's bluffing. My mother knows where Nicholai is, not him. Bauer will kill him when he finds out. Tom -"

"Liz," he snapped, breaking through what was quickly turning into a spiral that they didn't have time for. "We have to go." He guided her up the stairs, using speed to his advantage, not letting her fight back. She could have, he knew. One well-placed kick would have sent him stumbling back down the stairs, but somehow he managed to get her up and into the plane. Dembe and Nez followed, pulling the door closed behind them.

"Did they get it?" Dembe demanded as Nez locked it into place.

"Scottie and Katarina should have the Archive by now," Tom confirmed.

"Then sit. We need to get to them."

"We can't just leave him," Liz argued, her voice breaking. "Tom, I know you're angry at him. I am too, but he's my father. We can't abandon him. Bauer will kill him."

"I don't think so."

"Sit," Dembe barked as the engines roared and Tom tugged her more gently towards the seats.

"Bauer's going to know he doesn't have what he wants."

"But he does."

"What? He knows where Nicholai is?"

Tom pursed his lips together, and he didn't know if the truth would make things better or worse, but he did know that he'd promised Liz the truth. "He is Nicholai. Bauer - or whatever his real name is - is Reddington's father."

Liz stared at him with wide eyes as she fell back against the seat back, a heavy silence saturating the cabin as Edward got them off the ground before Bauer had a chance to realize that he had had his granddaughter and let her go.


TBC

Notes: Well, I have officially finished the writing for this story. I still need to edit the chapters as they're posted, but for the most part this story is done, which is so strange. Don't worry, we have several chapters left to post until the end though ;)

Next Time: Reddington faces his estranged father, Liz struggles with having left, and Katarina makes a power play with dangerous consequences.