Jacob marched down the hallway weighing the pros and cons of punching his adoptive father in the face. On the one hand it would feel amazing and Raymond probably wouldn't retaliate as long he didn't do in front of anyone outside their family. On the other hand it would be pointless. If the man had had a glass jaw, then Jacob could have hit him and then stashed the concierge of crime in a bunker somewhere until his sanity returned. Unfortunately his adoptive father knew how to take a punch.
Newton Phillips emerged from the door at the end of the hall carrying a leather briefcase. Raymond had decided to invite Newton to this little pre-game party and not him. Jacob gave a tight nod to his associate as he passed him without a word. He understood Reddington's decision. Raymond knew him too well to doubt Jacob's reaction to his insane choice. He was in no mood to subvert that expectation. Jacob reached the corridor's end, twisted the knob, and threw open the door.
"Are you out of your mind?!" If the room had held anyone else besides Dembe and Kate, he wouldn't have been quite so blunt. Since it was only them, Jacob saw no point in moderating his tone or accusation. Instead of answering, Raymond turned to Dembe, his expression more resigned than surprised.
"You called him?" Dembe nodded once, never one to try and dodge responsibility.
"He had a right to know." There was the understatement of the year. He was a little pissed that Kate hadn't seen fit make that same decision. Then again there was a fair chance she'd known what Dembe would do and saw no point in giving a second heads-up.
"Damn right I did! When was I supposed to find out? When they broadcasted it on the evening news?!" Number four on the Most Wanted List turning himself into the FBI had to be the leading story on any American network and probably quite a few globally. Of course, he doubted they'd mention he surrendered himself. No, by that evening the Federal Bureau of Incompetents would have manufactured some lie about how they'd outwitted the notorious Concierge of Crime.
"No one will be broadcasting anything." Jacob tilted his head, considered that statement.
"No, you're right. They'll want to keep it quiet so they can throw you in a blacksite. Bleed you for information for the next decade or so." As if Jacob would ever let that happen. He didn't care if he had to empty Raymond's bank accounts and strike a deal with the devil himself, there was no way he was letting his adoptive father rot some hellhole. Still the fact that Reddington was apparently willing to risk that was enraging.
"I'm confident the FBI and I will reach a mutual understanding in a matter of weeks. In the meantime I'm placing you in charge of day to day operations. If events take an unexpected turn, I trust you to manage my affairs for the interim."
Jacob paused, taken aback by the compliment Raymond had just paid him. Reddington was not one to relinquish control, and the fact that he'd chosen Jacob to run his business rather than Kate or Dembe was huge. To be trusted by Raymond to that extent was something he'd wanted for half his life. He barely got to enjoy the rush of pride he felt, before it occurred to him, this was exactly what Reddington wanted him to feel.
"Thanks, that definitely alleviates all my concerns." Jacob stared directly into his adoptive father's eyes, let him see exactly how little his ploy had worked. Raymond's expression softened slightly.
"I've consulted with Marvin. Everything is under control." Of course he thought that. Reddington believed he could control everything and everyone. Tragically it was nearly impossible to convince him otherwise given how frequently he was right.
"Kate, Dembe, I don't suppose either of you would care to chime in?" He couldn't be alone in thinking this was a terrible idea
"Believe me, Dearie, I already tried." The tightening in the muscles around Kate's eyes told Jacob she spoke the truth. Damn. If Kate's counsel didn't have an impact then that was the ballgame. No, that was defeatist thinking. He had to be able to reach Reddington. Find some argument that would persuade him.
"I understand this is difficult, but it is something I need to do."
"For her. For Elizabeth Scott." Why? The question was there, waiting to be asked, and yet as before Jacob couldn't voice it. The way madness lay. Jacob inhaled and slowly released his breath. He needed to be calm and deliberate if his words were to have any sway.
"I know she's important to you, but have you considered this may be the worst thing you can do for her? It's been six months and Berlin hasn't made a move. You do this thing and for all you know it triggers him to act. Not to mention you exposing your connection, whatever it may be, to a number of federal employees. That's a huge potential security risk." Jacob waited as his arguments were absorbed by his adoptive father. He could swear he sensed something. Hesitation. The plea about Elizabeth's safety had him wavering, and Reddington almost never wavered.
A ring from Dembe's cell phone broke the silence. Dembe accepted the call and listened for a moment before addressing Raymond.
"Newton is in position. What should I tell him?" A heartbeat passed, then Raymond shifted his eyes from Jacob to Dembe.
"Tell him I'll be right down" Jacob's stomach plummeted. Raymond donned his fedora and turned once more to Jacob, the picture of a confident rogue. "See you in a few weeks."
Jacob deliberately turned from Reddington to walk to the window. A few seconds later he heard the door close behind him. It was done. He had failed. Dembe joined him at the window as they both watched their adoptive father stroll into the Hoover building.
"Typical of him to try this when we don't even have Garrick on retainer any more." Jacob realized he sounded like a petulant teenager but he didn't care at that moment.
"Garrick was a bad man." No argument there. Jacob was no saint, but even he knew there were lines you don't cross. Garrick's last job, what he's done to the kids of those guards...well if Reddington hadn't shot him Jacob damned well would have. Still he wasn't disposed to cut Raymond slack.
"We're all bad men." Jacob paused and regarded his brother and moment, "Well, maybe not you. Any way, I wasn't disputing that Garrick deserved to die, just that it seems particularly stupid to turns yourself into the FBI without first securing the specialists capable of extraction."
Jacob peered intently at the door to the FBI headquarters. Had they sounded the alarm yet? Had Raymond been taken immediately into a holding cell? Or had he not even made it that far? Had a trigger happy G-man had fired on Reddington, despite his being unarmed?
Jacob felt a hand on his arm and looked up in surprise at Kate. He hadn't heard her creep up behind him. "He's going to be fine. Raymond has orchestrated far more difficult schemes, and you know it."
"But we were there. Next to him, if things went sideways." That was the crux of the issue. How Reddington was basically leaping out an airplane without a parachute and trusting the FBI would toss him one on the way down rather than one of them. So many things could go wrong.
"I know, Dearie. But there's nothing any of us could have done to change his mind. The trouble with Raymond is that he has an absolute conviction in his own infallibility. It's taken him far in this life and will undoubtedly get him killed one day. However I don't think that day is today." He raised an eyebrow at that "comforting" statement. She gave him a small cryptic smile. Well that was Kate. Nothing if not honest and practical.
He shook his head. She was right, what was done was done. Jacob had a job to do. Raymond had put him in charge after all. That meant he had all his assets at his disposal. Jacob would do whatever it took to protect Reddington, even from himself. He turned to Dembe with renewed purpose.
"The Pavlovich brothers. I want them in DC on standby within 24 hours." His brother nodded and began to dial the number. Jacob strode for the door.
"Where are you going?" He turned to Kate who still stood at the window.
"To see Hartwell. I wouldn't want to miss the show."
