Chapter Six : Chasing Ghosts

The greeting hung in the air and Ressler felt the way Ellie stiffened at his side, slowly withdrawing her arm from where it was looped through his. She was staring at the Keens like she had seen a ghost - maybe two - and Tom offered her a sheepish grin. "I meant to call after the funeral-"

"Which one?" she deadpanned.

Tom grimaced at the tone, head tilting to the side. "Fair. That's…. fair."

Liz didn't look much more comfortable with the situation. "It's good to see you, Ellie."

Ressler's thoughts spun into overdrive. She knew him. She knew them. Every possible scenario, from the least likely to the most and back again, played through his mind, jumbling together so that he couldn't find a way to pick one out that didn't have a terrible conclusion. Typical. He had wanted just one piece of his life that wasn't dragged through the muck of everything. The question was how deep through it this went.

"Don?"

Ellie's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and he found her watching him, a little worry in her eyes and he wondered how many times she had called his name. He swallowed hard, his throat running dry. "How do you know them?" She blinked at him for a moment and he hadn't known her to take so long with an answer. That wasn't a good sign. "Are you…" He motioned towards Tom, but it was Liz that answered.

"No. Oh, no. Nothing like that. Ellie introduced us, but I knew her first." She glanced over to her husband. "Didn't you meet her to meet me?"

"Yeah." Tom flashed a grin, his tone more relaxed than it ever should have been for what he was saying. "Just didn't expect her to set us up on a blind date."

"Okay. Stop," Ellie said as she pulled out a chair and fell into it hard. "I don't need to know that. I told Liz years ago the less I knew about…. whatever it is that you do, the better. That stands. Let me live in ignorance that you and I were actually friends."

"We are friends. The reason I met you doesn't change that," Tom answered with a shrug and turned that dark blue gaze on Ressler. "She's not a spy, Ressler. You can breathe."

Ressler's eyes narrowed just a little as he took a seat next to Ellie.

"I mean, who could blame him for thinking it?" Aram asked and then stopped as if he realized he was about to barrel full force into a sensitive topic as Samar shot him a look. "Well, I mean, it's not like it hasn't happened before…."

"How did you two meet?" Samar asked suddenly, swinging the conversation around.

Raymond had never been fond of Masha's husband, even if he had accepted it in the end. Even when Raymond had been willing to die to save his life, Katarina Rostova didn't believe for a moment that the decision had been made for Tom Keen himself. He had just benefited. No, the sacrifice had been for Masha and her happiness. That was one of the few things that kept her from ending the infuriating man's life as he continued to chase the fool's errand that was dismantling St Regis, and continued to put her daughter and granddaughter in danger by doing so. She would have thought one of McCready's boys would have been smarter than that.

She would have thought Scottie and Howard's son would have been smarter than that. Not that they had been a lot of help in stopping his foolishly idealistic pursuits. Now Katarina had to get involved. She had been trying to avoid that, little good it did her.

It hadn't taken long to discover why the Hargraves weren't much help. They were distracted by an old search that they had kicked back up again. They were chasing ghosts rather than handling the real and very present dangers that their family faced. Like parents, like son, apparently.

She found them in Florida of all places. It was hot and sticky and humid, even after the sun had set. Katarina crinkled her nose as she stepped out of the cab into it, adjusting her sunglasses as they slipped down her nose a little. She spotted Scottie sitting at the bar alone and started towards her.

The taller woman turned as Katarina set her purse down on the bar and took the seat next to her. "There better be a damn good reason you're sitting out in this."

Scottie turned towards her. If she was startled by her sudden presence she didn't show it. "I could say the same to you. I'm busy."

"Tracking down the former Phelps'," Katarina said lightly, "when you should be stopping your son from making a mistake that will cost him everything."

The dark haired woman rolled her eyes. "Tom is fine. It's not nearly the debacle you made it out to be last week."

"Or perhaps your priorities are in the wrong place." Katarina's gaze swept the open air bar. "Was this your decision or your husband's?" She saw the smallest twitch in her old friend. No one else would have seen it, but Kat had her answer. "Howard then. Let me guess, he's fixating?"

"Davis kidnapped our son."

"And he'll be tossed into a deep, dark hole. Adding kidnapping to that won't change anything. You're both letting your emotions blind you."

"I don't think I asked for your opinion, Kat."

"He's going to get Masha and Agnes killed."

"I have it covered."

"How?"

Scottie pushed a short breath out through her nose and her attention was stolen abruptly. Katarina followed her gaze to see two people who she had to assume were Scottie's targets. They were weathered, well out of their prime, and hardly looked like a threat worthy of the Hargraves' attention.

"Hey," she growled, snapping her fingers in front of Scottie's face. "How?"

Scottie glared. "He brought me into the project. He wants to give the kids a place to go when he dismantles St Regis."

Katarina groaned. "How did your son turn out so sentimental? With the upbringing he had?"

"He's trying to do what's right, Kat."

"For who? Those kids don't care about being saved. I guarantee he didn't at that age."

"You don't know him."

"Neither do you. You know the mask he wears now. The one he tries to pretend is him." She loosed a breath, standing. "You let him do this and not only will he get Masha and Agnes killed, he'll go down with them. One way or the other, you will lose your son again."

She turned. There would be no convincing Scottie here and now. All she could do was leave her with something to think on and hope she came around before it was too late.

They had chosen to sit separately to cover both exits. Scottie was determined to make the meeting she had set with Tom on the following day, so they only had one shot at this. If the last few hours were anything to go by, that shouldn't be too difficult. Frank and Eva - Jimmy and Rhonda, as they were going by these days - had been putting back the drinks since they sat down. It wouldn't be long now. Howard felt almost giddy at the thought. After so many years, this would be done and he could finally let himself accept that their son was home and safe. He could find some closure. They could. This was for all of them.

"Kat's here."

Howard resisted the urge to turn at his wife's voice as she took a seat with him. "You're supposed to be watching the back exit."

"They're not going anywhere fast."

An amused sound escaped him. She ain't wrong there. "What'd Katarina want?"

"To complain about my approach to Tom's idea about St Regis. She thinks he's painting a bullseye on his, Liz's, and Agnes' backs."

Howard risked a look from the corner of his eye before redirecting his gaze again.

"Do you agree?" Scottie asked pointedly.

He loosed a careful breath. "I think the timing is wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"He's rushing into it because he wants to protect the girl. They have some sort of past, but he's not going to be able to protect her. If he were…. taking advice I'd tell him to wait until there were fewer people vying for power. He's not though. He'll do what he'll do."

"He reminds me of you in that."

Howard chuckled. "And you. He didn't stand a chance in getting out of a stubborn streak. He's smart, though. Kat doesn't give him enough credit."

"I'm not worried about Tom's decision as much as I am about Kat jumping in the middle where she doesn't belong."

"She's always been a wildcard, but let's cross that bridge when we get there. Look." He nodded towards where their marks were standing - more steadily than he would have liked - and Scottie stood. She tucked her purse under her arm and finished off the last sip of wine in her glass. They moved, neither needing to say anything. They knew how to read each other after so long.

They caught the former Phelps in the alley leading to the bar's parking lot. Frank pulled himself up to his full height as Howard stepped in their way. "Got a problem?" he asked gruffly and Howard let an almost lazy smile tilt his lips.

"I'm looking for someone I think you might know."

"Doubt that."

The smile didn't fade. "Frank Phelps."

"Doesn't ring a bell. I'm just trying to get to my car, buddy."

Scottie was silent as she came up from behind them. "And Eva Phelps," she said, drawing their attention around and the woman's gaze traveled down to the small pistol that Howard's wife held.

"I don't know who you people are, but we're out of the business. Retired. Whatever intel you want, we won't have."

"We want information on an old op of yours. Christopher Hargrave," Howard prompted and saw the small twitch that was all the proof he needed that they knew plenty about his son.

Scottie motioned with her gun. "Let's take a drive."

They had needed this. Despite the rocky, awkward start, their night out was turning into the stress relief that they had all needed. Samar was tucked in close to Aram who had his arm draped around her, both listening to Tom rib Ressler about something or the other. Liz found herself smiling as she tuned into that conversation, Ressler popping back and Tom stopped mid-sentence before a bright smile took over and he shrugged noncommittally. There was something comforting about the teasing and the ease they all approached each other with. They were family. Her daughter's godparents and her team that had stood by her - and more recently Tom - time and time again.

"Don't take this like I've forgiven either of you," Ellie said as she slipped into the booth next to Liz, "but I'm glad you're not dead."

A laugh escaped Liz as she was pulled from her thoughts. They had room for one more. "Thanks, El. I appreciate that."

"Thought you might," the other woman said lightly as she leaned in, shoving Liz a little with her own shoulder. "Tom showed me a picture of Agnes at your funeral." She stopped, shaking her head. "That's so weird to say."

"Yeah," Liz agreed, leaning back. "She's gotten so big."

"How old is she now?"

"Four. Tom says she looks like me, but she has his smile and his eyes."

Ellie's own smile widened. "I'm glad you two… I don't know? Made it? In more ways than one. You always were head over heels for each other. It was kind of annoying."

Liz had forgotten how much she had missed Ellie. They had had a lot of friends during their first marriage, but people had been drawn to Tom, not to her. Now that he didn't feel the need to keep up a certain façade he didn't bother with those old friendships any more than she did, but Ellie was different. Smart and funny and the last person to take crap from either of them, she had always been a good friend.

"You and Ress, though," Liz teased and Ellie ducked her head.

"He's great. Really."

There was a hesitation in her voice that Liz didn't like. "Yeah?"

Ellie glanced to where the others were laughing. "I guess I'm just waiting for something to go wrong. I don't exactly have the best track record."

"Well, neither of you are secret spies. That's a start," Liz said as she took a sip from her beer.

"Seemed to work out alright for you."

Liz's gaze followed over to Tom. "We've been through hell to get where we are."

"Would you change any of it?"

"The fact that I thought my husband was dead for over a year," Liz answered softly.

"You two are anything but normal."

"You're telling me. We're trying, though. It's just…. not everyone else's normal." She looked back to Ellie. "Ressler's a really good guy. Classy, unlike some of the guys I remember you dating."

"Jerk," Ellie laughed.

"He is though. He and I were partners for years. He's…. kind of a workaholic, but so are you." She caught Ellie's darker gaze and held it. "He's not going to screw you over."

The other woman seemed to relax at that and reached for her drink on the table. Liz sank down a little in her seat, a sense of peace working its way through her. It had been an uphill battle, but things were working out in their own way. Ressler deserved to be happy and Ellie did too. They all deserved a little happiness.

She watched Tom stiffen in his place, something catching his attention. Just like that his posture eased again, but she saw something in his eyes that didn't set well. He'd seen something, but he didn't want the others to know.

"Anyone want a refill?" he offered as he stood.

"You know there's a waiter for that," Ressler reminded him and Tom shrugged.

"Need to stretch my legs."

"Hey?" Liz called, holding up her mostly finished glass like she was taking him up on his offer.

He seemed to catch the look, though, and stooped down closer so he could speak quietly as he took it. "Gina."

The name left him so softly she almost missed it, and it was everything she could do to keep her expression even. She trusted him. She chose to trust him. She just hoped he wasn't about to land himself in trouble.

He had spotted her across the bar and immediately knew something was wrong. It was possible she was there to take another swing at him, but he didn't think so. Not with all these witnesses - witnesses armed with both weapons and badges - at his back.

His suspicions were confirmed as he moved closer and saw the bruises not quite shielded by the cap she had pulled low against her head. Tom risked one glance back to make sure none of the others had followed him before taking a seat with her. "How bad?"

"Looks worse than it is."

"We both know if that were true you wouldn't be here."

She looked up and he caught the full glimpse of the cut along one eyebrow and what would show as deep bruising along her cheekbone. "Gina…."

"You were right. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Doesn't hurt," he tried for a tease, but even he knew it fell flat.

She looked up, brown eyes meeting blue. "I need your help, Jacob. If I'm going to lose St Regis either way, I'd rather take those bastards down with it."

He watched her carefully, looking for any signs of deceit. She met his gaze and let him study her. After a long moment he nodded. "Tell me what happened."

TBC

Notes: Let's take a vote. Who believes Gina? Alternatively (or maybe in addition to): Who trusts Gina?

Someone made the comment on this story early on that everyone has different agendas and that's so true. They may be clashing soon. Fair warning ;)

Next Time: Trouble finds the Task Force and the Keens while St Regis goes after Agnes.