Putting the Band Back Together

Chapter 14

Having arrived back in the room with Mr. Kaplan in time to hear Dembe's daughter all but confess, a beyond worried Liz followed Reddington as he left the room.

"What are you going to do to her?"

His backside up against the wall, his upper body leaned forward with his hands on his legs, looking like he was trying to catch his breath after a long run, Reddington shook his head. "Nothing."

"Nothing nothing or nothing you're going to tell me about?"

"Abe, I'm going to kill. Zack's wife too if she was in on it, but Izzie?" Reddington shook his head again. "She's Dembe's daughter. I've known her her entire life. Nothing. Like I told Kate back at your apartment – there will be no repercussions. It's already forgiven."

Just like Liz had, Dembe's daughter was getting a pass. Which just left -

Reddington stepped back into the room. "Izzie, call your father. Tell him to come home."

Isabella managed to tear her gaze away from Mr. Kaplan to answer Reddington. She looked troubled.

"I can't. I don't have a way to get a hold of him. He called me from a payphone on the road. He said he got rid of his phone so it couldn't be used to trace his location. He said he would call with a new number, but he hasn't called yet. I left him a note at the house that we were coming here."

Liz didn't like the sound of that. "So Dembe is still gunning for you. We need to stop him before he gets here."

"No." Reddington told her. "We don't. Let him come."

OOO

Raymond was sitting in a chair by the exit to the hospital solarium admiring the view when he felt the press of cold metal against the back of his neck.

Liz had been worried that Dembe would try to take the shot from a distance without a word. Red hadn't been.

Not wanting to cause Dembe to act rashly, Raymond didn't try to turn around even as Dembe put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Raymond."

"I'm sorry too, Dembe. More than you'll ever know. More than I hope you ever have to know. I know what it's like to do something because you feel like you have no other option and then regret it – woefully."

"You are my brother, but she is my daughter. You and I, we brought this down on ourselves. You know that."

"I do know that, Dembe. You are right, but before you pull that trigger, do us both a favor and look out that window."

He could tell the second Dembe looked through the window into the garden and found Lizzie and Izzie sitting at the little table with Elle perched on Kate's lap. The pressure of the cold metal against his neck went slack.

Raymond turned to see the expression of pure shock on Dembe's face.

"Sometimes, my friend, against all odds, we get a second chance."

Finis