Hey guys! I apologize that this is a rather short one but 1) I wanted to give you something to hold you over because 2) I'll be traveling for work this week so I won't be able to post until next weekend. Sorry!
"It is him, Raymond." Dembe stated as he sat at the small table in Red's jet.
"Are you sure?" Red asked, grinding his teeth.
Dembe passed the photographs he'd had taken over to the man in answer. The photos depicted Lizzie arm-in-arm with a tall, brunette man wearing glasses that did nothing to hide his large doe eyes.
"What are we going to do?"
Red was silent as he flicked through the photos, his eye began twitching when he came to a picture of the traitor kissing his daughter in the park.
"Nothing. We do nothing."
"Raymond—"
"No. You know what happened last time I interfered. We will watch him closely – watch them both closely. Have some of Baz's men put on a detail following Tom. They must be careful. We hired him for a reason. He's good. Very good, apparently since we're just now finding out." Red looked at Dembe angrily. He had trusted him to take care of Lizzie's surveillance.
Dembe pursed his lips, unwilling to back down. "His intelligence was good, same as always, Raymond. There was nothing in his reports to suggest that he was getting closer to her. Do not misplace your anger."
Red sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
"I know. I apologize. I'm more than angry, Dembe. I'm scared. I want — I need to just go get rid of the problem."
"Then why don't we?"
"Because he hasn't killed her. He's watching her, getting closer to her. There must be a reason. We have to find out that reason."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
26 years old
"Lizzie! You know I love to hear from you but we just left you a couple hours ago. Our plane is about to take off, Sweetheart."
"No, I know. I'm sorry. I'll be fast, but I wanted to tell you something!"
"Okay, fire away, darling."
"Well uh, my boyfriend took me out to celebrate that he got a new job this evening once you left and well…he proposed. I'm getting married!"
Silence.
"Dad?"
Silence.
"Dad are you there?"
Red cleared his throat. "Yes Lizzie, I'm here. That's wonderful, Sweetheart! Truly." His faked enthusiasm fell flat even to his ears. It was best to make a hasty retreat. "Listen, my plane is taking off. I have to go, Lizzie. I love you." He hung up before she could reply and quickly threw his phone against the cabin wall, smashing it to bits.
"Raymond?" Dembe asked, staring down at the remains of Red's cell phone.
"He is dead. Lizzie's fiancé is dead."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
27 years old
He wasn't dead. He was very much alive. Red stared down at the photos of his Lizzie, walking out of the courthouse, hand-in-hand with that disgusting little weasel, bile rose in his throat. Then he realized that his little girl's last name was now Keen. Elizabeth Keen. He had to swallow the vomit.
"How the hell did we not know about this? How the hell did this get past Baz's men?"
"It seemed to be a spur-of-the-moment thing, Raymond. I'm sorry." Dembe looked truly apologetic. He was just as angry as Red. They had let this situation go too far. There was no turning back now. Red's daughter, his little sister, was now married to the spineless traitor. And she had no idea who he really was.
Red stood from the table, swiping his arm across it, causing the photos to scatter and the tea-making paraphernalia to shatter against the floor.
"We've fucked up, Dembe. Royally. Our hands are tied. We need to find out who the bastard is working for. It's been over a year! How do we not know already?"
"We have seen no hints of communication between he and this mysterious employer. For all intents and purposes, he is Tom Keen, Raymond."
"No. There has to be a reason. Someone has sent him deep undercover. Why? Are they hoping to draw me out?"
"Raymond, have you not wondered that maybe, while watching her, he fell in love with her?"
Red's only response was a snort of disgust as he slowly walked around, picking up the photos he had just scattered. Sorting them into a neat pile, he walked into the living room of their current hotel suite and calmly threw them into the fireplace. Taking the scotch he had left on the mantle, Red took a hefty swig. It was becoming increasingly apparent that no matter what he did to protect his daughter, he only seemed to hurt her more.
