Crap guys! I am so sorry! I know it's been forever and a day. All I can say is...I really lost my drive there for awhile. I've been averaging about 10,000 words every weekend since January. I got burned out. I'm sorry! I'll try to be better! I hope this makes up for it.


Lizzie was in the bedroom, folding laundry, her iPod hooked up to the speakers and playing her favorite Pandora station lowly. She smiled, shaking her head in mirth at the sound of her fiancée stomping down the hallway, heading towards their bedroom.

"Liz, you gotta save me!" Don groaned as he walked in, closing the door behind him. "Your dad's downstairs with wedding magazines, asking me what I want to give to my best men." He bemoaned. "I don't even know who I want to be my best man!"

Liz laughed as she set aside some of Sammy's shirts to take to his room. "Sorry babe. You're just gonna have to deal with it for a little while.

Don heaved a comically great sigh, tossing his head back with his hands on his hips. He then seemed to pause before looking back over at her, squinting suspiciously. "Don't think I don't know what you did, by the way. That basket had been sitting in the laundry room for two days now." Don accused, pointing at the laundry basket of clothes she was currently organizing. "You bailed on me and left me to deal with your dad alone!"

Laughing, Liz turned towards Don and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. "Yes." She chuckled. "Guilty as charged." She teased, pecking his lips sweetly. "He's been driving me up a wall."

"I knew it." Don grumbled good naturedly.

Liz giggled before stepping away to continue matching socks. "But hey, we need to get better at handling it, okay?" She stated, growing serious. Liz paused and turned back towards Don, leaning her hip against the bed. "He's excited, Don. This… he didn't get to be a part of the uh… my wedding with Tom." Lizzie sighed, suddenly exhausted as she ran her fingers through her hair. "You know my dad, he doesn't do anything by halves. We've gotten him to compromise and understand that we want something small and understated but… he's probably going to get the most expensive of everything and want the decorations to be hand stitched and perfectly set." Liz gave Don a small smile. "It's the first time he will be recognized as the father of the bride. That's a big deal for him… for both of us, Don."

Don gave a soft sigh and returned her smile. He took a step towards her and rested his hands on Liz's hips, drawing her to him. "Yea, I get that, I really do." He murmured. "I can only imagine how difficult it must have been growing up with keeping your own dad a secret." Don took Liz's hands in his, placing a small kiss on each palm before he gently guided them back around his neck. "I get it. But I will never give two shits about floral arrangements."

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie walked downstairs and through the archway to the living room to find her dad leafing through a wedding magazine, Sammy slouched beside him in nothing but his diaper, looking to his grandpa as he turned the pages of "Goodnight Moon."

"Dad," Lizzie greeted as both man and baby became aware of her presence, both adorning her with the same brilliant smile in greeting. Lizzie laughed at the sight as she sat down on the couch, little Sammy between her and her dad. Though not for long as Sammy quickly crawled onto her lap and plopped down.

Lizzie kissed her son's head as she wrapped her arms around the tired boy, letting him lean against her as he gave a wide yawn. Looking to her dad, Lizzie smirked. "I heard you've been discussing the merits of cigars over monogrammed flasks for groomsmen gifts with Don."

Red titled his head to the side innocently. "Well yes, I actually rather think that both are a bit clichéd at this point but when in Rome, I suppose."

Lizzie rolled her eyes with a snort of laughter. "Dad…"

Red chuckled, shaking his head as he scratched his chin. "Yes, I know. I know. I just.. Lizzie – "

Liz shook her head and outstretched her hand towards her dad, grasping his and settling their joined hands between them. "Don't, Dad. I get it. Really I do. I think I'm the only person who truly understands how amazing it feels to have you be able to be a part of this."

Red gave Liz a watery smile and merely nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak at the moment so instead gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"And I know that you also not-so-secretly love planning events." Liz teased, squeezing her dad's hand in kind. "But Don doesn't, Dad. You gotta reign it in a bit, yea?"

Red sighed and gave her a small smile. "Alright, Sweetheart."

Lizzie gave her dad a big smile and leaned over, causing a now dozing Sammy to grumble unhappily as she gave Red a kiss on the cheek. "Now, time for a distraction. I know you've got something for me.

Red smirked. "Oh Lizzie, I've got a doozie for you."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Toshiro Osaka – A Japanese entrepreneur indicted in 2009 and knifed to death by an aggrieved business partner." Lizzie nodded towards Aram to signal for him to put the next photo up on the large screen as she leaned against his work station. "Miles Chapman – He was gunned down in Algiers while avoiding extradition for insider trading." Another nod towards Aram. "Lester Charles Conway – His Ponzi scheme was so massive, he's now serving up to 30 years."

"Their crimes cost hundreds of people their life savings." Ressler intoned, his hands on his hips as he stood beside Liz. "Pensions gone, homes in foreclosure, families torn apart. Why would I feel bad for them? They're criminals."

Lizzie gave both a nod and a shrug of her shoulders. "According to Red, they're innocent – Framed after months, sometimes years of planning by a woman with a deep-seated hatred for the 1%. She doesn't just take their money, she takes their reputations, their freedom, sometimes their lives. Her latest mark was Declan Salinger, a flamboyant venture capitalist who specialized in biotech." Aram didn't need any signal, he just put the man's photo on the screen. "He was found last night in a hotel bathtub, needle on the floor, dead from an apparent overdose. His personal laptop was taken into evidence. CSI uncovered corporate withdrawals in excess of $27 million."

Cooper puckered his lips in what Liz could only think of as a duck-face though she knew it was the face Cooper generally made when in thought. "Navabi, go see Salinger's wife." Cooper pointed towards Liz and Don. "Ressler, Keen, the man in prison – Talk to him. If he was framed, I want to know how."

/\/\/\/\/\

Liz slid her chair back, the metal grating against the concrete floor loudly as she crossed her legs. "We spoke to your attorneys, Mr. Conway. You claim to have been framed by a woman named Claudia Sanchez."

"Or whatever her name really was." The man's handcuffs rustled as he sat back in his chair across the bare table. "She made everything up."

Ressler raised his brow and gave a significant glance to Liz. "She make up the Ponzi scheme? The $128 million you stole from your clients to fund your lifestyle? The ranch, the private jets –"

Conway sat back up and crossed his hands over top of the table, his lips pressed tightly in a thin line. "Look, I've told this story a hundred times. We were sleeping together. She had access to everything. My phone, computer, passwords. If you don't believe me –"

"We want to believe you. We do." Liz said with a sigh. "Tell us what happened."

"She was a seasonal worker at the ranch. Undocumented, one of many. My wife had no idea. The affair lasted exactly six months. Then one day, she just disappears. Three days later, I'm arrested."

"Well, they also found a packed bag in your car, and your passport, and a plane ticket to Beijing." Ressler taunted.

Conway glared at Ressler and took a moment to grind his teeth before speaking once more. "She planted it all. That woman – She was diabolical. From the fingerprints on the suitcase to the airline ticket she purchased using my computer – She got into my life."

Conway shook his head as he paused. "But that was nothing. The way she moved the money, her knowledge of how it worked, issuing false statements, creating shell companies. I hired the best defense money could buy, and after they looked at the evidence against me, they recommended I cop a plea." Conway scoffed as if he was still unable to believe it. And well, frankly, it was pretty unbelievable. "I pled guilty to a crime I didn't commit. That's how good she was. And the money she took, most of it belonged to my clients – Teachers, doctors, pension plans. Over 278 people lost everything because of some ghost."

"Never went to trial, but your lawyers – You said that they gathered a lot of evidence. We need to see it."

/\/\/\/\/\

Red smiled winningly as he walked up to the man who stood beside the industrial sized grill in the abandoned restaurant kitchen. Well, it wasn't so much abandoned as commandeered for a few minutes…well, the owner was a friend. "Hello, Roger." He greeted as he stopped a few feet from the man.

"The Director called for a vote."

Straight to business then. "When?"

Roger shifted on his feet and glanced over Red's shoulder. "Tomorrow. I've been quietly lobbying on your behalf."

Red gave him a closed-mouth smile. "I appreciate that."

Roger scoffed and shook his head. "No, you don't. You expect it."

Red stared at Roger blankly until the man looked away. "Where do things stand?"

The man sighed. "I've spoken to Mitchum. He's with us. That means Brazil and South Korea are, as well."

Red pursed his lips. "That likely positions Jasper as the deciding vote. If we can't secure his vote, the Director will have a majority to act against you."

Hobbs scoffed in disbelief.

"Jasper will have to be persuaded." Red continued, unphased.

"These are powerful men." Roger argued. "They don't respond to threats."

"No. With powerful men, one must appeal to their vanity."

"Listen to me, Red. The Fulcrum – If you have it, if you can prove you have it, do it now. Your life depends on it."

All life drained from Red's eyes as he stared at Roger Hobbs coldly. "Set the meeting." He stated darkly.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Mrs. Salinger had a private detective follow her husband and his assorted mistresses for two months, but he found nothing on this particular woman." Samar expounded as she set an armful of files down on the desk in front of her. "Partial prints, burner phones, inconclusive selfies taken from the victim's phone."

"Conway's lawyers did three months of discovery before copping a plea, and all they got were payroll records from his ranch and a lot of fake green cards and social security numbers." Ressler continued for her.

"The lawyers interviewed as much staff they could find, but no one could or would positively I.D. the woman Conway alleges framed him." Liz took up the explanatory baton. "Two different cases, two sets of professional investigators, and this woman didn't leave a trace."

Cooper nodded and opened his mouth to speak just as Aram bounded over with his usual endless spring of enthusiasm.

"Guys, check it out. The detectives and the lawyers may not have found anything conclusive on their own, but if you put the photos they found together – Our ghost has a face." He explained as he went to his work station and shared his laptop screen with the large overhead. They all watched as the photos overlaid atop each other, the pieces of photos scrapping together to form a single image of a woman like a jigsaw puzzle.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Okay, so, I have this friend, Osborne, in the forensics lab – Freaking Osborne." Aram shook his head, a secret smile on his face as his eyes grew distant, reminiscing about some scene like an ex-frat boy missing the glory days.

"Aram." Cooper reprimanded.

Aram cleared his throat and shook his head, his cheeks turning red as he came back to the present. "Right. So, I scanned over 40 partial prints Conway's investigators found at his ranch, another 53 partials found by Mrs. Salinger's private detective. I fired them off to Osborne. He is a wizard with whorls, loops, and arches. He managed to stitch together three partials into a gorgeous, crystal-clear left thumbprint. Ran it through AFIS, and bang. Her name is Vanessa Anne Cruz – 36 years old. Last known address – Her mother's place in Edison, New Jersey."

Cooper nodded his head definitively and looked to Ressler and Liz. "Get there. Now."

/\/\/\/\/\

Ressler stopped pounding on the door at the sound of a wracking cough preceded by footsteps towards the door. As the door slowly opened to reveal a frail older woman, Ressler took a step back towards Liz.

"Aida Hernandez?" He asked, his voice softening as he gazed at the old woman. "Special Agent Donald Ressler, Special Agent Keen." As Don introduced them, both he and Liz took out their badges and flashed them in Mrs. Hernandez's direction. "We're trying to locate your daughter, Vanessa Cruz."

"My daughter?" The woman was interrupted as her shoulders heaved with more wracking coughs. "She's dead."

/\/\/\/\/\

"It's my fault. Vanessa never really had a good male role model. Her father was a creep, so I wasn't surprised when she married one. Wash, rinse, repeat."

Liz shifted where she sat on the floral printed couch. "Excuse me?" She asked, watching the older woman's hands shake as she poured them tea.

"Some women make the same mistakes with men over and over again. Hernando was a young broker. Worked at a big firm. Turns out, he was a real crook. He was doing insider trading, and when they caught him, he jumped off the George Washington Bridge."

Liz and Ressler shared a wide eyed look of shock. "And what happened to Vanessa?"

"Oh, she thought they set him up. She adored him till the end. Never questioned his innocence. I tried to reason with her, but–" Mrs. Hernandez was once again overtaken with a coughing fit.

"Take your time." Ressler murmured consolingly.

"They found her folded clothing at Rockaway Beach. They never found a body, but I know she was dead. She'd never abandon me."

"She looked after you?" Lizzie questioned.

Mrs. Hernandez gave them a small, watery smile. "She was such a beautiful person. Never a thought of herself, always of others."

"And since she's been gone?" Don asked.

"Vanessa made sure I'd be well taken care of." Mrs. Hernandez stated before taking a sip of her tea.

"How did she do that?"

"She had an insurance policy." Mrs. Hernandez stated with a shrug. "I kept up with the mortgage and made ends meet."

"Do you still have the policy?" Ressler questioned.

Mrs. Hernandez seemed to take a moment to think. "I never saw the policy. But I have a letter that came with the check. I'm sure I can find that."

/\/\/\/\/\

"It turns out it's a fake."

Liz turned away from the table where she'd been browsing databases at the sound of Samar's voice behind her. "What is?"

Samar sighed as she tossed a folder onto the table beside Liz's hand. "The entire company. Minnetonka Bankers Health & Life was incorporated in 2006. In nine years, the only policy it issued was to Cruz's mother. It's a shelf corporation."

Liz raised a brow in confusion and glanced over at Don as he stood on the other side of the table. "You mean 'shell' corporation?"

Samar shook her head with her lips pressed tightly. "No. 'Shelf,' with an 'f.' Criminals file incorporation papers. They pay all the fees. It's totally legitimate. Then then they put them on the shelf for years, sometimes decades. They pay the minimum corporate tax, build up a credit rating, comply with filings to create an established, creditworthy business that can be used to launder all kinds of transactions."

"Including phony insurance payments." Don murmured.

"Guys?" Aram spoke up from his work station before quickly unfolding himself from his chair and making his way over to the rest of the group. "It looks like this isn't the only way Vanessa Cruz has used shelf companies. At least six other victims were all accused of funneling money through shelf corporations they say they didn't know existed."

"Samar, you said these corps are being sold to criminals. If we could find the person who sold them to Cruz –"

"Then we might find Cruz." Don finished Lizzie's thought for her.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey Dad, I need you to put me in touch with someone who brokers shelf corporations." Lizzie had begun speaking the moment she heard the distinctive click of someone picking up on the other end.

"Lizzie, Sweetheart! You called just in time, I've brought Sammy for his first fitting for his little tuxedo – Lizzie he's going to be the most adorable ring bearer! And he's handling the fitting so well!" Red said jovially, seeming to not have heard her request for information.

Lizzie laughed good naturedly, long used to her dad spouting off whatever is at the top of his head. He really only got to relax enough to do so when he was with family so she allowed him the luxury. Mostly.

"Dad, I'm sure he is being beyond cute right now and I'm also sure that you have already taken dozens of photos which you will send Dembe to have printed this evening. I'm also sure we will be discussing what made you think taking a still growing one-year old to get fitted for an outfit he won't be wearing for months was a good idea." She teased. "But right now, I need you to focus, okay?" She paused. "I need the name of someone you know who brokers shelf corporations. We're trying to track down where this Blacklister seemed to get hers."

"You're always ruining my fun, Lizzie." Red whined. He was going to continue but was interrupted by a small rustling sound on his side and a toddler's shouts of "Mama! Mama!"

Lizzie smiled wistfully at the sound of her son's voice.

"Yes, Sammy love. I'm on the phone with your mama. We've got important adult things to do though. Here, love, I think it's snack time." The distinctive zip and rustle of Red looking through Sammy's diaper bag allowed Lizzie the time to think back to all the times she'd seen her dad with a diaper bag hanging from one shoulder, ruffling his expensive suit jacket. The sight never got less amusing and endearing.

"Ah yes, there you go." Red murmured as he apparently got hold of a snack and instantly appeased Sammy. "Lizzie, his love of these little goldfish things cannot be healthy. I tried one and I highly doubt it's real cheese. I'll look for a better substitute. I can see the appeal of a little fish-shaped cracker. I'll see about something a bit more… wholesome."

Lizzie chuckled, shaking her head at her dad. "That'd be great, Dad. Now, focus old man. Shelf corporations."

Red grumbled grumpily before sighing. "What's the name of the shelf corporation?"

Lizzie fumbled for the file that Samar had obtained. "Uh… Minnetonka Bankers Health & Life."

Without missing a beat, Red responded. "Diamond Drive Properties. It's a little place in Baltimore. Lovely girl, goes by the name of 'Ziggy,' runs the place. All of the shelves and shells that she brokers have names of Minnesota lakes."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"What's so urgent?" A shorter-than-average gentleman with closely cut white hair questioned as he walked up to Mr. Hobbs, whose balding head reflected the overhead lights like a halo.

"I wanted to talk to you about Raymond Reddington."

The white haired man's lips pinched together as the corners of his eyes creased in annoyance. "The vote's not until tomorrow afternoon."

"The vote's all but taken – Not officially, but I've spent the last six hours speaking with all the major players."

The white haired man reared his head back in mild surprise. "You're back-channeling?"

"You're damn right." Mr. Hobbs stated hotly. "If Reddington has the Fulcrum, his death triggers a protocol for release. We will be exposed."

"And why am I here?"

"You're the swing vote, Kenneth. You're the one that will make this decision."

"You know I lean towards the Director. Why should I change that position now?"

Red stepped out from behind the pile of crates he'd been behind, listening to the conversation. "Because, Mr. Jasper, you strike me as a man who would prefer to pitch rather than catch."

Jasper looked to Hobbs, his face a growing mask of fear. "What the hell have you done?"

Hobbs stretched his hands out in front of him placatingly. "Just hear him out. That's all I ask."

"Roger is quite right." Red stated jovially before his face quickly became stone. "The Director's latest stratagem is hubris. It has very little to do with me and everything to do with the consolidation of his power. If he succeeds, you'll become nothing more than his trusted servant. He needs to go. He will go." Red stated harshly. "Tomorrow, after the meeting, after you win this vote with everything that your head and your heart tell you are true."

"You're talking about assassination." Mr. Jasper murmured, his eyes wide.

Red nodded solemnly. "Yes, Mr. Jasper. 'Ambition's debt must be paid.'"

"Julius Caesar?" Mr. Jasper scoffed.

Red's pleasant smile had sharp corners. "One of my favorites – The play, not so much the man. The man was a bit full of himself. He did have a brilliant military mind, but he couldn't smell a plot to save his life. Intentional pun."

"And why is that?"

"Pride." Red shrugged. "The subtlest and yet most deadly of the seven sins. Like the Director, he couldn't be saved."

"And which part do you play in all this? Cassius?" Mr. Jasper questioned.

Red let out a bark of a laugh. "Oh, no. I'm the Rubicon. You simply need to determine which side of history you want to end up on. Who are you, Mr. Jasper? A subordinate who remained slavishly obedient to his master, or the presumptive leader of an organization that will be far more powerful than it has ever been?"

/\/\/\/\/\

Don was standing in the middle of a large loft apartment as the forensics team crawled over the place. Liz had gotten a mailing address from the shelf company broker and he had gotten a team together immediately to follow the lead.

"I've got dozens of files, photos, dossiers." Don stated, his cell phone held tightly to his ear. "I mean, she's going through their trash, hacking their networks. I mean, listen to this." Don opened up one of the many files they'd found in the woman's apartment, careful to use only his gloved hand. "Copies of Declan Salinger's bank statements, medical records. There's even surveillance photos and every book and video he's ordered for three years."

"Hang on. Did you say dozens of files?" Aram's voice came over the speaker. "This goes way beyond the names Mr. Reddington gave us."

Ressler nodded. "I'm looking at people she's framed, people she's thinking of framing. Aram, you wouldn't believe this place. Hair, threads, lint, bits of carpet, cigarette butts. All collected, categorized, and filed under each victim's name."

"Trace evidence to be planted at crime scenes."

Ressler went over to a cabinet that held hundreds of little draws filled with hair follicles, nail clippings and skin samples. Squinting at the names on each drawer, Don stopped short. "Huh. Drew Roberts. He was one of Cruz's victims. He worked at Oakside Investments."

"And?"

"That was the firm that employed Cruz's dead husband. Aram, I might have an idea what this is all about."

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie was at the kitchen counter, peeling potatoes as Sammy sat in his high chair, banging his sippy cup against the tray.

"Hey little man, what's with all the racket?" Don's exuberant voice filled the kitchen and Lizzie turned away from the counter with a smile as Sammy threw up his hands, accidentally flinging his cup as he yelled "Dada! Ho!"

Don laughed as he bent forward to press a kiss to Sammy's forehead. "Yea, buddy. I'm home!" He said happily as he swiped the sippy cup off the floor.

Don turned towards the counter to set the now dirty cup down and smiled at Liz as she leaned against the counter, smiling back at him. "Hey wife." He murmured as he sidled up to her. Don rest his hands on her hips and drew closer, kissing her lips gently.

Liz returned the kiss with smiling lips as she wrapped her arms around Don's neck. "Not just yet, mister. Hold your horses." She teased.

Don smirked as he backed away, looking down at the counter. "Uh babe, you're probably going to want to peel some more potatoes."

"Why?" Lizzie looked down at what she had. It was more than enough for the two of them. "That's…" Lizzie looked up at Don's chagrinned face. "Don. What did you do?"

/\/\/\/\/\

"It's not about money. It's about revenge." Don stated, gesticulating with his fork. "Hernando Cruz jumped off that bridge after being accused of insider trading. He purchased 10,000 shares of stock in Rudman Pharmaceuticals one day before it got approval from the FDA to market a new cancer drug." Don took a mouthful of potatoes and swallowed carefully before continuing. "That stock doubled overnight. Toshiro Osaka, our Japanese entrepreneur When Hernando Cruz made the trade, Osaka was the CFO at Rudman Pharmaceuticals. Miles Chapman – He was the regulator who approved the drug. And Drew Roberts was Cruz's co-worker who oversaw all of the trades."

"You think they were in on it with the husband?" Cooper questioned as he passed the platter of chicken over to Samar who sat to his right at the dining table.

Ressler shrugged and shifted in his seat, crossing his legs under the table. "I'm saying maybe the husband wasn't in on it at all. Maybe they set him up."

Samar nodded as she dished out another piece of chicken onto her plate. "It makes sense. Vanessa Cruz is a frame-up artist. Maybe she got the idea from seeing how easy it was for these people to frame her husband."

"Wait." Aram said before wincing as his knife made a terrible screeching noise against the ceramic plate. "The evidence you found in Cruz's loft suggests she's been targeting dozens of victims."

Ressler nodded as he took another bite. "All one-percenters – People who personify the same greed that cost her husband his life."

"Assuming that she's going after everyone who was involved in framing her husband, the question is, who's left?" Cooper questioned as he added more salad to his own bowl.

"I don't know, but I do know someone who can tell us."

"Alright guys!" Liz said in a mock stern voice, glaring jokingly over at Don as she interrupted. "No work at the dinner table, yea? And Don, stop talking with your mouthful." Everyone at the table chuckled at this as Don returned her glare.

"Yes Mom." He murmured before quickly yelping, doubling over to rub the shin that Lizzie had just kicked.

/\/\/\/\/\

Liz and Ressler sat across from a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair wearing a telling orange jumpsuit. "Before you made your fortune in the private sector, you worked in the division of corporate finance at the S.E.C."

"Yeah, so?" Conway flicked his gaze over to the one-way mirror. "Did you look at the research I gave you?"

"Tell us about Hernando Cruz." Ressler ordered.

"Did you find anything?"

"Hernando Cruz." Ressler barked. Having to repeat himself annoyed him. "He was a trader for Oakside Investments in 2008. He killed himself after you were about to open an investigation into him for insider trading."

"So? What does that have to do with – I thought you were looking for the woman who set me up."

"It was his wife who set you up, and now we know why – Along with Toshiro Osaka, Miles Chapman, and Drew Roberts." Don said waspishly.

"Tell us about Hernando Cruz." Lizzie demanded.

Don leaned forward on his elbow. "He didn't jump off that bridge, did he, Lester?"

Conway's face soured which he attempted to hide by hanging his head. "Don't look so depressed. Today's your lucky day. We found out who framed you." Liz taunted.

"Cruz. It was his wife?" Conway questioned, his tone subdued.

Ressler shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe we can help you. Maybe you can talk to us, and maybe we can make a deal."

Conway sighed, his handcuffs jingling as he shifted in his seat. "It was 2007, before the crash – Height of subprime mortgages, bundling, things that really hurt people. But this – It was a victimless crime. We had every angle covered – The trading floor, the regulatory agencies."

"You made the S.E.C. look the other way."

Conway pressed his lips into a thin line. "I want a lawyer."

"No, no, no." Don said with a chuckle. "What you want is a deal, and the only way you're gonna get that is if you keep talking. So – Talk."

"Everyone was going to look the other way, except that kid, Cruz. He found out, went to his boss. We tried to keep him quiet, but he refused. He was too idealistic."

Liz raised an unimpressed brow. "So you were a part of a conspiracy, and when Cruz tried to go against you, he was murdered – Thrown off a bridge to keep him from blowing the whistle. That's when you framed him, which is why she framed you."

Conway shook his head in disbelief, his eyes gazing into the middle distance. "When I knew her, she was nobody, a ranch hand. How did she –"

"If Cruz went to his boss, like you said, why was it never reported?" Lizzie questioned.

"Because his boss was in on it." Conway stated as if it were obvious. And honestly, it kind of was.

"What was his name?" Don demanded.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Mason Carlton, Thundridge Capital. Cruz has taken revenge on everyone but this guy. Find him, Aram." Don quickly hung up and put both hands back on the wheel as he drove them back to D.C. He looked over at Liz questioningly when he felt her hand on his thigh.

"Have I ever told you how fun it is to play good cop, bad cop with you?" Liz asked, a small flirtatious smile causing her cheeks to dimple.

A slow smirk traveled across Don's face.

/\/\/\/\/\

"I called Carlton's office, and nobody's picking up. His cell is going straight to voicemail." Aram began speaking as soon as Liz and Don stepped into the war room and walked over to his desk, expecting them to follow. "But get this – I accessed his cell records, and I found a ton of inappropriate messages with his assistant. Her name is Abby Issa. Either this girl is having an affair with her boss –"

"– Or he's being catfished." Liz completed his thought. "You said she was his assistant?"

Aram nodded. "Which means she'd have the keys to the kingdom – Passwords, financials, credit cards. There's a hit on Mason Carlton's Amex. He reserved a room for tonight at the Wolverton Hotel."

/\/\/\/\/\

Liz and Don stood at the Wolverton Hotel's security desk, both shifting impatiently as the head of security called up to the room Carlton had charged his card to.

After several rings, the man looked up at them and shook his head before leaving a message. "Hello, this is security calling. I have a gentleman and a lady from the FBI here who'd like to have a word with Mr. Carlton. "

Standing up, the unusually tall man waved his hand towards them. "Follow me, please."

/\/\/\/\/\

The security guard inserted the key card into the door and then quickly moved out of the way, allowing Don and Liz to storm their way into the hotel room.

"Hands where I can see them. Hands in the air!" Don began shouting even before they left the confines of the small hallway. As they entered the bedroom, they found a pretty dark haired woman, crying as she gazed down at the body of Mason Carlton.

"She said she made a mistake." Abby Issa sobbed. "She said she made a horrible mistake."

"Radio security! Have them lock down the hotel!" Lizzie yelled towards the Head of Security who had followed them in as she dove towards the body, and immediately began searching for a pulse. "And call an ambulance!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Liz knocked on the door frame of Cooper's office, hanging her head in. "You wanted to see me?"

Cooper smiled as he got out of his seat and moved behind her. "I thought you should know," Cooper closed the door behind her before making his way back around the desk to sit at his desk as she took a seat as well. "Mason Carlton's gonna be charged in the murder of Hernando Cruz."

Liz sighed and slouched in her chair. "We lost her." She murmured, frustration saturating her voice.

Cooper pinched his lips together and nodded gravely. "Yes. And we will find her. What matters now is that the innocent people she framed are gonna be set free."

Liz nodded, her eyes wandering as she lost herself in thought…until something caught her eye. "Why do you still have that thing?" She asked, pointing to the cane that sat in the corner of his office.

Cooper chuckled and gave a small shrug. "To remember. Every time I begin to doubt what we're doing here, I look over there and think back to what Tom did – what the Cabal did. Making me think I had cancer. Meticulously weaving their way into our lives." Cooper shook his head and trailed off. "I wonder what his angle is."

"Sir?" Liz asked, unsure of what his angle was.

"Reddington. Why give us this case? What's his interest in this Cruz woman?"

Lizzie thought about it for a moment before she scoffed, leaning her head against the back of the chair as she gave a small helpless giggle. "You're gonna need to look at that cane a lot in the coming months, Sir." She joked darkly.

Cooper's brow creased in confusion. "Why is that?"

"Because she's got a rather particular set of skills." Lizzie stated, as she lifted her head up and sat up in her chair to look at her boss directly. "She's going to be useful to him. To us."

/\/\/\/\/\

Red looked at the caller ID before hitting the green button. He put the phone to his ear but said nothing, letting the person on the other end start the conversation.

"It's me. It's done." A hoarse whisper came through the speaker of his phone.

"I'm listening." Red said gruffly, recognizing the sound of Jasper's voice.

"The vote went your way. The Director wasn't very happy, but a vote's a vote."

"And Hobbs?"

A slight pause. "He wants to meet."

Red smiled grimly. "Yes, I'm quite sure he would have. But he can't, can he?"

"What are you talking about?

"Hobbs was to contact me after the vote was cast." Red stated darkly. "He didn't, which means he's dead, which means you betrayed him. Betrayed me."

"That's not true. He specifically asked that the three of us should meet so that we can discuss the future."

Red chuckled humorlessly. "You need to run, Jasper. Run like the prairie wind, because I'm coming for you. And when I find you, I'm going to cut out that forked tongue of yours and deliver it to the Director myself."

Red hung up the phone and tossed it away from him as he laid his head back against the head rest and closed his eyes.

"It's time to go away, Dembe." Red said with a great sigh.

Dembe looked at Red through the rear view mirror. "Lizzie wants to meet with you. Said she'd meet us on the corner of 25th and Broad."

Red smiled softly. "That little Italian place she loves?" At Dembe's nod, Red's smile widened. "That sounds lovely." It was truly a marvelous idea. He wanted to see his little girl one more time before he left. He hoped she brought Sammy.

/\/\/\/\/\

Lizzie was waiting for them in the parking lot of the abandoned warehouse on the corner of 25th and Broad, leaning against the hood of her car when they pulled up. It was a little tradition of theirs. They'd always take a lovely stroll through the length of the park from here as it took them almost directly to the restaurant.

The fact that the tradition was started when the trail of one of the blacklisters led Liz and the team straight to this warehouse where Red was torturing said blacklister for information was irrelevant.

"Hello Sweetheart!" Red greeted her happily as he climbed out of the back seat. He walked towards her, his arms open and they embraced as if they hadn't just seen each other that morning when Red came by the house to pick up Sammy to have breakfast with him before dropping him off at the daycare.

"Hey Dad." Liz murmured. As they pulled back from their hug, Liz's eyes slid over to Dembe and she smiled, opening her arms once more in invitation.

"Come on, big brother. I don't care if you're on duty right now." She teased and laughed at the sound of Dembe's breathy laugh as he walked over, hugging her tightly as well.

"Hello Elizabeth." Dembe said softly and kissed her on the cheek before taking a step back.

"Where are Donald and Sammy, Lizzie?" Red questioned, craning his neck slightly to try and get a look inside her car.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Don wanted to have a guy's night. I think he's going to teach Sammy the art of watching football."

Red laughed heartily, shaking his head. "Well isn't that quant. I suppose I can live through watching our little Sammy playing sports as long as I get to have all the adorable little team pictures they take."

Liz and Dembe shared a bemused look.

"Shall we go eat? I am absolutely famished and I have been salivating for some of Lucia's lasagna ever since Dembe mentioned you wanted to meet." Red said, heading off in the direction of the park.

Dembe and Liz shared another glance, this time amused as they watched Red swagger off. "I only just told him 20 minutes ago."

Liz let out a bark of a laugh and they began to walk, a few steps behind Red. "Yes well, he's rather –"

The sound was deafening. It had a visceral effect on everything. Like a sonic boom, destroying everything in its path including time. Everything slowed to a horrifying crawl.

Lizzie watched as her dad crumpled. He didn't move.

"No!" Lizzie sobbed. She couldn't tell if she was running. She wanted to reach her dad but everything was sand.

There was the sound of more bullets. Though it sounded distant, as if through water.

"Raymond! Elizabeth!" Dembe's panicked cries woke her as they reached her ears.

Lizzie dropped to the ground next to her dad, and stared with horror.

"Elizabeth! Move!" Lizzie whimpered as Dembe put his arms under her father's armpits and bodily pulled him behind a dumpster. Lizzie followed like a puppet on a string.

Lizzie fell to her knees beside them, the world gone quiet again as the shooter obviously had no line of sight anymore.

"Daddy…" She murmured brokenly.

Dembe grabbed her hands and placed them above Red's bloody shirt. "Keep pressure, Elizabeth." She choked back a sob as the warmth of her dad's blood seeped through her fingers, bringing everything back into focus and forcing her to do as Dembe asked. With a quick glance, Lizzie ascertained that Dembe was removing his shirt. He quickly tossed it to her and she replaced it quickly on her dad's chest.

Lizzie ignored it as Dembe spoke in rushed murmurs on the phone. She looked down at her dad and tried to give him a weak smile as he gazed at her. His eyes telling stories of incredible pain as blood dripped from the side of his mouth.

"Hey Daddy." She attempted to be soothing. Really she did. But how do you make your world feel better when it's breaking apart beneath you? "You're gonna be alright. Dembe's calling Mr. Kaplan." Lizzie choked on another sob as she watched her dad's eyes grow heavy. "No Dad, you've got to stay awake okay?" She wanted nothing more than to caress his cheek but she was currently trying to hold his life inside his body. "Mr. Kaplan's gonna be really pissed if she finds you sleeping on the job."

Red's eyes closed.