Authors Note: Ok, so this is going to be longer than three parts. It just happened that way, what can I say. Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed, I really apreciate it. Oh, and a special thanks to lgmtreader for beataing this for me. It was invaluable.
Disclaimer: Yea, so as if you have to ask...they are so totally not mine, it's not even funny. Actually it kind of is.
A man was sitting on a chair, in the middle of the factory floor. There was no longer any equipment inside, just a large empty room with some scaffolding along the sides and near the ceiling. The man, he was just sitting there looking at Jane as he entered; obviously he was Red John.
"I expected you sooner, Mr. Jane." The man said with a slight sneer.
"Red John," was Jane's only response as he held his knife up and moved towards Red John in a calculated movement. He was stopped by the man's voice.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"What?"
"I wouldn't kill me if I were you."
"I don't care about going to jail."
"No, you don't. But, you do care about others."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you think your friends are missing you at dinner yet? Lovely little diner. I've eaten there myself several times. That table in the corner is one of the only tables large enough to hold five people without having to move two tables together."
"How do you know where we were sitting?"
"I've been watching you, Mr. Jane. Watching that lovely little woman you work with."
Jane had heard enough. He lunged at Red John with the knife, missing wildly as Red John stepped out of the way. Red John started laughing at him. "You missed me, Mr. Jane."
"You moved."
"You could have hit me if you wanted."
"Shut up!"
"Lets try this another way, Mr. Jane. I've been watching you, Mr. Jane. Right now, I have a little friend of mine following your little boss as she drives around this pitiful little town looking for you. It's crazy, but that little woman actually cares about a miserable soul such as yourself."
"So you have someone following her, so what."
"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. You hold in your hands the life of your friend, whom, if I'm not mistaken, you've grown to love as well."
"What do you mean?" Jane let the hand holding the knife relax and fall to his side.
"If I die, so does she."
"What happens to me?"
"Obviously, I kill you, or she gets here in time and saves you."
Jane just stared at him, not quite understanding.
Red John laughed at him again. "As I see it, Mr. Jane, you have two choices. You can kill me and be responsible for her death, or, you can let her live."
"I can't…"
"Time is running out, Mr. Jane. Make a decision, or you will die and Agent Lisbon as well."
"I can't…she can't die. I can't have another death on my hands. Another death of a person I care about." Jane paused for a minute feeling sick to his stomach at the sight of Red John's sick grin on his face. "How do I know that you really have someone following her?" He asked as if there was a possibility that he was lying.
Red John didn't say anything just opened a cell phone and one of the speed dial buttons. Jane heard a phone ringing through the open space; it was obviously on speaker phone so that Jane could hear what was being said.
"Yeah, Boss?" a voice on the phone said.
"Where is she?"
"She just left the restaurant, she looks pissed. The big guy is following her, looks like he's complaining about not being able to finish dinner. Um, yeah, she's sending him back inside and getting into her SUV by herself, and she's headed south on the main street, we're going past the school now. Man that building needs to be torn down and rebuilt."
"That's nothing; he could be making that up," Jane said, not really believing himself.
"She's wearing those tight little black jeans again Boss. Showen off her tight little ass." The voice said, proving that he had indeed seen Lisbon.
"That's enough. No touching her unless you do NOT hear from me, do you understand?"
"Yea." And the call ended.
"So Mr. Jane. The choice is yours. Who will it be? You or her? Are you willing to give her up for your pathetic excuse for revenge?"
Jane just looked at him, the hatred evident on his face. He couldn't let Lisbon die for his revenge. It was one thing if he died, but not her, never her. He'd never wanted her to get hurt by his need for revenge, never. "How do I know I can trust you? You are a murderer after all."
"That is true, Mr. Jane. You shouldn't trust me. But, that's not all I want from you. I want you to tell her why you are going to be found dead. I want her to know why it is that she is alive and you are not."
This felt like a trap to him, but what was he supposed to do? He would do everything in his power to save her. Jane nodded and pulled his phone from the pocket in his coat. He noticed the self-satisfied smirk on Red John's face and sighed as he dialed the phone.
"Lisbon." Her voice was like music to his ears, he felt a pain at the thought of never hearing it again.
"I can't do it."
"Jane? Where the hell are you?"
"I can't do it."
"Do what Jane? Talk to me!" He hated to hear her voice so panicked, it was so unlike her.
"He's here, right in front of me. He's just standing there, looking at me, and I can't do it."
"Jane. Listen to me. You need to tell me where you are." He glanced at Red John. What the hell he was going to kill him anyway.
"The old factory, about a mile from where you are now."
"What's Red John doing now?"
"He's just standing here. Looking at me, laughing."
"Does he know you're on the phone?"
"He's not stupid, Lisbon."
"I know that, Jane. Why is he letting you talk on the phone?"
"He wanted me to tell you, I pick you." As soon as he'd said those words Jane felt the phone being ripped from his hands and a fist connecting with his face.