Ressler held his hand up to Liz, shaking his head as he looked at her, warning her not to make a sound. Think. Dammit, think, he told himself. Cole apparently didn't know there were two of them up here, and Ressler needed to keep it that way.
"It will take me a little while. In case you haven't noticed, it's a little wet out there," Ressler informed Cole.
They had no choice. Ressler had to get down there, knowing that Cole had the upper hand for now. Liz was shaking her head at him, telling him not to do that. He looked at her, not needing to say a word. She understood, not liking it at all, but nodding her head now in resignation.
"You have three minutes, or your man gets a bullet in his head to match the one in his arm," Cole snapped back at him.
Liz's eyes widened and Ressler again silently warned her to keep quiet. She looked at her watch, noting where the second hand was.
"I will be there." He flipped off his mic, exhaling heavily as he threw his headphones down. "Shit," he cursed.
They looked at each other for a split second, before each of them scrambled to get in place. He stood up and threw his jacket on, as she gathered up her backpack and climbed through the small door to the front. Not even taking the time to turn off the video feeds, he climbed through to the front after her, sitting down heavily in the drivers' seat. He quickly opened his door a few inches and unplugged the cabin camera from the van inputs, soaking his arm in seconds. Jamming the keys in the ignition he started to reverse down the road, being very concerned the van would slide into the raging river on either side.
He could barely see out the side mirror, and they lurched alarmingly into the edge of the torrent flowing over the road from the roadside ditch. He slowed, righting his angle and proceeded again. Liz remembered the small camera pointing back down the road and crammed her head back in through the small dividing door, looking at the monitor. Directing him as best as she could with the limited view, she was able to help keep him on a fairly straight course through the water as he reversed.
"How long?" he asked her and she quickly checked her watch again as another lightning strike flashed close by.
"We have just under 2 minutes left," she said, ducking as another clap of thunder deafened them.
"Liz, I need to drop you off before we get there. He apparently doesn't know there are two of us, and we need that element of surprise."
She already knew that, and was getting her coat on, pulling the hood up. It was fairly rainproof, but it wouldn't be long before it was soaked through in this downpour. She had her backpack ready to throw over her shoulder.
"I know, and it's okay," she said hurriedly, as another lightning strike flashed, and a clap of thunder filled the air almost immediately. It wasn't okay, but they had no choice. If Cole didn't know there were two of them, that worked to their advantage. Just what good she could do outside the cabin, she wasn't sure yet. They were making this up as they went along.
"I'll get you as close as I can to the large outer building, and you make straight for it," he told her, still concentrating on not ending up on their side in the ditch. She could hear the tension in his voice - they both knew she could get killed out in this weather.
"I will. Believe me, I don't want to be out in this any longer than necessary!" she said, still looking back at the monitor.
"What the heck went wrong?" She wasn't really asking him, just voicing her own concerns, knowing full well he didn't know either.
"I have no idea..." he said, squinting his eyes as he tried to get a good view in the side mirror. He finally reached the main road and reversed out onto it, surging through another river of rainwater flowing down the main road. As he pulled forward, he glanced across at her, before returning his eyes quickly to the road that they could barely make out in front of them. It was only mid afternoon, yet it was so dark it felt like early evening. He made his way back down toward the driveway and turned in, having a momentary scare that they were going to get stuck when they crossed the small river running across the driveway entrance.
They lost sight of the cabin as the driveway took a slight bend, hiding their van for a moment. "Close enough. Let me out here." she said, but he was already stopping. There was no time for words. Their eyes locked, and she quickly grasped his arm as he nodded to her in acknowledgement. She turned and opened the door and leaving the safety of the van, dropped down into the rain.
He drove off, hating to leave her there alone. "Be safe, Liz," he said out loud, knowing she could no longer hear him.
Liz stepped out into the deluge, feeling the rain striking her face hard. The sound was deafening. As the van pulled away from her, she tried not to think about what Ressler was about to walk into. Throwing her backpack over her shoulders, she ran to a nearby tree. The impact from the rain was less under the branches, but she needed to get moving. She ran to the next tree, trying not to trip over tree roots and saplings hidden in the semi darkness. The ground felt spongy beneath her feet as the water soaked the overgrown forest floor. Working her way from tree to tree, aware of the cabin at all times, she slowly got closer.
Lightning lit up the sky again, closely followed by a crack of thunder so loud it made her ears ring. She had been told her entire life NOT to stand under trees during thunderstorms - and what was she doing now?! Move! She yelled at herself. The sky lit up again, striking a large tree off to her right with a huge bang. The tree literally exploded, showering the area with sparks as tree limbs crashed to the ground near her. She hit the ground, crouching with her arms over her head, shaking in fear. The flames were quickly extinguished by the downpour, leaving the lingering smell of ozone in the air. I'm going to get hit by lightning! I just know it! She thought, as she ran faster now, trying desperately to reach the large building and get some shelter.
Running to another tree, she missed her footing and slipped on a tree root, going down hard on one knee. She grabbed quickly at the tree for support, skinning her knuckles on a cross branch in the process. Hauling herself back up, she hissed at the sting in her hand and the pain that flared in her right knee, forcing herself onward. She was getting closer to the outer building now, and darted across to another thick tree. A small branch slapped across her face, and she swatted it out the way. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the building before her, giving her a glimpse of a back door and a couple of windows. She ran the last few feet to the building, finally reaching it and leaned against it for a moment, catching her breath.
Trying the door, she was amazed that it opened and quickly slipped inside. Leaning back against the door, she felt light as a feather with the abrupt halt to the rain pummeling her. The building was dark and smelled musty. She could see dark shapes of vehicles and a mower near her as her eyes grew accustomed to the dark. A ladder led up to a loft above her, and she bypassed that, slowly moving toward the front of the building to where she would be able to see the cabin. Keeping crouched down, dripping water everywhere, she made her way steadily toward one of the windows, cringing every time the lightning lit up her position. Crossing to one of the front windows, she stood up now, staying to the side. Peering around, she could now see their green surveillance van parked behind Red's vehicle. Ressler must already be inside the cabin, she surmised. There was no sign of anyone, and no lights on inside the cabin. Of course, she realized, the power would have been one of the first casualties of this weather.
She was still peering cautiously out the window when a large hand came from behind her and covered her mouth, startling her and stifling her involuntary scream.
###
Watching Liz step out into the violent storm was one of the hardest things Ressler had done in a long time. He almost stopped to go back and get her, deciding they should take their chances with the Coles together. He didn't have time though, not if he was to get there within his three minute window. Silently cursing Reddington for getting them into this mess, he arrived at the cabin. He had already seen that the house was in darkness. Just great, he thought. No power.
Lightning flashed around him, illuminating Red's car parked outside the cabin. He pulled in behind and shut off the engine, as another deafening clap of thunder sounded overhead. Taking a deep breath and a quick glance at Liz's empty seat, he quickly opened the door and dropped down onto the flooded ground. His boots splashed in the unavoidable puddles as he ran to the front porch of the cabin, getting completely drenched in the process. His coat was all but useless as the rain saturated his bullet-proof vest and t-shirt, and cut through his jeans. The gel in his hair was gone in moments, leaving his blonde hair plastered to his forehead. Just as he stepped under the porch, a loud bang sounded in the trees off to his left. Lightning had struck a tree, splintering it everywhere as the trunk exploded. The rain put out the fire almost as soon as it started. He stood there, frozen to the spot. Liz! She's out there in this!
The door opened behind him and before he could even turn around, he felt the cold metal of a gun barrel placed against his soaking wet head.
"Just in time, FBI man," a rough voice said beside him in the darkness.
Moving to the side, the man quickly disarmed Ressler, taking his sidearm and cuffs from his right hip. Ressler eyed the man, recognizing Jacob Cole from his photo, and silently allowed himself to be led inside. You don't argue with someone who has their gun barrel less than an inch from your brain matter. No, you bide your time. And Ressler was very good at biding his time.
As they stepped inside the dark cabin, lightning flashed again and the thunder cracked right after it. In that glimpse of light, he barely saw a man face down on the floor, a blood pool around them. Was that Red?! His heart lurched.
"Agent Ressler. How nice of you to join the party," spoke a familiar voice in the darkness.
There was no mistaking Red's voice. For a moment, Ressler felt relief that his 'pet criminal' wasn't the one apparently dead on the floor. That was quickly followed by irritation at the man for putting him in this position. He held his tongue, silently cursing Reddington. Jacob Cole pushed him firmly into the room toward where Red's voice had come from.
"Agent Ressler, is it? Well how formal," said Jacob wryly. "Sit down, FBI man. Next to your buddy Reddington there."
When Ressler didn't obey immediately, hands reached out of the darkness shoving him roughly down to the floor. He landed with a thud, falling against Reddington's left side. He heard Red grunt as he hit him and in the next flash of lightning he saw why. Jacob Cole had been right when he'd said Reddington had been shot in the arm. Blood was pooling on his shirt sleeve, dripping down onto his pants. In the brief glimpse in the lightning flashes, Ressler saw the blood was coming from Red's left forearm. What a pleasant change, he thought. I'm not the one who's shot.
His thoughts were jarred back to Cole as his own handcuffs were thrown at him, and he instinctively caught them in the dark.
"Cuff yourself. And be quick about it," Cole told him. Ressler did as he was told and cuffed his wrists in front of him, sitting on the floor beside Red now as they both leaned against the wall.
"Make sure they're tight now," Cole taunted, "or I'll tighten 'em for you." He laughed then, and Ressler was almost waiting for the "dun dun duuunnn" music, with how clichéd Cole sounded with that laugh. Like something out of a B-grade movie, complete with the spooky thunderstorm.
"Oh, they're tight, Jacob," said Ressler. His fingers were already turning pink with how tight they were. He decided he really, really didn't like Jacob Cole.
"I ain't Jacob. I'm Jessie. That's Jake there on the ground. Dead," he said, as Ressler now realized this was Jessie Cole, Jacob's twin. Well, that's not confusing at all.
###
Liz struggled against the hand over her mouth. Feeling her assailants' breath close by her ear, she tried to free herself but she was held fast.
"Agent Keen. Can you be quiet?" a voice said in her ear. It was Dembe!
She nodded, relief flooding over her. He gently removed his hand from her mouth then, before pulling her back into the shadows. She started to ask him what the hell was going on, but noticed he was holding his finger to his mouth in a 'ssshhh' motion, needing her to be quiet. Relief gave way to disbelief. Did the man seriously think anyone would hear her over this storm?! As if to validate her, they both ducked as a close lightning strike lit up the shed, along with an almost simultaneous thunderous crack. Another tree had been hit very close to their location.
She was seriously wondering about him at this point. But then he pointed to the loft above them and she turned and looked up, following where he was pointing. Her heart leapt to her throat and she dropped to a crouch behind one of the vehicles.
There was a man up there, sleeping in a cot in the loft above them. How the heck could he be sleeping in this weather?! She thought, stunned. Dembe tapped her shoulder again, pointing to both of them, then indicating the back door. She felt her heart sink, He was right. They needed to leave this building in case the guy woke up. She almost laughed out loud at that. If this storm hadn't woken him, nothing would!
But she followed Dembe as he lightly made his way back to the rear door under the loft. She felt sudden dread at the thought of going back out into the storm. Bracing herself, she hitched her backpack tight across her shoulders. She didn't even bother with the hood on her coat, being almost as wet with it as without it. Dembe quickly opened the door and held it for her as she reluctantly slipped outside, closely followed by him as he shut the door behind him.
He pointed to the smaller building, and she followed him as he made his way along the walls of the building toward it. Compared to her run through the trees, this was almost a piece of cake. Rainwater ran off the roof in sheets, but they were protected somewhat by the overhang of the building. They slid along the walls until they came to the corner. From there, it was a short run across to the smaller building. Splashing across the drenched ground, they headed straight for the door as another flash of lightning lit up the area. She momentarily looked toward the cabin, wanting so badly to know what was going on in there with Red and Ressler.
Reaching the door, Liz tried it, only to find it was locked. Dembe looked at the window and finding the catch, managed to get the window open. Ever the gentleman even in these conditions, he offered Liz his entwined hands to give her a leg up to the window. She accepted, balancing on his hands and holding his shoulder as she reached up to the window and climbed through. She landed on the soft dirt inside this shed and Dembe climbed through after her, closing the window behind him. After quickly checking that they were alone this time, she faced him now, looking at him dripping wet before her.
"Dembe, what happened? What went wrong?" she hissed, leaning close to him.
He was almost invisible in the darkness of the shed, illuminated only when the lightning flashed. In those moments, she could see him calmly regarding her. But then, she thought, when was Dembe ever NOT calm? She'd never seen the man raise a sweat. Never seen him show much emotion at all. Well, apart from laughing at the Three Stooges.
"I am unaware of what happened, Agent Keen. All I heard was when the man came to the car, he told Raymond that there had been a change of plans, and he told him to 'play along' with him. Then they went into the house."
Two things went through Liz's mind. The first was that she'd never heard Dembe say that much at one time. She didn't know the big guy had it in him. The second was - what change of plans? The plan had been to meet Jacob Cole and arrange documentation and transport for him and his two brothers out of the country. Yet now that change in plans had apparently resulted in Red getting shot!
"Why did you leave the car?" she asked him, wondering how he knew things had gone south.
"I heard the gunshots over the wire, and heard Mr Cole telling the 'FBI man' to come down. I thought it wise to take up a new position in the building. I saw the sleeping man, and then saw you come in a few minutes later. Busy place."
Had he just told a joke? She believed he had. And yes of course... Red wouldn't have only had them listening in. He'd have had Dembe online too. That made sense. She looked at the man now, realizing just how much Red trusted him. And for Red, trust was hard won.
###
"Now that we're all here Jessie, who is next on your dance card?" asked Red. Ressler thought he sounded rather charming for someone who had just been shot.
They didn't hear Jessie's answer as a loud crack shattered through the air, as lightning struck another tree. The thunder that came almost simultaneously was the loudest crack they had heard yet. Ressler closed his eyes as the house shook, exhaling heavily. Liz! Oh God, Liz!
Red was looking at him as he sat beside him, and leaned into the younger man. "Not afraid of a little thunder, are we Donald?" he asked under his breath. Ressler opened his eyes and looked at the man silently. Surely Red was wondering where Liz was. Ressler looked down at his hands, and started rubbing an imaginary scar on his wrist. Red got it. Liz was out there in the storm. His only reaction was a momentary flicker across his eyes, before he turned his view to the front again, digesting that news. He looked at their captor again.
"Jessie, in case you haven't noticed, all hell is breaking loose outside. And if you are to have any benefit of using Agent Ressler and I as hostages, I suggest you think seriously about getting off this mountain very, very soon."
"Well, now, hold your horses. First, I wanna know what my brother told you," sneered Jessie. He crouched down before the two men on the floor, waving his gun precariously at them as he spoke.
"You tell me what Jake and you talked about."
"Perhaps if you hadn't shot him, you could have asked him that yourself," said Red evenly.
"Why'd you try and save him anyway, taking that bullet for the traitor?" asked Jessie, pointing his gun at Red's bleeding arm.
"Let's call it a moment of weakness, shall we?" answered Red.
Ressler was listening to this exchange, gathering information. So Jacob had apparently reneged on the whole deal, and Jessie had shot him for it. But not before Red tried to intervene and stop Jacob being killed. Red tried to save someone's life by taking a bullet? Chalk that up as a first. There was something else he was realizing, listening to Jessie. He hadn't heard much from the man, but one thing he did know. This guy didn't appear to have the smarts to pull off the scenario Red had presented to them. Maybe Jacob had been the brains. Or the Cole's were just the front men for someone else in charge. Or maybe Red had played them. It wouldn't be the first time, he thought.
Jessie opened his mouth to say something else, when lightning struck right beside the house, deafening them with the crack as it obliterated a tree completely. Debris and branches rained down on the roof of the cabin, startling them with the force it hit the house. Cole's gaze shot up as he turned, still crouching down before them. Seizing the moment, Ressler launched himself at the man, startling Red with how fast he moved. Throwing his arms around Cole's head, he pulled back hard, strangling him with the chain on the cuffs. Just like a greasy Russian. The thought came unbidden to Ressler's mind as he choked the air out of Cole.
Red was rising to his feet, recognizing that the tables had turned, glad to be off the floor at last. He had to admit he was rather impressed with Donald. That is, until he heard another voice shout across the room.
"Let him go, or I'll shoot you right between the eyes!"
Ressler didn't let go.
"Let him go!"
Red tried to make out where the voice was coming from, and in the next flash of lightning he saw a man that could only be a Cole. Younger than Jacob and Jessie. He had to be Jeremy. He was moving into the room from the rear of the house, weapon drawn. Red had seen that look enough times to know this young man was going to shoot.
Ressler was tired of being told what to do, and kept hold of the cuffs against Jessie's throat. A shot rang out, and Ressler darted to the side as the bullet narrowly missed him. Jeremy Cole had his target in his sights now, and fired again.
Reddington watched as Ressler cried out and slumped to the ground, an unconscious Jessie Cole falling on top of him.
"You too, old man! Hands up!"
Reddington didn't need to be told twice. Unlike some people in the room, he thought, glancing at Ressler who wasn't moving. His left arm was stiffening up and swelling from the gunshot wound, but he raised his arms as best he could, unable to lace his fingers behind his head in his usual 'I'm being arrested again' stance. He sunk to his knees in submission, looking calmly at Jeremy Cole.
Cole approached him, gun drawn, looking eerily calm in the flashes from the lightning. If Jessie Cole was a sneering maniac, Jeremy was cool, calm and collected. And where the hell had he come from?!