Chapter 4 (Crimson Road)
When Jane arrived at the Rose garden he parked his old blue citroen on the left so he was closer to the cemetery. The site was totally empty. No wonder as he got closer to the pavement his eyes catched the panel that said "CLOSED". That was definitely the place Red John had gave him the invitation. No doubts about it. He must have know that was the perfect spot for his little game ; no witnesses and a deep vast forest to get lost in. After Jane steped down of his car, he took the muddy and winning path to his left. Tall dark trees surrounded the smal curved path which gave to the landscape a vey gloomy appearance. Jane's heart was like a beating drum into his chest and he could feel the adrenaline running through his veins. He couldn't believe he was about to finally meet Red John, his worst nemesis of all time. When he arrived at end of the path, direction signs indicated the end of the woods. The site on the left was a private property and the one on the right was leading to the cemetey. So Jane turned to his right without hesistation. After a couple meters, Jane pushed the metal barrier of the cemetery and went in. Roses bushes and heavy graves were filling the dark-green grass. The place was so vast Jane was afraid he might get lost. A small part of him regreted to have come alone but there was no coming back he was into deep.
There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting
- Buddha
Just as he had started to loose hope, Jane's feet hit something on the ground. He almost stumbled. It was a large rock bolted to the ground but his feet had tosed the majority of it leaving a small hole in the earth. Jane saw what looked like a cellphone inside the whole. Just as he bent to remove the object from the ground it rang which caused him to startle. With shaky hands he flapped the cellphone open and approached the receiver to his ear…
"Hello Patrick" said a creepy high-pitched voice "I see you have received my invitation I was afraid you might not take it seriously" he said his voice almost cracking
"what do you want ?" Jane said trying to hide the fear in his voice
"I'm afraid the list would be too long" he said chuckling "but the question is Patrick what do you want" he said rhetorically
"where is she ?" Jane asked going to the point speaking of Lisbon
"she is safe" he said "for now" he ads sadistically
Jane ignored the last comment
"where do I meet you ?" Jane asks trying to cut the conversation short
"oh Patrick I'm so glad of your optimisim" the men said "I think I might enjoy myself very much this time…meet me in ten minuts I'll be waiting for you at the end of the road so to speak" he adds
Red John defenitely had a twisted sense of humor Jane thought to himself
"is this for real ?" Jane said with a grin "how do I know she's alive ?" Jane asks with a challenging tone
"have a little faith Patrick" Red John said with a raw voice "and you'll come to see this is more real than any of your worst nightmares I assure you of that" he said mischievously before hanging up on the phone
This was going to be a long day Jane thought. A very long day.
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"stupid GPS" Rigsby said while driving fastly in his black SUV
"you want help ?" Cho asked trying to hide his smile
"no I'm fine" Rigsby said offended "have you called Jane ?" he asked
"yes but I can't reach his cellphone" Cho said concerned
"we gotta go there fast" Rigsby said pushing in the pedal of the accelerator
"yeah…he's in real trouble" Cho said
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Lisbon didn't know what to think. She was only gone for two hours. She even had left a message at her desk computer to say where she was. But now seemed like everyone had left the building except for Grace who was crying alone. What in hell had she missed in only two hours ?
"Grace" Lisbon said coming closer to the sobing women "I need to know what's going on" Lisbon said putting a hand behind the red-hair women's back
"I tought you were dead" Grace said trying to wash away her tears
"WHAT ? why would you think that ?" Lisbon asked in shock
"you were gone two hours and didn't call anybody" Grace said with a small voice
"I tought agent Ross told you" Lisbon said in confusion "I even left a message on my computer she must have forget to tell you" Lisbon said forcing a grin
"so you weren't in the interrogation room with Lorelai ?" Grace asked in shock
"yeah I was but after ten minuts I got a call from agent Ross saying there'd been another case, FBI was working on it but she wanted me to give apologies to the family. So i left the room and did what she asked me too" Lisbon said with a calm tone
"so you don't know about agent Darcy ?" Grace asked
"no why ?" Lisbon asks still smiling
"Red John killed her" Grace said
Lisbon's smile droped immediately
"oh my god" Lisbon said with empathy "Grace where is everybody ?" Lisbon asked concerned
Van Pelt's facial expression gave Lisbon a hint
"they tought I was dead too ?" she asked
"yes" Grace started "I mean no…it all started with Jane. He tough you were in danger, that Red John had took you away"
"oh my this is not good" Lisbon said "please contact FBI and tell them this is all just a big mistake" Lisbon said in relief
"well…that would be a problem" Grace said as she got up
"How's so ?" Lisbon asked with an equivocal look
"well after he tought Red John had kidnapped you he kinda escaped from prison said he knew where you were" Grace said with shame
Lisbon closed her eyes with pain now understanding the gravity of the situation
"where is he ?" Lisbon asked with a deep voice
Grace got out the Lisbon's picture that Jane had give her to show her the inscription in the back. When he left CBI he was too much caught up in the action that he left it there.
"the poem is from Red John and Jane tought he had brought you in the woods after he saw this" Grace said showing the back of the picture
"did Jane told you about this ?" Lisbon asked
"Lisbon I was with him you know when he found out" she said "I even helped him and now he's in danger…I should have insist to go with him" she said with new tears springing free out of her eyes
"Grace this is not you're fault" Lisbon interrupted her "now calm down and tell me where Jane is" she said
"he's at the Historic Rose Garden it's on Broadway it's close to a cemetery" Grace said trying to muffle he cries
"I'm going now" Lisbon said "you stay here" Lisbon said before leaving the bullpen
Grace's voice stopped her
"Rigsby and Cho are already on their way" Grace said
Lisbon sighed before pacing through the CBI elevator doors. Lisbon was in shock and didn't know what to think. She had spent years trying to protect her consultant and now she almost felt responsible for putting him in danger. She understood how her agent must feel right now. All alone at the CBI, crying, fill the hours with guilt and most importantly unable to help the team. At least the red-hair women was safe there and it reasured Lisbon to know that. She only hoped she could say the same about Patrick Jane.
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Jane walked slowly every bit of the cemetery leaving small footprints of the ground. He walked for what seemed like an hour when he finally arrived at the end of the cemetery. That was it Jane thought. That is my last battle against Red John. I am finally close to the truth I can almost grab it with the tip of my finger, savoring every inch of it like sweet victory. But for the moment, his nemesis was nowhere to be found which only caused him to get even more anxious. He then decided to get closer to a small pouched tree on the left that had caught his attention. As he moved forward a very pleasant smell came to his notrils ; the scent of fresh baked cookies and blueberry muffin. He knew it was stupid but he couldn't resist to follow this heavenly odor. Only inched away from the small tree, his cellphone buzzed.
"Jane" said Lisbon with a fearful tone
"Lisbon" Jane said gulping
At this very moment, Jane knew he had been caught in a trap and his pupils dilated in anticipation but it was too late. Before he replied, something sharp and heavy hit the back of his head. His body fell on the ground like thunder and everything went black from there.
"Jane please don't go it's a…" Lisbon said yelling but was interrupted by the small beeping sound of Jane's cellphone's interruptor as he dropped it on the ground "Hello Jane-JANE" yelled Lisbon before closing her own cellphone and throwing it on the passenger seat
Lisbon resisted the urge to scream or to hit something. Her hands clenched the stiring wheel and her nails griped the chewy material. She was driving fast, way to fast. For a second she wanted to die. To roll over the closest ditch on the highway and never come back alive. But she chased the tought away because it was not the time to be weak. She was a fighter and always will be. So she took a deep breath and told herself those six little words "everything-is-going-to-be-alright"
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When Rigsby and Cho arrived they knew they were at the right place, when they saw the abandoned blue citroen in the parking lot. At first they didn't know which way to go.
"where do we go ?" Rigsby asked
"is there a cemetery ?" Cho responded by a question
"yeah on the left why ?" Rigsby asked eyebrows frowned
"that's where we're going" Cho said with a platonic tone
Rigsby aproved by lifting his eyebrows
While they were walking in the woods it was easy to keep track of Jane's footstep on the muddy ground. After a while the ground was firm and covered with a bed of leaves so the two men had to go on instincs. After half an hour, they were already lost and didn't know where to go until they saw a wooden cabin.
"there's nobody there" Cho said arms crossed looking at a very anxious Rigsby
"you sure ?" Rigsby asked "cause I'm hundred percent sure I heard someone crying from the inside" Rigsby said with a half smile
"yeah I think you're right" Cho lied
"I'm always right" Rigsby said with a proud smile
Cho was about to bash through the entry door with his feet when Rigsby stoped him with his left arm.
"Whoa whoa wait men someone could be in there you want to scare them off they could escape from the back door you know" Rigsby adds seriously
Cho raised his eyebrows in surprise
"I don't know bout' you but I'm not up for a long jog in the woods filled with twenty seven bear traps" Rigsby said chuckling
"bear traps" Cho said looking at his partner
"this is serious men…just pick the lock instead" Rigsby said with a grin
"I'm not Jane" Cho said losing is patience "and wipe that smile off your face" Cho said lifting his chin toward his partner
"sorry" Rigsby said dropping his smile
"just don't do it again" Cho said before bashing throught the door with his feet and pulling his gun out of the holster
When they entered the house, the security alarm imediately went off which cause the two men to cover their ears.
"how do we turn this damn thing off ?" Rigsby yelled with both hands covering his ears
"like that" Cho said before firing two bullets into the security alarm system
The alarm imediately stoped
"thanks men" Rigsby yelled again
"no problem" Cho said looking through the house "just don't yell into my ears" Cho said almost imperceptibly
The house looked like the most normal place ; a welcoming leaving room with a plasma TV and a huge book shelf filed with all kind of books, a double-space kitchen and dining room, a bathroom and a single bedroom with a single bed for a single person. While Rigsby was still in the kitchen touching every piece of furniture Cho was already looking through every closed door when he arrived at the last one.
"you should see this" Rigsby said "there must be at least twenty different brand of tea here no kidding…Jane would freak out" Rigsby said sniffing inside each tea pots
He quickly laid down one of the tea pot when he was unpleased with it's content making a weird facial expression.
"Rigsby I think I found something" Cho yelled
Rigsby exited the kitchen and found his partner standing in front of a rusty wooden door at the end of the house corridor. The two men were holding tightly their guns. They gave each other an approving look before opening the door. A small wooden staircase filed with spider webs led to the basement. The passage was narrow and shadowy so they carefully went down each and every squeaking stair. Before they arrived at the end of it their eyes had accomodated to the dark and they distinguished the frame of a smaller door, metal-made this time. One hand on the dook knob and the other on his gun, Cho cautiously turned the wooden latch and opened the door. When Rigsby finally found the light switch what they finally saw was the last thing expected ; at least ten computers where showing different areas of the house, possibly a couple of them took place in the woods. To their left the wall was like a giant panoramic artistic figure entirely covered with pictures and articles. When they got closer they realized in horror that most of them were pictures of Lisbon and the team including Jane and articles about CBI old and recent solved cases.
"you think it's…you know" Rigsby said swallowing a mouthful of saliva unable to form an appropriate sentence
"yep that's the place" Cho said avoiding to say it aloud
If they were right the two men knew it was a dangerous place to be in. That is to say there was something sneaky and frightening to end up into Red John's lair even without the painted smiley faces on the wall.
"I'm gonna take pictures" Rigsby said as he used his cellphone to take photoshoots of every inch of the place
"take a look at this" Cho said as he broke into a locked filing cabinet
"there's at least hundred of files in this" Rigsby said opening some of them "some of them are coming from the CBI and the FBI unit" he adds
After looking through the first filing cabinet they went into the second one.
"you should take a look at this" Rigsby said as if a fire-cracker was lighting up his face "this is all the files and personal background of Red John's accomplice. Look Jared Rendrew the guy who killed his housekeeper's daughter. Dumar Omlstead the sheriff who gived a stuffed elephant to Rosalind Harker. Rebecca Black, 35 years old lived in San Francisco works at the CBI. History of child abuse. Todd Johnson, 26 years old. Agner management problem and two years for assault and battery. Craig O'Loughlin. Timothy Carter, 52 years old. Worked as private lawyer."
"yeah I know" Cho said sighing "Red John had a lot of people working for him" he adds
"you think Jane's in there ?" Rigsby said joking
"don't be stupid" Cho said
"hey wait a minut" Rigsby said opening a file on top of the pile "I think I know this women" Rigsby said with astonishement as he showed the file to Cho
Meanwhile the two men were chating their back were facing the basement door. They were too busy to ear the crackling sound of the door opening. Before they knew it someone knocked them unconscious and their body fell heavily on the ground.
Almost simultanously, Rigsby and Cho's cellphone rang. It was Lisbon who was trying to call them but in vain.
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"come on guys pick up the phone" she said as she parked her car in front of the Rose Garden
When she stepped down, she knew for sure she was at the right place for she saw Jane's old citroen and the black SUV parked next to each other. She only hoped she wasn't doomed for her car to be left there while someone else was coming to her rescue. How pathetic it would be ? Lisbon's high-heels boots sinked into the soft ground almost making her stumble along the way. At the wood intersection, she decided to follow on the right to the cemetery. But when she saw Jane was nowhere to be found, she decided to climb up her steps back to the intersection and took to the left this time. After ten minuts she finally saw the wooden cabin. Lisbon got close to it and was now on the doorstep. She was about to knock on the door when she saw it was slightly opened so she took her nine milimiters and pushed the door competely open with it. Small trails of blood were splattered on the floor. Lisbon's hardbeat fastened. She didn't know what to expect. She wanted to speak but didn't want to scare whoever was there so she tried to make the least possible noises. After she searched the house she decided it was empty. Right when she was about to leave she saw the ray of light coming from the end of the corridor. Slowly, almost like a cat, she got closer to the thin glow which was coming from downstairs. When she finally got to the basement, she saw the cameras and the pictures but no trace of Cho, Rigsby or Jane. She couldn't believe where she was. She had undoubtfully came to the same conclusion as her collegues, this was Red John's house. Lisbon suddenly became petrified and stepped back. She was stopped by an opened filing cabinet behind her. Her attention got caught on the first file on the pile, it was stained with blood. She had also noticed that it was mixed up with all of the other Red John's acomplice files. Her eyes widened when she opened and saw who's picture it was. It didn't took a genius to connect the dots and know this person-whom by the way she knew-was working hand in hand with Red John. And she was almost sure that this person could be the FBI mole. Lisbon's thought immediately went to Grace who was all alone at the CBI. What had she done ? She tought her team member was safe, when all she did was putting her into the lion's den.
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"agent Van Pelt" said the tall blonde women "is everything alright ?" she asked
"agent Ross" Grace said lifting her head from her arms "what are you doing here ?" she asked
"well agent Lisbon told me about what happened so I can say was concerned about every team member's safety including you" she said with a naïve smile trying to comfort the agent in front of her
"ma'am all due respect I'm sure you have your reasons too so that's why I would like to have permission to call for back-up" Grace said "I know Jane can be pretty stubborn but he might be in danger him and the rest of the team" she adds
"don't worry agent Van Pelt there's nothing you can do at the moment" the tall blonde women said with a charming smile
"please ma'am I already feel useless I need to help" Grace asked almost pleading
"there's no need to" said the CBI senior boss insistant
"but ma'am…" said Grace but she was interrupted by the other women changing tone
"I am your superior and you will do as I say" th women said with her usual angelic smile
"yes ma'am" Grace said looking down
When she saw the other women was out of view Grace picked up her phone and directly called FBI for back-up. Before she could talk the phone attendant, agent Ross came back into the bullpen but this time she was pointing a gun at Grace.
"put the phone down" the women said "PUT THE PHONE DOWN" agent Ross adds when she saw the agent in front of her paralysed
Grace finally followed her superior's order unable to move and to scared to do anything.
"fine now sit" the women said with her gun still poited at Grace "you know you can be pretty stubborn too agent Van Pelt…I guess it's one of the many arrays that comes with working with Mr. Jane everyday" she said sarcastically
"what do you want ?" Grace asked with disgust in her voice
"you will do exactly as I say and you have a chance of getting out of here alive…you lie or try to fool me and I put a bullet through your brain did I make myself clear ?" the develish women asked
Grace didn't respond but the look in her eyes showed her opponent she would cooperate fully. She couldn't believe their new CBI boss was Red John's new accomplice. She also couldn't belive she had been fooled so easily and so did the rest of the team. She had to think of a plan asap if she wanted to save them and stay alive as well.
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Lisbon's thinking was cut short when she heard the door cling behind her. She had the strange feeling someone was watching her. As she slowly looked back someone climbed up the stairs full speed. Lisbon took her heels and run as fast as she could but after only a couple minuts running in the woods, she lost track of the individual. She decided there was no point in going in further so she traced her path back to the wooden cabin and tried to reach Grace's cellphone.
"Grace are you alright ?" Lisbon asked
"yeah sure Lisbon why I woudn't be ?" Grace said irritated
"I don't know you seemed pretty much shaken when I left you an hour ago" Lisbon said trying to get information out of her
"Grace is there anyone with you at the CBI ?" Lisbon asked
"no why ?" Grace lied
Lisbon knew her agent answer was way to quick for it to be true
"you sure you're feeling okay ?" Lisbon asked again
"yeah I'm fine" Grace responded even more agited
It wasn't like her to loose temper like that something was definitely going on and she had to know what.
"okay call me if you need anything" Lisbon said as a rubber ring
"yeah sure…" said Grace "Lisbon" called Grace before her boss hung up
"yes" said Lisbon
"tell Jane I have his picture…you know the one his FRIENDS gave him if he wants it back" Grace said insisting on the word friend
"yeah thanks I'll tell him" Lisbon said "see you" she tells before hanging up
It was now clear to Lisbon that Grace was in serious danger. For years now, the word friends or F-R-I-E-N-D-S was a recurrent code word she and her team members used in crisis situations as it stood FOR-REALY-IMPORTANT-EMERGENCY-AND-DANGEROUS-SITUATIONS.
Lisbon didn't really wanted to go back to where she tought was Red John's house. So instead she decided to went back to the cemetery. After fifteen minuts she found herself in front of the graveyard and pushed open the metal gear which emited a sound similar to the cry of agony. After a while she finally arrived at the end of the cemetery. A delicious smell came to her but she didn't know what is was, something sweet or maybe a parfume but she wasn't sure. When she approached to see what it could be she saw it, a shadow hiding through the tree bushes running away. Lisbon instinctively gripped her gun and took it out of the holster.
"California Bureau of Investigation put your hands up in the air where I can see em" Lisbon yelled "please identity yourself now" Lisbon yelled again
"Lisbon" said a familiar voice
At first she tought the shadow was not human, almost beastly for it was running fast. But as she saw the shadow get out of the bushes it suddenly took a human appareance and she immediately recognize her consultant's silhouette.
"Jane ?" Lisbon asked hesitant
"nice to see you Lisbon" Jane said "nice welcoming you have there" Jane said with a grin
"yeah you scared the crap out of me" Lisbon said dropping down her gun "I thought you were a wolf or something" she said teasing him
"oh I'm flatered Lisbon" Jane said calmly "didn't know I could howl" he told her smiling his mega-watt smile
"yeah very funny" Lisbon said "what happened to your head ?" she asked as she saw the small trail of blood sticking on Jane's left temple
Lisbon saw the blood had dried but the wound would take time to heal
"someone or something hit me" he said "I didn't really saw it coming you know" Jane said coming closer to her
"looks pretty nasty" Lisbon said concerned
"I'm fine Lisbon" Jane said agitated
"how did you know I was you know…" she said rolling her eyes to the side "that Red John didn't really captured me ?" she asked
"Grace told me" Jane said "after I woke up I was a little dizzy, Grace called me and told me it was all a big misunderstanding. She was a little surprised when she saw you at the CBI can't blame her" Jane said with humor
"yeah I guess" Lisbon said
"you don't know how much I'm glad you're okay" Jane said genuinely and looking down miserably
Jane was now incredibly close to her
"yeah me too" she responded with a smile almost blushing
"what is it ?" Lisbon said pointing at the the giant rectangle hole digged into the ground
"your grave my dear" Jane devilishly whispered into her ear before pushing her into the deep hole of earth
For a moment everything felt surreal ; like time had stopped by leaving Lisbon wandering in a limitless dimension with only her imagination to guide her. Her mind was finally opened up to all the possibilities for her body was no more holding her back. It had stopped to be a burden at the very same moment she fell into the hole, when it was pointless for her body to struggle for resistance because she still trusted the men who had put her there even though all the reason in the world told her he could not be trusted. The road to salvation is a very long path ; halfway through sky and earth. But for now, the direction didn't matter to Lisbon only the means because either road taken she saw red.
Author's note : I know for those who think that Jane is Red John I might say don't freak out there is an explanation to everything ;) *SPOILER ALERT* Besides next chapter is the last one sniff sniff ;( and will be entitled "Blood Ties" so okay enoug said ! I would like to thank you for reading this chapter and feel free to leave a comment that's always appreciated xDD