Chapter Five: Teresa Lisbon

They came in the middle of the day; Teresa Lisbon had taken a walk to the diner around the corner, half expecting to be taken at some point and yet hoping that whoever it was would allow her a free pass. She'd received a garbled message from Jane about Red John and though she feared the worst, she still had faith that everyone was still alive. Whether that would be for much longer was another story entirely, but for now she could hope and pray that she wasn't going to join four bodies.

'Get your hands off me,' she shouted, struggling under the grasp of the man who pushed her down a corridor and into a small room. A room filled with chairs and, to her relief, her colleagues. Never before had she been so relieved to see them all, despite the fact Van Pelt looked about ready to vomit and Jane's ankle appeared misshapen under his trousers. They were alive which mattered more than anything.

The man forced her into a seat and tied her to the chair; she struggled against his forcefulness, only giving in once he'd slammed her hip into the wooden seat. She breathed slowly as the throbbing pain subsided, she'd have a nasty bruise at least.

'Damn it Jane,' she snapped once the door had been closed, leaving them alone.

'What did I do?' he asked, attempting to hold his hands up at his sides, instead he appeared more like a headless chicken.

'I told you not to do anything stupid and you go and get yourself kidnapped.'

'So did you,' he said, smirking. She cursed under her breath and rolled her eyes. He thought he was clever, but it wasn't like they were in the office. Playing mind games and being 'clever' didn't save lives where people like Red John were concerned. She wanted to say as much but knew the severity of the situation.

'Grace?'

Lisbon turned at the worried tone of Rigsby's voice, he was staring at Van Pelt whose head rested against her chest like a rag dolls. Her heart leapt into her mouth and she whispered a few Hail Mary's. Rigsby shouted her name again and she roused. Lisbon was relieved; the last thing she wanted was to lose a member of her team.

'You okay, Grace?' she asked, concern rising at the injury she had obviously sustained to her head.

'Not really.'

'I cleaned the wound earlier, but it's been a while since she's eaten,' said Rigsby, looking terrified even after Van Pelt had spoken.

A door on the opposite side of the room slid open and footsteps echoed across the stone floor. The five of them looked up at the figure, dressed in a dark suit, his hair a darker shade of red and his face covered in a white mask bearing the smiley face they all knew too well. He could be anyone, he could be the man who kidnapped them all and yet somehow Lisbon knew that he was the person they had been chasing after all these years.

'Hello there Patrick, Teresa,' he said, his voice suggesting a smile was hiding behind the mask. 'Wayne, Kimball and Grace. Finally, we meet.'

Jane's eyes grew wide, his face as pale as Van Pelt's as it hit home that the man in front of him was the man they had all been searching for. Something in the way he spoke made Lisbon know that he wasn't another Timothy Carter, he couldn't be.

'I'm glad you could all join us, I hope my friends have been treating you well.'

Van Pelt started to whimper, her skin even paler than previously and she shook in her seat. Lisbon wanted to beg for mercy, to let her go and get her some help. What other option was there? Watch her die? She knew deep down that he probably had much worse plans for the lot of them.

'It's alright Gracie,' he whispered, resting a hand on her head and brushing back her hair. 'It'll all be over soon, I promise.'

'What are you going to do to us?' said Rigsby, hatred burning in his eyes.

'He who can have patience can have what he will. Anyone know who said that?'

'Benjamin Franklin,' said Jane, his voice cold and separated from emotion. Lisbon watched him with caution. Something big was going to happen, though she couldn't be sure what Red John had planned. Would they capture Red John once and for all? Would he kill them all before there was any chance of being rescued?

They sat in silence. Lisbon kept an eye on the man standing in the centre of the group, analysing the shape of his body beneath the suit; he was slender, his stomach relatively flat, unlike many men. She couldn't tell if his hair was natural but she noted the irony in the colour, regardless.

'Now, Jane, I believe we have a score to settle,' said Red John, stepping across the circle and resting his fingers against Jane's cheek. He turned his head, disgusted by the contact with his mortal enemy. 'Don't worry, you don't have to do anything but sit here and watch.'

He pulled out a gun, not unlike the calibre they used for work. It wouldn't have surprised Lisbon if the exact gun he held was one that belonged to a member of her team. They'd taken her weapon before they brought her in and she imagined they'd done the same with the others. One of the other men entered the room and knelt behind her chair. She tried to stay calm as they loosened the rope that tied her hands together. Lisbon frowned at Red John, what game was he playing?

'Stand up.'

She did as she was told and he pressed the gun into her hand. A lump settled in her throat and she struggled to breathe. She squeezed the trigger and lifted it up towards him, but the trigger merely clicked.

'Think I'd give you a loaded weapon just yet, did you, Teresa?' he said, laughter floating across the room.

Red John moved closer once more, he lifted the mask slightly and pressed his lips against Lisbon's. She stood there, motionless, as he kissed her. She barely responded, more confused than anything. He smiled as he stepped back and lowered the mask over his face once more.

'I hope you're watching this, Patrick,' said Red John and the reasoning for his actions fell into place. He knew more about them than she'd ever realised, the feelings she kept so deep inside that even Jane didn't know about them – at least she hoped he didn't – were being toyed with. All in order to play games with Jane.

Red John reached into his pocket and lifted out a bullet, he held it up in front of Lisbon's face, taunting her with the hope of shooting him. It couldn't be that simple, it wouldn't be, but what else did he want her to do?

'You, Teresa, will load the gun with this single bullet,' he said, staring at her. 'And then you will shoot another member of your team. I don't care who, it's up to you. Shoot someone, or I'll kill you all. Understand?'

He handed her the bullet. Lisbon took it and loaded it with shaky hands. Now was her opportunity. She lifted the gun towards Red John, hopeful that she could do what no one had managed to do before. But as her eyes met his, a small dark casing in his hand made her stop.

'You think I'm stupid, Teresa. If you shoot me, I'll drop this and we'll all die. I don't think you want that now, do you?'

Lisbon looked around at her colleagues, her friends. First Jane, he had come so far in the years that she'd known him. Would Red John expect her to pull the trigger and kill him? She doubted it. They weren't here for Jane to die; they were here to punish him further. Besides, she couldn't do it even if she wanted to choose him. She loved him. The word had never been so prevalent in her mind when considering him, but it was the truth. They say that times of need often make you re-evaluate things and this was no different, she loved Patrick Jane with all of her heart and the very thought of killing him left a hole she couldn't bear to live with.

She moved her gaze across to Cho, her faithful friend. They'd known each other the longest. One day he would make an amazing senior special agent, he was going to go far in the field and should she not make it out, she could think of no one better to take over the unit. On the other hand, would she be fired for murdering a member of her team? She couldn't be sure, under duress or not, she was about to commit the very act that she fought so hard against. She would need to take responsibility for her failures, and they would need someone to take over her position should that happen.

Then there was Rigsby, engaged to Sarah, a father. There was no question about it, she couldn't kill a parent. She'd suffered throughout her life because she'd lost her mom and later her dad. She couldn't put Benjamin through that; she couldn't put Sarah through the same pain that Jane had gone through all for the same man.

Which left her with Grace. Lisbon stared at her pale features, her bloodshot eyes. Would she even make it if Red John let them go? The very thought weighed heavily upon her heart. She was the youngest, which should have meant that she had many more years to live. That reason alone should save her from this fate and yet, Lisbon couldn't think of any other reason to keep her alive. Of course, she didn't want her to die; she had come to see her as a friend. She was Van Pelt's mentor, her hero and yet she was considering the probability that she would kill her? The very thought made her feel sick to the stomach and yet she couldn't think of an alternative.

She could kill herself, but what purpose would that have? The team needed her to fight their corner, should she die, she suspected that Jane would fall further. It was the lesser of several evils and one that Lisbon knew was the most horrific thought she would ever ask God's forgiveness for.

'It's okay,' said Grace and Lisbon realised that she'd been staring at her, committing to memory every part of her face; her beautiful smile that shone with every new day. She didn't want to be the one to take her away from the world. Rigsby stared at her, already bereft at the idea that she was going to do this.

'No,' he said, his voice breaking up.

'I'm the only option,' said Van Pelt, shaking her head as the tears started to flow.

Red John let out a small laugh and stepped towards Van Pelt. Lisbon closed her eyes and prayed for Grace's soul. He rested a finger against her chin and stroked it. 'You're so very brave, Grace. Say your goodbyes.'

Lisbon's hand shook as she loaded the gun, her finger pressed gently against the trigger as she took several steps forward. If she was going to do this, it was going to be quick. She closed the gap between herself and Van Pelt and rested the gun against the side of her head.

'I don't want to do this,' she whispered.

'I know,' said Van Pelt, her pale face a mess of tears. Lisbon rested a hand against her cheek and knelt down in front of her.

'Everyone will know the sacrifice you made, your parents, your friends. I promise.'

'I know,' repeated Van Pelt, her voice shaking harder. Lisbon shook her head and wiped at her own tears, the very act of murdering the closest thing she had to a best friend – Jane aside – made it all the harder to maintain her stability. She couldn't forgive herself for what she was about to do, let alone expect any of the team to forgive her. Rigsby's eyes were so full of pain that she barely looked at him. Jane had his eyes closed and Cho watched on in horror.

'I'm so, so sorry Grace, I love you,' she said, her voice small and weak as she pressed her finger harder against the trigger. The gun went off and Van Pelt's body went limp in front of her. Rigsby cried out as Lisbon collapsed onto the floor, her knees no longer strong enough to hold the weight of her body. She vomited and fell onto her back, staring up at the ceiling as she struggled to contemplate what she'd just done.

'Until next time, Patrick,' said Red John as he left them alone in the room.

The End