14.

There was a chance that Matt was playing her. Liz's initial reaction was that he was a scared little boy that was in way over his head, but Jacob had been the same once. He had told her enough to know that the Major didn't pick up angels and turn them into devils. The kid hadn't asked for the gun back, though. That had to be a step in the right direction.

When he reached out and grabbed her wrist it startled her into stopping. It was a good thing too, as several students were passing by. Liz flattened against the wall and glanced back to see Matt's nervous expression. Once they were passed she reached out to him. "We're going to be okay, sweetie."

"The students are just as bad as the teachers. Meaner. They're all killers."

"But you're not, are you, Matt?"

"I.." The determination returned to his eyes. "I'm not a washout and I'm not going back to the home."

"Okay," she said carefully. "Let's get out of here and I'll do everything I can. I promise you."

His eyes brightened a little. "Really? I won't have to go back to the group home?"

Liz felt a chill settle over her. "I'll do everything I can to make sure you don't," she promised.

Matt nodded. "Okay. The second years sneak out a place in the back of the gate. We can get out there if we hurry. When they notice you're gone they'll shut it off."

"Okay, let's go then. Lead the way."

"You trust me?"

"I'm choosing to," she acknowledged and he tugged on her wrist.

Jacob leaned back against the wall, his posture relaxed, but every bit of him was on high alert. Once they had gotten inside Reddington had taken lead and as long as Jacob had declared the guards useless, the Concierge of Crime had taken no prisoners. Jacob had heard stories, of course, but he'd never seen the older man in the middle of a firefight. Even he had to be slightly impressed.

Now they had finally gotten to a place where someone would know something and the former operative recognised the man that Reddington had ahold of. He was an instructor and thoroughly hated for the living hell he put students through. He pulled no punches and excelled in advanced interrogation - having been on the other end of more than one dangerous situation like that, Jacob had finally developed an appreciation for the training he'd received under him - and while he put on a good act that he could take just as well as he could give, even he appeared nervous under Raymond Reddington's cool glare.

"I can appreciate what you do, Mr Tawlyer, really I can," Reddington said as he leaned a little closer and Tawlyer flinched ever so slightly, "and any other day I'd like nothing better than to discuss your methods, but today I'm here for a reason. Elizabeth Keen. Where is she?"

Tawlyer's bright green eyes flickered over to where Jacob was leaning, arms crossed over his chest. "I'm not going to help you," the younger man said easily.

"Never thought you would," the instructor said tightly. "You always were a stubborn one."

"Served me well so far. Tell the man what he wants to know."

Tawlyer winced as Reddington adjusted his grip and a sound down the hall caught everyone's attention. Jacob pushed himself off the wall, ankle twinging, and Ressler levelled his gun towards the sound. It wasn't like they hadn't left a trail of bodies in their wake. Dembe nodded and moved towards the sound for recon. One or two was nothing, but if there were multiple hostiles they'd have to keep moving.

"Now, I have had a very off putting day, despite the wins we've accomplished. I'll ask you once more: Agent Keen. Where is she?"

"Raymond, we have to move," Dembe's voice echoes down the hall before he rounded the corner.

"You're not getting out of here, Reddington," Tawlyer said smugly. "You've dug yourself too deep coming here."

Jacob met Dembe as he came back into sight. "How many?"

"Ten or more. It appeared as if Masterson was with them."

"Take him with us," Ressler said, but the gunshot went off and Tawnley fell dead to the hallway floor.

"He wasn't going to say anything. Tom-"

Jacob's jaw tightened. "This is pointless. We've got to give them something else to focus on or they'll just keep gathering people until they've killed us."

"You seem to be surprised at their numbers."

"Bud never keeps this many here. He's recalled more than I ever would have dreamed he would."

"That means he's scared," Ressler pointed out.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean he can't kill us," Jacob answers tightly. "We're getting too close to the dorms. We need to cut back that way."

"That will bring us back into contact with the group we're trying to avoid," Dembe pointed out and Jacob sighed. He had been avoiding the thought that continued to reach for him. He couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Not if they have something important enough to them to distract. Justin won't turn down the chance to deliver me to Bud himself."

Reddington's eyes narrowed. "I won't promise to come get you."

"Just promise me you'll get Liz out," Jacob said tightly.

Ressler sighed. "She's going to be pissed at you."

"But she'll be alive. I'll get out if I can. Like the man said: I'm stubborn."

"There's no time to argue," Reddington said as he motioned. "This way?"

"Yeah. It'll lead you towards the classrooms."

The older man nodded, lips thinned out. Jacob rolled his eyes and forced a smile. "I fully intend to piss you off by surviving. Just go save Liz."

No more arguments were made as the three remaining slipped down a side hall and towards where they all hoped Liz was being held. Jacob felt his body protest as he forced himself through a door and waited to take on Masterson and the others by himself. If he were honest, he'd be lucky if he made it to Bud alive, but it had to be done. He wasn't the self-sacrificing sort, but Lizzy was the exception to every rule. He'd do anything that was needed to make sure she got out okay. He'd already proven that time and again.

Jacob got three shots off before he was overtaken, hands grabbing him. They dragged him out into the hall and slammed him down hard, his knees hitting the floor painfully. Masterson took a fistful of his short, dark hair and jerked his head up to look at him. "You just think you've bought them time, Phelps. I'm not the only one after them."

"You've already lost, Justin. Killing me won't change that."

"I'm not going to kill you yet, Jake. I'm going to kill your girl. Then, maybe, I'll put a bullet in you and let you bleed out. How's that sound?"

Jacob smirked. "Like you're in over your head," he chuckled.

"We'll see. Get him up. The Major wants a chat first."

The entire complex seemed to be moving and it was just a matter of time before they were found at this point. Their escape path had been cut off by two different routes and Liz's young guide was growing more and more agitated. He was afraid, and she couldn't blame him for an instant. They were both going to get taken, and if these people saw him trying to help her escape there wouldn't be a lot of hope for him.

"Matt," Liz said softly, pulling the boy's attention to her. "Honey, we're not going to make it to the exit. We're going to have to find another way."

"We can try the south exit-"

"No, sweetie. There are too many people. I need you to take me to your boss. I'm not going to get you caught with me."

"But you said you'd get me out," he protested, his young voice cracking with the rising panic.

"And I will, but we're going to be taken. We have to have some level of control, do you understand?"

Matt nodded, but the sound of gunfire startled them both. Liz let out a sharp cry and her fingers loosed around the gun involuntarily as pain spread through her arm.

"You seriously thought you were going to get away with helping a fed?"

Liz gripped at the source of the pain, feeling blood already soaking through her sleeve of her right arm. She turned her icy glare in their attackers and was only marginally surprised to find very young faces sneering at her. The students were killers. That's what Matt had said, and the boy looked terrified now. He tried to dart away, but the older boy caught ahold of him by the collar. "I'll make you a deal, fed. You don't give me any more trouble and the next shot fired doesn't go in the kid's head. How does that sound?"

Liz continued to glare and the teen smirked, pulling out a cell and hitting dial. "I have her, sir. North East corridor close to the mess hall."

The gun wa trained on Matt and it seemed her weakness was clear. "Was that your boss? Are you taking me to Bud?"

"Bud?" the student echoed.

Interesting. Apparently Tom was the only one that seemed to call him that. "The Major."

"Masterson will take you to the Major."

"Masterson's coming here?" she pressed.

"Yeah. Doesn't sound good for you. Especially since he got ahold of your boyfriend."

Liz blinked. They had Jacob. The idiot had come for her. Hopefully the amount of movement also meant that he'd come with the others as well, though she wasn't sure that was any better.

"When Masterson gets here-" the student was saying, gun still trained on Matt, but he yelped as a shot sounded and his leg buckled under him.

"It sounds like we made it just in time then. I've been wanting a sit down with Mr Masterson," a familiar voice chirped and Liz saw Reddington standing with his gun still aimed at the cursing teen on the floor. "Lizzy?"

"I'm okay," she managed through gritted teeth.

Ressler appeared from around the corner and be-lined for his partner. "Let me see," he prompted, trying to get a better look at her arm.

"I'm fine. They have Tom."

Her partner grimaced. "Yeah. I know."

"What do you mean you know?" Liz demanded tightly.

"I have little patience for men that send children to do their dirty work," Reddington was saying as he kicked the teen's gun away. "Now, you'll be just fine from that. Just a flesh wound, but your boss has crossed one too many lines lately. This is simply unacceptable."

"He's going to-"

"Do you know who I am?" Red demanded, and by the look the student gave he had no idea. The older man chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course you don't. You're just a pawn that thinks he has a place in this world. Shame."

Liz could hear an underlying anger boiling, barely hidden by the light tone of his voice. Her gaze shifted briefly back to Dembe who stood watching carefully and she remembered the younger man's story. It was different, certainly, but it would seem Red had little patience for anyone that would take advantage of children. It was a wonder he did business with Bud at all. Her mind snapped back to Ressler as he pulled at the sleeve of her shirt. "What do you mean you know?" she demanded again.

Ressler frowned. "We were running out of options, Liz. He knew that."

"So you just left him? The guy that runs this place is trying to kill him, he-"

"Knew what he was doing, Keen. He did it for you," her partner bit out, looking very much like he didn't want to admit that to himself, much less to her.

"We're going after him."

"One thing at a time, Lizzy," Reddington advised from his place. "First Masterson, then we'll see about Tom."

"Your little girlfriend may not be as broken up as you're hoping she is at your capture," Masterson said, giving Jacob a sharp enough shove that his ankle rolled painfully and he barely caught himself. "She and I had a very interesting little chat."

"I'm sure you did, Justin. Thing is that I don't care."

"I told her about that fed… oh what was her name? The one you had so worked up over you. Put two in her head, didn't you?"

Jacob remained as steady on his feet as he'd been, refusing to let himself give any sign one way or the other.

"Don't think you'd told her that one, from her reaction." They stopped at a door that Jacob knew well and Masterson flipped a phone open. "What?" He listened to whoever was on the other end. "Fine. Keep her there." He snapped it shut again and a dangerous smile crossed his lips. "Looks like I'm bringing your girl here after all. Maybe Bill will even let you say bye."

Jacob snorted as Masterson opened the door and shoved him in. He stumbled, body rebelling against the movement, and he found himself looking at a very irritated Bill McCready. No one else would have been able to tell, but Jacob could. He could see the disappointment there, and he hadn't expected it to sting.

"Get the girl, bring her here," he ordered, and as soon as the door closed behind him he turned his icy glare on his former protege.

TBC

Notes: Today has been utterly nuts, but thankfully I had a few minutes to edit this down. Glad I could get it up this evening at least :D

Next time - Jacob faces down his handler and Masterson has to face Reddington.