Hello there. Be nice and flamers may go drown AND GOD BLESS MY BL BETA…
I own nothing if I did there would be no Tom and Lizzy would have pulled a Clarice by now.
I also would like to inform you that the next chapter will be RATED M, so if you wish to keep reading this story you'll ether have to follow it or adjust you rating setting accordingly. Thank you for your attention.
"Tapomay Raval must be one of the most fascinating men I have ever come across in all my dealings over on my side of the fence," Red unceremoniously started one morning as he walked in the Post Office.
One of the first things Lizzie had come to realize was that no matter what Berlin wanted, he was only interested in Red, and had no intention of exploiting the fact that Red was working with the FBI. The second thing Lizzie realized was that whatever her and Red we're going to do, it had to be with the assistance of the Bureau. So against their better judgment they went back. She was informed by Cooper that the Director of the FBI promised that if they were willing to come back, everything would go back to "normal". When she passed this information to Red, he just gave one of his characteristic chuckles and kept on eating dinner. That had been two months ago. Ressler had wanted to put a security detail on Liz, but Red had said that it wasn't necessary and that due to the recent slip-ups on their part he felt much better taking care of that matter personally. The team he had assembled for Liz had been "upgraded" to six extra teammates; all very loyal to him and all extremely violent if need be. The new members were the same that had aided Lizzie in her search for him during the Anslo Garrick ordeal. They had been impressed by her single-minded obsession to find Red; so had Mr. Kaplan.
"… His name literally means 'King full of morale'…? Red stopped momentarily to bark out a laugh and then continued, "which considering his line of business is most ironic."
"His line of business?" Asked Ressler, then looked to Aram, who immediately started running all sorts of checks on the name supplied by Red.
"Hmm… Business. He has a private club in Nevada. It's a rather large hole in the ground, quite literally. Some fifteen years back he bought a piece of land on the mountain range and decided build a mine type club. On the outside it looks just like you're average holiday getaway, but I think you'll find that the people renting his cabins are not innocent clients. It's the entry in his office and Tool shed that's interesting. He has built an entire network below ground."
"I still haven't heard anything illegal," Ressler started.
"Patience Donald, I was just getting to the fun part." Red turned back to Liz and continued, "He's a broker like me if you will, but unlike me this man has no moral code; hence me finding him and his name in particular, quite fascinating. He auctions off whatever it is he has to sell. Not only that, but he insists that all interested parties be present, or at the very least have a representative there."
"And you say this has been going on for at least fifteen years?" Asked Cooper who had silently joined the makeshift meeting. "Ah Cooper so nice to see you standing again," greeted Red jovially. "More like twelve. It took him two years and thirty construction teams from all around the world to build The Haven. It was built in parts, and whenever one team finished with their part of construction they were eliminated. Tapomay is the only one who knows the actual size and architecture of his so called club. But that's not the worst part, Tapomay isn't stupid, even though he conducts his auctions carelessly. After he receives the money he does a thorough background check on who won the round, not only that, but the merchandise isn't anywhere near his club. He has it stored somewhere else."
"How does he keep his clients happy then?" Asked Liz, knowing that there was much more to the story. Red wouldn't drop his quest to find Berlin unless he had something more valuable to gain from this little field trip. "And what stops the other unhappy customers from acting out?" She added as an afterthought.
"Well I'm glad someone was paying attention. He has a house rule. Everyone is to remain in house for however long the transaction takes. To ensure everybody behaves themselves, he offers entertainment in true Las Vegas style. He also auctions off Men and women to entertain the lucky winner. Some of them are professionals, most aren't. Whatever the clients want, he has." Red finished pointedly.
"Jesus… even minors?" Aram asked horrified.
"As young as fourteen. It's not clear where he gets them, but I doubt he does his shopping in Nevada."
"What happens to them?" Asked Lizzie.
"Depends… if the customer was satisfied they can take their goods with them, if not they're either disposed of or put to work in the club. I've never needed to procure his talents before, but it has been brought to my attention that one of Tapomay's suppliers has worked with and knows Berlin. I'm not particularly interested in what he is selling, but I do want that name, and the only way I can get it is if I show that I am willing to pay. Nasty business, but there you have it."
"Very well, get the team ready, draw up a plan, and let's do this. The sooner we get to Berlin the faster we get our lives back," Cooper said as he stood up and went to his office.
Because of Berlins attack, the task force's lives have been in upheaval. Coopers family had been placed under protective custody, and the man had taken to practically living at the black site. Aram and Ressler now lived together in a safe house. They moved every other week, and Lizzie lived wherever Red lived. Meera's children were flown to Montana to their uncle's house under the impression that mommy had died in a car crash. Their Uncle, Niraj, was the only one in Meera's family that knew she worked for the C.I.A; so not only was he the only logical choice, he was the only that knew part of the truth. The rest of the task force members were in similar conditions. It wasn't ideal, but it was all they could at the moment.
As Ressler got to work, Lizzie stood and joined Red near the screens. "So, where do I fit in?" She asked, a little bored as she imagined herself undercover cover as an asset or a dangerous lover; they'd been there, done that.
"As a chamber maid," Red said with finality.
"Excuse me? A what?" Was Lizzie's indignant response. This attracted Ressler's attention, and he started to walk toward the two of them.
"You are going to be the chamber maid." Red repeated. He knew that there was going to be an argument over this, so he decided to cut to the chase and give a logical but ruthless blow."As much as I enjoy your company Lizzie, Meera is dead, and she was the only other field agent who could do this job. So until Cooper vets a Female agent to replace her, you're going to have to take a less glamorous role on our little incursions. As the chamber maid you'll have access to the doors and be able to let your fellow agents in," Red finished with a tight smile.
Lizzie, for her part, was left speechless. Everything that Red had said was not only true, but made sense.
"There. So now we have a way in," said Ressler "Mind coming with me so that we can get all the details ironed out?" He said as he turned to Liz. She just nodded and followed him to the table where the other agents were.
Red turned back to the screen and stared at Tapomay's image with a small, wicked smile.
It had been two months since the Berlin fiasco. Seeing Lizzie get out of the taxi had made his heart ache. All he wanted to do was take in his arms and never let go, but it was still too soon. She had just shot her husband earlier that day. So he waited. He wondered what Lizzie would say if she knew what went through his mind while she was safely tucked in her bed in the next room. Maybe he would tell her soon. He had witnessed a glimpse of forgiveness that day while they were in the car waiting to hear about the decoy. He also saw a glimpse of something deeper than care as he knelt and surrendered to her. Because that's what he had done; he had surrendered to her, HIS Lizzie, and not the FBI.
During the last two months he had slowly inched his way closer to her. He could now invade her personal space without her noticing. He had also very subtly caressed her a certain way, and gauged her reactions. He wasn't left disappointed. His little experiments had left a heated effect on her. He would always pull away and carry on as if nothing had occurred, but it had the desired effect. Not only did he now know that his sweet, and to some degree, innocent Lizzie was drawn to him, he had also subtly made her aware of that fact as well.
Yes, two months had been more than enough for any sense of misguided propriety to take affect. Lizzie's awakening would start to take place as soon as this whole affair with Tapomay was done. He refused to live on fantasies any longer than necessary, and time was too short to wait for the next day. He fully intended to fall off the face of earth when Berlin and his Adversary were done for; and he was taking Lizzie with him.
"Well I'll just leave all this to your capable hands. Give me a call when you're all ready. I have a trip to plan." Red said as he left the war room. He felt Lizzie's eye's on him the entire time, but he resisted the urge to turn and look.
Step One: Throw Lizzie a curve ball. Done. Red thought to himself as he smiled more openly with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Of course nothing ever seems to go according to plan.
The first thing Red noticed when they arrived at the resort was that Tapomay Raval was not Tapomay Raval, but Wajeeh Raval, his younger cousin. What is it with this family's names and their business? Wajeeh, meaning 'Noble', was anything but. He managed to be even more revolting than Tapomay, in Red's opinion, but as long as he got what he came for it didn't matter to him.
"If it isn't Raymond "Red" Reddington, the Concierge of Crime. To what do I owe this unusual pleasure?" Asked Wajeeh, with cynical politeness.
"My dear Wajeeh, whatever happened to your cousin, Tapomay?" Red deflected with a razor thin smile of his own.
"Ah yes! It was a terrible tragedy. He drowned while scuba diving in Jamaica." The Indian man explained. Red didn't believe him for a second.
"I'm so sorry to hear that. We had reached an agreement, and as his apparent Heir, I wonder if he told you anything about it," Red started, quickly adjusting his story. This would actually make things infinitely easier. He knew for a fact that Tapomay had been alive and well the previous week, and he doubted that his twenty-something replacement, although more malicious, would be able to outsmart him.
Red played with the boy's ambition.
"No, his death was rather sudden, an unexpected tragedy. But, whatever it was that you two had agreed about, I'm sure that with a few minor adjustment we could reach an agreement as well." Wajeeh smiled much more pleasantly. He knew that going in to business with Red would put him amongst the highest ranks of the shady world.
Red smiled pleasantly. His strategy had worked, like he knew it would.
"You have something for sale, but I am much more interested in one of your suppliers. I was to buy his name privately from your cousin. Can that still be arranged?" Red asked cordially.
"Tell you what, I'm an equal opportunist. Although I'm known by my reputation, I must also show to all of my guests that I mean business. Why don't you stay for tonight's auction and bid on one of the three items that I have to offer. If you end up winning the highest bid on one of them, then I'll give you this name you want as a bonus. You and my cousin may have gone way back, but I'm young and new to this. I can't be known to play favorites, nor be known to be in Reddington's pocket. I hope you understand." The younger man said with a slimy smile.
"I find those terms to be agreeable and quite reasonable," Red answered with his razor smile back in place. You slimy brat. You don't even know what's coming your way. "I can hardly wait to see what it is you have to offer."
"One of the items up for bid, as you know, are Guided missiles and their respective launchers; the other two are a surprise," Wajeeh informed him.
After Three hours of shows, food, and drink, the Auction began. Not caring about the missiles and their launchers, Red only half half-heartedly bid on them, banking on one of the surprise items of the list. If the brat was playing the mystery surprise card so diligently, chances were that the items were much more expensive. It took all of thirty minutes to be sold to some West African general. After a small break for cigars and pleasant conversation, Wajeeh climbed the stage once more and started his exposition.
"Well, as promised, there will be two more auctions tonight. But these items..." The way Wajeeh said the word, and the smile on his face sent a chill down Red's spine. "… are more for the entertainment part of our evening. We have two new girls… well… one girl, the other is a woman, but what a woman."
Lizzie! Red thought to himself. He had a bad feeling about this as he turned to Dembe and looked at him. His bodyguard was on alert as well.
"First I will introduce you to Miss Savanna York, from New York, how about that, bring her in. She's here on a scholarship from England, and wanted to be on Broadway. Perhaps she will dance for our happy winner, no?" As he said this, two men dragged a terrified looking girl of about nineteen in. She had beautiful grey eyes that gave her an exotic look due to her mocha-colored skin. "And secondly, Samantha Callahan from Montana."
LIZZIE! Red felt his blood run cold. How did this happen… how did this happen… It happened because Wajeeh is trying to make a name for himself, and because Lizzie's cover story is of a recently orphaned woman who went through a bad divorce and moved to start a new life. SOMEONE THAT NO ONE WOULD COME LOOKING FOR. Red cursed Ressler's stupidity.
He turned to Dembe and whispered, "You bid for the other girl, whatever it takes, if we leave this girl behind Lizzie will never forgive us." The taller man nodded once in understanding. When Red looked back up again, he spotted Lizzie silently trembling, desperately looking for him without being obvious about it.
"…and now that you have seen both items," Weejah continued, "I'll be sending them out back so that they can be properly prepared and clothed for your enjoyment." Both woman weren't going to see who had bought them.
It was at this point that a deviously naughty idea crept in to Red's head: Why wait for tomorrow, when you can do it today?Lizzie's awakening was going to start this very night. Red smiled mischievously with a heated gaze as he watched Lizzie's retreating form.