IX. Realignments

Queens, New York City…. 2:54AM

Fusco sighed as he leaned back in his seat lazily tugging on his still handcuffed wrist. He had been sitting outside glasses safehouse, waiting for them to show the up and tell him what the hell was going on. Starting with how his partner was still alive and why the hell she was acting like she didn't know who he was or who her family was.

His internalized rant was interrupted as a full car carrying truck slowed to a stop, parking on the street corner in front of him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, followed closely by surprise as his partner exited the vehicle. His eyes following her form as she crossed the street walking up to his driver's side window and rapping on the glass.

As soon as the barrier between them had receded she leaned down and stared at him.

"Yo."

Lionel blinked "Yo?

Joss watched as the man's face became agitated and slightly red.

"Yo? What do you mean, yo? Do you have any idea what I've…" Lionel fumbled for words, "…You're supposed to be dead? I watched your family bury you. Then you reappear out of nowhere alive and well. Kidnap me, handcuff me, and knock me out and all you have to say is yo?"

Joss controlled the urge to roll her eyes as she breathed through her nose "Alive and well? Depends on who you're talking to."

"What?" Lionel replied confused.

Joss sighed "As much as I would love to take time and explain to you everything that's going on, we have more important things to handle right now."

Lionel narrowed his eyes as she subverted the conversation "What are you talking about?"

"Your friends are about to end up in an unmarked graves if we don't save them."

Lionel felt shock control his face before he quickly overcame it "Well then what are you waiting for? Get me out of these cuffs."

He watched as she quickly pushed the unlock button on his car, swiftly opening the back door. He heard her rustle around for something before she shoved her hand next to his face. His eyes locking on the key to his handcuffs.

Joss stepped out the car shutting the door as she waited for the cop to un-cuff himself.

Lionel rubbed his wrist swinging the door open and stepping out the car, eyeing her with suspicion "So what's the plan. How do we find and save them from what I'm assuming, based off previous dealings, involves highly trained people with guns."

"According to my partners tracking device they're headed out of Brooklyn last time I checked on highway 27."

"Lot of places to dump bodies out east" Lionel offered up looking at her as she treated him like they never communicated before.

"I know that's why we're going to funnel them into one location."

"Is that what your new rides are for?" Lionel raised an eyebrow as he pointed at the car carrying truck.

"Yes but first things first we are going to need some heavy fire power. Do you know where we can get any on short notice?"

Lionel felt a smirk tug on his lips as he pointed towards the safe house "I'm sure the wonder twins keep some backup toys stashed up there."

Eastbound Linden Blvd/Highway 27….. 3:02AM

They all sat quiet in the back of the transport truck. Their hands and feet cuffed together like they were a prison chain gang. He was shackled next to Kara while Harold and Sameen where shackled opposite them. His eyes drifted down to the floor of the truck where Bear lay. His legs and muzzle bound together by duct tape. His eyes glancing at the armed guard sitting in the back of the armored truck with them before falling back onto the ground.

He should be angry. Angry at the machine for using and manipulating them. Angry at Root. Angry at Kara. Angry that he had failed to protect his friends. But he wasn't, at least not entirely, he was for the lack of better words depressed and guilty.

Joss was alive. She had been alive and he had just abandoned her. Left her body unattended on a cold street corner. No wonder it was so easy for Kara and her bosses to manipulate her. Especially if all she remembered was him and Harold turning their backs on her as she lay in pain and agony on the ground. Alone. The one thing he had promised her she would never be as long as he was around.

"How? How is she still alive?" the question tumbled out of his mouth barely above a whisper before he could control it.

Kara smirked "aww you miss your little girlfriend. Here you are on the cusps of death and your only thoughts are of her. She must have been real special.." Kara laughed "or the sex must have been mind-blowing."

Shaw glared at Kara "We're all about to die. You could at least stop being a bitch and answer him."

Kara grinned at the John's new partner "Sorry little girl I stay in perpetual bitch mode."

Johns eyes darted back down to the floor as he heard Bear whine in pain and discomfort again.

"You can at least let my dog go. It's not like he can identify you to the authorities" John glared at the armed man who sat in the back with them.

The sound of a ringing phone interrupted the silence. The guard answered the phone listening briefly before turning his attention onto Harold "Boss says last offer."

Harold ignored the man remaining silent.

The guy shrugged at Harold's non response "Still no."

As soon as the man hung up the truck slowed its speed and eventually came to a stop. Judging by the man's tense reaction the stop wasn't planned.

"Sanders what's going on?"

Sanders stared the wreck in front of them that was blocking their route. A short fat trucker stood next to his rig on his phone. The car carrying truck itself blocked half the lanes and the car that looked like it fell off the rig laid on its side blocking the other lanes.

Sanders pressed his ear piece as he responded to his colleague. "There's a wreck. Some dumb trucker is blocking all the lanes I'm going to pull off and go around it."

Fusco watched as the armored truck backed up and pulled off the highway onto the back road

"It's a white armored truck Carter and it's headed your way." Fusco replied as he walked around the staged wreck getting into the black SUV and following the truck down at a safe distance as he waited for Carter to make her move

Joss watched as the armored car traveled down the back road, her body partially obscured by the tall uncut grass of the opened field opposite the road. She re positioned herself as she looked down the scope of the Barret M-107 she borrowed from the safe houses arsenal. As soon as her target rolled into her line of sight she opened fire blowing out the back tire of the truck sending it into a tail spin. Watching as it skid to a halt in the middle of the road. As soon as it stopped moving she picked up the modified shotgun loaded with bean bag rounds and approached the truck opening fire on the driver as he tried to exit.

x-x-x-xx-x-x-x

John was the first to get his barrings as the truck came to an unexpected stop. The armed guard in the back drawing his weapon on them and ordering them not to move.

They all listened as shots were exchanged outside the tuck before silence engulfed them.

John eyed the guard debating on whether or not it was worth the risk to try and subdue him. Even though there were four of them and one of him a bullet going off in a metal box was never a good idea. His thoughts were interrupted by the handle on the door turning. To revel a ragged looking man.

The armed guard lowered his weapon "Sanders what the hell is.."

Before he could finish his question the man who opened the door was replaced by another man wearing a ski mask who raised a shotgun and fired twice at the guard sending him crumbling to the ground unconscious.

"Damn these bean bag rounds pack a punch".

"Detective?" Harold questioned surprised as he looked at Lionel in complete shock.

"Happy to see me. You know it fills nice to do the saving for a change." Lionel smiled as he stepped into the back of the truck. Leaning down and removing Bears restraints.

"For once Lionel I am." John smirked.

Lionel dug in the unconscious guard's pockets before pulling out the key to their restraints. "Really Wonderboy I save all of your hides and I can't even get a thank you.

"Just for that I'm un-cuffing you last" Lionel remarked turning from John and moving over to Shaw undoing her and Harold's restraints first.

John watched as Shaw grabbed the guard's gun before hoping out of the truck after Harold as Lionel turned to him and Kara.

Lionel looked at Kara. Finally getting a good look at the crazy heifer who strapped a bomb vest to Reese a while back "Make that second to last." He remarked as he undid John's restraints first and the woman with burn scars on her face last.

John he stood outside the van rubbing his wrist as Kara exited the van with Fusco close behind her watching her with caution. He remained silent as she strolled off ignoring them all making her way towards the adjacent shopping center. More than likely to steal a car and report back to whoever she was getting her orders from.

"You're Welcome!" Lionel snorted out as he watched the woman with burn scars walk away from them without so much as a thank you.

John turned back to look at Lionel, his eye catching his weapon. "Is that my shotgun?"

Lionel smirked "yeah had to borrow your Plan B bag."

Shaw stood up after her quick physical exam of Bear watching Stanton disappear into the shopping center parking lot, "Should we be letting her go."

"Indeed." Harold pondered watching the woman's retreating form.

"She's the least of your worries."

They all turned around as a familiar voice sounded out behind them.

John felt his chest tighten as Joss stood before them dressed in black tactical gear. Looking similar to the last time he saw her as they fended of HR. His first thought was to reach out and embrace her. Hold her close like his life depended on it. But judging from her guarded stance and uncomfortable expression she still didn't know who they were. Or who he was and what they had.

Joss felt awkward as they all just stared at her in silence. Even the dog was staring at her strangely looking at her with a sense of familiarity and confusion as it sniffed the air near her. But the tall man named John gave her the most uncomfortable feeling as he looked at her with such an intense holstered her hand gun and looked up and down the street. It would only be a matter of time before the wreck on the highway brought the authorities there way. They needed to disappear and fast.

"Unless you all want to end up in cuffs and black hoods I suggest we get out of here." Joss turned on her heal, not waiting for them to reply and walked toward the idling SUV she had been waiting in as they had there little reunion.

Shaw frowned as they all slowly followed her "Well she certainly isn't miss congeniality anymore."

x-x-x-xx-x-x-x

As they all filed into the SUV a security camera across the street watched them analyzing the situation.

Identifying…..processing….

Subjects identified….Harold Finch (alias)…Status: Active..…. John Reese (alias)…. Status: Active …Sameen Shaw(alias)… Status: Active….Jocelyn Carter….Status: Pending…..Unidentifiable male…status undetermined…...Threat matrix configuring …..former assets assessment: potential Moderate to severe…archiving …accessing mainframe…...initiating realignment…accessing databases; domestic agencies….expanding data points…international agencies…..targeting new assets…..determining persons of interest…...uploading list…..contacting admin elect: Samantha Groves/Root(alias)…...

AN: Wheww that took forever for me to update. Thanks for waiting to anyone who's still reading this story.