Never Alone (#6 in Blacklist)

CHAPTER 2: HERE WE GO

I sit at a bench with Red. He hears a phone ringing, I look at him "The payphone?" he shakes his head "Ross is smarter than that, Donald. It's coming from the trash can." He walks over to the phone and puts it on speaker "Yeah." 

"Agent Ressler, Red, is that a tail I see watching the two of you?" We both look ahead. Red keeps walking "You know I can't come here without the feds watching my every move. They're rather protective over Agent Keen. But if you're half as smart as I think you are, I'm sure you can find a way to elude them." We enter an alley and see six men. Three dressed like Red, three dressed like myself. Then small sacks are placed over mine and Red's head and we're shoved into a van.

Later, I find my hands tied to what feels like a chair. The sacks are lifted from mine and Red's heads. I gulp, Keen's lips are bleeding, there's a scratch on her cheek, she has a black eye. I look over at Reddington, he has a pained expression on his face seeing Keen like this. 

..........................

(Red's POV)

Elizabeth sighs "This is my fault." I look at her "No." Donald nods "Liz, this isn't your fault. And it isn't Aram's fault for giving Ross that code."

"I should've let it go." I look around "Doesn't matter, Lizzie." Donald looks from Elizabeth to me "Since when do you call her Lizzie anymore? It's always been Elizabeth ever since she faked her death." She shakes her head "Mr. Kaplan, Tom, we all should've just left it alone." I look at Donald, then return my gaze back to Elizabeth. Her voice breaks "They died thinking I deserved to know, but I don't." I stare at Elizabeth, my eyes feel watery. 

Elizabeth lets out a shaky sigh and shakes her head "Whatever this is, it's yours. I should've respected that. The only reason you and I are here is because I didn't, and I'm so sorry." 

I stop her "You have nothing to apologize for. Not to me, ever." 

She hangs her head and cries, Donald sighs, feeling sorry for her. Ross comes in the room and sets my duffel on a table. I look at him "My life for hers, that was the agreement." Donald growled "Let her go!" he looks at us "Take her in the back." Elizabeth widens her eyes "No no. No no, no!" Donald winces and looks at her.

........................

(Donald Ressler's POV)

I wince as I watch them take her. Ross smirks "For 30 years I've wanted to be in the same room with Raymond Reddington. Should I tell Agent Ressler here the truth? That the man he's hunted for five years isn't who he thinks he is." Liz screams. I wince and look at Red "What truth? What are you hiding, Reddington?" 

"You didn't tell him." Red glared at Ross "I didn't tell any of them. They have no right to know." He looked at me "Don't bother listening to him, Donald. That's regarding my privacy. It's none of your business." Liz screams again. Red sighs "You don't have to hurt her anymore. Ross looks at us "Whether or not she suffers is entirely up to you. Or I should say how much she suffers. The quicker you tell me what I want to know, the less damage they'll inflict on her."

Red sighed "If I tell, what guarantee do I have that you'll let her go?" Ross growled "The only guarantee you have is that if you don't tell me, she will die!" He smirked "But perhaps you don't care about that. Perhaps her life isn't worth you revealing your precious secret for. After all, who is she to you really?" Red winced as he heard her screaming for him "Enough!"

"Tell me the truth." Red sighed "The truth."

"The truth, is that I am not-"

End of chapter