Fic : The Blacklist : The House You Live In Chapter 9
The House You Live In
Chapter 9 Ribbon of Darkness Over Me
Ribbon of darkness over me
Since my true love walked out the door
Tears I never had before
Ribbon of darkness over me
Clouds a-atherin' o'er my head
That kill the day and hide the sun
That shroud the night when day is done
Ribbon of darkness over me
Oh how I wish your heart could see
How mine just aches and breaks all day
Come on home and take away
This ribbon of darkness over me
-Gordon Lightfoot
OOO
Dembe watched Raymond through the rear view mirror. “We need to change safe houses.”
“No.”
“Raymond.”
“I said no.”
“Raymond, you may be in danger. We all may be in danger.”
“You go, Dembe. If you are afraid of Mr. Kaplan, you go, but I am staying right here.”
OOOOO
“Raymond would see me coming to you as a betrayal, but I didn't know where else to go.”
Dembe looked down at his hands as he confessed. “He wants Kate to find him. He wants her to punish him.”
OOOOO
Harold looked at the man before him.
Reddington had looked so broken after Keen had supposedly died. He still looked broken. Now he just looked a different kind of broken.
“Raymond, I certainly don't agree with your methods, but as appalling as I may find your conduct at times, you are my asset and because of that I have a responsibility to protect you.
“You live in a world where loyalty isn't just everything, it's the only thing. Mr. Kaplan betrayed your trust - I understand that. You did what you felt you had to do. I may not agree with what you did, but I know why you did it.
“But it's a two way street, Raymond. You tried to do what you thought you had to do. But you failed. Now it's Mr. Kaplan's move. You've betrayed her trust and by the code you two live I don't have to wonder what that move will be.”
Raymond shook his head. “Harold, you don't know Mr. Kaplan. So please do not presume to know what she would do.”
“Raymond, until you … resolve your Mr. Kaplan problem I am adding to Keen's security.”
“Mr. Kaplan would never go after Lizzie.”
“I may not know Mr. Kaplan, but neither do you, Raymond. Not anymore. Whatever came out of those woods - that's not the Mr. Kaplan you've known for however many years. That's a wounded animal. An animal that you wounded. And a wounded animal when it's cornered will turn on you.”
Frustrated, Harold pointed out. “You claim Mr. Kaplan wouldn't hurt Elizabeth - what do you call what she's doing right now? If Mr. Kaplan has Agnes why hasn't she come forward with her?”
“I don't know the reason, Harold, but what I do know is that if Mr. Kaplan hasn't come forward with Agnes she has a good reason not to.”
“You’re delusional!” Cooper gave up. “I'm adding to Keen's security. You need to do the same. Dembe tells me you are still using a safe house that Mr. Kaplan set up for you!”
Reddington looked through the glass at his constant companion. “Et tu, Dembe?”
As distasteful as Harold found the idea, he urged the other man. “Reddington, you need to finish what you started.”
OOOOOO
Watching Reddington storm out of Coopers office, Elizabeth asked. “Where's Reddington going?”
“Hopefully not to help anymore little old ladies across the street.” Ressler quipped.
Cooper called them together. “Gather around. We have a new blacklister to locate.”
Grimly, Cooper said the name. “Mr. Kaplan.”
Liz almost couldn't believe it. “Reddington gave you Mr. Kaplan?”
Cooper neither confirmed nor denied. “Since we aren't in the film North by Northwest I think it's safe to say that isn't her real name. We need to find out who she really is.”
OOOOO
She had never been a head turner.
She had made a career out of being someone you didn't notice. Someone who blended in.
More than a few times - when it was necessary - she had killed someone in a crowd in broad daylight. Afterward, she had been able to just disappear, to just fade into the crowd. She had one of those unremarkable faces. Witnesses just hadn't been able to remember her.
She had had one of those unremarkable faces.
Staring into the mirror, Kate had to admit … Not so much anymore.
tbc