Here is my new fic! I actually had a pretty slow day at work, so I could update everything and cleaned up my new one for your viewing pleasure. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimed, as usual. Nothing owned, nothing gained.

Chapter 1

He paced like a madman. Talking so fast that Dembe had trouble keeping up.

Raymond Reddington was agitated and on the war path.

"Dembe, Lizzie is in that box and the only reason she is still there is that I might need the FBI after this. Otherwise, I would simply storm the place and kill anyone standing in my way.

We both know the Post Office's weaknesses. Anslo Garrick proved that vulnerabilities exist. It would take a matter of minutes to exploit them once again. The FBI, being the government funded operation that it is, has yet to fix said vulnerabilities.

I'm going there tomorrow and I am going to get a lay of the land.

As much as it burns me to see her held, those people know her, they've worked with her for the past two years. They won't mistreat her, no matter that the cabal has marked her as dirty."

At least that is what he kept telling himself. Any other option was unthinkable.

The next day, when Red visits the post office, he is met by Ressler at the door. "You shouldn't be here. Your deal is only still in place because I'm sure they haven't gotten to you yet. She is fine. I know you want her out, but DOJ is looking to use her as an example. We both know that this whole operation isn't clean, so I've been guarding her myself."

Red's smile was all teeth. Anyone looking would think he was in a jovial mood.

Anyone that truly knew him would see the murder in his eyes.

"Dear Donald, I thank you for that, but let me let you in on a little secret: You work for the government. Nothing is clean."

Ressler is wary, resigned, but says "Let's get this over with."

When Red walks down the stairs, taking the exact same journey that his Lizzie did long ago, he is unprepared for the wave of pure lust that shot through him at the sight of her.

There she was, head held high, shackled to his chair, tracking his every movement as he once did her.

When he stopped in front of her, she had a smirk on her face.

"We should really stop meeting up like this." He barked a laugh.

"It does seem that one of us is usually shackled. That person isn't usually you, sweetheart."

At his comment, she flickered her eyes in the corner of her cell. He shook his head almost imperceptibly in return.

Suddenly she smiled back at him, a real genuine smile. "A wise man once told me that fortune favored the bold."

At the blink of an eye, he was all business. "Ah, yes. You have been a naughty girl, Lizzie. Or should I call you Masha."

She let those words sit for a moment, tried to regulate her breathing.

He knew damn well what his voice did to her.

"Maybe when I get to Cabo, you can…discipline me."

He nodded again. Message received. He should look into an incident in Cabo and her stay here was temporary, they were planning on moving her.

He looked behind him to make sure the guards weren't close enough to prevent his next move.

He walked right into the cell with her.

It was a calculated move. The FBI could have easily shut them in together.

Donald was nice enough to have the room cleared of monitoring personnel, but one never knew when a knife to the back would come. He was vitally aware that one was always there, ready to betray them.

He walked right up to her, so close he could reach out to touch her.

His palms itched to do so.

The feel of her skin, her body, a topographic map etched on his heart.

His hand, steady and sure, raised as if to touch her face, but she jerked her head back and glared.

"This meeting is over. Get out before you end up with a fancy new pair of bracelets as well."

He wanted her to look at him, so she could see everything inside of him that he couldn't say.

She couldn't look at him because he would see everything she wasn't telling him.

Sighing, he turned to walk away, but wanted to reassure her that he was working on her freedom before he left. He didn't know when he'd get a chance to see her again.

"I'll be fine, Reddington. You don't need to worry about my interests. I knew what I was getting into. There's only one way the Director can hurt me and we know how that worked out."

When he looked back to reply, she was finally making eye-contact, but her face was an impassive mask.

What she said was to worry about himself because the only way they could hurt her was to hurt him.

After the release certain information on the fulcrum, they knew it wouldn't be prudent to make another attempt on Red's life.

He was going to reply, but she shook her head and looked briefly over his head.

They weren't alone anymore.

He left, but not before he heard her nearly inaudible whisper "I love you"

Later that evening, Red was meeting with his tech team to figure out where Lizzie was going to be transferred to and what the hell Cabo san Lucas had to do with anything when Dembe received a phone call. He turned away and left the room for privacy.

Good, Red thought, maybe we'll get some damned answers.

"Raymond. We have to leave. Now."

Red knew something went horrifically wrong, but there was only one thing he knew Dembe would interrupt his meeting for-Lizzie.

They rushed out of the meeting, but Dembe stopped him before they left the building. Away from any witnesses.

"Raymond. Wait. Aram called to report that Elizabeth was killed in an escape attempt during her transfer to a secure holding facility."

With one sentence, his entire world lost color. Black spots danced across his field of vision.

But no matter the grief that threatened to consume him, he needed proof.

"We need to go back to the Post Office."

Tbc…

I know, I know. Cliffhangers. I do love them so very much. Let me know what you think!