The Heart of Life

CHAPTER 1: Tear Me Up

CHAPTER 1: "Tear Me Up"

Raymond Reddington had been missing for days, The FBI had no leads, and they had yet to tell Elizabeth Keen. None of them expected it to be this way, they fought all the time, bicker and banter; they thought they just needed time away. They never thought it was going to end, the team never thought they were going to end. After having concluded that Red was nowhere near to be found, a small box came that had his Darpa Chip inside along with a beaten, and battered Dembe, the FBI finally concluded that he wasn't away on vacation, but instead something, and somewhere else. Finally after the long weekend, and on the fifth day, no one wanted to tell Liz what was going on, but after she exited the elevator, they know they can no longer hide the storm that was slowly brewing away.

Looking rested, the sadness in her icy blue eyes were still heavily present, the whole team was gathered inside the War Room, they looked to A.D Cooper for assistance, to deliver the news that might just cause the final piece to the shattered life of Elizabeth Keen.

"Sir, is there any case for us today?" she asked just a little tad curious and baffled by the fleeting silence from within. "I'M FINE." She stated rather firmly "I'm fine, really you don't need to worry... Reddington-" her monologue died quickly when she finally saw the raging elephant in the room. Samar had that look in their eyes that's telling her something is really off, and Aram is giving her the pitying vibe, and almost had tears in his eyes. Ressler kept eye contact, telling her that it will be alright. Looking from one to another, it clicked on them just who hasn't joined the "party". Her voice was small, but is trying her best to stay in composure, and it's the most detached they had ever heard. "Where is he? What happened? What have YOU done?" Cooper walked forward, taking the lead on the explanation, which they thought was the best since he was like a father figure to her. "Reddington has been off the grid since the last time he was here, two weeks ago." Aram stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, a sign of comfort.

Liz tried to keep her tears at bay, and her emotions on the grid, she bit her lower lip for composure before speaking; "I haven't heard from him since...that night; he hasn't called, haven't messaged...NOTHING, not even Dembe..." Aram squeezed her shoulder before she continued "I told him, we needed space... I needed space...but I didn't tell him...nothing more...what happened?"

Aram finally spoke up "You were his last phone call. No other activity was logged after that" she was confused where was he? "And then there was this..." Ressler handed her the box that contained the chip, and from the shadows... "Agent Keen!" she spin around at the sound of her name; eyes wide "DEMBE!" she leapt off the stool from where she sat and threw her arms around him. "Are you okay, are you hurt?" his eyes were panic filled and his voice was full of concern; "I'm fine...are you...what are you doing here...where is he?" she stuttered for questions at the sight of the man before her.

"Why didn't you call me, how long has he been gone?" she asked everyone around her; "Dembe, can you please tell me what happened...or at least... why are you here, and where is he?" Dembe told her the tale of how he got to the Post Office without Reddington, he told her about how they were mugged and beaten, and that the last thing he remembered was Red's scream of agony before he finally lost consciousness. When he woke up, he found himself on a warehouse in Johannesburg, and the box that contained Red's Darpa chip, that was four days ago.

Fear, pain, and panic raged within her heart. She couldn't concentrate on thinking, her brain was fusing out, and she was hyperventilating. They fought, and she always left, and sometimes he did, but not before promising that he was coming back. After their last fight, she received nothing from him, not even a call, a message, nothing, there wasn't a trace of Raymond Reddington. Her mind had gone crazy thinking about what could have had happened to him, he could be dead by now; she shook the thought away, Red was a force to be reckoned with, he wouldn't leave her, not even after what had happened between the two of them, he wouldn't leave would he?

Meanwhile on the other side of town...

Red was kept prisoner in a room that barely had accommodations, that was composed of a steel bed, a toilet and a small window that was enough to bring in light but high enough that he couldn't have access. He tried to remember how he got there; tunnel after tunnel, in a maze of lefts and rights, it was a labyrinth tunnels and turns. His watched showed that he had been in this cell for the last five days. Encompassed from the silence, he heard footsteps from outside, he scrambled to his feet, getting as near as he could but not without the chain on his ankles preventing him from going any further. He did his best to press his ear to the door to listen to what was going on behind the cell door.

"Get her on the table, don't let her die! if she does, we simply cannot use her against him." Lizzie. Red felt hopeless to listen as they moved her to the door next to where he was. All the color drained from his face, and tears threatened to pour out from his eyes. His heart was racing of the thought of what condition she must be in. he held his breath even more when he thought about his friend, his brother, could very well be dead by now. While the love of his life, the reason for his existence, and his ray of light was dying next to him.