Reddington's Reckoning

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The man sat in a small, low-lit room. He was old, but not in the way that made him appear frail or weak. He had seen and done things so terrible, so inhuman, that he knew all too well what the effects of time would bring upon him. He did not fear death; he feared the pain and suffering that would come before it. Before that, though, he knew there were others who needed to be dealt with. Others like him who would seek to harm those closest to him.

When they came for him, he knew better than to fight them. He knew they were stronger than any man could ever hope to be. So he faced them with no weapons, no defensive measures and simply asked them what they wanted from him. They told him they wanted his cooperation. They said they would protect his family; that's how they convinced him to work with them in the first place. They told him it was for the greater good, but he knew better than to believe lies from a liar. Time taught him that lesson well enough.

The door creaked open and light poured into the small room. He squinted and looked up at the large figure as it loomed above him. "Can I get you anything?" The deep voice carried an accent that betrayed its foreign origins. It sounded like a German accent; something about it reminded him of his childhood when his mother would tell stories of her time living in Hamburg with her brother before she was forced to flee from their father's wrath when she married against his wishes.

He chuckled quietly at the memory and replied "No thank you." Before looking back down at the floor between his feet and picking at a piece of fluff on his shirt sleeve.

"I am truly sorry for what we must do." The words startled him out of his thoughts and he looked up sharply at the man standing over him and frowned deeply "What are you talking about? What must you do?" His voice cracked under the strain of age and worry. "It's not me you should be worried about." The tall man said as he moved towards one of the walls where a large map hung on a corkboard "It's your daughter."

For years Reddington had worked for them without question or hesitation until finally one day he realized what had happened. He was being used by this organization as nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game of chess against other organizations just like theirs throughout history. At first he had felt fear for his family's safety; but then another emotion reasserted itself: anger! These men didn't care about protecting his family; they only wanted leverage to control him! So Reddington made a choice: He turned on them! And now here he sat awaiting whatever fate these men had planned for him...or worse yet...for Liz!