Love Me Like You Do

I dressed slowly as I recounted the nights events. Carter and I slept together. I could still feel her hands on my body. Did she regret it? She was very drunk. I rubbed my forehead slightly expelling the thoughts. Carter was at work and it was time for me to do the same. I had people to question and possibly torture. I stepped out of the house to find Dembe grinning at me. I tilted my head as I placed my fedora on.

“Are you going to say something or just grin at me?” I asked walking towards him. He laughed and followed, we stopped at the car.

“Carter told me something the other day.” He began. I perked up when he said her name.

“I imagine so, you two are becoming close.” I told him. It made me happy that the two got along so well.

“She’s been have dreams of the two of you and a child.” Dembe said. My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“For how long?” I asked intrigued.

“Since Garrick, I believe.” he replied. I smiled and nodded. We got into the car and he began driving.

“There’s a mole at the Post Office and I’m going to find him.” I informed Dembe. He glanced at me through the mirror.

We pulled up to an apartment. Aram worked with Carter, he was their computer analysis, he was now being framed for the mole. I had seen him work with Keen once or twice and he didn’t seem like the type to so easily leave a money trail. I sat in a chair next to the table while Dembe sat Aram down. Dembe dramatically ripped the black hood from Aram’s head. Aram gave me a terrified look as he yanked on his restrains.

“Hello, Aram.” I told him calmly.

“What...What is this?” He said stumbling over his words. His eyes darted around the room trying to make sense of the situation. “Where am I?”

“You’re going to do something for me.” I slid papers over to him. “Accounting numbers, routing information. You’re going to steal $5 million from that account, and place it into one of mine. I expect the transaction to be untraceable.” I was testing the fellow, why not get something out of it.

“What?” Aram whispered as he stared at me in disbelief. I chuckled. “I can’t.”

“Aram” I sighed. I pulled out one of my favorite guns. “This is a colt .45 1911. I can strip and reassemble this weapon in well under two minutes.”

“Mr. Reddington please!” Aram pleaded with me.

“Once I have reassembled it, I am going to load the mag. and if at that time your task remains incomplete, I’m going to empty that mag into your head.” I told him in all seriousness. I was not in the mood to play happy hostage. I had a plan forming in my head for Carter and I would much rather be doing her than this.

“That’s really messed up.” Aram said. He began to sweat and his hands were shaking.

“Don’t look so stricken, the first shot will kill you.”

we stared at each other for a few moments before I began taking apart the weapon. Aram quickly went to work and began typing furiously. I watched him from the corner of my eye while my hands moved across the metal. My mind drifted back to Carter. Right now she was probably punching a blacklister. My feisty woman.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” Aram shouted. “I did it. it’s done, look!” I pointed the gun at him while I looked at the computer. “It’s untraceable, like you asked!”

“how? Explain.” I said looking from him to the computer.

“ I used a ripple exchange to have a fiat currency, converted to e-cash then into bitcoin. I ran the whole transaction through a randomized cryptographic extension at the protocol level then through a two-tiered secure laundry service, I know I can trust. No one’s gonna catch you. I promise.” Aram said in all one breath. I smiled at him. This much intelligence wouldn’t leave a money trail straight to himself. He isn’t the mole.

“A survivor, you’re innocent.” I told him handing him a bullet from the mag.

“I am? I mean.. I am” Aram stammered as he took the bullet from me. “Wait, of what?”

“The team that broke into the black site was paid through Gestalten Landesbank. My contact there traced a $250,000 payment to a covert account belonging to Louis Coogan.” I explained. Aram’s face twisted in confusion.

“Louis who?”

“It’s an alias, for you. Someone is attempting to implicate you as a mole by creating a money trail that leads to you. You’re obviously far too clever to have accepted payment that was so easily traceable.” I continued to explain to him.

“You’re not going to kill me.” Aram stated.

“no. I’m going to find someone else and I’m going to kill them.” Aram visibly relaxed at my words.

“Carter, she’s very smart, maybe she’ll know who it is.” Aram said trying to help. I knew that he was feeling guilt for the man he had shot.

“Aram, what you did was in protection for another. There is no shame in that.” I told him. He nodded letting the words sink in. I stood and nodded for Dembe to follow me.

“Where to next, Sir?” Dembe asked.

“I’m going to pay that mole a visit. Then to a flower shop.”