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actuallylorelaigilmore · 4 years

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bound to each other's hearts (this love is like wildfire)

Lizzington, The Blacklist. Sequel to Lost In The Forest Of This Heart. Cross-posted on AO3. Important notes can also be found there.

I’m not in the fandom anymore and I don’t plan to make things for TBL ever again now that this is complete, but I had a surprising amount of fun rewatching the first two seasons in order to wrap up this series. Turns out, I do still love what it could have been. I’m glad to know that! And I’m grateful for the friends I made along the way. You all were definitely the best part of this show for me.

Summary: Between dealing with the Cabal and evading the FBI, Red and Liz try to figure out what the future holds for them both.

He still doesn’t quite get it, Liz knows: that she wants more than separate lives, occasional dinners together or friendly evenings of chatting over wine and poker. Red isn’t fighting her on that front, but he doesn’t see himself in her picture. And if she’s being honest with herself, she knows that could be because she hasn’t yet decided on the specifics of it.

They settle into a new routine when they leave the Wisconsin safehouse, Liz full of single-minded determination and Red watching her warily whenever her attention is elsewhere.

Much like he felt when they first went on the run, she is everywhere. Except it’s a different kind of awareness now, because she’s no longer so broken and he’s no longer an enigma.

When she smiles at him, it’s unguarded, pulling him in. When she reaches for his hand or hugs him, he can tell she’s trying to make it commonplace. They are friends, or as close to it as they ever could be, and it’s eroding what’s left of his barriers.

Over the next few weeks, they arrange meetings with Cabal members. Rather than by Red’s invitation directly, each is through trusted liasons, and Liz has fun playing with the disguises before they arrive at each site together.

Red chooses the Cabal members they kill based on several factors, beginning with those who are high-profile and legally untouchable. It frustrates Liz to know it’s true, but some Cabal leaders are too powerful to be harmed by even the world-shaking effects of the Fulcrum leak.

Their list of targets is further trained on people inside the Cabal who have murdered or directed others to murder--especially on a large scale. That makes them especially dangerous enemies and also important to remove. It sends the message that no one who remains is safe.

At the third meeting, they take out two men simultaneously; Liz shoots the head of a multinational corporation before he can finish aiming at Red, and means it when she tells him later that she has no regrets.

She feels safe with a gun holstered under her shirt again. She’s slowly moving past the guilt she’s been carrying since Connolly.

She feels even safer with Red’s hand hovering at the small of her back whenever they enter new situations. He expects her to hold her own, always has, but his presence--especially the way he’s reaching out more, relaxing around her--is a comfort.

Liz has trusted him with her life since before it made sense, and that’s one of the things between them that remains the same.

They’ve killed a handful of high-ranking Cabal members when something slips.

Red thinks it was Julian, an associate he has trusted for decades. One he will never trust again. Whatever the weak link in his careful arrangements, instead of meeting Ingrid at the deserted farmhouse in dusty Kansas, they’re almost caught by the Task Force.

Ressler and Samar are there, Samar’s eyes apologetic but her aim unflinching as she trains her gun on Liz. Ressler should be aimed at Reddington just as steadfastly, but his gaze flicks to Liz for the briefest of moments and that’s all Red needs. He takes the shot.

The second he does, chaos breaks loose between the FBI team and the men Red brought with them. Red and Liz take cover behind a rusted truck until Dembe pulls up in an SUV. Samar fires in their direction, but doesn’t stop their escape in the bulletproof vehicle.

Taking narrow backroads after that, they switch vehicles twice and don’t stop moving until they’re in Denver, letting the city swallow them up.

While Dembe is still driving, Red finds a bloody graze on Liz’s arm that she neglected to mention.

“It was from Samar,” she tells him. "She could have fired on the tires or gas tank and stopped our escape entirely, but she didn’t.”

Their orders were clearly to capture, not to kill. This was just a warning shot.

She frowns. “But Ressler…”

“What about Ressler?” Red’s voice is gruff as he dabs at her arm. Since waving him off didn’t work, she lets him disinfect what’s barely even a wound. She hopes it’ll calm him down.

“Red, you got a clean shot at him. Should we talk about that?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” He runs his fingers around the edges of her bandage, making sure the adhesive will hold. Reminding himself that this is the extent of the damage. It could have been so much worse.

Her smooth skin is still warm, alive. Her eyes keep trying to find something in his. He can’t bear to look at her.

“If that were true, I don’t think you would seem so upset. I’ve seen you shoot people before and barely blink. Red--I know you’ve shot Ressler before. So what’s going on?”

“Nothing, Lizzie. We’ve already talked about this. They’ll chase us until this mess is over, one way or another. I gave them a distraction so we could escape. It’s that simple.”

“It’s not simple at all, though, is it. You’ve fought back to back with Ressler now. You know him. To face him and pull the trigger...I can’t imagine it.”

“I hope you never have to. But as you said, Donald and I have a history that goes back to long before you joined the Task Force. We only fought on the same side at times...to protect you. We were both on your side. Allegiances shift. Loyalties change.”

She nods. “That is incredibly sad.”

“Yeah.”

He shrugs and gently pats her arm. “At any rate, his injury, like yours, will be a flesh wound. He will recover. But if we’re lucky, he won’t be able to chase us for a while. We need to regroup.”

****

They move to the coast, spending a few weeks in Seattle, then Portland. The crowds pose more of a risk, especially with the Task Force having seen their faces...but they saw a blonde Liz and Red in a dark wig under his hat.

Though he doubts that will fool them, he can hope.

Urban areas are the better option for now, even with the risks, because the crowds also offer anonymity. People in cities wish to mind their business and be left alone. Because Red can’t postpone it any longer--the endgame is approaching--Dembe joins them in their various apartments.

Red lights up in his company, and Liz laughs more.

Mr. Kaplan only contacts them by phone; Red invites no one to meet in person. But well-paid colleagues are still picking off Cabal members, now with stealth and finesse.

“It’s almost time,” Red tells Liz over dinner. They’ve been ordering groceries, grateful that local markets cater to shut-ins and fugitives, and cooking all their meals together instead of taking turns. She insists.

“Time for…”

“The end of it.” He smiles, slow and satisfied.

Liz takes another bite of the French fish dish he suggested they fix that evening, thinking it over. “But we’ve barely gotten started with the Cabal. Red--what exactly is the endgame here? We’ve never talked about it.”

He glances at Dembe, who nods appreciatively over his food, then aims that dangerous smile her way. “You see, Lizzie, it was so up in the air. There really wasn’t much to talk about while we waited to see what needed to be done. We poked holes in their organization. We weakened their trust in each other.”

“And now?”

“Now it has become clear to me that the best way to stop them, to neutralize them, is not to wipe them off the map. It’s to stoke that power vacuum and step into it.”

“Wait.” She raises her hand, letting her fork clatter on the china plate. “You’re telling me that you want to join the people who want me dead? Who tried to have me framed for murder?”

“These are also the people who had me on the run,” he reminds her. “Even before they became a force in your life. Surely, if you’ve learned anything since we met, it’s that the maxim is true: the closer you keep your enemies, the safer you are from their attacks.”

“We’re their enemies, too. Why would they welcome our involvement in their organization? They have us on the run, Red. They’re winning.”

“Are they? Seven of them have died in the last six weeks. Their numbers are many, but not limitless. They’re unwilling to meet in public. And we put their secrets on full display. I think we’re not the only ones on the run.”

“So you propose, what, a truce? An alliance?”

“Oh, heavens, no.” He dabs at his mouth with a cloth napkin. “Those sorts of things require trust. A level of mutual respect that can transcend disagreement. You cannot form an alliance with someone you know will murder you at the earliest opportunity. No, my plan is much more straightforward.”

He stands, holding his hand out for her plate. Liz passes it to him, waiting for further explanation.

“While we’ve been on our own the last few weeks, Mr Kaplan has been using her many skills to gather information. Following leads, hunting down trails I suspected might be fruitful. Thanks to her, and to Dembe--” he toasts his friend with a glass, “the final pieces are in place. Now we make a trade.”

Her hands, no longer busy eating, are free to grip the tablecloth in a moment of sheer blinding terror. Red loves to make these moves behind her back, playing chess and telling her nothing until checkmate. It would be just like him to trade himself for her freedom.

The exact opposite of what she wants, the last thing she will ever agree to. Bold and brave but completely futile--because the second he gives himself up for her, she knows she won’t be able to rest until she gets him back.

Will they never stop this? Liz wonders, listening to the pounding of her heart as Red pauses long enough to blink at her.

“A trade of information,” he clarifies slowly, watching her with concern. “Lizzie, are you alright? You look...”

She nods, swallowing the taste of fear along with a fair amount of shame for the conclusion she was so ready to believe. It takes her a moment to gather her words.

“So, you’re going to blackmail them, to give you a seat at the table. And then you’ll...run the table.”

Red’s smug smile wars with lingering worry. “Quite right. You already know that the Cabal runs through governments and militaries and nation-states alike. With the right leverage, I can make their hunt of us a liability that will hurt them far more than any success would ever be worth. I may even be able to get your former position back.”

“It would be nice to no longer be a fugitive,” she agrees. “Buy my own groceries sometimes. It’s impossible to surprise you with a menu when you know everything that arrives on our doorstep.”

“I understand. You’ll be free to buy whatever you like, then. And invite me for dinner, I suppose, if the mood strikes you. I would be amenable to that,” Red says with a more relaxed smile.

She knows she wants Red. That part is easy.

But if what he’s saying is true, that he can use their leverage to clear her name, she will have more choices to make. Harder ones. She worked her whole life to become an FBI agent, to earn her place as a profiler. She knows it’s something she’s good at. A career she was made for, even.

But.

And then.

Raymond Reddington in a box.

She isn’t that person anymore, if she ever really was--the young woman with the loving husband and the dog, nervous about her new desk job working in DC. The edge she lives with now, the side of herself that can hurt and hunt and kill...part of Liz thinks she has always had that darkness. Since she was a child. Maybe she was born with it.

God knows that despite the blame she’s flung at Red, he isn’t the source of her darker tendencies. He did everything he could to steer her away from being more like him. And with all the harm she caused, her work on the Task Force also helped her save people.

Liz stills wants to save people. She wants to use her skills for some kind of greater good. But she can’t pretend she’s a paragon of virtue going forward, no matter how clean her record is once Red gets done with it.

Which leaves her where, exactly?

****

Liz goes with Red to the summit he sets up with the remaining core of the Cabal. She feels useless there, since he also brings a full guard of men armed to the nines. And he certainly doesn’t need her help to negotiate. Yet he insists on inviting her, shaking his head when she questions him.

“I’d like you with me,” Red says, without explaining further. The understanding that he means it for himself--that he wants her by his side not to protect her, or humor her need to be involved--is a gift. So Liz takes it, and bites down hard on the urge to speak up during the information exchange.

Even if all her presence does is affirm their new unity as a team, she can see the value in that, for their strength in the eyes of the Cabal. Word will spread in the underground Red travels, making its way eventually back to the FBI.

Everyone will know that Red has made a play for greater power, and that Liz was right there with him when it happened. She wonders what her old friends will think: if Samar will understand her choices, if Aram will worry that she didn’t make them freely. If Ressler will get that defeated look in his eyes and consider her a lost cause.

She can’t blame any of them for their judgments from a distance--they don’t know what she knows. But she’s never felt clearer, not lost but found. The Cabal can be run by people who want her dead for threatening their supremacy, or it can be run by Red.

Who she trusts to find the right balance between control and domination. Who she knows will keep the rest of the Cabal on a tight leash.

As Liz sits with him in a glass-and-chrome boardroom, watching the Cabal give him the command he requires, she suspects he’s already seeking out leverage to hold over each member.

Mr. Kaplan has been hard at work again, coming to their newest safehouse, passing Red messages. Now that he’s busily reining the Cabal in, he and Liz don’t have to move every few days--and his family can visit safely. Dembe stays over for a week, recommending books to Liz and telling her stories about Red when they first met.

"Don’t believe a word of it,” Red warns her. “This man is a notorious fibber.” But his eyes shine with joy when he looks at the two of them.

Liz has never seen him so happy. So settled. Power suits him.

Red finds her in her room one night, strolling casually through the open door. He has learned the hard way that if he tries to return to polite formality, Liz will roll her eyes at him or ask “What are you waiting for, gold filigree?” without looking up from what she’s doing.

“It took longer than I would have liked,” he says, unprompted. “But it’s finished.”

“What?” She has no idea what he’s talking about, since the Cabal restructuring was completed a week earlier.

“Your record has been erased.”

Liz sets her book down. “My criminal record?”

She’d forgotten Red was even working on that, and she knows she should feel excited. Or relieved. A rush of something should be washing over her. Instead she feels numb.

“Yes. It’s been fully expunged, as though none of this ever happened."

And there it is, she thinks. That would be why.

“But, Red,” she corrects him gently, “it did happen. Erasing my record can’t take any of it back. I still have to live with it.”

He sighs. “I wish this could be easier, Lizzie, I really do.”

“Well, it’s not.”

She reaches out and grabs hold of his hand, tugging him over to sit next to her on the bed. “It’s okay that it’s not, though, Red. It really is. I’m okay.”

“Yeah.” She does look okay lately, he has to admit. Red expected this news to bring her peace, but Lizzie seemed content even before it.

Now she smiles at him, still holding his hand loosely. “Got a minute?”

“Sure.” He turns a little more to face her, giving her his full attention.

“Since you mentioned it, I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes next for me. All those choices I have now, you know? With a clean slate.”

Red nods.

“I could go back to working at the FBI. As a profiler. It might take some string-pulling, but you’re good at that.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but.’”

“That’s because you know me,” Liz says. “The Task Force only existed because you wanted to keep me close and take down the Cabal. Which means there will never be a Task Force again. Not like there was.”

“I know.”

“But even if they’re not hunting me...you cleared my name, Red, not yours. You will have to stay like this, won’t you? In the wind, still a wanted criminal.”

“Yes.”

That doesn’t bother him; he’s used to his routine. But Red can’t tell what Liz is working towards in her explanation. It worries him.

“So the only way I can have a normal life is if I never see you again.”

“Not never,” he assures her. “You know that I’m capable of moving freely, off the radar of all manner of authorities. We can still...see each other.” Dinners maybe, he thinks. Game nights with Dembe. Arguing over which movie to watch.

“That isn’t going to work for me.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t want a few secret visits a year, Red, while I pretend to be an upstanding FBI agent.”

“I would argue that you wouldn’t be pretending, Lizzie. Even FBI agents are allowed to have friends. Of all stripes.”

“That’s not really the point. With my past already laid bare for the world to see, who would ever let me keep a low profile at a desk again?”

Red frowns, following her logic.

“You can whitewash my record all you want, but my face was on the news. That future is gone. And without you in it, I wouldn’t want it anyway.”

“Well, then. What do you want?”

“I don’t belong at the FBI anymore, but I still have all my training. All my skills. Red--I think we should start our own Blacklist.”

He clears his throat, genuinely surprised. “Our own Blacklist?”

“Yes.” She let go of his hand to gesture with both of hers. “Just think about it. We stopped a lot of terrible people with the Task Force. We could go back to doing that, now that we’re done running. You have your own access, your own connections, and yours are better than the FBI’s a lot of the time.”

“Lizzie, I understand wanting to help people--I love that about you--but I worked with the Task Force to my own ends. I was never on a crusade to better the world.”

“So? So what if you’re not looking to atone for your sins and make the world better? It can be my crusade. I have my own sins, Red, and I don’t need your reasons to be the same as mine. I’m asking you to work with me anyway, because we’d be good at it.”

Red flexed his empty hand, trying to imagine it. “I suppose I would be your best resource for catching uncatchable criminals.”

“You would. And if we had leads we couldn’t follow up on, I’m pretty sure we could find a way to tip off Samar or Aram, without giving up our locations.”

Liz bit her lower lip while he thought it over. “Well? What do you say?”

“I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

Red grinned, his smile stretching even wider when she hugged him. “It sounds perfect for your talents--and I can certainly think of some people whose neutralization would improve my hold on the Cabal.”

“See? Win-win.”

“But, Lizzie...you’re sure this is the path you want to follow? Playing judge and jury, outside the law? It’s not a decision you can take back, once you begin.”

She nods, a firm dip of her chin. “I’m sure. The worst criminals work outside the law, untouchable. You taught me that. Somebody should be responsible for them, and I’m in a unique position to try. Who will do it if I don’t?”

“Okay, then.” Red pats her leg, pleased. “It will be fun to have a reason to work together more closely again. I’ve been so busy restructuring the Cabal lately, I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.” Liz eyes him across the inches that separate them on her bed. “Speaking of that.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to spend more time together.”

He shifts in place. “As I said, I look forward to it. Getting us settled and safe had to take priority, Lizzie, but of course I hope to have more time with you now. We should decide what to make for dinner.”

“No, Red. I don’t mean--” Liz takes a deep breath, trying to figure out how to explain without causing him to withdraw.

“I love you,” she begins.

He smiles at her, soft around his eyes. “I love you, too.”

One of the benefits of things settling down has been watching Red get comfortable with her affection. She says the words often, deliberately. Hearing him say them back is nice...but Liz knows he doesn’t mean it the way she does.

He hears love and thinks family and friendship. And sure, they’re close in that way too, but she keeps saying it and waiting for Red to hear attraction and commitment, and it just doesn’t seem to be happening.

With Red, blunt often backfires. Half the time, they end up in an argument, even when that isn’t her intention. But being gentle and trying to drop hints has been totally lost on the criminal mastermind she's all but living with.

So, blunt is the only option she has left to try.

“Red...I’m in love with you.”

“You--what?”

“That’s what I mean when I say I want to spend more time with you. I want to spend it differently; I want to be closer to you. I want to share my life with yours.” She pauses, scared of the look on his face--it’s unfamiliar, and she knows his expressions well.

“That’s the future I want: hunting Blacklisters, working together when you’re not busy with the Cabal...but also date nights. Early mornings and staying up late. Being together. Getting to a place where I know exactly what I want hasn’t been easy, Red, but I’m there now. I need to know what you want.”

Of all the situations he has tried to be ready for, Red feels shockingly unprepared for this one.

A small part of him wondered, when she declared that she loved him in Wisconsin, if perhaps she meant it in this way. But he considered that part a traitor, hope running wild. Allowing himself to hope has often been--historically speaking--both foolish and dangerous.

Lizzie has always been dangerous, because he can’t seem to defend himself against her. That’s what love is--being powerless.

He loved her even before he walked back into her world; that was a lifetime of fondness mixed with debt and guilt. But it’s different knowing her as the woman she is now. He can’t imagine not loving her...and though he tries not to think about it, he can’t imagine not wanting her.

Admitting that out loud would be a betrayal of all Lizzie could have beyond him, and of the effort he’s expended to hold himself back from her.

“Being with me would make the target on your back infinitely bigger,” he tells her, hoping to walk the line between evasion and lying. “Combining our lives further...would be a terrible idea. Yours has already seen so much darkness, Lizzie. You don’t need to add more of mine.”

She’s patiently listening, though her hands are pressed down into the bed beneath them. He knows she’ll push back; he isn’t done.

“I need you to really think about what you’re saying. Lizzie, I know you’re a good person. In a way that I’m not. The idea that you and I could--”

He swallows. “Have dates, or some sort of uncomplicated life, be a couple. It seems unrealistic given what I am, and who you are. You can love me and still keep yourself safe, keep a distance.”

“Reddington, I have no interest in keeping a distance. I’m trying to tell you that.”

Liz reaches up to touch his cheek. “I want less distance. I want you.”

“I will always choose you, no matter the harm to others,” Red explains. “Anyone who is a threat, even those you care about--it will always be that simple for me. I don’t have room for your morality.”

“I know.”

“How can you sit here and say that doesn’t matter to you?”

“Because it used to.”

Liz nods at the way he leans back. “I used to worry, a lot, about the way I felt pulled to you. Knowing everything you are, I worried what it said about me. Because it didn’t bother me--because I don’t care. Not the way I thought I should...the way a good person would.”

“The truth is, Red, I’ve made peace with it. I know you’re not a monster, no matter how often I used to throw that word at you. I know it because I’ve seen the real monsters. The people we caught, they were greedy and twisted and cruel. They were evil. But you’re not them.”

What’s coming next feels inevitable to Red. He can sense it, see it in her eyes. Evasion won’t be enough to save him. Nothing can save him. Salvation was never within his reach.

Sinning, though, he is well familiar with. Give me my sin again, he thinks foolishly, as yearning dislodges errant Shakespeare from the recesses of his mind.

"You don’t kill for pleasure, or entertainment. You’re willing to do whatever you have to, to protect others or save yourself. And we don’t have to have that in common for me to understand it.”

“I understand you,” Liz tells him. “Which is why I know as well as you do, you never answered my actual question. I did not ask you for a list of reasons why I should run for the hills rather than be with you. I asked what you want.”

She says it as though it’s a simple question. It’s probably the most difficult one he’s ever tried to answer.

“Forget the Cabal for a minute,” she offers. “Forget all our other enemies, including my old employers. Forget our complicated history, and think about the future. Yours and mine. What do you see?”

“Lizzie...”

“The manhunt is over,” she says, gazing into his guarded eyes. “It’s just us now. Here, in this moment, it’s only you and me. So tell me, Red...what do you really want?”

You.

He watches her as she approaches, and doesn’t react at all when her lips meet his. It would be the easiest thing in the world to give in. That’s what scares him.

When she finds herself kissing a statue of the Concierge of Crime, Liz hums a little in her throat and retreats, studying Red.

They’ve come so far from where they started; he’s not a mystery to her anymore.

She can read his tensed muscles, coiled so tight he seems like he’ll shatter if pushed. A pulse is jumping along the column of his throat. His hands are motionless on the bedspread, but she sees the tips of his fingers curling into the material–gripping ever so subtly.

Raymond Reddington is holding onto himself for dear life, and that tells her two very important things. First, that he desperately wants to avoid touching her back…and second, that he has to stop himself from doing so with visible effort.

Which means that he wants his hands, and mouth, and skin, on hers more than anything in the world, but will not allow himself the satisfaction.

Liz smiles.

She can work with that.

#the blacklist #tbl #lizzington #lizzington fic #lizzington fanfic #tbl fic #tbl fanfic #the blacklist fic #the blacklist fanfic #lost in the forest of this heart #(the sequel)#my fic

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flowmarkv · 1 year

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topcleaningkc · 5 years

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parisdj · 5 years

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“Croyez-vous en la magie?”

My wanderlust started early in life. When I was 16 I was driving to school one day and I just decided, “Turn left at the stop light at 55th Street. Don’t go to school today.” I had been paid the night before and had about $200 on the passenger seat of my car. I turned left and drove the seven hours to Chicago. I spent the night in Chicago and then, early the next morning, hoped back in my car and drove home. When I arrived home at 2222 38th Street, my mother said, “I figured you’d be back when you were out of money.” I was truly, in her mind, the prodigal son. I’m betting my father didn’t even realize I was gone. He would have had his nose stuck in some book.

I spent the next few summers driving around the Great Lakes. I didn’t have a plan and those years probably created the mindset in me that I didn’t need a plan. The lack of a plan has created a fairly stress free life for me although, I can tell you my travel mates hate the fact that I don’t plan any travel or trip. The Little Piggie will never travel with me again and, when he abandoned me in Guyancourt in 2014, it was obvious our travel relationship was on the rocks. I’m sure I’ve frustrated more than a single travel partner but, eventually, you end up finding someone like Søs, E, Doobie or Мирося. Perfect travel partners that just want to wander.

My first real adventure began when I was 19. And, ultimately, that’s what this story is all about. I had started the summer working at a camp in the middle of nowhere. And when I say, “Nowhere”, I mean central Ohio. It was a fantastic experience. However, that’s for another story and day.

By early June I was growing weary of camping with 13 and 14-year-olds and was ripe for a new escapade. I ran into a friend (Brian) at a Grateful Dead concert on one of my days off. And, yes, of course that’s where this story must start. He was high, and, when I say “HIGH” I mean he was totally and massively fucked up. He started babbling all sorts of crazy shit to me. A prelude of what my summer would devolve in to. But, somewhere along the line he said, “I can get us free tickets in Kansas City.” That’s all I needed to hear and, frankly, that was the most elaborate plan that I had for the summer. I quit the camp, by not going back, and readied myself for the drive to KC. We packed into my lime green VW and headed to KC. I had a sleeping bag, a day back with about three days’ worth of clothes, a few hundred dollars, a map of the United States and, the most important device known to mankind, a combination bottle/can opener. It would save my life more than once.

We hit the road at the crack of noon and started heading west. We had three cassette tapes for the summer and played them relentlessly. We had a Lovin’ Spoonful mix, a live bootleg tape of the Pretenders in concert in Hammersmith and a compilation tape of late 60s psychedelic music. We camped at road side rest stops, showered in bus stations, ate at Waffle Houses and generally had a stupid time getting lost in the Midwest. We happened upon KC a few days ahead of the concert.

Upon our arrival, our first thought was to find the free tickets. We were told the tickets were with “two girls in tie dye at a Denny’s”. No names. No phone numbers. No addresses. No nothing. We drove from Denny’s to Denny’s in the greater KC area hoping to stumble upon these “two girls in tie dye”. To this day I have no idea how many Denny’s there may be in KC but let’s agree that it is more than one. We spent approximately six hours cruising Denny’s restaurants in the area. Shockingly, we eventually landed at a Denny’s, shuffled in and, lo and behold, there in a booth in the back were two tie dye clad deadheads sipping shitty coffee.

I don’t recall their names. But, they were your typical contrived deadhead names like, “Sunshine”, “Moonlight”, or “Rainbow”. We quickly forged a deal. They would supply us with tickets and get us a job hawking tee shirts in exchange for transportation. My VW was tiny but we could wedge them in the back.

At this point you’re probably thinking, “Cool. But tell me about the actual trip!” Well, here’s the problem, I don’t remember the actual sequence of stuff, I’m sure there is a great deal of stuff that I’ve forgotten and stuff just happened. Yes, there’s a lot of stuff here. Here’s what I do recall:

1. I really enjoyed camping with Brian and the two deadheads. I’m going to refer to them as Janet and Mary for the rest of this story. I’m sure that’s a more accurate representation of their names. We had a tent that could sleep all four of us but it was uncomfortable. We would be smashed in like a pack of sardines. Normally, Janet and Mary would sleep in the tent and Brian and I would sleep outside the tent. Bad weather, bad decisions and wildlife would occasionally drive all four of us into the tent but we regarded the tent as the realm of Janet and Mary. Pine needles, musty and moldy trees, decomposing leaves, trickling waters, salt, sweat, burning rubber, high winds, lightning induced shadows…your senses come to life when you sleep outside night after night. You wake up damp from the dew, itching, ready to go. I slept in national forests, cornfields, next to rubber factories and steel mills and on the beach.

2. I had some wonderful dreams during the trip. I slept incredibly well nearly every night. I dreamt of raccoons, talking trees, long swims in calm oceans, old friends, new friends, friends not yet discovered, art work, asphalt and warming fires on frosty mornings. My only recurring nightmare involved a red eyed demonic opossum. I’m still convinced opossums are zombie animals that are more dead than alive. My other recurring dream was of a bobber bouncing up and down in a pond. We fished nearly every day on our adventure (FREE FOOD!) and bobbers became imprinted on our minds and in our psyche.

3. I taught my travel partners French on the trip. When you’re stuck in a small VW for hours at a time and you have a limited amount of entertainment, you find things to pass the time. I’m betting Brian, Janet and Mary could, to this day, break out in song and start singing, “ Croyez-vous en la magie?/Dans un coeur de jeune fille/Comment la musique peut la libérer/Chaque fois que ça commence!”

4. My travel partners liked to do a LOT of drugs. And, I mean a LOT of drugs. I didn’t partake. For some reason, chemically altering my mind wasn’t my thing. Now, with that said, I did (and still do) like my beer and wine and found myself waking up with a horribly brutal hangover more than once on the trip but compared to Brian, Janet and Mary, I was restrained. The three of them would drop acid and start painting or drawing while cruising from one location to the next. I found their “artwork” a few months later when I was cleaning out the car. Although, the paintings were horrible and totally disturbing, they did bring a smile to my face. I distinctly remember the crayons ground into the seats and flooring of the car. They were still there when I abandoned the car on I77 just south of Akron a few years later.

5. I will forever remember the depth of the night sky. Our camping was very primitive. We didn’t have lights and on clear evenings you could see directly into the soul of the universe. It was life changing and, to this day, it has allowed me to understand my place in the cosmos.

6. I learned that we all carry different things with us. Brian was an idiot. He could have easily wandered through life without a care in the world. He had a simple childhood, lived in a simple home with his simple family and had simple goals (none). He replicated this model after he married and he had idiotic and simple children. He carried a vacuum of thought. Janet and Mary carried hardship, anger, abuse and, most importantly “hope”. While Brian and I saw this as an adventure, they saw this as an escape. Janet, Mary and I would talk well into the night. Janet and Mary weren’t damaged and, in fact, they’re probably two of the strongest people I had ever met in my life. They just had to swim above the shit to see the sunshine. They were amazing people and I have no doubt that they both not only survived but prospered and continued to be the lovely people that they were. I lost touch with them immediately after the trip and don’t regret it for a minute. Seeing them would ruin the memory of them.

7. I made money by selling shirts. The directions were pretty simple. Grab shirts off a truck, put them on a blanket and take whatever money you could get for them. We made about $150 per show. More than enough for us to keep gas in the car, food in our bellies and toiletries. It may sound crazy, but you have no idea how testy four people can be in a car when there isn’t any toothpaste. At one point, Brian was hiding some from the rest of us and when this was discovered we SERIOUSLY discussed killing him and tossing his body off a bridge. We were that fucking angry at him.

8. We traveled through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California (top to bottom), Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. I’m sure we would have busted Google had it tried to map our trip. We were lost two to three times every day and I’m sûre our mileage was probably 20% higher than it should have been. But, getting lost was one of the major purposes of the trip. We dropped Janet and Mary off in Bloomington, Illinois. I left Brian in Urbana. I couldn’t stand him at that point and couldn’t stand the thought of wearing dirty socks for one more day. I ran into Brian a few years ago and we had a couple of beers. We laughed about the trip and our adventure. But, when the topic of me tossing him to the curb in Urbana came up, well, I could tell there were still some raw nerves there.

9. When I arrived at my apartment the mail was about three feet deep. Erin, my neighbor, had been dropping it off and had been wondering if I was ever actually coming back. She was prepared to do the paperwork to drop me out of school if needed. I proved her wrong by flunking out. Like Brian, I too was an idiot.

10. A few days after I returned home I went to visit my parents. They weren’t home when I arrived. However, my older brother, for some reason was there. He saw me and said, “What’s up?” I mentioned that I had just gotten home and he said, “You were gone? Where were you?” That’s one of those impossible questions to answer.

11. I learned that I start looking like Grizzly Adams when I don’t shave for six months. Although, my hair was never as coifed as Dan Haggerty’s. I wore my hair in a ponytail.

12. We had Sunday dinners while on the road. We would pool our money together and buy a roaster. To this day I’m not sure anything smells better than a chicken cooking over a campfire. The dinners, in retrospect, were the most memorable parts of our trip. We socialized, laughed, told stories, rehashed the trip, talked about family, hopes, dreams, the future and generally grew our friendship. As mentioned earlier, I immediately lost touch with Janet and Mary but we’re forever bonded.

13. I learned to listen to my clock. It is probably the only advice I have to give. While traveling, don’t over schedule and, most importantly, listen to your clock. It is there, ticking away. It will give you your pace. You’ll slow down, relax and realize, “Yes. I do have time to do that. I have all the time in the world.”

There isn’t an ending to this story. I don’t travel as much as I use to. It has been pointed out that I have an “adult job” now and just picking up and bolting would be irresponsible. But, with that said, I still manage to go from time to time. I’m currently planning a trip to New York to see Doobie. I’ll go visit C in Indy at some point. BA and I are planning a trip to the UK (where I hope to see E and Alec), RJ and I are talking about winter hike in Iceland and, of course, I’ll have to make a trip to go see Søs.

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kansascitywatch · 5 years

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Kansas trooper finds nearly $350K of suspected drug money in gas tank of truck on I-70

The cash was “rubber-banded” and “wrapped in vacuum-sealed plastic bags” hidden in the fuel tank.

from Top Stories https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-trooper-finds-nearly-dollar350k-of-suspected-drug-money-in-gas-tank-of-truck-on-i-70-interstate-70/30893487

from Kansas City Watch https://kansascitywatch.wordpress.com/2020/02/12/kansas-trooper-finds-nearly-350k-of-suspected-drug-money-in-gas-tank-of-truck-on-i-70/

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kansascityhappenings · 5 years

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GM issues recall of 3.4 million pickup trucks, SUVs to fix brake problem

General Motors has issued a recall of 3.4 million pickup trucks and SUVs in the US in order to fix a problem with brakes in the vehicles.

The issue has resulted in 113 accidents and 13 injuries, although no fatalities have been reported, GM spokesperson Dan Flores tells CNN.

“General Motors is voluntarily recalling certain 2014-2018 model year Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, and GMC Yukon vehicles for a condition related to increased brake pedal effort,” GM said in a statement. “In rare circumstances, these vehicles may have a condition in which the engine-mounted mechanical vacuum pump output may decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.”

As the pumps in the power-assist brakes put out less vacuum power than is needed, “customers may experience increased brake pedal effort, hard brake pedal, and/or potentially increased stopping distance.”

All of these issues could increase the risk of a crash.

Flores says that the issue is more prevalent at low speeds when softly applying the brakes, and that the brakes continue to function and exceed the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigation the issue in November, GM has only been in contact with the NHTSA for several months on the issue.

The NHTSA did not respond to a request for comment via email and phone.

GM was prompted to take action based on field reports and customer complaint information.

“Dealers will reprogram the electronic brake control module in these vehicles with a new calibration that will improve how the system utilizes the hydraulic brake boost assist function when vacuum assist is depleted,” Flores said.

Dealers will recalibrate the electronic brake control module at no cost to customers.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/09/11/gm-issues-recall-of-3-4-million-pickup-trucks-suvs-to-fix-brake-problem/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/gm-issues-recall-of-3-4-million-pickup-trucks-suvs-to-fix-brake-problem/

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flowmarkv · 1 year

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Portable Toilet Vacuum Pump for Best Restroom Service

FlowMark manufactures Portable Toilet Vacuum Pumps for Best Restroom Service and other major service providers nationwide. Our manufacturing facility has hundreds of chassis, tanks, and vacuum trucks in stock. Visit Flowmark today to find your newest addition to the portable toilet vacuum pump truck fleet!

#portable toilet vacuum pump #new portable toilet trucks for sale #kansas city vacuum truck #vacuum trucks

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itsworn · 6 years

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Mopar Monday: The Ultimate $5K Mopar Challenge

The second installment of this series highlights seven more ready-to-roll Mopars that you should be able to park in your garage for $5,000 or less.

The Ultimate $5K Mopar Challenge got off to a promising start as it appears that two of the vehicles that in our first Ultimate $5K Mopar Challenge appear to have ended up with Mopar Muscle readers (the 1955 Chrysler Imperial and the 1965 Dodge Monaco, but surprisingly, not the 1980 Dodge Mirada).

When we started researching for the Holy Grail of $5,000 Mopars, one of the cars that just missed making the cut for the first installment was this 1977 Plymouth Sport Fury, which Mark and I felt was a close second to the 1970 Plymouth Fury III two-door hardtop. This car is interesting on several levels.

First is its listed selling price, $3,600, well under our $5K limit. This will give the potential buyer $1,400 to work with to address its two most visible shortcomings. First, is some needed rust repair on the driver’s side front fender. Second is replacement fabric for the car’s 1970s blue and white plaid interior.

But what makes this car so attractive is the included maintenance dossier that documents this car’s life from when it was bought by its original owner right up to the present day. That, combined with its current daily-driver status, makes this a compelling opportunity. That and all the recent work on the car over the last two years that includes all the following:

New EGR vacuum switch New Fan Clutch New coil New vacuum lines K&N air filter Upper and Lower Radiator hoses Radiator flush Carburetor rebuilt Tune-up (new plugs, wires, cap/rotor) Heater box removed and heater core replaced with a very hard to find NOS unit. The seller sprayed rubberized insulation under the dash and inner firewall before reinstalling heater box. New control arm bushings New Upper and Lower ball joints New shocks all around (Coil over heavy duty on rear) New brake lines (brake fluid replaced) New complete front calipers (New pads and rotors turned) Rear brakes – new shoes/springs New A/C compressor New fuel pump/ filter/ lines New door and window rubbers Tires replaced March 2015 New carpet

And best of all is this noteworthy part of the car’s history, a humorous five-minute video posted on Valvoline’s High Mileage Club website, with Dave’s son Gideon.

With just about 110,000 miles, a 360 V-8, rear-wheel drive, and being a two-door hardtop, this 1977 Plymouth ticks all the boxes. With a little TLC – rust repair and interior trim – it will likely attract tons of attention at your local weekend Cars or Coffee or cruise night at your local drive-in. Contact Dave through his Criagslist ad, through the Facebook Marketplace listing, or direct via email at [email protected].

If you miss out on this car, here are a few more Mopars to consider, from 1953 all the way through to 1992. If the listing is over $5,000, like the 1981 Dodge Ram D150 below, negotiate!

From the 1950s, this 1953 Chrysler Imperial Hemi sedan for $4,500 in Barstow, California (Craigslist) From the 1960s, this 1964 Dodge Polara two-door hardtop with A/C for $5,800 in Los Angeles, California (Craigslist)

From the 1970s, this 1973 Chrysler Newport four-door sedan for $4,000 in Spokane, Washington (Craigslist) From the 1980s, this1981 Dodge D150 for $5,800 in Portland, Oregon (Craigslist) From the 1990s, this 1992 Jeep Comanche Sport pickup for $2,900 in Kansas City, Missouri (Craigslist) While there were many Dodge Ram Trucks to select from the 1990s, we selected this Jeep Comanche. It was selected because it is a last-year model of the Comanche run and just 952 were built in 1992. The Jeep Comanche is starting to garner collector-vehicle interest, especially with the Jeep Gladiator coming this Spring.

At $2,900 there’splenty of room, more than $2,000, to budget for upgrades and to refresh. (Its original base price was $7,995 upon it’s introduction for the 1985 model year) by AMC/Renault’s Jose Dedeurwaerder. This one is a two-wheel-drive model mated to the nearly indestructible 4.0-liter AMC-derived straight six with the advanced-for-its-time Chrysler engine management system (replacing the sometimes problematic Renix system on earlier 4.0-liter engines) with a five-speed manual transmission, a very desirable combination.

And while searching for the Comanche, this interesting listing popped up, a 1980 AMC Eagle station wagon for just $6,000 in Boise, Idaho. This one has just 54,000 miles, making it the time capsule equivalent of a three-year-old car. The 1980 Eagles were the first of the series and not only were very popular, especially in extreme winter weather states, but it is a car of significant historical interest; it was the world’s first car-based crossover. It set the template for all the popular crossovers that followed. It’s now rare to find low-mileage examples in this condition for less than $10,000.

Moving forward, we’re revising our criteria just a bit. While the $5K criteria remains in place, we will continue to list interesting Mopars with listing prices up to $6,000. We feel that almost all prices are negotiable and getting sellers down 20% from their asking price is not unrealistic.

Second, the closer the listing is to $5,000, the closer it should be to a presentable driver. Preference will be given to low-mileage, rust-free examples. This will generally preclude all but the most rust-free Aspens and Volares, which have the well-earned reputation for most having returned to the earth in the form of iron oxide.

We will also consider solid rust-free cars that might be otherwise cosmetically-challenged. By this we mean cars that will need, at a minimum, a $500 MAACO-style paint job or whose interiors will otherwise be in need of attention, to be Cars and Coffee presentable. Thanks to suppliers like SMS, who have OEM-grade and -style upholstery materials available, combined with local upholstery shops that can recover seats in need of attention for a couple hundred bucks, we will give a second look to cars selling for $3,000 or less. Having done it ourselves, we know that spending $2,000 strategically on a solid, rust-free car’s cosmetics, will go a long way in getting you into that presentable entry-level classic Mopar.

See you on the next installment of the Mopar $5K Challenge. Send in your local candidates to us at [email protected].

The post Mopar Monday: The Ultimate $5K Mopar Challenge appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopar-monday-the-ultimate-5k-mopar-challenge/ via IFTTT

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annaerin · 7 years

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CAT CANS Portable Services of Manhattan- An Interview with Owner, Matt Wallace | Septic Tank Pumping Pros

CAT CANS Portable Services of Manhattan- An Interview with Owner, Matt Wallace | Septic Tank Pumping Pros https://septictankpumpingpros.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/cat-cans-portable-services-of-manhattan-an-interview-with-owner-matt-wallace/

CAT CANS Portable Services of Manhattan- An Interview with Owner, Matt Wallace

Matt Wallace is the owner and septic expert of Cat Cans Septic Services. They are located in Manhattan, Kansas with over 17 years of plumbing experience. Their main goal as a company is to provide exceptional customers service to all their clients. They also provide top-notch portable restrooms that they also service all over the Kansas area. There’s even a very unique project that Cat Cans is a part of that you’ll find out at the end of the interview. Let’s hear a little bit more about what Matt’s excellent company has to offer for the liquid waste industry.

Can you tell us a little bit about your personal background and how you got into the septic business? My personal background is such that I was a farm kid in southwest Kansas working on the farm. I went to Kansas State University and majored in the study of soil and plants and how everything intertwines. I wanted to do something in the soil area, and when I was going to school I worked for a friend of mine whose dad owned a plumbing company. I was always looking for more and saw a need in my community for this type of service and there wasn’t much competition at that time. There was only one other guy in town, who had a portable restroom business almost 40 miles away. It wasn’t what I envisioned for life, but it seemed to work out well for me.

How many offices do you have and what does your employee base look like? We have one physical office location in Manhattan and a satellite location that is near Chapman. I acquired a company along the way and this location. I don’t own the actual location, but we do a lot of business out of this farming spot with composting and things like that. For employees, we have my wife who plays a vital role in the operation and ten full-time employees. Of course in the summer we carry some seasonal help, so that’s an extra 8-10 people based on the seasonal work and events that we do. Those kids really help out a lot though.

How did you decide on what types of trucks and equipment to invest in? Of course, like most people say everyone is operated differently. The people in the industry, as far as equipment goes, decide on what works best for them. So the same equipment used in some septic businesses, might not be useful for another. You can gain a lot of information by simply talking to people. We’re close to Kansas City, with two big truck manufacturers that are available. I don’t have to go far to find equipment at least. Plus, the wastewater expo in February, helps. You can see things in person and talk to others in the industry. When I first started I did everything with a 550 slide-in vacuum tank unit from Satellite Industries, which was good until business improved. That’s probably what I have done the most. What are the different services you offer? As far as the liquid waste side of things, we offer septic pumping, septic tank inspection, sewer camera inspection, main line sewer inspection, clean out, locating and digging up tanks, septic system repair, and installation. We also send out and maintain portable restroom systems.

Which service do you do most often? When you break the company down, the portable restroom business is how we started, but I wanted to get into pumping and septic. A good septic truck is around $150,000. So I kind of had to work my way up to the septic angle. We’ve acquired two companies, and one was an older septic company that had been in business since 1963. I had to use older stuff until I could afford new equipment. Septic is well over 50 percent of the total services we provide. Portable restrooms are probably at 20-25 percent. We also design and install wastewater systems for residential homes. The other 10-15 percent is restroom trailer rentals for wedding, rallies, and other special events. Handwash stations and holding tanks are a part of that too for jobs in the construction industry. One of the other services we offer is also grease trap pumping. We just handle trap waste under the septic umbrellas.

What are some of the distinguishing services of your company that are unique to you, which allow you to run a great business? We only have one other competitor in our area, so they do good work as well. Quite honestly, to me, it starts with our employees who do the work. They are all in uniform, not sloppily dressed, polite, and they truly listen to a customer’s problems. All of our equipment is uniform, so nothing sticks out and looks awkward. We’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Being consistent in uniform and being the best possible company we can be is part of our success.

What is your target growth percentage, and some challenges along the way? You always want to have good qualified people that work for you. They are on the front lines. It’s not a huge challenge to keep good people, but with the growth of our company, I have people that come to me wanting jobs. I don’t have to advertise really for “help wanted.” I always have a backlog of resumes that I can turn to. Turnover isn’t a huge issue for us, but I know it’s a factor for other companies. Another aspect of the industry is that you’re always trying to get new customers, so that’s always a challenge, especially with competition. Some other challenges, going outside of your expertise and not specializing in one thing can become a problem. We believe in doing a couple of things very well. With regulation and compliance through KDHD, our city and county government with grease trap pumping is very specific. So the laws and regulations have to be followed flawlessly.

How do you boost efficiency and morale in your workers? I think that’s always on my mind. You don’t want anybody to not look forward to coming to work. I cross train a lot of my guys, so they know how to do a lot of different stuff which helps break up the monotony, so they aren’t doing the same thing every day. This isn’t the same for everyone, but it depends on the individual. I was reading a book by Richard Branson, so you can get a lot of business information from those people who are successful. Little tidbits along the way. Some things he says make sense, when you are ranking things in your company, many people say customers are the most important factor, but he says no, it’s your employees who should be number one. I try to follow this and place them number one. I listen to them and talk to them first if a customer complains. Employees who care about what they do and enjoy who they work with, it comes through in our service. Putting your employees first and everyone shows up and has a good attitude, the customers realize that.

Tell us about the different trucks and other equipment we would see if we looked in your parking lot? For the truck itself, we have seven pump trucks with everything from a Ford F 350 with a slide-in unit and flatbed, to a 2010 Peterbilt, with a 4000-gallon tank and a couple of smaller 2000 gallon ones, and a Dodge truck.

How many clients would you say you serviced or pumped per month? Who are some of your bigger clients? On the septic side, my wife handles the office duties running it with another lady, so probably 160 different contracts pumped per month. That includes industrial pumping as well which is also car washes and wastewater. There’s a Hormel plant that we service. That’s definitely one of the bigger ones. On the porta-potty side, it’s three portable restrooms drivers to maintain what we have out in the field.

Anything else you’d like to share about your company? One other thing that might be significant is that they are building a structure NBAF (National Biological Agriculture Defense Facility) and its goal is to basically prevent our food supply form a terror attack. They just moved it here. It’s given our whole community a shot in the arm. We were doing okay in the downturn, but it’s a college town with a military installation, Port Riley, and we do a lot of work with them. This project is a billion dollar construction site that we service on this massive job site. It’s kind of a big deal. They are our number one customer hiring right now and it’s a ten-year project. Pretty cool!

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