Too Deep, Too Long
"Mr. Deeks, are you okay?" Hetty asked quickly as she heard the ragged breathing of her undercover agent. He had been on this assignment for almost five months and she had known from the beginning that he hated it. She hadn't spoken with him in two weeks and was surprised he was calling her instead of Callen, his contact.
"I don't know if I can do this much longer, Hetty," Then she heard him vomit.
"Mr. Deeks, what's wrong?" she ask sympathetically. "Are you sick?"
"This whole assignment makes me sick," he said and she could hear the deep anger and exhaustion in his voice.
"Why are you calling me instead of Mr. Callen?" she asked softly, hoping she could find some way to calm him.
"I just needed to hear your voice, Hetty," he said quietly. "I need you to give me the reasons I'm doing this again and what we hope to accomplished. Are we going to put these vicious bastards away, Hetty?"
"What happened, Mr. Deeks?" she asked.
"I had to watch them beat a couple of college kids that stumbled on the camp," he said harshly. "Then they ordered me and three other militiamen to drive them ten miles away and dump them." He fought to keep his emotions under control, but the memory of the bloody faces of the two young men made him gag. "Hetty, they were in bad shape when we left them, and that was about four hours ago. I called 911 anonymously as soon as I could, but I don't know if they survived. Could you find out? I need to know." There was desperation in his voice.
She could tell he was not in very good shape himself. Deeks was really a gentle soul. He was good at his job, and he could be tough when he had to be, but sometimes assignments conflicted with who you were as a human being. And this particular one was tearing him up inside and she feared for his ability to continue if it went on much longer. Even though he knew the assignment was an important one, becoming a part of this kind of evil bigotry was wearing him down. When that happens mistakes can easily be made, and with the kind of men he was dealing with, mistakes were extremely dangerous.
"Mr. Deeks, I'm going to send Mr. Callen in to get you and he'll give you an update on the progress of this case," she told him firmly. "I'll make sure he knows you need at least a short break, say a day? He will also give you information on what happened to the college kids. Okay, Mr. Deeks?"
"Thanks, Hetty." he whispered. "Gotta go."
...
Callen drove his battered pickup truck into the Aryan Knights of America base camp early the next morning. The camp was way out on the other side of the Los Angeles National Forest and was quite large. It was run like the military, with officers and daily drills in weaponry and instruction by the leader, Jacob Meier, but it also resembled a cult. You didn't just opt out of the Aryan Knights, not unless you had a death wish.
He kept his eyes sharp as he looked for Deeks, hoping he would be allowed to take Deeks out of here for a little while at least. Hetty had warned him Deeks was close to losing it, and if he did, five months worth of undercover work would be lost and they would have to start all over again.
Callen knew how repugnant this assignment was for him, but Deeks had worked his way in quickly after Callen had brought him in as his cousin. Callen had been working this militia group off and on for almost a year, and he still couldn't pin down exactly what operation they were planning, even though all of the agencies involved knew something big was being organized. Deeks had gotten close to the leader, Jacob Meier, but his brother Karl still didn't seem to trust him and that made Callen nervous, because Karl was a hot head who acted first and thought about the consequences later. Callen wouldn't be surprised if Karl was the one who beat up the college guys and then made Deeks dump them. He was still testing him and if Deeks made any kind of slip up, Karl would be on him in a heartbeat.
"Hey, Reiner," Karl said, his voice low and guarded.
"Karl," Callen nodded as he got down from the truck. "Seen my cousin Zack?"
"What you want him for?" he asked coldly.
"If I thought it was any of your business, I'd tell you," Reiner answered. He looked intensely at the man and saw him back off. Karl's father had drilled it into him since he was little to obey commands, and it was hard for him to break that habit when someone asserted their authority. They all thought Joseph Reiner, Callen's alias, had influence over large numbers of white supremacists all across the country thanks to a website Eric had set up over eight months ago.
"He's over by the armory with Jacob," Karl told him reluctantly. "He seemed a little sick last night." Then the man laughed coldly and turned and went inside.
Karl Meier was a huge, rough looking man in his late forties. His hair was light blond and cut close to his head, and he had large colorful tattoos on both arms, mostly with a patriotic theme, but it was the ugly, ragged scar that got most people's attention. It started at his hairline and traveled down the right side of his face and ended under his ear. Most people knew not to ask about it, and if someone did, a vicious look would light his eyes and the person asking usually backed off rather quickly. The few that didn't ended up with a few scars of their own. Callen had warned Deeks when he had briefed him that the guy was extremely dangerous and to tread carefully around him.
When Callen found Deeks he was breaking down an assault rifle, and the young cop's face briefly lit up when he saw him. His hair was unwashed, long and wild looking under a grey ball cap, and he was wearing ragged jeans and a dirty denim shirt. Callen thought he looked extremely tired.
"Hey Joe, what brings you here?" Zack asked, looking surprised to see him. "Thought you weren't coming in until next Friday."
"Family business," Reiner told him as he slapped him on the shoulder and leaving his hand there for just a moment, feeling the tension that was gripping his muscles. "Jacob, I need Zack for today, okay?"
"No problem," the head man said. "Don't you be distracted now, Zack, by the things you see in the city," he's said turning to Zack and slapping him lightly on the cheek. He glared a Zack for a good minute and then did the same to his cousin.
"Joe, you have him back tomorrow morning, or I'll send Karl to get 'em, understand?" Jacob said in the slow manner he had of speaking. His voice had a warmth to it that was missing from the words he spoke. "I've got some plans I'm workin' on and Zack here has a part in 'em."
Jacob Meier wasn't a talkative man, but you knew where you stood with him. He was in his mid fifties and a vicious bigot who started his group to prepare for what he believed were the end times. He believed the government was going to take away his right to bear arms and that the Aryans were the only race chosen by God to rule the world. He hated Jews, Gypsies, and gays, Mexicans and especially blacks and he believed he was the man to lead the way in what he called the "New Revolution". He preached his beliefs to small groups that believed as he did, that killing non-Aryans was good for the country. And he practiced what he preached, although no one had been able to prove it yet.
"Come on Zack, I haven't got all day," Reiner said gruffly, shoving Zack ahead of him before Jacob changed his mind.
They drove quickly out of camp and when they were five miles out, Deeks asked Callen to stop the truck. He stumbled out, dropped to his knees and doubled over, retching into the weeds by the side of the road. Callen followed him and put his hand on the back of his neck, feeling his body tremble. Then he noticed the blood in the grass and he immediately knelt down next to him.
"Deeks, what's wrong?" Callen asked, his whole body on alert.
"Karl found me throwing up after I got back to camp last night." Deeks slowly stood, holding his stomach as he wiped his mouth. "He and a couple of his closest buddies dragged me down to the creek and used my stomach as a punching bag. He told me I was weak and not a fit warrior for the glorious New Revolution and that he needed to teach me how to be tough." The sarcasm in his voice was bitter and he shivered briefly as he looked out over the field.
Callen pulled his shirt up and sucked in his breath as he saw the dark bruises that covered his stomach and ribs. He didn't know how Deeks had held it together back at the camp.
"Karl told me that if I said anything to Jacob, he would do it all over again," Deeks said as Callen helped him back to the truck. "He knows Jacob has taken a liking to me, and he's doing everything he can to wear me down physically and mentally to prove I'm not worthy of Jacob's trust. Pathetic, isn't it, that Jacob, the one guy who protects me from him, is a murdering bigot?" Deeks laughed sadly and shook his head, but Callen could see the despondency in his eyes. Hetty was right, he was very close to the edge.
As they drove back into the city, Deeks told him about the two college students. They were two medical students from UCLA, one black, one Hispanic, who were on a weekend hike to look for medicinal herbs in the wild for one of their professors.
"They never had a chance, Callen," Deeks said softly and Callen could see tears glisten in his eyes. Then he became furious as he described the beating they were given by Karl and five other men.
"I couldn't do anything," his voice caught as he said it. "I couldn't help them, Callen. What kind of cop lets that happen to two innocent young guys?"
"Deeks, you didn't have a choice," Callen told him, but he knew it wouldn't lessen the guilt he felt.
"Did they survive?" he asked, looking at Callen with a haunted look on his face.
"One did," Callen said and he heard a deep groan from Deeks.
"What were their names?" he asked sadly. After Callen told him, he didn't speak for the rest of the trip into LA.
...
"Hetty, I've got Deeks in one of our safe houses," Callen spoke quietly. After Deeks had a shower, Callen had made him get into bed, even though he didn't want to and he had fallen asleep almost immediately.
"How did he react to the news, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked, already knowing what the answer would be.
"He's devastated," Callen said bluntly. "I don't know if he should go back, Hetty."
"He has to, Mr. Callen. We're so close to finding out what this group is up to and Deeks is our best hope for doing that," she replied with a great deal of vehemence, surprising him.
"Hetty, Karl Meier beat him pretty badly after he got off the phone with you," Callen told her. "He's physically and mentally exhausted."
"I'm sending a doctor over, Mr. Callen," she replied and he could hear the anger in her voice. "I'm also sending Kensi and Sam. He needs all the support he can get right now. He's been alone out there with those maniacs too long. He needs some rest, some good food and normal companionship and then we'll talk."
...
Kensi sat next to the bed watching him sleep. He looked gaunt and totally exhausted, but his sleep was fitful and he mumbled as he tossed, tangling himself in the sheets. Finally she lay down next to him and pulled him into her arms, getting a brief smile, even though he was still asleep. He snuggled close to her and as she held him she could feel how feverish he was, but he slowly began to breathe regularly and slipped into a deep sleep.
As she held him, she remembered how hesitant he had been about taking this assignment when Hetty first talked to him about it. He knew he was the perfect fit, physically, for the assignment, looking like a classic Aryan, with his blue eyes and golden hair, but philosophically and psychologically, he knew it would be difficult for him to assume the role of a violent bigot. He hated everything the militia group stood for and becoming someone that would do the things these men did would be difficult to keep up for an extended period. He doubted his ability to carry off the assignment, but Hetty had eventually convinced him that he could do it, so he had agreed. The night before he was to go undercover Kensi had sat with him as he voiced his fears, and she remembered the disgust on his face when he told her some of the terrible things these men were said to have done. And now, as she held him, hoping to give him some comfort, she was becoming very afraid for him, not just for his physical safety, but also for what this assignment was doing to his spirit.
"Kens?" he woke and looked up into her face and smiled so sweetly she felt her heart turn over. He kissed her softly as he held her, searching her face with his eyes like he was seeing her for the very first time. He stroked her cheek and then covered her face with small sweet kisses that almost made her cry. She could feel how thin he was as he hugged her.
"I've missed you so much," he whispered in her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair. He seemed so desperate in his need for her that it scared her. He had been under a long time without a break, and she could tell how hard it had been on him.
"You look awful, Deeks," she said as she surveyed his slender body. "You're so thin and you look so tired. How much weight have you lost?"
"No scales for the Aryan Knights," he said flashing her a quick grin before turning his attention to the buttons on her shirt. Some things never change, she thought, as his hand found it's way to her bra strap.
When his hand cupped her breast, he kissed her so long and deep that she was breathless. She pulled him close and as she ran her hands down his body, she heard a sharp gasp as she touched his ribs. She sat up and pulled the sheet down until she saw the dark bruises that covered his lower body and then she got very angry.
"Why did those bastards do this to you?" she demanded.
"I'm okay, Kens," he said, giving her that familiar grin she had missed so much. "The doctor gave me something for the pain. But, seeing you has been better than the meds, so come back here and give me some more TLC will you?" Then he pulled her to him and she couldn't help but laugh lightly as she felt his hands move once again up under her shirt. She let herself enjoy his caresses and needy kisses even as her heart beat with fear for him.
...
"I smell pizza," Deeks said as he wandered into the kitchen dressed in a grey NCIS tee shirt and blue plaid pajama bottoms. He found Sam and Callen arguing over which topping was healthier. Deeks smiled, enjoying their bickering.
"G, it wouldn't hurt if you ate a few less salami and pepperoni pizzas and a little more chicken and veggie pizzas." Sam said seriously.
"Chicken and vegetables do not belong on a pizza, Sam," Callen said firmly. "It's un-American."
"Pizzas aren't American, G," Sam told him with a smile and a wink at Deeks. "They're Chinese."
"Chinese." Callen said with a doubtful look on his face. "What happened to the Italians?"
"They got it from the Chinese." Sam retorted.
"And you know this how?" Callen asked.
"I read it in one of my cookbooks," Sam answered as he carried the two pizzas into the dining room.
"You read cookbooks, Sam?" Deeks asked as he settled into one of the chairs and grabbed a slice of the pepperoni.
"Yeah, I read cookbooks," he replied as he gave Deeks a questioning look as he nodded at his choice of pizza. "You siding with Callen on the pizza issue?"
"Sam, I haven't had a pizza in almost five months," Deeks said as he shoved half the slice into his mouth and closed his eyes, making yummy sounds as it disappeared. "Callen's right, Sam, sorry."
The two senior agents watched him devour half the pizza within minutes, only pausing to wash it down with one of the beers they had brought over. When Kensi joined them, they noticed a sadness about her as she sat down next to him and picked at her piece of chicken pizza, which was not like her at all.
"Kens, you gotta have a piece of the pepperoni, it's incredible," Deeks said with his mouth full.
"What do they feed you out there, Deeks?" Sam asked.
At the mention of the camp, Deeks stopped eating and a tormented look filled his eyes. He dropped his head and stared silently at the table for several minutes before answering.
"Jacob believes you should only eat red meat, natural grains and raw fruits and vegetables," he said, like he was reciting a mantra. "He believes that America has been taken over by commercial forces that dictate everything we do in everyday life. We need to break their hold over us by getting back to the way this country started and that includes what we eat." His eyes kind of glazed over as he spoke, and a chill went down Callen's spine as he heard Deeks switch to saying "we" instead of "he" and it scared the shit out of him.
"Deeks," Callen spoke his name loudly, breaking whatever spell Deeks was in. "You're not in the camp anymore, you're here with us."
Deeks looked up with a confused look in his eyes, then tears started in his eyes.
"I can't stay there much longer, Callen," he whispered as he got up and stumbled into the living room.
They all quickly followed him. He began to pace back and forth, pulling on his hair and physically shaking, causing Sam to give Callen a concerned look, and Kensi looked very frightened. Suddenly he punched a hole through the wall in front of him and began hitting the wall again and again until Sam got to him and wrapped his arms around him and held him.
"I let them beat that kid to death," he finally said as he hung weakly in Sam's arms. "I should have stopped them, Sam, I should have stopped them." The last part of his comment was barely audible.
Sam sat him down on the couch and sat on the table facing him, and took him by the shoulders.
"Look at me, Deeks," he said firmly, "You know you couldn't have stopped them. What happened is not your fault. If you had broken cover they would have killed you, and then they would have killed Callen."
"I know," he said dejectedly, "but I can't get their faces out of my mind. They were so scared, Sam. They fought hard for their lives, but they didn't have a chance against Karl and his friends."
"We need to make them pay for that, Deeks," Callen told him quietly. "But we also need to stop what they're planning from happening, and you are the only one who can get us that intel."
Deeks leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling, his face becoming stoic as he gathered his thoughts. No one spoke as he sat there for quite a while. Finally, he got up and walked into the bedroom, and threw himself onto the bed.
The rest of the team stared at each other and each could tell how concerned they all were for Deeks' sanity.
Callen motioned them outside so they could talk without being overheard.
"He's getting caught up in that bastard's spiel, G," Sam said.
"He could never become like them, Sam," Kensi argued adamantly.
"They're brainwashing him Kens," Sam replied solemnly. "You've heard of the Stockholm syndrome haven't you? Bank robbers held hostages for six days and by the time it was over, the hostages had formed an emotional attachment to the robbers, even defended them. Deeks has been with these people for almost five months."
"Jacob's gotten to him somehow," Callen said, his eyes flashing. "He is kind of a hostage, Sam, and we're the ones keeping him there. He sees Jacob as his protector from Karl, and that plays right into the hands of a man like Jacob Meier. He's charismatic, or he wouldn't have the following he has. He likes Deeks, and he's trying to teach him his philosophy. He may have even come to think of Deeks as a son, and that scares me "
"Then we have to pull him out of there, Callen," Kensi said stubbornly, and her eyes were full of fear as she sought to protect the gentle spirit of the man she loved.
"No." Deeks stood behind them with a haunted but determined look on his face. "I have to go back."
"Deeks, please, you don't have to do this," Kensi was practically in tears as she pleaded with him and then turned to Callen. "Don't make him go back there, Callen, please."
"If we want to stop what's coming, I don't think we have a choice," Callen said sadly to her. She pushed him angrily away and stormed back inside. Deeks watched her go and then hung his head as he struggled with his own emotions.
Sam moved to his side, waiting for him to recover. "You have to fight to stay true to yourself, Deeks," Sam told him quietly. He put his arm around his shoulder and then looked him in the eye. "Don't become someone you're not. It's just an alias, Deeks, it's not the real you."
"Use the anger you have over what they did to those two students," Callen said with intensity. "Keep their faces in the back of your mind whenever you're with Jacob. He's not your friend, Deeks, he's a sick bastard that wants to kill anyone who doesn't believe what he believes."
"That's not what you believe, Deeks," Sam said, trying to make him remember who he was. "Don't let him brainwash you into thinking he might have a good point about anything, even what you eat."
Suddenly Deeks smiled, a little sadly, but still a smile.
"Sam, remember when I said being undercover was the best part of our job?" Deeks asked. "Because we get to be somebody else? Well, not this time. I don't like being Zack, but some part of me is this guy searching for a father figure and I think that's what makes it hard when I'm around Jacob. He's becoming a father figure to Zack, and something inside of me craves that too, and I'm not sure how to fight that."
"Deeks, Zack is your creation," Callen said with such intensity that Deeks stared at him. "You get to decide how Zack responds to Jacob and to Karl. Deeks, you know this. Just change the character you're playing, and remember the team you're really a part of."
"You're right," he said softly. "I've been too passive. I've let my alias develop the way they see Zack, not the way I need him to be. Thanks. Nobody ever cared enough about me to talk to me like this. I needed it."
"We've got your back, Deeks," Sam said, staring at him with concern as he gripped his shoulder tightly.
"I know," Deeks replied. "I just don't want to let everybody down."
"You wouldn't be on this team if we thought you ever would, Deeks," Callen told him.
"I think I need a beer," Deeks said with a small grin. "Jacob doesn't believe in that either."
"Now, you know there's something wrong with the guy," Sam said laughing as the three men walked back inside together.
...
Deeks waved goodbye to his "cousin Joe" the next morning, and walked slowly back toward the bunkhouse he shared with seven other men. His time away seemed so short, but he had needed it so desperately. His mind swam with memories of Kensi and pizza and a feeling of being safe, protected by people he knew and who truly cared about him. He had looked and longed for that his whole life, and to have finally found it was exhilarating and he found himself smiling.
As he passed the main cabin, Karl Meier came out and stopped him with a hand to his chest.
"What you smilin' about?" Karl asked coldly, staring at Zack with mean eyes. "You look like you cleaned up, boy. The natural way we live not good enough for you?" Then he shoved Zack back and advanced on him and shoved him back again, until he had him backed up against the porch, keeping his hand on Zack's chest and putting his mouth close to his ear.
"You tell Jacob I beat the shit out 'a you?" Karl asked ominously. "Cause somebody did."
"I didn't tell him anything, you asshole," Zack said as he pushed him away.
Karl's fist hit him just above his left eye, knocking him back against the porch and leaving him dizzy and with blood running down his cheek. When he saw Karl laugh, he charged him, driving his shoulder deep into the man's midsection as he drove him into the ground. Landing on top of him, Zack began to pound the living hell out of Karl Meier's face, not stopping until three of Karl's buddies pulled him off and held his arms behind him.
"You little hippy shit," Karl said, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I'm gonna make you pay for that." Then he hit him low in the stomach and Zack collapsed to his knees. But before he could hit him again, a rifle shot rang out, splintering the porch railing next to Karl's head.
"You're done, Karl," Jacob Meier told him as he held his aim on Karl's head. He nodded to his buddies, who quickly dropped Zack and melted into the surrounding landscape as fast as they could.
"You just want me to let him get away with that?" Karl asked with a curious look on his face.
"You had it comin'," Jacob told him as he lowered the rifle. "Now get over to the armory and get those weapons prepped like I told you."
Karl placed his boot on Zack's shoulder as he kneeled on the ground and shoved him over onto his back.
"This ain't over," he growled and stalked off to the armory like he was told.
As Zack struggled to stand, he felt Jacob grab his arm and help him up. He felt dizzy and had to grab the porch railing to keep from falling down.
"Come on in and I'll put somethin' on that cut." Jacob said as he started up the steps.
Zack did as he was told, still trying to catch his breath. When he got inside, he was surprised at how neat and tidy the room was and how conventional looking it seemed. Deeks would have thought he was in a normal person's house until he read the titles of the books that lined the shelves, and saw the large Nazi flag that hung in the dining room.
"Sit down," Jacob said as he pulled out a large first aid kit. He silently cleaned Zack's face, putting antiseptic on the cut over his eye and then applying a band-aid.
"I've been waiting for you to do that for quite a while," he said, staring at Zack with a slight smile. "Karl's good for muscle, but he's got something missin' up here," Jacob said pointing to his head. "You, on the other hand, are smart, but a little shy. There's only one thing I can't figure. You didn't tell me about the beatin' he laid on you, but was that because you were afraid of him or because you didn't want to be a snitch?"
"I thought I could deal with him without bothering you," Zack answered quietly.
"You haven't made enough friends here yet to do that," Jacob said. "Except for me, that is."
"Thank you, Jacob," Zack said looking at the floor. "It's an honor that you call me a friend." Saying those words almost made Deeks puke, but he knew it was what Jacob wanted to hear. And the closer he got to this man, the faster he would get the intel he needed so he could get the hell out of this place.
"Come here," Jacob said, motioning Zack into the dining room. "I want you to see what the future holds."
Spread out on the table was a schematic of a block in downtown Los Angeles. In the center was a building Deeks knew, he had been to an event there early last year.
"Do you know what building this is Zack?" Jacob spread his arms wide over the plans.
"No sir," Zack said quietly, giving him a look of innocent devotion.
"This is what the people of Los Angeles call the Unity Center." Jacob laughed loudly and ended with a snort. "But what they really mean by unity is the mixing of the races and I just can't have that Zack."
As Zack stood passively by and seemingly enthralled, Jacob Meier went on an extended rant about how all other races needed to be made subservient to the Aryan race, and that those races needed to be taught a lesson about their proper place in society. When he was finished, he turned to Zack and wrapped his arm around his shoulder and Deeks had to work hard to keep himself from flinching when the man touched him.
After his talk yesterday with Sam and Callen, Deeks' mind was clearer and he was focused on taking control of his alias. He knew this madman had somehow seduced him and that alarmed him. He had never experienced that kind of lack of control over an alias except with Max Gentry. But this was different. He knew what kind of man Jacob was and he knew the kinds of things he was suspected of doing, yet somehow Jacob had gotten in his head and the things he believed had begun to worm their way into his thinking and it appalled him. Maybe he was being brainwashed.
Since coming to the camp, he had been worked almost to exhaustion every day and the workers were always on short rations and if you pissed off Jacob or Karl they made you go days without eating or drinking until they thought you had learned your lesson. And he was always pissing Karl off. He couldn't remember how many times he had been hit by the man or how many days each week he had gone without food. He knew he had lost weight while he had been here, but when Kensi saw him she had been shocked at how thin he was. No wonder he had devoured that pizza. Thinking about it now made his mouth water.
He had overheard Sam when he spoke about brainwashing, but Deeks felt more like a prisoner of war. He realized he had felt trapped from the beginning and when the physical abuse started he had subconsciously sought a protector and that protector was Jacob Meier. And Zack had appreciated his protection and that's where the trap had been sprung. As he listened to Jacob spew venom about the Unity Center he felt so ashamed of himself for falling under this man's spell, that he became nauseous and dizzy and quickly sat down.
"You okay, son?" Jacob asked.
"Fine, sir, just a little dizzy," Zack answered. The man had called him son and it made him cringe, but he didn't show any emotion on the outside.
"Zack, you have been chosen to help me send a message about the 'New Revolution' to the people of Los Angeles." Jacob told him with a glazed look in his eyes. "The races need to be taught a lesson and I'm the teacher and you will be my helper."
"Sir?" Zack said, looking stunned.
"Four days from now an event will be held in the Unity Center building," Jacob said, his face burning with zeal. "There will be people there from all the different race organizations in the area. We are gonna make sure nobody forgets that day. The massacre we inflict on these sub-humans will be the beginning of the 'New Revolution'." His face glowed with fervor for his grandiose plan.
Deeks' blood ran cold as he listened to the madman in front of him. Sweat broke out on his body as he realized the scope of what this man planned to do. He knew four days was not very long to come up with a way to stop him, but he knew everything rested on his shoulders and he was filled with fear that he might fail. He needed to let Callen know as soon as he could and he needed details. His mind was racing as he worked scenarios in his head, not noticing that Jacob was talking to him.
"You payin' attention, Zack?" Jacob slapped him hard across the face and he jumped.
"Sorry sir, I was just so caught up in your plan," Zack said smiling sheepishly as he wiped a trickle of blood from his lip. He stared at the small amount of blood smeared on his finger and he shivered at the thought of all the blood Jacob Meier planned to spill in just four days if he didn't find a way to alert Callen.
"We'll talk more about this tonight when Karl and a few of the inner council joins me," Jacob told him as he led him to the door. "I'll send someone to get you when I need you." Then he shoved Zack out the door.
Deeks felt as if he was moving in slow motion as he walked through the camp toward the bunkhouse. He knew he couldn't get a message out until after the meeting. He had hidden a cell phone in one of the small guard shacks down by the creek, and he had to find a way to reach it without arousing suspicion. His mind was so filled with images of chaos as he thought about Jacob Meier's plan, that he didn't notice Karl walk up behind him, until he felt the knife at his throat.
"You've got Jacob's protection right now," Karl hissed into his ear as he held him close. The knife slowly cut into his skin and blood began to trickle down his neck. "But, you'll screw up and then you're mine."
"I'm supposed to meet with Jacob tonight about his plan for the 'New Revolution'," Zack told him boldly. "If you're done threatening me, I have things to do." He reached up and pushed the knife away and walked on, not looking back. He felt better than he had in days.
...
Jacob sent a man to get him close to midnight. As he entered the room, everyone turned to stare at him. He caught the sneer on Karl's face and it gave him a chill, but Jacob was clearly excited and welcomed him into the center of the council.
"Men, you all know Zack Reiner." Jacob said putting his arm around Zack's shoulder. "I am sending him on a special assignment before we begin the New Revolution. Let's just say it will be his initiation into my inner circle." Deeks saw a dark knowing smile grow on Karl Meier's face and he tried not to show the anxiety it was causing in the pit of his stomach.
"Not everyone will be going on the first raid that begins our Revolution, but we want those who stay behind to guard our camp to feel the same exhilaration our advanced warriors will feel when they attack the Unity Center." Jacob's voice rose and fell in a mesmerizing cadence as he laid out Zack's assignment.
"Zack, you are to go into the lion's den and bring back a captive that we will sacrifice to the success of the beginning of the New Revolution," Jacob delivered the pronouncement like he was the god of a new era, and Deeks felt a fear so deep, he didn't think he could move if he wanted to. He was in the presence of a true madman, and as he listened to what this madman wanted him to do and what would happen afterwards, he felt lightheaded from the sheer horror of it. When Jacob finished his instructions, Deeks somehow managed to get out of the room looking like he was pleased with his assignment, but once outside he felt his body break out in a cold sweat and he quickly walked into the warm night air, trying to calm his racing heart.
"You gonna throw up again, hippy boy?" Karl materialized right in front of him, putting a hand to his chest and smiling as his three friends joined him. "I'm gonna enjoy watching you fail at this assignment, and then I'm gonna get you all to myself."
Deeks felt dark anger rise in his chest and he pushed Karl's hand away and laughed harshly. "Get the fuck out of my face," he said menacingly as he began to push the bigger man back, step by step. "Haven't you heard, Karl? I'm on a mission from god." His voice rose in volume at every word and then he laughed like a crazy person and walked off into the night. The look of uncertainty he had seen on Karl's face was worth the last five months of deprivation, but he was very glad Karl had never seen "The Blues Brothers", otherwise he would probably be spitting out some teeth right now.
As he moved beyond the outskirts of the camp his mind began to swirl with what he needed to do. He had all the intel he needed on Jacob Meier's coming operation and now he had a reason to leave the camp and get that information to Callen and the team. But his special assignment terrified him and he would need the team's help to figure out how to overcome that obstacle.
...
"Callen, I'm in the city," Deeks said into the cell phone he had sneaked into the truck late last night, "See you in about an hour. The op is scheduled."
He had forgotten how liberating it was to just drive. He realized how much he missed the sensation of driving alone with no one watching him. He could almost see the end of this assignment and he longed for that day when he could do simple things like take a hot shower whenever he wanted, or grab a beer and watch an old movie. He knew the first thing he wanted to do when he was free of this case. He wanted one whole day alone with Kensi and to wake up with her in his own bed before going surfing in the early morning, listening to the gulls float above him crying their sad songs into the wind.
He smiled to himself as he thought about normal things and normal people. Then his eye caught a familiar truck in the rearview mirror and he knew he wasn't alone anymore. He had a tail. Shit! He put his cell on speaker and called Callen back.
"I've got a tail," he said quickly. "What do you want me to do?"
"Don't try and lose him, it will look suspicious," Callen instructed him. "Give me a description of the car and plate number if you can. We'll take care of the tail when you stop for lunch at the farmer's market."
His earlier feeling of freedom disappeared and the cold reality of his mission settled uneasily on his shoulders once again. But now he had people watching his back and he focused on that.
...
When Deeks walked into the boat shed, he felt his whole body relax as he dropped onto one of the sofas and noisily exhaled and stretched his legs out in front of him. He would have gone right to sleep, if Kensi hadn't practically jumped on him.
"Hey Deeks," she said smiling with relief to see him again so soon. She had been so concerned when he left to return to the camp that she couldn't sleep. Now, she was so excited it was if she had just downed a gallon of coffee.
"Hey Fern," he teased, using his earliest nickname for her. It reminded him how special she was to him now. When he'd come up with that name he did it to piss her off, but now it reminded them both of how far their relationship had come.
"Kensi tell you what she did to your tail?" Sam asked, smiling broadly as he entered.
Deeks listened to the story, his eyes lids drooping, as Kensi told him how she had backed into the man's truck as he tried to follow Deeks after lunch, crying copious tears at how much trouble she was going to be in for wrecking the family car.
"The guy was so frustrated, I thought he was going to punch her," Callen said. "Of course, my turn as a motorcycle cop wasn't bad either."
He stopped talking when he noticed Deeks was sound asleep on the couch. He also noticed the cut over his left eye which was just starting to turn purple and the cut line on his throat. They were all glad this operation was close to the end, because none of them thought Deeks could make it through another week of this assignment.
He suddenly jerked awake. "Sorry, guys, not much time to sleep last night."
"How much have you had to eat since we last saw you?" Sam asked.
He looked lost in thought and then shook his head. "I don't remember eating at the camp, just what I had at the farmer's market twenty minutes ago," he said as he stood wearily to his feet. "Besides, after what Jacob told me, if I had eaten, I probably would have thrown up all over his big Nazi flag."
"You want to fill us in on what his plans are?" Callen asked.
Deeks nodded and the expression on his face became deadly serious.
"There is an multi-racial event scheduled at The Unity Center in three days," he began. "Jacob plans on having several incendiary devices planted in the building before the event. When they go off and people begin to exit the building, he will have as many as seven snipers on the surrounding rooftops to shoot down as many people as possible." He stopped to catch his breath and they noticed his hands were trembling. He looked at Sam as he continued. "He told his inner council that the shooters would be concentrating on killing as many blacks as possible, only he didn't use that term." Sam's eyes narrowed as he saw the sadness in Deeks' eyes.
"His plan seems pretty basic," Callen said, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Why snipers, why not one bomb to take out everybody at once?"
"Because he wants everyone to see the individual victims lying dead in the middle of the city," Deeks answered and then swallowed hard. "And because he doesn't want the races mixed together, even in death. That's why he is only killing black people and...because he's a madman."
"There's more," Deeks whispered and suddenly sat down.
"You okay, Deeks?" Callen asked, concern in his eyes.
"I'm being initiated into Jacob's inner circle," his voice was quiet and slightly shaky. "That's why they let me come to the city. I'm supposed to kidnap a black man or boy and bring him back to camp with me. Not all of the militiamen will be at the Unity Center. Jacob is staying back with half the militia to protect the camp, but he doesn't want them to miss out on the joy of participating in the beginning of the New Revolution, so the person I bring back is..." He stopped talking and wiped his eyes with a trembling hand. "...going to be "sacrificed", as he calls it, at the moment the shooting ends in LA."
"How?" Sam asked coldly.
"Slow strangulation, followed by mutilation, so everyone gets a souvenir." Deeks got up and walked outside and they could hear him as he vomited his lunch into the water. Kensi quickly followed him out.
"Can Deeks do this, G?" Sam said as they waited for him to come back inside.
Callen took his time answering. "He has to bring somebody back or we have to pull him. If we pull him, Jacob will know it was a set up and will scrub the target and wait for his next opportunity. This is our best chance to get this guy and take out his militia. We have to make this work."
"Then he has to take me back." Sam said.
"No!" Deeks shouted from the doorway. "No, Sam, please. You don't know how insane these people are."
"Got someone else in mind, Deeks?" Sam asked solemnly. "Besides, we'll have people in place to pull me out when the time comes."
"What if something goes wrong?" Deeks asked. "Sam, I don't know whether Jacob's sending me on the mission or keeping me in camp."
"Can you convince him to keep you with him?" Callen was starting to feel as uneasy as Deeks about letting Sam walk into such a dangerous situation. "Sam will need you as backup."
"I can try," he said, but doubt was apparent on his face.
"If we want to stop this madman, we need to do it now," Sam urged them. "If we lose this opportunity, you know he'll try again and we won't know where or when. Now we do. He will kill a lot of innocent people."
Callen didn't like being backed into a corner, but he could see no other option except to send in his partner. Deeks wouldn't look at any of them; he just stared at the floor.
"Okay Sam," Callen said softly," Let's work out the details."
"Sam," Deeks spoke so quietly they almost didn't hear him. "Are you sure?" The look on his face was a mixture of fear and determination.
"Yeah, Deeks, I'm sure," Sam said. "We need to finish this guy."
Deeks nodded silently.
...
Sam could feel the fear radiating off of Deeks as they got closer to the camp and he made him stop the truck and get out so they could go over his alias and to try and calm him down.
"Deeks, you need to get your shit together," he said angrily, punching the younger man hard in the shoulder that got the reaction he was looking for.
"What the hell was that for?" Deeks said sharply, pushing Sam back with anger in his eyes.
"Keep that anger Deeks, or this isn't going to work." Sam told him roughly. "If they see any fear in you, they'll know it's a set up and it will get us both killed."
Deeks nodded as he struggled to get back into character as a vicious bigot who had just kidnapped a homeless man from the streets of LA.
"Hit me Deeks," Sam told him, shoving him back hard against the side of the truck.
"What?" Deeks asked.
"Hit me," Sam said harshly and hit Deeks in the face. "It's the only time I'm gonna let you do this, so you better hit me like you did when we were cage fighting. Both our lives depend on it."
Sam kept pushing Deeks until the undercover cop lost it. He slugged Sam in the face again and again, until they both fell to their knees exhausted. When he looked at what he had done to Sam's face he reached out to him.
"Sam, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," Deeks said as he helped him to his feet.
"You hit like a girl, Deeks," Sam said, laughing and spitting out blood, getting a soft laugh in return. "Now, tie me up and let's get this done."
...
They drove into the camp in the late afternoon and parked outside the main cabin. Zack jumped down from the truck and opened the back of the camper shell. The black man inside pushed himself as far away from Zack as he could get. Scattered groups of militiamen gathered around waiting to get their first look at "The Sacrifice", as the black man had come to be known around camp. Zack crawled in and pulled the man toward the opening, finally pulling him out and throwing him down in the dust. As he stood over him, Karl and Jacob walked up through the gathering of men who had parted as they came. They stood looking down at the black man cringing on the ground. He looked badly frightened and his face was battered and bleeding.
"I'm proud of you Zack," Jacob said, putting his arm on the young follower's shoulder. "He looks like he put up a fight."
"Nothing I couldn't handle," Zack said boastfully, smirking proudly.
Karl grabbed the black man by his dirty jacket and hauled him to his feet and shoved him towards his three buddies.
"I'll take him to the shack," Karl said, as he looked at Zack hard.
"He's my prisoner, not yours," Zack said sharply and pushed past Karl and started shoving the black man down toward the edge of the camp. Karl moved to stop him, but Jacob pulled him back.
"He's right, Karl. You'll have your chance for glory later at the Unity Center." Jacob said looking proudly at his young devotee as he walked "The Sacrifice" down to the shack.
Zack didn't have to look back to know that Karl was not a happy man and he kept himself sharp. He knew Karl wouldn't be able to let it go and would be questioning him closely for the details of the capture. He could hear he and his friends following behind them. When they reached the shack, Zack led Sam inside and quickly closed the door. The shack was used as the jail and for isolation punishment if anyone screwed up. Zack had been confined here several times without food or water, after being beaten by the man he knew was on his way to question him. There was a center post that prisoners were tied to and Zack helped Sam sit down with his back against the post as he tied his hands behind it. Then he quickly shoved a knife into the dirt near Sam's hands, effectively hiding it from view and slid the cell phone into Sam's back pocket. As Zack stood, the door slammed open and Karl and his friends were on him, shoving him roughly back against the wall.
"You expect me to believe you took this big guy down all on your own?" Karl growled into Zack's face as he tightened his grip on his throat. Then he hit him hard in the mouth.
"I don't care what you believe you asshole," Zack shouted at him, spitting blood in his face.
Then Karl pulled a pistol from his belt and slammed it into Zack's head and he fell unconscious and bleeding onto the dirt floor.
Sam caught his breath at the brute violence of the attack and began to realize just how physically tough this assignment had been on Deeks. They all knew he had been beaten after talking to Hetty, but Sam was pretty sure that hadn't been the only time. Karl Meier was a hard, suspicious man, and Sam prepared himself as the man turned his attention toward him.
"Tell me how he captured you," Karl said, and then he kicked him viciously in the ribs.
"I was s-s-sleeping in my b-b-box on the s-s-s-street, and he p-p-p-put a g-gun..." the black man stopped stuttering and started shaking and drew his knees tightly to his chest and tried to lean away from Karl Meier.
"He's a fuckin' moron," Karl said to his friends and then laughed loudly. "But aren't they all."
He shook his head and then the four of them walked out and slammed the door.
Sam listened intently for a while trying to hear if anyone was outside. When he couldn't hear anyone moving around, he called out to Deeks, but got no response. He took a deep breath and tried to calmly think things through. He realized now, why Deeks was afraid to bring him into the camp. He knew how volatile and vicious Karl Meier could be, and how quickly plans could go wrong when there were unstable people involved. All Sam could hope for was that Deeks wasn't too badly hurt and could overcome this setback and get the plan back on course, because if he couldn't, Sam knew he was in big trouble.
It was almost dark before Sam saw Deeks move. He groaned and rolled over onto his back and put his hand to his face. He attempted to sit up a couple of times, but kept falling back, breathing heavily each time. Sam wasn't certain if anyone was outside so he kept silent, afraid to break their cover. Finally Deeks rolled onto his side facing Sam. He blinked slowly, trying to focus, then he passed out again and Sam felt a twinge of fear in his stomach for the first time.
Suddenly, the door to the shack opened and Jacob stood there holding a lantern. He looked briefly at Sam, before setting down the lantern and moving to kneel beside Deeks.
"Zack?" he called softly as he examined Zack's bloody head. Zack moaned and opened his eyes.
"Karl do this?" Jacob asked as he took Zack in his arms. He mumbled a response, but Sam couldn't understand what he said. Jacob pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped blood from Zack's face. Sam was surprised at how tenderly the man treated Deeks, cradling him in his arms and speaking to him quietly as he tried to wake him. Slowly, he regained consciousness and looked over at Sam and then back up at Jacob.
"I brought him to you just like you told me to," Zack said slowly.
"Yes you did, son," Jacob said soothingly as if talking to a child. "And I'm very proud of you."
Zack smiled at that and Sam shivered as a chill went down his spine.
Four men came in and Jacob helped them lift Zack up and they carried him out of the shack. As Jacob started to follow them out, he picked up the lantern and turned toward Sam.
"I'm gonna let Zack be the one who strangles you tomorrow. He earned that honor." Then Jacob smiled and followed the men carrying Zack.
The door closed and Sam was left in the dark, and he felt his heart pounding in his chest. His only comfort was the feel of the knife that Deeks had hidden behind him. It took all of his will power not to use the knife right then to cut himself loose, hit the emergency button on the cell phone and run for it, but he knew he couldn't leave Deeks here to suffer the consequences, so he waited for morning and prayed that Deeks could pull it together.
...
Zack could barely think as blinding pain shot through his head. He didn't know where he was and when he tried to get up off the bed he became nauseous and the room would spin violently. He put his hand to his head, feeling the bandage there. He could hear angry voices coming from another room and he stumbled toward the door. He opened it to find two men yelling at each other and the loudness caused the pain in his head to intensify. He took a step toward them and would have fallen if the older man hadn't rushed over to support him.
"Zack, you should stay in bed," Jacob told him and tried to get him to turn around.
"I told you he was weak," Karl shouted.
Zack stared at the big man, blinking slowly and trying to remember who the man was.
He knew the man helping him was named Jacob, but how he knew that he didn't know. He was surprised the man kept calling him Zack, because he didn't think that was his name. When Jacob helped him lie down on the bed, he felt so exhausted he could hardly move and he let the man cover him with a blanket. The loud man came into the darkened room and pointed at him, talking so loudly that he reached up and covered his ears, trying to stop the throbbing pain that pulsed behind his eyes.
The men's voices began to sound as if they were coming from farther and farther away and he closed his eyes and drifted, seeing horrible images of bloody, battered faces and dying people screaming as they fell scattered across the cold grey ground. He could feel his heart beating against his chest as he saw himself running towards a black man tied to a stake. The man was yelling a name. Who was he? Who am I? And who is Deeks?
...
The morning light woke him. He could hear men talking and joking outside and he lay listening to them as he slowly oriented himself. When he turned over a spike of pain sliced through his head behind his eyes, and it jolted him upright. He clung to one of the bedposts as he tried to stop the spinning room. He waited and slowly everything found its place and he stood. Suddenly he was seeing two of everything and he sat back down on the bed. Then the door opened and his heart began to race and he felt fear grip him but he wasn't sure what he was afraid of.
Jacob stood in the doorway and smiled at him. "Well, Zack, you're finally awake."
Zack smiled back and his heart began to slow down. But for some reason, he still felt the fear in his stomach and a sense of unease clung to him as Jacob helped him from the room.
"You're gonna stay here at the camp today," Jacob said. "And Karl will lead the attack on the Unity Center this afternoon. Then you will have the honor of making 'The Sacrifice' in celebration of the beginning of the New Revolution."
None of what the man said made any sense to him, but he let him lead him along, hoping the dull throbbing in his head would ease and then he would try and figure out what it all meant. Jacob sat him down in the dining room in front of a delicious smelling plate of food and he could hear his stomach growl in response. Then Jacob left him alone to eat, joining the men outside.
He ate quickly and the food made him feel better. As he pushed his plate away, he leaned back in the chair and looked up. A large Nazi flag filled his vision and he stood up suddenly in shock, knocking the chair over as raw fear gripped him as images of bloody faces and screaming people tore through his mind again. He began to shake as his memory of this room flooded through his mind. He knew he had been here before and he knew he was in danger but he still couldn't remember why. He heard engines start outside the front door and he turned and ran through the house, looking for a back entrance. When he found it, he ran out into the woods behind the cabin and kept running until he became dizzy and collapsed, his breathing came in short gasps and his head pounded with pain. As he lay panting on the ground he searched his mind for answers that were just out of reach and not knowing those answers scared him even more. He pulled himself to a tree and leaned up against it trying to catch his breath. Jacob found him sleeping there in the early afternoon.
"Zack, what are you doing way out here?" Jacob asked as he shook him awake. "We've been looking all over for you. It's almost time for the celebration, so don't screw this up."
Jacob pulled him roughly to his feet and they walked through the woods to a small shack.
"Zack, wait here with 'The Sacrifice' and me and the council will get things started," Jacob instructed him with a hint of displeasure in his voice. "I'll send someone to get you when it's time." Then he handed Zack an automatic pistol, opened the door and let Zack into the shack and left him there.
Sam stared at Deeks and the fear that had been building in his gut, rushed through his mind and body. Deeks was completely disoriented. Sam could see the pain he was in and the confusion in his eyes, and he knew it was time to act.
"Deeks, we can't wait any longer," Sam said as he pulled the knife from the ground behind him. "Deeks, talk to me." Sam quickly cut himself free and stood, moving to Deeks side as he swayed slightly on his feet.
"Sam?" Deeks said weakly and a small smile lit his face. "Sam, what are you doing here?"
Sam took Deeks by the shoulders and pushed him slowly back until he was leaning against the wall. He checked his eyes and saw he had a severe concussion and the bandage on his head had fresh blood on it.
"Sam, I think these guys are Nazis," Deeks said softly. "And I think I'm undercover because Jacob keeps calling me Zack. But Sam, I can't remember any details, like why you're here tied up in a shed." Sam could tell that Deeks was frustrated but he didn't have time to fill him in on the details.
"Just rest for a minute Deeks," Sam said quietly. He pulled the cell phone from his back pocket and dialed Callen.
"Sam, you okay?" Callen asked.
"Were in trouble." Sam quickly filled him in on what had happened and watched Deeks as he did. The undercover cop blinked slowly and Sam could tell he was trying to process the information he was hearing. "You need to get here fast G, or we're dead."
Sam looked quickly at Deeks as he felt him tighten his grip on his forearm. "Someone's coming, Sam."
"Sam," Callen said, "we stopped the militiamen just outside the city. They're all in custody except or Karl Meier. Watch your back. We're on our way"
"Hurry, G."
The door opened and a militiaman stood staring at them until Sam's knife entered his heart with deadly quiet. They dragged him in and dropped him as they heard shouting coming from the main camp.
"Sounds like our cover's blown," Sam said as he stripped off the homeless man's jacket Deeks had loaned him. "How can you stand wearing something that smells this bad?" Sam asked, wrinkling his nose and getting Deeks to smile.
"I don't remember." Deeks replied and was rewarded with a quick laugh from Sam.
"You ready Deeks?"
"Yeah."
Sam armed himself with the dead man's automatic rifle and they slowly opened the door to the shack. As they moved along the side they could hear helicopters and a firefight breaking out in the main part of the camp.
"Troops are on the ground, Deeks," Sam said as he checked around the corner toward the path. "Clear."
He turned back when he heard Deeks cry out. Karl Meier had him in a chokehold, with a gun to his head.
"Well, look who we've got here," Karl said coldly. "You a cop like your hippy friend here?"
"Federal Agent," Sam replied, looking for any advantage as he watched Deeks eyes.
"Put the gun down and I won't shoot this little shit," Karl said as he began to force Deeks forward toward Sam.
Suddenly, Deeks planted his feet and pushed back hard, catching Karl by surprise and causing him to stumble and fall. He landed on his back in the dirt with Deeks on top of him. As Deeks rolled free, Sam charged, firing as he came. Karl Meier's face exploded in blood and bone as his gun dropped limply from his dead hand. Deeks got to his knees and turned as bullets crackled through the air and he saw Sam go down against the wall of the shack.
"No, Sam, no," Deeks shouted as rushed to his side and felt quickly for a pulse as his head pounded with pain and fear. He felt Sam's heartbeat racing under his fingers and he began to put pressure on the wound in his side when a shadow covered him.
Jacob Meier stood looking down on him with a deadly look of rage on his face. His gun pointed directly at Sam.
"Zack, what are you doing?" Jacob asked as his rage became clouded with confusion. "He was to be our sacrifice. Now he's killed Karl and I find you trying to save him? Why?"
"Because he's my brother, Jacob," Deeks said calmly as he looked up into the face of a madman.
He heard the man hiss with disgust. When Deeks stood up he held Sam's knife in his bloody hand. He took two steps toward Jacob Meier and buried the blade in his heart.
...
"Callen, where are they?" Kensi called out frantically. Three different agencies had been in on the take down of the Aryan Knights of America and the camp was in chaos after the firefight. Kensi had searched every building for Deeks and Sam and her fear was almost overwhelming when she couldn't find them.
She saw Callen pushing a militiaman toward her as he shouted back over the beat of helicopter blades and scattered gunfire. "This guy knows where they were keeping Sam." He pushed the man to his knees and put a gun to his head. "Tell us where!" Kensi could see the anger and fear in Callen's flashing eyes as the man pointed down a narrow track that led down to the creek.
Callen and Kensi took off at a dead run down through the trees, not stopping until they saw a rustic shack practically hidden in a grove of oak trees. They came around the corner and stopped.
"Oh God," Kensi whispered as she stood behind Callen shaking with fear at the scene before her. Four bodies laid scattered on the ground and the smell of blood almost made her gag.
"Sam!" Callen rushed to his partner's side as Kensi moved anxiously toward Deeks as he lay unconscious in the dirt next to Sam, his hand over a bloody wound in Sam's side.
Callen quickly checked for a pulse on both men, letting out a long sigh as his eyes reddened with barely suppressed tears. "They're alive, Kens," Then he collapsed next to his partner, trying to tamp down the fear that had almost choked him when he saw them lying there. Then he called for the paramedics.
As Kensi knelt next to Deeks he jerked awake. "Sam!" he called out loudly and struggled to his knees.
"He's alive, Deeks," Kensi said as she helped him lean against the wall of the shack next to Sam.
"Is it over?" he whispered as exhaustion settled over him.
"Yeah, Deeks, it's finally over."
...