Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing if you do. Without further delay...
Day was beginning to turn to night by the time Kensi arrived home. Parking in the driveway, Kensi paused before going inside, allowing her eyes to lift to the sunset coloring the sky behind the house. It was the kind of setting sun made for vacation advertisements and postcards. The sky shimmered like oil and water, the soft yellow bleeding to pink and purple and edged with blue. But no picture could possibly capture the feel of the breeze from the ocean, and the distant rumble of the waves crashing on the beach.
Kensi closed her eyes, letting the sounds crash into her and the wind sway her gently. Unbidden, she thought back to the day they'd brought Kyle home. Born in the winter, or what passed for winter in California, the sky had been stormy and gray with rain. Still tired from forty-two hours of labor, Kensi had leaned heavily on Deeks, letting the warmth of his hand on her waist and the steady strength of his arm practically lift her over the cobbled path to the front door.
Hailey had been given the daunting task of carrying newborn Kyle into the house. And Kensi had smiled, because while Hailey had been nervous about carrying her nephew, Kensi hadn't worried. She'd seen how Hailey looked at Kyle, with wonderful fear wrapped in concerned love. Kensi knew Kyle would be safe with Hailey, that she would never let anything happen to him. Just like when Deeks held his son, Hailey couldn't stop staring at Kyle when he was in her arms.
The bonds of true family were as wonderfully strange as the ones Kensi had formed with her team. She and Deeks had made the most difficult leap when they found each other, committed to each other, and forged a path forward together. Their family had grown and changed from them through fate and determination. They were bonds formed so quickly, as solid as steel and as reliable as the turning tide from the ocean they all loved.
The sounds of laughter in the present brought an easy smile to Kensi's face. She kept her eyes closed but she heard Kyle's giggles, followed by Hailey's shriek, and she could almost picture the scene unfolding. No doubt Kyle was playing a joke on Hailey and she was indulging him with the outraged reaction he hoped for. They were quite the pair, unlike any set of siblings Kensi had ever witnessed.
But then they weren't traditional siblings. Kensi knew that since Hailey had grown up in an emotionally and physically abusive household that it had taken her time to understand what a family could be. But once she had, she'd taken to her brother and Kensi, and then Kyle, with a grateful abandon that Kensi had to admire. Hailey didn't hold back when she decided to love. If anything her childhood had made her treasure the family she had even more.
And Kyle loved his "big sister" all the more for it. She indulged his practical jokes and he brought out her silliness. Their age difference somehow made them get along even better. There were occasionally fights, but far more often Kensi came across Kyle and Hailey slumped against each other on the couch, a bowl of popcorn between them, or racing each other for the beach, surf boards under their arms.
Kensi lifted her eyelids, the heaviness reminding her that it had been a very long and draining day. The glow through the curtains in the front room warmly invited her in and Kensi shook away the memories. As pleasant as they were, she was anxious to see Deeks and find out how he was recovering. Hailey had called her a few hours earlier to tell her that Deeks had been discharged. Kensi had initially been concerned at the quick release, but a call to Deeks' doctor told her that he was recovering well and just needed to rest at home.
Entering the house, Kensi put her bag down by the door, unlacing her boots before she padded towards the front of the house, feeling confident she knew where her husband was. Standing in the curved archway of the entrance to the family room, Kensi leaned her head against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Deeks was propped up in one of the huge, plush armchairs, his feet on an ottoman and his head tipped back against the cushion. His arm on his injured side was fixed against his chest in a sling and he was dead asleep. There was a baseball game on the TV screen, but the volume was only low background noise. Kensi padded over to him silently, taking a corner of the ottoman and leaning over him to brush the hair tangled over his forehead to the side. His color was returning and he breathed easily, the barest hint of a snore rumbling his chest and making her grin.
She longed to see him open his eyes, to watch his blue eyes turn from confused sleep to recognition and love. But Kensi resisted waking him, reasoning he needed his rest more than she selfishly needed the comfort his smile would give her. Careful not to jar him, Kensi stood and left the room, heading towards the kitchen and the continuing sound of giggles and laughter.
Keeping to the doorway, Kensi grinned at the scene in front of her. Hailey was putting the finishing touches on lasagna, laying the last layer of noodles, meat sauce, and mozzarella, while Kyle dancing around behind her, occasionally poking her with the breadstick in his hand. Hailey would pause in her cooking, whirling around to try and catch him, and Kyle would dart away, taking an innocent bite from the breadstick until Hailey gave up and turned back to the pan. Then Kyle snuck in again, while Hailey watched out of the corner of her eye as he edged in closer.
Just as Kyle tried to prod her again, Hailey spun around, catching Kyle up in her arms as he giggled, the sound echoing against the tile walls and stone countertops.
"I got you!"
"I didn't do anything! Put me down!"
Hailey snorted in disbelief, catching his hand in hers and taking a big bite from his breadstick. Kyle looked at her sadly, his blue eyes turning pitifully forlorn, and Kensi had to cover her mouth with her hand to suppress her laughter. He'd learned the art of gaining sympathy from his father, able to turn it on with the flip of a switch, and using those deep blue eyes to their fullest advantage.
As was typical, Hailey fell for it, softening easily and putting Kyle down, also handing him another breadstick, which he grinned and took. Turning around, Kyle caught sight of Kensi and his face lit with a wide smile before he circled the kitchen island and practically collided with her. Kensi hugged him close, tousling his hair with her hands before leaning back and giving him a kiss on the forehead.
"Have you been good for Hailey today?" Kyle's head bobbed quickly and Kensi fixed him with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure?"
"I have, really!"
Hailey chuckled from across the kitchen. "He's been pretty good. Rachel and Chase came and helped us get Marty inside a little while ago. And Kyle's been good about just bugging me and leaving his dad to rest."
"Well, as long as you've just been bugging Hailey, that's good," Kensi joked. "But why don't you go set the table for dinner?"
Kyle took off with all the speed and energy of an eight-year-old, and after opening the refrigerator and grabbing a beer, Kensi sidled up to the counter behind Hailey, twisting the cap off before taking a long drag from the bottle. She watched Hailey for a moment before she glanced across the kitchen, noting spices still sitting out, and the empty cans and leftover ingredients.
"Is that Diane's recipe?" Kensi asked, knowing that Cody's mother and the woman she thought of as her own mother had the patent on home cooked comfort foods. Hailey nodded as she lifted the pan, sliding it into the oven before setting the timer for thirty minutes.
"It's Kyle's favorite. And he's fine now, but I think it's been a hard day for him. I thought he would like it. And Marty's always been a fan," Hailey said, turning towards the sink to begin cleaning the dishes.
Kensi watched her for a few minutes, recognizing the effort to try and keep busy, to try and keep hands occupied to distract the mind. Walking over to Hailey, she put her hand on her shoulder, keeping the pressure light and steady even as she felt Hailey tense. And then Hailey exhaled, the sound weighted with pent up worry, and she turned towards Kensi, burrowing against her and holding tight. Kensi hugged Hailey back and rubbed her back in the way she hadn't done for years, not since Hailey was much younger and much more fragile.
"I don't think I've ever been that scared," Hailey murmured, her voice shaking. "I never thought this could happen. I know this kind of stuff happened before, when you guys were partners. And like it isn't bad enough that I worry about this happening to you…"
Hailey trailed off and Kensi could only silently nod, trying to work past the lump in her throat. Hailey's reaction and the reality of their dangerous jobs were the very reasons they'd made the decision nine years ago that Deeks would quit NCIS. And seeing the fear in Hailey's eyes, while knowing that Kyle was in the next room still a bit unaware of how close Deeks had brushed up to danger that day, reminded Kensi that so much hadn't changed. Except for the fact that it was never supposed to have been Deeks in danger.
"I know. But I'm okay and he's okay," Kensi replied quietly, trying to provide comfort she wasn't even completely confident in as Hailey finally pulled back, swiping at her eyes and taking a deep breath to steady herself.
"But what about next time?" Hailey asked quietly.
"I don't really plan on getting shot again," Deeks said from the doorway to the kitchen, his voice dry and amused. Kensi watched as Hailey straightened, tucking away any hint of the obvious fear she'd been thinking about. Kensi felt a worried twinge, recognizing that Hailey was putting on a braver façade for her brother than showing what she was really feeling. Coupled with the revelation about her involvement with Liam, it made Kensi realize Hailey was keeping more of herself hidden from Deeks than she'd thought. And deep down Kensi knew that it would bother Deeks that Hailey felt as though she had to hide parts of herself.
But Kensi didn't have long to dwell on the thought as Hailey went over and hugged Deeks, and then Kyle came in from the dining room, quickly going to his dad for his own hug, wrapping his arms around Deeks' middle.
"Nobody plans on getting shot," Hailey said, rolling her eyes with a smile. Brown eyes turning concerned, she put an arm over his shoulders, her height not quite matching Deeks', but making it less of an effort to reach than it would have been a few years ago.
"You're not going to get shot again, are you?" Kyle asked worriedly, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth. Deeks laid a hand against the back of Kyle's neck, squeezing warmly.
"No plans to, no. I'm going to be fine, don't worry, buddy," Deeks replied, the assurance in his voice and the gentle hands comforting Kyle clearly calming him. Kensi watched her son with an edge of envy. She wished she could be so easily convinced. But it was in her head now, that awful possibility that even as hard as they'd tried to keep one of them safe and out of the way, that something terrible could still happen. And that it could happen with shattering speed, changing the entire world that they'd built, that scared Kensi more than anything else.
The serious subject was deftly changed with the finishing preparations for dinner. And as they sat and ate, Kensi saw how carefully Deeks worked to keep the focus away from what had happened to him that day. She saw and even as she admired him for it, it also irritated her. She knew he was downplaying the seriousness so that Kyle wouldn't be as scared. But it was gnawing at the back of her mind, that it was serious and it had been dangerous. And there hadn't been anything she could have done to change what happened.
Later, after the dishes were cleared and after Kensi had helped Kyle with his homework, she ducked under Deeks' arm, half carrying him upstairs to bed. The strain of the day showed in his hooded eyes and the heavy exhale as he settled on the mattress, grimacing at the pain caused by jarring his arm. Wordlessly, Kensi handed him a glass of water and the monstrously large pills that would chase away his discomfort.
Needing to do something with her hands, Kensi gently tucked the bed sheets around Deeks, seeing the knowing smile tipping up of his lips. When Deeks caught her wrist in his hand, tugging her to sit down next to him on the bed she went quietly, wishing she could hide away her worry as easily as Hailey did. But she saw the instant Deeks recognized it on her face, saw his smile turn to a serious glance, his eyes roving over her face.
"I'm okay, Kensi. Really. You know this was a total fluke," Deeks emphasized.
Kensi huffed, the explanation feeling unsatisfactory in every way. "It doesn't really matter that it was a total fluke. It shouldn't have happened."
Her stubborn tone brought warmth back to Deeks' face and he ran a hand up and down her arm before turning her palm against his and lacing her fingers with his.
"Bad stuff happens sometimes. Even when you prepare and plan. Even when you have a crazy, control freak wife who convinced herself it never would," Deeks said pointedly. His eyes turned serious, the amusement fading to transparent, somber grey. "Don't let it shake you, Kens. Everything is okay and we're all safe."
Even as she wanted to object, that her husband with a bullet hole in his arm was most certainly not okay, she recognized that once again Deeks was proving how they worked as partners and lovers. It was how they worked best. When one worried, the other assured. When one was angry, the other calmed. It was their balance, their ability to complement each other and give what they each needed.
So Kensi allowed Deeks' calming strength, his confidence, to bring her relief. She allowed it to bring her heart rate to something closer to normal, just as she reveled in the feeling of his hand in hers, the touch so familiar and comforting, alive and welcome.
"How's your case going?" Deeks asked quietly. Kensi considered carefully, knowing that while Deeks technically didn't have clearance anymore, there was no harm in telling him. She filled him in on the basics of the case, finishing off with the plan for her to go undercover as Ensign Lisa Hale the next day.
Deeks listened silently, his face turning troubled as he realized that Lieutenant Andrew Steele, the man who had shot him that afternoon, was going in with Kensi to meet with a Russian crime family.
"Can't Cody go in with you? Or Liam?" Deeks asked, his clear preference showing for men he trusted to watch Kensi's back.
"They're not on the guest list," Kensi replied. "Steele has to be there. Whoever Ensign Hale was planning to meet is expecting him and knows who he is."
Pressing his lips together, Deeks was still thoughtful. "What Russian crime family is it?"
Kensi shrugged. "We don't know. Ensign Hale had a time and place for the meet tomorrow and a contact who calls himself John Smith."
"So not exactly willing to reveal himself."
"No, but Eric and Nell are going to wire me up with a button camera and the guys will hear me through the camera microphone the whole time. We'll be able to start face recognition right away, and hopefully get to the bottom of what information these guys want to be spying with DoD satellites for," Kensi replied.
"Make sure Cody—"
"Marty, he knows," Kensi said fondly, reaching up to gently stroke a hand down Deeks' face, halting the inevitable caution he would have given that Cody watch out for her.
"Okay, fine. You can't blame me for worrying," Deeks grumbled, settling back against the pillows, a yawn escaping.
Wisely, Kensi kept silent. Deeks might caution her about not worrying about him, but he never quite saw how the situation was turned on its head when he worried about her. It was contradictory and illogical, but also perfectly understandable.
With Deeks minutes away from sleep, she leaned over and murmured her goodnight against his lips before she stood up from the bed. Turning off the lights in the bedroom, Kensi stood in the doorway and watched her husband sleep, trying to keep a hold on the calm reassurance he'd given her. But she couldn't ignore the nagging fear at the back of her mind as much as she wished she could.
It felt unsettling and terrifying in a way she hadn't had to think about in nearly a decade. And that made Kensi wonder if all along she'd been deluding herself into believing and trusting in something that was merely a dream. A dream she was suddenly waking up from to find reality left her feeling shakily and decidedly out of control.
The sun was high in the sky by the time Deeks descended downstairs and shuffled towards the kitchen. Finding the coffee pot still warm, he poured himself a mug and wandered towards the backyard, his gaze falling on Hailey, her sketchbook open in her lap but her eyes fixed on the sky, her attention clearly wandering away from her drawing.
Settling carefully in the chaise lounge next to her, Deeks carefully adjusted the sling around his arm, taking some assurance in the soreness in his arm already lessening. Kensi had woken him up early that morning to give him his pain medication before she'd headed off to work and judging by the brightness of the sun, he'd slept for several hours after she'd left.
Hailey's attention shifted to him as she closed her sketchbook, wary eyes watching him for any sign of pain. It was for that reason that he kept any hint of his discomfort hidden. In a way it felt a little dishonest, especially when he'd long prided himself on having a close relationship with his sister. But despite that wish to be honest, Deeks knew that there were complexities to Hailey, to who she needed him to be for her.
After bringing Hailey home with them, it hadn't taken her long to bond with Deeks. A childhood lacking in love and affection left her yearning for connection to people who wanted her, to people that would love her. It took her awhile to trust, but when she did she trusted completely. And Hailey loved with a kind of ignorant abandon that worried Deeks sometimes. It was love that was wholehearted and trusting, but it left her vulnerable to hurt. And because it left her vulnerable, it made Deeks even more vigilant about protecting Hailey. Which included making sure she had a family that was safe and wouldn't disappear on her.
It didn't settle well with him that all his and Kensi's effort to build that safe world for Hailey, and for Kyle, could have been changed the day before. As much as he's tried to reassure Kensi, he'd seen her fears and he'd recognized them. Because they were the same things that scared him, as much as he didn't want them to.
"How are you feeling?" Hailey asked, breaking into his thoughts.
Deeks shrugged, wishing a second later he hadn't moved his shoulder. "Not too bad. Did Kyle make it off to school?"
"I took him, and I fielded all his arguments for why he should get to stay home and help take care of you," Hailey said, fond exasperation coloring her voice. Deeks nodded, very familiar with the way his son could persuade and convince. Kensi said Kyle got that trait, as well as his ability to charm, from his father. And Deeks was proud enough not to disagree.
"What are you going to do with your time in Los Angeles?" Deeks asked. Hailey raised an eyebrow.
"Besides take care of you?" Hailey replied.
Deeks laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not totally helpless, you know. I assume you have things with school to tie up before graduation. When do you have to head back to Stanford?"
Hailey looked away from him, her fingers deftly turning and rolling the pencil in her hand.
"I'm pretty much done. I turned in my projects early and I don't even have any finals to do. I wanted to be here anyway."
Deeks narrowed his eyes at her careful wording. Hailey had planned the trip to Los Angeles long before his shooting. And he had the sudden suspicion there was something else in her desire to be home.
"Why do I think there's more to it than that? We always love having you here. But something tells me we aren't the only thing that brought you home," Deeks said carefully, feeling the thread of something and not able to resist the urge to tug on it.
"No, not the only reason," Hailey said softly. She fell silent and Deeks followed her lead, remembering back to when he'd first found his sister. Shy, closed off, and easier to scare off than a rabbit. She'd always responded better when given the time to open up, to find her own way to vocalize what was bothering her.
Hailey sighed, and then lifted her pleading eyes to his. "Don't get mad, okay?"
Deeks tried to ignore the way her request and nervous tone left him immediately on the alert. He couldn't quite ignore his reactions. Even ten years as a lawyer hadn't diluted his instincts. But he schooled his features, clearing his voice and making the attempt to be calm as he nodded.
"I should have told you before," Hailey said quietly, almost an admonishment to herself. Deeks' heart ached at how she seemed to blame herself. He reached over, taking her hand in his and squeezing gently.
"Hey, it's okay. Tell me now. I'm not going to get mad at you," Deeks replied. Hailey looked at him hopefully, finally blurting the words out.
"Liam and I are dating."
Deeks froze, blinking slowly and struggling to process the words. He'd been expecting that Hailey was planning to move across the country, or take some low paying art internship, or even that she was going to take a year and backpack across Europe. But he hadn't expected to hear his little sister was dating a man he considered a friend.
"Liam? Liam Murphy?" At Hailey's quick nod, he rushed on. "But he's too old for you!"
"Marty, five years older than me isn't exactly 'too old.' You and Kensi are three years apart and you're older than her," Hailey argued mildly.
"Five years is two more years! Things happen in two years."
"Things? Like what things?" Hailey asked, amusement raising her lips to a smile. Deeks sensed the irrationality of what he was saying, but ploughed on anyway.
"You're too young to know about that kind of stuff," Deeks said stubbornly, even as he realized Hailey was a young woman that probably knew more than he wished she did. Not wanting to explore that path, he took another one. "Hailey, what do you even know about him? His work is dangerous, it's not good for you to be involved with someone like that."
Hailey swept a hand between them. "I am involved with someone like that. If not for his line of work you and I never would have met! You know Liam, you like him. You know he's a good person. And I know plenty about him, enough to know that I love him."
Her declaration hit home, stalling his next argument, already forgotten. Thinking of his sister in love with someone, in love with someone from the very kind of job that put his life on the line every day, it made his stomach turn over anxiously. He and Kensi had tried to minimize the possibility of what Hailey might lose because of their association with NCIS. But the thought of the risks she was at now, caring for Liam, it sobered him. And set his resolve.
"How long has this been going on?" he asked quietly. The point Hailey had made, that he knew Liam as a friend, was resolutely ignored.
"Six months."
Deeks gritted his teeth, his mind made up. He stood from the chair, pushing away the ache in his arm and heading back inside the house. Hailey quickly followed, her face tense and anxious.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to go have a talk with your secret boyfriend. Man to man."
"You promised you wouldn't get mad!"
"At you. I promised I wouldn't get mad at you. I didn't make any promises about a lying, sneaking kid from New York who can't surf."
"The lying and sneaking is my fault! Liam didn't want to keep it a secret, I asked him to," Hailey replied, her voice edging with desperation. Deeks inhaled quickly, the confession hitting like a punch to his chest. He looked at Hailey sadly, realizing that as close as they were, there were still secrets between them. He hadn't thought there were, but he'd been wrong.
"And we'll talk about that later. But first I want to find out why Liam thought it was okay to involve you in his life. I want to know why he thinks it's okay to put you at risk like that," Deeks said evenly.
"They're on a mission right now, you can't just go and barge in," Hailey replied, urgently trying to keep him from leaving.
"I'm not going to barge in. But I am going to Ops and I'll wait until they get back." Sensing her next question, he held up a hand. "And no, you can't take me. You don't know where Ops is and I can't let you come. Hetty would have my hide."
Hailey opened her mouth to argue, but Deeks stopped her. "I just need to think about this, alright? You lied to me." Deeks paused, watching as Hailey's eyes filled with tears at his quiet accusation. "I don't know what it means, but I didn't think it was something you would ever do. Not to me."
"I'm sorry," Hailey whispered, her voice quiet and broken.
"I know," Deeks said gently, able to set aside his churning emotions enough to see that Hailey needed reassurance from him. He lifted her chin with his finger, seeing the fear in her eyes. "I'm not leaving for good or anything, okay? I'm just going for a little while. I'll be back and we'll talk about it."
Deeks had to leave then, knowing if he stayed he would give in and accept Hailey's apologies without question. And he needed a clear head, needed to understand what this meant about the relationship he thought he had with his sister. And there was another part of him, a building anger, that had to confront Liam. Because despite the lie, Deeks could not accept that a man he'd thought of as a friend was putting his sister at risk of the heartbreak his loss would cost her.
He took the long way to Ops, using the time while driving to pull his emotions back in. It was early afternoon by the time he parked and entered the old, seemingly condemned building. It had been years since he'd stopped by, but he still recognized a few faces. One in particular immediately approached, concern in her green eyes and the set pale line of her lips.
"Marty? What are you doing here?" Rachel Keppinger asked, her hug comforting and gentle as she carefully looped her arms around his shoulders.
"I need to talk to Liam. Are they still out?" Deeks asked. Rachel nodded, gesturing towards the upstairs Operations room.
"They left a couple hours ago to get in place for the meet. What's going on?" Rachel pressed.
"It's kind of a long story. Can I go up?" Deeks asked. Rachel's eyebrows flew up and she gave him a worried smile.
"It's Hetty's permission you should worry about, not mine. She's up there right now. As much as she adores you, you know she's liable to take your head off for interrupting."
Deeks smiled a little, feeling like his history with Hetty would give him a little leeway even as he felt the barest trickle of fear at the thought of her unblinking stare stopping him in his tracks. But at that moment, being back in Ops, he suddenly felt the pull to be in the Operations room, to hear and see what was happening on Kensi's undercover. There was the underlying issue of Hailey and Liam, but being close to the action again was tantalizing. He'd forgotten how it felt.
"Come on, take me up?" Deeks requested, giving Rachel his most charming smile. She shook her head with exasperation, but led the way towards the stairs and the second floor.
"Fine, but I'm blaming you when Hetty blasts me later."
Pausing at the doorway to Operations, Deeks leaned over and gave Rachel a kiss on the cheek even as she rolled her eyes at him and entered the code required to enter the room while a mission was ongoing. Deeks entered first, the subdued lighting, dark glass, and screens all around welcome and comforting. It was easy to remember the countless assignments, briefings, and plans he'd been involved in that had taken place in that room. Even with the unemotional artificial lighting and cold, factual digital information rolling across the screens, the memories were pleasant. And until that moment he hadn't realized how much he missed it.
"Mr. Deeks, I assume you will explain your presence."
Hetty's dry voice, a touch annoyed and a hint curious, broke Deeks from his memories. Even with her head barely reaching halfway up his chest, Deeks felt suddenly nervous and uncertain. And as though it might have been a better idea to wait downstairs.
"It's kind of a long story—"
"One I await hearing with bated breath. However, we are in the middle of a mission—"
Eric's voice interrupted, calling Hetty back to the screens. Deeks followed, with Rachel right behind him. His eyes tracked over the screens, over the aerial map of the Long Beach Marina with five pulsing red dots showing that Kensi and Andrew Steele were on a yacht docked in one of the slips, with Cody on another boat nearby, and Liam and David Westin in the nearby parking lot as backup.
Momentarily forgotten by Hetty, Deeks stood silently next to Rachel, his eyes moving to the video footage on the next screen over. He realized it was Kensi's button camera, showing them everything she was seeing. Kensi was facing a man, his image slightly obscured as she moved.
"Do we have facial recognition on John Smith?"
Cody's voice filled Ops and Deeks realized the man Kensi was talking to must be the representative Ensign Lisa Hale had planned to meet to turn over the satellite data.
"Just now getting a clear image. Starting facial recognition now," Nell reported.
And then Kensi's voice filtered in over the speakers. Her voice was casual, the easy small talk seemingly mundane. "I grew up in Michigan. The summers in California are much more pleasant. Less humidity."
At Rachel's quick gasp Deeks turned his head to look at her, immediately on alert when he saw the muscles tense in her neck and her fingers tighten on her elbow where she'd crossed her arms over her chest. Rachel's eyes flew to him and Deeks looked at her curiously.
"What is it?" he murmured. Rachel leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"'Michigan' is one of Kensi's warning words. It means something is wrong."
Deeks immediately turned back to the screen, drinking in the image from Kensi's camera, trying to look for the threat she was trying to clue them in about. The conversation over Kensi's camera continued on nonchalantly, with no hint of immediate danger. It didn't even sound as if the negotiations for the satellite data had begun.
"Then why aren't they going in?" Deeks whispered hurriedly in response.
"Kensi didn't use the word indicating she needs a rescue. Just the one that would clue the guys in that they need to be on alert," Rachel replied, her eyes shifting from the screen to Hetty.
Concerned, Deeks took a closer step towards the screens, leaning over Nell's shoulder. "Can't Cody talk to her, try and figure out the warning?"
Nell looked up at Deeks, understanding at his worry softening her eyes. "Kensi isn't wearing a comm in her ear. We thought it might be too risky for detection. The button camera shows us what she's seeing, but we can't talk with her."
Deeks narrowed his eyes at the man, not seeing anything immediately that clued him into why the man was a threat. He was probably about Kensi's age, tall, broad shouldered, with dark hair cut close to his head and a sharp jaw. His gray suit was tailored and did a decent job of hiding the gun in the holster under his arm. Even still, the weapon was to be expected considering the man worked for a Russian crime family. Deeks pointed at the man on the screen, his instincts telling him Kensi was trying to tell them something about him, since she'd used the warning word in conversation with him.
"Hetty, can I talk to Cody?" Deeks asked his former boss, whole leveled him with a silent, considering gaze. Refusing to back down, Deeks stared right back. "Please, Hetty. I think I can help."
Hetty finally nodded and Deeks took an extra comm, which would make it easier to talk directly with Cody.
"Cody, it's Deeks. Who is that guy? Do you recognize him?" Deeks asked. All business, Cody took Deeks' unexpected presence in Ops in stride, not questioning.
"Pulling up a close up of the image from Kensi's camera now."
The seconds that passed were too long for Deeks' comfort. And he knew that if Kensi had used a warning word that whatever was happening had to be important.
"Son of a…I don't believe it."
The low curse that followed only set Deeks further on edge. And Cody's next words only brought questions, and no comfort.
"That's Jack. Kensi's fiancé Jack Salvay."
To be continued
