Statement of No Objection

By Phillydi

I know it's been awhile, but finally here's the next installment. Thanks for the nudges...the story continues.


Chapter 7

"I guess you thought you'd never see me again, huh?" Lopez' smile spreads slowly across his face.

Sam stares at the agent with eyes that could cut right through to his very core. He wants to kill the man with his bare hands and then rip him apart limb to limb.

"You delivered me and my partner right into Herrera's hands, Lopez," Sam growls. "The only thing stopping me from killing you right now is that gun you're holding."

"How did I know they were going to get paranoid and check all the containers?" Lopez responds raising his voice. "They knew you were coming, Hanna." Lopez lowers his weapon and looks over at Callen. "I can't stand here and argue with you two all day because we don't have much time. The captain of the sub will be back any minute."

Callen slowly approaches the two men and turns to Sam. "Who is this guy?"

"This is CGIS agent Lopez who was our undercover contact on the ship. He was supposed to get Deeks and me on board covertly but we ran into a bit of a problem," Sam sneers.

"Why don't you tell us what's going on here and why our Lieutenant is so important to the success of this sub's mission?" Callen asks.

Lopez looks around the interior of the control room to be sure they are still alone and moves closer to the two NCIS agents so they can hear him better. He can't allow his voice to carry.

"Gentlemen, you are standing in the first fully submergible drug sub to successfully make it out of Columbian waters. The DEA nabbed the others but Herrera has been able to get this sub out on the open Pacific by attaching it and dragging it alongside the container ship. Now it's ready to go it alone up the coast. That's why they need the Lieutenant, here. Even though they have the most up to date GPS systems and maps, it's a bit trickier now that we are closer to the US coast, and he's the expert in California marine terrain." Lopez stops to catch his breath.

"What's so special about this sub?" Callen asks.

"It can go under water 20 to 30 feet. It's nothing like the semi submergible subs you heard about. It's fast and difficult to attack because the black color makes it hard to detect. It's designed to avoid detection more than outrun the law. There's a powerful state of the art Yamaha motor to power it at 12 knots beneath the surface of the water." Lopez shakes his head and continues. "This is high tech, my friends, with a little help from Russian engineers. It was built like a modern day submarine, only smaller. I've been working as the mechanic on this ship for six months now since it was launched. If this works, more will be deployed. Do you realize what that means?" Lopez asks with a passion in his voice they hadn't heard before.

Callen and Sam remain silent; they were sure they weren't going to like the answer.

"Eight tons of coke will be coming in every single trip with a street value of almost three-quarters of a billion dollars!"

Callen lets out a low whistle. "No wonder why the states are so high."

"You have no idea. That's why we have to prevent this boat from completing its mission. It can't be allowed to continue up the coast or to deliver its cargo," Lopez pleads.

"How the hell are we going to stop it? There are only three of us!" Callen cried. "You're asking us to go on a suicide mission."

"Eight hundred cops have already died in this fight. You don't think I know the dangers of this job?" Lopez spits back at Callen and then he becomes quiet before explaining his passionate outburst. He stares sadly down at the floor as he recounts his story.

"I grew up along the Columbian coast and my family worked in the forest mangroves swamps. Working for the drug lords was better than starving, but we paid a huge price. I lost half my family, including my father and two brothers to the traffickers before my mother escaped with me to America. I swore I wouldn't rest until I avenged their deaths," Lopez voice is strained. "That's why I joined the Coast Guards. These people will go to extraordinary lengths to pump this evil into the United States. Thirty percent of all cocaine comes in from these subs. I don't want any more children to grow up like we did….my family members were in and out of prison; all chronic drug users…it was all they knew and it destroyed us."

Callen and Sam look solemnly at each other. Lopez has his own agenda, albeit an honorable one, but they have their own too. They need to get their sailor safely off this vessel, not to mention their own butts, along with Kensi and Deek's, as well.

"Ok, we have no option but to trust you to get us out of here, Lopez. So if you have a plan, you better start talking now," Callen demands.

"Tonight's conditions are perfect for a launch, no moon and a light mist," Lopez begins. "The tides play a big factor tonight too. It's got to be within the next hour, because they can't count on getting another perfect night like this again."

"Once we shove off, then what?" Sam asks.

"My job is to notify the USS Stiletto which can operate in shallow water and capture this sub once it navigates away from the ship. That's where the Lieutenant comes into play," as he points to Blanton. "We're going to need his skills to pilot us away from the ship. Once we get it away from the boat then the Stiletto can launch the rib rafts to pick us up and capture the sub."

Callen looks back at Lt. Blanton. The senior agent isn't sure what shape Blanton is in and if he has the stamina to help them at all right now. He has to get him coherent and ready to move. He walks back over to the sailor.

"Lieutenant, listen up," Callen turns the man to face him. "We're going to need your help to navigate us away from the ship. Do you think you can do this?"

Blanton looks up at Callen. His eyes are still filled with the same fear and exhaustion as when Callen first found him but he nods slowly.

Callen smiles and pats the man on the back and confirms his willingness to Lopez and Sam.

"Ok, what about the rest of the crew?" Callen asks Lopez.

"Just follow my lead, once we pull away from the ship, be ready to move," Lopez says. "Oh and you're going to need these." Lopez pulls two semi-automatics from his waist band and hands them over to Callen and Sam.

"Now we're talking. Come to papa," Sam purrs with pleasure as he takes the gun from Lopez and checks the magazine for ammunition. After he inspects the weapon thoroughly, Sam tucks it safely behind his back.

Suddenly, the top hatch of the sub flies open and the captain and two crew members step quickly down the ladder and into the control room of the sub. Lopez resumes his undercover persona and points his weapon back at Sam and Callen.

Callen moves closer to Blanton and puts his hand on his left shoulder for assurance. The touch startles the officer. "Steady, Lieutenant. You can do this," Callen whispers. Sam studies the sailor bearing and hopes Callen is right.


In the ship's hold, Kensi and Deeks sit quietly in their prison cells with thoughts of the future and dreams of a life that will only be possible if they can get the hell out of this mess. Deeks slowly lowers his eye lids giving into the exhaustion of the last two days.

"Deeks are you falling asleep on me?" Kensi calls out and pokes him in the back.

Before he can answer the prison hatch clangs open and two guards enter holding semi-automatic weapons.

"I'm never going to sleep again," Deeks moans to himself.

One of the men opens the cell doors and motions them to exit the prison.

"Where are you taking us?" Kensi demands.

"Mr. Herrera wants to see you," the guard snickers as he holds his gun up to their faces.

"Good, because I want to complain about these accommodations." Deeks raises himself up by grabbing on to the cell bars. The pain in his shoulder where he was kicked by a steel tip boot is excruciating. He has to place one hand over the other just to pull himself up to his full height. Deeks groans and stops to catch his breath. "I would like to request a really soft, cushy bed in my next room, yeah? Preferably with a Tempurpedic mattress and matching pillows?"

Deeks is dragged out the cell door and thrown up against the bulkhead by one of the guards. Deeks cries out in pain. Kensi rushes over to keep him upright and encircles her arm around his waist.

"Stop it!" she cries out. "Haven't you hurt him enough?"

"I'm going to have to report this establishment to Michelin," Deeks mumbles out loud as his head rests up against the bulkhead. "You're going to lose a star for that."

"Shut up, Deeks. Stop messing with them. They don't have much of a sense of humor."

"Just my luck. Columbian drug smugglers without a sense of humor."

"Deeks!"

"Yeah, I know. Shut up, Deeks."

As Deeks stumbles down the passage way, Kensi sticks close by in case he needs her. If any of these goons touch him again, they were dead men.

The guards motion with their weapons for the agents to begin the climb up the ladder. They weren't sure what they would find once they reached the upper deck but they were certain Herrera wouldn't be extending any further luxury accommodations by request. How would the final dance play out? They were about to find out.