Disclaimer: The characters of N.C.I.S. Los Angeles are property of CBS
Kensi and Deeks were walking into ops as Eric was picking up the phone to call them.
"What did you find Eric?" Deeks asked.
"There was a shipment of Semtex missing from supply depot in Iowa about." Eric said as he hung up the phone, but stopped mid-sentence staring at the partners in horror.
"I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this answer." Deeks said. Kensi look at her boyfriend with concern in her eyes.
"Last year; about the same time P.O. Renner went missing." Eric said.
"I'll run it by Devereux later, but you're sure that the Semtex used in the blast matches the shipment that was reported stolen?" Deeks asked.
"Is that the actual shipment we can't be sure, but it seems that we found it." Nell said speaking up for Eric.
"I'm not saying you're wrong Eric and that I'm going to believe Devereux over you, but explosives isn't his style." Deeks said. "He is too meticulous to use them before he plans to."
Deeks was lost in the details of the search that Eric found. Not sure what to make of it. Eric did his job, he found the lost shipment of Semtex, but Devereux wouldn't use something as volatile as plastic explosives to do the job. Especial when he was more than willing to do the job himself, unless.
"Maybe… he did steal the Semtex." Deeks said.
"Why?" Nell, Eric, and Kensi asked.
"That's genius Devereux, just genius." Deeks said.
"What's genius?" Eric asked.
"The need for plastic explosives: faking his death." Deeks said and then walked out. Kensi was hot on his tail following his every move wondering what the next plan of action was. Kensi approached Deeks as he was getting off of his phone. He pulled her into an alcove and attempted to have a civil conversation.
"I'm sorry baby, but I need you to stay here." Deeks whispered.
"What? Why?" Kensi asked whispering.
"Devereux maybe faking his death or he may be using Hailey and me to lure people to their dooms. And I sure as heck won't put you in that position!" Deeks said.
"Deeks we're partners, I will always be in that position. Anyways isn't because of our relationship that we are in this position in the first place?" Kensi asked.
"We haven't gotten to that part yet. Devereux wouldn't hesitate to kill if you interfere beforehand." Deeks said.
"If I die, then he will disappear and start over again." Kensi said.
"No, we're going to finish it this time around. I want you to live to see the end of this case, so please." Deeks said pleading with Kensi, with tears in his eyes. "Please stay here."
"Then what am I supposed to do here?" Kensi asked. Deeks let out a sigh of relief as Kensi whipped the tears from his eyes.
"Give the Wonder Twins an extra set of eyes to scan pictures and camera images." Deeks said. Just as he was about to leave he caught a look in Kensi eye: one of disappointment. Deeks reached out with his hand and caressed Kensi face. "Just because I'm partnered with Hailey doesn't mean that I like it, or that I don't long for your presence in the car with me."
Kensi smiled at Deeks statement. Kensi kissed Deeks on the lips, and mouthed "I love you," and then headed back up to ops.
"I love you too." Deeks said and then headed out to his suv, so he can go pick up Hailey.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
"Hello." Eric said.
"Eric, I need you to run a trace." Callen said.
"What kind of trace?" Eric asked.
"Any and all traces, but definitely search cameras in the area of this address; check to see if out resident serial killer was in the area." Callen said.
"On it." Eric said as he hung up with Callen. Then another phone rang.
"Hello." Nell said.
"Nell do me a favor; look for any buildings that are abandoned." Deeks said.
"We might be a little busy to do that. Callen just called and asked us to run a trace." Nell said.
"Is Kensi still around?" Deeks asked.
"Present." Kensi said as she was walking back into ops.
"Never mind; we'll get on it." Nell said as she hung up. Kensi and Nell worked on finding the location that Devereux would use for the Semtex, while Eric ran down the races that Sam and Callen needed.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Callen and Sam were still at the hospital after they brought David Shepard in. They were in the waiting room awaiting news on Shepard's condition, when Sam decided to call Deeks for an update.
"What's up Sam?" Deeks asked.
"Any news on the bombing from the night before?" Sam asked
"Yeah, it was Semtex; and a shipment of it went missing from a supply depot in Iowa last year about the time P.O. Renner went missing." Deeks said.
"Any idea why Devereux use military grade explosives?" Sam asked which got Callen's attention.
"Devereux plans on luring somebody or some group into a location and then killing them." Deeks said.
"What are you going to do?" Sam asked.
"Do I have to answer that?" Deeks asked.
"You're right, don't. Just come back alive." Sam said.
"If I don't Kensi will glue my blown to smithereens' body back together and kill me. My best guess is that I will serve as a distraction, and then the place will go up in smoke. But man: two bombings in two day… is it possible to get hazard pay?" Deeks asked.
"There is no such thing as hazard pay for federal agents." Sam said. "Stay safe Deeks."
"Same to you Sam." Deeks said, and then hung up the phone.
"Deeks said that a shipment of Semtex went missing from a supply depot in Iowa last year about the time P.O. Renner was killed. Deeks thinks that he will serve as a distraction to get whoever that bomb is intended for, and then after he clears the building Devereux will blow the bomb." Sam said.
"I'm going to call Hetty to inform her that there will be another explosion." Callen said, and then left to make the phone call.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
"What's the word?" Hailey asked as she was getting in, but before Deeks could answer he got a phone call. He saw that it was ops, but had sense of dread that it wasn't going to be Eric.
"Hello." Deeks said putting the phone on speaker, and then drove off.
"Special Agent Deeks care to explain why you left out pertinent information about another explosion?" A voice asked.
"Is that you Director Vance?" Deeks asked.
"Yes, now answer the question." Vance said.
"I didn't withhold any information. Everybody that has a direct link to O.S.P. has been informed; the only person that has not been inform of the details is Hailey Jackson, sir." Deeks said trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
"What does Ms. Jackson have to do with this?" Vance asked.
"Because Devereux wants to kill me, so if I'm playing the cat and mouse game along with Agent Deeks he can kill me at any time." Hailey said
"Okay so what exactly are you to planning on doing?" Vance asked for an update directly from the source.
"Hailey and I are going to whatever warehouse that Devereux has been scoping out, and see what we can dig up." Deeks said.
"Is this a smart plan?" Vance asked.
"Director if we were the target, Hailey and I would be back to tearing through Los Angeles looking for people that were involved with his case five years ago. We haven't been contact to continue the game, but this is still a part of his charade." Deeks said.
"The building that is mostly like the one you want is near the docks. Far end on the north side." Kensi said.
"Just ready the emergency vehicles." Deeks said, and then he hung up.
"Is your director always this snappy?" Hailey asked.
"Only when his employees are being reckless and he is in damage control mode." Deeks said.
"We're being reckless?" Hailey asked.
"In the director's eyes: probably." Deeks said.
"I thought our job was about stopping the bad guys from doing horrible things to the American people?" Hailey asked.
"There has already been one explosion. The director would like said "bad guys" to be stopped without more explosions." Deeks said.
They made the trip in silence and contemplating what they would run into when they got to the warehouse.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
As Deeks and Hailey pulled up to the warehouse, it had cars parked near the front of the building. Deeks drove once around in case there were more players; after he was satisfied he parked the vehicle behind the closes warehouse to the one with the group of people.
"Why did you park all the way over there?" Hailey asked.
"If there are other players involved, I don't want them smashing my vehicle. I just got that thing a year ago, and I don't want to put it in the shop so quickly." Deeks said as they got out of his suv, and then approached the warehouse. As they were approaching the warehouse Deeks had a strange feeling that this was really going to end badly; at least for the people in the warehouse that is. When Deeks and Hailey had taken cover against the warehouse, Deeks phone began to ring. The bad part was that it had alerted the people in the warehouse to their presence and they opened fire on them. As Hailey was returning fire, Deeks answered his phone.
"I think you have the worst time to start calling Devereux." Deeks yelled through phone.
"Not really; your timing was impeccable." Devereux said.
"How do you figure?" Deeks asked.
"The only reason that you are out here is because you tracked the shipment of Semtex that I stole." Devereux said.
"Okay so you're stepping up your game. Want to shock me with the truth and tell me why Hailey and I are at the harbor involved in a shootout that you caused?" Deeks asked.
"The groups in the warehouse have done business with me before, and I'm tying up loose ends. Those people are gang members, cartel members; people that wouldn't be missed when that building goes up in a ball of fire. By the way, you two have thirty seconds to clear the area before that building goes up." Devereux said, and then hung up the phone.
Deeks shout at Hailey and told her to fall back. She asked why, but Deeks told her to fall back. They both ran to the nearest warehouse that was closes to them, and by the time they got to the warehouse they heard another earth shattering explosion. It aftershock was so much bigger than the last one, probably because of the greater concentration of the explosives, that both Hailey and Deeks were knocked off their feet. Just as the explosion settle and the rescue vehicles were approaching the blaze and attempting to put it out before it could effect of other structures. Deeks and Hailey approached the lead safety vehicle and watched in silence as the fire fighters attempted to put out the blaze. Next thing they heard was people shouting. Deeks approached them and see what it was all about.
"What's going on?" Deeks asked.
"We had reports that there were civilians wondering around the dock, and it seems that you and your partner fit the description." The dock manager said.
"We had a credible source saying that the people that died when the build were nothing more than drug cartel members, and gang members too. So we're the least of your worries." Deeks said. "I want to see the paperwork that goes with this building. I want to know who owned, and what the purpose of their visit here today was."
"Not without a warrant." The manager said.
"You're security is pretty weak on the docks here. Not to mention that you have cameras surveying the surrounding area. How much do you want to bet that these people that were killed today have been making deals and treaties with each other, and them making deals to strike against the American people? That right there is failure to secure the docks and shipyard; which if found guilty in the court of law carries a hefty sentence behind it." Deeks said.
"How hefty." The manager asked.
"Minimum ten years in prison; maximum life in prison without the chance of parole, your choice." Deeks said. With that said the manager left to go find the building documents, and the ledgers kept in his office.
"I keep forgetting that you were a lawyer." Hailey said.
"Technically I still am." Deeks said. "So tell me: what was it like while you were gone?"
"It was kind of boring, but after a year I met this man who piqued my interest." Hailey said.
"Where were you anyways?" Deeks asked.
"Boise, Idaho. The man's name was Peter Clarence, sweet man. I thought about you a lot until I met Peter; I started to enjoy my life more after I met Peter." Hailey said; then she pulled out here phone, pulled up photo of Peter and her, and showed it to Deeks. Deeks was taking in the photo and saw how happy she was; then Deeks had an idea. He looked at Hailey and thought of how to put his plan into action. Deeks handed her phone back and went to brain storming on how to make it happen. Before Hailey could ask Deeks what he was thinking about the dock manager returned with the necessary paper work.
"Here's the necessary paperwork and logbooks that you requested." The manager said and then walked away to try to get his dock back in order. Though the explosion knocked out a warehouse, but he still had a business to run. Since it was out of the way, the manager got the dock up and running again without much hassle. Deeks looked the paperwork, and as Devereux said the owners were members of one of the many drug cartels out of Mexico.
"Well Devereux was right." Deeks said.
"He was right about what." Asked a voice. Deeks and Hailey turned and saw that Callen, Sam, and Kensi came to join the party.
"He was right because the owners of the warehouse are cartel members. This explosion will set them back a bit, but this was probably just a contingent. The high rollers are probably still in Mexico." Deeks said handing over the logbooks. Callen was looking over the books while Sam spoke.
"How did you get him to give up these books without a warrant?"
"It pays to know the American law, along with a little bluffing." Deeks said.
Everybody smiles at Deeks statement, or least about the bluffing part. It saved them a lot of time, and it cut the need for a warrant. The team moved to a loading dock to look over the logbook, and other paperwork involving the warehouse, when a cellphone rang, it was Hailey's.
"Hello." Hailey said.
There was silence as the team listened to one end of the conversation.
"Oh hi Pete, how are you doing?" Hailey asked.
Hailey looked at Deeks and he mouth Peter Clarence¸ and she nodded her head. The team looked at Deeks expecting an explanation.
"I just found out today that, even though she had feelings for me in the past, that she was dating a fellow while she was in witsec. His name is Peter Clarence." Deeks said. Kensi turned and stared at Hailey, and Deeks knew what was going through her head. "Let it go Kensi. Everything has been put to rest so don't reopen old wounds."
Kensi nodded her acceptance on the matter and kept quiet. Deeks and Kensi had a silent conversation, while Sam and Callen continued to look over the warehouse books, and Hailey continued to talk to Peter, when the group was approached by Devereux.
"It looks like the gang is all here." He said.
"Welcome to the party." Deeks said while everybody else went on high alert. "What is the purpose of this visit?"
Devereux started to talk, but everybody seem to melt away to Deeks as he looked past Devereux and saw that same woman from the other day when he and Kensi were driving to go jewelry shopping. Deeks fell back into the group and then took a picture of her.
{Okay what is she doing on the docks, first of all?} Deeks thought and then continued to think a little more. {Devereux must know something about her because I've seen her three times since the case fell in my lap.} Once she saw Deeks again, and realized that she had been photographed the woman took off running.
"Let her go Deeks." Devereux said.
"Yeah why is that?" Deeks said as he came back to reality.
"Some ghosts are best left in the past." Devereux said.
"Just for kicks, what's her name?" Deeks asked.
Does it matter?" Devereux asked.
"Humor me." Deeks said.
"Leah Umphrey." Devereux said.
"Thanks." Deeks said, and then returned his attention to Devereux.
"As I was saying before Deeks was distracted by the woman that we shall pick our game back up in two hours. So five o'clock tonight I'll give you another target to hunt down. So enjoy the next two hours because we will hit the ground running." Devereux said and then turned and left.
"So much for faking his death." Kensi said.
"No kidding." Deeks replied.
Deeks motion for Hailey to follow and the O.S.P. team fell back to the mission and went over the books look for common vectors. As Deeks and Hailey got in the suv and drove off, Deeks called ops.
"Hello." Eric said.
"Eric I got a name for you and Nell to run down." Deeks said.
"How soon do you need the information?" Eric asked.
"No rush." Deeks said.
"Then lay it on me." Eric said.
"Woman's name is Lean Umphrey; I need you to dig up everything you can on her. And I'm sending a photo to help narrow your search parameters." Deeks said.
"Well get right on." Eric said, and then hung up the phone.
Deeks hung up then phone and then realize that Hailey was staring at him.
"What?" Deeks asked.
"Didn't Devereux tell to forget about her?" Hailey asked.
"Yeah, that is why my tech engineer and analyst are going to run it down." Deeks said. "Not only that, I've seen that same woman two other times since Devereux has returned. So consider my curiosity has been piqued."
"I hope you know what you're doing." Hailey said.
"So do I." Deeks said.
And then they drove off to find some food to eat before running another gauntlet.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
As the team returned to O.S.P. they were great by Hetty as soon as they walked in the door.
"What's the word on the excitement at the docks?" Hetty asked.
"It would seem that Devereux has a disdain for cartel and gang members. The building that was targeted today was owned by one of the cartel families out of Mexico." Sam replied as Kensi laid the book on the table in the bull pen. Hetty flipped through a few of the books before turning to Callen.
"How back do these books go?" Hetty asked.
"At least ten years." Kensi said.
"It would seem that Devereux is cleaning house on this little run, in tandem with dealing with Deeks and Hailey." Hetty said.
The team continued to look over the books in case there was a vector that could be linked to the boat shed explosion.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Five hours later-
Hailey and Deeks were en route to their target when Deeks thought of an idea, but it all depended on Devereux's play.
{If it's a head shot you can forget about, but if it's a shoot to the body it's possible. There are a lot of vital organs in the body it's a crap shoot if it will hit one of them, but if it's clean through and through it might work.} Deeks thought.
"Where are we heading?" Hailey asked bring Deeks out of his thoughts.
"The east side of Los Angeles." Deeks said
"This late at night; I hope this won't take too long." Hailey said. Looking at the vehicle stereo it was nine forty-nine. Hailey and Deeks was a few hours late trying to get the location of the next target. It seem that the original location was the man's place of employment. So they had to jump through a few hoops to get his home address.
"Tell me about it." Deeks said.
It was another twenty minutes before the reached their destination.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Deeks and Hailey were walking up the house at the address that received from his work. Just before they could knock on the door it was opened by somebody coming out. Deeks saw blood on the man's body, and tackled him instantly, and cuffed him.
"You've got the wrong guy." The man said.
"We'll let forensics tell the story. If your story checks out then we will let you go." Hailey said.
Before they could move the man into the house, or even think of their next move the man was dead on the ground a bullet wound in his head. Deeks grabbed Hailey and threw her in the house, then he drug the body in house and shut the door behind them. As Deeks was making the call about needing the M.E. and possibly backup Hailey checked the dead man's body for a wallet. She showed Deeks the man's id, and then he told them to send police so the can start a canvass of the area.
"This is going to be a long case." Hailey said.
"Five down, twelve more to go." Deeks said.
The partners sat in silence until the police and coroner showed to start their jobs. After the police, C.S.U. showed plus the coroner Deeks got a call from Kensi. He moved away from the crowd to take the call.
"What's up sugar bear?" Deeks asked.
"Callen just showed up an interesting picture. He was at the house with the suspect that they took to the hospital and found a picture of somebody in a police uniform. And the name tag read B. Spears." Kensi said.
Deeks was about to respond when he turn to look at Hailey, who was coming out of the house to brief him, and saw a red dot at appear on her body. Deeks dropped the phone and ran to tackler her before it was too late. Deeks heard the shot ring out and felt it tear through his shoulder. As he hit the living floor the cops drew their weapons and looked for the shooter. Deeks was hurting, the pain from the bullet almost knocked him out, as he lifted himself off of Hailey to see that the bullet had hit her lower than originally projected. The bullet hit Hailey in her abdomen right of center; now he can work on his plan, but all depends on Hailey. The last thing Deeks remembers is the sound of approaching sirens as the ambulances approached. Before the darkness claimed him he told one of the paramedics.
"I'm the only one the doctor's are to talk too about her condition, got it?"
"But what about her family, they have a right to know?" The paramedic asked
"She's a want person. No one, I mean no one, is to know about her condition; do I make myself clear?" Deeks said.
"I'll let the doctor's know when we get to the hospital." The paramedic said.
After the paramedic complied with his wishes, did Deeks let the darkness consume.
T.B.C.
