Okay, next chapter!
Struggled a bit with this one as I wanted to do it a bit differently at first, but Sarah wanted to have her say as well.
Seven
Back at Quantico she had taken some courses about how to enter a building, a building probably filled with bad guys. Part was because all special agents needed that training, part was because she had actually liked the tension, the action that came along with it. Not that she had learned a lot from it, because her dad had told her how to do it. But it had done wonders on friendship and bonding. Yet it were her dad lessons that came back to her when she followed Deeks through a gap in the iron wired fences that surrounded the plant.
Never having a son and she being the only foster child to stay for so long, he had begun to teach her everything he knew. At the beginning she had never been that interested in it, only going along because she could clearly tell he liked teaching her. But later she had started to look forward to it and mostly to the time spend together. Slowly she had turned into a daddy's girl. She only had a few memories of her real father and mother, and most weren't worth to remember. Dean and Carol had become her real parents, pretty much from the moment they took her in their house. She hadn't made it easy in the beginning, but they had been patient and in the end love had won out. Love that finally resulted in her being adopted for real. They let her have her real last name, but frankly she wouldn't have cared if they had changed it. Her mom had told her that one day she would realize the virtue about it and she had. Her last name was the last connection to her real parents and she didn't want to lose that.
Despite being a daddy's girl and part-time learning to become a marine, Sarah McArthur wouldn't be caught in last year's style. It had cost her hours and hours of work at the pizza place, at the movies…, but she pretty much managed to keep up with the latest fashion and had started on building a shoe collection that could at one point, if it kept building like this, rival Imelda Marcos' collection.
Yet having tons of shoes, like Marty and Danny liked to call it, didn't mean she managed to always pick out the right ones. Like today. What had made her pick these was beyond her as she was beginning to feel the typical burning feeling at her toes. But she kept quiet about. Marty was a sweet guy, but an endless tease as well. Not that she couldn't handle her own, but she didn't feel like it right now.
Pushed against wall, they slowly but surely got deeper and deeper on to the terrain, yet still no one to be seen. As they reached the corner of the building they had been creeping past, they stopped for a second. In signals only they knew about Marty told her he was going to look around the corner and she had to stay put for the moment. She nodded in understanding and let her eyes travel over the terrain in front of her. No one was to be seen, but it didn't mean anything. They could be hiding, just like they were at the moment and it could all go horrible wrong in a split second. She knew from experience that when mad men were involved, nowhere was really safe.
Marty had but a split second to retreat from his looking as the first bullet hit the wall where his head had been just before. Soon to be followed by more shots taken at them.
As they turned to retreat on the way they had come, they soon found that blocked by other shooters, leaving them with only one option. Cross the open space between the next building. It was close to a 100 meters, but at this moment it seemed like miles and miles but it was the only way out. For a moment their eyes locked, a small nod and then they left, making a run for it.
Bullets flying around your head tended to make you run just that faster and Sarah was convinced that if their time was being recorded they came close to Usain Bolt's world record. And on those shoes, she smiled to herself. Only to fade as quickly at the burning feeling returned ten times harder as they finally stood still inside one of the buildings.
Once again they stood with their backs against wall, frozen in time. They were listing to see if the men that had been shooting at them would find them. At this moment they hadn't, but their luck wouldn't last that long, she simply knew, no need for any training. Jason Carter, yes let's not get all Harry Potter on the guy and call him with his real name, was here and keen on getting his hands on them. She wasn't sure was Jason would do with her, but it wouldn't be nice. She knew what she would be used for and she didn't want to give the ex - cop the pleasure.
It had taken her a lot of time to get Marty to the state he was in now. She had been there every time a nightmare had him screaming through the night, she had been there every time a fit of rage threatened to take him over and turn him into a wild man, she had been there every time depression took out the will to live and he seemed ready to give up on everything. There had been times she had wanted to give up, but love didn't let her, love made her return home and face whatever demon Marty had going on at that moment. And they had managed to get out alive, in one piece and she had loved him like she hadn't loved anyone before. Slowly over the years they had transformed into a brother and sister relationship, but she was proud of what she had done and what they had reached. And she wasn't ready for Jason to ruin all the good work, all the things she had endured.
This was time of action and whether he liked it or not, she had made a decision on the next action. She had been in LA for little then a week, two days in his presence and yet she had been shot at twice. She wasn't a little girl, she didn't cry that easily but she was getting fed up with being shot at and second these shoes really had to come off.
Not that she would ever admit that had been part of her decision, she would claim it was self-preservation that had made her take out her phone and switch it on.
They had turned them off to avoid being tracked. He was sure the team would have some tracking system running right now, and she had listened to him. But right now she didn't mind if they tracked her phone to this spot. The sooner those shooting bastards were behind bars, the sooner she could breathe a little easier. Perhaps spend a day at the beach and then head back to NY.
'I think we can make a run for it, climbing through this window' he said as he turned towards her. ' the car isn't parked far from here and if we're fast we can get out before they know we're gone.'
Sarah only nodded to his statement and that made him focus on her. It didn't take him that long to notice the phone. Not a word was said as she handed the device to him and he saw the number. Everything was set, he only needed to press the dial button. He didn't want to, but there was no choice. They were outnumbered, with a crazy ready for revenge ex cop on their heels. They needed to find safety and it didn't matter how much he hated this. So that's why he slowly took a deep breath, pressed the button and brought the phone to his ear.
They had gathered at the Ops room and even Hetty was present. Deeks's file on Jason Carter was spread out before them, surrounded by the information found by Nell and Eric. There had been lengthy discussions about the case, how LAPD had handled it, how Deeks had handled it and what their next course of action would be. Right now they were all surrounded by silence, well as much as Ops would let them be surrounded by silence as they were thinking about the case.
The ringing of Hetty's cell phone pierced through the loaded silence and startled them all. Hetty muttered something as she took her cell phone out and was ready to give the caller a piece of her mind. How dare they disturbed them right now. All intentions of that however were soon forgotten as she spotted the number on the display screen. She turned to Eric and told him to transfer her call to the speaker sitting on the table. It only took a split second and then she pushed the button to answer.
'Miss McArthur, How can I help you.' She said. First they were met by silence, but then a voice came through, not the one she or the rest of the team were expecting.
'It's Deeks'.
He sounded tired, somewhat breathless and she wondered what had just happened to her liaison agent. It seemed like he had been running and if he was calling her, that didn't mean he had been running for fun.
' Mr. Deeks, to what do I have the honor of you calling me?' She asked. While she wanted him back, safe and sound, she wasn't one to be messed with. Mr. Deeks would learn she didn't take kindly to antics like this and that he couldn't pull a stunt like this.
'I, … I, … no, we …. We kinda need some help.' He finally stammered and it wasn't difficult to tell he was nervous. ' you…. You told Sarah to call you when she needed any help.'
'So why it's you and not Miss McArthur on the phone.
'Sarah thought it would be a better idea if I was the one making the call. Something about it being the first step.' He replied.
'Smart woman, that friend of yours'
'Yeah, just don't tell her that. She will be unbearable after that ' he said and they could all hear the smile in his voice.
'And what makes you think I can help you?' she asked, changing the mood. Not only on the other side of the line, but also in the same room. 3 pair of eyes stared at her, shock written all over them. She raised her hand, telling them she was in control. She had no intention to leave Deeks alone, but a little punishment wouldn't hurt.
'ah, listen, I'm very much aware that I'm not on the top of your Christmas card list, if I'm even on it. And I'm pretty sure the team is ready to beat the crap out of me, but for me not to be on that list or getting beaten to crap somehow needs a little requirement.' The smile clearly gone from his voice and they could hear anger in it.
'And that requirement is?' she asked.
'me being alive'
The statement silenced the room and her intention to punish the young cop a little. He was right, they needed him to be alive if they wanted him back on the team, even if they intended to have some words with him. Talking to a corpse may gave you the time to finish your sentence and actually makes you say everything you wanted to say, it was kinda depressing for the silence that returned.
Callen moved forward and she didn't stop him. This was an opportunity they had been waiting for, a way to show him that they cared and that they had his back.
'Deeks, it's Callen. Tell me what's been happening.4
After Deeks had finished his story, Hetty came once again forward and leaned towards the speaker.
'Mr. Deeks, I think it's time for you to come in.' she said.
'Boatshed?' he asked.
'No, The mission seems a more suitable place.' She said. 'oh and bring your smart friend with you'.
So, the team will finally meet Sarah. Even more special, a meeting between the two Ferns. :)
Any ideas on that one? I have some, but wouldn't mind some more :)
Let me know what you think.
