Promises to Keep
Chapter 9
...
He woke slowly, groaning softly as he stretched out the muscles in his arms and back, yawning at the new day. But then he sensed a presence, suddenly aware there was someone in the room and he opened his eyes as he gathered himself, his muscles taut, pulling against his worn tee shirt as he prepared himself to deal with the intruder.
"Your nose gets all crinkly when you sleep," Ruthie said brightly, staring at him as she leaned against the side of the bed.
"Do you always go around scaring people this early in the morning, sweetie pie?" Deeks let out the breath he was holding and rubbed his eyes, his body relaxing as she giggled her reply.
"Get up. I'm hungry," she said. "Don't you smell breakfast?"
"You go ahead, sweetie," he said as he propped himself up on one elbow. "I'll catch something later."
He was fairly certain he wouldn't be welcomed at the family breakfast table and he didn't want to get into it with Burke in front of Ruthie.
"No, it's okay. I'll wait for you," she said. "I don't want to go by myself. I don't like that man."
He saw a hint of trepidation in her eyes as she stared earnestly at him. How could he say no to her? It didn't look as if she'd even combed her hair and it stood out wildly all over her head, but who was he to talk. She was wearing red shorts and a tee shirt with a picture of Princess Merida on it from the "Brave" movie and it seemed so right for her that he smiled. She always made him smile.
"Can you give me a few minutes, princess?" he asked, poking her lightly in the stomach.
"Okay, but hurry. I'm really hungry and I think they're having pancakes," she said quickly over her shoulder as she wandered out.
He was a pushover when it came to her. He didn't want to face Burke this early in the morning or Ruthie's mother, but he couldn't let her go down there alone if she didn't want to, so he quickly jumped in the shower, which was bigger than his entire bathroom and tried very hard not to be envious. The steaming water eased some of the tightness in his bruised muscles and dulled the constant headache that remained in spite of the pain meds. He started blowing out his breath as if he were going into a firefight, and in a sense he was, only this one would be all verbal. Conversations with Burke were like making your way through a minefield and any held in Ruthie's presence would definitely put him at a disadvantage. He would have to cool it with the wiseass remarks, which were usually how he masked his anger, but that wasn't an option this morning, not with Ruthie at the table. He'd have to be very careful about what he said and how he said it. He only hoped Preston Burke would do the same.
After towel drying his hair, he sorted through his meager wardrobe and pulled on a pair of khakis and a white shirt, leaving the collar open, wanting to look somewhat professional when he faced Burke. After putting on his shoes, he began rolling up his sleeves as he made his way to the door, slipping his gun behind his back and pocketed his badge before opening the door to find Ruthie sitting on the floor in the hall, waiting for him.
"So what are you gonna have on your pancakes?" His outward attitude loose and easygoing.
"Syrup. What else?" she asked, her face open and curious.
"How about berries?" He said as she took his hand and tugged him toward the stairs. "You could have blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, huckleberries or my all time favorite, chuckleberries."
"There's no such thing as a chuckleberry, you goof," she said seriously as they made their way down the stairs.
"You sure? Cause I'm pretty sure I saw them at the market last week," he said with a crooked grin and a raised eyebrow.
"You really are silly sometimes," she said with a giggle.
"That's just what Kensi says," he told her as they walked into the dining room.
Preston Burke lifted his eyes from the newspaper and glared at him with complete disdain. Sandra Walters looked nervously over at him, obviously trying to judge how she should respond.
"I believe your breakfast is waiting for you in the kitchen, Agent Deeks," he said dismissively and returned to reading his paper.
"He's gonna eat with me," Ruthie said stubbornly before Deeks could move.
"Ruthie honey, don't be rude," Sandra Walters said quickly.
"The dining room is for the family, Ruthie," he said firmly. "And, he's not family."
"You're not either," she said defiantly.
Preston Burke looked quickly at Sandra Walters and she leaned forward, pleading with her eyes and Deeks saw Burke nod slightly, before turning to look angrily at Ruthie. Deeks took a step forward, shielding Ruthie slightly, hoping to diffuse the situation.
"It's okay, Ruthie," he said, looking straight at Burke before turning to kneel down in front of her. "I eat in my kitchen all the time. I'll be closer to the food in there and that way I can eat all the pancakes before you get any."
"But, I want to eat with you," she said, whining a little.
"How about we have lunch together out in the garden," he said softly. "I'm sure Mr. Burke wouldn't mind me eating out there with you, would you Mr. Burke?"
He stood up and turned with a questioning look on his face and he could tell Burke was very close to exploding. Getting slammed by a little girl wasn't setting too well with him, Deeks thought, smiling inwardly. He watched the man pull himself back under control and then feign indifference.
"Fine," he said, not bothering to look up. "But now, I think you've interrupted our breakfast for long enough. The kitchen is through that door."
Deeks squeezed Ruthie's shoulder as he walked toward the door indicated, holding his annoyance in check. As he entered the kitchen he heard Ruthie's voice behind him and he couldn't help laughing.
"I want chuckleberries on my pancakes," she said loudly, and he knew it was for his benefit.
"There's no such thing," Burke grumbled.
"How do you know?" Ruthie's lingering voice taking the bad taste right out of his mouth.
He smiled as one of the kitchen staff handed him a plate stacked with incredible looking pancakes topped with strawberries and his stomach rumbled a greeting. The bacon was perfect and the coffee rich and much needed. All in all, he thought the morning confrontation had gone rather well, especially with Ruthie on his side. He took his breakfast out to a small covered patio overlooking the kitchen garden and enjoyed the early warmth of the day as he reflected on the ability of a determined little girl to get under the skin of a man used to complete control.
...
...
Eric was talking to himself when Nell came into Ops and she could tell he was not happy. When he swore softly as she pulled her chair back, she peeked at his screen to see what he was working on.
"You're looking into Deeks' juvenile record?" she asked in surprise.
"Not me, but someone is and they've gotten in pretty deep, too," he answered as he tried to thwart the person's access.
"What's he gotten so far?" She asked.
"He hacked into Child Services' records and got access to Deeks' files," he answered, swearing louder this time as the hacker slipped past him once again.
"This guy's good," he muttered.
"Maybe it's a woman," Nell said flippantly.
"Doesn't matter," Eric said absently. "What does, is that he or she has Deeks' juvenile records regarding his father's shooting."
"I'm calling Hetty," she said quickly.
"Now he's going into the LAPD personnel records," Eric said softly to himself as he feverishly typed. "Not so fast doucharoo. Gothcha!"
"Eric, report please," Hetty said as she came up behind the two techs.
"Someone's accessing multiple files on Deeks from multiple databases," Eric said sharply, but now with a smile. "But I got him. He's working out of an office in Burbank."
"Does he know you found him?" Hetty asked and when he shook his head she turned to Nell. "Send a tactical squad over there immediately, Miss Jones. I want him taken into custody and brought to the boat shed."
"Do you want me to end his access, Hetty?" Eric asked.
"Let's give him enough rope to hang himself, Mr. Beale," she replied. "You can shut him down when the tac squad has their hands on him. Don't spook him. I'd rather have you track down where the information is going and to whom."
"No problemo," he said with a flourish.
"Nell, what have you found on Malcolm Webb?" Hetty asked, the anger thick in her voice.
"Ran a highly regarded security firm in New York, before he was hired by Preston Burke," she said. "Former Army Ranger, two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He had a brief stint with the FBI, but I'm still waiting for them to release his file. No family that I can find. A real lone wolf, Hetty."
"I've had some experience with those," she replied. "Can you find a link between him and this hacker?"
"You mean other than the fact they work out of the same building?" Eric smiled proudly at both of them.
"Thank you, Mr. Beale," she said quite formally. "As one of my old friends would say, 'you've made my day'. Nell, put in a call to Roger Stinson at the National Security Branch of the FBI. He's quite fond of Mr. Deeks and he'll get you that file on Webb."
"Mr. Callen? Meet me in the boat shed," Hetty spoke into her cell as she walked out. "Mr. Burke's Head of Security just put his foot in it."
...
...
Deeks watched calmly as Preston Burke and Malcolm Webb walked toward him where he sat at a table under a white umbrella next to the pool. Ruthie was swimming easily in the enormous pool, oblivious or just ignoring the oncoming pair. He took a breath, clinched his jaw in anticipation and waited, knowing Burke wouldn't have sought him out if he didn't have a point to make. He had been enjoying his afternoon with Ruthie, checking out the pleasant garden and finding a big tree she could climb at the back edge of the property. She had gone on and on about wanting to go home, asking him why she couldn't over and over. It had taken a lot of convincing, but she finally changed the subject, asking for more stories about Kensi, which he was happy to share. Now, he found himself growing cold as the man approached, wondering what angle the attack would come from, because this would not be a social call.
"Take a walk with me, Agent Deeks. Webb will watch Ruthie," Burke said as he strode past, heading toward a small isolated patio tucked into a grove of small trees some distance above the pool and very private.
Burke had changed out of the three-piece suit he'd been wearing at breakfast and was now somewhat casually dressed in tan slacks and a pale blue silk shirt without a tie. Deeks rose sluggishly from the chair, checking to see that Ruthie was okay. She had a solemn look on her face as she watched him from the edge of the pool, but when he waved to her, she flashed a smile and waved back. He looked steadily at Webb until the man nodded.
"I'm assuming you can swim," he said quietly, his face hard and deadly serious.
"Got a merit badge and everything," the man said snidely.
"And here I thought those were hard to get," he said before turning to follow Burke.
The man barely acknowledged him when he reached the private patio, just sat silently and continued to stare at Ruthie as she swam. The deep cushions on the lounge chairs looked inviting, so he plopped down in one facing the pool, allowing him to watch Ruthie, but not have to look at Burke.
"My father would have hated this place," Burke said. "He was a traditionalist. He loved old brick, French antiques and formal English gardens, but then he came from old money, so it's not surprising. He was all about perpetuating the family name and the family fortune and if his children didn't acquiesce to doing that, then he would show you the error of your ways by cutting off access to everything you loved, needed or craved. He was really quite vicious, my old man, but he taught me everything I needed to know to be successful in this world."
Deeks wasn't sure what to say and remained silent, not sure Burke required a comment.
"I think I bought this place just to spite him," he continued. "He died before I could show it to him."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Deeks said.
"What about your father?" Burke's voice was low as he turned to look at him and Deeks suddenly knew what was coming.
"He must have been quite a bastard for you to shoot him like that," Burke continued. "You were just a kid. Eleven, I believe. You used to get the shit kicked out of you a lot as a child according to the records. Your father must not have thought you were worth much, Agent Deeks, or maybe he just thought you needed to be taught your place."
Deeks got up and turned toward the man, his heart in his throat and his anger hot and very close to being uncontrollable.
"I know a lot about you, Deeks," Burke said with a self-assured smile. "Webb said there's more, but he hasn't gotten it all yet. Some of your less than enamored colleagues at LAPD are more than willing to share some of your less auspicious adventures for a little extra cash, and you know I have plenty of that."
"What the hell's your point, Burke," Deeks gritted out.
"I don't want you anywhere near my daughter," he said. "I have plans for her and you're a bad influence. I don't like you, Deeks. I know where you come from and I know what kind of people you come from. You're nothing but white trash, Deeks, not fit to be in my beautiful house or eat my food, and you're certainly not the kind of person I want around Ruthie. I want you out and with my money and contacts, don't think I can't make that happen."
Deeks' face blanched at the man's brazen words. His body trembled with rage, but he held himself together, not really able to respond as the horror that was his childhood spilled out of the man's mouth. He knew he had to walk away. He knew if he stayed standing in front of him that he would do something he would regret, which he was pretty sure was exactly what Burke wanted. So, he turned abruptly and walked numbly back toward the pool, his mind in a fog.
"I'll find everything there is to find, Deeks," Webb said as he passed the man. "Money's no object for this guy."
Deeks didn't even pause; he simply turned and slugged Webb as hard as he could, feeling the man's cheekbone crack before he fell backwards into the pool. He would have kept walking, but he saw the shocked and frightened look on Ruthie's face and it forced him to come back to himself. He shouldn't have done that in front of her, cursing himself silently, and he couldn't leave her here with these men, so he held his hand out and she quickly scrambled out of the pool and took it and they started toward the house. He could hear Burke shouting after him, but he didn't stop until two of Webb's security men stepped out in front of him and put their hands on his chest.
"Go on up to your room, Ruthie," he said as calmly as he could.
"I don't want to," she said, gripping his hand tightly and looking between him and the two men.
"I need you to do that for me, sweetie," he said, smiling softly at her.
As he tried to persuade her he saw two more men running toward the pool. Burke was standing next to it, ignoring Webb completely as he fought to stay above water.
"He's not gonna be in a good mood when he gets out of that pool," one of the men in front of him offered.
"He told me he could swim," Deeks said, a wide smile now pasted on his face as he pushed Ruthie toward the door.
Ruthie grabbed his hand once again and started tugging on it, her eyes wide, and he knew she was scared.
"Come with me, Deeks," she said, trembling. "Please."
He was suddenly surrounded by four of Webb's men and his smile faded, realizing these guys didn't care if they were scaring a little girl.
"Okay, guys. Just let Ruthie leave and we can talk," he said quietly, but no one responded.
"Call off you men, Webb," he said as the man shoved his way past his guys and stopped in front of him.
"You sonofabitch," Webb said.
"You look a little wet, Malcolm, but I'm sure Mr. Burke will buy you a new suit," Deeks said, unable to stop the escaping smart remark.
"Deeks?" Ruthie said.
"How long you gonna let this go on, Burke? These guys are scaring Ruthie." Deeks said, looking back to see him still standing next to the pool. The man just watched, a small look of triumph in his eyes and Deeks knew he was in trouble.
One of the men behind him pulled his hand free from Ruthie's hold and wrenched his arms up behind his back, making him grunt in pain while the other one took his gun.
"Stop that," Ruthie yelled, but they ignored her.
"Now would be the time to remember that I'm a federal agent," he said, the smile returning for Ruthie's benefit. "And that a little girl is watching."
"You hit me, Deeks," Webb said right in his face. "I'll just tell them I was defending myself and I have plenty of witnesses."
"What the hell is going on?" Paul Walters suddenly pushed his way into the middle of the confrontation and scooped Ruthie up in his arms and she clung to him, burying her head in his neck as tears filled her eyes.
"Are you okay, punkin?" he asked, smoothing back her wet hair.
"They're hurting Deeks, Daddy," she said.
"Stop this right now, Preston," Paul Walters demanded as Burke walked up to join the group.
"You don't know what kind of man he is, Paul," Burke said angrily.
"He's the kind of man that put his life at risk to save my daughter from kidnappers," Walters said firmly. "That's all I need to know. Now call off these jerks and let him go."
"Don't order me around in my own home, Paul," Burke's voice became low and deep as the stare down continued. "Deeks attacked Webb without provocation and he needs to know I won't tolerate that."
Deeks waited for the blow he knew was coming and it was swift and powerful, doubling him over and making him sag almost to his knees. He fought for breath as he prepared for the next one, but it never came as he heard Callen's voice boom out from the doorway. He felt his arms released as members of an NCIS tactical squad shoved the men away from him and he staggered on his feet until Callen grabbed his arm and held him up.
"Malcolm Webb, you're under arrest for assaulting a federal officer and for cyber crimes relating to Agent Deeks," Callen said as a couple of the tac squad cuffed him.
"He's my Head of Security," Burke sputtered.
"Are you claiming responsibility for his actions?" Callen asked.
"Most certainly not," Burke said staunchly as he glared at Webb, who just shook his head in resignation.
"Looks like a dunk in the pool is the least of your worries, man," Deeks said, still breathing hard.
"Fuck you, Deeks," Webb growled. "Bet your little friend Ruthie and her daddy don't know what you did to your own father."
Callen had him by the throat in seconds, shoving him rapidly back toward the house as he whispered words no one caught. The man never got another word out as Gus, the squad leader, took him from Callen and hustled him through the house.
"I insist you assign someone else to guard Ruthie while she's in my house," Burke demanded.
"You don't get to make any decisions regarding Ruthie," Paul Walters said. "I'm sure NCIS can make other arrangements. She'll be staying wherever I'm staying."
Burke blinked at that and Deeks could see him slowly back down, and for a brief second his face took on a feral look, almost immediately replaced by a false smile of acquiescence.
"Really Paul, there's no need for you all to leave," Burke said, trying to placate his old friend. "You know you are welcome here. There's plenty of space and Ruthie already has a lovely room I set up just for her."
There was a glimmer of disbelief and anger in the look Walters shot at Burke, before he glanced at Callen.
"That's up to Agent Callen," he said solemnly.
"This is a well fortified house, with top notch security," Callen said, earning a surprised look from everyone. "We could protect you and your wife and Ruthie here, Paul."
"What about Deeks?" Ruthie asked, sniffling back tears as she looked earnestly at Paul Walters. "Can he stay, Daddy?"
"He stays Preston, or we go," Paul Walters said adamantly.
"As you wish, Paul," Burke replied, his face impassive.
Deeks reached out to pull Callen aside for a private conversation, but his phone rang and he kept eyes on Deeks as he answered.
"It's for you, Mr. Burke," Callen said with a small grin as he handed the phone over to the surprised man.
"Who is this?" Burke barked with annoyance into the phone. "Who?"
"It's Hetty," Callen whispered to Deeks.
Both men began smiling as Burke walked into the house, trying to get a word in as Hetty talked. They could see the wilted look on the man's face as he listened and nodded occasionally as he paced the living room. By the time Hetty had finished his face had taken on a haunted look, but one edged with a dark rage that Deeks found unsettling. He knew the man who had spoken to him so viciously earlier, would not be easily intimidated by anyone, even Hetty.
Preston Burke walked back outside and dismissed his security men before handing Callen back his phone. He mentioned nothing about the phone call and immediately turned to leave.
"Make yourself at home, Paul," he said without even looking at him. "I'll be out for the evening. I have a meeting. My chef will prepare dinner for you and your guests."
With that he walked back inside and went upstairs, his footsteps echoing off the white marble risers.
"You want to show me your room, Ruthie?" Paul Walters asked, setting her on the ground and reaching for her hand.
"It's pink, Daddy," she said, shivering with mimed disgust. "Yuck!"
"Not your favorite color," he said with a laugh. "See you for dinner, gentlemen."
Deeks followed their progress until they were out of sight before turning to Callen as he gave instructions to the remaining members of the tactical squad. When they were gone, Deeks stared evenly at Callen until he acknowledged him.
"Deeks, it's my call," he said, holding up his hands when he saw Deeks' irate face, thinking he was angry about staying at Burke's house.
"Do you know the shit that asshole said to me, Callen?" Deeks roared. "Did you know he had all that personal information about me?"
"Eric discovered someone hacking into your juvenile records this morning," Callen said. "We picked up the hacker and I talked to him in the boat shed. He rolled on Webb and I picked up Paul Walters and Gus's squad and came here. Paul's been anxious to see Ruthie."
"You waited until he hit me, didn't you?" Deeks said with an amazed smile, tilting his head as he turned to walk back to the edge of the pool.
"I thought he might," Callen smirked as he followed him. "But I knew you could take it."
"Thanks a lot, Agent Callen," Deeks said.
"That's Special Agent Callen," he said lightly. "Listen Deeks. I wanted him on more then hiring a hacker to delve into your records. Burke would have had him out before breakfast. Assaulting a federal agent gets him some serious jail time."
"Burke had him do it, you know," Deeks said quietly.
"I know, but he'll deny it and he has the money and the lawyers to keep us at bay for awhile," Callen said.
"He called me white trash, Callen," Deeks said softly. "I've never even heard that term before, but I'm guessing he considered it an insult."
"Someone called me that once," Callen said as he stepped up beside him.
"What'd you say?"
"I kicked him," Callen laughed. "I was eight and had no idea what it meant, but I considered the source."
"What if Burke tells Paul Walters and Ruthie that I shot my father," Deeks murmured.
"We'll deal with it," Callen said softly. "Together and as a team. I imagine Hetty read him the riot act, so I think he'll back off for now."
"If it wasn't for Ruthie, I'd be out of here," Deeks said as he stared out across the pool. "This isn't over between Burke and me."
"Just do your job," Callen said. "You protect Ruthie and we'll protect you."
"You just let a guy hit me, G," Deeks laughed.
"Well, I won't next time."
"Promise?"
"Okay."
...
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