Thanks for lot of great comments-several guest comments I wish I could respond to but system won't allow. Hope you all stick with it to see where we end up. To the one guest wondering what's on the tape. Refer to first couple chapters-it was his proposal and her rejection, alluding to looking for someone better.

Deeks still managed a smiled as he called in the APB. Since the truck was the same one he didn't have to put the alert out thru what he called tell-a-neighbor and tell-a-friend. This was something in place before he got here. Since this county population was so spread and rural, they had a calling system. Mostly for Amber Alerts but Deeks made 4 phone calls, each one of those made 10 and so on until everyone was contacted. The first calls went to the far ends of the county and they worked their way back in so if a car was trying to leave they hoped to get ahead of them (believe it or not folks, I grew up around this area, and this is the truth, course that was in the 50's but what the hell writers license-it was the original version of Amber Alerts so please no one call B.S. on this).

Shortly after that Deeks was back at his desk. After collecting the blood sample and getting it off to Great Lakes via his deputy who went with lights and sirens flashing and instructions to get there now, he had driven around half the county with no luck. Eric had nothing on any security camera and he was surprised there were so many available. Deeks was staring into space when his computer binged signifying an incoming message. It was a link. When he opened it he saw the 3 agents tied to a chair and 2 masked figures behind them. They matched the descriptions the boys had given him very closely. One of them spoke-the man-using LA gang kinda voice and dialect "who we are doesn't matter, what we want does. We want you here. You made our lives miserable and we will extract our revenge." Deeks had texted Eric to try and trace this as the masked face went on "because of you our fathers were killed and we were forced us to live as commoners instead of with the privileges we should have enjoyed. Now you will pay. You have 72 hours to find us and turn yourself in or we kill one a day until you show up. Do you understand? If you do as instructed we MAY let these 3 go-MOSTLY unharmed." And the recording ended and the screen went blank. It was obviously taped so there was a chance they had left a trail for Eric to follow but no chance to interact and ask for proof of life. If the agents were alive they were drugged as Deeks could not discern any movement.

Shortly a call came in from Nell "Deeks, they are bouncing that signal around from Alaska to Hawaii to Australia. It will take us a day to find the source and almost that to get any DNA from the blood sample. We got notice it just arrived at Great Lakes and then they called people in to start immediately. Oh and they told me to tell you that your deputy said he's staying over, it's too late and he's too tired to drive back." Deeks just smiled and nodded as he knew the man had family and a girlfriend in the area.

Since we have 72 hours we are good. I am hoping they leave our agents alone in the meantime." Then after a pause "Marty I gotta ask for Eric and I, how are you why and did you really leave? No way in hell you cheat on her. When she lies she twirls her hair like when she flirts. She's an easy read. You are missed even if those idiots won't say so, especially Kensi. I'm pretty sure she would take you back if you just offered."

After a minute he answered "ask Hetty to play the tape then you'll know just how really great I am these days. Oh and for the record, not up to her. It's my choice after what she did" and he cut the connection. Eric looked at Nell and they shared an 'oh crap' moment.

Deeks spent the next day checking with people on the suspected route the truck had taken with no results. That evening he wandered over to his mom's B & B and "I need food and a friend mom." After they finished ham sandwiches, salad and tater tots he looked at his mom and said "I'm a mess mom, 2 friends and her missing and I got less than 72 hours to figure it out and I got no idea why except they were taken to get to me. They want me to come to them. This whole thing is aimed at getting a hold of me. Part of me says screw it and call in the feds and walk away but the other part says turn the county upside down and inside out looking for them. I could never live with being the reason they got hurt or killed-even her. Why in the hell is this happening. I've gone thru old cases in my head and no one comes to mind that would have it in for me and include all of us. Got several that might want me but that's from LAPD and I'm sure there's more than a few that want the 3 of them but no one looking for me that would know about them. I am stumped."

"You have to focus on 1 thing at a time. Saving lives take priority anytime. But then you need to sort out your feelings for them Marty, especially Kensi. I've seen how you look at her and talk about her. You may act mad but your eyes say different. As for the other 2 they got caught in the cross fire. So answer me this, do you still love her after all this time."

After what seemed an eternity of silence, Deeks responded "ya mom, I think I do but I'm not sure I want to tell her and try to make it work. I'm afraid of a repeat performance and I'm not even sure she would try to mend fences. I really don't need that kind of pain again. This whole mess has brought all of it back." After another pause he added "but you are right, saving them takes priority and that's what I have to focus on. It's what is expected of me. I'm just not thinkin' straight right now. All this going on, old feelings coming back-everything. I miss the ocean bad at times like this, it was always my hiding place."

"Martin Andrew Deeks you know how to read people better than that-put your emotions aside and you'll see. She is still in love with you, plain as day you big goofus. Now find a way to save em. Do what you do best. Then you can work on the rest. Oh and up until earlier this evening Sam and G hadn't heard that tape. They still thought you cheated on her so they were a little puzzled at how you treated them." She could see understanding dawn in his eyes. Now some of it made sense. He expected them to be on his side and mad at her but they had no reason to be nice to him.

Deeks had to get some sleep, he realized he'd been up well over 24 straight hours. He curled up on the couch in his office, a frequent resting place, especially early on in his career as sheriff. 8 fitful hours later he got up thru some water on his face, gargled and put on a clean shirt while his brain was going about 100 miles an hour trying to find a thread to tug on with a solid lead at the end of it. Frustrated, wondering about his relationship with the LA team and in general not feeling real good about things. He tried to get another hour or 2 of some semblance of sleep. Just about the time he finally dozed off, his phone started ringing. Tring to shake the cobwebs out he looked at the phone "blocked #" was all it said. He assumed it was the mission, probably the wonder twins in OPS. Still groggy he growled "Deeks, speak."

Now he can ease off G and Sam some but still a lot of issues to deal with but we gotta get the troops back first. Onward-as always donate something to the little black box.