Surfs up
/Chapter 9/
With their last update less than an hour before, the teamswere in place for the second phase of the operation.
Half of the 5-0 team was in place at the airport, having set up surveillance about an hour before the plane from LA was due to arrive. It was the intention of the teams to keep the key players under surveillance, but not interfere. The ultimate goal being the diamonds and not what was in this shipment. They needed to ascertain the next step to the smugglers plans; see if the diamonds would perhaps make an appearance before this case ended up taking them out of the country, something Steve hoped wouldn't happen.
Though the LA team certainly had some jurisdictional powers outside the country, and he himself still had the powers being a Navy SEAL lent to the position, the rest of his team was another matter. The red tape for any of his team to operate outside of US borders was staggering and he didn't want the accompanying Danny rant that would follow the piles of paperwork it would entail.
His eyes never left the storage hanger at the airport, where he and Danny had set up an hour before. Chin and Kono had eyes on March and the HPD were covering Davenport and Stone. Now, all they had to do was wait for the "bad guys" to make the next move, something the Navy SEAL was not particularly good at doing.
He had seen the plane from LA land about thirty minutes ago and some of the cargo from that plane was only now being off loaded to the warehouse awaiting pick up.
"See anything," Danny asked from his seat in the Camaro...of course, the passenger seat.
"Nothing yet, but they just started off loading the gear and cargo from the hold," Steve commented as he lowered his binoculars.
"So what's the last update," Danny asked.
"Last call from Sam, he reported Deeks, Pratt and Richards are supposed to break off from the other contestants after they make it through baggage claim and customs, retrieve the paintings and meet up with Jensen at the hotel before going to see Davenport," Steve explained.
"Better give HPD the heads up so they can get eyes on our boy when he shows up with our suspects," Danny commented, already dialing the number.
"We'll follow them to the hotel, meet up with the rest of the NCIS team then pass it off to the PD watching Davenport's place while we regroup at HQ," Steve reported.
As Danny finished his call to the HPD, he noted his partner straightening, his binoculars aimed at the north side of the warehouse. Picking up his own binoculars he asked, "What?"
"There, must be Pratt, Richards and Deeks..." Steve said.
"Certainly didn't waste any time, did they," Danny commented, spying the three men making their way inside the large warehouse.
"Must be getting the paintings for their meet with Davenport," Steve commented.
The two 5-0 officers continued to watch through their binoculars to the open hanger doors as the three men stopped at a set of surf boards, Danny gave a little whistle when he saw the boards being pulled apart and the rolled up canvas's being removed, "Have to give 'em credit...no one would suspect smuggling anything in a surfboard."
Steve just nodded absently, a movement to the side of the hanger attracting his attention causing him to sit forward, "Danny we got a problem."
"Problem? What..." Danny asked in confusion, looking in the direction that got Steve's attention, to see an older man with a clipboard heading into the warehouse, "Damn it... thought we had this area cleared of civilians..."
"Guess someone missed the memo..." Steve commented, as he moved to exit the car.
"Steve, wait...if Davenport regularly smuggles merchandise by plane, maybe this guy is on his payroll," Danny commented, as he exited the car quickly after his partner, "...would explain a civilian in this area."
Steve reached in the car and pulled out his binoculars, focusing on the newcomer as he made his way into the warehouse hanger, commenting seconds later when he saw two of the men reach for guns at the unexpected intrusion, "Don't think so, let's move..."
Without further question, Danny pulled his weapon and followed his partner across the tarmac to the hanger; both ducking for cover seconds later when gunshots were heard from the warehouse hanger.
Moving up quickly and cautiously, they peered into the hanger to see all three 'surfers' with guns drawn and the airport employee on the ground, gasping in pain and shock as he pressed a hand to the bullet wound in his shoulder.
"What the hell...now what," Richards yelled.
"He's seen us," Pratt said, aiming his gun at the injured man on the ground, "only one thing to do..."
Steve and Danny exchanged tense looks, ready to spring into action when Deeks knocked Pratt's gun aside, "You trying to bring the entire airport security down on our ass...you keep shootin' like that they'll hear ya' clear to the terminal, man..."
Pushing Deeks off, Pratt shot back, "we can't have any witnesses..." before again aiming his gun at the man on the ground.
Seeing that the detective had run out of options to protect the civilian, Steve did the only thing available, "5-0—hands where we can see them..."
Danny rolled his eyes but followed his partner, wondering if they had just blown the entire op,"...you heard the man..."
Not to be deterred, the three 'surfer's' immediately dove for cover, two of them opening fire on the 5-0 cops.
"5-0? What the hell are they doing here…?" Richard's shouted.
"Make a run for the van...I'll hold them off," Deeks directed the two men.
"What? What the hell are you talkin' about...they'll arrest you man..." Pratt shot back, "I say we just take them out and be done with it..."
"I'm a cop remember. I let them take me in, convince them I'm following a lead from a case stateside...a few hours and I can meet up with you," Deeks said.
"I don't like it...bring to much attention on us..." Richards said, shaking his head.
"Hey, I managed to throw the cops off in LA so Mallory could get those shipments out. I can send them chasing their tails here too..." Deeks replied, "But, you kill two cops and you won't get anywhere with this shipmen or any other, they'll just swoop in and shut everything down..."
Not liking it but seeing few options, the two men reluctantly agree.
"Good," Deeks said with a nod, "you two go around that way...I'm gonna get up behind them and draw their fire...you head for the van and don't look back..."
The men separated, and soon Deeks was within several feet of Steve and Danny's cover: carefully noting the two men's position he fired well over their heads and dove back for cover when the two 5-0's turned swiftly and returned fire.
Daring a quick look out of the hanger he noted Pratt and Richards had made it to the hanger's entrance and needed another few minutes to make it to the van: with a put upon sigh he fired off a couple of shots off to the right of the two men.
Both Danny and Steve exchanged confused looks at the wide shots...someone definitely wanted to make sure their shots didn't find their mark.
"Surfer boy...that you...?" Danny hissed loudly.
"Hey 'slick'...Pratt and Richards need to make it to the van...we need to make it look good..." Deeks huffed out, again shooting his weapon off.
Danny obliged by returning a few rounds of his own in Deeks general direction, causing Deeks to squawk indignantly, "hey dude...little close don't 'cha think..."
"What's the plan...?" Steve interjected, as he cast a glance at the two suspects climbing into the van.
"Arrest me..." Deeks said.
"What!" Danny exclaimed.
"They need to see you arrest me...they think I'm a dirty cop on their bosses payroll-you don't, so you've got to treat me like any suspect," Deeks huffed out quickly, his eyes going to the van, "hurry up, they need to see the arrest so I can sell my story later..."
Thinking quickly, Steve said, "Okay...you and Danny exchange another round...I'm gonna come up on you left..." exchanging a quick look with his partner, Steve said, "...on three. One...two...three..."
Danny and Deeks got off a couple more wide shots, while Steve maneuvered around the detectives left and easily took down the "distracted" suspect.
Steve was slapping on the cuffs when all three of them noted the van peeling away from the hanger. To add to the "show", Danny ran after the van and fired off a few rounds.
Coming back to the SEAL and detective, arms waving as he worked himself up to rant mode, Danny asked crossly, "...how did all this not just blow the entire op to hell..."
...HAWAII 5-0...NCIS LA...HAWAII 5-0...NCIS LA...
Danny and Steve escorted their "prisoner" into 5-0 headquarters, garnering surprised, worried and slightly angry looks from the LA team.
Kensi closed the distance between the three men before they'd made it ten steps through the door, "What happened? Deeks?" looking at Steve, Kensi demanded, "Why is my partner in cuffs?"
"More importantly, why is he here and not on the way to his meet with Davenport," Callen interjected evenly as he eyed his liaison officer critically.
"Steve, what went down out there; you guys alright," Sam asked as he eyed all three men for possible injuries.
"Op got blown to hell...civilian on the field…" Steve started to explain as he undid the cuffs on the detective's wrists, only to be interrupted by Deeks...
Rubbing his wrists to restore circulation, Deeks interjected quickly, "the op is not blown...a little sideways maybe, but we can salvage this..."
"How...explain how this op didn't just go totally south on us-Pratt and Richards saw you get arrested...there not gonna believe that were just gonna let you waltz right out of here," Danny said with some sarcasm, "once March gets wind that one of Davenport's flunkies got nabbed by 5-0 he's gonna back out of the deal...we'll never see those diamonds..."
Making a slight face at the 'flunkies' crack, Deeks replied evenly, "that's exactly what they're gonna believe..."
Shaking his head in disbelief, Sam asked, "how you gonna pull that one off shaggy?"
"Look, it's no secret to Davenport and the others I'm a cop on the take right...that's what they've been relying on for the past month to get Davenport's shipments to Mallory out of LA. I just convince Davenport and March I can do the same thing here..." Deeks explained.
"How, this isn't even your jurisdiction?" Callen asked.
"Convince March... that I... have convinced 5-0 I'm working a case on my own time that just happens to cross with one of their open cases. Then I do the same for Davenport here in Hawaii that I did for him and Mallory in LA," Deeks explained, "...convince March I can get him off 5-0's radar."
"March even suspects you're working with 5-0, he won't hesitate to put a bullet in you..." Steve said with a slight shake of his head as he ran a hand down his face.
With a shrug, Deeks replied, "Then I better be convincing..."
