Disclaimer: The characters of N.C.I.S. Los Angeles are property of CBS
Two days later-
Sam found himself out on Santa Monica Pier waiting around. He was wondering what was going on that would have him out here two hours before closing time. It was crowded, and he was feeling claustrophobic from the volume of people on the pier.
[Walk over the surf shop on your left and go around to the back.]
Sam was a little curious as to how his number had been breached, but shrugged his shoulders and head towards the shop. Sam walked around the back of the shop and saw a lone man of Hispanic nationality. Sam sized up the man, but before he could make a move the man left and somebody else approached him from behind.
"Let's take a walk Mr. Foreman."
Sam about jumped out of his skin when he heard his undercover name from over a year ago, even bigger surprise when he saw that he was talking to Deeks. Sam and Deeks walked two miles before stopping.
"Why all the cloak and dagger?" Sam asked.
"I knew Romeo from when I was working a drug bust five years ago. I didn't have enough evidence to take him down. His boss was part of the cartel that was trying to take over the Molina cartel's turf; I got the boss, but Romeo was a low level enforcer that made his way up the ranks after I took down the boss." Deeks said.
"Who's José Naranjo?" Sam asked.
"That Naranjo was a new comer that came in after I left. If you can get a file on him I would be happy." Deeks said.
"Where's Kensi?" Sam asked after he realized that Deeks had come alone.
"I wouldn't worry about her." Deeks said.
"Why?" Sam asked.
"First off, she is of Hispanic background so she won't have a problem fitting in. Secondly and most importantly, I didn't leave her unarmed." Deeks said.
Sam shot Deeks a question glance.
"Most of those guys will be put in their place with a show of force." Deeks said.
"Well keep us posted." Sam said with a laugh.
"I will if I can, but it's going to be tricky. Romeo will have me on lockdown, so we may have to use dead drops." Deeks said.
"I'll go back and inform the group." Sam said.
"Max we gotta go." The man said that was waiting for Sam earlier.
And without fail Deeks slipped back into his darkest alias and Sam could see it in Deeks eyes.
"Coming." Deeks said.
And like that Deeks was gone, and Max was on display. Sam watch Deeks take off, and he wondered if he would see Kensi and Deeks again, or would they end up on a table in the morgue. Sam scanned the pier in case there were any stragglers, and then head back to his car.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Two week later-
Sam and Callen were following the latest lead of the passenger that got away. They tracked him to a motel on the edge of TMZ, and that's about where the trail went cold again.
"Eric can we get another angle?" Sam asked.
"Two rooms down, on the left." Eric said through the wire.
Callen was already on the move; he was coming up the back stairs. Callen was waiting for Sam to get to the door before breaching, which proved useful. As Sam approaching the door, there was a loud crash coming from inside the room.
"What was that?" Hetty asked.
Sam checked the frame for a wire, and then tested the door. When Sam was satisfied they breached the room. Before they made it two feet into the room a cat came running and escaped the room.
"It was a cat, Hetty." Callen said.
"G." Sam said.
G saw what Sam was pointing at: a blood trail. The partners drew their guns and followed the trail; which led them to the bathroom. Upon nearing the bathroom Sam stepped in a pool of blood.
"Oh man. You have got to be kidding." Sam said as he tried to wipe the blood off his shoe.
Callen move around the pool and opened the door, and what the agents saw was barbaric.
"Wow. That's something." Callen said.
"That's something." Sam said still trying to wipe the blood off his shoe. "G you need help."
The man on the floor was dead, without a doubt; given the deep laceration in his throat.
"If that cut would have been any deeper they probably could have decapitated him." Callen said.
"Yeah, I can see the bone." Sam said.
"I'm going to call it in." Callen said.
"What do you need?" Eric asked.
"Were going to need a coroner down. This guy has been ran through the gambit." Sam said.
"How bad?" Hetty asked.
"Making the call." Eric said.
"Well at a first glance, foregoing the huge cut in his throat, It looks like this man has been shot, stabbed, a couple broken fingers, what looks like a skull fracture on the left side-"
"We get the picture Agent Hanna. Whoever was holding this man tortured him before they killed him." Granger said.
"Has anybody heard from Kensi and Deeks?" Nell asked.
"Ah yeah, about that." Sam said.
"What?" Callen asked.
"When did Deeks make contact?" Granger asked.
"What are you people reading our texts now?" Sam asked motioning between him and Callen.
"Something like that." Hetty said.
"Deeks sent me an anonymous text to meet him on the pier about two weeks back. Eric I need you to run down José Naranjo; Deeks knows nothing about the man, and is currently flying blind." Sam said.
Sam turned his attention to Callen when he notice that he was staring at him.
"What?" Sam asked.
"Deeks contacted you, and you didn't think to inform somebody?" Callen asked
"I got side tracked and forgot. Next time I'll tell Deeks to contact you." Sam threatened.
"You think that will happen?" Callen asked.
"What do you think?" Sam asked.
It was at this time that the partners heard a knock on the door.
"Hello." A female voice called out
"Over here Rose." Sam called out.
"Hello gentlemen; where is my-"
Rose cut herself off when she saw the aftermath of the interrogation. Rose followed the blood trail to the sleeping area, but then went back to examine the body. Before long another person from the morgue came and helped Rose. Rose and her assistant packed up the body, and then they left just as quickly as they came. Sam and Callen leave to return to the mission as the crime scene techs show up.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Deeks and Kensi were among the Romeo and his family for two weeks with little problems; albeit, Kensi had to prove herself and that was the end of it. Deeks was running a few errands with Romeo and José. Sometimes Deeks would be a delivery boy and make a dead drop to give information to the team, or receive information. By the third week Deeks ran a dead drop, and the information asked for a meet. Deeks left a message saying that he would set a time and place. A week later Deeks approach Romeo.
"David Foreman needs to have a meeting." Deeks said.
"Take Tracey; the troops are getting restless." Romeo said.
Deeks texted Sam saying that the meet would take place at the gym where they this journey began.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Three days later-
Deeks and Kensi showed up at rundown M.M.A. gym at three in the afternoon. Deeks and Kensi exited the car, and approached the door. It was unlocked, so the partners entered. Kensi and Deeks ascended the stairs and entered the gym. Deeks remembered his way around so he started to head back to the offices when he heard a voice.
"Is that you Max?"
"Foreman?" Deeks asked.
Sam stepped from behind a set of lockers and approached the partners.
"Brings back memories." Deeks said.
"Yep. I still remember that butt whoopin' I served you." Sam said.
Deeks gave Sam a dirty look, while Sam and Kensi share a nod.
"What's the big deal?" Deeks asked.
"Does this guy look familiar?" Sam asked, as he produced a picture.
Both Kensi and Deeks looked at the picture, and then gave Sam blank stares; albeit, Deeks has an inkling who the man might have been.
"That's a negative." Sam said.
"Do you have anything on José?" Sam asked.
"No. According to Eric, José didn't exist until after you power play about five years ago." Sam said.
"Five years ago, huh? Great as long as we can get José to play his game and leave us alone I don't think it will be a problem." Deeks said.
"You sure?" Kensi asked.
"Probably not, but that's a chance we're going to have to take." Deeks said.
At that time Deeks got a phone call. When Deeks checked his phone it was a restricted number. Deeks took a guess and then answered.
"José?" Deeks asked.
"How'd you know?" José asked.
"Lucky guess." Deeks said. "What do you want?"
"How long until you return?" José asked.
"Not sure, why? You want to meet?" Deeks asked.
"How about here?" José asked entering the gym.
Deeks, Kensi, and Sam drew their weapons and trained them on the intruder; José held his hands up.
"Are you spying on us?" Deeks asked.
"Not necessarily, but there has been an interesting crowd that has been scoping the house out for the past few weeks." José said.
"Do you have a picture of said crowd?" Deeks asked.
José pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to Deeks, and then he took a few steps back to give Deeks, Kensi and Sam some space. Kensi and Sam were drawing blanks, but Deeks recognized the last picture.
"When did you last see this man?" Deeks asked.
"Let just say that some of my sources have stated that he has been following you for the past few weeks." José said.
"They have been following you for the last few weeks, then that means." Sam said.
Next thing the four people heard was a battering ram tearing the doors off its hinges, followed by a lot of feet climbing the stairs. The four people hit the deck in preparation for a fire fight. Just as the first man hit the top of the steps Sam put a bullet through his chest, and just as the man hit the floor Sam saw that the he was an Asian. Then the party started; before the next two goons cleared the stairs they were already fire their weapons.
"You three out the back!" Sam shouted.
José took the lead; followed by Kensi, who was reluctant to go.
"Just go Tracy." Deeks shouted, which was followed by more bullets being fired.
Before Deeks left Sam shouted.
"Get rid of all you electrical devices!" Sam shouted, and the shot two more men.
"Why?" Deeks shouted back.
"That's probably how they are tracking." Sam said.
"You got it. I'll send a text when we're in the clear." Deeks said.
With that being said, Deeks ran out the back. About that time the L.A.P.D. showed up, and was able to take the rest of the Chinese agents into custody; albeit, a couple of the agents bit into their cyanide pills. As Sam had finished talking to the detective in charge Callen was pulling up.
"You're kind of late to be the cavalry, ain't yeah?" Sam asked ribbing his partner.
"I got held up at the office. How did you guys walking into an ambush?" Sam asked.
"According to José they have been following Deeks for the past few weeks. Probably bugged his phone while he was out on an errand." Sam said.
Callen shot Sam a questioning look.
"What?" Sam asked.
"José Naranjo followed you guys here?" Callen asked.
"José showed up and handed over envelope containing agents tied to Shí." Sam said.
"This man, who could be an informant for Romeo, just showed up and told the three of you that Deeks was being followed." Callen said.
"Pretty much." Sam said.
"How do you think Deeks will play it?" Callen asked.
"What makes you I know what his plan is? Do I look like Shaggy?" Sam asked.
"What was Deeks plan before he left?" Callen asked.
"I told him to dump all their electronics and grab fresh ones." Sam said.
"That's it?" Callen asked.
"It's like Deeks said a few years back: He grew up in Los Angeles." Sam said.
"So you're saying that Deeks has a stash somewhere." Callen said.
"I'm hoping, or he would make a horrible undercover detective." Sam said while a chuckling.
"Very true." Callen said.
"Let's get out of here, and figure out where Kensi and Deeks will show up next." Sam said.
A detective approached the partners and asked them a few questions, and then they left the scene.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
While Sam was dealing with the Chinese agents José, Kensi and Deeks made their way into the back alley where a car was waiting.
"Get in!" José shouted.
The group jumped in the car, and José drove off with no destination in mind. After they had been driving for a better part of the hour José pulled off into some back alley on the outskirts of the warehouse district.
Deeks pulled out his phone, while looking at Kensi and said.
"Give me all of your electronic devices."
"Why?" Kensi asked
"If they tagged my phone, it's possible they could have tagged your phone." Deeks said.
"Is that what David said?" Kensi asked.
"Yeah." Deeks said.
"All I have is a phone." Kensi said
"Give it to me." Deeks said.
Deeks pulled out his phone and did a factory reset. Kensi did the same with her phone and then handed it up to Deeks. Deeks threw the phones and the car keys in the nearest trash can. Kensi got out of the car as Deeks was coming back to talk to José.
"Tell Romeo that we had to leave because of the men that have been casing the house, and tell him that it would be wise to relocate, and to do it so as soon as possible." Deeks said.
"You might like to see this." José said handing over a flash drive to Deeks and then drove off.
Deeks pocketed the flash drive, and then walked away; he pulled Kensi into him so they would look like a couple walking the streets. By the time the next contingent of Shí men showed up Kensi and Deeks were long gone.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Two hours later: Ops-
"What's the word Mr. Hanna?" Hetty asked, as Callen and Sam walked into the bull pen.
"The men that were involved in the attack at the gym were ex Chinese military with ties to Li." Sam said.
"And our wayward agents?" Granger asked.
Callen and Sam shared a look.
"You have no idea where they are?" Hetty asked.
"José said that Deeks was being tracked by Shí men. So I told him to dump his phone and get a new ones." Sam said.
"We haven't heard anything from them yet." Callen said.
At this time Eric and Nell were coming down the stairs to brief the team.
"What do you have Mr. Beale?" Hetty asked, horrified that her youngest agents ever to work for her are currently missing, and unaccounted for.
"When we last had a definitive location on Kensi and Deeks they were on the outskirts of the warehouse district, but we lost them after that." Nell said.
"I told Deeks to dump his phone, so that isn't a problem." Sam said.
"We found a couple matching their description about an hour ago." Eric said.
"Where?" Granger asked.
Eric and Nell shared a look, and then Eric brought up the picture of Kensi and Deeks last known location. When Eric put the picture up on the plasma, there were some questionable glances being thrown around in the bull pen.
"What are they doing there?" Sam asked.
It was a picture of Kensi and Deeks boarding a plane at L.A.X..
"When we cross referenced they picture with the destination, this is what we came up with." Nell said.
Nell brought up ticket information. It read that Kensi and Deeks were flying out of California to Washington State.
"Do you have any idea what they are doing head that way for?" Granger asked Sam.
"All I did was tell them to dump their phones, so anything about catching a flight to Washington State was well after I left them." Sam said.
"Think José might have shared some information with them after the fled the gym?" Nell asked.
"Possibly." Sam said.
There was a moment of silence. Everybody contemplated what was going to happen.
"What's the plan?" Eric asked.
"We wait." Hetty said and then exited the bull pen with Granger in tow.
"Keep us posted." Callen said.
"Yep." Nell said, and then she and Eric went back up to Ops.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Two hours later: Seattle, Washington-
"So what's the plan?" Kensi asked as they disembarked from the plane.
"By now the Nerd Herd has most likely spotted us boarding the plane back in California. They most likely found the information of the plane and found that our next destination while be Seattle, if not Washington State minimum." Deeks said. "For now we need to find a hotel."
"Then we go talk to our guest in the morning." Kensi said.
"Yep." Deeks said.
As they walked up to the rental car desk, Deeks filled out the necessary paperwork. While they were waiting for their paper work to go through Deeks check his phone. Not that he was expecting a call, but knowing that they bought to burn phones together Eric or Nell could have tracked them by now.
"Something wrong?" Kensi asked as the Deeks was putting his phone back.
Deeks didn't answer because the attendant returned with their keys in hand. Deeks signed the last bit of paperwork and then took their keys, handing one to Kensi. They exited the airport and went to get their car.
"I was checking my phone in case Eric or Nell pinged us already." Deeks said.
"Already?" Kensi asked.
Kensi and Deeks got into the car and left the airport.
"Wouldn't be too hard. They did it back in Romania." Deeks said.
"That they did, but that was after we had already been gone for a few days." Kensi said.
"Kensi we haven't left the States; not only that we've only been gone maybe five hours, if that." Deeks said.
Kensi flashed back to that day on the beach, taking supposed engagement picture. Kensi snuck a glance in Deeks direction, and then returned to staring out the windshield. By the time they made it to the motel, and checked in it was ten o'clock at night. So Kensi and Deeks decided to leave the shopping in the morning, but their nights would be restless.
T.B.C.