Breakthrough
Chapter 11
…
He slowly became aware of the blood pulsing through his veins, waking to a scorching pain in his head. He decided against opening his eyes, choosing to slowly assess all of his aches before discovering just how screwed they were. The concussion wasn't hard to figure out, or the bloody cuts he'd gotten from the broken window, so he gingerly moved his position and realized his hands were now tied tightly behind his back. His left wrist felt tender and was probably sprained and the whole left side of his body was sore. Shifting his position convinced him that he had a couple of cracked ribs, but it was the debilitating roaring in his head that worried him. He'd had concussions before, so he understood the problems of trying to operate effectively when you had one. He was a bit hazy on the details of what had happened, but he remembered the man's threat against Kensi and he opened his eyes. He was lying face down on a rough concrete floor and he managed to raise his head enough to search for Kensi in the dim light. He didn't see her, and he struggled to look behind him as his heart began beating wildly, seared with a deep, unnerving fear that they had killed her.
"Well, look who's awake," the words punctuated by a hard kick in the ribs.
"Where is she?" He asked, trying to breathe through the pain and fear.
"Who?"
Another kick silenced his smart-ass reply, but it also made him mad. When the man took a step back, he rolled over enough to slam his foot solidly into the man's ankle, satisfied with the responding curse even though the sudden movement made him dizzy.
"Shoulda tied my feet, dickwad," Deeks said with a cocky grin.
He endured the follow up kicks as best he could, smiling when he heard Kensi's voice yelling at him to stop. She was suddenly beside him, but he could only groan out a greeting as he tried to catch his breath.
"Your girlfriend is a handful, Agent Deeks," a deep soft southern voice said just above his head. "I don't want to tie her up, so tell her to behave or I'll have to hurt her and I don't think you want that."
It took a moment, but his muddled brain finally came to the realization that they didn't know who she was or that she was an agent.
"Jessica? Sunshine?" He said. "Just do what he says, okay?"
"I'm scared, baby," she replied and he knew she'd realized the same thing.
"Sorry about the honeymoon," he replied and sadly meant it.
"You two are married?" The voice asked. "You used your new bride as part of your cover?"
"What can I say…she wanted to see Washington and I just happened to be going there," he replied with a grin.
He cried out as he was grabbed by the arms and hauled to his feet to face the man with the deep voice. Weston Maddox was an older version of his brother, but burlier with dark eyes that seemed to be searching for something in his. Stark memories of seeing Beau on top of Callen crawled into his mind as he waited for what came next. He took a moment to look at Kensi and saw raw anger in her eyes. She was waiting for the right time to make a move, and he silently hoped that when it came it didn't get her shot.
"Nathan Maddox was my brother. You knew him as Beau," the man said in a measured tone. "You killed him."
"Two assholes in one family. What are the odds?" He said, flashing a grin.
The slap wasn't hard, more of a wake up signal that he shouldn't be a wiseass, but he'd never let that stop him before.
"He should have wiped the floor with you," the man said, his soft drawl making him seem genteel, which Deeks doubted he was.
"Yeah well, he was busy torturing my brother, so cut him some slack for being distracted," Deeks replied.
"Agent Callen is your brother in arms," The man replied as if he understood the concept, but he said it with distain.
"Yeah, Maddox…and he'll be coming for you," Deeks said, all the humor in his voice gone.
"I'm counting on that, you hippy fuck," Maddox replied coldly with a smile. "We're going to setup a nice little trap for all of your friends."
Deeks looked quickly at Kensi and saw the same desperation in her eyes that he was feeling. They had to do something, but he had no idea if he would be able to help, but Kensi was coiled for action, and that scared him. Seven men surrounded them, and even though they weren't paying attention to Kensi, they were armed. He closed his eyes, trying to think, trying to come up with anything that might get them out of this, because he didn't know what he would do if he had to watch her shot down trying to save him.
"I know OSP's reputation. Probably tracking the cars we were driving when we took you," Maddox continued confidently. "I know they're coming. They just won't find you here."
He held Deeks' earwig up in front of his face and smiled. It had been crushed. What Maddox didn't realize was that Kensi had one too, so the team was listening to everything being said.
"We'll reactivate your phone and leave it here for them to track. When they get here all they'll find is a little bit of your blood," he said softly as he pulled a mean looking combat knife from behind his back. "Our journey is barely getting started, Agent Deeks. This is just the honeymoon."
His laugh was disturbing, but Deeks panicked when the man turned toward Kensi.
"Don't touch her," Deeks warned sharply.
In a split second Maddox grabbed a handful of Kensi's hair and yanked her to him, the knife once again at her throat.
"Why the hell would you marry a little fuck like this, huh sweetheart?" He asked, his mouth against her cheek. "You're a beautiful woman and he's a fucking coward."
He didn't wait for an answer, shoving her into the arms of two of his men before turning his attention back to Deeks.
"You took Nathan from behind, you coward," Maddox growled, anger darkening his face, his eyes brilliantly black and disturbingly cold.
"He was gonna slit my brother's throat," Deeks replied, his eyes on the knife as it moved in front of him, an unsettling and vivid reminder of Guidry. "What would you have done, Maddox?"
"I would have killed you first," Maddox said, without hesitation.
"Yeah…well...guess your brother wasn't as smart as you."
Maddox jaw tightened at his comment, moving closer until he was inches from his face. "Maybe it should be your wife's blood they find here."
"I'm the one who shoved a knife in your brother's back," Deeks said, trying to draw him away from Kensi. "Maybe if he hadn't babbled on and on about the illustrious General Rasmussen he might have heard me coming. Yeah…probably not smart to get caught up in your own obsession when you're trying to kill someone."
The curved butt of the knife caught him just under his left eye and pain exploded in his head. A wave of nausea swept through him as he sagged to his knees, warm blood welling up on his cheek. He was having trouble thinking clearly as the pain in his head intensified, his vision blurring as they pushed him face down on the floor. Maddox straddled him, sitting down hard on his hands and pressing his bleeding cheek into the dirty concrete.
"You both took lessons doing this, yeah?" Deeks managed to choke out.
"Our father was a good teacher," Maddox said, sounding as if this was a normal conversation.
"But, a sick bastard…am I right?"
"Deeks," Kensi yelled out, her voice full of caution, worry and anger.
"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Maddox laughed. "Got a feeling you pissed your daddy off quite a lot when you were a kid."
"Got the scars to prove it," Deeks whispered wearily.
"Then another won't matter," Maddox replied, slowly drawing the sharp blade of the knife across his shoulder muscle.
He tried to stifle his scream, but failed, breathing rapidly to endure the burning pain. He could hear Kensi calling out his name and cussing out Maddox, but he was fighting the urge to vomit so he decided it was probably not a good idea to open his mouth to say something. Maddox got off of him and he sucked in a breath of stale air as he worked to control the chills rippling through him. Callen hadn't made a sound when Beau tortured him in the same way and he was suddenly very impressed with his brother's endurance. The sound of engines interrupted his thoughts as he was pulled to his feet and forced to walk toward a white panel van with a florist's sign painted on the side.
"Deeks?" Kensi called out and broke free to get to him. "Baby?"
"I'm okay…I'm okay," he assured her, but he could tell she didn't believe him.
"Get them in the van," Maddox ordered. "We have some time to make up."
"Yeah, men…Delivering flowers is a time sensitive business," Deeks said, hoping the team would pick up on the hint.
"Shut up, asshole," one of his escorts growled in his ear as he shoved him into the back of the van.
They allowed Kensi to join him this time, and he was extremely thankful for that. She quickly crawled up behind him and pulled him over into her arms, his head coming to rest in the crook of her arm. She brush the hair out of his eyes and gently stroked his cheek, her hand cool against his overheated skin, and her presence comforting in spite of the fear he still felt for her.
"You're bleeding pretty bad," she said, her eyes glazed with tears, but still full of anger.
"I'm fine…" he lied.
He could hear her asking one of the guards for something to tie around the wound, pleading in a girlish voice that wasn't her. He was suddenly proud of her, proud of her strength and her calmness in this horrible storm they were caught up in. He was starting to fade, but watched her as she ripped open the blood soaked sleeve of his shirt and tore a strip off her scarf to wrap the slash on his arm.
"I love you," he said softly.
"I love you too, baby…now rest," she said more firmly at the end, and he caught a glimmer of hope in her eyes and knew she was listening to the team encouraging her over comms.
He tried to stay conscious, but he drifted into a half sleep, comforted by the warmth of her body. His brothers were coming. All he had to do was hold on until they found them.
"Deeks," her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried a warning.
When he opened his eyes they were still in the barren warehouse and the door to the van was open, allowing them to see what Maddox and his men were up to. There was one guard outside, but he was watching too, as the entire place was methodically wired with blocks of C-4, ready to explode when their team got here.
"They're rigging the place," Kensi said softly, making sure Callen and the others knew just what kind of trap they were walking into.
"Sonofabitch," Deeks whispered, before raising his head to get as close to Kensi's comm as he could. "Stay away, G…please. Follow the florist van."
The guard outside turned when he heard them murmuring and he couldn't risk him discovering that Kensi had an earwig so he began to cuss loudly and yell. "Who's the fucking coward now Maddox?"
His anger roared out as his accusation echoed through the space, and Maddox turned and scowled at him before quickly striding toward the van. Deeks had known all along that they'd been kept alive for a reason, but the stark reality of seeing explosives being set up to kill all the men he cared about, enraged him. He should have known this was Maddox's plan and he silently cursed himself once again for being taken.
He managed to scramble to the door even though Kensi was trying to hold him back, standing unsteadily just as Maddox reached him. The man's punch was powerful and the only thing keeping him on his feet was the iron grip the man had on his shirt.
"You've got no right to call me a coward, you fucking little shit. I'm an honorable soldier," he gritted out. "You and your friends destroyed a plan that would have returned this country to its glory days, one guided by honorable men. You all deserve to be punished for what you did and I'm the one the General tasked with carrying that out."
"You've been drinking the Kool-Aid too long, Weston," Deeks replied, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Your so-called honorable men were only in it for the money and the power."
The backhand knocked him inside the van and Kensi moved to protect him, but Maddox struck her hard across the cheek and they both ended up in a heap on the floor.
"Let it go, baby," Deeks said softly, not wanting her to be hit again. "He forgot I was there. I heard their plans, Maddox. None of them gave a shit about this country. They were only interested in how much money they could make from the chaos The Brotherhood was supposed to create. It was all about stock prices and who got the bigger boat. Your General was just too blind to see that."
"General Rasmussen is a hero and a visionary," Maddox growled.
"General Rasmussen's back in prison," Deeks said, watching as surprise flared in the man's eyes.
"Didn't know that, did ya?" Deeks said. "You can't save him, Maddox. No matter what you do. It's too late."
"Gag this fucker. I'm tired of listening to his lies," he ordered, his voice harsh with anger as he turned and walked away.
…
Callen forced himself to sound calm as he tried to reassure Kensi over comms that they would get to them and to hang in there, but the comments made by Maddox had disturbed him. He thought they were done with these traitors, thought they were all safe, but now he felt the same fear and growing anxiety he'd experienced in Louisiana. Sam was driving like a mad man, and Joe hung between them, leaning forward as if he could will the car to go faster. They had looked at each other when they'd heard Deeks scream and Callen had seen the color drain from Joe's face, leaving him pale and anxious, but filling the car with curses to hide his fear. Not knowing what the bastard had done to Deeks, or how badly he'd been hurt only added to the sense of urgency they were all feeling. That he was still able to talk gave them some hope, but every time he made a wiseass comment Joe would whisper a curse and call him a dumbass, while Sam would shoot an irritated look his way. Memories of his own torture at the hands of the other Maddox brother had drawn him back into one of the darkest moments of his life. When Beau had that knife to his throat, he'd been sure his life had reached its end and he'd prepared himself to die, and he wondered if Deeks was doing the same thing now.
He'd felt so happy for Deeks when he and Kensi had shared that they were going to get married. Watching him smiling and looking so carefree seemed such a long time ago and it was hard to accept the dark turn their lives had taken. He felt a deep sense of rage, and a look from Sam made him realize he wasn't doing a very good job at concealing that raw emotion.
"We'll get there in time, G," Sam said firmly.
"Guys?" Eric cut in on comms. "Deeks' phone just came online. I'm sending you the location. It's about fifteen minutes away from you."
"No reason to hit the warehouse now. They won't be there," Sam said. "Any cameras around their location so you can track that florist delivery van?"
"I'm on it," Eric said quickly.
"What if they leave a spotter behind to confirm the kill?" FBI Agent Connor asked. "Might make them wonder if we don't show up."
"Good point," Callen said. "There's a bomb expert with the tactical squad. They can head to the warehouse while we follow the van."
"You want to take 'em on the fly?" Joe asked. "How the hell do we do that without getting them both killed?"
Joe was clearly agitated and Callen wanted to reassure him, but he had his doubts as well.
"It's our only choice right now," Sam said, and Joe nodded silently in resignation.
"Kens?" Callen said. "Be ready. I'll let you know when we're close."
"I'm okay, baby," Kensi replied sweetly, doing her best to keep her cover.
"Mr. Callen? I've just received new intel," Hetty said in his ear. "Roy Blanchard has broken one of the men who hit the ranch. Maddox rented a house overlooking Inglewood Cemetery. According to Nell, you should be able to get there before Maddox…"
"How do we know that's where they're going?" Joe blurted out. "Why wouldn't he take them to a more isolated area?"
"I know how concerned you are, Joe," she replied calmly. "But after what I've been hearing from that man over comms, I believe he wants a place that affords him the privacy to deal with Mr. Deeks…"
"You mean torture him," Joe said, his voice breaking with emotion.
"Unfortunately, yes," she replied softly.
"If we get there first we can set up an ambush. They won't be prepared for that," Sam reasoned.
"I say we take the chance while Eric tracks the van," Callen said. "If it looks like the van is headed away from that area we follow."
"God, I hope you're right about this," Joe said quietly.
"We all do," Sam said.
"Would be nice to know the layout before we get there," Agent Hoshida said calmly. "Your techs able to get us an overview?"
"Traffic cams seem to be down in that immediate area," Eric said, sounding frustrated.
"The bastards took 'em out," Agent Connor said gruffly.
"I'll take that as confirmation that our information is correct," Hetty added. "Go, gentlemen. Bring them home."
Sam dropped off the 405 at a high rate of speed and headed into Inglewood. Eric kept up a running commentary on the location of the florist van, and it appeared to also be headed for the house on the far side of the cemetery. It was at least twenty minutes behind them and Callen began to breathe a little easier. Nell was able to get the floor plans for the large two-story house and immediately sent them to their phones. The house sat on a large lot just where the street curved and had a balcony that overlooked both directions.
"I've had sniper training," Connor said. "I can take overwatch."
"You listening Kensi? This guy's after your job," Sam said lightly, even though he knew she couldn't reply. "You'll have to show him how it's done when this is over."
"So she's beautiful and deadly," Connor replied.
"You have no idea," Joe said.
Not hearing Kensi reply left Callen feeling anxious, knowing how hard it must be for her to wait, unable to do anything. He felt a sudden sense of dread that he desperately tried to dispel, staring out at the cemetery as they sped past. He couldn't lose Deeks now, or Kensi either, and he forced himself to focus as they entered the quiet neighborhood where it all would end.
"I'll drop you off and hide the car," Sam said as he wheeled around the curve and stopped abruptly in front of the address.
"We can't risk a firefight in the middle of suburbia," Hoshida said nervously, as they gathered at the rear of the car.
"Then we let 'em get inside before we take 'em," Callen said as he began gearing up. "Connor? What's your first name?"
"Why?"
"Because our names sound too similar and I don't want any mistakes during this op," Callen snapped. "Now what's your damn name?"
"Angus," he replied.
"Your mother named you after a cow?" Sam asked, his smile flickering.
"It's a very traditional Gaelic name," he replied gruffly. "And Black Angus are beef cattle, not cows."
"So you've done research on this?" Callen smirked as he handed the agent a sniper rifle.
"Let's just say you're not the first to give me grief over it," he said, sounding annoyed.
"We doing this or what?" Joe snapped as he turned toward the house.
The others moved swiftly to follow him as Sam drove off to ditch the car. Callen checked with Eric to see how much time they had to set up while Agent Hoshida picked the lock on the door. The air inside was cool as they made their way into the large living room. The shutters were all closed and the furnishings looked old. Bags of gear were neatly stowed along the far wall and when Callen moved into the dining room, he saw several laptops and area maps spread out on the table. Angus Connor headed up the stairs without a word, but when they heard him swear, the others hurried to join him.
"The rightful owner I'm guessing," Callen said as they looked down at a dead man tied up in the corner with his throat slit.
"Poor sonofabitch," Angus said. "Gotta be at least seventy."
"He hasn't been dead long," Hoshida said as he knelt by the body.
"Callen? They just passed the cemetery," Eric warned.
"Angus…you're our eyes," Callen said urgently. "We need to know numbers…"
"And the condition of Deeks and Kensi," Joe interrupted. "I don't want them caught in a crossfire."
"None of us do, man," Sam said as he walked in. "The door to the garage opens into the kitchen. Makes sense they'll come in that way. They won't want the neighbors to see what they're doing."
"Kens?" Callen said softly. "If you're not tied up and able to help, call Deeks Marty."
"Marty, baby," she said softly over comms. "You don't look good."
"We're in the house they're taking you to," Callen told her, worried by her comment. "Be ready."
She said nothing more and Joe looked steadily at Callen, his jaw rigid with determination, but his eyes were clouded with fear.
"Get to Deeks, Joe," Callen said, gripping his arm. "We'll take care of the rest."
Joe nodded and everyone but Angus headed downstairs to get set up. The tension was palpable as they waited, Callen feeling his anger rising the longer it took. Joe was hidden in the pantry just off the kitchen, while Sam and Callen stood behind the walls of the entry to the dining room. Hoshida was in the living room in case someone came in the front door.
"Two vehicles," Angus reported in a whisper from the balcony. "Only have eyes on two in the van. Garage door opening. Sedan parked out front. Four men exiting. Two heading toward garage. Two staying put."
Callen could hear the van as it pulled into the garage, and the sound of its door as it slid open. Multiple voices made it difficult to tell how many they were dealing with, but at this point he really didn't care, he just wanted to get Deeks and Kensi away from the bastards. The door to the kitchen banged open and he heard a low groan as Deeks was shoved into the room and up against the center island.
"Take the woman upstairs," a soft southern voice ordered.
"No," Kensi shouted.
"Kens…get some of them into the living room," Callen said.
Kensi suddenly ran past them with two men cussing and charging after her. Callen nodded at Sam and they both fired. The two went down and Kensi quickly pulled a weapon off one of the dead men's belt and turned to fire at the shocked gunmen still in the kitchen. One fell dead instantly, and Deeks body slammed the other one, who was knocked off balance before he could return fire and shot down by Joe as he stepped out of the pantry. Callen and Sam moved resolutely into the kitchen just as Maddox grabbed Deeks, yanking him into a chokehold and using him as a shield. Callen saw the glint of the combat knife as he dragged Deeks back toward the open door to the garage. The sound of the sniper rifle above him made Maddox freeze, his face a mask of disbelief and rage.
"You're not making it outa here, Maddox," Callen said.
"Let him go you sonofabitch," Joe roared as he took a step toward them.
"I'd rather cut his throat open," Maddox replied, his eyes full of shadows as he tightened his hold on Deeks.
Callen gripped his pistol as he watched his brother struggle to breathe. His arms were tied behind his back and he was tightly gagged. Blood darkened his shirtsleeve and streaked down the side of his face. He'd been beaten and slashed, and Callen's stomach twisted into a knot as he recalled his own run in with a Maddox.
"Your brother tried to slit my throat once," Callen said as he took another step. "Deeks didn't let that happen to me and I'm not gonna let it happen to him."
"Neither am I," Kensi said as she stepped between Callen and Sam, her gun aimed steadily at Maddox.
"Let me guess…you're a federal agent too," Maddox said lightly as if it didn't matter anymore and that scared Callen badly. "Are you even married to this fucking hippy?"
"I'm going to be," she said, her tone leaving no doubt.
"I don't think so," Maddox growled.
Kensi fired a split second later, the bullet hitting the man just above his right eye, knocking him back through the door into the garage with his arm still around Deeks' throat. Joe got to him first, as Sam took the gun from Kensi's hand and shouted to Eric to send an ambulance. Callen was afraid to look, afraid he had failed him when he needed him most. Sam squeezed the back of his neck and pushed him gently forward.
"Go untie your brother, G," he said. "Might leave the gag in for a little while though."
Callen was finding it hard to breathe until he saw Deeks helped to his feet by Joe and Kensi. They stared at each other while Joe cut his hands free and Kensi pulled the gag from his mouth.
"Hey brother…took you long enough," Deeks said wearily, and Callen caught him when he fell.
…
…
