Wow two chapters out of me on two consecutive days. Shock myself sometimes.
This may be a boring chapter to some but I had to put it in as a filler. Next chapter will be full of action I promise. I had to do a buildup to it first.
4500 views so far, so thank you all. Little worried I only see 29 reviews. Hope you guys still like it. I have outlines for future chapters and it gets better. I'll start wrapping in the current season into my story with a Matt OC twist. I woud love to write those chapters now but I have to finish this case first.
Reviews make me happy.
DISCLAIMER I dont NCIS LA or its Characters, only my OC.
Callen, Sam, Deeks and I waited back at our desks in the bullpen after the meet with Benito. This was the worse part of any operation, the waiting.
I look up from my laptop while sitting at my desk, well actually it was Deeks desk, it was just mine temporarily, and look at the three other men I worked with. It was uncommonly quiet, probably due to the late hour, it was pushing 10pm.
Sam was on the internet doing research on undersea salvage, checking out tide charts of San Pedro Bay, he was very thorough. I look across from me at Callen. He is leaning back in his chair with his feet up on his desk reading a newspaper. He was the epitome of "cool under pressure." Nothing seemed to phase him.
I then look across from me and to the left at my current partner. He is sitting at his previous and, hopefully upon her return, reunited partners desk. He left her desk the same way she left it, except he straightened it up just a little. I watched him take items from her desk, look at them closely, trying to figure out their significance and then carefully put them back exactly where he found them. Every once and awhile he'd pick up an item and most of recognized something special about it and a smile would grow from ear to ear.
On one such item I notice him start to smile, I lean over and nudge Sam on the arm. He looks up from his research and looks at me. I nod my head in the direction of Deeks. Sam turns his head and looks at his junior partner and then he starts to smile and shake his head looking back at me. We both wanna say something to tease the Detective but we both decide to let him have his little moment and get back to our work.
I had finished checking my emails. I had a few from my team in Afghanistan just letting me know all was well and work was progressing well. Also told me that it was all quiet on the "other front." I knew what that meant, they were just telling me they hadn't heard anything about Kensi. You just take the old adage, "No news is good news."
My back was starting to bug me from sitting for so long and I was about to get up to walk around, maybe go down to the gym for a minute when Eric came walking down the stairs from Ops.
"You guys are a go. Bishop got the call five minute ago. Your on for tomorrow night."
Just then Hetty appears outside the bullpen. "Gentleman, go home and get some sleep. You all are going to have a long day tomorrow. I need you all well rested and at the top of your games. Now shoo!" She uses both her hands to give us the "shooing" gesture.
Sam gets up first, "You don't have to tell me twice." He closes his laptop and throws it in his bag. Callen is right behind him throwing his bag over this shoulder.
"Deeks, Matt….Night." And he walks behind Sam towards the door.
"Night Callen," I tell him. Deeks just waves as he is packing up his stuff.
"You coming Matt?" Deeks is waiting for me to get up.
"You go ahead Deeks, I need to finish up an email real quick to my team. McClellan needs my opinion on something. I'll see you in the morning."
"You never told me where Hetty has you shacked up. Hope its a nice place?" Deeks asks me.
"Manhattan Beach, very nice apartment, overlooks the beach and the pier."
"She spoiled you. You're on the other side of LAX from me, about six miles. You ever wanna know some running trails, I'll hook yah up."
"Thanks Deeks, I may take you up on that."
"Night Emil." And he heads out the door, leaving me alone in the Bullpen, or so I thought.
"Major, I thought I told you to go home and get some sleep."
"Hmmm, home, where is that?" I laugh a little, Hetty is not amused, "I am Hetty, just needed to finish this last email to my other team."
"I hope all is well with them Major?" Hetty shows her concern for my AFOSI team, I appreciate it a lot.
"Yeah they are good, just hope I am not leaving them in a lurch with me gone." I look down at my desk.
"Major, I can understand where you are coming from but you have a new team now that needs you and your skills. Now, go!"
I hit send on my email and close my laptop, Hetty is watching my every move as I put my laptop into my bag. I slide the strap over my shoulder and start to walk out but something is bugging me so I stop in front of Hetty and look down at her.
"Hetty, can you do me a favor?"
"And what would that be Major?"
"Can you stop calling me Major?"
"But you have earned the rank, it is only proper that I respect your achievements." Hetty looks right into my eyes.
"I don't want it to seem i'm pulling rank over these guys. We are a team and I want to feel equal with all of them. The rank only comes from my flying job, not my current duties. You can call me Matt or Matthew, but my close friends call me Emil."
She nods her head at me and lets out a "Mmmm" sound. "Ok, Mr. Lee, I will respect your request. Now good night." She smiles at me and points her hand towards the door.
"Good night Hetty." And I head out to my car to head "home."
The next morning I walk into Ops at 0530 in the morning. I slept enough and woke up at 0430 and decided it wasn't worth it to try and go back to sleep. So I head into work to workout before everyone came in.
The place is empty. I make my way to the gym, I'm already dressed in my workout clothes. The Ipod dock for the stereo system is in the corner and I plug mine in. Music starts to play as I start to stretch out. I had started doing CrossFit four years ago. I start by doing bar work. Mostly pull ups and muscle ups. AWOLNation's "Sail" starts to play over the speakers and I get lost in my workout.
I hardly notice Sam walk into the gym.
"There is only two other people that I know that work out as much as you do. Myself and Kensi. What time did you get here?" Sam is standing right in front of me as I'm hanging from the bar.
"0530." I drop down from the bar and take a breather.
"Early start, I can respect that. You got something to prove, Matt?"
"Nah, couldn't sleep, plus I've been cooped up in the middle of nowhere for six months with no where to work out. Just getting back into a groove. Working out lets me clear my mind and think. You know how it is?" I start walking over the the weight bars.
"Yeah I can, what Workout Of the Day are you doing?"
"Air Force."
"I should've known." Sam laughs and grabs a bar for himself and follows me out to the mat area. "Lets go Flyboy." The competition begins.
Sam and I work out together and after awhile Callen walks in. We are covered in sweat.
"Where you been G? Missed a hell of a workout." Sam ribs his partner.
"I was enjoying my workout with my pillow, thank you very much." Callen smirks at his partner.
"Can't teach an old dog new tricks Sam." I grab my towel and wipe down my face and arms. I slap Sam on the back, "Thanks for working out with me." I start walking to the showers.
"Who are you calling old, I'm like what 5 years older than you!" Callen calls after me.
I turn around and start walking backwards, "Operative term there G is '5 years older'." I let out a chuckle and a smile.
Callen looks at Sam, "You gonna let him get away with that, partner?"
"What, he wasn't lying, you are older." He hits Callen with his towel and turns to walk towards the showers.
"That was so not cool!" Callen says in disgust.
Thirty minutes later the three of us are in the bullpen ready to work. All of us except Deeks.
He strolls in just before 0930 holding a drink container. "Morning boys, I have your coffee and a vitamin enriched bottled water for my different but misunderstood partner." He doles out the drinks.
A chorus of "Thanks" echoes across the bullpen. We enjoy our drinks while checking on emails. Its a quiet morning.
Hetty then walks over to the bullpen. "Gentleman, up to Ops, we need to discuss the plan for this evening."
We all make the way up to Ops, I follow Deeks. "What do you mean by misunderstood?" I then chuck him on the shoulder with a smile.
"Mr. Callen, what is your plan?"
"Sam and I will take out the salvage boat to the location of the sub. Benito said he will join us out there at some time, which means he is coming out on his own boat. Sam will dive down to the sub, set up shop down there and start to recover the drugs and bring them to the surface. I will be coordinating with Sam over the radio."
Sam then takes over the briefing, "Deeks and Matt will be stationed on a Coast Guard 25 foot Defender Class boat about 600 to 700 yards away. Can't get any closer or we could be spotted. Matt will be stationed on top of the cabin. There is no moon tonight and the water and wind should be calm. We will have the lights working on the salvage vessel so Night Vision won't be needed. Once we have recovered the drugs to Gutierrez, Deeks and Matt move in with the Coast Guard and take them down."
"Deeks you work with Matt and liaise with the Coast Guard." Callen orders.
"No problem, I am good at "liaising'."
"If you hear the word 'scuttle', thats the abort code and we need you guys to come in hard and fast." Sam tells us.
"You got it."
Hetty looks at the four of us closely. "The Coast Guard has promised any support that we need, a helicopter will be orbiting nearby if needed. Mr. Lee, with your speciality of coordinating aircraft that will be your responsibility." I nod my head.
"I don't need to tell you gentleman to be careful. You are exposed 15 miles off shore, be smart about your decisions, and Good Luck. Oh, and Mr. Lee, I have acquired what you have requested. You will find it in the armory. I suggest you go check on it and get yourself acquainted."
"Yes Hetty, with pleasure." I turn and head down to the armory. Sam waits a few seconds then follows behind me.
In the armory I see a long black Pelican case sitting on the table. I walk over and open it. Inside is an old friend.
A Barrett Arms MRAD sniper rifle in .338 Lapua. I realize that it was my own rifle, Hetty must of fetched it from my house in Lancaster, CA. How she got into my safe, I don't even wanna know.
I take it out of the case, check to make sure its safe, and put it inside the cleaning vise. I was in the middle of removing the lower receiver from the upper when Sam walks in.
"Matt you sure you got this? We are going to be counting on you."
"Yeah Sam, I got this." I start cleaning my gun.
Sam stands there and watches me work. I know what he is doing and I don't mind it. He is checking to see if I know my stuff. I deliberately take my time to show him that I know what I am doing. I start to reassemble my rifle when I finished cleaning it.
"I'm going to head out to the range, I could use a spotter." I ask Sam.
"Alright lets go."
Its now just before sunset. Sam and I had headed out to the range earlier and he helped me zero in my rifle. Also it was my chance to show him I knew my stuff. I didn't disappoint him. He didn't say much but he looked at me and said, "Lets go do this."
Deeks and I were standing at the Coast Guards Los Angeles Long Beach Station, we were geared up with tactical vests. I had my rifle case next to me.
Deeks looks at me, "You ready Emil, you look a little nervous."
"To be honest with you Deeks last time I was out on a boat, it wasn't a pleasurable experience."
"How so?"
"Last time I was 50 miles off the Virginia Capes and I had just ejected from my F-16. Some dumbass Navy F-18 pilot ignored the hard deck on the exercise, comes barreling out and collides with my aircraft. I was actually on my way back to base. He hits right behind my cockpit, splits my aircraft practically in two. During my ejection the plane lurched to the left right as my seat clears the cockpit, my arms hits the rail breaking my elbow and cutting me open from my elbow to my wrist."
"Ouch." Deeks cringes. He flew with my once so he knew what I was talking about.
"Yeah I landed in the Atlantic and was stuck out there for four hours with a bum arm and 15-20 foot swells." I am a little aggravated with the memory. "They picked up the F-18 pilot first since he was an Admiral's son and left me adrift. So you can see why I'm a little leary."
"True but this time you're out there with me partner. Let's go." We board the 25 foot Coast Guard Boat and head out into the bay.