Sins of Another Father
By phillydi
Chapter 14
"Turn around slowly and put your hands in the air."
The sun had finally set leaving behind large shadows from the tall trees surrounding the homestead. Fireflies glowed in the air, their ghostly images popping in and out of the twilight in time to the chirping crickets.
Williams and his deputy pointed guns at Kensi and Deeks. An unidentified third man in civilian clothes stood behind the two officers also with his weapon drawn.
Kensi and Deeks slowly straightened up to their full height and turned around to face Williams.
"Throw down your weapons, over there on the ground," he ordered and pointed to a patch of grass off to the side.
Deeks nodded to Kensi and then reached behind his back. Moving in slow motion, he tossed his gun lightly to the ground. Kensi did the same.
"Either you're getting a jump start on the next bus load of tourists or you came here looking for those papers your granddaddy hid? My money's on the papers, what do you say Harv?" The deputy grinned and let out a snort. "So, we're going to go inside now and you're going to hand them over to me." Williams said with a dark smile and gestured with his gun to have them enter the house first.
The three men followed Kensi and Deeks into the main living space. Deeks casually looked over at the desk where he began his search earlier in the day with Samuel. He turned to face his captors and decided he didn't like the odds. He had to keep them talking until they could find a way out of this mess.
"You Brandels are a pain in my ass!" Williams spit on the floor. "You keep turning up like a bad penny! First your grandfather returns from the war, then your father comes back and now you. Although I have to admit, you have more courage than that sniveling old man of yours."
Deeks looked at Williams in confusion. What the hell was he talking about? When did Gordon return to New Eden?
"Ha! You didn't know he came back here, did you?" he sneered. "Twenty years after we got rid of Karl, your father comes waltzing back here making inquiries about his death. He told folks around here he had papers that would prove his father was murdered. But we scared him off real good after a couple of death threats, didn't we, Harv?" Williams addressed his deputy. "He went running out of town with his tail between his legs. But you're more like your grandfather. Didn't want to give up, did you?"
Deeks looked at Williams with distain. "That's because my grandfather's murder was just a drop in the bucket. What about all the rest of the innocent people you made suffer because of the color of their skin or their religion," Deeks taunted Williams. "You and your group terrorized these people with your hatred and loathing. They lived in constant fear of your bullying and threats. You abused your power and for what?" Deeks raised his voice even louder. "What did they ever do to you?"
Williams approached Deeks and stood squarely in front of him. Just inches away, Deeks could feel the heat of his breath. The scorn and contempt on Williams' face was disturbing as he curled his lip over his teeth and sneered back at Deeks.
"You want to know what they did to my family and all the other god-fearing Americans in this country?" he asked as he trembled uncontrollably. "My brother went off to fight during the war to serve his country but he was killed by a German air raid in France. He never came back! He's still buried over there in some unmarked grave! Your kraut relatives killed him and thousands of our boys!"
"That's funny, Chief, because most of my relatives and the folks around here called themselves American long before your bunch even knew how to get to this country." Deeks' sarcasm made Williams strike out in anger. He hit Deeks squarely in the stomach and the agent doubled over and dropped to his knees.
"Deeks!" Kensi cried and started to run to him but was roughly pulled back by the deputy and held tightly against him in a neck lock.
Williams grabbed Deeks collar with both hands and dragged him up to his feet again. His voice was shaky and barely audible as he began to speak again. "Your granddaddy came back here and brought that German whore with him." Deeks could feel the spray of spittle as it hit his face. "They were able to start a new life here. But my brother never got that chance. He was dead at 20." He became louder and agitated. "All those immigrants thought they could just come over here like nothing happen after they killed so many of our boys. Throwing it in our faces, they were!" Williams screamed. His face twisted into various shades of red.
Deeks looked directly into Williams' eyes. He had no intention letting him off the hook, just yet. "So you decided to make their lives a living hell and chase them out of New Eden. But my grandfather was on to you, wasn't he? He was getting ready to turn you in. So you killed him and made his death look a suicide!" Deeks matched Williams' ferocity. Hell, he was angry and it felt good to get his raw emotions out in the open but he also knew that their only way out of there was to get Williams to make the first mistake.
"What are you doing, Deeks?" Kensi pushed up against the deputy, struggling to break out of his hold.
"Shut up! Both of you!" Williams screamed. He began to pace in front of Deeks and Kensi and ran his fingers through his hair. He walked anxiously back and forth and Deeks could tell Williams was besides himself and ready to explode.
"Your grandfather deserved what he had coming to him and so did the rest of his kind here. And I won't stop until I get rid of every last one of them."
"The war is over, Williams!" Deeks yelled. "You and your hate group are finished. The authorities know all about your activities. They're just waiting for the evidence they need to put you and the rest of you assholes away forever," Deeks stopped a beat to make his point. "It's just a matter of time."
"I told you they were getting closer, Williams," the other man finally spoke. "I'm getting out of here."
"You ain't going anywhere, Walker," Williams growled at the FBI agent. "You're in this too deep. You'll finish this with us….or else."
"Or else what?" Walker demanded. "I want the rest of my money and then I'm gone. You can't keep me here." Kensi and Deeks listened carefully at the exchange between the two men.
"Look, once we dispose of these two and the evidence his granddaddy left behind, they have nothing on us," Williams countered.
"You don't know what they came searching for in this house. For all we know they are looking for the Holy Grail! I don't want any more blood on my hands," he cried and pointed at Deeks and Kensi.
"There's only one reason he came back," he turned back to goad Deeks. "Tell me where Brandel hid those papers," he demanded.
Deeks stared boldly into Williams' eyes but held his ground and remained silent.
Williams walked over to where Kensi was standing and dragged her forcefully in front of him to face Deeks. He held the muzzle of the gun up to her forehead and pulled back the trigger.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Deeks held his hands up in surrender. "Don't hurt her, man! This has nothing to do with her. She's just some chick I've been screwing. Let her go."
Kensi rolled her eyes at Deeks in disbelief and decided if they ever got out of here alive he was a dead man.
Williams studies Deeks trying to gage his next move. "Ok, I'll make a deal with you, Junior. I'll let her go if you give me the papers."
Deeks had no other choice but to give in. "Fine, you got your deal. Now let her go." Deeks was hoping his nonchalant attitude was convincing because underneath he was sweating bullets.
"Not until you give me the papers."
Deeks held up his right hand to get Williams' permission to reach into his front pocket. He pulled the key out and showed it to Williams.
"Look, all I have is this key that opens up something in this room. I have no idea what it goes to or what it opens."
Williams turned around and spied the desk. "Get over here," Williams ordered Deeks and threw the roll top back to reveal a drawer. He pulled on the drawer but it was locked.
"Open it.'
Deeks walked slowly over to the desk, his hand shook slightly as he inserted the key into the lock. Whether the papers were in there or not, he prayed Williams would make good on his promise to let Kensi go. Deeks turned the key and held his breath. The key clicked and made a full turn and he slowly slid the drawer out of the desk. Williams pushed him to the side, and emptied the drawer out on the floor.
"Empty!" he burst out in rage. "You have five minutes to find another lock that fits this key or I'm gonna hang you just like…."
A horse's shrill whinny pierced the heavy silence around the homestead and the sound of its hooves prancing in place forced their attention to the back of the building. They didn't have time to find out the cause of the animal's excitement. In the next split second, a smoke bomb came hurtling through the side window of the house.
The air became thick with bilious clouds of grey smoke which hampered Deeks' vision. He rolled down on the floor and tackled Williams to the ground throwing his body into the man's legs, forcing him backwards. Deeks climbed on top of Williams and together they wrestled to take control of the weapon that Williams waved in his hand. At the same time, Deeks felt the man wrap his hand around his throat trying to force him off. Pain exploded in Deeks head and for a few seconds his vision began to blur. As they took another roll on the floor, Deeks found the opportunity to free his legs and kneed Williams with a powerful kick in the groin. The older man groaned in pain and pulled his legs up to his chest. Deeks whipped the gun away from Williams and held it next to his head. He looked over to find Kensi in her own struggle with the other officer. It didn't take her long to have him in a head lock face down on the floor. Deeks exhaled in relief but was startled when he heard a gun fire from the opposite side of the room.
"I can't believe you started the party without me, Deeks!" a familiar voice yelled out.
"Remy!" Deeks cried out in relief. "Damn, you're a sight for sore eyes!"
Agent Mathias stood squarely in the doorway.
"I caught this one trying to get away," she snarled and knocked Walker onto his knees with one shove of her foot and slammed the heel of her gun into the back of his skull. He collapsed to the floor in a heap.
"Piece of shit," Remy scowled. "I should shoot you right here for what you did to Jake," she cried out as she kicked him in the side. Walker groaned and curled into a fetal position.
"He's not worth it Remy!" Deeks called out as he stumbled to his feet. "Jake wouldn't want you to go to jail for this asshole. Just put down the gun."
"Why? They killed the only man I ever loved and they killed your grandfather, Deeks! They don't deserve to live!" she cried, her hands shaking as she held the gun in front pointed down at Walker. Deeks moved closer, and held up his hands to calm her down.
"But that's the difference between us and them, Remy. If we kill them, we're no better than they are," Deeks reasoned. "For every life that they've taken or destroyed, we'll make sure they are put away for the rest of their lives. I promise you that. Deal?"
Remy gave a long sigh and dropped her weapon to her side. Deeks looked over to check up on Kensi who had secured the deputy's weapon and had him spread eagle on his stomach. She had used Remy's diversion to tackle and render him defenseless.
"You ok, Tiger?" Deeks asked Kensi.
"Nothing a band aid won't fix," Kensi said looking empathetically at Remy.
Deeks smiled weakly. "Kensi, meet Agent Remy Mathias, FBI. Remy this is my partner at NCIS, Agent Kensi Blye." The two women acknowledged each other with a nod.
"I've heard a lot about you, Kensi," Remy said.
"Really?" Kensi asked suspiciously.
"All good, I assure you."
"Ah huh," Kensi looked over at Deeks who quickly changed the subject. She was still pissed at Deeks over his last comment about her.
"Can we talk about this later?" Deeks pleaded. "Why don't we call in the authorities and get these low life picked up? I think we have a long night ahead of us, ladies."
Local and federal authorities converged on to the tiny homestead littering their vehicles all around the house. The once quiet farm was surrounded by flashing lights and the sound of police radios emanated from every vehicle. Williams and his deputy were able to limp into the FBI vans but Walker had to be carried away on a stretcher due to Remy's handy work. She watched him being wheeled out of the house with mixed emotions. Part of her was glad these madmen had been caught but the other part of her wished she had just killed the bastards out right. Deeks could read her mind because his thoughts weren't too far off. He walked over to her and visibly struggled with what to say.
"You did the right thing, Remy," he said wistfully.
She bit her bottom lip and shook her head, knowing Deeks was right. It wouldn't bring Jake back. She knew for a fact that life wasn't fair. Life would never be fair for her and Deeks when it came to their lost here in New Eden..
Kensi walked back inside the house and stood next to Deeks and Remy. She had just finished speaking with the FBI authorities relating the night's events to the various agents and police.
"You two going to be alright?" she asked.
"Hopefully this sad chapter in New Eden's history has ended," Deeks said grimly. "At least we got them to admit to killing my grandfather and Jake."
"And Williams was pretty adamant about his hatred for the Amish and the other immigrants. Too bad your grandfather's evidence is still missing. It would really be the icing on the cake," Kensi said regretfully.
"Yeah, without it we can only hope that the families who have been affected by their hatred will all come forward and testify at Williams' trial," Deeks said and took a look back at the empty desk. The drawer was in pieces around the base of the fireplace where Williams had thrown it in his rage. He looked up over the fireplace and Deeks' eyes were suddenly drawn to a small round disk that had been set flush into the wooden mantel. How come he hadn't seen it before now? He then recognized the outline and the design painted inside the circle. It was the abundance and goodwill hex sign and it was the same one on the inside cover of Karl's journal! Deeks walked over closer to study the colorful circle. It was no coincidence that this symbol was the same one he found in the back of the book. Could the hiding place be this obvious?
"Kensi," Deeks called her over. "What if the papers were removed from the desk at some point and hidden elsewhere in the room?" Deeks studied the outline of the brick mantel. "What if my father found the papers and hid them again?" This time Deeks was talking softly to himself. His fingers lightly touched the coolness of the red bricks outlining the mantel.
"What are you doing, Deeks?" Kensi watched curiously as she joined him in front of the old structure.
"Someone hid Karl's journal in the fireplace at my childhood home in LA. I always assumed it was my grandmother," he spoke thoughtfully and began to pat the wooden mantel up and down. "But what if it was my father?" Deeks tried one last place and reached up inside the fireplace. He rummaged around until he felt string and a soft cloth. Soot and dust floated onto the ashen remains at the bottom of the fireplace.
"I got something!"
He jostled the packet slowly out of its hiding place. On top of the rolled clothed tied with twine was a note. Deeks carefully untied the rope, opened up the note and recognized the familiar handwriting.
"It's a letter from my father," he whispered.
Join me next time for the final chapter of Sins of Another Father which has been a joy to write. Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement along the way. Don't stop! See you back here for the conclusion!