Charlie Goes to Jail
Disclaimer: Standard, don't own the show.
A/N: Sorry for the wait, but thanks for the reviews OhBuddy66, knirbenrots, wotumba1, Guest M, TMVH50, Guest, and Ziva Sofia!
Billy's words sliced through him. It wasn't easy living the double-life; to slip into someone else's skin and forget your own self in the process. The quick little dabbles weren't hard – so you played a character for a few hours, it's not much different than playing dress up. But when it was a lengthy undercover that was all day for weeks to months… Between keeping the details straight and knowing one slip could end it all, there was a pressure that drowned out everything but the operation. To find someone who could be considered a friend was like finding a life raft in the midst of the ocean. There were several of those sprinkled in Deeks' past as an undercover cop. The only way he could cope with lying to them was to pretend he was telling the truth, that he was that person. Yanking that grounding out from under him before he was ready created an aching hole.
But if he was being truly honest with himself, he would never be ready to admit his lies. He could handle the hate and anger, it was the disappointment and betrayal that churned his stomach.
Deeks wanted to say more, to try and explain the internal strife that had carried on prior to this moment but the words just weren't coming. Unfortunately he was also getting the feeling that no one else was coming so the words were never going to come. He sighed a deep, heavy sigh and turned once again to face the guards. His fists clenched as he desperately tried to think his way out.
Seigler had seen the condescending smirk out of the corner of his eye, but was too busy defending himself to do anything about it. Then, after laying out on particularly stubborn inmate for the final time with a solid crack across the jaw, he saw the smirk change into something more devious. He pushed off from a crouch, thankful for the non-skid soles of his boots, and slammed into Chris before he could get a shot off from his weapon. Seigler's momentum carried the two deeper into the hall and away from the group.
They scrambled up from the floor and faced off. "Always the buzz kill, never the buzz." Chris snarled. "You have terrible timing."
Siegler shook his head. "I'm not going to stand by and let you become one of them."
Chris just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm out after this, you'll never see me again."
"Oh, we'll be seeing a lot of each other in future." Siegler launched off once again and tackled his former friend.
They went down in a pile of limbs and slid into the wall. Chris wrenched his arm out and slammed the heel of his hand into Siegler's back. A grunt was his only response as they grappled. A slam from Seigler's heel into Chris's knee broke them apart and they pushed themselves back to their feet. From there it became a boxing match. A punch was thrown, it was either dodged, blocked, or managed to connect. The other retaliated with a similar situation. They were too evenly matched in both skill and determination.
"Only one of us is leaving here today." Chris snarled in an attempt to break his opponent's focus.
Seigler didn't fall for it. He blocked the sucker punch and stepped in to lay into him with a combination to the chest and chin. They broke apart and squared off again. Both heaving for air, they looked to be in the fourteenth round of a ten round match but neither was going to give in.
The three agents looped around the corner to find two men battling it out. They paused, trying to make out what exactly was happening.
"Kensi, keep an eye on the hallway and watch those two. Whoever's standing at the end, make sure they're on our side." Callen directed as they skirted the fight and continued down the corridor to find the kitchen door. She nodded and took up position beside the door to cover her team.
"Get him out of there." She hissed under her breath as she settled her gun stock into her shoulder.
Sam nodded to her right before they slipped through the kitchen door. The trained agents sized up the situation in short order. Sam swept the left, looking for targets, while Callen swept the right. They met in the middle where a clump of people were. Two guards with weapons trained on three men in inmate garb. The one with flyaway blonde hair jumped at another and hauled him down to the floor. The guards spun to size up the new threat and were re-aiming their weapons.
Sam and Callen didn't give them a chance. Four cracks, double shots from two guns, filled the air and the guards hit the floor. The third inmate threw his hands in the air.
"Kensi, we're good." Callen informed her as they moved deeper into the room. Her acknowledgement came as they were checking the two downed guards who were no longer an imminent threat. Neither lowered their weapon until they reached the other three.
Sam took the one still waving his hands in the air. "Bartimaeus Hoover?"
He enthusiastically nodded his reply.
"Don't move."
Callen edged closer to the two bodies splayed on the floor. Neither were moving. Not knowing who exactly he was looking at, even though he hoped he knew, he waited until one of them moved.
Deeks couldn't believe it. Somehow, somewhere, someone had been listening. He saw Sam and Callen come through the door and he reacted. He grabbed Billy and pulled him to the ground, removing themselves as targets for Herb and Liam as well as protecting them from any crossfire. He waited until the echoes from the gun shots receded and the footsteps came close to roll over.
He found himself staring up at Callen's gun. "That's not exactly the 'hello' I was expecting from my friends."
The gun shifted and Callen's grin replaced it. "Good to see you…alive."
"Thanks for coming for me." Deeks grabbed the hand that was offered and pulled himself off the floor.
"Had to, couldn't leave Hetty's favourite in prison."
"I knew it!" Deeks broke out a grin. "She really does like me."
"For now." Callen smirked and said, "Got him, Kensi. However, he's looking more mangy than usual."
"I promised Sam I wouldn't get shanked in the shower so I tried to stay away from razors."
Sam's snort showed what he thought about that.
Both Callen and Sam's head's twitched to the side. Deeks knew that meant they were getting a message through their earpiece. He felt a tug in his stomach as he wished he knew what it was. The partners exchanged a nod and Sam moved to the door. Callen pointed Deeks over to behind the counter. He then motioned for a scowling Billy to move beside Bart where he was motionless. Callen yanked his sidearm out of its holster and handed it over. "If those two do anything stupid, shoot them."
"Seriously?" Deeks' eyes went wide.
Callen spared him a glance. "We're outnumbered and we don't know who our friends are."
Deeks turned his head towards Bart and Billy and hissed "Don't do anything stupid."
Granger hollered across the open space that was littered with inmates who were either immobile or cowering. "Next person who moves get a boot to the head." He nodded to Stokes and Patterson, who were looking beaten down and tired but were still standing tall…even if they were leaning slightly. Granger turned and motivated himself to move from a walk to a quick lope in the direction of the kitchen.
He spotted Kensi further down the corridor, with her rifle up, evaluating the threat level. He noticed Seigler and Chris battling it out in front of him. He winced as Seigler took a hard hit and stumbled to the side. A protective instinct rose and he pushed himself to a full run. Chris turned at the noise behind him, but he was too tired to protect himself from Granger's stun gun. He hit the floor with a thump.
Seigler tried to push himself off the wall but Granger waved him to stay put. "Good work. Take a rest." Seigler nodded and eased back against the solid structure that seemed to be holding him up.
Granger turned away from him and saw the indecision in Kensi's eyes as she debated what to do with him. "I certainly hope you're not planning on shooting your boss."
Kensi's eyes widened. "Assistant Director?" shock laced her words. "You…look…different." She paused as she struggled to find a way to say what she was thinking and not get fired.
It was at that moment that Granger realized he was still wearing his wig. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'd take it off but it's glued on."
The corners of her mouth twitched. "No, you should keep it."
Sam burst out of the door. "We're good in…" his voice died away as he took in the scene in front of him.
"Not you too." He squeezed his eyes shut. "We need to focus. Lots of mess to clean up."
"We start by using that mop on your head." Deeks peered around the doorframe followed by "I told you to stay behind cover" which came bouncing out of the kitchen doorway.
"I will leave you here." Granger ground out through clenched molars.
"You can't. I'm Hetty's favourite."