Breakthrough

Chapter 36

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The abrupt rattle of semi-automatic weapons broke the silence that had settled over the cabin. Deeks shot a quick look at Callen, knowing that none of them were safe just yet. The look he got in return was the fierce one he always saw when they were about to go into a firefight. Sam had a resigned look on his face and stepped forward, holding out his hand to Wes.

"I know you carry an extra," Sam said. "All of you go. We'll shelter in place. I'd go with you, but I can't leave Callen alone."

Wes pulled a .45 pistol from his thigh holster, handing it and a second clip to Sam.

"We'll secure the rest of the crew and anybody else we find," Wes said, before turning and heading quickly out the door, followed by his men.

Kensi picked up one of the Korean's semi-automatic rifles and handed it to Callen, who nodded wearily.

"One of us should stay," Deeks insisted.

"I think he's lost faith in us, Sam," Callen said with a smirk.

"We're armed now, so go. Shut the door behind you," Sam ordered. "Believe me, anyone who tries to get in and ain't wearing a wetsuit, will be dead before they get a foot in the door."

"Sam's a little pissed about his new scars," Callen said. "You two go get that bastard. The intel too. We lose that…we went through all this for nothing."

"But, you're both bleeding," Kensi said, and Deeks could see the concern in the tightness of her jaw.

"I'll take care of it, now go," Sam said. "Find the communications room. There's been some power problems. From what I overheard I don't think Jung was able to send what he had."

"I don't think he wanted to. Too arrogant. He was bragging…big time. Wanted to make sure he got all the credit," Callen added.

"Wait…you speak Korean?" Deeks asked.

"We both do," Sam said.

"You sound surprised," Callen said with a soft grin.

"Seriously?"

"Let's go, Deeks," Kensi said. "Not sure I trust Braxton not to shoot the guy."

Deeks finally smiled and reached out to Callen and they clasped hands. Sam pulled him close before shoving him toward the door, and with one final look Deeks stepped out into the passageway and pulled the door closed. As he tried to recall the schematics of the ship, Kensi turned right, motioning him to follow. He trusted she already knew where to go, and followed her into the dark. Gunfire echoed above them as she paused at a hatch. Kensi covered him as he stepped inside and made his way up the ladder. He heard nothing, and risked a quick look to get his bearings. When he saw no one, he moved up, covering Kensi's assent.

"Communications should be second door on the left," she whispered.

They carefully peered into the dim passageway. Kensi covered him as he stepped out of the hatchway, looking both ways before moving toward their destination. There was a glimmer of weak light coming from the compartment, and he held up a fist as he paused to check it out. He took up position next to the door, and nodded for Kensi to breach. As she moved forward the door was yanked open, the man inside only able to get off one shot before Deeks fired a burst into his chest.

"Kens? You okay?" He felt a ripple of fear until she whispered she was good, tapping his shoulder as she followed him into the room.

The room was semi-dark and overly warm, and most of the equipment looked dead, except for one dated computer which was frozen on lines of code. The satellite communications console had been shot to pieces, and Deeks turned to look at Kensi.

"Braxton," they said in unison.

"Do you think he found Jung?" Kensi asked.

"No," Deeks replied. "I'm thinking Jung is trying to get back to the yacht. It has power and satellite comms."

"And, it's his only chance for an escape," Kensi added.

"Thought the guys disabled it," Deeks said softly, as he slid his hood back and ruffled his hair.

"There's still a tender on board," she replied.

"I'm guessing that's not a reference to Love Me Tender by Elvis," He said, grinning and feeling slightly embarrassed that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"It's a small ship to shore boat," he said smugly. "A dinghy for those unfamiliar with naval lingo."

"Won't a little dinghy be dangerous in a sea as big as this one?"

"On a yacht the size of Jung's, the tender is probably pretty good sized," she said as she checked the passageway. "It wouldn't be a fun trip, but it's doable."

"I love it when you sling Navy lingo," Deeks said with a slow grin.

"I'll sling more after we get the intel away from this guy," she replied. "Lets go. It's clear."

"Aye, aye, Captain Blye," he said softly as he followed her into the dark passageway.

Ahead of them they saw an open hatch that led to an outside overlook and as they stepped out into the slashing rain they heard the sound of a winch. Two men below them were trying to lower a lifeboat. As they took up position to engage them, Dallas and Tig came up from a lower level and one of the men immediately opened fire on them. Tig went down and Deeks and Kensi fired, killing both North Koreans. Kensi rushed to help Tig, but as Deeks started to follow, a rough hand covered his mouth and he was yanked back inside, a knife instantly pressed up under his jaw.

"Drop gun," a harsh voice whispered in his ear, and he quickly did as ordered. "Get me off boat or I cut throat."

He gripped the North Korean's arm, the man's muscles flexed and powerful as he dragged him back down the hall. His mind and heart were racing as he tried to devise how to get out of his hold without getting himself killed. He felt a trickle of warm blood as the knife pressed deeper, so he had to try something. Remembering lessons learned from Sam and practiced with Kensi, he took the risk of going for the knife strapped to his thigh. When he dropped his hand the man realized what he was doing and sliced his own knife down across his forearm, then slammed him face first into the iron bulkhead. He sank to his knees, his mind groggy with pain. The man stood over him, his fingers clawing into his hair, his strangled rant sounding distant and unintelligible. He struggled to reach his knife again, but his hand was now slick with blood, and his hope was fading.

"Hey! Asshole!"

The shout made the Korean turn as the sharp report of a gunshot echoed through the narrow passageway. Deeks jerked back as the Korean tumbled over onto the deck, the side of his face shattered and dark with bloody gore. When he looked up, Braxton was kneeling beside him.

"Deeks? You okay, man?" He asked, actually sounding concerned.

Deeks couldn't find any words as he stared back down at the massive man lying dead in front of him. The tank top the man wore bore the insignia of North Korea's Special Operations Force, part of an elite military unit, and Deeks closed his eyes and finally let out a breath, knowing just how close he had come to death.

"Deeks," Braxton's voice sounded urgent. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah," he choked out, and Braxton helped him to his feet.

"Did he cut you anywhere else?" He asked, checking him over closely.

"No. I'm fine."

"Deeks?" Kensi shouted as she rushed toward him.

"Hey, Kens," he said as he leaned back against the bulkhead, trying to gather himself.

"I'll go find some med supplies. You're bleeding pretty bad," Braxton said, leaving them alone.

"God, baby. I'm so sorry. I should have realized you weren't behind me," Kensi said, her voice choked and angry as she reached out to lightly touch his wounded arm.

"Happened fast. How's Tig?"

"Pretty bad, but Dallas said he'll make it," she replied. "How about you?"

"Braxton saved my life."

She seemed stunned for a moment, but nodded as she brushed a clump of hair away from the bloody contusion on his forehead. "Guess I'll have to take him off my shit list…maybe even invite him to the wedding."

"Don't get carried away, Agent Blye," Braxton said as he came up behind her. "The CIA doesn't do weddings."

"Really?" Deeks said.

He winced as Braxton began wrapping gauze tightly around and around the bleeding wound on his arm. The man's actions surprised him, and he was unexpectedly gentle. Kensi took some of the gauze and began dabbing at the blood on his forehead and then around his nose, until he smiled and took it from her.

"I'm good, Kens," he said quietly.

The operative assessed him with a critical eye as he finished tying off the bandage. "We need to move. You dizzy? How's your vision?"

"Good enough to shoot the next bastard that tries to grab me," he replied.

"Should have seen this one," Braxton said.

Deeks pulled his arm away, and Kensi turned to confront the man, who raised his hands defensively.

"Don't get all protective, Wonder Woman. Just a warning about who we're up against. The entire crew is military. Most probably SOF. They're mean sonsabitches, and they're in survival mode right now."

"We're good to go," Kensi said.

"Did you ever get eyes on Jung?" Deeks asked, deciding to let the man's insult pass.

"No, but he'll try for the yacht," Braxton replied. "He'll have at least one bodyguard. Maybe more. Like this guy. These SOF guys are true believers and all they do is train, so watch yourselves. Wouldn't want you to miss your own wedding."

"Copy that," Deeks said, locking eyes with Kensi before following the agent up the passageway.

Stepping out of the forward hatch, the wind blew the rain straight into their faces, making it difficult to see. Sporadic bursts from automatic weapons signaled the locations of at least two firefights, a worrying situation considering Wes was down one man. They still had no idea the force they were up against, but Deeks knew their mission would fail if they didn't get to Jung before he sent the intel he had. As they made their way toward the rope ladder leading down to the yacht, they saw Wes and Racker taking up positions behind some of the cargo stacked on deck. Deeks managed to get their attention and patted his chest and motioned toward the yacht. Getting a thumbs up, they crouched briefly as Wes and Racker laid down covering fire and then rushed toward the rope ladder amidships. Before they could reach it they were fired on by a sniper on one of the upper decks. They managed to dive behind some equipment, but as they returned fire, Braxton made another run for the ladder. He faltered as bullets sprayed around him, and was in danger of being killed until Kensi located the sniper and shot him down. As the man fell to the deck below, Deeks quickly turned to check on Braxton, but he'd already gone over the side.

"I'll cover you," Kensi said, and he ran to follow Braxton down to the yacht.

As he slipped over the rail, he saw a smear of blood that was quickly being washed away by the rain. Braxton was hit. He looked down to the yacht's deck fearing he would see him collapsed at the bottom, but thankfully saw no one. He turned back and yelled for Kensi, covering her as she made a dash for the ladder.

"Braxton's wounded," Deeks said as they made their way down, dropping silently onto the slick deck.

"There's a sat phone on the bridge," Kensi said softly. "We need to call in the Coast Guard. We need an air rescue. If Braxton was hit, that makes four wounded now, plus you. In this weather that trip back by boat is going to take too long, especially for Tig."

"We need to find Jung first," Deeks said. "And just to clarify, Kens…I'm fine."

"I know, but it'll take them a while to get here," he could see the worry on her face and he loved her for her concern.

"Better warn them they'll be flying into a firefight, unless Wes and the guys get control up there," he said, noticing that the gunfire was growing more sporadic.

"I'll let Ensign Cruz know," she said as they hurried up the ladder to the bridge. "He can call in a rescue chopper and then bring the patrol boat up to take us home."

"And here I thought we'd get to take this big ritzy yacht for a spin," shooting her a quick grin as they entered the slightly warmer confines of the bridge.

Deeks took a moment to shake the rainwater from his hair, while Kensi moved immediately to the sat phone. While she was making the call, he wondered what had happened to the yacht's captain and walked over to where he had last seen him.

"Kens…" Deeks called out. "Tell me one of our guys didn't slit the captain's throat."

"What?"

They both stood staring down at the man, now lying in a pool of dark blood, his eyes open and his hands still tied behind his back.

"Sonofabitch."

"Why would Jung do this?" Kensi asked. "Doesn't he need this guy to drive this thing?"

"Maybe it wasn't Jung," Deeks said softly.

"His bodyguard maybe?"

"Or Braxton," Deeks said, sorry the thought had even entered his mind.

He knew Braxton was determined to bring Jung down, but he didn't think he would murder a man in cold blood. Thinking about it, he had only known the agent for a little less than eight hours. What the hell did he really know about him, other than he was a wiseass, arrogant as hell, and hated Jung Ji-hwan? Maybe for him hate was reason enough to kill a man who might be able to help Jung escape. He understood the hate. The urge to wreak vengeance on a man who had almost taken your life was a powerful thing. That kind of hate could cloak you in darkness and hold you captive until you either slaked your thirst or found a way to let it go. He more than anyone understood that, but the man lying dead at his feet had not wronged Braxton, making his death shocking and merciless.

"Deeks. If he did this, we have to find him," Kensi said urgently. "The CIA wants Jung alive."

They headed for the interior circular stairway that led down to the grand salon. They silently made their way down, but sudden laughter made them pause. Deeks was surprised to hear several voices and he felt Kensi grip his shoulder. They had no idea where Braxton was or if he was even alive. Then they heard him scream.

"You CIA?" A harsh voice asked.

"You an asshole?" Braxton asked weakly, but there was a hint of cockiness in his voice.

"Tell me where you hide flash drive," the man demanded.

Kensi looked quickly at Deeks and he smiled. Somehow, Braxton had managed to grab at least one piece of the stolen intel before being caught by Jung and his bodyguards. Now they had to stop his torture and apprehend Jung. Deeks cocked his head at Kensi and prepared to step into the middle of the action.

"Federal agents," they shouted in unison as they moved into the room.

A huge man immediately turned and fired on them. Kensi shot him down before they had to dive for cover, as an angry looking Korean brought up his automatic weapon and began spraying the room with bullets. When Deeks looked to see how Braxton was, the bald man who'd been looming over him was already charging out the door on the far side. Braxton was tied to a chair, blood pooling on the floor beneath him from a bullet wound in his thigh. A small knife protruded from his chest. He was yelling curses at the man who quickly disappeared out into the rain, until the remaining Korean knocked him senseless before running for the door. Deeks fired, and the man crashed into the fully stocked bar, shattering multiple bottles of liquor as he collapsed onto the floor. Kensi moved to secure the weapons while Deeks knelt beside Braxton.

"Hey," he said, squeezing his arm to wake him.

"Go get that bastard, Deeks," he groaned. "And pull this fucking knife out."

"No," Kensi said firmly. "Leave it. We pull it and you might lose even more blood."

"Don't marry her, Deeks. She's got a real mean streak, man," Braxton said as she untied him.

"Shut up. I'm trying to help you," she snapped.

"Where'd you hide the flash drive?" Deeks asked as he stood to go after Jung.

"I swallowed it."

"Seriously?" Deeks grinned. "That's gonna be a messy recovery. May even be painful."

"Stinky as hell too," Braxton said weakly before sliding unconscious to the floor.

"Stay with him, Kens. I'm going after Jung."

"Stay safe," her voice full of warning and fear. "I can't lose you, Deeks. I don't care what the CIA wants…you shoot him if you have to."

"Whatever happens, Kens. Know I love you more than anything in this world."

She stood and kissed him fiercely. "You come back. You hear me? You come back to me."

"That's the plan, Sugarplum."

He kissed her quickly and then headed after Jung, slamming outside and searching his memory for the layout of the yacht that Eric had sent them just after they left Coronado. The rain was being whipped sideways by the wind, and lightning sliced across the sky. As he moved down the walkway along the side of the boat searching for the stairway to the lower deck, he heard a winch start up. Jung was trying to launch one of the tenders, as Kensi called them. He rushed toward the stern, grabbing onto the rail when the rough seas made him lose his footing. He slowed when he found the stairs, creeping down to the bottom with his gun leading the way. A wide hatchway was open to the sea, and a good-sized boat was slowly being winched out over the churning waves. The deck was awash as waves crested and battered the side of the yacht, and he could hear Jung yelling in Korean, cursing he assumed. The man had his back to him, and he could see no weapon.

"Jung Ji-hwan! You're under arrest!"

The man didn't even flinch, and Deeks wasn't sure he'd even heard him over the sound of the winch and the roar of the wind and waves. He moved closer and called out again.

"It's over, Jung."

The man suddenly swung around, on him before he could fire, knocking the gun from his hand as he took him to the deck. He choked as Jung's hand closed around his throat, so he slammed his fist into the man's ribs again and again until he felt his hold weaken. Deeks flipped him over onto the deck, but the man fluidly scrambled to his feet and smiled, dropping into a traditional Taekwondo stance.

"I should have just shot your sorry ass," Deeks said as he got to his feet.

"Yes," he replied, still smiling as he moved slowly and deliberately around him. "Now I will kill you."

"Playground rules, then?"

Jung's eyes narrowed at the comment and Deeks knew he didn't understand. "My partner could take you with all this fancy stuff. Me? I'm more of a street fighting aficionado."

Jung spun and aimed a kick at his face, but Deeks dropped and drove his shoulder into the man's groin, slamming him onto the deck. A wave suddenly washed over them both and Deeks lost his grip on the man. Jung drove his heel into Deeks' chest and he gasped for breath, coughing up seawater and struggling to breathe, his eyes stinging as he searched for him. Deeks found him near the edge of the hatch, the large dinghy swinging precariously out over the ocean just beyond him. When he saw him lean over, Deeks realized he'd found his gun. He pushed himself up and onto his feet and charged, crashing into Jung as he fired. They sailed out over the edge and the dark waters rose up to swallow them.

…

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