Breakthrough
Chapter 37
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Kensi managed to get Braxton onto one of the sofas, his blood instantly staining the cream-colored leather. He was barely conscious, pale and clammy, but he kept mumbling Deeks' name and that of the woman Miyoko. She'd tied a bar towel as tightly as she could around the bullet wound in his thigh, but as hard as it was to look at, she still resisted the urge to remove the knife from his upper chest. Instead, she packed as many towels around it as she could find. Although she knew one of them had needed to stay with Braxton, she still regretted that she wasn't backing up the man she was going to marry in a few days. She hadn't liked the idea that Deeks had gone after Jung alone. It scared her. She knew he could take care of himself, but she also knew Jung was dangerous and vicious, and she couldn't dispel the fear that nagged at her. Her mind jumped from the firefights to the joy and relief of finding Callen and Sam alive, and then thoughts about her upcoming wedding plans intruded, making her antsy to go find him. She'd heard no gunfire, and wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad omen. Whichever it was it made her anxious, so when footsteps sounded outside, she picked up her weapon and pointed it toward the door, ready to fire.
"Federal agents!" The voice was so familiar it brought a flush of tears to her eyes.
"Sam?" She hurried around the sofa to greet him as he stepped inside. "You shouldn't be here."
"We told him we could handle it, but he insisted," Wes said. "Firefight's over and Jung's men are either dead or down. Bastards fought hard till the end."
"A SEAL named Ponzi is staying with G and his wounded buddy," Sam said as he looked around the room before staring down at Braxton. "Looks like he went through the same hell Callen did."
"He's tough. Recovered the flash drive with the intel, too," she said. "Swallowed it."
"So, he's dedicated," Sam said with a grin. "Where's Deeks. And Jung Ji-hwan?"
"Jung got away. Deeks just went after him," she said and turned to head out to find him. "Jung is trying to launch the tender, but the winch stopped a few minutes ago."
"Any gunfire?" Wes asked.
"No, but Deeks still might need backup," she replied, irritated by the delay.
Dallas stepped into the room and Wes ordered him to stay with Braxton. "Get Cruz on the horn and get us a rescue chopper and our patrol boat in here…"
"Already done. Now can we go?"
"Yes, ma'am," Wes said firmly, and shoved a new clip in his pistol and followed Kensi and Sam out the door.
The wind was still strong, but the rain had lessened considerably. The low hanging clouds were now a steel gray, and Kensi realized the sun was almost up, not that they would see it. The sea was still dark, the waves high and rolling with whitecaps that slapped against the side of the boat, making their walk toward the stern treacherous. When they reached the stairs, Sam gripped Kensi's shoulder and started to take the lead. She resisted, but he glared at her, making her angrier than she already was. The sound of a gunshot startled them all, fear and adrenaline pushing them into action. When they reached the bottom of the stairs she strained to hear any voices, but the only sound she could make out was the jangle of chains as the tender swung back and forth from the winch that held it.
"Deeks?" Kensi yelled his name as the three of them spread out.
"Clear," Wes said as he walked around the lower deck that was awash in seawater.
She became desperate as she searched for any sign of him or of Jung, but the area was empty. When she turned, she saw Sam standing at the edge of the outside hatch, looking out at the chaotic sea and her heart went cold.
"No…no, no," she murmured as she moved toward Sam. "No, Sam. Please. Tell me he's not out there."
"He's a strong swimmer, Kens…" Sam's voice broke as he pulled her close and continued to scan the turbulent surface of the water.
"There!" Wes shouted.
A short distance away they saw a bald head break the surface. It was Jung. He started to swim toward them, only to be pulled back under. Kensi screamed Deeks name, and Sam grabbed her arm when she moved dangerously close to the edge. Seawater sloshed around her bare feet as she searched for him, finally seeing him struggling with Jung, their battle illuminated by a sudden slash of lightning. Deeks had Jung in a chokehold, dragging him under one more time. Wes jumped in, hitting the water feet first and began to swim toward their last location, pausing mid way to look for any sign of the two men. Sam saw them first and shouted to him, pointing some distance out and to the right of where they'd seen them last.
"It's Deeks. Can't see Jung," Sam said, sounding quietly relieved, and Kensi's eyes filled with sudden tears.
When she saw Deeks appear to struggle in the water, repeatedly sinking beneath the dark waves, she leaped out into the sea without hesitation, ignoring Sam's shout. She swam as hard and as fast as she could, unwilling to lose him now, not when she could see him this close. She struggled to keep him in sight, but the wind whipped the saltwater into her eyes making it difficult to see. Still she persisted, fighting to reach him. Wes got to the spot before her, but turned in a circle, unable to find him. He caught her eye, and then dove underwater and Kensi followed. The water was dark and murky and freezing. Visibility was limited and she was close to desperation until she finally saw him kicking toward the surface, pulling Jung's limp body with him. She and Wes reached him as he broke the surface. He looked exhausted, but when he saw her he smiled. Wes pounded him on the shoulder a couple of times and then took control of Jung and began hauling him back toward the yacht.
"Hey, Kens," he said wearily, closing his eyes as he coughed up water.
She got as close as she could, holding his face in her hands. She wiped wet hair out of his eyes and kissed him softly as they bobbed up and down in the frigid water.
"You scared me," she said against his lips.
"Kens? I can't feel my toes."
She nodded, and her worry returned as they quickly turned and began swimming back. She kept pace with him, and realized just how exhausted he really was as he swam slowly and deliberately, occasionally slipping beneath the waves. The cold was sapping her own strength, and Deeks had been out here much longer and fighting for his life. Worried that he was too tired to make it, she frantically waved to Sam, but after acknowledging her, he disappeared back inside.
"Come on, Deeks," she said. "We're close."
When he didn't reply, she looked back toward the yacht for help, and saw a black rubber dinghy being launched. Two members of the Fire Team scrambled on board, and quickly started the small outboard, bouncing over the choppy waves as they raced toward them.
"Hold on, baby. Help's on the way," she said as she worked to keep his head above water.
Before the boat even reached them, Racker leaped into the water and was beside Deeks in an instant.
"Got 'im, ma'am," he said, wrapping an arm around Deeks chest from behind and kicking toward the dinghy.
The SEAL named Dallas helped Racker haul Deeks out of the water, and then easily pulled her on board. They quickly spun the dinghy around and pushed the throttle full out. Kensi huddled next to Deeks as he shivered uncontrollably.
"Thanks, guys," he whispered, although she was the only one who could hear him.
A perfectly timed wave assisted Wes and the others in getting the dinghy back onto the lower deck. Deeks was helped out, and Sam immediately swathed him in a very expensive looking silk comforter he'd obviously gotten from one of the bedrooms. When Kensi looked over at him in surprise, he smiled and cocked his head.
"Nothing but the best for our rescue team," Sam said. "Come on Deeks. There's probably some pretty good brandy upstairs."
"Sounds damn good right now," he replied through chattering teeth. "How's Callen doing?"
"Ready to get off that ugly scow and back home," Sam said. "Wanted to come over with me. Man can't even stand up, but he was worried about you. Had to threaten him before he agreed to stay put."
"Is he gonna be okay?" Deeks asked. "Those cuts looked deep."
"Lost a lot of blood, so I'll feel better when we get him to a hospital," Sam said, eyeing the sopping wet bandage on his arm. "Looks like you two are gonna have matching scars. You in pain?"
"Too numb to tell," he replied softly, pausing to look at where Jung lay facedown on the deck, his hands tied behind his back. "He alive?"
"Waterlogged, but breathin'," Dallas said.
"Should have let the bastard drown."
"You did your job, Deeks," Sam said.
"And scored some points with the CIA," Wes added.
"Yeah, right. There's always that," he said. "Hey Kens? How's Braxton?"
"Semi-conscious. Kept mumbling Miyoko's name. Yours too," she said. "I think he was worried about you."
"Doubt that. Not sure he'll be happy or pissed that I brought the guy back alive," Deeks said as he followed Sam up the stairs to the main deck, the tail of the comforter dragging behind him.
Someone had turned on all the lights on the boat, so when they entered the main salon the stark remains of the earlier firefight were brightly illuminated. No one had moved the dead, leaving them in place for the investigation that would take place back in Coronado. Braxton still lay on the leather sofa, but he was now conscious and covered with a blanket, his head propped up on a blue pillow. He looked pale and Kensi knew he needed a hospital as soon as was possible.
"Anybody got an ETA on the Coast Guard rescue chopper?" She asked.
"I'll check with Ensign Cruz," Wes said. "Our patrol boat is ready to tie up alongside. I'll have someone bring over your go-bags. Meanwhile, Deeks needs a hot shower. Might be suffering a little hypothermia in spite of the wetsuit."
She walked over to Deeks as he talked quietly with Braxton, whose expression was stone cold. The man appeared to be listening, and wasn't looking at Deeks as he told him what had happened. He seemed angry.
"You know he won't pay for a damn thing he's done, don't you?" Braxton said coldly, finally looking up at Deeks with a sneer on his face. "They'll flip him, make him an asset or…"
"You don't know that," Deeks said.
"That's damn naïve even for a dumb bastard like you," he replied, his mouth in a rigid line. "You should have let him drown."
"Hey! Deeks could have died out there trying to get a guy you couldn't," Kensi said angrily. "And you'd be dead if we hadn't saved your ass."
"Then I guess we're even, sweetheart," he said, sounding so obnoxious Kensi wanted to hit him.
"Yeah, Agent Braxton. We are," Deeks said wearily. "Have a nice life."
As Deeks walked away, Braxton's face softened and Kensi saw something shift in his eyes. He briefly looked bereft, but the expression quickly changed back to the hard jawed CIA agent they had first met. He was an odd man, and Kensi thought he must lead a lonely existence, one without any friends to help ease the harsh reality he had to live with every day. She realized the man had probably felt a connection with Deeks. They had a similar sense of humor, but she wondered whether that had all been an act. He'd pushed Deeks away, and was probably feeling sorry he had, but then she knew literally nothing about the man, except what he had chosen to reveal during their time together. Whether what he'd shared was even true, she had no idea. He was just one of those strange, shadowy operatives you came in contact with when you worked in intelligence.
"Want to get naked with me?" Deeks asked when she followed him into the first bedroom they came to.
"I'll start the shower," she said, kissing him lightly before jerking back to look at him. "Your lips are ice cold, Deeks. They're actually blue."
"Yeah, no…still can't feel my toes," he said, giving her that hurt and vulnerable look that always made her insides melt. "Help me get this bandage off."
She made quick work of unraveling the sopping mess of bloody wet gauze around the cut on his arm, and quickly helped him shed his wetsuit, and then struggled out of her own. Tossing it aside, she heard him suck in his breath, and she turned to see his arm was red with blood. She ushered him into the sumptuous bathroom and turned the water on.
"Get in. I'm going to find a med kit," she said.
"Might want to put on a robe, Kens," Deeks said with a soft grin. "I don't think the guys out there need anymore excitement today."
She slapped his butt as he stepped into the shower, and then went to search the closet. When she was wrapped in an oversized bathrobe, she opened the door and saw both their go-bags on the floor outside and Sam leaning against the wall.
"He okay?" Sam asked.
"Are you?"
"Been better, but seeing Deeks' ugly mug when you breached Jung's little torture chamber gave me the warm fuzzies. Just don't tell him I said that," Sam said, smiling softly before becoming deadly serious. "You were both lifesavers, Kens. Jung thought I'd break if he tortured G…"
The anguish was plain on his face as he struggled to put the terror into words, and she walked over and gave him a hug. "It was so good to see you both alive. Deeks was scared to death he'd lost you."
"That's how I felt when we couldn't find him down on the lower deck," he replied. "I was trying to think how to tell Callen that his brother was gone."
She suddenly felt a chill, her fear returning as she remembered searching for any sign of him in that vast, churning sea. Sam must have sensed where her mind had gone, and reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
"You can start thinking about your wedding now," he said. "This op is over…well, almost. Still the debriefs to go through."
"And a little hospital time for you and Callen," she said.
"I'm fine, Kens. Callen took the brunt of it," he replied, but the cuts and bruises and the look on his face told her how much he'd suffered. "Now tell me how Deeks is."
"The cut on his arm is still bleeding," she told him. "Is there a med kit on board?"
"When you two are dressed, I'll take a look at it," he offered.
Wes Hallock's big body filled the doorway, knocking softly as he poked his head into the hallway. "Coast Guard chopper is ten minutes out."
"Copy that," they replied in unison.
"When you and Deeks are both up for it, Hetty needs to speak with you," Wes said. "I gave her the basics about what went down, but she has questions. She did inform me that a Coast Guard cutter out of San Diego is on its way. It's carrying a boatload of people from all the alphabet agencies you can name. Gonna be one hell of argument over who has jurisdiction on this one."
"I'll patch Deeks up as best I can and then head back over to help get Callen and Tig on board the rescue helo," Sam said. "G will want a complete rundown on what happened before he goes anywhere."
"Sounds like it's almost over," Kensi said quietly after Wes left.
"And looks like Deeks had a breakthrough about staying with NCIS," he replied. "Or was this just a one time deal?"
"No. He's coming back to be my full time partner," she said.
"And soon-to-be husband…"
"Now that has I nice ring to it," she said, smiling widely.
"Yeah, it does, Mrs. Deeks," Sam said softly.
"How do you know he isn't taking my last name?" She teased.
"I'm not crazy enough to touch that question," Sam laughed. "Whatever you end up calling yourself, I'm happy for both of you. You've waited long enough."
She nodded, suddenly feeling completely content, and smiled shyly at Sam before picking up their go-bags and going back into the bedroom. Her adrenaline was fading and she dropped the bags and sat down on the bed.
"Kens? You good?"
Deeks stood in the open door to the bathroom wrapping a towel around the wound on his arm, another hanging low around his hips. His body glistened with water, and she couldn't help the tears that blurred her eyes as they looked at one another. She went to him, needing to hold him, needing to dispel the last remnants of fear the day had brought.
"Hey, Sugarplum…we're okay," he whispered as she clung to him. "We got the guys back. So we're good…better than good. We're great. We're getting married…going on our honeymoon…changing our last name to Bleeks…you know…all the good stuff."
She couldn't help but pretend to be angry. "Deeks? I am not going to be called Kensi Bleeks."
"No? Come on. Really? It has a nice ring to it," he said, his eyes crinkling with his mocking smile.
"I'm too tired to think about it right now," she replied as she hugged him close. "I just want a shower, some warm, comfortable clothes…and you."
"I think that can be arranged…minus the clothes, of course," he replied, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
"Sounds like things are back to normal in that tiny mind of yours."
"Seeing you au naturel, as they say in France, is always in my mind somewhere," he said softly.
"The only surprise there is that you said it in French," she replied as she extricated herself from his arms. "Now, mon amour, Sam brought our go-bags, and is waiting to bandage your arm."
She dropped the robe and took a step toward the shower, smiling when he reached out and fondled her breast, his face softening into want.
"I don't think we have time for that," she whispered as he stepped closer, his arm encircling her waist as he nuzzled beneath her ear. "Besides…you're bleeding."
"Later then," he said and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Promise?"
"Promise."
The sound of a helicopter flying in low overhead ended their interlude, and Deeks sighed, but broke out in a cocky grin as he dropped the towel from around his hips and strolled out into the bedroom.
She laughed at his playfulness, feeling lighthearted as she stepped under the hot water of the shower, her mind full of all the things she needed to do before their wedding on New Year's Day.
…
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Just a note to let you know I won't be posting another chapter until after Christmas. However, I will be writing a Christmas story for wikiDeeks.
Wishing you all bountiful joy and comforting peace this holiday season.
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