The car eventually came to a stop, and Deeks was jerked awake by the men opening the trunk and pulling him out. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, or rather, unconscious, so he couldn't possibly know where they were. The forest that surrounded them, along with the chill in the air, however, telling him that they were no longer in central LA.
"Get him inside." The leader of the group directed, pointing to what looked like a garden shed, located next to a wooden cabin.
Deeks was then roughly led inside, and thrown to the floor, his hands still untied. The door closing behind him, before he even had a chance to register what was happening. His mind still a foggy mess and the pain on his head increasing by the second.
Pushing himself to a sitting position, Deeks took stock of his surroundings. The small shed was surprisingly bare, with only some few things lying scattered around the floor. Mostly just gardening supplies like muddy gloves, flower pots, a watering can, a hose, a gardening fork, shears, and a shovel.
Deep down, Deeks knew any of those items could be used for something like torture, but he took a special sort of comfort in the absence of drills or any other power tools. Sighing, he thought that any of the items could become a weapon too, and he tried to clear his mind enough to focus on making an escape plan. He had no idea where he was or how he would get away from here, so, he would take it one step at a time.
-x-x-x-
"Protective custody?" Kensi stared dumbstruck, so it was Sam who voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"Nelson Sanders recently escaped from prison, and we found a picture of Deeks on his cell." Bates went right into it, not wanting to waste valuable time and correctly assuming all three NCIS agents would remember who the man in question is. "I came here as soon as I was informed of his escape."
"He escaped from prison?" Kensi eventually said, finally finding her voice. "How does a major arms dealer with ties to both LAPD and NCIS manages to just… escape from prison." Voice raising with every word. Her concern upped quite a bit as she thought back to the day of Sanders' trial, and to how much the man must hate Deeks for being the undercover that finally brought him down.
"In all fairness, he didn't actually escape from prison. It was a transfer, and the convoy was intercepted. Two cops were killed, three more are in the hospital." Bates answered matter-of-factly.
"A transfer?" Callen asked this time, taking command of the conversation and wanting to get actionable intel to pass onto Eric and Nell.
"He agreed to turn state's evidence of his past dealings with other crime organizations." Bates said simply.
"After 10 years?" Callen couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I thought it was strange, too." Bates admitted. "But it came from the top. The top brass has been trying to bring down some of these groups for the last decade. And every undercover that tried to get in, ended up dead or turned to the dark side. They have money, weapons and a lot of power on the dark corners of LA."
"Didn't you think it could be a set-up?" Callen and Sam said at the same time.
"I did. But we all thought he must have been trying to reset his empire by getting rid of the competition. If he had wanted to get revenge on Deeks, he could have done so years ago and from jail. No need to stage a transfer and escape for that." Bates shared honestly.
"But why now?" Kensi joined in the conversation again.
"That's something for the wonder twins to find." Callen answered, as he moved away from the group, taking out his phone and placing a call to ops.
-x-x-x-
Deeks wasn't feeling too confident with his plan, but perfection be damned, he wasn't going down easily. Lying prone on the floor, he covered his face under his arm and tried to even out his breathing. A hand came to rest close to the flowering can, the other underneath his body. Then he waited.
For the next few hours, Deeks fought to stay awake, as he continued telling himself that this was just acting, and he couldn't actually let the pull of sleep win this battle. His efforts were rewarded when he heard movement coming from outside, and the voices of the men that had kidnapped him.
Being an observant man and knowing how handy that trait had come throughout his undercover career, he focused on the voices he could easily place by now, coming to the realization that only two of the men were outside. Deeks then smiled; the odds were now more on his favor.
Peeking at the door from the corner of his eye, he saw the two assailants walk into the room and stop as they took in the seemingly unconscious detective in front of them.
"Maybe we won't need this after all." One of them said, as he pointed to a syringe.
Noticing the object for the first time, Deeks felt a chill spread through his body, knowing that whatever liquid it held was probably meant to knock him out, and then he would really be at their full mercy. Shaking his head almost imperceptibly, he thought back to Kensi and allowed his hand to close over the handle of the watering can. Biding his time, until the men got close enough.
"Just do it. We can't risk him getting away before we make the exchange, or we won't get paid." The second man answered.
Deeks saw the two men closing in and steeled his nerves, knowing it was now or never. In the new few minutes, he would either escape or sentence his future to a new hell.
-x-x-x-
"The wonder twins are on the case." Callen said, sounding more hopeful now that they had some actionable intel to go on.
At Bates raised eyebrows, Sam explained. "Eric and Nell. Our analyst and tech."
"I hope they're good." Bates muttered.
"The best." Kensi added strongly. "And I'm sure better than whoever LAPD had looking over Sanders and his crew."
Bates raised his hands in a placating gesture, he hadn't come here looking for trouble. "We're on the same team, agent. Deeks' team." He reminded.
Kensi nodded with apologetic eyes, knowing she had to do a better job of controlling her temper.
"I'm going back to the station." Bates said, as he began to walk back towards the door. "I will have my people look into Sander's past associates and call back if we find anything useful. I hope NCIS will do the same."
The three agents nodded and remained in their place as they saw Bates retreating form, until a sudden thought popped into Kensi's mind. "Wait!" She shouted, stopping Bates, who turned around expectantly.
"If Deeks is in trouble, that means… Ray could be in trouble too." Kensi explained, now finally remembering Deeks' childhood best friend and his very big involvement in this case.
"I already thought of that, agent Blye. I informed the marshals, they have it covered." Bates promised, hoping the marshals would do a better job than he had done protecting his detective.
Kensi fought the urge to get involved with Ray's situation, knowing that her focus now should be on finding Deeks. So, she stayed silent as Roger Bates left the scene.
-x-x-x-
As the two men continued to get closer, the one not holding the syringe took out a gun, as his partner's hand moved towards Deeks' arm. The surprise of seeing the weapon took Deeks' attention away from the syringe, and he only reacted when he felt the needle prick his skin. Preparing himself for the pain his efforts were sure to cause his injured ribs, he raised his hand, swinging the watering can hard against the man's head, smirking as he crumbled to the ground. Then he lifted himself off the ground, uncovering his other hand for the first time, and launching himself up and forward as he stabbed the other man in the shoulder with the shears, both bad and good guy stumbling to the ground. Deeks didn't allow the man a moment of respite, as he landed punch after punch on the surprised assailant, who hadn't even seen the attack coming.
Deeks only stopped his assault when he was sure the man was unconscious, turning around to pick the weapon that had flown to the other side of the shed when he had rammed his body into the man. But to his surprise, the hit with the watering can hadn't completely knocked the first man out, and he now sat on the floor with hatred on his eyes and the gun pointed at Deeks.
The shot came faster than he could have anticipated, and Deeks gasped as he felt the bullet enter his right bicep. The force of the shot knocking him backwards as he put a hand on the wall to steady himself. Letting the adrenaline coursing through his body take over, Deeks blocked the pain, and jumped towards the door. A second shot whizzing past his head and towards the outside world.
Closing the door behind him, Deeks desperately looked around for anything that could help him hold it in place. His eyes settling on barrel of what he assumed to be seeds. Ignoring the blood that had now dampened his shirt, he pushed the barrel towards the door, whispering a variety or curses under his breath as his ribs protested in pain. Settling the barrel in place, in front of the door, he turned around to figure out the second part of his plan.
His newfound hope quickly sank as he noticed that he was in the middle of nowhere. Trees surrounded him to every side, with the only other structure in sight being the cabin that had probably housed whoever owned this garden shed in the past. The car that had been used to bring him here, nowhere in sight.
Hearing voices and movement from inside the shed, Deeks knew he didn't have time to waste. The men would probably regain their wits soon and it wouldn't take them long to escape. Allowing himself a few seconds of silent debate, Deeks' eyes moved between the cabin that could maybe have a working phone, but also the third of the kidnappers, and the forest.
Choosing that he'd rather take his chances in the outside world, Deeks began to run towards the nearest trees, hoping they would obscure his retreating form.
A good 15 minutes into his run, Deeks' eyesight blurred, and he almost stumbled to the ground. His breathing then began to come in ragged as his heartbeat spiraled out of control. Not able to hold his own weight any longer, he promptly collapsed to the ground with an audible groan.
Crawling towards the nearest tree, Deeks panted as the pain in his arm and ribs began to register for the first time in a while. Using all of his remaining energy, he pushed himself upwards until his back came to rest on the trunk of a big, oak tree. The tree making Deeks' mind go back to one Owen Granger and the similar oak tree in which he had finally found peace. Turning sad eyes to both his sides, Deeks wished this place was as beautiful as that valley had been.
Tears quickly obscured his vision as Deeks began to frantically question what was wrong with him. His sluggish thoughts not able to form a coherent sentence, as his fuzzy sight finally settled on the ring he wore on his finger. "Kens, 'm sorry." He mumbled. "I tried." He spoke to no one in particular, as he slumped to the side. Head coming to rest on the ground as his eyesight dimmed, and dark nothingness came once again.
-x-x-x-
Callen and Sam had stayed for a few more minutes, until they decided to head out to the mission to see what Eric and Nell had manage to uncover. Kensi decided to wait until the crime techs finished processing the scene and spent her time dejectedly gathering a few essentials as she had no hope of returning home anytime soon.
A few hours had passed since Kensi's world had been sent into hell, but a bark coming from the door, allowed for some light to filter into her dark thoughts. The agent ran towards Monty, hugging the dog as she looked all over his body, sighing with relief, when she noticed no injuries. Thankfully the men had decided to let the door open and Monty had managed to get away unharmed.
The dog let himself be pet for a little bit before he walked to their room, coming back a few minutes later and staring at his owner. Kensi looked back with apologetic eyes, smiling sadly as she realized she was having a silent conversation with a dog. "I will get him back, I promise." She still said, the words spoken less to Monty and more for her own sake.
Knowing she would probably be away from the house for a few days, and that said house was now a crime scene, she gathered Monty's toys and leash, along with some food, before walking towards their neighbor's house. Luckily the lady was retired so she spent most days at home tending to her garden and was always happy to look over the mutt for them.
The conversation had taken longer than usual, her neighbor understandably concerned because of the intense police presence in her community but Kensi had managed to lie her way through with a tale of a false alarm about a home invasion. Luckily, they had decided to share that Kensi worked in law enforcement but not exactly what type of cases she worked or how national security was usually at stake. And when the lady had asked about Deeks, Kensi had used his well-established cover as a lawyer and said that a case had taken him out of state as he gathered evidence.
With Monty safely at his second home, Kensi got in her SUV to join the boys and wonder twins at the mission. Taking a last, longing look at her house, already missing the safe haven that it had provided, and, especially, the man that had shared it with her.
-x-x-x-
Next time Deeks woke up, a young girl was staring down at him. She had light blue eyes and brown hair, a scowl on her face as she stared down at the man on the ground.
Certain that he must have been hallucinating, Deeks wondered if this was his mind giving him a peek into the future. Gifting him with a reason to fight as his psyche conjured a girl that could very well be his and Kensi's daughter.
The girl then moved a hand towards Deeks, lightly touching his cheek. The sensation feeling way too real for an illusion, so Deeks moved his hand trying to touch her. But the sudden movement frightened the girl, who turned around and ran into the forest.
-x-x-x-
Reaching the mission, Kensi walked straight into ops, finding Callen and Sam standing at their usual spot in front of the central console. She silently walked inside, shooting a sad look at Nell, before settling at her own place, instantly missing Deeks' presence beside her. Their stances in ops all too familiar, but a void felt by all where Deeks should have been standing.
"Anything?" Kensi asked hopefully.
"Nell was just telling us how Sanders was married and had a son…" Callen summarized, allowing Nell to resume her tale without having to start from the beginning.
"… So, we found prison records for the last 10 years detailing visits by the wife, and starting a bit later, also the son. But she filed for divorce a couple of months ago, and…" Nell trailed off, drawing in a deep breath to gather her strength. "Eric found out a marriage certificate that was submitted a month ago. Sander's wife remarried."
"And the visits stopped after that." Eric continued, knowing this was hard information for Nell to share. Not because she cared about Sanders, but because the man had his hands on Deeks and who knew what he was planning to do with him. "A week after that is when Sanders first asked for a transfer in exchange of evidence."
"So, Sanders lost his wife and kid. And now he wants revenge on the men that send him to prison." Kensi said dejectedly, knowing that love could push a man to do the unthinkable. "But why after all this time, why visit him for 10 years, and then suddenly get remarried?"
"That's where it gets worse." Eric hated to be the bearer of bad news. "Apparently, Sanders had set out an account on his wife's name, but LAPD missed it. To their credit, it was set in Switzerland to an alias, and every withdrawal or deposit routed through quite a few servers. We only found it cause… well it's us." Eric still managed to sound proud of themselves.
"We also found social media posts and traffic cam images of Sander's wife with the man she just married starting at least 7 years ago. We still haven't found out where they met or who he is, but we know the relationship is not new." Nell added this time. "We also don't know if Sanders knows who he is and if they're somehow connected."
"Could Sanders have found out about his wife's affair? If it can even be considered that when you're a criminal stuck in prison." Sam wondered.
"That's not all." Nell interjected. "The account was drained two weeks ago. All funds taken out on the same day, and we can't trace where they went. We also haven't been able to locate the ex-wife or kid."
"By how much money was in that account we assume that's all that Sanders had managed to keep hidden after his bust. All the other accounts were found and seized by the LAPD." Eric added.
"Okay, so he lost his wife, kid, and money." Callen reviewed.
"One of those is more than enough to make a man vengeful, all three is more likely to make him a monster." Sam said without thinking. The implications of his words hitting Kensi like a ton of bricks as her face blanched, and her heart ached for her husband.
-x-x-x-
The sound of a rifle being cocked, made Deeks open his eyes again. The mid-morning sun blinded him, and he closed his eyes again, trying to ride a sudden wave of nausea. He could feel a presence over him, and he wondered if the kidnappers had finally found him again. He had no idea where he was or for how long he had run, but lying here exposed on the ground, he had known that it was only a matter of time before he was found. And apparently, his luck had finally run out.
Barely opening his eyes again, he tried adjusting his sight to the light, and little by little the world around him began taking shape. In front of him stood an older looking gentleman that he had never seen before. He wore a pair of muddy cargo pants and what seemed like a hunter's jacket. More surprising however, was the little girl hidden behind him, small arms hugging his legs.
"Who are you?" The man asked sharply, pointing the riffle down towards Deeks' chest.
Deeks swallowed hard as he wondered if this was where his life ended. Closing his eyes for a second, he sent a final, silent goodbye to his family and friends, and an apology to Kensi, before opening his eyes once again. However, the shot never came, as the man continued to look at him expectantly.
At that moment Deeks knew that this was very likely not a hallucination, so he had a choice to make. One that would most likely define the rest of his life, or more so, if he would even have a life at all. Could he trust in a total stranger? Should he open up about who he really was and what had happened to him? Or ought it better to lie or stay silent and just wait to die and hope that it was painlessly and quick?
Thanks a lot everyone for the support you have shown to this story so far, I have appreciated every follow, favorite and review and I hope you will continue to enjoy. Also hope you are all staying safe and healthy, and taking care of one another in whatever way you can.