A Whisper of Regret
Chapter 14
...
The deep rhythmic beat from the approaching helicopter should have given him some relief, but it didn't. Deeks' emotions were in turmoil. He was agitated and angry, and with Scarabaeus dead, he had no one to focus that anger on except himself. He looked back at Elan. His eyes were closed. He was stroking Lily's hair as he held her in his arms, speaking softly to her in Arapaho. They were both so pale, traumatized by their shared ordeal, and had closed him out as they comforted one another.
He walked to the highest point on the stark summit of granite and stared at the cold gray peaks beyond. He was exhausted, but he couldn't shut down his mind or the regrets that swirled there. It had been one of the longest days of his life, and once again he thought of the monster whose life he ended. That death hadn't happened the way they had planned, and his lapse in judgment at the beginning of the day was the reason. Without his mistake three people he cared about would not have suffered unspeakable torment and pain. He wasn't sure what to do with those regrets. He sat down to wait for the answer as the helicopter swept over his head and landed behind him. He found he couldn't move, so remained where he was, letting the paramedics do their job. The backwash from the helo blew remnants of Lily's clothing past him. Her bra stuck briefly to a splash of The Scarab's blood before tumbling out of sight. It made him sick to think it might land on his dead body somewhere down below. With that morbid thought, all remaining energy was sucked out of him and he closed his eyes against the release of any tears.
"Hey, man. You comin'?" A voice yelled out behind him. "We need to go."
Feeling numb and empty, Deeks forced himself to his feet and limped toward the young paramedic.
"You hurt too?" He asked, eyeing his bloody pant leg. "What the hell happened up here?"
Deeks stopped, and the world tilted. He stumbled sideways and fell onto his hands and knees, squeezing his eyes shut to try to stop his head from spinning. When he felt strong arms wrap around him, he let go, not caring what might come next.
...
George Atwood wasn't overly fond of helicopters, but Eleanor Tarver, the owner of the Sugarloaf Resort had offered hers as transport to the hospital in Rawlings. She had been the one who'd called to tell him Joe had been badly injured. At the time she'd had no information on Marty, or Elan and Lily. Jim Littleshield had decided to drive down to Rawlings alone after Soldier opted for the helicopter. But when Eleanor called back, the news that they were all wounded and in bad shape had shaken them, especially Soldier. Even though he had grown into a confident young teenager, he thought his father was invincible, and the news shocked him.
"He is strong, Soldier," Jim said. "We must be strong too."
Littleshield turned and went back in the house and came out with two eagle feathers tied in his braids, and a thunderous look on his face. It was the same look he'd had all those years ago, when they'd found twelve-year-old Elan all alone by the side of a river shivering in the cold, beaten and angry. That look didn't leave his face until after Elan's drunken father had accepted the twelve horses Jim offered for the boy. He was his dead sister's son and George had been afraid of what Jim would have done if the man had refused the offer. Now he was preparing himself once again to be there for his cousins.
Retreating into silence, they got in the truck and drove over to the Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary to wait for the helicopter. While they stood in the visitor center parking lot, he called Kensi, hoping she knew something. He put it on speaker so they would all be able to hear if she had any news.
"Are you with him?" She asked, and even over the phone he could hear the worry in her voice.
"No, not yet," George said. "Have you heard anything? Are they all okay?"
"I called his satphone and a paramedic answered," she said. "He told me they'd just landed at the hospital. I'm on my way to Rawlings right now. Hetty called in a favor and got me a private jet. I'll see you when I get there."
"Kensi? How bad?" He asked, finding it hard to get the words out.
"All the paramedic would tell me was that they had all lost a lot of blood."
"Did they say what happened?"
"He said none of them said much of anything. Said they looked to be in shock," she replied. "I've got a call in to Sheriff Sogard. I'll let you know if I find out anything. Please call me when you see him...all of them."
"They'll all strong men, Kensi. And Lily is tough. They're alive. Hold onto that."
"Thank you, George. I know that, but it's good to hear you say it. See you there."
When the call ended, Soldier looked solemn. "Kensi's scared, isn't she?"
"I'm scared too," George said. "How did one man take down all of them?"
"Joe told me he was an evil man," Littleshield said. "Maybe the devil was helping him."
"Do you really think there's a devil, Grampa Jim?" Soldier asked.
"Remember the story I told you about the Hecesiiteihii?" Jim asked.
"The Cannibal Dwarves?" Soldier asked, looking slightly skeptical.
"Jim...now might not be the best time," George said.
"They are enemies of the Arapaho," he said, ignoring the warning. "They are man-eaters. They like blood. Especially Arapaho blood."
"Jim!" George snapped. "The boy is scared enough already without hearing old folk tales about an Arapaho boogeyman."
"They may be old stories, but it don't mean they ain't true," Jim replied stubbornly. "They would have been drawn to that evil man, especially if an Arapaho was up there in the Snowies."
"Did the bad guy get away?" Soldier asked.
"I didn't think to ask," George replied.
He was glad to see the helicopter making its descent toward the parking lot. The image of weird, evil little dwarves sucking blood from the bodies of his loved ones was hard to get out of his head. He didn't know much about the man chasing Lily, but he had to have been formidable if Elan and Joe had insisted they leave the ranch and come up to the reservation until they got him. Now he wondered if they had, and if not, were any of them safe?
He shouldn't have been surprised that Littleshield would revert to his belief in the Arapaho spirit world as a way to explain what had happened. He was a holy man to many on the reservation. He saw things. He saw otherworldly signs and spirits where others only looked to the cold facts of what they could see and touch. Sometimes his cousin was right. Maybe there were forces beyond his comprehension that filled evil men. Maybe Littleshield was right about the bastard who did this to three strong men and one tough as nails woman. But somehow they had survived and now they needed the comfort of family.
The Medivac chopper was still on the roof when they approached the hospital, so the pilot swooped down over the parking lot and landed in the scrub brush beside it. The flight had been a good distraction for Soldier, but one of endurance for his cousin Jim. Just the fact that he had agreed to get in a helicopter was an indication of just how worried he was about Elan.
They found Sheriff Sogard standing in the middle of the lobby with a phone to his ear. He looked and sounded pissed, and it broke some of the tension George had been feeling.
"I don't care if you're the damn King of France," Sogard growled into the phone. "This is my crime scene and I'm working it whether you want me to or not. It was people I know and care about who were wounded by that maniac. One of them was my deputy. So back the hell off. I already got Interpol on the way, and now you guys. When all of you get here, and address me politely and with due respect, I might be real nice and take you up there."
He held a hand up when he saw them, looking exasperated as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.
"You can talk to them when they're able to talk," he said. "Right now they're in no shape to answer questions from me or from you."
The sheriff rolled his eyes to the ceiling and held the phone out toward them. "Soldier? What the hell is this jerk saying?"
The boy smiled, took the phone and listened before finally replying in French.
"Tu es un idiot. Lily est une bonne personne, et nous ne sommes pas des cowboys, nous sommes Arapaho."
He handed the phone back to Sheriff Sogard and started to walk away, but Jim and George stopped him. He had tears in his eyes and his jaw flexed with anger.
"Yeah? Well apparently some Americans do speak French, Inspector Cadieux. Au revoir," Sogard said. "What the hell did you say to him, kid? The man sounded so pissed he might have peed his pants."
"He was saying awful things about Lily, so I called him an idiot," Soldier said. "He said we were all just a bunch of dumb cowboys messing up an international investigation. So I told him we aren't cowboys, we are Arapaho."
"Yeah...that one stumped him. Thanks for including me," Sogard grinned. "He's flying in tomorrow night with a contingent of French Intelligence personnel. Interpol is sending someone too. It's gonna be a real shit show when they all show up. Wish I spoke French."
"Kensi is coming. She can be your interpreter," George said. "Now...how are they, Tom?"
"I haven't seen them yet, but I corralled one of the paramedics who treated them on the flight in," the sheriff said. "They were all cut up pretty bad, but Joe got the worst of it, and Lily almost bled out. Elan would only answer his questions in Arapaho, so the guy had no idea what he was saying."
"And Marty?" George asked.
"Wouldn't talk at all," Sogard said. "Just stared off into space the whole time. Paramedic said he was in shock and bleeding from a head wound. Probably has a concussion. Had one big long cut on his calf, and was dizzy from blood loss. Said he looked lost."
"We need to see them," Littleshield said. "They need to know we are here. I brought smudge sticks of sage to cleanse them of the evil that touched them."
"Jim...you know the hospital staff is not going to let you burn that in here," Sogard said.
"I just want to see Papa, Grampa Jim," Soldier said, tugging on his arm. "We can have a cleansing ceremony later."
"They might still be in emergency," Sheriff Sogard said and led them down the hall.
They pushed through the doors of the emergency department and heard a violent crash of metal. The curtain to one of the cubicles was suddenly pushed aside and a nurse backed out, yelling for security. Loud shouts in Arapaho sent Soldier and Jim rushing inside. Elan had a frightened doctor pushed against a wall. Blood streaked his half naked body and he seemed disoriented and angry.
"Papa?" Soldier walked calmly toward him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Littleshield spoke softly in Arapaho as he pulled his nephew away from the doctor.
"I was just trying to clean his wounds so I could suture them," the young intern said.
"Soldier? Uncle Jim?" Elan whispered, then became agitated again. "Where's Lily? Have you seen her? They won't tell me where she is."
"You were asking in Arapaho, Papa," Soldier said.
"I was? I didn't know," Elan said, looking confused. "I can't lose her."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't understand him," the intern explained. "The woman was taken up to surgery about fifteen minutes ago. I assure you, sir...she's alive."
Elan stumbled back against the gurney and Soldier wrapped his arms around him so he wouldn't fall. Once he was back on the gurney he began a soft chant in Arapaho. Jim looked at George and then at the sheriff and defiantly pulled out a smudge stick and lit it. The intern started to say something, but thought better of it. With the smell of sage and soft chants in Arapaho, George turned to the doctor.
"What about Joe Atwood?" George asked. "And Marty Deeks."
"I know Joe. He's a good man," the intern said. "I didn't even recognize him when I saw him. He was busted up pretty bad. It made me mad to see him like that. Whoever did that to him should be shot. Sorry, Sheriff."
"Don't apologize. I agree," Sogard said. "The guy was shot and killed by one of your patients."
"Oh... Well good. He got what he deserved," the young doctor said. "Joe's in surgery, Mr. Atwood. I called his wife. She's in the waiting room upstairs."
"And Marty?"
"The guy that looks like a surfer? I'm sorry. I don't know where he is," the intern said. "Nurse Colletti here put seventeen stitches in his leg, and four in his scalp. When she was done, he just got up and walked out. She told him he needed a cat scan, but he waved her off and left."
"He didn't say a word the whole time," Nurse Colletti said.
"He saved us, George," Elan said. "Lily would be dead if he hadn't gotten there when he did. He killed that bastard. Find him, George. He's blaming himself for what happened to Joe."
The doctor and the nurse looked stunned by that revelation, but George was grappling with the choice he had to make. Should he stay with Joe, his son by blood, or search for a man he had taken in and unofficially adopted? Joe was hurting physically, but Marty was suffering emotionally, taking on blame like he had the first time he'd met him. Guilt is a powerful emotion. George knew that from personal experience. Watching people you care about suffer unspeakable trauma can inflict emotional damage that is hard to overcome. He wasn't surprised Marty blamed himself. He was prone to that, because he expected so much of himself. Something had happened today that had caused him to carry that guilt now, and George needed to know what that was. Marty needed to unburden his soul to someone. Kensi wouldn't be here for a few hours, and his brothers here were fighting their own battles.
"I'm the only one he's got right now," he said softly.
"We'll watch over Joe," Jim Littleshield said, handing him a smudge stick. "I know you think burning sage is a lot of hooey. You have never believed in the old ways, but take it anyway. Marty might need something more than just words if the devil was up there with him."
"Where do you think he went, Grampa George?" Soldier asked.
"To the ranch," he replied.
"He'll be with his mare," Elan said. "A buckskin mare saved his life this morning. Maybe he remembered that."
"I'll go up and see Di before I leave," George said.
"Mind if I come along?" Sheriff Sogard asked. "I'll stay out of your way until he's found his footing, but I need to piece this thing together before law enforcement from all over Europe arrives demanding answers."
"You can come, but stay clear until he's ready to talk to you," George said firmly as Sogard followed him out into the hall. "It's obvious he went through hell. They all did. So don't charge in there firing questions at him or you just might end up on your ass in a pile of horse shit."
"You threatening me, Mr. Atwood?" Sogard grinned.
"Take it whatever way you want," he replied. "I'm only interested in helping Marty get through this. Don't get in the way of that."
"Fair enough."
Joe and Lily were both still in surgery when they left. The drive down to the ranch was made mostly in silence after Sogard filled him in on what he knew, which wasn't much. It had literally been a blood bath. He wasn't sure if reliving it all was the answer, but the only thing he could think of was to get Marty to do just that.
As they drove along the fence line to the ranch house, he noted things that needed fixing. There was always that on this old place. He had left a few of the horses in the pasture, and they raised their heads as they drove by. Even though the late afternoon sun lit up the grasses and the new leaves on the aspen, the air was cool. There had been a brief snow flurry a few days ago, which wasn't unusual for spring. This was his favorite time of the year. They had a couple of new foals, but they would be in the barn with their mothers. He was glad to be home so he could check on them himself.
"He's here," George said as they parked in front of the house.
"How do you know that?"
"The dogs aren't on the porch," he replied. "They'll be with Marty."
"So where do you think he might be?"
"You stay here," he said as he climbed out and stretched out the kinks of tension in his neck and shoulders. "I'll check the barn. If he's in there don't come barging in. I need time to help him get his head straight."
"I understand," Sogard replied. "Besides, I have no interest in my ass smelling like horse shit anytime soon."
"Door's open. Make yourself at home," George said and strode off toward the barn.
He found him in Sheila's stall, sitting where he himself had sat years ago when he thought they had lost him. Three of the dogs lay side by side in the hay nearby while Boo, Marty's yellow Lab, had her chin on his leg watching him. His big mare, Sheila, had her head pressed against his chest as he fondled her ears and combed his fingers slowly through her forelock.
"Hello, son. She missed you."
His eyes were glazed with tears when he looked up and his heart went out to him. He'd seen him at his lowest and at his best. This was somewhere in between. And it was painful to see. For such a strong man, there was a vulnerability about Marty that had touched him from the beginning. He cared about people, especially those he called family. Now he felt he had let down a close member of that family, and it had left him heartsick. George sat down in the hay beside him and waited for him to talk first. He had trained horses for most of his life, and had learned to have patience and a gentle hand with them. He did the same with people, unless they proved they didn't deserve the kindness. So he waited quietly, letting him adjust to his presence and remember that no matter what he said, he wouldn't be judged. He'd told him that years ago, and he was saddened to think he might have forgotten.
"I screwed up, George," Deeks finally said, his voice as broken as he looked. "And it almost got Joe killed. He got cut up and almost dragged to death because of me. How do I live with that?"
George was shaken by the blunt description of what Joe had suffered, but tried not to show it. "You ask his forgiveness, son, and go on from there."
He shook his head and turned his face away. "Have you seen him?"
"No. He was still in surgery when I came to find you."
"You should have stayed with him."
"He's with family," George said. "You're the prodigal son. I needed to find you."
"When we finally got to him...he looked so bad I thought he was dead. I've seen him in worse shape, but this time it was my fault and that hurts."
"You've always been too hard on yourself, son," George said softly. "I'll listen if you want to talk it through."
He shook his head again and remained silent. George let him be, for a while anyway. But he needed to know what happened just as much as Sheriff Sogard. Whatever it was had struck at the heart of his family, and none of them would heal if they couldn't hold all of it up to the light and come to terms with it.
"Son...I know you feel guilty..."
"Hell yes I feel guilty. I'm angry, dammit. Angry for being stupid. Angry for being suckered into a trap by a woman I shouldn't have trusted," his voice cracking and loud. "I knew who we were up against, George. And I left Joe alone and unprotected."
"Tell me the whole story, Marty. Step by step," George said. "Maybe it will give you some clarity."
"You're debriefing me now?" He sounded angry when he said it, but George didn't want to overreact, even if the comment pissed him off.
"If that's what you want to call it. I just want to understand why Elan was so shaken that he could only speak Arapaho. He almost throttled a doctor trying to find out where Lily was. He was asking in Arapaho, Marty. I've never seen him like that, so I want to know what happened on that mountain, son. And you need to tell it."
"Did Lily make it?" He asked in a whisper.
"She's in surgery too."
"I don't know how she lived through what that psycho did to her," he replied. "I know what evil is. Up close. We both know what that looks like. But this guy, Scarabaeus...he was like a demon from hell itself, and Lily and Elan were his offering. It scared the crap out of me, George, because I believed him."
Before George could say anything, Sheriff Sogard leaned over the half door, startling them both. Marty pushed away from his mare and struggled to his feet.
"You brought the sheriff?" He choked out. "Why? It was a good shoot."
"I have no doubt about that, Deeks," the sheriff said calmly. "But I just got some good news from the hospital I thought you'd want to hear. Joe is out of surgery and in recovery. The surgeon said it went well. He has a broken ankle, three broken ribs, a hyperextended knee, and some serious cuts and bruises all over his chest and arms. Quite a list, but the surgeon said he's confident he'll make a full recovery."
"Thank God," George whispered, and reached out to Marty, who wrapped him in a hug.
"I knew he was tough when I hired him, but I'm sorry he had to prove it like this," Sheriff Sogard said.
"What about Lily?"
"Not so good, Deeks," he replied. "She's in the ICU. They wouldn't give me any details, and from what I understand, she might be there a few more days. Her blood loss was significant."
"Does Elan know?" George asked.
"Don't have the answer to that," the sheriff replied. "But I would like some answers about what went on up there today."
"Did you find his body?" Deeks asked.
"His body landed in a pile of massive boulders at the base of that granite cap. Had to have climbers come up from the bottom. It took some time to reach him."
"Should have left him there," Deeks said angrily. "He doesn't deserve a decent burial."
With that he pushed his way past George and Sheila followed him out into the open barn where he began saddling her.
"Where you headed, son?" George asked.
"The creek," he mumbled.
"Want some company?" George asked. "You still need to talk this out."
"Then get the sheriff a horse, cause I'm only telling this once."
The three men rode out facing the late afternoon sun with all four dogs trotting along beside them. George could feel the tension and waited for the explosion he knew would be coming. Half way to Little Jack Creek, Deeks reached up and touched the stitches on the side of his head. His screaming yell jolted Sogard's mount and he fought to stay seated. George reached for Marty's arm, but he was gone before he could even touch him, spurring Sheila into a headlong rush to the creek.
"Didn't see that coming, but I'm guessing you did," Sogard said, pulling his horse around in a circle until it calmed down. "Should we go after him?"
"In a minute," he replied. "He'd beat himself up if he could. A hard ride is a good release for the emotions he's dealing with."
"One of my deputies saw the body. Said Deeks unloaded a full clip into that sonofabitch," Sogard said as they started after Marty. "That can indicate rage. But according to my deputy, the bullets were all center mass and tightly grouped. He somehow maintained control in spite of what he saw."
"But he's still holding onto the anger and the guilt. He has to let them both go, or he'll keep it all inside. That's never good. Don't pepper him with questions, Tom. He needs to tell us in his own way, because what happened to him up there was deeply personal and troubling."
When they reached him he was sitting with his back against the trunk of an old downed tree staring at the creek. George got down and stepped over the log to sit down beside him. The sheriff straddled the tree so he was looking at Deeks. They watched the creek for a while, before George encouraged him to tell the story, and finally he did. His voice was soft and sometimes hard to hear over the rushing water. He spoke haltingly at first, describing a pale horse coming out of the fog and the woman who helped the man he called a monster. He remembered being gagged, but then nothing until Elan cut him off the back of the horse. The pace of the story increased as he told of their rush to track down Joe. George could feel the intensity of emotion they must have all been feeling when they finally found him alive. His own anger flared when he described how Joe had been tied down.
"You okay, George?" Marty asked. "I'll stop if you want."
"No, son. Go ahead. I can take it. You need to get it out, and I need to understand what Joe went through," he said, no matter how much it hurt to hear.
Deeks hurried through the part about his slow climb up the mountain after Lily was taken. He'd expected to find Elan with the man dead at his feet, but when he got close and saw Scarabaeus standing over the two of them, he became enraged. Then he stopped talking, unwilling to go into detail. With encouragement he started once again, but only to blame it all on himself for being taken in by the woman with Scarabaeus.
"I should have known it was a set up," Marty said.
"How could you?" The Sheriff asked. "You followed your instinct."
"You thought she needed help," George said. "You're intentions were good, son. Never apologize for wanting to do to the right thing."
"Her name was Shelley DeMarco," Sogard told him. "We think she's the one who killed her husband."
"Lily didn't think it was Scarabaeus," Deeks replied. "She was a good actress. I'll give her that. She helped him and he killed her anyway."
"Her husband's family comes from Chicago," the sheriff said. "I was the one who gave his brother the news. They weren't big fans of Shelley, but they wanted me to thank you for killing the man who got her into this. According to some info I got from one of Joe's friend in the FBI, the family has Mafia ties."
"Awesome. Think I could become an enforcer for the mob?" Deeks asked with a soft grin, bending his nose sideways.
"That's not you, son," George said. "Now tell us what scared the hell out of you up there."
He clawed his fingers through his hair and George reached over and laid his hand on the back of his neck. He groaned softly and began to talk, whispering out the details of how Lily and Elan had been tied together. He told them about Scarabaeus. What he looked like, his scars, what he did and what he said.
"I've never believed the devil existed until I heard him speak those words."
The two men were stunned into silence, and George stared into the creek, knowing how close they had all come to being overcome by an evil force. Normally he didn't believe in ghosts or evil spirits, but this time he decided to listen to his cousin, Jim Littleshield. He pulled the smudge stick out of his pocket and the sheriff lit it for him. George knew a few of the Arapaho chants from the cleansing ceremony, and he sang them as he waved the smoke from the sage over and around his son. Sometime reason alone can't free you from the grip of the unfathomable.
...
Epilogue
...
"As soon as I'm up and out of this bed, I'm kicking your ass, Marty Deeks," Joe said with a quick grin.
"I don't blame you, brother," Deeks said.
"He's kicked his own ass enough, son," George said. "Leave him be."
After three long days in the hospital, Joe and Elan were doing well. Lily had been moved into a private room, but remained quite weak. She was finally growing talkative, and began asking questions about the things she couldn't remember. Elan was rarely in his room, spending most of his time in hers. Soldier became the messenger between them all, bringing requests and sharing news within the family. So when he darted into Joe's room, the only surprise was the look on his face.
"You better come, Uncle Deeks," he said. "I think Kensi is gonna shoot those French guys."
"Why? What did they do?" Deeks asked.
"They want to take Lily back to Paris tomorrow," he said. "I think they want to put her in jail."
"Where's Elan?" Joe asked.
"Lily asked Grampa Jim to take him back to his room to rest," Soldier replied. "She's worried about him. Then the gendarmerie showed up. I couldn't keep up with what they were saying, but Kensi got angry real fast."
"The French are lucky Elan isn't there," George said.
"But Kensi is," Deeks said. "She's probably scared their cronuts off by now."
"Go save them, Marty," Joe said. "We don't need another international incident in Carbon County."
Everything had changed for him when Kensi arrived. When he got back to the hospital that first day, just seeing her calmed him. Her kisses weren't bad either. She didn't ask him anything, she just hugged him and held him close for a long time. She was with him every step of the way as he visited Joe, Elan and Lily in their hospital rooms. By the time they left, he was exhausted, falling asleep on the way back to the ranch. Her warm, tender kisses woke him the next morning and they had talked as they lay in bed. Every time he spoke of feeling guilty, she had stopped him with a kiss, until he would say it just to get more kisses. They ended up laughing and making love. He fell asleep in her arms, only waking to the smell of bacon. Now, three days later, he was rushing to find out what had made her so angry, and wondering if she was armed.
"Soldier? Go get your dad," He said as he pushed open the door to Lily's room. "Kens?"
Everyone was shouting and arguing in French, and he didn't understand a word of it. Kensi stood between Lily and three well-dressed men from French Intelligence. When he heard the name Scarabaeus, he touched Kensi's arm as he stepped up beside her, facing the Frenchmen with subdued anger
"Listen. Could you please speak English? My wife is a terrible teacher, so I only know how to say hello and goodbye, and order a croissant," Deeks said. "Now tell me what the problem is."
"This woman is our agent," the oldest Frenchman said. "A rogue agent. She must return to Paris and face an inquiry."
"For what?" He demanded. "For helping to bring down a sadistic assassin you couldn't catch?"
"And who are you to speak to us in this way?" A sharp nosed man asked.
"I'm the guy who killed the sonofabitch."
"You are Agent Martin Deeks?" The older man asked.
"That would be me," he replied. "Now what should I call you guys?"
"That pompous old ass is Chief Inspector Cadieux," Lily said.
"Sorry, I don't have a good ear for French pronunciation. So was that Inspector Clouseau...like Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther?" Deeks asked with a cocky grin.
"I am the Chief Inspector," he huffed out. "My name is Cadieux, not Clouseau, and that movie is an affront to our great country."
"It was a little insulting, but come on...it was funny," Deeks laughed, noticing one Frenchman trying very hard not to smile.
"Are the others allowed to speak?"
"I am Inspector Moreau," said the one who smiled. "And no, monsieur. I am not a doctor, and do not have a secret island."
"Good to know you didn't bring any super creepy manimals with you," Deeks replied.
"I am Inspector Vachon," said the shortest man among them. "Enough of this nonsense, Agent Deeks. Mademoiselle Roche must return to France immediately. She left her post without authorization and must answer for that."
"Do you want to go back to Paris, Lily?" Deeks asked, keeping his eyes on the inspector.
"No, I do not, mon ami."
"You're not planning to send her to the guillotine are you?" Deeks asked casually. "I mean that would be kind of harsh, considering the guys from Interpol want to give her a medal. Even Germany wants to honor her...and the Amsterdam police want to give her a special commendation. I heard the Italians have already named a pizza after her...that may just be in my head, but I think it's a damn good idea. Think about it, gentlemen. It would make for some pretty bad press for France if you were the only guys not celebrating what your own French Intelligence officer did to bring down the most wanted assassin in Europe. Go home. Pop some champagne. The Scarab is dead. Take the credit before the rest of Europe beats you to it."
After a flurry of French, Kensi was smiling, and so were two of the Frenchmen. But that was before Elan limped in. He towered over the men, and was definitely not happy. His first few words were in Arapaho, confusing the men and scaring them into taking a step back.
"C'est un sauvage," Cadieux whispered, causing Soldier to yell at him and call him an idiot in perfect French.
"Scarabaeus called me a savage too," Elan said. "He had tied Lily and I together so tightly we couldn't move. He slit her wrists to make her bleed. He wanted her to die slowly. To watch as he tortured me to death. We were to become his masterpiece. He called us The Parisian and The Savage. And now you rudely disrespect me with the same word he used. So I have to ask...which one of us is the savage? We don't deserve to be judged by you. We deserve peace. Lily deserves to enjoy life on her own terms. Not yours. She is not going back to Paris. She is staying here with me."
Jim patted his back and he stopped talking.
"I am Jim Littleshield, an Arapaho elder. This is my nephew, Elan Hand. He is a warrior. So is Lily Roche. We will not let you take her. Take that devil Scarabaeus back with you. Show his body to the world. Let the people know this evil man will not trouble them again."
"You'll sleep better if you do," Deeks said. "Leave Lily here with her new family. She wants nothing more to do with French Intelligence."
The Frenchman spoke among themselves and then shook hands with Jim Littleshield, but avoided Elan. They spoke to Lily in French. She nodded at what they said and was civil, but wouldn't shake their hands. After they left she began to cry, smiling through her tears.
"C'est fini. Je suis libre."
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Thanks to all for the kind reviews. Sorry I couldn't respond to those who offered their comments as guests. I appreciated every word. Until next time...Sweet Lu.