The day after Thapa died, I was in Ops with the Wonder Twins, and we were doing everything we can to hunt down X.

"So we do you think we should start?" Nell asked.

"Start at that depot in Nepal. Find shipping manifest." I said.

"And once we do?" Eric asked.

"Nell you follow where they went to after leaving, and Eric you find out where they came from. If there are multiple leads, reach out to this person. They owe me a favor." I said, as I was writing down a number and then handed it to Nell.

"You got it." Nell said, taking the paper.

Nell and Eric sat down at their stations. "Keep working while I speak. Unless we have a case, or Hetty or Granger need you to do something for them, this is priority one." I said, and then head for the exit. I was about to exit, but then I stopped and said. "Let me know the moment you find anything."

"You got it." Eric said, without looking up from his station.

As I was exiting Ops, I turned to see Hetty waiting for me.

"Walk with me." Hetty said.

"After you, madame." I said.

As we were heading to the stairs, Hetty asked. "What are your plans once you find out where X is heading?"

"It's like you said, he's probably heading to Russia to disrupt the government. It's my job to stop it from happening." I said.

"Why you?" she asked.

"Good question. I don't think it's as simple as vengeance for the death of his family. Could I be wrong? Yeah, but when I talked to him a few years ago he didn't get upset when I brought his family into it. I don't even have a clue why he's going after Russia." I said.

"I'll look into the Russian angle, you just prepare your weapons." Hetty said.

"You don't have to tell me twice." I said, and then exited the building.

"What's Deeks up to?" Callen asked.

Hetty turned to see her senior agent approach her from bull pen.

"Mr. Deeks is prepping for a showdown with X in the near future." Hetty said.

"Do we know when, and where?" Callen asked.

"The where, if I had to guess, is in Russia. The when is still to be determined." Hetty said.

"Our job will be to subdue X's men, while Deeks takes care of X himself." Kensi said, joining the pow wow.

"This should be interesting." Callen said.

"Any news on that prison ops?" Hetty asked.

"Everything is still intact for the moment." Callen said.

"You need to move on that, and soon." Hetty said.

"We'll make it a priority when Sam gets back, but we need at least a couple months to get all the pieces into place." Callen said.

"Get on it." Hetty said.

"Ma'am." Callen said, and then he left.

Kensi watch Callen leave, but Kensi was taken back when she saw that Hetty was staring at her.

"Ms. Blye." Hetty said.

"Can I help you Hetty?" Kensi asked.

"Forces are at play, and I can't tell what they want." Hetty said.

"Anything I can do to help?" Kensi asked.

"You can be keeping an eye on your partner." Hetty said, and then walked away.

Kensi was put off by Hetty's cryptic nature, but ignored it for the time being and kept an eye on me. It was pretty quiet the three months while Sam was out, and all the while I kept my ear to the ground for any news on X.

N.C.I.S. L.A.

OPS:Ops-

"What do we have on X?" I asked, upon entering Ops.

"I back tracked the shipment, and it end in the same warehouse where we found the meat puzzle." Eric said, looking up from his station.

"I've been tracking the shipment from Nepal, but it seems that X is onto our search. I keep getting thrown left and right, but I always end up at the same place. Kremlin Square." Nell said.

"What's the projected time of arrival?" I asked.

"Two months." Nell said.

"From what?" Sam asked.

"From today." Eric said, looking up from his station.

I don't hide my irritation, but it was short lived when Eric chimed in. "Oh, I miscalculated. We have less time than originally thought."

"What is it now?" Sam asked.

"By the update calculations the shipment should arrive in Russia by the end of the month, and then June second the shipment is supposed to be dispersed across the city." Eric said.

"It seems that you have enlisted top level hackers." X said, hacking into Ops.

"So glad of you to join the party." I said, but everybody else remained silent.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I had a major firewall to breakthrough." X said.

"This has nothing to do with the repatriation because that is in three days." I said.

"Oh, no. I'm planning something more spectacular, but that won't happen until the fall." X said.

My mind starts running, wondering what X is alluding to, but Kensi asked. "You wouldn't happened to have a date, would?"

"Yes, I do Agent Blye. September seventeenth." X said, and then exited the feed.

"What happened on September seventeen?" Callen asked

"September seventeenth, nineteen fifty-five; the Russian government extended the amnesty that was given to the Cossacks after the death Stalin." I said.

"So, what's the plan Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked entering Ops.

"I have no idea. X just giving us information on a silver platter is, to say the least, disturbing." I said. At that moment something caught my attention. "Nell do we have footage of the feed that just ended?" I asked.

"Hold on, checking the database. No we don't, sorry." Nell said.

"Don't worry about it." I said, pissed that I didn't see it sooner.

"I noticed something strange." Callen said.

"What?" I asked.

"Just before the feed was cut I noticed the Romani wheel on the back wall behind X." Callen said.

"So I did see it." I said.

"But that was the symbol of that terrorist organization that you took down." Sam said.

"You're right, but that symbol belongs to a family that I've encountered at least twice before…unless." I said. I stopped midsentence and thought about the ramifications of this turn of events. I turned to Hetty and said. "Let's go for a drive."

"Okay." Hetty said, and then we exited Ops. We head for the parking garage, get in Hetty's jag, and leave OPS for a quiet place to talk.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Eric asked.

"We have no clue." Sam said.

"Got a lead on the case that you guys are currently working." Eric said.

Kensi, Sam, and Callen all left to run down the lead that was given.

N.C.I.S. L.A.

A random park-

Two weeks later Kensi and I were working out early in the morning. We had this rope apparatus that was wrapped around our waists to give resistance as we ran away from each other. Our work out was winding down, and it was my turn to finish.

"Okay, last one." I said.

"Come on last one. Let's do this. Attack the ground." Kensi said.

"Ah, I can't." I said, as I took off running.

"Attack the ground." she said.

"I don't know why we can't run like normal human beings. This is so weird and unnatural." I said.

"Quit being a Sally. You'll find muscles you never knew you had." she said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. I didn't complete my statement because the apparatus tripped me up, and I practically face planted but I got my hands out in time. As I was being pulled back to Kensi, I said. "I've got muscle in all the right places. I'm a lean, mean, sex machine. Or that's what my lady bird says." Halfway through that statement, my foot slipped out from under me but I caught myself.

"Ha, ha. I never said that." she said, trying to walk back a statement that was said in the privacy of our bedroom.

"You said it to me three days ago." I grabbed the elastic band and pulled Kensi towards me as I said. "You actually whispered it in my ear. You bit said ear, which kind of hurt, but I also kind of liked it."

Huh. Yeah. Well, I take it back." she said.

"You can take it back. I still have the teeth marks in my ear." I said.

"Yeah, I know. I mean I take back saying you're a sex machine." she said.

"Oh, yeah?" I asked.

"Mm-hm." she said.

I stopped for a moment, as a funny thought went through head. "Want me to prove to you right here and now?" I asked.

Kensi paused for a moment, and then said. "Okay. Don't look now, but your five o'clock, woman with a camera." she said.

I didn't look right away, but I turned and look in the general direction of the woman that Kensi was talking about.

"What did I just say? I said don't look." she said.

"What? That looked natural. Unlike you, who is going to stare directly at the woman, and scare her off." I said.

And as I said, Kensi stared directly at the woman, and who realized that she had been made. As she got in her car, Kensi look at her plates, and didn't see one. "No plates." she said.

"Sure she was taking photos of us?" I asked, I didn't hear Kensi's response because my phone had beeped at me.

"Yeah, I mean…I don't know. You think I'm being paranoid?" she asked.

"I think they need us in Ops. Look alive." I said, as I took off running.

Aah!" Kensi gasped, as she was being pulled towards the parking lot.

N.C.I.S. L.A.

OPS: Ops-

Here's the gist of the case that we were working. FBI is attempting to take down a homegrown terrorist cell that was looking to buy military-grade explosives. Everything is good until the van that was transporting the explosives goes up in smoke, and I mean that quite literally. It all comes down to a liability issue. The important part happens shortly after my next statement.

"Wait. So this is about liability?" I asked.

"SECNAV wants assurances that there was no problem with the supply of explosives. If so…
Nell trailed off.

"Other operations could be at risk." Hetty said, finishing Nell's statement.

"And it opens up the DOD to civil lawsuit." I said.

"Are you planning on taking the California Bar for real this time, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked.

"From what I head: three days of hell? I'd rather clean half of Kensi's apartment." I said.

"Keep offering." Kensi chimed in.

"Well, until that time, I'd like you and Mr. Callen to ensure that the Navy's supply of C-4 hasn't been compromised." Hetty said.

"You—It sounded like you said me and Callen." I said, stuttering.

"Deeks and me?" Callen asked.

"Mr. Hanna, I'd like you and Ms. Blye to handle the crime scene." Hetty said.

"Uh, is there any…Mm. Okay I guess we're…" Kensi said, but was cut off by Hetty's glare, and then the three of them walked away.

Hetty and I shared a look, but the image in my head when Hetty cut Kensi off was burned into my retinas. She's hiding something. And If I was a betting man, it has something to do with that woman Kensi and I saw earlier. I thought, but said. "Okay."

A Few hours later, Nell and Hetty are in Ops. The two women were looking at something, what I don't know, but I did see a picture of the woman form this morning at the park.

"Hetty, hey. Listen, we need to…Whoa. What did…? Who's that?" I asked, and before any more question could be asked Hetty ordered Nell to make the picture disappear.

"Uh, who was who?" Hetty asked.

"Don't play stupid with me Hetty, I know you're up to something. The woman on the screen. Who is that? That woman was taking pictures of me and Kensi this morning." I said.

"Oh, damn." Hetty said.

"Hetty, what's going on?" I asked.

"All I can tell you, Mr. Deeks, is that I'm looking into it." Hetty said.

"Uh-huh. Clock is ticking Hetty. You can tell me now, or you can tell me after the woman catches up with Kensi again. And you know that she will catch up to Kensi again." I said.

"She's not at a threat. Well, at this time she's not a threat." Hetty said.

"At this time. We both know that she's just the beginning." I said.

"What's imperative is that you and Ms. Blye stay apart for today. Am I understood?" Hetty asked.

I clear my throat, and stare at the screen. I know that Nell has more details about whatever that woman has to do with me, but I'm not going to twist Nell's arm. That woman will attempt to find Kensi, and I'll find out from Kensi.

"Hetty, it's, um—"

"Mr. Deeks, yes or no?" Hetty asked, cutting me off.

I paused for a moment, and then said. "Yes. With an off-the-record no." I said.

"All right. Good." Hetty said, accepting my answer.

"Okay." I said, and then exited Ops.

N.C.I.S. L.A.

Boatshed-

As the lead FBI agent in charge walked out of the main hall, I said. "So Shah's nephew, Naveed, is up at Victorville. I'm going over there and talk to him, see if he knows anything about his uncle's impending attack." I said.

"All right. I'll go with you." Kensi said.

"Yeah. No. I thinking I'm gonna probably go by myself." I said, scratching my cheek.

"Okay. Last I checked, I had interrogated more terrorists than you. So…" Kensi said, trailing off.

"Maybe the ones we need alive, but that's beside the point." I said

Kensi looked at Sam and Callen.

"Interrogation?" Callen asked.

"Definitely." Sam said, and then they walked over to room One.

"Oh, did I say something? Did we do something wrong?" Kensi asked.

I hesitated a moment, and then said. "I just know that Hetty's worried. And that it has something to do with me."

"The woman I saw this morning. All right. Who is she?" she asked.

"If you can get Hetty to answer that, I actually will clean your apartment." I said, with a smile on my face. Kensi looked away from me, and the look that crossed her face is the same Cortana gave me on a dozen of occasions. It was a look of concern, or to be more direct, one that was introspective. Like she could had done something differently. "No, no, no. Don't do that. Listen, Hetty's looking into it, so let's let her be worried."

"Okay. Um, fine. I'm gonna go check out the auto shop and see what else I can find." she said, and then walked away.

"Hold on a second. Hey." I said. I'm not going send Kensi out there like this. Her head isn't on straight.

"What?" she asked, turning back to look at me.

"You and I we're good. Okay?" Nothing's gonna tear us apart." I said. Kensi didn't answer, but her demeanor softened a little. "Say it. Say we're good." I continued.

"We're good." she said, with a slight smile.

"Okay. Now do me a favor would you." I said, as I walked over to Kensi.

"What?" Kensi asked.

"Hold this for me, would you?" I asked. I leaned in and kisses Kensi on the cheek. When Kensi's face came back into view, she was blushed and hard because her cheeks were blood red. Kensi turned and walked away.

N.C.I.S. L.A.

Out on the street-

Kensi was being followed by the same car she saw this morning. So, Kensi sped up to get some distance from woman, but when the woman tried to catch up to Kensi, Kensi had thrown the SRX in reverse and then parked it sideways. The woman in the car stopped mere inches from hitting Kensi.

"Federal agent. Get out of the car." Kensi said, as she got out of the SRX with her badge in one hand and gun in the other.

The woman got out of the car, and then showed Kensi her badge as well. A detective's badge. "It's okay. I'm a cop." she said.

"Identify yourself." Kensi ordered.

"Detective Jacqueline Rivera, L.A.P.D. Internal Affairs." Rivera said.

"Federal agents aren't in your purview, detective." Kensi said.

"You got that right. Could you maybe lower your gun?" Rivera said. Kensi lowered her gun. "I thought Detective MacLeod was with you. Seems I was mistaken." Rivera continued

"No Detective MacLeod is not with me. What do you want with him?" Kensi asked.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't discuss ongoing investigations with you, Agent Blye. But if you have something you wanna tell me about your partner here's where you can reach me." Rivera said, holding out one of her business cards.

"MacLeod is an upstanding police officer, the best L.A.P.D. has. You're wasting your time." Kensi said, and then turn to get back in the SRX.

"He must be very special to you." Rivera said, still holding out her business card.

"You're not going to find anything." Kensi said, and then took Rivera's business card.

"Maybe not. Doesn't mean it isn't there." Rivera said.

Kensi got in the SRX, and shut the door. Before she drove off, Kensi glared at Rivera.

N.C.I.S. L.A.

OPS: Hetty's office-

Hetty was in the back of her office, making us stew for disobeying a direct order. Not that I give a crap. Kensi was standing up, while I was seating in a chair.

"You ignored my request." Hetty said.

"Well, we're partners and partners work together. So..." Kensi trailed off.

Hetty nodded her head, accepting Kensi answer, but she looked at me or my response.

"Detective Jacqueline Rivera, Internal Affairs. Rivera was just the tip of the iceberg. Next time, they'll come after me in force." I said, placing Rivera's business card on Hetty's desk. It was my turn to give Hetty the hard stare, and then I asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you, Mr. Deeks, until I knew more." Hetty said.

"Mm. So do you know more now?" I asked.

"It would seem that the L.A.P.D., either on their own or with some outside influence, has decided open an investigation into you." Hetty said.

I look down at the floor. My mind is running a million miles a minute, but I can only think of one thing the investigation could be about, and by proxy who it would lead to.

"Why? What for?" Kensi asked.

"For now, they seem to be playing their cards very close to the vest. And make no mistake, they're hunting and they will use everything they have against you." Hetty said.

I don't say anything, but Hetty and I turn to look at Kensi.

"Me." Kensi said, and then sat down in the on the couch.

"I will protect you both the best I can. But if there is anything else that the L.A.P.D. can use against you, Mr. Deeks, now is the time to speak up." Hetty said.

There's only one thing that the L.A.P.D. could possibly be looking into, and that's Boyle's death. Which means if someone digs deep enough they'll find who I'm really trying hide: Tiffany Williams. I thought, but I shake my head and say. "There's nothing."

Hetty knows that I'm hiding something, but shakes her head. Kensi goes from looking at me to looking at Hetty. I give Hetty a look that lets her know that this isn't up for debate.

"All right. Go home, both of you. Watch the shadows. This is just the beginning." Hetty warned.

Kensi had already stood up from the couch. Before I get up from the chair, I reach out and reset the hour glass that was on Hetty's desk. As the first few grains of sand start to pour into the bottom portion of the hourglass, I got up to leave. Kensi and I had already left when Hetty downs the drink she had poured for herself. Hetty stared off into the distance for a beat, and then she whispers. "Oh, bugger."