"What the hell were you thinking?"
"I didn't know this was going to happen! I just wanted him to relax a little, you know? Loosen up so I could get him to give me a chance."
"Where did you even get it?"
"I found your stash when I was cleaning out the spare room. I didn't think you'd care if I took one."
"Jesus Carly, you're such an idiot. What made you think it was a good idea to drug a cop?"
Deeks tried to blink his eyes open to figure out his surroundings, but it was easier said than done. His head was pounding and disorientingly hazy. The pull to go back to sleep was incredibly strong, but his instincts were screaming at him to stay awake and get away. Moving seemed impossible though, with his unnaturally heavy limbs.
He must've moved enough to draw attention to himself because the arguing suddenly cut off and there was a hand cradling his cheek. Deeks should've tried to shake the hand away, but part of him was aching for the comfort he hadn't gotten for so long. No one had touched him like this for a while. Not sinceā¦
"Jess?" Deeks whispered. The soft hand was replaced with a sharp crack that had him falling onto his side before he could do anything to stop it. The slap hadn't really hurt him, but it had the added benefit of helping clear his mind a little bit. Pieces of his memory were starting to come back into focus and he remembered where he was. "Carly?"
"Oh Martin, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" Carly cried. Deeks could feel the air displace in front of him as she ducked down. "Hearing you say someone else's name made me so angry for a moment, but you were just confused right?"
"Stop playing around and tell me what you think is going to happen here!" Russ shouted from somewhere behind him. Deeks didn't like the idea of being cornered, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He still couldn't convince his eyes to open. "You've really messed up and I'm not gonna go down for this."
"Nothing like that is going to happen. Martin and I are going to talk and he's going to understand why I did this and it'll be fine," Carly rambled, patting his shoulder.
"My God, you always tell me I'm the stupid one and the screw up, but you're delusional. There is no way this ends the way you think it does!" Russ yelled, pushing at something and making it fall with a clatter. That finally gave Deeks the jolt he needed to open his eyes and his sight was nauseatingly blurry. He was tempted to close them again, so he didn't lose his lunch, but it had been hard enough to get to this point and he couldn't go back. A few quick blinks helped clear things up and his vision was immediately filled with the face of his drugger.
"There are those blue eyes I know and love. How are you feeling? I think you're maybe a bit under the weather," Carly said, setting the back of her hand on his forehead. The lie was obvious, but maybe he could use it to his advantage. If he convinced them that he thought he was just sick, maybe they would let him go. The deception was going to be hard though, since he still felt like his brain had been put through a blender, but he'd gotten out of stickier situations while undercover.
"I'm not sure what happened. Maybe it's the flu?" Deeks mumbled, groaning a little for added effect. "I think maybe I should go home, so you don't catch it."
"Don't be silly! You think I care about a little thing like germs? Let me take care of you. I can nurse you right back to health," Carly replied, grabbing his hand and rubbing it against her own cheek. The forced intimacy made him want to throw up, but instead he let a small smile flash across his lips.
"Can I have my phone back? I need to let my job know I'm not feeling well," Deeks murmured.
"Does that mean you want to stay?" Carly asked, looking down at him with hope in her eyes. A part of him felt sorry for her. There was obviously something not right about the woman, but this was still unacceptable. Deeks could think about getting her help later, but first, he needed to get himself help.
"Yes," Deeks breathed out, hoping his answer was believable. The smile on Carly's face told him it must have been good enough, because she started digging the phone out of her pocket. She was about to hand it over before a hand came down and slapped it away, and suddenly Carly was pulled out of his line of vision.
"Are you an idiot? You think he isn't going to call his cop friends to come down here the first chance he gets?" Russ snapped. Deeks forced his eyes to shift over and he saw Russ shaking his sister by the arm and spitting vitriol in her face. He had the instinctive urge to do something to protect her, but he couldn't worry about that now. His phone had fallen to the floor by the couch and if he just reached out a little, he'd be able to grab it and alert someone in Ops.
Deeks put all his focus into making his rubber arms follow his commands and reach for the phone. His movements were a bit jerky and he was skirting the line between too slow and distractingly obvious, but nothing mattered besides getting that phone. Deeks wanted to cry out in triumph when his fingertips finally brushed against his plastic lifeline, but he held it in. Just a few more seconds and he could send out a distress signal and the team would trace him and rush in and save the day. He could worry about how embarrassing it would be when he was safe. Deeks had just unlocked his phone and was about to click out of his chat with Ops when the phone was snatched out of his hand.
"My sister may be a bit naive, but you and I both know how this works," Russ said, sitting on the edge of the coffee table and hovering over him. "I can't let you make that call."
"Russ, think about what you're doing here," Deeks warned, abandoning his plans to butter up Carly for the moment. "Right now, we're just looking at a mistake. If this goes further, it's harder to excuse." Deeks' head was pounding and he wanted to scream in frustration, but he had to keep his cool and the thin grasp he had on his ability to speak.
"The way I see it, there is no way either of us are getting out of here without jail time. Now, I'd be fine. It obviously wouldn't be my first choice on how to spend the next few years of my life, but I'd make it through. But Carly? She wouldn't do so well. Do you have a sister? If you do, you'll know that it's my duty to look after her," Russ explained casually, as if they were old friends talking about something innocuous.
"So what's the plan then?" Deeks asked, needing to know just how screwed he was at the moment. And maybe if he bought himself enough time, he'd gain the ability to get his hand to make the long trek to where his gun was resting at the small of his back. Shooting his way out was looking like the only way he'd get free at this point.
"You know, I like you. You helped me out of a jam last night and you've always done right by me, even when I was being a knucklehead. Don't think I don't appreciate all that. But family is family and I've got to protect my own," Russ said mournfully. Deeks suddenly got angry at the idea that he was going to die alone on this ugly couch. He wasn't sure why the look of the couch mattered right now, but it was just adding to the overall hopelessness of everything.
"Russ, come on man. This isn't you. You always said you don't hurt people, right?" Deeks said, trying to reason with the man. Would he be able to put his pride aside and beg, if that's what got him out of this?
"Russ, you can't hurt him! I love him!" Carly shrieked, punching at his arm. Russ stood up to push away his sister and Deeks took what might be his final chance to turn the tides in his favor. Using all of his strength, he flung his arm around to his back. Luck was finally on his side and his hand landed right where his gun was resting. His fingers were still not as agile as he'd like them to be, but just holding the gun would have to be enough. Most people listened when they had a gun pointed at them.
"Get off me, Carly! You started this, now I'm gonna be the one who has to finish it," Russ snapped, pushing Carly to the ground. Deeks lifted himself up on shaky arms, trying to force himself to his feet so he could get some distance. It felt like he had the worst hangover of his life, but he couldn't let it stop him. If he thought his arms were weak, his legs felt like jello. But still he fought for every inch and got himself upright, locking his knees to keep his newfound position. All he needed was two more seconds to take the safety off his gun, but his miniscule amount of luck had already run out.
Russ turned suddenly, finally noticing his little problem wasn't so immobile anymore. Deeks abandoned the idea of the safety and started to raise the gun to point in his direction. If he pretended the gun was ready to fire, maybe Russ would believe it was as well. The other man either knew the gun wouldn't shoot or didn't care about the possibility, because he charged before Deeks could even think of moving out of the way. There wasn't anywhere to go either way, since he was trapped between the couch and the coffee table.
They went down hard, with Deeks' head barely missing the corner of an end table. Russ was going for the gun, but Deeks held on for dear life. He knew if he lost it, that would be the end for him. They rolled around in the cramped space, knocking into furniture as they both strived for the upper hand. The drugs were still kicking his ass, but he had his training on his side to help. Russ had no recognizable technique, but the lack of impairment gave him a slight edge.
"Don't hurt him!" Carly screeched, and at this point, Deeks didn't know which one of them she was referring to. Russ got in a lucky strike, sending the gun skittering away out of reach. Deeks took the opportunity and his newly free hand to jab at Russ' throat, causing the man to pull back enough for Deeks to land a more solid hit to the man's jaw. Russ fell to the side and Deeks scooted out from under his legs, finally getting free for the moment. Russ was dazed, but not out, so staying on his back was a disadvantage he didn't want to keep.
Deeks decided the best choice was to make a break for it and head for the front door. It was on the other side of the room from him, but the possibility of freedom was giving him a much needed boost. He used the couch to pull himself to his feet and stumbled in that direction, seeing a sliver of his car through the window. He was so close.
A loud shattering noise and sharp pain brought him to his knees and he kept falling until he was flat on the floor. There were black spots in his vision and his last bits of energy and acuity were leaking out of him like the drops of blood rolling down his temple. He let out a moan, knowing that once he closed his eyes, there was no chance they would open again. But there was nothing he could do to stop it. As his eyes slipped closed, a soft voice whispered in his ear.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you."
