Chapter 6

Sidorov - Part 2

Activity in the mission was bordering on frantic. Every available person was onsite, divided into teams each with specific assignments and working round the clock to locate the sleeper agents and the nukes that came with them a long time ago.

Deeks, Kensi, Sam and Callen were with the San Diego tactical team at the last known location of one of the sleeper agents. Sam and Callen were poised on the perimeter while Kensi and Deeks were in a car waiting for the signal to go. The plan was to have Kensi approach the front door posing as a neighbor with a package that was delivered in error. The waiting was the worst. Deeks held his wife's hand. He needed to do something, anything, to keep his thoughts quiet. Kensi sensed his agitation and thought back to their dinner conversation from the previous night.

"I cook a delicious dinner and you've got nothing to say?" Kensi had been working hard on her cooking skills. Both Julia and Roberta had taken their daughter (-in-law) under their wing and taught her simple meals she could prepare after a long work day. Tonight was an easy chicken stir-fry that she'd had previous success with. A crisp salad and a bottle of wine made for a nice relaxing, or so she thought, meal.

Deeks was pushing food around his plate, deep in thought. Kensi was getting concerned. "Gordon Ramsay called and asked me to join the staff at his new restaurant as executive chef."

"That's great."

"DEEKS!"

"What?"

"You haven't heard a word I said nor have you said anything about this romantic meal I made for you." Kensi decided pouting might get him to open up. Deeks shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked at his wife. It was if he was seeing her, his plate, the candles, the wine, everything for the first time.

"Oh baby, I am so sorry. Look at you, this table. You went to all this trouble and I am completely ignoring you." He got up, went to her, leaned down and kissed her. "I'm a jerk."

"Yes you are. But you are my jerk. What is going on with you?"

Deeks sat back down, took a sip from his glass. "How well do you know Sam and Michelle?" The question caught Kensi by surprise.

"To be honest, I just know Michelle as Sam's wife. I don't know what job she had before I met Sam. I just know she is a stay at home mom. Why?"

"Something with Sidorov has Sam spooked and I can't put my finger on it and I have nothing else to back it up, but I think it has to do with Michelle."

"I think you are overthinking this. Now come on. I am exhausted and I'm thinking a long, hot bath with my personal back scrubber, will be the perfect way to end the day." Kensi stood up, took her plate to the sink and gave her husband the look that said, "Are you coming or what?" Deeks was quickly on her heels.

"EXECUTE! EXECUTE! EXECUTE!"

Hetty's command set the seven teams in motion. One by one each team basically found the same thing, dead sleeper agents and no nukes. The bodies showed signs of torture and then execution.

Kensi and Deeks were left behind to search the San Diego house. Using the same logic as with James Pierce, the bomb that was assigned to Michael Andrews should be somewhere close. But unlike Pierce, there were no storage facilities nearby.

Deeks, Kensi and the SWAT team took a fine-tooth comb to Andrews' house. Back in OPS, Nell came across a city permit for a cellar for the house only there was no indication that a cellar was added. The house was sitting on a solid slab. Another team member found a set of handles that were used to lift heavy glass. Kensi noticed the minute the lightbulb went off in her partner's head.

"Riverdance!"

"River what?"

Deeks began stomping his way across the sunken living room.

Kensi understood what he was up to and told the rest of the team, "You heard the man, Riverdance!"

The room was filled with stomping the likes of which would make Michael Flatley proud! One of the team noticed a change in sound under the dining room table which was situated several steps up and off to the side of the living room. Table and chairs were quickly moved and the rug tossed aside. Deeks then tapped out a perimeter. The suction handles were put in place and a piece of the flooring was removed to reveal a steel door.

"Well that does not look like a wine cellar."

Carefully, the steel door was lifted. Deeks grabbed a flashlight and what they found was - nothing. No bomb but there were markings suggesting that something was there. The detective dropped down, Kensi handed him a geiger counter and their suspicions were confirmed with the clicking from the handheld scanner.

Kensi got OPS on the phone and Deeks delivered the news. "We find Sidorov?" Sam confirmed he was in LA. "Well that's a good thing. Because he has at least one nuclear bomb."

Deeks was studying Sam. He was having a quiet conversations with Callen and Hetty. Granger was now in the mix. The atmosphere in the mission was like a static electrical storm. Kensi tried to approach Callen to find out what was going on but got waived off. And Granger and Hetty were sniping at each other. What the hell was going on?

He was brought out of his thoughts by Eric telling the two junior partners to meet Sam and Callen outside the boatshed. Callen and Sam were going to pick up an informant, the address was on their phones. Kensi and Deeks were in position, Kensi inside the building and Deeks outside. Kensi was to film Victor Varlamov coming out of the building. Deeks to apprehend him once outside. Simple plan, simple result. Until it wasn't. They saw Assistant Director Granger standing a short ways away glaring at the team. "Let's take a walk Agent Hanna." Sam sighed and walked away with Granger while the rest of the team watched.

Kensi positioned herself so she could lip read the conversation. Deeks watched her. He admired her many skills. Before she could relay what was discussed, the two agents walked back, but not before Sam stopped and shook Granger's hand. Sam announced to Callen that "we're on." Deeks was starting to get pissed. He wanted to tell them all that he was not moving until someone told Kensi and him what the hell was going on.

Callen looked at Sam. "Quinn's ready?" Sam looked back at Granger and lead him inside to show him the plan.

Deeked turns to Callen."Why do I feel like I'm missing a huge part of this?"

"Because you are."

"And who's Quinn?"

"Quinn is what this is all about." With that Callen followed Sam. Deeks and Kensi were left behind wondering when they were going to be invited to the adult table and told what was going on. Deeks picked up a rock and tossed it down the alley. All Kensi could do was reach out and squeeze his shoulder. Nothing made sense.

The plan was to get it and set up surveillance on Sidorov.

Callen was on the roof of the hotel. Granger was outside the lobby door. Deeks was inside the hotel tucked into a corner on the floor where Sidorov was staying. Kensi, with Monty, was in the stairwell.

And action!

When Granger confirmed Sidorov was outside the hotel, Deeks headed to the room. He was to plant a camera in the chandelier. Simple. Except the first camera didn't work and he had to install the backup. As he was just about done, he heard several gunshots. Callen started the sequence to spook Sidorov. Deeks hurried to finish. He finally attached the camera and this one worked. Deeks rushed to get out. He nonchalantly walked passed Sidorov and his entourage. Even brazenly said "How you doing?"

Meantime, Callen was coming down from the roof as two of Sidorov's men came up the steps. Callen grabbed Monty to add to his cover as a guy walking his dog. Kensi then started her fake phone call talking about the guy she saw running down the stairs in time for the goons to hear her. They took her phone, shoved her against the wall and went to their room. Just as it was planned.

Once back in OPS, the team reviewed the video from the hotel. Sidorov was wild and he wanted Kirkin dead. Nell was working on Sam's alias, who was about to be released from prison. Deeks watched the silent communication between Sam and Callen and now it seemed that Granger also knew what was going on. How were they supposed to be a team, back each other up, if everyone didn't know all the facts?

"Sam, are you going to fill me and Kensi in on what is going on? And who is Quinn?" Sam just walked out of OPS with Callen following.

Kensi looked to Granger. "Are you going to fill us in? How are we supposed to do our jobs?"

Granger glared at both at them. "You two keep working through the background on Kirkin. We need to find him before Sidorov does." Then he left the room.

Deeks looked Kensi. "I'm outta here. Let's go get some dinner and take Monty home." He nodded curtly to Eric and Nell and walked out. Kensi offered a mumbled apology and went after her husband. Hetty watched as the detective stormed down the steps with Kensi close behind. She has been watching as tensions were mounting among the team. Hetty needs to figure out a way to quiet things before damage was done.

Kensi laid next to her husband as he tossed and turned. Deeks was still angry when they arrived home from work. She sent him to the beach to surf after dinner, hoping that would release his pent up tension. He seemed better when he came home but was still distant.

She reached over and rubbed small circles on his back. "Baby, come on wake up." She kept rubbing his back, his shoulder.

Deeks finally came around. He turned onto his back and looked at his wife. "I'm sorry Princess. I didn't mean to wake you."

"What's going on with you? You've been angry since the alley."

"I just don't understand why we can't know what is going on with Sam and this person Quinn?"

Kensi had no answer for him, but agreed with his sentiment.

The team was back in OPS on a video call with the FBI debriefing from the raids. The final count was eleven sleeper agents. Three were couples, and all, like the Andrews, were tortured. Four of the agents did not have nukes. Two did plus the one Kensi and Deeks found meant that Sidorov now had three nuclear bombs and an active black market just chomping at the bit to buy them.

The OPS door opened to Granger coming in to join them. LAPD reported finding a female body on the beach of Santa Monica Bay. She had a parking ticketing from the Casa del Mar Hotel - Sidorov's last known location. All Granger could do was say he was sorry.

Deeks looked at Kensi and thought, "Sorry? Sorry for what?"

Sam and Callen left, Kensi and Deeks hot on their heels. The drive to the bay was quiet. Kenis was keeping half an eye on her husband as he stared out the window. She watched him clench and unclench his left fist while he chewed on the tip of his right thumb. She knew his tells. He was replaying previous interactions with Sam. The tension was growing and Kensi was not sure how to diffuse it.

The team approached the yellow crime scene tape. Sam walked directly to the body. Kensi noticed how tense his shoulders were and then how they released when Sam saw who was under the tarp. Apparently it was not who he was expecting.

What happens next was a whirl of angry words, Sam nearly drowning a man, Deeks and Kensi literally pulling their guns on two other guys to keep them from shooting Sam, and Callen pulling Sam off the guy he was trying to drown. What the hell was happening?

Callen came over to Kensi and Deeks. Deeks had had enough as he watched Sam walk away. "This is insane. What the hell is going on?"

Kensi joined them. "If this is a personal thing between Sam and Quinn, just tell us."

Callen rubbed his hands over his face. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Working on the same task force, side by side, seven days a week, months on end, they fell in love." Callen then looked at the two of them. "I'm sure you can understand how that happens."

Deeks looked at Callen in total shock. "You mean Michelle is Quinn? She is CIA?"

Kensi was just as stunned. "Why didn't Sam just tell us? Why would he, they, keep that from us? If anyone would get it, we would."

Callen just shrugged. "It was his, their, story to tell. But probably because Michelle stayed home once the kids came so there was nothing to tell. The only reason she is working now is because of her tie to Sidorov. She was the one who got close. Extremely close. Sam had finally put all of that behind him only to have it ripped open like a scab on a cut." Callen then left them to find Sam.

Kensi and Deeks just looked at each other. Suddenly he didn't care that they were at work. He pulled his wife into his arms and held on for dear life. He knew exactly how Sam was feeling. How he felt everyday working with his wife. He needed to talk to Sam, to give him the support only he can offer as a married man. His perspective just did a one-eighty and although he was still pissed about being kept out of the loop, he could forgive knowing what he knows now.

Kensi could feel the moment Deeks' anger released. She held on to him just as tight. She worried everyday working with him. She still remembered when he tried to beg her to leave him behind when they were in New York City to see Hetty. He would always try to protect her. He knew she could take care of herself. But that's what came with the marriage vows. When she said "I do" she agreed to let him be who he needed to be for her. He in his vows agreed to allow her to be the badass he knew she was. They'd managed to find the middle ground with their work and home life relationships.

But this, this was something way out of the ordinary.

TBC -