James's P.O.V.

I absolutely love getting ready for a mission. It pumps me up so much when I strap on guns, and a vest and several nick-knacks that help me on the mission. Almost all the time I am pumped. This time however, I was not. Not a second after realizing where Kendall was, I went into action. I turned my emotions off and went right into special agent Diamond mode. Which meant if anyone tried to stop me, or get in my way, I was going to commit murder. This mission was a lot more different that all my other ones. Only because the sole purpose of it, was to rescue my best friend and partner. I couldn't let one thing fuck this up. And as I tightened the black strap around my right thigh that was going to hold up a gun, I glanced around the huge room full of several agents and felt nervous. What if something did go wrong? What if by the time I got there, Kendall was dead? Or what if Steven was waiting for me to get there, to kill Kendall in front of me? Either scenario would most likely kill me. "James." I stood up straight and looked down to my vest hearing Carlos stop right in front of me. "Someone is…" I looked up fast and pulled tight on the straps on my chest to tighten the vest.

"I have to give this briefing." He swallowed hard but nodded as I walked past him, clenching my jaw hard. Several agents watched me and moved out of my way as I walked up to the front of the room where a white board was set up, along with a table with a laptop on it. The laptop was connected to a monitor and on the wall adjacent to me, the laptop screen appeared. It was showing a map of the winery we were going to, where Kendall was. And it also showed Kendall still tied to the chair in some room. I looked at the screen seeing Kendall's head back but his chest still rising. He was still alive. "Alright guys…" I looked away from the screen fast and looked out at the huge crowd of people in front of me. "As you all know for the past week or, so we have had several agents go rouge to help a deranged, ex-employee, Steven Miller." I gently hit the enter key on the laptop and every head turned to the wall that the laptop screen was on. It was a picture of Steven, in a suit, from when he worked for the C.I.A. still. "We now know that the reason he is blowing up government buildings and killing and kidnapping agents, is because a terrorist group, Arabic, has offered him millions of dollars to get security codes to infiltrate our security system and still money, weapons…whatever they can get their hands on." I saw a few guys shake their heads as they looked back to me and I hit the enter key again. I looked back to the wall and swallowed hard now seeing Kendall's C.I.A photo of him in a suit, no smile on his face. Typical Kendall. Next to his photo was his bloody, hurt body tied to a chair. "This morning, Steven took special agent Kendall Knight in hopes to get money out of the U.S. government and in return, he will not give codes to his Arab friends. We are going to go into this building…" I hit enter again and the map came back up of the winery. "Do a sweep of the building. Put as many rouge agents into custody as we can and bring Knight out alive." I looked back to the crowd, all of them staring up at me, pissed off looking. "We will have our special forces team go in first and hand over money, but as soon as we see Knight, we will all be going in and taking care of the situation. Under no circumstance is any agent to leave that building unless in handcuffs. And as the saying goes…ask questions before you shoot. But if you must shoot…"

"Make it count." It was a loud chorus around me from all the agents that made me smile.

"Alright…I've divided us up into three separate group. Special forces is taking 15 of you in first, while group Bravo…" I looked up seeing the agent I put in charge of one of the teams, raise his hand, a smug smile on his face. "Goes around back and give group Charlie…which is mine…the all clear to follow in after Alpha. Any questions?"

"No sir!" I nodded once tot eh commander of our special forces team, which consisted of big bad dude wearing SWAT gear, helmet included. He nodded back to me and turned whistling loud to get his team to leave the room. When they started walking out the remaining agents started to form around either the table I was in front of or the agent in charge of Bravo. I sighed looking down at the screen seeing Kendall still in the same spot, unmoving except for his chest rising and falling. It made me sick to my stomach.

"Agent Diamond?" I remained looking down grabbing a piece of paper with my teams' names on it and hummed quietly. "That's the welcome I get?" I looked up fast and for the first time in a while a genuine smile spread across my face. But it faded fast when the man standing in front of me, looked to the wall with Kendall's injured body on it. "What the fuck happened?" I cleared my throat loudly and walked around the table seeing Carlos standing behind, smirking. Donald Knight…Kendall's dad.

"Sir I…" Donald turned to me and smiled small but shook his head. "It's good to see you."

"Remember that happy feeling when Jennifer sees you." I sighed out looking down as I stopped in front of Donald putting my hands on my hips. "What's the likelihood of you letting me come on this mission?" I laughed looking up and shook my head.

"Slim to none. You retired Sir. And you are way too close to it. Seeing as he's your son and all." He laughed and gently clapped my shoulder looking over to Carlos. I looked at him too and saw him wipe under his right eye as he looked away from Kendall on the wall. "I'm going to bring him back. I promise." Donald and I looked back at each other and he nodded letting my shoulder go.

"I know you will Diamond. Be careful doing it though. We need you to come back too." I nodded looking back to Carlos who was staring right up at me. "Well…I'll let you get to it. I'll go sit with my future son in law and grandkids." I laughed as Donald turned and grabbed Carlos's shoulder pushing him to the door.

"You met Logan?" I quickly motioned every agent out of the room and let them all walk out first, getting beside Donald, watching as all the agents walk out, talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Yes, and Jennifer is already obsessed with uhm…is it little Gabriel?" I nodded as Donald looked down to me shaking his head. "The kid seems pretty calm considering."

"He's not." Carlos and I both said it at the same time making Donald laugh.

"Well I'll sit with them all…and wait very impatiently for you to return with my son." I nodded slowly following out after the last few agents Donald still beside me. "Please be careful James. For my son and for yourself." I walked out into the huge hall but stopped as Carlos got beside me grabbing my arm. "I'll go fill them in on everything. Take care of yourself." I nodded letting Donald clap my shoulder again before he turned and walked through the thick crowd of agents waiting for my order. I opened my mouth to tell them all to head out, but I was shoved hard by Carlos and pushed back into the briefing room. I glared at him as he slammed the door shut and gave me wide tearful eyes.

"I don't feel right about this James." I softly grabbed his face and pushed into him, pressing my lips into his forehead. "Please…why do you have to go?"

"Because he's my partner. Kendall would do the same for me." He threw his arms around me hard and squeezed me shaking his head. "I'll be alright. DO you see all those guys I have covering my ass? I'll come home to you. I promise babe." He gasped quietly shoving harder into me, just as there were three soft knocks to the door. "I love you so much Carlos. But I have to go." He nodded against my chest, and let me go, turning. He pulled the door open hard and stepped out, pushing out past the agent who was knocking. I breathed in hard and deep and also walked out clearing my throat loudly to get everyone to clear the area, so I could walk through.

In a matter of two minutes, we had several SUV'S pulling out of the garage in-route to the winery my best friend was being beaten in. I got in the passenger side of one of those SUV'S and had them put up the live feed of Kendall on our dash, so I could make sure they didn't kill him. As we drove out of the garage, and I silently loaded one of my many guns, I glanced out my window and felt my heart break. Carlos and Logan were walking out of an elevator both tears running down their faces. I locked eyes with Logan who covered his mouth with one hand, while Carlos gripped his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. I looked away fast knowing Logan could very well break my walls down as easily as Carlos and cocked my gun sitting back.

The winery was about 20 minutes away from where the office was. About 5 minutes after we left, I watched in horror as a man, never showing his face, came into the room with Kendall and took the knife out of his thigh, only to shove it into his other thigh, not once or twice. But three times. After the third time, and after hearing Kendall scream into the gag in his mouth, the man left the knife in his thigh and hit him at least five times in the face. I wanted to look away, because I hated seeing the blood dripping out of his face and legs, but I couldn't. I had to let myself get pissed off. I had to continue to give my brain reason to go inside this building and kill every last ex-agent and thug who did this to my best friend. Because while many people have said it, I'm the rational one in my partnership with Kendall. He's the loose cannon who shoots first, asks questions later. I feel like this time…I should be more like him in that respect.

I continued to watch the blood body of my best friend whimper and thrash around gently and slowly in pain, all the way to the huge black gate in front of the winery. Several of our SUV's were parked somewhere else, hidden from the huge building and property but I had the one I was in, along with one more, go right to the gate. As soon as we stopped in front of it, Steven came onto the picture on the dash. He waved at the camera and walked right to Kendall. I clenched my fists down at my thighs as Steven put his right hand on Kendall's bloody thigh. It looked like he pressed down on it hard, making Kendall lean forward and groan loudly in the gag. Kendall fell back, slumping in the seat and Steven smiled walking to the wall behind Kendall. With his back to the camera I saw he had two guns placed in a holster under his arms. Other than that, I could see no other weapons on Steven. That was a good thing. However, when he walked away from the wall and turned back to the camera, smiling evilly, that one good thing disappeared. He had written on the whit bricked wall, in Kendall's blood, 'come in'. The gate lurched open hard and slowly in front of us making me jump slightly. I gave the okay to move forward, with one hand movement and watched the screen still. Steven looked away from the camera, to something off screen, to the left. His eyes shifted a few times and I suddenly realized what he was looking at. He had cameras. He was watching us. He probably saw how many people I had with me. Which meant he had an advantage. Which meant I needed to think so something different and new, fast. "Sir?" I quickly clicked on the ear piece in my right ear and looked over to my driver shaking my head.

"Everyone stand down for the time being. I repeat stand down." I took my finger off the button in my ear and watched the screen. Steven's head tilted to the side as his eyes continued to shift. I swallowed hard and put my finger back on the button on my ear. "Alpha team…give me exactly two minutes to go in and try to guarantee agent Knights safety. If you don't hear anything from me in two minutes, light it up and bring in Bravo and Charlie with you."

"Copy." I tore my seatbelt off and slide out of the car turning to look at my driver.

"If he moves…either of them. Tell me." He nodded once and looked to the screen swallowing hard. I quickly slammed my car door shut and walked around to the back of the SUV opening it. I grabbed two huge duffels and threw them to the ground. I then grabbed the last three before looking at the other SUV. I nodded to the back door on the passenger side and it opened fast. "Two of you, help me bring these bags inside and then go right back out here." The guy got out slowly but nodded. I shut the back door and watched as the guys opened the back of their SUV and grabbed five more duffels. I picked up three of my own and walked up to the huge, dark looking building swallowing hard. I walked past a palm tree, remembering that was where that picture on my desk was taken. It made me angry.

After pushing the doors open hard to the restaurant of the winery, I threw the duffels on the ground and glanced around. It was empty. The two agents set the bags down and quickly ran back out. I waited, in silence for them to come back and once they did, I gave them one simple nod to ask them to leave. When they did, they shut the door softly behind them and I looked around at all the empty table around me. I swallowed hard opening my mouth looking over to the bar, just as a door opened up to the left of me, somewhere down the way. "Sir…Steven just left the room with Kendall with him." I swallowed hard feeling my nerves creep up as I heard a low groan followed by heavy footsteps. I turned my head to the sound and sucked in a hard breath. Steven was walking to me, dragging Kendall beside him. Kendall wasn't walking. He was literally being dragged by Steven. He was up right but Steven was doing a lot of the work to bring Kendall out to him. Kendall's head was back but I could still hear him groaning. Up until Steven stopped about 10 feet from me, a table in-between us.

"Jesus Christ James…I was not expecting this. You kind of threw a monkey wrench into my plan here."

"Which was?" Kendall's head raised slowly, and I locked eyes with him. Well as best as I could. His eyes were pretty swollen and bruising. He didn't look good. But he was still alive.

"Well I assumed you were going to have all sort of agents rush in and start shooting and shit. But…just you, coming through the front door, mind you, with what looks like 10 bags full of cash? It's made me rather confused." Kendall groaned again as Steven gently let his body go, and he fell to the floor. He rolled onto his side, as he curled into a ball and one hand pulled the rope out of his mouth, while the other touched the knife in his thigh. "Do you remember the first time Kendall went out on a date? He almost ended up in jail because some douchebag was getting fresh with me at the bar we were at." I looked back to Steven who was looking down at Kendall, smiling small. "Fuck he's so handsome…and so ferociously protective. That was the night I fell in love with him. No offense." He looked back up to me, grinning and I shook my head.

"I got your money. Now you let him go."

"He's been bluffing James." I looked down to Kendall fast, just as Steven swiftly kicked him in his back. Kendall groaned out loud rolling onto his stomach his hand on the knife in his thigh still holding the knife. I quickly pulled out one gun and raised it, pointing it at Steven. Steven looked up to me and frowned as he started to reach behind his back. I cocked my gun and shook my head. "He wasn't giving codes to an Arab's. He's just fucking nuts and likes blowing buildings up." Steven went to kick at Kendall again, but I stepped forward fast making him stop moving. "He's also a greedy fucking asshole with a sick obsession with Logan and you."

"Come on…how hot would a threesome between me you and Logan be, James?" I swallowed hard as Steven looked at me and I gently put my finger on the trigger of my gun, not pulling the trigger.

"This is all this is about? Because I fucked up one time with you, and wouldn't leave my husband for you? And that Kendall has Logan?" Steven laughed loudly and shook his head raising both arms.

"Of course, it is. Also, that money is going to do a lot of good for me. And my associate." I tilted my head just a little as a man walked out form the same area Steven and Kendall came out. When he got close to us, I felt my blood boil seeing who it actually was. John Mitchell.

"Has Kendall died yet?" He grinned big as he approached us, smoking a cigar.

"Unfortunately, no. James kind of fucked everything up." I looked between Steven and John, not really sure which one was worse.

"I noticed…those agents in the back. They are eventually going to come in, right? Which means those explosives will eventually go off?" I slowly, just a little, lowered my gun, my mouth going dry. "Which means you are either going to let them do it, cause holy hell and loose multiple agents, all to save one pathetic one. Or…" John looked down to Kendall and gently knocked the ash off his cigar, putting it on Kendall's back. I heard Kendall groan as it happened, and I raised my gun again pointing it still at Steven who was giving me the creepiest fucking smile ever. "You are going to let Steven and myself walk out of here, with this money and no harm, no foul."

"That was always the plan John. The money for Kendall." John laughed slowly started to walk, in front of Steven, going to Kendall on the ground. I took my eyes off them for one second to see Kendall had taken the knife out of his thigh and was gripping it tight. He was going to use it. I swallowed hard looking to Steven who was now smiling down at John, as he bent down next to Kendall.

"My son deserves a hell of a lot better than you. I'm just helping him out by killing you. It's always been about Logan and Gabriel. And their well-being." John started to reach behind him, just as Kendall rolled onto his side, and shoved the huge knife, hard into John's neck. I acted fast and pulled the trigger, shooting Steven, right between the eyes. Steven fell to the ground hard as John stammered back holding onto the knife in his neck. I quickly clicked the button in my ear hearing yelling and fast footsteps in the building.

"Don't come in through anywhere, except the front door. There are explosives on the property." I let my ear go, just as the front door of the building burst open. I quickly bent down, grabbing under Kendall's shoulders as multiple gins started going off, form the direction John and Steven came out from. I dragged Kendall fast, ducking so no bullets hit me and pushed him behind the bar, setting him up against a cabinet. Kendall groaned out, grabbing both his thighs putting his head back. "How you doing man?"

"Fucking fantastic. It felt great putting that knife in his throat." I smirked as I started to take my vest off and ducked my head hearing a bullet whizz past my head and hit a bottle of rum next to Kendall. He ducked down fast too and laid himself on the floor on the bar as I glanced up and saw several of my agents surrounding the bar, shooting their guns at the men who were shooting theirs at us. "How is Logan doing?" I smirked looking down and quickly tore my vest off, pulling my black shirt off afterwards. I was only taking it off, so I could rip it, and wrap the two halves around Kendall's blood thighs. I had a plain black white tank top on underneath, not that I or anyone else would care. I quickly raised his left leg, seeing three separate holes and ripped my shirt locking eyes with Kendall as he wiped at his blood nose and mouth.

"Worried sick about you." His eyes shut softly, and he turned his head a little away from me groaning again as I started to wrap his leg. "Kendall…because I thought I was going to have to take your dead body out of here…I just want you to know something." He raised his head slowly and opened his head shaking his head.

"James…"

"No just listen." I tightened his first leg tight and he put his head back down, groaning. I went to work on the other as the gun fire stopped around us, and I heard my guys start to walk through the building carefully, saying clear, everyone and then. "I fucked up. Multiple times. And not just because I slept with Steven and never told you." I scooted closer to him as he shut his eyes and reached out grabbing my forearm as I started to cover his other thigh. "I let my insecurities…my fears about my life get in-between our partnership. I resented you because you had everything figured out. You know exactly who you are and are a damn good agent. I envied that in you. And it made me do stupid shit, like listening to a hardcore criminal over you." He chuckle opening his eyes again as I tightened the shirt tight, hearing sirens from outside, faintly coming closer to us. "I'm sorry I wasn't as good of an agent as you. And I'm sorry I wasn't as good of a friend as you. I'm going to change though. And I'm never going to fuck up our friendship or partnership ever again. I promise dude." He nodded gently squeezing my arm as I sat back and looked up and above the bar seeing a the last few agents walking away from the bar guns still raised, but no longer shooting. "How's it looking guys?"

"Everyone else has surrendered. Were handcuffing now sir!" I breathed out slowly as I stood myself up and pulled my phone out my pocket to call the medic to come in and get Kendall.

"I'm gonna get you up and out of here bro. You're going to be fine." Kendall groaned as he raised a thumb and I walked out from behind the bar. I put my finger on my ear piece and cleared my throat. "I need a medic behind the bar. I have an agent with multiple stab wounds." I lowered my finger and raised my phone, so I could call Carlos and tell him I was coming home to him. Just as I saw Carlos number and I turned to walk back to Kendall and sit with him, until the medic came, I saw movement on the ground. I hit call and put the phone to my ear but froze. John Mitchell, bleeding heavily from his neck, was crawling to Steven, and grabbing his gun behind his back. I had no time to react. At least I felt like I didn't. I opened my mouth and went to reach down for my gun on my thigh, but John turned to me, and pulled the trigger faster than I could move. I felt a hard-cold push to my chest and then he pulled it again.

"James?!" I heard Carlos's voice before I lowered the phone from my ear and felt myself stumbling backwards as John laughed out falling down onto his face, pulling the trigger once more.

"No! James!" I fell back into the wall behind me hard and slid down, feeling all my energy leave my body. I saw from behind the bar Kendall pushing himself up. But my eyes fell down to my own body and I gasped out quietly seeing three bloody holes littering my chest. My phone fell out of my hand as I slowly reached up to touch one of the holes just over my right peck. "James!" I raised my head slowly as tears started to cloud my vision and watched Kendall stand himself up and walk over to me. When he fell to his knees beside me, he put his already bloody hands on my bloody torso and I looked up to his face as tears started to come out of my eyes. "Someone! I need an EMT! Agent down!" I coughed out feeling the cold I was still feeling from when I was first hit, turn into a burning. It made me sick to my stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut hard as I coughed out. "James keep your eyes open! Look at me!" I fluttered my eyes open and looked up to the pale bloody, swollen, bruised face of my best friend. "James…" His voice faded out, but I still saw his mouth move. And then everything started to move in slow motion. He raised his head and yelled loudly, waving at someone to come over to us. I moved my head slowly to who he was motioning too and let my body start to slip down further on the wall. I was grabbed on my right side, by two paramedics, who were both talking to me, but still couldn't hear a damn thing. My head fell back against the wall and as much as I didn't want too, my eyes closed hard and all I felt was coldness and blackness.