Proving Ground

Chapter 6

Kensi stood alone at the railing looking out over the hills to the rock formation she used to hike to with her dad. She missed him. They had spent hours just sitting up there talking, watching hawks weaving circles above them until the sun disappeared below the sea. His voice was always soft and comforting, calming any sudden bouts of emotional turmoil as she dealt with growing up without a mother to talk to about the things young girls need to know. When he'd return home from assignments, he would draw her into his world with stories that captured her imagination, a welcome distraction from what she considered a boring life at school. Although she had come to terms with his death some time ago, she still felt his loss deeply, especially now. She could use a distraction right now, one of his war stories where everything turned out fine, and everybody came home safe and sound to their families.

Not hearing from Deeks since their earlier talk had left her agitated and angry. She had spent the afternoon dodging Mosley, working out in the gym, or angrily firing clip after clip into innocent paper targets. He hadn't called again, and even though Nell had insisted it was because he couldn't risk calling her at work, she still worried and longed to hear his voice. His call had ended abruptly once again, leaving her with only her imagination to fill in what might be happening. He'd sounded frazzled and pissed. Not a good combination when you were undercover. She had immediately gone to Callen and Sam to let them know Deeks was trying to lose a tail, but they had no chance to discuss it, since Hidoko had interrupted to send the two senior agents up to Ops. She'd felt trapped until Hetty had called to invite her up to her place in Topanga Canyon. Kensi had hesitated, but Hetty had told her she was giving a small dinner party to thank them all for coming for her in Vietnam. Hetty had assured her the others would join them as soon as they were able, so she'd left early, not bothering to ask permission.

When she'd arrived at Hetty's impressive new home she'd immediately thought of Deeks. He would love this place. The house anyway. She wasn't sure the rugged landscape that surrounded it would be to his taste. The views however, were as breathtaking as Hetty had said they were. She'd been ushered through the expansive living room and immediately out onto the wooden deck to take in the hills beyond. Hetty had left her there, and she'd been grateful for the privacy and the chance to take hold of her emotions. But even though it was peaceful, she couldn't shake her fear for Deeks.

"He's a survivor just like you, Kensi," Hetty said as she walked up beside her and handed her a beer.

"I know," she replied. "But he's not invincible."

"Of course not, dear. None of us are," she said. "But Deeks has the will and the skills to survive. And he has a very good reason to use those skills. You. He'll use everything in his power to get back to you, Kensi. You know that, deep down. And we'll do everything in our power to help him."

"Why did she do this, Hetty?" Kensi asked. "If she wanted him out, why not just send him back to LAPD?"

"I believe her initial objective was to shake things up, unsettle the team and see what would happen," she replied. "By putting one of our own at risk she was hoping to reveal weaknesses she thinks each of you might be hiding, especially the tendency to go rogue. Any overt action to help Mr. Deeks would allow her to impose sanctions on the team. Remember, Mosley's prime objective is to disband this team, and she appears to be quite willing to use whatever means necessary to do that."

"So she's willing to hamstring her own agent in the field?" Kensi asked. "Doesn't she know all this crap is making it harder to recover those stolen missiles?"

"I think she quite believes she has a handle on things," Hetty replied. "I'm not sure that's true, but she thinks so, and it might take some doing to convince her otherwise."

"But without Deeks on comms, and with no backup, this whole thing could go sideways and we wouldn't even know about it until it was too late," Kensi said, losing control of her emotions. "I can't lose him, Hetty. Not this way. I would rather quit and convince Deeks to do the same, and just walk away and let Mosley do whatever the hell she wants."

"But, neither one of you will do that. Not now. You both care too much about the work we do," she said quietly. "Those missiles in the wrong hands will not only cause an international incident, but will kill hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. Walking away from something like that is not who you are."

"Yeah…that's the only hitch in my plan," Kensi said, smiling as she acknowledged the truth in her words.

"We'll find a way to bring him home safely, Kensi," She said, reaching out to squeeze her arm. "You have to believe that. Now, I think I heard the doorbell. Hopefully, Mr. Callen remembered to pick up the food."

Hetty left her there, and she drank deeply of her beer before turning to watch dark winged butterflies flutter above the swaying stalks of Queen Ann's Lace just below. The sun had set the cloudy horizon on fire, and her thoughts returned to her father. He'd taught her that you never run from a fight, and now that lesson warred with her need to keep Deeks safe, and to protect the life she envisioned for them. Since falling in love, she had often wondered what her father would have thought of him. If he'd still been alive when Deeks became her partner, he would have made damn sure he possessed the willingness and the skills to protect her in the field. After that, he undoubtedly would have made some comment about his hair. Because he was a quiet man, he might have been put off by Deeks' tendency to ramble on about all kinds of weird stuff, and his need to make jokes all the time. But she believed her dad would have gradually been won over by Deeks' sense of loyalty, his protective nature, and his unshakable love for her. He would've come to know how strong Deeks was, not just physically, but in the quality of his character. Now she had to believe that all those things would keep him safe. She had to trust that he would make it back to her in spite of all the roadblocks Mosley had put in his way.

"Hey Kens," Sam said as he joined her. "Heard anything from our missing surfer boy?"

"Nothing…and it's scaring me a little," she said.

He pulled her close without a word. "As soon as Eric and Nell get here with their handy tablets, they'll be able to tell us exactly where he is. Don't worry."

"Hope the overwatch spray works better than the tracker Eric put on him before he went under," she said, sounding bitter even to herself.

"G thinks it must have been knocked off when he and Deeks mixed it up at the pool hall," Sam said. "It happens. Another reason G wanted to use the overwatch spray as a backup."

"I feel like this whole thing is being held together with spit-wads and duct tape," she complained. "None of this would be necessary if Mosley had just given us the case."

"The situation is what it is, Kensi," Sam said. "Complaining about it doesn't solve anything. It just takes your mind off doing your job."

"My job is backing up my partner," she exploded. "And I'm not being allowed to do that."

"I know what you're feeling. I do. You know that," Sam said, becoming quiet and sad. "I know how helpless you feel right now, but this is different. We weren't able to track Michelle's whereabouts, but we can track Deeks."

"Oh, Sam…I'm so sorry…I didn't think," Kensi said, tears clouding her eyes at the painful memory.

"This time things are gonna end differently," Sam said as he hugged her fiercely. "That's a promise."

She appreciated his effort to assure her, and as much as she wanted to believe him, she couldn't help thinking it might be a hard promise to keep.

"Hey guys? Come see our new secret Ops room," Eric called out from the house. "I'm calling it Echo Base…after the base the Rebel Alliance used in Star Wars: Episode Five. The Empire Strikes Back, remember.? You know…on the ice planet of Hoth."

"Seriously, Eric?" Sam asked. "How do you come up with this stuff?"

"Well…Hetty's kinda like our Yoda, and we're a team rebelling against the established Mosley Empire…so…"

Kensi looked at Sam, wrinkled her nose and laughed. She felt things click into place, and walked over to hug the crazy tech.

"Thanks, Eric. I needed that, and Deeks will love it."

"We tracked where he's been today, and we know where he is now, Kens," he said.

"Show us, Artoo," Sam said, pushing the tech back inside.

They followed him past a huge concrete fireplace and into a small room that looked out over a hillside of chaparral and oak trees. As soon as they were inside, Hetty pressed a button on the wall and an automated metal curtain rolled down over the windows, effectively shielding them from anyone trying to see inside. Everyone gathered around one of the smart screen TV's showing a map of the city. A green line dotted with blue bullets overlaid the streets.

"These are Deeks' movements since Callen sprayed him with overwatch," Nell said.

"The blue dots are where he stopped and spent some time," Eric added.

"There's the Farmers Market where he called from," Kensi said.

"After that he went back to the pool hall," Nell said.

"And that's Coldwater Canyon," Callen said, pointing at one of the northern most blue dots. "When was he there? And for how long?"

"Not too long after you sprayed him at the pool hall," she replied. "He was there for quite awhile."

"Then he's made contact with the hijackers," Callen said. "That's not exactly Max Gentry's kind of neighborhood."

"Not your typical locale for a hijacker either," Hetty said. "The homes up there are quite expensive. High roller expensive."

"He said they'd put a tracker on him, so they must have done it while he was there," Kensi said. "He must have gone back to the pool hall to try and find it."

"Did he say whether he was going to remove it or leave it?" Sam said. "There's a risk either way, however he plays it."

"I think he'll dump it," Kensi said. "He's pissed about being tracked by everyone."

"They may not like that," Sam said.

"It's his call whether we like it or not," Callen said.

"We'll just have to trust his instincts," Hetty added.

"Speaking of trust…has he checked in with Mosley lately?" Callen asked.

"Let me see," Eric said, typing rapidly on his tablet. "That's affirmative. About a half hour ago."

"I won't ask you how you know that, Mr. Beale," Hetty said, with a slight hint of disapproval. "However, don't ever be so bold as to track my phone. You won't like the consequences."

"Yes ma'am," he said, his eyes widening dramatically as he looked over at Nell.

"Where's Deeks now, Nell?" Kensi asked.

"At an address in Boyle Heights," she replied. "It appears to be an apartment building. Must be where he's staying."

"That's where he was when he called us the first time," Sam said. "Didn't want us coming there. Wants to keep whoever's helping him safe."

"Find out who owns that building, Nell," Hetty ordered. "We need to establish some sort of contact with Mr. Deeks, and he obviously knows someone living there."

"He said 'these people'…so it's not just one person," Callen said.

"Well, this is interesting," Nell said as a collection of forms and deeds appeared on screen, along with the home page of a website.

"Looks like Max Gentry is taking a walk on the wild side," Eric said, zeroing in on the web page. "The Shady Lady, an escort service offering any type of woman a man could want…I mean, if one was to want such a thing…I mean hooker…which I don't…I'm just reading..."

They all stared at him as he blushed deeply and babbled until Sam stopped him. "Shut up, Eric. Just tell us who the owner of the building is, not what it's being used for."

"They're one and the same," Nell said. "A woman named Orlena Raven owns the building and apparently is the Shady Lady."

"One of Max Gentry's former lady friends?" Callen asked Kensi with a raised eyebrow.

"She might be a bit too old for that," Nell offered as she brought up a photo of Orlena.

"Well however Mr. Deeks knows her, she took him in when he needed a safe place to stay," Hetty said. "And that makes her okay in my book."

"Hey guys? Mosley's on the move," Eric said.

Kensi's phone suddenly rang and she jumped. "Deeks?"

"I don't have much time, Kens. Mosley's headed my way," he said, sounding rushed. "Can you do a conference call with the others?"

"No need, Mr. Deeks. We're all here," Hetty said. "Now…how are you?"

"Hetty…Wow…Nice to hear your voice," he replied. "I'm good, Hetty. I'm in. Not that the bastard trusts me, but he wants to meet Mosley's operative and make a deal to move the weapons."

"Give us some names, Deeks," Callen ordered. "You'll need as much intel as you can get, and I doubt Mosley will provide any."

"Sounds about right," he replied. "She wants names too."

"Tell us about this hijacker, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said. "Any idea what he plans to do with the weapons? Or is this just about money?"

"The main player is a man named Berat Yavuz," he said. "He's from Istanbul originally. His wife died there about four or five years ago, and I think he wants to use those missiles to retaliate against the people who killed her. He has a teenage daughter named Emiri, and a second in command who does his dirty work. A man named Ali Sadik. He's family, and a mean sonofabitch. His men look like they've had some military training."

"What kind of man is Yavuz?" Callen asked.

"He's a lot of things. He's incredibly wealthy, for one. His place is a fortress with state of the art security. The man's extremely intelligent. Cold, but also showed some empathy. He's perceptive. Has iron control over his men and is quick to punish if his orders aren't followed. Had me pistol whipped and stripped down to my shorts to make sure I wasn't wearing a wire. So trust is a real issue."

"Are you okay?" Kensi asked, fighting to contain her emotions.

"I don't look as handsome as I usually do, but all in all, I'm good," he replied.

"Must have gotten hit pretty hard if you think you were handsome before," Sam snarked, earning one of Kensi's angry glares.

"Fair enough, brother," Deeks replied with laughter in his voice.

"What about the tracker they put on you?" Kensi asked.

"Found it on the inside of my belt," he replied. "Sophisticated spyware. Not like anything I've seen before."

"Did you leave it in place?" Sam asked.

"Hell no," he growled, sounding like Max Gentry for the first time.

"We know where you are, Deeks," Callen said.

"Figured as much," he replied.

"How do you know Orlena Raven?" Sam asked with a grin. "No nasty stories. The Wonder Twins are here and they're too delicate for that R-rated stuff."

"She was a hooker back in the day. Busted her when I was a patrolman," he replied. "Helped her get out of the business…at least I thought I did. Off the street anyway. She didn't have to let me stay here, but she did, and I'm grateful."

"Deeks…I think you just gave us the short, boring version of that story," Callen said with a smirk.

"She likes my ass, if that helps spice it up a bit," Deeks said warmly.

"Hey! Your ass is mine, surfer boy," Kensi said.

"Good to know, Kens," he said quietly. "Here's hopin' I still have one when this is all over."

"That's at the top of our list, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said.

"Try to find out what team is working the case with Mosley," Callen said. "We don't think it's in house."

"Lets hope she's in the mood to share. Got any intel for me on Benjamin Teague?" Deeks asked. "He'll probably show up with Mosley tonight. She swears by the guy, but I could use an unbiased opinion."

"I can tell you he's well respected in the darker circles of the intelligence community," Hetty said. "But, my sources also tell me he has the unfortunate habit of pissing off the wrong people."

"He claims some politician cost him his career in the Secret Service," Deeks said.

"It's called taking on more than you can chew," Hetty replied. "He misjudged who he was working for, and he took the fall. Washington can be a very unforgiving place. Knowing where the bodies are buried and who buried them is the only way to survive. Mr. Teague either forgot that, or didn't give a damn. Either one can end a career."

"If he misjudges Yavuz, it'll be his life that ends," Deeks said.

"The good news is, he does have a stellar reputation for undercover work," Nell said, as several early pictures of the man popped up on the screen. "He was actually born in England. Grew up outside of London to wealthy parents who were lower level aristocracy. Apparently he had a falling out with them at a young age, was labeled incorrigible and shipped off to the British Armed Forces when he was seventeen. Eventually he ended up in the Intelligence Corp. Served in Iraq during the early stages of the war as an interrogator. A very successful and apparently brutal one. At some point he was brought up on charges for some action that I couldn't gain access to."

"They court martial him?" Sam asked.

"Don't think so," Nell replied. "His family was well connected and I have a feeling they stepped in to avoid any embarrassment to the family."

"He was released from service, but interestingly enough, he almost immediately began working as an interrogator for the CIA," Hetty added. "He made friends there and ended up coming to the States, where he was fast tracked to citizenship. His CIA friends found him a place with the Secret Service."

"Wow," Deeks said. "His threat makes some sense now."

"Why would he threaten you?" Sam asked.

"He held me at gun point for no reason. It pissed me off, so I hit him in the mouth," Deeks replied. "He said if I ever did it again…"

The comment trailed off and the following silence unnerved Kensi and the others as well, but it was Sam who seemed to know what was coming.

"Deeks? What did he say?" Sam asked in a low voice.

"He had my files, so he knew what Sidorov did to us…to me," he replied softly. "Claimed that would pale in comparison to what he would do to me if I ever hit him again. Sounds like the sonofabitch wasn't full of shit after all."

"We need to get Deeks out of this, Hetty," Kensi urged. "How's he supposed to work with a guy like that?"

"Does Mosley know he threatened you, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked.

"What difference would it make if she did?" He replied, sounding surly.

"She might be able to control him," she said.

"Doubt that. Besides the two of us will be on our own out there," Deeks said. "I won't hit him again, so there won't be a problem. Now, all you need to do is trust that I can handle my own shit."

"We know that, Deeks," Callen said, noticing the change of tone. "Or am I talking to Max Gentry?"

"At this stage, does it make any difference?" He shot back. "I'll call you after the meeting with Mosley. I need that intel on Yavuz and Sadik."

Then he was gone.

"He knows we're on his side, right?" Eric asked.

"He's feeling the pressure," Callen said, staring straight at Sam.

"He's feeling alone," Kensi said.

"Not sure I'll ever forgive Mosley for handing over the Sidorov file to a man like that," Sam said, looking pissed.

"But she can never know you feel that way, Mr. Hanna," Hetty warned. "Or that you know what she did."

"Yeah? Well if I ever come face to face with that guy Teague, I'm gonna knock him on his ass. And believe me…it'll take him awhile to get back up."

"I'm not sure that would be wise, Sam," she replied.

"That guy threatened to torture Deeks," Sam roared. "I'm not okay with that. Are any of you?"

"No, Sam. None of us are," Callen said. "Teague is obviously a wild card here, but Deeks knows what he's doing, and eventually Teague will figure that out if he's as good as his reputation says he is."

"And if he hangs Deeks out to dry? What then?" Kensi asked, unable to hide her anger. "We won't be close enough to help him."

She could no longer stay and listen to any of their arguments. She was wildly scared for Deeks, and terribly frustrated. She headed back out to the deck, searching for anything that might ease the turmoil she was feeling. It was twilight, but she could still make out the rock formation at the top of the far hill. The shrill cry of a hawk startled her, and she looked up, barely able to see the battle taking place in the darkening sky. Swallows dove and swooped in frantic arcs as the hawk attacked, its dark shape ominous among the scattering of small birds. Finally the hawk spiraled upward, beating its wings toward the rocky crest fading into the shadows of the dying light.

Her heart fluttered with uncertainty and fear for the man she loved who was locked in his own battle. She so desperately wanted to protect him, to comfort him as he fought the demons that came with an alias he'd been forced to assume. He was surrounded by dangerous men with their own agendas, in the middle of a serious mission that could affect the entire country, and held captive there by the determination of one woman. She had been willing to wait and see how Mosley's tenure at NCIS Special Ops would play out, but from the outset the woman had kept all of them off balance, leaving them wondering when or how she might come at them next. Mosley's dislike of Deeks had slowly begun to sour her attitude. Their new boss had put Deeks into a bad situation without the resources he needed to do his job, backed up by a man he'd never worked with before and who had threatened him. She had isolated him from the team without a valid reason, and even though Deeks was a gifted undercover, talented operatives still needed a handler who looked out for their welfare and valued them as an important asset. Mosley didn't value Deeks at all. She was just using him. Kensi now realized that this mission, one that had begun with a lie, was the final breaking point for her. She loved Deeks more than she had ever loved this job, and she had to find a way to help him survive this, because a life without him was not an option.

I am off on a birthday trip, so may not be able to post a chapter next week. The story will continue, and I hope you will hang in there with me when it does.