Proving Ground

Chapter 8

The grinding sound of the construction elevator cut through the stillness, but he still didn't move. The red and white lights of the traffic continued to streak through the darkness far below, but he couldn't distinguish between the freeway noise and the white noise rushing through his head. His mind was sluggish, and his body refused to respond. It was if all the air in his lungs had been sucked out, leaving him unable to function. A brief gust of wind ruffled his hair, making him blink and begin to come back to himself, and he finally looked over at Teague, whose face was a grim and pale mask of disbelief. Sadik stood watching them with a sick, half smile on his face and Deeks reached out and placed a hand on Teague's chest.

"Not now," he whispered.

Sadik was texting when he looked back at him, and it pissed him off. Remick's death had not even fazed the man, who finally looked up and shrugged.

"Now you understand the importance of this operation," Sadik said. "My men are taking the body to your car. His disposal is for you to deal with."

Deeks heard Teague mumble a swear word under his breath and felt him press forward, but he held him in place as Sadik walked back toward the elevator. They both watched as the elevator door opened and two guards stepped out, allowing Yavuz and Sadik to enter. When they were on their way down the two men who had thrown Remick off the building turned towards them and raised their assault rifles. He felt Teague go rigid and take a step toward them, and Deeks gripped his jacket and turned to face him.

"Remember…you're Lorenzo Benedetto," he whispered, even though the men were too far away to hear their conversation. "Don't say anything or do anything, or we're dead."

"Don't you think I know that?" He rasped out.

"Yeah, but this is a test, and if you don't pass, you don't live," Deeks warned. "Don't say another word. Not here, not when we get to the ground, and sure as hell not when we get in the car. We don't talk until we are far away and out of the car."

"You think they bugged the car?" He asked.

"Probably tracking it too," Deeks replied. "Lets play our parts and get the hell out of here."

He nodded and Deeks watched him morph back into his alias, and he did the same. They began a slow walk to the elevator, and Deeks felt the first stirring of anger. The shock of Remick's death was replaced by regret that he hadn't been able to convince Teague not to bring the man. Now the agent was dead, and that was hard to come to terms with. Like Teague he wanted to retaliate, but that couldn't happen right now, but it didn't mean he couldn't show how pissed he was. When they reached the two armed men the elevator had just returned, and one man opened the door, motioning them inside. He let Teague go first, and then followed, grabbing the door and slamming it shut before either guard could react.

"Catch the next one, assholes," he growled, pushing the button that would lower them back to earth.

When they were halfway down they saw four men carrying Remick's body, now wrapped in a blue plastic tarp. As they loaded him into the trunk of their car, Teague swore.

"I'll kill those fucking bastards before this is done," he choked out.

"Wanting vengeance is something Yavuz will understand," Deeks said. "He'll have you watched. Change hotels. Tonight. We'll have to dump the car too."

"Who the hell are these guys?" He asked.

"Damn good question."

Yavuz and Sadik we're already driving away when they reached the ground. The remaining guards held them at gunpoint, returning their unloaded weapons only after they got in the car. Deeks drove, peeling out and spewing dirt and gravel behind them as they bounced over the uneven ground and roared out onto the street. Teague was instantly on his phone texting. He let him be, wishing he could do the same and connect with Kensi and the team to tell them what happened. He gripped the wheel tightly as he tried to think of a place to go. He turned south on Olympic, constantly checking his rear view mirror, worried they were being tailed. He made several turns before cutting back over to Olympic. When he didn't see anyone, he was even more convinced they had put a tracker on the car. By the time they reached the Fashion District he was vibrating with adrenalin. The area had few people around at this hour, so it was a good place to stop. Pulling into an alley he parked near a loading dock behind one of the warehouses where the car couldn't be seen from the street. They both got out and walked over to the far wall.

"Where are we?" Teague asked, texting the address Deeks gave him into his phone before walking down the alley to make a call.

Deeks knew he was checking in with Mosley. He was glad to pass that chore off, having no desire to speak with the woman. His emotions were raw and he wanted time to assess what he might have done to prevent what happened. Teague's conversation was brief and when he finished, he walked back to where he waited and placed both hands on the concrete wall and hung his head, breathing heavily.

"You told me to leave him out of it. I should have listened," he said softly.

"I thought they might rough him up, but…shit. Not that," Deeks said, clinching his fists as he tried to control his anger.

"He could be a real asshole, but…"

"You liked him," Deeks finished his thought.

"Not personally. Professionally, yes. He was a tough sonofabitch. Saved my ass a few times in the field."

"What about his family?" Deeks asked. "Mosley taking care of notifying them?"

"No need. He was an orphan. At least I think he was. Never talked much about his personal life," Teague said as he turned and leaned back against the wall. "He didn't have any friends that I know of, but was one of those blokes who managed to have a woman in every damn city we worked in."

"It was a hell of a way to go out," Deeks said, then blew out his breath as his mind filled with the haunting image of Remick's twisting body falling past them in the blink of an eye.

"Mosley is sending a clean up crew," Teague said, sounding stronger and more like himself. "I told her we would need another car."

"How'd she react to the news?"

"She didn't."

"Wow."

"She wanted to debrief us tonight, but I told her no," he said. "She did want to know how you handled it."

"Yeah? And what'd you say?" Deeks asked, turning to face the man.

"I told her you were in control the whole time. I also told her I was impressed," he replied. "You were solid as a rock back there, and probably kept me from blowing the whole op."

"You wouldn't have done that," Deeks said.

"You sure about that? Because I'm not. Those fucks shocked the hell out of me," he said angrily. "If I had spoken or cursed in anything other than an Italian accent, we both would have been thrown off that building."

"Yeah, no…you're right. But you didn't," Deeks said.

"Because you kept me from doing or saying something stupid," Teague said, sounding exhausted. "That man trusts you for whatever fucked up reason. He may even like you, and I don't think he'll proceed with this deal unless you're involved. And I won't either."

"Seriously?" Deeks said, surprised by the change in his attitude.

"You read him tonight. You caught his warning. I didn't." Teague said. "Do you have any idea how much that bothers me?"

"It bugs you because I'm just a cop. Right?" Deeks replied with a slight smile.

"And I'm former CIA, Secret Service, and black ops," Teague replied, shaking his head.

"Impressive," Deeks said softly, careful not to reveal he already knew that. "But you should give yourself a break. You just met the guy."

"They pay me to be a quick study," he said, becoming agitated. "And I pride myself on being just that."

"Yeah, but even if you'd picked up on his subtle warning there was nothing you could have done. You know that. Right?" Deeks said. "I realized at the end that they might shoot him to prove a point, but if I'd tried to stop it…"

"It would have been out of character, and the mission would be over and we'd both be dead," Teague said.

"Something like that," he replied sadly. "I just never thought they'd kill him."

"These bastards are going to be tough to bring down," Teague said with a hard edge to his voice.

Deeks simply nodded, suddenly very exhausted as the adrenalin faded from his system. They said no more until two black SUVs pulled into the alley. The men who climbed out were all dressed as civilians, and Deeks wondered if this was Mosley's elite team. He let Teague take the lead, happy to stay in the background as he tried to process everything. A forensics team popped the trunk and Deeks turned away, not wanting to see what a man looked like after falling fourteen stories.

"You okay?" Teague asked.

"I'm fine. Just tired," he replied.

"McFadden here will drive you back to your favorite whorehouse," Teague said with a smile. "That bed full of stuff animals must sound pretty inviting right about now. Innocent too."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Get some rest. I'll meet you at nine in the morning for our debrief with Mosley," Teague said. "She'll text you the location."

"Sounds real fun," he replied.

"You were at the top of your game tonight," he said. "I'll make sure she understands that."

"What the hell happened to the real Benjamin Teague?" He asked, flashing a cocky grin. "You going soft on me?"

"I believe you Americans call it 'getting schooled'," he said very seriously. "Besides that…we're partners. You had my back tonight, and I'll have yours tomorrow."

"Good to know, Benny," he said.

"God, you're such a twit," he said with a laugh.

"But, I'm a lovable twit," Deeks replied.

"He's all yours McFadden," Teague said, turning back toward the car. "Ask him why he'd rather sleep with a stuffed bunny rabbit instead of one of the resident hookers."

"I'm engaged, remember?" Deeks called after him. "Don't forget to change hotels tonight."

Teague dismissed him with a wave of his hand, and he turned to follow McFadden over to one of the SUV's. The agent never said a word all the way back to Orlena's, and never even asked for the address. He knew exactly where he was staying, and that meant he must be one of Mosley's hand picked elites. Deeks was now too exhausted to care, not even bothering to say goodnight when he got out of the car. Lamont met him when he walked into the lobby.

"Orlena wants to see you, man," the young man said.

"Can it wait?"

"She's pourin' the good stuff, man."

If he ever needed a drink it was tonight, so he followed Lamont and was surprised to be led upstairs to her apartment instead of her office. He stopped Lamont before he could knock.

"Sorry you got roughed up earlier tonight," Deeks said.

"I'll be ready for that dude next time," Lamont said.

"There won't be a next time."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

He looked at him curiously, but Deeks wasn't prepared to explain. Luckily the kid didn't push it, instead knocking softly on the door. Orlena opened up and looked him over, then stepped aside so he could come in.

"Gotta surprise for ya, Sugar," she said as he stopped just inside the door.

Hetty sat primly on Orlena's white couch beneath an explicit painting of a nude woman. He immediately choked back a laugh, the incongruity of the tableau easing some of the tension he had carried all night.

"Hetty. What are you doing here?"

"I thought I should check up on you Mr. Deeks," Hetty said. "And before you ask…I wasn't tailed and I'm not being tracked."

"You need a drink, Sugar?" Orlena asked, guiding him over to an overstuffed chair. "You lookin' pale, even for a white man."

"Rough night," he said, slumping into the chair with a low groan.

"Catch your breath, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said gently. "No rush to tell me what happened. I can see that it's shaken you."

"You need me to go, Hetty?" Orlena asked.

"From what you've told me, you're already in the middle of this mess," Hetty replied. "I'll let you know if things become classified."

"Orlena's not at fault here, Hetty," Deeks said as Orlena handed him a glass of cognac.

"No, of course not, Mr. Deeks. You are," Hetty said. "However, Ms. Raven doesn't hold it against you. You did what you had to, and fortunately you made a good decision. You found someone willing to give you shelter when you needed it. And I'm as thankful as you are that she did."

"I'm grateful too, but after tonight, I'll need to find someplace else to stay," he said, and swallowed a large mouthful cognac.

"It's that holier-than-thou lady with the stick up her ass wants you outa here, ain't it?" Orlena asked, looking pissed.

"No. This is my decision, Orlena," he said wearily. "After tonight it's just too dangerous for you."

"What happened that makes you believe that, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty said, setting her drink carefully down on the coffee table.

"Had a meeting with Yavuz tonight. Met in one of the buildings under construction downtown," Deeks began slowly as he stared into his glass. "Benjamin Teague insisted on bringing another agent with him as backup. His name was Remick. That's the guy you stopped from choking out Lamont, Orlena."

Deeks finished his cognac and set his glass on the table. He saw his hand tremble and huffed out a nervous laugh as he looked up into Hetty's understanding eyes.

"Mr. Deeks?"

"They threw him off the building," he said quietly. "Fourteenth floor. I counted."

"Good God in heaven, boy," Orlena whispered. "You need to get away from them people."

"Can't do that, Orlena," he said, with a soft smile. "But I do need to get away from you. It's too risky for you and Lamont if I stay."

"He's right," Hetty said firmly. "Men like Yavuz want leverage over whomever they're trying to control. And Orlena, that could be you, if they ever discover Mr. Deeks is staying here."

"Damn, Sugar. You in some deep shit, ain't ya?"

"That about sums it up," he replied, and stood up. "Thanks for everything. I'll get my stuff. Have to find myself a place tonight."

"No need, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said, standing as well. "You'll be staying with me."

"Seriously?"

"Do you have another idea, Mr. Deeks?" She asked.

"Mosley has a tracker on my phone," He asked. "If she finds out I'm staying with you, she'll think I've made contact with the team, and that won't be good."

"Don't worry, Mr. Deeks. I'll take care of it. Remember, I'm quite good with smoke and mirrors," she said.

At the moment, he felt nothing but fondness for the woman. He trusted her, and staying with her would bring him one step closer to Kensi and the team.

"You watch yourself now, Sugar," Orlena said. "Don't wanna hear you went and got yourself killed. Your ass too fine for that."

He stepped over and hugged her, thanking her for the kindness he wasn't sure how to repay. He shook Lamont's hand before walking down the hall to the pink room full of stuffed animals. After collecting his gear, he picked up the soft, long-eared bunny from the bed and for a moment considered taking it with him, but the thought passed quickly and he returned it to the pile. He headed out the back way and found Hetty sitting in her idling Jaguar in the alley waiting for him. Recalling his earlier ride with her in this same car made him a little apprehensive, but he really had no other choice and buckled himself in as tightly as he could.

"I just spoke with Ms. Mosley about our arrangement," she said.

"What? Why?" Her decision stunning him.

"Because sometimes, Mr. Deeks, the truth is the best solution," she replied. "It makes things a little less complicated, and right now you need that. You have enough to deal with without having to dodge Mosley too."

"And she's okay with this?"

"I had to make a few promises, but there are ways around those," she said, her tiny smile full of conspiracy and enjoyment. "Smoke and mirrors, Mr. Deeks. Smoke and mirrors."

"You really do scare me sometimes," he replied, with a soft grin.

"Hold on, Mr. Deeks," she said, and squealed out into the dark streets of Boyle Heights.

He was too tired to be scared as she ran red lights and wove through traffic. He had no idea where she was taking him and really didn't care. The cognac had relaxed him and now all he could think about was a soft bed and a good night's sleep, preferably one without nightmares. When she hit the freeway and headed west, he nodded off, only waking when she decelerated. The smell of the ocean cleared his head and he sat up as she turned north on the Pacific Coast highway, the smooth purr of the engine and the breeze off the water calming him.

"Where the hell are we going, Hetty?" He finally asked.

"We're headed for the hills, Mr. Deeks. Where you'll be safely tucked away."

"I'll have to come down to earth in the morning," he replied. "Mosley's debriefing us."

"But tonight you needn't fear," she said as she headed up Topanga Canyon Road.

"Seriously? We're going up a winding road on the top ridge of a mountain," he huffed out. "And you're driving."

"I'm an excellent driver, Mr. Deeks," She insisted as she roared around a curve that gave him a view of the entire city. "I've won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb twice."

He stared at her in disbelief as she wove the car around another curve. He had already faced death once tonight, and now he was at the mercy of a woman who seemed to have no regard for the speed limit. He tightened his grip on the armrest, as if it might make a difference if they went over the side. The thought triggered a flashback of Remick falling though empty space, and he suddenly felt sick. He dropped his head down and tried to blank the image from his mind, but the scene simply repeated itself. He felt the car slow and looked up to find Hetty was pulling off the road onto an overlook. When she stopped he let out his breath and leaned his head back.

"You've had a rough couple of days, Mr. Deeks," she said kindly.

"I'm pretty sure that's an understatement," he replied, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"Anything you'd like to talk about?"

He stared out at the city below as multiple thoughts tumbled through his mind, none of them good.

"I'm angry at myself, Hetty. I let Benjamin Teague take the lead," he began. "I was the one who had some idea what Yavuz was capable of. He didn't. I should have made him listen. If I'd insisted Remick stay out of it, he'd still be alive."

"His death is not on you, Mr. Deeks. And, I'm sure Mr. Teague regrets his decision as well. Neither one of you could have foreseen Remick's horrific death. It was an extreme warning by men whose hearts and souls have been clouded by hate."

"After tonight, I'm not sure they have hearts or souls."

"Here's a question for you to consider," she said pointedly. "If Remick hadn't been there, how would Yavuz have made Mr. Teague aware of just how important this operation is to him?

"Haven't thought about it," he replied.

"You, Mr. Deeks. You would have been his only option," She said. "Yavuz might not have had you killed, but he's the kind of savage who would have no qualms about setting his guards on you as a warning to Mr. Teague."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"It's supposed to give you a fresh perspective on the situation," she said gently. "Yavuz had no idea Remick would be there, but he knew you would be. I believe it was his plan all along to use an attack on you to scare the bejesus out of an arms dealer he wants to control and that he has to trust to make his plan work."

"Sonofabitch."

"You got lucky, Mr. Deeks. Unfortunately, Agent Remick's luck ran out. Granted, he shouldn't have been there, but he was. His death is on the men who made the choice to end his life."

He had no answer or comment in response. She was right, but it wasn't much comfort. It just made him angrier. Hetty said no more, simply started the Jaguar and pulled back out onto the dark road. They were both silent until she made the final turn up into the driveway of a modern, redwood and concrete house that didn't fit her at all.

"See you've made a style change," he said, appreciating what he could see from the outside lights. "I'm impressed."

"Kensi thought you might like it," she said as she raised the garage door and drove inside and parked.

He followed her into the house, smiling as he looked around, admiring the clean lines of the design. When they came to a spacious room with a massive floor to ceiling concrete fireplace, he shed his Max Gentry jacket and dropped it on a chair, wanting nothing more to do with that alias tonight. The walls and ceiling were all redwood and the room was dominated by a huge red and black Navajo rug that hung on an adjacent wall, no doubt part of one of Hetty's varied collections. As he walked further into the room he saw movement on the leather couch in front of him and stopped, unconsciously reaching for his weapon. Then she stood up and turned to face him.

"Kensi?"

"Hey, baby," she said as she walked around to greet him.

His eyes blurred with tears as he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her sweet smelling hair. Whatever energy he still had faded as she held him tight and whispered her love against his cheek. They remained in an embrace until Hetty called out that she was going to bed and that his go-bag was in his bedroom upstairs at the end of the hall. He barely acknowledged her departure as he brushed Kensi's hair behind her shoulder, running a thumb gently over her cheek and kissing her softly on the mouth.

"God, I've missed you," he breathed out before kissing her again.

Holding her felt so good and so normal, as if everything that had happened was a dream, or in reality, a nightmare. When he took a step back, she reached up to take his face in her hands, frowning as she examined the bruises on his face.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Not really, but having you here helps," he replied softly. "Wait…how are you here without Mosley knowing?"

She took his hand and led him around to the couch and pulled him down next to her, entwining her fingers with his.

"Don't worry, I'm not really here," she said with a quick grin. "I'm with Nell…well, to be exact…my phone is. They are currently attending the new production of Hair at the Los Angeles Theatre in your honor."

"Letting the sun shine in are they?" He quipped.

"According to the promos, it's the Age of Aquarius, baby," she said, making him smile broadly. "Maybe you and I could go see it for real after this is over."

"I'd like that," he replied.

"Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me what's wrong," she asked. "What happened tonight?"

He hesitated to tell her, not wanting her to worry, even though he knew she already was. After tonight, he was glad Mosley had kept Kensi and the team out of this op. Things would have ended much differently if Callen or Sam, or especially Kensi had been thrown off that building. All bets would have been off and Yavuz would have experienced vengeance first hand. Now he was deeply grateful they were safe.

"We lost an agent," he finally said. "Teague brought him as backup, and Yavuz had him thrown off a building as a warning."

"Oh my God, Deeks," she whispered. "That could have been you."

"Yeah. I know."

His acknowledgement of what might have been shook him and Kensi saw that. She pulled him to her and then down onto the couch with her. They curled up together, silently holding one another as closely as they could. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him softly on the forehead, comforting him without a word. She asked him nothing more, simply held him, stroking his hair until sleep took him.