Proving Ground
Chapter 13
…
Callen dug the com-link out of his ear and swore softly, something he rarely did. What could possibly go wrong had already gone wrong. Yavuz wasn't trying to protect Deeks at all, he was putting him in the middle of a volatile blood feud, and they didn't know all the players or where they were. He'd been there and it pissed him off. Sam had that "I told you so" look on his face and that only added to his irritation.
"We need to find Mehmet Tilki," Callen breathed out, using his phone to call OSP.
"Hetty? We can't let this play out."
"That may not be an option, Mr. Callen. We need the location of those missiles," she replied. "Eric and Nell are already searching to see where Tilki entered the country and where he might be now. Once that is determined, the FBI can take him and his family into custody. However, time is something we have very little of right now. If we can't find Tilki before Yavuz puts his plan into motion, you better prepare Mosley's team and Deeks that they'll be operating on the fly."
"Did Eric and Nell find any other members of the Grey Wolves in LA?" Callen asked. "Tilki wouldn't be here without some protection."
"Nothing so far. We're checking with the CIA and the FBI to see what they have," she replied. "Tilki must have had a cadre of devotees in place for quite some time. That kidnap attempt took planning."
"They may be locals," Callen said.
"I'll have Nell check to see if anyone in the local Turkish community has ties to Tilki or to the Grey Wolves," Hetty said.
"There are a lot of unknowns here, Hetty," Callen said, feeling antsy the more he thought about it. "And why now? Why did this feud suddenly go from the back burner to the front?"
"Isn't it obvious, Mr. Callen? Tilki knows about the missiles," Hetty replied.
"And he wants them," Callen acknowledged.
"It seems so," she said. "The Tomahawk missiles that were hijacked can only be launched from a ship. It's possible they could be modified for a platform launch, which we assumed might happen after he sold them. But, Mr. Yavuz's comment that the politics of Turkey will be changed might mean that he has offered those missiles to the government, or a faction within the Turkish Navy. It could mean Berat Yavuz has offered them in exchange for destroying the Grey Wolves."
"So the Grey Wolves are fighting for their lives, and Deeks is right in the middle of it," Callen said quietly.
"I'm afraid so," she replied.
"Deeks? Listen up. Wherever they take you, we'll follow," Sam said on comms.
…
Deeks heard Sam's assurance that they would have his back, and closed his eyes briefly. He trusted him and he trusted Callen, but he still felt vulnerable. Teague had been watching him carefully, and he found it annoying. Was he expecting him to fall to pieces or make a run for it? They hadn't planned for this, and he hadn't worked with Teague long enough to know how he would play this, so Deeks had to trust his own instincts and the team that had always had his back. He hated that Kensi would be left here on her own, and worried about her reaction now that she knew what he would have to do. Teague was talking quietly with Yavuz, and it sounded as if the conversation was going his way. He was curious about what they were discussing, and moved to join them, but Sadik stopped him.
"Come with me," he ordered.
"Why?" Max growled, yanking his arm out of the man's grasp. "If I'm the key to this fucking plan, I want to know what the hell it is."
Sadik's pistol struck him hard just above the eye and he went down, leaving him dazed. He heard Benedetto say something in Italian as the first kick caught him in the ribs, and the second knocked his head back against the heavy wooden coffee table. His vision blurred as two of the guards continued the assault until he was barely conscious. He felt someone take his gun and struggled onto his hands and knees, surprised when he was helped up and pushed down on the couch.
"Tilki will not believe this is real if it looks as if you came willingly," Yavuz explained as he stood over him. "Benedetto and I will be at the warehouse waiting for your rendezvous with my cousin."
"This is Karga," Sadik said, moving aside for a huge man with a thick black mustache and dark stubble. "He is the man who will deliver you to Tilki."
Deeks wanted to comment that he looked as if he came straight out of central casting, but unfortunately, this wasn't a movie. He steeled himself as the big man reached down and pulled him off the couch and forced him to his knees. Hot pain rippled through his chest as his wounded arm was pulled behind him and his wrists tied tightly together with zip ties.
"Thanks for the warning," he murmured, then spit blood on Yavuz's expensive looking carpet.
"You are a tough man, Max, and a smart one," Yavuz said, as he was lifted onto his feet. "I'm sure you understand my reasoning."
"You'll watch out for Sage, yeah?" He asked.
"She is under guard, my friend," he replied. "Keep our bargain and she will not be harmed."
The implied threat infuriated him and he turned to face the man. "If you or any of your men hurt her, you won't like what I'll do…"
Yavuz hit him across the mouth. "Do not threaten me, Max. Ever. I do not have to deliver you alive, but because you saved my daughter, I am letting you live. Be grateful."
Yavuz motioned to Benedetto, who walked past him with sympathy in his eyes, but that was all he could read. Mosley would get her missiles, but he would have to depend on Sam and Callen to get him out of this. He stumbled as the hulk named Karga hustled him toward the door. He wished he'd taken those pain pills now. His ribs and wounded arm were throbbing, the beating having left him weakened and his mind fuzzy. Sam voiced encouragement through the comms, but Callen asked for any information he could give them. Both were comforting in there own way.
He saw Yavuz and Benedetto get into a dark Mercedes that quickly drove away, so he turned his attention to the courtyard. It was bustling with heavily armed guards checking weapons and scrambling into several SUV's. They sped out onto the street and quickly turned downhill toward the city. Before the gate closed, he saw a private security car slowly following them. That would be Mosley's elite team on the hunt for the missiles.
"You think twelve guys will be enough to take down Tilki?" He asked for Callen and the team's benefit, but especially to let Kensi know the odds.
"You have forgotten about Sadik," Karga said with a thick accent. "He is worth five, maybe ten men."
"Good to know," he said wearily. "Anybody staying?"
"Three men will watch Emiri, and your woman," Karga said. "Do not worry. No harm will come to her."
"That better be true," Max growled. "Or I'll come back and kill anyone who touched her. Is that perfectly clear?"
Karga just laughed, and manhandled him down the steps to a silver Mercedes, popping the trunk as they approached.
"Come on, man. The trunk? Really?" Max protested.
He had just turned to face the guy when Kensi yelled his real name over the comms. Stun grenades exploded inside the house, and the chattering of semi-automatic gunfire sent a lightning strike of fear through his heart. He screamed her name and bolted for the house, but Karga pulled him back, looking startled by what was happening. Dark shapes emerged from the landscape, firing multiple rounds that slammed into Karga's body before the man could even pull his weapon. Deeks stumbled away and was tackled to the ground by two men, crying out when they lifted him by the arms and started dragging him around the side of the house toward the back service entrance. He struggled to get his feet under him, yelling Kensi's name, and praying for any response. When he heard nothing, he started fighting as hard as he could to slow them down, knowing that Sam and Callen were on their way.
"Kensi?" He shouted again.
"Shut up, asshole," someone behind him growled, ramming the butt of a rifle into his back.
He collapsed in a heap, stunned and trying to breathe through the pain.
"Back exit," his directions breathless and weak.
He could only hope the team had heard him as he was hauled up to his knees and dragged out into the alley to a waiting van. He resisted with all the energy he had left as they tried to force him inside.
"Deeks! Hit the dirt!"
He dropped to the ground as two shots flashed out of the darkness. One of the attackers fell beside him, blood draining from his mouth, his eyes fixed. A large man leaped over them both and slammed into the guy who had called him an asshole. He heard him scream, as the muffled sound of close contact gunfire died beneath the roar of Sam's Challenger. Deeks laid his head down on the asphalt and tried to catch his breath, but his fear for Kensi had his heart beating loudly in his ears.
"Kens…please, baby…talk to me," he pleaded softly.
"Deeks! I got you," Sam said as he kneeled beside him and cut him free.
He struggled to get up, but couldn't quite manage it until Sam and McFadden lifted him to his feet.
"They're in the house," he croaked out. "Kensi didn't answer me, Sam."
"Callen's inside," Sam said gently. "He'll find her."
"You don't know how many men are in there," he said in a panic, struggling to break free and get to her.
"I'll go," McFadden said and took off at a run toward the sound of repeating gunfire.
"Sam. Go. I'll just slow you down," Deeks said, shoving him after McFadden.
He reached down and picked up one of the assault weapons and limped after them as fast as he could. By the time he reached the house the firefight was over. As he mounted the last two steps of the stairs to the balcony, he saw Callen and Sam walking slowly toward him, and he felt as if he couldn't breathe. Even in the dark, he could see the anger and regret on their faces, and he slumped back against the stone column at the top of the stairs, convinced Kensi had fallen in the assault. The weapon fell from his hands and he blinked back tears as he stared up into the dark sky, failing to control his emotions. Sam reached him first, but it was Callen who gripped his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Deeks," he said. "They were gone when I got here."
His cry of anguish sounded feral and he saw Sam's expression change instantly.
"No…no, Deeks. She's not dead," he hurried to say. "They were both taken."
"She's alive?" He asked, adrenaline flushing through him. "We have to go. We have to find her. We have to find both of them."
"Slow down, Deeks," Callen said. "First you have to call and warn Teague that they're probably walking into a trap."
"Then what?" He shouted in his face. "We keep playing this fucking game with Yavuz and Tilki?"
"It may be the only way we find Kensi," he said gently.
"Yeah? And how do I explain all these dead guys? Do you think Yavuz is going to believe I killed them all? I was tied up, Callen. He knows that."
Mosley was suddenly on comms and Deeks wanted to scream.
"Deeks! Don't you dare call Teague," she ordered. "He's leading us to the missiles. You hear me, Benjamin? Don't blow this now. We're too close."
"Then you better have a couple of tactical squads meeting your team at that warehouse," Hetty said over comms. "Or you're going to lose a lot more agents."
"I have already made those arrangements," Mosley replied.
"Benny? As soon as you can, get the hell out of there," Deeks said quietly, his energy gone.
"You don't give my agent orders, Detective Deeks," Mosley snapped.
"Fuck you, Mosley," Max Gentry barked out.
"What did you say to me?" She fumed.
"He's not himself right now," Callen said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Or in great shape either, in case you missed the beating he took."
"Do you expect me to believe that it was his alias that was rude and insubordinate?" She asked angrily.
"We're asking you to cut him some slack," Sam said. "Kensi's missing."
"Kensi wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for him...for all of you actually," she said. "You insisted she go with Deeks, so you have no one to blame but yourselves."
The truth silenced them all, and Deeks slid down to the ground, silently cursing himself.
"Pointing fingers gets us nowhere," Hetty insisted. "We need a plan for what's happened that doesn't get Mr. Deeks killed."
"They obviously wanted Deeks as well as Emiri," Callen finally said. "Why not let Yavuz think that's exactly what happened? That Tilki has him too."
"If my plan works, Yavuz won't be coming back," Mosley said.
"But what if something goes wrong? What if he does manage to get back here? If I'm still here, how do I explain all these dead guys?" Deeks asked.
"I'm sure you'll figure something out. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an operation to run." She replied and then was gone.
"We could get rid of the bodies out back," Sam suggested. "Yavuz would have no way of knowing how many men had been here…"
"Wrong," Deeks said wearily. "Yavuz has state of the art security cameras, remember? Everything was recorded. If he gets back here and sees that, he'll know exactly what happened, including you guys saving my ass. He'll realize he's been played, and Teague would end up dead."
"Then we destroy it all," Sam said.
"Sam? Hello? You don't have to do that. Just get me onto their servers," Eric broke in to say. "I can erase everything that happened from his computers and whatever backup system he might have."
"We'll need a copy of everything else on those computers as well," Hetty said. "And make it quick gentlemen. According to Nell, LAPD is on its way. I'll give Lieutenant Bates a call. Maybe he can give us a hand with this."
McFadden yelled out from the balcony above, stopping the conversation. "Yo! One of these bastards is still alive."
"One of Tilki's men?" Callen asked.
"Wrapped in black," he replied. "Want me to haul his ass down?"
"I'll come to you," Sam said. "He might be able to tell us where they've taken Kensi and Emiri."
Deeks finally felt as if there might be some hope, and struggled to get to his feet as Sam headed into the house. Callen held a hand out to him, and he saw hope in his eyes as he pulled him to his feet.
"Come inside and rest. You look like hell," Callen said, opening the door for him. "Sam and McFadden will get any information the guy has."
"Mosley's right. Kensi shouldn't have been here," Deeks said quietly as he slumped into one of the overstuffed brocaded chairs.
"No one saw this coming, Deeks," Callen replied. "Tilki is smart. He anticipated a trap by Yavuz and beat him to it."
"He won't show at the warehouse," Deeks realized. "Emiri was the key all along. What kind of men are these? Using each other's families to punish one another? Who does that?"
"Men spoiled by hate," Hetty said softly in his ear. "Lost to themselves and willing to sacrifice anyone in their way for some kind of sordid satisfaction."
"Yavuz had to know something like this might happen," Deeks said. "Why keep Emiri here? Why not send her someplace safe?"
"Selfishness, I suppose," she said.
"Just like me," Deeks replied. "I shouldn't have let Kensi come here. Mosley's right. This is my fault."
"No it isn't. We talked you into it," Callen said. "Her kidnapping is on us…on me."
"Do you two really think any of us could have stopped her? She wasn't going to let you do this alone, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said. "Kensi knew and accepted the risks. Do I need to remind you she can take care of herself?"
"No, but she's outnumbered and…she might be hurt," Deeks murmured. "They don't need her, Hetty. They only need Emiri."
Deeks could see Callen's earlier confidence fade as the stark reality of his words hit home.
"Sam? You got anything?" Callen suddenly demanded, his expression angry, but determined.
"Found Kensi's earwig," he replied.
"Sonofabitch," Deeks whispered. "What about her phone?"
"Found it in the corner…smashed," he replied.
Before either one could say anything, Teague's voice came over the comms.
"A very nice nondescript place to hide a cache of weapons, Signore Yavuz," Benedetto said. "I commend you."
"As soon as Karga arrives with Max I will show my cousin just how stupid he was to take my Alara from me," Yavuz said.
"And you're sure you will be able to take his family?" Benedetto asked.
"I have men waiting for my signal," Sadik said.
"Shouldn't your man and Max be here by now?" Benedetto asked.
"Call him, Sadik" Yavuz ordered.
"He is not answering," He finally reported.
"Max is a resourceful man, Yavuz," Benedetto said smoothly. "Perhaps he decided he didn't like being trussed up and delivered to a murderer."
"He will suffer if that is true," Yavuz said. "And so will that beautiful creature he brought with him."
"Do you suppose Tilki came in another way?" Benedetto asked. "It is well past the meeting time."
"Sadik? Send the men inside. Now! Come, Lorenzo. I am tired of waiting for my revenge."
The silence was unnerving as everyone waited. All they heard were slamming car doors, and Mosley alerting her team and tactical squad to be ready as soon as Teague confirmed that the missiles were there. When an unintelligible shout of rage was heard over the comms, Deeks knew he had been right. Tilki wasn't there.
"What is it Signore Yavuz?" Benedetto asked, his voice tight and stressed.
"It is a note…a warning. He has Emiri," Yavuz said weakly.
"And he wants these missiles," Benedetto said, alerting Mosley.
"Benjamin? Do you confirm the Tomahawks are at your location?" Mosley asked.
"The missiles stored here are your only bargaining chip," Benedetto said calmly. "You will give them to him, of course…in exchange for your daughter."
Mosley shouted the go order, and the rapid fire of automatic weapons echoed through their comms. As the firefight intensified, Deeks sought to identify any of the voices he heard, but finally simply yelled for Teague to call out that he was okay.
"Stay down! Hands behind your head," he heard Agent Fry yell, followed by a whispered curse in English from Teague.
"I am an Italian citizen," Benedetto yelled over the continuing gunfire. "I have done nothing wrong. I am just a guest here."
"We'll see about that, asshole," Fry said. "Now move. Someone's got a few questions for you."
"Yavuz!" Benedetto yelled out. "Someone has betrayed you."
They heard nothing in response, but it let them know Yavuz was still alive and Teague had maintained his cover. Sporadic bursts of gunfire filled their ears until they heard a car door slam.
"Deeks? You okay?" Teague asked in a rush.
"Tilki has Kensi and Emiri," he replied, suddenly exhausted.
"I know," he responded. "I'm sorry. Yavuz is in custody and we secured the missiles, so I'm headed your way. The team, too. What's your plan to get Kensi and Emiri back?"
"One of the attackers is still alive," Callen said. "Sam and McFadden are questioning him."
"Did they manage to get anything?" He asked.
"Not yet," Deeks said.
"I'll make him talk, Deeks," Teague promised. "It's what I'm good at."
"That won't be necessary, Benjamin," Mosley said, joining the conversation. "I'm turning the information on Tilki over to the FBI, including his attack at the house and the kidnapping. They'll be handling things from here on."
"Are you serious? What the hell are you saying?" Deeks yelled.
"I'm ordering you all to stand down. Is that clear enough for you?" Mosley said sharply.
"Kensi's one of ours," Callen said adamantly. "She's a Federal agent."
"And the FBI is a Federal agency with all the resources necessary to find Tilki and our missing agent," she replied.
"What about Emiri?" Deeks asked.
"She's no longer our concern," Mosley replied. "We have what we came for, so this operation is over."
"The hell it is," Deeks shot back. "When Tilki finds out Yavuz is in custody and the missiles are out of his reach, he'll kill them both. I'm not waiting for the FBI."
"You will if you work for me," Mosley said.
"Which makes this a real easy decision," Deeks said. "I quit."
"Shay! Kensi's his fiancé," Teague cut in to say. "You can't let him go after what he went through on this op."
"Of course I can," she said. "And if he persists in going after Kensi, then he'll be arrested for interfering with a Federal investigation."
"Then they'll have to arrest me too," Sam said over comms.
"And me," Callen said. "We'll find her Deeks."
"Then I guess there will be a new team at OSP tomorrow morning," Mosley said, sounding pleased.
"Don't do this, Shay," Teague said. "Wait till I get there. Let me talk to them."
"They've made their stand," she replied. "Now they'll have to live with it."
"And you'll have to live with the knowledge you abandoned one of your own agents when she needed you most," Hetty said. "You'll regret this for the rest of your life."
"I don't need a lecture from you, Hetty," she replied.
"But you will need a new team leader," McFadden said as he walked down the stairs to the living room. "Can't speak for the others, but you can count me out, Assistant Director. I won't work under somebody who runs out on their own people in the middle of a battle."
"The battle's over, Agent McFadden," Mosley replied.
"Not when someone's MIA, it ain't," he replied.
"Roger that," Agent Fry chimed in.
"Are you willing to ruin your careers over this?" Mosley asked.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but do you understand what you're asking?" Agent Keyes asked gruffly.
"I'm not asking Agent Keyes," Mosley snapped. "I'm giving you a direct order to stand down."
"Copy that, ma'am," Perez added. "But with all due respect, it's an order that goes against everything we believe in. You just don't leave a man behind…or a woman in this case. What kind of team will we be if you insist we follow that order? We may be good little soldiers if we do, but we'll never be able to look each other in the eye if she dies, and we sure as hell won't be able to trust you. If you're willing to leave Agent Blye in the hands of a terrorist, then we can't help but believe you will do the same to us at some point."
"Well said one and all," Hetty said. "Maybe you should reconsider Assistant Director? If only to have a team to command when this is truly over."
"You have until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning," she finally said. "Except for you, Detective Deeks. You're not authorized to participate."
"I quit, remember? I don't take orders from you anymore."
"I can have you arrested, Detective," her voice harsh and unforgiving.
"Good luck with that," he said.
"You gave us until nine in the morning," Teague said. "Just let us do this, Shay."
"After this is over, we need to talk," Mosley said and was gone.
Sirens and shouts from the courtyard announced the arrival of the LAPD, and Callen quickly pulled his badge and headed for the door. Lieutenant Bates greeted him when he opened it.
"Looks like NCIS made another mess for us to clean up," Bates groused. "Your boss said Deeks was in the middle of it. Guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"You know undercover work is never cut and dried, Lieutenant," Callen said.
"Not with Deeks it isn't," he shot back as he followed Callen into the main room.
Deeks pushed himself to his feet as Bates strode in with a smirk on his face and shaking his head. McFadden stepped between them, surprising them both.
"Who the hell are you?" Bates asked.
"It's okay, man," Deeks said, stepping around him.
"If you've been ordered to arrest Deeks, that's not gonna happen," McFadden said, standing his ground.
"Got your own attack dog now, Deeks?" Bates asked. "He's a lot cuter than Monty. I'll give him that."
"Lieutenant Bates meet Special Agent Ellis McFadden of the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Department," Deeks said formally. "Recently attached to NCIS."
"Does he know you're a cop that was once under my command?" Bates asked.
"Probably," Deeks said softly.
"If you're his bodyguard, son, you did a piss poor job of it," Bates said. "Who beat the crap out of you this time, Deeks?"
"Guys working for the owner this house, and a few of the dead guys outside that McFadden took out," he replied.
"What's the story this time?" Bates asked.
"Owner hijacked a truckload of Tomahawk missiles," Callen said. "And someone else wanted them."
"That's big time contraband," He replied. "Sounds like a high end gang war."
"Something like that, with a Turkish twist," Callen replied.
"Did Hetty tell you they took Kensi?" Deeks asked
"I was sorry to hear that," the lieutenant replied.
"My team is on their way here," McFadden said. "We'll be interrogating one of the attackers, and when we get a location where she's being held, we'll be moving out."
"You any relation to General Nelson McFadden?" Bates suddenly asked.
"He's my father, sir," he replied.
"Shoulda known. He was a hard ass too," Bates laughed.
"I'll tell him you said so, sir," McFadden said with a smirk of his own.
"You do that," Bates grumped, then ignored him and looked over at Deeks. "You going on this recovery mission, kid? Cause you look like you got the wiseass kicked right outa you."
"I'm fine," Deeks replied.
"Yeah, that's why you're bleeding all over the furniture," Bates said. "Ordered up an EMS team for backup in case the scene was still hot. I'll send them in to clean you up. You won't be any help getting Kensi back if you pass out."
"Thanks, Lieutenant," Deeks replied.
"Sit down, Deeks, before you fall down," Bates ordered. "And you keep him there, Agent McFadden, until a medic says he can get up."
"Roger that, sir."
"Thought you were on my side," Deeks said, finally flashing a soft grin.
"I know a commanding officer when I hear one," McFadden said. "Probably an old buddy of my dad's. If he tells him I screwed up I'll be the one getting his ass kicked."
Bates was on the steps yelling for the Medical team when Teague and the rest of the agents showed up. They held their badges in front of them as they brushed past the LAPD officers, pausing only briefly to look down at the dead body of a huge man in a pool of blood by the open trunk of a Mercedes. Teague was the first one up the stairs, getting the once over from Lieutenant Bates before rushing inside.
"Deeks? Bloody hell, man…"
"I know…I look like shit. Feel like it too," Deeks said. "The bad guy's upstairs. Sam's watching him."
"Bastard wouldn't say a word," McFadden said. "Not sure he understands English."
"Perez? With me," Teague said and hurriedly stripped off his jacket and expensive tie and tossed them on the couch. "I'll get what we need, Deeks."
The men took the stairs two at a time, and Deeks leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. His thoughts ran rampant as he tried to convince himself that Kensi was still alive, and not lying dead on the side of the road somewhere. He knew how strong she was, but he had long worried that their luck would finally run out at some point. He could only hope that tonight wasn't the moment he'd been dreading.
"Want some help getting out of that bloody tee shirt, or should I just cut it off?" The kind voice of a woman said.
"Is that a pick up line, or are you the paramedic?" Deeks asked, his eyes still closed.
"Now why would I want to come on to a sorry looking detective like you, Marty Deeks?" she said with a laugh.
"Because you love me?"
"How does that big head of yours fit under that messy mop of hair?" She replied, patting him gently on the leg.
"Hi, Annie. How you been?" Deeks asked, finally opening his eyes and smiling softly at her.
"Better than you by the look of it," she said, frowning as she looked him over. "Now, lets get your shirt off so I can see what I'm dealing with."
"I think she has a thing for you, Deeks," McFadden said.
"I did once…and only once," Annie said. "I now have a rule never to date undercover cops. They disappear for long periods of time and come back looking like this a lot of the time and expecting free medical aid."
Deeks hissed as she pulled his tee shirt up and over his head. From then on she was all business, cutting the bloody bandage away from his wound, and commenting on the ripped out stitches with a very un-ladylike cuss word. She quickly wiped away the blood that streaked his arm and cleaned the wound, putting in a few additional stitches after warning him what she was going to do.
"Don't pass out on me, Marty," she said, then looked up at McFadden and smiled. "He usually faints when he sees a needle. Real tough guy, this one."
When she finished, she re-bandaged his arm and ordered McFadden to pour her a glass of the water from the carafe still on the table. She handed Deeks two pain pills, watching while he took them. Working quickly, she gently cleaned the cuts on his face, closing the one over his eye with a butterfly bandage.
"I heard about Kensi, and I know you're going after her," Annie said as she stood up. "You've got a couple of cracked ribs and a mild concussion, so take it a little bit easy if you can, okay?"
"I'll look out for him, ma'am," McFadden said.
"Call me Annie," she said. "Deeks has my number."
She reached out and brushed the hair off Deeks' forehead, smiling sadly. "You take care of him, okay? He's a old friend."
"Copy that…Annie," he said. "My name's Ellis."
"He's a hard ass, Annie," Deeks said.
"Guess I'll just have to see that for myself," she said, smiling widely as she picked up her gear and headed for the door.
"Damn Deeks. She is hot," McFadden whispered.
"She's also Lieutenant Bates' niece," Deeks warned.
The look on McFadden's face made Deeks smile, but that quickly faded as Teague rushed down the stairs, followed by Sam and Perez.
"We got an address," Teague said.
Callen joined them as the team gathered around Deeks. His heart fluttered nervously as he waited for the specifics, praying they weren't too late.
"According to Eric, the location is a workshop in the middle of the Inglewood Oil Fields," Sam said.
"Most of that area is open and fairly flat," Callen said. "If they have guards out, which we have to assume they will, they'll spot any car approaching."
"Then we use the one vehicle they'll be expecting," Sam said. "The van that was supposed to bring them Deeks."
"Somebody find Deeks a shirt," Callen ordered. "Then gear up. We're going after Kensi and the girl."
…
…
