Proving Ground

Chapter 17

Everything was going as planned, except when it didn't. Fry went down like he'd been struck by lightning, and Deeks easily yanked his gun free of its holster. What no one had anticipated was Emiri's reaction when Keyes came in, fumbling for his weapon. His overacting was laughable, but none of them had expected Emiri to try to stop Max's attempt to shoot him. Deeks was shocked when she clutched his arm, and he saw the sudden surprise on Keyes' face as he tried to figure out what to do with the loaded weapon now in his hand. Max did the only thing he could do. He charged the agent with the teenager still hanging onto his arm, taking all of them through the open doorway. Emiri let go when they hit the floor. Max locked eyes with Keyes, and tilted his head in regret and coldcocked him with Fry's pistol.

"Shit!" Max said as he got up and turned to stare down at Emiri, who was crying softly as she stared at the unconscious agent.

"I couldn't let you kill him, Max," she said softly as she choked back her tears. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"He's gonna be pissed when he wakes up, but glad he's alive," Max said, hearing McFadden utter a few other possibilities over comms.

Deeks was proud of her, and reached down to help her up before quickly pulling Keyes' knife to cut the zip tie off his wrists. He picked up Fry's phone and shoved the loaded pistol behind his back, offering her a reassuring grin before taking her hand and leading her to the back door. The truck was where McFadden said it would be, and he quickly got her inside.

"Lets go find your dad."

The sun was down by the time they hit the 105, the sky a moody lavender drifting toward indigo. The lights of the city sprinkled on around them as he adjusted his speed, going with the flow of traffic so as not to draw unwanted attention. Getting pulled over by the Highway Patrol at this stage of the operation was the last thing he needed. He played the part of an escaping felon, constantly checking his mirrors and anyone following too closely behind him. Finally he decided to cut off the freeway and take surface streets to their destination, making it seem more like he was searching for a place to hide instead of driving directly to the predetermined spot. He knew where they were going, but Emiri didn't. It had to seem as if his decision came on the fly, not wanting her to unwittingly give something away when they finally connected with Yavuz.

When he turned up South Vernon Street and headed toward downtown, memories of his past as a cop intruded on the present. He and his old partners had chased bad guys down these streets. As a rookie patrolman, he had lost his first partner in a riot that still haunted him at odd moments. He'd learned a lot from him and the man who'd come after, feeling nostalgic about their times riding patrol together. They had patrolled every one of these streets, and he knew which ones were safe to travel on, which ones it was best to avoid, knowing where the gangs still hung out. In retrospect, as dangerous as these streets had been, it seemed like a simpler time. No searching for international terrorists, or worries about nuclear bombs, because they were ignorant of their existence in their city. No subterfuge, just old-fashioned police work. Take down the bad guys, put them in jail, and then go out and do it all over again. Protect and serve. It's what he had always done. He hadn't had to walk a tightrope around his boss, because Lieutenant Bates had been and still was, as straightforward as they come.

When Hetty had recruited him, he'd thought, why not? Moving on seemed like just another chapter in his life. A curious challenge for him to explore and conquer. And then there was Kensi Blye. She had been one of the draws too, if he were being honest. The danger had been different, and his growing interest in her had been a part of that danger. Now he couldn't imagine his life without her. She had become his world, the answer to what he had been seeking in life, and now his deepest fear was the loss of that world. Now he worried that this job might become a literal dead end. Had he pushed his luck beyond its limits? Was the team he had counted on for the last eight years still on his side, or had the whole thing splintered into pieces no one would have the inclination to pick up? Did he care? Kensi was the one beacon in the turbulence that was this case. He needed to survive this for her. If he could keep Emiri safe in the middle of it, then he would be able to walk away with his head held high. They both could.

"When can we call my dad?" Emiri asked as he took a street that would cross under the 110 freeway.

"I want to put a little more distance between us and those Feds first," he replied, jarred back into the present by the question.

Now he was getting anxious to end this thing and decided to pick up the Santa Monica freeway to speed their arrival in Boyle Heights. The location he was heading for was not far from Orlena's place, and it seemed like a lifetime ago that she had taken him in. The Evergreen Cemetery was the oldest cemetery in the city, and now a rather tattered and sad place. Dirt and weeds were more prominent than the withered grass, except around the plots faithfully tended by surviving relatives. It was a big place, tough to cover if there was a firefight, but the late hour would insure there would be no innocent bystanders in the line of fire. He knew the layout, having come here as a rookie cop with his first partner and good friend. Some of his ancestors had been buried on its grounds. All races had been welcome to leave their loved ones here. Now he had brought Emiri here to face her loved one, a man probably not worthy of that love, but who'd been lucky enough to be blessed with it nonetheless. He sure as hell wasn't going to judge her for believing in it.

"A cemetery?" Emiri asked in a whisper, as if it might be haunted.

"Nobody watching," he lied, rolling to a stop by the side entrance near the chapel.

He had no idea exactly where the tactical squad had set up, but it was dark, and there were enough large monuments to hide a determined sniper. He had taken the long way to get here, so he knew Teague and the team would already be scattered around the preselected meeting spot. The lights of the high-rise office buildings of downtown shimmered in the background as he handed the phone to Emiri. She looked tentative as she took it, staring at him in the darkness of the truck cab, as if she had changed her mind.

"Don't you want to call him?" He asked gently.

"What if he's gone?" She asked shyly. "What if he left the country? He has a plane…"

"He wouldn't leave without you," Max said.

She nodded and after looking intently into the light on the face of the phone, she took a deep breath and rapidly thumbed in the number.

"Dad? It's me," she said slowly, and then listened to his reply. "We escaped...Max helped me get away."

She suddenly handed him the phone and he quickly put it on speaker. "Hey boss."

"Did you betray me to the Feds?" He demanded.

"Why the hell would I do that?" He shot back. "Tilki sent guys to your house. They took Emiri and Sage, and tried to take me. But, I got lucky. The Feds showed up and stopped them. I don't know how, but they found out where Tilki was holding the girls. I told them I'd cooperate if they let me go along on the raid to get them back."

"How do we know you're not cooperating now," Sadik's voice growled over the phone.

"And how did you know I wasn't in custody?" Yavuz added, virulent suspicion plain in his voice.

"They told me after I killed Tilki," Max said.

"You're lying," Sadik snapped.

"No he's not!" Emiri said, her voice booming loudly in the enclosed space. "That man Tilki…he tried to get me to tell him where you were, dad. He kept slapping me, and shaking me…he threatened to shoot me, dad, but I didn't know where you were, so I couldn't tell him…"

She was crying and trembling as she shouted out what she had endured. Her story silenced them all, except for a soft curse in his ear from someone on comms. Max reached over and lightly touched her and she jerked away.

"It's okay. You're safe now," Max said, wanting to convince her and himself that it was true.

"Tilki was dragging me to his car when Max got there," she said quietly when her father said nothing. "He shot him."

"Where are you?" Yavuz demanded softly, his voice trembling with intensity.

"Evergreen Cemetery," Max replied. "Boyle Heights. There's a big tomb with columns just across from the old chapel. We'll be waiting for you there."

"If this is a trap, I will kill you," Sadik warned.

"If it is, you can try, but I took out two Feds getting Emiri out of there," Max said angrily. "They want me almost as much as they want you."

"I will be there as soon as I can," Yavuz said softly. "Emiri. I am so very sorry you had to go through that alone. But I will make it up to you. That I promise. And Max…I will repay you for what you have done."

When the call ended, Deeks let the tone of his words settle into his mind. Was the man truly grateful? Did his words carry an undertone of danger? Was there a threat there? He wasn't sure, but he had to be ready if there was. He felt the subtle itch of uncertainty as he stared out at the iron gate that fronted the haunting graveyard beyond.

"Do you know where is he now, Eric?" Sam asked.

"Yes I do. That good old overwatch spray is still working," he replied. "He just stopped at the Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights. Took a roundabout way to get there too."

"Must be where the take down is happening," Callen said, sounding even more pissed off than he had when they found the black SUV in the garage at the hospital.

Sam pressed down on the accelerator and the sound of the Challenger's engine deepened as they rushed to catch up. He took a look at Kensi in the rear view mirror, but she was still ignoring him, staring out at the passing cars as he roared along the I-10 freeway. She had exploded at him when they realized the tactical squad had switched cars. Her accusations had hurt, but he didn't blame her. She had just gotten Deeks back after thinking he was dead. She didn't want to hear his excuses or hear why the decision to use Emiri as bait to catch her father was the best option. She was way past that. She held him responsible. If anything went wrong during the coming operation she told him she would never forgive him, and he didn't think he would ever be able to forgive himself if the worst happened.

He should never had let that tactical squad take Deeks in the first place, but he had, and even though he regretted the way he'd come down on him, it was too late. The damage was done. He had lost Deeks' trust and Kensi's respect, and quite possibly her friendship. His own partner had kept his distance, retreating into angry silence and concentrating on finding Deeks. If he could do it all over again he would have found a kinder more understanding way to present his argument. Now Mosley had shut them out of the operation entirely, and he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. Men had died, and because of that he had sided with Mosley, but for her not to use all her available assets was just plain wrong. His poor attempt at convincing Deeks that Mosley's plan was the best solution had backfired, and now he'd done irreparable damage to their hard won friendship. Deeks had done everything asked of him, and been denied the respect he deserved. He'd made that same mistake before, and he wondered how he had fallen into the same trap once again. This latest mistake had left Deeks vulnerable to a man with no qualms about killing him. If Sadik had broken the agent he'd kidnapped, then there was a real possibility that Deeks might die tonight. There would be no forgiveness for any of them if that happened.

The gate was unlocked as promised, and Deeks moved silently onto the desolate grounds of the cemetery, Emiri lighting their way with the phone. Weathered tombstones pressed shoulder to shoulder lined the pathway leading down to the road that snaked through the cemetery. There was a soft glow from the stain-glass windows of the old stone chapel, and a couple of outside lights illuminated its steps, but other than that the surrounding area was shrouded in darkness. Despite the lack of lighting, they could easily make out the ghostly granite mausoleum they were looking for. A sharp intake of breath from Emiri startled him, and they both stopped as a scrawny coyote with yellow eyes slinked across their path, warily watching them until disappearing behind a gravestone. They cut across the grass toward the meeting site, winding their way past broken tombstones, one topped by a headless angel.

"Do I really have to wear this?" Emiri asked, fingering the protective vest he had taken from Fry and insisted she put on.

"After everything that's happened? Damn right."

Deeks flinched as Teague's voice filled his ear, telling him they had them in sight, allowing him to let out the breath he'd been holding

"Kind of creepy walking on people's graves," Emiri whispered.

"Hope their ghosts are sleeping," Max replied.

"Ghosts don't sleep. They like the dark," she said. "Don't you watch any horror movies?"

"Now you're just trying to scare me," he said as they crossed the road and approached the formal looking monument to a family long gone.

He felt cold, the stone offering no more warmth than the situation they were in. Emiri sat down on one of the granite benches that flanked the mausoleum's door, while Max squinted into the darkness, watching for any movement that would signal the approach of Yavuz and Sadik.

"Got your six," McFadden spoke softly into his comm. "Fry is behind that tall, pointy monument. Your nine o'clock."

The longer they waited the more tension he felt in his gut, his adrenaline pumping as he strained to see what wasn't there. When Emiri spoke, he jumped.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah…no. Of course," he said quickly.

"Did you know those guys in the oil field?" She asked, looking up at him with curiosity.

"Are you asking if I was working with Tilki? Or are you asking if I was working with the Feds?" His low voice taking on a tinge of anger.

"You seemed to know those men…the Federal agents," she said evenly.

"I met them after one of them saved my life," he growled. "Like I told your father, those men at the house didn't just come for you. They came to kill me because I stopped them from kidnapping you at the tennis court. The guy who died was a cousin or something. Tilki had Sage and he had you. So if you're asking why I was with those Feds? That's why. I had to be there. Understand? I didn't trust them to get you and Sage back safely."

"Do you love her?" She asked.

"Yeah…I do," he said, quickly flashing a relieved grin. "She's all I've got."

"I thought you might be one of them…a Federal agent…until tonight," she said. "But then you attacked those two agents and helped me escape…that's when I knew. You're on our side. My dad and me."

He wasn't sure if what she said made him feel relieved or infinitely sad. Probably a little of both. She hadn't made him, but it was disturbing that she thought of herself as outside the law, just like her father. Once again he questioned just how much she really knew about what her father did.

"Got movement at ten o'clock," McFadden said sharply in his ear.

"Emiri. Get down," Max ordered as he pulled his weapon.

Two shapes emerged from the shadows by the side of the old chapel and Max strained to identify who they were in the darkness. The closer they got the more certain he became that it wasn't Yavuz or Sadik, and he quickly scanned the surrounding grounds in search of them.

"Tell me who you are, or I start shooting, " Max yelled out.

The men hesitated, and then stopped in the middle of the road. "Mr. Yavuz sent us."

"Got names?"

"I am Aslan and this is Baris. We work for Mr. Yavuz," the man said. "Emiri knows us."

"It's okay, Max. I've met them," Emiri said, standing and moving toward them until Max stopped her. "Where's my dad?"

"He did not want to meet in the open," Aslan replied. "He is waiting for you in the chapel."

"He's lying, Deeks," Teague said in his ear. "We have an agent in the chapel."

Emiri started forward, but Max took her arm and held her in place. "I'm not in a real trusting mood right now, so go tell Sadik to come out and tell me that. Otherwise we're leaving."

The two men spoke quietly to each other, and then the man named Baris pulled out a cell phone and called someone. Car lights suddenly flared way down the road, and whispering voices filled the comms. The car accelerated toward them and then slowed to a stop in front of the chapel. The rear door opened and Yavuz stepped out. Emiri yelled and started to go to him when Deeks heard the order to take him over comms. As shouts erupted and Federal agents rushed the car, Deeks pulled Emiri back and shoved her behind a stone column. Yavuz dove back in the car as the man named Aslan turned and fired at him, the bullet ricocheted off the column above Emiri's head. He returned fire, shooting the man down just as McFadden moved out from behind the mausoleum firing. Yavuz stared out at them as the car sped off at a high rate of speed. Emiri stood up yelling for him and then turned to scream in Deeks' face.

"You're a liar!"

She started running before Deeks could stop her. McFadden ran after her, promising over comms he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Muzzle flashes split the darkness and Baris jerked as multiple bullets slammed into his body. As soon as he hit the ground Deeks saw more agents break cover and sprint after Yavuz's car. An armored SUV suddenly roared out of the maintenance yard and collided with the car, forcing it to stop. Deeks watched as Yavuz's car was surrounded and the driver shot. It was too dark to make out Emiri or McFadden, but he trusted the man to do as he promised. He suddenly felt very tired and sat down wearily on the mausoleum steps. He put his weapon down and pulled out his earwig, throwing it as far away as he could.

"I'm done." He whispered.

"Yes, you are," Sadik said, pressing the muzzle of a gun into the base of his skull.

The smatter of gunfire ended just as Sam turned down the long street that led to the cemetery. Kensi urged him to hurry and when he finally stopped by the side entrance, she was the first one out and through the gate. Three members of a tactical squad stopped her before she reached the mausoleum, and she was arguing with them when Sam and Callen got there.

"I need to see Deeks. He's my partner," Kensi said loudly, trying to push past them. "Dammit! I'm a Federal agent."

"Don't make her kick your ass," Callen said as he held up his badge.

"He's not here," one of the agents said. "Nobody's seen him."

"Then we need to talk to Agent Teague," Callen said.

"Now!" Sam snapped.

One of the chastened men directed them down past the chapel to where Mosley's team and multiple tactical agents were milling around. They paused briefly to survey the two dead men sprawled between the gravestones, and Callen shot a look at him that Sam took as the first sign that they were back on the same page. By the time they reached the scene, several other cars had arrived, including an armored vehicle and Mosley's sports car. They heard her voice and Teague's before they could see them in the darkness. They were having a heated discussion.

"It won't hurt to let them spend this time together, Shay," Teague said. "Once Yavuz is processed, Emiri may never see him again except in court."

"And prison," she said quickly. "Did Deeks put you up to this?"

"Haven't seen him," Teague replied. "There's no harm in it. He's her father."

"All right. You have my permission. They can ride downtown together," she said. "But I'm holding her in custody until I'm sure she's not a part of this."

"Don't be vindictive, Shay," Teague said. "She's a kid, and you wouldn't have your prime suspect without her, or Deeks."

"I supposed he played his part," she replied.

"Played his part?" Kensi stormed, pushing past the others to get to her.

"Kensi," Sam said, grabbing her arm to stop her. "Let it go."

"No. You let go, Sam," she snapped back, pulling free of his hold. "You chose your side. Now, I need to see Deeks."

"You people really don't like to follow orders do you?" Mosley said, crossing her arms as she stared at them.

"We also don't like being treated like the enemy," Callen replied.

"Where is he?" Kensi demanded.

"I have no idea," she replied. "Maybe he left. Ask around. He's not my concern since he's no longer employed by NCIS."

Kensi's eyes flashed and she moved toward her when Mosley turned to walk away. Teague stepped between them, taking hold of Kensi's arms to stop her. He looked completely shocked when she broke his hold and shoved him hard in the chest, making him stumble backwards. McFadden kept him from falling on his butt, smiling widely as Kensi fumed.

"I think she could take you, Agent Teague," McFadden said.

"No question," Callen said with a smirk.

"What about it? Any of you seen Deeks lately?" Sam asked.

"Last time I saw him was at that big tomb with the columns across from the chapel," McFadden said. "He took out one of the guys Yavuz sent to get his daughter."

"He might be with the tactical squad I sent to look for Sadik," Teague said. "He wasn't in the car with Yavuz."

"Where were they searching?" Callen asked.

"The crematorium along the backside of the grounds," Teague replied. "That's where the car was when we first saw it."

"Call them," Kensi ordered.

"You are a very pushy bunch. You know that, right?" He replied, but pulled his phone and called. "Do you have an extra man down there named Deeks? Rather seedy looking, with long, messy blond hair?"

He ended the call with a questioning look on his face. "He's not with them."

"Then where the hell is he?" Sam asked.

"I'll call Eric," Callen said quickly. "He can locate him from the overwatch spray."

"What the hell is overwatch spray?" McFadden asked.

"It's classified," Callen said.

"And just when did you apply this magic spray?" Teague asked.

"None of your damn business," Sam shot back.

"It doesn't matter now," Callen said. "Let's just say we had trust issues you and your team after we were kept out of the loop."

"Mosley was right," Teague said. "You are irritating."

"Sounds like they're just looking out for their own," McFadden said.

"Eric? I need you to find Deeks," Callen said while all of them waited anxiously for the answer.

"He's in the chapel."

"Maybe he just needed a break after all that's happened on this op," McFadden said.

"Let's hope that's all it is," Sam said. "Right now…I don't like it."

"Sadik hasn't been found either," Teague said, sounding the first hint of unease.

Kensi said nothing and pushed past them to hurry toward the chapel, the others following closely behind her. Sam and Callen pulled their weapons, both sensing that something wasn't right. When they reached the stone steps, Callen reached out to stop Kensi from rushing up and into the chapel.

"Lets be smart about this," he said softly. "If Sadik is in there, we don't want to alert him."

"You think he has Deeks?" Kensi asked.

"We can't assume he doesn't," Callen replied. "If we go in shouting for Deeks…"

"Sadik will kill him without hesitation," Teague said.

"McFadden? Go see if there's a side entrance. If not check the back," Callen ordered.

The man didn't even question, he simply took off jogging around the building until his form was lost in the shadows.

"Teague? Back up Sam," Callen ordered. "Kensi is probably too much for you to handle."

"Are you all smartasses?"

"Mostly just Deeks," Sam said, sounding wistful. "But I don't need backup. He should go with McFadden. Deeks is one of ours."

"Too bad you didn't realize that earlier," Callen said.

"Do I sense some discord?" Teague asked.

"Just shut up and do what he says so I can go find my fiancé?" Kensi snapped, and headed up the stairs.

Teague swore, but took off around the side of the building. Callen nodded at his partner, and the two of them rushed up the steps behind Kensi. Sam pulled the heavy door open and they all walked quietly into the dimly lit interior. It was a small chapel with a soaring ceiling and stain glass windows below the pitched roofs. They moved silently down the aisles using hand signals as they searched between the pews, looking for any sign of Deeks. They saw no one. Callen motioned that there was an adjacent office and Sam moved to back him up as he opened the door slowly and entered the dark room, his gun leading the way. When they heard no movement, Sam pulled a flashlight and shined it around the room. They was a small desk with a computer, and two chairs in front. File cabinets lined one wall, and that was all. Sam checked behind the desk, but the room was empty. When they came out, Kensi was standing dejectedly in front of the pulpit with McFadden and Teague beside her.

"Where is he, Callen? Eric tracked him here," she said softly.

Sam reached out to squeeze her shoulder, but she stepped away from his touch, glaring angrily at him.

"This isn't his fault, Kens," Callen said.

"It's mine," McFadden said, walking a little ways off to stand by himself. "I told him I'd have his six and then I left him. I thought it was over, just like before."

"What does that mean?" Callen asked.

"Nothing. I should have stayed with him until the scene was clear," he replied.

"We should keep looking," Teague said. "This is an old place. There might be hidden rooms. English churches have all manner of secret passageways and hidey-holes."

Callen pulled his phone again and this time Nell answered. "I need you to send me the original plans for the old chapel in the Evergreen Cemetery. We can't find Deeks, so we're hoping there's more to this place then meets the eye."

"We have to assume Sadik has him," Sam said. "There's no other explanation."

"Or Sadik killed him and left his body somewhere in this chapel," Teague said.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?" McFadden said, grabbing his jacket and shoving him against the pulpit. "Kensi doesn't need to hear that, and neither do the rest of us."

"As much as I don't want that to be true, it's something we have to consider," Teague replied.

"No. We don't," Sam said. "We go with the idea that he's alive and needs our help."

"If Sadik hears us coming, Deeks won't survive," Teague persisted. "I'm sorry, Kensi, but that's the reality."

"I know," she replied, wiping at her eyes as she sat down on the front pew.

"We'll find him, Kens," Sam said, and sat down beside her. "I owe him that much and more."

She nodded as if in surrender, and Sam wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they all silently waited for a direction to follow.