INTERAGENCY COOPERATION
CHAPTER 3
Summary: Deeks finally contacts his handler and two more agents must go undercover
..NCIS LA...NUMB3RS...NCIS LA...NUMB3RS...NCIS LA..
To Deeks surprised and relief Terry Cooper, the ring leader of the Benefactors, was willing to let them head to the beach that afternoon with a very dire warning to keep in on the low down and not draw any attention to themselves...it had been four days and so far no cops, but Terry wasn't taking any chances.
Now all Deeks had to do was find a way to slip Frank and contact his LAPD handler...
"Hey, I'm gonna catch another wave or two then lets hit the little pub on the pier...why don't you go ahead and get us set up," Deeks said as he came out to of the water.
"Yeah, sounds good...we don't need to be back for another hour or so," Frank said as he gather his belongings, "See ya' in a few."
Deeks watched until he saw Frank going up the steps to the pier then pulled his cell, waiting impatiently to be connected, "Deeks for Walker."
"Deeks, are you alright...you have a lot of people worried," Walker said without preamble.
"I'm fine...Cooper was so paranoid after Martin was taken out during the robbery that he made us ditch out cells and has kept us off the grid and holed up one of his safe houses; you get my note?"
"Yeah, NCIS is in the loop...what have you got for us," Walker asked.
"Not much, Cooper is keeping it all close to the vest...I know his buyer is due in in the next forty-eight hours but he still hasn't given up the location..."
"Your Ms. Lang has alerted Homeland security and airport security for suspected Amal Hamat followers entering the country," Walker said. "If you think your cover is secure then your NCIS buddies want to let the buy play out...take out the terrorists and the gang."
"Yeah, figured as much...and my cover is holding; I'm gonna leave my phone on...have Eric trace the GPS in case I don't get a chance to call again...the area around the safe house is to open for a stake out," Deeks reported, "Gotta go before Frank starts getting suspicious."
"You be careful out there,"
Deeks gave a snort and a chuckle, "Always. Later."
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A phone call from Walker had the agents from both bureaus meeting back up at the boathouse for an update.
"Here's the number from his burn phone...Cooper made them dispose of their other ones after Martins was killed in the robbery; Deeks is going to leave it on to track the GPS, no cover for a stake out of Cooper's safe house."
"So, we're looking at a forty-eight hour window for the buy," Callen said, "and Deeks had no idea where it was going down."
"Cooper doesn't trust anybody...I'm surprised Deeks managed to get Amal Hamat's name," Walker supplied.
"If we have to wait for Deeks to move and follow him to the buy we won't have time for any tactical support...we'll be setting up blind" Sam commented with a shake of his head.
"Not good if the meet is someplace open, we may not get a position to have eyes on this meet," Colby added, "Your man will have to find a way to get us a signal."
"Deeks is smart...he can think on his feet; he'll let us know something," Kensi said.
With a heavy sigh, Callen agreed, "Kensi's right, all we can do is wait; so, until them we're all on stand-bye."
"I don't like this G, too much can go wrong," Sam said worriedly.
Callen just nodded.
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Deeks and Frank bound up the front steps of the house in high spirits, discussing how they were going to spend their share of the "pay-off"; but were brought up short by Cooper's angry shouts, and entered the house to see Cooper slam his phone shut and throw it angrily towards he couch.
"Yeah, uh...Cooper; problem?" Deeks asked slowly, exchanging an uncertain look with Frank.
Looking at the two men, face full of rage, "There's not gonna be a fucking pay-off...damn rag heads...who in the hell do they think they are...like I have buyers lined up around the corner for a test tube full of germs..."
"Whoa, back up there...what do you mean no buy; what the hell happened?" Deeks asked carefully.
"Apparently their deal for the delivery system feel through, they can't use the damn vials without the system," Terry ranted, "that's their problem, not mine..."
"Whoa, whoa, hold up here...you saying your buyer has totally pulled out," Deeks questioned slowly.
"You deaf...without the delivery system they won't take the vials..." Terry repeated.
"So if they get their hands on a delivery system, the deal is still on..." Deeks pressed.
"How the hell should know...why you asking stupid shit, the pathogens were hard enough to come by..." Terry shot back angrily.
"We got the vials, why not round out the deal with the delivery system they need," Deeks countered. "LA has military installations..."
"Yeah, we're just gonna waltz right in and pick us up a few rockets and shit...you're a damn idiot; it took months to plan the heist at the college," Terry shot back.
"Damn it Terry, we worked too hard for this to just let it go now...at least find out what they need...it can't hurt to poke around...I might even know who we can get to just pick us up a few of those rockets," Deeks cajoled the man, he had spent too long on this case to let it all slip through his fingers now.
Terry stopped ranting and looked at Deeks carefully, "You're serious..."
"Hell yeah," Deeks replied, "look, I know some guys, ex-military—less than honorable discharge...they kinda work as guns for hire; anyway, I helped them slip out from under some civil charges a few years ago..."
"Mercenaries," Terry questioned, growing thoughtful, "You can trust them?"
"All they're interested in is the pay-off...their services usually go to the highest bidder," Deeks said, "look, it's worth a shot—the worst that happens is they say no or the delivery system isn't available...and we're just back to where we are now..."
Terry thought for a moment, "Fine, set up a meet...if they check out then we'll look tracking down a delivery system...I'll call my contact back..."
Terry snatched up his cell off the couch and headed towards his study while Deeks just smiled and pulled out his cell and dialed ops.
"Ops...Deeks, is that you, are you alright," Eric's voice came over the line, but instead of responding to the tech Deeks began talking.
"Yeah, Stryker, its Deeks, remember when I helped you out a few years back on those drug charges at the gym, well, I gotta little job for you and your merc buddies if you're interested; give me a call back when you get this message."
Deeks snapped his phone closed, hoping that Eric and the rest of the team picked up on his use of Sam's old alias when they first crossed paths on the Zuma murder; and would respond in kind.
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A shrill whistle from Eric got the attention of all the agents in the bullpen.
"I just got a very strange phone call from Deeks you're gonna want to hear," Eric reported.
After the agents assembled in ops, Eric replayed the 'message' from the detective.
"Stryker...and the gym...he's talking about the alias I used at the MMA gym, when we were both working the same case..." Sam commented. "Why would he bring that up?"
"Something about the plan must have changed...and he said he had a job for Stryker and his merc's...mercenaries," Callen commented. "Give it an hour then call him back...this might be a chance to set up a face to face meet with Deeks..."
..NCIS LA...NUMB3RS...NCIS LA...NUMB3RS...NCIS LA..
The wait on both sides was unbearable...the team wondering on the safety of their team mate and the detective wondering if his 'message' got through...
Terry's contact had agreed to the new arrangements if they could be met within the next seventy-two hours which didn't give the Benefactors or the Ops team much time to put a plan into place...
Deeks gave a quiet sigh of relief when his phone rang and the number came up with Sam's alias.
"Hey, Stryker, glad you could call me back...afraid you might be out of the country on a job or something," Deeks said casually.
"You got a job for me," Sam asked.
"Yeah, if you and your team still like the easy money I have a client that needs the special skill set only ex-military special ops can provide," Deeks continued, trying to give Sam as much info for his needed cover story without being too obvious.
"I'm listening," Sam said.
"This job hits a little closer to home and we need some recon first..." Deeks said.
"Go on," Sam prodded, he was hesitant to say too much until he knew exactly what Deeks was expecting of his alias.
"You still got any buddies on Uncle Sam's dime...I have a client that is looking for a dispersal delivery system...if you can find one and deliver it within the next forty-eight hours, you and your team can retire to any tropical island you can buy." Deeks explained.
"Forty-eight hours, are you nuts...providing there is even one in the vicinity, it would take weeks to plan that kind of heist," Sam exclaimed.
"Yeah, sorry for the short notice, but it can't be helped...if you could at least find out if the system we need is even available..." Deeks asked.
"Listen, let me ask around...I'll call in the next three hours with an answer," Sam said, his tone conveying an underlying question.
"Yeah, man, that's fine...talk to your team and get back to me...I really hope you can do it...I'd hate to completely lose this payday," Deeks said.
Deeks ended the call and looked over at Terry and Frank, who had been looking at him expectantly. "He's gonna find out if there is a system on any of the bases in the area and get back with me in three hours with an answer."
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Sam ended the call and all the agents looked at one and other in dismay.
"So something happened...the deal went south, now they need a delivery system too," Sam commented.
"And from the sounds of it within forty-eight hours or we lose the window on finding the pathogens and the terrorists," Kensi commented, "then the whole case goes out the window."
"It's easy enough to lie about their being a system at the base, but is Cooper really gonna believe that that kind of heist can be pulled off in less than three days," Callen questioned. "The guy seems too smart for that."
"Maybe he believes what he sees on TV about merc's just swooping in and out like superman," Colby said with a shake of his head.
"Think about it for a minute, they kidnapped a tech to get the security codes for the lab at Cal Sci...maybe Stryker and company can do the same to get access to a military base," Don said. "Would save a lot of planning to actually have an ID and access codes..."
"I can call the commander at the base and tell him of the threat, we can coordinate a 'break-in'...and as I don't imagine Cooper actually knows what a delivery system looks like we should be able to fool him long enough for him to make contact with his overseas buyer, and then move in to make the arrest." Hetty interjected, turning to Eric she ordered, "Mr. Beale, I need some backstopping for Mr. Hanna and Mr. Granger..."
"Whoa, hold up...why does Granger need backstopping?" Don demanded.
"He has past military experience, does he not," Hetty asked, "We have very little time to prepare this op...so, we go with what you have, it will be far easier for Mr. Beale to manipulate information already out there, than to create something from scratch...we have no idea how closely Cooper will check into their backgrounds..."
Don exchanged a look with Colby before agreeing, "Fine...but what do you have in mind for the rest of us?"
"We'll put some of you in place as guards and someone will be playing the unfortunate commander. Cooper does not strike me as the type to leave anything to chance...and we know he doesn't trust anyone, so this has to be as realistic as we can make it; we have no idea if he'll attempt to take part in the kidnapping and the theft," Hetty explained.
"So, who's who?" David asked.
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A/N: so a plan is coming together...and Deeks is no longer alone...now I have to see if I can write a convincing Sam/Colby partnering scene (or two)...and our two lead agents aren't gonna be happy with their assignments...