Wow, lots of followers. Thanks for the reviews. The more reviews, the more motivated I am to post and to finish writing the last few chapters. Right now I'm trying to decide how much Densi to include in the final chapters. This chapter is kind of a long one.

Warning: may include serious violence and torture.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS: Los Angeles

CHAPTER 5

"Guys, I think I got something here." Eric said as he descended the stairs to the bullpen. Everyone looked up from their desks curiously. He adjusted his glasses and made some quick motions on the tablet in his hands. They all glanced at the big screen on the far side of the bullpen. "I have kaleidoscope searching for the van that took Deeks. So far, there are no hits, but I went over the footage of the van after it left Deeks' place again and discovered this." He tapped on the tablet and a video played on the big screen.

"What's that say?" Sam asked. He squinted at the screen watching as a van drove down the street.

"I enhanced it as best I could." He made another tap on the tablet. The video stopped and a close up of the van appeared.

"Bayleaf Organics?" Kensi said, more like asked to make sure she was reading correctly.

"Remember how I mentioned that the van that took Deeks took a turn and disappeared?" Eric asked, not expecting an answer. The other agents nodded, remembering from the footage they had seen earlier. "The van should have appeared on this camera, but it doesn't. Instead, we see this van from Bayleaf Organics. I went over some of the traffic cam footage from some of the other cases and at some point, the first van disappears and this van can be seen."

"So they must be switching vans." Callen stood, leaning against his desk with his arms folded across his chest.

"Both vans are identical, accept for the logos on the side and based on the time stamps of the video, I doubt they had time to switch vehicles." Eric said.

"Maybe they parked the first van and sent the other out as a decoy." Kensi suggested.

"I've had kaleidoscope checking for the van and it hasn't come up again." Eric reiterated. "There is a van parked at Bayleaf Organics though.

"Eric, can you pull up an image of the first van and put it side by side with this one?" Sam asked.

"Uh, yeah. Just gimme a second." He made a few taps and the vans were side by side.

"What are you thinking Sam?" Callen asked curiously.

Sam stood and walked to the screen. He eyed both vans for a few moments and turned back to the others. "Eric, you said they were identical. So, same make and model."

"Yeah." he replied. It was obvious from the images that they were the same make and model.

"What if they're the same van?" Sam asked. "The logos are in the exact same spot. They have these magnets that you can get in varying sizes to put your company logo and info on. They stick right to the side of your vehicle nice and easy. I know because one of Michelle's friends has one on her car that she uses. Sometimes she uses her husbands truck for work and it's easy for her to take off the logo and place it on the truck when she needs it. Maybe these guys are using one of those on the van."

"That might actually make sense." Callen said.

"I don't understand." Kensi replied in confusion.

"They have the first logo on the van when they do the abductions. That way the police are trying to track down one van. They probably know that the cops will check traffic cams in the area to find the van, so they just take off the logo, which conceals the logo underneath." Callen started explaining.

Sam finished. "The cops lose the van on the traffic cams and decide it's a dead end, especially after they talk to Lilian. Meanwhile, they drive off to their destination and the cops are none the wiser."

Put like that, it made a lot of sense. Whoever took Deeks obviously meant serious business. They definitely knew what they were doing. "Oh Deeks." Kensi thought. "We'll find you, I swear."

"I think we need to take a little trip to Bayleaf Organics" Callen said.

"They open at 8 AM." Eric informed them. "I've got the system checking for any information I can on the company. I'll send you what I find by morning."

Deeks slowly came to, praying that when he opened his eyes he would be back in the safety of his bed, his apartment. He was hoping that maybe everything earlier had just been a part of some twisted nightmare. The pain that rushed to him as he roused, dashed any hope of that. Instinctively, he tried to move and regretted the minute he did so. He could feel his warm blood slowly trickling from the cuts in his wrists where the shackles dug in. His feet throbbed and his chest hurt with every breath.

Peta eyed the detective. "So glad you could join us again." Deeks shuddered at the sound of his voice. "Perhaps now you will answer my questions."

"Go. To. Hell." Deeks managed to say. Peta slapped him hard in the face, splitting Deeks lip as he did so. The metallic taste of blood seeped onto his tongue. It wasn't a pleasant taste. Oh how he wouldn't give for a taste of one of Kensi's treats. She always had some kind of treat on her, be it doughnuts or Twinkies. It hadn't even dawned on Deeks that he was hungry until now.

A man stood next to Peta and Deeks recognized him as the man who had tortured him before. Peta motioned to him. "We will call him damnation." He held up a syringe. "We will call this salvation. If you answer my questions, I will give you salvation. I will take away your pain. If you keep refusing and telling me anything other than what I wish to hear, than you will get damnation."

Deeks didn't want the syringe, but the pain was horrible. He would almost give anything to have the pain taken away. Deeks didn't have any answers for the man. He wasn't undercover and he certainly wasn't an agent, though Hetty had offered him a permanent position at NCIS. In this moment, he couldn't even recall why he had turned down the offer. They had become a family to him and he knew if anyone could save him from this torture and torment, it was them.

"Are you working with Dmitri?" Peta asked.

"No." Deeks said sternly and quickly.

Peta gestured to the other man. He walked behind Deeks and Deeks tensed his body, not sure of what to expect. Tears flooded to his eyes as white hot pain seared on his back. The sound of a whip echoed through the room. It was the single most terrifying sound Deeks had ever heard. Peta repeated his question and this time he was given no answer. The pain came again and again. As the sound echoed, Deeks screamed out each time.

Peta alternated between questions. "Are you working with Dmitri?" "What agency do you work for?" "What do you know about my organization?" Deeks denied working with Dmitri, denied knowing anything about the organization, and denied being an agent. Of course, those were not the answers the man wanted. The pain kept coming, getting worse and worse with each laceration. He straddled in and out of consciousness for over an hour as the whip kept coming. Damnation was definitely a bitch.

The pain was too much. He couldn't take any more of it. He thought about Sam and how tough Sam always acted. He was a trained Navy Seal. Surely someone like him could take this pain, but not Deeks. Deeks was just a weak cop. Nothing more. He couldn't fight the pain. "What agency do you work for?" Peta asked again.

This time, Deeks gave an answer that Peta was finally happy with. "Detective, LAPD." He said slowly. He lowered his head in shame after giving in.

"A measly detective?" Peta asked rhetorically. "Ah, well you did answer my question. I suppose I should uphold my end of the deal. Salvation awaits, Marty." He held up the needle offering Salvation to him and Deeks took it willingly, though he couldn't help but think that he was letting everyone down, everyone that had ever believed in him and everyone that thought he could make something of himself after the abusive childhood he had endured. Most kids that grew up like Deeks would end up being just like the man that abused them; drunk, mean, and angry, but not him. The abuse was the reason he was so determined to rise above it all and here he was sinking after all he did to get above it.

The drugs flooded his veins and the pain slowly dissipated, though it didn't go away completely. His mind was losing focus again. He tried to picture Kensi, but her face was just out of reach. The sound of the whip was playing over and over in his mind. Both men left the room, leaving Deeks in peace for the rest of the night. There would be no real peace for him though.

Morning came and the sun rose slowly. The wind and rain from the previous day were long gone. Kensi sat at her desk with her arms folded on top of it and her head resting on them. She had dozed off some time ago.

"Kensi?"

She moaned when she heard her name. "Deeks!" Her head shot up.

"No, it's me." The voice of a familiar red head replied.

Kensi turned around in her chair. "Nell, when did you get in?" She asked, her eyes full of surprise.

"Hetty called and informed me about Deeks and I caught the first flight I could. I've been up helping Eric sift through some information about Bayleaf Organics for a few hours now." Nell explained.

"Sorry your vacation was cut short." Kensi said.

"I wasn't having much fun anyways." Nell joked. "Finding Deeks seemed a little more important than sipping mai tais on the beach in Hawaii with friends."

"Did you at least make it to the wedding?" Kensi asked. She remembered that one of Nell's high school girlfriends had been getting married there that week.

Nell nodded. "It was a beautiful ceremony."

Kensi glanced down at her watch. "Sam and Callen should have been here by now." She said.

"Yeah, they were." Nell informed her. "Eric and I briefed them on the company and they left to check it out already."

"What?" Kensi snapped. "You should have woken me. They're out trying to do something to find Deeks and I'm just sitting here sleeping..." She trailed off, some tears forming in her eyes. She was missing Deeks much more than she thought she ever could or would. Whether she would ever admit it to anyone else or not, Deeks had managed to break through her walls. He was in and she wasn't about to let him go.

"You needed to rest. Even Callen and Sam got in a few hours." Nell said, trying to assure her. "We're going to find Deeks, Kensi. You'll be hearing his annoying jokes again in no time."

"I don't understand how Deeks always manages to get into trouble." Sam mused as Callen pulled the Charger into a spot in the parking lot of Bayleaf Organics. The sun pierced through the windshield at just the right angle, causing his eyes to squint a little.

"Sam, we've all been in trouble before." He glanced at his partner. There was no response, so he continued. "Remember that time, I was being held captive by those Serbian terrorists?"

Sam put on his tough guy face. "Yeah, I had to come in and save your ass." He climbed out of the car, resting his arms across the top of the roof as he faced his partner who had done the same. "If I hadn't come in and taken those guys out, they would have beaten you and left you for dead."

"I seem to remember it a bit differently, but you came to my rescue and you did so without question." Callen replied.

"You're my partner, G. That's what partners do." Sam said. "You and me we're like family and..."

Callen cut him off. "That's my point. You didn't question my actions when I insisted on going head to head with the Serbians. You would have come to save me no matter what because we're partners, family. I'd do the same for you. So tell me, why are you questioning Deeks? He's a part of our family now."

Sam sighed and gave Callen his 'You don't have to say that again' look. He knew that his partner was right. As much as he joked about Deeks, he was a part of their little family. They had to fight for him, they had to save him. Sure, Deeks could be annoying and sure, Deeks didn't fit the image of the perfect agent, but he was like a little brother. His jokes were corny, but he had a talent for putting a smile on someone's face, even when things were grim. He was very loyal and deep down he was a good man who just wanted to make a difference in the world. That was the same thing that Sam wanted to do.

Sam wanted to reply to Callen, but noticed an all too familiar van in the parking lot. "Over there, G." He pointed.

They both approached the van slowly, eying it up and down very carefully to be certain it was the van from the videos. It was the same make and model. It had the same logo on the side. "This must be our van." Callen replied.

There was a thin layer of dust and dirt on the vehicle, except for a perfect square around the logo where it looked like something might have covered it up. "Looks like the perfect outline for one of those magnetic logos." Sam said.

Callen looked over the building. "According to Eric, they have fifteen employees on staff. Why do they need such a large building for fifteen staff members?" He asked. He noted several security cameras positioned around the building. "And why do they need so much security for a place that has no evidence that they've done any kind of real research or any work of value?"

Sam nodded towards the building. "Let's find out." He said.

Inside the lobby, more cameras could be seen. There was a main desk in the center of the lobby with the company logo across the front and a short blonde secretary behind it. There was a big double door behind her with thick frosted glass that was impossible to see through. It had a slot for a keycard to the right of it. There was an area of comfortable leather chairs in the lobby for guests and what seemed like a hallway on the far left side of the lobby. On one of the walls was a sign that read discovering and creating new eco friendly products for the everyday.

"Looks legit." Sam mumbled to Callen.

The blonde secretary flashed a smile. "Hi, how can I help you boys?" She asked in an overly cheerful tone.

"How can anyone be so perky this early in the morning?" Callen thought to himself as he noticed the makeup that was caked on her pale skin and the bright lipstick on her supple lips. He pulled his badge out. "Hi, special agents Callen and Hanna. We're with NCIS"

"With who?" She had clearly never heard of NCIS.

"Is there a manager we can speak to?" Sam asked.

"Oh, well of course." She said, the cheer never leaving her voice. "Just give me a minute here." She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed a few numbers. She mumbled something and hung up.

Not even a moment later a tall, medium build man came from the hallway to the far left of the lobby. He walked briskly to the agents, his body emanating confidence. He wore a suite, but not just any suite. It was Armani, something that seemed a bit too pricey for the kind of business this was supposed to be. Sam had worn a similar suite on an op a few months back. It was one that Hetty had in her undercover wardrobe for the agents. "No way this kind of work pays for a suite like that." He thought.

"How can I help you gentlemen." The man asked with a thick accent.

"Special agents Callen and Hanna." Callen replied.

He gave them his name and offered a hand to shake. "Micah Vasily." They each shook.

"Any relation to Peta Vasily?" Sam asked curiously.

"Who?" Micah played dumb for a moment.

"He is the owner of this company is he not?" Callen asked.

"Oh, yes." Micah replied. "He's not around often, so I sometimes forget about him. We are brothers, but we are not close on a personal level. What is this all about?"

"Your van was involved in a string of kidnappings." Callen explained.

Micah looked and acted shocked. "I don't believe it. That's impossible." His arms started flailing about in anger at such an accusation. "I hope you aren't trying to insinuate that we're kidnapping people. We are an eco friendly company and we..."

Sam stopped him, waving a picture on his phone of the van. "We have video footage to prove our claims." He said.

"Someone must have stolen the van." Micah argued.

"And used it in over fifteen kidnapping cases?" Callen asked, anger filling in him.

"That doesn't make any sense." Micah replied.

Callen ignored the question "Tell me, why is it you need such a big building when you only have fifteen people on payroll?"

"We have labs here, a warehouse for our products." Micah explained.

"And do you happen to have any products on hand we can see?" Sam asked curiously. He guessed that there was probably product back there, but not what anyone would expect given the type of company Bayleaf Organics claimed to be.

Micah glanced down at his watch, an expensive piece for sure. "I have a meeting to attend. So unless you are arresting me, we are done here." He turned on his heels quickly and walked off.

Callen turned to Sam. "I don't like that guy one bit." He said.

Sam nodded his head in agreement. "I'm with you, G. I'm with you." They headed to the car and back to ops. They really didn't have anything definitive to arrest the man on and they would need a warrant to check out the van, something they didn't have. Hopefully, Eric and Nell would have some more news for them.

So, more casework and a little peek into what Deeks is going through. Ah, poor Deeks! Please review and let me know your thoughts. Thanks!