Note: Anything you recognize does not belong to me.


Eric pulled up a photo of what appeared to be a small cabin to the big screen in Ops.

"This is the Northernmost part of the Sonoran Desert before it hits California and becomes the Colorado Desert,"

Another picture flashed onto the screen, this time a mugshot.

"And this lovely gentleman is Rigoberto Alves-Moreno, an emerging leader in the Sinaloa cartel."

Deeks cringed and spoke up.

"Well, with a name like Rigoberto, it was either that or court jester, and he doesn't strike me as the jolly type."

Kensi shot him a look and he quickly motioned for Eric to continue.

"We have reason to believe that Rigoberto has recently found himself in possession of large quantities of something he'd very much like to get into the US, and this cabin" he brought the first picture to the front again "is his last stop before crossing the border."

"What're we talking here? Drugs? Weapons? People?" Sam enquired.

"That's where we're going in blind." Nell piped up "Our informant only told us that Alves has a shipment of something that he's very excited, and very secretive, about. And that if it were to hit the streets of LA it wouldn't go so well."

Eric brought two more photos up on the screen.

"This is where we come in. The man on the right is Dean Kirkland, an ex-Marine with shady cartel ties and a whole lot of gambling debt, he was picked up at the Van Nuys Amtrak station, drunk, armed and threatening officers with retribution from Alves himself. We're not sure of how close he actually is to Alves, but we did manage to get out of him that he was heading into the desert to set up and supervise at the cabin with this man."

Eric pulled up the second photo, but this time Nell spoke.

"Sixteen year old Fernando Ochoa, he was on the train that Kirkland was meeting at Van Nuys and was picked up with Kirkland when he drunkenly identified him as his "cartel contact." We've confirmed that Ochoa was indeed going into the desert with Kirkland and that his older brother is loosely associated with Alves, which is how he got the job. He's in the US without papers and is willingly giving us information in exchange for not being sent back to Mexico."

"Okay," Sam started "so where exactly do we come in?"

At this, Eric broke into the same smile he had worn when summoning the team for the case.

"I am so glad you asked, Sam. As you may have noticed, Agent Callen has not been in this morning. He has been coordinating with Border Patrol so that we can get the two of you down to the desert and back without any trouble, we'll be letting whatever Alves has into the country before confiscating it."

"Wait," Kensi spoke up "the two of us? Which two?"

"Again," Eric smiled "I am so glad you asked. You and Deeks will be heading down South to man the cabin. Since Alves has never, to our knowledge, met either Kirkland or Ochoa, you two will be going in their places."

Deeks burst out laughing while Sam was trying with limited success not to show his amusement.

"What?"

Eric was surprised he didn't melt into his chair from the look Kensi was giving him, suddenly he wished he had let Nell share that particular detail.

"Um," he squeaked "Deeks will assume the identity of Dean Kirkland, you know, because there's a resemblance... And you... Will assume the identity of Fernando Ochoa.."

Eric trailed off mid-sentence.

"If you say because of the resemblance, so help me God I will gut you like a pig, Beale."

Eric turned a shade of white he didn't realize was possible, while Sam finally lost the battle with his laughter, holding on to the table for support.

"N-no" he stammered "I mean, because, because you speak Spanish.. And obviously there will be some adjustments to your appearance."

Eric could have sworn that Kensi actually growled, before turning on her heel and storming out of Ops muttering to herself. He only heard one sentence though.

"Because apparently I look like a sixteen year old Mexican boy.."

He knew that trying to explain anymore to her would only dig him further out of her good graces, so that was a task he would leave to either Sam or Deeks, both of whom were still hunched over the table giggling like school girls.

Luckily Nell spoke up for him.

"Laugh now guys, one of you has to go calm her down and get her to wardrobe."

The two men sobered quickly, although Eric was mildly surprised when Deeks willingly went after his partner with no argument. He was a braver man than Eric.