Author's Note: I do now own NCIS LA, I write for fun, not for profit although I could do with the extra income.
I am not happy with this chapter but believe it holds to true to the NCIS way of writing stories.
The boat house was a bustle of activity, FBI, CIA, ATF and LAPD were all there. There had twenty different addressed to look at, the goal was to narrow the list down and raid them all at the same time. The goal was for dawn, and they were already well past midnight. A computer in the corner streamed the video of Nell. Eric had spent hours tracing the feed but hit a dead end. Nell was no longer being beaten, but she did not look to be in good shape. Sam wanted the video there as a reminder as to why they were there.
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Callen and Sam along with the assault team were gathered outside an abandoned warehouse, Kensi and Deeks were at a store front in Venice, the other four sites we taken by the other agencies. They quietly entered the warehouse; the majority of the space was open. The team made a slow silent approach to a corner of the warehouse that showed signs of life. There were voices speaking Spanish but they were talking about the soccer game they were watching on the TV. The team continued to move forward.
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Deeks, Kensi, and the assault team took the store front quickly. One group from the front, the other from the back. There were no bullets fired because it was abandoned. There was nothing to be found.
"Damn." said Deeks.
Kensi was just as upset, they needed something, anything. She was on the phone with Hetty, the assault team quickly cleared out.
"Sam and Callen have something, Hetty wants us to get Eric and take him down to the warehouse." said Kensi putting her phone away.
Deeks nodded and followed Kensi back to the car.
Eric was waiting on the curb outside the mission, he was a mess, and the car ride was silent except for the occasional grunt as Kensi drove not giving an ounce of care to the rules of the road.
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The team members kept in touch with ops over the coms, quickly learning that Deeks and Kensi turned up nothing along with the CIA and FBI. The ATF turned up a nice stash, and LAPD came in on an illegal call girl service.
Sam was surveying the area they were about to take down when Callen spotted it, a small concrete room with a trail of blood leading up to it. Callen silently got Sam's attention, and pointed it out. Sam smiled, they agreed, that was probably were they were keeping Nell.
Sam got himself into position to rescue Nell while the rest of the team focused on the four guys watching television. On the count of three everyone moved.
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Hetty stood in ops watching the video feed of Nell. She was unconscious as she had been for several hours, she had stopped bleeding but that was a mixed signal. It hurt Hetty to see Nell in such a situation. Hetty heard the count over the coms and seconds later Sam entered the room. He quickly checked for a pulse before unbinding her. She was alive, Sam cradled her in his arms and left as the sound of bullets permeated the area.
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The sun was sneaking over the horizon as Sam carried Nell out of the warehouse. Here limp unconscious form lay in his arms as a speeding car pulled up. Eric was out of the car and running towards him. The paramedics were on their way, sirens could be heard approaching. Sam gently laid Nell on the ground; he had to return to the fire fight that continued to rage in the warehouse.
"She's alive, but in bad shape." said Sam to Eric as he placed Eric's hand over the bleeding leg wound.
"Stay with her." he said to Kensi and Deeks, who were surveying their surroundings, guns drawn.
Sam went back in to rejoin Callen. Kensi could easily see what Sam meant, her left leg was broken, and the beating had probably elf her with countless others. Kensi leaned down to check her pulse, it was weak but regular. Eric stayed with her until the paramedics arrived, feeling helpless he stepped back to let them treat Nell. Sam and Callen informed them over the coms that the place was secure while Eric, Deeks and Kensi watched Nell be loaded into the ambulance. Deeks looked to Kensi, she nodded.
"Eric, go with her. We will follow in the car." said Deeks.
Eric looked shocked.
"She's your partner."
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Kensi and Deeks sat with Eric in the waiting room of Pacific Beach Medical, a room that Kensi was far too familiar with. None of them looked good, they had been going none stop for over twenty four hours. Nell had been admitted nearly two hours ago but they had yet to receive any word on her condition. Sam and Callen had called into report that all the suspects were dead, the FBI was cleaning up the mess and they promised to stop by after doing the paperwork. Sam promised coffee and donuts. Eric was growing restless, he didn't do hurry up and wait. They all stood when the doctor entered the waiting room.
"How is she?" asked Kensi, it was the same doctor what had treated Deeks.
"Miss Jones is resting comfortably, she is very lucky to be alive but she is in really bad shape." she paused. "She lost a lot of blood, and infection has already set. She has a long road ahead of her."
"Can we see her?" asked Eric nervously.
The doctor nodded.
They followed the doctor down the hall to the ICU.
"We are going to keep her here for the next couple of days for observation." said the doctor.
Eric just stood looking at her, he was in shock. She looked fragile and in great pain.
"You can go see her, she's just asleep." she paused. "I'm sure she'll want to see you, she was asking for you when she was in x-ray."
Eric tried to smile; Deeks gave him a quick nudge. Eric slowly approached the side of the bed, taking it all in. He reached out and brushed a loose piece of hair from her face, Nell was covered with bruises, her left leg was in a cast, and both her hands were splinted. Eric gently laid his hand over hers, as he sat down in the lone chair. Kensi and Deeks stood at the foot of the bed.