In Darkness, Light
Chapter 7
"I'm not even gonna ask." Callen says, as his eyes roll over the massive assortment of new data spread out across the huge plasma screen in the Ops Centre.
Near the end of his trip to Maria's house Deeks had had a light bulb moment of sorts. His hunch thereafter paid off quite nicely in the form of a second encrypted flash drive hidden within a small jewelry box, which he'd found stashed inside a secret alcove built into Maria's master bathroom.
After making the discovery he immediately brought the flash drive back to OSP so that Eric could try to decrypt it. Unfortunately he had quite the time accomplishing this task, as none of the decryption programs seemed able to crack the code. That is until Deeks, using the same logic that led him to the flash drive in the first place, came across the answer to the decryption problem.
"We found a dead body, and you found all this." Sam muses aloud, the slight amusement evident in his voice. "I'll be damned."
Deeks stands just behind Callen and Sam with his arms folded across his chest. He isn't quite sure how he feels about his recent accomplishment, but nevertheless he will put on his best 'Deeks' performance for the benefit of his teammates.
"I've got to be honest—it wasn't that difficult." Deeks remarks. "I mean, seriously, any one with half a brain could've figured it out."
Sam and Callen share a look of amusement with one another. "Certainly explains how you figured it out." Callen remarks cheekily, while grinning at his partner.
"Don't be a hater now, it's okay to be jealous."
"What exactly are we supposed to be jealous of?" Sam asks, looking over his shoulder at the shaggy-haired man.
"My mad Detective skills of course." Deeks replies, with a huge dopey grin.
"Tell me something Sam—are you jealous of Deeks in any way?' Callen asks, looking towards his partner with an amused expression still coloring his features.
Sam shakes his head. "Nope. You?"
Callen gives a light snort at the very thought of being jealous of Marty Deeks. "Not in the least." He replies evenly, turning his eyes back to the plasma screen.
"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt you know?" Deeks quips from behind the two elder NCIS Agents.
"Sure." Callen remarks quietly, before turning serious once more. "So, you really think there might be something on this flash drive that could help our case?" he asks next.
"Maybe." Deeks replies, with a short sigh. "Hopefully, though we won't really know for sure until we go through some of it."
"Then I suggest the three of you get to it." Comes the familiar voice of their operations manager from just inside the doorway. "Or do I need to remind you that time is of the essence?"
Callen feels his cell phone vibrating within his front jeans pocket, and as Sam converses with Hetty he quickly fishes out the phone and reads the new text message he has just received. "Actually, it looks like Deeks'll be going solo here."
"And why is that?" Hetty asks.
"Just got a text from the boys downtown." He explains, holding up his cell phone for Hetty to see. "The M.E.'s report is waiting on us."
"Very well then you and Mr. Hanna will go and take care of that, while Mr. Deeks begins sorting through…whatever that is." She says, with a gesture of her hand towards the plasma screen.
"Could someone get a message to Kensi for me." Deeks says, as he runs a hand through his shaggy locks. "Cause this'll take all night."
"Guess you better get started then." Sam quips as he and Callen make for the staircase.
"Yeah."
An expensive looking black sedan pulls up just outside a beautiful, but upscale, horse stable located somewhere in the valley. The sunlight plays through the trees overhead and creates open blotches in the shade that covers most of the sign hanging up above the main entrance, which reads Twin Trails Riding Club. All around the sounds of horses and their riders can be heard quite clearly. All in all it is a very quaint little place.
The doors on either side of the car open, and two people step out from within. Diego emerges from the driver's side of the car, and Kensi emerges from the passenger's side. The latter stands, with a surprised expression painted across her features, staring up at the sign above the door.
"Horses?" she says questioningly, looking across the top of the car at Diego.
"My father owns the land." Diego replies very simply. "Do you not like my surprise?" he asks, noting her shocked appearance. Kensi flashes a very pleased smile back at the tan-skinned man.
"No, I love horses. It's the best surprise ever." As she smiles back at Diego her mind wanders briefly over the memory of a time when Deeks had tried to cheer her up after a hard, weeklong case at OSP. He blindfolded her then and drove her down to the beach, where he bought her ice cream and offered to give her a few lessons in his favorite water sport. She declined the offer of course, but in the end was content just sitting in the sand watching him ride the massive waves rolling inward towards the shore. That was the best surprise ever as far as she's concerned.
Diego chuckles. "Good. Shall we then?" he says, gesturing towards the entrance.
Kensi nods back. "Absolutely." The smile he flashes back at her is broad, but the darkness that still seems to linger in his eyes is unmistakable and sends a chill down her spine. She prays silently that he doesn't notice her uneasiness. She cannot afford to have her cover blown just yet.
The two of them head towards the entrance meeting up about halfway, where their hands lace together as they sidle on through the massive doorway side-by-side. "I just hope you can keep up with me." She teases.
He laughs at the brunette beauty and casts a sideways glance at her. "I guess we shall see, won't we?"
A young dark haired woman strolls through a set of double doors, with Callen and Sam following close behind, heading in the direction of the morgue. The woman is prattling on about her own work day so far, while Callen skims over the paper copy of the M.E.s report he received at the front desk only moments before hand.
"Sam, look at this." The team leader says, indicating a bit of information within the file folder he's carrying. "Say's here that Sawyer was a lefty."
"The gun he was holding was in his right hand, G." Sam says, alluding to the obvious.
"This confirms our suspicions. The scene was staged, which means whoever did kill him wanted us to think it was suicide." Callen reasons out loud. "And they did a pretty lousy job too."
"Once we get Sawyer's personal effects from the M.E., we should head over to the lab." Sam tells his partner.
"Yeah. I think so too."
The sound of horses' hooves beating rhythmically against the soft Earth echoes through the surrounding forest area. A beautiful black horse blazes along a clearly marked trail, which twists and winds its way through the thickets of green foliage that line both sides of the riding trail. Coming up close behind is a second brown colored horse—its rider is none other than Kensi Blye.
Diego's horse may have the lead now, but Kensi hasn't given up yet. She leans forward and whispers something into her horses ear, and as if in response the horse neighs loudly. The brunette beauty then gives the horse a soft nudge in the sides, and the horse throws it head forward drastically picking up great amounts of speed almost effortlessly.
"Come on girl, let's see what you've got." Kensi whispers to the horse. The horse lets out a loud neighing sound, and just up ahead Diego glances back over his shoulder only to see his date quickly catching up with him.
Both horses round the next bend almost side-by-side, but then as they emerge into another straightaway Kensi turns and flashes a smile at Diego as she and her horse easily overtake his. "See ya." She grins at the tan-skinned man.
"You think you've won!?" Diego calls after her.
"Sure looks that way!" Kensi calls back, with a laugh.
"Hahaha." He chuckles. "I have not forgotten our wager. That kiss will be mine!" he tells her confidently, as the sound of a riding crop being used sounds through the air. The black horse makes a loud whining sound, but still begins to speed up all the same.
"You're gonna have to work for it!" she calls back over her shoulder.
"Where've I heard that before!" he laughs openly, with another crack of his riding crop.
Kensi hates that. She had opted against using a riding crop, whereas Diego had been all for the instrument. Every time he uses the infernal thing his horse sounds like it is in pain, and this just breaks Kensi's heart.
Besides that, she really doesn't want to kiss Diego again—ever. Especially not after last time, but alas she did promise the secret sadistic killer one kiss if he could beat her in a little race. "You're gonna have to work for it!"
The female federal agent is so distracted by her current line of thought, that the advancing Diego goes completely unnoticed.
"Sorry sweetheart." He chuckles as he passes her once more.
Shit! Kensi scolds herself internally for getting distracted so easily. It's too late for her to try and catch up though, their designated 'finish line' is just ahead—he's won already. A minute later she crosses the imaginary line just after Diego, and the two horses trot slowly to a stop near a close-knit grouping of small trees.
"Looks like I win." Diego beams, as he hops down from his horse.
"Don't get too excited. You just got lucky, that's all." Kensi retorts, following suit.
She reaches up a hand and runs it gently across her horses face. The horse seems to lean into her touch as she does this, and Kensi can't help the soft smile that parts her lips. "Good girl." Kensi tells the horse in a soft voice.
Diego approaches her then, and Kensi looks up at him just as he reaches out a hand for her. "I do believe we had a deal, did we not?" he says with a smile.
"Hmm, sounds familiar?" she teases, with a thoughtful expression.
Diego pulls the brunette beauty in close, and lowers his mouth to hers. "You really are the most beautiful woman I have ever met." He whispers against her lips. Were it coming from Deeks, those words might actually mean something to the female federal agent. Hell, she would probably be putty in her boyfriends' hands—Diego, however, not so much. Hearing him say such things leaves her feeling cold inside.
Kensi must protect her cover though, and so to this end she puts everything she has into the kiss, and tries her best to make it feel as real as possible—for him anyway.
…TBC…