The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive
/././ Chapter 2 /././
a/n: so we are anywhere mid-season two to present...doesn't really matter, as Callen takes Sam's advice and does nothing and the team continues to razz their liaison ( so now it is slightly more in canon).
a/n: have no real idea how prisoner transfers are conducted except what we see on TV, which I'm sure are more creative license the fact !
...NCIS LA...
The team was sitting around the bull pen, killing time and haphazardly doing paperwork in their normal hit and miss style...hoping for five o'clock or a new case: it was mid-week and they were really hoping that the rest of the week would not consist of the mind numbing drudgery of after action reports.
Amidst their current round of banter, surprisingly enough aimed at Sam; Callen was the first to notice Hetty's approach to stand at the edge of the bullpen, her expression inscrutable as usual but her diminutive stance tight and guarded.
"Hetty," Callen questioned with light concern, drawing the attention of the other three agents.
"I received word this morning the Douglas Harkins is being moved from the California State Prison to the MDC," she said evenly.
Deeks sat up straighter in his chair, looking first to Hetty then locking eyes with Callen before settling back to Hetty, "Why would they do that...the CSP has a maximum security wing...why risk moving him?"
"Apparently Mr. Harkins has developed cancer during his incarceration and the nearest facility to offer treatment is only eight miles from the MDC, and the facility itself is designed for inmates with medical issues," Hetty explained.
"Bastard deserves to rot in hell for everything he did...not get cancer treatment on the taxpayer's dime," Callen ground out, asking, "so why inform us of the transfer; it was primarily a PD op?"
"The LAPD informed me because the Marshall's Service wishes for Mr. Deeks to 'accompany' the transfer..." Hetty explained.
The team sat up straighter, exchanging looks before Deeks asked hesitantly, "Accompany the transfer...why?"
"No one knows Harkins better than you, Mr. Deeks..." Hetty said.
"Why would that matter," Sam interjected suspiciously, "everything Deeks knows would be in the case file."
"Unless they were expecting trouble," Callen put forward, fixing the operation's manager with a pointed look. "Are they expecting trouble?"
"Not all of Harkin's people were identified and arrested..." Hetty countered, pleased to note that her agents were 'circling the wagons', so to speak, around the detective.
"They think any of his people or contacts still on the outside might use the transfer to bust him out," Sam asked.
Deeks sat back in his chair, a thoughtful look crossing his features, "Ya' know, it always struck me as odd that for being the psychotic, control freak that he was, Harkins never seemed too worried about being caught...well no more than any other criminal, anyway."
"Like he knew it wasn't going to be permanent..." Callen said.
"...which, in retrospect, should have been weird since he got 15 to life...and all the property LAPD could uncover was confiscated..." Deeks commented.
"The 'key' word in all of that being 'all' they could uncover," Hetty said, "Marshall's suspect that Mr. Harkins may yet have access to a substantial amount of money; despite the seizure of his properties. Which means his people could also have access."
"If he is as smart as the Intel suggests, then you can bet he had a contingency plan if he ever got caught," Sam commented, looking at Deeks for confirmation.
"I'm sure he did, but he never discussed that with me," Deeks said with a shrug, adding, "...just know he always wanted to have options...always seemed to pull a back-up plan out of his ass at the last minute. Even with me on the inside, I can't count the number of times LAPD was this close," the detective indicated a bare inch with this thumb and forefinger, "to nailing him and he changed directions on us...some of the guys started to suspect I was on the take, we had so many near misses trying to bring the guy down."
The three agents frowned. They didn't fail to hear the slight bitterness in the detective's tone at the small admission on his relationship with his fellow PD officers.
"So, they want Deeks because he could possibly identify any of Harkin's people that got away...makes sense," Callen said, but questioned, "but all the Marshall's should have gone through the vetting process, been checked and cleared already."
"And despite the best vetting process...if someone wants in Mr. Callen, they will find a way in," Hetty replied, adding, "nothing is fool proof."
"So, why not just sent the files of the transfer team for Deeks to go over...why ride with the transport itself?" Callen pressed.
Hetty just nodded, "Of all the agencies that have ever investigated Harkins, Mr. Deeks has the most knowledge of how Harkins mind works, of what and where he might try to plan something: what any of his people might try..."
With a heavy sigh, Deeks asked, "When?"
"Day after tomorrow: US Marshalls want a briefing with Mr. Deeks tomorrow morning and there will be a team meeting to coordinate the transfer tomorrow afternoon," Hetty explained, "however, Lt. Bates would like a meeting with you this afternoon."
"Uh...okay...no time like the present I guess," Deeks said, gathering his belongings.
...NCIS LA...
The door to the mission had barely closed behind the detective when the team rounded on their diminutive operations manager.
"Hetty," Callen's one word conveyed both question and suspicion.
"And why just Deeks and not the rest of us," Sam questioned. "Something just doesn't seem right about all of this."
"We should be backing him up on this," Kensi commented, "especially if they think there is gonna be some kind of trouble."
"He has the LAPD and the US Marshall Service..." Hetty commented.
"And we know how well LAPD guards his back," Sam grumbled.
"We may have come in on the tail end of the op, but it was our case too," Callen pointed out.
"Indeed, Mr. Callen, that's why Eric will be monitoring the transfer motorcade from Ops," Hetty countered.
"Is that all," Kensi exclaimed, "can't we ride along?"
"The Marshall's don't feel they need the services of both the LAPD and NCIS," Hetty replied.
"We have a stake in this too," Callen pressed, "even if it's only one of us...NCIS should have a presence on the transfer motorcade."
"I'll see what I can do," Hetty said.
...NCIS LA...
a/n: I think I know the direction I want to take this...again, I'm stealing a premise from one of my old TV obsessions, "The Sentinel"-any fans care to guess the episode?