The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive
/././ Chapter 10 /././
"Yes sir...area is being secured as we speak...plans are going as anticipated...RPG's on either side isolated the transport van and took out one of the SUV's and the other one took heavy artillery fire...the men are neutralizing any and all remaining thre..." the man's report was cut off by several angry commands; one of which Deeks recognized instantly and he couldn't help a small grin as he heard one distinct voice amongst the many..."NCIS...freeze right where you are..."
'Things might not be so hopeless after all,' Deeks thought as he made his way cautiously to the door of the van...
...
"It all went to hell after that," Deeks explained, "I managed to finally get out of the seat belt and grab my back up...but one of Harkin's men saw the movement just as I was about to take one of them down; we ended up in a heap on the ground..." his tone bitter, he added with an angry look to his wound, "guess who lost...?"
"That's when you took one in the shoulder..." Sam surmised and Deeks nodded.
"Harkins was furious...don't know who was more surprised, us or his men, when he just capped the guy right there...didn't bat an eye doing it," Deeks said, adding with a bitter snort, "for a minute no one quite knew who they should be pointing their guns at."
...
Callen quickly recovered from the sudden turn of events, his eyes going from the still form of the man Harkins just shot to the man himself, ordering harshly, "It's over Harkins...put your guns down."
"Over? It's hardly even begun, agent Callen," Harkins replied, pointing his weapon at the injured detective, "I suggest it is you and those remaining Marshall's that need to drop your weapons."
"Callen...NO, don't do it... He won't kill me," Deeks ground out, his voice laced with pain, but his tone taunting, "not here...that would be too easy, wouldn't it Harkins. Not your style, is it? ...haven't forgotten what you did to those other men...the lesson you tried to teach them...and that's it isn't it...you gotta show then who's boss, who's in charge...right..."
"Deeks..." Callen voice held a warning, what was the detective trying to do get himself shot again...
Looking Harkins in the eye, Deeks answered Callen's warning, "Don't worry Callen...he won't shoot me...that'd be too quick; take him down Callen—just take your shot..."
Callen could feel the Marshall's tense beside him, ready to follow his lead. He had a clear shot, was itching to remove the threat to his friend, but he could clearly see Harkins finger coiled around the trigger...if he shot Harkins, the man would reflexively pull the trigger of the gun that was aimed right at his liaison officer's heart...he couldn't risk it.
"Callen don't..." Deeks warned, seeing that the agent was going to concede to Harkins demands.
Any decision Callen may have made was made mute several seconds later when the rest of Harkins men, having secured the area, converged on the three federal agents... guns at the ready.
"Mr. Harkins...sir...we really need to leave, their back-up teams will be hitting the area in less than six minutes," the man beside him warned as he glanced at his watch.
Harkins nodded absently to the man and slowly withdrew the weapon from Deeks chest and turned to the three federal agents, a thoughtful look on his face.
Seeing the look and recognizing the dangerous gleam in the man's eyes Deeks struggled to rise from the pavement.
"NO..." Deeks yelled, the desperation the detectives voice startling Callen, "I'm the one that put your sorry ass in jail...the one who bested you..."
The raw terror in Deeks voice had Callen instinctively moving towards his teammate, but was stopped by a gun to his chest; all he could do was watch with growing rage as Deeks cried out in pain when Harkins stooped down and grabbed the detective by his collar, roughly jerking him up so they were mere inches apart.
"Just remember, every cut, every scream, every way I can make him suffer...it's for you: to remind you what happens to those who defy me, betray my trust," Harkins whispered menacingly into the detective's ear, before straightening on his haunches and running a gentle hand through Deeks hair as he continued, "I really liked you...you had such potential, such promise; I never had a brother, but you, you I saw as someone I could trust, confide in...Shame really..."
"Then take me...I'm the one who betrayed you; not him," Deeks gasped out from his prone position on the pavement, the blood pouring from his shoulder wound mixing with the gently falling rain.
Callen attempted to fight his way through the men surrounding him and the Marshall's, when Harkins hand tightened cruelly in Deeks hair, causing the detective to gasp loudly, "And pass up the fortuitous gift laid out before me...this is just too good to pass up, detective."
"No..." Deeks managed to gasp get out through the pain.
"The key to making someone suffer is to know what causes them the most pain," Harkins answered.
Harkins then straightened from his stooped position and cast his eyes to his the men now restraining an enraged and struggling Callen, "Put agent Callen in the chopper..."
"No," Deeks cried out, attempting to push himself up from the pavement only for Harkins to turn and in one fluid motion kick the already injured man in the temple: dropping the detective like a rock back to the pavement—unconscious.
...
"The other two Marshall's..." Deeks asked hesitantly.
With a heavy sigh, Sam answered, "Dead. Harkin's men must have shot them before they left the area."
"All of them...dead..." Deeks said in a hoarse whisper.
"One survived...a Marshall...John Craig..." Kensi said.
"Craig? Craig...he was...," Deeks was shaking his head in confusion, "...how...bad is he...?"
"He's banged up...got a concussion from the crash, but he's gonna be fine," Sam assured the detective.
Deeks scowled, suddenly lost in thought, his head shaking slowly back and forth; causing Kensi to lay a gentle hand on her partner's shoulder and ask hesitantly, "Deeks, what is it..."
Not acknowledging his partners touch, he continued to shake his head and whisper hoarsely to himself, "But they're dead...all dead...doesn't make sense, he said..."
Kensi and Sam exchanged looks, before Sam laid a hand on Deeks other shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze attempting to get the man's attention, "Deeks, man, what is it...are you remembering something...?"
Exchanging concerned looks, Kensi said, "maybe I'd better get the doctor...the concussion may be worse than they thought."
Still not acknowledging his friends, the detective continued to ramble absently, lost in thought, "they're all dead...you said they're all dead...but the guys that did this...the guys Harkin's hired—they're professionals...they know what they're doing...?" Deeks suddenly turned questioning eyes towards Sam, "they knew what they were doing...they secured the scene...I heard one of them reporting to Harkin's-they 'neutralizedallthe threats..."
Sam nodded to the agitated detective, as Deeks continued, "...so if these guys were that good...how is Craig still alive?"
"There was a lot going on...they thought Craig was dead alone with the driver," Sam offered.
"No," Deeks said, wincing in pain when he shook his head adamantly, "no, these guys were good...ex-military...mercenary types...would they really make that mistake?"
Deeks looked back up at the Ex-SEAL expectantly.
Now it was Sam's turn to shake his head, he too felt there was something off about the Marshall's story, "No, they wouldn't...they would have taken out all threats to their escape...they wouldn't have left any witnesses..."
"So we find out how Craig is involved we find our way to Callen..." Deeks stated, throwing off his blanket, he said, "now get me the hell out of here."
...NCIS LA...
a/n: got a few pesky case details to work out-those why's and the how's, that will tie everything up (and hopefully make some amount of sense)...then I should have the last chapter or two typed up and this one will be done.