Author's Note: I just wanted to apologize for the late update. I haven't had a lot of free time to write lately. Also a great big Thank you goes out to everyone who has read, reviewed, and followed/favorite this story. I appreciate every one of you. Thanks, Riptide2
Chapter 9: Silence
"Love is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star…" - E.E. Cummings.
Seven, Deeks muses, is an odd number. It's supposedly lucky, though Deeks doesn't feel like any type of karma is smiling down on him at the moment, in the Bible it means completion, and in the Zodiac it stands for Cancer. It also happens to be the number of times Callen has tip toed around, broken, or flagrantly ignored international law in getting them here, not that Deeks has been counting of course.
So far they've skirted around both Hawaii and mainland China to avoid radar, bypassed any kind of customs check, and borrowed two trucks and a horse to get to the outskirts of Jalalabad. Worse, Deeks can't help but think as they stow meager provisions and a boatload of ammo into two packs and hit the back streets of the city, is that Callen's not only confiscated his phone but also broken the cardinal rule. The cardinal rule being, don't piss off the all-knowing, ninja mutant that is Hetty.
His partner's in danger and Deeks would be here looking for her come hell or high water but Hetty can put both those things to shame and the more Callen goes black-ops on him the more Deeks is beginning to suspect that she doesn't know they're out of the country. He isn't quite sure if that's a good thing because Owen Granger definitely doesn't know what they're up to or a bad thing because they can't count on any kind of outside help.
Which of course brings him the next problem, Deeks thinks as he watches Callen flit from doorway to doorway with the easy grace of a natural fighter, because how exactly are they going to find Kensi now that they're here? Deeks frowns, forcing his feet not to trip, slip, or otherwise embarrass him and reaches out to catch Callen's elbow before they can turn the next corner.
The lead agent levels him with a warning glance over his shoulder, he's been remarkably quiet since the plane, tense even, and Deeks can't deny any longer that he knows something more than he's saying. "What is it?"
The detective cocks an eyebrow in silent challenge, wishing once again that Sam were with them because he's just about the only one other than Hetty who can get a bead on what Callen's thinking, "Just wondering what the plan is exactly."
His glare softens for a moment, going from solid titanium to regular brick wall, a temporary understanding of shorts, and Deeks can't help but remember what Callen said on the plane about hunting down his partner's killer. He wonders if this isn't somehow more personal for the lead agent than Callen's letting on. G catches his eyes for a moment, icy blue burning in their intensity, "We find your partner. That's the plan."
It takes four turns, three more back alleys, and a trip around the block before Callen pauses in front of a peeling door that looks like it used to be green at some point in the last decade. "This should be it," he says, giving the door three sharp raps.
"Should?" Deeks questions, right as the door slips open an inch, revealing a silver of blonde hair before the woman's motioning them inside quickly.
"G," she breathes in relief, catching the lead agent in a quick hug that he surprisingly returns before bouncing across the room to her computer set up. Deeks watches her go in a light state of shock because she resembles an excitable blonde Barbie more than a CIA operative.
"Sarah," Callen calls and she turns to glance back at him over her shoulder, bright red fingernails still tapping a staccato rhythm against the surface of her desk. "I don't have a lot of time left to find my agent."
Her matching red painted lips pull down into a pout and she clicks to open a file on her screen, "You used to be fun, G."
"I can still be fun," Callen says defensively and the same time Deeks exclaims, "Him, fun?"
There's a moment of silence where Callen glares at Deeks and no one moves and then Sarah breaks down into slightly hysterical giggles, swaggering across the room to lay a hand on Callen's shoulder, "Oh, I like him."
The ex-operative levels a glare at her that Sarah blithely ignores and rolls his eyes when she turns away to re-cross the room, "I need to know what the CIA's hiding about White Ghost."
"You mean what we're hiding or what you're hiding?" She retorts easily and Callen's glare goes from annoyed to downright frosty.
"Wait what?" Deeks questions because this just confirms what he's suspected for the last week that Callen knows more than he's saying.
"Tell me where he is," Callen demands bright blue eyes boring a hole into the back of Sarah's head as both parties completely ignore the detective's latest outburst.
"How should I know?" the CIA operative snaps turning back to get into Callen's face. Her whole body's taunt with anger, green eyes flashing, and Deeks has to revise his opinion of blonde Barbies. Callen's a force to be reckoned with and it takes a brave soul to stand up to him, but apparently Sarah's more than willing.
"You're the CIA," Callen snaps back like that explains everything. In some ways maybe it does because what's the point of having an intelligence agency implanted in the middle of Jalalabad if they don't actually gather intelligence.
Sarah doesn't seem to see it that way though, throwing her hands in air with an exaggerated snort, "Oh, that's rich coming from you."
"Enough!" Deeks snaps, he's just about to the point of wringing someone's neck. His partner's missing, probably in danger and they're standing around arguing like a bunch of three year olds. "This isn't getting us anywhere," He says, calmer now that they've at least stopped yelling at each other, before turning back to the blonde operative, "What can you tell us about Ghost?"
Sarah purses her lips and looks away and when Deeks turns to demand answers Callen catches his eyes and shakes his head, a clear message of not now. Deeks nods reluctantly, backing down for the moment. Still he's not entirely sure how far he trusts them, either of them. It sends guilt curling in his gut, but Callen's hiding something important and until he knows the truth, all of the truth, he's not going to be turning his back on anyone.
The lead agent's still watching him, studying him, and Deeks buries the urge to squirm as Callen frowns and turns back to the blonde Barbie with nerves of steel, "Sarah, he's right. You need to trust me."
And this time it's Deeks' turn to frown, he's no idiot and he's sure that last part wasn't meant entirely for her.
Sarah glances between them, green eyes still wary before she sighs, "He'll be at The Star in ten minutes. You'd better hurry."
Callen nods and heads for the door, Deeks half a step behind him, and Sarah catches his glance as he goes to pull the door closed, "Be careful."
There's a double meaning in her eyes that's still bouncing around in Deeks' cranium almost ten minutes later when Callen pauses in an alley across from The Star. It's a rundown hotel, with a fading blue awning, and a permanent group of thugs occupying its front porch, the perfect spot for an ambush. Who exactly the ambush is going to be for has yet to be seen.
They've already changed clothes in the plane and Deeks is starting to wish for his homeless coat and its horrendous stench because the woven wool tunic he's wearing now is all kinds of itchy, but it's good for blending in and he has the momentary thought that if all native clothing is this horrible it's no wonder people become terrorists. Callen digs in his pack as they wait; producing two woolen caps and the shaggy blonde has the sneaking suspicion that he really is going to need a haircut when this is over just to get rid of the itchiness.
"Put it on," Callen prompts when he makes no move to take it, glaring at the cap like it's the unholy offspring of Owen Granger. "We need to catch him in the street, before he makes it to the hotel."
Deeks nods, cringing as he tucks blonde curls into the woolen cap. It's a good plan, to head him off before he can warn any allies inside, but still a risky move in broad daylight. "I'll take the left."
Callen doesn't respond just melts into the crowd heading in the opposite direction and Deeks straightens, keeping one hand on his Beretta as he weaves through people toward the tailor shop directly beside the Star. There's nothing for a few moments just rolling noise from the group of thugs to his left and the bustle of natives going about their business, and just when Deeks is about to rip the woolen itchy monster off his head and stomp on it, Callen catches his eyes and signals: go time.
It's a man with shaggy black hair, pale skin, and a shadow of stubble on his skin that they close in on, and Deeks isn't sure who's more surprised when Deeks jams a gun in his ribs and Callen snarls, "Hello, Jack."