SYLVIA
/CH 13/
a/n: sorry for the delays...don't know which is worse—the responsibilities of RL or the dreaded "writer's block"
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The early morning sun flashed off the dark colored luxury sedan as it pulled up to a stone fenced overlook and stopped just feet from the lone figure standing with hands shoved deep in his pockets and looking distractedly out onto the breathtaking view of the ocean below.
The back window rolled mechanically down as the lone figure moved to the car; a low, angry voice issuing from the back seat, "you were supposed to take care of Parker before he made it to talk to that reporter...by now the police have that flash drive..."
"Don't worry, Parker won't be a problem anymore...I cleaned out his place..." the standing man said, only to be interrupted by the angry man in the car.
"The information on that drive can ruin me..."
"It's encrypted...no one's finding out anything without the encryption key...and I have it...cops don't have anything," the man cut in indignantly, "I know how to do my job."
"You think that the cops can't break the encryption with enough time...and even if they can't; that wasn't the first time he met with that reporter—it's hard to know what he already told her," the angry voice in the care pointed out.
The standing man shrugged his shoulders, "So, I just jack her hard drive too...problem solved..."
"You better hope it's that easy..." the man in the car left the threat hanging.
"Hey, don't threaten me...I still have the encryption key..." the standing man warned, adding, "besides, I thought you had this all figured to distract the cops with that crazy assed chick anyway."
"You just take care of your part...I'll worry about my part," the shadowed figure in the car stated shortly.
The man moved away from the car and just stood watching as the back window slowly rolled up, and the car backed out of the overlooks parking lot and went back down the mountain.
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Sam and Callen were heading across town to the pharm. tech's house after a call to his place of employment informed them the Jackson Parker called in sick that morning.
"If Parker saw the hit and run yesterday he might be getting ready to rabbit on us," Sam commented.
Callen just nodded in agreement as they pulled up to a modest little one story house.
Scanning the area from the relative safety of the SUV, Callen commented, "Cars in the drive..."
The two agents watched for a few moments longer, but detected no movement in or around the house.
"A little convenient that the reporter is taken out then the tech reports in sick..." Callen commented, getting a nod of agreement from his partner.
By tacit agreement they both drew their weapons and climbed from the vehicle, crossing the street cautiously. Sam peered cautiously through the front window while Callen knocked on the door.
"No one in the living room...looks tossed," Sam reported, a frown creasing his features.
With a nod, Callen went around one side of the house while Sam took the other; both agents peering in windows as they went. Meeting up at a small back stoop, Sam reported, "Got something in the kitchen..."
Trying the back door, Callen found it unlocked and slowly pushed the door opened; both agents, with weapons at the ready, cautiously peered into the small kitchen.
Both agents immediately noted the blood that dotted the floor and cabinets of the small kitchen before they moved quickly to search the small house, finding the living room and bedroom tossed; and the computer smashed on the floor—but the technician was nowhere to be found.
Meeting back up in the kitchen minutes later, Sam asked, "So, I wonder if they found what they were looking for?"
"And I wonder where Parker is," Callen questioned.
Giving a brief look around the room, Sam gave his partner a grim look, "The blood, the smashed computer..."
"If they found what they were looking for it makes Parker a loose end..." Callen commented.
"It's hard to tell how much information Parker knew about the illegal testing...or how much he shared with Lanni Sullivan," Sam said.
"Well, let's hope Eric can work his magic and see if there is anything on the hard drive of his computer," Callen said as he bent down to retrieve the hard drive.
Sam nodded and called the LAPD for a CSI unit and then made a call to update Ops.
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Meanwhile, Kensi and Deeks were pulling up to Lanni's apartment building.
Getting out and looking up at the five story brick building Deeks commented quietly, "...first time I've ever been to her place; we always crossed paths at the courthouse or went out for drinks on occasion..."
Kensi heard the wistfulness and sensed the pain in her partner's voice, "Our jobs certainly don't leave us much time to socialize..."
Though Deeks appreciated his partners attempt at misdirection and would like to imagine it to be the demands of 'Real life' that got in the way of his friends ever really getting together and hanging out like they did in their college days they both knew it wasn't the busyness of the friend's lives that kept them at arms-length, but rather, the memories of the past.
They slowly made their way into the building...as the door of the complex closed behind Deeks a car pulled up across the street...
The pair exited the elevator on the fourth floor and headed down the hall; when they got to Lanni's apartment, Deeks just stopped in front the door and stood there, taking in and letting out a deep breath, making no move to enter the apartment.
"Deeks," Kensi questioned in concern, seeing her partners unfocused gaze.
When she got no response from her partner she laid a hand on his shoulder, "Deeks?"
The touch was like a bolt and the detective jumped back startled, "What...oh...uh, Kens...uh, sorry..."
Frowning in concern, she replied, "its okay...what's up with you...where were you just now?"
Deeks hung his head, "Just a memory...standing outside Paula's door...opening it up and seeing it trashed, courtesy of Sylvia..."
Kensi just nodded and squeezed his shoulder, "I can search Lanni's apartment..."
"No, no, I can do this..." Deeks said quickly, drawing in another quick breath, "...just weird, searching her apartment like this..."
"Are you sure..." She asked.
Deeks just nodded and pulled out the apartment key...only to look at his partner in surprise a moment later and whisper hoarsely, "It's already unlocked..."
They both stepped back and drew their weapons, exchanging nods before breaching the door...
Nothing was apparent in the living room and Deeks signaled Kensi to go right towards the bedroom while he made his way to the kitchen area.
She scanned the bedroom and was moving towards the partially closed bathroom door when the sound of breaking glass from the other end of the apartment startled her.
Moving to the source of what now sounded like a fight, she stepped into the kitchen in time to see her partner go over the rail of the small balcony off from the kitchen, barely grabbing the rail to stop his plunge to the ground four stories below.
"Deeks," she yelled, drawing both men's attention, then pulling in her emotions she raised her weapon, ordering, "NCIS...freeze."
Instead of heeding the order, the intruder raised a butcher knife and looked at the female agent with a sneer, "him or me darlin'...you let me walk out the door and I won't take his hands off..."
"Take him out Kensi," Deeks ground out, as he attempted to get a better hold on the railing he was dangling from.
The agent knew her options were limited when she saw Deeks fingers slowly slipping from their hold on the balcony railing, blood seeping through the bandages on his already injured hands. Decision made, she held up a hand, loosening her grip on her gun in a placating manner, "Just put the knife down..."
A sudden gunshot had Kensi diving for cover and Deeks flinching and trying to look behind him towards the street, despite his precarious position, "Kensi...Kensi, answer me..."
Kensi looked from behind the kitchen island to see the suspect lying on the floor, blood pouring from a fatal chest wound.
She scrambled to her feet, kicking the knife away and confirming the man was dead before making her way to the balcony, "Deeks!"
"Kensi...you alright..." Deeks ground out breathlessly.
"I'm fine, perps dead..." she said, reaching down to grab an arm and help pull the detective to safety.
As she helped the detective pull himself back over the railing she scanned the area, "where did that shot come from..."
The detective slumped boneless to the floor of the patio, before indicating with a nod of his head, "sounded like it came from that direction..."
Peering down towards the direction Deeks indicated she was in time to see a car window slowly slide closed and the car pull away from the curb.
Pulling out her phone she dialed Ops, "Eric, we need a full unit."
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The LAPD crime scene unit, an ambulance and coroners van were already on scene when the two NCIS agents pulled up to the apartment complex.
The two agents zeroed in on the ambulance before exchanging concerned looks and climbing from the SUV; quickly making their way to the fourth floor apartment.
They flashed their badges to the first person they encountered and were directed through the throng of investigators to the couch where Deeks was sitting shirtless, being tended by paramedics. Both agents quietly noting that one EMT was rewrapping the detectives hands while the other was palpitating his neck, shoulders and back.
"What the hell happened here..." Sam exclaimed, nodding towards the injured man, "...this is the third time in two days man...are you two alright?"**
Deeks started to shrug his shoulders but grimaced as his abused muscles protested the movement.
"Kensi, what happened," Callen asked as his eyes swept the scene.
Sam and Callen raised their eyebrows in surprise, looking back and forth between Deeks and Kensi as she filled them in on what had happened.
"We must have interrupted his search of the apartment; the perp was hiding in the service hallway...attacked Deeks from behind..."
Noting, with some concern, that the detective had not looked up or interjected anything into the conversation, Sam exchanged a knowing look with his partner...deciding not to comment on the near miss and instead focus on the case he asked, "...and the perp?"
Motioning to the kitchen area, where the coroner was just wheeling out the gurney with a body bag strapped down, she answered, "Sent a picture to Eric to ID, nothing yet."
"So what're the chances this is the same guy that broke into Parker's place," Callen mused aloud, sharing their search of the pharmacy tech's home.
"He had the hard drive on him..." Kensi said, "...we'll get it to Eric and see what he can pull off of it."
Callen nodded, "...someone is willing to steal and kill to get whatever information Parker gave to Lanni..."
The three agent's conversation was cut off when the paramedic examining Deeks back and shoulders straightened from his position.
"Nothing is broken or dislocated...most likely you just strained the muscles," the paramedic told the detective as he pulled off his gloves.
"However, if you aren't more careful you're going to cause some serious damage to the muscles in your hands...infection is really starting to become an issue..." the kneeling paramedic interjected as he finished wrapping the detective's hands.
Concerned, Sam demanded, "Does he need to go to the hospital?"
Before the paramedic could answer, Deeks head shot up as he interrupted stubbornly, "No, I'm not going back to the hospital..."
"Deeks..." Kensi started to protest, only to be cut off by her insistent partner.
"No, Kensi...no, I'm not going back..."
"Well you can't work like this..." Callen stated.
"What, you think you're going to bench me..." Deeks yelled in surprise, locking eyes with the senior agent, "...you can't do that..."
"Deeks, look at yourself..." Callen said.
Pushing away the paramedic and standing shakily, Deeks again met Callen's eyes, his tone condescending as he clipped out angrily, "I don't need your permission—Agent Callen...this falls under LAPD jurisdiction, not NCIS..."
Deciding to play his trump card, Callen shot back as he first pointed to the detective then to Kensi, "Is it worth your life...your partner's life...you can't even hold a gun...you can't protect yourself, how can you protect Kensi?"
Deeks eyebrows shot up in momentary surprise, his eyes seeking out his partner's; the concern furrowing her brow hitting him like a punch in the gut, deflating his anger and dropping him heavily to the couch.
Though understanding why Callen had said what he said, and in fact sharing some of his concerns; she was none the less still upset with the senior agent when she took in her partners defeated posture.
Stooping down in front of him, she placed a hand on his leg, "Deeks, come on..."
She looked up at the two senior agents worriedly, when her touch elicited no response from the detective.
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**remember Hetty patched him up the first time when he pummeled the brick wall, the second time was when he passed out at the hospital and now this time hanging off a balcony railing...