Chapter 47

The contingent from NCIS pulled up as a group, just down the street from the Northern L.A. Meat Packing plant. This is where they were to rendezvous with an LAPD SWAT team and paramedic unit. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, additional NCIS personnel had arrived from the Mission just moments before them.

Granger went up the unexpected group of agents, who were all watching him warily. They had not been asked to participate but one of their own was in danger, someone they all liked and respected and they wanted to help. Besides, Eric had willingly given them the address; no one had said it was secret. Granger eyed them for a moment, letting them stew a bit. Finally, he gave a grim smile and said "Agents Franklin, Porter, Samuels, Carson. Thank you for coming to support us. Once again, I know Deeks will appreciate it."

He turned and walked over to the SWAT team leader and introduced himself, holding out his hand. "Assistant Director Owen Granger, NCIS. The man we're about to rescue is one of yours but he's also one of ours. We'd like to take at least one of the men holding him alive, if at all possible. We need to find out who's behind this and stop them before another attempt is made."

The SWAT leader took Granger's hand and shook it. "Captain James Hiller, LAPD. Who's the man we're rescuing? I didn't realize he's a cop."

"Detective Marty Deeks." Granger said, frowning at the Captain. "LAPD is well aware of this. I'm not sure why they didn't inform you."

"Deeks? I've heard about him. What has he gotten himself into this time? Not surprised we weren't told. Apparently, he's not the most popular man on the force."

Listening to the exchange, wishing they would just hurry up so they could breach the building and find Deeks, Kensi took offense at the question and comments about her partner, her temper frayed to begin with. She stepped up close to the man, poked him in the chest and said "He's not gotten himself into anything! He was abducted, we believe by a man he helped put away. Something every one of us, in this line of work, has to consider as a possibility. He's one of the best men I know and I don't appreciate your comments!" She poked him again, hard.

Captain Hiller stepped back from her and held up his hands, saying "I meant no offence ma'am. I don't know Detective Deeks personally. All I know is what I hear around the precincts, about the trouble that seems to follow him around and how others perceive him. As it happens, I generally believe only about 5% of what I hear. I was simply voicing my opinion as to why I think no one bothered to inform my team that we were going to rescue a fellow cop. We were just told to come here and work with NCIS on a rescue attempt of a kidnapping victim."

Kensi glared at him and turned to Granger. "We need to get this show on the road now! Who knows what they've done to him!" She stormed off to join Callen, Sam and the other NCIS agents. Granger turned to find Captain Hiller looking at him quizzically.

"He's her….partner." Granger said by way of explanation for her behavior. "They're very…close."

Hiller's eyebrows rose as he realized what Granger was not saying. "I understand. I won't take it personally." Granger nodded and motioned the NCIS group over to make introductions. When done, Hiller said to him in surprise "Why are the FBI, DEA, CIA and Naval Intelligence involved in this?"

Granger quirked an eyebrow and said "It would seem that LAPD is the only agency who doesn't comprehend Detective Deeks's value." Kensi looked at him in shock. Granger had just admitted he admired, and maybe even liked, Deeks. She stored that tidbit away to tell Deeks after they found him, not allowing herself to believe she might never be able to tell him that Granger had paid him a compliment.

There were nods all around and John repeated what he had said at the boatshed. 'Marty's family and this is personal to us."

Hiller indicated his understanding and they got down to work, deciding that the best way to breach the building was to split up into teams, each team having at least one SWAT member. Based on the layout that Eric had sent to their phones, they knew there were two floors and three entrances. The first floor was mostly cold storage rooms and the main packing floor, which was two stories high. The second floor contained offices situated around the perimeter of the packing floor. Splitting into three teams, each was assigned an entrance. Once inside, they would split into smaller teams, one clearing the first floor, the other the second. Everyone geared up and put in their earwigs. Once everyone was in place, Granger would give the go, unaware that their presence had already been detected by the guards Sean had set up around the outside of the building.

One of them found Carl and gave him the approximate count of agents and cops who were about to descend on them. He swore and pulled out his cellphone to call Sean to warn him. On the main packing floor, Sean had just selected another tool from his work table. He was pleased that the detective was conscious once more and watching him decide what to use on him this time around. He was hoping that he would finally break the man, when his phone rang. Looking at the caller id he swore.

"What now, Carl?"

"Sean, the guards just notified me that several SUV's and an LAPD SWAT van pulled up down the street a few minutes ago."

"SWAT? How many cops?"

"He said he counted about twenty cops and federal agents heading this way. Sean, he said he saw at least NCIS, DEA, FBI and LAPD vests! I thought you said they'd never find us? And why is every agency in town here? Who the hell is this guy? We need to cut our losses and get out of here!"

Carl swore again and looked at the man hanging from the hook, angry to find a smile on his face. "I told you they'd find me, Sean. You might as well just give up now, do yourself a favor." said Deeks, prodding the man into acting. Sean backhanded him across the mouth.

"Shut the hell up! You're not in any position to be giving advice."

Deeks just spit out some blood and smirked at him.

"Carl, tell the guards to shoot to kill. Carl? CARL!" Sean yelled into the phone, getting no response.

"Did you lose your little playmate, Sean? Maybe he's already cutting a deal with NCIS, telling them how it was all your idea and how he tried to get you to stop. Wonder how many years you'll get compared to him?"

Sean reached behind him and pulled his gun out of his waistband. "I won't be doing any time. If I go out, I'm taking as many of them with me as I can. Maybe the first one to stick their head in here will be that pretty little brunette you seem so fond of. How about it Marty? Want to watch me blow Kensi's head off while you hang there, helpless? Maybe it'll be someone else you care about. One of your other teammates; someone like the big black guy with the nice little family. Maybe I'll be making his wife a widow today. Just remember this. Whoever it is, will die because of you. If you hadn't messed with Timmons, none of this would be happening! How does that make you feel, huh, smart ass?"

Deeks looked at him, fighting down his panic, not letting the emotions show on his face, refusing to let Sean finally get what he wanted. "You'll never get the chance. They're too smart, too good at what they do, to let you get the drop on them." He hoped and prayed that he was telling the truth. They both looked towards the door as gun shots sounded. When they faded away, they looked back at each other, neither one sure whose side had won that skirmish.

Out in the storage area of the building, Sam and Callen looked at the three guards their group had just taken out. Unfortunately, none of them were still alive. Callen tapped his earwig and said quietly. "Kensi? Granger? Hiller?"

Kensi replied first. "I'm on the second floor. We're clearing the offices. We haven't found anyone up here yet. We heard shots, are you guys ok?"

"We're good. You be careful."

"I will. Guys, we need to find him, now!"

"We know Kens, we know. We will."

They heard more shots fired, this time from the side of the building Granger had taken a team into.

"Granger?" Callen said again. They waited.

Granger finally responded. "We've cleared this side of the building. There was resistance but they're all dead now. We couldn't take any of them alive. Have you had better luck?"

"No." Callen sighed. "The guards on this side are all dead as well."

Hiller responded from his assigned area. "Same here. Every one of them's dead."

"Okay, we're getting ready to breach the main packing floor." Callen nodded at Sam and their LAPD partner, Officer Kevin Pastor, pointing to the door leading to it. Raising their guns, the team slowly made their way to it, standing to either side of the door, out of harm's way. Sam reached out and pushed the door, preparing to breach.

Inside the room, both men watched the door start to open. Sean raised his gun and aimed it at about head height. Behind him Deeks watched in horror. Adrenalin surged through him and he pulled his feet off the ground, the rush allowing him to ignore the pain his broken ribs sent shooting through him. Once again he used his hold on the rope as leverage, and with a scream, he pushed out as hard as he could, knocking Sean off the platform just as Sam stepped into the room. The motion forced one of his broken ribs into his lung and he instantly blacked out from the pain, his breathing becoming labored.

Sam heard the scream and watched as Deeks knocked a man off the platform he was standing on, with his feet no less, the man's gun skittering off into the corner. Approaching him carefully, he yelled "Federal Agent! Stay on the ground, put your hands behind your back!" When Sean complied, Callen moved into the room and cuffed him while Sam and Officer Pastor held their guns trained on him. Once he was secured, Sam and Callen both looked up at the nearly unrecognizable man hanging from a hook suspended from the ceiling, both of them frozen, unable to move.

Sam was the first to snap out it. "Damn it Deeks! What did they do to you?" he whispered.

~,~,~,~

A/N – thanks to ohBuddy66 for the prompt about Kensi not being on the team that finally found Deeks!