Brotherhood
Chapter 22
...
Callen wished he hadn't eaten so much boudin and grits before they left, the myriad twists and turns of the bayous they'd been following for the last three hours making him nauseous. It reminded him of riding with Kensi, although he certainly would enjoy her company more than Guidry's and Tino. The two men didn't talk much, but he had been able to overhear some of their conversation and it had eased his mind. The Hale brothers were trusted completely now. Even Tino sounded respectful when he spoke of how he and Jimmy had dealt with two of the men who had joined Saint in torturing them. These men respected toughness, and Guidry spoke proudly of Jimmy's attitude, and once again retold the story of how he saved his life. It had definitely surprised him, and his face would soften whenever he looked at his brother, who was snoring loudly in the bow of the boat.
He tried not to think about Deeks' panic attack or the harsh reminder of his own devastating mistake. The kid had been right and now he no longer had to worry about Joe and his family, or be wary that Deeks might lose focus during the upcoming meeting. It was going to be hard on him to pretend to welcome Guidry's attention, but he had confidence that he could do it. From the few stories he'd shared about his childhood, and the violence he'd grown up with, he knew he hated the idea of being close to a man who reminded him of it all. He also knew how capable Deeks was at hiding his true feelings when he needed to or simply wanted to.
The hug he had given him before they left the cabin had helped them both, but for Callen it had overcome the fear of rejection he always carried. Deeks' assurance that he would always trust him had solidified the bond between them that he had come to cherish. He would have been completely desolate if Deeks hadn't reassured him that he didn't hold his mistake against him, and still loved him as a brother. He found such comfort in their relationship and never tired of hearing the kid call him brother. It made him smile even now.
"Wake dat boy up, Jake. We on Bayou Plaquemine now," Guidry called out. "Be at Mouton's place in a bit. Today y'all git ta meet de big boys. Dey full of demselves, but dey got de big money and de big ideas. But, don't y'all forget...we be de real patriots...we de soldiers dat make it all happen. Dey cain't do nothin' widout us."
Deeks jerked awake when he touched him, his eyes full of distrust and his fists up and ready to fight. Guidry thought it funny and laughed, something neither of them had ever heard him do. It sounded weird and slightly disturbing. Deeks looked sheepish when he saw everyone had eyes on him, and groaned as he sat up, looking around to get his bearings.
"We're coming up to the doc's place," Jake said. "Try not to flirt with his wife."
"You never want me to have no fun, bro," Jimmy pouted and then broke into a wiseass grin and Guidry slapped Tino across the chest as if was the greatest thing he'd ever heard.
They had both fought hard and endured a lot to be accepted by this maniac and now that they had been it had knocked him off his game a bit. He was still adjusting to the change, working on just how to play it, and gave Deeks a look that expressed his indecisiveness. He was unwilling to let his guard down in spite of their new status, worried he would become sloppy and make a mistake that might cost them. Deeks turned and sat next to him, both of them looking up the bayou as more and more houses came into view. When the kid pounded his fist down softly on his leg and smiled his cocky grin he realized Deeks understood his uncertainty, shrugging his shoulders as if to say, "go with it". The kid had always been able to switch gears in an instant, to fly by the seat of his pants as Hetty always called it, and he realized it was what they had to do. Things were different now, and it gave them an advantage they needed to use. Callen nodded at his brother and rolled his shoulders, stretching out the kinks as he adjusted his attitude to the new reality, focusing on the meeting to come.
As they rounded a bend, they passed a rusting dredger tied up to the far bank and it was a stark contrast to Mouton's sleek, white cabin cruiser floating pristinely just up ahead. He could see the man waiting for them on the dock, his arms crossed over his chest, and Callen wondered once again how the man had gotten tied up with Guidry and The Brotherhood. There was no wave of welcome and as they pulled up to the dock, the man's face turned down into a frown. Callen was the first man out, and was studiously ignored. Deeks jumped out and quickly tied up the boat before turning toward the man.
"Wanna check my stitches, Doc?" Jimmy asked lightly, lifting the edge of his tee shirt.
"I'm not the least bit interested in you or your brother," he replied and then put his hand up as if to ward them off. "Good God you stink. They're not getting on my boat, Guidry. Not smelling like that."
"You think I stink too, couyon?" Guidry snarled, as he put a hand on Jimmy's shoulder.
"No, but those two smell like shit and I won't have it," he said, his voice wavering only slightly. "My friends from Washington won't appreciate it either, and I'm assuming you want to keep them happy. They can shower in the pool house."
"Go on you two," Guidry finally said, glowering at the doctor. "Go on up dere so y'all can smell pretty for de fine gentlemen. Dey delicate."
"Guess it's been awhile," Jake conceded. "Come on little brother. Maybe we can take a swim in the pool afterwards."
"Don't you dare," Mouton huffed out.
"Watch you mouth, Doc," Guidry said softly as he took a step toward the man. "If dese boys wanna swim, dey gonna have it. Understand?"
The man flinched, his resentment obvious, but he nodded his agreement and Callen found a rather perverse enjoyment in watching the doctor back down. He shot a look at Deeks, who's eyes narrowed briefly at the put down, but a smile flickered at the edge of his mouth before he turned and walked off the dock. He quickly joined him and threw an arm across his shoulders as they headed up toward the pool. Their change in circumstance was almost jarring, but the thought of a hot shower sounded so blissful he discounted what he was feeling, jogging after Deeks as he took off and raced ahead to be the first one in the pool house. The inside was very clean and elegant, the walls painted a creamy white, the room set up with comfy looking outdoor furniture of bamboo and pale yellow striped cushions. They looked at each other and smiled, checking to see if they could be seen from the dock, finally relaxing when they realized they were out of everyone's sight. There had been no need to race, as there were two shower stalls with spicy smelling soap and a bottle of shampoo in each one. They stood silently in front, both stunned by their good fortune, Callen finally giving his brother a nudge as he removed his earwig and Deeks nodded and did the same. They both set their weapons on the small white table between the stalls before turning their full attention to the unexpected benefit awaiting them.
"Sweet. I think we've died and gone to heaven," Deeks murmured before he turned on the hot water.
"Wish we had our go bags," Callen replied. "Fresh clothes would be nice."
Callen had to smile as Deeks immediately kicked off his shoes and socks and stripped, leaving his clothes in a heap on the floor. He groaned with pleasure as the hot water cascaded over his head and body and Callen shook his head at his boyish joy. Following his lead, he hung his clothes on the hook provided, and stepped into the stall next to him, the powerful spray of hot water exhilarating. Rivulets of dirty water sluffed off the smell that had clung to him for days, and he inhaled the scent of the soap before he energetically began washing himself, raising his face to let the water beat down on him.
"This shampoo reminds me of Kens," Deeks said softly through the wall. "Wonder how she's doing?
"Don't go there, kid," Callen warned.
"Yeah, no...you're right," he replied. "Just hard not to think of her right now...being naked in a hot shower..."
"I really don't want to picture that, brother," Callen interrupted quickly.
"Too much information?" Deeks laughed.
"Not the time or the place," he reminded him.
"Still...I'd rather think of her than Guidry," his voice soft and reflective.
"He might not even recognize you when your hair gets all fluffy," Callen snarked, trying to lighten the conversation.
"Look who's talking," he replied. "That bath mat you call hair makes you look like the woolly mammoth in Ice Age."
"The cartoon?" Callen laughed. "Wait till I tell Sam."
"I watched it at his house with Kamran," Deeks revealed. "It was date night."
"You still baby sit for him?"
"Babysitting may be the closest I ever get to kids," he replied softly.
"Stop it, Jimmy. We can't have this conversation," Jake warned sharply, snapping them both back to the needed mindset.
They became silent once again as they luxuriated in the first hot shower they'd had since hooking up with The Brotherhood. He could only imagine how they must have smelled, so he really didn't blame the doctor and was actually grateful he had demanded they shower. It made him feel human again, and eased his aching muscles and the painful bruising. It felt so normal, and had caused Deeks' mind to wander back to the one person he cared about and missed the most. Callen wished they could have a conversation about what he knew was bothering him, but it was too great a distraction, too far from the reality they were living now. Those two were meant to be together, and he hated to see them at odds, but he couldn't allow the focus to be on anything other than this assignment. It was too dangerous and he hoped Deeks understood that.
"Think the doc would mind if we swim naked?" Deeks asked with a giggle as he turned off the water and shoved the shower curtain aside.
"Guess we'll find out," Callen replied as he stepped out, pleased that Deeks seemed over his momentary lapse in concentration.
He scanned the myriad array of darkening bruises that colored Deeks' torso, but he didn't seem to notice, his eyes staring longingly at the blue water of the pool. His hair was a tangled mess, it's true color finally shining out from the dull muddiness it had been before. He looked happy, and favored him with a cocky grin and upraised eyebrows before turning and running toward the pool, whooping out a yell as he spread his arms wide and leaped with wild abandon into the deep end.
Callen thought it best not to follow. It would leave them vulnerable, so he calmly dried himself off before snugging in his earwig. As he dressed he watched Deeks swim the length of the pool with powerful strokes, and he was happy for him. He needed the break and being in the water always seemed to calm him. When he walked out to the poolside, Guidry and Tino were standing off to the side watching. Guidry had an odd look on his face as he watched him swim, seeming melancholy and almost human.
"Let's go Jimmy. Boss is waitin'," Jake called out.
Deeks stopped to tread water in the middle of the pool, his smile open and honest. "Sorry, Boss. Ain't never been in a pool like this."
"Be on de boat in ten minutes, mon fils," Guidry huffed out and then turned quickly away and headed back down to the dock.
"We good?" Jake asked Tino as he stood watching Deeks. "Boss ain't mad at the kid is he?"
"Shit no. Your brother's his new pet," Tino said mockingly. "Just tell 'im not to push his luck. He set his dogs on his last favorite. And he was Cajun."
It was if someone had thrown ice water in his face as images of Oscar Doucet flashed into his mind, the warmth of the shower now lost as Tino snorted out a laugh and followed Guidry. Callen was shaken, and sucked in a shallow breath, walking quickly back into the pool house, checking his weapon as he softly called to Roy over comms.
"You there?" He asked breathlessly.
"It's me, G," Sam replied and Callen let out a long sigh.
"Good to hear your voice, man," he replied. "You good?"
"Out of harm's way, partner," Sam said. "I've been listening. Sounds like you're both in pretty deep."
"Not sure if that's good or bad," he replied, his attitude toughening as he spoke.
"It's good if we can end this thing," he said, his confidence something Callen needed to hear. "Don't worry about Deeks. He can handle himself. Just get the names of the men from Washington. We'll attack these bastards from both ends."
"Glad they didn't blow you up," Callen replied, feeling a bit better with Sam's voice in his ear. "How'd it go this morning?"
"Walked in with my arm around Safa for the whole task force to see," Sam bragged. "Apologized to White for doubting his handling of the task force and told him my report would recommend he stay exactly where he is. Told him he was the right man for the job, and he swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. Safa dropped me at my rental car. It didn't blow up and I wasn't followed. Roy picked me up at the airport and now I'm here at his house eating beignets and drinking coffee."
Deeks came in dripping wet with a questioning look on his face. Callen mouthed out Sam's name and tapped his ear, and Deeks quickly toweled off and got dressed. He smiled when he snugged in his earwig to catch the tail end of Sam's comments, all the while securing his weapons.
"I had to eat grits," he finally told Sam. "What's a beignet?"
"It's like a big square donut covered in powdered sugar," Sam replied. "Yummy."
"Sounds like something Kensi would love," Deeks said wistfully. "How is she?"
"Deeks..." Callen whispered.
"She's fine Deeks. She's staying at our house," Sam told him. "And Michelle is making sure she gets plenty of donuts."
"We gotta go, Jimmy Hale," Jake said gruffly. "Boss is waitin'."
"On it," he replied, ruffling his damp hair as they both turned to leave.
"Leave it behind, brother," Callen said quietly as they approached the boat.
"Fuck you, Jake," Jimmy said with a cocky grin, as he grabbed a railing and leaped on board the sleek boat.
Callen followed, assured that Deeks had settled back into his alias. He put on the sour facial expression Jake usually wore and took a look around. The boat was lavishly styled and Mouton had a crew on board that quickly got them underway. He could see Elliot Dale, Mouton's son-in-law trying to schmooze Guidry in the main cabin, but Tino blocked his way, telling them both to go up top. The big cabin cruiser vibrated with power as it cruised along the bayou and Callen joined Deeks in the seating area in front of the bridge, and again he got a feeling of normalcy, as if this were a simple day on the water instead of a meeting with the heads of a terrorist organization. He had no idea where they were headed, so he settled back into the comfortable seat and decided to enjoy himself. Deeks, however was antsy as usual, and bounced up to his feet after only ten minutes, unable to remain in one place. He brushed past him with a grin and sidled up to the man driving the boat and Callen smiled as he waited to hear what he was up to.
"Hey, man. I'm Jimmy," he said. "Can I call you Captain Sparrow?"
"Do I look like Johnny Depp?" the man answered easily.
"Maybe...if you put on a long wig, wear a bandana and some eye make-up," Jimmy replied with a grin.
"I prefer Captain Flint on Black Sails," he replied. "Great series. Ever watch it?"
"Naw, man, never heard of it," Jimmy said.
"It's a TV series," he replied.
"Ain't got a TV," Jimmy said wistfully.
"Too bad, dude. It's awesome," the young man replied. "I'm Charley Boyce."
"So where we headin', Captain Charley?" Jimmy asked.
"As close to the Mississippi without actually entering it," he replied with a laugh. "You look disappointed."
"Read Huck Finn when I was a kid," Jimmy said.
"Didn't we all, dude," Charley replied. "But down here, the river is fast and chock full of commercial traffic...long barges linked together...tough to get around and no safe place to anchor."
"Then why we going there?" Jimmy asked, sounding confused.
"Have permission to dock just before we hit the big river," Charley replied. "You'll be able to see it though."
"What's there...where were dockin'?"
"Nothin' much. Just some chemical plants and crude oil storage facilities. It's just across the river from Baton Rouge," he replied as he increased his speed. "Meeting another boat there that came up from Lake Pontchartrain. Bigwigs from Washington."
"You met 'em?"
"Couple times," he said, with a slight brag to his tone. "Head honcho is way up there in the Department of Justice. Then there's a guy from the FBI, a lady lawyer that has something to do with taxes, and some dude from the DEA. None of them the friendly type."
"Don't go tellin' that to just anybody," Jimmy cautioned. "That would be a dumb move, buddy."
"What'd you say you do for the doctor?" Charley asked, sounding nervous all of a sudden.
"Don't work for 'im. I work for Antoine Guidry," Jimmy replied. "You know who that is?"
"Yeah, I know," Charley said quietly. "You armed?"
"'Course I am, Charley," he laughed. "But hell, I ain't gonna shoot ya or nothin'. We're part of the same pirate crew and you're the fuckin' captain."
Charley didn't say anything after that and Jimmy Hale slapped him on the shoulder and came back to sit down next to his brother. Callen could only shake his head at his ability to get someone to reveal information.
"We got all that, Deeks," Sam said into comms. "Now all we need are names."
It was a little over an hour before they spotted the dock up ahead and the big yacht tied up next to it. There were three men in dark suits and sunglasses waiting on the dock and Callen could easily see that they were armed and on comms, so there was somebody else out of sight and watching. They were definitely mercenaries and probably former military. He and Deeks were the last ones off and they quickly caught up with Guidry and Tino who lagged behind Mouton and Elliot. As they reached the small gangplank to board, two of the armed guards stepped in front of them.
"Afraid you gentlemen will have to stay outside," one said firmly, putting his hand on Jake's chest.
"Dey wid me and dey ain't gentlemen," Guidry said, his anger dark and volatile.
"Take your hand off me, man, or I'll break it," Jake warned evenly.
The other guard started to reach inside his jacket and Jimmy had his weapon out and in his face in a split second.
"You heard my brother. Hands off."
"I knew these two would be trouble," Mouton whined with irritation.
"Dey not de trouble," Guidry said sharply.
"Is there a problem gentlemen?"
The pleasant voice came from one of the upper decks and everyone turned to look. Everything about the man was gray. His hair was a dark silver, as was his neatly trimmed beard, and he wore a pale grey silk shirt with the sleeves rolled up over light gray slacks. He was holding a drink and on his wrist was a Rolex Callen knew to be one of the most expensive watches in the world, thanks to Hetty. The man was tall and pale and exuded power, but Callen sensed his irritation, even though he was trying very hard not to show it.
"Sorry sir," one of the guards said. "Don't like the look of these two."
"You ain't in charge, couyon," Guidry growled, his jaw flexing in anger.
"That would be me, Mr. Guidry," the gray man said easily, with just the slightest hint of a smile.
"Dese boys is mine," Guidry said. "Dey go where I go. Dey don't come aboard, I go on back home and y'all can use dese here couyons ta do y'all's dirty work."
"That sounds like an ultimatum," the gray man replied stiffly. "I don't like ultimatums or your tone."
"Bet ya don't like gettin' your hands dirty neither," Guidry sneered. "Dese here boys got no problem wid dat. Dis one save my life. His brother killed de bastard tried ta shoot me and Elliot. You always talkin' 'bout loyalty and sacrifice. Dat what dese two is all about. Man like you need men like dese."
"That was quite elegantly put for you, Guidry," his condescension irritating even to Callen.
"Still don't like their looks, sir," said the obvious leader of the mercs.
"Fuck, man. I washed my hair and privates just for this meetin'," Jimmy grinned cockily. "And I think I look and smell pretty damn good."
Callen was surprised when the gray man let out a soft laugh, breaking the tension.
"Welcome aboard gentlemen," he finally said before turning to go inside.
The three mercs stood aside and Jimmy secured his gun and smiled smugly at the leader as he followed Guidry inside. In the course of his career, Callen had been on expensive yachts before, had even destroyed one once on an op for Hetty, but this one was impressive. It was like being in a stylish apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, everything expensive, the atmosphere warm and the furniture cushy, the dark teak smooth and elegant. It offered the privacy this clandestine meeting needed, and Callen had no doubt that it was bugged and surreptitiously checked for security cameras. As they filed into the main cabin, two men and an older, attractive woman paused their conversation and looked decidedly uncomfortable as Guidry walked in. He made them nervous, but they controlled their facial expressions, putting on false smiles of welcome. The Brotherhood was just a means to an end for these people, and they thought of Guidry as a necessary evil, unwilling to admit their own warped morality.
There was an awkward moment as the two groups sized each other up, but it ended when the gray man came in.
"Can I offer you a scotch, Mr. Guidry?" He asked. "Or perhaps a beer would be more to your taste."
Callen was surprised when the man himself went to the bar to pour the drinks, and he could see that the others were as well. They all looked like rich people on holiday, one even wearing a Hawaiian shirt over peach colored linen cargo shorts straight out of the Tommy Bahama catalog.
"Whiskey," Guidry growled, quite aware he was being talked down to and he sure as hell didn't like it.
"And your men?"
"Dey speak for demselves," he replied.
"Beer for me," Tino said, his eyes narrowing, a sure sign he was pissed.
"Me too," Callen added.
"Always wanted ta try brandy," Jimmy said. "Saw a picture of a bottle in a magazine once. You got any of that?"
"Didn't figure you for expensive tastes," Pierce said, unable to keep from smiling, however condescending he sounded.
"Probably the only chance I'll ever get ta try it," Jimmy said, sounding melancholy as he sauntered over to the bar.
"Would you like it heated?" Pierce asked, smirking at his lack of sophistication.
"You kiddin' me? It's a hundred degrees out there," Jimmy replied as if he were crazy.
"Point taken," Pierce replied as he swirled the amber liquid in a huge snifter before handing it to him. "I await your judgment, young man."
Jimmy took an overly big swallow, playing the part of the ignorant gunman he was supposed to be, and everyone watched him do it. Callen smiled inwardly as his act took over the room, his raw and innocent charm easing the tension.
"Damn...that's good," he declared softly. "Thanks, sir. Appreciate your kindness."
His comment showed manners and subservience, and Callen saw a shift in the man's expression. He was surprised and caught off guard, but he covered it almost immediately.
"Let's start with introductions, shall we? Why don't you tell us a little about yourselves, gentlemen? I like to judge a man's character myself," He said, staring long and hard at Callen and Deeks.
"Name's Jake Hale. Descendant of Nathan Hale," Callen said coolly. "I'm a patriot and proud to be a member of The Brotherhood. I ain't afraid of nothin' or nobody."
"Jimmy Hale," Deeks chimed in. "My brother and me wanna make a difference in this country. Oh yeah, and I can shoot the eye out of a turkey in full flight."
"I wasn't aware turkeys could fly," the man responded lightly.
"Sure you ain't," Jimmy laughed. "Bet you ain't never had to kill somethin' for supper."
"No I haven't. I hire people to do that for me," he said. "Like you."
"Like to know the name of the man I'm 'spose to kill for," Jake said, growing irritated by his superior attitude.
"I'm Newton J. Pierce. Everyone here answers to me, and that includes you two."
"Mr. Guidry's our boss," Jimmy said, sounding a little more confrontational than Callen was comfortable with and he heard Sam caution him over comms.
"Told ya dey be loyal," Guidry said, slapping Jimmy on the back. "But dey do what I tell 'im."
"Then make sure they follow the orders I give you," Pierce said coldly.
"You got dese boys' names. Now who dese other folks?" Guidry asked. "Gotta know the people we 'spose ta trust."
"Of course. You've already met Harrison White of the New Orleans task force," Pierce said, taking a sip of scotch from a crystal tumbler. "The man dressed as if it's casual Friday is Jacob Pensky, head of the Operations Division of the DEA, and last, but certainly not least, is the lovely Jacqueline Bennet, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division of the DOJ, the hardest ass here."
"Watch your mouth, Newton," her voice prickly and tinged with contempt. "My ass long ceased to be any of your business."
Callen saw the beginning of a smile on Deeks' face and so did she. Raising one eyebrow, she tried to stare him down as if he was a cockroach, but he simply cocked his head at her and continued to smile.
"Thought this was a strategy session, Newton," the woman said, finally looking away from Deeks. "I'm not interested in spending any more time than necessary in this godforsaken place."
"Dis be God's country, lady," Guidry said, surprising Callen with the sentiment.
"Not for long," Harrison White said, his words slurring as he took another swallow of whatever he was drinking.
"What you mean by dat?" Guidry snapped.
"Gentlemen...and Ms. Bennet...we're getting ahead of ourselves," Pierce said forcefully. "Let's have lunch before Harrison slides under the table. Then we can take care of planning the final stages of our operation."
He didn't wait for an answer, simply strode out to the back deck where a buffet had been set up. Deeks started to follow, but Jacqueline Bennet stepped forward to stop him, placing the tip of her finger on his chin, her long, well manicured and brightly painted nail touching his bottom lip.
"You can take your cute little ass and eat in the galley, along with your brother and the rest of the help," she said. "Our conversation will undoubtedly be over your head."
"You think my ass is cute?" Jimmy smirked.
"I don't do cute," she said, running her finger across his bottom lip before turning and walking away.
"Don't!" Callen warned him as he opened his mouth for a retort.
"What?"
"She's definitely not your type, Jimmy," Callen replied.
"She's scary," Deeks said, shivering dramatically.
"Let's go find the galley and maybe take a little tour on our way, brother," Callen said quietly, pulling him toward the bow of the boat.
As they made their way behind the dark teak wall behind the bar, they noticed a winding set of stairs going down.
"I'm the dumb one...I'll go," Deeks said. "If anybody asks, just tell them I'm looking for the bathroom."
"It's called the head," Callen reminded him.
"I'm dumb as a rock, ain't I?" He grinned and headed down the stairs, with Callen right behind him.
They quickly poked their noses into the cracked open door of the room at the base of the stairs. It was an office, the desk choked with several computers, one with security feeds from all over the boat. Callen informed Sam what they'd discovered while Deeks sat down in front of one of the computers and found it had been left unsecured.
"Aren't these people supposed to be in the intelligence field?" He asked as he began opening files.
"Sam? Get Eric on the line. Tell him we're sending him an email from this computer. Tell him to backtrack it and get whatever he can and then wipe our trail," Callen spoke quickly.
"Will do," Sam replied. "Now get the hell out of there before someone comes back and I have to fish your dead bodies out of the Mississippi."
"He might want to erase any security footage that shows we've been down here," Deeks suggested.
"You're smarter than you look, little brother."
"Don't tell Jacqueline. She'll be disappointed," Deeks said, flashing a grin.
"Send that email to Eric, and let's move," Callen ordered as he got up and headed for the stairs.
"Keep a lookout. I gotta pee," Deeks said as he hit the send button and followed Callen into the hall.
"Kensi was right. You do pee a lot," Callen said. "Shhh...somebody's coming."
At the first sound of a step on the stairs above, Callen shoved Deeks into the small bathroom and quickly pulled the door closed. By the time the shapely leg of Jacqueline Bennet came into view, he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What the hell are you doing down here?" She demanded.
"You told us to eat in the galley," Callen said evenly. "Ain't sure what that is, so we went lookin' for it."
"Where's your brother?" She asked, looking suspiciously into the office.
The sound of flushing diverted her attention as the door to the bathroom opened, and Deeks came out smiling, slowly zipping up his pants.
"You miss me?" He asked.
"Don't be stupid..." she replied, sounding flustered before she gathered herself. "You're beneath me you idiot."
"Sounds good to me," Deeks replied with a cocky grin as Callen grabbed his arm and pushed him up the stairs.
"Let's go little brother," Callen growled. "Sorry, ma'am...he can't help himself around women."
"Never met a man who could," she said nastily. "You're all pricks."
"Sounds like you got the experience to know what you're talkin' about," Callen replied.
"What the hell are you implying?" Her face flush with anger and too much alcohol.
"You're the one with the brains," he replied coolly. "We're just the dumb help, lookin' for lunch."
Callen heard Sam say his name sharply as he headed up the stairs, but he wasn't sorry for his comments, the woman's arrogance rubbing him the wrong way. He should have felt closer to these people than to The Brotherhood, but he didn't and that was just a little bit scary.
...
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