Brotherhood

Chapter 24

...

Rated M

...

The soft murmur of voices through the door held his attention as he fixed himself a fresh cup of coffee in the galley. He let out a long slow breath before inhaling the familiar aroma and taking in a mouthful of the rich blend. The brandy had dulled his senses a bit after the rush of adrenaline had passed, and his confrontation with Jacqueline made him aware just how sharp he needed to be. It had sent him in search of caffeine and a place where he could be alone to think. The galley was small and neat and the coffee was heaven, but as the voices in the foyer rose, so did his anxiety. He had to smile as he heard Jacqueline recount her attempt at seduction to Newton Pierce. She was loudly indignant over his rejection of her, but the man simply laughed, which only made her angrier, her sophistication disappearing in a tumbling harangue of rough, unladylike language. He heard him tell her to shut up and then the unmistakable sound of a slap and the familiar whimper of a woman used to being silenced by abuse. She had failed and paid the price, and that was his fault.

"Shit," he whispered, and carefully set his coffee down on the counter.

Blowing out his breath, he opened the door and both of them turned to look at him. Pierce had his hand around Jacqueline's throat, obviously deeply annoyed, his mouth twisted downward and his eyes dark with anger. She looked at him with defiance even as her eyes shimmered with tears. Pierce loosened his grip on her neck and slid his hand down inside her blouse, breathing heavily as he lifted her breast.

"I thought you would enjoy fucking her," he said, focused on her nipple as he caressed it. "She's quite good at it, actually."

"Didn't mean to get her in trouble, sir," he replied, struggling to remain civil.

"Not your type? Or just too old and used up," he said nastily, making him flinch right along with her.

"Guess it just didn't seem right," he lied.

"That attitude is odd for a cocky little ruffian like you," Pierce said as he pushed her away.

"My mama taught me manners before she died," he said carefully.

"Did your daddy teach you to respect your betters, too?" He sneered.

"Didn't have time. He was killed when I was eight," he replied, seriously starting to dislike the man even more than he already did.

"So...you're a poor little orphan boy with a hair trigger temper and a love of violence," Pierce said with contempt. "But you won't fuck a woman who offers herself willingly? Maybe you'd rather fuck me."

"Don't feel like fuckin' either one of you," he snapped back.

"Even if I tell you to?"

"Why the hell do you want me to fuck her?" The words rushing out with his anger.

"It doesn't matter why, you little piece of shit," Pierce snarled. "You're a simpleminded, gutter born soldier in my army. If I tell you to do something, you damn well better do it, or I'll have you shot."

Deeks hesitated at the threat, fighting to keep from saying something that would only get him into deeper trouble, unsure if the man was a megalomaniac or simply testing him. He was certainly drunk and probably on something else as well, and it was starting to freak him out. Pierce took a step toward him and smiled and Deeks recoiled from his closeness.

"I like to be entertained, Jimmy Boy. And you an Jacqueline are going to be this evening's entertainment," he said softly. "Why else did you think I wanted you here?"

He had no idea how to answer that and thought seriously about jumping in the river just to get away from these sick whack jobs. He looked over at Jacqueline, her face now composed, and her natural contempt returning along with her scornful smirk.

"No answer, Jimmy Boy?" Pierce asked. "Maybe a drink will loosen you up."

He turned to the shelf crowded with liquor bottles and sloppily poured a tumbler full of scotch and shoved it toward him. He took a small sip, but Pierce forced him to drink more, holding the glass to his lips until he'd drunk almost half. He heard Roy in his ear, his words of caution no help whatsoever as Pierce wrapped an arm around his shoulder and walked him toward the main cabin. The others were waiting in the dim light, the mercenaries drinking right along with the conspirators.

"Shall we adjourn to the upper deck?" Pierce said. "Our guest has agreed to perform for us in a little carnal diversion before dinner."

The merc he had beaten was standing by the stairs, his eyes blackened and filled with hate. The other two started up the stairs in front of him and he flinched as Pierce placed a hand on his back, following him closely up the stairs. The upper deck was completely open to the sky, the low clouds on the horizon a deep orange as the late evening deepened into darkness. He looked out across the expanse of water, briefly considering jumping overboard once again, but he knew that wasn't an option. He would just have to deal with whatever was coming. A large, white day bed set up in the stern gave him some indication, pillows piled against the slated wooden headboard, the canopy moving slowly in the soft air. Under normal circumstances it would be a nice place to watch the river go by, but tonight it made his skin crawl.

"Jimmy Boy decided to become shy," Pierce laughed. "Personally, I think Jacqueline scares him a little."

"Smarter than he looks," Pensky snorted as he slumped in a lounge chair and sipped his drink.

Harrison White didn't say anything, just stared at him with calculating eyes as if trying to remember something. He was beginning to wonder if they had run into each other somewhere before, but nothing came to mind. That didn't keep him from worrying, making him more nervous about having his cover blown than about the little porn circus Pierce was setting up.

"Doc? I think our Jimmy needs a little help to get him through a fuck session with Jacqueline," Pierce said, and Deeks cringed.

He hated drugs, but Jimmy Hale wouldn't, and that's who he was. Mouton reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny glassine envelope of pills. It had been a long time since he'd been forced to take drugs as part of the job, but he had to show some enthusiasm, or Pierce's suspicions would only increase. He was walking a dangerous line here, one he had to cross, knowing once he took what they offered he would lose some control over his actions. When he was an undercover cop, it wasn't unusual to have to indulge in order to convince the bad guys he was who he said he was, and this was no different.

"What kinda stuff you pushin', Doc?" He asked, grinning to cover his nervousness.

"You seem to have a real problem with gifts, Jimmy Boy. Why is that?" Pierce asked.

Not being able to answer truthfully, he shrugged his shoulders, cocked his head and smiled, taking the small white pill the doctor held out to him and popping it into his mouth. He could only hope he would be okay, but then he had no idea what drug he'd just ingested, and Roy swore softly in his ear.

"Drug dealer and doctor," Jimmy said cockily. "You oughta try your own medicine, Doc. Might loosen ya up some."

"Let's get on with this, Newton," the doctor said, looking irritated.

Pierce laughed as he took the glassine bag and fished out a tab of ecstasy, slipping it onto his tongue as he swept his arm out like he was introducing a headliner in Vegas. Discordant jazz began to play loudly as Jacqueline stepped out of the shadows by the pilothouse. Her red silk blouse hung open over her bare breasts and other than that the only thing she wore was a black thong. The whole scene looked cheesy, like a bad porn movie playing on late night television and he struggled not to laugh. He wasn't Deeks now and had to fight the urge to make a cheeky comment, the drugs and alcohol making it difficult. No matter what he thought, he had to play his part.

Jacqueline wasn't unattractive, and his body responded naturally as she played with herself. He reached out to touch her, and she smiled smugly and began to push him back toward the day bed. She lifted the hem of his shirt and Jimmy eagerly yanked it off over his head, tossing it aside as her hands slid down his chest to the top of his pants. Licking his nipple hungrily, she moaned softly as she pinched the other and he felt himself harden. She hurriedly unzipped his jeans and yanked them down off his hips, her long nails leaving scratch marks in their wake. He stumbled as he kicked off his shoes and socks, feeling lightheaded from the drugs and from her hand tightening around his balls.

They believed Jimmy to be a crude lover, someone unable to control himself, so that's how he acted, the drugs quelling any inhibitions that remained. He was definitely feeling no pain and suddenly ripped the red blouse off her shoulder and grabbed her thong, pulling her into his body as his mouth closed over her breast and his fingers clawed into her ass. She growled with what he assumed was appreciation, and bit into the tender skin at the base of his neck and he felt the first stirrings of anger. Since Jimmy wouldn't give a shit about foreplay, he quickly spun her around and shoved her down on the day bed, watching her eyes widen when he reached into his pants and pulled out the full length of his dick. He stroked himself a few times and flashed a brazen grin, and she bit into her lip, moaning and breathing heavily. She reached out and grabbed his belt, pulling him closer until he finally crawled onto the day bed and sprawled on top of her. Nothing subtle about Jimmy. Nothing but rough sex from both of them.

He had always enjoyed sex, but after a few minutes he found he couldn't focus, his movements growing sluggish. His body didn't seem to want to do what he wanted, making him wonder what the hell they had given him, but he couldn't think clearly enough to figure it out. It felt as if his arms were made of lead as he tried to hold himself above her. His mind grew fuzzy, and he shook his head as his vision became distorted and blurry.

He cursed in surprise when strong hands grabbed him from behind and pulled him off Jacqueline, throwing him over onto his back. He tried to fight, but he had no strength and could only weakly resist as two of the mercs dragged him up to the top of the day bed. Jacqueline laughed as his wrists were handcuffed tightly to the frame above his head, his legs spread apart and his ankles tied to the posts at the bottom.

"What the fuck you doin'?" He asked, his tongue stumbling over the words.

It was if he was surrounded by vultures, and he wondered if he was hallucinating as Pierce and the others gathered around to watch him struggle feebly against the restraints. Jacqueline kneeled between his legs and took his cock in her hand, slowly stroking him as she cradled it between her breasts. He heard one of the men groan, and looked over to see Jacob Pensky with his hand down his pants and he had the sudden urge to laugh. There had been a time when he was might have enjoyed this, but this was more than a bunch of perverts getting their rocks off. Even in his muddled mind he knew this wasn't about sex. This was about dominance, and instilling fear. This was going to be an interrogation, and if he couldn't withstand it he would die, and so would Callen, and maybe thousands more. The entire op now rested on his ability to maintain his cover in spite of the drug he'd taken and it scared the shit out of him that he might not be able to do that.

The drug continued to slow his thinking and he began to disassociate himself from what was happening to him, until he was jerked back to a measure of awareness as Jacqueline dug her nails into his bare ass. He opened his eyes and murmured a weak curse as Pierce wrapped a hand around his dick and held it as she sucked him into her mouth. The wave of pleasure was brief, the needed release lost in a haze of fear and uncertainty, leaving him quivering as dark memories crawled out from their hiding places.

"Fun's over, Jacqueline," Pierce finally said as he pulled her away. "She really can't help herself, Jimmy. Any man will do for our Jacqueline. Even an ill-bred punk like you."

Deeks tried to comment but his mouth was dry and his tongue wouldn't cooperate. When the doctor sat down beside him with a loaded syringe he began to sweat profusely and his heart raced with desperation. He struggled against his bonds, thrashing uncontrollably until Pierce backhanded him across the mouth, cutting his lip.

"Don't fight it, Jimmy Boy. The doctor is going to shoot you up with a little truth serum cocktail," he said calmly. "Then you're going to answer a few questions."

The doctor leaned over him and slid the needle easily into the vein in his arm, the effect of the drug almost immediate, sending a powerful wave of debilitating weakness throughout his body, and leaving him disoriented.

"What the fuck is this?" he mumbled, his words slurring. "What did I do?"

It was Harrison White who sat down next to him and gripped his jaw tightly, pissing him off. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open as White waited patiently for the drugs to completely flood his system.

"You ever been to Washington, Jimmy?" He finally asked, squeezing his jaw painfully. "At a congressional hearing, maybe?"

"No..no sir. Don't think so...no," he mumbled, his stomach clinching into a hard knot at the troubling question.

The merc he'd beaten up delivered a solid punch to his abdomen and he screamed. White quickly silenced him, covering his mouth and nose with his hand.

"See...I think you're lying," White said as he leaned close to his face. "I think you testified before a congressional committee about a Chinese spy. I think you were partners with Joe Atwood. And I don't think you're name is Jimmy Hale. I think you're a fucking federal agent."

Images from his past flashed into his mind and his body suddenly flushed with adrenaline as the truth spewed from the man's mouth. He was in deep shit now and when the man released him he sputtered spit all over his face and yanked against the cuffs, showing nothing but raw rage to cover his lie.

"You callin' me a Fed, you fuck? I hate Feds. I hate cops...they killed my old man, you fuckin' sonofabitch."

He couldn't stop talking or cursing, and rambled on and on about how much he hated the government until he exhausted himself, the adrenaline draining away. He continued to mumble incoherently as the drugs took greater effect and the world he could see grew weird looking and his thoughts disjointed.

"You look funny," he finally said, drifting away until they slapped him awake.

The questions were repeated over and over, with White asking what his name was, what his brother's real name was, what agency he worked for until his mind became a maze of lies. No matter how many times he called himself Jimmy or railed against the government, they didn't believe him, and he was growing so very tired of it all.

"Maybe he needs another dose," Pierce said.

"It might kill him," someone said.

"You gonna kill me?" He asked wearily. "I didn't do nothin. My brother will shoot you, man. He'll fuckin' kill you all."

"Tell me about the Chinese spy, Jimmy," White persisted.

When he didn't respond, someone hit him hard in the armpit and he choked out a deep groan. He couldn't seem to form a complete thought anymore, but he wanted to make them happy so they wouldn't hit him again so he started saying whatever came into his head.

"Chow mien...that's Chinese ain't it? Me and Jake had it once," He said in a whisper. "Chop sticks too...right?"

"Thought this was a truth serum, Mouton," Pierce asked, sounding pissed off. "This is nothing but garbage."

"Ever think he might not be who you think he is, Harrison?" Jacqueline asked. "You said you only stepped into that hearing room for a few minutes to give someone a message. You were way in the back. How can you be so sure this is the same guy?"

"Don't question me, you slut," White snapped. "I checked out Joe Atwood, remember? He had a partner during a joint operation to take down that Chinese spy. That's who I think this guy is, and I'm going to get the truth out of him one way or the other."

"Why don't you call someone at the task force and have them get a copy of the file from the hearing?" Someone asked. "There should be a photo of the agents involved."

"It's highly classified," he replied. "It'll send up too many red flags if we go poking around looking for it."

"You're a goddamn spy, Harrison," Pierce spit out. "Find a fall guy to do it. You can always disavow."

Deeks' mind drifted as he listened to the man make a phone call, and he tried to prepare himself for more questions, desperate to hide behind his lies. He had to, didn't he? They'd kill his brother if he didn't. He wanted to be angry, but that emotion spiraled away from him, leaving only fear and disquieting thoughts of dark nights and the smell of tobacco.

"You're not alone, Jimmy."

He unwittingly jerked when he heard Hetty's voice in his ear. It completely confused him and he raised his head and opened his eyes to search for her in the darkness.

"Listen only to my voice. No one else. I will tell you what to say," her quiet, sensible voice calming him. "And remember who you are. You're Jimmy Hale."

"I'm Jimmy...Jimmy Hale," he repeated out loud, stumbling over the words. "Why the fuck you doin' this, man?"

"Tell me about Joe Atwood," White said, backhanding him when he simply stared back at him.

"You don't know that person, Jimmy," Hetty said quietly in his ear. "Talk about your brother Jake."

"Who the fuck is that?" He asked weakly, and absorbed another punch to his gut. "Jake...Jake's gonna be pissed. You're all gonna be sorry...I'm gonna tell 'im about this, you sonofabitch."

"You're not going to remember any of this, asshole," White said, gripping his jaw and shoving his head back. "And if you don't tell me the truth, I'm gonna have the doc shoot you up with more drugs and then have the crap beat outa you."

"Overkill, don't you think?" A distant voice growled.

"You want to take the risk, Jacob?" White asked. "Now give him another shot Ezra and let's find out who he really is."

"Don't you want to wait for your agent in New Orleans to call you back?" Jacqueline asked.

"You growing a little fond of your new boy toy, Jacqueline?" Pierce asked snidely. "Maybe you can fuck the information out of him."

"And maybe you should be a little worried about what happens if this kid dies," she said. "Guidry called him family. And I don't know about you, but that asshole scares the bejesus out of me."

"She's right...better listen..." Deeks mumbled. "He fed Saint to the gators...they ate the ugly fuck."

"Do you know who he's talking about, Harrison?" Pierce asked.

"Met 'im once," White replied. "What difference does it make. It's just one less member of The Brotherhood we have to kill."

"Shouldn't you watch what you say?" Jacqueline asked. "What if he does remember and tells Guidry?"

"He won't remember anything...trust me," Doctor Mouton assured her.

"You better hope to hell you're right, or I'll shoot you myself," Pierce said angrily.

Deeks saw the doctor moving toward him with another syringe and he started struggling again. White grabbed his arm, holding it as the needle pricked his vein sharply, causing him to cry out and plead with them to believe him, his voice weak and filled with desperation.

"I'm...a...patriot..." He finally whispered before the darkness took him.

...

...

Sam was startled awake by a rough hand on his shoulder, but sat up quickly when he saw the look on Roy's face. By the time he got the sleep out of his eyes, the man was gone and he threw the sheet off and got up to follow, padding barefoot down the hall in his underwear. Before he even got to Roy's operations room, he could hear Elan's voice on speaker and the big Arapaho was not happy.

"Deeks is in trouble," Roy said solemnly as he entered the room. "Elan wants to go in and get him."

"Even if you could get to the boat, I can't allow you to do that, Elan," Hetty was saying from the large screen that dominated the room. "It would most certainly blow his cover and Mr. Callen's. It would jeopardize this whole operation, and probably get you killed. They haven't broken him yet, Elan, so I need you to trust that they won't."

"What if he overdoses? I can't just listen to him die," Elan's voice cracked with emotion. "I know you're tracking him. Just tell me where the boat is...please."

"What the hell is going on?" Sam asked, suddenly very afraid. "What happened to Deeks?"

"They're using drugs on him, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said. "Harrison White is trying to get him to admit he's a federal agent."

"He got made?" Sam asked. "How?"

"From the oversight committee hearing on the Lee Chao case, our dead Chinese spy. Apparently White was there briefly, and caught a glimpse of Mr. Deeks," she replied. "But he's not entirely certain, so they're pumping him full of drugs to get him to talk."

"He hasn't said anything for at least a half hour, Sam," Elan said without energy. "He could be dead already."

"Don't say that," he ordered. "And why didn't you let me know what was going on, Roy?"

"Sorry, man," Roy said. "I was a little busy."

"You know now, Sam," Hetty said sharply, and he realized how concerned she was. "It's time to get on with it and deal with the situation."

"White called somebody in the task force and ordered them to search for the classified file," Roy said. "Not sure who."

"Nell is working to keep them from finding the real file or any photos of Mr. Deeks or his personnel file," Hetty said. "Mr. Beale is creating a false file on both the hearing and on Agent Deeks, along with a doctored photo that should prove to them that Jimmy Hale is not who Harrison White thinks he is."

Sam immediately grabbed a phone and called Safa, all of them waiting while she came on the line.

"Do you always wake a girl in the middle of the damn night?" She grumbled sleepily.

"Aren't you supposed to be on comms and tracking Deeks?" Sam practically shouted.

"It's too soon for him to be here," she retorted. "Now what the hell happened that's got you all pissy?"

"Harrison White thinks Deeks is an agent. They're interrogating him right now and using drugs to do it."

"That bastard," she said. "Tell me what you need."

"White called someone at the task force to search for a classified file that would prove he's right," Sam said urgently. "Can you find out who and stop him?"

"I know who he called," she said quickly. "His name is David Pham and he's a consummate hacker. I've helped him before. He trusts me."

"You're on speaker, Safa," Sam alerted her.

"Our best tech operator is creating a phony classified file from a committee hearing and one on Deeks, with an altered photo," Hetty explained.

"Can you get it past this hacker of yours?" Sam asked hurriedly.

"You still don't believe I'm good at this, do you?"

"I'm praying you are, or two good men are gonna die," he replied quietly.

"I'll be at the office in fifteen minutes," she said. "I'm sending you the encrypted password to my laptop. Have your tech send the fake files as soon as he has them. I just hope David hasn't already accessed the real file."

"Mr. Beale and Nell will do whatever it takes to keep him from doing that," Hetty said.

"I hope they're good," she said in a rush.

"There's no one better, Miss Jordan," Hetty said confidently.

Sam shot a worried look at Roy when he got off the phone. "Please tell me Callen wasn't on comms when this happened,"

"No, he wasn't," Roy assured him quickly.

"He can't know about this," Sam said.

"I agree, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said.

"He's gonna be pissed as hell when he finds out," Elan warned.

"Like you?" Sam asked pointedly.

"You didn't hear him..." Elan couldn't finish, but his anguish was clear.

"Get your butt to New Orleans, Elan," Sam ordered, knowing he needed something to do. "I'll meet you there. Callen gave me the registration number for Pierce's yacht. If Roy can find out where it docks, we can do some surveillance."

"Damn right I can find his slip. Give me the number," Roy said, typing the information quickly into his computer. "I'll send the info to y'all's phones. Now move it."

"Be careful, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said softly, after they removed their earwigs. "And please try and control Elan."

"That won't be easy, Hetty."

"No...I don't imagine it will be. But it is necessary."

Sam nodded and rushed back to dress, his mind roaring with questions and the pulsing need to do whatever he could to make sure Deeks made it out of this. His partner would be even more difficult to control than Elan Hand if he discovered what was going on, and he feared for him if he did. It had taken almost half an hour to calm him down after he got back to The Brotherhood's camp. He'd sounded like a caged animal, voicing his insecurities and deep fear of losing the man he cherished as his brother. Pierce's group had no idea just how lethal Jake Hale could be, and if they made a mistake and Deeks overdosed and died, he had no doubt they would all pay with their lives. There would be no controlling him then, or Elan either.

...

Sam still found it hard to adjust to the heavy warmth of the night air in Louisiana. It stifled his breathing and only added to his irritation as they waited for Pierce's yacht to dock at the marina. Elan had ceased talking some time ago, and was crouched in the pale shadows of the stern on a yacht they'd appropriated in the next slip over. The man repeatedly checked his Glock and the three knives he was now carrying, and it made Sam nervous, and worried for him. If the big Arapaho decided to attack, he didn't want to have to hurt him to stop it. He'd told him he would if he didn't follow orders and after a slow smile Elan had gone silent, not even acknowledging his presence. They should be working as a team, but instead there was a distance between them that could compromise this mission. He understood where Elan was coming from. Deeks was family. In the past he had done whatever necessary himself to protect his own, without regard to the consequences or to direct orders, and he found he couldn't fault Elan for doing the same. Maybe Safa had been right. Emotional attachments were dangerous.

"You care about him too," Elan said softly.

"So now you're talking to me?"

"If he's dead, what will you do?"

"Continue the mission," Sam replied. "He will have died to stop these people from killing thousands, and taking sensitive positions in our government, I intend to respect that. The people on that boat could just be the tip of the iceberg and we have to get them all or he will have died for nothing."

"Y'all gettin' way ahead of yourselves," Roy cut in on comms.

"I agree, gentlemen," Hetty said.

"Boat's just enterin' the lake," Roy informed them. "Should be at the marina in about twenty minutes. Keep an eye out."

"Still nothing from Deeks?" Elan whispered.

"We're all on the same channel now," Hetty informed them. "You'll hear him if he manages to say anything."

Elan replied in his native tongue and it made Sam sad, because there was no hope in his voice.

"Don't you doubt him, Elan," Sam suddenly snapped. "You hear me?"

"You boys want some good news? Sounds like you could use some," Safa said as she came on comms. "Got the fake file on the oversight committee hearing, along with one on Agent Martin Deeks. Your techs are pretty damn amazing, Hetty. Never seen David so frustrated. Couldn't get anywhere near the real thing so I suggested he take a break and get us some coffee. When he was gone I pulled up the files Nell sent and the one on Deeks Eric had created. David is now in love with me and Harrison has his proof."

"Won't matter if Marty's already dead," Elan said, his voice raw with emotion.

"Elan..."

"Don't worry Hetty," he said solemnly. "I won't kill the bastards. Not now anyway."

He stood and walked up toward the bow, silent and deadly looking as he slid a knife into the sheath behind his back. Sam got up to go after him, but heard the deep rumble of a boat's motor and kneeled, bringing his binoculars up and scanning the decks of the sleek white yacht as it approached. The lights in the main cabin were on and as it swung around to back into the slip, he could see people grouped around what looked like a bar. He couldn't tell what they were looking at until one man finally stepped away. A laptop was open and he assumed they were checking out the files just sent to them.

"I think they've got the files," he reported into comms.

"Any sign of Deeks?" Roy asked.

"No visual."

The unmistakable sound of arguing lofted over the water as the yacht slowly backed into the slip.

"Heads up," Elan said softly. "Three men coming down the dock."

Sam headed quickly toward the bow, crouching low as he moved along the far side of the boat's main cabin, slipping down beside Elan as he watched the men approach. All of them were armed, two of them with weapons out, one a sniper rifle. As the leader passed under the nearest floodlight, Elan breathed out a curse.

"It's Guidry," Elan whispered.

"What the hell's he doin' there?" Roy asked.

"Sam? Is Mr. Callen with him?" Hetty's voice under careful control.

"No."

The yacht cut its engine just as Guidry and his men got to the slip. A stillness hung over them all, the air smelling of diesel fuel and the only sounds the gentle rubbing of hulls against vinyl fenders and the metallic clinks from the rigging of nearby sailboats.

"Pierce!" Guidry shattered the silence with a voice deeply angry. "Git you ass out 'ere, ya fuckin' couyon."

"I suggest you remember whom you're talking to," Pierce said as he walked out to the stern.

"And you best 'member who de fuck I am," Guidry snarled. "I want my boy. And if he ain't breathin' when I see 'im, I gonna kill ever last one of you fuckers."

"Don't threaten me, Guidry," Pierce said, his anger tempered with surprise. "What makes you think he wouldn't be breathing?"

"Eliot told me what y'all did to 'im. The doc called to tell 'im, like he was proud or somethin'," Guidry growled and pulled his gun, pointing it directly at Pierce. "And dat cold blooded fuck Harrison is de one caused it."

"We thought he was a Fed," Harrison White said, calmly walking out with a drink in his hand. "Had to know for sure."

"Dat boy ain't no Fed," Guidry snapped.

"We know that now, but we couldn't chance it," Pierce said. "Now put the gun away."

"Ain't happenin' till I see Jimmy," he replied. "Go on up and git 'im, Tino."

The gangway had been lowered and Tino headed up, but one of the mercs stepped forward to block him from boarding and Guidry shot him, the deadly echo reverberating across the water.

"What the fuck?" Pierce shouted. "Are you fucking insane?"

"Bring dat boy ta me right now," Guidry said, his voice dangerously low. "Or I blow Harrison's fuckin head off next and den yours."

"Okay, okay...just calm the hell down," Pierce said. "Jacob? Have your men bring the kid down."

"He's alive, Guidry," Harrison White said, sounding nervous for the first time. "But he's not conscious. Soon as the drugs are out of his system, he'll be fine."

"We had an agreement, Guidry," Pierce said gruffly. "We have important changes to make in this country. Don't ruin those plans over this vulgar little thug."

"Watch you mouth, couyon," Guidry growled. "You forget who ya talkin' to? I no different den Jimmy as a kid, but you too dumb ta understan' dat. I told ya he was family. Shoulda listened."

Sam grabbed Elan's shoulder and held him down as two men walked out of the main cabin with Deeks' half naked body slung limply between them. He showed no signs of life, his bare feet dragging across the deck and down the gangway. Tino took him from them and Guidry's other man rushed to help him.

"He's barely breathin', Antoine," Tino said as they laid him down on the dock at Guidry's feet.

"Took alot of drugs ta leave 'im dis bad," Guidry growled, his aim never wavering.

"The dosage wasn't lethal, Guidry. Surely you understand we were just trying to loosen him up so he'd tell the truth," Pierce said, sounding arrogant once again. "You had no reason to kill our man. Now the local authorities will get involved and none of us need that kind of scrutiny. I suggest you leave before they get here."

"You full of bullshit, Pierce, and I ain't stupid," Guidry laughed. "Y'all just gonna hop on dat little jet of yours and go on back up ta Washington. Den your crew gonna haul ass out to de middle of de Gulf and toss dat body over de side."

"Not a bad plan, Newton," White said reasonably.

"Now git the doc down here," Guidry ordered. "He comin' wid us."

"He's not going to agree to that," Pierce said.

"Don't give a good goddamn," Guidry said. "Git 'im, or Prou here gonna shoot your ear off. You choose."

While they searched the boat for the doctor, Sam kept his eyes on Deeks. He lay completely still, and the longer he watched him the angrier he became. By the time the doctor was finally forced down the gangway, it took all of his resolve not to break cover so he could get Deeks to a hospital. Elan was practically vibrating with tension, pressing both fists into his forehead, unable to watch as Tino and Prou lifted Deeks and carried him off toward the parking lot. Guidry followed, pulling Ezra Mouton away from the yacht, his gun pressed into the back of his head.

"I have them in sight," Safa said softly. "I'll tail them and let you know where they're headed."

Sam was finding it hard to breathe and he could feel every beat of his heart. No one spoke for a long time until the footsteps of Pierce and his co-conspirators echoed off the dock and faded as the yacht roared to life and pulled away, leaving them all alone. He reached out to Elan, but he angrily slapped his hand away and silently stalked off.

"Guidry is protecting him just like you said he would, Roy," Sam finally said.

"Hate ta admit this, but he shocked the hell out of this ol' dickwad," Roy replied. "And y'all can tell Deeks I said so."

...

...