War Games: Chapter Ten

wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 10 Chapters by five of your favorite fanfic writers in order of appearance: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, Kadiedid, imahistorian, and Phillydi.

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Chapter 10

by Sweet Lu

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Deeks was pissed, the tension within the team causing his head to pound even harder than it had been before he found out just how critical this mission was. Granger’s decision to split them up if it failed had tied his stomach in knots and he felt the pressure mounting for all of them. There was no room for mistakes, either for the team or for the country. One misspoken word and Callen could be killed. One misstep and a maniac would unleash a firestorm on the country. One bad decision made in the midst of it all and he and Kensi would be sent away from each other as if they were delinquent children needing to be taught a lesson. Damn right he was pissed.

He had stopped listening to the conversation going on around him, staring out at the relentless surf, feeling every kick and punch he’d absorbed the night before. He couldn’t bear to look at Kensi, afraid to see the concern he knew would be there, afraid for her to see the turmoil in his own blue eyes. He could feel Sam watching him, so he walked down the slight incline of the dune until he was standing at the dying end of the waves running up the beach, hoping for some sense of calm. He heard someone approach, but had no energy to turn around to see who it was, waiting instead until whoever it was said what they needed to say.

“Deeks,” Callen’s tone was hesitant, his name almost blown away by the wind. “Tell me how you are. The truth this time, not that bravado crap you pulled on Hetty.”

“You think she believed me?” He asked with a crooked grin that faded quickly.

“Probably not, and neither did I,” Callen said, stepping up along side of him. “You should be in the hospital. You look like shit, and I’m guessing you feel like it too.”

“I could have held my own if the bastards hadn’t tied me up,” he said defensively.

“And if you hadn’t been outnumbered,” Callen added with a smirk.

“Or playing the part of a weak, disgruntled photographer,” Deeks said, his anger finally showing.

“Yeah, there’s that,” Callen said. “Deeks you know you can’t be with us when we plan the details on this thing. It won’t look right. It’ll be too dangerous for you. This general and whoever his men are will be watching you closely. We’re even pushing our luck right now.”

“Yeah, I know,” Deeks said, running a shaky hand through his hair.

“If things go sideways on this, Hetty will fight to keep you both. You know that don’t you?” Callen’s soft voice caught Deeks’ attention.

“You sound like you don’t think you’ll make it out of this,” Deeks turned to stare at him.

“It’s a possibility. We both know that,” he answered. “Pollard and Colton are proof of that.”

“We don’t know that they’re dead,” Deeks said quickly, his stomach clinching, adding to the persistent pain.

“We know this guy’s a megalomaniac with a penchant for violence,” Callen said. “Having you beaten proves that, not to mention his possible plans for all those weapons and explosives he has stockpiled.”

“We can think of another way,” Deeks reasoned.

“And here I thought you didn’t care,” Callen said with a smile that he covered with his hand. “Or don’t you think I can handle myself?”

“Well, you are getting kind of old,” Deeks sniped.

“Sam and Kensi will back me up,” Callen said solemnly, ignoring the potshot. “And a full tactical squad will be close by.”

“He’s going to torture you for the information,” Deeks said, choking on the word that he still had trouble saying out loud.

“And I’ll have to take it until he gives up who else is in on his plans,” Callen told him, his eyes steady and calm as he stared at him. “I have done this before you know.”

“Yeah, I know, but I don’t have to like it,” Deeks responded.

“So we’re good now?” Callen asked. “I wanted to tell you Granger’s plan sooner, but there was no suitable time. He’s been looking for an excuse to do this for a while.”

“Sorry my ‘personal indiscretion’ put you in the middle,” Deeks said with a hint of aggravation, still unwilling to let that comment go.

“Still pissed about that one, I see. Look Deeks, you’re both part of my team,” Callen said firmly. “I don’t want to lose either one of you. Is that clear enough for you? Besides, you know how Sam feels about the team. He’s probably trying to figure out a way to take Granger out of the game right now, plus he has a soft spot for you and Kensi.”

“Seriously?”

“What can I say? He’s a matchmaker at heart,” Callen said. “I should know.”

The two men nodded at each other, the air now clear between them. Callen climbed back up the dune to confer with Sam, while Kensi walked down toward the car, Deeks moving slowly to join her. He didn’t like what he was feeling, that distance he had to maintain for the mission, that separation from the team that would only add to his growing fear for each one of them, but especially for Kensi. He knew deep down that she would be in the middle of it, exposed as Callen would be and he tried to tamp down the anxiety that knowledge was causing. He would be relegated to the sidelines after the general contacted him for the intel on Callen’s whereabouts, far away from the action, far away from Kensi, unable to do anything, unable to even watch it all go down.

“You okay?” Kensi asked, drawing him out of his troubling thoughts.

“You’re going to be his driver, aren’t you?” Deeks was intense and she smiled gently at him, reaching out to touch him.

“I’ll be fine,” she said as he knew she would.

“Don’t promise me something you can’t control,” he snapped and hurriedly got in the car, knowing he was close to losing it and making Granger’s day.

They were silent on the drive back, his mind drifting as he tried to find a comfortable position, with flashes of his night in the desert making a quick nap impossible. The thought of Kensi in the hands of those violent men made him glance over at her, her strong jawline and slender neck drawing him in, her beauty so elegant, belying her toughness.

“We’ve got a tail,” she said.

“Shit,” he spit out. “This day just gets better and better.”

“They know we have a ‘thing’ going,” she said, flashing a smile.

“Really? Did you just make a joke about this?”

“You’re just jealous because you didn’t think of it,” she said jauntily.

“You’re amazing,” he laughed. “This doesn’t bother you?”

“It’s what we do. Right?”

“Right.”

. . .

Deeks was hurting, but unwilling to take his pain meds even after giving Callen’s location over the phone to the man who had called. He continually paced the dingy hotel room, back and forth, again and again like a caged animal. Kensi had sent him a long text earlier with minimal details, but he knew the kidnapping was happening any minute now and he knew Kensi was with Callen. He hated the empty feel of waiting, the inability to have her back, the knowledge that she was at the mercy of brutal men, and that she was expendable. That pain was the hardest to bear.

When his phone rang, he nearly jumped out of his skin, aggravating his cracked ribs, collapsing into the lone chair as he answered, almost breathless with anticipation and growing fear.

“Mr. Deeks, they have them both,” Hetty’s voice was calm, but with a slight tremor that had him gripping the phone tightly. “Sam assured me she is okay.”

“Thank you, Hetty,” he barely choked out. “Is Granger with you?”

“No. The Assistant Director is at Pendleton awaiting word on the take down,” she told him. “He is monitoring the situation closely. I believe he’s quite concerned now that SecNav is involved.”

“SecNav?” Deeks was stunned.

“Apparently he might know which general we are dealing with,” she said. “And he is quite anxious to see him brought down.”

“Who is the sonofabitch?”

“We don’t have confirmation on that just yet, Mr. Deeks,” she answered. “Mr. Callen will have to provide that.”

“You mean after they torture him,” he said through clinched teeth.

“We won’t let it go on too long, Mr. Deeks,” she said softly. “Sam won’t let either one of them be hurt too badly.”

“Bullshit,” he growled. “You have a short memory, Hetty.”

“No, Mr. Deeks. You are very wrong about that,” her voice betrayed strong emotions, and he backed off commenting any further. “Now keep it together and have a little faith in your team.”

He abruptly ended the call, cutting her off before he said something he would regret. He dropped the phone on the side table as the door to his room burst open.

“Jesse? Where the hell have you been?” Deeks practically shouted. “I thought you were dead, man.”

“You have to come with me, Jimmy,” Pollard pleaded. “He wants you there.”

“That wasn’t part of the deal,” Deeks said, playing his part, but secretly wanting nothing more than to be taken to where they were holding Kensi and Callen.

“Please, man,” Pollard choked out. “He shot Colton right in front of me. He’s crazy, man. If you don’t come with me he’ll have us both killed.”

Two of the general’s men stepped into the room in unison, one smiling as he shoved Pollard into the arms of his partner.

“Long time no see, Jimmy,” the man said as he grabbed his arm. “Need a refresher course, you little chicken shit, or will you just do as you’re told?”

A solid forearm to his ribs had Deeks collapsing against the man, gasping at the bright pain, but nodding his agreement as the man laughed and pushed him out the door. Pollard kept glancing back at him as they headed along the walkway to the waiting black SUV, and Deeks groaned at the rough treatment they were both receiving, almost certain they were as expendable as Kensi and eventually Callen. The General wanted no loose ends, which was exactly what they all were. He let his mind settle on Sam as he climbed into the back seat, recalling the strength of the man and his dedication to the team. He was the one on overwatch this time, and Deeks was comforted by that knowledge, knowing Sam would do whatever it took to get them all home safely. If everything went according to plan, that is. And if it didn’t, at least he would be with Kensi. This time he wouldn’t play the part as scripted for his character. This time he would reveal himself and just how pissed he really was.

. . .

He stared out at the passing desert, tired of the sound of Pollard’s voice, as he tried to convince the two dumb shits in the front seat that he was proud to serve the general. He hated the desert, but wasn’t surprised it’s where the man had taken his hostages. Isolation served his purpose and he tensed as a collection of low, bleak looking metal buildings came into sight as they passed over a small rise. It looked to be an old airstrip and he quickly surveyed the terrain and out buildings, noting the sleek private jet on the tarmac as he silently counted the number of men dressed in desert camo fatigues. They all looked to be ex-military, all heavily armed and wearing sunglasses, something he wished he had as he squinted in the bleached light, looking for any sign of Sam and the tactical squad he prayed was there. By the time they parked he had counted close to twenty-five militiamen, and those were only the ones he could see. He’d had no time to let Ops know he’d been taken, but if Sam was watching he would let them know he was now in play.

Jerked roughly out of the car, he stumbled as they pushed him inside a pale yellow corrugated building, murky inside and stifling hot. He heard Callen scream and he stopped, dropping his head down as he tried to control his sudden rage.

“Scared, Jimmy? Gonna pee your pants?” The asshole behind him asked. “Can’t figure out what that hot little whore sees in you.”

He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to hold in a response Max Gentry would have been proud of, but that would give the game away, and he needed to win this war. He would deal with this smug bastard when this was finished. Another low, drawn out scream sent a cold shiver through his gut and he held his breath until it stopped.

“Is that Colonel Jaeger?” He asked in a tiny voice, masking his anger with whatever remnant of Jimmy Satterlee he could call up.

“Yeah. He’s hangin’ tough and the general ain’t real happy,” the militiaman said.

“Where’s Kacey?” He had to know, his patience thin and his control growing ragged.

“She’s a fighter, that one,” the two men laughing along with Pollard, who looked scared to death.

“Please tell me you didn’t hurt her?” Deeks not feeling that different from Jimmy as he asked.

“She earned a couple of bruises, but we ain’t done yet,” the man said as he took his arm. “Go on in and say hello.”

He realized they had no fear of him at all, not warning him or tying his hands, taking it as gospel that he wouldn’t try anything and that gave him hope and an advantage. The militiaman halted him in front of a locked door next to a side table holding weapons and a very familiar knife and he quickly looked for the second guard, pleased when he saw him pushing Pollard through an adjacent doorway where the sounds of Callen’s screams had echoed. While his guard struggled with the lock, Deeks quickly slipped Kensi’s knife off the table and into his pocket, hiding a smile as he was let into the small room.

“Told you he worked for us, Babe,” the man crowed.

“You rotten little shit,” Kensi screamed at him, struggling against the ropes that tied her hands behind the chair. “You gave us up to these bastards? You’re a traitor.”

“We had fun, but I have to look out for number one, sweetheart,” he said quietly, moving closer, taking in the blood on her lip and the dark bruise forming on her cheek. “I’m sorry they hurt you.”

“You’re a liar,” she said, the venom in her voice making the militiaman laugh.

The guard turned his back as Callen screamed again, and Deeks slipped her father’s knife into Kensi’s hands, kissing her quickly on the forehead, their eyes locked on each other until the guard pulled him away.

“Come on lover. General Walker is waiting,” the man ordered, revealing the name they had all been seeking.

The putrid smell of blood and sweat hit him as they entered, ugly and foul in the suffocating heat of the dim space. There were several humvees parked inside and when they passed them he saw Callen slumped in a chair and Deeks was hit with a wave of nausea as he took in the multiple cuts on his biceps and thighs, the blood soaking the fabric of his fatigues. His face was badly bruised, but his swollen eyes widened when he saw him. The general was looming over him as a broad-chested man in camo pants and a khaki tee shirt calmly wiped blood off a vicious looking black knife.

“So it was you,” Callen croaked out weakly. “I should have known.”

“It takes all kind of men to set things right, Colonel Jaeger,” the general said pompously. “Even weak men like your photographer here. They have their uses just as you have yours. Now give me those encryption codes or I will have Reeves here start cutting up your pretty little driver.”

“Jaeger tell him,” Jimmy Satterlee pleaded. “Please.”

“No way. He’s full of hot air,” Jaeger said, spitting blood out at the general’s feet. “You missed his little speech about taking over the country, but maybe you already heard that. He claims to be doing it for the good of the people, but that’s glorified bullshit. He doesn’t have the backing to do it. He’s all by himself with his tacky little army. Like they say in Texas, all hat and no cattle.”

The general backhanded him across the mouth, but he smiled brazenly back at him, amazing Deeks with his courage and determination.

“You think I’m alone in this? I have followers in the highest echelons of the government, including the DOD, the Senate and one right under the nose of SecNav,” General Walker gloated. “Once I have those codes, a revolution will begin that will remind people of how this country was founded and what it could be again.”

“Who the hell would these people be?” Callen taunted. “You aren’t naming names, because you’re a fraud and an arrogant wannabe. You’re nothing but a lying sack of shit.”

The general’s face turned a dark shade of red as he began to hit Callen every time he recited a name. The list was a long one and Deeks was finding it hard to breathe, hoping he would stop before he killed Callen. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep from charging the general, his fists pressing hard against his legs and his eyes closed against the vicious assault.

“Stop it!” He finally shouted. “Stop, General Walker. Please. You’re killing him.”

Deeks prayed he was close enough for the comms to pick up what he’d said, needing the rescue to start before it was too late. What the hell else did Granger need?

“What did you say to me?” Walker roared. “Who do you think you’re talking to, boy? You said you hated this man. You can follow him to hell or you can follow me to glory. Didn’t that beating you took convince you I’m not a man to be fooled with?”

Deeks took a step back as the general picked up a pistol from a metal desk and strode toward him, his jaw clinched in rage. Pollard had been standing silently throughout the whole ordeal, but now turned toward Deeks, the concern in his eyes surprising him. The shattering report of the fired pistol shocked him as blood exploded from the side of Pollard’s head, the force of the bullet lifting him off his feet.

“Bring the woman,” Walker ordered. “I want those codes.”

The guard hurried back to get Kensi and Deeks waited, not sure when the General was going to kill him, but knowing that he would if Kensi didn’t come soon. The sudden sound of automatic weapons fire outside made him jump and then smile at the look of bafflement on the general’s face. Deeks felt a wave of relief and took immediate advantage of the distraction, wrapping the remaining guard in a solid chokehold. General Walker raised his pistol as the guard went limp in Deeks’ arms, firing into the man’s chest taking both of them to the floor.

“Federal agent. Drop the gun,” Kensi shouted as she moved purposefully into the room, her gun trained on the general.

“What the hell?”

“Your little revolution is over Walker,” Deeks said as he regained his feet

“You think you and your little girlfriend can take me and Reeves?” The general laughed. “Hell fire, son. You’re just a damn photographer.”

“Wrong again. Marty Deeks. LAPD.”

A filthy, strangled curse erupted from the enraged man and he fired wildly at Deeks, one bullet clipping his arm, before Kensi fired a round into the general’s kneecap, leaving him screaming in agony on the floor, his gun skittering away. Deeks scooped up the weapon, moving toward Callen as five militiamen seeking cover from the attack outside breached the room. A couple of them began shooting at Kensi, who ducked behind one of the humvees as they both returned fire. Deeks turned just as Reeves attacked, parrying the black knife and pressing the muzzle of the general’s gun into the man’s stomach, firing multiple times until he collapsed. Callen moaned behind him, and he hurried to release him, tearing the bindings from his arms, lifting him with a shoulder and dragging him toward cover.

“I got you brother,” he whispered as bullets peppered the side of the Humvee.

“Did you get him?” Callen asked wearily.

“Kensi blew out his knee.”

“And the asshole with the knife?”

“You know that old cliché,” Deeks laughed. “Never bring a knife to a gunfight.”

As Callen slowly slumped in his arms, the gunfire suddenly stopped.

“Kensi?”

“I’m good.”

“Deeks?” Sam’s voice boomed out. “Where’s Callen?”

“With me.”

Deeks got a shoulder under Callen’s arm and lifted him to his feet, the two men staggering out into the open, as their partners rushed to their side. Sam’s face went from concern to raw anger as he saw how badly Callen was hurt, pulling his partner’s head against his shoulder, hugging him silently before slinging his arm over his shoulder to take some of his weight off Deeks.

“We got what we needed,” Granger’s officious voice cut through the breathless air as he sauntered inside.

The team said nothing as they moved stoically toward the sound of the helicopters landing outside. Callen made them stop when they reached the assistant director.

“If you try and split up Kensi and Deeks, I will personally meet with SecNav and tell him exactly what these two did to bring down this maniac,” he said firmly, his eyes fierce as he stared the man down. “This is my team, Granger. Leave it the hell alone.”

“You’ll get no argument from me, Agent Callen,” he conceded. “Hetty’s already made her position quite clear and your team impressed the hell out of SecNav.”

“Seriously?” Deeks asked with a widening grin. “Think Hetty will give me back my motorcycle?”

“Don’t push your luck, detective,” Granger growled.

“Already did that today, Granger,” Deeks said as his grin faded. “We all did.”

. . .

To be continued…..Come back tomorrow for the Epilogue by Sweet Lu of War Games!

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Lindy D. (Sweet Lu) is a contributor at wikiDeeks.com.
Check out her other works HERE.
You can also find her fan fics on FanFiction.net.