Proving Ground

Chapter 1

…

The order was softly spoken, but with obvious contempt. Sam could hear it in her voice, even over the comms. He'd been trained to follow orders, but this one seemed unnecessary. Deeks already had his hands up against the wall beside the other two men, so he looked over at Callen, hesitating to do what he'd been ordered to do. His partner was just as pissed as he was, but shrugged a shoulder and leaned over to whisper something to Deeks that caused a grin to flicker at the edges of his mouth. Sam was caught off guard when he suddenly pushed himself away from the wall and took a swing at him. His fist barely missed Sam's nose. Callen grabbed him and wrestled an arm up behind his back, and the two of them shoved him face first into the heavily graffitied wall of the building. Mosley's appreciative comment in his ear soured him even further on her little undercover exercise.

"You got nothin' on me, man," Max Gentry growled.

"You just assaulted a federal agent," Callen said, pressing him into the wall.

"Bullshit. You see any blood?" Max asked sullenly. "I missed. No marks. No assault."

"You a lawyer now, Gentry?" Sam asked, as he searched him.

"Yeah, man. Went to Harvard and everything," he replied sarcastically, his laugh brief and cold.

"I find that really hard to believe," Callen snarked. "What about you, Sam? This guy look like a college student to you?"

"Looks like a high school drop out to me," Sam replied. "Probably can't even read."

"What about it, Gentry? You a fan of the classics or just paperback potboilers and porn?" Callen asked, yanking him around to face him.

"My library time is private, asshole. Now why you rousting me?" He asked, his voice deep and rough with anger. "What makes me so special to a couple of Feds?"

"You're not even close to being special, Gentry," Callen said. "You're just one of the many low-life dirtbags we're questioning about a hijacking."

"According to LAPD, you just got out of a high security lockup in Nevada," Sam said, pushing him in the chest. "So, you're on our list of usual suspects."

"Just goin' fishin' then, yeah?" Max Gentry replied with just the right amount of arrogance.

"More like dumpster diving," Sam said, smiling inwardly as Deeks tried to hold back a grin.

"Sounds like somethin' a fuckin' Fed would be good at," Max replied with a surly roll of his shoulders.

Sam saw Callen's nostrils flare when Mosley's voice came through the comms once again. It was his tell, just as much as the flexing muscle in his jaw. He was pissed and their eyes locked at the insensitive nature of the harsh command. Sam saw his reluctance, and decided it was his turn to carry out her orders. Nodding ever so slightly at his partner, he shot a look of regret at Deeks, and hoped he understood what he was about to do. He hit him low, but pulled his punch as much as he could. The second one caught the side of his face, and knocked him to his knees. It was Max Gentry's voice they heard next.

"That all you got?" He gasped, flashing a defiant grin as he staggered to his feet, and stumbled back against the wall.

Mosley suggested a physical response, sounding irritated when Callen didn't immediately carry out her orders, asking if he had a problem with her plan. Max Gentry looked back at them with sharp, accusatory eyes. He wiped blood from his mouth, and looked down at it for a second before slowly swiping it across the front of his leather jacket. He adjusted his stance, cocking one hip and standing his ground, his muscles taut as he waited for whatever was coming next. Sam realized he knew they were listening to their comms, and had probably guessed it was Mosley on the other end. He felt chilled as he stared at a man whose demeanor was the complete opposite of the shaggy blond surfer he thought he knew pretty well. Now he wasn't so sure he knew him at all. They had seen him in this alias before, but neither he nor Callen had actually confronted a full-blooded Max Gentry face to face. Deeks' easy smile had been replaced by a sneer, his eyes like ice and his expression sullen and wary. Mosley was close by, and he hoped she was seeing what he was seeing. If she was, she would never again question his ability to lose himself in an alias, even one as dark as Max Gentry.

Sam could tell Callen was done with her little made up assignment. He shot a disgusted look his way as he tossed Max Gentry's wallet back to him.

"Get out of here, Gentry," Callen said and turned back toward the car. "Crawl back under the rock you came from."

"Real nice advice, G-man," Max drawled out. "Tell your boss I appreciate the attention."

"Shut your mouth," Sam warned, irritated he was being so stupid as to taunt Mosley.

"Gonna hit me again if I don't?" Glowering angrily at him. "Get extra gold stars if you do what you're told."

Sam was suddenly furious and grabbed a fistful of his black tee shirt and pushed him hard into the concrete wall. "You're about to see stars if you don't shut up."

"You like dishing out the rough stuff. Done it before, yeah?" His accusation bringing back old memories. "Just following orders though, right?"

It was Deeks' soft voice, full of hurt and disappointment, yet defiant. And it was so familiar. The distance between them now seemed like an abyss he thought he'd bridged a long time ago, and it bothered him. Did he really believe they had enjoyed this or thought he needed to prove himself to them?

Deeks had joked about it two days ago, after Mosley had told them what she had in mind. They all knew she was testing them, but it was Deeks she had singled out. It hadn't been hard to figure out she didn't believe he had the undercover skills he claimed. She'd actually laughed when he told her about Max Gentry. He hadn't been bragging. In fact, he seemed to withdraw from all of them as he described the man's character. When she'd actually ordered them to carry out a make believe assignment with Deeks undercover as Max Gentry, both he and Callen had protested. Kensi had reacted badly and Mosley had been close to writing her up, until Deeks spoke up, making a joke and lightly agreeing it would be good practice. Kensi wouldn't let it go, suggesting other aliases he had used, citing a couple Sam wasn't even aware he had in his bag of characters. Kensi told stories about several of his undercover aliases, laughing as she described his turn as a railroad incident examiner named Matthew Dunkler. Callen had jokingly suggested Sven, smirking at Sam as he did, and now Sam was sorry he had nixed that idea. But it was Max Gentry Mosley wanted to see, which was why he was standing in a dark alley, full of regret at the ground he had lost with a man who, just a few years ago, had saved his life and endured torture to protect his wife.

"We're done here," Sam said, closing his eyes briefly before pulling the comm from his ear.

"Yeah, we are."

The finality in Deeks' tone shook him and he looked sharply at him, worried that he would hold tonight against him and that their bond might be irreparably damaged. Max Gentry looked back at him, spitting blood on the ground between them before turning to tell the other men they were leaving. All he could do was watch him go.

This game Mosley had set up, wasn't really a game at all. Deeks had made contact with people Max Gentry had been involved with while undercover with the LAPD. The guys with him tonight had no idea they were part of some elaborate test to expose any weakness in Deeks' undercover skills. Mosley might be playing, but Max Gentry's friends weren't. This was real to them, and because of that it was a serious situation for Deeks.

"We should have arrested him," Callen said when he joined him at the car.

"You're wrong," Mosley said as she came up behind them. "We let this play out. I need to know how well he can navigate a difficult situation without all of you coming to his rescue if he screws up."

"It's called backup," Callen snapped. "Or are you trying to get him killed?"

"Of course not, Agent Callen," she replied smoothly. "He claims he has skills, and it's my job to assess whether those claims are true or just his smart-ass ego talking."

"Is that why you had us rough him up?" Sam asked angrily. "You wanted to see if he'd lose it over a couple of punches? Have you even read his file? He was tortured, and didn't break."

"That episode was unfortunate, and I admire the fortitude you both showed under such terrible circumstances," she replied calmly. "However, this exercise is about his professional skills in the field, not his ability to survive some maniac with a drill."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Callen asked, barely containing his anger. "Unfortunate episode? They were brutalized…"

"And you feel guilty because you couldn't stop it from happening," she interrupted curtly. "I understand."

"The hell you do," Sam barked out. "It took me a long time to regain that man's trust, and try and repay what I owe him. Tonight that trust might have been damaged because you won't take our word that he's good at his job. You don't trust us, and now we don't trust you."

"Whether you do or you don't, makes no difference," she replied stone-faced. "Either Deeks proves to me he has the skills to enhance this team, or he's gone. Is that clear enough for you?"

Sam clinched his hand into a fist, turning away so he wouldn't say something he'd regret. Callen took a step toward her, but Sam put a hand on his chest, nodding toward the car.

"Let's go, partner," he said, his feelings unspoken, but understood by Callen.

They were both silent as they got in the car, neither one looking at Mosley. Sam started the car and peeled out, wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between them and the woman they left standing in the dark.

"He won't hold it against you, Sam," Callen finally said.

"I'm not so sure about that, G. You didn't see the look on his face."

"He was into his alias," Callen said.

"Yeah…deep. Real deep."

"He knows how to pull himself out," Callen said, but Sam didn't think he sounded all that confident.

"I shouldn't have hit him," Sam replied, recalling the flash of betrayal he'd seen in his eyes.

"He knew we were on comms," Callen said. "I'm sure he knew it was Mosley who was giving the orders."

"But I didn't have to follow those orders," he replied. "And I think he was testing us to see if we would."

"Come on, Sam. He knows we do what we have to during an op," Callen reasoned. "You don't seem to have a problem punching me to sell an angle we're working."

"But this isn't a real op, G," he replied. "This is bullshit."

"It's real for Deeks," Callen said solemnly. "And we backed up his legend with the information about where he's been for the last five years. That gives him some layer of protection. So did the beat down."

"I'm not sure he'd agree with you."

"He didn't like it, but neither do I when you hit me to sell an alias," Callen replied.

"But we know we're on the same side, G. This felt like we were on Mosley's side. Against Deeks."

"Is there some history between you two I'm not aware of?" Callen asked. "Cause I'm a little surprised at how much this is bothering you."

"Yeah, me too," Sam replied, hesitating to bring up a time when he saw Deeks as nothing more than an irritating wiseass without much substance.

"Remember that Christmas op on the aircraft carrier? The Van Buren? The agent afloat had been murdered and we were sent out there to find the killer?"

"The one where Deeks found the spinach and wouldn't shut up about it being a critical piece of evidence?" Callen asked, chuckling at the memory.

"He was right."

"And it bugged the heck out of you," Callen smiled.

"A lot of things bugged me about Deeks back then," Sam said softly. "I hit him, G. Just like I did tonight. I wasn't following anyone's orders back then. It was just me letting my irritation get the better of me. And he remembered that tonight, and let me know it."

"That was what? Five months before the Sidorov mission?"

"Yeah, and I didn't want Deeks on overwatch that day," Sam recalled. "I questioned his character, G. To his face."

"You don't think he's let that go by now?" Callen turned to look at him. "Come on, Sam. You both overcame all that. You're friends. He knows you respect him."

"Not sure he'll still respect me after this."

"He was in character, Sam. Remember that," Callen said. "Max Gentry doesn't respect anybody."

The sound of Callen's phone ended their conversation. "It's Kensi. Don't worry. I won't tell her you beat up her fiancé."

Sam shook his head while Callen smirked and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

"Hey Kens. He's fine," Callen said immediately.

"I was on comms too, Callen," she replied. "So, don't tell me he's fine."

"He can handle it. You know that," Callen replied.

"But why does he have to?" She asked. "And why did you both go along with it?"

"Sam's the one who hit him. Not me," Callen replied, looking over at him and trying to look innocent.

"Thanks, partner."

"We didn't like it either, Kens, if that's any consolation," Callen said. "But I don't think the men he's with will question his story after this."

"But he might question who's side you're both on," she said sadly. "He's alone out there, Callen. He has no backup, no one's on overwatch, and I'm not there for him to talk to."

"He's run deep cover alone before, Kens," Callen said. "We just have to trust him."

"I do, but this puts him in danger for no reason, and I'm not okay with that."

"Is Eric still tracking him?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, and he and Nell think someone else is too."

"Mosley," Callen breathed out with irritation.

"Do they know how?" Sam asked.

"They're not sure, but they're working on it," she said and Sam could hear the exasperation in her voice.

"Kens? We're heading to Sam's boat. All of you meet us there," Callen said. "We need to talk."

After breaking the connection, his partner remained silent, staring out the window at the passing hardscape of the Wholesale District. He let him be, keeping to his own thoughts as he gunned the Challenger down Alameda toward the Santa Monica Freeway. This was a desolate area this time of night, except for the homeless population. They didn't even know where Deeks was staying. He'd been on the move so much even the wonder twins had trouble keeping track of him from hour to hour.

"She's having him tailed," Callen finally said.

"By who?"

"It won't be anyone we know. I'm sure of that," he replied tightly. "Whoever it is better be good, or he could blow Deeks' cover."

Being kept in the dark about the details of an operation was on the list of things that truly bugged his partner. At the top of that list was being lied to. He hated being deceived. Even though he had grown used to that with Hetty, he'd always found a way to forgive her. Sam didn't think forgiveness was in the cards for Mosley, especially if something happened to Deeks.

"You sweep for bugs lately, Sam?"

"Aren't you being a little paranoid?" Sam laughed. "To answer your question. Yes. The boat is clean."

"She wants Deeks to fail," he replied quietly. "Which means she wants no outside interference, and we know she doesn't trust us..."

"So you think she has people watching us to make sure we stay out of it?"

"Or to find out we're not," he said, raising his eyebrows with that distrustful look Sam knew so well.

"Why do I think I won't be getting any sleep tonight?"

"Come on, big guy. You're as concerned as I am," Callen replied. "Besides…sleeping is overrated."

"Sounds like something you'd believe."

When his partner gave no response, Sam eyed him carefully, realizing how worried he truly was.

"Something else on your mind, G?"

"I think she expected us to interfere all along," he said quietly. "I think it was part of her plan from the beginning."

"And what plan is that?"

"To get rid of us all," Callen said.

"You really are paranoid," Sam replied.

"Only if it's not true."

Sam remained quiet after that, searching his mind for clues that might convince him that Callen was wrong. Mosley had tried to get rid of Deeks from the very beginning, except Callen had insisted the team needed him. She probably hadn't liked that. She did like power. Her enclosed office high above them was one piece of the evidence. She likes lording it over people and expects her orders to be followed without comment. Callen rarely does that. There was no question she was testing them, but using this exercise to find cause to split up the team seemed a little far-fetched to him. But his partner had always been wary of authoritarians.

"See any vehicles that shouldn't be here?" Callen asked as they drove through the parking area to his boat.

"Now you're making us both jumpy," he replied.

"I'm not jumpy, I'm just aware," Callen said. "If Mosley wants us to treat this like a real operation, then that's what I'm going to do. If I find out your boat is under surveillance, I'm going to act accordingly."

"You're not going to shoot anybody are you?" Sam grinned as he slowed and began checking the area.

"I'm playing that by ear."

"G…"

"What? She started it."

"You know you sound like a little kid, right?"

Callen shot him a familiar glare as he pulled the car to a stop. "Sam? You changing cable companies?"

The panel van sat in the shadows along the chain link fence by the bay. There could be a good reason for it being there, but as far as he knew, cable installations only happened during daylight hours, and most of his neighbors already had cable. Some were decidedly against the very idea, seeing their boat as a sanctuary, a getaway from all things that smacked of their everyday world.

"You coming?" Callen asked as he got out of the car.

He hated when Callen was right, especially about something he had discounted not two seconds ago. Sam shook his head and stepped out onto the gravel. Mosley was definitely pissing him off tonight. Callen had that look he got when he thought someone was trying to box him into a situation he didn't want to be in. He even had his gun out.

"G? Go easy, okay?"

"She wanted this to be as real as possible," he replied tightly. "I'm just keeping it real, partner."

The comment made him smile, and he pulled his weapon as they approached the vehicle. Callen went to the back as Sam checked the driver's side.

"Nobody home up front," Sam said loudly.

He moved toward the rear when Callen pounded on the back door. "Federal agents. You can come out or I can send a couple of rounds through the window."

Sam had his hand on the side of the van, and felt it shake slightly as if someone was moving inside.

"He's not kidding, so I suggest you comply," Sam yelled. "My partner's not in a real good mood right now, so I wouldn't test him."

"I'm a Federal agent too," came a muted response.

"Prove it," Callen shouted.

The metallic sound of a door handle had Callen yanking the door all the way open, spilling a well-dressed man out onto the gravel.

"Don't even think about moving," Callen said as Sam checked inside.

"Clear. He's it."

"Get up," Callen ordered. "And keep your hands where I can see them."

The man slowly stood up and began brushing the dust off his grey suit. "This is ridiculous."

"More than you know," Sam said.

When the guy started to reach inside his suit jacket, Callen yelled. "Don't!"

"I was going for my credentials," he said, looking nervous and unsure. "Listen…we work for the same person."

"Really? You ever surveil your coworkers, Sam?" Callen asked, his gun never wavering.

"No, and this guy doesn't look familiar," Sam said gruffly, securing his weapon before grabbing the man by the lapels and shoving him back against the van door.

He searched him and relieved him of his gun and wallet. "He's with Homeland Security. Meet Special Agent Brian Hollister."

"Now I find that very interesting. Don't you, Sam?"

"You moonlighting, Agent Hollister?" Sam asked. "Or maybe this is a false ID."

"It's real, so you can lower your weapon," the agent said, showing a flash of irritation.

"Not until you tell me why Homeland Security is watching my partner's home," Callen said.

"That beat up old boat is a sorry excuse for a home, if you ask me," Hollister replied, sounding cockier than he should.

"I think he just disrespected your nice little boat, Sam," Callen said.

"It is nice and it isn't little. It's perfect. And I didn't ask you, Brian. Now what the hell are you doing here," Sam asked, feeling more than a little pissed.

"Just following orders, gentlemen," he said smugly.

"From who?" Callen asked as he slowly lowered his gun.

"Executive Assistant Director Mosley. Your boss."

"So you're moonlighting?" Sam said. "Why? She doesn't work for Homeland."

"I am not at liberty to share that information, gentlemen," Hollister replied, sounding too pompous for Sam's taste. "Now. My badge and my gun."

Sam looked at his partner and then at the agent's gun and badge he was holding. "Hope you've had underwater training."

Sam threw the gun as far out into the bay as he could, then pocketed the badge.

"I'd say that was a warning that you should leave, Brian," Callen said. "Your cover is blown, and if you don't get out of here right now, I'm going to call LAPD and report a suspicious person in the neighborhood and give them your description and the license number of what may well be a stolen van."

"You wouldn't," he replied, his arrogance dimming.

"We would," they said in unison.

"You can't keep my badge," he said.

"I'm confiscating it," Sam replied. "If you are who you say you are, I'll mail it back to you."

"Mosley won't like this," the agent snapped.

"We're just doing our jobs. Now get the hell outa here," Callen said, leveling his gun at him again.

"I won't forget this," he shot back as he straightened his tie and slammed the door of the van.

"You shouldn't," Sam barked. "Cause if I ever see you around here again, it'll be you I throw in the water."

The agent stomped around the side of the van and got in, revving the engine and spewing gravel as he roared out of the lot.

"I feel better already," Callen said with a smile. "How about you?"

"I'm still ticked off."

"Yeah. I know the feeling," Callen replied as he pulled his phone. "Kens? Hold up for about fifteen minutes and watch for tails. Especially a Comcast van. Mosley had someone watching Sam's boat."

They didn't speak as they made their way across the lot to the boat. They checked for spy ware along the dock, which only angered Sam more. This was his home now, and Mosley had disrespected that. Once inside he checked his security. No one had been inside, and that made him feel slightly better, but not much.

"You okay?" Callen asked as he opened the fridge and grabbed two beers.

"What the hell is she playing at, G?"

"I'd say she's gathering evidence of insubordination," he replied quietly.

His partner's eyes had that distant look and he knew a plan was being formulated in that hard working brain of his. Mosley must know he was somewhat of a lone wolf, but maybe that's what she was counting on. She probably thought that inclination would play into her plan of splitting up the team, if in fact that was her plan. She was sure as hell pushing him and the rest of them. How far, was the unknown piece in this little chess game of hers. She may have read Callen's file, but she hadn't worked with him for very long. What she didn't know was how far he was willing to go if someone threatened the people he was close to. The facts of his life might give her a hint, but those cold facts wouldn't reveal the deep passion with which he operated. He was distrustful by nature, and played hardball when pushed to his limit. He and Deeks weren't terribly close, but he was part of Callen's team, and he was possessive of every one of its members. He probably would never admit having a soft spot for the scruffy detective, but he didn't like it when someone messed with any one of them. Going on the offensive was his usual response when that happened. His efforts might appear subtle to outsiders, but they could be very complicated, especially when he had to work in the dark. It was one of the things he'd learned from Hetty. Mosley's fake undercover operation had made him mad from the beginning, and Sam didn't think she realized how willing he was to sacrifice his position at NCIS for the sake of the team and every member on it.

He thought she might have underestimated his partner, just as she had underestimated him. She had no idea what listening to Deeks' screams had done to him in that room with Sidorov. Reading after-action reports didn't do justice to the reality of that experience. He could never repay him. Because of Deeks' strength he'd had a few more years with the love of his life. His courage had given his kids time to grow up a little more with their mother in their lives. From that day forward he'd never questioned Deeks' character again. Now his boss was doing just that, and he would do anything it took to make her regret it.

…

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