Comminication Skills

Trapped

Chapter 1- Trapped

Yawning, I closed the file on my desk with a self-satisfied smile. A strong wave of accomplishment flooded through me as I grinned like a fool down at my last file of paperwork. After two hours, three files, four cups of coffee, and six bathroom breaks, I was down to my last file. Thank. The. Lord


I looked around the bullpen, my feeling of satisfaction only increasing when I noted the sight of at least two files each on Deeks's, Callen's, and Sam's desks. Once again, I was almost- done first. I watched with idle curiosity as Deeks abruptly closed the file he was working on and began spinning in circles in his desk chair, tossing his coffee mug up in the air and then catching it as he spun. A ghost of a smile crossed my lips as the idea of him as a little, shaggy haired puppy crossed my mind.

I could so see him as a little golden retriever, running around a park somewhere catching Frisbees and sniffing peoples' asses. I chuckled and looked down at my last file of paperwork.

Just as I was deciding to get another cup of coffee before starting on the file, a shrill, familiar whistle sounded from upstairs. I looked up to see Eric standing at the top of the stairs. "We've got a case!" he yelled down.

I looked sadly at the almost finished paperwork on my desk and stood up. "Damn, more paperwork," I heard Deeks mutter as he passed my desk on his way up to Ops. I felt the same way.

Up in Ops, Deeks and I took out familiar spots behind the table. I leaned over it and he did the same. Nell was sitting at a computer, her slender fingers flying over the keyboard. I peered curiously at the computer screen. Whatever she was doing, it looked high-tech. I snapped my attention to Eric as he began talking.

"This is Staff Sergeant Adam Nathan. He was found dead an hour ago in an alley," Eric said as a picture of a dead guy popped up on the big screen. next to that picture came a picture of the guy alive. His baby face and warm brown eyes made him seem so young. My sympathies for him increased as I thought back to what I'd been doing an hour ago: sitting safely at my desk writing out reports, sipping a coffee.

"The strangulation and cut marks match that of Petty Officer Donald Craig and Sergeant Jeff Greene. We have also found the similar MO on Corporal Jim Smith and five other victims, all Navy or Marines."

Nine victims!? I thought, outraged.

Nell cut in, sounding hurt and angry, "At each murder site, we find absolutely no trace of a killer. No DNA. None! It's as if he doesn't even have DNA!"

I gave Nell a sympathetic glance. Something about this case was upsetting her more than usual. I made a mental note to ask her later, but for now I had to- what was it I'd been assigned to do?

"Earth to Kensi," Deeks muttered softly under his breath to me as he brushed past me. His arm just barely touched my back, but it still caused tingles to race up my spine. I turned and jogged to catch up with him.

"What are we supposed to be doing?" I asked him as I caught up.

He casted a long look over at me. "What- you weren't listening?"

I glared back at him. "Just tell me."

"I dunno, Fern, I think the only proper discipline for not listening is not knowing, don't you agree?" He widened his baby blue eyes innocently. The were adorable. I looked away.

I socked him in the shoulder warningly. He winced and rubbed the spot. "You're so luck I pull my punches on you," I muttered darkly.

He chuckled softly. "We're visiting the crime scene. Wait- you do know why, right?"

Oh, now he was just mocking me. I glared at him. That was answer enough.

I drove to the alley, an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach as soon as I stepped out of the car. I didn't like the feeling of this place. It was near a huge nightclub I'd visited once or twice, and I'd always had a weird feeling while outside the club. Deeks and I walked up to the alley's entrance, ducking under the tape and nodding politely to the two LAPD officers on duty.

The alley was very secluded. Looking at the directions of the nearest cameras, it seemed to be a perfect blind spot. Our guy was smart. The alley ended in brick. No place to run. A shiver raced up and down my spine, but not a good, tingly one like the one I'd gotten when Deeks arm brushed me. this place felt wrong.

"I don't like the feeling of this place," I commented to Deeks, squatting down next to a puddle of blood.

"You getting bad vibes, too?" he asked, bending down next to a pool of blood that was closer to the entrance than mine.

"It's the perfect place for a crime. Camera blind spot, dead end. But it just doesn't... feel right." I walked slowly around the perimeter of the alley, my head down, calculating the distance between pools of blood. When I finished, I was near the dead end. "Drag marking here," I murmured softly to Deeks.

There was no reply. I looked up and around the alley. There was no sign of Deeks or the two LAPDs. "Deeks?" I called out nervously. I reached for my gun. Deeks didn't answer.

I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to get the hell out of the alley. I practically sprinted to the exit, but stopped when I noticed that outside suddenly looked dusty. Peering closely outside of the alley, I saw that there was some weird glass like thing covering the entrance. I put my hand against it. I couldn't get out. No one could get in. I didn't know where it'd come from. It hadn't made any noise.

Although it was bright and sunny outside, the back of the alley was almost completely bathed in darkness. I made my way slowly back there, pulling my mini flashlight out of my pocket and holding it with my gun in front of me. I swept the beam along the alley's dead end. my heart leapt into my throat when I saw a man standing in the corner, staring right at me.

"Agent Blye," he said with faux sweetness.

"You know my name," I replied, forcing my voice to stay steady and detached, "want to extend me the same courtesy?"

He chuckled darkly. "You'll my name soon enough, I promise."

"So, you're planning on keeping me alive long enough to find out your name?" I tried to keep him talking, attempting to keep up my poker face. I plotted the best way to kill him in my head, in case I needed to. He appeared unarmed. I could shoot him dead on, but their were multiple places he could hide a weapon in his outfit of a red t-shirt and blue jeans. An ankle holster, maybe. But he had to know that any move to get a gun and I would shoot him.

He didn't reply.

"The clear- what would you call that thing blocking the entrance? -is very impressive. How do you get it back up?" I asked with fake admiration. This strategy had worked more than once in getting someone to spill their guts.

He smiled, but it didn't touch his cold, lifeless green eyes. "Adam asked the same thing." I felt my body go cold at his words.

"So you did kill him?"

He tilted his head to the side a little bit. "Did I?"

Okay, along with creeping me out, this guy was getting on my nerves.
Suddenly I heard pounding on the strange glass. "Kensi!" I heard Deeks scream through it.

I held up one finger towards his direction. My eyes never left the strange man's face.

"Can I take your picture?" he asked bluntly.

"Can I take yours?" I shot back without missing a beat. Take my picture? What the hell?!

He smiled bitterly. "There are always strings attached," he murmured, his tone almost regretful.

"Are you armed?"

"Wondering if you can shoot me?" He raised his eyebrows.

"No, I could shoot you anyway. I just want to minimize the paperwork," I replied nonchalantly. He smiled again.

"I like a smart woman. Did you do well in school?" He started to walk slowly towards the entrance to the alleyway, the one blocked off by the strange, albeit brilliant, barrier.

I followed him step for step. Every inch he moved, my gun and I moved the same. By the time he was a yard or so from the entrance, it was getting pretty tiresome.

"It was so nice meeting you, Agent Blye," he said in farewell.

"Wish I could say the same, but it's silly to exchange farewells when you're not going anywhere but with me, in handcuffs."

"Well isn't that a shame." Before I could react there was a small grenade at my feet.

"Deeks! Bomb! Get back!" I screamed. Knowing going out the way I came in was pointless, I fled to the back of the alley. The bomb sparked a few times, but didn't explode. I watched as it finished its little light show and then just rested there on the pavement, a harmless little toy.

The strange man was gone, as was the strange barrier. "Damn it!" I cried in frustration, stepping out onto the pavement. I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Oh, thank God I could get out of that alley.

"Kens!" Deeks yelled. He was standing at the street corner, running his hands through his shaggy, blonde hair in exasperation. He jogged down to me. "You good?" he asked, reaching out to touch my arm and then thinking twice and putting his hand back down at his side.

For some reason, I was kind of hoping he would touch my arm. And then more than my arm. I blushed slightly at my own thoughts and looked down. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

He nodded stiffly. "I knew what he was trying to do, but I couldn't catch him." Deeks was blaming himself.

"Don't beat yourself up over this," I said reassuringly. "We'll get him."

He grinned lopsidedly at me. I smiled shyly back. "We should get going, Kensalina," he urged. His hesitation about being here any longer was palpable.

"Actually..." I walked slowly back towards the alley. If you looked really closely into the wall... Aha. "Deeks," I called, "look."

There was a small slit in the wall, thin but noticeable. It was just wide enough for the strange barrier that'd trapped me in the alley. Deeks leaned in close to me. His proximity to me was intoxicating. I could smell the body wash he used, something he insisted the ladies loved, and, although I denied it, it drove me a little crazy.

"So he's putting acrylic glass or something down to block out the alley?" Deeks wondered aloud. "That's brilliant."

I nodded, distracted by his body practically touching mine. I subtly leaned into him a little until we were touching, pretending to peer closer at the slit in the wall. I felt Deeks's body tightened and then relax slightly. I touched the opening gently with my index finger and winced.

"Fiber glass," I murmured, frowning at the glass splinter imbedded in my skin.

"He is very smart," Deeks commented.

"Yeah," I agreed, pinching at the skin on my finger around the fiber glass that had managed to slip inside my skin.

Deeks looked over at me. "Here, let me." He grabbed my hand gently and held it in his, coaxing the splinter out of the pad of my finger. His hands were incredibly soft. I stared at him, memorizing his face. His golden skin and adorable baby blues. His incredible smile. His shaggy hair and light stubble. I wanted to remember it forever. I never wanted to look away, but I had to when he looked up, not wanting to be caught staring.

He smiled at me smugly. He looked very self-satisfied. "Got it."

But he didn't release my hand. My breath caught in my throat as his eyes met mine. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted him to kiss me. But that was wrong. He was my partner.

Damn it, Kens, snap out of it! I ordered myself. I pulled my hand away. "Where did the two LAPD officers go?"

Deeks gestured to the ground a few yard away from us. The two officers lay in a heap on the sidewalk, one on top of the other. I rushed over to them, feeling their pulses. They were both alive.

"What happened?" I asked, turning towards Deeks and slipping my hands into my back pockets.

He shrugged. "The bastard knocked them out. He tried to get me, too, so I went limp. He completely fell for it," he added in a bragging kind of way.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Arrange for a team to come look at the barrier, and get these guys checked out, okay? Now let's head back."

Deeks nodded, pulling out his phone. He was talking softly as I climbed into the car, turning the key in the ignition. Deeks climbed in and I rushed off to OSP.

Sam and Callen were up in Ops talking with Eric and Nell. As we walked in, all four of them turned to look. I felt like a butterfly pinned by its wing to a bulletin board under their stares.

"What the hell took you so long?" Callen demanded.

"Little run in with a psycho. No big deal," Deeks played it off like it was nothing.

Sam and Callen's eyes widened and they turned to me. "What happened?" Sam asked, his voice laced with concern for me.

God, why do they always feel the need to protect me? I could beat any one of their asses and they knew that. I guess I was like their little sister. But still.

"He knocked two LAPD officers out and attempted to knock out Deeks, and then trapped me in the alley by pulling down some weird Plexiglas or something barrier thingy. We're having that checked out now. After talking with me for a while, he threw a grenade at me. I ran to the back of the alley for cover and he escaped. the stupid bomb didn't even go off, just fizzled and sparked," I explained. My earlier frustration washed over me again.

"I attempted to chase him, but he just disappeared into thin air," Deeks added. He sounded just as frustrated and annoyed as me. I glanced over at him to find him already staring at me. I looked away quickly, feeling my cheeks start to burn. Keep your head together, Blye, I warned myself.

Sam and Callen exchanged glances. "Did you get a good look at him?" Callen asked me.

I nodded. "I would recognize him agin if I saw him."

"Good. Deeks, come with us. Kensi, stay behind with Nell and describe him to her. She can try to make a facia profile to run through facial rec. Eric, tap into cameras by the alley. See if you can get anything," Callen ordered, taking the lead.

Everyone nodded their approval to the plan. I watched as Deeks turned and left and then went to sit in a chair beside Nell.

"Okay, just describe him for me as best you can," Nell instructed, setting up the software on her computer.

"What is it with you and this case?" I asked bluntly.

She looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

I struggled with the right way to put what I wanted to say into words. "You seem... I don't know, different with this case. Angrier and more determined, I guess." I shrugged. "Why?"

She looked around the room. Eric was the other one in here besides us. He was typing obliviously on a computer across the room, anyway, so he didn't really count. Nell lowered her voice and said softly, "I used to date one of the Marines that was killed."

I was startled by this. I reached out and squeezed her hand. I'm so sorry, Nell."

She shrugged. "We only dated for a few months. I broke up with him cause he cheated on me. I don't even know why I care so much," she admitted, her voice catching on 'care'.

I squeezed her hand again. "Let's get this guy."

She looked up at me and gave me a half-smile. "So, describe him for me."