She stood on the balcony over-looking the valley and felt so lonely. Looking at the rocks below, she'd give anything to jump and end it all. Katy knew everyone at the party, but had no interest in pursuing friendships, let-a-lone a conversation with anyone of them. She turned back to the group looking at the fifty or so attendees when saw him; attractive, with his blue eyes and dark hair. He was standing with a tall black man who looked familiar. He stopped and looked at her, but seemed to look right through her. Just like everyone else, she thought. A waiter walked by with flutes full of Vitaliy's favorite champagne. Katy stopped him and took a glass, swallowed it in one gulp and set the glass on the railing.
"Eric, the brunette on the balcony, is that her?" Callen asked.
"Give me a minute." He said.
Looking around the crowd, his stare came back to her, she was gone.
"That's our girl; Katy Levin." Eric said.
"She's gone, Eric." Sam said as Callen rushed out to the balcony and looked over the railing. He turned around to Sam and shook his head.
"Find her, Mr. Callen." Hetty said as she watched from Ops.
"What's so special about this girl?" Deeks asked Kensi.
"Your guess is as good as mine. She's just a reporter." Kensi answered scanning the crowd.
Katy pushed her way through the crowd towards the door; she looked nervously around for Vitaliy and thankfully didn't see him. Igor came out of nowhere and grabbed her elbow, dragging her across the room stumbling and tripping as she tried to keep up with him.
"Look who I found trying to leave without saying goodbye." He said in his thick Russian accent; flinging her forward into the plush sitting area in the corner.
Katy stumbled a few steps before regaining her balance. Once she was standing straight again, Vitaliy approached and walked around her, as if inspecting her. "You look good tonight, Katya. Why haven't you come to see me yet?"
"I'm not feeling well, I was just going to go home and lay down." She said praying he didn't see right through the lie.
"Have you eaten?" Vitaliy asked standing inches from her face. His pungent vodka breath turning her stomach, but knew if she backed away from him he's strike her again. It had taken two weeks and over a hundred dollars in stage make-up to cover the last bruise.
"Yes, I've eaten. I wasn't feeling well before I came though." She told him bracing herself.
Vitaliy balled his fist and pulled back his arm as if to punch her and laughed when she stood there ready to take it. Instead of punching her, he patted her cheek hard, leaving a red mark. "Igor, take her home, make sure she has everything she needs then return." He said walking back to the scantily clad women waiting to service him.
Callen caught a glimpse of her as a tall, bald, white man in a dark Armani suit pulled her to the kitchen and out through the service entrance. "Back door, Eric do you have eyes?"
"Working on it, Callen." He said. "Got it, ok, he's putting her in the back seat of a silver Mercedes California plate numbers are being sent to your phones. There aren't any traffic cams in the area. But we are tracking the GPS in the car. "
Katy hated this part of the night when she was escorted home and basically locked in the house. She needed to find a way to get out of this situation, when her editor asked her to get close to Vitaliy Kirillovksy, she never imagined it would require this. Igor threw her in the back seat and slammed the door catching her foot. Pain and heat shot through her foot as she heard the bones snap and pop. He got in the front seat and drove down the hill.
"You stupid asshole, you just broke my foot." She yelled throwing her broken high heel at him.
The car swerved and nearly ran off the road. "Stupid bitch, that's what you get." He yelled throwing it back at her.
"Vitaliy just bought me these shoes. Are you going to take me to the emergency room?" She screamed, pain travelling up her leg.
Igor just laughed and continued driving.
She looked behind them and saw a black Challenger a good distance away; in the darkness it was impossible to see the driver. The car followed them down the hill and onto the freeway and from there she lost sight of it. An excruciatingly painful hour later, Igor pulled up in front of her apartment and yanked her limping through the courtyard to the door.
"Unlock it." He ordered as she stumbled up the steps.
She fished her keys from her bag and braced herself on the door frame trying not to put pressure on her aching foot. Once the door was open, Igor kicked the cat out of the way and tossed her into the living room. Katy landed with a thud on the corner of the coffee table and blacked out. He walked up to her and backhanded her across the face then picked up her lifeless body and threw it on the couch. The cat hissed and swatted at him as he walked past. Igor pushed her off the arm of the couch, but she was still able to dig her claws into his hand, ripping the flesh.
"We're here, Igor's still with her." Callen said.
"As soon as Igor leaves, get her out of there." She said bluntly.
"Are you ever going to tell us why we're picking this girl up?" he asked.
"When you have her and she's safe I'll be more than happy to tell you, Mr. Callen." She said.
She could hear the cat howling, but couldn't move her head towards the sound. The pain clouded her head as she opened her eyes and tried to focus. Blinded by the overhead light, she put her hand over her face and tried to sit up. Her head felt heavy and she was overcome by a wave of nausea. All she remembered was Igor throwing her from the door. Where she'd landed, she wasn't sure.
"Alright, he's gone. Kensi, go to the door, see if you can get her to come with you." Callen said.
Kensi got out of her Cadillac and walked to the door, knocking three times. She could hear the cat scratching at the door on the other side. Through the sheers covering the glass door, she could see the woman on the couch.
"Katy, Katy Levin?" She said through the door.
Katy strained to get up and walked to the door, pulling the sheer back. Kensi could see the blood caked in her hair. "What do you want?" she asked.
Kensi held up her badge so she could see it. Marcy was squinting as she looked at it. "My name's Special Agent Kensi Blye, I'm with NCIS. Can you open the door?"
"No, go around to the basement access, I'll meet you there in a few minutes. He's got this door wired." She said and pulled the sheer back over the door.
"She told me to meet her around back by the basement access." Kensi said walking around the duplex. Callen and Sam joined her. "She's got blood caked in her hair and she's limping."
They heard slamming and banging then the door unlocked. Katy opened the door to find Kensi there with two other men. She ran backwards and collapsed in pain as her foot gave way.
"Stay away from me." She said as Kensi stepped into the basement. It was dark and musty.
"We're not taking you back to Kirillovsky; we're taking you to a safe house." Kensi said. "This is Special Agent Callen and Hanna, I know you're hurt, they can help carry you out.
"Where are we going?" she asked still not sure.
"Tell her you're bringing her to see me." Hetty said.
"Does the name Hetty Lange mean anything to you?" Callen asked and her face went pale.
"How do you know Hetty?" Katy asked panicking.
"We work for her." Sam said.
"Fine, the cat, get the cat please. They'll kill her when they find me gone." She said as Sam and Callen helped her to her feet.
"How badly are you hurt?" Sam asked.
"The son-of-a-bitch caught my foot in the car door, I think it's broken." She said gasping in pain as she tried to walk on it.
"What happened to your head?" Kensi asked picking at the dried blood.
"Igor threw me into the room, I don't know where I landed." She said feeling her head.
"You've got a bruise on your face." Callen said touching her cheek bone, Katy flinched.
"I'm pretty sure he hit me." She said unsure. "Igor loves to rough me up when he gets me home, it saves Vitaliy the time of doing it himself."
Kensi found the cat carrier in the basement and went up to find the cat. The long-haired beast was sitting right by the basement door and growled when Kensi tried to pick her up.
"Ok, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Do you want to show me where I can find some clothes for your Mom to change into once we have her foot checked?" She said to the cat, not expecting it to understand or respond. Astonishingly, the cat led her right into the bedroom. Kensi grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from a folded pile of clothes sitting in a basket in the corner of the room. "Should we try this again, do you want to get into the carrier so we can get you and your mom out of here?"
The cat meowed and walked over to the carrier in the hall. Kensi stood there flabbergasted while the cat walked in and sat down. She closed and locked the door and hefted the carrier out through the basement. Katy, Sam and Callen stood waiting for her. Sam closed the basement door and then lifted Katy into his arms, carrying her to Kensi's car. He sat her down and opened the door allowing her to slide in on her own.
Katy saw Deeks in the front seat and thought about getting right out the other side until the other man opened it and set the cat carrier next to her. In spite of them telling her they knew Hetty, she was still scared and very untrusting. Vitaliy had tried something like this before, and then punished her severely for going with the men who came to get her. Kensi got in and noticed Katy eyeing Deeks.
"This is my partner; Marty Deeks." She said before she drove away.
"So where are we taking her, Hetty?" she said into the com.
"The closest hospital to the mission, I'll stay and wait for you here." She said.
Kensi pulled onto the freeway headed towards the heart of downtown LA. She and Deeks took her to the ER while Sam and Callen went back to talk to Hetty. Kensi and Deeks were on the phone with Ops while Hetty explained who exactly Katy Levin was.
"Like you Mr. Callen, Ms. Levin grew up in foster care and suffered deplorable conditions and treatment. I attempted to take her under my wing and train her like I have so many others." Hetty said.
"Another one of your orphans?" Callen asked feeling his blood boil. She had said there were many others, but exactly how many.
"Yes, another one of my orphans, Instead of following the path I wanted for her, she joined the Marine Corps in 1995 and became an Armor. Katy was stationed in North Carolina for the majority of her enlistment. When she was discharged she attended University of North Carolina to obtain her Bachelors in Journalism. Over the last few years, she's worked her way from paper to paper back here to California. Six months ago, her editor asked her to get close to Vitaliy Kirillovsky to writing an exclusive piece about his organization. Needless to say, she's gotten in over her head and most likely would've been found dead soon had we not gotten her out tonight." She said and continued.
"She has intimate knowledge of how Kirillovsky runs his business and several of his arms deals. Katy has made herself a vital asset to him and he will stop at nothing to get her back. If she does happen to fall into his hands again, it surely won't end well for her. Ms. Blye, can she stay with you tonight until I can make other arrangements?" Hetty asked.
"Of course, it will be nice having someone in the house even if it is for a day." Kensi smiled.
"What have the doctors said about her condition?" Hetty asked.
"Her foot is definitely broken, they're going to put a soft cast on her and give her a walking boot. The doctor is looking at her head wound right now." Deeks said having just spoken to the nurse.
"Alright, take her home, let her rest. I'll speak to Katy in the morning, if you could bring her into work with you, Ms. Blye?" Hetty asked.
"Not a problem." Kensi replied.
Forty-five minutes later, Katy hobbled out of the exam area on crutches carrying a paper prescription for narcotic pain killers.
Kensi approached and walked next to her out to the car. "Hetty has asked that you come home with me tonight, and then I'll take you in to work with me in the morning so you can talk to her."
"What about your partner?" Katy asked.
"We will drop him off at the office, don't worry, he's not coming home with us." She assured her.
Katy nodded as she got into the back seat putting the crutches on the floor. "Hey pretty girl, you doing okay in there?" she asked the cat, sticking her index finger in the carrier. The cat rubbed against her finger and purred.
Kensi pulled up outside the gate of the mission and let Deeks out. She saw the relief in Katy's face when they drove away without him. Hetty mentioned nothing about Katy's fear of men, but figured it stemmed from her time in foster care. If her experience was anything like Callen's her fear was founded. Kensi stopped her car at the curb outside her apartment and helped Katy out of the back before getting the cat. Katy followed her to the door and waited until Kensi had unlocked the door before entering.
Kensi's apartment was sparsely decorated; only a small two-person table and chairs sat in the dining room and a lone couch in the living room. Scattered on the coffee table was the remnants of several take-out meals. Kensi quickly smiled and laughed nervously as she cleared the mess.
"I'd tell you that the house normally doesn't look like this, but it would be a lie." Kensi laughed.
"Oh believe me; I know how it goes when you live alone. The only reason my house was so clean was because I was tired of not being able to find the remotes for the Cable and TV." Katy laughed.
"You can go ahead and sleep in the bedroom." Kensi said as she opened the French doors to her room, making sure it wasn't too much of a mess.
"No, I'm fine here on the couch, it's just one night. Not like I'm really going to be able to sleep through the pain." She said sitting on the couch. "Do you mind if I let the cat out of her carrier?"
"No, that's fine. What is she going to use for a litter box. I don't have any animals." Kensi said with a panicked look.
"She can go right out front, do her business and I'll pick-up the mess tomorrow morning." Katy smiled.
Kensi waved the idea away. "Please, with as many strays that are in the neighborhood, you'll spend the entire day picking up cat poop."
"Alright, I made the offer. Do you by chance have a can of tuna or something I can feed her?" Katy asked.
"Oh, I don't know, I don't keep much food in the house." She said going to the cabinet. There was a knock at the door.
Katy instinctively sat back, trying to disappear into the couch. She pulled the blanket over herself. The cat hopped off the arm of the couch and walked to the door before Kensi could get there. Kensi pulled the curtain back and saw Callen standing there holding a can of cat food.
"I thought you might need this." He said when Kensi opened the door. "Hey kitty, kitty I brought you some dinner."
The cat meowed and stepped back allowing him to come in. "I was just looking for a can of tuna." Kensi said.
"How's Katy doing?" Callen asked.
Kensi pointed to the mass of blankets with legs on the couch before she took the can of cat food. "Hey Katy, would she do better with a plate or bowl?"
The blankets spoke. "A plate would be fine, but only half the can, please."
Callen crossed the room and sat on the coffee table. "How are you feeling?"
Katy pulled the blankets from her mouth to her chest and watched him cautiously. "Fine I guess."
"Did you fill the prescription for the pain medication?" he asked.
"No, I don't want to take that stuff; it clouds my head too much." She said flatly.
"Hmm, sounds familiar doesn't it, Callen." Kensi said putting the plate on the floor for the cat. She meowed as she ate.
Katy smiled. "She's thanking you for the food."
"You're welcome kitty." Kensi said as she walked to the couch. "Do you want me to find a pair of shorts for you to put on since you can't really put your jeans on?"
"If you don't mind, that would be nice." She said watching Callen carefully as Kensi walked to her room.
Callen moved and Marcy flinched instinctively. "Whoa, slow down. I'm not going to hurt you." He told her.
She smiled timidly.
Kensi reappeared with a pair of boxer-style shorts and a tank top. "We look to be about the same size, here you go."
"Thank you." She said taking the clothes and a crutch and walked to the bathroom.
Once she was out of earshot Callen asked if Kensi had seen Katy flinch when he moved. "No, but you should've seen her face when she noticed Deeks in the car and the look of relief when we dropped him off at the mission before we came home." She said.
"I think there's a lot more to her story than Hetty's let on." Callen surmised.
"I think you're right, although, Hetty did say she grew up in foster care. You above anyone else should understand what she's been through." Kensi added.
"True, I can only imagine what she's been through." He said as the door opened.
Katy hobbled with the one crutch back to the couch and grabbed the blanket immediately after she sat down to cover herself. She sat silently listening to Callen and Kensi talk back and forth. If she was asked a question, she made she answered with the shortest answer possible. Callen could tell he made her uncomfortable and decided to leave so she could relax. He said goodnight to the women and left.
.
Katy knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep; the nightmares of the past always haunted her dreams. Especially with the events of late, Vitaliy had become a permanent fixture in her dreams. His vicious beatings and repeated rapes horrified her. It was easier to forget when she was a teenager; she had other things to take her mind off of it. Now she'd been clean and sober for almost twenty years. The combination of the pain in her foot and her head was almost too much to bear. Kensi appeared over the back of the couch.
"Are you sure you don't want something for the pain? I have Tylenol and Ibuprofen?" she said jingling the bottles.
Katy smiled, "One of each if you don't mind."
Kensi gave her and odd look. "I didn't know you could take them together."
"As long as you don't exceed the daily recommended dosage you're fine." She said sitting up.
Kensi went to the kitchen for a glass of water and returned handing it to her, along with the two pills. "I'll have to remember that the next time I have an ache or pain."
"It works," Katy said after swallowing the pills. "It's better than taking the narcotic crap."
"Alright, are you sure you won't take the bed, I feel bad having you sleep on the couch." Kensi asked.
"No, I'm fine, thank you." She said.
"Ok, try to get some sleep; I'm getting up at six." Kensi said before disappearing.
Katy dozed off and on all night and heard Kensi's alarm going off at six. With her hair tousled, Kensi appeared in the living room. Katy laughed at her, Kensi glared back.
"Wow, someone needs some coffee." Katy said getting up to make a pot.
"I have none, we'll pick some up on the way in to the office." She said cotton-mouthed, dried drool on her chin. "I'm going to shower. Feel free to raid my closet to find something to wear."
"Are you sure, just let me know what you want me to wear." She said.
Kensi turned around in the doorway and smiled. "No, go pick something. Anything you want."
Katy hobbled into the bedroom and looked into the closet, there were clothes hanging on the double doors, obviously what Kensi wore most often. She found a pair of tan capris and a red v-neck t-shirt. When Kensi emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, Marcy sat on the couch waiting. Five minutes later, Kensi walked out wearing a pair of jeans and a green v-neck top. She had a pair of socks in one hand and her boots in the other. Kensi laughed as the cat chased the laces as she tied her boots.
"How old is she?" Kensi asked reaching to pet the cat.
"She's about sixteen or seventeen years old." Katy said smiling as the cat actually let Kensi pet her.
"Wow, she looks so young and playful." Kensi laughed as the cat played with a pen on the table. "What's her name?"
"I never really could come up with a good name for her, but I call her Callie." Katy said.
"Well, she's beautiful." Kensi said standing and smoothing her jeans. "You ready?"
"Yeah, what about Callie?" she asked looking at the cat.
"We'll come back to get her if Hetty finds a place for you. I kind of hope she doesn't, I think you'd make a pretty fun roommate."
Ana smiled and stood grabbing her crutches. "Alright, but we have to get a coffee pot if I'm going to stay with you. I'm about as ready as I can be. I haven't seen Hetty in years, is she still scary as hell?"
Kensi turned and smiled at her. Katy took that as a yes. "We'll be back in a while, Callie. Be a good girl while Mom and I are away."
They walked out to the car and headed to the nearest drive-thru coffee shop. Kensi ordered two large coffees and looked to Katy to ask what she took in her coffee. Without thinking, Katy told her cream and sugar. The coffee was piping hot and fresh. Katy closed her eyes and savored the robust flavor before swallowing. It was a brief ride to the mission-style building. Kensi parked in her usual spot as Deeks was pulling in.
Kensi waited and greeted him, "Good morning, how was your night?"
"Not bad, how was your night? How are you feeling Katy?" he asked.
Kensi and Katy looked at each other, Kensi waved her on. "Not too bad, thank you." Katy said.
Deeks nodded and smiled then looked like Kensi. She shrugged. "Did you sleep much last night?"
"I never sleep very long, but I think I got a couple hours." She smiled following Kensi to the entrance.
Deeks could see she was uncomfortable. Instead of trying to talk to her more, he just followed them into the office. Katy followed Kensi to her desk and sat on the couch a few feet away. Callen and Sam walked over with coffee from the kitchenette. It was in the light of day that she recognized him from the party. She smiled to herself as she realized he was looking at her, not through her.
Callen felt her eyes on him and turned to look at her, she immediately looked away. He watched her take a few nervous sips of her coffee, avoiding eye contact with everyone but Kensi. Callen again wondered what happened to her to make her this way. He recalled a conversation with Arkady when they were prepping for last night's Op. Arkady called Kirillovsky a cruel bastard. Said he loved his women bruised and bleeding. The more brains the woman had in her head the more Kirillovshky tried to beat her into submission. Obviously, she had been one of his punching bags. Callen noticed faint bruising around her wrists and neck. His eye trailed down to the base of the v-neck shirt and could see scars, burn marks as she bent over to adjust the boot on her right foot.
Katy looked up and met his eyes, then quickly brought her hand to her chest covering her exposed skin. She saw Hetty walking towards them and held her breath. Panicking, she looked around, hoping to find a door she could run to, away from the wrath of the woman who she'd once upon a time considered a friend.
"Katy, it's been too long. How are you, my dear?" Hetty said stopping at the wrought iron scroll that outlined the office.
Katy let out the breath and offered a faint smile. "In spite of my current condition, I'm doing well."
"Very good. You've met the team?" she asked with an arm extended.
"Yes, we met last night. By the way, Special Agent Callen, thank you for bring the can of cat food over to Kensi's last night." She smiled and looked away.
Callen smiled at her and then looked at Hetty. "You're welcome."
"Katy, would you like to tell me about what you know alone or do you want to tell the entire team?" Hetty asked.
Katy looked around at the faces staring at her with anticipation. "Um, I guess I can tell everyone."
"We can do it here or we can go up to Ops, you decide." Hetty gave her the option.
Katy stood and grabbed her crutches. "I'll follow you guys."
She followed behind Kensi up the stairs gingerly taking each step one at a time, using the crutches as leverage. Katy felt bad for taking so long to go up the stairs, when she turned around, Callen only smiled at her. Immediately, she turned around and didn't look around again until they were in Ops. She stood with her back against the wall behind the table. Callen rolled an extra chair over for her to sit in. Katy just looked at it and up at him, only taking a seat after he backed away. She didn't see Nell and Eric until they spoke to the rest of the team. Katy was nervous and wished she hadn't agreed to do this with everyone present.
Hetty turned to her and started asking questions about Kirillovsky's associates. Katy thought back about names she'd heard mentioned over the last few months. She told them about the man Arkady, with whom Vitaliy had played poker with once or twice in the last six months. Callen found it interesting that Arkady never mentioned Kirillovsky was a poker buddy. Katy also mentioned several other named, two of which piqued their interest Anatoli Kirkin and Isakk Sidorov. Katy mentioned that she had been present for several of the meeting between Vitaliy and Siderov where they were trying to negotiate the price of some stolen weapons.
Callen smirked and looked to Sam. Finally, Katy remembered where she's seen Agent Hanna before. "Wait, you're David Foreman, aren't you?" she asked rolling herself into the corner.
Hetty looked at Sam and back at Katy, "How do you know that name?"
"Vitaliy and I were at Isakk's hotel when you and that woman; Quinn; came over and he hired her to kill Anatoli Kirkin." She said looking awkwardly at everyone as they stared at her.
"The only ones who were in the room were Greshsev, Anna Falasaad and several of Sidorov's bodyguards. Where were you?" Sam asked.
"We were in one of the other rooms waiting for him." She said "If you're a federal agent, who's Quinn; is she a real hit-man for hire?"
"Quinn is a CIA agent that Sam worked with a number of years ago on a case involving Sidorov. She was brought out of retirement; so-to-speak; for the case." Hetty explained, seeing the confusion in Katy's face.
She shook her head in awe; her foot was throbbing, making it hard to concentrate on anything. "I'm sorry, my foot is really hurting."
"Didn't you fill the prescription for the pain medication last night?" Hetty asked Kensi.
"Katy didn't want too; she took over the counter pain pills last night." Kensi explained.
"Why didn't you let Kensi fill it for you, Katy?" Hetty asked pointedly.
"They're too addicting, Hetty. You know about my past, I've been clean and sober now for damn near twenty years. If I have to suffer through some pain to keep it that way, I will." She told her boldly.
Everyone stopped and stared at Katy, "While twenty years is quite an accomplishment, I cannot have your in pain. Ms. Blye, would you please go fill the prescription, you know where to go."
Katy shook her head, "I'm not going to take them, Hetty."
Hetty looked at Callen, "You two are more alike than you know." She said and stormed out of Ops.
Sam and Callen looked at her, she was so very uncomfortable. If there hadn't been another woman in the room, she would've bolted for the door. Nell turned around and smiled at her and she relaxed a bit.
"Do you have any copies of your notes for the story?" Sam asked.
Katy smiled widely. "I have copies of documents, ledgers, minutes from meetings, recorded phone conversations. I wired the hell out of that place. Every time Vitaliy sends or receives an email, I get a copy of it and he doesn't even know the difference."
Callen and Sam smiled. "Where is everything?" Callen asked.
"I've got copies of everything on my hard drive, my lap top, I gave a copy to my editor, there's a copy in several different safe deposit boxes, and there's even a copy embedded in the cat's microchip." She told them.
Nell and Eric were impressed. "How did you manage forwarding the emails and putting the information on the cat's microchip?" Eric asked.
"I have some pretty tech savvy friends, best hackers in the world." She smiled.
"I doubt that." Eric said under his breath, looking around the room.
Callen and Sam smiled, hearing exactly what Eric had said.
"Is your hard drive and lap top at your apartment?" Callen asked.
"Yes, lap top should be in the dining room and the external hard drive should be in a fire-safe lock box in the basement, hidden." She said.
"Sam and I are going to go over to your apartment to see if we can find them, is there anything you'd like us to bring back for you?" Callen asked.
"Just some clothes, I feel bad wearing Kensi's." she said. "The lock box is under the stairs, behind a pile of bricks."
The men smiled and walked out.
By the time, they got to Katy's apartment; the fire department was just cleaning up. Apparently Kirillovsky had sent someone to check on her and torched the place when they found her gone. They showed their credentials to the police officer and walked into the charred mess. There was nothing left, Sam walked to what was the dining room table and lifted up the melted mess of plastic.
"Do you think Eric and Nell could get anything off of it?" Sam asked.
Callen shook his head. "Doubtful. Let's go see if the lock box is still in the basement."
They walked around the back of the building and found the basement doors closed. When they opened them, they found three inches of black sooty water. Sam contemplated playing rock, paper, scissors to see who was going in. Callen stepped in and sloshed his way over to the stairs, sure enough, the box was there.
"Oh my God!" he said as he hefted to box, "What the hell does she have in this thing?"
Sam took it from him and walked back to the Challenger, putting it in the trunk. It was almost eleven thirty, so they called the office to let Katy know there was nothing left of her belongings and to see what everyone wanted for lunch. No one had any preferences, so they picked Sam's favorite Curry Shrimp. They returned to the office, lockbox and food in hand. Callen offered Katy a foam container, she looked at it and then up at him. He smiled. Katy took it and smelled it when she opened it. It looked safe enough. The nodded her thanks and ate quietly.
After lunch, Katy punched the combination into the lockboxes key pad and it popped open. She grabbed the hard drive and quickly closed it again before anyone saw the rest of the contents. Eric took the hard drive and ran back up the stairs. Katy sat back, groggy, eyelids heavy. Hetty walked over and held out her hand. Katy shook her head.
"I told you I wasn't going to take them." She insisted.
"Katy it's just one, it's not going to throw you into a relapse. Just so the pain is bearable." Hetty said.
Reluctantly, Katy took the pill and swallowed it down with some soda. "You'd better keep those pills locked up, Hetty."
Hetty smiled, "Oh they will be. Get some rest, lay back. We will wake you if we have any questions about what's on your hard drive."
Katy did as she was told and laid back, resting her throbbing foot on the armrest.
"I'm sure I can find you a couple other pillows if you want to elevate that a little more." Callen asked.
Katy shook her head, refusing to look at him and fell asleep. He just watched her sleep for a while, noticing the deep furrows in her brow as she slept and wondered what she was dreaming about. Eric called his attention; he gave her one last look and headed upstairs. Nell and Eric had all of the information Katy had collected on the screen. He was shocked at how thorough she was. Everything from background checks to payrolls and bank records. She even managed to obtain a copy of Kirillovsky's medical record. There was a very large file of photographs and a short but informative biography on each and every person.
"How long was she with him, six months?" Callen asked astonished. "This must have taken years to compile, not months. No one's that good"
"She could've gotten some of the information from someone inside one of the federal agencies." Nells said.
"Yeah, but who would be willing to help her with it?" Eric asked.
It hit Callen; this was why Hetty wanted to get Katy out so badly. "I think I know exactly who's been helping her."
They watched Callen quickly turn and walk out of Ops, leaving them to stare at one another. Nell knew exactly who he was talking about. She turned to her computer and started running a background check on Katya Levin. Halfway through her search, the screen went blank and she was locked out of the system. She and Eric stood back stunned.
"What the heck?" Nell said. "I think we may have dug a little too deep. Why would she still have security clearance if she's not in the Marine Corps anymore?"
"Not to mention, I don't think Armors rate clearance. There's definitely more than meets the eye. Hetty did say she was one of her 'orphans'." Eric said.
"What exactly do you think the two of you are doing?" Hetty said barging into Ops. "If I'd wanted you to run a more thorough background on Miss Levin, I would've asked you to."
"I…I…we…um…" Eric stammered.
"How far did you get?" She demanded.
"Just that she has a security clearance." Nell said.
"No more, do you understand me?" she demanded more than asked.
"Yes, Hetty." They agreed.
When Hetty stormed out, they glanced at each other again before reviewing more of the information on Katy's hard drive. She stomped down the stairs and sat hard into her chair. Hetty was beyond frustrated, she'd gone to great lengths to keeps Katy protected, only to have Nell and Eric dig deeper. She knew she was going to have to reveal the truth about Katy sooner or later, but preferred later. Hetty stood to make herself some tea when Callen walked over to her desk.
"Now is not the best time, Mr. Callen." She said focusing on her tea.
"How did she get so much information? She's got to be working with someone at one of the agencies. Who is she really?" He asked.
"Mr. Callen, I said not right now." She insisted.
"Then when, when are you going to tell us exactly who we're dealing with?" He asked.
Hetty turned around sharply and said. "When I know she's safe and out of harm's way."
"How much safer can she get? She's here with us, under our protection." He said curtly, raising his voice.
"When Vitaliy Kirillovsky is rotting in jail and there is no price on her head. Then and only then will I tell you who she really is. Until then, protect her as if she was a member of this team. She one day very well may be a member of this team." She told him and went back to her tea.
"Is she NCIS?" he asked fishing for just a little more information.
"Mr. Callen, you will find out soon enough." She said
Callen saw Nell on the stairs and followed her back up to ops. "What the hell is going on?"
"We made the mistake of running a background check and came across a security clearance. Not to mention several letters of accommodation both Director Vance, but there's no record of her being employed with the agency, or any other for that matter. I tried looking up the case numbers listed on the letters and they've been sealed." Nell whispered.
"I don't know what's going on, but we'll find out soon enough. Do a little more digging, but don't be obvious about it. Let me know what you find." He told them.
"We will." Nell said as he walked out.
Katy walked to Hetty's desk, "Where am I staying tonight?"
Hetty looked up from her tea and smiled, "Now that's the Katy I know. Where would you like to go? I'm sure Kensi wouldn't mind hosting you another night or you could come home with me?"
"I think I'll take Kensi, no offense." She smiled.
"None taken," she said reaching into her desk, pulling out an envelope. "Why don't the two of you go shopping, get yourself some clothes."
Katy opened the envelope and found at least five hundred dollars cash. "I don't need this, I have money."
"You're not to use any of your accounts, you know that." Hetty lectured.
"Don't worry, you taught me well, I always keep a few thousand dollars handy." She smiled.
Hetty looked over at the lockbox, "Very good, do you still have it?"
"Of course, and several spare magazines." She smiled like a little school girl.
"You were always one of the brightest; why you chose Journalism escapes me, but I've read several of your articles and you're very talented. Do you think you could stand long enough tomorrow to get some time in on the range or would you like to wait a while?" Hetty asked.
"I'm sure I could stand for a while. It's been a few months since I was on a range last." She said.
Callen walked up behind her and began speaking, "Awake already, how are you feeling, Katy?"
She nearly fell over, once she caught he balance again, she planted her back to one of the pillars and gave him a horrified look. Hetty noticed the fear in her eyes, a fear she hadn't seen in years. Something serious happened since the last time she saw Katy.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." Callen said reaching his hand out to her.
Katy put her arms around herself. "Just stay away from me."
Callen looked at Hetty, "I'll talk with you later, Hetty."
"Katy, I haven't seen you like this in years. The last time we spoke you were fine." She said hoping Katy would sit and talk with her.
"That was also a year ago, Hetty. A lot's happened since then." Katy said with tears in her eyes.
"Would you like to share?" Hetty asked.
Katy looked around and saw Callen and Kensi at their desks. "Vitaliy wasn't the most gently man. His abuse brought back a lot of represses memories from my childhood. Things that I thought I'd buried so deep."
"Oh lord, Katy do you want to talk to Mr. Getz, out Operational psychologist?" Hetty asked.
"Not right now, let me work through some things on my own, then I'll talk to him." She smiled.
"You might find a good friend in Special Agent Callen; he too was raised in foster care. Maybe the two of you could help each other through some of your respective issues." Hetty suggested.
"Maybe, but not right now." She said, handing the money back to Hetty.
"No, keep it. Go get yourself some clothes. Be ready for the range tomorrow." Hetty smiled and walked over to the bullpen with her.
"Alright, we've had a productive day, it's three, go enjoy what's left of the afternoon." She said to the team. "Ms. Blye, would you mind taking Katy shopping for some clothes?"
Kensi smiled widely, "Shopping? Sure."
Katy watched Callen, remembering what Hetty had told her. "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did when you walked up behind me."
"It's alright; I understand you've been through a lot. From what I hear, Vitaliy is a very cruel and abusive man." He smiled warmly.
Tears filled her eyes again, "He truly is. Who did you hear that from?"
"One of Vitaliy's poker buddies has been a longtime friend and informant of mine; Arkady Kolchek." He told her.
Katy smiled and shook her head. "Really, Arkady an informant?"
"Hey, before you two take off for your retail therapy do you want to go grab a drink?" Deeks asked.
Katy looked at Kensi, "Up to you. I'd be the designated driver, but I really can't drive."
"No, it's not fair to Katy, I think we'll pass. Besides, I've got WODS tonight. Are you going to be ok alone for a while tonight?" Kensi asked.
Katy walked over to the lockbox and put in the code; she pulled a 9mil and three magazines out and showed them to everyone. "Yes, I think I'll be fine."
With wide eyes, Kensi said "Well, Okay then, yep, I think you'll be good."
On the way back to Kensi's they stopped off at one of the strip malls that had several clothing stores. Katy picked out several items; jeans, t-shirts, a pant suit, blouses, shoes, and under garments. When they arrived home, they walked into toilet paper shredded and strewn all over the house. Katy scolded the cat and promised Kensi it would be cleaned up by the time she got back from the gym. Kensi wasn't worried about it and honestly thought it was funny. Callie sat proudly on the back of the couch as Katy started picking up the mess.
"You think you so smart, don't you? Kensi actually likes you. Do you want to find yourself on the outside looking in?" she asked the cat.
She meowed, hopped off the back of the couch and walked to the door. Katy opened it and let her out, leaving it open so she could come and go as she pleased. Once she was finished picking up the toilet paper, she couldn't resist cleaning the rest of the house. Katy figured it was the least she could do since Kensi was letting her stay there. The majority of the small apartment was done, except the kitchen. She was washing the dishes when Callie jumped up on the counter and howled.
"You'd better get off the counter before Kensi gets home and finds you there." She laughed.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen Kensi's place so clean." Callen said as he stepped through the open door.
"Callie decided she was going to TP the house while we were gone today. After I picked it all up, I couldn't stop myself. I hope Kensi doesn't get upset." She said looking worried.
"Kensi get upset over the fact that you cleaned her house? Not likely." He laughed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked thankful there was a counter between them.
"Kensi mentioned that she was going to the gym tonight, so I figured I'd some over and keep you company." He said feeling awkward and second-guessing his decision.
"I would've been fine; she should be back any time." She said drying the dishes and putting them in the cupboard."
"Do you want some help with that?" he asked walking around into the kitchen.
Immediately, Katy turned to face him, "No, I'm fine."
He backed out of the kitchen. "Can I ask why you don't like anyone walking up behind you; is that something from your childhood or from Vitaliy?"
Katy smiled weakly, "Both."
"I'll try to remember not to walk up on you like that again." He told her.
"I'd appreciate that," she said turning back to the dishes.
They talked a little more as he watched her put the dishes away. She and Kensi had a similar body build; both were tall and slender, though Katy had more definition and muscle tone, whatever she did to keep herself in shape, worked for her. Callen let his eyes trail down her back to her ass, and smiled. Kensi definitely didn't have an ass like that, tight, rounded, perfect.
"Do you remember much about your parents?" he asked trying to get his mind on other things.
"No, I have no memories. My mother apparently died during or after giving birth to me and my father killed himself." She said so matter-of-factly.
Callen was taken aback by the wait she said it. "Wow, I have vague memories of my mother. I can't imagine not having any."
"It's probably better that way, that way I can't hold anything that's happened to me against them." She said straight-faced.
"That bad, huh?" he asked.
"Let's see, I was molested at four, raped by the time I was ten, beaten repeatedly. Twenty foster homes in fourteen years." She said.
"Fourteen years?" he asked
"I was taken from my country and brought here; by Hetty I assume; when I was two. I had myself emancipated when I was sixteen. Graduated from high school a year early and joined the Marines. She told him.
"Where were you born?" he asked.
"Kotelniki, Russia." She said. "That's outside of Moscow."
"I know where it is." He told her.
She smiled, "Everyone I've ever told just looks strangely at me. You really know where it is?"
"I do, I haven't been in the village itself, but I do know where it is." He smiled.
"Wow." Was all she could say.
Kensi returned and was surprised to see Callen there; but was even more surprised to walk into a clean apartment. Any of the loose papers or mail that had been tossed about, were neatly stacked on the counter. Her DVD's has been alphabetized. There were no dishes piled anywhere. Callen offered to take Katy to the store to buy more cat food. She thought about the offer for a few minutes. Still hesitant to trust him, Hetty knew him and trusted him.
"I guess a quick trip to the store is ok." She said, "Kensi, do you want me to pick anything up, maybe something for dinner tomorrow night?"
"You can cook?" Kensi asked as she popped her head out of the bathroom.
"Ah, I can." She laughed.
"Sure, whatever you want." Kensi said before the shower came on.
Katy took her purse and one crutch and followed Callen out to the car. He opened the door for her and waiting until she had the crutched tucked in before he closed it. Then walked around to the driver's side and got in.
"Anywhere in particular you want to shop?" he asked starting the car.
"No, where ever you want to go." She said scooting as far over to the door as she could.
He saw her moved out of the corner of his eye. "Look Katy, I'll never do anything to hurt you. You can trust me."
"It's going to take time. I've never been a very trusting person, well I was once and it blew up in my face." She kind of laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"I met a guy before I graduated high school; he promised me the moon and told me he loved me. He joined the Corps, so I did too. He completely changed and became everything I hated, just like a lot of my foster fathers. Bet me, raped me, passed me around to his friends." She said shaking her head.
Callen looked at her, shocked. "God, I'm sorry. Not all men are like that."
"Every man I've ever met has treated me like I was some sort of possession; including Vitaliy. I'm sure somewhere there's a good guy out there, but who'd want me? I've really got nothing to offer anyone." She said looking out the window.
That was the end of the conversation until they got to the store. Katy put the crutch in the cart and used the cart to walk with. They walked the aisles in silence until she stopped to reach for something. Callen would get it for her so she didn't have to walk more than she had to. After a couple aisles, Callen left and came back with a motorized buggy. She smiled and evil grin and headed off down the aisle weaving. Callen laughed and shook his head.
He followed with the cart and caught various items as she tossed them over her shoulder. She was happy and carefree; Callen liked seeing her like this. At one point she bent forward and rested her head on the handlebars.
"Are you okay?" he asked walking up behind her. He put his hand on her back and she shot up with a panicked look on her face. "I'm sorry."
She looked at him harshly, and then softened when she realized he was genuinely concerned. "It's alright. Like I said, it's going to take a while. My back hurts from the crutches and the boot. I couldn't find a pair of shoes that were the same height as the boot, so my body's out of alignment."
"Okay." He said backing away. Callen was surprised at how fast the walls fell down and then came right back up again.
She was silent the rest of the trip. Only spoke to him again when they were checking out and she thanked him for his help. He loaded the groceries into the trunk and brought them into Kensi's apartment for her. He offered to help put them away and she reluctantly agreed. When they were finished, it was only nine. Kensi saw that Katy was a little more comfortable with Callen and asked him if he wanted to hang out for a while. He didn't say a word until he looked at Katy, she smiled faintly and nodded.
Kensi ordered pizza and offered the two a beer, one of the only things she made sure she had at the house.
"I really shouldn't." Katy said wanting one so badly she could taste it. Alcohol had never been a problem for her and knew she could handle one or two without a problem.
"You took your pain pill almost nine hours ago. You should be able to have one and wait a couple hours to take your next pill." Callen suggested.
"I won't take one tonight. The pain actually isn't too bad. It's just my back." She told him.
"Then it's settled." Kensi said handing her a beer.
Katy smiled and accepted it. They sat around talking about whatever happened to come to mind. Callen wanted to keep the conversation light so she didn't put the wall back up again. The cat was sitting on the coffee table observing the trio. When the pizza was delivered, Katy shooed her off the table so they could put the pizza on it. She also fed her so she'd be pre-occupied and full.
The longer Callen was there, the more relaxed she was. Kensi remembered that she was supposed to spend the weekend at her Mom's house and offered for Katy to join them. Katy declined and said she'd be fine alone at the house. Callen said he'd come back over to check on her periodically through the weekend. While Katy dreaded being alone with him, she was truly looking forward to it.