NCIS: LA
Title: The Grand Game
Author: txncistn aka TnJAGAz
Rating: G/PG [some violence, etc.]
Classification: A NCIS: LA Episode. When we last left Callen and the rest of the NCIS Office of Special Projects Team they were just about to apprehend Marcel Janiver. Janiver told them he had anticipated this and had a news crew and the Los Angeles police there to make sure Callen and his team couldn't arrest him. But with the deaths of Mike Renko and Loren Hunter, Callen was determined not to let Janiver escape again.
Spoilers: Anything from Seasons 1-3.
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the property of Shane Brennan, Shane Brennan Productions, Paramount Pictures, and Columbia Broadcasting Service Entertainment – this story is for non-profit entertainment of NCIS: LA fans only. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.
"Stand down everyone, stand down!" Sam called out. Callen just stared at Marcel Janiver's body that lay in the open doorway of the van as if daring him to move. The bullets he had pumped into it assured he wouldn't move again.
"Drop your weapons!" The two officers yelled at the four NCIS Office of Special Projects Agents. Callen slowly put his automatic on the ground. As did the three others member of the OSP team. The news crew which had just arrived continued filming.
"We're NCIS Agents, officer," Sam began slowly trying to explain what was going on. He pointed at the van and Janiver. "This man is responsible for the death of two NCIS Agents."
"Until we sort this all out, keep your hands where we can see them, Special Agent. That goes for you two as well," the other officer ordered. Meanwhile the officer's partner had begun cuffing Callen and reading him his rights.
Sam, Marty, and Kensi exchanged helpless looks as Callen was led handcuffed over to a nearby patrol car and put in the back seat.
xix
Deputy Director Owen Granger walked into his office and saw the letter on his desk. Without looking at it, he knew who it was from. His cell began buzzing. "Granger." He only listened for a moment before he replied. "I'm on my way." He took Hetty's letter and slid it in his jacket breast pocket as he headed out.
xiix
Hetty was carefully putting the last box in her roadster when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and looked at the number displayed. It was Sam. If it had been Nell or Eric, she wouldn't have answered.
She sighed and hit the 'answer' button. "Yes Sam?"
"Hetty, Callen's been arrested. He killed Janiver. There's a news crew down here filming everything."
He didn't say 'please help' but she could hear it in the former SEAL's voice. Hetty weighed telling him she had resigned. Still, she couldn't leave Callen to face this alone. "I'll be there as soon as I can," she said snapping her phone shut before he could say anything else.
xiiix
"Now just listen to me! Contact Lieutenant Roger Bates, he'll tell you that I'm a former liaison to NCIS from the Los Angeles Police Department!" Marty said to the officer as he walked away from him. The officer waved his hand dismissively at him.
"Somehow I don't think they are impressed, Deeks," Sam said as he watched the policemen continue to talk to the detectives and coroner that had just arrived.
"Hey, as far as I am concerned these guys are not following protocol by not contacting him," Marty shot back. "What Callen did only looked bad to someone who had just rolled up on the scene. We saw what Janiver did to Lauren Hunter."
"We've got to do something, Sam," Kensi said urgently. "We can't just let them take Callen away like this."
"Let me handle that, Ms. Blye."
All three turned to see Hetty Lange standing behind them.
xivx
"Hetty-" Kensi smiled as she started to greet the Operational Head of OSP. But Hetty Lange's hand held up to her indicated that the old Cold Warrior had something to tell all of them.
"I will do what I can for Callen, Sam," Hetty replied to Sam Hanna's unspoken report. "You three need to report to the acting Operational Head, Mr. Granger-"
"Granger? Hetty, what's going on?" asked the scruffy sandy haired former LAPD detective.
Hetty was on her way over to the patrol car holding Callen. "No time to explain now, Mr. Deeks," she called back to him. "See to it that you all report to Mr. Granger as soon as he arrives. I'll be at the local precinct with Callen."
As Hetty began talking with the two officers, Kensi huddled with Sam and Marty. "So what's our next move, Sam?" she asked.
"Your next move, Ms. Blye, is to report to the boat shed." All three turned around to see Owen Granger standing behind them. "All of you."
xvx
"Hetty, what are you doing here?" Callen asked when the door to the patrol car was opened.
"Why conferring with my client and friend, of course," Hetty said slyly as she stood looking in at Callen. "Why did you do it, Mr. Callen?"
G. Callen looked stoically at his diminutive guardian. "Someone had to stop him, Hetty." he said grimly.
Hetty sighed and nodded her agreement.
xvix
Sam, Kensi, and Deeks stood in the interrogation room, not sure what to do next.
"So here we are," Deeks said to no one in particular, "What do we do now?"
As if on cue, the door to the room opened and Owen Granger stepped in.
"You can't let him get away with this," Sam said to acting OSP Director Granger. "He set us up from the beginning."
"That is not my concern," Granger said evenly, as he motioned for the three special agents to sit down. "My concern is getting you and your team out of the limelight as soon as possible."
"Since when do you care what happens to any of us?" Kensi snapped. She still did not trust this man and his showing up just now added to that distrust.
"I'm with her," Deeks added, "Why are you all of sudden so concerned about our welfare?"
"Because it is in my best interest to look out for my team," he said simply.
Sam looked at other two agents and then back at Granger. "Your team? Since when has this been *your team*?" Sam didn't like what was happening at all.
"Yeah, I'd kinda like to know the answer to that one too," Deeks added.
He looked at all three special agents with a look that some could have interpreted as sympathetic. "Hetty submitted her resignation, and I've accepted it. You're my responsibility now."
"You've accepted it? What about Director Vance? Has he accepted it?" Kensi eyes bored into his.
Granger avoided looking directly at her. "He's busy right now. NCIS Headquarters was bombed hours ago by a previously unknown terrorist, Harper Dearing."
That announcement left the trio stunned. The three traded shocked looks.
"How bad was it?" Sam asked. He remembered when Special Agents Gibbs and McGee came to California trying to track down that rogue Israeli Mossad Agent Michael Rivkin and the time Abby Sciuto visited to help Eric.
"They are still doing rescue and recovery operations," Granger replied. "Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones will fill you in on everything that you need to know about Dearing. You're wheels up in less than an hour on a flight into Andrews. Good luck."
And with that, Owen Granger left the room.
"Where is he headed?" Deeks asked.
"He's got a lot of work to do, Deeks, and so do we." Sam replied.
"Sam," Eric Beale's voice came through loud and clear on his earwig.
The three started to leave the room and head for the armory to get what they would need. Sam put his hand to his ear as he responded to the NCIS OSP's tech's call. "Talk to me, Eric. What's the situation at the Naval Yard?"
"It's bad Sam," Nell replied.
-TBC...
