TITLE: "Short Change Heroes"
AUTHOR: Tess
RATING: T (adult language)
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Well, some shoes but none of the recognizable characters here.
SUMMARY: A threat to Los Angeles has the Office of Special Projects teaming up with an anti-terror task force to stop an unbalanced young man and wealthy young woman hell-bent on revenge. Post season seven - assuming everyone has their same positions, same relationships and same family members.
Chapter 1
"I can't see where you comin' from
But I know just what you runnin' from.
And what matters ain't the "who's baddest" but
The ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, baby."
- "Short Change Heroes" - The Heavy
.
Deeks was freshly showered and dressed, towel drying his hair in the NCIS gym locker room/bathroom area when his phone rang. The screen was red - Agent Needs Assistance Alert with Sam's ID photo and work cell phone number.
He raced out of the locker room, nearly running over Kensi doing the same.
"Ops, now," Granger growled as he walked into the gym. "We have a situation."
"How bad?" Deeks asked.
"Bad enough that I'm pulling you out of gym bathrooms. Ops, now."
Deeks didn't need to be told a third time.
Up in Ops, Deeks walked in steps behind of Kensi and Granger. Callen, Hetty, Eric and Nell were already there.
"What's going on?" Kensi asked.
"An Agent Needs Assistance Alert was sent from Mr. Hanna's cell phone three minutes ago," Hetty began.
"Could he have sent it by mistake?" Deeks asked.
"You have to enter your code twice to send it," Callen told Deeks.
"Do we have a location on the phone?" Kensi asked.
"We traced it back to Sam's house," Nell put a satellite map of Sam's Westchester neighborhood on the big screen.
"After 2010, we changed the software in the alert. When the Agent Needs Assistance Alert is sent, the location of the cell phone is captured immediately," Eric told the group. Time wasted trying to ping cell towers near Dom's phone gnawed at Eric while Dom was missing. He wrote the code himself and it is now NCIS software on all agents' phones - Verify Agent's Immediate Location - the VAIL protocol.
"Mr. Beale, there are traffic cameras on both ends of Mr. Hanna's block. Mr. Hanna also installed a security camera in the cable connect box across the street from his home after Tahir Khaled threatened his family last January. The camera's feed url should be in Sam's personnel file."
"Got it," Eric pulled up the cable connect box feed while Nell put up the traffic camera video.
"That black SUV in Sam's driveway of the house isn't Michelle's," Callen said.
"Can we get the license plate?" Deeks asked.
Nell zoomed in on the license plate. "There is an anti-detection film over the rear license plate."
"Black Mercedes SUV. There are thousands of them registered in Los Angeles," Deeks said.
"That's assuming it's from LA. It could be out of city or out of state," Granger added.
"Rolling back the camera footage as it drives down the block, both plates have the anti-detection film," Eric had the SUV on a box in a small screen.
"That's a 6:40AM time stamp," Kensi pointed to the video of the SUV pulling into Sam's driveway. "It's almost 8AM."
Callen exhaled loudly, "Sam may not have had access to his phone until just now. Nell, can you call Sam's house using my cell? Call Sam's landline."
"What are you planning Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked.
"Unofficial recon," Callen answered as the sound of Sam's home phone ringing.
After the fourth ring, Michelle Hanna's voice filled the Ops Center. "You've reached the Hannas. We're not able to come to the phone. Please leave your name, your phone number and a short message and either Sam, Michelle, Aiden or Kamren will call you when we can." There was a small pause followed by the entire Hanna family saying, "thanks for calling" and laughing.
"Sam, it's Callen. Where the hell are you, man? I'm with Kensi and Deeks at Patrick's Roadhouse and I'm having a hard time convincing Kensi to try the pigs in the blanket. You know Kensi, all yogurt, fruit and girly food. Call me if you're running late - I'll order for you." Callen signaled to Nell to hang up.
"Girly food?" Eric asked, taking a step away from Kensi.
"Suspicious messages need to have suspicious intel Mr. Beale," Hetty replied.
"Nothing more suspicious than limiting Kensi to girly food," Deeks told him.
Kensi was frowning but nodded in agreement. "Do we know where Michelle, Kam and Aiden are?"
"Aiden should be in school, Eric, can you check that?" Callen asked. As Eric nodded, Callen said "Michelle and Kam should be home."
A Federal Express truck drove down the street, giving Deeks an idea. Pulling out his phone he called Roger Bates. "Are you in trouble?" was the Lieutenant's greeting.
"Not me. Is Bernhart still driving the FillYourFridge truck?"
"He's been casing homes in Culver City with Jerry J's burglary crew all month. Put a guy in a uniform driving a branded supermarket truck and they blend into the background."
"Could you patch me through to him? We may need someone to blend into the background."
"He'll call you in five," Bates said hanging up the phone.
"Mr. Deeks?"
"We may be able to get close to the house. Matt Bernhart is driving a grocery delivery truck."
"I don't want anyone going near..." Granger started.
"He can fake a delivery to Sam's neighbor," Deeks interrupted.
Callen shook his head. "No, have him go to the house behind Sam's and look over the back fence."
"Is that wise Mr. Callen?"
"We need someone there tell us what we're walking into."
"He may also be able to read the license plate," Deeks added.
"Good point," Granger said. "The tactical team will be here to pick up Callen, Blye and Deeks in less than ten minutes. We need to know who is there and what's going on."
"Uhm," Nell told the group, "I may be able to help with that."
"Miss Jones?"
"While Sam and his family were in protective custody last winter, he asked me to help make some security modifications to his house."
"More than just the camera on the cable box?" Callen asked.
Nell sighed. "A lot more."
"Define a lot, Jones," Granger told her.
"Well, three members of Sam's SEAL team were in town the week before Easter. They had some surplus equipment."
Kensi nodded knowingly. SEALs took care of their own. "What did they do to the house?"
"Under the solar panels are a series of thermo-inferred sensors to detect anyone in the house and track movements."
"Can you access..."
"I'm pulling down data now," Nell cut Granger off. "And then there is the drone."
Deeks raised an eyebrow. "Sam has his own drone?"
"He bought the parts, I built it for him. Taught Sam and Michelle how to fly it. Created an app so they could use it on their phone. Kam loved it. I'm building her a smaller one for Christmas."
"Please tell me it doesn't have hellfire missiles, Miss Jones."
"Sam's drone or Kam's?" Deeks tried to break the tension.
Shaking her head at Deeks, Nell told Hetty, "No. Just a high-def camera,"
"How big is it?" Kensi asked. "Could we fly it into an open window?"
"About a foot wide, eight inches tall. It has a 4K camera, night vision capabilities and solar power batteries that can hold a charge for a year. It could be used to look in the windows but it's too big to go unnoticed inside the house. Sam used it to check on the place while he and his family were in the safe house."
"Of course he did," Granger said, shaking his head.
Callen cell phone rang - the caller ID was Sam's landline. Motioning to Eric, Callen answered the call. "Where the hell are you man?"
"Kam's got a fever around 102. Michelle is in Tucson tending to her Dad," Sam said casually. "I'm waiting for the babysitter. She's got two classes at Loyola this morning. And she may not want to even come over if Kam keeps throwing up. I'll know more later. Make Kensi eat something - force a donut or two on the girl."
"Two donuts sound just like what Kensi needs. Call me if you know you're coming in." Callen looked at Eric and gave him the cut sign. "Michelle's father died Beirut in the Marine's barrack bombing," Callen told the room. "102 fever, Tucson, two classes, two donuts – two people in the house."
"Makes sense," Granger said, knowing ever set of partners had their own codes.
Deeks's cell rang. "It's Bernhart. Can you put him on the speaker?" Deeks asked Eric. As soon as Eric completed that task, Deeks started, "Matthew, we have a situation here and need your help. You're on the phone with just about all of the NCIS Office of Special Projects. "
"Hello Martin's non-LAPD coworkers. He is terribly missed by his employer. How can I help my favorite federal agency this fine and lovely day?"
"It's Callen. Where are you right now?"
"Just made my last morning drop off in El Segundo. People put your 401K money in kale. FillYourFridge is selling it by the metric ton."
"If I send you a location, can you check it out?"
"Sure. I'm supposed to have a 45-minute break once my morning run is done. Where am I going?"
Callen nodded at Eric who sent the address to the home just behind Sam's to Matt Bernhart's phone. "I just need you to do a little recon work."
"Matthew, there may be a hostage situation in the house behind the one we're asking you to check. Don't freelance," Deeks warned his friend.
"But I'm good at freelancing. Real good. That's why I'm Bates's favorite. Or why he puts up with me..."
Kensi cut off Matt. "There are at least two civilians in that house, one is a child."
"OK, no freelancing. It frightens the children."
"Thank you Detective Bernhart. Please call us when you arrive at the address Mr. Callen sent you," Hetty instructed.
"No problem, official sounding person," Matt replied cheerfully. "Bernhart, out."
"Is he the best LAPD has to offer?" Granger grumbled.
"After me," Deeks replied. Turning to Kensi, Deeks asked, "Why did you tell Matt that Michelle was a civilian?"
"Keep Matt from grabbing Kam on his own because she's the sole civilian."
"Good point," Deeks nodded in agreement.
"I have eyes on Aiden at Keating. He's currently in a physics lab," Eric said to the group.
"Call Commandant Parker at the school. Security has been increased since last May but they may want to go on alert," Hetty ordered. Eric nodded and made the call. "The Tactical Team is standing by. Mr. Callen, what do you suggest?"
"Nell, what do you have from the inferred?" Callen asked.
Putting up a 3-D floor plans of the Hanna home on the big screen, Nell superimposed the readings from the inferred sensors.
"What are we looking at?" Deeks asked.
Walking to the screen, Nell pointed to the first of five red dots on the screen. "This is the smallest figure and the one closest to the sensors."
"Kam," Kensi guessed.
"According to the information Sam gave me in January, that is her room. In what looks to be the living room, there are four figures."
"That's the couch," Callen pointed to two figures. "If I was taking hostages, I'd want Sam and Michelle sitting there."
"And those are likely Mr. Hanna's uninvited guests," Hetty pointed to the two figures near the front door.
Deeks's phone rang. "Bernhart," he told the room before signaling to Eric to answer the phone. "What do you have? And remember, you're on speaker."
"Hey, first-time, long-time," Matt said, making Deeks smile but earning a shake of the head from Granger. "I'm at the Liu household. No Lius are home. Looking over the fence, I see a nice house with all the blinds shut or the shades down. All the windows are closed but a second floor window which is partly opened and what I'm guessing is a bathroom window because the glass is frosted."
"The open window, Detective," Nell started to inquire. "Is it an interior window, with what looks like a school logo in the lower right corner?"
"It's like you're here, whoever you may be. I could hop over the fence and get into that second floor window..."
"Matt, can you read the license plate on the SUV in the driveway?" Kensi asked.
"Yeah, Three, Madonna, Ringo, Prince, Six Two Four."
"Madonna? Ringo?" Granger whispered to Deeks.
"He's not a fan of the LAPD Alphabet. Sounds like he's going with one-name stars. Be happy he didn't use 'The OC' character names."
"Detective, sit tight," Granger said in his normal speaking voice. "We're sending a team and would like you to be our eyes and ears until we arrive," Granger said.
"Happy to help official sounding male voice."
As Eric started to type the license plate number, he received an alert on his computer screen. "The TAC team is two minutes out.
"Get your gear and get to Sam's house," Granger told the team.
"Matt, we'll be there in a few minutes," Callen said as he, Kensi and Deeks started to the door. "Stay on the line and keep our operations people apprised of any changes to the situation."
"I'm your eyes and ears."
"Miss Jones, I'd like you to join the team. If you've spent some time with young Miss Hanna, I'm sure Sam would like you to be involved in with any rescue. While she knows Det. Deeks and Miss Blye, a friendly face is always a comfort and more so to a child."
"Of course," Nell jumped up.
"And take my kevlar vest, I'm sure Mr. Hanna would want his daughter protected at all cost."
"On it," Nell said as she followed Callen, Kensi and Deeks out of the door.
Eric's computer beeped and a red window opened. "Uhm, Hetty, we have a problem with the Mercedes licence plate. A big one."
x-x-x
The ride to Sam's Westchester home was aided by Eric's skill with the LA county traffic system. Three black SUVs with the tactical team trailed the Audi with Kensi, Deeks and Nell. Matt Bernhart provided updates every five minutes that just confirmed the status quo.
Kensi pull in to Sam's rear neighbor's driveway with the lead tactical team SUV while the other two SUVs took positions on opposite sides of Sam's block.
"NCIS, welcome to the party, I'm Matt and I'll be your server," Bernhart offered as an open.
"No change," Callen asked as he approached Matt.
"No," he replied, looking at the team. "Why doesn't your vest say LAPD?" Matt asked, pointing to Deeks's kevlar vest.
"Not now," Deeks told him. "Are you armed?"
"Glock locked into a safe box in the truck. Hey, look at the gaps in under your arms with that NCIS vest. You're going to get killed," Matt continued, poking at Deeks's side.
"What's the plan here?" Kensi asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Get Martin a real vest. Geez," Matt said.
"Before that, Deeks, do you think you can get up to Kam's window?" Callen pointed to open second floor window.
Deeks nodded. "Sure, but I thought you'd be going, Uncle Callen."
"You'll be passing Kam down to me if you can get her out of the window. Besides, you're the king of the rock wall in the gym. Kensi, you'll go up once Kam is out of the house." Callen turned to Matt. "Does that FillYourFridge truck beep when you throw it into reverse?"
"Oh yeah. I can make it quieter or louder. The back-up beeper has three setting: nighttime, daytime and rush hour."
"Rush hour will do," Callen said, handing Matt a small case with an earwig inside. "You're going to pull into driveway of that home," Callen pointed to Sam's neighbor to the left. "On my say so, pull out beeping, maybe hit the horn if you can."
"Done," Matt said as he started walking to his FillYourFridge truck.
"What's the plan?" Kensi asked.
"You and Deeks make your way to the back of the second floor. There is narrow, non-carpeted staircase off the second floor bathroom. That will take you to the kitchen. Once you get near the living room, tell me. When I say go, you two go in through the back part of the living room, I'm walking in the front door. Nell, you take the keys to Kensi's truck, pull into the driveway of the house on the right side of Sam's. They have a low fence along Sam's house. We'll hand Kam to you, you put her in the truck and drive to the TAC team. Kam doesn't get out of the truck until we hand her over to Sam or Michelle, am I clear?"
"Absolutely."
Deeks, Kensi and Callen climbed fence while Nell took off with Kensi's SUV. Deeks was able to pull himself to the roof and walk with ease to Kam's window.
"I thought Uncle Callen would be here first, Marty," Kam said with a smile. She was sitting on her bed reading a book, holding her father's cellphone. "Daddy told me to wait here for either you, Kensi or Uncle Callen."
"Uncle Callen is outside your window waiting for me to get you. Whatcha reading?" he asked, hoping to keep things light.
"'Smile'. It is about a girl who broke her front two teeth."
"I had problems with my back teeth a while back. No fun"
"That's what the book is about. People are mean to Raina."
"They were nice to me. There are good people out there Kam. Speaking of out there."
"Mommy says not to mess around with the windows after I put the Hogwarts logo there," Kam said as she pointed to the window.
"I think today Mommy may be OK with this and if she yells at anyone, it will be me or Uncle Callen." Deeks backed out the window and pulled Kam to him. "And between you and me, the logo is cool." Deeks slowly made his way to the end of the sloping roof, avoiding Sam's solar panels, before he eased Kam down to Callen.
With Callen and now a kevlar vest wearing Kam hurrying to Nell, Deeks helped pull Kensi onto the roof as they returned to Kam's room. Sam's phone sat on Kam's bed. "You think she made the Agent Needs Assistance call?" Kensi asked.
"Knowing Sam, she probably knew how to make that call before she started first grade."
Gingerly, the two walked across the second floor hallway as they heard Matt pull his truck into the neighbor's driveway. Deeks was able to walk down the stairs quietly but Kensi had to take her boots off to make her way down. Once her boots were back on, the two made their way to the back of the living room. "In position," Kensi whispered.
"Can you hear anything?" Callen asked.
"Silent," Deeks whispered.
"Nell, is Kam safe?"
"Yes, Callen. We're in Kensi's SUV parked behind the TAC Team's truck. One of the tactical team members is guarding to the Audi. All good here."
"Matt, start backing up that truck. After three beeps, hit the horn long and loud. Kensi, Deeks, that's your cue."
"On it," Deeks said, nodding to Kensi.
Kensi and Deeks heard the truck start to move, on the third beep, the horn blasted. The two moved quickly into the living room while Callen used his key to walk into the house.
"Nobody move," Kensi yelled.
Sam was sitting on the floor with his arms raised, hands laced behind his head. A man with blood on his shirt and jeans had a Bushmaster M4 pointed at Sam. On the couch, Michelle was working on the lower leg of a pale and sweaty man. Blood pool on the floor as Michelle tended to the man's wound.
"Put the fucking gun down or I'll shoot him," the man with the gun told Kensi and Deeks.
"No you won't," Callen said, putting his SIG Sauer right at the back of the gunman's head. "You can get up Sam because your guest here is putting his gun down."
Matt Bernhart walked in behind Callen with his gun drawn. "I missed all the fun."
"On your knees," Deeks ordered.
After putting the gun on the floor, the man sunk to his knees, putting his hands up. "Fuck me," the man grumbled.
"Language," Matt scolded.
Sam jumped up. "Kam?" he asked, looking at Callen.
"A block away with Nell. Anyone else here?"
"No, just these two," Sam said as kicked the gunman in the gut. Watching the man bend over, Sam pulled him to his feet by his hair. "You come into my house with guns, with your filthy mouth, terrifying my wife and my child."
"Your wife is CIA and I tried not to swear loudly so you kid didn't hear anything," the man said as he took the punishment.
"Sam, enough," Michelle said calmly. "Kam is fine and I'm almost done here."
"What the hell's going on here," Deeks whispered to Kensi.
"Not anything I want to get in the middle of," she admitted.
Looking at Deeks, Matt mouthed "Sam's wife is CIA?" Deeks when Deeks nodded yes, Matt mouthed 'cool". "Who's the bleeder?" Matt asked.
"Not sure who my patient is exactly," Michelle said quietly, still working on the injured man's leg. "That's Damien Scott. CIA."
"Former CIA. I'm military intelligence working of Homeland."
"That's a lie," Sam said, pining Scott to wall of the living room wall. "Scott was part of a Delta Force Team back before the invasion of Iraq. He was found with drugs in his locker. Court martialed while we were taking fire from Saddam's Republican Guard."
"Planted. Framed."
"Yeah, sure," Sam said.
"So we still don't know who the bleeding guy is?" Deeks looked at the man on the couch. He was covered in sweat and barely conscious. "Maybe an ambulance would be a good idea."
"Wallet says Michael Stonebridge," Michelle kicked the wallet over to Kensi while never stopping her medical duties. "New York drivers license, couple of high end credit cards - Amex Black, Visa Palladium cards. No ID that would put him in the military or at Homeland. And the CIA is not handing out that level of credit cards."
"How did you get his wallet?" Scott asked.
"I did a lot more for the CIA than patch up your wounds on assignments," Michelle looked at her handiwork. "This man needs a hospital. The wound isn't bleeding much anymore but if anything shifts, he's in big trouble. There are bullet fragments sitting on his anterior tibial artery and if that gets nicked, he's done. He may be done anyway if he doesn't get help. He's lost a lot of blood."
"No hospitals." Scott told the group.
"Well then he's going to die," Michelle said standing up. "And everything you did to keep him alive until you got here and everything you did to my family was for nothing. I'm cleaning up and then I want to see my daughter."
Callen looked at Deeks. "Call for an ambulance. Scott here doesn't make the decisions."
"No, I'm just following orders and that stupid bitch hasn't called me back."
Sam looked at Scott. "You keep saying that. Who is the stupid…."
Callen's cell phone rang. "Hetty," he told the group before putting her on speaker. "Hetty, we've secured the Hanna household. Sam and Michelle are fine, Kam is safe with Nell."
"Miss Jones has been keeping Eric and the team in Ops apprised of your moves. There should be an ambulance arriving shortly for Captain Stonebridge."
"You know what's been going on here."
"Not the particulars, we'll be apprised of that when you return to the boat shed with Captain Scott."
"Captain Scott?" Sam said, amazed.
"Told you," Damien replied.
"Both Captains Scott and Stonebridge are working for a Department of Homeland Security Task Force. They are in Los Angeles looking for a pair of terror suspects. Captain Scott, you are to accompany the team for a full debriefing."
"Where the hell is Fitzgerald?"
"Director Fitzgerald is currently out of pocket, her office is coordinating everything. Agent Martinez is currently on a helicopter from Santa Barbara. She is going directly to UCLA Medical Center."
"I can hear the ambulance," Kensi said.
"The TAC Team is letting them in now," Nell's voice filled their earwigs.
"Mr. Callen, please bring Captain Scott to the boat shed. Mr. Hanna, arrangements are being made for you and your family while a crime scene clean up team is being deployed to your home. Director Fitzgerald's office promises anything damaged will be replaced."
Sam shook his head. "We're not going back to the safe house."
"Mr. Hanna, Director Fitzgerald's office is currently looking for acceptable temporary housing for your family. At the moment, they have a one bedroom suite booked at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Ray. If you have a hotel you'd prefer instead of the Ritz Carlton…."
"The Ritz Carlton is fine," Michelle said. "I'm taking a shower, packing a bag and getting over there now."
"Thank you," Scott said quietly to Michelle.
"Don't come into my house terrorizing my daughter, threatening my husband and then get all soft and grateful. You were a funny asshole in Khamovniki but that was almost endearing because my daughter wasn't there. We would have helped without the threats," Michelle said, shaking her head. Looking at Callen and Sam she said, "Get them out of my house."
The EMTs walked through the front door. "We're here for the GWS."
"On the couch," Michelle said as she walked to the stairs.
"I have to go deliver groceries," Matt said to nobody in particular.
"Thank you Detective Bernhart," Hetty said over the phone. "I have placed a call into your dispatcher explaining that there was a hostage situation and you with your truck provided immeasurable help. Your cover remains intact. Your assistance during this operation is greatly appreciated."
"Thanks official sounding lady. Get Martin a better bulletproof vest. And one that says LAPD," Matt replied, smiling.
"We'll be at the boat shed soon," Callen said before cutting off the call.
The EMTs gingerly moved Stonebridge to a gurney before rolling him out of the house.
"Kensi, Deeks, you two take Scott here to the boat shed in his vehicle. Nell, you wait here until Michelle is ready and bring them to the Ritz…
"Carlton in Marina Del Rey," Nell finished Callen's thought. "On it."
"Give her your keys," Sam said, finally loosening his grip on Scott.
"I'll drive," Scott said.
"Oh no," Deeks walked up to Sam. While Sam flipped Scott around, Deeks quickly placed handcuffs on the man's wrists. "Keys," Deeks demanded.
"Front right pocket, blondie. And I'm not interesting in you fishing them out. Maybe the brunette over there…."
Sam slammed Scott's head into the wall. "Shut up," Sam told the handcuffed man while he got the keys from Scott.
"Let me help you escort our guest to the car," Matt said grabbing Scott's right arm. Deeks took the left and moved their charge to the door.
Tossing Kensi the keys, Sam said "I have duct tape in the hall closet if you don't want to hear him during the ride to the boat shed."
"No, I drive with Deeks every day, I'm use to a chatty guy in the car," Kensi said giving Sam a hug. "Glad you're OK and I want some pigs in the blanket at Patrick's Roadhouse sometime in the future."
"It was Callen's idea but with Kam safe, I owe you all."
"You owe us nothing Sam," Kensi turned serious. "We love your family and we'll always keep them safe."
Alone with Sam, Callen finally asked, "You OK, big guy?"
"I went for a run early this morning, I was in the shower when these two came in through the back door like they owned the house. Michelle was making breakfast for Kam. Thank God Kam was getting dressed. She heard some of this but didn't see anything." Sam exhaled loudly. "They could have killed my family."
"Sam, you've spent the last year being hyper-vigilant with the threat from Khaled against your family. Hetty is probably going to want to talk to you about your heat sensors and drones but nobody believes you aren't protecting your family 24/7."
Sam shook his head.
"You think Director Fitzgerald is Genevieve Fitzgerald?" Callen asked.
"If it is, whatever got Stonebridge shot and brought Scott to my living room is bad, real bad. And yes, I think it's her. The Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Ray and a same day clean-up crew. There's one person in the government with that kind of budget."
Callen pulled out his phone. "Eric, can you get me everything you can on Damien Scott and Michael Stonebridge?"
"I'd love to but currently Granger is negotiating with Homeland. Running that license plate nearly burned down DHS. Our office is offline until Hetty can speak to a Director Fitzgerald. Granger thought it would be a good idea for me to go to the armory for shooting practice."
Callen hung up the phone.
"That's not good." Sam said. "Not good at all."
-30-
Author's notes: Yes, I'm here with the annoying author's notes.
This is a crossover with a counterterrorism program called "Strike Back" than ran for a few seasons on Cinemax in the US (sorry, I'm not up on my international TV distribution). You don't need to know much about that series – I'm taking one of their cases but plan on making it work for Los Angeles. If you trusted me with a sci-fi/fantasy crossover last summer, this summer is more back in the realm of counterterrorism.
TLDR: Cool action show on cable that deals with terrorism meets cool action show on broadcast TV that deals with terrorism.
Posting schedule remains the same – internet willing. New chapter out every Sunday until we're done.
Thanks for reading!