Okay, so this is a sequel to Natural Equilibrium and is set approximately five months after the close of that story.
My endless thanks and appreciation, as always, goes to imahistorian for her limitless amounts of help, support and sage advice.
And finally, to everyone who took the time to read and review my one-shot 'White Rabbit' - thank you!
A warehouse. Why was it always a warehouse?
The sound of gunfire surrounded them, the noise rippling and echoing around the sheet metal walls intensifying the already fraught atmosphere. Kensi, Deeks and Sam had taken positions behind stacks of crates and were waiting for the opportunity to return fire once again. Callen, on the other hand, was pinned down somewhere in the middle, without a weapon, trying his hardest to avoid receiving any holes in his person. Or worse, any holes in the attire that Hetty had issued him with for this assignment.
The wrath of Miss Lange ever present in his mind he waited until his three team mates were on the offensive and ran for better cover. The meagre crate he had been using for cover now had more bullet related scars than he did and its properties as a shield had diminished to virtual non-existence.
This was one undercover operation that had not gone quite to plan.
It should have been simple. Get in, get the information, get out, maybe make an arrest or two. But no. Just as the two marines – Private First Class Devon Richards and Corporal Henry Jones - were finally getting chatty about all the weapons and explosives they had in their possession, in walked their boss former Gunnery Sergeant Andrew Lewis.
'Crap!' Callen thought with dread. 'What are the chances that this guy isn't going to remember that Macy and I arrested him in 2006, got him a dishonourable discharge from the Marine Corps and 5 years in Leavenworth?'
The answer was given to him pretty quickly and without a single word being uttered. Upon seeing his guest Lewis immediately pulled out a gun firing off a series of shots in Callen's direction and sending him diving for cover. Reaching instinctively for his SIG Callen cursed loudly, remembering that the two marines had taken it for 'safe keeping'.
Thank God his team had been waiting outside, although going by the sudden and rapid increase in gunfire they hadn't waited for long. That was when Richards and Jones had joined in with semi-automatic weapons and the rest, as they say, was history.
"G, you okay?" Sam asked urgently over his earwig.
"I'm okay." Callen assured him.
"What the hell happened?"
"I think it's probably safe to assume he got made." Deeks answered dryly from his spot a few feet away.
"No kidding!" Sam responded flatly as he fired off a few more rounds.
"He didn't even shake the guy's hand!" The detective added in astonishment before sending a few of his own shots across the building.
"I think he may have set a new office record!" Sam informed him, the barest hint of amusement twinkling in his eye.
"Quicker than that job with the Ukrainian mob and the dog that stole his wallet?"
"Way quicker."
"I am listening you know!" Callen reminded them as he dodged his way around the warehouse towards his team. "And as for that particular office record, I'm pretty sure it's still safe with Renko!"
He paused momentarily waiting to move again.
"I don't know, G." Sam continued. "This was pretty damn close."
"May I remind you that Hetty has the final decision on this matter?"
"Yeah? Well while you're reminding me you might want to move your ass 'cause Jones is right behind you."
Callen ran again, quickly dodging his way between gaps in the crates and other items that had been left abandoned in the warehouse. Sam watched closely as Jones began closing in on his unarmed partner, aiming his weapon before squeezing the trigger and sending Callen scrambling for cover once more. But as Jones moved to further close the gap he was halted in his tracks by a single shot from Sam's rifle. Doubling back over the short distance Callen pulled the weapon from Jones' loose grasp before placing two fingers to his neck in order to hurriedly confirm what he already knew. Jones' condition was permanent.
Making his way towards the safety of his team, Callen reached Kensi first. She handed over her own SIG before resuming taking shots with her rifle, and after checking the safety Callen began to add his own bullets to the chaos. Sam and Deeks had started to skirt further around the inside of the building in an attempt to try and surprise their suspects, however, going by the sudden lack of return fire they were now receiving, Richards and Lewis had obviously decided to exit stage left in a hurry.
"They've made a run for it out of a rear door." Sam's voice informed them. "Me and Deeks are on them."
"We'll be right behind you." Callen responded, moving to follow.
Taking half a dozen paces before noticing that Kensi wasn't immediately behind him, Callen turned and looked back curiously. Casting a long glance over at his team mate he realised that she hadn't actually moved position since the final shots had been fired, and now remained awkwardly propped against the crates she had been using for cover. Tentatively stepping towards her he noted the pale, almost grey, colour of her skin along with the sweat which was now trickling down her face in narrow beads.
"Kensi?" Callen questioned tentatively, not liking the sensation that was now churning over in his gut.
Turning unsteadily towards him, Kensi's limbs were clearly fighting a battle to keep her upright. Then with an abrupt buckling of her knees she fell back against the crate, sliding down its length before crumpling onto the grimy concrete floor below.
"Kensi!"
Quickly kneeling down beside her, Callen could see little other than pain etched across Kensi's face and a familiar feeling of panic began to rise up in his chest. It was one reserved solely for when one of his team were in trouble, and to Callen it was the worst feeling in the world.
"Come on, Kens," he urged. "Talk to me. Where are you hit?"
However, Kensi didn't answer and with each ragged breath her respiration seemed to become more quick and shallow. As he watched, Callen couldn't help but think that being in danger himself was far preferable to this and as Kensi's eyes struggled to maintain any sort of focus, he knew he was right. Being pinned down in the middle of a fire fight was definitely preferable to this.
TBC...