Chapter 3

Sitting inside the state of the art computer driven helicopter was a stunned Sam. This was obviously military hardware and there was no way the government would let this out of their hands.

String sat in the pilots seat and Sin Jin took the back, Sam and Kensi sat in spare seats with helmets on so that they could hear the others over the screech of the engines.

"This is amazing." Kensi said.

Beneath his visor Hawke smiled. "It is." he replied.

SinJin cut in, "I have coordinates for G, it should take us about 20 minutes to get there if we boost. we can coast it back if he's alright."

String nodded, "Hold on." he smirked and pressed the red button on the control yoke.

Both Sam and Kensi let out a surprised breath as the helicopter shot forward with the thrust from the jet engines.

They put down in a clearing a few miles from their target and Kensi and Sam took off their coveralls and readied themselves for the rescue of their friend.

"Sam, can you find us transport? We need to be able to get in and out quick." SinJin said as he took a large bag from the hold of the helicopter.

Sam nodded and headed off in the direction of a small farmhouse about a mile down the road.

"What do you have here?" Kensi asked, she smiled as SinJin took out a sniper rifle and a bunch of small arms and grenades.

"Sweet…" she smiled, "Who are you people?" She asked in awe at the array of weaponry they had at their disposal.

"G's brothers." SinJin replied and turned handing String a gun.

String finished securing the wolf as Kensi cleaned the rifle.

"Sam's coming." String said without looking up.

Kensi looked up and saw nothing. "You sure?" she asked.

String nodded and turned back to what he was doing.

Within moments a rattle of an engine was heard and a rusted old pick-up truck came around the bend and into view.

SinJin got out a map and as Sam parked up he lay it across the hood of the truck.

"This is the area we know that Rodriguez is keeping G in, we don't know which building and there are six buildings in this complex." SinJin started, "There is a ridge over to the south, there is enough cover for me to be able to cover you,"

"I'm a sniper, I could do that." Kensi offered.

SinJin nodded, "But could you fly the wolf?" He asked, "If something goes wrong I will need to be able to fly her as back up, besides it will help if G is rescued by you, Sam and String. He knows you two. "

Kensi nodded, she had to admit she did want to be in the thick of things when they got Callen out.

Callen groaned as he again regained consciousness, he had no idea how long he had been out, hours, days, weeks, it meant nothing to him now.

He pulled the small piece of now stale cornbread he had hidden in the waistband of his pants and he ate it carefully, his stomach rebelling at the thought of food even though he was starving.

He looked for water but he couldn't see any, he tried licking his lips and his mouth was dry. He coughed as a piece of the bread got stuck, wincing as his battered body rebelled against the movement.

He heard a movement on the floor above him, and scrambled back from the noise as much as he could.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and Senior Rodriguez walked down the stairs carrying a cattle prod.

"Agent Callen, Good morning, it is an anniversary for you, I thought we would celebrate." He smiled as Callen looked up at him confused.

"You have been here for nine months." He lied, his men had been blocking the light out every few hours to give the illusion of nightfall and make Callen lose all track of time.

"Nine months?" Callen croaked in disbelief.

"Your old team did not send the ransom money, they were not bothered with you. You should be grateful that I am a...merciful man, it is by my mercy that you live G. Callen….what does a grateful man say?" He asked.

Callen looked at him, Rodriguez stepped closer and knelt down grabbing Callen by a fistfull of hair. He pulled his head back, "What does a grateful man say?" He asked again.

He pressed the cattle prod against Callen's side and smiled as he screamed.

"Do not try my patience again." He said, "Your life depends now solely on your gratitude to me."

Callen looked down his breath hitching and tears spilling from his eyes, his tongue darted out to catch the precious moisture and Rodriguez pushed his mouth shut snapping his teeth on his tongue.

Callen pulled back as his mouth filled with blood.

He swallowed what he could knowing he was dehydrated, but spat some out.

"You have a choice Callen, you want food and drink, I have some here." he turned and took the lid off a tray of food Callen didn't even remember seeing bought into the room.

It was a bowl of hot broth and clear fresh water, his stomach screamed at him.

"Food is for the grateful, not for useless people. which are you?" he asked.

"Thank you...for your gratitude." Callen slumped against the wall in defeat.

Rodriguez lifted the spoon from the bowl of broth and gave him a sip of the warm liquid inside.

Callen sipped it gratefully.

"There, there...it is alright Callen, your family didn't want you, your friends didn't want you, I want you, you can work for me, do you want to work for me?" He asked, this was a tried and tested method to get absolute one hundred per cent loyalty in his men.

"Yes…" Callen sighed as Rodriguez put a comforting hand through the man's hair.

"Maria will come down and help you with something to eat, you need to rest." He said as if he were talking to a child.

Callen was so tired he didn't care, slowly his mind became foggy, all he knew was he had been somewhere bad, his team had deserted him and this man was helping him.

Senior Rodriguez smiled as he climbed back up the stairs as he left Maria feeding him the drugged broth.

"So are we killing him?" His second asked.

Rodriguez shook his head, "He had access to something far more valuable, if he can be turned he can be useful."

Antonio looked at his brother inquisitively, "He's a fed, he'll never turn. we haven't had him long enough."

"Ah little brother, you don't understand, he may have been here for six weeks our time, but he thinks he's been here for nine months and no one is going to change his mind, I have had our men feed him increasingly large amounts of Rohypnol over the past few weeks, he is so suggestive now that he would fly if we told him to."

Callen watched as Rodriguez turned into a woman, he suppressed a laugh at the thought.

"Shh now." Maria said spooning him more broth, "Senior Rodriguez is kind enough to care about you when others don't."

"I am grateful…" Callen slurred as he took another spoonful.

Rodriguez turned to his brother, "It won't be long now, we will have him working for me and then we will release him with instructions, he will bring us the biggest prize ever, just think about it Antonio, a helicopter that is a weapon so powerful, one that is so armed it cannot be beaten by another. we will be unbeatable brother."

Maria bought a mattress down and a thin blanket, "Here, sleep on this, I will bring you more food later." she smiled, "Drink this." she left a pitcher of water for him and helped him drink a glassful. His head became fuzzy and he lay down for a moment on the mattress, his eyes growing heavy and finally falling shut.

He awoke to noise upstairs, loud bangs and crashing.

The door opened and Maria and Rodriguez came down the stairs.

"What's happening?" Callen asked his senses still dulled.

"People are coming, they want to take you and hurt you." He said,

Callen looked scared, "Why?" he asked.

"They want to hurt you because they don't care about, they hate you, you were too much trouble to deal with but you know about them and their secret, they want to make sure you never tell."

Callen grabbed a gun.

"Let them come." He snarled aiming haphazardly at the door.