Chapter 3
~ Turn Back Time ~
Yes, there was a delay in posting this chapter - pure for personal reasons: I was away on holiday! Thank you for your patience…
"What happened, what did hé notice and we did not?" Kensi asked, addressing no one in particular.
"Well, Callen did ignore the Japanese joke. Which is peculiar in a way indeed," Deeks mentioned.
"Shouldn't you check, Sam?" Nell thought, worried.
Standing next to Eric, Granger looked at the team, nearly in despair. He once again cleared his throat and then exclaimed in his usual nasal voice "For God's sake will you all stop talking and just listen!?"
Surprised at his outburst they were quiet soon enough. It was Eric who then spoke "As you were saying, Sir, there were small groups of inhabitants from the Balkan entering LA, which is-what?"
The brown eyes of the assistant director stared piercing at the young technical worker and he said in a rather cynical way "Well, Beale, any ideas?"
Eric tried to deny the warm feeling which proved he was blushing and stammered as he continued "Ehm, well I ehm... You suspect them to, ehm, do something which involves our work. Right? Or they already committed a crime. No, I would know. We would know. And you know-what?"
He realized he was back to what he had asked in the first place. "So, would you please explain, assistant director?"
While Eric was talking, Nell had been using her tablet and swiftly selected the names on the passenger lists that sounded or looked Slavic in her opinion. She then opted for letting two systems working simultaneously - one scanning criminal records with the names and one scanning names and connecting pictures to them. "Do you think I have them all covered Sir?" she asked.
Again, Owen Granger sighed deeply before he said "Let me explain first. Yes, Beale, SecNav informed us about a series of crimes committed by a group of LA mobsters. They managed to breach the systems of Harry Larsson's security systems."
"HL's?" Eric asked, his voice raising all of a sudden. "Stu, a friend of mine, was employed there for a few months. This guy, Larsson, hires all kind of former navy and army people. They work for private clients mostly, preferably abroad."
Granger nodded. "That's what they do indeed. Getting stuff into our country against conditions that apparently are at great importance since they're superbly secured. Until early last week. Former petty officer Jeff Seriakes was brutally killed right after he was about to go home."
He sent a small nod to Nell who tapped a button on the handheld computer. When she looked at the screen herself she felt a wave of nausea rising. Next to the ID-card of a rather young and good looking man, his black hair trimmed short, another picture appeared. The same man, his throat deeply cut. In a pool of blood his glassy eyes stared up, seeing nothing anymore. The last thing he'd seen was the one who killed him.
"That's how they do it." Callen had re-entered the Ops-center and recognized the way this man's head was nearly separated from his torso by a slice of a long and sharp knife.
Granger looked up, gave him a curt nod and continued. "From the way this murder was commited I'd say it was done by someone from Bosnia indeed. Seen it-" he paused and then said "Anyway, Seriakes' pass and network connections were used twice last week, still for importing issues. Homeland isn't too sure what it was that was brought in, but it's definitely something that does attract those others to come to our town."
"And you want us to find out more?" Kensi asked.
Granger nodded. "SecNav specifically asked for your team. Even more specific-" he drew in his breath deeply but did not need to finish his sentence as Callen did it for him "SecNev knows my file, right?"
Without any further explanation, the lead agent turned to Nell and simply asked her to send him the list of names HS and she found of people entering the country.
"How about the two of you go check out on this specific guy and get him of the street as long as you can, will you?" he addressed Kensi and Deeks. He licked his lips and then said "He shot me once and will probably recognize me."
He pointed at a picture that went with the name Pavlovic.
Granger simply nodded at the way Callen briefed the team.
"How 'bout us, G?" Sam asked, though he vaguely sensed that what it that was coming - he would not like it at all.
"I'm trusting you to have my back," was the reply Sam Hanna indeed did not want to hear.
"I'm going in".
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"Wait, agent Hanna."
The way Owen Granger merely ordered Sam to turn his attention to him instead of following his partner was new to Sam.
"You know I don't like the way this is going," Sam mentioned.
"You don't have to like it," Granger responded, "but you and I know Callen is best at deep covers. He knows the language. Him going in there may be the only way to delay or, if possible, stop these mobsters."
"They're called 'Zurcin' here in town." Callen stood behind them, waiting for Sam to come with him so he could explain.
Granger spun around, surprised by the fact the agent in charge still was there.
"Don't you need to prepare, Callen?"
The question came as a sort of order as well, but as mostly, Callen chose to ignore the stare and the question and simply sent the assistant director a smug smile. "No need to," he responded. "As long as Nell keeps up the good job and keeps sending pictures and names my way. No matter SecNav's great ideas, I really need to see the faces of the group I'm gonna mix with."
He then turned to head downstairs to his desk where the bright red laptop was already booted up.
"Callen? By the way, who did you call?" Granger asked in a sharp voice.
He looked up from halfway the stairs. "Not that important," he smirked. "Besides, I think you told me to prepare, so if you don't mind?"
He trotted down the last few steps, took a fresh cup of coffee and sat down at his desk.
Some minutes later, Sam took his seat at the desk opposite of his. Since his large partner simply stared at him without speaking, Callen raised his brow and glanced back at Sam.
"Anything you want to share, buddy?" he asked.
Another annoyed glare came his way. "Who's asking ?"
Callen shrugged and turned back to his screen. He concentrated on what he read and let his fingers go over the keyboard of his laptop. He then looked up and said "I've forwarded you some intel about those guys, Sam. Just-read. I need to get back to Ops, ask if Nell can provide me with the right name, numbers and back-up."
"G..."
"Please, just read. We'll talk about it later."
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With Eric on a coffee break, talking about his friend at Harry Larsson with Granger and Sam, Callen joined Nell in Ops. He slumped his body in Eric's chair, swiveling it in a way that relaxed him.
It made Nell nervous though, not used to this behavior of the lead agent. "So, Callen... You ehm, you know these guys?"
His face was serious, despite the boyish way he looked now he sat in there. "Some of them. Thought we nearly got them all-"
"We?" She interrupted, her voice an octave higher now.
He shrugged now. "Ages ago, Nell. I was there. Not important in fact. What is, is that I recognized someone that should still be imprisoned."
Nell filled in his thoughts. "Pavlovic, who shot you. Y'think Deeks and Kensi will find him?"
His ocean blue eyes rested at the young analysts excited face. "They should. You and Eric can help, right?" he persisted.
"You know we will, Callen. Did Granger tell you he wants Eric posted at HL's? You see, Granger suggested Eric can hack back at the system that was breached."
Callen shook his head. "You're supposed to work in a team. We all are. Fact is that Sam cannot join me. Language thing, y'know. But I rely on him to stay close, as ever."
Nell cocked her head and he could practically see her thinking. "Listen, Nell, I get it. Granger thinks differently. It's not that I know better, it's just... Don't have to like it, do we?" He then gently touched her shoulder and said "She'll be back, Nell. She will."
A deep sigh came his way. "Right. So, back to business." She tapped the mouse pad of her handheld computer and the screen forwarded to a new one. "Yoran Krajic, born on March 21, 1970, back in Beograd. Lived in Chicago from 2005 on. Your ID and driver license should be ready in twenty," she summarized. "Will have bugs and button cams ready by then too, and please do keep your phone to yourself so we can keep you traced with its GPS."
He sent her grateful smile. "Thanks Nell. I'd better calm down Sam now, read some more files and backgrounds and concentrate on being Yoran".
Again he went down the stairs where Granger was instructing the team members on their tasks. Overhearing it, Callen couldn't help himself interfering. "Shouldn't we work in teams like we're used to? Maybe Sam and Eric should stick together as well?"
A glare of disagreement came from Granger. "Let me take care of the rest of the team, agent Callen, while you keep concentrating on your job."
He supposed the older man knew how to run an operation indeed. Different, much different from what the team was used to though.
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