Never Going Back Again: Chapter Seven.
"Do we tell Hetty about the dead Marine?" Kensi asked. "I mean, she is still officially on leave. And Vance did send that British agent to see us – not her."
Marty stared at her incredulously. "Good luck with explaining that to Hetty when she finds out – and she will find out. That woman knows everything. Nothing escapes her beady glare. I have this recurring nightmare where we're making love and I look up and there she is, sitting at the side of the bed taking notes."
"Does she give marks for technical merit and artistic impression?" Sam asked, somehow managing to keep a straight face, while Kensi felt herself blushing scarlet. "You'll probably find out in your annual performance appraisal. "Detective Deeks applies himself with considerable aptitude and dedication to duty." Or words to that effect."
"See what I mean about Deeks shooting his mouth off before engaging his brain?" Callen whispered to Nico.
"You think Sam's much better?" she hissed back.
"Hetty's going to want to run this, you know that as well as I do," Deeks continued, not noticeable abashed. "She's kind of got this whole control thing going."
"That's fine by me. And it is her job to take charge of things. No offense to you, Callen – but why would anyone have a problem with Hetty assuming control? Deeks is hobbling around, you've got an eye out of commission again and right now EJ's running rings around our butts. Let's be honest – we need all the help we can get." Sam lifted his glass and drained it with obvious relish. "Have we got time for another pint before we meet them?"
"Why not? There's still about another dozen we've not tried yet." Callen eyed the labels on the beer pumps with interest.
"You don't have to try them all tonight."
"Just because you're popping pain pills and are on orange juice."
"I won't be tomorrow." Deeks flashed a grin. "But then I won't be fighting off a hangover tomorrow either. That stuff's stronger than you're used to."
"I've worked all around the world," Callen said airily. "Germany, for example. Now, they know how to brew beer."
"You want a German beer?"
"No, I was just saying." He took another quick scan at the choices on offer. "Give me a pint of Belhaven Eighty Shilling."
Kensi decided to stay on soda water and lime. "Looks like it'll be you and me at the Mortuary tomorrow, Marty."
"You and Sam, more like. I'm just a lowly liaison officer. I'll be having a nice, long lie-in." He saw the look in Kensi's eyes and swiftly back-pedalled. Clearly he wasn't getting any more leeway on account of being injured. "Or I could be working on-line? Maybe finding out about this Marine? Like might have made him a target?"
"That sounds more like it. Though something tells me he was just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But we need to get more information. At the moment we're just shooting in the dark."
"This EJ," Nico asked. "Is she any good? I mean, as an agent?"
"If you're asking can she look after herself, evade capture and cover her tracks, manipulate situations to her own advantage and kill in a dozen different ways – then the answer's yes. In spades."
"And what's her motivation here?"
Callen sat down beside her. "Revenge. The oldest thing in the world. EJ was shown up big time, and more than that, she was exposed before the whole of NCIS. And now she wants to stop more of her secrets coming out."
"And you're sure that's the only reason? Because, I know I'm a total amateur here, but it just seems that all this seems a little extreme, even for someone like EJ. Are you sure there isn't something else going on?" Nico sipped her gin and tonic slowly and with evident enjoyment.
"Maybe she wants Callen back?" Sam offered. "Anyway she can get him."
"Yeah right. She would have got me in a body bag if we hadn't managed to get out of that house just in time."
"She wanted you back?" Nico put her drink down on the table. "You were with EJ?" The pitch and volume of her voice rose alarmingly at the end of the sentence.
"It was a long time ago."
"It was three years ago," Sam reminded him, having learned that there was no point in trying to prevaricate with women, especially with women who knew you intimately. They could spot a half-truth at twenty paces and shoot you dead in the water with just a look.
"Like I said: it was a long time ago. And it was just a fling. Nothing more."
"Meaningless sex?" Nico asked in a deadpan voice.
"Totally." He met her gaze steadily. "And if you were to ask me another question, then the answer would be "no". Not in a million years."
"That's all right then. As long as that's all there was to it."
"That's all there was to it. EJ's not big on commitment to anyone but herself."
"Plus, she screwed up an operation, and Callen ended up in the hospital."
"I didn't know that." Kensi nudged Deeks. "Look into that tomorrow, will you? Find out what went on her file. And maybe see if you can hold of Nate – I'd be interested to see what he makes of EJ."
"Enough of EJ. We're working tomorrow, but tonight we're off-duty and out on the town."
"Translation – Callen wants to play."
"Why not?" The beer was going to his head now, and Callen's voice was louder than usual. "After dinner, let's hit the clubs."
When they exited a short time later, there was a cab waiting for them: just another party of American tourists, enjoying everything the city had to offer. It was still light despite being mid-evening, and the air was mild. A lone piper standing just up the street was trying to persuade passers-by to part with their small change and there was no reason that anyone should notice the slim woman in the raincoat and headscarf on the other side of the street, who watched them with evident interest, before darting down another of the narrow closes, escaping back into the shadows. When all was said and done, EJ Barratt was a good agent: so far she'd been on the run for over 24 hours and was hiding in plain sight. All she had to do was to keep watching and waiting. And when the time was right, she'd put the next part of her plan into action. Because Operation Frankenstein wasn't over, not by a long way: it was only just beginning.
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