Chapter Seven
I am so sorry for the delay in posting this- I had to get the NCIS LA Magazine challenge #2 piece written and posted so this was left to one side for a couple of weeks.
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews and please keep reviewing for me!
Chapter Seven
"I really don't get it- an exemplary marine with no money problems and no ties to anything other than the Corps has suddenly gone missing. There is no motive to take him unless it links in with his Uncle" Sam stated as he rubbed his hand tiredly over his face.
"And where there is no motive there are no clues" Kensi confirmed as she flopped down beside him.
"We are getting no closer to finding him- just going round in circles" Sam agreed in frustration.
"Guys you need to take a break" Deeks interjected. "We've been at work for twenty hours straight- you need sleep and a more focussed mind" he told them, a rare serious statement from the detective.
"Us sleeping won't help to find Samuels" Kensi argued, her face set in a serious line as she spoke.
"Neither will running yourself into the ground with no food or sleep" Deeks persevered- willing to stand up to his partner in the interest of the case. "You two go home- I will link in with Eric and Nell and see if there is any further information. See you both back here at 0800hrs tomorrow" he instructed before he got up and walked away. Sam and Kensi exchanged a glance in his wake.
"Did he just have the last word?" Sam questioned with a raised eyebrow aimed at the junior agent.
"Not for long" she muttered under her breath, pulling her jacket off of the back of her chair and grabbing her back she headed out of the office with barely a backward glance. Sam chuckled to himself before grabbing his own bag. He glanced at his watched- hesitated for a split second before making up his mind and heading out of the office.
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Callen sighed as he heard a knock at his door- he knew exactly who it would be without even checking, still years of paranoia took over and he opened it the nearest crack to peek through the gap.
"Hi Sam" he greeted as he pushed the door the rest of the way open. Sam couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him upon seeing his partner in front of him- clearly the agent failed to keep it off his face as his face immediately registered it. "What's the matter Sam- did you think I had skipped town?" Callen asked with a weak grin.
"Never G- I ain't that lucky" Sam responded as he stepped into the apartment, and watched as his friend shut and locked the door behind him. Callen grinned at the comment, knowing full well that his partner had shown tremendous self-restraint by not returning even sooner to check he hadn't bailed on him.
"You know I complete you" Callen stated a sparkle in his eyes that Sam had not seen for a very long time. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked.
"The case is driving me nuts and Michelle is out with the kids so I figured you would get the honour of my company. How's the leg?" he responded as he sat down on the armchair.
"Fine Sam- getting better every day" Callen responded.
"Have you eaten yet?" Sam asked.
"No Sam- I haven't" Callen stated with a roll of his eyes.
"Come on G- you are getting far too skinny. Thai?" he suggested.
"Fine" the younger man reluctantly agreed. He would never admit it even to himself- but he was almost grateful for the company. Having Sam nagging him brought a sense of normality that he had missed. He could sit back and listen to the familiar drawl of his partner and pretend that nothing had happened- just relax in the comfort that the hulk of a man brought to him. Sam grinned as he pulled out his cell and dialled the number for the local Thai delivery reeling off the order from memory. Callen rested his head back against the sofa, content to know that at least for the time being- he wasn't alone.
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Deeks scratched his head as he once more flicked through the papers on his desk. He could see why Kensi and Sam were so frustrated- they were missing something, he didn't know what but they were definitely missing something. There had to be something that linked the young marine to his undercover uncle- he just couldn't work out what it was. He sighed as he reached for the vat of coffee beside him and took a sip. He picked up the NCIS file on the agent- opening it to the front page- just as he was about to start reading through he was distracted by the sound of the door opening. Whirling round his gun grasped in his hand he was surprised to see the silhouette of his partner returning- laden with bags.
"Kensi?" he called out tentatively. "What are you doing?" he questioned softly, moving towards her.
"Didn't seem right us going home and leaving you to it- so I brought some dinner" she told him with a smile- emptying out the contents of the bag over the coffee table and handing him a plastic plate and cutlery. He grinned at her in appreciation.
"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I said you should go home and rest" he admonished her gently.
"Okay don't eat then" she teased, and his grin told her that her words had hit home. "Have you discovered anything anyway?" she asked as she spooned some food onto her plate and heartily tucked in.
"Nope, nada, zilch" he responded with a sigh. "I am starting to think that there really is nothing to find" he told her.
"Hey don't give up. If there is something there- we will find it" she promised him softly.
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Sam tentatively tapped his partner awake as the food arrived. He had the knack for waking his partner after years of attempts resulted in severe bruising on a good day.
"Food's here G" Sam stated as he handed his friend a box of food. Callen rubbed his eyes, surprised that he had drifted off to sleep so readily.
"Thanks" he acknowledged as he received the food and chopsticks and slowly made his way through his portion of steaming hot noodles- cooked just how he liked them. Sam tried not to watch, keeping the conversation light as they ate- pleased to see that his friend did look better, more alive than he had even just a couple of days earlier.
"When's your next doctor's appointment?" he finally ventured, unsurprised when his friend heaved a long suffering sigh.
"Friday" Callen finally responded.
"You need a ride?" Sam offered, reining himself in in an attempt to not push his friend.
"Na- I'll grab a cab" the stubborn man replied. "Tell me about the case- what's bugging you?" he questioned as he leant back on the sofa lifting his injured leg up so it was supported on the coffee table.
"A marine missing from Pendleton- signs that he was taken by force. No demand, no motive no nothing" Sam explained.
"What about the kid? Any money worries?" Callen asked knowing that the team will have looked at every avenue.
"Nothing at all G- the kid is squeaky clean. He comes from a normal family, model marine destined for big things. Gets on well with his team and there is nothing to suggest he has ever fallen out with anybody" Sam explained. "Just hitting dead end after dead end" he sighed.
"There's more to it- OSP wouldn't be involved if there wasn't" Callen queried, proving that his mind was just as sharp as ever.
"Well there is- yet we are struggling to even link that" Sam stated. "His uncle is an agent for NCIS- currently on some deep cover op out in Chicago. We can't find a single thing to link the two beyond the family connection, but it is more than coincidence I am certain of it" he finished. Callen sat pondering for a moment.
"Any contact between the two?" he asked.
"Yeah emails exchanged over recent weeks- but nothing to suggest the mission had been compromised"
"Have the emails been run through the code breaker?" Callen asked.
"No- no they haven't G" Sam replied, realisation dawning on him that the simple emails exchanging pleasantries could have been far more than that. "You my friend, may be on to something there". Callen smiled- glad to be in anyway helpful to his team. Sam got to his feet. "I hate to eat and run man, but I got to follow this up" he stated apologetically.
"No problem Sam- good luck" Callen wished with a smile. "Hey Sam?" he called his friend back.
"Yeah G?"
"Just out of interest who is the agent that is undercover in Chicago?" he asked having worked on that team briefly before.
"An Agent Craig Samuels" Sam responded, heading for the door as he spoke, his movement distracting him from seeing the colour draining from his partner's face as he spoke. "Call me after your check up G" he hollered as he stepped out of the door- leaving a shell-shocked Agent G Callen behind him.
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"I need to get back at it" Deeks stated as he gathered the plates and put them in the bin. Getting to his feet he picked up the file that he had left open on his desk.
"What you looking at?" Kensi asked as she joined her partner.
"There has to be something in this file that explains at least some of what is going on" Deeks explained as he opened the document detailing Samuels' initial training with NCIS. He had only flicked through a couple of pages when words on the document caught his attention. "Oh man" he groaned as he absorbed the information.
"What is it?" the NCIS agent asked him, moving forward in an attempt to read what he had seen.
"This could get messy" he muttered as he continued to read.
End Chapter Seven
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