Chapter Ten
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Chapter Ten
Sam hesitated as the dust hit his lungs; the building was creaking as the structure grew more unsteady by the second. Moving forward he carefully eased open the door to the stairwell, his eyes already stinging from the smoke.
"What floor Sam?" Deeks questioned, his voice muffled as he wrapped a scarf around his mouth to ease his breathing.
"Fourth" Sam responded, copying the motion as he headed onto the first landing. The trio moved carefully, distributing weight evenly as the heat increased and the dust threatened to blind them.
"We're never going to make it" Deeks stated, coughing despite the aid the scarf offered.
"G wouldn't give up on any of us, I'm not giving up on him" Sam stated forcefully, his anger driving him forward and he made it up a further flight, the stairs themselves proving to be intact, but the dust from the devastation causing them as much difficulty as the smoke.
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Eric moved quickly through the building.
"Hetty" he hollered, knowing that she needed to be updated and quickly. Hetty looked up, unused to being summoned in such a manner; she got to her feet and headed upwards to join the tech.
"Yes Mr Beale" she queried.
"There has been an update" he stated gesturing to the screen, she looked on- seeing the fire billowing from an apartment block and a very familiar looking car parked outside.
"Sam and the others?" she questioned.
"Weren't inside when it blew" Eric responded in an attempt to reassure the ops manager. "However a few minutes later Sam received some information that Callen was possibly inside the building when the explosion occurred" he told her, his own face a picture of concern as he registered the likelihood of the lead agent getting out of the building unscathed.
"Is there update on his status?" Hetty asked, all of her energy going into keeping her voice steady as she felt her heart leap for the boy she had seen grow into the best agent she had ever known.
"No Hetty, Sam and the others went in to try and find him and I haven't received any information since" he replied.
"Have the fire department arrived on scene?" she asked.
"Just, I have liaised with their dispatch and brought them up to speed. They are also aware that discretion is required. I contacted the LAPD and did likewise" the experienced tech explained softly. "Now all we can do is wait" he finished, exchanging a glance with Nell as he spoke, the young analyst having nothing further to offer and no words to comfort to speak.
"No Mr Beale, there is something else we can do- we can pray and make sure that the son of a bitch that did this pays one way or the other" Hetty stated forcefully. "I am going to the boat shed to speak with Mr Miller- update me if any further information comes to light- and put a call in to Nate please Mr Beale" she instructed turning and leaving the eagle's nest. As she stepped through the doorway she paused leaning against the wall momentarily to gather her wits around her and steady her now rolling stomach as she contemplated the update. She had nearly lost Mr Callen many times since she had known of his existence, and with each close shave the reality of their jobs was hammered further homes- yet she still couldn't bear the thought of losing the agent that was the closest to a son she had ever had.
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Hetty made her way to the boat shed in no time, and within minutes she was sat opposite Tommy Miller- not in the interrogation room, but in the main body of the building. Wordlessly she handed him a cup of steaming coffee.
"G has found him hasn't he?" Miller asked softly, his concern for his friend growing.
"We believe so yes" Hetty responded as she poured herself a- cup of tea.
"Is G ok?" Tommy asked, sipping from the cup.
"We are yet to find that out" she responded with a sigh.
"I am sorry, I never meant for G to be dragged into this, I was trying to protect him" Miller explained lightly.
"I know that Mr Miller, and so does Callen. He went looking for Peters to protect you, and himself from any further harm" Hetty stated, understanding the guilt that the other man must feel. "You were obviously good friends as children- and I understand that you went through a lot together. Callen obviously cares about you" she told him softly, trying to sooth his guilt. "I am very sorry for your loss Mr Miller- I know that you have lost your family twice, and I can't imagine the pain that must have caused" she assured him gently.
"Peters is poor evil Miss Lange- I wished we had done more when he was originally arrested" Miller stated, his face serious and his tone wavering as he thought back to the past.
"You were children Tommy, there was nothing that any of you could have done" Hetty stated emphatically. She didn't know the full details of what had happened to her agent as a child- she knew that he would in all likelihood never tell her.
"I don't think G has ever told anybody everything that happened" Tommy commented "even as a kid he had this mask- this self-preservation that no one could penetrate. He never even cried in front of me- despite everything that Peters did he never once cried about it. He wouldn't speak to anybody about what had happened. A ten year old boy and he didn't even cry Miss Lange- what must he have gone through before to make him like that?" Tommy asked, his voice carrying an edge of bitterness on behalf of his long term friend.
"Mr Callen says very little about his past, he bucks away from confiding and will only talk about his work when he is forced into it by our psychologist as part of our procedures. He has always been very closed off to the world, despite being one of the most brilliant and loving people I have ever known- he just doesn't know how to express it or allow others in" Hetty explained softly, understanding the frustration that Miller felt on behalf of their friend.
"They had to use medical evidence alone against Peters in relation to G- he wouldn't say what had happened. Later when he got called to a review, he had just turned seventeen; he still refused to say anything. He just bit through his lip and stayed silent- and then a while later he disappeared, that was the last time that I saw him" Tommy explained softly.
"How did you even know Peters?" Hetty asked gently.
"He lived in the same neighbourhood as my parents. He used to babysit on the odd occasion, on the surface he was a normal guy- married with no kids. Friendly to everyone always willing to help- but when he was alone with me and the foster kids he was a monster" Tommy stated, his eyes filling with moisture as he relived the horrific memories that had ruined his life.
"He is a monster that we will ensure never gets to hurt anyone again" Hetty promised squeezing the man's arm. "Now I am sure that I don't need to explain to you the fact that Callen's entire existence is secret and a link between him and this agency can never be made" she asserted.
"You have my word, I will never do anything to hurt G" Tommy vowed and somehow the seasoned operative knew that he was telling the truth.
"Mr Miller you are by all means free to leave if you wish" she stated, happy that he had no involvement in the current predicament of her lead agent.
"Is it all right if I stay? I just want to make sure that G is all right" Tommy asked softly.
"As you wish" Hetty agreed lightly, before heading out back to Ops, keen to see if there was any update on her boy.
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Finally the agents found themselves on the correct floor. Sam surveyed the area with the torch checking their footing carefully as they moved towards apartment 46 in silence. Carefully he pushed at the door, unsurprised to see that it had clearly already been broken prior to the explosion.
"G is definitely here" he whispered indicating the door.
"Then let's go and get him" Deeks stated, stepping forward beside the seal. Gingerly Sam stepped over the doorway and into what was left of the apartment, beams everywhere and small fires burnt throughout the layout. Deeks and Kensi went off to each side, searching carefully and watching where they stepped. After a few moments a holler from the detective paused their efforts.
"Guys, over here!" Deeks called as he knelt beside a very still and very bloodied body.
End Chapter Ten
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