Chapter 10
Mira
Updating is quite a thing, but as I said before, life an get in the way. No need to explain, and I hope you will like this chapter as well. Again, thank you all so much for reading and leaving your reviews on the previous chapte. Hopefully, this chapter will reveal something more on why Callen is where he is… Thanks for all your support!
Kni®benrots
Disclaimer: none of the characters of NCIS Los Angeles are mine. Storyline and all other characters however are mine.
Previously:
"Off course, Hetty," Nell said. "Mirela C. Constanta. Constanta as in the name of the city in Romania," she added.
"Date of birth 15th of July 1974, place of birth Constanta, Romania." Deeks read aloud. "Well, I'd say that is a lead we should follow, right?"
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Eric stared at the screen for a few seconds. "This woman is about the same age as one of the two Comescus, Tomas. He's 45 years old, uhm, and this miss Constanta is 43 at the moment. We don't know them, right? But well, they might be in a relationship of some sort."
"Could be," Nell agreed. "But in my opinion that is not a real issue we need to know of at this moment. Now, about the woman… As I said, on the driver's license it says that she is the owner of this large recreational vehicle. A motorhome." She sighed deeply. "And you are right, Deeks, it is a lead we should follow indeed, we really nééd to know of. For your information, doing a quick calculation, this RV has at least a full day of a head start."
"Which means it can be about anywhere," Kensi shook her head.
Some humming sounded from Eric and his fingers danced on the keys of his computer keyboard. "Considering a motorhome like this usually travels at a speed of about 80 miles at the most, anywhere is too far, Kensi. However…"
A map appeared on the large screen, in which a circle was drawn around the city of Los Angeles.
"This is exactly what I meant," Kensi expressed her despair. "There's no way we can cover the area with a simple search. I mean… it covers nearly all the area between Vancouver Canada in the North and what, Durango in Mexico when you look at the South."
"Good heavens, Mr. Beale," Hetty sighed. "This truly is... what they call a mission impossible."
Different from the others, Eric shook his head in confidence. "I don't think so, Hetty. Because when we combine this with what we know so far, I think we can skip the North and South, and focus on the roads going East."
"East?" Deeks raised his brows. "Why East?"
Again, Eric hummed. This time, Nell did the same.
"It may be the best option, and the most logical too. Imagine being one of those two Comescus. They flew in from Europe to Chicago O'Hare. But somehow, I expect they were afraid we'd catch them. Now, what if they're hiring a car. Heading West, somehow trying to meet the other group. The one of this Demirchian, Armenian, perhaps lead."
"Go on, Miss Jones," Hetty said.
"I'd say we find the shortest route from Los Angeles to Chicago. Figure out where'd they could meet."
Eric nodded, his fingers going their own way so it seemed.
"Anything you want to share Beale?" Deeks asked since he didn't have a clue what Eric was looking for.
"Checking," came as a reply. 'Traffic cams. Gas stations. Things like that. Now there's the route up North, through Utah and Colorado, via Denver. Or Southbound, via Albuquerque. Both ways, you'd end up using the Interstate 70 East as the most logical route. But we need the check both routes."
"Good thinking. Good thinking, Mr. Beale." Hetty shook her head, notwithstanding her words and the tiny steps the team could take, she also was aware that every hour counted. And many hours had past already.
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Motorhome || Manhattan, Kansas
It should have been an easy job and Callen had done things like this many times. This time it was different. Not only because he did not have the right tools or felt weaker than he was used to. Next to that, there was no Sam or Kensi working with him. No back-up this time. He was on his own for now.
All was quiet. Maybe too quiet, even with the sound of the running water. Callen was worried about the plans these guys had. Not for him. It was clear that once Vigo Comescu was to arrive, he had no chance to get away. However, with the younger man around, he needed to try and get away.
The worries weren't for himself. He wondered how well this guy Tomas knew Mira. Why she was unconscious right now, and who was responsible for it. He figured that it had to do with the fact that Mira understood that the things Callen had told the two of them, was true. At the same time, Tomas must've understood as well, but he did not mind. Which meant Tomas distrusted her, at this moment. Mira told that she had befriended Tomas' sister in the past.
Still working on trying to unlock the door, Callen weighed several scenarios. Maybe the woman was used, pure by coincidence and because she owned this unnoted motorhome. The other scenario was what scared him more.
The tea-box on the mantelshelf at his house contained a few dear items. Callen had once taken the box itself from the office's coffee corner. He'd needed something which could contain some dear memories. One was the picture Hetty had once handed him. One of his mother, a dark haired woman with a beautiful smile.
Although he had been so young when she was killed, pictures of her popped up in his dreams far too much. Too many real life memories faded to something that could be fantasy just as well. But now, seeing the other woman, it was as in his dreams. The smile. But also some of the attitude, the poses. 'You do not want to wake the baby, do you?' How come he had forgotten those words? Forgotten what happened, like he had pushed away any memories of his early youth, Amy, his parents… and the baby?
…
"But I don't want to go to the beach, mommy… I don't! Anton has a new car and we were going to play with it!"
In a soft voice, his mother spoke to him. "Shttt, Grisha… hush now. We do not want to wake the baby, do we? Now, you see, Amy is coming and the two of you can play. And Mrs. Constanta will be there too. We have to be there, Grisha, because we're going to meet a very special friend on the beach as well."
The young boy clenched his jaw and his clear blue eyes were angry when he looked up to her. "But you're all girls. You don't play, you just sit and talk. I want daddy to be there too. Or Anton."
"Not today, honey. You know daddy had to go away… for business." She sighed heavily. How could she tell her son that she was afraid his father would never return? That her husband had been betrayed months before and was taken to someplace she didn't know of? How could she explain to her children that they weren't safe where they were right now, because of her job? She should have fled months before, but not in the situation she was. Now that her youngest child was born and she wasn't that weak anymore, she finally dared to call her handler and ask her to come for her. It would only be a couple of hours until she was going to meet Henrietta Lange.
"Not today, Grisha," she repeated. "We're all going to the beach. And with you being the man in the house, I think you can take care of all of us girls." She let her gaze go over her son, noticing how his behavior changed with these simple words. Then she looked away as she didn't want him to read her face, like he mostly did. He'd notice her fears, Clara knew for sure. She packed her bag and started to count down to the moment they could leave this place.
…
What if someone else had that Mira looked just like his mother? Comescus, for example.
In silence, Callen worked faster. He knew there was hardly any time to discuss this with Mira.
Finally, there was the moment he heard the lock click back the way he wanted. He closed the faucet and with that gone, all he heard was some distance talking. Somebody making a phone call. Slowly and carefully, he opened the door.
Tomas' voice: 'Two hours?'
Two hours to get away. He needed to hurry and count down to the moment he could leave this place. However in his condition, hurrying was not something that really fitted, and he was not too sure in which condition Mira was right now.
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NCIS Office of Special Projects (OSP)
Deeks went through the last couple of pictures that had popped up on Nell's systems hours before. "Does it really matter whether or not we find anyone fitting the description we know of?" he said.
There was no-one responding and he looked up. "Anyone?" He rubbed his tired eyes and started muttering. "What are we doing in here? Kens? Anyone?"
Kensi stretched her back and leaned on the table, watching Nell and Eric who worked in unison but both in silence as well. She let out a heavy sigh. "I dunno Deeks. I mean, every minute should be counting, yet we're still here and we don't know where to be or how to go… there." She paused for a moment. "I wished there was something we could do. Something —"
Her thoughts were interrupted by a long but decent whistle and she turned to the information analyst. "What you got, Eric?"
Her younger co-worker smiled. "Got a hit, guys. A ranger claims he noticed a motorhome like this one yesterday, near a small bush near the Kansas river. It's on the countryside, rather far from the nearest highway. He ignored it, since every now and then people tend to use parkings and go out for long hikes. He imagined—"
"Facts, Eric. No storytelling. Is it this Constanta's vehicle?"
"Don't know, Deeks. Could be, if we consider the route I mentioned before is the one they'd take. Though it is a countryside road, the man said."
"Can you contact this ranger, see what he noticed?" Kensi suggested.
Eric nodded. "You think we need to warn Hetty too?"
"Hetty knows, Mr. Beale. Make that call." The older woman pursed her lips, then continued. "Oh, and Miss Jones? Would you mind making the arrangements for yours truly for a fast flight to the inlands of Kansas, dear?"
"Will do so, Hetty. But don't you think we need anyone else? I mean.. shouldn't Deeks and Kensi come with you?"
Hetty inhaled slowly and audible, then sighed as she quickly made a decision. "Yes dear. That will be it. I suppose we could be there within…"
"Three and a half hour. That is, if you can leave in ten minutes from now." Eric said.
A nod came from Hetty. "While we are on our way, please contact the FBI in Kansas City and make sure they have a team ready. See to it they will have the same information we have."
On that, she turned around, knowing the two agents were following.
Thanks again, for reading. Please do let me know your thoughts about this story. Any review works fine!