In case you're worried: Neither Callen, nor the NCIS-LA team, nor the Washington team or team Red belong to me. They all belong to CBS! I gladly use all characters and include only one of my own.

Chapter 10 | back in business

It was something that suddenly popped up in her dreams so it seemed. What if she had not listened careful enough?
Janvier, the Chameleon, had mentioned Paris so many times and here they were. But what if it had been a way to lure them away from Los Angeles? It was a thought she needed to share with Kensi and the others, as soon as she'd wake up again.
The rest of this first night in Paris was finally one filled with sleep.

/€/€/€/€/

They had agreed to meet at 'la Romantica Caffée', near the École Militaire and in a very touristic part of the city. It was one of the places Chris Young knew from her past. The place usually was crouded with a mix of tourists, employees of nearby offices and students of the military school, but at this time of the morning it was quite quiet.
Chris had managed to rent a motorbike for the next week, remembering how busy traffic in the city was and now waited at the sidewalk café for the others to arrive.
Meanwhile, she enjoyed watching people going by, feeling once more at home in the city. She probably looked like a true Parisienne as an older woman asked her in French if they could join her at this table and started an animated conversation about the fact that the Eifel Tower had been evacuated once more the day before.

From a distance, she saw the others walking towards the café, obviously unaware of her already being there. 'Blend in the surroundings' and it still worked, Chris thought with a smile. Her paranoia suddenly took over as she noticed a grey car that came from the same way as her team members and inched at the same pace as they were walking.
"Attendez s'il vous plait, je dois contacter une amie", she said to the lady as she called Kensi.

"Kensi, Chris speaking. I think you're being followed, so don't look back. Walk pass me, go inside the café. There's a side entrance as well, walk out right away. You'll see the large monumental building on the other side of the road. Go pass the entrance gates and into the building itself. It's a museum. I'll meet you in there."

Professional as she was, Kensi quickly mentioned to Tony and Grace to go inside straight away and they passed Chris without any glance of recognition.

"Vraiment pathétique. Pour les gardes c'est la énième fois ce qui se passé [really absurd. For the guards it's the umpteenth time this happens]", she reacted to the older woman, meanwhile discretely watching the car that stopped in front of the café indeed. Then she decided to call for the waiter to order. "Aimez-vous aussi un autre café? [would you also like another cup of coffee]" she asked the lady.
She took her purse and phone and took some pictures of the driver, hoping that the Los Angeles analysts received those indeed and were able to identify the person.
Chris went inside, paid and came back with the coffee. The car was still parked, probably waiting for the others to come out. Only minutes later, two men left the car, walked straight past her table and returned soon after. Again, she managed to get some pictures. Trying to focus on what the older lady was telling, she did hear them say in Russian to the driver 'oni ushli' [they're gone]. The men got in and after a slow drive past the café the car then accelerated and disappeared soon.

She simply needed to remember the number plate. After thanking the friendly lady, Chris Young stood up, walked around the block of buildings and went to the École Militaire to meet with Tony, Kensi and Grace.

/€/€/€/€/

Los Angeles, OSP NCIS, ops

"So, all of them were sent by her?" Nell asked Eric.

"And what does that tell you, Miss Jones?" As ever, both of them had not heard Hetty coming in.

"What?" Nell simply reacted.

"Both of you just noticed that there were seven pictures sent to your system, all of them by Miss Young. So, what does that tell you, I asked," Hetty repeated.

"She knows how to use the camera", Eric said, immediately shocked himself by this remark towards their office manager.

"She's well aware of her surroundings and is a sharp agent," Nell quickly said.

"And, Miss Jones, she knows how to use the camera. Now, Mr. Beale, what keeps you from running facial recognition programs?"
Hetty asked. It was good to hear those two bantering right now. She missed it and from what she could imagine, her other agents might not be in the mood for it at all.
"Let me know if you find something", she told the tech operator and analyst as she turned around, left the operations center and went downstairs to her own desk.

The simple fact that there were Russians in Paris who had recognized any team members had her worried. It was time she contacted Kensi Blye and tell her why she had made the decision to split up the team.
And again, she wondered why so many things had gone wrong these weeks and if she still was capable finishing this case to the end. All she could do is give advice.

/€/€/€/€/

Flight DL 8553

Even in the dim light of the early morning in the small jet on their way to Paris, the bruises on the very pale face of his younger coworker reminded Callen of what happened. Deeks had been in a deep sleep for the last few hours already. Well, he obviously needed it and Callen was glad the detective did not suffer from any nightmares right now, right here.
What worried him more was the fact that he had seen how Sam's hands had been trembling when he held a cup of tea and once again when they were having a meal on board.
His partner must have felt his gaze as he grumbled: "Still shaky indeed G. No need to mention it."

"You think it is wise Sam, the two of you doing this? I mean, look at Marty. And those side effects, how will you cope with all of them? I should have stopped you from joining me."

"That's crap and you know it. Hetty would never have allowed you to go alone. Besides, Deeks and I are perfectly able to do the things we supposed to be doing." This time it was Sam being stubborn.

"Never mind. I'll have your back, big fellow," Callen smiled.

"No need for that, G. We'll be a team as ever and we know what our mission is. Hunting down Sidorov." The determined face of his partner stopped Callen from making any further remarks. This whole thing would never have happened if he had been more resolute in his opinion on getting Janvier back to LA, or if he had been sharper in discovering what the guy was up to.

/€/€/€/€/

In one of the exhibition spaces of Hôtel des Invalides

"So it is Chris and me, you think?" Kensi was surprised by the call of Hetty. "The boathouse… what's next?" She was quiet for a while and listened, then she looked up at Chris. "Uh-huh. That's tonight. Yes, we'll plan something and let you know. Will Eric send us any intel?" Another pause. "Really! At my place. It's—it surprises me. Sure. Thanks"

"What was all that about?" Grace asked. "I mean… first this at that café and now what did you hear?"

"Hetty. Somebody managed to get through the secured fire walls and got sound and vids of people going in and out the boathouse. Some of them—got shot. The same somebody might have pictures of me and Chris."

"That boathouse where Marcel Janvier is staying?"

"The very same. Hetty had a team of LAPD take him out to another prison. Granger might also be a target and he's moved to a safe house."

"Let me guess. It is also why we're not all in the same hotel?" Grace said.

"So. I got the message. We just have to stay alive long enough to not get dead and get to find the bad guys before they find us?" Tony added.

"You might say that. One exception though. Chris is going straight in the belly of the beast tonight", Kensi said. "There's a formal reception at the Russian embassy tonight and it seems the highest powers managed to get a get together with lots of Russian businessmen. Guess who's invited too and has accepted the invitation?"

Guess who?
Your reviews are welcome, as ever!