Chapter 10
Detour
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Disclaimer: Yes, it is a great team that Shane Brennan and CBS offered us. Very grateful to use them for the storyline, but they're never mine!
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Somewhere else || one hour later
Callen squinted from the sudden burst of light that reached his eyes. Though still feeling sick when moving too fast, he did scan the surroundings and his own position. Without giving away any of his inner feelings, he was surprised to find himself in the backseat of a grey car which was parked inside a trailer.
Great find. If only he wasn't the one who was held captive.
But then, now he definitely knew it was Paul Angelo he dealt with and Callen realized Angelo was a great agent as well. Inwardly, he corrected his own thoughts. Angelo had been a great agent.
By now, he was a great opponent. A sly and unpredictable opponent.
Callen hoisted himself up to get out of the car, his body still reluctant to follow his mind, but he hád to look around, hád to find out more.
Now he finally stood up, he saw how the car stood securely lashed inside the trailer. It was driven in from the same way Paul Angelo had entered the trailer as well: from the backside.
"Were you listening at all, Callen?" The nearly black and narrow eyes of the former NCIS agent showed nothing of emotion. These eyes were carefully observing the still groggy man opposite of him though. The man who was now controlled by him.
Well, he did have some assistance from two companions. Just in case this blue eyed agent with his great reputation, a legend in several agencies, would outsmart him.
Callen blinked his eyes several times. Not only to clear his head. It was clearer already, clearer than he wanted Angelo to think. He needed to win time. Time to find out where he was, to find out what had happened exactly. Perhaps he could provoke Angelo and try to overrule the other man.
The smallest, yet all-knowing smile appeared on Paul Angelo's face when he said "You don't want to talk? Well, that's up to you. But you see, Callen, there's so much more about you I know. If you want to play the game, we will. If not, it's quite easy. I do prefer some competition, you know. But eventually, it'll be ME who wins the game. And you want to know why? Because I will always be the one who knows something about you that you want to know too. Something that will surprise you. It'll always be your weak spot."
Slowly, Callen closed his eyes again. How many times had he heard things like this? It was true, things had taken another turn than he – than the team – had expected beforehand. And yes, he wanted to know more. Know now.
In a flat voice he queried "How come you knew we would be here?"
A loud snigger sounded. "You're so predictable, G. Callen. I know – we knew – you did this before. Remember, when your dear boss disappeared to Prague? It was you who came running after her. And you only, Callen. The team followed you."
He was confused. "But—"
With a sly grin the other man interrupted. "Yeah. Like I said. WE knew. And you know what, Callen? I'll leave you to ponder over that one." he told. Then he said rather matter-of-factly: "Now, I had expected the tiny evil witch would not survive. But she's tougher than I imagined."
A short, grim smile appeared on Callen's face. "In the end she'll be the last person you will see before you'll face death."
He saw it coming - the look on Angelo's face changed so soon. In the blink of the eye the man lost control. Aggression took over and the sudden hard punch on his left shoulder made Callen fall back against the car. Instinctively he knew something in his shoulder – that same shoulder that was already hurt - was dislocated. There was no instant pain, probably because of the drugged feeling that still controlled his system. Still, he grunted and clenched his jaw. No matter this man called him predictable, Paul Angelo was exactly the opposite. And perhaps more dangerous than Callen expected.
Calmly now, Angelo continued: "As I said, Callen, you should freshen up. No foolish actions. Boris and Alek will be around too. We've got some more hours to go and I'd hate to see you would, how shall I say, take a sanitary stop in my car."
He then motioned with a gun he'd taken. "Get up on your feet and do exactly as I say."
Whatever it was Paul Angelo wanted from him, Callen had already decided he'd find out by doing exactly the things Angelo would never expect him to do. Playing the game, like Angelo mentioned. Well, he'd get what he wanted. Callen himself called it 'turn the table' and it had everything to do with switching roles. He'd feign ignorance. In the end, the others would start explaining, would want to share. It was a game Callen played many times before and so far, it worked.
So, when Paul Angelo repeated his command, Callen simply obeyed. Wobbly he got up and started walking.
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Vuhledar || Ukraine
"Sam, he's finally waking up."
Kensi noticed how the older man started to move as he regained consciousness. So far, she had been in the small den with Theo Roslare, observing the street from the backside of the house. Sam and Deeks had put the man on the sofa and opened the windows.
Wise and green eyes opened widely when the name 'Sam' was mentioned.
Sam sent the man a comforting nod and forced himself to smile when he said "You don't have to be afraid. I already know you called with my co-worker Nell and she warned me. We already know somebody else came—"
Roslare nodded but moaned as nausea took over. Kensi offered him a glass of water. It took a minute before the man was able to speak again. More monotonous he now spoke "She told me a man called Sam would come for Gilles Carlson. He was here soon, very soon. I let him in. He held a briefcase and when he opened it, I was not—I mean, he did not look or act suspicious."
Kensi got up and switched places with Hetty. After all, she figured she and Deeks were in the best shape to keep an eye on what went round the house. She overlooked what would be the backyard, which bordered the main street through the village. They had come in from the other entrance. The front door was one of the nine in a quiet side street.
She heard the man talk "He came in a grey car. A plain, grey sedan." Then, Sam asked if he could describe the man who came. "Asian, but American too. Well dressed."
Kensi knew enough. She'd known all the time, from the moment Hetty explained she had gone to visit him – of course it was Paul Angelo. And in one way or another, he had managed to trace Callen to this house. Like Deeks had expected before, it was with a cell phone that did not belong to Theo Roslare.
She looked at her partner. "You think Eric can trace a car like he just described?"
Deeks shrugged. "I'd better ask him, right?"
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NCIS Office of Special Projects || Los Angeles
"Really Deeks? That's all you have?" Eric leaned back in his chair, listening to what Deeks had to tell. "Grey, Sedan… No number plates?"
Meanwhile, he had opened two computer programs. The first was designed by one of the other agencies and it spotted about every traffic camera on the world. The other was a program that enabled them to calculate and estimate the time it would take for a car to reach another point.
Eric worked fast. He scrolled through the reports and updates he and Nell had already entered in the e-file systems and he soon found the address he was looking for.
Now he and Nell would have to work fast to deduct. "We'll be back with you Marty. And we'll make it soon."
He disconnected and looked at his partner. She shove back a strand of hair and already worked her keyboard. "Seeing the size of this gas container and the way the drug works, I'd say it was used about an hour before the others found Theo Roslare. So, what we're looking for is around is a start at… camera one 3.15 in the afternoon, Ukraine time. Next passage should be driving in to the village estimated at 3.28 PM."
Both of them watched the fast forward of a camera feed that was legally obtained. After some short moments, Nell shook her head. "Nothing." She faced her partner and repeated "There's nothing I saw. You?"
Eric sighed. "Let's try again. Slow now." Unwittingly he adjusted his glasses. A small frown appeared on his face. "It looks like…" he stopped the feed, stood up and pointed on the big screen. "This could be the one. But that truck simply then simply blocks it."
He fixed the screen and tried to enhance the picture.
"It might be the one. Might also not be…" Nell raised her brow. "Trace it further backward. It should be clearer from 2.48 on at one camera earlier. If it's been driven on the same road, of course."
Eric looked at her, confused. "We'd better go forward. There's a cam at 3 minutes", he pointed at the system which covered the town of Vuhledar. "Which ever is the route they want to go, the car should pass this point."
"Let's have it run simultaneously," Nell suggested.
It proved to be the best solution in the end. It took only two minutes to find what they needed. Amazed by the ingenuity of it all, Nell took her phone, put it on speaker and called Deeks.
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Vuhledar || Ukraine
"He is—he never was a journalist, right?" Theo Roslare shook his head, knowing he was right. Immediately he felt sick and he grabbed the empty fruit bowl Kensi had put there. Once he got his breathing back under control he repeated "Right?"
"That's correct Mr. Roslare," was all that Hetty confirmed. She had taken a seat at the chair that Roslare himself had put there.
"So. Who is he? Who are you, what are you?" His wise green eyes observed the mysterious small and older woman next to him, trying to label her. Then he sent her a satisfied smile and said "Of course. CIA, or something like that. I should've known." He paused a second and continued softer, "So he lives a dangerous life. That's why he was so... fearless. Eager to find out more about his opponents, who were after him. And those terrible scars..."
She nodded, looked away and responded sadly: "The boy never had an easy life."
Theo Roslare scraped his throat. "My son - our son - would have had about the same age. He…Our boy died when he was 23. A stupid accident when he came home in between two semesters, wanting to help me, his dad. He died back there in the fields. Maria, my wife, never got over it. She left me, left life, 5 months later."
He bit his lips. "This man Gilles, I don't think he used his real name, reminded me of our boy. Our Georg. I'd like to think Georg would have grown up like—like your man."
Both of them were quiet, then Roslare went on: "You need to find him. I suppose men like him, people like the other ones you have in here, are special." He let out a loud breathe through his nose and added "Perhaps the man whose name I don't know will once safe your city."
Again, Hetty slowly nodded. "He did that already. Several times in fact, Mr. Roslare."
There wasn't anything she needed to add. It was an awkward situation to hear a total stranger talk about Callen in an affectionate way and it made her feel strangely proud.
"But you are right. We need to find him, and find him soon. He may be not aware of the danger he is facing. Besides, we are hours and hours behind of him."
Then Deeks peeked around the corner and asked "A word please, Hetty?"
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Vuhledar || Ukraine
A gas station. Perfect, Callen thought. Like everywhere he'd been so far, gas stations had safety cameras, both on the inside as on the outside. Things would be the same in this OKKO-station. He quickly scanned the filling station and the shop and café that went with it. Number 0401. Callen recollected the number would correspond with the road number. Which meant they were on route T0401. The road from Donetsk to Sebastopol.
"No tricks, Callen. I know them all, remember?" Angelo sent him a knowing glance.
He sighed unnoticed. Callen realized all too well that Paul Angelo had the same training and he had been good in what he did too.
So far, Paul Angelo had been able to keep himself out of sight for any outsiders. He still did, even now when he was with him. Would there be a moment Angelo would make a mistake? Or that Callen could find a moment to contact anyone who could help?
Thanks for reading. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter, the story and how it will or should go on!