"Callen, you don't have to do this."
The NCIS agent observed the young grad student curiously. "What are you talking about, Jenna?"
Jenna motioned to the closed bedroom door. "Giving into her whining and letting her go to Kayla's house. I know that protecting her outside of school and the apartment puts an extra strain on your team." While she wanted nothing more than for her niece to be able to spend time with her friends outside of school, Jenna didn't want it to come at the expense of the agents assigned to protect them, especially when Evie had been pestering Callen about it.
However, Callen shook his head. "She hasn't been whining. I told her the other day that if I heard her whine even once, she wouldn't leave the apartment other than to go to school or NCIS until further notice. She's been on her best behavior."
The girl in question chose that moment to open the bedroom door and step into the room. She'd donned a one-piece swimsuit and a pair of denim shorts and held a brush, comb, and hair ties in one hand. "Aunt Jenna? Would you please braid my hair?"
Jenna patted the cushion beside her. "Come on."
Evie wasted little time in settling on the sofa, handing the tools to Jenna. She closed her eyes in content when she felt Jenna begin to pass the brush through her hair.
Hearing her niece's satisfied sigh, Jenna chuckled under her breath. Evie had enjoyed having her hair done since she'd been a toddler. Satisfied that the girl's hair was tangle-free and as smooth as she could manage with a brush, she switched to the comb and began pulling a small section back, intending to make a French braid. "You know," Jenna mused, "I really ought to let Callen do this."
Callen quickly shook his head. "Yeah, I don't really know how to do hair."
"I'll teach you the basics," Jenna pressed.
Cracking one eye open, Evie pressed her lips together, unamused. "I don't think so."
Jenna laughed out loud. "Why not? Don't you think your father should know how to fix your hair, Evie?"
"Sure. But I have to go out in public with this hair!"
Amused, Callen took a step forward from where he'd been standing, eyes twinkling. "That sounds like a challenge…"
Evie opened her other eye and stared straight-faced at Callen. "Not funny."
Callen's expression was one of amusement, but he stayed where he was. Evie was about to close her eyes again when she felt Jenna's fingers untangle from her hair. Twisting to look at the woman, Evie frowned. "Aunt Jenna…" she whined softly.
"That's not a whine I hear, is it?" Callen asked mildly, folding his arms over his chest as Evie turned quickly to look at him wide-eyed as she realized her mistake. "I must have misheard you, because if I did hear you whine, you would quickly find your sleepover plans cancelled for tonight."
"Uh…" stammered Evie.
"I'm still going to braid your hair, Evie," Jenna reassured her. "This is a good opportunity to show Callen how to make a simple braid, though. Here, Callen, come watch."
Callen moved to stand behind Jenna.
"First, it's best to make sure the hair is tangle-free," Jenna explained as she ran the hairbrush through Evie's hair to make sure her previous efforts hadn't left any tangles. "After that, you want to separate the hair you're braiding into three equal sections. You can start with the left or right side, but you'll take that section and move it into the middle. The section that was originally in the middle will get moved to the side. Then, you take the opposite side, and move that into the middle." She modeled with Evie's hair as she continued to instruct. "Then, it's just a matter of alternating left and right, or right and left, always moving an outside section into the middle. Once the braid is long enough, use a hair tie to secure it and you're set."
It seemed basic enough to Callen as he nodded in understanding.
Jenna unraveled the braid and rose from the sofa. "Here," she said to Callen, patting the cushion she'd just vacated. "You give it a try."
He wasn't sure about this, but Callen took a seat behind Evie, reaching out for the brush Jenna had set on the coffee table. It didn't escape his notice that Evie had tensed up. He understood enough about girls to get the whole 'gotta look perfect' mentality, even if he didn't entirely understand it, but he still thought her worrying was silly. Carefully, he slid the brush through her hair, making sure not to tug in the event that he ran into a tangle. To his surprise, he watched the tension melt from Evie's body right around the same time he heard her sigh softly. A chuckle escaped before he could stop it.
Although Evie's hair seemed tangle-free, Callen continued to brush her hair for another minute, allowing Evie to further relax. When he finally set down the brush, he made to separate her hair into three sections just as Jenna had modeled, his fingers moving with the greatest care. "Are you still put out that I'm messing with your hair?"
"Eh."
Despite Callen's prior reservations, he decided that braiding wasn't that difficult – at least, the way Jenna had shown him wasn't complicated. It seemed like she was doing something fancier before. In another minute, he'd tied a hair band at the bottom of the braid. Checking out his handiwork, he thought in satisfaction that he'd done a decent job. Still, he wasn't the best judge. "So, how did I do?" he asked Jenna.
Jenna nodded in approval. "I'm impressed. Evie, come take a look."
Callen sat back and relaxed a moment as Jenna motioned Evie into the bathroom and handed her a small round mirror. He was sure Evie would still want Jenna to redo her hair, but at least he had one trick up his sleeve now if Evie ended up living with him.
It was a conversation he and Jenna had had on several occasions, typically after Evie had gone to bed at night. Callen had come to the conclusion that he wanted to be in Evie's life on a daily basis. He had a stressful job, and he didn't have a spouse to help, but he did have his friends at work who he knew would support him. If Sam and Michelle could make it work, he figured he could as well.
However, Callen also recognized that at the age of ten, Evie deserved to have a say in her living situation. He hoped Evie felt the same way he did and wanted to join him in California, but if she wanted to live with Jenna instead, he wouldn't stand in her way, and he'd support her regardless.
The two ladies in question exited the bathroom a moment later, and he watched as Evie approached him hesitantly. "What's wrong?" he asked at once as leaned forward in concern, noticing the way she was tugging on her lower lip with her teeth.
"I just, uh, wanted to say thank you for braiding my hair," Evie replied in a soft voice. "It looks nice."
"You're welcome," he said honestly. "You sure you don't want Jenna to redo it? I'm sure she could do a better job."
Evie shook her head. "It's perfect." Closing the space between them, she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry for fussing," she whispered.
Callen gently tugged the girl down so she was sitting beside him then pulled her to his side in a hug. "Apology accepted," he whispered in return in her ear as she curled up against him.
Moving to sit on the coffee table, Jenna put her hands on her thighs and looked at Evie. "Do you have your bag packed for tonight?" Evie nodded. "Good. Let's talk quickly about the rules while you're at Kayla's house."
Evie made a face, but she held back the whine on the tip of her tongue. Callen might have given her a pass before, but she was positive he wouldn't be so generous a second time, and there was no way she was missing Kayla's sleepover. "I always listen to Kayla's parents," Evie reminded her, careful to keep her voice even.
"I know you do," Jenna agreed. "However, circumstances are different right now, and I'm not just worried about whether or not you're listening to Mr. and Mrs. Renard. You need to follow every direction that Callen gives you without question. The same goes for Agent Blye or any other agent there. Their job is to protect you, and they cannot do their job if you don't listen."
She couldn't push aside the frustration she felt over being treated so 'childishly.' Not thinking about the consequences, Evie rolled her eyes. "I'm not a baby," she huffed. "I know how to behave out in public."
The hand that had been wrapped around Evie's shoulder moved, but she didn't think anything of it until she felt a sharp sting on the back of her thigh. "Ow!" she squeaked, scooting away from Callen as she glared at him accusingly.
Leaning forward, Callen rested his elbows on his knees as he turned to address Evie. "You've got two choices here, Evie," he said calmly. "You can lose the attitude, listen carefully to what your aunt is telling you, and have fun at Kayla's, or you can continue with the huffing and complaining and you'll stay home. Which is it going to be?"
"Sorry, Aunt Jenna," Evie mumbled, rubbing her thigh.
"If you do not listen to what the agents are telling you, they will bring you home. Is that clear?"
Evie nodded quickly.
"All right. Grab your bag, and we'll head over to Kayla's."
Evie felt tired but happy as she slid out of the car. She'd had a great time at Kayla's, and while she hadn't gotten much sleep, she'd almost felt normal for the first time since her mom had died. As Jenna, Callen, and Sam accompanied her toward the apartment, Evie figured she'd have a chance to rest for a little bit once inside.
They were mere feet from the apartment door when a hand quickly wrapped around Evie's arm, halting her movement. Evie's gaze darted up to Callen, both confused and startled, but the only response she got was a hand held up motioning her to stop before moving to his face, a lone finger pressed against his lips. Desperate to understand what was happening, Evie turned her attention to Jenna, who had stilled beside her. Sam had his hand up as well. Just beyond him, Evie could see the slightly ajar door to Jenna's apartment. It took her a moment to process the sight, but as realization dawned on her she felt her eyes widen. Subconsciously she took a step closer to Callen.
Both men already had their guns out, and Sam silently pushed the door open, gun in front of him. Though Evie couldn't see much of the apartment from where she stood, she could see a mess on the floor. She watched as Sam turned back to them and nodded behind them. Evie had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but apparently Callen did, because he turned her around, guiding her to the stairs. She wanted to ask what they were doing, but she was kind of scared to do so.
No one spoke until the four were back in the car. It was at that point that Sam pulled out his cell phone.
"What's going on?" Jenna asked, reaching out to squeeze Evie's hand in comfort.
"Someone's been in your apartment," Callen explained, turning around to look at Jenna and Evie. "It could be completely unrelated, but we aren't going to take that chance. Sam and I are taking you both back to NCIS until we can get you to a safe house. Gibbs and his team will check out your apartment, and once they've cleared it, Kensi and Deeks will collect whatever you need from there."
The mood in the car was tense, and silence reigned, other than Sam's hushed phone conversation as Callen pulled out of the parking lot. Evie figured the agent was speaking with Gibbs, though he hadn't mentioned any names. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared at that point. Being with Callen had been comforting and she'd began to feel a little safer. She was convinced without a doubt that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. However, realizing someone had been in Jenna's apartment rattled her. Who had broken in? Were they looking for her? What if she'd been home?
Evie heard her phone ding, indicating a new text message. Letting go of Jenna's hand she pulled the device out of her pocket, expecting to find a message or funny picture from one of her friends. She'd gladly welcome the distraction from this most recent turn of events. However, the number was one she didn't recognize, and the message was cryptic.
'We know you have it.'
She wasn't sure what 'it' was or who 'we' referred to, and normally she would have ignored a text from an unknown number, but for some reason she felt compelled to respond this time. 'Who is this?' she typed.
Several photos appeared in the message thread in rapid succession. The first two photos showed Jenna – one at the college and one outside her apartment building. The next two photos featured Callen, and Evie saw herself in one of the photos. It was clear that none of them had known they were being photographed. Evie wasn't sure how anyone had even taken photos of them without being caught, since Callen and his team had been watching them like hawks. However, she didn't have time to ponder that as a fifth image appeared, this one creepier than the rest. It was a photo of the floor inside her house, or more specifically, of the bloodstain on the floor. At that point, it was clear to Evie who was texting her.
Unable to stop herself, Evie let out a gasp.
"Evie? What is it?"
The child looked up to realize she'd caught the attention of the other occupants of the car. Jenna and Sam had both turned to look at her, and Callen was glancing at her in the rearview mirror. She knew she should be honest and probably even hand her phone over to Agent Hanna, but something stopped her. Evie shook her head. "It's just Kayla," she lied, the words rolling off her tongue with ease. "She's had a crush on Shane DeMarco for weeks, and Flynn Baker told Hannah Garcia who told Kayla that Shane likes her."
She watched Callen blink in the mirror. "You're in fourth grade…" he muttered.
"So?" Evie asked, resisting the urge to look down at her phone as she heard it ding again. "Hannah and Flynn have been going out for over a month now."
Callen coughed loudly, the unwelcome image of a boy trying to make a move on his daughter flooding his mind. Once he'd calmed enough to speak, he raised an eyebrow. "Well, let me dismiss any notions you might have right now of dating before you're thirty."
Evie rolled her eyes slightly. "And you say I'm dramatic…" She took advantage of this opportunity to glance down at her messages again and felt her blood freeze.
'You have 48 hours to bring it to us, or they will meet the same end that your mother did. If you tell anyone, we will kill them and anyone else standing in our way.'
Oh my god.
Those three words repeated over and over in her head. She couldn't even begin to think straight. It was clear she couldn't say anything to Callen, Sam, or Jenna, and she couldn't even react without alerting them. Panic began to take over her body and she struggled to deal with the situation internally. She desperately needed a couple of minutes to herself.
"I need to go to the bathroom," she blurted out suddenly.
Callen glanced once again in the rearview mirror, surprised by the random announcement. "We'll be at NCIS in about twenty minutes," he told her. "Once we're there…"
"No!" Evie interrupted with such urgency that she surprised the others. "I can't wait twenty minutes. I need to go to the bathroom now!"
"Pull over at the next gas station," Sam told Callen.
Five minutes later, Evie entered a convenience store escorted by Callen. Sam had previously checked to make sure that the single-person women's restroom was vacant and that there weren't any safety issues.
"I'll be waiting right here," Callen told Evie.
The ten-year-old rushed into the restroom before closing and locking the door. Ignoring the fact that the restroom floor was probably teeming with all sorts of bacteria and other germs, she pressed her back against one wall and slid down until she was seated on the floor, knees pulled to her chest. There, she wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees, taking deep breaths.
The people who had murdered her mother clearly wanted something from her. From the pictures, it was also clear that someone had been following them for more than a day. If they could follow any of them for that period of time without being detected, Evie had no doubts that they could carry through on their threats to hurt Jenna and Callen. She couldn't stomach the thought of losing someone else.
However, for the life of her Evie couldn't figure out what it was that the men wanted. 'It' was a rather vague descriptor. It wasn't as if Evie had any media of the murder. No photos, no videos, no audio tapes. What did they think she had that was worth the threats? The idea that they were making it up just so they could get her alone and kill her crossed her mind.
Evie knew it would be hard to get away, if she could figure out what it was they wanted. She certainly wouldn't be able to slink off once at NCIS, and she had no idea where the safe house would be, so she couldn't decide whether or not she'd be able to run off without being detected.
She didn't feel much better, but Evie knew Callen would start knocking on the door soon if she didn't hurry. She went ahead and used the toilet, since she was there anyway, and took an extra minute after washing her hands to splash cold water on her face. Taking a deep breath, Evie told herself that she would figure things out. She had to.
Whatever happened, she was NOT going to lose Callen or Jenna.