The first ten chapters of this story have generated almost one hundred reviews. I can't tell you how much that means to me. There are so many others who have set up alerts and favourites. My sincere thanks go to all of you.
Now that we have had the 100th episode (which I loved because I am the biggest Callen fan) I can see the potential for a sequel to An Eye for An Eye. It has opened up so many possibilities and I like the tentative connection they are starting to build between Callen and Deeks. Hopefully there is some interest in me continuing that story.
Odyssey
Chapter Eleven
Odyssey - An extended adventurous voyage or trip
The murderous fury coursing through Deeks' body was in stark contrast to his normal relaxed view of life. He'd spent his formative years surrounded by his father's unpredictable violence and his mother's incomprehensible assertions that his father was a good man whose nature had been soured by circumstances. What those circumstances might be had never been explained and, even at a young age, Deeks had known that his father was nothing more than a drunken bastard. He'd never regretted firing the shot that brought the reign of terror to an end. Occasionally he regretted that it hadn't been fatal.
His time in foster care, while the system decided what to do with him, had been relatively short. His time in counselling had been longer and more painful. At the end of it he'd made some fundamental decisions which translated into finding a career where he could help people, and avoiding deep personal entanglements. He tried to tell himself that the urge to gut Adam Wheller for getting between him and Kensi was just normal concern for a partner. Unfortunately, he knew that was a lie.
His continual pacing around the room was doing nothing to ease the pain in his ribs. His stomach was tied in a knot that nothing could loosen and he couldn't turn his mind from the fear that Kensi had been taken because Taban intended to rape her. He threw a venomous glare in Wheller's direction and tried to bring his churning emotions under control.
The light outside the windows had faded casting most of the room in deep shadow. Deeks retreated as far away from the other prisoners as possible and sank to the floor. A measure of sanity had returned to his thoughts, reminding him that he wasn't without resources. He activated his comlink.
"Callen? Sam?" He kept his voice low, still reluctant to share the fact that he had contacts outside the walls.
"Deeks, listen up." Sam answered immediately sounding unusually strained. "They've got Callen and it looks like they're getting ready to leave."
"What? How?"
"No time to explain. I've called in the SEAL team. They're still over an hour away so I'll stay in over watch position until they arrive. How many for extraction?"
"Three in addition to our team. Wheller and a civilian couple who've been held for over a year."
"What about the naval personnel who were captured with Wheller?"
"There aren't any. We weren't told the truth, Sam. Whoever this guy is, he isn't NCIS."
"Why doesn't that surprise me? Last time I spoke to Hetty she told me Granger was there and that usually means trouble."
"I'll see what I can find out from Wheller."
"Alright. One more thing. Callen's hurt. I'm relying on you to protect him during the rescue mission."
"I'll do my best." He waited for the usual snarky response, knowing that Sam saw him as the weak link in the team.
"I know you will."
The calm acceptance was almost enough to unnerve him. Things must be really bad for Sam to forego the opportunity to make him feel inferior. "Talk to you later, Sam."
Deeks leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, wincing at the throbbing ache around his left eye socket. The news of Callen's recapture added another layer of worry and difficulty to their situation. It could, however, explain why they'd taken Kensi although he didn't think Taban would give much consideration to Callen's well-being. Their team leader's survival could only lead to more awkward questions. It meant that, like it or not, he needed Wheller as an ally. It was an effort of will to get back to his feet and would be even harder to have a civilized conversation with Wheller but he had to put personal feelings aside.
"What makes you so important?" Deeks asked when he reached the corner of the room where Wheller sat.
"Who says I'm important?" Wheller asked flatly.
"We were sent in to locate you so that you could be rescued. There's a SEAL team on its way right now. Only trouble is we were fed a bull-shit story about you being an NCIS agent who'd recently lost his wife. That means you're important enough to have your real identity protected. How about you tell me the truth so that we can work together?"
"I don't play well with others."
"I noticed." Despite his good intentions Deeks could feel his temper rising again. "Let me make a few things clear. My first priority lies with my team."
"You and your team are expendable," Wheller interrupted. "I've got vital information that could save thousands of American lives."
That answered some of his questions and he wasn't going to do anything to put others in jeopardy just because of an intense personal dislike. "We can get that information out now. I'm in contact with one of my colleagues." He gestured toward his ear to indicate the method of contact.
Although Wheller looked surprised he shook his head. "You don't have clearance."
"Really?" Deeks asked incredulously. "We're locked up in a pirate stronghold surrounded by armed men and at risk of getting shot and you tell me I don't have clearance?"
"I don't make the rules."
"You risked your life to get your information into safe hands. You know the rescue could fail or you could be killed. What happens then?"
Wheller stood up to confront him. "How do I know I can trust you? Or whoever you're working with? What proof is there that you work for NCIS?"
Deeks thought back to the conversation he'd just had with Sam. "My Assistant Director is Owen Granger." He saw a look on Wheller's face that convinced him the name wasn't unfamiliar. "You know him? What are you? CIA? NSA?"
"None of your business."
"Well?" Deeks asked impatiently. "Are we going to do this or are you really as dumb as you look?"
Although Weller's glare was unfriendly he did give a reluctant nod.
"Good." Deeks activated his comlink again. "Sam? There's something you need to hear."
NCISLA
"How is he?"
Kensi finished taping the fresh dressing over Callen's wound before acknowledging Taban's question. She nodded to the guard who had helped roll her team leader over and keep him still while she had worked with the inadequate medical supplies. The large man was surprisingly gentle when repositioning Callen on the bed.
"Not good." The wound was weeping foul-smelling pus and livid red tendrils were radiating in all directions across the back of Callen's leg. "He needs to be in a hospital." She dipped a cloth in the bowl of tepid water and gently wiped Callen's face.
His eyes were barely open and his lips were dry and cracked. He squinted up at her. "Kens…" He furrowed his brow before starting to look panicked.
"What did he say?" Taban demanded.
"He thinks I'm his wife," Kensi said hurriedly. "Her name's Kennis."
Taban leaned over so that his mouth was very close to her ear. "I don't believe you." He lifted a strand of her hair and let it flow over his fingers. "I think I will enjoy finding out who you really are."
"Get your hands off her." Callen's voice was desperately weak.
Kensi was encouraged by the spark of recognition in Callen's eyes. "It's alright, Jared. He's not going to hurt me."
Her use of his alias seemed to increase his hold on lucidity. "Where's Scott?" he stammered.
"Upstairs. Do you remember what happened?" She was taking a risk with Taban listening avidly by her side.
His gaze strayed from her to Taban and back. "Shot. Leg hurts. Men came…" he shrugged helplessly. "Sorry. Was supposed to protect you."
"You failed," Taban said, sneering at Callen. "Now, we leave."
"He's not well enough to be moved," Kensi protested.
"Then I will shot him here." Taban drew his gun, pointing it at Callen's head.
"No!" Kensi scrambled to her feet to stand protectively in front of Callen.
"Interesting. I haven't met many women brave enough to face a gun without crying and begging for mercy. Maybe I will keep you." He lowered the gun and stepped back. "Nadif," he called.
Kensi recognized the man who answered. He had been her guard when they had first arrived. He was older than most of the other pirates and she assumed he was Taban's lieutenant. With the stance of a fighter and numerous scars on his face and arms he wasn't to be underestimated. Taban was clearly issuing orders although she couldn't understand what he was saying. There was an immediate flurry of activity. Two men lifted Callen from the bed, ignoring his cries of pain when he was roughly hauled from the room. She hurried along behind, relieved that no-one seemed intent upon separating them.
When she reached the door she heard footsteps on the stairs and stopped to look. Karen and Vincent Morgan were hustled past her. When Karen tried to slow down she was dragged away. She waited fearfully, not convinced that Deeks wouldn't have done something recklessly stupid. When she saw him walking down the stairs her breath escaped in a shuddering sigh of relief. He looked dreadful but still managed to give the crooked smile that always made her heart soar. Both he and Wheller had been bound and were under heavy guard. It was clear that Taban wasn't going to take any further risks.
She followed them outside. All the hostages had been separated and put in different vehicles. Callen was in the back of a flat-bed truck, propped uncomfortably in a corner. His right wrist had been shackled to a metal ring embedded in the wooden floor of the vehicle. He looked barely conscious.
"You will travel with him," Taban said, pointing to Callen.
He helped her to climb into the truck. She sat down, putting an arm around Callen to steady him. Seconds later the vehicle lurched into motion, heading away from the town and deeper into the hills.
Tbc
