Callen stayed to himself the rest of the day, rereading the report Hetty had given him earlier. He was now on his twelfth read. "Hey Sam, I'm heading home now."

"It's early."

"Tired."

"Talkative as usual, G."

"I'll see you at home, we'll talk then." He strode toward his car, taking the report with him. Just before he inserted the key into his car door a knife was pointed to the side of his neck.

"Hands behind your back, slow, nice and slow," the hoarse voice said.

The man's voice sounded familiar. He knew to obey him because what came next would be shear torture if he didn't.

"Nice."

He heard and felt his hands being locked into zip ties. A hood slipped over his head. And finally he was manhandled into the back of a familiar van. The sickeningly sweet smell of chloroform came closer to his face. He struggled to move his head further away from it. A hand smacked him on the back of the head, removed the hood, grabbed his hair, as short as it was, and shoved his face into the chloroform covered rag. He fought the effects for several minutes before passing out.

Callen came to in a musty smelling room. The hood back on his head. A cold floor under his now naked body. Cool air wafted over his buttocks. He shivered. His hands were still tied behind him.

"Get up you slimy piece of shit!" The man with a hoarse voice yelled at and kicked Callen in the left side.

"I can't."

"You will or I'll kick the shit out of you."

He rolled over into a sitting position trying to avoid another kick.

"Get up shit head!" The man kicked him in the back right above his hands.

"What the hell do you want from me? How the hell am I supposed to stand like this?"

The man yanked Callen to his feet by his hair.

He tried to scream but the man punched him in the gut knocking the breath out of him. "What… do you want?" he asked with labored breathing.

"You."

"Huh?"

"Don't act so stupid. I want you beaten down and destroyed. You and your buddies got me arrested. You know what a stink that caused for me? Do you?" He kneed Callen in the groin.

He fell down on his knees yelping. "You bastard! I hate you."

"Good, cause I rather hate you too. Take him."

"Where?"

"Shut up or get kicked again."

Callen went limp in their arms, resisting lead to more abuse.

"That's it surrender to your second session. You're going to love this one. I promise." He snickered. "Put him on the wheel. Secure him."

Now was the time to fight. Before he could think of fighting back he needed his hands free. When they untied him he started to fight them. A bullet whizzing by his left ear stopped him cold. Guns? His father never used guns before. Many hands grabbed him. Panic seared through his gut. A blanket was wrapped his body and he was lifted into strong arms. Sam. The smell was familiar. He sighed.

Sam settled G on the back seat of the car. He pulled the hood off of his head. "All right?"

"Not sure."

"Where are you hurting?"

"Mostly my left side."

Sam turned G to his right side. "He kicked you?" He noted the footprint of a shoe there.

He nodded.

"I think this should be checked out at the hospital."

"I won't argue with you."

"That's a first."

"I feel like shit."

Sam covered him. "Here or the front seat?"

"Here is fine. Thanks for coming for me."

"Not a problem. Kensi, you riding back with Deeks?"

"Hetty says two to a car, no splitting up partners."

"Got you. See you at the hospital?"

"Yeah."

Sam climbed into the front seat and locked all the doors. He kept his eyes on G all the way to the hospital. About ten minutes out he noticed his partner's skin paled. "G, stay with me." When he saw his partner's eyes roll back in his head, he pulled the car over and dialed 911. Afterward he dialed Kensi and Deeks.

"Call Hetty for me."

"She called us and is her way to the hospital."

"Call her again. Go to go."

The paramedics had arrived.