Just a tiny chapter to tease you a little, because the last chapter is to arrive soon after this one...
Most of the time, Callen could hide his emotions pretty well. His teammates were taken by surprise he was shocked by the last sentence of Dracul Comescu.
Comescu definitely liked it, seeing Callen looking defeated as he was.
"She knew, Callen, that they would come. She didn't tell you, did she?"
He turned around, biting his underlip. Why hadn't she mentioned it? 'Why, Kat, why…'
"Callen?" He heard Kensi, but had not listened to what she asked. "Callen, we know the location where Katherine is. How soon do you think can we reach her?"
He was back in the game again.
"Take him with you, watch him carefully. I'll take the motorbike again, you can confiscate a cab and follow me".
Callen tried to deny what he heard in Romanian. "Tu va fi prea târziu, ea va fi plecat, Callen [You will be too late, she will be gone, Callen].
He knew his team would not understand these sentence. How come Comescu was so damn confident?
o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)
It was the radiating pain on the left part of her body that made her partly conscious of what was going on.
Waves of heat, alternated with cold shivers. She felt cold sweat on her forehead.
She felt it and she did not want to be awake. With every heartbeat the pain grew stronger. Kat wanted to lie down again and curl up, crawl back to the grey and the black, to a place she would not feel the pain anymore.
But there were voices and she heard somebody come closer to her. Kat felt strong arms trying to lift her.
"George?"
He had promised to come back for her after she sent him away to stop Comescu.
Instead of his voice, it was somebody elses.
"Георгe није ту. Где је Цаллен?" [George is not around. Where is Callen?]
She heard him and it took a while before her brain started to work better. Serbian.
"I don't know Callen."
The very moment she mentioned the name, she knew George MacAllen never existed. It was Callen, nearly the same. She had read his name once, in a report: Callen had killed Keelson. She remembered. Not that it was important. Not now.
Callen was not here, she was on her own and in no condition to get away from this man.
"You do know him. You were here together. Dracul showed it," the man said.
"Still, I don't know Callen," Kat repeated. She closed her eyes, tiredly. Deep down she regretted the fact she had not met Callen before or in another situation.
The large man cursed in Serbian, that much she heard.
"Платио сам за њега! И Даничић платио за вас. Треба обоје" [I paid for him! And Daničić paid for you. I need the both of you.]
When he angrily pulled her up, she cried out in pain.
Before she had a chance to do something, there was an enormous blast, knocking her to the floor. Something heavy fell on her and just before she passed out, her head seemed to explode.
o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)
He speeded ahead, getting back on the small and rocky road to the camp in the hills. The remarks Comescu made agitated him and deep down he knew something was completely wrong.
Callen knew his team would follow and they would keep a close watch on Comescu, all knowing how sly he could be.
Deeks had called Eric again, asking for the medical assistance from the mainland. They were supposed to arrive in half an hour by helicopter, and Eric had directed them straight to the encampment as well.
Callen wanted to be the first to arrive, able to get rid of Pranić if necessary.
Alone with his thoughts, there was the sound he knew too well; the cracking noise, followed by the sound of all kind of materials falling down.
Dreaded by what might have happened, the motorbike nearly slipped as he hurried to the cabin where he had left Kat.
Approaching the camp, he saw the helicopter on the parking lot. Behind it, he noticed that what he was afraid for to find, came true: the third cabin had been blown up, only some remnants were left.
Callen stopped for just a second, closed his eyes to prepare himself. Then, he breathed in deep, clenched his jaw, and stepped towards the rubble.
o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)
"Perhaps I should have told Juan is still around?"
The incidental remark of Comescu, who was sitting in the backseat next to Deeks, alarmed Sam. Would his partner expose himself to any danger? He tried to speed up on the small and winding road.
Kensi noticed the worry on his face. "Sam? Callen knows who is there, doesn't he?"
"Sure, he knows. But you and I don't and I don't like it at all".
The snigger from behind him made him wonder IF Callen was prepared for what might happen.
When he thought they were almost there, taking the next bend, he knew his gut feel was so right.
From this distance, he could see Callen walking towards a cabin that had only just exploded, clearly not aware from any danger left.
From behind the helicopter that was parked, there was a quick blink and Sam knew immediately there was somebody aiming a gun at his partner.
In a reflex, Sam horned, hoping to alarm Callen.
The reaction was far too slow. Callen's attention was drawn towards the car. The whistling sound they could hear belonged to the bullet that hit their teamleader.
Thanks for reading&reviewing,
Richtsje
