Eye to Eye
"What's our plan B? Because seriously, G, I don't see how we get to Moore."
Eye to Eye, chapter 14
Disclaimer: the characters of NCIS Los Angeles belong to CBS. The only thing that's all mine is the idea for this storyline.
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"I figure you're talking about this CIA agent Hetty mentioned."
Sam looked straight forward, knowing he'd wait until Callen would respond. This time, he did not have to wait very long.
Callen huffed softly and said in a flat voice "A CIA-agent with a Comescu as an ancestor. I didn't really take that one as easy as I should have."
Softer now, he added "And all I know is what I've seen. She is the one they took. And once they find out it's not Grace, well…" Callen did not need to finish his sentence.
"Does it mean — you feel you want to avenge this agent?" Sam was curious to know. After all, Callen was talking about the Comescu-clan in a way he did not expect.
He shrugged. "Maybe."
Was there a way he could explain to his friend what he hardly understood himself? That there had been unexpected feelings for Nika, that he had liked being around with her?
He kept his eyes avoided from his partner, knowing Sam had mastered the ability to read his mind during the past few years.
"Well, I sure do feel guilty," he confessed. "After I discovered she's one of them, I was rather harsh. Made her mad enough to leave the place, her place, and go to the beach, where Moore's men snatched her."
"Guilt doesn't mean it should change your job, does it? Remember we're in here to eliminate Moore, and do only that," Sam muttered. Then he added "We really need to discuss the plan as well, G, instead of just butting in."
"Get to Moore. By all means? What did Hetty tell us?" Callen switched into the agent-mode, as ever able to shove away and box all that might be personal.
A broad smile appeared on Sam's face and with that two deep dimples. "She prefers a so-called 'smooth arrest.' But if necessary, lethal action is authorized."
He nodded. "Ehm, and Sam, about a plan? I heard those guys talk about Joeri. So I figured that I could be Grisha and you and I could go in and ask for Joeri."
A glare came his way. Sam realized Callen could go in for any Russian, but it would be different for him. "And I would be?"
"Samuel will do fine. If Moore is involved, there will be more Americans. So, there have to be some men who won't be Russian or Ukrain. After all, Grace told me some marines of the fleet stationed in Ankara must have had something to do with this, since they were spotted in or around Shabla and Varna before they returned and were killed back in Turkey. Maybe one of them started to talk. Anyway, Grace was supposed to investigate in here. Which means it's okay if you're Samuel. As long as you keep quiet, stand behind me and don't try to speak Russian." Callen chuckled softly.
"What's our plan B? Because seriously, G, I don't see how we get to Moore."
Callen shook his head. "There's no plan B, I guess. The only thing I can think of is to contact the juniors who are supposed to enjoy their beach day. It's crucial we stick to the same story."
"Go on and humor me," Sam grumbled. "Just as long as you keep in mind we're going to enter that place in only some minutes from now. What's the story?"
"Joeri was the one who mentioned that 'they had the woman'. So if you were an American, and Moore is as well, you'd probably know the woman. Right?"
He frowned slightly and continued. "So I ask for Joeri, and ask him where to find Moore and the woman, since you're supposed to be there as well."
He paused a short second. "And well, despite they are dressed all the same, I don't think all of them are aware what's going on exactly. So, dressed like them, carrying the same weapons, acting as we belong with this gang, we'll probably be considered as one of them. In case someone hesitates — " he shrugged, "well, I'd say we'll shoot our way out."
"Creative," Sam commented.
"Listen, you don't have to do this," Callen stated, his clear blues fixed on the face of his partner.
A short huff came his way. "But it's what we do, right? So, give me one good reason why you should."
He tilted his head and chuckled once again in a way only he could. "How about because Hetty told us to arrest Moore?"
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NCIS Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles || local time
She concentrated on the intel on her screen and wondered if she needed to get in touch with the CIA contacts right now. Then Nell remembered Hetty had practically ordered her not to share the information she found, with anyone else but the woman who ran the Office of Special Projects, Hetty herself.
She jotted down some information and started a new search, deciding she might just as well use the CIA's personnel files.
Another half hour later, she shook her head, stretched her back and decided to go and see the Operations Manager.
"What' you're doing?" Eric asked as she got up.
She shrugged, pulling the dark red cardigan a little lower over her flowery dress. She knew it was impossible to hide anything for her partner, and her hazel eyes flashed to the sliding doors and back to Eric. "Some detecting. You know…" Nell rolled her eyes. "Something I should not share."
"Yet, Miss Jones, you feel the urge to share it anyway."
She spun on her heels and realized she should've known this would be happening. "Well…" she started, nervously biting the inside of her cheeks.
"Yes, dear?" A faint smile came from the older woman's eyes, more than it sounded in her voice.
"Well, there's nothing I found," Nell finally stated. "I mean, I have, but there's nothing out of the ordinary."
There was a short expression of approval on Hetty's face so Nell continued. She let her thumb go quickly over the screen of her tablet and looked up to the main screen.
"This is all we have on Nikola Reid."
An ID card for the CIA appeared on the screen, and on it a picture of a woman with, dark, wavy hair which just reached her shoulders, and the way she faced the camera, with the violet of the eyes and nearly shy smile, reminded Hetty of a young Elizabeth Taylor.
Then Nell quickly summarized what she had "Nikola Reid, 33 years old, nearly turning 34. Despite her age, she's one of the more experienced agents in Europe. She started with a great alias since she worked as a freelance journalist. The CIA was happy to enlist her because of her being bilingual Bulgarian and English and her ability to easily switch to other Slavic languages. Her father was Andrew Reid, a professor, and her mother, as we already know, a sister of Alexa Comescu, called Veronica. About this Veronica: she left home at a young age.
During the application period, Nikola, Nika in short, let her superiors know how her mother, Veronica, found out about the dark side of the Comescu family and decided she did not want to have anything to do with that."
She glanced at the others. "So, like I said, there's basically nothing."
Hetty smiled back at the younger woman. "Nothing, except for Mr. Callen's obvious doubts. I must say, usually his initial thoughts and feelings turn out to be right. For once, I am grateful that it's different this time. Thank you, Miss Jones. Now if you'd be so kind to send this information to the cellphones of your colleagues abroad?"
On that, she turned and left ops. Although the information Nell had come up with, sounded solid, there was a nagging feeling something still wasn't right. She heaved a deep sigh, shove behind the antique desk and stared ahead, not knowing what really bothered her.
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Black Sea || 6 miles from the Shabla shore
As Sam finally managed to navigate the small and grey rescue boat parallel to the large Jack-up, he turned off the engine and entered a hook to the much higher floating building. Both men were alert, expecting a none-friendly reception.
Sam glanced at his partner and asked in a low voice "How many?"
"I estimate there were at least 12," Callen shrugged, his gaze never leaving the deck and the structures which towered high over that same deck. He breathed in deep and smiled as assuring as he could, then climbed up the ladder, knowing Sam would follow.
"Stoi!"
A dark-eyed man, wearing the same uniform as both Sam and Callen, wielded his automatic gun forward. He did hesitate, since he noticed those men obviously belonged to his own group yet he failed to recognize them.
As in a smooth response, Callen stopped and sent the other man a broad smile. "You should welcome us, priyatel," he addressed the other man in fluent Russian as well. "We managed to get away, unseen." He looked around in a curious and relaxed way. "Has Joeri come back already?"
Deep down, Sam was amazed by the way his partner quickly transformed himself into one of the platoon of Russians who might be aboard. Silently, he admired the way Callen always managed to blend into the surroundings and crowd he met. Right now, Sam didn't really understand the language, but the way Callen spoke was like he'd seen everywhere on the planet. No respect needed, since they were ranked alike.
Then Sam realized he himself did not have to behave differently in the end. After all, those guys were acting like a group of SEALs and he naturally would fit in, like Callen had mentioned.
The other man nodded a confirmation and motioned Callen and Sam to follow him. Without being too obvious, Callen scanned every single part of this large sea-craft.
There were corroded doors, derelict containers which once went for living quarters and compartments one deck below, and he tried to memorize the different ways to make a quick escape if necessary. They met less men than he'd expected and the place looked desolated and unlivable in fact.
The guy who accompanied them halted, sent them an unreadable glare and repeated the only word he'd spoken so far. "Stoi." With that, he gestured with his hand that they were not supposed to follow him.
He knocked on a door which opened immediately, then he entered and closed the door behind him in the same second.
"What do you think about this?" Sam asked in an undertone.
"He definitely isn't too chatty," Callen responded.
"Not what I meant," Sam murmured. "What if this guy rushes out with an army of 15 behind him?"
"No way. You haven't noticed there aren't any lifeboats or spare vessels around? We're too late, big guy." It was exactly what Callen feared and expected at the same time.
Some slow minutes passed and they didn't know what to expect. Then, the door opened and three men appeared, one of which was the none-communicative guard.
The other two apparently rated the presence of Callen and Sam, until the youngest of them started talking in Russian. "Da? You asked for me?"
"We came in here for the woman," Callen replied in Russian as well. "You are the one who told Moore where she is, right?"
The man sent a simple nod as a confirmation. "Я возьму тебя, чтобы Мур," [I will take you to Moore].
The same guard walked behind them, while the man called Joeri went ahead. Sam glanced sideward at Callen, wondering what the plan was his partner had from now on.
Joeri halted in front of one of the big pylons. Next to it stood a set of plain sea-container. In a former life they probably functioned as a storage room. Not anymore, since with one hollow knock on the rusty door, a rusty-haired man opened up.
He was older than Callen had expected. With his tall posture he matched Sam, yet he appeared less strong.
"Da?" he asked, addressing Joeri and the silent man more than Callen and Sam.
The other Russian started to explain how Callen had asked for the woman. It seemed to last ages before Moore finally had decided how to phrase an answer — ages in which Callen held his breath. Of course, Moore might have gotten rid of Nika once he had seen it wasn't Grace but another woman the men had taken with them.
All Sam could think of was that it was quiet aboard, far too quiet perhaps. Those three men were all they ran into, which might mean that all evidence was gone as well and their effort might be in vain.
"The woman?" Moore finally repeated.
Callen simply nodded and responded with a Russian confirmation, deystvitel'no'..
Moore narrowed his eyes and let his gaze go over both men, probably not too sure if they belonged to this group or not. Then he gestured to the other two men to leave the room.
He paused a while before he started to talk. "You're here for the woman?"
"We do, Moore. And we know she's not who you wanted," Sam said. "Let's say that we know who you are, what you did and NCIS' director Vance wants to have a word with you as well."
"You are federal agents?" Moore shook his head, his face grim and obviously not really believing those men were.
Sam nodded. "We're NCIS as well, Moore," he confirmed. "And to be more specific, director Vance ordered us to take care of your extradition. So you'd better cooperate."
"Or else?"
"There's a team from Ankara on its way. They won't treat you as nice as we will," Callen smirked.
Moore let his gaze go over Callen's face and smiled back rather politely, although the smile never reached his eyes, on the contrary. "I gather you must be agent Callen? Wow. Glad to finally get to know you. So you're the one who managed to get my Gracie out of there. She told you about my activities?"
Callen shook his head. "Simple deduction."
He pushed the man forward. "Face to the wall, Moore." He kept his gun pointed at the other man, meanwhile motioning at Sam to tie the wrists of the NCIS agent.
"You're coming with us, Moore
Much to their surprise, Moore willingly walked with them to the deck and this time, they did not meet any of the other men.
"Remember, you have no prove of anything I may or may not have done. Maybe I was forced into working with some other men?" Moore smiled to both men in a sly way. "And what if some of persons in here would like to have a word with agent G. Callen?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Callen gruffed.
Moore tilted his head and huffed something like a smile. "That's for you to find out about."
Callen wet his now dry lips and glanced at his partner.
In a response, Sam shook his head.
He had to know. "Who?"
"All I know is that at least the woman asked for you."
Callen came to a halt, not knowing for sure what to do now. Again, he wet his lips and bit them. Then he decided "Sam, tie his feet as well and put him in the vessel. See if you can eliminate the engine and unhook it from this barge."
"But G…" Sam shook his head, disagreeing.
"The team from Ankara will soon be here. They can pick him up," Callen reasoned. "Hetty already will have contacted them. Once the cavalry will arrive, we can join them and get out of this place."
"I don't think it's wise—"
Callen interrupted the words he did not want his friend and partner to speak. "Again, you don't have to do this Sam. If you don't agree, join Moore."
A glare came his way. "This is what you do, right? So, this is what I do." Yet, Sam shook his head and heaved a deep sigh. "I'll be with you in a minute, buddy. Don't do anything stupid, will-ya?"
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