Chapter 21

Callen was still sitting on his back verandah when he felt a presence next to him, "Since when do you leave the front door unlocked?" asked a concerned Sam.

Callen turned his head and looked up at his friend, "I knew it was you. Heard you coming a mile away or maybe it's the new cologne…bit on the strong side the dogs started howling," he said with a halfhearted smile on his face, clouding so many emotions.

Sam saw through his lame attempt at humour. He placed his hand on Callen's shoulder and squeezed it acknowledging Callen's pain and anguish. He knew now because Hetty had told him. What a story! It could only belong to G. Callen. But there were parts that were still left unresolved. He sat next to Callen, refusing the beer Callen offered. Sam needed a clear head.

They sat staring at Callen's overgrown garden, "Hetty filled me in G, she told me everything," confessed Sam sheepishly.

"I knew she would. Can you believe it? All my life I've had so many questions about my parents, my family, my name and now…I have found the answers and I don't know what to do with them or how to move on," said Callen facing Sam.

Sam didn't know whether he should tell Callen or not. Major spoilers about his life had been revealed and Sam wasn't sure how much more Callen could take. But he thought about it carefully and realized Callen deserved to know the truth about the car following him. Callen looked at Sam who seemed to be a million miles away. He recognized the look. Sam had something on his mind. "Sam what's going on? I know that look," asked Callen.

"There's someone keeping an eye on you in a black SUV. The plates are not American…some kind of untouchables. Eric is digging and so is Hetty, but this goes way way above our paycheck. Sorry G, I really thought it was all over," Callen stared at Sam as he finished. Why didn't it surprise him? He was numb to surprises now.

He nodded as his gaze never waivered from Sam's, "They might not just be watching me…maybe Jack, I mean Ulrich Grigori…my father."

Wow! Sam had just heard Callen refer to Jack as his father and the look in his eyes was one that Sam had never seen before; one of a child that had just discovered the cookie jar.

Sam smiled. He was sure now Callen was actually happy about the reveal. "Maybe you should call and warn him?" suggested Sam unsure if he was trespassing on volatile territory, "or I can do it if…you know…things are difficult?"

Callen appreciated Sam's perceptive nature but he said to his friend, "No I'll call him." Then nothing else was said. They sat for a while until the sun started to set.

Then after a while Sam said, "I gotta go…call him G and rest. I miss you man," giving Callen a gentle shove. It made Callen smile and he waved his friend goodbye. Then he slowly got up stretching his legs and his back. He opened the door and headed towards his phone.

During that evening 4 phone calls were made:

Grigori to Hetty;

"Hetty, the Comescus killed her!" shouted Ulrich

"They'll come after you Grigori. You must leave," said Hetty.

"No…they're going after Callen as well. I need to stop them," continued Grigori.

"You can't stop them. I'll protect Callen," said Hetty afraid of what Ulrich would say next.

"No I need to protect my son now," and he hung up the phone before she had a chance to answer.

Now Hetty had someone she had to see.

Rohler to the Comescu representative;

"Alexa, please reconsider, it's Isabella's son, your nephew!" pleaded Rohler.

"She dishonoured our family and he is her bastard offspring. He must die and so must the beast that seduced her. I'm sorry Serge. They must die," and she hung up.

Rohler to Grigori:

"I tried. I'm sorry. There was nothing I could say to change her mind. You and Callen either run or find a way to stop them. The head of the family…," said Serge then he heard the phone being dropped, scuffling of feet, furniture being moved and finally muffled sounds. Serge knew they had struck.

Grigori to Callen; it was this last call that sealed their fate…

"Callen," said a strained voice.

"Ulrich?" said Callen.

"Callen…we need to talk. I found out the last piece of the puzzle," said Ulrich, his voice sounding odd, "come to 35 east North Boulevard."

"Ok. On my way," Callen dropped the phone and raced to the car. His father was in trouble he heard it in their voice.

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Hetty knew what she had to do even though the idea of it sent shivers down her ancient spine. She had no idea that it would all come down to her. But her first priority was to protect Callen. From her car she dialed Eric, "Mr Beale."

"Hetty…" said Eric surprised at her call.

"Stop digging, Mr Beale. It's over. This is the endgame. Locate Agent Callen and tell Agent Hanna and Agent Blye to intercept him. Stop him from where he is going. It is imperative Mr Beale," she said with an alarming urgency and hung up.

Eric had lost track of what was happening. But he did exactly what he was told to do. He tried and tried but Callen hadn't taken his phone. In his rush, he'd left his phone behind. Eric panicked…then he realized all agency cars were fitted with tracking devices. He started the trace. He got him heading down North Boulevard then touched his communicator, "Sam, Kensi you need to intercept Callen. Hetty's orders. He's going down North Boulevard and hurry."

"What's up Eric?" asked Sam running to his car and motioning to Kensi to hurry up.

"I don't know but Hetty…I've never heard her so panicked," said Eric feeling rather useless.

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Callen pulled up to the warehouse and knew something was up. He pulled out his Sig and carefully rounded the corner trying to find a way in. There 50 meters down the side of the building he saw gates, open gates. He knew this was a trap but there was no avoiding it. Ulrich was in there and so were the rest of the answers he was looking for.

Meanwhile Sam and Kensi were racing through the busy Los Angeles streets when they came to a screeching halt. There had been an accident and all escape routes were blocked. Damn it! They were blocks away. Sam looked at Kensi, "If we wait we'll miss Callen."

"So we run!" They leapt out of the Challenger, Kensi grabbed a bag and they started running frantically down the streets.

Hetty too was racing towards the warehouse. For the first time in a long time, her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. She was going to come face to face with someone she had left behind so many years ago. The traffic was slow but clearing. She feared she wouldn't make it in time.

Callen saw the gates and slowly and ever vigilant, he scanned the entrance and walked in, eyes darting left to right, up and down. He walked further in and the warehouse got darker. Nothing. He was sure he got the address right. Something kept telling him to keep going. He was now running on adrenaline. He carefully walked for another 100 metres when all of a sudden lights went on and there in front of him was Ulrich, his father tied to a chair, bloodied and bruised. He had a tape over his mouth. Rage and anger spread through his body and all he wanted to do was make these bastards pay.

Ulrich was surrounded by a small army of 5 well-built men. He couldn't take all of them and he knew that, not in his physical state anyway. But if death were inevitable then he wouldn't go willingly. Suddenly just as the lights went on a female voice called out, "Diavolul copil, lower your gun." The woman emerged. She was unassuming yet seemed to dictate a lot of power. She had an aura that radiated power. Callen recognised the Romanian words…devil child but he still held up his gun as his eyes went to his father. His father's head shook side to side don't do it and Callen understood. He lowered his gun reluctantly and placed it on the floor never breaking eye contact with the enigmatic woman.

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked Callen eyes scanning the men and the area, on high alert.

"You do not ask the questions here. Boiko restrain him. As you can see your father is here. You and him will pay for the shame you both brought to our family name. You will both pay with your life and this whole matter will be laid to rest," said the female voice without a hint or trace of emotion.

Callen felt his arms being pulled back and fastened with plastic ties. Then he was pushed unceremoniously towards a chair next to his father's. He was so lost and confused. He wasn't going without answers, "If you're going to kill me, do the decent thing and give me some answers. Who are you?"

The woman probably in her late 60s approached him. Her rich brown eyes stared at him with disgust but Callen could've sworn he saw a hint of emotion, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Her gaze never faltering, "You want answers. What do you want to know?" she said avoiding his name. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Callen.

"Who are you and what have we done to your family?" asked Callen innocently. He seemed completely lost by this whole matter. This was not Rohler that Ulrich had told him about. Rohler was nowhere to be found. Was everything Ulrich had told him a lie?

"You truly know nothing of this. Your father has done well but his selfishness in helping you has condemned you both. The way his selfishness condemned your mother," she said coldly looking at Ulrich. Callen's icy gaze went from the woman to Ulrich's and saw pure hate exchange between the two.

Then she turned to Callen and said, "I am the head of my family. We are a Romani family and our name is Comescu. Your father (she spat at the ground) seduced my youngest sister and together they had you out of her proper wedlock promise. I Alexa Comescu must avenge our family honour and dispose of you and your father," said Alexa.

Callen's face dropped. He looked at Ulrich and then at Alexa, "My mother was a Romani, you're my aunt…why kill us? They loved each other and all of it was in the past. You should be finding the bastards that killed my mother. They need to pay for wronging you and taking her life," said a naïve Callen breathing through this latest revelation.

Suddenly a raucous laugh erupted from the woman, "You know nothing of our traditions, apusean. She was the first to die because she turned her back on her family. She made a mockery of her heritage and she brought shame on us, shame that can only be rectified by death of the gangrenous limb."

Then she moved closer to Callen, "I killed her. It was my hand that sliced her treacherous throat," explained Alexa coldly mimicking a throat slash and devoid of all emotion. Then she moved dangerously close to Callen and bent over so that her face was centimetres from his. He felt her breath as she asked, "Have I answered all your questions?"

Callen clenched his jaw in anger and in horror as she justified taking her sister's life and his body jerked forward in an attempt to attack the woman. This was a nightmare. How warped had his whole past become? There was no way out. The team didn't know where he was and everything just seemed so hopeless. Then he found the strength and said, his voice trembling out of sheer emotional shock, "You're my aunt. You're my family." The words sounded different coming from her nephew but she regained her composure and stood erect.

Then Callen smiled as they all looked at him, "Do you know I've spent all my life wondering about my past, where I belonged, what my parents were like, and so many other questions and now, I have all the answers. Life is so bloody ironic isn't it? I should've let it go. My partner said let it go G, give thanks for what you have, for who you are but would I listen?…no! I kept digging and digging. Apparently I'm as stubborn as my mătuşă." Her head snapped around and stared murderously at Callen who had uttered aunt in Romanian.

"That's enough talking. Ion give me the gun," said Alexa extending her hand. No one argued with her, the matriarch of the family.

Ulrich had resigned himself. Death was claiming him a little earlier than expected but he looked at his son and it pained him to no end. Useless death! He tried to apologise to Callen as tears welled up and streamed down his face. Callen faced him and said, "Not your fault…."

Alexa moved closer. She was a formidable woman for her years. Ulrich looked up at her when two shots rang out. Callen immediately turned to see where they had come from. Two guards lay dead on the floor and in the shadows he saw a sight that would strike terror in the bravest of men….

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