Till Death Do Us Part

Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine.

Chapter 38

Chilcotin Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

The searing hot metal burned her flesh, sending her down onto the floor. Her arm throbbed from the pain, and then she felt Nikita's weight land on top of her. She saw the fear in his eyes when he saw the blood. "It's just my arm, Nik. I'll live."

He sighed with relief. "Thank goodness for that, Clara. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you now. After you returning to us after all of this time."

Nell was quick, she grabbed the first aid kit and passed it over to Nikita. "You'll have to patch her up, the rest of us need to be on guard."

Nikita nodded, Clara stared at the young woman. She was young, much younger than her own children, but she had an inner strength that shone through.

The force of Nikita's hand on her arm caught her attention. He ripped open a sealed packet with large tweezers in. "I need to get the bullet out."

She nodded and prepared for the pain. Not that it mattered, her arm already throbbed. She watched him probe around and she slightly relaxed after he'd pulled the bullet out of her arm. The contact of the bullet had been close. It had taken her by surprise. Hetty was arrested, they were safe. Or were they?

"Who's shooting at us?"

"A rogue agent and a Ukrainian national, one we thought until a week ago was dead," Vance advised her.

Nikita looked worriedly over to Vance. "Why are they after us?"

"Not you. Alex, Gavrill and Gibbs. Granger's had them all on watch since news about the rogue agent's escape came through and when Gibbs realised we had the wrong man dead." Vance looked over to the other side of the cabin. "Where's Granger?"

Oscar looked around, he remained low to the ground, trying to soothe Samuel from the shock of the gunshot. He hadn't seen him either since it had happened.

"I don't know. I can't see Dimitri either."

Oscar pulled his cell out and dialled. It went to voicemail. Worry for Owen Granger and Dimitri grew strong. He prayed they were safe.

The Hut

Callen and Amy made the trek down the mountain without any run ins with Green or Basara. It was obvious to him who it was who'd taken the shot. Who else was after them? They moved swiftly and arrived at the hut. He crouched down and called out softly to Gibbs. "It's us." Gibbs lowered his weapon and Katie jumped into his arms. "It's okay, sweetheart. No one is going to hurt you." He heard footstep behind them and both he and Gibbs pulled out their weapons. They dropped them when they saw Sam and Alex appear from behind the trees.

"Mom." Katie moved into her mom's arms, relieved to see her too.

"You okay?" Alex looked at Callen, his jaw was tense and he was fighting to rein in the anger radiating from him.

"Will be, once we get them."

"Who is them, Gav?" She stared at him and realised he knew more then she did.

"Never you mind." He moved out of the hut, but she held onto his arm.

"Don't, Gav. Now's not the time to play hero. Malis?"

He shook his head. "I only found out three days ago, Ally. Malis is dead."

"Then who is out there aiming fire at our cabin?"

He groaned within himself, he couldn't tell her. She looked in his eyes and she could see the struggle. "I'm a big girl, Gav. Who is it?"

He took in a deep breath and looked over to Gibbs and Sam. "I can't say, Ally."

She knew in that moment who. "Roman Basara."

"And Green," Gibbs added. He felt she needed to know the full facts, now that they were there.

Her eyes widened when Gibbs added in about Green. Every vein fired with anger. She pulled Callen's weapon from the small of his back and ran.

Callen took after her, the last thing he wanted was her in the firing line. Every bone and fibre in his body needed to protect her. "What are you doing? Going to get yourself killed?"

"It's me they want, so I'll give them what they want. Then I can exact my revenge."

"Like hell you are, Ally. Our children need you alive."

"They need you too, Gav." She stood there in amongst the trees, glaring back at him.

Sam and Gibbs came up behind them. "How about we all go."

Somewhere in the woods

"You idiot. Now they know we are here and our element of surprise has been lost." Basara scolded Green in hush tones.

"I saw her, I had my moment. I think I hit her."

"You think?" Basara hurled him against the trunk of one of the spruce trees, pinning him there with his own body.

"She went down."

Roman Basara studied him for a moment. "Are you that much of an idiot?" He heaved out a sigh. "What about these two men, Callen and Gibbs. They'll be after us now. We have no idea where they are, did you see them in the cabin?"

Green shook his head, but he was certain he'd hit Alex. Dark brown hair, she had just passed the baby to a man. It had to be her. Green shook his head. "No." He hadn't seen Gibbs or Callen and now he regretted his rash actions.

North side of the cabin

Owen Granger motioned to Dimitri to follow. Armed, they moved swiftly away from the cabin, up the hill amongst the trees. He'd heard the shot and had worked out where it had come from. The south side of the cabin. He hoped that everyone inside the cabin were okay and had found cover. With his cell switched off, not wanting to alert anyone to their location, they moved silently towards the shooter's location.

Lake side of the woods

Callen motioned to Gibbs and Sam to head out front while he and Alex provided backup. They looked out for twigs that might indicate their presence to Basara and Green. They weren't sure exactly the position of the shooter was, but they knew it was fairly close to the cabin. Using their accommodation as their homing beacon, they moved through the densely wooded forest. They hoped towards the shooter, and caught them unaware. Movement to the north of them, had them halted. They stood hidden behind tree trunks and waited until they realised who it was, Granger and Dimitri. Gibbs made a bird call sound through the woods, catching Granger's attention. He nodded when he saw Gibbs and Sam behind the trees. He moved over to their position and spoke in hushed tones.

"They're still by the south side of the cabin. We've moved in from higher ground, and they've not moved out from their position from what we can see."

"That's good. Take Sam with you, Callen, Alex and I will come in from this angle, you three from the other side. We can corner them in and take them down.

Granger nodded at Gibbs' plan and moved back up higher on the mountain, taking Sam with them. Within minutes the agents were gathered around Basara and Green. To watch them bicker amongst them was almost as good as watching a comedy. But they were dangerous and they found no humour in their determination to get to Alex, Callen and Gibbs. But the detail that Alex was not the only target, had been left out. Alex only knew that she was their target, if she had known that Callen and Gibbs had also been burned by Green, her anger would have increased more than it already was. It was probably a good thing, although Alex was determined to exact her revenge on them for what they both did to her.

Callen was determined to keep Alex towards the back and the plan worked at first. But memories returned for Alex. The torture, the rape, being left almost dead inside that dirty warehouse, clouded all common sense. She looked over at Callen. He was focused on Green and Basara and she could see the fury radiating off him. He was about to do something stupid, Alex realised. Move in and get himself shot. She couldn't allow it. After the days sitting beside his bed after he'd received five bullet wounds, three of them to the chest, there was no way she was allowing that to happen to him again.

Callen's heart beat rapidly inside his chest. Anger surged through him, now he had his chance to exact his revenge on both men. But he had to wait. Wait for Gibbs and Granger to make their move.

Memories of the state Gibbs had found Alex in that day in Donetsk, flashed in his mind. It had almost destroyed him, the state they'd found her in. How he or Callen hadn't killed Roman Basara back then still puzzled him.

They should have ended him then. Now they were suffering the consequences of their inaction. Their task was to get Alex out safely. But at what cost? Green and Basara have hunted Alex just the same and to add insult to injury, Green burned him and Callen as well. No, he was not going to allow either man to walk away. He was about to step out of the shadows and aim his weapon at them, when Alex moved swiftly passed him and Callen and stood in the clearing.

"You're an idiot, Green. You were never good enough. Is that why you betrayed your country and burned me? To keep what you did secret?"

Basara's eyes roamed over the woman. She stood very much alive in front of them. He turned to Green. "I thought you said you hit her."

"I did. She fell to the ground."

"You're disillusioned, Green. I was no where near the cabin when you fired. You need your eyes checked."

Callen's mind was full of fury. They'd hit someone in the cabin. Who? "I saw you. You handed over your baby to someone, you were on the deck."

Alex knew instantly who he'd hit. Clara. It took every ounce of strength in her to resist from turning and looking at Callen. This news would not go down well with him. After all the years he'd thought she was dead, now she really was hit.

Callen's mind raced. Sam had called through to Deeks, he thought everyone was okay. Which meant that their team were safe. No. He couldn't go there. Not his mother. He looked over to the cabin, it was silent except for a baby's cry. His son. His heart ached. Every ounce of his body, craved to protect those he cared about. Now his wife stood in front of the enemy as if she was offering herself up.

He indicated to Gibbs to stay where he was. He moved silently to the other side of their assailants, he spotted Sam doing the same from the higher side of the mountain.

Owen Granger watched Callen and Sam's movements. He too knew who'd been shot. After only a short time of reuniting with his cousin and best friend, she had been hit. Anger surged through him. They needed to act now before they hurt Alex. At first he thought she was foolish putting herself out there, but Green and Basara were distracted.

Callen and Sam moved in from behind. They were at the ready and Alex stepped forward, baiting them. She knew they needed probable cause to shoot, she was giving it to them.

"You want me dead, Green, now is your chance." She held her hands up, taunting him. "You're worthless, a failure and you'll never work another day of your life." It took all of her strength to venture so close to both men without losing her calm and running at them to attack.

Basara laughed at her. He took his safety switch off his gun and aimed it at her head.

"You were a joy, Alexandra Holden. Every bit of you, pleading for me to stop made me want you more. And I will do it again and again until no more air comes into your lungs." Basara stepped closer, excitement dripped in his voice.

Callen and Gibbs couldn't take it anymore. How Alex could stand there and accept Basara's words, neither of them could comprehend.

"You're wrong," Alex replied. "Killing you will be my joy."

Basara narrowed his eyes, slightly confused.

She pulled out her weapon, aiming it at him. "I think this is more fair, don't you?"

"You've got to be kidding." Green shook his head at her. "You really think two against one is in your favour?"

"Lower your weapons or I'll shoot you both dead."

Basara found it slightly amusing, but there was something in her eyes, that had him wondering.

"I think she's serious." Basara saw the look in her eyes. He held his weapon closer towards her head. "Let's see who wins this round." He was confident that between him and Green, they could take her down without injury to themselves.

Callen and Sam held their weapons, Callen could see Granger, Dimitri and Gibbs had the same resolve. Neither man were going to live another day.

The succession of guns rang out. It echoed throughout the woods and over the lake. Deeks gave Kensi a look of concern, over what had just happened. They looked to see signs of life from the woods. Birds squawked warnings as they flew above the tree line.