A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews. They mean so much to me. I was so concerned that I left you with a cliff hanger on the last chapter that I had to post another chapter as quickly as I could. I do hope it doesn't disappoint. I hope to update again before Christmas but in case I'm unable to, I want to wish you all the compliments of the Season however you celebrate it and wish you all the best for 2018.

Chapter 38

Nell contacted Sam and told them what had happened. "Eric's got it up on screen now and it's pandemonium out there" she explained. "The police have just cordoned off the immediate area and the fire trucks are arriving and blocking the way. You'll have to stop on the street on the south side and get to Hetty's place from the beach."

"Is there any news from Hetty?" asked Sam worried for his friend and partner.

"No. I can't raise her" answered Nell. She was anxious too.

"I've managed to access a camera that is pointed at the beach" interrupted Eric. "There's no sign of Gibbs or Tom and I haven't noticed any ambulances leaving" he added.

"Perhaps they're OK and are back at the house" said Sam hopefully. "Can you raise them?"

"I've been trying" said Eric "but with no luck. Either they're not wearing their ear pieces or their phones are damaged. I've got a bad feeling, Sam. Just hurry."

"We're a couple of blocks away" said Sam. "If you discover anything let us know" he added disconnecting the call.

Gibbs stirred as the sound of sirens from the emergency services grew louder the nearer they came. He groaned as he tried to sit up and only managed to roll onto his side, propped up on one arm. He looked up and saw a small number of people on the beach but they were too busy gawking at the fire to notice him. He heard a groan and looked over his shoulder and saw Tom lying on his stomach in the sand. Gibbs rolled over towards him and reached out to touch his arm.

"Tom, are you alright?" he asked. Tom groaned. Gibbs asked again this time shaking Tom's arm. "Tom?"

Groggily Tom answered. "Yeah I think so. What about you? We thought you were dead."

"I'm sore but I'll live" Gibbs answered. "Luckily I wasn't that close when the house exploded. Can you get up? We need to get away from here" said Gibbs finally managing to get to his feet. He held out a hand to Tom who accepted the help gratefully. Once on his feet, he bent down and retrieved his medical bag.

"Where's Hendricks?" asked Tom, franticly looking around, as he remembered who had knocked him out.

"Hendricks was here?" asked Gibbs, his concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I came to help you. As I bent down, someone rushed me and knocked me out. I just managed to get a look at him as he hit me" explained Tom. "It was definitely Hendricks."

The realisation of what Tom had said hit Gibbs like a freight train and he looked over towards Hetty's house. They were beginning to make their way over when they heard the distinctive sound of a gunshot. A look of fear shot over Gibbs' face and he started to run. Gibbs was still feeling the after effects of the explosion so his gait was unsteady and he staggered and fell. Tom, who was in no better condition, grabbed Gibbs' arm to help him to stand up, and supporting one another the pair ran to the house.

Gibbs blanched when he saw that the front door had been kicked in. Drawing his gun and indicating that Tom should remain behind him, Gibbs cautiously entered the house. Looking around the room, he saw signs of a struggle and some blood on the floor. Tom noticed the blood as well and the pair exchanged an anxious look. At that moment they heard muffled voices coming from upstairs followed by another gunshot.

Hetty stood, unable to move, as she looked at the bodies of the two men on the floor, her emotions getting the best of her. One of them started to move and extricate himself from the other. Hendricks got to his feet unsteadily and standing to the side of Callen near his feet, looked at the unconscious body of his nemesis lying on the floor with blood pumping from his side. A grin spread across his face.

"At last I've finally got my revenge for my brothers' deaths" he said. "There's nothing that would give me greater satisfaction than for you to die a slow and painful death. Unfortunately you've got a habit of surviving against all odds so I'm going to have to make sure you're really dead" he said as he raised the gun and pointed it at Callen's head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Hetty said pointing her gun at Hendricks.

Hendricks had been oblivious to Hetty's presence but when she spoke he turned his head to look at her, still pointing his gun at Callen. "You again?" he said exasperated. "What is it with you people? Don't you ever give up?"

"No, we don't" answered Hetty. "Not while people like you still infest this world."

Hendricks gave a humourless laugh. "You won't kill me. People like you don't commit murder however evil you think a person is" he stated. "If you shoot, I'm still likely to get off a fatal shot and he'll still be just as dead" he added callously.

"Not if I shoot you in the head" said Hetty calmly but with more than a hint of hatred in her voice. "Anyway you have no idea what kind of person I am or what I'm capable of" she added, noticing that whilst baiting her, his aim had waivered away from the target.

Hendricks sneered at her and confident in his assessment of her character and his own ability with a firearm, he began to turn his attention back to Callen. Before Hendricks' head had even begun to turn, which would allow him to re-adjust his aim and pull the trigger, there was a gunshot. The gun fell from Hendricks' lifeless fingers as Hetty's bullet hit him in the side of his head, the force of which made him fall sideways away from Callen.

Hetty rushed forward unsteadily and picked up Hendricks' gun which she noticed was in fact Callen's SIG-Sauer P228. She knelt down beside Callen and applied pressure to his wound. He groaned. Thank God! she thought knowing that her boy was still alive. She was reaching for her phone when Gibbs, gun in hand, burst into the room followed by Tom. Hetty heard a sharp intake of breath and turned to look up at Gibbs, who had paused just inside the room with Tom immediately behind him. Taking in the scene, Tom pushed past Gibbs and went to Callen's side and began to work on his wound.

Gibbs stepped into the room holstering his gun and retrieved another gun that he saw lying to the left of the door. He helped Hetty up from the floor. "Are you alright?" he asked holding her shoulders and looking down at her, scanning for injuries.

"A little shaken but otherwise I'm fine" she answered. "What about you?"

"I've had worse" he answered dismissing his brush with the exploding house. "What happened?"

"Hendricks obviously set the rented house to explode either to kill us thinking we'd be in there or to draw us out to leave Mr Callen unprotected" she surmised. "It worked." When she saw the look cross Gibbs' face she quickly added. "No, no Jethro I'm not blaming you at all. If anyone's to blame it's me. I should've done more to prevent this."

Looking at the dead body Gibbs said "I think you've done a lot Hetty."

She chuckled but there was no humour in it. "Perhaps but I allowed myself to be put out of action which permitted Hendricks access to Mr Callen. When I came to, I heard a scuffle upstairs and came up to see Mr Callen and Hendricks fighting for control of a gun which went off." Hetty swallowed hard but could not hide the emotion in her voice. "A look of surprise and pain crossed Mr Callen's face but I didn't know for sure which one had been shot until Hendricks started to move and then got to his feet. That's when I saw him lying there with blood pooling underneath him. Hendricks was so pleased but he threatened to execute him to make sure he died." Again her voice broke. "I wasn't having it so I killed him" she stated.

Gibbs turned his attention to Tom who had finished working on Callen and had put in a new IV using the equipment he already had in the room. "How's he doing?" he asked quietly. Like Hetty he was afraid of the answer.

"He's lost a lot of blood but he's extremely lucky. The bullet hit him at an angle through the fleshy part of his side" answered Tom, pointing to the place on his own body to illustrate. "And it's the opposite side to his other injury which is a good thing. He'll need to go to hospital as a precaution but he should be allowed out in a day or two."

At that moment Sam, Kensi and Deeks burst into the room and took in the scene.

"Oh my God" cried Kensi putting her hand to her mouth, tears starting to fill her eyes. Deeks looked shocked at the vista in front of him and wrapped his arm around Kensi.

Sam cried "G!" and made to rush to his side but was stopped by a gentle hand on his chest.

"He's okay Sam" said Gibbs gently. "Tom says the gunshot's not serious but he's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him to hospital though."

"There's an ambulance out by the road" said Deeks. "I'll go and get them."

"Thanks man" said Sam to Deeks. Sam looked at the faces of Hetty, Gibbs and Tom and added "I think you all need to go and get checked out as well."

"We will" said Hetty. "Would you be kind enough to take us Mr Hanna? Tom should go with Mr Callen in the ambulance with the EMT." Looking at Kensi who had wiped her eyes and had composed herself, Hetty asked "My dear, when Mr Deeks comes back, would you please secure the scene and get this trash removed" pointing to the body. "Please advise Granger and others of the situation. Mr Deeks had best liaise with LAPD about the fire until Granger is able to smooth things out with them. No doubt we'll see you at the hospital later."

Kensi smiled at Hetty and said "Of course, we'll do that for you."

The EMT entered the room followed by Deeks. Tom introduced himself and told them what had happened and what treatment he'd applied. They transferred Callen to a gurney and carried him to the ambulance where he and Tom were rushed to the hospital.

"Let's get you two to hospital as well" said Sam, lending Hetty an arm to lean on. "I'm afraid you'll have to walk a couple of blocks along the beach. I couldn't park any closer" Sam explained.

"That's quite alright Mr Hanna" said Hetty. "After the events of the past couple of days, a stroll on the beach would be welcomed."

Kensi smiled at Hetty's words before she gave Gibbs a quick hug and Deeks put his hand on his shoulder in support and thanks as he followed Sam and Hetty. Kensi and Deeks embraced in relief as hopefully the threat to Callen was finally over before they started following Hetty's instructions. Pleased that Callen was alive, they were still concerned about him and were anxious to get to the hospital as soon as possible.