CHAPTER ELEVEN

Hetty aged before their eyes as she watched the video. Silently, Nell pushed a chair towards her and she sank into it gratefully. To see Callen captured and beaten, knowing it was at the hands of a man who had already been responsible for the deaths of two more of her own, was almost more than she could bear. Finally taking her retirement, which some might say had been long overdue, she knew deep in her own heart that one of the only reasons she had been okay with leaving NCIS was because Callen was taking over her role… Not only did she know that meant the unit was in good hands, it meant Callen was in Ops, not out in the field. The habits of a lifetime spent looking out for the one who was most like a son to her could not easily be halted, and whilst she was no longer around to oversee and protect him, she had left in the hope that nonetheless he would be safe.

"He'll be okay, Hetty," Kensi said reassuringly into the silence.

"You know that for certain, do you, Ms Blye?" Hetty spoke scathingly, and Kensi shrank back, not having the confidence to back up her statement.

"What can we do, Hetty?" Nell quickly asked. For while, Hetty didn't respond, and her silence signified the enormity of the situation. It was grave indeed when Hetty didn't have any answers.

"What do we know of Mr Callen's mission?" Hetty enquired eventually.

"Not much," Sam admitted. "It seems like he and Director Vance were the only ones who knew anything about it. Vance is on his way down here…. But we can't speak to him until he lands at LAX. So, for now, we can only guess. The circle was small, that's for sure." As he made eye contact with Hetty, Sam could see that she shared his concern that Vance deemed the situation dire enough to catch a flight the moment the video of Callen surfaced.

"From Callen's signed message on the video, we believe the CIA must be involved too though," Kensi added. "But I haven't had any joy from Sabatino. I've left him a dozen messages… Apparently he's on assignment somewhere, and no one else at the agency is talking."

"That's no surprise," Hetty said dryly.

"The threat to national security is huge," Nell said. "My contact at DARPA is worried, and trying to hide it."

"I'm not surprised," Deeks muttered. "Stealthy swarm drones in enemy hands would be enough to give anyone sleepless nights."

"What do we know?" Hetty asked with more authority, taking control of her rudderless ship. "Not guesses, but what we actually know for sure. Janvier has somehow escaped, and got hold of Mr Callen. We might never know how…"

"We can guess at why," Sam sighed despondently.

"I, err, might be able to help more on the why…" Eric added, troubled. They all turned to him.

"Spill," Sam said with resignation.

"It's just a hunch, a whisper, the very faintest of jungle drums beating…" Eric stalled, but Sam's glare made him spit it out. "It could be nothing… But I think Janvier is planning an auction… for Incognito… and also maybe for Callen." He said in a rush.

"What?!" Sam demanded, rising angrily with his fists clenched.

"Sit down, Mr Hanna," Hetty commanded, and reluctantly the big agent obeyed. Looking round at his colleagues he saw the same worry he felt himself reflected in all of their faces. Only Hetty remained impassive, externally at least. "Mr Beale, explain."

"As I said, it could be nothing," Eric repeated nervously. "But look here, see, there's talk of 'human intelligence'… At first, I thought it was just a misinterpretation in the transcript, referring to the AI in the drones. But… I don't know… I wonder if maybe the word is out that Janvier has a hold of Callen too…"

"An American federal agent would be a considerable asset to a lot of countries," Sam said slowly, feeling deeply concerned at this extra twist.

"It might be a good thing, Sam," Kensi said tentatively. "If Janvier wants to auction Callen to the highest bidder, he needs to keep him alive…" They all nodded, but it was Deeks who voiced a deeper concern.

"It's not just other countries who would pay to get their hands on Callen," he said worriedly. "Janvier is hell bent on revenge against him, and I bet he's not the only one. Callen's pissed off more than his fair share of crooks."

Hetty's lips tightened. The thought of Callen being sold, being auctioned like a commodity on eBay to whoever was willing to pay the highest price, was disturbing to them all. He had been instrumental in the take down or death of hundreds, if not thousands, of criminals. Not only that, but he also had decades of experience across several agencies. There were many countries who would consider an experienced federal agent a high prize, worth paying handsomely for, and goodness knows what they would do to him once they had him in their possession. He wouldn't give up any information easily, they all knew that, but none of them were naïve enough to believe even Callen was immune to the right kind of interrogation. To torture. The very idea hurt them all not just as a risk to national security, but deeper, on a personal level, as a threat to someone they knew and loved.

After a reflective silence, Hetty continued. "Whether Mr Beale's jungle rumours are true or otherwise, we cannot let it detract us from the primary problem. We know from Mr Callen's video that Janvier has somehow got his hands on this stealth technology."

"A hard drive, yes," Nell confirmed.

"And as an arms dealer, he'll be looking to sell it."

"To persons and country unknown."

"Are there *any* leads on who might be involved in the sale?" Hetty asked of her two techs.

"None," Eric said in depression. "Not a whisper. The only chatter I have been able to intercept points to the likelihood of an auction… For Callen or the tech, and when and where, we just don't know."

"Well… that's good," Hetty began.

"How on earth is any of this good?" Sam interrupted crossly. Hetty held her finger up to silence him and he sheepishly allowed her to continue.

"An auction, whether it's for Mr Callen or for Incognito, means multiple buyers," Hetty explained. "It means we have a way in."

"Come again?"

"We'll need to insert someone as a potential buyer," Hetty continued. "A representative for a buyer, anyway."

"You have someone in mind?" Sam questioned.

"Indeed I do, Mr Hanna. She might not like it… I think you will have better luck convincing her than I." Hetty held Sam's gaze for a long time as he processed her meaning.

"Give me a number," Sam said heavily. "I'll give her a call."

"Mosley?"

There was a pause on the line.

"It's Sam." Silence. Then:

"How the hell did you get this number?" Shay Mosley demanded, her voice tight.

"That doesn't matter right now…" Sam continued to speak over Mosley's protests. "Look, Shay, we need your help."

"What do you mean, 'we'?" Mosley still sounded pissed off – what was new there – but there was curiosity too in her tone.

"I mean us. The team."

"Sam, we can't be having this conversation! I don't exist anymore, or have you forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten. And I wouldn't be contacting you unless I had to. Look, Shay, you owe me. You owe Callen. And he needs your help."

"Callen wouldn't want any help of mine."

"That may be, but he's been taken. We NEED your help getting him back." With his eyes on Hetty as she sat in the chair Callen had occupied just a few days ago, Sam spoke earnestly into the phone, hoping he could convey to Mosley how serious the situation was.

Over in the bullpen, the three agents gathered round with Eric and Nell, watching Sam on the phone in Hetty's office.

"This is messed up," Deeks muttered.

"Which particular part of it?" Kensi responded with eyebrows raised.

"Well, now you mention it…" Deeks paused. "I was referring to Mosley actually. I thought she was on the run… How does Hetty even know where she is, or have a number for her? And what's in it for her? I mean, why should she help us, just because Sam rings her out of the blue?"

"What, you think she won't help out of the goodness of her heart?" Kensi said jokingly.

"Would you?" Deeks responded seriously. "She's going to have to come out of hiding. That puts her and her son at risk again. The cartels have long memories."

"She owes Callen big time for getting her son back at all. Owes all of us…"

"She might not see it that way," Deeks said sombrely. "After all, she did get us off the hook with Rogers. She might think she's done."

"Well if she does, we'll just have to come up with another plan," Kensi said reasonably. "But it's worth a shot. And if anyone can get through to her, it's Sam. She liked him."

"As much as she liked anyone," Deeks muttered, but he pasted a smile onto his face as Sam crossed back over to them. "Well?"

"She's here in LA. She's agreed to meet me…" Sam said slowly. "So, I guess we'll see."

"I don't like this, Sam." Mosley didn't indulge in pleasantries, getting out of her car and stalking the few paces to where the big agent stood waiting. Sam leant on his Challenger, watching with the faintest of smiles twitching his lips as Mosley stood square in front of him, arms folded, displeasure writ all across her body and face. "What the hell is going on? Why has Callen been taken? By whom? HOW, for God's sake? And what do you expect ME to do about it?"

"I expect you to help us get him back," Sam said flatly, not rising to the barrage of questions Mosley fired at him. He watched as Mosley remembered her debt and her expression changed slowly from disapproval to acceptance. What the team had been through in Mexico would never be truly forgotten. Sam continued, "As to how, who knows? Callen is more careful than any of us, hell than all of us put together. We're only just piecing together the information ourselves. What we do know is that he's been taken, and that's not all…"

"Go on…" Mosley encouraged reluctantly.

"Some DARPA technology has been stolen." Sam watched as comprehension flitted across Mosley's face, quickly hidden. "That means something to you?" There was a long pause.

"I worked a DARPA defence contract recently," Mosley finally confided.

"Recently? I thought you were laying low?"

"I needed the money." Mosley's reply was curt, shutting down any further questions Sam might have had.

"Fair enough. But that means you can help us. We need to recover that technology – and we need to rescue Callen too."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. Something's not adding up here. You say Callen's been taken? But you haven't said by WHO…"

"Marcel Janvier."

After a pause as she processed the name and its implications, Mosley exclaimed incredulously, "Janvier?!" Sam nodded soberly. "What do you want me to do?" Mosley asked with resignation. She knew the debt she owed Callen and his team. She was reminded of it every day.

"Come back to the office and we'll work it out," Sam replied gratefully. He'd not dared to admit there was a part of him that didn't think Mosley would comply. He'd been prepared to use threats, even force, if necessary. But he'd hoped that Mosley's sense of loyalty, or duty at least, would win through. He wanted her willingly. It was a big ask, and the risks for all of them were high.

A/N – yes, it's odd that Hetty still refers to Kensi as Ms Blye instead of Mrs Deeks – but I've checked post-wedding episodes, and she does!