Zoë was asleep in her bed when she was woken up by a noise coming from her living room. She quietly slipped out of bed and grabbed a vase that was standing on her dresser to defend herself with. Quietly she opened the door of her bedroom. She scanned the hallway but the coast seemed clear. With the vase in hand she carefully walked out of the bedroom down the hallway. She peeked around the corner into the living room but she didn't see anything in the dim light. Suddenly she felt someone grab her from behind. She wanted to scream but whoever had grabbed her quickly put a cloth over her mouth.
The next thing she knew she woke up in a dark room, lying on a matrass on the floor. She tried to think back but she couldn't remember anything. The last thing she remembered was behind grabbed by someone but she had no idea who. Who had taken her and why? Was it because they were after someone in the team or they wanted information about someone in the team? She stood up from the matrass and looked around the room. She couldn't see any window, she did see a bit of light coming out from underneath the door. She noticed a string of a light hanging on the ceiling. She pulled on the string and a heavily rusted light turned on. She looked around the room but there wasn't much else except for the matrass, no windows or anything. Zoë tried to listen for any voices or any outside noises but she couldn't hear anything. She was still in her pajamas so she didn't have her phone or anything with her. She hoped the team would realize she was taken and they would come and find her.
…
Sam and Callen looked around Zoë place to see if they could find any clues as to who had taken her. Sam found the cloth they had used to subdue Zoë and smelled on it. He walked to the living room where Callen was.
"Chloroform," Sam stated as he held up the cloth. "They knocked her out so they could take her with them."
"Yeah but the question is who and why?"
"She's an operation psychologist. They could want some information out of her."
"Or they could've taken her to lure us out, as bait."
"Either way, we've gotta find her."
Without really much to go on they went back to the office. They had already relayed the message to the office and Eric and Nell were doing their best to look for any sign of who had taken Zoë on the cameras.
"Anything?" Callen asked as he and Sam walked into OPS, Deeks and Kensi were already there.
"We found a camera right across from Zoë's house," Nell said as Eric played the footage on the screen.
They saw a van pull up and two men with hoodies stepped out of the van and made their way up to the door. They forced their way in and a few minutes later they came out with Zoë and they dragged her into the van.
"Any luck on facial reg?" Callen asked.
"Not so far, it's still running but we don't have a lot to go on, they really show their faces clearly to the camera and Kaleidoscope is looking for the van," Eric answered.
"We're back-tracking them to see where the van came from, maybe we can catch a better look of their faces there," Nell added.
Hetty walked into the OPS center. "I've also asked Ms. Jones to look into Ms. Moore's work history, perhaps it has something to do with an old case or patient. Mr. Callen, a word please."
Hetty walked out knowing that her senior agent would follow her. Callen followed Hetty down to her office. Hetty sat down behind her desk and Callen sat down on one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.
"Was there anything off about Ms. Moore last night before she went home? Did she act strange in any way?" Hetty asked her lead agent.
"No, not that I could tell. It had been a hard day for all of us yesterday with Deeks getting shot but other than that I don't think something else was going on with Zoë. Do you think the two are related?"
"I could be but it could also be just a coincidence that Ms. Moore gets taken after Mr. Deeks got shot.
"Deeks was shot so they could get close to Kensi and he was an easy target. We got those guys, I'm sure he wouldn't be that stupid to try it again so soon. And Zoë wasn't even around when all this had started with these guys so how would they know about her."
"You have a point there but if it's someone else how would they know Ms. Moore works here?"
"Maybe they don't, maybe it's not connected to us, maybe it's someone from her past. An angry sailor she didn't seem fit for duty anymore or something, or a suspect from an old case she helped convict. But whatever it is, we have to help her, we have to rescue her."
"We will Mr. Callen, I promise we get her back. Ms. Jones and Mr. Beale are the best, they will find her."
With a nod to Hetty Callen left the office and went back to the bullpen where the other agents already where, anxiously waiting for an update from the wonder twins on where Zoë was.
….
It had been a while since Zoë was taken. She didn't have a watch or a phone so she didn't know what time it exactly was but it seemed like it was already somewhere in the morning. She hoped that the team would find out that she was missing and they were looking for her. Eric and Nell would surely find her, they are the best in their field. She tried to listen for voices but she couldn't hear anything from the other side of the door. Since she had woken up no one had come in here. Where they even here? She had tried to open the door but it was locked. Who the hell had taken her and what did they want with her? Was it connected to Deeks getting shot or was this totally separate? Zoë knew that there were cameras on her street and that Nell and Eric would check those. Hopefully they could catch the perps on there and track them to wherever they brought her. Zoë tried to look for any clues around the room but there was nothing there, concrete walls, a single locked door, a hanging lamp and a matrass. Zoë sat back down on the matrass and starting thinking back to see if she could figure out who these guys where but her thoughts were quickly interrupted when the door flew open and two big men stepped in. She looked at them but they didn't look familiar to her. After the two men another man stepped in, he kinda looked like the boss-type. She didn't recognize him either.
"What do you want with me? Please let me go," Zoë pleaded.
"Sorry, not just yet. We have to keep you here a little longer," the boss spoke with a thick accent. Zoë thought it sounded something East-European or something.
"What do you want me with?"
"You have information we want."
"I'm not giving you anything," Zoë spat back and she was rewarded with a slap in the face.
"Oh, you'll talk, I'll make sure of that," the boss spoke with a sick grin on his face.
One of his muscle men dragged a wooden chair inside and Zoë was put on the chair and she was tied to the chair.
"Sit tight, we'll back be later. I'll give you a few moments to consider your thoughts on what you're gonna tell me and just for the record, I'll know when you're lying."
Zoë watched the men leave. She tried to get loose from the chair but the ropes wouldn't budge. What kind of information did they want from her? Information about the others on the team?
..
"I think we may have found Zoë," Eric spoke as he and Nell came down the stairs about two hours after Callen and Sam had returned from Zoë's place and walked into the bullpen. "We managed to track the van from Zoë's house to a street in the downtown fashion district. There are cameras on both sides of the street and neither camera caught the van leaving. Unfortunately there are no cameras in the street itself, " Eric spoke as he showed the footage on the screen in the bullpen.
"We searched through the buildings on this street and there is one old abandoned factory," Nell added. "Our guess is that Zoë is here. All the other buildings in this street are legit businesses."
"Anything about the guys who took her?" Callen asked.
"No, nothing on facial reg so far."
"Alright, keep looking. We're gonna go check out the factory. Gear up guys," Callen spoke to the others.
They walked to the armory to get their stuff.
"Mr. Callen," Hetty called as they walked off. "Bring her back safely."
"Will do Hetty."
They put their vests and thigh holsters on and grabbed their rifles. They took the explorer to the street. The parked the car down the street from the abandoned factory.
"There's the van," Sam stated as he looked at the factory.
"Eric, Nell, anything on the people who took her?" Callen asked over the coms.
"No nothing yet, sorry guys. Can't tell you who you're about to walk in on," Eric answered.
"Alright, thanks."
They exited the car and carefully made their way up to the factory. They stayed low and out of sight.
"Kensi, Deeks, fire escape," Callen said.
"On it," Kensi replied.
….
Zoë was still tied to the chair when the men came back in again.
"So have you thought about what you're gonna tell me?" The boss asked.
"Yes, nothing," Zoë spoke and got a slap to her face.
"Brave woman, but like I said earlier, you are gonna tell me everything I wanna know."
"Never!"
The muscle men started beating on her. Zoë really didn't want to tell them anything but the punches were getting harder and harder and they really hurt. She didn't know how long she would hold on like this. She just hoped that the others would find her soon.
..
"Kensi, Deeks, you in position?" Callen asked over the com.
"In position," Kensi replied.
"Alright, on my count. Three, two, one," Callen counted down and breached.
With their rifles drawn they went into the factory and searched it, hoping to find Zoë here.
..
Blood was coming down Zoë's face from the cut in her eyebrow and bruises were already starting to form on her face. They were about to punch Zoë some more when they heard a noise.
"Check it out," the boss told his muscle.
The two men left the room and went to check out where the noise came from. A little later the sounds of gunfire filled the air. The boss looked back worried.
"Looks like they found me. You should've never taken me."
"I still have you," the boss man spoke and he went to stand behind Zoë with a gun a to her head.
..
Callen and Sam saw the two men coming towards them with their guns drawn.
"Federal agents!" Sam yelled and before the men had a change to raise their weapons Callen and Sam had already shot them.
They walked the way the men came from and found a room where Zoë was. They saw Zoë sitting there, tied to the chair with a man standing behind her with a gun to her head. Sam and Callen kept their rifles pointed at him.
"Stop right there and drop your weapons or I'm gonna but a bullet in her," the boss spoke.
"You drop your weapon and step away from behind her chair or I'm gonna but a bullet in you," Sam responded.
"I swear, if you don't drop your guns right now I will shoot her in the head," he spoke and he pressed the gun harder against Zoë's head, causing her to scream.
"Okay, okay, just take it easy. We'll put them down," Callen said and he and Sam put their rifles down on the floor. Kensi and Deeks had joined them as well and they were hidden behind Callen and Sam and the wall. "Just don't hurt her."
Callen and Sam stood back up again after putting their guns down.
"Oh I will, but not before I hurt you."
He moved his gun towards Callen and Sam. Just as he was about to shoot Kensi came up from behind Callen and shot him. Zoë flinched a bit as the shot went past her into the man's shoulder. Crying out from the pain he dropped his gun. Sam and Callen quickly moved in. Callen kicked the gun away as Sam went to restrain him as Kensi kept her weapon at him. After kicking the gun away Callen moved to Zoë.
"Are you okay Zoë?"
"Yeah I think so."
"Eric, send an ambulance, we found Zoë," Deeks spoke over the coms.
"Is she alright?" Hetty's voice was heard over the coms.
"She's a little banged up but she should be alright," Callen answered.
Callen undid Zoë's restrains and held her as she was about to fall forward.
"It's okay Zoë. The paramedics will be right here to check you out."
A few minutes later the paramedics were there and they loaded Zoë unto the gurney.
"Can I please ride with you?" Callen asked, not wanting to let Zoë out of his sight just yet. As the team leader he felt responsible for what happened.
"Yeah sure."
Callen handed his gear off to Sam and got in the ambulance with Zoë. One paramedic looked after Zoë as the other one drove them to the hospital.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Callen asked
"It doesn't look too bad from the outside but the doctor will look her over completely, perhaps she has internal injuries. But don't worry, she's in good hands."
They were at the hospital pretty soon and they wheeled Zoë into the ER. Callen stayed out of the way so the medical staff could take a look at Zoë. The doctor took some x-rays and did and echo.
"Call the OR, tell them we're coming up," the doctor called.
"What's going on?" Callen asked.
"She has internal injuries which we have to operate on right away."