Chapter 12: The hunt

María Luisa park, Seville, Spain

Callie's mind was still reeling from the things she had found out about Arizona. They had gone about it the wrong way, spewing out their pain in a heated argument. But now the words were out, from both sides, and they could no longer take them back. She had to compartmentalise here though, there was no time to let the information sink in. No time to acknowledge that the need to comfort Arizona, to hold the blonde in her arms, was greater than the pain she felt from everything that had transpired between them. She could have sworn she had changed since then, but apparently not when it came to Arizona Robbins.

The plan to deal with Abu Ahmed came together quickly, which was necessary considering the incredibly small window they had to prepare for the operation. She had been hyper-aware of Arizona's presence in the room. Even though she was nothing but professional and had managed to switch herself back into business mode, much like Arizona had, she could not help but notice the glances the blonde threw her way. They were probably much like the glances she was dishing out herself.

Lexie and Ben had moved extremely fast and within half an hour they had set up the surveillance van that would be situated just outside the park where Zaynab was supposed to meet her husband. Callie and Mark would be in the park, close to the bench where the meet would take place. Carina had dressed up in running gear, she would be jogging through the park to be the eyes on the ground to keep the overview. Arizona would stay in the van with Lexie and Ben to oversee the operation. Alex Karev would have his team set up in nearby buildings. The four SWAT team members had joined them in the briefing room, making it pretty crammed with a lot of people that were on edge.

Callie noticed Mark staring at Carina's outfit and elbowed him in the side to get his attention back to the task. "Go time, Sloan," she whispered. She felt like a bit of a hypocrite for calling him out on something she had been doing herself, but at least she had not gotten caught while glancing at Arizona.

Even though the time frame had been incredibly short, Callie and Mark arrived at the park with thirty minutes to spare. This gave everyone some time to get in position. Mark was carrying a picnic basket and slipped his hand into Callie's as they walked over towards a spot on the grass where they had a perfect view of the bench where the meet would take place. Mark gently squeezed Callie's hand before putting down the picnic basket and unfolding the blanket they had brought.

"Who would have thought you and I would ever go on a date, Torres," he said jokingly as he motioned for Callie to sit down.

Callie chuckled and shook her head. "Dream on, Sloan," she teased him.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you never even entertained the thought," he added with a wink, making Callie throw her head back in laughter. He was not stupid and had noticed the tension between Callie and Arizona earlier, he had interrupted something big. Instinctively he knew that blowing off some steam with light teasing would be good for everyone involved.

"The closest you're gonna get is being my work husband, savour it," Callie gently swatted his arm, letting her hand rest there for a moment. "Get your head in the game."

"They actually make a cute couple!" Ben commented innocently as they watched Callie and Mark on the monitors in the back of the surveillance van. To the public eye, it certainly looked like the two FBI agents were lovebirds on a date. And even though Arizona knew it was all for the mission, she could not help but feel a tinge of jealousy in the pit of her stomach as she watched the scene unfold on the screens in front of her. She forced herself back into work mode though, this part of the mission could make or break her career. This was simply too big to let personal issues cloud her judgment right now.

Zayneb had arrived at the park as well and had taken her position on the bench. The young, pregnant woman was fidgety and had made eye contact with Callie a couple of times already. The dark-haired FBI agent had gently shook her head to indicate that Zayneb needed to focus elsewhere to avoid the cover being blown. She then leaned in and planted a kiss on Mark's cheek, while looking over his shoulder towards the entrance of the park. She noticed Carina jogging up the path and behind her, a figure wearing a hoodie entering the park. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she narrowed her eyes to focus even more. "Target in sight," she whispered in Mark's ear, just loud enough for the team in the surveillance van to hear her as well.

"Target in sight," Arizona repeated as she pointed at the screen. "Suspect is entering the park through the south entrance, wearing a black hoodie and aviator sunglasses."

"He looks even scrawnier in person," Mark mumbled as he eyed Abu in person for the first time. He then turned back to Callie and pushed a strand of hair behind his partner's ear. Looking comfortable with each other was a no-brainer, he had spent so much time with his fellow Agent that he probably knew her better than anyone. He trusted her and her judgment with his life and he would do anything to protect her.

The park was crowded on this lovely spring day. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not a cloud in the sky. The Spaniards were known for spending a lot of time outside of the house, fleeing the heat of their city apartments to enjoy the many parks most cities had to offer. Children were playing, people were sitting on benches, chatting away. None of them the wiser that they were in the presence of one of the most sought-after terrorists. Which was probably a good thing. If all went well, none of them would be the wiser after the operation finished either.

The noises filling the park were mostly those of children screaming and laughing, but also from the hustle and bustle of the market next to the park. Vendors were shouting out their best promotions, while locals and tourists alike scoured for fresh produce or tacky souvenirs.

Callie whispered soft observations into Mark's ear, making it look like she was having an intimate conversation with her lover. She carefully watched how Ahmed sat down next to Zaynab and they started talking. It was obvious from Ahmed's body language that he was very high strung. The man was looking around while he spoke, making it look like he was not interested in his conversation with the woman carrying his child.

"Something's wrong," she suddenly said as she watched Zaynab's eyes cloud with fear. "She's caving." Callie noticed the young woman's whole resolve crumbling and it suddenly worried her that she would not be able to keep it up. If she spilled the beans on the operation, they would lose Ahmed for sure.

Mark nodded in agreement. "We need to do something."

Carina had made her way back up the path and passed the bench in a light jog. Her eyes shortly connected with Zaynab's, trying to give her a reassuring look. Unfortunately, this did not go unnoticed by Ahmed and he narrowed his eyes at his wife, speaking to her in Arabic now.

"What are they saying?" Mark asked. "Is he on to us?"

Callie shook her head. "He's telling her off for not being careful enough. Sounds like he is preparing to go underground again."

The young woman put her hand over her heart, where her mic was hidden, preventing them from hearing the further conversation. Soft, heated words seemed to be exchanged, but Callie could not understand them. They were too far away. In a swift move, Ahmed got up from the bench and yanked Zaynab up by her wrist. "I'm sorry," the woman said loudly in Spanish.

"Shit," Callie muttered, getting up when Ahmed seemed to be getting ready to leave.

His eyes landed on Callie's and she grabbed onto Mark's arm and squeezed. They had been made. Zaynab had cracked.

When Ahmed took off, Callie got up and ran after him, with Mark following suit. Carina had swooped in behind them and had taken care of Zaynab, who was obviously shaken from the whole ordeal.

"Right behind you, Torres," Mark yelled, letting Callie know where he was. The Latina was fast and agile and as usual, she was the first one off her feet and in hot pursuit of the suspect.

Ahmed looked over his shoulder before running out of the park and heading towards the market area. Callie cursed under her breath, picking up the pace to get closer to him. If he managed to enter the market, it would be so much harder to catch him.

In the surveillance van, Arizona had to stop herself from interfering. Leaving the van now could compromise its position. So instead, she had opted to tap her foot and shout commands into her earpiece. She watched Callie and Mark go after the man on the screens in front of her. "Don't let him get away!"

"We don't have a clear shot," Alex Karev's voice sounded through Arizona's commands. "It's too dangerous with all these people around.

"Hold off until you get my command, Karev. Keep an eye on him," Arizona replied.

The market area was located on a small plateau, overlooking the park. Callie managed to catch up with Ahmed as he was racing up the stairs leading to the market.

"FBI, stop right there!" She yelled, slightly out of breath.

The man seemed to ponder his options and stopped for a moment. He turned around and for a second there, Callie thought he was actually going to surrender. She ran up to him, ready to catch him and read him his rights when his fist connected with her face. The punch was so hard, Callie recoiled and lost her balance, falling down the dozen steps she had just climbed. She landed on the bottom of the steps with a nauseating thud and laid still for a moment.

"Torres!" Mark shouted. He had only been a few steps behind her and winced as he watched Callie make the nasty fall.

The impact had knocked the wind out of Callie and all she could muster was a soft groan, which was mostly drowned out by the ambient noises.

"Sloan! Check on Torres!" Arizona yelled over the earpiece. Her command was clear but still confused the male FBI agent. Mark stood stock still for a few seconds and let out an audible breath when he saw Callie move.

"Go, Mark!" Callie yelled, her voice hoarse, but audible. "Don't let him get away!", she added with a bit more force this time. Mark nodded and ran off into the market, where Ahmed had already managed to get a head start. He chased the man through the narrow lanes in between the stalls, filled with unsuspecting people.

She watched Mark sprint off and tried to sit upright, which caused her to feel sick to her stomach. With another groan, she spoke into her earpiece, "I'm fine." She had heard the desperation in Arizona's voice and it had stirred something deep inside her.

Ahmed, in a last attempt to shake off Mark, threw over a display of fresh fruit and vegetables. Apples, oranges, and potatoes rolled down the narrow street, making Mark stop dead in his tracks before carefully jumping over the now spoiled food. The Arab man yelled something before disappearing into an alley just ahead. Mark was still in hot pursuit and did not give up.

Mark turned into the alleyway but Abu was nowhere to be seen. "Fuck!" Mark yelled. "I've lost him Robbins," Mark spoke into his earpiece, punching the wall next to him in frustration before wincing as he hurt himself more than he had intended. "He's gone. Suspect is gone"

"Does anyone have sight of the target?" Arizona shouted down the radio to the SWAT Team positioned on the rooftops.

"Negative," came the responses one by one.

"Wait! I have eyes on the target," Sargent Jo Wilson said down the radio, "repeat, I have sight of the target."

"Wilson, is it a clear shot?" Arizona asked. As tempted as she was to give the shooting order, she had to make sure no civilians were injured. It was her responsibility to avoid causing a diplomatic incident.

"Negative. It's not 100% clear, there are too many civilians around."

Arizona hesitated for the slightest of seconds before making her decision.

"Do NOT shoot. I repeat, stand down," Arizona ordered down the earpiece. As much as she wanted to catch Ahmed, the risks were too high. Part of her job was to make difficult decisions and as much as she hated it, this was one of those times.

"Damn it!" Sargent Karev's frustrated voice came over the radio.

Just then Lexie spotted the suspect on the CCTV. Cool as a cucumber he turned and looked up in the direction of the camera, a smug grin appeared on his face before he pulled up his hood and disappeared into the sea of people, vanishing from their sight. Abu Ahmed had outsmarted them and it hurt like hell.

"The son of a bitch!" Arizona said under her breath as she watched their suspect slip between their fingers. They had been so close. "Fuck!" Arizona groaned as she pulled her headphones off her head causing Lexie to jump a little. "We almost had him."

In the van, both Lexi and Ben stared at Arizona for a moment. The blonde knew they were questioning her decision, but they had already lost DeLuca, she wasn't about to lose another officer, was not about to lose Callie. Not again.

As soon as the woman came into her mind she jumped up from her seat and out of the van, running as fast as she could to the steps where Callie had fallen. When she arrived the dark-haired woman was sitting on one of the steps looking a little dazed. There was blood coming from her nose and she was holding her arm. A big bruise was starting to appear near her eye socket, where Ahmed's first had connected with her face.

"Calliope!" Arizona kneeled in front of Callie and gently examined her face. "Are you ok?"

"Don't call me that, please," Callie replied, wincing as she spoke. She was annoyed. Annoyed at herself more than anything. If she had been more careful, they might have Ahmed in handcuffs by now. The last thing she needed now was Arizona fussing over her. "I'm fine."

"God damn it! We almost had him," Callie said out loud, shaking her head. She turned to look at Arizona who was staring back with a level of concern in her eyes that Callie hadn't seen in a long time.

Arizona reached in her pocket and pulled out a tissue placing it carefully under Callie's bleeding nose.

"Ouch" Callie yelped as she moved her head back from where Arizona had been applying pressure.

"Stay still," Arizona said firmly as she reapplied the pressure to stop the bleeding. "An ambulance is on its way."

Callie's brows furrowed and her eyes widened. "Arizona, I'm not going to the hospital. I'm fine."

"Did you lose consciousness?" Arizona asked with concern about a head injury and a possible bleed.

"No... my arm took the brunt of the fall...I...I was just winded that's all." She replied looking at the CIA officer who was still busy assessing her injuries. "Honestly, I just need to get back to the apartment and get cleaned up."

"Fine. But we are getting a doctor to check you over at the apartment, OK?" The worry was evident in Arizona's eyes and as they connected with Callie's, the Latina smiled.

"Your eyes look much prettier when you are not angry with me," she said, her voice sounding a little dazed. It seemed the pure adrenaline that had kept Callie going was slowly subsiding and the dark-haired woman's brain was catching up to what had just happened.

Even though she was in worry mode, a slight pink blush crept up Arizona's cheeks. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Arizona asked with a soft smile.

##

Once back at the apartment, a local doctor had given Callie a full check over. She had somehow escaped lightly with no broken bones, but she was going to be sore as hell for the next few days. The shiner under her eye was already the colour of a ripe plum.

After the checkup, the brunette had hobbled into the shower to wash the blood off her, and with the help of Carina, she had slipped into sweats and an FBI sweatshirt.

"How are you feeling?" Carina had asked her friend.

Guilty. Annoyed. Embarrassed. Callie thought to herself. "I'm sorry, Carina." She responded looking at her friend.

The Italian looked at her with confusion, "for what?"

"We had him and I messed up," Callie said looking down at the floor as she suddenly felt a wave of emotion hit her.

"Hey! This isn't your fault, OK!" Carina said as walked over to where the American was sitting.

"But I wasn't thinking, he hit me because I...I didn't see it coming and now we've lost him...lost the bastard that killed Andrea...and all those people." Callie knew she was being hard on herself, but she couldn't help it. She was just so angry at how it had gone so wrong.

"Fuck!" Callie said, shaking her head, "and to add to it...I think I told Arizona that her eyes were pretty." The brunette groaned as she put her head in her hands as she remembered the scene at the steps. Why had she said that? Obviously, she had thought it, but why had she said it out loud?

Carina chuckled, "oh dear! Falling down a flight of stairs will do that to you!"

"I know right!" Callie said, shaking her head again as she looked at her friend with a pained expression on her face. "I'm such an idiot sometimes."

"Well, as my nonna used to say, love makes people do the stupidest of things, my friend."

This time, Carina spoke to Callie in Italian to convey her nonna's words properly.

"I'm not in love with Arizona!" Callie responded in English, shocked at her friend's suggestion. Attracted sure but in love...No Way!

"Maybe not..," Carina replied, switching back to English as well, "...but you would have to be a blind fool to not see there is something still there between you two."

"Uh-huh. Noooo way. Been there. Done that. She had her chance!" Callie responded firmly, more firmly than she actually believed internally.

"Callie...if Andrea's death has taught us one thing...it's surely that life is too short!"'

Callie looked up at her friend and smiled warmly. "Of course Carina...I get that, honestly I do, I'm just not sure if I'm able to…" Callie paused whilst she searched for the right words

"Able to what? Forgive her?" Carina asked

Callie held her friend's gaze before nodding her head, "Yeah...I don't know if I can"

Carina gently tucked some hair behind her friend's ear and smiled supportively "If it's meant to be….you'll find a way."

Carina had just poured her friend a glass of water so she could take some painkillers when they heard a knock at the apartment door.

"I'll get it. You stay there" Carina had instructed Callie who was slumped in a chair. The effort of the shower had taken it out of her.

"Hey Carina," Arizona said to the Italian "How is she doing?" the CIA officer asked, nodding her head towards where she figured Callie was.

Callie's ears pricked up when she heard the blonde's voice at the door and felt her heart rate increase ever so slightly. Crap! This was not good! Just the mere sound of Arizona's voice was having an effect on her now. Maybe she had hit her head after all!

"Why don't you come in and see for yourself," Carina suggested, generating a mild panic in Callie. She was still kicking herself for her comment about the blonde's eyes, she wasn't ready to see her yet. She hadn't thought of a witty enough comment to be able to style it out.

"Oh no, it's OK...I let her rest, I just umm wanted to...you know... check she was OK." Arizona replied to Carina. "I'll see her at the briefing in an hour. I'll umm...catch up with her then".

Callie had slumped back in her chair with relief. She was hurting from head to toe...she was not ready to see the blonde yet. She was still processing the news that Arizona's marriage was over and what that could mean. She recalled the concern in the blonde's face earlier and remembered how good it felt to have someone look at her that way again. She had gone out of her way for the past six years making sure no one got close enough to really know her, and she had convinced herself that was how she liked things. But that look, well it was making her question herself and Callie Torres did not do doubts!