I'm so so so sorry for the delay in this next chapter! I don't know why it is when there's other problems in my life, my writing confidence goes through the floor..! I've had a hard time pulling this chapter together to move us towards the conclusion of this story, but here it is, and i hope my 'mojo' returns in full very soon! Thank you again for those still following and reviewing, it means a lot and I hope as we're winding down towards the end that it doesn't disappoint! I found it really hard to work in the thread I had wanted about the veiled threats to Kensi - turns out I feel even more uncomfortable writing about potential sexual abuse/rape than I do torture! Hopefully I have hinted at it enough to give readers an idea of the enormity of emotions Kensi and Callen were facing.

CHAPTER TEN

Kensi paced around the room, overcome with a sudden desire to move. Callen had shifted so that he was leaning against the wall and he watched her, understanding her accumulation of feelings. He might have joined her, if he wasn't trying to conserve his energy.

"Reckon it's lunchtime?" he asked lightly, trying to calm her down. She turned to him.

"What? Oh, right. Maybe?" Her internal clock was off, but squinting through the boards blocking the windows, it did look like the midday sun was high in the sky.

"Don't expect room service," Callen joked, and she raised half a smile. "Drink some water," Callen suggested, nodding his head to the bathroom door. Seeing the sense in it, Kensi obeyed and after she'd had her fill she returned with water cupped in her hands which she crouched down and held to his lips. He drank gratefully.

"I wish we had a cup," she said.

"At least we've got water," Callen reminded her, and Kensi considered the condition they'd be in without anything to drink, and nodded.

"What's the plan?" she asked, fractiously getting up again. She was finding the waiting harder to deal with than actually having Williams in the room with them. He was playing games with them she knew, and despite her best efforts it was getting to her. Williams' attentions had been fixed on Callen for now, but she couldn't help the ominous feeling that her turn would come. Reading at least a little of her thoughts, Callen spoke to reassure her.

"I won't let him hurt you," he said quietly, and she turned to face him, tears welling again in her eyes which she furiously brushed away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with me. He's barely touched me, and…" Kensi gestured helplessly to Callen's burned torso which he had yet to summon the strength to cover again with his t-shirt.

"It's fine," Callen said, meaning it, holding her gaze calmly. "Honestly. I've had worse." He said it lightly, but Kensi abruptly realised there was more to his past than she knew about and she shuddered inwardly at the thought. Still, something in his voice soothed her and she took a deep breath and lowered herself to the floor, sitting opposite him and hugging her arms around her bent knees as she rested her forehead down to hide her face. "You doing okay?" she heard Callen ask her gently, and she knew without looking up that he was thinking of the time she had spent captive in Afghanistan. A time she hadn't spoken much about, but she realised now just how much he understood and in a strange way that gave her comfort. She shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said, raising a watery smile. "Tell me you have a plan?"

"Sort of," he told her, and he started to outline what he had in mind.

NCIS:LA

"Sam!" Hetty exclaimed, only partially surprised to see the big man in front of her, leaning heavily on a cane. "It's good to see you back with us! But tell me why, why, are you not in the hospital?"

"It's good to see you too, Hetty," Sam smiled disarmingly. "Eric said you'd made contact with G? Tell me there's a plan to get him out?"

"We heard earlier from Ms Blye," Hetty said carefully. "She is with Mr Callen." She watched Sam's face process the implications as she spoke.

"He's hurt?" It was a statement more than a question; an acceptance of the inevitable.

"I believe so. As," she emphasised firmly, "Are you... Have you even seen a doctor?"

"Hetty…" Sam was impatient. "The medic on the chopper patched me up. I'm fine. I came back to LA, just as you asked, but now you need to let me help my partner, and Kensi, get out of there safely."

"Very well," Hetty acquiesced, getting up resignedly to follow Sam as he limped up the stairs to Ops. "How is Mr Deeks?" she enquired.

"He's okay," Sam responded gruffly. "He passed out on the flight and got admitted when we landed at the hospital, but the Medevac doctor wasn't treating him as an emergency."

"And… emotionally?" Hetty probed gently. Sam turned to look at her, trying to assess how much she knew.

"He and Kensi will have a lot to catch up on," he answered eventually, and by then the two of them were entering the darkened Ops room and to Sam's relief Hetty didn't push the matter further.

"What progress, Mr Beale?" Hetty asked, gesturing to one of the analysts to give up their chair to Sam, and looking at him with an immutable expression until he surrendered and sat down.

"Our team are in Mexican airspace," Eric outlined. "We were hoping for another phone call from Kensi and Callen before we…"

"Hang on," Nell interrupted urgently. "That's the cell they had before incoming now!"

"Answer it, Ms Jones," Hetty instructed, and Sam held his breath, waiting to hear if it was indeed Callen at the end of the line, and if so how his partner was faring.

"Hetty?" They all breathed a sigh of relief at Callen's voice.

"I'm here, Mr Callen," Hetty said, the tiniest of lumps in her throat. For days now, she hadn't been sure she was going to hear his voice again. He sounded weary, but he cut straight to the point giving her no chance to enquire as to his health.

"Williams believes I've kidnapped Derrick, using Kensi as the local hired help. I'm hoping to use that to get us out of the compound. I assume we only have a small team coming?" They all knew a co-ordinated rescue attempt would raise too many repercussions and Callen had just been relieved that help of any kind was on its way and it wasn't down to him and Kensi to get themselves out of the compound and back to LA on their own.

"Five men in a military chopper," Hetty informed him. She had pulled as many strings as she could with Director Vance whilst trying not to give full disclosure on the unsanctioned mission. Mosley would have a lot to answer if she ever returned, but Hetty feared at the moment she was lying low somewhere with her son, and they would all be left to take the flack at least in the short term. "Arlo Turk has two SUVs ready…"

"No," Callen interrupted. "Don't land the chopper. Williams, Vasquez… this whole district is in bed with the cartel and the Federales. You land a military chopper, you might as well fly a flag to say we're coming. If this pans out, Kensi and I will leave the compound with just a small number of Williams' men. The chopper can pick us up and get out without anyone having to know about it until we're in the air."

"Very well," Hetty agreed. "Can you give us a location?"

"Not exactly," Callen responded.

"That's helpful," Sam muttered.

"Sam? You there?" Callen couldn't quite hide the surprise in his voice. "Are you and Deeks okay?"

"We're good," Sam replied shortly. "How are you guys doing down there?"

"We're looking forward to getting home," Callen admitted, an usual expression of his feelings. Hetty and Sam glanced at each other, hoping it wasn't an ominous sign. They desperately wanted the whole team back together on American soil so that they could start to put this mission behind them.

NCIS:LA

Kensi seemed more settled once Callen had confirmed their plan with the team in LA and they knew help was coming. Callen felt relieved to see her more composed, not wanting her to suffer too badly in another hostage situation after all she had been through in the last couple of years. He had even raised a smile for himself hearing Sam's voice on the phone cautioning him to be careful, the concern clear even across the wires as they briefly conversed before hanging up to conserve the battery of the stolen cell phone. With the vagueness of the new exfil site, Callen wished they were able to remain in contact with Ops throughout but it had been reassuring for all of them to be able to communicate at all, and Callen was starting to feel cautiously optimistic that this might all soon be over. A lot still hinged on Williams going along with the plan he had outlined, but Callen was confident he and Kensi could pull it off even if it didn't quite play out as they had all discussed.

Feeling his strength returning, he looked up at Kensi and smiled encouragingly at her.

"You holding up okay?" he asked.

"I hate all this waiting," Kensi responded honestly. She estimated they had been left alone for at least an hour now, Callen's earlier joke about the guards going off to lunch seemingly not too far off the mark.

"Don't let it get to you," Callen told her.

"It's hard not to," she admitted. "Do you think it will work?" Callen was quiet for a moment.

"I think it's the best chance we've got," he finally replied, his calm honesty rattling her a little, but she was an experienced enough agent to know the situation they were in was going to be far from easy to extricate themselves from. They'd been relatively lucky so far, and she prayed their luck would hold out just a little longer.

Footsteps coming down the hall sounded deafeningly loud in their pensive quiet. Kensi looked wild-eyed at Callen and he held her gaze with a resolute calm. This was it.

The door was roughly unbolted and Williams strode in. His immense power hadn't diminished a bit, Callen noted. He was truly a fearful adversary, and unbidden, Callen's mind replayed his argument with Sam before they'd come to Mexico, about them parachuting into a custody battle. The more time he spent with Williams, the more he was glad they had gotten involved despite his reservations back home, and that Derrick was now safe with his mother. This man was no father. Callen kept his eyes lowered as Williams gave him a thorough inspection, seeing, Callen hoped, a man for the time being broken and weak, not worth bothering with.

Kensi shrank back against the wall as Williams turned to her, playing her part. If Williams felt complacent in his power over them both, they would be that little bit safer.

"You do know where my son is," Williams stated authoritatively, and Kensi cowered, shaking her head. She glanced furtively at Callen, and Williams saw it. "You do," he said again, his booming voice echoing in the silence. "Tell me!" Kensi spoke in rapid, terrified Spanish, keeping her eyes lowered from Williams' penetrating gaze. Williams looked between her and Callen in frustration. "Speak up!" he shouted, fury bunching his muscles ready to attack.

"She can't tell you," Callen spoke in a low voice, turning Williams' attention onto him. "She can't read a map. But she knows the land round here – she's offering to take you and show you where she left your son."