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xxxxx

As Callen was forcibly dragged in the direction of Bart's camp, he couldn't help but wonder why the man hadn't just shot him on the spot. Wasn't that the point of this supposed game? Maybe he was going to kill him slowly and painfully. As if he wasn't already in enough pain. Right now, he was having a difficult time trying to identify a part of his body that didn't hurt.

"What do you think, Agent Callen?" Bart asked when they arrived at the camp. The tantalizing aroma of cooking meat hung in the air and the campfire burned brightly. Callen gazed at it longingly, craving the warmth which it would provide. Tents were set up along the perimeter of the campsite.

"He asked you a question, boy," one of the men grasping his arm growled. "You'd better answer him or I'll teach you a lesson about manners you won't soon forget."

Callen shook his head wearily. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. Finally he spoke, not really wanting his body to undergo more of a beating if it could be avoided. "It's nice." He mentally congratulated himself that he'd managed to sound only a little bit sarcastic.

Bart started to laugh. "Why yes, it is rather nice, isn't it? It doesn't provide all the comforts of home, but for someone like me who's been in prison, it does the trick quite nicely. Of course, for you, having lived in the splendor of Henrietta's luxurious style of living, it must seem a bit mundane."

"I haven't lived with Hetty for a very long time," Callen stated.

"No, no I don't suppose you have," Bart said musingly. "From what I've been able to decipher, you live a very simple life."

Callen forced himself not to react, but it was obvious to him that Bart had done his homework very thoroughly. "You must have had yourself quite a network while you were in prison."

Bart nodded. "Yes…yes, I did. It's quite amazing what money buys, Agent Callen. There are many desperate people in the world who will do practically anything for you if you offer them enough. Money talks. It's a fact. But I digress, surely you're hungry? You look cold as well. Sitting over there by the fire, wrapped up in a blanket…it sounds good, doesn't it?"

Callen tried to hide the fact that he was still shivering. He knew damn well that Bart was playing with him. He didn't expect a meal or a place by the fire, unless Bart was planning to throw him into it.

"No? You're not hungry? Not cold?"

"What if I am?" Callen asked, against his better judgement.

"Well then, all you have to do is ask. Ask me for a nice hot meal… Ask me for a blanket and a place by the fire. Just ask and these things can be yours…if the price is right."

Callen smirked as he stared back at Bart. "What price? Money? Sorry, I don't have any on me at the moment. Unless…is there an ATM around here?"

Bart chuckled. "Humor in spite of adversity…I like it, but seriously, there are other things besides money. I actually have little use for any more of that. I've got more than enough. However, you could perform little jobs…little tasks… Such things would be invaluable to me."

"Why don't you just spell it out?" Callen asked angrily. He'd had more than enough of this fool. "What is it you want?"

"It could be fun to see you kill one of your teammates. I'd like that quite a bit actually. You could pick who. I don't imagine you'd want to kill your partner, probably not the lady either. That leaves Detective Deeks. He's already been shot, hasn't he? Probably wouldn't take too much to finish him off."

Callen gave Bart an incredulous look. "Wow…" he said, shaking his head. "If you actually think I'd kill one of my friends for a blanket or something to eat, you're even crazier than I thought you were."

"Insolent pup," Bart snarled. "Take him and tie him to a tree," he said to the men holding him. "Over there." He pointed to a tree on the outskirts of the camp, a good distance away from the fire. "Make sure he doesn't get the slightest bit of warmth and be sure to bind him very tightly. Don't worry about making him comfortable, just keep him secure. He's a valuable pawn in our little game. We wouldn't want him to get away."

xxxxx

"How are you feeling?" Kensi asked as she pulled the blanket covering Deeks tighter around him and caressed the side of his face.

"I've been better," Deeks replied.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Kensi asked, her concern obvious as she looked back at him. "I wish I could do something to make you feel better."

"It's not that, baby," Deeks said, shaking his head. "I just can't stop thinking about Callen…"

"I know…" Kensi crawled under the blanket with Deeks and pulled another blanket on top of them before she snuggled against him. "I don't know how Sam's going to be able to get through this…He's been through so much already…"

Deeks glanced over at where Sam was lying, alone, away from them. In the darkness, he couldn't really see him all that clearly, but he could imagine what he was feeling. The losses that Sam had suffered in the last few months were brutal and heart wrenching blows. "We'll help him, Kens…" he said softly. "We'll do anything we can to help him."

Kensi nodded, but she didn't think helping Sam would be an easy task. For herself, she was, mostly unsuccessfully, trying hard not to think about Callen. This wasn't the proper time or place to mourn his loss. There would be time for that later, if and when they managed to survive. Callen's death only proved to show just how vulnerable they all were in this situation and she was very scared for Deeks. She knew he was being brave for her, but she knew he was in pain, even if he wasn't admitting it. She also knew his condition could worsen at any time which frightened her more than anything.

xxxxx

Callen stared at the fire as he tried not to think about how miserable he was. Bart's henchmen had done exactly as Bart had asked. They had bound him exceedingly tightly so that there was not the slightest chance of escape. He couldn't move at all, except for his legs, which he shifted and bent periodically to try to keep them from stiffening up the way the rest of his body had stiffened. He hurt so badly. The pain in his ribs, which he'd been trying to ignore ever since Burke had punched him a couple of days ago, had intensified dramatically after his stint in the river. And he was just so damn cold. He was trying very hard to mentally transport himself into another time and place, but it really wasn't working very well. Knowing that warmth and food were right there, just out of his reach, was torturous.

xxxxx

Sam could hear Deeks' and Kensi's soft murmurings in the background. He didn't know what they were saying, but he was pretty sure that he and Callen were the main topic of their conversation. He still couldn't really believe what had happened. Tears brimmed in his eyes once again as he thought of his partner's fate. "I'm so sorry, G…" he whispered. It seemed he kept failing the people he loved most in this world. First Michelle, and now G. He hadn't been able to find his wife in time to save her and now, when G had needed him most, he hadn't had his partner's back. He honestly didn't know what he would do without him.

xxxxx

A sharp kick to the side of his leg caused Callen to awaken. He was surprised he'd been able to sleep at all, but evidently exhaustion had won out over being cold and in pain. "Good morning, Agent Callen," Bart said exuberantly, a big smile on his face. "Did you sleep well? In all honesty, you look like crap."

Callen sluggishly looked up at Bart and saw the man was holding a camera. What the hell was this about?

"Say cheese!" Bart said as he aimed the camera and took a picture of Callen. He then looked into the view finder to inspect the picture. "Oh this is wonderful," he gushed. "Henrietta is going to love seeing her lead agent battered and tied to a tree. I have to say, this doesn't exactly inspire confidence in NCIS personnel. She may need to rethink her hiring process. Can you imagine a picture like this on a recruiting poster?" Bart chuckled gleefully. "That would be priceless."

A million things to say went through Callen's head, but he knew saying any of them would only bring about consequences that wouldn't be good, so he remained silent.

"So, how are you doing?" Bart cooed, oozing false sympathy as he smiled down at the helpless agent. "You must be really hungry by now. I bet a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast and hash brown potatoes would hit the spot, wouldn't it? Hell, you haven't had anything to drink either, have you? Well, except for all the water you swallowed when you were taking your bath in the river." He leaned down and touched Callen's shirt. "Still wet. That can't feel very good. I imagine it'll dry in the sunshine today though. You're a lucky man. You're going to warm right up."

"Go to hell," Callen snarled, unable to keep quiet any longer.

"I imagine I will go there someday…" Bart said thoughtfully as he nodded. "But not today, and I'm not one of those people who worries about the future, so let's just move past that. We have a lot to do this morning. Preparations must be made. Don't you run away now, you hear? I'll be back with a very special surprise chosen especially for you."

xxxxx

"G?" Sam called out when he first awoke and didn't see his partner anywhere. It only took him a couple of moments to remember what had occurred…that Callen was gone. He glanced over at Deeks and Kensi who still appeared to be asleep and he vowed to do everything he could to protect the two of them from this lunatic and his so-called game. He would kill Bart and whoever else he needed to kill to make sure they were okay. He hadn't been able to protect G. He had no intention of making that mistake again.

xxxxx

"Ooooh…" Deeks groaned softly as his eyes opened and he gained an acute awareness of the intense, burning pain in his shoulder, once again.

"Deeks?" Kensi sat up and put her hand on his forehead, not looking at all happy.

"I'm okay," he said, easily recognizing how scared and worried she was.

"I know you are…" she said, forcing a smile.

"How are you two doing this morning?" Sam asked as he came over to them, his eyes on Deeks.

"We're good, Sam," Deeks said.

"I think he may be running a fever," Kensi informed him.

"I'm going to take a look at your shoulder, okay Deeks?" Sam said as Deeks nodded his assent. Sam proceeded to carefully unwrap his shoulder and gently removed the bandage from the surface of the wound. The edges of the wound were a dark red and there was a little bit of pus in the wound as well… not good signs. Sam wished he had access to a fire, knowing that warm compresses could be helpful in trying to draw some of the infection out. "I'm going to leave this open for a little while to see if it can drain. He then poured some cool water onto a gauze pad and place it on Deeks' forehead. "Just lie here quietly for now, Deeks. Do you think you're going to be up to walking today?"

Deeks nodded. "I don't plan on staying here, that's for sure. I'll be fine, Sam."

"How are you doing?" Kensi asked Sam, looking at him sadly.

Sam shook his head, his eyes full of despair and emptiness. "I just can't believe he's gone," he said softly. "I'm going to kill these maggots for what they've put us through…and especially for what they did to G..."

Deeks nodded somberly. "I'm onboard with that," he said, his blue eyes intense as he looked back at Sam. "We'll do it for Callen."

"We'll do it for Callen" echoed Kensi. "Bart's the one who made up all the rules. I say we beat him at his own game, no matter what."