Thanks for all your nice comments on the last chapter. I've still been sort of stuck, but suddenly got inspired with this again today. It's not too long, but at least it's something. Thanks for reading.
xxxxx
"Hetty!" Eric quickly strode into Hetty's office with Nell following right behind him. "We've found something…well someone. We think we know where Shaughnessy is. He works at a private lab, right here in Los Angeles."
"Well that is very fortuitous indeed," Hetty said. "The two of you get yourselves ready, we're going to go to the lab immediately. Hopefully, Mr. Shaughnessy will be there and we can bring him to the boathouse for questioning. He's the most promising lead we have."
"Get ready?" Eric asked, looking at Hetty in confusion.
"Arm yourselves, Mr. Beale," Hetty explained, impatiently.
"Really?" Eric asked, looking excited.
"It's just a precaution," Hetty said. "I highly doubt we're going to be shooting up the lab. Now hurry along, we need to get a move on."
xxxxx
A front desk receptionist greeted Hetty, Nell and Eric as they entered the laboratory. "Can I help you?" she asked, peering at them from behind her wide-framed glasses.
"We're here to see Mr. Shaughnessy…uh, about some funding," Hetty said. "My name is Delilah Fraser and these are my associates, Donald Watson and Lucy Parks.
"I'll see if he can speak with you," the receptionist said in a clipped tone as she stood up from behind her desk and then walked down the hallway, her heels clicking loudly on the floor.
"Why did you give us aliases?" Eric whispered after the receptionist was out of earshot.
"Because I wasn't sure if Bart might have mentioned me to Mr. Shaughnessy," Hetty explained. "And once I gave myself an alias, I figured I might as well give them to the two of you as well."
"Donald Watson…" Eric said, testing the name out. "I like it. So Hetty, what was it about me that made you decide on that particular name?"
Hetty shook her head in exasperation. "I hardly think that is the point," Mr. Beale," she said.
Just then, they heard the clicking of heels once again as the receptionist walked toward them from the hallway. "Mr. Shaughnessy will be happy to speak with you," she said. "Please follow me." She then walked back down the corridor as Hetty, Eric and Nell followed along. She opened a door and led them into a conference room with a large table surrounded by cushioned leather chairs. "Have a seat. Mr. Shaughnessy will be with you in a few moments."
After approximately five minutes, Shaughnessy entered the room. "Hello, I'm Michael Shaughnessy," he said, offering his hand to the three of them. "Ms. Russell told me you're interested in funding some of my research?"
Hetty stood up and pulled out her badge from her purse. "Actually, I'm interested in my missing agents. I understand you built a maze of explosives around one of them?"
Michael immediately paled. "I…I don't know what you're talking about, lady," he said. He reached for the telephone on the conference room table and dialed zero. "Ms. Russell? Can you please have Security come to the conference room right away? I need them to escort our visitors from the premises." He hung up the phone, a twisted smile on his face. "They'll be right here."
"Good." Hetty smiled back at him. "When I explain who we are and why we're here, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to allow us to escort you for questioning. And I'd think long and hard about what you're going to say, because you're going to be a very sorry young man if you don't come up with some satisfactory answers."
xxxxx
The team slowly walked along with Sam helping Callen and Kensi doing her best to help Deeks, although he didn't really want to accept her help. Luckily, for both men, the campsite wasn't too far from where they had spent the night. It was set up much like the first campsite they had been to and there was a small pond a short distance from where the tents and campfire were. Callen slumped to the ground and wrapped the blanket tightly around him. Deeks did the same, minus the blanket. He was feeling very hot and uncomfortable.
"Sam? Can I have some water?" Callen asked.
Sam nodded. "Sure G," he said as he passed a canteen to his partner. However, Bart came over and intercepted him. "Uh, uh, uh," he said as he yanked the canteen out of Callen's hands. "This, my friend, is the next little prize in our game, along with blankets. He then unceremoniously took the blanket away from Callen as well. "You don't get these unless you're chosen, Agent Callen."
"Really?" Sam asked with a look of disgust on his face.
"It's all right, Sam," Callen said, trying very hard not to shiver. He was freezing.
"No, it's not really all right at all," Sam said venomously. "It's pretty twisted what you're doing here," he said, directing his words to Bart. "At the very least, why don't you focus your sick games on me and not on members of our team who are sick?"
"I think I have been most hospitable, Agent Hanna," Bart said with a condescending smile. "You had the chance to give your partner a fine breakfast complete with beverages. You chose to give it to Agent Blye and Detective Deeks. That's on you, not me."
"I knew you should have just kept the damn breakfast," Deeks muttered. He hadn't wanted the stupid food to begin with and now he just had to feel guilty every time he looked at Callen because he had basically taken food out of his mouth.
"In any case, redemption could be in your future, Agent Hanna," Bart said happily. "Perhaps this next game will go your way. It's your turn, Agent Blye. It's a two part question because it's so very, very easy. You'll be wondering how on earth I could be so kind."
"That's doubtful," Deeks said, glaring at him.
"You'd be wise to watch your mouth, Detective," Bart said. "You might not like the consequences if you don't."
"I don't like the consequences either way," Deeks retorted.
"Deeks," Kensi cautioned softly. "I don't think we need to antagonize him any more right now."
"Listen to your girlfriend," Bart said. "She seems to have a lot more going on upstairs than you do."
"You son of a bitch." With a burst of adrenaline, Deeks sprung at Bart who was surprised by the move and he quickly moved out of the way.
"Burke!" Bart called and the muscular man was at his side in an instant. Burke then punched Deeks visciously in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Deeks!" Kensi said, going to his side and facing Burke with a glare. "Leave him alone." Both Burke and Bart started to laugh.
"You better watch yourself, little lady," Burke said, leering at Kensi. "I just might take you into one of those tents over there and show you what a real man has to offer."
"Really?!" Deeks asked angrily, starting to make a move towards Burke, but Sam quickly grabbed him.
"Deeks, settle down," Sam warned. "This isn't helping."
"Well, this is all quite amusing, but we really do need to get on with the game," Bart said. "Are you ready Agent Blye?"
"Yes, I'm ready," Kensi said, giving another cautionary look in Deeks' direction.
"Okay then, would you rather have blankets for you and Detective Deeks or give them up to Agent Hanna and Agent Callen?" Kensi glanced at Deeks who quickly shook his head, but she had just been verifying the decision she had already made.
"Callen and Sam can have the blankets," Kensi stated.
Sam gave Kensi a grateful look as he wrapped a blanket around his shivering partner.
"And now, are you ready for part two?" Bart asked, smiling. "This one may be a wee bit tougher for you, so consider your options carefully. Would you rather that you and the detective are allowed to drink water or shall I give the privilege to Agents Hanna and Callen?"
Kensi appeared to be dismayed by the question. She looked at Deeks whose face was flushed and coated with perspiration. He was very obviously feverish and worsening. She then looked at Callen. He was pale and appeared to be in pain but he also seemed detached from what was going on around him. She then met Sam's eyes. "Deeks is running a fever…" she said, wanting to explain.
"G's thirsty," Sam said quietly.
"I don't want the water, Kensi," Deeks said quickly. "We had breakfast. We had juice. Give it to them."
"You have a fever, Deeks. You'll get dehydrated."
"I don't care," Deeks insisted. "Give the water to Callen."
"You need water, Deeks," Kensi said. "You're sick."
"He's not the only one," Sam muttered.
"How long does whoever I don't choose have to go without water?" Kensi asked, looking at Bart. "An hour, a day? What are we talking here?"
"Why indefinitely, of course," Bart said with a smile. "The losers will have no water indefinitely."
Kensi shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes on Callen. She couldn't withhold water from Deeks when he was so sick. She just couldn't do it. "Deeks and I will take the water," she said, hanging her head.
The look Sam gave her made her feel like she had committed an immoral act. "I'm sorry," she repeated.
"Very good!" Bart said, looking pleased at this development. "A selfish, but wise decision. Survival of the fittest."
"It's not survival of the fittest," Sam growled. "Letting Kensi and I have the water would be survival of the fittest. Why didn't you make that the challenge?" he asked. "Either Kensi and I or G and Deeks?"
"Why indeed, Agent Hanna," Bart asked. "What kind of a game would that be? The choice would be obvious, wouldn't it? This has much more drama, pitting partners against partners. Obviously, Agent Blye thinks her partner is more important than yours."
"That's not true!" Kensi blurted out. "Deeks is sick. He has an infection. He has to have water."
At that moment, Callen started to cough and Sam gave his partner a stricken look. "I'm sure glad that G's not sick," he said bitterly.
"Sam…I…" Kensi was already filled with remorse by her decision and she watched helplessly as Sam went over to sit beside his partner and put his arm around his shoulders.