- chapter 3 -
Pins, Bullets and Journals
A/N I sure hope you'll like this chapter like the previous one. Thanks for leaving your reviews, Maria Luisa Illarnizzi, F4llon, LostForeverInHisEyes, n4d1n3, Guest, French Fan, JaniceS, Amjm, wotumba1, countrygirluk56, BlackBear53 and Linda Wigington!
Disclaimer: Of course, any resemblance with actual persons, places, buildings, and addresses are purely coincidental. This means that names or incidents which come by in this story are simple fictitious. All, except for the ones who were made up by CBS, Shane Brennan and R. Scott Gemmill.
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Los Angeles || NCIS office of special projects
"So..." Nell started.
Eric shook his head. "I really don't know, Nell. She's not that reasonable. You think she's right?"
She shrugged and chewed the inside of her lip. "She's got a point in there, Eric. Callen shouldn't have gone in there all alone."
"Oh, but he needed to," Eric said. "You'll agree once you see what was written. It's not like what Sam says 'bout him going lone wolf or something like that."
He enlarged the text which was sent earlier and Nell read, meanwhile commenting what she thought.
"So if Callen's never heard of this young guy Baker, how come he mentions 'their mutual acquaintances' and a mutual experience during their past?" She continued. "Like he, or she or they, state in here as well 'the only one we'll allow in is you, special agent G. And we will know it is you'."
Eric nodded. "It's what worried me most. I mean, it's not fair. We don't know who he's facing, but they know the other way around."
"It sounds like some kind of revenge from the past. But from who? We will never find out. Or perhaps once it's—" she swallowed before she continued "if or when it's too late."
"It shouldn't get that far. There has to be a way... but then, in here, they say 'for every other person who's sent in, a child will pay with their lives.' That hit him hard, Nell."
Both fell silent, trying to think of something which might help. "We've got that small journal though. Mosley won't know it. You know, with every single one of the 37 addresses Callen has stayed on during his youth. Maybe there's something in there, something we can use?" Nell was on her feet already, glad that there might be the tiniest possibilities they'd see something useful.
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Los Angeles || Hollywood, North La Brea Avenue
Maybe coming in all armed wasn't a wise decision, Callen now thought. But did it matter right now? He figured he'd meet with someone who expected him to be armed, since it was clear he, or they, knew his profession. Armed people too, from what he resumed of the text Eric showed him earlier that morning.
He hated the feeling of walking into a situation like this - not knowing what he'd find and this time, without Sam or Kensi and Deeks around.
Right before he was to open the door, he tapped the tiny microphone and spoke aloud "I'm going in". He knew that Eric and Nell would hear him and that they would try to understand what was going on, even with a one-side monologue coming from him.
Again, he took a deep breath and took his gun just to be ready anyway. It felt like the only steady companion he had right now.
When he opened the door, there was only the dim light of a long corridor he met, just until there was an uneasy and anxious male voice which came from near him. "You're Callen?"
"Yes. Special agent Callen, NCIS. And you must be Lewis Baker."
It was just a wild guess, but there was a confirmative nod, he saw. His eyes had adjusted to the light by now and Callen noticed the fear on the lanky and young man's face. He was unarmed and probably forced to do what he did right now.
"You're okay, Lewis?" he asked.
A light shrug before the reply came after another quick inhale of breath and again, in a too small voice for the age and posture of the young man. "I —no, actually I am not, not... I don't know. Why do they do this? Why me, why here... and why us?"
It made Callen feel guilty. Why them? Could this be all because of him? No way he knew. All he knew for sure, from experience and from his gut feeling, was that this day might bring only more questions and stress for this young man, like there would be for himself as well.
For the time being he could not answer the young man. He just shook his head. "Baker," he said, "I don't know. Can you tell me who I'm dealing with?"
The other man looked around in fear, and his reply came as a whisper "Three men. I… perhaps with six or seven guns, I think. Small ones, and those long ones you see in movies". A young man, the pimples still visible in the pale face that even became paler.
"It's not your fault, Baker. You're just at the wrong place at the wrong time", Callen said. "Please, just do what they want you to do. How did they force you to lead me the way?"
"They've got Jeanny."
Definitely someone who meant a lot to the young man. "Then you show me the way."
They walked along the corridor and Callen asked "So this the only way out too?" He knew Eric would pick up his words. Just in case they would be necessary.
This time, Lewis Baker just nodded as a reply and three doors later, he knocked on the door five times. Then it was opened, from the inside.
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Los Angeles || NCIS office of special projects
Minutes later, Nell skimmed the pages of the small journal she'd only scanned once before. Nothing really stood out and she wondered if this was the only and best option they had right now. She put the small journal away and sighed "It may just as well be about another past".
"True. Not necessarily his youth. And even if it was, how would we know? There aren't any real clues."
"What do we do in the meantime, Eric? I mean... What if this ends up as a school shooting?" Nell wanted to know.
"Maybe it is what Callen fears too. Especially with kids involved," Eric said. "If this message hadn't mentioned his past I guess he would've waited for another kind of back-up. Perhaps tried to negotiate. But now..." He fell silent, once again.
"But there's LAPD around, right? How many?"
"Two cars. Four officers. Callen wanted me to arrange a Swat unit to be around as well, though. Just in case."
Her usual bright face was all seriousness right now and she nodded. "Any idea about their time of arrival?"
"Another 45 minutes, Jones." Mosley stood behind them and filled in the response.
His eyes widened in surprise and Eric exclaimed "Thát long? Really!"
"Indeed, Beale. They are going to group first, then they will have to have their briefing. They also demanded someone to be around and make the ultimate decision for them to but in."
"Seriously?!" Nell now said.
Mosley nodded and watched them both. "Since the only thing you've come up with is this discussion I just overheard, I suggest you head over to La Brea Avenue as well, agent Jones. Be around and be the one to give the final order on behalf of NCIS. Meanwhile Beale should be able to handle the situation in here, in the meantime."
The 'but's' came in unison and it didn't really shock Mosley. She'd seen them work together, knew they functioned like a perfect team of two. This time, it needed to be different since she needed her own NCIS people to be everywhere. However, the three were all she had right now.
She raised her arm in a way that left no rebuttal. Then she exhaled loudly and in a more gentle voice, she added "I understand the urge you two have to work together, and it would be a great option indeed. But only with everyone else around. Right now I feel we're on a tight time schedule and so I choose for a 'Divide et impera'.
Eric understood. "If you think it's best…"
Mosley nodded. "The original blueprints of the building should be easy for you to find, Beale. Please check every single entrance. Escape doors too." She paused a short few seconds, then said "Just to let you know, I contacted Hetty and asked her if she had any clues about Callen's mutual connections from the past which were mentioned."
"Well, did she?" asked Nell.
Mosley slowly shook her head. "Not really. Or like she stated 'far too many to investigate right now'. She refused to mention any names though."
It caused a short and unusual grim smile on the young female analyst slash junior field agent. "Well then, I'd better get prepared to get going."
"One more thing, Jones," Mosley said. "I also contacted the organization, Love-U-LA. They're using this theatre for only a couple of classes. The other part of this particular summer school is in Hollywood High School, only half a mile up north. It may be worthwhile to go in so to say for another class. I'll brief you while you're on your way."
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Los Angeles || Hollywood, North La Brea Avenue
The first thing Callen noticed were the faces of at least twenty young children. Children who should be happy, dancing, laughing, gamboling until somebody told them to quiet down. Acting perhaps.
Children like how Sam's daughter Kamran used to be only some years ago, and Callen remembered her enthusiasm and spirit. That's how it should be.
Not those kids. They just sat on the floor, their tiny backs leaning against the stage. Scared faces. Some with teary eyes, definitely afraid of what would happen next.
And all because someone decided that those kids may just as well be used as a means to get him around?
Instead of the previous anxiety, all Callen felt by now was rage. Pure rage, which he needed to control.
From the shadows, near the door which was closed after he and Baker entered, a voice which he did not recognize sounded. "Still wanting to protect the little ones, are you, Callen?"
It didn't matter that he did not know who he was dealing with. 'The little ones'; it probably was referring to the times he spent in the orphanages. He hoped Eric and Nell would pick his words up too. "Hollygrove home, Allingham street — which one was it?"
A short huff came as a reply this time.
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