Chapter 10
Pins, bullets and journals
A/N How wrong was I in assuming I'd only need a couple of chapters to wrap up this story… We're not that far, yet. Some of you wondered if the team would be back in time to come and look for Callen and Hetty, once it is discovered that they seem to have disappeared. Let's wonder about that for a while indeed…
As ever, I'm so grateful you took the time to read and review, and I am so sorry for the delay in updating. Now, just sit back and enjoy!
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"Yes please, Beale. Make that phone call, and put it on speaker, will you?" Mosley asked.
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Los Angeles || NCIS office of special projects, later in the afternoon
Eric dialed Hetty's number first and already breathed in, expecting a swift response from her as ever. But nothing happened at all. No response nor a click which guided him to a spoken text that would announce that he could leave a voicemail. "Nothing... it's dead," Eric said. Looking up in surprise, he shook his head and tried again, wondering if he made a mistake. The result was the same, however.
Eric didn't waste any words or time but pressed the pre-dial button to Callen's on the landline phone.
By now he was worried though, since he'd heard how earlier on Callen expressed his fear that Paul Angelo reached Hetty before Callen could warn her. The lead agent would not appreciate to hear from Eric that Hetty's phone was unreachable, that he knew for sure. He'd put the phone on speaker already and hoped Mosley would address Callen and explain, so he didn't have to. He looked up to Mosley and Nell on a mix of surprise and worry when this phone call also ended up nowhere.
"Shit," he said.
He looked up, uncertain now how the assistant director would response at his use of language. "I mean... this sucks, right?"
"It does when we can't reach any of them," Nell agreed. "It worries me too. We've had situations like these before, when we've lost contact. But now that Callen expressed his worry about Hetty before... we need to find her, before — well, you know, Paul Angelo detested her. If he threatens her, like Callen feared he might, God knows what'll happen."
"I get it. Any suggestions?" Mosley asked. If anything she understood it was how all of the people in this team of six, and she included Nell and Eric too, were fond of the petite veteran handler. The same went for the Washington and New Orleans teams, as for the director of NCIS, Leon Vance.
Mosley had to admit that no matter how Henrietta Lange worked on her nerves every now and then, she admired the older, retired woman too. At first, Shay Mosley had underestimated the small woman. Perhaps because she appeared to be so weak when they first met. Legends went in their world of the spy Lange used to be, but the frail and small woman the team rescued from Vietnam never looked strong at all. Physically, Hetty Lange was getting older and it looked like she also was suffering from Agent Orange, like so many of her generation were. However, mentally Henrietta Lange was just as strong as before. Clever, and underestimated by so many people.
Mosley also had learned to trust the team leader, but unlike for instance Sam Hanna or Kensi Blye, Grisha Callen proved to be just as much stubborn as other people had told her before. He may have done exactly just do exactly that what she had hoped he wouldn't—stay around too long instead of taking some rest. After all, he was all she had to rely on now that the others of the A-team of NCIS were on vacation or family leave. She needed him, sharp and sound.
It was as if the two analysts granted her some inner thoughts, and after a silent few minutes, Eric suggested "I'll let the outside camera's work. See if we can spot anything out of the ordinary from the moment Callen left this place. Which was what, over two hours ago, right?"
Mosley nodded. "Do whatever you think is necessary, Beale. And Jones, if anything pops up, please do inform me." She inhaled and slowly let the air escape, and while she stretched the dark blue skirt she was wearing, she continued "Anytime, Jones. Because that's how we do this in here, right?"
She turned and left the Ops room. Once she was seated behind her own desk, she opened the paper files which Nell had left earlier on. But it was the small, orange booklet Nell had carefully put next to it which grabbed her attention first. Journals, Nell Jones had told her, which explained a lot of why Callen behaved like he did. She opened it and started reading.
Within minutes, there was so much more she learned about the past of special agent G. Callen, Grisha Alexandrovich Nikolaev, than she heard before. He'd been so right, as were Nell Jones and Eric Beale. If only she'd listened more carefully… But right now, all she could do was regret the fact she invited Henriette Lange to come around. Paul Angelo sure was someone she should have learned more about, when — Well. She was wrong, and all she could do was to work harder to find them all; Callen, Lange and Paul Angelo.
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Los Angeles || South Fir Avenue
Being split up without having a chance to brief his former managing operator properly sucked. Callen could only let her know his opinion and hoped she'd find a way too to get out of this place.
"Hetty... don't even think about it. You and I both know we can't trust Paul," Callen said.
Callen expected he was going to regret a remark like this, but right now the man who definitely was in charge simply snickered. "Oh Callen, you think you're so wise. You even think you can control anything in this situation. But you see, it's nothing that you can influence. This is not about you. It just comes in handy that your team is unavailable. You are — well, just a means on this case."
He clenched his jaw and wriggled it. Deep down, Callen knew Angelo was right. And from the position he was in, he couldn't do much, no way, with his hands bent backwards and bound solidly with rope.
As if Angelo understood he mentioned "We'll stay around, you and I. My buddy in here will accompany our dear Hetty on her mission. All in all, we all will go our own ways once she's finished with her part of the deal."
Callen simply shook his head. "No way, Paul, you won't go nowhere. In the end, you won't get away with this."
This time Angelo took out his gun and whipped it against Callen's already wounded shoulder, again, and it made him cry out loud. Once the sharp pain hit in, it made Callen pass out for a few seconds. It made Hetty wonder in which condition her agent really was.
Inwardly she corrected her own thoughts, realizing she wasn't handling him and his team any longer. Things had changed now Mosley was around, it was impossible to work with her like Hetty had worked with Owen Granger before. Besides, her health had changed. Deteriorated, she knew. All in all, it would take some time until she would be able to leave the constant state of alertness for the team finally behind her.
Although Callen's shirt was of a dark navy blue and there was no way she saw what was beneath it, the echo of Angelo's words sank in — they had shot him and all of that happened only recently. "Stop that, Paul, or I won't help you at all."
Angelo shook his head. "Maybe I may just as well go and put a bullet in his head right now."
Some groans sounded from Callen and he winced as he slowly opened his eyes.
Paul Angelo continued to address Hetty. He raised his voice "And don't you tell me you won't cooperate once he's gone as a hostage. Rest assured that I will find a way to make you cooperate anyway, Hetty. I could drug you to do what I want. Or… well, it's up to you."
He stepped closer to Callen and aimed his gun.
Once Callen fully realized what was going on, he gritted his teeth to try and hide his agony. "Maybe—" he tried.
Hetty shook her head and made a hushing sound. She turned and managed to get the attention from Paul Angelo. "Now then, Mr. Angelo, you suggested you have someone to accompany me to our office. You may want to introduce us?"
Slowly she rose from the wooden chair and once she got on her feet, she approached Callen. "It's going to be okay, dear boy. You just need to take care of yourself." She lay her old and tiny hand on his right shoulder and gently squeezed it as in a comforting way. "You just lay low, Mr. Callen. I trust that Mr. Angelo won't hurt you any further, not until I will return with his men and the papers he asked for."
Callen glanced up at the woman whom he considered as his surrogate mother. He knew all too well that once Hetty had done what Paul Angelo wanted her to do, neither of them would be granted to go. Angelo's revenge would go further than that and he was about to point that out when, again, Hetty shook her head. She didn't want him to talk.
There was more of a promise in Hetty's words than what she really expressed and it offered him something more than soothing. It was shortly after she stepped back that he understood. Callen twisted his head as far as he dared and noticed the small button which was pinned near the collar of his shirt. He swallowed away some of his worry. No one had taken the time to thoroughly check Hetty for any hidden spy ware, else but to take her purse in which she carried weapons, and her cell phone.
Right now, Hetty calmly stated "I need guarantees, Mr. Angelo. You see, as long as I am certain that nothing will happen to Mr. Callen, and I mean nothing at all, I can and will cooperate. But the moment I hear, see or even sense that you're cheating on me..." Hetty didn't finish her sentence but just shook her head.
A smirk came as a response and Paul Angelo added "Now, now, Lange. May I remind you that I am the one who makes the demands? Just to let you know, I'm sending Richard Barnet and Louis Otis with you. Both have received the same orders. If anything seems like you are cheating on me, they are willing to start shooting around. At your precious people at the office, or anywhere on the street. Oh, and just saying, Barnet is a real LAPD officer, and he won't hesitate calling in back up once he feels he's being threatened."
Those few remarks made Hetty feel defenseless, and she knew the same went for Callen. She needed a plan and she needed it soon.
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