Chapter 11

Pins, bullets and journals

A/N Thank you so much, all of you, who read and reviewed the previous chapter. Like you, I have been wondering from time to time how on earth Hetty and Callen are going to get out of this. After all, we know that there's no Deeks, Sam or Kensi around! There will be only a few more chapters left to find out if and how they manage. Will you just join them (and me) to get to know more?

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 || South Fir Avenue

What really concerned her was the simple fact that her boy, Callen, would sacrifice his own life just to save that of others. Innocent, weaker, defenseless and unknowing citizens. People who'd be missed by their beloved ones... was that why he had no ties to anyone but his own team?
Hetty had witnessed it so many times, how he and his team did the right thing for the people in Los Angeles. Things which were beyond what may seem to possible, yet they did it.
She'd seen how he planned, how he managed to lead a team like his and how the dynamic of that team made him stronger than she ever expected him to be. The lone wolf who learned to work with others – a tight group. Callen planned. Insisted that the others left and he was the one who stayed behind. Always coming back, although sometimes barely alive. And Hetty knew he'd do that for her too – sacrifice his life so that she could stay alive. She needed to leave this place, as soon as she could and meanwhile, she hoped he wouldn't do something that she would regret.

After all, the remaining days of her life should be of a shorter list than his.

But then she was scared as well that Paul Angelo would and could take some impulsive action to get to Callen as well, just in reprisal on her, and she'd never see Callen alive again. She needed to do something wise. The small GPS tracker was one of the best items she had right now, yet no-one would care to track it until she would ask to.
Yes, it was time to go.

She sent Callen a brief smile, then straightened her shoulders and left with both men.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Los Angeles || NCIS office of special projects

While Nell re-watched parts of the interrogation of Frank Smith while she had her computer system also looking for Paul Angelo by facial recognition, Eric tried several CCTV's in the neighborhood of their main office.

"When was it that Callen left?" He kept his fingers on the keyboard and started entering times once Nell absently replied "About three hours ago, I think. You and he had a phone call, right? Check it."

Nell was on the edge of what she wanted to handle. She needed the team around. Heck, she wanted Callen around. He'd know what to do, he'd keep his calm and guide her through this case. She sighed deeply and she sure hoped he would contact them as soon as he could.

"Now what," Eric muttered only some minutes later. He leaned forward to the screen of his computer, curious where Callen had gone. Their own outside cam hadn't caught anything at all. But that wasn't surprising, since it was merely used for the other way around, to announce uninvited guests.
What he now noticed was the ordinary black-and-white of a LAPD patrol car coming to a halt near the main parking lot, though not quite into full sight. Yet it took quite some time for it to leave. Which was weird. Just as weird as noticing a large purse nearby that same spot, which seemingly was forgotten by its owner.
And Eric knew only one single person who carried purses like these. He shook his head in disbelief, looked up, breathed in as if he was about to express his thoughts but then closed his mouth just like that again. He had to process this thing, first. There was a camera only half a block later, he knew. He would to look into that too before he drew any conclusions at all. Or shouldn't he?
He got up from behind his desk and left the Ops room. Which wasn't different from other moments on other days at all, although he usually shared with Nell. Not this time and she barely noticed.

Eris was back in less than five minutes, entering in a different pace than usual. "Got something," he said, his voice a mix between desperate and excited. Is was alarming for his co-worker and she looked up from behind her own screens.
"This," Eric continued now he had her attention. He didn't have to explain any further and she got up in a rush. He simply followed her as she entered Mosley's office without any announcement.

"Go on, spit it out," Nell encouraged her partner.

"Hetty," Eric said. "This is her purse and it was left on the sidewalk."

Their executive manager simply raised her brow and so he added "The sidewalk in front of our office, near to her car, which is parked opposite the street."

"Not good," Nell uttered her thoughts.

"You think Callen was right then, and that somehow Paul Angelo managed to grab her? On the street, in broad daylight?" The way Mosley concluded made it sound rather unbelievable indeed, yet Eric simply agreed "They must have. I cannot think of anything else."

"Bugger," Mosley sighed and it sounded just the way Hetty used to make it sound.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Los Angeles || South Fir Avenue, half an hour later

It was better this way, with Hetty on her way back to their office. Although there was no possible way she would've known beforehand that his team was not there, there had been no shock to be read in her eyes when it was mentioned. She'd plan something. And with Nell and Eric around, she could, that much Callen trusted in. They'd be some kind of secret weapon.
Callen tried to work out the time it would take until Hetty and those two men would return to the office, and what she could do once she was in there.

He moved around on the seat of the chair, only to find out how wobbly it was and if and how he could use that.

"So, you're not feeling that comfortable, mister special agent?"

The Asian like eyes stared at him, hard and pretty unreadable. Callen licked his dry lips and lifted his chin just slightly. He felt like crap indeed. His shoulder hurt like hell and having his arms stretched back in this position did not help either.
He wasn't a physician but Callen did know enough, too much actually, about what could go wrong with wounds which weren't treated properly. And by now, he was fully aware of the fact that he was weaker than he wanted to be.
He knew enough about being tortured as well, which he expected Angelo might do simply as some kind of punishment for, well, for nothing he did, but just because.
And even though he didn't feel physically well at this moment, it certainly wasn't something he wanted to share with this man who once was one of them. So instead, he simply decided to stonewall the other man.

"Frankie said you like to be around with young kids. That's why you came, didn't you? He planned that one the way I hoped he would. Tell me, do you prefer boys or girls?"

Callen didn't know if Angelo was good in reading his face, and he swallowed it all in, the disbelief, anger, embarrassment, he didn't really know. Too many emotions came to his mind. If he were to respond, it had been only gasps of not being sure he heard that remark right indeed. Now, he just shook his head once.

"It's always that way when one is confronted with sins. Yet it should be not something to be ashamed of, Callen. I understand, I really do." A hushing sound came from the other man.
Callen figured the rogue agent was trying to play 'good cop, bad cop' just to kill time. And Paul Angelo went on "Some of us are simply have a liking which isn't easy to suppress. I get that. Personally, I prefer women. Not like Frankie, or maybe you..." Angelo paused a beat, observing the other man very carefully.

He clenched his teeth, knowing it was just a way of Paul Angelo trying to get under his skin. And damn, it worked too. He let the thought sink in as he remembered the urge of earlier that week when Eric notified him of the e-mail that was sent his way. The innocent kids, the scared looks on their faces. His hope to get them all out. He shook his head, again, wondering if the little girl he tried to save had survived after all.
But it had nothing to do with what Paul Angelo hinted at. It was… well, what was it? All he cared for was how he wished all kids deserved to have a loving and careless youth, not the troubled one he'd had himself. Besides, what did Paul Angelo know about him? All he had against him was what Frankie Smith must have come up with, a lot of humbug like Frankie had always loved to make things up. And Frankie, well, he was nothing but someone who apparently preferred to choose the wrong side of the law. Who wanted to overpower anyone who might turn into someone he could no longer rely on.

Callen now kept his head down, not sure if he were able to keep his face unreadable. He had a plan, maybe it worked. All he had to do was keep Angelo talking and trying to get him close enough. If so, he'd use both his feet to kick against Angelo's knees. Meanwhile, that very same kick would help him to make the chair topple and he figured the backrest would break, which gave him room to move and attack the other man.

Angelo got nearer now, sneering "Wondering now, are we? Having difficulties to discuss the matter?"
A chuckle came his way now and he knew Paul Angelo kept observing him. There was some slyness in his voice, and Callen knew it was because Paul Angelo was sure he was in the upper hand.
"Feeling that bad, Callen? We all have some dark secrets, don't we? Even though you are the most favorite agent of Hetty Lange or even director Vance. You're not that perfect, you know. Just look at you…"

Callen needed him only some inches nearer now. "If only you knew," he said, his voice deliberately low.

"Excuse me?" Angelo now tilted his head. All of a sudden, the smug smile he'd carried left his face. He narrowed his eyes and he was all in agent mode now, understanding fully how Callen had tried to lure him closer, for the only reason he could think of – attacking the other man.
"You're into another fight, Callen. Well, geez, that was not what I had expected. Never mind."

Angelo stepped back a bit further and called out loud "Mauro! Got a job to do!"

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Los Angeles || NCIS office of special projects

It was the police car which triggered Eric most, and as he expected, another he successfully accessed traffic camera's nearby. Nothing looked suspiciously when the car approached the large parking lot which was opposite their office. It was the time schedule it remained in there that did it. Plus the simple fact that somehow, the officers which drove it and who might have left the car managed to stay out of sight.

It was nearly a quarter of an hour later when he finally caught footage of probably the same car passing by. He froze the footage only once while he grabbed his phone and called LAPD.
Surely, they'd know who was on duty and drove this car, and for which purpose. That would take only have to take a few more minutes and he sighed in relief when the centralist answered his call.

Thanks again for reading!

Kni®benrots