Even across the video feed, defiance still hung almost tangibly in the air, but eventually, Callen spoke.
"I am being held by Marcel Janvier," he said flatly, holding his direct stare into the camera lens. A trickle of blood ran down his jaw from his split lower lip. "He says he will soon have possession of the Incognito software. He wants to make a deal…"
CHAPTER SIX (PRESENT DAY)
Trying to shy away from a pounding headache and faint nausea that could only mean a concussion, it was with reluctance that Callen finally admitted his body clock was right, and Monday morning had dawned. Not that there was any way of telling. The cargo hold of the boat was as dark as ever. Far easier to pretend it was still night-time, that this awful situation was but another nightmare. Hell knew, he had plenty of them. But it wasn't. What little sleep he had uncomfortably managed had left him feeling still tired, but undeniably awake.
After the film had been made, two of Janvier's crew had re-tied him so that he was sitting down. He still had ropes around his wrists, tying his hands tightly together, and thick ropes securing his body to the post, pinning his upper arms against his sides, but at least he didn't have to bear the weight of standing all night. Out in front of him, his wounded leg still throbbed and he wished he could twist forward and rub the sensation away, but the ropes were too tight – save for his head, his upper body could barely move. Gingerly he bent each knee up in turn several times, keeping his circulation going, his muscles moving as best he could. He did the same with his arms, which he could bend at the elbow, lifting his hands to his chin. Strain as he might, he couldn't reach the ropes round his wrists with his teeth, and so the pathetic exercises were the most constructive thing he could do.
He wandered desperately what Janvier's next play was going to be. Would he get a chance to be alone with Joelle again, so they could talk? He felt like she had been on the verge of telling him something last night, before Janvier had returned and interrupted them again.
Could Joelle really be working with Janvier? She always had been a clever bitch. Devious. Employed by the CIA for so many years, she could be callous and cold, he'd seen that side of her. But he'd also believed she was fundamentally on the right side – on his side. It bugged him he couldn't put his finger on what was going on. She'd come to him with her cell phone, sure, but then she'd helped film that wretched video, and done nothing to stop Janvier shooting him – though that had happened quickly, Callen had to allow. He hadn't even noticed Janvier was carrying a pistol. The man usually employed people to do his dirty physical work for him, after all.
Callen wished he knew for sure whether Joelle truly was involved with Janvier or not. He hated to believe that she might be. And if she was, he was in even bigger trouble than he thought, for until his team were able to work out where he was being held, she was his only ally.
*FLASHBACK* (SUNDAY EVENING)
Callen thought he could hear Sam's voice answering tinnily in the tiny speaker, and he whispered "Sam?" with urgency, but before he could say any more Joelle shut the phone off and slid it quickly into the front of her pants, hidden in the flat of her stomach. She glanced apologetically at Callen, and backed quickly away from him as she turned towards the door through which Janvier entered. Brighter light from the corridor spilled into the dim hold, making the dark shape of Janvier framed in the doorway appear all the more menacing for a moment.
"You seem to be one step ahead of me, Agent Taylor," he said, looking at her harshly as he came down the steps and crossed the space, and she met his gaze coldly.
"I was just checking he was still awake for your video," she answered, holding his look. "He was hit pretty hard… he's not much good to us if he's out of it!" She spoke crossly, exuding confidence, a cooperative ally if not an equal partner, and Callen looked from one to the other suspiciously.
"What's going on?" he demanded, but he was ignored as Janvier held his hand up apologetically to Joelle.
"You are right, of course. You are needed, Agent Callen. At least for a little while longer anyway!" He raised his eyebrows and grinned nastily at Callen.
"Whatever you want, I'm not doing it." Callen stated flatly.
"Oh but you will," Janvier replied with a nasty smile. "You see, Agent Callen, I know who has the Incognito software. We have been in contact for some time. I am, as you know, a well-regarded arms dealer, and my contact has engaged me to arrange a sale. I was in the middle of putting together a plan to escape from my confinement – but you took care of that for me, for which I thank you. And now I need you to help me some more. It's your turn to make a move – but carefully, Agent Callen, carefully. You won't have many."
Callen kept his face blank but his mind was running nineteen to the dozen. All along, he and Vance had put together this mission believing they would be the ones controlling Janvier, they would be breaking him out to use for their own gain, and yet now it seemed Janvier was one step ahead… He couldn't even begin to imagine how that had happened, and so he remained silent.
"Nothing to say, Agent Callen?" Janvier taunted him. "I told you this time the board was mine. And you… well this time you have played right into my hands." He looked down to where his left arm ended abruptly under the cuff of his jumper. "Forgive me, I should say, hand. You have cost me a great deal over the past few years, Agent Callen. The time has come for you to pay."
Callen wasn't sure his heart could sink much further, but it did. Janvier watched him, enjoying the discomfort he knew Callen must be feeling, and laughed. Eventually, he turned back to Joelle, who had been silently observing the exchange from a distance.
"Set it up!" he commanded, and stiffly Joelle obeyed. Before long, a video camera on a tripod was aimed directly at Callen, wired to transmit as it recorded, and he turned his head away with distaste.
"Just do as he says," Joelle said quietly.
"Or what?" Callen countered.
"I have people," Janvier said coldly. "People on the streets. Watching your team. Your partner… he has cheated death more than once before, has he not? That pretty little red-head analyst…. She's quite the play thing. Or your young new agent – tell me, Agent Callen, does he have the skills necessary to protect Agent Blye?" Callen writhed furiously against his bonds. Just how big a reach, how many contacts, did Janvier have? He remembered back - a whole decade ago but he remembered the exchange as clear as if it were yesterday - to when they had first come across 'The Chameleon' and Sam's dismissive response when Callen had been rattled by his first phone call with Janvier: known to them then as DeGramont. Sam had been unphased when Callen related to him how Janvier had told him he was going to kill him. And in a way Sam was right – he had heard that line before. Many times, from many different criminals. So he had tried to make light of his worries with his response 'Yeah… But this guy's pretty good.' He had been worried though - and he had remained so ever since. Janvier played him in a way no other criminal had been able to. He was good. Scary good. Seemingly his time in prison had not reduced his capacity for evil at all. With resignation, Callen reflected his only move possible right then was to go along with Janvier's game – for now.
Staring defiantly into the lens, Callen spoke the words flatly. He knew that both what they saw and what they heard would be a shock for his team and so he did his best to take emotion out of the equation.
"I am being held by Marcel Janvier. He says he will soon have possession of the Incognito software. He wants to make a deal…"
"Cut the film!" Janvier suddenly yelled, in the same instant raising his right hand towards Callen and firing a small pistol. The echo of the shot reverberated around the cavernous hold, and Joelle gasped as she heard Callen grunt. She abruptly stopped the camera from transmitting.
"What the hell?" she demanded in a voice rising with distress as Janvier visibly strived to keep his cool. "What did you do that for?!"
"Why don't you ask him!" Janvier turned on his heel, whipping the camera from its tripod. His voice rose angrily over his shoulder as he stormed out of the hold. "Sort him out before I return… I haven't finished with him yet!"
"For God's sake," Joelle muttered as she rushed over to Callen. In the dim light she urgently scanned him up and down, trying to see where he'd been shot.
"Leg," Callen informed her through gritted teeth. "Not serious." He sucked in a breath. "Jo. Look at me…"
She raised her eyes to him, and they were wide and full with fear and desperation.
"What the HELL is going on?"
"I could ask you the same thing!" Joelle retorted angrily, but there was a hint of distress still clear in her tone.
"You tell me, and I'll tell you," Callen replied, keeping his eyes on Joelle as she struggled to regain her composure. "You're not really working for Janvier, are you?" He watched as Joelle's eyes darted, frightened, from his face to the doorway and back again.
"I can't talk to you right now!" Through the still open doorway, they could both hear the sound of footsteps approaching from the access passage running the length of the ship above them. Janvier descended and came to stand close in front of Callen.
"A bold move, Agent G Callen!"
Callen held Janvier's steely gaze with one of his own.
"You didn't specify any rules."
"I did not…" Janvier looked Callen up and down, as if reassessing him. Without warning, he suddenly delivered a hard punch into Callen's stomach, just below his ribs. "My mistake. Don't make me shoot you again, Agent Callen."
"We all know that's what you want anyway, why let me stop you?" Callen panted. The ropes holding him were tight, and he hadn't been able to dodge the blow at all.
"Not yet... You are worth more to me alive than dead at the moment. But fear not, that time will come."
"Not if I get there first," Callen muttered as he worked to even his breathing. Joelle looked worried at the obvious wheeze when he took in air.
"Careful," she said anxiously to Janvier.
"You need to come with me," Janvier beckoned to her, already turning to leave.
"But his leg…" Joelle said, striving to sound in control. "The wound needs cleaning…. It'll get infected."
"That should not be your primary concern," Janvier said pointedly, and a look of revulsion crossed Joelle's face as she backed away from Callen. Following behind her, Janvier shut the door to the hold, leaving Callen both figuratively and literally alone in the darkness once more.
I hope you're all still with me and enjoying this. There's so much more to come! This is definitely going to be my longest story ever..! Although it remains Callen-centric, the whole team will feature soon. I'm doing my best to get a new chapter up every couple of days now x
