Callen ran over to Joelle as quickly as he could. Callen pushed her to the side, making them fall on the ground, just before the car swerved past. Callen looked at the car to get the license plate.
"You okay Jo?" Callen asked.
"Yeah I'm good."
Callen pulled out his phone and called it in to LAPD.
"You sure you're good?" Callen spoke as he helped Joelle up.
"Yeah I'm good. Thank you for saving me."
"No problem. You sure you're good? I didn't hurt you or anything?"
"No Callen I'm fine."
"Okay good. Let me get these groceries for you."
Callen picked the groceries up and walked Joelle to her car. He put the groceries in the car.
"Thank you Callen."
"You're welcome Joelle. Have a good day."
"Thanks Callen, you too."
Callen turned around and walked back to his car.
"Callen wait," Joelle called after him. Callen turned back around. "I feel like I should thank you with something for saving my life."
"It's okay Joelle, that's not necessary. I would have done it for anyone. It just so happened to be you this time."
Callen had to distance himself for this. What if Joelle wanted to thank him with dinner or something? He was starting to get over her, having dinner with her now wouldn't be a good idea.
"Still I feel like I should thank you with something."
"Just a thank you is enough. I should get going, Sam will be by my place to pick me up shortly. Perhaps I'll see you around."
"Yeah, see ya."
Joelle watched as Callen left. She really wanted to do something for him for saving her life but she wasn't sure what. Asking him to dinner or something wouldn't work. They had just broken up. Joelle was still trying to get over Callen and by the looks of it Callen was too. Had she really made the right decision by breaking up with Callen? Her life felt a bit empty without him in it. She missed spending time with him, just cuddling up to him on the couch or in bed. She always had a good time whenever she was with Callen but it was his job. Joelle had tried it but she just couldn't get past it. She just couldn't stop worrying about him whenever he was at work. Had she made a mistake? Had she given up on them too soon? Was there perhaps a way to deal with his job and the dangers? She really did still love him. She knew that they both loved each other, that wasn't the problem, she just couldn't deal with his work, deal with that worry all the time. But she did really love him, shouldn't she make a sacrifice and try harder? She could never ask Callen to just give up his job so they could be together. She had tried to get past it but it just wasn't working. Joelle took a deep sigh and got in the car.
She thought that she was finally starting to get over Callen but then she saw him again today and all those feelings came back up again. She could see those feelings in Callen too, clearly he wasn't over her yet either. But what if they would get together again, what's to say that she wouldn't start feeling the same again, feel like she couldn't deal with all that worry. Sure Callen had told her not to worry about him. From what Joelle had gathered Callen was a great federal agent, Sam had told her so to try to lessen her worry and that he would be there to protect his back, but still Joelle couldn't help but worry. She really wanted to be with Callen but she felt like she could never get over this worry. Was being with Callen worth all this worry? She had felt trapped in their relationship, stuck in a corner she didn't think she could get out of. Maybe all she needed was some time apart, but could they really get back together again? Would Callen want do? Would she actually want to?
Once home Callen put away the groceries and waited for Sam to pick him up. They were going to a basketball game.
"You good G?" Sam asked as they sat in the car and Callen just kept staring out of the window but Callen didn't respond. "G." Callen shook out of it and turned his head to Sam. "You good G? Your mind seemed to be somewhere else."
"Huh yeah, just thinking about something."
"Care to share?"
Callen took a deep sigh. "I saw Joelle earlier today when I was doing groceries. We talked a little bit. When I had put my groceries in the car I heard this car screeching over the parking lot. I looked up and saw that Joelle was in the path of the car. So I ran up to her and pushed her out of the way."
"She okay?"
"Yeah she's fine, not a scratch."
"That's good."
"Yeah, when I wanted to go she called me back and told me she felt like she should thank me with something."
"She did? Like with what?"
"I don't know but I told her it wasn't necessary. I didn't think it would be good to get back in with her."
"You're still not over her," Sam stated, clearly reading his partner.
"I thought I was but then I saw her again today. But it doesn't matter anyway, it's over, done."
Callen looked out of the window again. Sam knew his partner didn't want to talk about this so he let it drop.
They enjoyed a nice basketball game and Sam dropped Callen off at his place before going home himself. Callen grabbed himself a beer and sat down on the couch. It had been good to see Joelle again today, Callen really missed her. He had hoped Joelle had changed her mind and did want to be with him but she hadn't so Callen had given up on the possible of ever being with her again. But today Callen saw something in her eyes, she really did still love him. But Callen knew she did, that wasn't the problem, it was his job. Callen had tried to help her get over her worries but it wasn't working. So if they would try again, what's to say Joelle wouldn't feel the same again? No, it was better this way, Callen missed her, but it was better this way.
…
That Monday Callen was up early. He went for run before going to work. When he arrived at work no one was in the bullpen just yet. Callen dropped his bag by his desk and went down to the armory. The events of yesterday were still in his mind. It had been good to see Joelle again but she was on the front of his mind again now, after he was finally starting to let her go. Callen hung up a paper target and put some dummy bullets in his gun. He tried to push Joelle out of his thoughts and focus on the shooting. He had to get her out of his mind if he was going to concentrate on his work. If he was distracted he couldn't go out into the field. Callen took a deep breath and focus on the paper target. Without thinking twice Callen emptied his mag, all center mass shots. Callen did some more target practice before going back up to the bullpen.
"Morning guys," Callen spoke, the others had arrived now too.
"Morning," came the replies from the other agents.
Callen sat behind his desk but it was only for a short while since Eric whistled them up.
"What do we have Eric?" Callen asked as the team walked in OPS.
"This morning a truck carrying a shipment of GC Electronics was high-jacked. GC Electronics makes all kind of stuff for the defense, military, navy, that sort of things," Eric explained.
"What was in the truck?" Callen asked.
"All kinds of stuff, some new technology for the drones, some new programs to track people. Everything that was in that truck could be dangerous in the wrong hands."
"We know anything about who high-jacked it?"
"We're still looking," Nell informed them. "They did leave quite a mess behind though."
Nell pressed some keys on her tablet and some footage appeared on the big screen. The agents watched the intersection where the truck was high-jacked. They saw the truck come into the frame and two cars blocked them from the front and the back causing other cars to crash. Men with masks and guns came out of the cars and started shooting at the truck. They tossed the two guards out and got in the truck before driving off.
"How are the guards?" Kensi wondered.
"They are in the hospital right now in surgery. One was not so badly wounded but the other one was."
"Alright, Kensi, Deeks you go the hospital, see what the guards can tell us."
"Will do," Kensi replied and she and Deeks left.
"Nell, Eric, find that truck and see if you can find out who these men are. We'll head to the crime scene and then GC Electronics."
Callen and Sam left. They first went to the crime scene. They put their gloves on and took a look around. There were some spend shell casings but other than that the men didn't leave much behind. Callen took a few pictures and got a picture of a shell casing with a print on it. He sent the pictures to Nell and Eric. They left and went to GC Electronics.
"Agents Callen and Hanna, NCIS, here to speak to your boss," Callen told the receptionist as he and Sam showed their badges.
"Just one moment," the friendly woman replied. The woman called her boss on the phone. "He will see you in his office. It's down here to the right."
"Thank you."
Callen and Sam walked to the office.
"Agents Callen and Hanna, NCIS," Callen spoke again and they showed their badges.
"Come on in gentlemen. I assume you're here about this morning's high-jacking."
"Yes we are. Anything you can tell us about that?"
"It was just a normal route as ever. They loaded the shipment and they would drive it to Pendleton so it could be shipped to the right offices. We followed protocol, everything was fine. We didn't receive any intel about a threat to it or anything."
"What about the guards?" Sam asked.
"They have been handling the shipments for us for years. We've never had any problems with them. I would be really shocked if they would have anything to do with this."
"Who knows about the route and the items on board?"
"About ten people I think."
"We're gonna need those names," Callen spoke.
"Of course. Anything we can do to help."
"Anyone stand out who wants to have this?"
"That's a really long list, everyone would want to have it I assume. There is a tracking device on the shipment, we checked it but they've disabled it."
"Is there any way to turn it back on?"
"No we tried."
"Alright, thank you for your help sir, if you think of anything please call us."
"Will do."
Callen and Sam left the office and went back to the office. Kensi and Deeks were still at the hospital. Callen went upstairs to see what the wonder twins had come up with.
"Oh hi Callen," Nell spoke as Callen walked in. "We're still tracking them. Kaleidoscope found the truck in the parking lot in Marina Del Rey. We just found it and we looked at the cameras there and saw that they ditched the truck there and they got in a car and drove off. We're tracking the car now."
"They ditched the truck, without taking the shipment out of it?"
"Yes it doesn't show on the footage."
"That just makes no sense. See if you can find out where the truck came from, maybe they loaded the shipment off somewhere else. Sam and I will go check out the truck."
"Will do Callen."
Callen went back downstairs. "Gotta go Sam, Nell and Eric found the truck but they ditched it."
Sam grabbed his car keys and together with Callen he drove to the parking lot. Sam parked the car in front of the truck. No one was in the seats up front. Callen and Sam got their guns out and made their way over to the truck. They scanned the truck before going around back. Callen kept his gun on the doors as Sam went to open them. The truck was completely clear, nothing or no one in it.
"Eric, Nell," Callen spoke through the com. "We got the truck but it's completely empty. They have loaded the shipment over into another vehicle, found out which."
"Will do," came the response from Eric.
Sam and Callen looked through the truck to see if maybe the men had left something behind.
"May have got something here," Callen spoke as he was looking through the cabin. He took a picture of it with his cell phone before picking it up. "It looks like a sim card or something. I'll take that back for Eric and Nell."
There wasn't much else to find in the truck so Callen and Sam went back to the office. When they arrived back Kensi and Deeks were in the bullpen. Callen quickly went upstairs to give the card to Eric and Nell. Nell went downstairs with Callen and went to the gadget room. Callen went to the bullpen and sat behind his desk.
"How did it go in the hospital?"
"One of them didn't make it unfortunately. The other one did, we were able to question him. He said that everything was just normal with the route and the shipment. They followed the same protocol as always, nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing different was that they had to take another route as they normally do since there was some construction going on."
"It would be convenient to the high-jackers that they had to take another route," Sam spoke.
"Yeah, we had Eric and Nell check it out. The construction is legit and has been planned for months. So it seems like that's just a coincidence but Eric and Nell are checking the company that does the construction to see if anything stands out."
For now there wasn't much more to do than wait so the agents got caught up on some paperwork.
An hour later Nell came into the bullpen.
"I managed to get something off of the card. It's a sim card. It must have fallen out when they ditched their phones or something. There's not much on it. But there was a number on it that was called four times in the last day. Now it's a burn phone so I can't tell you who it belongs to but I was able to pinpoint the location the calls originated from."
Nell pressed some keys on her tablet and a map of Los Angeles popped up with a red dot.
"That's the GC Electronics office," Kensi remarked.
"That's correct."
"So the call came from inside the GC Electronics office? Do you know where?" Callen asked.
"No, all I can say is it came from that building. Nothing more.
"Is it still active?"
"Yes it is and it's still in that building."
"Alright good work, let's go guys."
They all left and went to the office.
"Step away from the computer," Callen spoke to the receptionist.
"What's going on?"
"Just step away from the computer."
Sam walked up to the fire alarm and pulled the lever.
"Gather them all together. Nobody leaves," Sam spoke.
"Any other exits in the building?" Callen asked the receptionist.
"One at the back of the building."
Callen and Sam went to that exit to make sure no one would get out of Kensi and Deeks stayed at the front.
"Why can't we go out here?" A man asked Callen and Sam.
"This exit is no good, please exit through the front," Sam responded.
Kensi and Deeks were at the front trying to keep everyone in.
"The fire alarm went off, we have to go outside!"
"I'm with NCIS, it's alright. Just stay calm. There's no hazard here." The reception area was pretty roomy. "Alright every stay calm and have a seat on the ground."
"What's the meaning of this?" One of the executives asked.
"We're with NCIS, we're trying to solve the case about the stolen shipment."
"What does that have to do with us and why are you keeping us here?"
"I can't discuss an ongoing case with you now sit down."
A little later Callen and Sam came to the front as well.
"That's everyone," Callen spoke.
"What is the meaning of this agent Callen?" The boss asked as he stood up.
"We received some new intel we have to check out now have a seat. This will be over faster if you co-operate."
"What new intel?"
"I can't discuss that with you sir. Now have a seat."
Callen pulled up his phone and called the number Nell had given him. No sound was coming from the reception area. Callen and Sam went to search the rest of the building as Kensi and Deeks stayed with the employees. Callen heard a cell phone ringing somewhere. He followed the sound and found the phone in a drawer in one of the executives offices'. It was indeed the phone they were looking for. Callen took a picture of it with his phone. He put it in an evidence bag after putting a glove on.
"This is what we were looking for. Mr. Holland, care to explain what this was doing in your office?"
The CEO saw it was a burner phone and looked at his employee. "Alex, what's going on?"
"I'm sorry Pete."
"Alex, what's going on? What did you do?"
"I'm sorry."
Alex pulled out a gun and took Pete in a chokehold. The agents grabbed their SIGS and aimed them at Alex.
"Alex, don't be stupid, let him go," Sam tried to reason with him.
"You don't understand. I had no choice."
"That may be but hurting him isn't going to help. Just let him go and we'll talk this through."
"I can't, I'm sorry."
Suddenly a shot rang out.
