Chapter 13

Callen sat in silence as he and Deeks drove towards the Boatshed.

"It's going to be alright Callen, you know they have nothing on you. Hell, you haven't even been in LA for the last few months. We'll talk to them, get to the bottom of this and sort it."

Callen took a deep breath but said nothing.

He hadn't ever hurt a child, not since he was one and those fights had never been started by him. Although he had finished every single one of them, not always the victor, but he would never back down from a fight.

Deeks pulled up outside the Boatshed, and walked inside with Callen.

"Hey guys." Deeks grinned at Lt. Bates and Detective Jensen.

"Deeks." Jensen growled, "That Callen?"

"Agent Callen has surrendered himself voluntarily. Now we'd like to know what the charges are against him." Deeks demanded.

"What are you Deeks, his lawyer?" Jensen asked derisively.

"Yes." Deeks replied, "I have an active law degree and Agent Callen is my client."

Jensen laughed, "So you defend child abusers."

"My client hasn't been charged or convicted of anything." Deeks replied, looking annoyed at Bates who hadn't moved.

Callen leaned against the table waiting.

"In here Agent Callen." Bates said, gesturing to the interrogation room. Callen walked in and went to sit his usual side of the table. "Other side." Bates smirked as Callen walked around and sat in the chair.

Deeks sat next to Callen waiting to see what the two LAPD officers would come up with, noting with satisfaction that Eric was taping the interview.

"I believe, you went…'missing' a few months ago Agent Callen, how have you recovered from that?" Jensen asked.

"Fine." Callen replied.

"Can you tell us what happened?"

Callen shook his head, "Classified." he snapped.

"Convenient." Bates replied.

"We need to know what happened while you were with Rodriguez, we have information, you were not held hostage, but you were actually a part of the gang. We have proof that you took advantage and raped an underaged girl. We know you were instrumental in working with the gang."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Callen shouted, slamming his fists on the table.

"Give us a DNA sample, prove it!" Jensen baited him.

"NO!" Callen stood up and Deeks put a calming hand on his shoulder and made him sit back down.

"Callen…"

"I didn't!" Callen shuddered as Deeks held him firm.

"We want to see proof, show us your evidence." Deeks demanded.

Bates looked over at Jensen, who nodded.

"She did say she would be willing to meet with him." Jensen said quietly.

"Wait here." Bates replied as they walked out, Deeks followed, leaving Callen sat alone in the room.

Deeks walked up to Bates as they left the room.

"What the hell? You know Callen, you know he isn't capable of something like this."

Bates turned to Deeks, "Yeah, I could have said the same sort of thing about you once upon a time," Bates said quietly. "People change, circumstances change. How well do you really know Callen?"

"Well enough to know he was tortured there, he was in no way a part of this group."

"We were told he shot at your teammates when they came to rescue him." Jensen said as he put his phone back in his pocket.

"That's because they drugged him." Sam said as he and Kensi walked in. "He had no idea what he was doing."

"How sure are you about that?" Jensen asked. "Our witness says that he was regularly there and he is the father to her child."

"He was locked in a room, he probably never even met your witness." Kensi scoffed as they watch Callen who had started pacing the room on the monitor.

"You were there." Bates said, "Your little boss admitted that much, are you telling me he looked like he wanted to get rescued?"

Kensi shook her head, "Well, no. But he was under the influence of drugs."

"But you don't know for a fact that he took them willingly?" Bates held up his hands as the others all stood to defend Callen. "We have to cover all angles."

Sam moved to make Callen a coffee, "I'm taking him in a coffee, you have a problem with that?" He asked squaring up to Bates.

Bates shook his head, "No, but don't talk to him about our witness."

"You haven't told me anything about the witness." Sam retorted.

"I know, Callen swears he didn't know anyone there, but I'm betting he'll remember the mother of his child."

Callen sat back, trying to think about everything he'd been told. The only children he had met had been Maria, and the baby Carlos. He had been a sweet kid and Callen had liked him when she'd had him with her. He hadn't hurt either of them. Maybe there were more children that had been hidden in the compound, he should have made Sam look harder, they should have saved the others.

He shook his head and placed it in his hands. They must have died when the raid happened on the compound. He sighed as he thought about them, they were so young.

"Here G." Sam said as he put the cup down in front of him. "It's coffee."

"Thanks." Callen said, not meeting his partner's eyes.

"Do you know anything that'll help Bates with this?" Sam asked. "It looks bad G."

"I don't know anything, I never saw anyone being abused." Callen looked away and to the left, in Sam's mind a sure sign he was lying.

"G... If you know anything, you need to tell me." Sam said.

"I don't know anything." Callen reiterated again.

Sam nodded, trusting his partner. "Ok." He stood up to go.

"Sam... Do you know who this witness is?" Callen asked concerned.

Sam shook his head, "I do know that as we left for the Boatshed Hetty seemed worried."

Callen sighed, he hoped she hadn't called his brothers, after all he was a big boy and had been looking after himself all these years, he didn't need her calling in the cavalry now.

In the main room Kensi turned as there was a knock on the door, "Hello?" A woman's voice called as she entered. "Detective Jensen?"

The detective's gruff demeanor softened at the sight of the woman and the young girl, who he noticed was still holding her baby.

"Hey guy's how are you doing?" He asked nicely.

"I slept well, as did Carlos. We have a good place Thank you." Maria replied as she held the sleeping child close to her in a new sling.

"Hello?" Kensi smiled at the girl, "I'm Kensi Blye NCIS, this is Sam Hanna and Detective Deeks from LAPD."

"Hello, I am Maria." She said shyly, her insides shaking as she recognized the large African American man and the woman from the compound.

"This is our witness." Bates said swiftly, He moved so she could see Callen on the monitor. "Maria, can you identify the man that hurt you, and the father of your child?" He asked.

Maria's eyes filled with tears as she saw the man she held responsible on the screen.

"Him!" she pointed to Callen on the monitor.

"Come on!" Kensi exclaimed.

"I do not lie!" Maria snapped back her tears falling, "You let me go in alone, you will see. He will ask about his son... I know he will. He will know my name."

"I don't like this." Deeks said honestly.

"It's not protocol. But it will advance our case, Detective Jensen will be just outside the door and you can record it all on camera.

Maria turned to the social worker who had accompanied her. "Please, keep him safe till I come out." She took off the sling letting Callen's co-workers see the blond haired, blue eyed child that she had been carrying.

They all looked amazed, the child did look like Callen.

"If I am lying, he will not know me and he will not ask after our son." Maria said standing defiantly. "I will do this for Justice, he must not hurt others."

Bates looked at Deeks, "You ok with this?"

"Callen should be told first." Deeks argued.

"If you tell him, he's going to lie, I want to see a genuine reaction." Jensen argued.

Hetty's face appeared on the monitor, "We will allow this Mr. Deeks." she ordered as Maria jumped at the interruption. "I am sorry, Miss?"

"Vasquez, Maria Vasquez, Ma'am." She said shyly.

Hetty nodded, "Thank you Miss Vasquez, Lt. Bates our technical staff will be recording this meeting." she informed them.

Maria shook as she walked towards the room Callen was in, she was so close, she just hoped he would react the same way they had trained him.

"Are you alright?" Kensi asked.

Maria wiped her eyes, "Yes Ma'am. I'm ready."

She opened the door and Maria walked in.

Callen was sitting with his head down on the desk, he was still trying to understand what they were doing to him when he heard the door open.

He wasn't in the mood for another of Sam's pep talks.

The door shut quietly and light footsteps moved to the back corner of the room.

Not Sam. Callen thought and looked up.

"Maria?" He asked, his voice full of surprise.

"Callen." She said.

Callen got up and walked over to her pulling her into his arms, "Oh my God I thought you were dead! Where is Carlos, is he alright... Is he with you?" he asked, worried for them.

Maria pulled away as the door opened and she rushed out.

"MARIA!" Callen called and tried to follow her only to be met by a punch in the face delivered by Jensen.

Callen fell back as Sam and Deeks came into the room to pull the detective off of the Agent.

"You son of a bitch!" Jensen yelled, "That's proof, you're a dirty agent."

"What?!" Callen held his eye and his nose as blood dripped down his face. "What? I never touched her like that... Who said I did?" He argued.

"She did, she said the child is yours."

Callen's eyes widened and he shook his head, "No...No… I wasn't there long enough, she's just a child… I just… NO!" He collapsed back onto the floor, his eyes brimming with tears, "I didn't, I would never… let me talk to her, she'll tell you the truth."

"She did tell us the truth, She offered her child's DNA, you won't let us take yours." Jensen argued.

"I didn't know you wanted it for this. I have to check with my boss, but I'm sure I can." Callen backtracked.

Jensen smirked, "You ain't got anyone who will save you now." He snarled.

The main door opened and a man in white stood there. "Actually, Detective Jensen he has." Archangel said, leaning slightly on his cane.