N/A: I'm just amazed and grateful you're still there. Thank you again for reading and your beautiful comments. Let's go for another round!

Chapter 5

- "Hey! Right here, hello, hello! Do you speak English?" – Asked Deeks at the top of his voice, waving at the same time his raised hands. A uniformed man that was leading a group was approaching Kensi and him. They seemed to be police officers, but it was hard to know, because only two of them were wearing uniforms.

- "You're not going to believe it!" – Continued Deeks – "Our balloon, yes you know, balloon, that big thing filled with hot air and a hanging basket that flies who knows how– yes, it sounds crazy, I don't know who got the idea in the first time- well, we were flying up in the sky, very high, between the clouds, and all that" - explained Deeks gesticulating – "and then kabooom! do you understand? kaboom we fell down!"- he did the movement with his hands. "What kind of insurance do you think these things have? I have a friend who works in an attorney office. My wife here was terrified…– ouch, honey, you just put your elbow in my ribs - , I was saying to this kind gentleman that our balloon kaboom."

- "Morgan, sweetie, I'm sure that this gentleman will be able to understand you if you stop yelling." – Interrupted Kensi – "Günaydin, sir" - she continued, addressing this time to the police, we had an accident and our guide is missing."

- "Good morning. Yes I understand you." – He said the officer with a marked Turkish accent not easy to follow- "Americans, right? Are you hurt? I don't know what you are doing in here; this is a very dangerous area. No safe for tourists, do you understand? You are coming with us to the station. We need to check your identities and to take note of your declaration."

- "We're not hurt, but our guide never come back, he may be in trouble"- said Kensi.

- "Yes," - added another man approaching- "but before leaving you need to answer some questions, like how do you know the frequency to contact the police by radio?"

Suddenly Deeks and Kensi were surrounded by a group of no very friendly looking men that looked suspiciously at them. Speaking quickly in Turkish one of the officers ordered to one of his men to take the bag packs and search their possessions. They confiscated the photographic camera and the phone provided by Hetty with all the pictures uploaded to the social media.

-"Hey, these are my briefs, man"- said Deeks playing his role as silly tourist- "the only clean I had left!"- "Listen officer, stop playing with my underwear, there's a person missing here."

-"Yes, please!"- Added Kensi- "Our guide, you have to look for him! he was so kind with us! he took that way looking for help."- She said signaling with her arm.

The man who led the group, a police officer, asked some men of the party to disperse and organize a search just around the zone where Callen and Deeks have seen the shooters before. The he escorted Kensi and Deeks that advanced hand in hand for the abrupt terrain to a dirt track where the police vehicle was parked.

One hour later they arrived to Konya where the officer took their declaration and without returning the photographic camera, let them go.

Deeks hugged and kissed a happy Kensi, they rented immediately a car to go to Nevsehir airport where they took the first flight to U.S.A. Hopefully Callen will arrive home with the marines before them.

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The first thing Captain Rodger Washington saw when he came to sometime later, was the roof of an improvised refuge made with branches, a bandage around his head and his left leg in a splint; then he found two piercing blue eyes staring at him.

- "Marine García?" – he asked trying to sit down.

- "Easy, Captain."- answered Callen helping the man to sit up. - "Sorry, he didn't make it." –he added bringing a bottle of water over.

- "And you are…?" – asked a devastated Washington who, helped by Callen, drank avidly.

- "Agent Callen, N.C.I.S."

- "Not a navy SEAL?" – The Captain couldn't hide his surprise.

- "No, sir."

- "And how…?" – started to ask Washington.

- "Too many questions, but the first one is how do you feel, Captain? Any wounds apart the obvious ones I need to know? We don't have much time left."- said Callen.

- "Cracked ribs, I'm afraid. It has been a hell lately. Where's García?"

- "I buried him outside. Sorry for your lost."-G said sincerely – "Captain Washington, my team and your men from the base in Greece had organized a rescue mission. They're coming for us, sir, and we need to get moving to the meeting point. A helicopter is on the way right now, but they won't be able to wait for us. Do you think you can manage to walk if I support you?"- hurried G with a hint of urgency in his voice. He was starting to feel the adrenaline rush now that the hour for the rescue was approaching, a feeling that he welcomed after the exhaustion caused by the previous fight and the sharp pain with each breath from his broken rib.

- "I'm not leaving him here."- Continued Washington - "No way. No one left behind, no matter what."

Callen knew the marine motto by heart. Sam would have reacted exactly the same way, but after having passed the last hours making a shelter, attending Washington wounds, and burying the young man, he was tired, sored from the previous fight, and unwilling to discuss nonsense.

- "Captain, please, I've the coordinates, we can always come back for him in the future, but right now we need to concentrate on you. We've less than an hour to gain the meeting point. No second chances here and I know you have a family waiting for you."-urged G.

- "Listen son, I really appreciate what are you doing, but I rather die than leaving my man behind, and my family knows it."

- "Even your unborn baby?" – Callen asked really upset with a lump in his throat.

- "Agent Callen, you have to understand that I couldn't live without a clear conscience. I'm sure my eldest boy and my wife will be able to explain who his or her father was to the baby. Take García with you and don't worry about me, I'll try to follow you."

With tears forming on his eyes the Captain took his badges off and put them around Callen's neck.

- "Please, in case, you know, I…couldn't make it… well… promise me that you'll give these to my baby and that you'll tell my family that I love them with all my heart." – said a very emotional Washington.

- "All right Captain." – Sighed Callen trying to hide his emotions- "Let's make a deal. If you're able to walk I can carry the corpse to the helicopter." – he positively knew that if Washington's femur was indeed broken he never could walk to the meeting point, but no way he rescues a cadaver instead of a living man with kids and a pregnant woman. Time to improvise he thought reaching for the bag pack.

- "Deal." - said Washington knowing that probably he'll die before the rescue force arrived. He tried to erase that thought of his mind and for a moment he concentrated on the man that risked his life to save his.

- "Are you hurt, agent?"-he asked noticing that Callen was protecting his side while moving.

- "Just sored, don't worry" – Lied G.

- "You fight like a SEAL, agent Callen,"- he said- "and whatever happens out there later I want to thank you. You're a brave man."

- "I train every day with one of yours, captain. Sam Hanna, who, by the way, says hello." – said G.

- "Sam Hanna, a good man."

- "The best." - Affirmed proudly Callen, producing two preloaded syringes from the first aid kit.

- "What's that?"- asked Washington.

- "Antibiotic and painkiller. You've got a fever and I know you're in pain, sir. In some minutes I need you to walk to the helicopter. I'll help you, but you've to help me; and these" – he added waving the injections-"will help us.

Cleaning with alcohol Washington shoulder and positioning the needle against the skin he asked:

- "Do you want me to count to three?"- and seeing the startled look of the SEAL – he sighed to himself : "never mind."

The captain didn't flinch when Callen apprehensively did the shots, but he could feel something was very wrong before losing consciousness.

So far so good, G's plan B was working. Time to get moving.