Author's Notes: Okay, everyone complains that my NCIS: LA fics are too short. So, this is my attempt at something a little longer. Also, I know next to nothing about the exact area of the Colorado Desert this takes place in, other than what I could Google.
And I swear I don't have a thing for hurting Sam. I have a thing for seeing Callen give a shit.
I own very little and absolutely nothing related to NCIS:LA.
"For your sake, I hurry over land and water;
For your sake, I cross the desert and split the mountain in two."
―Al Hallaj
Callen slipped behind the cover of a rock formation and waited. Still nothing. He'd been hiking and climbing and pausing to watch for signs of being followed for nearly an hour. He almost wished someone would take a shot at him. Then he would at least know where they were. And that they were tailing him instead of going after Sam. There had been no gunshots, no shouts, nothing. G could only hope that meant they hadn't found his partner. He held out his cell, which still had no bars. He pocketed the phone and then kept climbing.
By the time Callen reached the car, nearly three hours had past since he'd left Sam. Every moment was a weight. G held up his useless phone one last time before throwing himself into the driver's seat and heading back the way they'd came, back to where he remembered seeing the ranger station.
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"Mr. Beale?" Eric managed not to jump, but just barely.
"Hetty, I'm still not picking up any signals from Callen or Sam." The computer genius had been searching the Colorado Desert ever since Callen and Sam had missed a scheduled check-in five hours ago. And their tiny Operations Manager had been silently appearing and disappearing behind him ever since. She was calmly and persistently destroying his last jangling nerve. "There's nothing! No GPS from the SUV, no signal from their phones or the satellite phone..." Eric broke off as his phone rang from a number he didn't recognize.
"Hello?"
"Eric, it's Callen."
"Where have you been?!" hissed Eric, putting Callen's call on speaker phone. "I have Callen, Hetty." He then quickly began the trace on the phone the agent was using.
"Mr. Callen?"
"Two confirmed hostiles, Hetty. Possibly more hidden in local desert terrain. Request immediate reinforcements, sweeper teams and emergency medical evac." All the relief Eric had felt at the sound of Callen's voice drained away at the request for a medical evacuation.
"Your status, Mr. Callen?"
"I'm at a ranger station approximately three miles off the Bradshaw Trail. Our sat phone is inoperable, I've appropriated the ranger's. Eric, do you have my location?"
"Yes, I've got you," answered Eric quickly, putting up the map of the desolate area of California and Callen's borrowed signal. Callen sounded off: stiff and really...military. Something was wrong.
"I repeat, requesting reinforcements and medical evacuation to this location."
"Understood, Mr. Callen." Hetty nodded to Eric. He sent the coordinates to phones, initiated the mobilization of the teams that Callen was requesting. "Back up is en route, including Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks. But I'm requesting a more detailed situation report." Eric's eyebrows crawled up his forehead. Hetty's voice was dead calm, almost gentle. Crapcrapcrap...if Hetty was busting out the kid gloves on Callen, something was really wrong. The following silence was so long, Eric would have wondered at the connection if he couldn't see it strong on his computer screen.
"We began our reconnaissance shortly after 0700 hours. At approximately 0930, we were fired upon by unknown assailants. One hostile was neutralized, but Agent Hanna was injured in the exchange." Eric closed his eyes. Crap.
"What is Agent Hanna's condition?"
"As of 1100 hours, he was stable in concealment and cover." Eric's eyes shot open. 11:00? That was nearly four hours ago. "I left Agent Hanna to procure communication and call for back up."
"Copy that, Mr. Callen. Please await the arrive of support, I will have Ms. Blye contact you as they get close to your location."
"Understood." There was a click as the line went dead. Eric turned wide eyes to Hetty.
"Get me Ms. Blye on the phone, Mr. Beale."
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Kensi checked the GPS in her hands for the 10th time, verifying that they were closing in on Callen's signal. It felt like they were crawling across the desert road, only because she wanted to be there, like, yesterday. Hetty had filled her in on the details, or at least the cold, scant details Callen had volunteered. Hetty hadn't needed two warn Kensi, but it had been there, in the Operations Manager's voice. Sam was down and Callen was cagey. As they neared to within a mile, Kensi punched in the number Hetty had given her for Callen.
"Callen."
"It's Kensi, we're close to your position."
"I see you. Don't stop, I'll pull out ahead of you. Tell everyone to keep up." Kensi started to ask how far they had to go, but Callen had already hung up. She looked to the driver's seat, at Deeks.
"He's going to pull out, just follow him." Deeks' nodded, eyes back to the dirt road ahead. Kensi picked up the radio that linked all the teams in their little caravan. "We are nearly to Agent Callen's position, he'll lead us in, so stay close."
Callen's SUV roared onto the road ahead of them and accelerated away.
"Jeez," muttered Deeks. "I get we're in a hurry here, but we're no good to Sam dead."
It didn't take long to get the end of the dirt path that counted as a road. The convoy halted in a cloud of dust and movement. Callen was out of his truck, giving assignments and shouting orders. Separate units began circling out, containing and surrounding the area Sam and Callen had traveled through.
Callen pulled out his sat phone. "Eric? I need that chopper in the area. I estimate an hour to Sam's location. Just in case the phones won't work in the canyon, I'll pop smoke. That evac better be there." Callen put the phone away and looked at the other agents for the first time. His fair skin was sunburned and covered in sweat and dust. But he didn't look tired. If anything, he was a honed edge of focus and determination.
"Kensi, Deeks, you're with me. We're are moving to Sam's location as quickly as possible. Keep an eye out, but unless we encounter a hostile or are fired upon, we're not stopping."
Callen scared Kensi a little bit when he got like this. On most days, he was teasing and joking and dodging, that was usually playful, even when she recognized it as the defense mechanism it was. But in the middle of some operations, he went cold. Unknown and unknowable and Kensi realized how little she really knew Callen. How those blue eyes went to ice and he felt like a stranger. He didn't need reassurance. He needed to accomplish his objective. Without any other words he turned and began a fast pace into the rougher terrain.
"Hiking," muttered Deeks. "God, I hate hiking."
"Just...keep up," answered Kensi softly. Deeks gave her a sideways look.
"Do you know something I don't? How bad is this?"
"Think, dummy!" hissed Kensi. "He left his wounded partner in hostile territory! How much worse do you want it?"
"This is California, not hostile territory! Hey, I'm not saying it doesn't suck, but it's a broken leg, right? Concealment and cover, right? I'm pretty sure Sam could still kick my ass, one leg and all..." Kensi whirled, moving into Deeks' space.
"What if it was me?" she asked softly, dark eyes searching Deeks' face. Deeks looked at her for a moment, realization and something like pain flickering through his eyes before he brushed past her and ran to catch up with Callen.
"Stop wasting time."
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Everything was quiet. The trio didn't see or hear anything on their trek. Callen barely glanced at the man he had killed. He was just a marker on their path to Sam. Callen finally slowed his pace as they began to carefully pick their way down the steep incline to the canyon floor below. He held up a fist and dropped to one knee when he spotted the second body. It was just outside the shallow cave where he'd left Sam. After a few moments, Callen slowly made his way to the man, but he didn't need to feel for a pulse. He was clearly dead, a gunshot to the face. Callen carefully peeked into the shelter. Shadows and silence. He looked back and motioned for Kensi and Deeks to hold their positions.
"Sam?" he called out quietly. Callen slipped out of his pack and readied his weapon. "Sam, I'm coming in." He took a deep breath and stepped into the cave. When his eyes adjusted to the growing dark, he could plainly see the gun pointed at him.
Sam was where he'd left him, propped against the far wall. His eyes were murky, barely focusing, but his gun arm was steady.
"Hey, big guy, it's just me," soothed G, holstering his gun and holding up his hands. "Just me, back like I said I'd be." He moved closer, keeping his voice light. "Looks like you had some fun without me. No fair." Sam squinted and rubbed his eyes.
"G?"
"Yeah, Sam." Sam's arm dropped and he sucked in lungfuls of air. Callen moved in, sweeping the gun away and reached for Sam. His partner's skin was cool and clammy, his pulse was way too fast. He's been on alert for hours, shooting one hostile and hoping Callen had made it through.
"What...what took you so long?" coughed Sam.
"You know me," teased Callen softly. "Easily distracted, completely unreliable." Sam exhaled a soft laugh and shut his eyes.
"Nope, not okay Sam, open your eyes," demanded G, all gentleness gone. "Kensi!" The dark haired agent appeared at the entrance of the cave, worry all over her face. "Get Eric on the phone and pop smoke, I want the medevac team in here, now!" Callen turned back to Sam at the feel of a hand gripping his.
"Shhh...," whispered Sam. "Got a bad headache."
"Why? I've been running through miles of desert all day. I'm hungry and dirty and sunburned." G couldn't stop the hand that tried to smooth the lines of pain on Sam's face. "What have you done today besides lie around and wait for me to save the day?"
"Put up with you...," responded Sam. "Everyday...I deserve a medal..."
"You love it."
"I would love a medal." Callen could hear the sounds of the chopper approaching.
"Never took you for the glory hound type."
"M'tired, G." Sam mumbled, his eyes closing, hand slack in Callen's.
"I know, I know you are Sam. Just a little longer, okay?" pleaded G, "The nice people with the good drugs and helicopter are almost here."
"Good," breathed Sam.
"Callen?" G turned to see Kensi, flanked by members of the medevac team. "Callen, I've briefed them, but they need to get in there and work." G's grip on Sam tightened reflexively.
"G." Callen looked down at Sam. "S'okay. Good drugs, 'member?"
"Yeah," said G, letting go of Sam and backing out of the space. The canyon was shadows, the sun falling behind the walls.
"How's he doing?" asked Deeks. The detective was scanning the area around them, clearly on look out.
"Talking, but shocky," answered Callen. The helicopter was hovering further down the canyon. "How are they extracting?"
"Hoisted in the litter," supplied Kensi. "They can't set down in this gulley and they don't want to spend the time hauling Sam up the incline.
If felt like forever before the medical team emerged from the cave with Sam on the litter. G was at his side immediately.
"How's he looking, guys?"
"Unconscious, but stable. We're ready to lift as soon as the chopper is position." Kensi, Deeks, and Callen watched as Sam and a member of the team were lifted into the helicopter. "We're taking him to Camp Pendleton. I assume you'll be meeting us there?"
"Yes," supplied Kensi when Callen failed to respond. "Thank you." As the winch lowered to retrieve the rest of the medical team, Callen turned and grabbed his pack.
"Kensi..."
"Go." Callen hesitated. He didn't want to leave half his team out here, even though it looked like the hostiles had been taken care of. "There is a ton of support in the area and by all accounts, we are all clear." She smiled and made a shooing motion. "Go on. We'll clean up your mess."
Callen nodded and began hiking back out of the canyon. If he never set foot in this desert again, it would be too damn soon.
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Sam came awake slowly. The pain that had been his overwhelming reality was blissfully muffled. He was cool and it was mostly quiet. There was only the sound of an occasional page being turned nearby. Sam rallied to open his eyes and see who the reader was.
"Hello, Mr. Hanna."
"Hetty," whispered Sam.
"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Sam didn't answer right away. He looked around the room, and settled his sights on his elevated leg.
"How bad?"
"Oh, nothing that won't mend, but still quite impressive. You've gained some hardware, a metal plate and five screws. They also had to reattach a ligament. You'll be doing a lot of paperwork for awhile, I'm afraid."
"Where's Callen?" asked Sam after a moment. Sam could remember G coming back to get him, the utter relief when he could relax, let G take over. It got all fuzzy then, but he remembered G sounding panicked. G didn't panic.
"I sent him home, quite against his will, I assure you. I doubt he's resting like he should be, but hopefully he showered," answered Hetty, her nose twitching. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."
"He okay?"
"Yes. Exhausted, but mostly worried about you, Mr. Hanna." Sam smiled.
"Was he a bear?"
"Nothing we couldn't handle," responded Hetty, sharing Sam's smile. "Now, rest."
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The next time Sam woke up, he felt G before he even saw him. His partner was sitting motionless in the corner, his eyes hooded and locked on Sam.
"Hey G," murmured Sam, his voice rough and low.
"Hey."
"You okay?" Callen snorted softly and dropped his gaze to the floor.
"Yeah, Sam, I'm okay."
"What time is it?"
"Late. Early. Depends on who you ask."
"Mmmhhh," hummed Sam. "Not visiting hours, then."
"Me? Disregarding rules?" Sam huffed a laugh, relaxing. Hospital regulations had never meant much to them.
"I left you." Sam's forehead scrunched, struggling to keep up.
"G..."
"Why were you so convinced? So sure that I'd leave you there?"
"Because you're you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam sighed and shifted carefully against the ache in his leg. It was too early/late for this conversation, but Callen would likely never mention it again. This was his one chance.
"You can separate yourself from people and emotions the way I can't. You are forever preaching at me not to get so invested. It's just who I am, G."
"But I'm a cold bastard." There wasn't real anger in the statement. More like bitter acceptance.
"Come on G, you know that is not what I'm saying. And I never doubted, for even a second, that you would be back, riding to the rescue." There was a long moment of silence in the darkened room.
"If it had been me? Would you have left?"
"I'm not sure," said Sam after some thought. "I'm not sure I could have. Even if it was the right thing to do. You can make hard choices with your head. Me..."
"You're a huge, lethal teddy bear with a squishy center?"
"Call me that again when I'm out of this bed." The quiet between them was comfortable, but Sam felt like something else was coming. He'd nearly dozed off again when Callen finally spoke.
"It wasn't easy."
"Hmm?"
"Walking away from you. It wasn't easy." There was weight. It was important, more than just the words. Callen needed Sam to understand the stuff he never said.
"I never thought it was, G."
"Good. As long as we're clear."