One week into his suspension, Callen sat at a plastic picnic table on the edge of the beach sipping coffee. He hadn't exactly been hiding from his team, but he hadn't made any attempt to contact them or return their calls. He knew this was probably driving Sam up a wall but he needed time alone to process; his head was still messed up about the deaths of the mother and her child. Sam would want him to 'talk' or worse have him come over for dinner or a movie with the family. Being around Sam's family was the last thing he needed; it would only serve to remind Callen how he failed to save the other mother and her child. No, what he needed now was to be left alone to handle this in his own fashion, like he did for all those years growing up with no family. So he had spent the last week avoiding cameras, using cash and becoming a ghost.

Always an agent, Callen first sensed rather than saw someone approaching him. Even though he'd turned in his gun, he was not unarmed, having stuck a knife in his belt slightly behind his hip where he could rapidly deploy it. A quick shadow passed over him as his visitor, a male, walked around to sit on the other side of the table. "Leo, comrade, you are a hard man to find but it is good to finally see you" his visitor said with a Russian accent.

Callen instantly recognized his guest, Vlad Semenov, front man for a powerful Russian, Anton Grankin, who was known to buy and sell nearly everything, as long as it was illegal. Callen, aka 'Leo' had done some minor work for Grankin in the past but had not been successful in bringing the man to justice.

Imperceptibly, Callen switched into his Leo persona answering with the slightest hint of Russian accent on a few of his words. "I can't say it is good to see you, Vlad. Last time I saw you, I was being hauled off to prison and you," he gave Vlad a quick appraisal with his eyes noting the man's healthy tan, "apparently went back to Anton's beach house. Good for you, not so good for me."

Vlad made a dismissal motion with his hand. "A mere misunderstanding."

"For you. You got to spend your days working on your tan and your nights chasing pretty women. Me, I got to spend my days dreaming about pretty women and my nights maintaining my virginity."

Vlad laughed. "Ha. You a virgin. I have seen you around the ladies my friend. I doubt you are a virgin."

"With one sex I am and my goal in jail was to keep it that way. So whatever you want, forget it. I'm not getting involved with Grankin again. No верность," Callen replied as he started to rise to leave. Vlad reached over and clamped a hand on Callen's forearm halting his movement.

"Before you rush off, comrade, I think you need to see this." Vlad pulled out his phone and with a few flicks of his finger displayed a picture. "Perhaps you have a few minutes for me after all." Displayed on the phone was a picture of Sam's daughter, Jasmine.

Callen gave the screen a quick glance and then coolly looked at Vlad. "And this is supposed to mean what to me? A picture of a little girl?"

Vlad released his grip on Callen's forearm, and then flicked thru a few more pictures which showed Callen and Jasmine together. 'Damn,' Callen thought. 'I knew that was going to come back and haunt me somehow.'

"I believe she referred to you as 'Uncle', Uncle Callen to be exact. She is a charming girl. I know. I have conversed with her myself many times this week," he said with a sly smile. "So perhaps you do have a minute after all to chat with an old friend?" Waving his hand he indicated Callen should resume his seat. Once Callen was seated Vlad continued. "She calls you Uncle though based on her skin tone that is a bit hard to understand."

Callen started spinning his tale. "An honorific. I have known her father since she was very little. He is a colleague of mine. We work together on occasion. It has always been profitable for both parties. I have come to know his wife and child over the years," he said with a little shrug of his shoulder to indicate it was of little importance.

Vlad turned his phone around and looked again at a few of the pictures. "The girl, Jasmine, she said her Daddy was a cop!" Vlad's hard brown eyes captured Callen's cool blue ones. "But how can that be? Why would you, of all people, be hanging around with a policeman?"

Shifting backwards an adopting a casual posture, Callen glanced away at the ocean and did what he did best lied. "As I said, it is profitable for both of us. He helps me on occasion, provides data on things, avoidance assistance and for this I give him a fee. It has been mutually beneficial. Do you know what a cop makes in this town? A little extra income is welcome for those who have the mentality to accept it."

"A dirty cop."

"Your words, not mine. An associate."

"Your associate did not seem to be able to keep you out of jail last time," Vlad pointed out.

Sighing, Callen refocused on Vlad. "True. His reach is only so far. It was a sad time for both of us. Me in jail and him with a reduced income that did not allow them to go on vacation. Jasmine was very disappointed.

"Enough of these pleasantries. Let's get down to business. Anton requires your assistance. This," he tapped on the picture of Jasmine and Callen, "is his insurance policy. Anton was not sure, after how we parted ways last time, if you'd be cooperative."

Panic rose in Callen as he realized what this man was implying, though he appeared to remain cool and collected.

"Your 'niece' is a guest of Anton. She will remain his guest until you complete a task for him."

The words had barely left Vlad's mouth when Callen's hand flashed across the table, grabbed Vlad by the front of his shirt and pulled the man face to face. "You harm a hair on her head and you and Anton are dead, comrade. I guarantee this." Giving the man a vicious shake, he let go and Vlad slammed back down hard on the chair.

"I see you still have a temper," Vlad said straightening his shirt. "I suggest you save it for the bad guys. We are all good guys at this table and if you want it to stay that way, you will behave better." Whipping a gun out of his pocket he shoved it in Callen's face. "Do I make myself clear?"

Callen slowly placed his hands flat on the table in front of him to show he had no intentions of doing anything further. "Crystal."

Looking quickly around to see if they had been observed, Vlad stowed the gun and sat back deeper in his chair. "Good. I am glad that this unpleasantness is over. Let us proceed. My car is over there. I will drive you to say hello to your niece. After your reunion, Anton will explain what he needs from you. I hope I have made myself clear that if you try anything against me or Anton the girl's life is forfeit along with yours. Now, let us go."

The two men rose and walked down the beach to the side road where Vlad's car was parked. Once out of site of the general populace, Vlad ordered Callen to place his hands on the hood of the car while he frisked him removing the knife, phone and wallet from his jeans. "No gun?"

"I usually do not find I need it to go to the beach and have a cup of coffee," Callen quipped.

Rifling through Callen's wallet he examined the license. "Tom Martin?" he questioned.

Giving a small shrug he replied, "What's in a name?"

Laughing, Vlad handed him back his wallet but kept the phone and blade. "Your license says Tom, the girl calls you Uncle Callen, and you tell me your name is Leo. I wonder what your real name is?"

"If I told you I'd have to kill you," Callen retorted.

Vlad climbed in the car and indicated Callen to do the same. "Ah yes. American TV," he said recognizing the oft used quote. "Very good. I do like many of the shows. The Sopranos," he replied starting the car and entering into the street. "Hard to believe and yet…"

"And yet," Callen echoed. This whole situation seemed like a bad TV show to Callen. He was separated from his team, best friend's daughter kidnapped, dealing with a cunning Russian mob boss… Callen prayed this was a network TV show and not a cable show; cable shows had no compulsion in killing the good guys and letting the bad guys win.