a/n: thanks everyone for the continued support and comments on my story. I have tried to keep it interesting. And as always cat4444 your insight is always appreciated.

Chapter 10

Everyone stopped. Stopped moving, stopped thinking, even stopped breathing. They stood staring at Tatiana, and all she did was lean back in her chair, pleased with the reaction. Clicking her tongue, she crossed her legs, waiting for them to move, to shake out of the shock of her proclamation. Of course she wanted him dead; he wasn't supposed to make it out of the ring, not with the amount of drugs she had injected into him. Now she had what she wanted. Madame would put an end to him, and she could sleep happily, knowing he had paid for everything he had cost her.

A phone buzzed, followed by another, snapping the team out of their trance. Callen answered his phone first, walking out of the room. "Hetty, please tell me you have something." He looked back into the room. Eric had turned his attention back to the computer, and Sam began to pace.

"Mr. Callen, bring Miss Houle to the boathouse, I will have a word with her." Hetty's voice was cold and vicious.

Callen caught Sam glaring, motioning him to Tatiana. Callen walked away. Kensi leaned against the wall, her face pale, but she didn't seem affected, not like he was. She didn't know yet. He chewed on his cheek. He should tell her, but at the same time, she was too volatile. He couldn't do it. Some things were best kept secret for now, he thought. She pushed off, walking beside him.

"Is she going to tell us where Deeks is?" she looked back when Sam walked out with her. "Callen, for God's sake, what's going on?"

"Go to the hospital. See if you can get anything out of Mr. Head Trauma." He opened the door to the Charger, trying not to look at her. He couldn't. He had to focus. He had to find Deeks. He had to for himself and for his team.

Hetty let out a puff of air and looked at Nell. "I want everything you have on Mr. Deeks, Miss Houle, and the holding company." She headed out of the room. Pausing before exiting, she turned, "If the Director calls, you do not know where I am."

Walking out of the building, Hetty stopped at her vehicle. She paused, taking a deep breath before she slipped out her cell phone. The number flashed. She had felt it go off earlier, but chose to ignore it. She prayed they would find Deeks and that she wouldn't have to deal with Ivan after she had called in the favor. She dialled the number and slid silently into her car. The recording was simple, the location only a few miles from Mission. Pulling into the parking lot of the shopping mall, she parked in a stall. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She flicked it open and raised it to her ear.

"Herta, I see you." She leaned her head back.

"Come in, Ivan. I will not shoot you." She reached her hand into her purse, feeling the cold metal of her pistol. The door opened and a heavy-set man sat down. He squeezed himself into the seat and moaned.

"Oh, you Americans, smaller is not better." He looked at her and smiled. "It has been far too long."

"Ivan, my time is short." She turned to him, staring. "You found something."

"I have." He lifted a red file. Reaching over, he motioned to drop it into her waiting hand before stopping. "What have you gotten yourself into, Herta? This woman, she scares me."

Hetty plucked the file from his hand. He looked genuinely concerned for her. His large hands caught her hand on the file and held it still. "Come now, Ivan, I am a grown woman, and I do not need your concern."

"You are a good friend, my Herta," he said as he shifted in the seat, tapping her hand. "I have done what you asked, and I have thought what it is that you should pay me with."

"Now is not the time," Hetty pulled her hand away.

"I ask for a simple thing: Dinner with me." He smiled.

Hetty groaned and shook her head; she motioned for him to get out of her car. He opened the door and pulled himself out. Stopping for a moment, his face went rigid, "And now my last gift. A warning. This woman, she has her fingers in many pockets. Watch your back." He closed the door and slipped away from her vehicle. She held the file in her hand, such a small folder. She shook her head, his warning heavy on her mind. She opened the file and began to read the black type. Finally she finished closing the file she had to get to the boathouse and get Tatiana to answer her questions.

Callen sat at the table and leaned forward, watching Tatiana; she hadn't moved since they'd brought her in. She hadn't said anything to them. She sat with her hands in front of her, resting on the table. She didn't look around, just stared at the window. Sam continued his pacing, muttering about how they were running out of time. The door opened to the boathouse as Hetty stepped inside. She looked at the two men as though a life didn't hang in the balance, then walked up to the table, taking her purse off, and looked at Sam.

"I would prefer if you both left." She motioned them to leave. "What I do from here is my own business, and I do not want anyone to be held responsible but myself."

Sam politely snorted, "What's the worst that could happen?" Callen shot him a glare, Hetty rubbed her hands together.

"I could use a nice cup of tea, Mr. Callen." She didn't look at him. She looked at Sam. "And something for myself and Miss Houle to eat. There is a nice bistro not too far from here."

Sam rolled his eyes and stormed out of the building. Callen was silent as he heard the Charger roar to life. "What are you planning to do?"

"Find my agent, Mr. Callen." She moved toward the back room. "Please make sure I am not interrupted."

He nodded and left. Hetty took a deep breath and walked into the room. Tatiana looked up and smiled. Hetty sat down across from her, and laid the file on the table. "And how is everything Miss Houle?" She snorted. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Elizabeth Yakpov."

Elizabeth froze; her mouth opened and closed. She glared, "You know nothing about me." Her words came out harsh. Her long fingers knitted together.

Hetty leaned back in her chair, a soft smile crossed her lips. "No, my dear, I know absolutely nothing about who you are." She opened the file and spread the papers across the table so that Elizabeth could see them. "I know everything about you."

Tatiana scanned the papers; her lips pressed together, the tips of her fingers turned white. Hetty crossed her arms and waited for her to make the next move. In a brief emotional moment, Elizabeth fanned her hand out over the table, casting the papers to the floor. Her chair scraped on the floor as she quickly stood and leaned over the table.

Hetty looked at her, unfazed by the outburst; she picked up a simple photo of an older woman with dark black hair standing between a teenage boy and a young brown-haired girl. "It's a shame to lose your whole family, to have your brother taken from your house when you're sleeping." She looked at the smiling faces, at how happy they looked. She set the photo down and pushed it toward Elizabeth. "Must have been painful to learn that the very group that took him is the same one you work for today."

Elizabeth froze, looking down at the photo. "It must be hard to work day in and day out knowing that your brother and mother died because of Serafina Volynskii, or as you call her The Madame."

Elizabeth looked up, "You are lying." Her voice shook, tears crested her eyes. Her middle finger traced the faces in the photo. Hetty reached over, gently tapping her hand.

Callen ignored Sam's grumbles when they arrived back at the boathouse. He carried a cup and a brown paper bag with two sandwiches. He opened the door to find Hetty standing and talking on the phone. She turned to the two men and smiled, "That took you long enough." She looked at the cup and bag in Callen's hands. "I have asked Nell to download the address to your phones; we have a team already en route. Kensi and Tori are on their way, and I would suggest you get a move on and bring back our Mr. Deeks."

"How the hell did you . . ." Sam stepped forward looking at the monitor. Elizabeth sat with her head in her hands. Callen stopped him from going any further, whatever Hetty did worked, and it didn't matter now. Sam stopped. He nodded, quickly realizing that the enigma of Hetty would remain a mystery even to him. "We'll bring him home, Hetty."

She nodded, taking the food from Callen, "Hurry. If Tatiana is telling the truth, they will be cleaning house, and after that, the odds of us finding Mr. Deeks alive will be very slim."

TBC