A/N: this is a short filler chapter which deals with a lot of division of tasked. Steve and Sam partner up, leaving Danny with Callen. It should make for an interesting dynamic in the next chapter.

Chapter 8: A Plot Is Hatched

"Frank Delano is dead." Deeks announced as he was followed into the ops center and it became overly crowded with agents and scientist.

A hush fell as everyone turned and stared.

"Not quite the reaction I was expecting," Deeks stated as he turned to Kensi, "but I'll take it."

Kensi rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Are you quite certain, Detective Deeks?" Hetty asked.

"We identified the body, ma'am. It is most certainly Frank Delano and not Lieutenant Maksim Holick." Danny said with a nod to Steve.

"And the bodies have been taken where?" Hetty asked.

"To the county coroner's office - Max is with them. We should have preliminary autopsy results shortly." Chin said and moved toward the image of Holick on the screen. "Frank was found in Holick's work uniform. It seemed to be enough at the time to put a name to the body. We are now speculating, however, that Holick is the one that is behind these murders and Delano was just used for his skill set. He outlived his usefulness and now we have one person to focus on."

"I agree, Lieutenant Kelly, but to know what we need to know we must follow our victims. I believe that the true connection with McGarrett was always Delano. So where does that leave us?" Hetty asked.

"We could try and see if we can track Delano's movements once he arrived here in California. If we can match him to facial recognition and flight manifests, then maybe we can find people he was associating with." Kono suggested. "I know a lot of the people that ran with Frank's crew. We could look into them to see who's in jail, out of jail and off the island."

"And I still have a few connections with the defense department. Maybe if one of their scientists were to contact them, over law enforcement, we may get farther." Leonard suggests.

"What are you talking about Leonard?" Danny asked.

"I worked for Holick…not him exactly…the defense department but Holick was the one monitoring my experiments."

"We may have an under cover," Kensi smiled.

"Whoa, wait a second. I'm just a mild mannered experimental physicist. I can't go under cover."

"Of course you can't Leonard, that's preposterous." Sheldon laughed.

"But, with us, you may be just what we need." Kensi said contemplatively and then smiled at Leonard. "Don't worry. You'll be perfectly safe with us."

"Kensi do you have a plan?" Callen asked.

"I think I do, and I may involve a visit to Caltech."

"I'm sorry, Agent Blye, I don't think I quite follow you." Leonard swallowed hard as all eyes turned to him. "I'm no longer involved with the project in any official capacity. I may be able to make contact with a few people but that's really all."

"Perhaps, Doctor Hofstadter, you've made an accidental break through in your fuel research, something brand new and exciting, and as such you may need a new assistant in the lab to help you manage your time. I have 'experience' in a few laboratory settings. It would be the perfect place to hide an undercover agent and possibly bring Holick to us." Kensi explained, putting emphasis on her experience under cover, rather then in a laboratory setting. "All you have to do is call your people and see if they will send Holick back for a consultation."

"I guess I could do that."

"You can't go alone, Kensi, and Deeks looks more the disheveled science type." Callen teased.

"Do I get to blow shit up and use lasers?" Deeks asked with a smirk as he ignored Callen's jab.

"Umm, no." Leonard shook his head, trying desperately to hide his discomfort in the idea of bring anyone back to his lab, let alone someone as volatile as Deeks.

Hetty watched in amused contemplation as the discomfort of the scientist started to play out before her. "I like the idea," she said after a long silence where everyone seemed to slowly turn their attention to the one in the room who was calling all the shot. "I'd like, however, for someone that is familiar to the scientist to head undercover with Kensi and Deeks. I think it would do well to send in Lieutenant Kelly. You'll go undercover as another scientist. We'll build your cover as we build Kensi's, and Deeks will work with Howard developing surveillance on the lab. Detective Deeks you are not allowed to touch anything inside Doctor Hofstadter's lab." Hetty ordered and warned at the same time, causing both Callen and Sam to chuckle.

"Do you work with lasers?" Deeks asked as he turned on Howard trying to recover his usual cheerful and joking demeanor.

"Yes," Howard answered pleasantly, "quite a few, actually."

"Awesome."

"I think it would be best to keep Doctor Cooper and Doctor Koothrappali here with us, to work with Nell, Eric and Kono on developing the case, tracking Frank Delano and his crime syndicate and finding anything possible on Holick." Hetty jumped in again before Deeks could get too carried away with his plans for world domination – visa vie, lasers.

"There may be one slight issue with that," Steve said as Raj glanced at him uncomfortable. "Raj can't talk to women unless he's drunk and even then women of authority iffy. He probably won't ever be able to speak directly to you, Miss. Lange. He might not speak to you either, Sam, as he seems to be terrified of Navy SEALs as well."

Raj's eyes grew wide as he stared at Sam.

"Is this true?" Hetty asked sympathetically.

Raj nodded crestfallen.

"Well, I have a bottle of Cognac in my office. I will fetch you a drink and you should be fine to work in ops with Nell and Kono. I will stay out of your way." Hetty smiled and petted Raj on the arm. "No need to fear."

"But he can talk to you?" Sam asked as he watched Raj suspiciously.

"We had a break through. The last case Raj helped with, he broke the case for us. It all worked out very well." Steve said with a smile toward his friend.

Raj coloured and hid behind Howard.

"What about us?" Callen asked Hetty as he stood beside his partner and Steve.

"Ah yes, I've not forgotten about you, agent Callen. I would like to see Steve and Sam make a trip to Coronado and see if you can't get us some intell into Lieutenant Holick. I have a feeling we aren't getting the whole truth when it come to that man. As for you, Callen, I'm giving you Detective Williams and I'm sending you to the scene of the crime. See if you can't bring me back something, anything, from the bar or the surrounding buildings where our first three victims were found. Someone had to have seen something."

"Alright, I'll drive," Callen said as he turned toward Danny.

"I never drive, so lead the way."