At that moment, Sam and the others rushed in, taking down the other thugs. However Dallas quickly moved to position himself behind Callen so he was shielded by his body. He grabbed Callen's forehead from behind with his left hand and lifted his head up. He pulled it backwards, holding the knife tightly against Callen's exposed throat, drawing blood.
"Drop the guns or I'll slit his throat" warned Dallas.
"Not gonna happen. Now put the knife down and step away from him" commanded Sam, his gun pointing at Dallas waiting for a clear shot.
Callen had regained consciousness and muttered through the pain "Dallas, y'know I'm Steven Walinski. C'mon do as he says. You don't wanna die like this - at the hands of a black Fed."
"Who is he? What's he to you?" asked Dallas nodding his head towards Callen.
Picking up on Callen's warning, Sam said "He's Steven Walinski, a convicted criminal. Hey, it's no skin of my nose if you kill him but my orders are to take you all – him included - back to jail" counters Sam.
Dallas appeared uncertain about the exchange and hesitated so the knife moved away from Callen's throat ever so slightly. Sensing this, Callen used whatever strength he had left to kick out at Dallas's legs. Surprised by the attack, Dallas staggered backwards away from Callen, giving Sam the opportunity for a shot. As Dallas crashed to the floor dead, Sam rushed over to Callen whilst Kensi & Deeks and the FBI agents checked that Dallas and his group were all dead. Sam called the Ops Centre using his comms "Eric, get the EMT here asap."
"On its way" and Sam closed the connection before Eric could say anything else.
"It's over G – I've got you" said Sam as he quickly assessed his partner's injuries.
"I didn't tell, Sam, cover's intact. Charlie?" said Callen through gritted teeth so quietly that Sam hardly heard him.
"I know G. Charlie's dead. Ssh, save your strength. Let's get you down."
Sam put his arm around Callen's waist to support him as he cut the shackles of his right arm. Callen slumped. "Hey can you put your arm round my neck? I've got to cut you free." Callen put his arm round Sam's neck but there was no strength there. At that moment Deeks came over and supported Callen.
"Thanks, man" said Sam as he cut the bindings as carefully as he could. Callen's left arm with the open fracture, now no longer restrained, fell forward and he yelled in pain.
"I'm sorry, bud" said Sam as he gently cradled the arm in a more comfortable position as Deeks lowered Callen to the floor as the EMT arrived.
Kensi looked at Callen and turned to Sam, "Is he going to be OK?"
"I don't know, Kens – he's in a bad way. I've got to tell Hetty." Switching on his comms, he calls Ops and Nell answers. "Nell, I need to speak to Hetty"
"I'm here, Mr Hanna" says Hetty.
"Dallas, Charlie Connor and the rest of the group are dead."
"What about Mr Callen?" said Hetty, afraid of the answer.
"We've got him" and Hetty lets out a sigh of relief. He continues "But he was badly beaten and tortured by Dallas before we could get here. He's alive – just. The EMs are working on him now trying to stabilise him so that he can be moved."
There is silence the other end – "Hetty are you still there?" Sam asks.
With a crack in her voice, Hetty replies "Yes, Mr Hanna. I'm here. I'm going to contact a friend of mine, a Doctor. I'll get back to you and let you know which hospital to take Mr Callen."
Cutting comms, Hetty phones Dr Michael Grant. "Dr Grant speaking."
"Michael, it's Henrietta Lang. I need a huge favour."
"Hetty,of course. What do you need?"
"One of my agents is seriously injured and I need you to look after him."
"Of course. What's the nature of the injuries?" asks Dr Grant.
"I don't know for sure. However he was beaten and tortured. The EMs are stabilising him now in order to move him."
"OK, tell them to bring him to Mercy. I'll get a team together. I'll see you there?"
"Of course. His NCIS partner will come in the ambulance with him. Thank you, Michael."
"Not a problem. I'd do anything for you, you know that."
Getting back on Comms, Hetty contacts Sam & tells what she's arranged.
"OK, Hetty. Hang on and I'll tell the EMs." After a short pause, Sam continues "Hetty, they'll be moving him shortly. I'll travel with them and meet you there."
"Good. I know they will want to go to the hospital as well but please send Ms Blye and Mr Deeks back here for a debrief with Granger. Tell them we'll keep them informed of his status."
As she breaks off comms with Sam, Granger walks into the Ops Centre.
"What's happened?" he says.
"The white supremacist group has been taken down – they are all dead" advises Hetty.
"What about Agent Callen?"
"Sam and the team got there a little too late. He's alive – no thanks to you – but seriously injured. They're taking him to hospital now."
Granger looked at her questioningly. "You pulled Mr Callen and Mr Hanna off that undercover assignment when I was dragged back to Washington. You blew his cover" she said angrily.
"You don't know that – not for sure. Anyway Callen went back in."
"Well, he would, wouldn't he? He'd risk his own life to take the bad guys down. It's what he does, what we all do. It's why he's so good at it. I'll not forgive you, Owen if he doesn't pull through. Now Kensi and Deeks are coming back here so you can debrief them. Now excuse me but I've got to go to the hospital."
"Henrietta, I'm sorry about Agent Callen, I really am but we didn't know for sure his cover was compromised – we had to risk it" but he was talking to her back. "Henrietta?"