Operation Formosa
Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine.
Chapter 15
EUFO (NCIS Europe and Africa Field Office) — Naples, Italy
On any other case, Tony would have made some jest in their latest location. A reference to the classic 1969 movie, The Italian Job, would have been on top of his list. But now two of their own people's lives hung in the balance. Were they dead or alive, captured or hunted? They prayed they were alive, but if they were, they most probably were being hunted and the longer it took them to find them, the less likelihood they had of surviving without backup. The team worked without words, knowing this was killing their boss. He had managed to keep this news about Callen and Bronte quiet from Abby for now, but they would need her soon enough. Gibbs dreaded telling her. The team ignored Gibbs snapping at them, knowing just how close he was with Callen and Bronte.
The door to their temporary office opened, the large presence of Special Agent Sam Hanna was noted immediately, however, his sombre appearance fractured at their hearts. This was killing him too. The melancholy spread like wildfire when the disheartened Detective Deeks and Special Agent Kensi Blye walked in behind him.
Owen Granger nodded to them and cleared his throat. He'd been in Greece when Hetty called him, he'd made his own way to the Naples Office immediately. "I'm sorry, Sam, still no news."
Sam nodded and looked over to Gibbs, he noted the frustrations and grief bubbling under the surface when Gibbs slammed his hand down on a desk. Gibbs turned and looked at the former Navy SEAL.
"This is Callen, Gibbs. We both know how easy it can be for him to vanish like a ghost." Sam had been there before on previous occasions when Callen's identity had been burned. "He's the most paranoid man I've ever known, if something was wrong, he would have known and moved himself and Bronte out of there."
"I'm counting on it," Gibbs was clip in his tone, but no one held it against him, this was personal.
"The local police say that there wasn't any evidence of anyone staying in the other villa, only the one that blew up." McGee read out the report that had been sent through to them.
"Callen would have been careful, even for their honeymoon. Has Hetty or Philipe confirmed anything about which villa and who they rented it through?" Gibbs asked them, hoping this was just a case of wrong place, wrong time scenario.
Sam continued to hold fast to his faith in his partner. "Hetty has been trying to find out the details, G held it very close to the chest on their destination. He wanted it to be a surprise for Bronte."
"Why would Callen come to Europe for their honeymoon, wouldn't it be too risky with all his previous operations to come here?" This was what had bothered Deeks the most since hearing the news.
"Sicily was the one place Bronte wanted to visit. She loves Italian food and she's dreamed of going there for as long as I've known her. Callen was just fulfilling her wishes as a surprise." Gibbs closed his laptop down and looked at both teams. "Blye, how's your Italian?"
"Perfecto."
"Good. You and DiNozzo fit the bill as locals, here's the keys to your ride, the address is in the glovebox for your destination. Keep a close watch, we need eyes and ears out as close to Casa De Franchis as possible. DiNozzo, you'll look for anyone who's familiar from Bronte's operations, Blye, the you'll do the same for Callen's."
Deeks looked over as his partner, he hated them being split up, but he had to agree it made perfect sense. DiNozzo and Kensi did look like locals, they could infiltrate the island of Sicily easily and not be suspected of being U.S. agents. "What do you want me to do?"
Gibbs looked at the Detective, "you and Bishop will be tourists. If anyone as much takes an interest in either of you, I want to hear about it." He looked at both new sets of partners. "Every hour on the hour I want a text or a phone call."
You'll be staying close to each other, if any of you recognise anyone, I want the parties who do to stay indoors and let your partners do the watching. Have I made myself clear?" He looked at their faces, they were torn up from the news, Callen and Bronte were loved by all of them. "We cannot afford for another villa to be blown up and have to go looking for you as well." They all understood exactly what Gibbs meant. It was bad enough having two of their people in danger or dead. They couldn't afford to risk anymore agents.
"Gibbs?" Sam looked to the older man with questioning eyes.
"You and I are going sailing. We have a yacht to find." Gibbs looked to McGee and Granger. "Are you okay to man the fort, be the point of contact for everyone while we leave?"
"Yeah, sure boss." McGee had his face glued to his laptop, trying to get whatever information the Naples office had so far on the Sicily case.
"Not a problem." Although Granger wanted to do more, it was probably best he stayed in charge there, where he could assist McGee with the intel.
Suddenly, Abby's face appeared on McGee's screen, "where is everyone? I come into work to find you're all gone, Leon won't say where."
Gibbs looked at McGee who looked up at him with fear. "Not a word," he mouthed to McGee. He walked out of the office with Sam, heading for the marina to find their yacht. His gut clenched tight, he prayed for good news soon.
"Vance has sent us on a case in Naples," McGee left it simple and as close to the truth as possible. "We should be back in a few days." He hoped with good news.
"Naples? Why there? They already have a few teams in Naples. What's going on? Is that Owen in the background?"
Tim's eyes widened at the mention of Granger. He looked to the Assistant Director for assistance.
"I called Gibbs' team to Naples, Abby. The teams here have a difficult case and I thought we could use the expertise of his team."
Abby nodded, but she narrowed her eyes. "That better be all." She signed off and heaved out a sigh. Something wasn't sitting right with her. She'd had a sleepless night and she woke up rattled. She just didn't know what. Coming in and finding the team gone with no word had her coming up with all sorts of assumptions.
Naples, Italy
"Where are we going to sail to?" Sam raised the sails while Gibbs steered the yacht out to sea.
"My guess is that they've headed for St Tropez."
"To Philipe's?"
"Yes." Now they were away from prying eyes and ears, it was safe to talk. "The yacht they have belongs to Philipe's son, Tristan. He's builds yachts for a living. They'll feel safe there and they'll be able to get word back to Hetty. Philipe has a satellite phone, Hetty gave it to him years ago for an emergency."
"Do you think G rented the villa from a friend?"
"It's possible. He has many contacts around Europe from his days in the CIA. I'm betting that's what he's done. Like you said, he's paranoid over security."
Sam nodded and looked out to sea, "what's our course?"
"Sardinia first. We'll look for them along the coast, then continue on the east side where it's more protected until we can cross for St Tropez. It will lengthen our journey but I believe that's the route Callen would take."
"You two have sailed a lot over the years."
"We have. The water soothes him from all his troubles. He feels free out on the water."
"Which is why he always stays close to a beach."
"Yeah." They sailed for hours, Gibbs enjoyed being back out on the water and Sam was good company. He didn't talk too much, but never left it too quiet either. Unlike DiNozzo who struggled to shut up and appreciate one's own thoughts.
Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles
Hetty stood in Ops talking to Leon Vance updating him on what they had managed to find so far.
"Miss Jones has found the villa belongs to a Mr John Smith. "
"Sounds like an alias."
"It is. The same alias Callen has used on their honeymoon. Mr and Mrs John Smith."
"You think Agent Callen owns the villa?"
"No. But I conclude that he knows the owner and chose the same name for his alias."
Leon heaved out a heavy breath. "To not pick up suspicion."
"Precisely. I'm thinking it's someone from his CIA days for that region. He's worked with people wide and far, Leon. It could be anyone. But my thoughts are lying with someone more local, who has the opportunity to travel frequently enough to Sicily."
"I'll ask the director of the CIA for his files."
"No need, I already have them."
Leon raised his brow, "don't tell me how you have them, Henrietta. Please find them as soon as possible."
His cell rang, he saw DiNozzo's id come up on screen.
"Agent DiNozzo."
"Director. Why are Petty Officers, Shaun O'Leary and Glendon Cary out of jail and acting like two drunks in Sicily?"
Shivers ran down Vance's spine at the mention of those two Petty Officers who killed Agent Jack Stevens seven months earlier. "What? Are you sure it's them?"
"Yes, Ellie's seen them too. We're both keeping out of sight and leaving it up to Kensi and Deeks to watch them."
"Good. I need to make a phone call to the DEA Director to find out what's going on. But I doubt they have anything to do with Callen and Bronte, neither worked on Operation Formosa."
"I thought the same thing, but Ellie says that when Cary and O'Leary were being taken into custody by the DEA, Bronte had arrived to see you and she was hugging Agent Nassir at the time. It's possible they recognised her and chose to make an attack on her to get to Agent Nassir."
Memories of the operation he'd kept close to his chest skittered across his mind like an old movie. "It's possible. You and Bishop stay out of sight and I'll speak to Owen about organising a local team to pick them up. If what you say is true, then we've found the culprits. We need proof though, Agent DiNozzo. Find the evidence that puts them at the scene of the villa before it blew up. Good work, I'll be in touch." Leon disconnected the call and looked back at Hetty who appeared much larger on screen than she did in life.
"Leon, what have you found?"
"Two Petter Officers who were arrested in Operation Formosa walking free in Sicily."
Hetty's gut clenched. The Formosa Cartel had caused so much hurt for Bronte already, she couldn't handle anyone related to that family hurting her daughter again. When would it stop?
"I have some calls to make, Hetty. Get in contact with Agent Nassir and have him and his family taken to a safe house until I know it's safe."
"Will do, Leon." Hetty huffed when the screen went blank. She looked at her people. "Miss Jones, where is Agent Nassir?"
"He's on a job in Long Beach today."
"Call him back. Get in contact with Melissa, we need to get them to a safe house immediately."
"Will do."
Washington D.C.
Leon made the call to the Director of the DEA and swore. "What do you mean you've released them? They killed one of my agents in cold blood. And they are suspects in a villa explosion in Sicily, where two of my people have recognised them close to the scene."
"I'm sorry, Leon. They made a deal. We needed the people higher up, so this wouldn't happen again. We can't have drug cartels using our people to ship their drugs inside our borders like they did."
"I'm aware you needed to get higher up the chain, but they're dangerous. I now have to contact all my agents and have them taken into protective custody until we have O'Leary and Cary arrested." Anger burst through in his voice. He wasn't good at keeping his temper under control when he felt like he and his people were being screwed by another agency. "We're on the same side, I should have been told." He disconnected the call and turned to his list of men who'd risked their lives. Now he was about to turn their lives upside down again because of some deal the DEA made with the two Petty Officers.
Naples, Italy
Owen Granger looked at the intel Gibbs' team were calling in. It was a good thing Hetty had called Leon and had Gibbs' team come in on this. If it had just been left to the team at OSP, they would still be in the dark. But they needed proof. He looked at the camera feed in the Casa De Fanchis club where Blye and Deeks were currently, keeping a close watch on the two disgraced Petty Officers. If they were the ones who'd blown up the villa, he personally wanted to strangle every ounce of breath out of them. His temper boiled as he paced the room.
McGee sat silently observing Granger and the video feeds. He was directing them back to Washington for the Director to watch first hand. He was glad Gibbs was out of contact, he knew how much Gibbs would be there in a flash and kill them both slowly. His boss' instincts about these two men were spot on, but when he heard how the DEA had mad a deal with them, his own anger surged through. How could they do it after what they did to Agent Jack Stevens? He was a good man and his death was senseless. These two men were cocky and they displayed this cockiness in the club. They hoped they could get them in their inebriated state to admit to their crimes. Then all they had to do is find Callen and Bronte, hopefully alive. It was Deeks turn to do his performance and hope he attained their confession.
Cary and O'Leary were celebrating their victory. Not only had they been released after only six months in the brig, they had their revenge on one of the agents who had turned them in for their part in importing drugs into the country. They'd spotted the woman with some guy only three days earlier. Both had looked to each other and realised their opportunity. They, in their intoxicated state had gone up to her, but she showed no recognition in her eyes. A plan was born and they found the ingredients to make the explosives soon enough. They celebrated when they saw the villa explode. The delight in their eyes in killing the woman knowing that agent who'd gone undercover as one of them and deceived them, will get the message that he would be next.
"What's the celebration for boys?" Deeks slurred his words. Kensi sat at the other end of the bar watching Deeks' back. Deeks was good in acting drunk from his days undercover as a homeless man.
O'Leary and Cary looked at him and laughed. "We're celebrating because we had our revenge on someone who betrayed us."
"Boom," went O'Leary and Cary laughed all the more. Anger surged through the team as they saw first hand O'Leary and Cary digging their own grave. There was no way either man could make a deal now.
"What do you mean, boom?" Deeks rocked slightly as if he lost his balance. The more intoxicated he looked, the more he hoped these men talked. The music was loud around them, they had no idea Deeks wore a button cam and a mic to record their conversation. They were going down and Deeks was glad he was the one to get it out of him. For Callen and Bronte, he thought to himself. A sadness entered his heart, but he hid it from his two companions.
"This guy burned us to our government, we saw his lady friend in here the other night with a new fella."
"She didn't recognise us, but we followed them back to their villa and blew it up the next day."
"For real?" Deeks' eyes widened as he pretended he didn't know about the explosion or who they were.
"Yeah, man. For real." O'Leary moved his hands in the air to accentuate it.
"Move in and arrest them," Owen Granger ordered the NCIS teams waiting outside the club. They had the proof, it was time to take them in.
The doors smashed in, two NCIS teams from Naples entered and showed their badges. "NCIS. Tutti sul pavimento." (Everyone down on the floor) The team leader from one of the teams shouted out to the patrons to move to the floor, so no one would be caught in any crossfire if it came to it. The music stopped and all the patrons dropped to the floor immediately.
Deeks kneed O'Leary in the back and placed his hands in cuffs. Kensi walked over and did the same to Cary. "This woman and her guy are our friends. You are under arrest for the murders of two federal agents."
"What?" They realised they had been played. Deeks signalled to one of the local agents to take them from them before either he or Kensi killed them in front of over fifty witnesses.
"You okay, Marty?" Kensi looked to her partner with concern.
"I thought I would feel better inside taking them down."
"But you don't. I know. I'm the same. Until we find Callen and Bronte…"
"What if those bodies are them, Kens? How can we go on knowing that they were brutally killed unaware of the attack on them?"
She pulled him in and wrapped her arms around him. "I don't know." Her voice was barely a whisper. Then her head snapped up, "the yacht. Neither of them mentioned the yacht."
"Which means…"
"It can't be them." Hope returned to both of their eyes, they clung onto that glimmer of hope. Callen and Bronte can't be dead. They refused to accept it.