Operation Formosa
Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine.
Chapter 17
Cagliari, Sardinia — two days later
It would be another day before the doctor would release Bronte from the hospital. He was still very concerned over her sailing again.
"I understand your need for continuing on your journey, Mr Smith. But after how ill your wife fell the other day, we don't want to cause any further stress on your wife or your babies."
"I assure you, Dr Bonato, the last thing I wish to place on my wife or on our babies is any stress or risk to their health. But we arrived by boat and I need to make other arrangements if we cannot return our yacht to my father-in-law."
"Where does your father-in-law live?"
Callen didn't want to tell the doctor too much, "about a day's worth of sailing."
"Which is?" Dr Bonato looked at him sceptically. He furrowed his brow, "what are you hiding?"
"Look, Dr Bonato, I know you mean well, but I am not in a habit of telling strangers our business. We aren't hiding from anything or anyone. We just want to get back to my father-in-law's. My wife will be well looked after by family."
The doctor studied Callen for a moment. Fortunately for him, he managed to hide the worry about the threat on their lives. He'd read in the paper about the bombing, two people's bodies had been found inside the villa. The authorities were still ascertaining their identities. It was suspected to be a honeymoon couple from the U.S. Reading that detail had sent shivers down his spine. By now everyone back home would think the worst. He needed to get to Philipe to contact Hetty ASAP. Their delay was causing him some concern. He couldn't have Michael or Max think they were dead. If Bronte knew anything about what he'd read, she would be beside herself.
"We have an airport on the island, I suggest you make arrangements for the yacht and fly to your father-in-law."
The thought had crossed Callen's mind. He nodded. "I agree."
Nearby
Another yacht arrived into the marina for the night. The two occupants tied it up to the jetty and jumped onto the wooden platform. The larger of the two stood tall and stretched out his muscles.
"What was the name of the yacht G and Bronte were travelling on?"
"Philipe said it was called the Amèlie."
Sam scanned the marina, his dimples deepened when he found it. "Over there."
Gibbs looked into the direction Sam pointed to and nodded. His body relaxed, they had to be there. "Let's see if we can find them."
They walked over to the jetty where Callen had moored the yacht in his haste to take Bronte to the hospital. "No one's here." Gibbs scanned the area and spotted a young man take an interest in them. He walked over to him. "Some friends of ours arrived here a few days ago on this yacht. Have you seen them?" He spoke in perfect Italian and the young man nodded.
"Sì." He explained about the wife being ill and taking them to the local hospital. He offered to take them there. Gibbs accepted.
Worry for Bronte etched in both men's eyes, they thanked the local and gave him some money for his time and fuel. They entered the hospital and looked around to see where they needed to go. They knew Calllen and Bronte had travelled on aliases, they hoped they were using the same ones Hetty provided them.
"Mi scusi. (excuse me)
The woman at the front desk looked up and smiled at them. "Posso aiutarla?" (May I help you?)
"Sì. Siamo alla ricerca di alcuni amici, la moglie è stata portata qui a pochi giorni fa." (We are looking for some friends, the wife she was brought here a few days ago.) John and Mia Smith.
The woman nodded and she quickly looked on the computer system. "Sì. La signora Smith si trova al terzo piano nella stanza 308." (Mrs Smith is on the third floor in room 308)
"Grazie." Gibbs turned to the elevator and pressed the button.
"It's a good thing you at least know the language. I never had the need to learn Italian, but after this trip, I think I'll put it on my list of courses." Sam shuffled in behind Gibbs just before the door shut on him.
"It comes in good use now and then. Although I never understood why Callen knew Romani back when I worked with him. His Russian is flawless and I have to admit, I was surprised by how many languages he knows."
"But you know now why he knows Romani don't you?"
"He told me, however, he learned it before he remembered. Perhaps he picked it up from Hetty along the way."
"I never knew until recently just how much Hetty had saved him."
"He told you?" Gibbs raised his brow, "that's big for Callen to admit his dark teenage years to anyone. It took a case that was too close to his own story to make me realise how personal it was to him."
The doors opened and they stepped out, looking for room 308.
"Same here. Partners for almost ten years before he told me. He tried to help a kid who was caught up with the wrong crowd in jail, but the kid made his choice."
"What happened to him?"
"He died."
"How did Callen take that?"
"Not well. He tied to save him, but it the chance to help him was taken from him when an FBI Agent took the kid's life to protect G."
"Did the kid have a gun pointed at Callen?"
"Yep."
"Typical Callen. He would do what it took to pay it forward. Do something good because Hetty taken a chance on him and turned his life around for the better."
"You know I can hear you?" Callen appeared from behind the doorway, relief spread across his face. "Boy am I glad to see you two."
"Not as much as we are. Are you both okay?" Gibbs and Sam greeted him with hugs before stepping back. They observed him for a moment. "No burn marks on you or—-" Gibbs hesitated. "How's Bron?"
"She's better now. She became dehydrated from our journey here, she couldn't keep anything down. I was so worried about her."
They saw the worry in his eyes.
"So you heard about the explosion then?" Sam inquired.
He saw it in their eyes, they thought something bad had happened to them. "I read something in the paper about two bodies inside that villa? I can't remember seeing anyone in there when we were nearby."
"So it wasn't your villa then?" Sam furrowed his brow, he was still in shock to see his partner alive and well.
"No. We had headed out on the yacht for one last sail before we made our way to the airport. We'd hardly moved from the island when we heard the rumble and when we turned…"
They saw the fear in his eyes.
"Do you know who it is that's after us?"
"No. But we've been dark since we left Naples." Gibbs peeped his head around the corner and spotted Bronte fast asleep. "I've never seen Bronte suffer from seasickness before. In all the years I've taken her out on my boat, she's been fine."
"That's what she said. But every day since we've been here, she's been sick once and then felt better. But the other day she was real bad. I'm not sure if the stress of seeing the villa explode set her off, but she was grey before we arrived here."
"She's been through a lot, fear could unsettle her stomach, but every day?" Gibbs raised his brow, surprised.
A smirk formed on Callen's lips, "yep."
Sam narrowed his eyes at his partner, "you're kidding. Really?" His dimple deepened as he pulled his partner in for a hug. "Well this is a wonderful surprise."
Gibbs gave Sam a quizzical expression, he looked back at Bronte and realisation hit him. A smile formed and he gave Callen a hug. "Congratulations, Callen. I'm happy for the both of you." He turned his attention back to Bronte, he hoped her having another child after the two she'd lost would help her heal. "How's Bronte dealing with the news?"
"Freaked out of course. I figured it out when she said she never suffered from seasickness before. I asked her when it started, apparently it began on our wedding day, which is why she was late to the church."
"See, I told you, you had nothing to worry about, G."
"But I do. We can't continue by yacht to Philipe's. Bronte's not up to it. We can't risk her getting sick again like she did. It's not good on her or our babies."
"Huh!" Sam looked at Callen funny. "Did you just say babies?"
Callen mentally head slapped himself for the slip. "Oh, I have to stop thinking babies or everyone's going to know."
Sam chuckled. "Well that would explain why she's so sick. Oh you're in for a double shock."
"Thanks, Sam. Just what I need." His expression returned serious. "I can't let anything happen to them. I need to get her to family soon. They'll take care of her until she's up to flying home. " He looked to Gibbs. "I'm worried about Michael and Max thinking the worse. Is there any way we can contact Greg's parents to let them know we're okay?"
"Yes. We have a laptop and a satellite phone on the yacht. We'll fetch it and bring it back. You and Bronte can Skype with the boys, that way they'll know you're both okay. And I can let Granger know we've found you."
"Granger headed the search party for the two of you coming here?"
"Both our teams are here, G." Sam replied. "Kensi's paired up with DiNozzo pretending to be locals, Deeks and Bishop as tourists. They've gone down to Sicily to find out anything behind what's happened. McGee and Granger are at EURO in Naples overseeing it all."
"Hetty must be beside herself."
"Hetty's come back to OSP until the two of you are back."
"She's what?" The three men turned and looked at Bronte, she'd just woken up and heard the last bit.
"Hey, Bron. How are you feeling?" Gibbs walked over to her.
"G told you?"
"We worked it out when he told us you were so ill on the yacht. So unlike you." Gibbs smiled and leaned over to wrap her up in his arms. "So glad you're okay. You had us worried."
Her eyes darted to Callen's. "You told them didn't you?"
"It slipped."
A smile hinted at the edges of her lips, "can you believe we're having twins?"
"It's wonderful news, Bron." Gibbs squeezed her hand softly. "Just what you need after all you've been through."
"The best news we've had all week," Sam added.
"So what's this I hear about my mother coming back to OSP?"
"Only temporarily until you get back. She called Leon as soon as you two didn't show up for your flight home."
"Max and Michael, they must be worried."
"It's okay. We'll get the laptop we have with us back in the yacht and we'll get you connected to Skype them. They'll be happy to see you're okay."
"Thanks, Jethro, Sam. Seeing the two of you is a relief after seeing that villa explode. G was determined to go back and get our things before we left.
"Which would explain why we all thought…" Gibbs saw the look on Callen's face and stopped in his track.
"Thought what Jethro?" Bronte gave him the gorgon stare.
Callen glared at Gibbs, he'd worked hard to keep Bronte from worrying.
"That you had left the scene on the yacht, which is why Sam and I have managed to find you so quickly." He tilted his head slightly, he was pleased with his quick come back.
Callen heaved out a sigh, it was a close call.
Bronte narrowed her eyes, "you'll keep."
Los Angeles
Andrea Smith was surprised to find Hetty at the door with worry in her eyes.
"Hetty, what's the matter?"
Henrietta took in a ragged breath, "I have some bad news, Andrea."
"Please come in." She closed the door, worry for the smaller woman grew within her. "Would you like a drink of tea?"
"Yes, thank you." She followed Andrea through to the kitchen.
"Where are the boys?"
"They're in the back room on Skype with Bronte and Callen."
Her head snapped up in shock, "they are?" Relief washed through her. They were okay.
"You sure you're okay, Hetty?"
She sat in the chair and took in some breaths to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry to bother you, Andrea. We've been worried about Bronte and Callen. They didn't arrive for their return flight and bad news came through about an explosion near where they were staying."
"You poor thing, you've must have been out of your mind with worry. You should have called us."
She nodded, "perhaps I should have. I didn't want the boys to worry."
"Which is why they're on Skype now with them, worried they would be worrying about them."
Hetty nodded. "Yes."
Her cell vibrated, she picked it up. "Henrietta Lange."
"Hetty, we've found them safe." She could hear Gibbs' voice on the other end.
"Thank you, Jethro. I've just arrived at Ron and Andrea's, she's just informed me about Bronte and Callen Skyping the boys."
"Good. They were worried about how you were dealing with everything. They're fine. We're going to head to Philipe's with them for a few days before heading back. Any word from Owen?"
"Yes. You're not going to like it, Jethro."
The hairs stood up on the back of his neck. "What have they found?"
"Not what, who. Two drunk Petty Officers you've came across seven months ago. Cary and O'Leary."
"What the hell are they doing in Sicily? They should be locked up." Anger surged through him. He knew how evil these men were, especially after the vicious attack on Jack Stevens.
"Apparently the DEA made a deal with them, they were released a month ago. Your man, DiNozzo recognised them and called it in. Detective Deeks and Agent Blye went in to catch them out. Mr Deeks managed to get them to tell him what they were celebrating for. They were too drunk to realise they'd been played. Owen sent two local teams to arrest them. It's all clear for Bronte and Callen to come home when they're ready."
Leroy Jethro Gibbs smiled and nodded. Relief washed through him. They were safe. "They'll be pleased to hear that, Hetty. Thanks for the good news."
He looked over at Sam who'd watched him closely through the call. "They found who blew up the villa. Some Petty Officers we'd dealt with were bragging about it. Your detective managed to drag a confession out of them and they've been arrested."
"But why the attack on Bronte and Callen?"
"Not sure." He furrowed his brow for a moment trying to connect the dots. His eyes widened. "Bronte came to D.C. to see Leon. She was in the office when they were taken away by the DEA. They were after Mick after they killed the onboard NCIS agent. They must have seen her with Mick and saw an opportunity to get to him. I better call McGee for an update. Don't say anything yet to Callen or Bronte."
Sam nodded. "Sure."
Gibbs walked away frustrated that someone linked with the Formosa cartel was still haunting Bronte. She couldn't know about this in her condition. But how was he going to spill it to her that the people behind it were arrested without causing stress on her? He needed a coffee so he could think. He pressed the button on the elevator and left on a hunt for a caffeine fix.
St Tropez — five days later
I know you're hiding something from me, Jethro." Bronte sat in the chair looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. The break in Cagliari and now with her father's family did her good. Philipe's family adored Bronte and they always welcomed her into the family whenever she visited. They'd pampered her once they heard how ill she was from sailing and when they heard about her pregnancy, well, Philipe was walking on air after that.
They were staying for another two days before heading home. Director Vance wanted to see them before they went home to Los Angeles.
"You know me, Bron, my head's full of secrets. And I plan on taking each of them to the grave with me." He laughed when she scowled.
"You need family in your life, Jethro, to mellow you again. I know you've tried after losing Shannon and Kelly, but look at me. Look at how happy G makes me. Max and Michael are happy after losing loved ones too." She gently squeezed his hand. "You're too young and handsome to die alone with all those secrets."
She smiled at him, her face glowed from her pregnancy and her skin was kissed by the sun. She looked much healthier than she had the week before.
"Well now, the last chance I had of giving it ago has been snatched up by a good friend and now she's knocked up. What hope do I have?" He smiled warmly over to her. "I'm happy for you, Bron. You and Callen are good together. You'll be good parents to your babies, just like you are to Max and Michael." He was doing what he could to detour the subject away from what she'd started with. He saw Callen's determination to protect Bronte from the reality of what had gone down. So much like Mick, Gibbs mused.
A tear escaped her eyes, "Jethro. I wish you could have some more happy memories."
"I know you do. And I do. The team are my kids now."
She laughed. "You like that, don't you? Being father to DiNozzo, Abby, McGee and now Bishop."
He nodded, "I do."
She understood him well, he was happy and content. She closed her eyes and fell asleep under the shade umbrella by the water. She could hear the motor from boats roaring in the distance, as their occupants enjoyed the warm weather and clear blue water.
Cold wet hands brought her back to consciousness with the shock on her shoulders. "G!"
He smirked down at her. "You look like my guardian angel lying there like that. I couldn't help myself."
She swatted at him, but he was quick. "You'll keep."
"I'm planning on it." He sat beside her in the chair Gibbs vacated a while earlier.
"How's the water?"
"Beautiful. But not the same without you."
"I wish I could. Next time we fly out here, we'll bring the boys and our babies and have a family holiday right here. Then I can go out sailing with you and not have to deal with getting sick."
"It's a date." He captured her lips, "I can't wait." No he couldn't wait. He dreamed of the six of them playing on the beach, building sandcastles and flying kites.
The End!