Tsunami
Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine.
Chapter 4
Ops Centre, Los Angeles
"So, Hetty, what do you want us to do?" Deeks looked over to their petite Operations Manager, hoping for some better news than what had been given to their senior members.
"Ah." Hetty nodded over to Nell, who brought up more details. "Mr Deeks. You will stay here in California. FBI agent Michael Rosso, will get you into a local law firm, Harrison Clark. They have known ties to this Russian separatist group, handling their joint venture with the street racers and other businesses they have here on the west coast. He's been working there for two years and you'll be working along side him. He'll meet you in the boat shed," she looked at her watch, "in fifteen minutes. I suggest you head there now."
Deeks gently squeezed Kensi's hand before he left. He hoped he would have more time to give her a proper farewell.
"Miss Blye." Hetty turned her attention to the remaining field agent.
Kensi watched her closely, as tension built up inside of her.
"Major Steve Hudson will be working with you over in Prague. He'll meet you at LAX in an hour. I suggest that you make haste to give your partner a proper farewell." Kensi looked quickly at the Major's details and engraved them on her brain and quickly followed her partner. She managed to catch up with him just as he was about to leave.
He saw her urgency and fear for them all grew within him. "Kens, please…" He saw her eyes glisten. "We'll catch up soon, okay?"
She nodded, but he had no idea where she was going. He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her, gently pressing his lips to her temple. "I love you, Fern. Stay safe."
"Ditto." She looked up into his blue eyes and struggled to keep her composure. She gave him a watery smile, through the tears that threatened to spill.
He captured her lips one last time and exited the mission. She stood there for a moment, hugging herself as she felt Nell standing beside her.
"I'll make sure he is safe, Kens. You stay safe too. You might bump into Callen, make sure he comes home in one piece."
Kensi nodded and gave her a quick hug. "I will."
She walked to the bull pen and hesitated. She remembered the fun banter that they had in this space. A place where they came together as a family and could relax, when they were waiting for the next case. She wiped the tears and grabbed her things and left. Not knowing when or if she'll see her partner or team again.
Callen's house — the next day
Savannah hardly slept a wink and she was crying when Nell walked into the kitchen.
"Sav?" Nell hugged her sister, worry for her and Callen grew within her. He'd left for London the night before and she hadn't heard from his burn phone as yet. She looked at her watch, he should be there by now.
"I know I'm over reacting, Nell. But I can't help myself. The twins are so young, only two weeks old and their dad has gone out of town for work. After…"
Nell gently squeezed her hand. "I know. You have every right to be worried, but George will be okay." He had to be, Nell told herself. She wasn't sure what it would do to Savannah if anything happened to him. It was difficult for her to keep what she knew about this operation from her. She gave her sister a smile, trying to hide her own fears. "I'll take Milly and Archie to Amy's if you like?"
Ever since Amy had reunited with her brother and had her husband and sons home again, she returned to her real name. It was pointless now to hide from who she really was, now that the Comescus had been destroyed. Except for her husband Robert and their sons, they were all that were left of the Romanian crime family.
"They'd like that. They can play on the beach and hang out with their older cousins. Thanks." Savannah tried to return her kid sister's smile, and almost achieved it. But the lack of sleep from worrying over Callen had her tossing in her sleep. She needed to pull herself together, or she'd lose her milk supply and she'd end up with two miserable boys.
Nell prepared breakfast for her older niece and nephew, who trod down the stairs, with sleepy eyes. "Good morning sleepy eyes one and two. How about a day at the beach with your Aunt Amy?"
Milly smiled over to her aunt. "Yes, please." She tucked into her breakfast and poked her brother, causing him to squirm.
"Hey." Archie tried to poke his sister back.
Nell smiled at them, they were great kids and she loved them both. But she worried how having Callen away for a long stint would have an affect on them. Her cell rang, she recognised the number as Callen's burn phone and answered, walking out back. "Hey, you made it okay?"
Callen heaved out a sigh as he looked out at the dreary London sky. It was supposed to be summer, but today looked more like winter. It did nothing to dissolve his mood. "Yes. Is she there?"
Nell knew he'd be desperate to speak with Savannah. It was expected, which is why she waited until he'd called before she left for work. She would drop Milly and Archie off at Amy's on the way. Nell turned and saw Savannah watching her from the upstairs window. She waved to her and saw her leave. It didn't take long for Savannah to exit the back door. "She's here." Nell passed her cell over to her sister.
"Hey, beautiful. I miss you."
"I miss you too. We all do." Savannah took a walk around the garden as she listened to his voice.
"Where are you?"
"Somewhere dreary." He wasn't allowed to give her details, it was for her safety as much as his. His heart ached to be with her. "How is everyone? Did you sleep okay?" He spent more time worrying about her than himself, during his long flight.
"Everyone is fine. Milly and Archie are doing their usual poking during breakfast. Samuel and Nathan slept through. I was just about to bring them downstairs, when you called."
"Did you get any sleep, Sav?" He knew how she must be feeling, especially after what happened to Mark.
She took in a deep breath. "I tried." Her eyes darted over to Nell, who now sat at the patio table and chairs, eating her breakfast and drinking a cup of tea. Her sister was trying hard, she would give her credit for that. Trying her best to act like this was normal. But for some unexplained reason, Callen's sudden out of town mission didn't sit well with her. So she worried. Tossed and turned, all sorts of scenarios flashed through her synapses all night long.
"Our boys need you to take care of yourself, Sav. Please don't worry about me. I have back up with me 24/7." What he deliberately left out was that he was yet to meet said back up. Wiles and Ashley were going to meet him in an hour at his hotel room. It took him much longer to get through passport controls and a taxi to his hotel. He was exhausted and hoped to get an hour's sleep before he met with them.
She nodded her head, although she knew that he couldn't see her action. "I know. Take care, I love you."
"I love you too." He hesitated, he hated to hang up on her. He should be there with her, with his family, not in London. But she did it for him, she disconnected the call, leaving them both sad at the separation.
Nell vanished into the house and collected her things and her niece and nephew. "Ready?"
Milly and Archie nodded, holding up their beach bags, hats and showed her their flip flops, already on their feet.
"Good." She turned and hugged Savannah and gently placed a kiss on Samuel and Nathan's foreheads.
"Be good for Mom, boys. Love you both so much."
Savannah handed her cell back and hugged her. "Thanks, Nell. I needed to hear his voice." She turned to her older two children. "Be good for Aunt Amy, and have fun." She gave them each a hug and tickle, before scooting them out the front door toward's Nell's mini cooper.
OSP, Los Angeles
When Nell entered the Spanish style building, she could hear the echo of her shoes on the tiled floor, and the building felt vacant. As she walked past the bull pen, she paused and looked at how empty it was. It should be filled with her family, chatting, laughing, teasing each other. She took in a deep breath and ran up the stairs. At least she and Eric would be busy working from their end on the computers in Ops, and hopefully forget the vacant chairs down below.
Piccadilly Circus, London
Callen heard a knock on his hotel room and looked through the peephole. He recognised the face as Jennifer Ashely and opened the door for her. "Hi. Come on in." Ashley looked him over and smiled.
"Hi. Welcome to London." He picked up on her English accent immediately and watched her scan the suite.
"Couldn't you put some sunshine on with the welcome? How do you survive if summers are like this?"
"You've been in California for too long, Agent Callen. You're getting soft. I remember a time when you spent six months in a small Russian town during the most glum winter months that I have ever encountered, and you're complaining about our weather?"
Callen furrowed his brow. He thought back to the time she spoke of. He was working for the DEA at the time, it was when he'd first met Arkady Kolcheck. "You must have me confused with someone else. We've never met before." He watched her closely, he noted the raised brow and hint of amusement in her eyes.
"Wow, this is going to be awkward then." She walked over to the armchair and sat down, crossing her long lean legs.
Callen followed her movements, as he tried hard to place her in Russia. He wished he had Arkady there with him to help him remember. A second knock on the door caught his attention, leading him away from her. He looked through the peep hole and recognised Wiles. Callen opened the door and welcomed him inside.
Wiles smiled over to Ashley before turning his attention to back to Callen. "Agent Callen. I see you and Ashley have reacquainted yourselves again." Wiles saw a hint of confusion in Callen's facial expressions before he hid them. He turned back to Ashley.
"He doesn't remember me," she told him.
"Oh. Well, this is awkward. I was reassured that this wouldn't be a problem." Wiles looked over to Callen.
"I was told that you are a very observant agent who never forgets a face. So I am puzzled as to why you don't remember Officer Ashley? Your history together is imperative for this operation's success."
"Like I told Officer Ashley, you must have me confused with someone else. I have no memory of ever meeting her."
"You are Agent G. Callen of NCIS?" Wiles stepped forward, checking his every facial movement, that he was who he said he was.
Callen gave a slight laugh. "So I'm told." He looked back over to Ashley, he still couldn't pin point ever meeting her before. And he definitely remembers those he's met before. "Perhaps Officer Ashley is not who she claims to be?" Callen stated, trying to figure out why this meeting has turned haywire so soon.
Wiles' expression turned into a broad smile and laughed. "Welcome to London, Agent Callen. It's good to see that you are as sharp as I've been told."
Callen looked between the two CIA operatives and realised it had been a ruse to check that he was truly Agent Callen. He relaxed and greeted them both with a hand shake.
"Now we have that out of the way, here's your new alias for this operation." Wiles handed him a file and Callen immediately opened and scanned the document. He closed it and looked over to Ashley. He studied her more closely, taking in every facial detail of her and imprinting them into his memory.
"You've read that already?" Ashley was impressed.
Callen slightly raised one brow and continued to bore his cerulean orbs into her brown ones, and shrugged.
Wiles looked between the two and he knew from Callen's glare that he'd read the details for his and Ashley's supposed relationship in this operation. Callen was sizing Ashley up, prepping for his alias as Vladimir Dorosh.
"Good, let's get into the nitty gritty then." Wiles opened up his laptop and sat down at the dining table with Callen and Ashley, pleased to be getting on with the task at hand. The sooner they got this sorted, the sooner they would be in Moscow and get on with the show.