Chapter 13
"Look Arkady," Sam sighed. "How many times do I need to explain this?"
"Explain what? I do not understand. You hurry me from my home, bring me to – this place – and say I am threat to Callen," Arkady looked at his surroundings with disdain.
Sam and Kensi had firmly persuaded Arkady that he needed to accompany them to a safe house as he and Callen may be in danger. The danger had been unspecified and Kensi had to flutter her eyelashes and warp her arm around Arkady's in order to manoeuvre him to the SUV. They had driven fifteen minutes to a seedier part of town and pulled up outside a shabby looking motel. The outside door had paint peeling and the interior did not fare any better. It was clearly not comparable to the life of luxury to which Arkady Kolcheck had become accustomed.
"Arkady," Kensi said with a patience that was starting to wear thin. "You are not a threat to Callen per se, but the CIA will be trying to find you so they can quiz you about Callen. We've just gotten to you first so we can prepare you for them."
"But why do CIA want to quiz Callen?" Arkady asked. "Callen is good guy, Ok, bit rude sometime, but generally good."
"We're not entirely sure," Kensi responded, allowing herself to smile slightly at Arkady's accurate description of Callen. "But it seems that Callen's past – the one he can't remember – is catching up with him. Have you heard of the Comesu's?"
Arkady nodded an affirmative but this time remained silent, allowing Kensi to continue.
"Well the CIA's uncovered evidence that the Comescu's smuggled Callen & his sister out of Romania after their mother was murdered. We don't think they know Callen's father was KGB but they are worried about his relationship with Russians. It seems the Comescu family sold them to a couple of Russian sleeper agents..."
Arkady eased himself off the soft single bed he had been perching on and began pacing the room. "So that is why Callen visited yesterday. I had company so thought Callen would come see me soon after, maybe at home."
"Yeah well it seems that ain't gonna happen," Sam said, raising his voice slightly. He had caught a glimpse of a silver Mercedes pulling into the motel. As Callen and Deeks approached the door Sam carried on, raising his voice and deliberately antagonising Arkady. "What d'ya know 'bout a young Russian couple in the mid 70s, setting themselves up in Canada with a couple of orphaned kids from Europe?"
Arkady stopped pacing and glared at Sam, placing a hand over his heart. "I am offended. You think I would not tell Callen if I knew him before?"
"I don't know Arkady," Callen entered the room, having caught the last minute of conversation through the raised voices of Sam and Arkady. "You tell me."
Deeks followed Callen in the room and closed the door quietly. The atmosphere had suddenly become tense with Callen once again accusing Arkady of knowing more than he was letting on. This time the accusations were in public.
"Callen my friend, I told you before I do not know Reznikov, your father or Comescu."
"Then maybe you can tell me about the Russian sleeper agents in Canada – Freddie and Grace Turner – who bought me and my sister from the family that murdered my mom, to help them set up as a perfect family unit in America?" Callen's voice was steely as he challenged Arkady.
Arkady shrugged his shoulders. "No Callen."
Callen took a threatening step forward and stared hard into Arkady's eyes. The rest of the team shifted uneasily as they observed the stand-off between the two men.
The older man stood his ground and met Callen's stare. "I do not know the name Turner. Yes I set up few sleeper agents but later – 1978-9. But I do not understand risk to put small children from other family with sleeper agent couple."
Callen broke eye contact and turned his head towards the corner of the room, away from the faces of his audience. He hated making such a public display and he knew Arkady was right.
"I agree," Callen turned round and exhaled. "That bit at least makes no sense."
"Maybe the Comescu's had a special arrangement with this couple?" Deeks suggested. "Maybe they had some leverage so they had to take you and your sister?"
"G, y'gotta face it, these people died years ago. You're never gonna know all the details and you might be better not knowing." Sam attempted to rationalise.
"I've said it before Sam, there's nothing worse than not knowing."
"So I go now?" Arkady asked.
"Oh, no no," Kensi replied. "Not so fast. The CIA still want to question you but we need to quiz you first."
Arkady shook his head and sat back down on one of the soft single beds. "Ask..."
Callen leaned up against the wall and wondered where to begin. "It seems the CIA think I've been secretly groomed to be a Russian sleeper agent."
"Why they think that?" Arkady asked. "It is fact now, the Comescu sold you to Russian agents then what? You grew up without family..."
"They're starting to dig in to Callen's Russian connections," Kensi explained. "As far as we know, they're unaware his father was a Russian KGB officer. The CIA do know that Callen has long standing connections to you Arkady, a former KGB officer and that you have shared various missions. They also know he learned Russian from the Rostoff family who gave him his first stable home."
Callen shifted uncomfortably against the wall. "Were you guys listening in?"
"No G," Sam answered. "Hetty made sure the interview was private but we did hear the CIA agents talking when you and Deeks kicked them outta the room. That's how we know."
"Well they're not gonna get anything from the Rostoff's," Callen threw a glance at Arkady."
"But you bought the old Rostoff house, so they might try and make something of that." Sam replied.
"How can they Sam?" Callen questioned. "It's all documented; my shooting, Arkady's involvement, Alina...the house..."
"You know what the CIA's like. They'll put a spin on everything." Sam said.
"He's right," Deeks agreed. "It'll all come full circle. The constant upheaval and mistreatment in the system; and the only stable foster home was with a Russian family. They'll focus on your operations to Russia and the connections you've made and kept." Deeks pointed at Arkady. "And when they find out about your father –."
"Which they will do," Kensi interjected.
"Then they'll continue to dig and find every link possible to prove your guilt."
"But that doesn't matter. I've never betrayed my country, I would never betray America." Callen said forcefully.
Sam snapped his fingers. "That's it!" He exclaimed. "It's the Russian's who are trying to bring you down."
Callen furrowed his brow as he tried to follow Sam's thinking. "But why?"
"You remember the other day, when we went to see Boris and some ass tried to jack my car? I found you shovelling bills back under his door..."
Callen launched himself off the wall and took three quick strides until he was in front of Arkady. "Boris set me up. Someone warned him about me and all those notes he shoved in my hand." Callen looked around at his team. "There must have hidden cameras."
"With that information, the CIA will be as happy as pigs in sh-."
"Deeks!" Kensi interrupted before the tone of the conversation could be lowered unnecessarily.
"He's feeding intel to the CIA. Who is Boris?" Callen ignored the interruption and spoke with a cool determination, drawing out each word of the question as he focused purely on Arkady.
Arkady stood so he was face to face with Callen. Over recent months their relationship had taken a tumultuous turn, full of accusation, suspicion and unease. He answered with a tone that equalled Callen's. "Boris Kozlov arrived seven month ago. I met him at Consulate Ball in San Francisco. I think he is stupid, a – how you call – a stooge. I do not trust him."
"Well you were nice and cosy with him and Russian mafia yesterday during your afternoon tea party," Callen's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Business, Callen," Arkady knew Callen did not and probably never would fully trust him, and maybe quite rightly. But he was fond of the younger man and would never place him in danger. "I let you play your game yesterday. I did not tell them you fluent in Russian. You don't like Kozlov, he doesn't like you. You don't trust anyone, but not all of us are out to get you."
Callen held Arkady's gaze for a few more seconds before breaking away. He knew Arkady was right; he had heard first hand that Boris was just doing as he was told. However, once photos or footage of Boris passing him money through semi-closed hotel doors found its way to the CIA, the agency could quite legitimately start an investigation in to him.
"What about Mason?" Sam asked, breaking the silence which had enveloped the room.
"What do you mean?" Callen replied.
"Mason. He was the reason we went to Boris in the first place," Sam's words reminded the team of their latest case which was still unsolved.
"Who is this Mason?" Arkady asked. "You spoke of him and laser weapons to Kozlov."
"Lance Corporal Mason is a Marine who's been working on experimental laser weaponry on the USS Crossman," Sam explained. "He was kidnapped after a civilian contractor on the same ship was arrested for spying, so we thought we'd pay our Russian friends a visit – Boris was first on our list, you were second."
Arkady looked offended that he had been second choice and Sam quickly continued before he could be interrupted.
"Before we could knock on his door Ops called to say someone was trying to steal my Challenger, so I left Callen to it. Next thing I see is him stuffing bills under Boris' closed hotel door."
Callen sighed. "When Boris handed me the piece of paper with the address for Mason, there was $500 with it."
"Wow, why doesn't anyone try to bribe me with $500. Actually, why doesn't anyone try to bribe me at all?" Deeks asked. Without expecting or receiving an answer he continued. "It must be my honest face and incorruptible nature." He smiled triumphantly at himself, relishing in the moment before Kensi shot him down.
"I think you have forgotten about your fraudulent tax deductibles Hetty warned you about recently..." Kensi reminded him.
"Oh yeah...about that..." Deeks tailed off.
"You finished now Deeks?" Callen asked with a glare.
"I talk with Yegor Petrov after you left," Arkady had observed the team's interactions with an amused expression. He had rarely seen the team together and at the moment he was wondering how they managed to solve any cases or perform operationally as a single unit. "He's in security and there is no chatter on Laser weapons or this Mason."
"That's not good," Kensi said. "Remember Nell and Eric couldn't find anything either. What if someone kidnapped Mason just so you could have that encounter with Boris Kozlov?"
"That makes no sense. There was no guarantee that I'd be the one at his door," Callen started thinking out loud. "And he didn't know my name or what agency."
"And it still doesn't answer the question of why," Kensi added.
"Or who he's working for?" Deeks finished.
"So who's out to get you this time, Callen? Sam smiled.
Callen didn't bother to reply. The list of terrorists and criminals he had helped incarcerate over the last twenty years was long and a fair portion of them had vowed to get even. Some had tried and failed, paying with their lives. Others were just spouting words but a few still caused him worry and sleepless nights.
"Whoever it is must have a hotline to the CIA. Guess I can look forward to the CIA arresting me on suspicion of taking bribes from Russian officials soon."
"Yeah but I'm a witness to you pushing the notes back to Boris," Sam replied. "And Arkady can confirm how incorruptible you are."
"Of course," Arkady responded. "And I will tell of Alina Rostoff and the unclassified missions."
"What about Boris the Russian?" Deeks asked with a smile.
"He probably has diplomatic immunity," Callen said. "The CIA might not even be able to question him. Unless whoever's behind this orders him to cooperate."
"And when they ask me," Arkady volunteered. "I say Boris is stupid and I hear him admit he was doing as told in restaurant."
"Arkady and Sam will back up your story," Deeks confirmed, looking around at the team. He focused on Callen and continued. "Everything is circumstantial, the CIA has nothing. But I wanna be with you next time they question you."
Callen nodded in agreement. "Ok. Kens, you and Deeks take Arkady home. Sam, we'd better get back to Ops and brief Hetty." Callen opened the motel door. "See you guys there."