Sam took in the six possible hideouts of Dante Davies his Seal training kicking in as he joined his partner at the table while Callen moved to join Hetty and Gibbs. The junior agent did not look up as she scanned the map in front of her. She was getting frustrated. Dante had attacked nearly 12 hours before. Marco had been attacked to get her attention. She knew that much. Since she had found out all she could do was wonder what Dante's motivations were this time, revenge, redemption? She had no idea what his next move would be… Where and who he would strike next if he thought she wasn't playing along with his sick game of cat and mouse. She wondered why he hadn't tried to make contact knowing she needed to work fast and G Callen simply hindered her. G Callen asked pointless questions that were of no use. He didn't understand. She knew he was trying but to him it was simply another case, it wasn't his friend who was now lying on a hospital bed, another case file. She couldn't pin point all the emotions she was feeling, they all merged into one. Dread, mixed in with anger, resentment and longing, longing for Dante to be the guy she had become friends with not 4 years earlier and not the psychopath he had become. Where had everything changed? When had the guy she used to trust with anything simply turn against her? She remembered the scene well. Kyle's murder had been brutal. Kyle had been left severely beaten in a scrapyard close to the old warehouse where he, Will, Dante and Melissa used to hang out. Melissa remembered feeling horrified by the extent of Kyle's injuries convincing herself more than anyone else at first that it must have been a random attack as no-one who knew him would attack him that ferociously. The cause of death had been pretty clear from the start, a blow to the skull probably from a pipe. She needed to focus. It was Dante she was up against now and he had changed in those 3 years drastically. She couldn't afford to reminisce about better times when he was on the loose and likely to attack again.
'We need to narrow it down…' Melissa broke out of her thoughts as Sam spoke to Callen.
'We have narrowed it down.' Melissa stated bluntly.
'Not enough.' Callen sniped.
'Oh be quiet Callen.' Melissa stared him down and he took a step back in surprise at the look she was giving him. Melissa had never told him to be quiet before even if it was politely. He would have told her to shut up not asked. Her patience was being tested though.
'Melissa, the warehouse any defining features?' Nell intervened looking to Hetty for support. Hetty couldn't help but watch her agents interested. Melissa is her goddaughter but Callen is like a son. How would she ever choose between them? She tries to not get involved in personal arguments but if it's work related she has no choice. Callen and Melissa have not looked away from each other. Callen is being testy and Melissa is simply being stubborn. Hetty would laugh if the situation wasn't so serious. Dante is after Melissa and it's up to them, all of them to stop him, that includes both of the agent's arguing in front of her.
'An alcove and pantry area over two levels. The boys used to lock me in as a joke. They knew spiders gave me the creeps and there were always plenty of them.' Melissa shivered at the thought turning back to look at Nell who is stood by the Ops screen.
'None of these have a pantry?' Nell observes 'At least not on their plans.'
'A small room?'
'Four.' Nell answered her quickly. 'Anything else?'
'Anything else?' Callen asked as Melissa tried to rack her brains for any other defining features. It was all guesswork. She had no clue who he was and who she was or is anymore.
'I don't know!' She finally snapped feeling bombarded by questions. She knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help but snap. She was trying to do her job and stop innocent people getting hurt. She couldn't help feeling powerless. Dante would count on that, use it to his own advantage she knew that much. His plan so far seemed to count on that. He had the knowledge of where she would be, where Marco would be, LA and where she would look, now she only had think like herself and not as an agent. She suddenly realised that she needed air, needed to distance herself from the infuriating G Callen and those waiting for her to work it all out.
'I need some air…' She explained as she walked out of Ops leaving the others looking at each other in confusion.