Hunted

HUNTED Chapter 10

"I bruise easily too you know. I should photograph it and have you reported."

Three months on

Life meandered back into a routine of normality for a while. Nell appeared to be better after her chats with Nate. She'd moved in with all her furniture and furnishings, once he'd changed the curtain fabric to a new colour mix of silver and blue.

Hetty'd had done wonders with Nell's hair fiasco, and Callen was starting to settle into married life. The team were working on something behind the scene, he could sense it, but when he tried to find out what it was, he thought he was imagining it.

There was something else troubling the seasoned agent. An old anxiety bubbled at the surface. That burden to keep those he cared about, safe. Nell's safety after the kidnapping, had him on edge. He was constantly keeping his eye on her, even when she thought she was alone--driving to the mall or supermarket. He couldn't help himself. His paranoia kicked in.

"Whatcha doing, Sam?"

Sam jumped at his partner's sneaking around the bull pen.

"G. You're as bad as Hetty. You need to wear a bell, so we hear you coming."

Callen chuckled and leaned against Sam's desk. "That's the whole idea."

He raised his brow, slightly amused. He'd seen enough on Sam's laptop, to figure out what the team's secret assignment was--Marcel Janvier. His team knew something and he'd been kept out of the loop. It explained why Hetty and Granger had forbidden him to fly to South Carolina to face the bastard in person. But his patience was running thin. While Janvier lived, Nell and the rest of the team were in danger.

"So, whatcha doing?" Callen folded his arms across his chest and kept his eyes focused on Sam's chocolate brown eyes.

Sam shuffled uncomfortably in his chair. Deeks entered and cleared his throat.

"Callen, I'm glad you're not my partner."

He ruffled his hand through his hair and shook it. His smile broadened and winked over to Kensi.

"Being interrogated by your partner at eight in the morning, is too much for the big guy before he's had his second coffee."

"I think I know my own partner better than you do, Deeks. Sam can hold his own."

Deeks defence of Sam had Callen even more curious. He shifted his body and focused on the Detective.

"So tell me, Deeks? How was your weekend?"

Deeks eyes shifted to Kensi's for a brief moment.

"Great. Took Kensilina up the coast and caught some waves."

Callen turned and gave Kensi a sideway glance. "Where did you go?"

"Morrow Bay," Deeks answered.

"Santa Barbara," Kensi said at the same time as Deeks.

A smirk formed on Callen's lips. He loved it when he caught people out on their lies so easily.

"That is so cute," he moved his right hand about, "when the two of you talk at the same time. But next time, get your stories straight. You do this for a living, do you want to get yourselves killed out there?"

"No, of course not," Deeks replied, annoyed that Callen was on the warpath to get the truth from them.

"You know us better than that, Callen." Kensi stood up and walked around her desk and leaned on Callen's desk, trying to give Deeks the support on this.