DOUBLE TAKE

Chapter 39

The next day

"Are you going to explain yourself, G?" Sam had quickly jumped into Callen's Jag, as he had caught his partner's sudden exit of the building. The building was an old warehouse, in another quiet part of town, to their usual headquarters. It brought back all the memories of Eugene Keelson, to the forefront of their minds.

Callen was annoyed with Sam. He didn't want his partner in danger again. He had no idea where he was going, or who he might find. "Sam! You shouldn't have come. I don't know how safe wherever it is, we are going."

"You don't know?" Sam was surprised his partner had no idea where it was they were going.

"We're following Granger," Callen admitted.

"G! When are you going to start trusting him?" Sam asked with concern. The last thing the team needed was for his partner to go lone wolf on them. Especially on him!

"When he stops behaving suspiciously," Callen replied. "He's meeting someone at a secret meeting place that was arranged two years ago, Sam. Whoever this person is, they asked Granger if I had any idea if they were alive. Wouldn't you want to know who Granger is meeting? Also, Granger told them they were on their own, and that another managed to get close to him, but now it's not safe for them. He was concerned for their safety, Sam. And it sounded like another agent has managed to infiltrate Sidorov."

They were four cars behind Granger's hired car. He hoped, by being in his car, and not the challenger, that they could hide better.

"Whoa, G!" Sam exclaimed, as he took in all that his partner had just told him. "Quinn wasn't the only one?" He was relieved Granger hadn't suggested using Quinn again. Now he understood why.

"No. Whoever they are, they are important for us to get to Sidorov. I need to know who they are, Sam, especially after they asked Granger about me." Granger had pulled into an underground car park, behind Rodeo Drive.

It was a strange secret meeting spot, both senior agents thought. They followed Granger through the mall and watched him enter a boutique.

"Odd place for Granger to shop in, don't you think?" Sam asked his partner, as he was beginning to question Granger's intentions also.

"That's exactly it, Sam. We don't know. We know nothing about our boss," Callen replied. "We need to approach this quietly." Callen looked at the boutique next door, to the one Granger had entered. "You go in there, Sam." Callen pointed to the boutique on the left side of the boutique in question.

Sam raised his brows in question. "You want me to enter a sexy lingerie boutique?"

"Buy something for Michelle. She'll love you for it." Callen smirked at his partner.

"Or shoot me for spending so much money on her." Sam shrugged and entered the lingerie boutique, while Callen entered the boutique that Granger had entered.

Callen saw Granger move to the rear of the boutique with a brunette woman, who had a little boy with her. Callen froze, as he looked at the boy—-a spitting image to himself at that age. He was so caught up in the boy, he didn't notice the mother turn around and see him. When he looked up, Callen couldn't believe it. Amy, Callen realised. His big sister stood five metres in front of him, with a little boy. Owen Granger stood beside her and cursed, when he saw Callen. Owen shook his head, warning Callen to leave them alone. Callen backtracked out of the boutique, before the boy saw him. He entered the boutique next door to find Sam. Sam was relieved to see his partner, but began to worry, as he saw how pale Callen looked. He could see Callen wanted to get out of there as quickly as he could, he quickly followed him back to the car.