Lost Too Much

LOST TOO MUCH Chapter 19

Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles

Callen found himself in a position he disliked the most, sparring with Granger. He never really liked the older man and trusted him very little, although Hetty tried to get him to trust him more. But to be honest, it was embarrassing. He could handle wrestling with Sam as they were partners and brothers, but with Granger? He set his jaw tight as he narrowed his eyes over at his partner, who was chuckling over his predicament. As team leader, he was forced to play with the Assistant Director. "Laugh all you like, Sam, you're next."

Sam shook his head. "Nope. Just you, G."

Deeks and Kensi entered and watched on amused. They hung around as Callen threw Granger over his shoulder. There was no way he was going to go soft on the older man.

As Granger stood up, Eric ran in. "We have a problem." They quickly followed Eric up into Ops and saw images from a house in Santa Monica.

"Whose house are we looking at?" Callen asked Eric.

Bronte entered the mission rubbing her temples as a headache brewed under the surface. The five hour flight didn't help her already stressed levels after her meeting with Director Vance. She looked into the bullpen and noticed its deserted state as she walked to her office. She had to get used to saying that now. To her it had always been her mother's office, but now it was hers.

Why hadn't her mother told her in person that she was resigning and that she had put her name forward for the position? Instead, her mother had left it up to Director Vance to talk to her, make her sit some tests and meet with an unknown psychologist to see if she was ready to lead the team at OSP.

After dropping her bag, she climbed the stairs and entered through the sliding doors and halted. The team were being briefed on a new case and when she saw the familiar house up on the screen, her jaw dropped.

Callen turned when he heard the sliding doors opened and was surprised to see that Bronte had returned from her trip to D.C. already.

"Agent Michael Nassir," Eric replied.

"What happened?" Bronte took in a ragged breath trying to keep her emotions reined in. After all that they had been through, this is what she had dreaded the most. That was why she was angry at him for going undercover to bring the Formosa Cartel down.

"Bron?" Callen recognised that she was struggling. She merely shook her head and kept her focus on the screen.

"LAPD received a call at six this morning about a kidnapping. Neighbours heard a woman screaming and saw both Agent Nassir and his wife being dragged out of their house, fighting their abductors. Neither Michael or his wife, Melissa, have been found." Nell added.

"I had no idea he was married." Deeks breathed out, this case hitting close to home the risk they all lived with every day.

"What about their children? Ella is five and Thomas has just turned one." Callen furrowed his brow, surprised that she knew so much about the agent. As far as he was concerned, the two had never met.

"LAPD found the boy crying in his cot. No signs of a girl." Nell responded.

"She must be scared and hiding somewhere." She looked at Nell. "He's just come off Operation Formosa. Call Vance and ask for access to the operation."

"Formosa Cartel?" Callen asked her, realising what this meant to her.

Bronte nodded. "The same one. Vance had agents from around the country onboard five ships out of Norfolk to find out who were on the cartel's payroll. He's just briefed me on the operation. I just saw Mick in D.C. They'd been deep undercover for four months, Agent Jack Stevens was stabbed to death, which resulted in the operation being brought to a halt early. But Vance was certain that they were close to having proof of everyone involved bringing the drugs into the country." Bronte ran from Ops down the stairs.