One Hell of an Operations Manager

Chapter 3

Callen stormed into Hetty's study and threw his bag down on the floor.

"Mr. Callen?" She asked as she looked up and sipped her Earl Grey tea.

"Macy is making me have a partner!" Callen exclaimed as he slumped onto the now well worn leather couch Hetty had had installed just for moments like these.

"Well, you did leave the CIA under somewhat of a cloud." She reasoned with him.

"I wasn't going to work with them anymore you knew it, Kort was suspicious of everything I did, then that woman...Tracy..." He trailed off, he hadn't liked her from the start; she tried too hard to mess with his emotions, making him lose sight of the bigger picture, his revenge.

"Exactly, which is why I suggested that you join NCIS." She sighed. He was good, he had learned his tradecraft well in the CIA and DEA, but she had needed him close, it would soon be time for him to choose. "Go, spar with Duke, and then we will have a meal."

Callen nodded and leaving his bag on the couch; he went to the gym where he knew Duke would be waiting.

An hour later a calmer and more focused Callen picked Duke up off the mat and dusted him down.

"Are you sure you are ok?" He asked, he could have sworn he broke a bone in the older man as they sparred.

Duke grinned, "I'm fine, Callen." The British man grinned, "If couldn't spar with you and let you win occasionally, I wouldn't be a very good companion now, would I?"

"You didn't let me win, and you know it." Callen countered, although to be honest, he wasn't sure that the elder man hadn't, in fact, let him win.

"Come on, let's hit the showers, Hetty will have your guts for garters if you turn up in her dining room smelling like that." Duke advised him.

Callen nodded and headed to the shower.

Today had been a hard one for him and he knew it.

He had been with NCIS for three years now, having started in the DEA and then moving over to the CIA, hoping to pin down some information on his family and his name. Then Hetty had been hired for a good position at NCIS, and had suggested that Callen join them over there. Having put a good word in with Director Morrow, Callen had transferred at his recommendation, just before Director Morrow was promoted to head of Homeland Security.

Callen had been given carte blanche with his team at the Office of Special Projects. Macy was the Operations Manager and had kept the team small, just Callen, Renko who was a temporary agent. Kensi Blye, a Marine brat with an agenda and Eric Beale a geek who had once broken the internet. As an ad-hoc team they worked fine. Renko and Kensi were good friends and spent time out of work with each other. None of them mixed with Callen who preferred to keep to himself.

The new Director; Leon Vance, had sent Lara Macy an order to find Callen a new partner to make the team from a threesome to a foursome.

Macy had been looking for what she thought was a good fit for her strange and solitary agent and Sam Hanna had been her choice. He was a good man, ex-navy SEAL and honorable. She had hoped that when she told Callen he would take it well.

However that had not been the response she had received.

Callen had leaned against the door frame as Macy had outlined the new working arrangements. Not saying a word Callen had grabbed his bag and stormed out nearly knocking Renko to the floor in his haste to get away.

Macy had called after him and even set Eric on the task of trying to find out which flop house Callen was calling home that night, but he had drawn a blank.