NCIS: Los Angeles - Hard Target

The Time has Come

        Change was always hard especially if that change was destined to affect your life in general.  Pulling up stakes and leaving her hometown, Jana MacBride found herself struggling with navigating the spiders web of streets and freeways in Los Angeles.  Leaving her small house in Huntington Beach very early in the morning MacBride was hoping to avoid as much of the rush hour traffic as she could in her effort to arrive as close to on-time as she could muster for her first day at NCIS. 

        White-knuckling the steering wheel as she flowed with traffic, other commuters zipped and zagged aggressively in and out of slower moving vehicles leaving in their wake a cacophony of horns blaring angrily, Jana resisted the urge to flip on her own emergency lights and give chase with great effort. 

        You're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.  Jana growled to herself in frustration. 

        Following the directions she received in her packet from NCIS, Jana wound her way up one street and down another searching diligently for "The MIssion"; the name of NCIS headquarters.  When she arrived at the GPS coordinates, Jana exited her vehicle cautiously and wandered about for a few moments.  Verifying her GPS NCIS should be right behind her, but all she found was an abandoned building surrounded by privacy fencing. 

        A sudden tickle to the fine hairs on the back of her neck triggered Jana's danger sense instantly.  Something was off and her gut was screaming like a pissed off banshee.  Making a nonchalant glance about her, MacBride noted five to six thugs strolling her way provocatively.  Jana made note of the variety of gang and prison tattoos decorating each individual approaching her. 

        "You look lost, lady."  One thug drawled. 

        "Thanks, but I'm good."  Jana replied sweetly.  The last thing she needed to do was to engage this happy band of knuckleheads.  "I was about to head home."

        "Home with me?"  Goon number two asked lustfully.  "We could have such a good time."

        "As delightful as that sounds, I really should be going."  Jana said as she moved toward her Jeep. 

        "Oh no."  Thug number one said reaching out with his arm to bar Jana's egress.  "I insist."  The other members of the gang moved in to subdue her forcefully, if need be. 

        Stepping forward, the leader stood very, very close to Jana; reaching out with a calloused hand to stroke her soft cheek seductively. 

        "I have plans for you, querida."  He purred softly as he moved closer to steal a kiss from her. 

        Exploding violently, Jana stepped into the leader snapping a powerful blow to his face with her elbow before pulling him down to her knee; his head snapping as he hit the ground hard on his back.  Before thug number two could react, MacBride planted a wicked roundhouse kick to his left temple spinning him to the ground; opening a small escape route so that she could plant herself more firmly. 

        Inside the Mission, Eric Beale noticed the scuffle outside their door on surveillance and alerted the rest of the OSP team.

        "Sam...Callen."  Eric called out.  "We have a problem outside."

        "What's going on Eric?"  Callen inquired as he and Sam ran up the stairs to Ops.