Hour Game

Chapter 1

The weather was perfect was for a morning surf. G. Callen stared out across the ocean, eyes crinkling as the sun hit him in the face. The breeze was mild, with a hint of a fresh ocean.

"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me," chimed a voice.

Callen turned around to see Marty Deeks plant his surfboard in the sand like planting a flag and grinning cheekily at him.

"I only came because I lost the bet," he replied. Deeks rolled his eyes. "Yes of course Callen. I bet Sam would love to see that." Callen shook his head and turned back to face the ocean.

"So you want to try out the rookie ones or the big-boy ones?"

Callen gave him a look.

"O-kay. Big-boy it is. Follow me," Callen picked up his surfboard from the sand and followed the younger blond man towards the sea.

An hour later, they came out and flopped on the sand like beached seals.

"You've been holding out on me," Deeks complained. "You told me you never surfed."

"You assumed that. All I said I didn't do it quite often," Callen replied grinning. Deeks scowled good naturedly, his hair making him look like his dog, Monty.

The beach was filling up as the sun rose higher.

"Let's get back. I don't want to face Hetty's wrath for being late again," Deeks said, getting up and slinging the surfboard over his shoulder.

"And to mention Kensi's, for forgetting her daily dose of caffeine," added Callen, following suit.

"That happened only twice," the other man defended. "But you're right. I'd take an armed gang over Kensi's dagger eyed look any day."

The NCIS Office of Special Projects was bustling with its usual number of agents as the two men walked in. Kensi was at her desk, looking haggard. Sam was nowhere to be found. Deeks placed the cup on her desk, receiving a smile in return.

"Where's Sam?" Callen asked as he dumped his bag under the table and picked up his coffee mug.

"Hitting the bag upstairs. God, what is with paperwork?" she added, giving the file under her nose a venomous glare.

"Easy, Fern. That poor thing doesn't deserve such a scorch," Deeks said, earning him one itself.

Callen shook his head and grinned. As he waited for his laptop to boot, he crossed over to the coffee machine in the corner. Pouring himself a steaming cup, he leaned against the counter, watching the Ops centre. Hetty sat at her desk, nursing a cup of tea. She silently raised her cup in acknowledgement. Peter was at the wardrobe station, sewing a pair of trousers that someone had ripped. The smell and sounds never bored him. The NCIS was the closest thing he had to a family.

"Penny for your thoughts," said a quiet voice. Nate Getz, their psychologist stood at the counter, pouring himself some coffee.

"Just thinking," he replied smiling. "Its good to have you back, Nate."

"It's good to be back," he replied sincerely. The two men shared another smile before heading back towards their desk.

Callen settled at his desk and took a swig of the java. Setting his cup aside he logged onto his secure email account. A new email caught his eye. The sender's ID wasn't familiar. It didn't have the domain of any known organization. Hesitating for a second, he double clicked it.

With no subject, there was only a brief sentence. Along with it were four JPEG attachments. Curious he read the message, a bucket of ice settling in the pit of his stomach. He scrubbed his face, the stubble catching his fingertips. He moved the pointer to the link to the attachments, pausing again. Did he want to?After a moment, he clicked it. He suddenly felt like he'd taken a leap off a cliff and he realized that he didn't know where it ended. He felt goose bumps even in the warm bullpen, the hair on the back of his neck rose in silent adrenaline. He went through the photographs, heart pounding in beat to the pounding of blood in his ears.

Suddenly he snapped the shut the lid, startling everyone in the vicinity.

"G?" He snapped up to find Sam looking at him concerned. Kensi and Deeks had stopped mid-bickering.

"Callen, what is it?" Kensi asked, as Deeks frowned not understanding what had happened.

"I-its nothing." He pushed back his chair hurried away. Sam started to go after him, but a voice interrupted him.

"Mr. Callen needs some time alone, Mr. Hanna. He'll talk when he's ready to," Henrietta 'Hetty' Lange said, in her sage voice.

Sam whirled on his four feet ten boss. She stared back at him through her owlish glasses, her face one of utter sadness.

"Hetty?"

"Patience, Mr. Hanna," she said, holding up one hand. "Now, I suggest you get back to your paperwork. They aren't gonna finish by themselves." She was gone before any of them could ask anything else.

"The hell I'm letting this go," Sam muttered, moving to sit at Callen desk. The two younger operatives crowded in immediately. None of them noticed that Hetty had paused. She looked at the three of her agents, contemplating for a moment before walking away. No force in the world could unglue the team. Certainly not Hetty Lange herself.

"He was staring at his laptop before he suddenly snapped," Deeks said, leaning over Kensi as Sam opened the laptop again. The password protection had automatically reset. Sam didn't pause as he typed in.

"How did you-?"

"There's very little that I don't know of the man named G. Callen," Sam muttered as he retraced Callen's last webpage. They all leaned in closer as the email screen popped up. They read the message and when they saw the photographs, Deeks leaned back, whistling audibly. Kensi looked at Sam who sat frowning.

"Whoever sent this is serious."

"And dangerous," Sam concluded. "Nobody I've known wants to give up information without a catch. And this person is willing to meet him on his terms?"

"It's hinky. Eric!" Kensi had her phone on the desk connect to the Ops room. "Get your surfer butt down here."

Even their techie had realized the urgency. Eric Beale raced down the stairs, in less than ten seconds, his flip flops slapping the ground maniacally.

"Trace the sender's IP address. I wanna know the location, time and electronic signature. You have fifteen minutes." Eric left, saying "I'll have them in ten," as he raced upstairs. Nell Jones nodded as he relayed Sam's request and the two of them disappeared through the doors.

"I'm gonna go look for G. You two let me know if anything turns up."

"Will do," Kensi and Deeks replied together.

She glanced at the open page.

'I know what G stands for. We'll meet on your terms.' The message stared back her like a loud neon sign. The phone number under it was a Los Angeles one. Possibly a burner phone.

"I don't know how many times Callen can take ramming into the wall," she muttered, feeling sorry for their team leader.

A/N: So this is it, the starting chapter to my new story. Hope y'all like it. I would love to hear your thoughts!