Chapter 1

NCIS L.A. Headquarters - December 15th

A long and passionate basketball game was having place on the mission's basement court. The team was tired, but after a day of paperwork and heavy rain outside, it was nice to exercise. Deeks and Kensi were one point in favor four seconds before the programed end of the match, when Callen, anticipating Kensi's move, recovered the ball. It was the last chance, losers would pay diner.

- G!- Asked Sam from under the basket extending his right arm to receive the ball.

Callen read his body language and passed the ball hard, impacting Sam's pinkie. The ball rounded on the floor as Sam groaned.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiinggggggggg- the alarm clock sounded.

- Yeah partner! Give me five! Exclaimed Deeks joining Kensi- what do you want to eat, Kobe's hamburger, lobster maybe?

- Heck, Sam! It was a perfect pass! you only had to palm it! – said Callen, hands in knees recovering the breath.

- Perfect? You threw the ball like a grenade! I feel I broke something in here!- Sam grimaced when he tried to move his little finger.

Hetty's cam advanced on the room startling everyone. Her face on the screen wasn't a happy one.

- Lady, gentlemen, I'm afraid your diner should wait. We have an emergency. I'll see you in five at ops. Eric is downloading the information on your phones. – The cam advanced and leaned over Sam- Mr. Hanna I suggest you ice your hand.

- Dammit I'm starving- muttered Deeks.

- I heard you Mr. Deeks. Four minutes!

- How the hell she does it? murmured Sam making Callen smile.

Three minutes after, still sweating, towels on neck Kensi, Deeks, Callen and Sam joined Eric, Nell and Hetty at ops.

The image of a big, handsome black man on his forties, very short hair and almond brown eyes, dressed in navy uniform blinked on the left side of the big screen.

- That's Rod Washington! – Said Sam alarmed and taking off the ice package from his finger. - Rod is the father of Jules, Aidan's roommate at the academy. He has three sons and his wife is pregnant. He told his family he was on a training camp and that he will be at home for Christmas. What happened to him?

- Captain Rodger Sherman Washington, ex- SEAL and current chief of the "Operation Aleppo"- explained Eric.

- The aim of the Operation Aleppo was to stop the Turkish connection of an arm dealers' organization that sells high tech weapons to the radicals in Syria. – Continued Nell – A group of undercover marines, Washington between them, tried to dismantle the terrorist chain, but his maneuver was discovered and the operation failed. Washington led his team to the meeting point with the rescue force, but the group was apprehended before they could arrive.

- Yesterday these images were captured by a surveillance satellite- said Hetty gravely - go ahead Mr. Beale.

Eric played a blurred video where the marines were surrounded and shot by a group of terrorists.

- We've confirmed that four of six members of the team were killed, but Washington and another unidentified marine managed to escape. We know that because of a S.O.S. signal and an encrypted message were received half an hour ago.

- From where, Hetty? – Asked Callen.

- Turkey. The captain asks for another meeting point in four days, but the aerial space of the country is closed for the military, any attempt of rescue will be consider an international threat and they will act accordingly; communications will be monitored and logistic support in situ would be impossible. You're going blind. The main purpose of this mission is to bring the marines back home. All the details are in your cell phones. – explained Hetty -Mr. Callen, you've five hours to sketch a plan. A military flight is ready to depart from the base at midnight.

- Got it – said Callen- I want everybody ready in the armory in fifteen minutes- he added exiting the room and followed by the others.

- Not so fast Mr. Hanna- called Hetty- let me see your hand.

- There's not time for that Hetty! – complained Sam

- Oh yes, health always come first, and the safety of this team is my responsibility, Mr. Hanna.

Sam sighed and extended his hand to Hetty that expertly began to prod and manipulate Sam's finger.

- Ahhhh, Hettyyyy!

- Does it hurt Mr. Hanna?

- YEEESS it does!- he answered retiring his hand before Hetty continued to touch him.

- Definitively your finger is broken, I'm afraid you are not going into the field this time.

- Whaaaat? No way Hetty. I won't let G going by himself! I'll ice it and with a little splint I'll be as good as new.

- Mr. Hanna, a broken bone, even if it is a little one, is always a broken bone. Your body in order to recover will make you feel tired and if you force it the only thing you'll get will be a fever. This is not a negotiation - argued Hetty.

Sam knew she was right, and as a matter of fact his finger was radiating the pain to his arm. Nevertheless he felt guilty to let his partner alone.

- C'mon Sam, get a shower and let me take care of this- encouraged Hetty.

Some minutes after on the armory a freshly showered Callen studied attentively all the information on the tablet while Kensi and Deeks prepared the weapons.

- Callen, what do you want to bring? – asked Kensi.

- Only light weapons, undetectable material. Ceramic knifes, and munition easy to camouflage. –answered the team leader – Eric- he called on the interphone- I need the most accurate weather forecast for the next ten days between Konya and the captain's last location, specially wind direction, speed and temperature of the air drafts.

Deeks and Kensi exchanged looks and they waited for an explanation that didn't come.

- Nell, please, contact Granger and try to know to what extent a diplomacy solution can be part of a plan B. – Asked Callen.

His teammates could nearly hear his brain engine turning when Hetty entered the room followed by Sam who, besides a very worried face, wore a metallic splint on his ring and pinky fingers enveloped by a bandage.

- Broken? really? - Asked Callen looking at his partner and assessing the consequences for the mission.

- Told you so- said a grumpy Sam.

- Mr. Callen, I hope you had an alternative plan excluding Mr. Hanna.

- I'm going solo- Callen said.

- What? -Exclaimed Sam- No way!

- Callen, wait, we're going with you- protested Kensi.

- Of course we're going! –added Deeks.

- You're going as a backup, as a cover, till we locate Captain Washington. Once there it would be easier for me to be on my own.

- But Callen… - insisted Kensi.

- You don't trust us! - Accused Deeks.

- It's not a matter of trusting, it's is a matter of time. Have you been in Turkey before? Any of you speak Turkish? Have you jumped from a parachute from a height than less than 2000mts? Do you pilot helicopters? - He paused, no wanting to embarrass his friends.- You'll enter the country as a couple or tourists, honeymoon or whatever, directly to Konya in Cappadocia, where I'll join you as your guide for an excursion in balloon, balloon that tragically is going to fly away from the conventional routes and help us to locate the marines. Once there I'll jump, I'll set up a meeting point with the SEALS and you'll land and wait to be rescued by the police. Then you can continue your trip to Istanbul. We'll be here before Christmas.

- That's completely crazy! Are you insane? -said Sam moving his head.

- And precisely for this reason it may work- nodded Hetty.- I'll prepare the passports, the money, and all the undercover needs. – Miss Blye, Mr. Deeks you have thirty minutes to choose an alias and to prepare a convincing suitcase. – she added exiting the armory followed by the two junior agents.

- I don't like it, G. Your plan has so many holes, besides you need someone to watch your back- started Sam.

- Yes, that one would be you if you learn to play basketball - teased Callen – listen, Sam, I'll need you here as a liaison with the SEALS. We won't have many opportunities to contact from there and I need to know the information I get is the right one.

- Dammit G! –Sam heaved sight - you better bring Rod home safe in time for Christmas.

- Piece of cake!