I'm sad to say that this is the final chapter. This story has been a joy to write and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. My betas made me work very hard and the story is better as a result. I am extremely grateful to them for pushing me. A huge thank you to everyone who followed the story, sent reviews and set up alerts and favourites. It has been my pleasure to share my first NCISLA story with you.

The Price of a Life

Chapter Twelve

Callen walked into the bullpen and dropped his bag on the desk. Sam looked at him inquiringly and he shook his head.

"Again? That's the third time." Sam said.

"The doctor doesn't believe that I'm ready to resume undercover work," Callen stated bitterly. "I've done everything they wanted. The nightmares and flashbacks have gone. I've spilled my guts to the counsellor and they still won't accept that I'm cured. What else do they want from me?"

"I'm sorry, G. What went wrong this time?"

"Apparently I still have anger issues. Who wouldn't be angry after what happened? It won't affect the way I do my job and I told them that. My sleep habits bother them too despite me telling them over and over that I've never had a decent night's sleep in my life."

"You're doing well. They'll realize that soon," Sam said reassuringly.

"Yeah." He poured a cup of coffee and sat down, staring morosely at the stack of paperwork sitting in his in tray.

"Callen. Sam. Hetty wants you both in Ops," Eric called.

"That doesn't sound good," Callen said, quickly following his partner up the stairs to the Ops center where Hetty, Eric and Nell were waiting for them.

"A call just came through the police scanner," Eric said. "Shots have been fired at an address in West Adams. The first officers on the scene called it in as a potential hostage situation."

"What's that got to do with us?" Callen asked.

"It's the house where Kensi and Deeks are protecting a witness."

Callen and Sam exchanged a concerned look. "Have we heard from them?"

"We've lost contact."

"Tell whoever is in charge to wait for us to get there," Callen said.

"You haven't been cleared yet, Mr. Callen. In fact I've just been informed that you failed another assessment."

"I'm not sitting this one out, Hetty," Callen stated with total fervour.

"I don't imagine you are. I'm prepared to go against medical advice in this case and rely on my judgement and observations. Miss Jones, put a note on Mr. Callen's file confirming that I have deemed him fit to return to full operational duties."

"Thank you. You ready, Sam."

"Yeah."

"Send the address to our phones, Eric. Keep trying to re-establish contact. We'll be in touch once we reach the scene."

"Good luck, Mr. Callen."

NCISLA

The normally quiet suburban street had been cordoned off at both ends. Sam pulled up at the police checkpoint and showed his badge to the officer. "NCIS. Two of our people are in that house."

Callen leaned over. "Who's in charge?"

"Lt. Richardson. He's over there." The officer pointed to a group of men standing twenty yards inside the police cordon.

They got out, Sam opened the trunk and handed Callen a tactical vest. "You sure you're ready for this, G?"

Callen pulled the vest over his head and fastened it in place. He reached for his sidearm and holster. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. I'm not going to risk Kensi and Deeks just to make a point." He buckled the holster and strapped it down to his leg. A quick check confirmed that the gun was loaded and ready. He glanced over at Sam. "You take the rifle. You're a better shot."

"Do we have a plan?"

"Not yet, but I'm working on it." They walked quickly over to Lt. Richardson, noting the news teams and curious spectators watching from a safe distance. A SWAT unit was already on scene.

"I'm looking for Lt. Richardson," Callen said.

"I'm Richardson. Who are you?"

"Special Agent Callen, NCIS." He flashed his badge. "This is Special Agent Hanna. That's one of our safe houses. We believe that two of our agents are in there. Want to tell me what happened?"

"A neighbour reported hearing shots. One of our units was close by and went to investigate. When they arrived they were met with automatic gunfire. The house is surrounded and we're confident that no-one got out. All the neighbouring properties have been evacuated. We've been told that there were two men and a woman living there so we have to assume they're either dead or hostages."

"The woman and one of the men are NCIS. The other man is a federal witness due to testify before a Grand Jury tomorrow," Sam said. "Have the gunmen made any demands?"

"Nothing. We've tried calling but they don't pick up. Do you have any idea who they are?"

"Most likely Iranians," Callen told him. "The enquiry relates to an Iranian cleric suspected of recruiting young men for an extremist terrorist organization. These people are fanatics who'd rather die than surrender."

"We have a sniper team in position but so far they can't get a clear shot and we have no idea how many gunmen we're dealing with."

Callen licked his lips and looked around. "We need to get inside that building." He started to unbuckle his gun belt.

"What're you doing?" Sam asked.

"I'm going in. I'll keep my phone on and use it to feed information to you."

"Are you out of your mind? You won't get within ten yards of that house without being shot."

Callen stripped off his vest and held it out. "It's our only chance. If I can persuade them that we're willing to negotiate for the lives of the hostages there's a chance they'll listen."

"What if they're already dead?" Sam asked bluntly.

"I thought I was the pessimist in this partnership?"

"It won't be much of a partnership if you get killed your first day back."

"Don't worry so much. I've had training for hostage negotiation."

"Were you paying attention? You never pay attention to lectures. I could count on one hand the number of times you've followed standard operating procedure."

"That's why you're here. Get everyone ready and wait for my signal. Make sure no-one gets the bright idea of storming the building before I'm in position." He handed Sam his badge. "I don't want them finding out I'm with NCIS. It'll be better if they don't know I'm connected to Kensi and Deeks. Lieutenant, can I borrow your badge?"

Richardson hesitated. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Callen dialled Ops. "I'm sure." He waited for Eric to answer. "Eric, monitor the signal from my phone and patch it through to Sam's comlink." He pulled his com from his ear and handed it to Sam. "I need to go in clean."

Sam reluctantly nodded. "What's the safe word?"

Callen smiled. "Mexico."

"Mexico? How're you going to work that into a sentence?"

"I'll think of something." He walked away, stopping at the edge of the area cordoned off by the police. He knew that as soon as he stepped away from the tape he would be a target. He took a minute to evaluate his state of mind. Adrenaline coursed through his body, heightening his awareness of his surroundings. His heartbeat was steady and so were his hands. There was a healthy level of fear, not the paralyzing fear he had fought for the last few weeks. It felt good to be out on the streets again. He raised his arms and began to walk slowly toward the house.

The glint of a rifle sight flashed from the upstairs window. He stopped, keeping his hands in clear sight. "LAPD," he called. "I'm authorized to negotiate."

"What do you want?" The voice had a noticeable Iranian accent.

"We want a peaceful resolution. Can I come in?"

"Are you armed?"

"No." Callen turned slowly to show that he wasn't carrying a gun. "Our only concern is for the people inside the house. Are they alive?"

"Two of them still live. Walk very slowly and don't make any sudden moves or you will be the next to die."

Callen risked a quick glance over his shoulder. There was no movement from the police lines, although he knew Sam would be as worried as he was about the fact that someone had already been killed.

The door eased open as he approached and he saw a gun pointed at his head. The man holding it had the confident stance of a fighter and eyes that sent an icy shiver down Callen's back. He stepped inside and was pushed face first against the wall. The gun barrel was pressed firmly against his neck, discouraging movement. A thorough search yielded the police badge and his phone. The gun withdrew.

"Turn round."

Callen turned, quickly scanning what he could see of the room. There was a body lying partly obscured by the sofa. He could only tell that it was a man which meant Kensi was still alive. The man who had searched him tossed the badge and phone on a nearby chair and gestured with the gun. Callen walked further into the house, stopping when he saw a second gunman pointing a semi-automatic pistol at Kensi.

Kensi knelt on the floor holding a bloody towel and with blood stains on her t-shirt. Deeks lay beside her, bleeding heavily from a wound in the upper part of his right leg. "He needs medical attention," Kensi said, reaching for a fresh towel and pressing down on her partner's leg.

"Shut up."

"I'm Lt. Richardson, LAPD," Callen said. When Kensi's eyes locked with his he kept his face expressionless. Apart from a natural flare of hope, Kensi gave no sign that she had ever seen him before. "We're prepared to offer safe passage in return for the release of your hostages."

"I don't believe you." The man behind him prodded him forward. "Your President has said that you don't negotiate with terrorists and that is how you see us."

"Why let me in if you aren't willing to talk?" Callen asked. He could see Deeks' face now. The detective was awake, his skin clammy and his mouth tightly shut against the pain.

"It will keep your colleagues occupied, waiting for you to return."

"They're rigging the house to explode," Kensi said quickly. The man guarding her leaned down and slapped her hard across the face.

"Hey!" Callen took a step forward. A heavy blow across his shoulders sent him crashing to his knees. He felt the gun barrel touch the back of his head and went completely still while his heart pounded. "This doesn't have to end with more bloodshed."

"We have accomplished our task. Death is a small price to pay. Get over by the woman and sit down."

Callen released the breath he had been holding and moved over to Kensi. Her cheek was red from the blow and she looked very angry. "How is he?" he asked.

"He's lost a lot of blood. I don't think the bullet has done any damage to the bone."

"Stop talking about me like I wasn't here," Deeks gasped. "Sorry I screwed up, Kenz."

"You saved my life," Kensi said.

Callen looked at Deeks with new respect. He lowered his voice. "How many are we dealing with?"

"The two down here and two more," Kensi whispered. "One of them is out back setting up the explosives and the other is upstairs."

"I saw someone with a rifle on my way in." He turned his attention back to the spokesman. "What do your three friends think about becoming martyrs?"

"Be quiet."

"Have you discussed it with the guy upstairs with the rifle? I bet you even have one of your brain-washed kids wiring the explosives out back."

The Iranian moved closer. "One more word and I will shoot you."

Callen leaned over to check on Deeks. "We need a distraction," he said softly. Deeks nodded before suddenly starting to convulse.

"He's having a seizure," Kensi shouted.

The gunman who had struck Kensi looked at his partner, surprise and confusion on his face.

Callen smiled coldly. "Guess I should have taken that vacation in Mexico," he said clearly.

He lunged at the man closest to him, trusting Kensi to make her own move. He hoped that Sam was in position and that they weren't about to be faced with two other armed fanatics. He knocked his prey to the ground and used his weight to hold the man in place while he grappled for possession of the gun. Several blows connected with his face and blood ran down into one eye. He blinked to clear his vision. The Iranian bucked beneath him almost causing him to lose his leverage. They rolled across the floor, the gun pinned between their bodies. The terrorist pressed his forearm against Callen's throat, choking him. Memories of being held down by Trask's men fuelled his anger and a fierce determination not to be rendered helpless again gave him the impetus to continue fighting.

He used the strength of his body to force the man away and drove his knee into his opponent's groin before taking hold of the Iranian's right arm and slamming it repeatedly against the ground. When the man's grip loosened Callen grabbed the gun and fired two quick shots. He rolled onto his side, quickly assessing the situation. Kensi was still fighting her opponent and looked to be taking a severe beating. Callen aimed and fired. Blood sprayed across the wall and the man collapsed.

"Thanks, Callen." Kensi caught her breath and picked up the gun before kneeling down to check on Deeks.

"You good?" Callen asked.

"We're fine."

He stood up and took a couple of deep breaths. He could hear no movement from upstairs which could mean the target was down or could indicate a problem. He approached the door leading to the kitchen, gun raised and ready to fire. There were footsteps on the tiled floor and he pressed his back against the wall. The footsteps stopped.

"You there, G?"

"Sam?"

Sam walked through the door, alert for trouble. "One hostile down outside. SWAT took out the gunman on the upper floor. We should get out of here so that the bomb squad can take a look at the explosives." He gave Callen a relieved smile. "Now do you want to tell me why it took you so long to give the signal?"

"I guess I must be out of practice." He slapped Sam across the back. "We need to get a medic in here. Deeks has been shot, although it sounds like we have him to thank for Kensi still being with us. Maybe we should keep him after all."

NCISLA

Callen stood by the car watching the ambulance pull away. He was aware of the frenzy of activity around him and yet he stood apart from it.

"How's Deeks?" Sam asked, joining his partner and handing Callen back his badge.

"The usual. He didn't shut up until they gave him morphine. Once that took effect he was completely high and started singing. I'm not sure which was more disturbing."

Sam chuckled. "What did they say about his injury?"

"The bullet's still in there so it's painful, but he'll be okay. Kensi's gone with him to the hospital. She needs to get checked over as well. She'll call us later with an update."

"He kept surprising me," Sam said. "Even though his brain and his mouth don't always connect he isn't a bad operative." He met Callen's look of astonishment. "Just don't tell him I said that."

"I won't say a word."

"How're you doing, G?"

"I'm good." He stared off into the distance, thinking. "Relieved. For a time I wasn't sure I'd ever be operational again."

"I told you talking would help."

"I suppose you want me to admit that you were right." Callen opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.

"That would be nice. It would be a surprise...but nice." Sam took a last look around before getting in the car.

"I think we should go and grab a couple of beers."

"It's the middle of the day. Hetty will be expecting us back at Ops."

"She'll understand, Sam."

"Alright." Sam started the car. "But we're using your expense account."

"I don't think that's a good idea. She's still on my case about my last expense claim."

"Why?"

"When I was trying to get to Trask I set up a fake hit on his accountant. It cost two grand."

"What's the problem?"

"She wants a receipt."

Sam could see the corners of Callen's mouth twitching while he tried to suppress a smile.

"It's good to have you back, partner." Sam eased the car into the line of traffic and headed for the nearest bar.

The End

Caroline

November, 2012