Hunted

Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine.

A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this story. This is the last chapter in this part of the series.

Chapter 21

NCIS Office, Seattle

The chat with Alice had gone better than Stephen had expected. His daughter understood, as far as he could see, that he was Callen. Well his mother's family name, anyway. From previous conversations he'd had with her on Lanz and Moresby Islands, it built a foundation for Alice to add the latest information to it and absorb it. However, the hardest bit was to explain why he was now a Campbell, and not a Callen. He ended up likening it to a game of hide and seek. They were hiding from someone bad with new names, so they could live a safe life. In that time, she and her brother had come along.

Of course he expected her abounding amount of questions. Were they Campbells, Callens or Reznikovs? It was difficult to answer her. As long as he could remember, he was a Callen. Until he found his father, who he really was remained a mystery. Alice's hazel eyes widened at what he told her, her blond curls at the ends of her hair bobbed with her nodding of her head. Butter could melt in his mouth, she was so perfect.

He needed to sit down and talk everything over with Thea on what they were to do next. Sam's offer for them to return home to Los Angeles was the best option for them, and he'd seen Thea keen to accept. But who were they to be? G. Callen and Nell Jones again, like they were before? She was his wife, but officially, she'd kept her maiden name, to keep their marriage a secret. What good had that been, they'd been found out anyway, and just by being with him, her life had been placed in danger. Was it safer to remain the Campbell family when they returned, but be their old selves only at work?Whatever their decision over what to do next, he knew it was too dangerous for them to live with his father's family name—-a Russian name that would stand out like a sore thumb in Los Angeles. Especially when he knew that there was someone back in Russia, who was serious in finding his father, to hurt him.

While he pondered about it, he followed Sam and Gibbs into the interrogation area and watched through the glass, as they started their questions with Kostyra Evanoff.

"Who sent you to hunt down the family on Moresby Island?" Gibbs kept the details on who Stephen and Thea were out of it, as if they were strangers to them before this case.

Evanoff lifted his head and stared into Gibbs' blue eyes. "You were with a younger man, the last time I saw you. He too had blue eyes, but more vibrant."

Gibbs knew who Evenoff was referring to. It was the last operation he'd worked with Callen on, before they were separated by the breadth of their country. Had Evenoff figured out that Callen was Nikita's son? He furrowed his brow, as he thought back to that operation, which took them to Moscow. He and Callen had argued over who's ass had needed saving on that operation. Gibbs said it was Callen's, but he denied it, saying that was in Serbia. But it was "Petrov who'd needed saving in Moscow—-his ass always needed saving," Callen reminded him.

Petrov. Now that was a blast from the past. Gibbs wasn't even sure what happened to him since that last operation, all he remembered was that he and Callen had been sent into Moscow to assist him. That was when they came across former KGB officers, FSB and Arkady Kolcheck. Arkady assisted them, it was the Russian Government's good will towards their own Government, and as far as they were concerned, no one high up in the Russian Government was bad. Not with regards to their operation at least. But now as he sat opposite Evanoff, he had a gut feeling that this man knew far more than they did—which wasn't good at all.

"What about him?" Gibbs finally asked, trying to piece the puzzle together on his own.

Evanoff scoffed, "are we really going to play this game? Let's face it here, Special Agent Gibbs," you could feel the sharp blade ripping through the air at his tone. "We both know that he is this G. Callen, whom Marcel Janvier told me about. I have photos to prove it."

Stephen tensed, he used every ounce of strength, to keep himself from entering the interrogation room and squeezing his hands around that bastard's neck.

"And you trust Janvier to tell you the truth? Did you not think that perhaps Janvier had his own reasons to exact revenge on a man who has nothing to do with your mission? If what you say is true, how come this person that you went after in Canada, has no knowledge of the man you seek?"

"It's him. Even with those contact lenses he's been wearing. The woman, his wife, is the same woman G. Callen married. With or without new identities, I know it is him." A smirk spread across Evanoff's face, he liked to be the one who knew far more than his opponent. He enjoyed watching the shock ripple across their faces. But here, neither agent showed any emotions, which had him worried, and his smile vanished.

Gibbs shrugged, working hard to keep his poker face on. So far, Sam had managed to stay calm in the corner of the room, providing no indication from him over who this man was talking about. He was the best choice to have with him, as they needed to tread very carefully with this Russian.

"You think that the man you went after in Victoria, is the same agent I worked with in Moscow?" Thinking ahead, he pulled the image out of Petrov on his cell and showed it to him. Petrov was of similar build and colouring to Callen, only their facial features were different. But he suspected he could get away with using this other agent in this case.

Evanoff furrowed his brow, trying hard to remember the younger man's features. They were similar but not quite the same. Doubt began to sink into his mind that perhaps he had the wrong man. If that was the case, then his boss was going to be furious with him. Anger surged through his veins, Janvier had double crossed him again. "This is the agent you worked with in Moscow?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes!" Inside Gibbs was smiling, he had turned the tables on Evanoff, but on the outside, he showed no emotion.

Evanoff saw that Gibbs was telling him the truth. He wrestled with the cuffs on his wrist. "We had the wrong man?"

"Yes!"

Stephen pulled out his cell and made a call. He'd seen what he'd come here for, he needed information on Petrov. "Eric, it's Callen." He walked away, heading back to the conference room.

"Callen," Eric beamed. "Its so good to hear your voice. I've missed you and Nell—-how is she?"

Stephen heard the hope and joy in Eric's voice, a smile spread across his lips and headed in the direction of his wife.

"She's good. She misses her best friend."

"She does?" Eric pressed his glasses back onto his face and paced the room, wondering how he was going to dispel the sudden energy he'd gained from the emotions that ran through him.

"I'll pass her over, but first, I need some information."

"Yeah, sure, anything."

"Around fifteen years ago, Gibbs and I worked on a case in Moscow, with a fellow agent, Ivan Petrov. He's been based in Moscow for as long as I remember. I just need to know where he is now."

"Okay!" Eric sat back down into his chair and typed away on his keyboard. "Um, Callen?"

"Yes, Eric?"

"Petrov was killed seven years ago. I'm sorry that I can't be of any assistance to you."

"Do you have the details?"

"Yes. Killed in action in St Petersburg."

"Send through the details to Sam or Gibbs. They'll need it."

"Okay!" Unsure how this agent's death had anything to do with the situation Callen had been in, he sent it through.

"Eric?" Nell's voice was clear as if she was sitting next to him. The joy from hearing her was beaming from off his face.

"Nell! It's been so long. How are you? I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too. We're coming back. Sam's asked us stay with them until we can move back into our house." She nibbled on her bottom lip, "how are you, Eric?"

"Fine, great. Better for hearing your voice. I've been so worried about you."

"Thanks, but we've been great. I'm a mom, you know?"

"I heard. Congratulations! Wow! I bet you're the best mom."

"Thanks. You'll have to come round to Sam's to meet them."

"Try and stop me," he grinned from ear to ear.

"Good. I can't wait to see you." She paused again, she was so close to her old life again, yet she'd come so far since. "I won't be coming back to work though."

"I guessed you might not, well not full time, with the kids—-"

"I'm a full time mom for now, and I love it." She smiled at the funny faces Alice, Tristan and Kensi were pulling at each other. Deeks was busy with the camera taking photos of them.

"I'm really happy for you, Nell."

"Thanks, Eric. I've got to go, I'll see you soon?"

"Definitely."

"Great. Take care, see you." She disconnected the call and handed the cell back to Stephen.

"He's missed you," Stephen noted.

"I know. I feel guilty for leaving him without saying goodbye."

"Don't. Please! It was all my decision to take you away from there. It wasn't safe with… you know who, being on the loose."

She nodded her head and sucked in a heavy breath. "I need the bathroom." She left them in the conference room, needing to pee and the time for herself. So much had happened to them over the past few days. She'd hardly slept, and she'd spent all that time worrying over her husband. A tear spilled down her cheek, she quickly wiped it away. Silly hormones.

Sam's cell vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and raised his brow at the intel that came up before him. Surprised Eric had sent through details of this agent, Petrov, he scanned the information and then walked over to Gibbs and showed it to him.

Gibbs head snapped up and looked at Sam. "I haven't seen him in a long time. We lost contact—-"

Evanoff's curiosity was his weakness. "What's that?" He nodded in the direction of Sam's cell.

"Information on the person you were looking for. Agent Petrov. He died on assignment in St Petersburg, seven years ago."

Evanoff became agitated. "He can't be dead!" Desperation got the better of him. "He can't be—-"

"Look at the proof." Gibbs shoved Sam's cell in front of him to show him the details of Agent Petrov's death.

Evanoff's eyes widened at the intel. He sucked in a heavy breath and looked back at Gibbs. "So who were we hunting?"

"Just your average American, a pilot. Married with kids."

Evanoff shook his head. "I'm a dead man."

Gibbs gave Sam a sideway glance, before turning his attention back to Evanoff. "Why is that?" He saw their suspect swallow hard, the man was worried, not about them, but about someone else.

"Tell us who ordered this hunt, and we will protect you."

"No," Evanoff vehemently shook his head. His eyes darted from Gibbs to Sam and back again. "No one can protect me from him."

"Tell us who sent you," Gibbs demanded.

"I can't…"

Gibbs fisted his hands, he shifted from off the seat and leaned over the table, until his face was inches from Evanoff's. "Tell us!"

Sweat beaded across Evanoff's forehead, as his body shook from fear. He never feared jail, but torture and death by the hands of the man who owned him—-was like being eaten alive by a lion. No, perhaps that would be much kinder than what he knew his boss would do to him—-when he finds out he got the wrong man. His face scrunched up, anger surged through him. If Janvier hadn't already been killed, he would have slowly killed him himself. A growl escaped his throat.

Watching the change in Evanoff was like watching a psychotic episode take place. The man was in fear for his life, and he was full of rage over being tricked by Janvier. So Gibbs and Sam led him to believe. They'd played their part well, they'd knew it would only be a matter of minutes before Evanoff would crumble and give them the name of the person behind this hunt and attack on Callen.

A calmness overcame Evanoff, he lifted his head and spoke quietly, "you will protect me?"

"Yes!"

"Eduard Kozlov."

"The Russian Defence Minister?"

Evanoff nodded. "Yes. He worked with a man named Nikita Reznikov in the KGB, back in the early seventies. He tried to get rid of him, by having him arrested and taken to the Gulag. But he found out twenty years ago that he'd escaped and was living under a new identity. When he went looking, he thought he found him a while back, only to discover that he was dead. But news reached him that he'd changed his name again and was very much alive."

"Which is why he's sent an army of former FSB to hunt down a man Janvier told you was his son." Gibbs heaved out a heavy breath and sighed. "You must be thirsty, do you drink coffee?"

Taken aback by this kind gesture, Evanoff nodded. "Yes."

Gibbs and Sam took the opportunity to leave Evanoff on his own, to discuss the matter and to inform Director Vance. Their next step could start an international incident, complicating matters further with the already tense relationship the U.S. had with Russia. The news that someone in the Russian Government was behind it, made their operation deadly. He was pleased that he could provide Petrov's identity, to protect Callen's. It threw Evanoff off, and if he made contact with anyone, and the news made it's way back to Kozlov, he hoped it gave them the time for them to do their own search for Nikita Reznikov, so they could reunite Callen with his father, and he find out his name.

The End!

Thank you for taking this journey with me with this story. Please stay tuned for the next sequel in this series, "Poisk."