Camera's don't lie

**spoiler alert**

There's a million dollar bounty on the director of NCIS LA. What can Mosley do to buy her life back?

A one-shot, based on the promo of episode 6, season 10, "Asesinos". Rest of it is pure imagination, so just sit back, read and let me know if you liked it or not!

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Los Angeles || NCIS office of special projects

Shay Mosley had been out of sight for over a month now, and none of the team members knew why, or what happened to her. Sure, she'd had quite a ride with the interrogation of Special Prosecutor John Rogers. But the outcomes, so far, weren't shared by anyone. Not the Department of Justice, and so far, deputy director Ochoa hadn't been at the office either.

Not until now. The 'new case on board' message of Eric, leaning over the balustrade of the cast iron stairs, sounded quite off. Nevertheless, all four of them got up and hurried upstairs, where the sliding door slushed closed behind Sam.

"Deputy Director! I didn't expect to see you in here, this early," Kensi said as some kind of greet.

The man smiled back kindly and responded. "In fact, I had no reason. So I let agent Callen know beforehand that I expected him to be an acting supervisor, until things were settled for this office."

"Settled. Like in what, four elderly agents sitting on a couch and enjoy a cup of tea? Is that it?" Deeks quipped. But no reaction came, and so it was awkwardly quiet for a few seconds.
Then Nell scraped her throat, glanced at Ochoa, nodded to herself and said "This is why we're here." She pressed a few keys and a picture appeared on the screen. "This is Miguel Ramos. Murdered in cold blood and left just where he was found. Just to let you know, Ramos is one of general Vasquez' men."

Sam just nodded, taking in the information without interrupting. Now Nell paused, he asked "Where was he found, this Ramos?"

Callen added "And why is it something we need to know? The loss of one of these men of Vasquez doesn't keep me awake at night, to be honest."

Louis Ochea hid a quick grin, then he took over the explanation. "The reason you dó need to know is because word goes this is assistant director Mosley's work."

"Waitwaitwait… You're saying Mosley is killing cartel members? Just like that?"

"Deeks, c'mon. You know better. Mosley's on their hit list, right? It may be self-defense for all we know. There's no-one who can explain better than Mosley herself. I say we have to find her before anyone else does," Callen stated.

"If she went off the grid, it means she's desperate," Kensi agreed.

"Which means she's dangerous," Ochea added. "Jones, I expect you to brief the team furthermore. I'll see what I can find out from my Washington connections and let you know."

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

It took over three hours before Deeks and Kensi finally seemed to have a clue. It came from a man who had walked his dog near the location the victim was found hours and hours before. A snippet of paper with a picture on it which this man figured might be important was brought in with LAPD. The officer in charge recognized one of his former co-workers in a picture — Marty Deeks.

Kensi was all pale when she enlarged the notes next to the picture. Figures. 500,000. Names. Their names. "The handwriting… It's —" she swallowed several times. "It's hers, isn't it? Mosley's?"

Nell nodded, and Sam said "We're in some serious trouble."

"Damn. Just like that? She's going to commit treason and put all our lives at risk."

"Any chance we can stop that?" Deeks asked, letting his hands going through his hair as he leaned against the large table.

Ochea entered the doors in the same second and overheard Deeks' words. "Well, since you're asking, I most certainly don't want to put you into any dangerous situations. There are some ideas though. I suppose you know special agent Turk? I suggest the two of you, Hanna and Callen, go and contact him. He has eyes and ears on some of the cartel members' homes, and has intel on their families in the States as well. I wouldn't be surprised we'll find Shay Mosley near one of those premises."
Callen nodded in acknowledgement.

"How 'bout us?" Deeks asked.

"Bait. I think it'll be good to have you drive around in Los Angeles as bait. I'll have you followed, of course, but just go and enjoy the LA sun, fun, beaches, highlights of whatever the city has to offer you."

"You're kidding, right?" Kensi asked.

Ochea shook his head. "I arranged a tail, of course. Next to that, Beale and Jones will be with you all the way. Virtually, that is. They'll tell you where to go. Just think of it as a giant cat-and-mouse-game, during which you will never be out of sight of any of the traffic cams in this city."

A chuckle came from Deeks. "Beale. No way you're going to spoil our day, right?"
A simple grin came back as a response.

Sam shook his head as both the junior agents left the Ops. "You sure about this, deputy director?"

"You bet I am. I read files and think I'm a pretty good observer. We never know what may happen. They'll be careful. I suggest you do the same, Hanna."
On that, he turned and left the room, just to take a seat at Shay Mosley's office at the same floor. For a short while, he just sat and gazed ahead. This team was good, and they'd be okay, he knew. If anyone was to find Shay Mosley and get her back, it was them. It would be up to him to think what may happen after that.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Los Angeles streets

"What did Nell discuss with you?" Sam asked, his gaze at the cars in front of him.

"Nothing important really," Callen answered. "Just some minor adjustments in material, you know, things like that." He had taken this relaxed pose in the passenger seat, but Sam knew better than that. His partner was as vigilant as ever, checking the mirror on his side, suspicious cars, whatever. He changed the subject like only Callen could "Your thoughts on Ochea, Sam?"

A dimple appeared in Sam's cheek. "I like the guy. But hey, they come and go, we don't even know if he's gonna stay. He's easy-going, right? Different from when we first met —"

The loud and repeated cracks of a machine gun sounded and Sam cursed aloud. Without any hesitation, he hit the brakes of his car, turned the wheel in the same second and spun the Challenger around, just like that. In the very same second Callen had his gun aimed through the window he opened already, and fired back as much and as careful as he could. After all, he wanted to prevent any of the crowd on the street to get hurt.

Less than a minute later, all was silent. That was, nobody shooting. Instead, people started crying, screaming, or simply ignoring and curiously watching what went on.

Still in his car, Sam contacted the office. "Eric! We'll need medical assistance, corner Jefferson – Overland. Check the camera's. We're good. Well, Callen is, so am I. The car though… ugh. Bullet holes, Beale. Several of them."
He listened to the Tech Operator and nodded. "Callen is fixing most of it, outside. We — ah, LAPD is here already. Thanks anyway, Beale."
He tapped his ear and disconnected his call and Sam watched the scene in front of him. Callen was talking to one of the LAPD officers, nodded and said something unheard to Sam.

Then, his partner let his gaze over the car, shook his head and took his seat again. "Not good, big guy. You'll be separated from your black beauty for quite some days, from what I saw."

"Never mind. Focus, G. We've got a job to do."

It was at the second address at El Mirador Drive where Callen noticed from a binocular how the darkhaired woman in a white shirt sat at a garden table with another woman and several heavy armed men. A small suitcase was exchanged from one hand to another. "She's checking its contents. Blood money, Sam. Somehow, she's trying to buy her life back."

Sam took the binoculars from his partner and observed the situation for a short moment. Then he took them away. "I'll call it in. Ochea needs to know, we'll need a back-up team, soon. You think she's alone?"

Callen sighed deeply. "Don't know Sam. Somehow, I think she is. But we need to hurry, before you know it she's on the run with this money and we don't know why or where she's going."

Again, Sam tapped his ear and announced "We found her, Nell. Gimme Ochea, we need to know what our next move should be." He listened, changing his gaze from the scene he observed from a distance and his partner, whose jaw was set in a way which meant Callen was determined to do what needed to be done. Inwardly, Sam shook his head to what Nell and Ochea said. "We may not have that much time."

"We don't," Callen voiced as he motioned to the scene in front of them. "She's on the move. We need to act now."

"You heard that?" Sam asked at the ones at the office.

Callen was out of the car already, but then Sam said "You get in. All we'll do is tail her, unseen, and report to HQ. No action required, not until Kensi and Deeks are near, G."

"We're not letting her go, buddy. I trust you're going to do the right thing. We all are, right?"

Sam just nodded and softly let the motor of the Challenger purr as he followed Mosley's green Toyota. He had the lines open and said "She's heading to Sanchez Drive." A pause as none of them spoke. "Weatherford."

"What do you mean, dead end road?"

"Matter of speaking," Callen said. He shook his head. Why did she go here?

The answer came all too soon. Mosley just parked the car and Sam halted his behind a larger RV. "What's she doing?" his voice was softer too, as if he feared the assistant director would hear him.

Callen shrugged. "She's getting out." He checked and loaded his gun in a short second, then faced his partner and best friend. "Now what? Wait? I don't think so."

Sam let the scenario sink in. Indeed, Deeks and Kensi weren't anywhere near. "What's she doing?" he repeated.

"Let's just ask her," Callen suggested. He was out of the car already, following his boss. Sam would follow, he knew for sure.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Los Angeles || Kenneth Hahn recreational area

Callen was that close to her and was about to call out to her, when all of a sudden Mosley turned around, her gun aimed at Callen. He did the same, surprised. "Mosley…"

She tilted her head just slightly. "You think I never noticed you? Imagine that… Who do you think I am, some kind of rookie, agent Callen?"

He lowered his gun and smirked. "Ah, we should have known. Sam's always bragging on his stealthy way of tailing. Didn't work, did it?"

"It didn't."

"What's going on, Shay? Why don't you just go and come with us. We've got Ochea —"

"No, Callen. You don't understand. I have to do this. I… They pay me for this."

He squeezed his clear blue eyes shortly and shook his head. "For what?"

Callen noticed she didn't even blink her eyes, and in some kind of slow motion he saw how her finger pulled the trigger without any hesitations. The small explosive movement from her gun. It hit his brain. Not the bullet, which bored itself in his lower abdomen. What hit his brain was the fact that she shot him and he never, never ever had expected this. Before the pain and shock really hit in, he raised his arm again and shot back. A lousy and bad shot, which simply grazed her upper arm.
He staggered backwards now, dropping his gun. She stepped forward and shook her head. "Sloppy now, Callen?" Again, she raised her arm, ready to finish it all. Then she lowered it when she heard heavy footsteps coming their way.

"Sam! Sam!" she called out. "Sam, in here!"

It sounded as a cry for help. But Sam would walk into the trap immediately and Callen knew. His voice was weak now. "No, Sam. She's…"

Sirens were coming closer, police. Slowly. The pain was taking over his body so much faster. "I… We risked our lives, Shay. For you."

"I appreciated it, Callen. I really do. This…" she inhaled deeply. "This was a mistake. An accident, don't you think?" Her dark brown eyes were harder than he'd ever seen before.

Mosley looked around, not sure why Sam still wasn't here. "You're not like your partner, are you, Callen? He's kind, caring. He'll believe me."

He was losing too much blood and felt terribly weak. "Never trusted you," he gasped.

"Yes you did."

Callen shook his head. "Just… a promise. Never should break." It sounded slurring and his vision blurred. "Don't… not Sam."

Again, Mosley tilted her head. "I won't. He'll believe me."

How he managed the chuckle, he didn't know. Perhaps Sam really would think it was an accident. Mosley could come in so convincing, he knew by now even better. That's why Nell and he had taken some precautions. "Camera's don't lie," he gasped.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Los Angeles || NCIS office of special projects

The small button cam had worked perfectly well. Nearly too well. The feed was hard to watch for the small, redheaded information analyst.

"EMT's five minutes out, Sam."

"He'll survive this, Nell. Just blood loss, you know. Doctor Beck checked your feed, didn't he? Through and through." She didn't hear him nod, and she hummed a confirmation. She still heard the voice of the senior agent in the system. "Kensi, Deeks, you're in position?"

"Yep." Deeks' voice.

"Shay Mosley, you're under arrest. Treason, attempted murder of a federal agent. You have the right to remain silent."

"Sam… it was an accident."

'No it wasn't.' Nell spoke aloud. 'Camera's don't lie.'

Thanks for reading!