The Lone Wolf and the Detective

THE LONE WOLF AND THE DETECTIVE Chapter 8

Darkness fell, the time to leave had come. Callen looked at his grandmother with a heavy heart. "We've got to leave now, Bunicā."

Sofia Callen nodded her head sadly, "I know."

Callen helped her to stand and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her no promises to see her again, how could he? He didn't know if he would come away from this mission alive.

Sofia pointed to his companions. "Which of you is his partner?"

Deeks raised his hand slightly, "that would be me, Ma'am."

Sofia nodded, "make sure he comes back alive. I want to spend more time with him. Where you are going isn't for the faint hearted." She held her chest, it ached for her daughter and granddaughter already. She couldn't afford to lose him now that he'd returned to her.

"You know where we are going?" Callen looked at her with surprise. His heart lurched into his throat, she knew that he was going into danger.

"Do you think I am old and senile, my beautiful Georgi? I am the widow of a OSS officer, mother of a CIA operative. Grandmother to the last of my late husband's line. I see it in your eyes, my dearest boy. You are so much like your grandfather, he would be proud of what you have become."

Callen shook his head, tears threatened to spill and betray his bravado. "No, Bunicā, I don't. I just didn't know that you knew about what they did. What I do."

"How could I not? After Amelia was born, your mother and father needed to keep working, I came here to take care of her and then you once you came along."

He remembered her so clearly now, a much younger Sofia playing with them. So much of his early years were with her, not his mother. The woman he thought had been his mother playing with them at the beach was actually his grandmother. The fondness he held for her returned.

"Now you tell Silvia to take better care of you in future. I don't want to see you come here again with your guns ready for war."

"Silvia?" All four men looked at her quizzically. "Who are you talking about?"

Callen's eyes widened, his mind raced and looked over to Granger for help. "Who is she talking about?"

He shrugged.

"She was your mother's handler long ago." Sofia shook her head sadly. "She contacted me recently, I hadn't heard from her since your mother's death."

"Hetty?" He pulled his cell out and showed her the photo he carried of her.

"Yes, that's her. She came here once, just after your mother was killed. She brought you and your sister here to hide with me. Amelia was old enough to tell her where to find me."

"She knows my name?"

"Why do you ask that question?"

"Until today, I didn't know my name."

She looked at him in shock, "you forgot your name?"

"I forgot everything and everyone." Tears threatened to spill, Callen heaved out a sigh, trying to keep his emotions intact, but he was failing.

"I don't know if she knew your name or not, you were in shock, you didn't talk for a long time. She was here just long enough to tell me what happened and urged to get you and your sister out of Europe fast. Ava helped me get you to America, she took your mother's passport and pretended to be her. They looked so much alike. It was a difficult time, it was dangerous for you and your sister to be here." She paused, "What name have you had all of this time?" She took his hand and squeezed it gently.