A/N: I watched the latest episode of NCIS LA with trepidation. Spoilers had alerted fans to the likelihood of something bad happening to a member of the team. We knew it was Sam as his wife would be kidnapped. Little did we know how tragically it would end! I am in shock as I am sure others are. I had to write this story and I hope I do the subject justice.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS LA. It is the property of CBS, Shane Brennan and R Scott Gemmill. Thanks for letting us use it in our stories.

Callen's POV:

It had been one hell of a day and one he would not forget. A member of his team had been targeted and the outcome was disastrous. Sam Hanna's wife, Michelle, had been kidnapped and it had been a race against time to find and save her. It was a race they had lost.

Callen stood and looked in disbelief at the dead body of Michelle as his partner and best friend took her in his arms and broke down. Callen did not know what to do. He looked round at Kensi and Deeks, who were barely holding it together. They had been the ones who had found her in the air tight room; the room where she had been left to die a slow and frightening death. Michelle's struggle to survive had been broadcast by the kidnappers and watched by Sam, Callen and others of the team in Ops, until Sam ordered the live feed to be transferred to the armoury and cut off from the FBI and Ops. He and he alone would witness Michelle's last moments but he hoped against hope that they would find her in time. Callen could not fault Sam's decision.

Michelle was a CIA agent so was no stranger to danger, violence, serious injury and death. In their business the likelihood of your own death was more of a certainty than a possibility. It was only a matter of time befoe your luck ran out.

Facing her possible death, Callen thought Michelle was extremely brave and dignified. He had the privilege to talk to her one last time although he had no inkling that it actually would be the last time he ever exchange words with her. He was glad the words he spoke to her were of hope but he nearly choked when she asked him to take care of Sam. Callen had truly believed they would rescue her.

Kensi met his gaze and Callen could see that tears were threatening to fall and he knew she saw the same in him. He nodded to her and she gave a weak smile and nodded back, turning to join her partner.

"Can we have some privacy please" said Callen in a soft but commanding tone to everyone in the building. There were EMTs, who had unsuccessfully tried to save Michelle's life, NCIS and FBI agents as well LAPD officers all standing around silently suffering at the loss of one of their own. As one by one they all left the room. Callen was the last to leave and he stood in the doorway, a feeling of total helplessness washing over him as he struggled with his own emotions whilst watching the tragic scene of Sam desperately asking his wife to breathe.

They were all in shock. It was something that should not have happened.

Yes, they had lost colleagues in the past – Dom Vale, Mike Renko, Lauren Hunter and most recently Owen Granger. It had taken a while to come to terms with those losses, if one ever does, but this seemed different somehow.

He knew they all felt responsible; as if it was their fault. Hetty would certainly feel guilt weighing heavily on her for she was the one who had invited Michelle to go to Oakville Federal Prison with Sam to speak to Charov, an associate of Isaak Sidorov, who had information about nuclear material being smuggled out of Russia.

Kensi and Deeks had been at the location earlier in the day but had no idea that Michelle was only feet away. Later, when it was actually too late, they had found her. Their faces told exactly what they felt.

Callen had thought it strange that the kidnappers had allowed them to view the live feed. Now he knew that it was in order to mislead them and have them searching further away from Michelle's actual location.

It had been Michelle herself who had figured out that the truck she was in had been stationery and had not been driven for 90 minutes. What a woman! Even in death she was a true agent fighting to the last in an effort to aid her rescuers.

Sam and Michelle had two wonderful children and Callen adored them both. Whilst Aiden was a young man and at Naval Academy, Kamran was only twelve years of age. She still needed her mom. Callen did not envy Sam's task of breaking the news to his kids. He was only glad that Sam and Michelle had the chance to speak to one another but it had been hard to watching her slowly dying.

Callen shook his head as thoughts of good times with Sam, Michelle and the kids whirled around his mind causing him to smile and sob at the same time. He had to cling onto the good memories in able to help Sam.

Sam, the ex-Navy SEAL, the strong, sensible member of the duo, will now do a Callen and go rogue. Sam had vowed to hunt down the perpetrators to the end Callen knew he had to keep Sam on the right side of the law; he would not allow Sam to throw away his life on revenge. Callen also knew that he would do anything to support and help Sam in his quest.

Hetty had done all she could to assist in the rescue of Sam's wife. She had pulled strings and called in every favour to get the kidnappers' demands met. The consequence could cost Hetty her career. Now Tahir Khalid, Sam's nemesis, was out there somewhere and they had no idea where. Khalid had to be caught otherwise no member of Sam's family or his friends would be safe.

However that was a problem for another day. Callen's focus now had to be on supporting Sam and his family through this tragic time and concentrating on keeping his team together. However much Callen wanted to break down and cry regarding in the injustice and misery of the situation, he had to remain strong and focussed, in public at least. He would allow himself the luxury of letting go in the privacy of his own home.

Sometimes being a team leader sucks!