A small red light. A flash. A bang. Dust swirling everywhere. Small but strong hands grabbed his shoulders and dragged him out of the burning building, hands that should have not been able to drag a fully grown man out of a burning building.

The kid looked around herself, put the man down, and ran back into the building. The fire clawing at her clothes, singing them off her skin, she still made it through to the back. There! The body. Lifeless, it seemed.

She tried. She pulled him towards the only opening that had not been consumed by the fire yet- the window. But she knew that there was no hope for him. Tears streaming down her eyes, she smashed in the window, leaving one last glance with the dead young man, and jumped.

Her feet hit the ground, and she ran. Trying to escape the haunting image of him, trying to get away. Trying to get away from herself. Yes, she had saved that other man's life. But not his. Now he was gone. She ran and ran, until she crumpled on the floor of her home, exhausted and poisoned, slowly dying; the pain would be even greater than his as she lay there, waiting to die.

--

"Ya Gibbs." Gibbs answered his phone. He looked around himself, a nearly empty bottle of bourbon stood next to him. "What?! Yes, I'll be there in a few."

He quickly got up and put on some normal clothes, then made his way to his car in a hurry. As he raced out into the center of the city, he called McGee.

"Special Agent McGee."

"Ya, McGee, I know who I'm calling! Get Ziva and come to the crime scene… Yeah, I know it's a crime scene because it was a bomb, McGee."

"On it, boss. What about Tony?"

"Oh he's already at the scene." Gibbs said and hung up, pushing his foot harder on the gas pedal.

Tony looked up through the haze and felt a strange chill, even though the area was still warm from the newly extinguished fire. What had happened? All he remembered was working out at the gym, looking over at a young man and suddenly kaboom, the place was on fire. A bomb? On who? Why? Why the gym? Too many questions.

"Tony!" Someone ran towards him from the darkness and pulled him into an air- crushing hug.

"Hi Abs. What happened? Why are you here?"

"Well, Tony, someone just tried to blow you up."

"Oh, like I didn't notice that." Tony noted sarcastically. When Abby just gave him a disapproving glare, he just smiled. "I'm glad I'm alive, Abby. Where's the rest of the team?"

"Right here, DiNozzo." Gibbs' voice came from behind him.

"Oh, hey boss, McGoo, Ziva."

"Hello Tony." Ziva said, looking around herself. "How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling very good, except for the fact that there is an oxygen mask on my face and the local gym just got blown up, yeah."

"Ya feeling sarcastic, DiNozzo?"

"Uh, sorry boss, no, boss, I'm not."

"The stop making sarcastic remarks!"

"Um, the building was empty, except for one body that was found towards the back." McGee informed them.

"Do we know who?"

"Uh, that would be Lance Corporal Daniel Aaron."

"I guess that makes it our case. Where's Ducky?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"He's here, he's here, and Mr. Palmer is accompanying him." Ducky's voice came through the lights, speaking in third person.

"All right. McGee, Ziva, go inside. DiNozzo, get some rest. Duck, the body's all yours."

McGee, Ziva, Ducky and Palmer disappeared to the back of the building, while Gibbs stayed to talk with Tony.

"Any clue on how you got out, DiNozzo?"

"No, boss. I was lifting waits and looked to my right. Then there was just this explosion and someone grabbed my shoulders and dragged me out. Judging by the force they used, they weren't very old, but they were strong for their age. Ow, my back, my back!" Tony cringed in pain as he slumped down on the side of the ambulance.

"Someone get him to the ER!" Gibbs shouted over to the doctors, and when he was sure that Tony was safely on his way to the hospital, he went to see how his team was coming along.

"Got anything for me, Duck?"

"Yes, Jethro. Time of death was at about eleven thirty last night and cause was blunt force trauma. He was hit by something very hard; my suspicion lies with those weights back there."

"McGee, bag 'em."

--

"Lance Corporal Daniel Aaron joined five years ago. He has a completely clean record and he also has perfect scores in everything he does. He was supposed to be sent to Iraq, but I guess that those plans won't be fulfilled anymore."

"What about family?" Gibbs asked, sipping his coffee.

"He has a little sister, Danni Aaron. Their parents died in a car crash several years ago and there are no other living relatives."

"Where is she?"

"She goes to a boarding school in Maryland, and sometimes stays in D.C. at her brother's on weekends."

"Where is she now?"

"She was supposed to visit him on Saturday, so she is still at school. But, wait, no, she is not at her school. Half an hour ago, they reported her missing."

"Well, let's go."