Storm City WEE
Prologue
August 24, 1814 was one of those very hot, humid, dog-days of late summer that are still quite common in D.C. today. The temperature hovered around 100 degrees. So in 200 years nothing had or has changed….
-oOo-
The team sat in the bullpen, sweltering, "Man, I didn't think it could get any hotter," was all Tony could muster, the sweat dripping down from his arm pits, leaving a wet patch on his shirt.
"Pity we can't go outside and work there. I remember as a child, our school mistress used to let us take out chairs outside and we used to get taught there," Tim replied, as he watched Tony scooosh more deodorant under his armpits.
"Me too,….. when I was a child, we were allowed to have our classes out in the fresh air, which Tony if you don't mind, we don't seem to have any in here," Abby now added appearing from nowhere waving her hands about, trying to keep cool.
"You want fresh air?" Gibbs asked, as he descended the stairs from MTAC, "Well grab your gear, dead Petty Officer… Rock Creek Park…..better make it quick," as he took his gun from the drawer and put in his holster, "In this heat, he might just go off and Ducky won't get a good report," as he strode to the elevator, "And find Bishop."
-oOo-
"At least I can get a little respite in autopsy," Ducky said as he walked with his trusty assistant to the scene of the crime, "The fact that we need to keep our guests cold. But this heat, it reminds me of East Timor, the storm clouds just before a cyclone," as he looked skywards. "We had some lovely storms in Singapore."
"Dr Mallard you must tell me more of Timor, I don't think you have ever regaled to me, your tales from that part of the world, or your life."
"East Timor was actually in the 2014 Winter Olympics you know, Yohan Goutt Goncalves, he represented the country in the Men's Slalom," Ducky continued.
"Strange I didn't know there was snow in East Timor," Jimmy replied now frowning.
"His father was French Mr Palmer, his mother Timorese, he learned to ski in the Alps," Ducky replied now approaching Gibbs, "Jethro just telling Mr Palmer here the clouds were like this in East Timor….."
"And an East Timoran was in the 2014 Winter Olympics," Jimmy now added but didn't finish seeing the look of Gibbs' face and the twitch of the eye.
"Ducky, initial findings and then let's get back before the storm really takes hold," Gibbs replied.
"Boss, that's The National Weather Service it has upgraded its storm watch to a violent storm for most of Virginia and the Washington, DC metro area," Tim shouted, looking up from his cell phone.
"What's that then," Jimmy asked turning to face Ducky.
"Violent storm would be an 11 on the Beaufort scale, winds greater than 74mph or in new money," looking at Ellie, "Greater than 118 km/h, but on the Fujita–Pearson scale, it would be an F1, which I think, I will go for right now, it sounds easier on the brain," Dr. Mallard answered, "Now let's get our guest home before he cooks any longer, and I do prefer rare steak, to overdone, but Jethro the hole in the temple makes me believe a single gunshot to the brain," now looking at Gibbs.
-oOo-
"As I thought, single gunshot wound to the head, being a sniper Jethro, I would imagine you have seen all this before. So all you have to do is find the culprit, and the reason, and if you don't mind I think I will leave now, Director Vance was just saying that it would be wise if non-essential staff went home and secured their property. Mr. Palmer I have already said could go, get to Breena," Ducky now added looking at Gibbs.
"In fact, I was just here to say that Leon wants the building cleared, too much glass, he doesn't want any injuries, 'specially after the bombing. He means look at McGee, Tim was lucky, he doesn't want any deaths," Gibbs replied.
"The team?" Ducky now enquired putting on his coat and hat.
"Already on their way home, I hope. I need to go and board up, I have too much glass and wood, so you take care," as Gibbs turned and walked out of autopsy. Ducky gave one last look around, sighed, switched off the light and headed for the elevator.
-oOo-
Gibbs drove home, fast. He needed to board up as much as he could, he knew that if push came to shove, he wouldn't have much of a house left anyway as it was mostly wood, but if he could just cover what he could, he would. He drove, listening to the radio, the reports coming in, didn't look or should that be, sound good.
As he knocked nail into wood, he continued to listen, the storm had been upgraded to a 12, a hurricane, he downed tools and called Abby.
"Abby where are you?...well hurricane/tornado warning, get out of your apartment now, get to lower ground, a basement, anywhere….I don't care, just go somewhere safe," as he now called Ducky.
"Ducky, tornado, hurricane warning….ok you're on your way back to autopsy, understand, in the bowels of the building as you always like to say….safe journey," as he tried Tony's number.
"Tony where are you?…..well get out, get to a basement, Duks' going to autopsy…no he's not dead, it's underground…yes tell Tim….Bishop is with her husband…..DiNozzo, I don't care where, just get safe," as Gibbs now hurriedly finished his work and headed for his basement and a glass of bourbon.
-oOo-
As always, as Ducky would say "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, gang aft agley," in other words, no matter how well you plan something, always expect the unexpected,...as something can still get messed up (always have a plan B), which of course the team had.
He heard the door open and then the footsteps.
"Gibbs, I came as fast as I could, I didn't know where to go and when you said basement I thought of you," Abby smiled sweetly.
He looked up at the basement door, she was wearing her black attire, and clutching Bert, but on her feet, red shoes, he smiled, "Come on down," was all he could say, as he heard more movement and then his two agents appear, followed by Ziva, it reminded him of all those years ago when she had appeared at the basement door, but this time she looked radiant.
"Ziva," Abby shouted suddenly, beginning to cry, "Where have you been, why did you not say, where you staying?…..No that is a silly question," as she looked at Tony, who was smiling.
"Sorry Boss, but Tony said he was to get to a basement and bring me with him, as the storm had been upgraded again, to hurricane force and that a tornado warning had been issued," Tim offered sheepishly.
"Didn't you Boss? I distinctly heard you say "get to a basement, and you didn't care where, and to tell Tim," Tony now offered in his defence, as they all heard the wind howl and a branch land on a car, the alarm now screeching. "Damn" was all they could say.
"Ok, I'll go look, just stay put, try and make yourselves at home, and don't do anything silly, you'll find blankets in that cupboard and camp beds over there," now pointing to a corner, as he strode up the stairs, and past Ziva, there was no rule 12 anymore.
The team looked about, Gibbs was comfortable enough; the hurricane lamps gave off an eerie glow, as Tony looked down at Abby's shoes and laughed.
"Tony you never know," as she clasped Bert tight making him fart, "We might end up in some place that isn't Kansas, and I….."
"It's ok Abbs," Gibbs replied from the top of the stair, "Wasn't any of our cars, but I did find another straggler."
"Ducky," Abby shouted, dropping Bert and running up the stairs to hug the old man, "What happened?"
"I was on my way to the Navy Yard, as I said to Jethro, autopsy, in the lower regions of the building I would be safe there and I could also carry on with my work, but there are trees down all over the city, but low and behold, one of the few roads still open was Jethro's, so here I am.. Oh I did bring provisions, if you could help, they are in the trunk." Gibbs watched as Tim and Tony ran up the steps to retrieve from the Morgan.
"Ziva, good to see you," Gibbs began to say and he walked down the steps behind Ducky and Abby, "You never said if this business or pleasure?"
"Pleasure, I have had time to think. I am an American citizen. I have come home. I have nothing in Israel now. I called Tony; we are taking each day as it comes. No Gibbs," as she saw the look in his eyes, "I do not want my old job back. I am starting on my wish list," as she now turned and looked at Tony who looked up at her and smiled, "Rule #12 does not apply anymore," as she continued to the bottom of the stair.
"Does he know?" Gibbs asked quietly, looking at a radiance that emanated from Ziva.
"I want to be sure, before I do tell him," she answered walking over to the boys.
"Not sure yet where we are all sleeping yet but I think I'll stay under the stair." Abby said to Ducky, still holding his arm.
"This reminds me of that TV show, that mini-series, Category 7: End of the World, you know the one that followed Category 6: Day of Destruction, you remember, you must remember, the one when three tornadoes start to converge to wreak havoc on Chicago, like you know….disrupting the power grid and creating the worst super-storm in history," as Tony looked for reassurance but seeing nothing but blank looks. "Well in Category 7, the storm continued to gain strength spawning additional storms, with 3 converging over D.C. forming a massive tropical cyclone scale 7 hurricane," Tony continued waving his arms about.
"And, the relevance, DiNozzo?" Gibbs questioned.
"Nothing, just saying, was wondering if this was what it might have been like. Oh and Robert Wagner was in it, you must remember seeing it now, he was Senator Ryan Carr?" Tony added looking at the team.
"You know, this is quite cosy. I remember as a lad, during the blitz, we had to snuggle down in Anderson shelters or the underground tube stations, but I see the table is big enough to make a Morrison shelter, that is if we need to make one," Ducky now added looking about.
"These Anderson Shelters I have not heard of them," Ziva questioned.
"And a Morrison Shelter, I must have lived a sheltered life," Tim added now laughing at his own play on words.
"Ah Ziva, an Anderson shelter corrugated iron buried under earth, very cosy, and a Morrison shelter, it was like a table but reinforced with caging round it, but I digress, the camaraderie or family spirit, was very uplifting in the dark days of the war, we used to have sing songs, and we children were often entertained by older members of the community," Ducky added.
"We are not having a sing song," Gibbs shouted above the noise of the wind creaking in the timbers.
As the team began to settle down, well as well as they could, the arguing began.
"I'm hungry," Tony suddenly announced, "We could call for a pizza."
"Tony, the storm," Ziva replied.
"Ooops sorry forgot, and I'm cold, we could start a fire."
"DiNozzo, my house is made of wood you want to roast us all?" Gibbs shouted.
"Sorry, forgot," Tony replied sheepishly.
"Look, I got beans, and ham and other tins," Gibbs continued, "We have what Ducky brought."
"Beans, yuk reminds me of Arizona, South by Southwest, Scottsdale to be precise, that time I lost out on my inheritance, I've never been able to look a bean in the eye since, too painful," Tony continued looking for sympathy.
"What ever happened with that?" Tim now asked.
"Cousin Crispian? The slimy limey, sorry Duks, the ever sophisticated English gentleman, he actually wrote the debt off, said something about let that be a lesson."
As they heard voices and footsteps on the ceiling, before the basement door opened and there standing on the landing was Fornell and Diane.
"Tobias…..Diane, and what do we owe the pleasure?" Gibbs now asked looking up and smiling.
"Jethro, we were on our way to the airport, Vegas to be precise," Diane replied.
"Quicky?" Jethro now added.
"Meaning?" his ex-wife now retorted hands on hips, and looking down at the rabble assembled in the basement.
"Wedding breakfast, loving lunch, divorce dinner?" was all Gibbs could say.
"Not nice Gibbs, but yes we were going to tie the knot for Emily's sake," Tobias added, "But since I'm here, and not getting to the airport, any duty free?"
"Oh you know Tobias, top shelf, 3rd from the end, beside the paint stripper, and oi sip this time," was all Gibbs could muster, as he watched the pair descend the steps and join the crowd.
As the team began to settle round the table, with bottles of wine courtesy of Ducky, and beer courtesy of Jethro, the conversation began to flow, in Ducky's case anyway.
"If I might tell you a tale of old," Duks began looking at the assembled people, who were not going anywhere so basically Ducky had a captive audience, "The time was August 24th, 1814. It was one of those very hot, humid, dog-days of late summer. The weather was very much as it was today. The temperature hovered around 100 degrees when the British forces entered the city, it was the second year of an on again-off again war between your young American democracy and its old nemesis, Britain. After a night of raucous vandalism, the British embarked on a second day of plunder. Unbeknownst to the occupiers, a low-pressure trough was sweeping through the region, transforming the stifling late-summer humidity into an unstable air mass."
"See, I told you, Category 6," was all Tony could say.
"Quite, but by the afternoon of August 25th, the skies suddenly darkened, and opening up, it began pouring rain. The torrent helped subdue the flames the British had started and sent the redcoats scrambling for shelter.
"In a Morrison Shelter," Tim now added, the effects of the drink taking hold.
"Timothy please," as Dr Mallard glared at Tim, "But minutes later, a tornado touched down and swept through the centre of the city, toppling buildings, hurling deadly debris through the air. Even whole British cannons were lifted from their trunnions and sent crashing to the ground. When the storm had passed, a number of the invaders and many civilians lay off in the distance, the skies were growing angrier and darker with an impending thunder storm."
"So the Lord of the Rings then, when Sauron sent forth a large mass of dark and foul clouds from Mordor, to cover the lands of Gondor," Tony mused quietly.
"Or Wizard of Oz," Abby added smiling.
"Please, "Ducky requested, "Then a monstrous tornado descended," as he waved his arms about almost hitting Diane in the face, "Suddenly from the tumultuous skies."
"See, told you Lord of the Rings, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields" Tony butted in.
"Tony, it is said, that it was one of the most destructive tornado events in history up to that time."
"Yeah, like it was the greatest battle of the War of the Ring, and indeed the largest of the entire Third Age," DiNozzo continued.
"Tony, are you going to butt in every time Ducky says something?" Ziva complained, "I am finding this fascinating."
"Thank you Ziva, but some say it may have actually been two tornados. The raging funnel tore through the city. It ripped huge trees up by their roots tumbling them across roads," Ducky continued getting involved with his tale.
"Just like outside then," as Tobias, helped himself, to some more beer.
"It lifted entire buildings off of their foundations and set them down yards away. One officer, who refused to dismount his horse, was unceremoniously, along with his horse, lifted up and violently dashed to the ground. It is said that more British soldiers were killed that day by that storm than by the American military forces. The rains that came with the storm were so heavy that they doused the flames the British had set in many of the Capitol buildings," Dr Mallard continued now ignoring any more interruptions, "It is also said one British Officer asked of a local woman "Great God, madam! Is this the kind of storm to which you are accustomed in this infernal country?"
"To which she replied," Gibbs now said, butting in, "No, sir. This is a special interposition of providence to drive our enemies from our city."
"I'm impressed Jethro, but you know what happened next?" Ducky now questioned.
"Yep, the entire fleet withdrew to Bermuda."
"Boss talking of the fleet, I just got a tweet, Sec. Nav. has ordered the ships from Norfolk to return to base, it seems the storm is passing," Tim whispered to Gibbs.
"Good work Tim, ok guys, you can either go, but with the amount of drink consumed either walk or you can stay here. I'm sure I can find accommodation for you all." Looking at the rabble, "No Tobias you and Diane cannot have my room I will not have that in my home, so girls," looking at the three, "You can have my room; there is a sofa bed there. Ducky,…Kelly's old room, Tony and Tim the spare room with two camp beds, Tobias the couch, I'll be fine here," Gibbs finished the ordering.
So this being the sleeping arrangements the friends now gingerly made their way up the stairs to the lounge and looking out the windows the rain was still coming down, but the friends now knowing where they were sleeping went to claim mattresses, while Tobias and Gibbs argued whether to have Mexican or Chinese, and who would be doing the cooking, before settling for cold ham and beans.
Epilogue
The next morning the team, accompanied by Diane and Fornell ventured outside. Gibbs was already taking down the boarding, and sweeping up leaves and general flotsam. Ducky was listening to his wind up radio, while Tim was frantically trying to get a signal on his cell.
"According to the radio station I listen too, it was a F2 tornado. It was very similar to the tornado of April 1923, which was a F3, and it touched down in Rock Creek Park, well this one did the same, the damage path is about 11miles long and about 115 yard wide. They say no fatalities at the moment but then again Jethro we know Rock Creek Park, don't we….," Ducky concluded with a slight smile on his face.
The End