Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of NCIS. I just enjoy playing with them.

SEALED FATE

Chapter 1

Gibbs' MCRT had just returned to headquarters, having attended a grizzly scene at the home of Navy Seal Commander Matt Lewis and his wife. Ducky and Palmer were downstairs unloading the remains of the Commander's wife, Linda Lewis, and her suspected lover, Lieutenant John Anderson, who had both been shot to death in the bedroom of the Lewis' home. The prime suspect was Linda's husband, Commander Lewis.

Gibbs had received the call just after getting in to work that morning. His team were quickly at the scene and set to work. Witnesses, mainly dawn joggers and dog walkers, had informed them that they had seen Lewis' SUV pull into the drive early that morning. He had entered the house and shortly afterwards shots were heard coming from the house and the police were called. Before the police arrived, Commander Lewis was seen fleeing the scene.

NCIS had been called in because one of the deceased, Lt. Anderson, was a member of the Naval Services. The investigation became theirs and they were following a definite line of enquiry. All evidence pointed to the husband, Commander Lewis, finding his wife in bed with another man, Lt. Anderson, and murdering them both.

So now with the team back at the office, they were chasing down several different avenues of enquiry in an effort to locate their suspect. McGee was checking Lewis' bank records and recent credit card activity. DiNozzo was looking into his service history, tracking down friends and colleagues, people he might turn to for help. Ziva had issued a BOLO on Lewis car and was checking into the victim's background.

Gibbs arrived back from autopsy and looked to his team for an update.

"What've we got?" he asked expectantly as he rounded McGee's desk.

The three team members looked at each other, wondering who would step up first. As usual it was McGee.

"I've been checking Matt Lewis' financials. Nothing out of the ordinary, Boss," he began. "Last credit card transaction was at the weekend at a gas station in Lexington. He made an ATM withdrawal yesterday, two hundred dollars. Nothing that stands out."

Gibbs nodded an acknowledgement.

"DiNozzo!"

"Yes, Boss," Tony replied.

"What've you got?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"He's the Navy's poster boy, Boss. Service record's clean, not even a citation. He's been Seal Team Eight's commander for three years. Some black ops missions, obviously classified, nothing here to signal that he was about to blow a fuse and murder his wife," Tony informed him.

"Yeah – well sometimes there aren't any," Gibbs commented, finally sitting down behind his desk.

"I guess finding your wife in bed with another guy would piss anyone off," Tony commented. "But enough to kill? Did that ever happen to you, Boss?" Tony asked flippantly.

Then his eyes widened and he froze as he heard what he had just asked. Ziva and McGee exchanged similar looks of horror. Tony had blurted out the question without really thinking. Gibbs' glared at him and Tony fearfully shirked the look.

"Only once," Gibbs replied, under his breath, not intending to be heard, but Tony heard. He wasn't brave enough to ask him to elaborate, though. Neither was anyone else and as usual, Gibbs' didn't offer any explanation.

"Ziva," Gibbs said, raising his chin in her direction, his way of prompting his team to speak.

"Lieutenant John Anderson, 38, stationed at Norfolk, former colleague of Commander Lewis, now a training officer at the Academy, divorced, two kids. Linda Lewis, 41, kindergarten teacher. She married Commander Lewis in 2004. They had no children. Interviews with neighbours suggest that the Lieutenant was only ever at the house when the Commander was away. They all seemed to know that she was having an affair with him. It appears that she wasn't very discreet."

"Okay," Gibbs sighed, not overly impressed by the vagueness of information he was receiving. "Not much to tell us where he's headed. Anything on the BOLO?"

"Nothing yet," Ziva replied.

Gibbs shook his head. He had no doubt that being a trained Navy Seal, Commander Lewis would have no trouble disappearing. While this case appeared clear cut at the outset, he knew that it wasn't going to be easy to find Lewis and bring him in.

"McGee, can you track his cell?"

"Sure thing, Boss," McGee replied, already tapping his keyboard. "I have his number. Triangulating cell towers, just a minute….there. Location: 2329 Rosewood, Lexington. That's about two blocks from his house."

"DiNozzo, you and Ziva check it out."

"On it, Boss," Tony replied, relieved to be getting out of the office after his earlier faux pas.

He grabbed his gun and backpack and the two agents hurried to the elevator. Gibbs decided to pay his favourite forensic scientist a visit in the hope that she could point him in the right direction.

"Whatcha got, Abs?" he said as he swaggered into her lab.

"Hey, Gibbs!" she replied with a cheeky grin.

She was always happy to see him. She turned back to face the various screens at her computer station. She brought up a picture of a bullet and a pistol.

"Ducky sent me the rounds he extracted from our victims. All were 9mm rounds and came from a Beretta M9, the same as Matt Lewis' service weapon."

"Confirms what we suspected," Gibbs commented. "Anything else?"

Abby frowned crossly at him.

"Gibbs! You do realise that I was just handed the evidence, not ten minutes ago?" she asked, sounding narked.

"Well, yeah Abs. So….," Gibbs said, trying to conceal the growing grin on his face.

"Hmph," Abby uttered, crossly turning back to the box of evidence on the table behind her.

Gibbs gave her a placating peck on the cheek and left the lab. When Gibbs got back to his desk, his phone rang. He picked it up immediately.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Boss, it's me."

"Yeah, DiNozzo? Did you find him?"

"No, Boss. But we found his cell. Looks like he tossed it," Tony told him.

"Ah, damn it!" Gibbs replied, disappointed. "Get it back here to Abby."

Gibbs hung up and sighed audibly. This guy had disappeared off the face of the earth. But truth be told, Gibbs wasn't surprised. Their suspect was a Seal, highly trained and skilled in the art of vanishing. Finding him wouldn't be easy. He knew that if they were to have any chance of finding Matt Lewis, he would have to think like a Seal. And to do that, he needed coffee!

An hour later, Tony and Ziva were back behind their desks and Lewis' cell phone was down with Abby. She was busy checking call logs, texts and message history. The rest of the team were following up on the tiniest, most insignificant titbits of information. Gibbs tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk.

"Eh, Boss, I might have something," McGee said, eventually breaking the painful silence.

Gibbs raised his head in his direction, signalling him to continue.

"I've found another property in Lewis' name. It was left to him by his father. It's a small cabin in Shenandoah."

"Shenandoah? You got an exact location, McGee?"

"Sure, Boss," McGee said, bringing a survey map up on the plasma screen for all to see. "There! It's pretty remote, about four miles from the nearest vehicle track. Access on foot only, from what I can see."

Gibbs stood up, leaned down and took his Sig Sauer and badge from his desk drawer. As he put them on to his belt, he called across the office.

"DiNozzo! You're with me."

Tony stood up and did exactly the same, grabbing his weapon, badge and his backpack. The two agents strode towards the elevator. Soon they were on the road heading west, Gibbs driving as usual. Tony braved it in the passenger seat, white-knuckled and all as the ride was. The conversation was light as they drove. Awkward silences were broken, usually by Tony, commenting on a sweet car or a hot babe. He even ventured into dangerous territory, bringing up the question that he had accidentally put to Gibbs earlier that day.

"So, Boss, did you really walk in on the missus with someone else?" he asked without inhibition.

Gibbs turned and glared crossly at him and then returned his eyes to the road. But Tony wasn't giving up that easily.

"So which wife was it? My money's on Diane. I could picture her…..I mean not picture her but see her, no not see her….," Tony had dug that hole nice and deep. He realised that it was time to shut up. "Sorry, Boss."

Gibbs didn't comment, just nodded. But unknown to Tony, his probing had transported Gibbs back a decade or more to the night he discovered that his marriage was over. He didn't know how but Tony had hit the nail on the head. It was Diane. He had loved her and had always been faithful to her, but his job ensured that she spent more nights alone than in his company. He blamed himself, of course. They hadn't been married that long and he was still very much in love with her at the time. And when he found her in bed with her lover, he was devastated. He felt like killing the bloke and flew into a rage. He punched the young guy's lights out before storming out and heading to the nearest bar. He didn't venture back home for three days. By the time he got home, Diane had left, marking the end of another disastrous chapter in the love life of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

As they neared Shenandoah, Gibbs' mind returned to the job at hand. After all, they were hunting a double murderer, a man capable of killing with his bare hands. Having read Commander Lewis' file, DiNozzo was understandably intimidated by this man's prowess. Gibbs, on the other, held a great respect for the man who had so valiantly served his country only to be betrayed so cruelly on the home front. He couldn't, however, excuse murder. Life could be cruel sometimes. He too had his life ripped apart by its brutality. His beautiful wife and daughter had been snatched away from him mercilessly. And like Lewis, he too had exacted revenge, but Gibbs liked to think that what he did to Pedro Hernandez was justified, an eye for an eye. Sometimes, in his darker nights, he wondered, though. What happened to Lewis was unfortunate and infidelity hurt like hell but it wasn't a reason to kill someone.

DiNozzo took charge of navigation. He followed the GPS directions using his cell phone app and directed Gibbs off the main road and onto some forestry tracks. To Tony's apparent relief, the pace of their journey slowed as Gibbs reduced his speed, taking into account the poor quality of the road surface. Soon even the surface was gone and they were driving on gravel and dirt. Eventually the road appeared to be consumed by a wall of pine trees and vanished.

"Looks like we're on foot from here," Gibbs commented as he stepped out of the car and stretched his back.

Tony sighed as he looked around. He hated nature. He looked around where they were parked. The previous night's rain had washed the foliage and ensured a fresh pine aroma. The ground was sodden underfoot and all Tony would think of was that his shoes were going to get ruined. He too stepped, albeit gingerly, out of the car and met his boss around at the trunk. Gibbs was putting on his heavy rain jacket and changing from his street shoes to more appropriate hiking boots. Tony didn't bring boots, but at least he had a rain jacket.

"How far is it, Boss?" he asked, a little despondently.

"According to McGee, about four miles south of here," Gibbs replied, taking a rifle from the trunk and loading it.

"I'll bring some water and survival kit, just in case," Tony said, putting the items into his backpack.

He included a flashlight, a map, matches, granola bars and extra ammunition. Although he had never been a Boy Scout, Gibbs had taught him to always be prepared.

"Let's go," Gibbs said, starting off into the trees, slinging a rifle over his shoulder.

Tony followed, like a child being dragged to the dentist, not wanting to go but knowing that he had no choice. Gibbs set a blistering pace, leaving DiNozzo half-jogging to keep up.

"Hey, Boss?" he hollered after a short while.

"Yeah?"

"What if Lewis is here?"

"Well, we bring him in," Gibbs replied, unperturbed by the prospect.

"I know, but if he resists? You know, he's kind of …..."

"If he resists, we call for back up," Gibbs told him.

"Oh," Tony replied, sounding relieved. "Good. I thought you were going to say that we'd bring him in, which wouldn't be easy, him being a lethal weapon and all. So we just keep him there and wait for the cavalry. I like that plan."

Gibbs grinned as he continued on with confident strides. He felt at home in such surroundings. He had been raised in rural surroundings. He marvelled at the wonders of nature, the sights, the sounds, the smells. He breathed in the freshness of the newly washed forest. Intermittently, he would hear Tony cussing as he stumbled over a fallen branch or squelched into a muddy puddle. Tony was the definition of a city slicker, he realised, shaking his head in resignation. He wouldn't survive a night out here by himself, he thought.

They had been walking for maybe forty minutes when Gibbs stopped suddenly. He signalled for Tony to be quiet. Tony caught up and sank to one knee beside Gibbs.

"What is it, Boss?" he whispered.

"Not sure. Thought I saw something," he told him. He scanned the trees. He couldn't see anything. "Stay sharp!"

Tony looked around, suddenly adrenalized by the possibility of danger. He watched Gibbs closely and knew something was gnawing at his famous gut. He was right.

Gibbs continued to hike with determination through the vegetation, but he had an unnerving feeling that they were being watched. He knew that a Navy Seal would be at home in these surroundings and would have no problem concealing himself. Gibbs began to wonder exactly who was hunting whom. He removed the rifle from his shoulder and held it across his chest, at the ready, in case they needed to defend themselves. DiNozzo interrupted his musings.

"Boss, I've lost cell service."

"Okay. You've got the map, haven't you?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah, Boss."

"We'll be fine then," Gibbs assured him.

Eventually, after another hour they spotted a clearing ahead of them. Gibbs, using his Marine hand signals, motioned for Tony to get down. Tony didn't have to be asked twice. Both agents dropped to their knees. They watched for a while. There was no sign of movement, so they crept closer until they had a clearer view of the cabin.

Rustic, Tony thought, looking at the log cabin, standing to one side of the clearing. A wood pile leaned against one wall of the structure. There was no sign of life, no light, no smoke, no movement. They remained concealed for some time, watching, before deciding to approach the building. Carefully they emerged from the trees, weapons at the ready, scanning the surroundings. They circled the building, checking for other exits and confirming that there was only one door. They both approached the cabin with stealth. A quick peek in the window confirmed that there was no one there. Gibbs tried the door and it opened. They entered cautiously, searching the dark interior for Lewis.

Tony checked around the small kitchen at the back and moved on to the lone bedroom beside the kitchen.

"Clear," he called.

Gibbs had remained in the open living area which led to the small kitchen. He noted that there was a cup and a plate in the sink. They still looked wet so they couldn't have been there long. Some canned food stuffs were on the table. They had no dust covering them, which made him think that they had only been put there recently. He also noticed as he strolled around the living area that the dust had been disturbed on the floor. He closely observed the room. An open fireplace and stone chimney hearth adorned the west wall. A set of deer antlers hung above the hearth. A patchwork quilt hung over the back of a beautifully carved wooden sofa. Somebody had poured their heart into this cabin, he realised.

"Boss, there's a sleeping bag and some clothes in here," Tony said as he emerged from the bedroom.

"He's been here," Gibbs surmised.

"Well, he's not here now," Tony pointed out, looking out one of the windows towards the forest. "I doubt he's very far away."

He had only said the words when Gibbs noticed a sudden movement from the kitchen area. The pantry door flew open and Lewis emerged with stealth, Beretta aimed at DiNozzo. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Tony had his back to him and obviously hadn't seen him. Gibbs just reacted instinctively. He knew that if he tried to raise the rifle and aim it, it would be too late. He let out a yell and threw himself at Tony, knocking him to the ground.

Tony felt the full weight of Gibbs crashing into him just as two shots rang out. As he hit the ground, he rolled away from Gibbs, simultaneously raising his weapon in the direction of the shooter. He saw the camouflaged figure of Matt Lewis racing for the door. Tony unleashed several rounds in his direction but couldn't tell if he had hit him or not. The Navy Seal disappeared out the door and into the cover of the forest. Tony clambered to his feet and rushed to the door, hoping to catch sight of him, but he had vanished.

"Lost him, Boss," Tony said breathlessly, turning back towards Gibbs.

"Boss?"

A/N - so, thats the first chapter. Would love to hear what you think.