Lily jolted upright in bed, wide awake. Her breath came in quick short rasps and her heart was beating like she had just finished the obstacle course at The Farm. She took a look around. The TV on the wall, the bed with the rails, and the various monitors and equipment pushed against walls in case of emergencies. Memory flooded back. She was still at the hospital, recovering from gun shot wounds sustained during an operation that went wrong.
She took a deep breath and tried to remember her dream. As usual, all she remembered was overwhelming fear. This has been the standard nighttime ritual for the last two weeks of her stay at hospital. Just when her recovery was almost complete, the nightmares started. She was fine during the day or when she was with people, but being alone with her thoughts, tending to bring these on. Gibbs still had a guard on her door, just in case, somebody from the Gregoriev Organization decided to take revenge, but other than that, her nights were spent alone, since she was insistent that Tony and Tim go home and rest. Lily sighed deeply and resignedly, turned on the light over the bed and opened her book.
"Miss Tomoshenko. Congratulations. You now have a clean bill of health." The doctor finally said the words Lily had been waiting to hear for the last two weeks. "You can go home today. You are to take it easy for the next six weeks – light desk duties at work only. Please come in every two weeks for a check-up and, of course let us know if you ever start feeling that something is not right. Miss Tomoshenko, when you came in, I had my doubts that you would survive. You are a young lady of great personal strength and tenacity."
A nurse wheeled Lily out to the front of the hospital where Tim was waiting in his convertible. He jumped out, helped her in, loaded her duffle into the back and drove off to her apartment where friends and family were waiting to welcome her home and celebrate her recovery.
Lily sat at her desk at Langley. She was on her 4th cup of coffee for that morning. This not sleeping was rough. It was alwaysthe same thing. Almost every night, she would go to bed, only to wake up terrified and unable to go back to sleep. She was also bored. How many sets of phone logs could one person check? She wanted back in the field. All that was standing between her cases and her desk was the psychiatric evaluation that was standard for every agent involved in a shooting.
Lily was beginning to suspect the cause of her insomnia and her night terrors. She also understood the reason for the Psych Evaluation that was required before she would receive her weapon back. If the examining psychiatrist had any doubts about her fitness to return to the job at full capacity, she would not be permitted to return. Luckily Lily also knew the questions and the expected answers and she was confident that she would be able to pass. "This is just temporary", she assured herself again for what must have been the thirtieth time that day. "I just need to go back to work at full capacity and to be busy and I will be fine." Now if she only really believed that to be the case.
Lily sat in the office of Dr. Gabriel Marsden. "How do you feel, Agent Tomoshenko?" "I am well. There are better days and worse days, but the balance is shifting to the better." "Please tell me what you recall of the time immediately after you were shot." Lily suppressed a shiver, "I really do not remember anything from the time Fyodorov finished beating me to the time I woke up in the hospital." Lily prayed her voice sounded passionless and matter of fact. The questions went on. The doctor trying to probe into her true feelings and Lily playing a defensive game to keep the doctor out of her private thoughts while projecting an image of a very self-collected, professional agent. After about 40 minutes, the doctor thanked Lily for her time and Lily left. She managed to make it to the bathroom and lock the door of the stall before the shaking started. When she recovered. She washed her face. Fixed her makeup, brushed her hair and went back to her desk.
Two days later, Agent Lily Tomoshenko was back to full duty status.
The Tactical Readiness Course at The Farm was set up to look like a city street. It could have been anywhere from Bazra to Birmingham. The goal was to run an agent through scenarios to evaluate their critical thinking and responsiveness to what could potentially be life and death situations. For this exercise, rubber bullets were being used and full safety gear - bullet proof vests, eye protection and and ear protection were mandatory on the "hot" course.
Lily stood by the door of the "building" that would serve as her testing ground. She was sweating under the vest although she was only wearing a tee-shirt and was trying to convince herself that the quavering in her stomach was caused by too much coffee and too little breakfast. She needed this. Her Psych Evaluation came back clean. Now she needed the sign off from the Tactical Readiness Evaluations to ensure that she could get her sidearm back and be permitted back into the field.
Her task was pretty straightforward - a fairly standard hostage rescue. Go into the building, neutralize the bad guys and rescue the hostage located somewhere in the house and preferably don't get killed. She checked her Glock one more time and verified she had the spare clips that she was going to need. She looked at the clock above the door as it was counting down from 60 seconds. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes one time and envisioned herself moving through the rooms. "No worries," she told herself. Go in, get out, get it done". The buzzer rang, Lily reached for her gun, moved into the combat stance, and kicked the door open.
"Federal Agents", she yelled as per the Standard Operating Procedure Guide. Frankly, she always thought that sneaking up on the bad guys would be more effective, but one plays by the rules of the game.
Lily's nerves were jangling. She was having some trouble focusing on the job at hand. She kept flashing on the barrel of a gun pointed at her. Fyodorov's gun? "Not now," she breathed. "I promise, I will deal with you later". Slowly, she went around the corners and checked in the room on her right. She saw a twitch of motion and turned and fired. One bad guy down. She backed out of the room, pivoted, pressed her back against the wall and glanced into the next room. It seemed clear...but what was that peaking around the chair. She waited a few seconds and another bad guy rose up. Two taps to the head and she was clear.
Lily was breathing really hard now, and sweating so much that the band on her CIA cap was soaked and it was getting into her eyes. She heard a sound behind her. Dropped, turned around, identified the potential target and fired. Three down, three to go.
The Kitchen was a quick sweep as was the laundry room. Moving up the stairs is always challenging. Gun out, back against the wall, Lily sort of crab walked up the stairs, her eyes surveying all around her. She was jumping at shadows. "Focus, girl," she hissed to herself. "You are half way there". The two bedrooms at the top of the stair case were empty. This meant that the rest of the bad guys and the hostage must be in the Master Bedroom at the end of the hall. Lily carefully approached the door. Listened for any noise. She heard the hostage struggling. She could see that she was tied to a chair above her, were two of her captors - oneon each side of the hostage. Their weapons were held pointing downward - there were not expecting a threat. Lily quickly switched out clips. She looked around the corner, took aim and brought one bad guy down. She rolled across the doorway to present as small a target as she could and rolled to her knees in time to take out the guy on the other side. Breathing hard, she walked over and freed the hostage who ran out of the room. Just then she heard a pop and was hit in her left shoulder so hard it lifted her off her feet and landed her flat on her back.
The sixth shooter found her. Damn it all to hell. She had broken her concentration and this happened. She lay on the ground with the air knocked out of her while a string of profanities rang through her head. Of all the stupid things to do. The instructor came in and offered her a hand up. He clapped her on the back gently and she went out of the house and to the showers.
"What do you think, Gunny", the head instructor asked. "She got five and rescued the hostage. That's better than most of our agents manage on their first try. She definitely has not lost much of her skills during her convalescence." Gibbs considered what he actually saw via Closed Circuit TV. He saw the rapid, ragged breathing and the sweat - both more pronounced than should be for somebody in good physical shape. He saw hesitation in her movements and a panic in her eyes that he had never seen before. He knew immediately what he was seeing - he had seen it before, but strangely, he is hesitant to put a name to it. "We will need to watch her and how she copes. This is still fresh for her and she will need time to process all that has happened. She is a damn fine agent and I would hate to lose her." The head instructor looked at Gibbs to gauge what he meant by that, but Gibbs remained inscrutable and the instructor could only guess what was going on in his head.
Lily's cell phone rang and she smiled when she recognized Tim's number. "I was wondering if you had any plans tonight," Tim asked. "Wash my hair, organize my sock drawer," Lily was laughing now. "How about I pick you up for dinner?" Tim asked. "We can try that new Italian place near the Capital." "That sounds great. See you at six?". "Perfect", said Lily. They hung up, and Lily continued to smile. Nowadays, she only slept well when in Tim's arms.
That evening after dinner, Lily was standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom. The bruise on her left shoulder had bloomed into an assortment of colors from purple to green to yellow. Her eyes then drifted to the red puckered scars that now were plainly visible on her body. There were the bullet wounds. One was right under her heart and one slightly to the right and above her belly button, but there were also the other scars that indicated the fight to keep her alive. The scar near the hollow of her throat for the Tracheotomy tube, slashes across her arms for the various needles, some larger ones on her abdomen and chest where the surgeons fought to contain the bleeding and repair the damage. She continued to stare as her fingers started to trace the outlines of the scars. She was seeing the barrel of the gun again, hearing the shots and feeling the searing pain. Worse, she was remembering Tim's and Tony's faces. Her heart was beginning to race again and tears were starting to fall.
"I would hate to see the other guy," Tim joked as he came up behind her, eyeing the bruise while wrapping his arms around her and planting a kiss on her neck. "What happened?" "I missed one, the other guy didn't," Lily's response was matter of fact. "But, the good news is I am now back to full duty." Lily tried to smile, but again her eyes landed on the scars. Her fingers reached for them again. "Don't," Tim said as he captured her fingers and brought them to his lips for a kiss after which he kissed her palm and her wrist.. After that, Lily really had no time to dwell on her scars or bruises.
She heard the shots and saw the muzzle flash. She prepared for the pain that she already knew was coming, but the bullets passed her by. She turned to see Tim fall with the fatal bullets. She woke up in tears. Tim was holding her, and the look of concern on his face brought her back to reality. She focused on his green eyes, took a deep breath, and forced a smile. "I guess the spicy pasta is going to be a non-starter before bed". She kissed Tim, turned over and pretended to go back to sleep although she was certain that it was an impossibility
Several days later, Lily's desk phone and rang and she picked it up with her most professional demeanor. "This is Agent Tomoshenko. How can I help you Very Special Agent Dinnozo?". She heard Tony chuckle on the other side of the line. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" Lily continued. "What, I can't call my sister to check how she is feeling?". Tony actually sounded hurt, but Lily was not buying it. He wanted something. "I saw you for a lovely dinner last night, Tony. What can I do for you?"
"Ok, ok," sighed Tony. "I do need your help. I need your help with one of my suspects. He's a Russian National accused of beating up a US Marine. He speaks no English." I'm happy to help, but don't you guys have translators for that?" "Well, yes, we do. But I want your profiling skills too. There is something hinky here that I can't put my finger on." "I should start charging you a consulting fee," Lily laughed. "I'll buy you lunch," Tony offered. "Deal. I'll be at the Navy Yard within the hour". She hung up with Tony.
Lily secured her side arm and entered the interrogation room. The suspect was handcuffed to the chair. Mr. YvgeniAseemlooked to be about 40, slightly balding and a bit on the pasty and paunchy side. Hardly somebody who would be a threat to a US Marine, Gunnery Sergeant Miles Allen . He seemed very nervous – but then again, sitting in a room being interrogated by a federal agent is bound to cause such feelings. She let Tony set the pace and translated his questions and the suspect's responses. In essence, he and a US Marine had had an argument at a bank. They argued and a fight ensued. The security guard broke them up the fight and sent them both on their way. The Marine claimed that Aseem jumped him from behind in the parking lot and proceeded to beat him with a bat.
Mr. Aseem's story was much simpler. He did argue with the Marine. Mr. Aseem claimed that the Sergeant Allen cut in front of him at the bank and he simply asked him to wait his turn. He denied being anywhere near the parking lot. Aseem was squirmy. He was sweating profusely and constantly checking the clock on the wall
Lily and Tony let Aseem sweat for a bit while they talked. "He is obviously hiding something," Lily said. "Could it be his immigration status? Has his Visa expired?" Tony shook his head, "Already checked. He is all current." "Tony, take a look at him. I am going to guess that Sergeant Allen is a nice healthy specimen. Six feet or so. 275 pounds. Why would Aseem even engage? He knows he cannot win? Normal people avoid confrontation especially with those in uniform as they would be perceived as having additional authority. And look at him checking the clock. What is going to happen and when?"
Tony looked at Lily speculatively. "Where are you going with this?" he asked. "I'm not entirely sure," Lily responded, "but it does not feel right. Have you spoken with the Sergeant?" "Let me call him and he can come in for a chat," said Tony. He reached for his cell phone and punched in a number. After a few minutes, he hung up with a disgusted look on his face. "The phone number does not exist. I will check the address, but I would guess our Marine is not who he says he is."
"Tony, at which bank did this occur?" "Barclays on K Street." Tony replied. "Oh my God. Its Tuesday. That's the day they collect the deposits at Barclays. Usually at about 3:00 – after the morning deposits. Aseem and Allen were the must have been others who were casing the bank. They must be planning to rob that bank."
Tony has spent enough time with Gibbs to pick up some of his interrogation techniques. Tony could actually be quite intimidating when he wanted to be. He barreled into the interrogation room, his eyes sparking and an ugly snarl on lips. He flung his files on the table, put his hands on the table and got right into Aseem's face. "When will it happen? Look, Aseem, we know what is being planned. You are already going down on federal conspiracy charges, why don't you make your life easier and just confirm what we already know to be the case."
Aseem recoiled with fear in his eyes. "I don't know what you are talking about, he stammered. I don't know anything. Please let me go." "Not a chance," snarled Tony. "You and I both know. They are going to leave you here, so try to make it a bit easier on yourself."
Aseem looked like he was about to cry. "Barclay Bank. On K Street."
"Thank you," said Tony. "Come on, Agent, we've work to do. Let's gear up." Tony ran out even as he was dialing the DCPD for backup.
Lily was in the bank. She had headphones in her ears and was holding an iPhone as though she is having a conversation. The invisible wire under her bullet proof vest and jacket have her linked directly with Tony and the PD that was approaching with no lights or sirens. Since it's the middle of the day and most people are at work, the bank is mostly empty. Just two tellers and three patrons. Two local undercover cops and Lily.
"Status check," inquired Tony. "Hey handsome," Lily responded as if into her phone, "How's it going? Me? Oh I am totally OK," Lily continues the random conversation for a few minutes until she saw Allen approach the teller. Dressed in a simple sweater and jeans, she noticed a bulge under his left arm - shewas certain it was a shoulder holster. She also noticed that Allen put on sunglasses right before approaching the teller.
"Yeah...and then I look up and there is this guy standing right in front of me." Tony queried in her ear, "You have eyes on him?"
"Yes, I know and he is so hot too", the reply. "He's armed," Tony confirms.
"I could not have said it any better myself," Lily confirms. Tony on the other side of the wire, orders her to continue watching, but to not engage. Technically, since the CIA has no jurisdiction in purely domestic criminal matters, all Lily can do is observe and report. Lily, slowly and quietly un-holsters her weapon. She keeps the safety on, and finger off the trigger, but she is holding it low behind her purse so that it cannot be seen. The man standing by the teller - and now she could clearly see that it was Allen, slid what looked like a deposit or a withdrawl slip to the cashier. The woman behind the glass, looked up astonished for a moment, then nodded and turned away. She came back with several lards wads of cash and some slips which Lily thought must be some type of security or bond. The cashier started to pass the currency to Allen.
"And then he said he would take me to dinner and pay," Lily continues the chatter, giving Tony a very clear picture of what is going on inside the bank. "He has the money." Tony confirms.
Just then, Lily realizes that Allen is reaching for his sidearm. He cannot hurt the tellers behind the bullet proof glass. The other two officers are alert and watching him too. She realizes that they are going for their guns. All of a sudden, she is finding it difficult to breathe. Sweat is pouring into her eyes. She is seeing the muzzle flash from Fyodorov's gun and now it is Tony who is mortally wounded. She tries to take a deep breath to steady herself.
Unfortunately Allen hears her and turns on her with his gun drawn. Lily tries to bring up her gun and to yell, "Freeze," but she is frozen. She cannot move although in her head she is screaming for her body to react the way that it had been trained. "Freeze. Police. Drop your weapon and get on the ground." The two DC PD officers are behind Allen and have the situation under control. It does not seem that they are aware of Lily's predicament for which she is grateful beyond measure.
The police cuff Allen, and walk him out. Lily holsters her weapon as Tony strides in. "Are you OK?" he sounds concerned. "I can't breathe," she whispers. "I need to get out of here." She dashes off toward Tony's car. She is desperately trying to take off her vest, but her fingers are shaking too badly. "Let me help you." It's Tony's comforting calm voice. She lets him help her. She can't stop shaking. "C'mon," Tony says, "We'll go to my house, I'll order pizza and we'll talk."
The shaking had subsided by the time Lily and Tony drove into his garage.
Tony rummaged through his closet and handed her a track suit that looked liked it would fit. Lily did not want to think to whom it originally belonged, but it was clean and comfortable and she was grateful
She stood under the hot water for a long time until Tony told her the Pizza had been delivered. Showered, changed and with a piece of pizza in one hand and a beer in the other, Lily was starting to feel better. That was until Tony turned to her and in a very gentle voice, asked her, "What's going on?".
Lily's eyes immediately and involuntarily filled with tears. "I don't know," she stammered, "I froze. I had my gun, I was ready, but when Allen turned to me, I couldn't do anything." I could not even breathe. I just saw the gun and the flash and I kept hearing it in my head drowning out everything else."
Tony put his arm around her. "Its OK. I've seen this from when I was a cop. It happened sometimes to cops who were sh...," Tony cleared his throat unwilling to be another reminder of the trauma that Lily had just recently experienced, "cops that went through what you did. Its pretty normal and with support and help, I know you will be OK." Lily did not say anything. All of a sudden she was not very hungry.
Tony wanted her to spend the night - it was preferable to her being alone. Although he was willing to give up his bed, Lily assured him that she was fine on the couch. With pillows and blankets and an old black and white movie on the TV for company, she drifted off to sleep.
It was dark and cold where Lily was. Where precisely, she was not sure. She just felt she needed to walk. She walked with her arms out, so as not to run into anything. Then she heard something behind her. All of a sudden there was a flash and the distinctive popping sound of a gun being discharged. Lily was pretty sure that she screamed. There were more flashes and more pops, from all around. She did not know what to do or where to run. All she could do was to roll up on the ground it the fetal position and hope that it all stops.
Then she sees it. It's a big, dark shadow lumbering toward her. It easily picks her up and starts to shake. She screams and starts to fight it off. But the arms are strong. Stronger than anything she has ever felt. She knows that she will not be able to break free.
"Lily. Lily, wake up," Tony's voice finally breaks through her nightmare and she forces her eyes open. Her brown eyes meet Tony's blue ones, although they are clouded by concern. "You were having a nightmare," Tony says unnecessarily. "It took me five minutes to get you to wake up and you were fighting me the whole time." Lily started to cry. Great painful sobs, that tore at Tony's heart. He enveloped the small shaking body in a hug and stroked her head. "It will be OK. I promise first thing tomorrow morning, we will get you some help."
Sleep was, of course out of the question for the rest of the night. Tony fired up the DVD player and with Lily curled up into his side and his arm protectively around her, they watched all the old favorite comedies. Lily would occasionally doze with her head on Tony's shoulder, but every time she would be jerked awake, she would look and Tony would be there looking at her and not looking even a little sleepy.
It was about 5 am when she finally drifted into a fitful sleep and Tony gently lowered her on a pillow and pulled up the covers. He went to his cell phone and dialed a number. "Hi. I am sorry to call so early. I need your help. Well Lily does anyway. Can we handle this quietly for now. She's suffered enough, I don't want this all over the agency. 8:30. Your office. Perfect. Thanks Ducky." Tony hung and headed to take a shower. It was going to be a long day.
At 8:30 Tony and Lily walked into Ducky's office. Tony had swung by Lily's apartment so that she could change clothes. She opted for a "Langley" Sweatshirt, jeans, and a baseball cap from Georgetown University. With no make up on and her hair in a pony tail, Lily looked almost as young as Tony remembered her. He did note, however, that she was still wearing her sidearm and her badge. And why not - she earned the right to do that, hell she almost paid the ultimate price. Tony shuddered and pushed away the mental image of Lily's bleeding and broken body. Now was not the time.
"Good morning, my Dear," Ducky said gently. "I have a cup of tea waiting for you. I always find tea facilitates a conversation. Will you please wait for us outside, Agent DiNozzo." Tony considered for a minute and nodded. He almost went over to Lily to kiss the top of her head, but decided against it. Lily was a federal agent just as he was and she deserved to be treated as such - especially right now when she was holding on by just a thread. He desperately wanted to protect her from this, but he knew that he could not. He stepped outside and gently shut the door behind him.
Ducky handed Lily the cup of steaming tea. "Now, my Dear. Can you please tell me what is going on?".
Lily hesitated, took a deep breath, that only shook a little and started. "After I got out of the hospital, I thought I was OK, but I was having these dreams and they are getting worse. At the end somebody gets hurt - either Tony or Tim, usually and I just feel like I am standing there and I can't do anything. They are getting worse and now I can hardly sleep. I am also having trouble with..." Lily pauses, not entirely able to describe exactly what she is feeling, "with my reflexes. I am having trouble responding to situations. It happened at Langley during my testing and it happened yesterday at the Bank. I am afraid that I can't do my job and that somebody will be hurt because of me."
Ducky considered the young woman carefully. "You are a very smart young woman," he said. "I believe you know what is going on with you. Do you know? Can you give it a name?"
Lily looked at Ducky with fear in her eyes. The fear was that she knew exactly what it was, but saying it would make it real. Lilydoes not want to say the words. "When we give the thing we fear a name, we take away its power over us," Ducky continued. "I promise you that calling it by its proper name will give you power over this thing. It will help you heal".
"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have PTSD," Lily whispers. "Say it again," Ducky gently suggested. "You have the power over this. It will not have power over you."
"I have PTSD," Lily repeats in a stronger voice, "Oh God, Ducky, what do I do now? I always thought this is something that soldiers get. Soldiers who have come home from the war, who may have been blown up by IEDs or something. How can I have this?"
Ducky walked closer to Lily and gently but firmly took her chin in his hand and lifted her face until she was looking into his eyes.
"My Dear, I was a battlefield doctor and the injuries that you sustained were among some of the most grievous that I have ever seen. You were injured in the line of duty doing something that would help and protect people. PTSD is not limited - you suffered a truly severe trauma and now you are suffering the after effects."
"Oh God, Ducky," Lily sighed. "I could lose my badge. I may not be a federal agent any longer."
"I do not think this will happen," Ducky says reassuringly. "I am no psychiatrist, but your case is not that severe and I believe it will respond well to treatment. And with the support that you are going to get from your friends and family," Ducky says as he nods toward the door where Tony was keeping vigil, "you will be fine."
"What do I do, Ducky?" Lily asked. "I can recommend a therapist that I know that deals with PTSD and a support group should get you well on your way."
"Gibbs, I need to tell Gibbs," Lily exclaimed, just as the door opened and Gibbs came in. "Tell Gibbs, what?"
Lily took a deep breath, "I have…., that is, after I got out of the hospital…" Lily took another breath, "Gibbs, Ducky and I think that…" Gibbs lookedLily straight in the eye and said, "I know. Now come on."
Lily looks confused. "You helped us break this case wide open. You deserve to be there when we close it. Suit up. I'll explain on the way."
"So when we questioned Allen," Gibbs started on the story as soon as Lily and the rest of the team were in the SUV, "we learned that it was a group of Marines. All of them were dishonorably discharged for various reasons. They met through mutual acquaintances and decided that robbing banks may be more lucrative than working for a living and a nice way to stick it to the US Government. They were planning a number of heists, but after Ameer was picked up decided on just one big one. Allen is sure that they would be carrying out the robbery scheduled for today at the CitiBank on Pennsylvania Avenue. The scheduled armored care would have been taken out of commission and the money would be loaded into the ones our suspects will be driving. We have cleared out the civilians and have our assets in place. This is out of the jurisdiction of the CIA, so you can observe."
When the team got to the site, they adjusted their weapons and their gear and tested their tactical mikes. Gibbs sent Tony and Tim to secure the inside of the bank and he and Ziva alone with DCPD waiting for the armored car.
It did not take long and the armored car pulled around to the back. However instead of somebody getting out of the truck to go into the bank and collect the money, the back opened and heavily armed men jumped out and opened fire on the team and the police. Everybody took cover as the exchange of gunfire continued.
Lily, was observing from behind the SUV with her weapon drawn. "No, this is all wrong, this does not make sense," she whispered to herself. "Gibbs – this is all wrong," she spoke into the tac mike. "These guys are not acting like Marines. Where is the coordination? These guys are just thugs put here to draw your fire and your attention. Where is the real action happening?Oh my God, this is a diversion. They are not interested in the cash, but the securities and bonds inside. More profitable, untraceable, easy to transport, and a real good way to "stick it to Uncle Sam" since the government will have to make good on the payments and the insurance to the bank."
Gibbs acknowledged with a grunt. "DiNozzo. McGee. You copy? The action will be inside the bank. In the vault where the securities are kept. McGee? DiNozzo? Tony? Tim? Do you copy?" There was silence. "Ah, hell," Gibbs swore. He looked around, Ziva was pinned down. "Tomoshenko– you're with me. Let's go."
Lily follows Gibbs into the back of the bank. The door to the vault has clearly been opened by force as there is debris on the led the way into the bank at the open door, they both pressed their backs against the wall and Gibbs looked into the opening briefly. He turned to Lily and signaled with his hands that there were two bad guys with guns. He very quickly and quietly, crossed the opening and pressed flat on the other side as Lily edged close to the opening and looked in.
She saw Tony and Tim on the floor with their arms behind their back – either tied or handcuffed, she assumed. Tony had the beginnings of a black eye and a split lip and Tim had a swollen cheek and what looked like a gash on his forehead. It looked like they did not go down without a fight, but both appeared to be OK and looked mad enough to chew glass. She also noticed the two ex-Marines. They were wearing full body armor. The only thing that would take them down would be a head shot.
Gibbs looked in and signaled that they would go in on the count of three. Lily nodded although her heart was beating so fast and loud, she thought that everybody would be able to hear it. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Please," she prayed, "just this one time. I just need to make this one shot."
Gibbs counted down on his fingers, three, two one. He went in first with gun pointed and Lily came in right behind him. "Federal Agents," Gibbs announced, "drop your weapons." The two men did not drop their weapons. In fact they started to turn and to raise their rifles.
"Now," Gibbs yelled. Two revolvers came up at simultaneously as Gibbs and Lily both focused on their respective targets. Two triggers were pulled and two bullets came out of two barrels almost at exactly the same time. The two men threatening Tim and Tony both dropped with twin bullet holes in their foreheads. Lily and Gibbs shifted their attention to the door to the back room. It was narrow, so the men in back would have to come out one at a time – an ideal situation for disarming them. Lily remained on guard as Gibbs moved forward and began to disarm the men as they approached the door.
By this time, Ziva arrived with several SWAT officers and they took over the mopping up and arresting of the still living suspects. Paramedics rushed in and shooed Tony and Tim outside into ambulances to asses their injuries and provide treatment.
Lily, mechanically, put the safety back on her gun and returned it to her holster. The room was beginning to spin and she was feeling very unsteady on her feet.
At just that moment, she felt a strong arm around her shoulders. "You did good, Lily," Gibbs said in his warmest, most reassuring tone, "real good." Some distant part of Lily's brain noted that he called her by her first name and for some reason that felt extra good.
Gibbs helped Lily walk out of the bank. Tim who was seated inside the back of an ambulance, saw Gibbs assisting Lily out, waved away the paramedic trying to put a bandage on his cut and ran over to the two. "Lily, are you OK?" Tim asked, concerned. "Yeah, I'm OK," Lily responded, "just tired, I guess."
"Take her home, McGee," Gibbs instructed. "She is going to be just fine."
Tim walked over, put his arm around Lily in a way that forced her to lean into him (not that she was averse to that) and walked her to his car. The paperwork could wait until the morning. Lily smiled to herself, she was tired, and somehow she was pretty sure she would be able to sleep tonight.
Epilogue
Tim pulled the car into the church parking lot. The hall next to the church was lit up and a few people were still walking in.
"Do you want me to go in with you," he asked Lily. "Nah, I should be OK, " she replies, hoping its true. "If I can take out an ex-Marine bad guy, how bad can this be?"
Tim leads Lily to the door and gives her a kiss. "Call me when you are done. I'll be at the Starbuck's down the street. When you're done, I'll take you for the biggest hot fudge sundae we can find in DC."
"You're on," says Lily as she walks in. Tim watches her go and then gets into the car and heads out.
The room is filled with about 20 people ranging in age from about Lily's age to somewhere North of 65. Most have coffee in hand and some are chatting in small groups.
A younger man comes in, and clears his throat. "Ok, ladies and gentlemen. Shall we begin. Please take a seat."
When everybody had seated themselves on one of the chairs set in a circle, the young man, whose name tag said his name was Philip, said, "I believe we have a new face today. Lily would you like to introduce yourself."
"Not really," Lily thought, "but here goes." Taking a very slow deep breath, Lily looks around and says, "Hi. My name is Lily and I have PTSD."
The End