Chapter One: Two Friends

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Gibbs was bored. Listening to board meetings isn't the most exciting thing in the world. But, as leader of an investigation team it was his duty. When Director Vance started talking about the budget of NCIS, Gibbs knew he was in for a long afternoon.
"NCIS is very slowly going broke. With so many unsolved cases open, the government doesn't want to give us any more money than they think we deserve. We need to start working overtime to solve these cases and get some more funding flowing in here." Gibbs felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out. The display read : Anthony DiNozzo. Gibbs raised his phone to show Vance, and the director nodded. Gibbs stood up, pushed his chair in, and walked out the door.
"Gibbs."
"Hey boss, we got a problem." Gibbs waited for him to explain, but he didn't. There was silence from the other end.
"Why don't you tell me what it is?" Gibbs asked patiently.
"Oh yeah. Sorry boss. You know those four cases we left open from last year? Well, I was looking at them to see if we missed anything, and I found that they all had similarities. They were all killed by strangulation; them were stabbed post-mortem. They were all done cleanly, no prints, no nothing. I think we are looking at a serial killer, boss."
"No dip, Sherlock."
"Wait a minute." Tony said, sounding confused.
"What?" Gibbs asked impatiently.
"All these crime scenes have some numbers and letters written in blood. They are the same at every murder. Want me to tell you?"
"Fire ahead, DiNozzo."
"CBIPJ98 and then it says, NCISLG91. What does that mean?" Gibbs knew exactly what it meant.
"Good work, DiNozzo." Gibbs closed his phone then opened it again. Scrolling down his list of contacts, to the letter P. Gibbs smiled ironically as he pressed the call button.

CBI Consultant Patrick Jane

Jane was almost asleep on his couch in the California Bureau of Investigation's headquarters when his phone rang on Agent Grace Van Pelt's desk. Jane groaned and stretched lazily.
"Grace, will you throw that to me?" he said, yawning. Without looking away from her computer, Van Pelt tossed the phone at Jane. "Nice throw." Jane said, catching the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello, Patrick."
"Well, well, well, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Haven't seen you since 1991. Or talked, for that matter."
"I'm a hard man to find."
"I noticed. So, are you still single, or married."
"I'm single."
"Still?"
"No, again."
"Well, I don't think that you called to exchange pleasantries. What's up?"
"Your initials and CBI joining date was found at a crime scene in Baltimore, as was mine."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, really."
"Well tootle pip and jolly gin, isn't that funny?"
"No, not really, Patrick. I need you to come to D.C. Now."
"Alright. By the way, have you met my, erm…associates?"
"No, and neither do I care to. I don't like anything new, Jane."
"All too well, Leroy. Some people don't like spiders, or stairs, but change? That's an interesting profile."
"I wouldn't be talking, Patrick." The line went dead. Jane pulled himself up and called Rigsby, Lisbon, Cho and Van Pelt.
"We're going to D.C." Jane said. Lisbon gave a little laugh.
"He he. Wait, what?"
"Washington D.C.. Lisbon. We're going to help an old friend in NCIS."
"NCIS?" Rigsby asked. Lisbon filled him in.
"Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It's a CSI for the Navy. They serve in the D.C./Baltimore area. Van Pelt, go look for tickets. Everyone else, pack your bags. We're going to help Tony. I mean, Gibbs." Everyone but Jane left. "Yes?"
"Agent Anthony DiNozzo. I never mentioned him. Where did you get that from?" Lisbon looked down.
"We….um….dated on and off in college."
"Interesting. You never let me know this."
"I never thought it was important."
"It is now."
"Look, I didn't think about it, and it never came up. You never told us that Special Agent Gibbs was an old friend."
"That's different."
"How so?" Lisbon said irritably.
"Gibbs and I were more aquantances. We worked on one case together. I gave him my number in case he ever needed my assistance again. That was before I moved here."
"Whatever, Jane, whatever."
"See you tomorrow!" Jane yelled as Lisbon walked quickly away. Grace raised one eyebrow suspiciously.
"She's just excited to see her ex." Jane explained.
"Oh. Okay."
"Send me the ticket info when you buy them, okay?" Before Van Pelt could answer, Jane was already out the door.