"The Mad Bomber (Part 1)"
It's a rainy day in Washington D.C., everyone coming and going from Dulles International, but now it's going to be the start of a dark day in D.C. A man and a woman come into Dulles Airport and they go to a café called "Zulu's Café" to order a coffee and biscotti. The waitress was a young brunette who had just started her first day there at Zulu's. As she brought the man and woman their drinks and biscotti's, she glances over to a box and asks the man: "must be for someone special, huh?" The man and woman don't respond and as they finish their coffee and biscotti, the man leaves a small gift wrapped-like present on the table.
A U.S. Naval Officer, Lieutenant Chris Roberts (no relation to JAG's Bud Roberts) also sitting behind the table where the man and woman were sitting, notices the box and tries to be a good person to return it, but as he picks it up, the box explodes immediately killing him and injuring several others in the café and airport concourse. It's now a madhouse in Dulles International, travelers panicking, the airport is turning into a riot and Airport Police do not have enough support and personnel so they put in a frantic call for help to all agencies: D.C. Police, Baltimore Police, U.S. Customs, FBI, and NCIS.
As we shift to the NCIS office, Ziva and McGee come off the elevator and Ziva catches Tony snooping on his computer and Ziva asks: "What are you doing, Tony?" "I'm going to find your password so I can look on your computer, Ziva," replied Tony. "Tony, as much as you try to find the password for Ziva's workstation, you'll never crack it," said McGee who doubles as Abby's assistant in the lab and is the team's technology expert. Gibbs comes walking in to the squad room and tells Tony "The only thing you're going to look at is my foot up your ass, DiNozzo. Let's go, we got a body at Dulles International."
"On your six boss!" replied DiNozzo. "Ziva, gas the truck, McGee call Ducky and Palmer and tell them to meet us at Zulu's Café in the terminal," said Gibbs. As DiNozzo followed Gibbs and Ziva downstairs to their Major Case Response Team van, McGee followed right behind after calling Ducky and Palmer. "Ziva, keys. I'm driving to Dulles, because you almost killed McGee and I in the truck seven years ago when you drove," said Tony.
As the team arrives at Dulles Airport, Gibbs is giving orders to Ziva, DiNozzo, and McGee: "Ziva, witness statements, Tony, shoot and sketch, McGee, pull video from the security cam inside and the main concourse outside Zulu's cafe." About six minutes later, Ducky and Jimmy Palmer arrive at the crime scene. "I'm terribly sorry Jethro! Mr. Palmer has the worst sense of direction that one can imagine, especially in an airport!" said Ducky. "Doctor, you had the map!" replied Palmer.
"Ducky you got a T.O.D. for me?" said Gibbs. "Well based on preliminary findings, I see that there's a lot of shrapnel here and his stomach has been blown to bits. I'll know more when we get him back to Autopsy," said Ducky. "Gibbs, I found this Navy issued I.D. card. Your victim's name is Lieutenant Chris Roberts."
Gibbs goes around the crime scene to search for evidence, DiNozzo pulls a television show reference: "Ziva, this reminds me of 24, from the 7th season where Bill Buchanan (played by James Morrison – who also starred on NCIS as the CIA Director) takes his own life to save the President of the United States from General Benjamin Juma, a Sangala Warlord."
Ziva replied "24! It's with that guy…something Sutherland, Bauer; Sauer…can't say his first name though." Tim replied "Kiefer Sutherland and his character's name was Jack Bauer." As Tony, Ziva, and McGee went back to finish processing the crime scene, Tony discovers something underneath the cash register. It's a note addressed to "NCIS" from the man who was there. The note read:
"This is only the beginning; NCIS…Washington D.C. has no idea how much fun I'm going to have bombing structures with my accomplice. Oh when you leave the airport, I left a precious gift for you on your truck."
Signed,
Lou "Mad Bomber" Ferris.
"Boss! We got a problem here!" shouted DiNozzo. "The terrorist we are after is Lou "Mad Bomber" Ferris, claims he left something on our truck." Gibbs looks around in frustration then says, "You and Ziva take two agents and search that truck top to bottom, I don't care if you have to rip it apart, DO IT!" As Tony runs off with Ziva and two U.S. Customs Agents, Tony asked back: "Call FBI and Fornell?" Gibbs walks over and slaps Tony's head and says "Well yeah, DiNozzo!" Tony and Ziva with two Customs Agents run out to the NCIS truck to find another note from Ferris saying "If you want to know more about me…just run a search through Ashland P.D.'s files for me." –Mad Bomber.
As Tony and Ziva return to tell Gibbs the news, McGee has an image of the couple walking into Zulu's Bar at approximately 0708 hours/1708 Zulu time. "Boss, I got something on the camera here…that's our guy Lou Ferris, he's about 6'1'', stocky build, about 209 lbs. I also pulled information about him from the searches. This guy is wanted for bombings in the Ashland area and has escaped from a federal prison in the Ashland city limits. Boss, we really have to find this guy or D.C. isn't going to be much of a capital city any longer," said McGee.
"You think I don't know that McGee? Get these trace amounts of explosives back to Abby's lab for analysis, McGee," replied Gibbs. So as Timothy returns to the vehicle, what Tim didn't realize is that his car was rigged with one of "Mad Bomber's" bombs. When McGee's phone rings, it's a call from Lou Ferris himself: "Special Agent McGee, such a fool…since you're driving your NCIS vehicle I thought I might be one to tell you that if you slow down below 50 mph, you're history, so don't slow down. Goodbye."
As Gibbs, Ducky, Tony and Ziva wrap up the crime scene and pass jurisdiction over to the LEOs, Tony gets a call from McGee telling him that he's in major trouble. "Tony! My car is rigged to explode if I slow down. I need backup, I'm on the 95 going south, get over here now!" exclaimed McGee. "This feels like the movie "Speed," 1994 with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Remember the last time I pulled something out of the movie like that," said Tony. "Yes, I remember Tony. You had McGee loop a video in the classroom on the Quantico base at that high school," replied Ziva.
"Tony, Ziva, go after McGee on the 95. You're going to need a chopper to get Tim out of the car, I'll finish bagging and tagging, then I'll go back to the labs," said Gibbs. As Gibbs finishes the crime scene at the airport, Ziva and Tony head out to the tarmac to a U.S. Customs chopper waiting for them and they tell the pilot to head down Interstate 95. "Ziva, alert Virginia State Police that we have an agent in a car ready to explode and we need to get the car to a remote area so we don't hurt any civilians," said Tony. "Virginia State Police, this is NCIS Special Agent Ziva David, we are requesting an escort for one of our agents. His name is Tim McGee. He's in a blue Dodge Charger register to NCIS, License plate TL-5371, that's Tango-Lima-5-3-7-1," said Ziva. "Copy that, NCIS, we are sending four patrol cars to help your agent, over."
As Gibbs returns to NCIS, he heads to see Ducky in autopsy. "Jethro, I hear that you have a case and it's time sensitive so I'll be quick. Your victim had a medical condition. He had suffered from migraines on occasion, not to mention this guy had a dislocated shoulder, broken ankle and burned foot. I remember this time in Scotland—," said Ducky. "Ah Duck, save it, I have an Agent to save," said Gibbs.
Gibbs runs up to Abby's lab, and as he walks in, "Abby, you have something for me?" Of course, Gibbs has to hand a Caf-Pow to Abby because she loves them so much. After Abs takes a quick sip of her drink, "Yeah, your victim was a true hero in the war. Lieutenant Chris Roberts of the U.S. Navy, four tours in Iraq, awarded the Silver and Bronze stars with three Purple Hearts for saving six men, while under fire from Iraqi forces. Also, the explosives here, are Composite 4…specifically, C4. Where's McGee?" asked Abby.
"McGee is in danger right now; Tony and Ziva are coordinating with Virginia State Police to find Tim. He's going to be okay, Abs," Gibbs said in a calm voice. A moment later, Gibbs' phone rings, its Director Shepard's assistant Cynthia telling Gibbs that Fornell's in the Director's office and wants to see him.
As Gibbs goes up to Director Shepard's office, Fornell is up there talking with Director Shepard and is asking that NCIS and FBI do a joint operation to find Lou Ferris and his female accomplice. Jenny tells Gibbs and Fornell that "FBI and NCIS will work together to find this bastard and get him to Guantanamo Bay where he belongs." Jenny's phone rings and its Cynthia again telling her she is needed in MTAC with Gibbs and Fornell. Fornell tells Gibbs that "there's more that meets the eye about Ferris."
"Thank you Cynthia, we're on our way to MTAC right now," said Director Shepard. Let's go to MTAC. As the three agents go to MTAC, Tony and Ziva are on the screen to brief Gibbs, Fornell, and Director Shepard. "Boss, Virginia State Police are on their way to the 95 where McGee is. We're about 15 minutes out from McGee's location," said Tony. "Good work, you and Ziva. Fornell is going to brief you on our terrorist."
"Okay, Lou Ferris according to Ashland Police was charged with attempted domestic terrorism, harassment, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, illegal possession of firearms, assault on a police officer, escaping prison…the list goes on and on," said Fornell. "This guy is a career terrorist, he's currently wanted by Ashland P.D. and FBI. Do not underestimate him, he's got a knowledge of bombs and isn't afraid to build one."
Will FBI and NCIS rescue McGee in time? Can they find Lou Ferris before he blows half of D.C. into the ground? Find out next week in "The Mad Bomber – Part 2."