3
The title, inspiration for the story and all the chapter titles are taken from the poems of Robert Service.
Prelude
"I really don't care what you think, buckle up or we're not going anywhere."
"Geez, you're such a Grinch, lighten up man!" Caleb snapped his seat belt shut and turned the volume up on his ipod. He hated this, couldn't figure out why they didn't just let him catch the bus home, he'd given them what they wanted, wasn't that enough?
His day had started so well, getting an A on his science paper, Megan Brough agreeing to go to the movies on Saturday, it was all good, then some Feds had come into class and the day had gone right to hell. They took him out of school, drove all the way to the NCIS headquarters building, had his guidance councillor sit in with them, and asked him questions, lots of questions about his brother.
Caleb hadn't seen his older brother since the big party his parents had thrown when Jacob got back from Afghanistan. Hard to believe that had been three weeks ago, he wasn't close to his brother; Jacob was a career Marine and his family came a very distant second to the Corps. Now he was missing, and the Feds wanted to know everything Caleb knew; it wasn't much, he was able to tell them about a few places they hung out when Jacob was home, a girlfriend or two his mom and dad didn't know about. Aside from that he hadn't been able to help much. Jacob was nine years older than him, and they'd never really been close even before Jacob joined the Corps.
He settled back in the seat and let the city streets slip by, the sounds of Vampire Weekend filling his ears, he must have dozed a little because he was taken by surprise when the car came to a sudden halt. "We home already?"
"No, the car just died on me." Tim McGee sighed as he turned off the engine, he should have realised losing out to Tony in the coin-toss to see who had to drive Caleb home would just be the start of his bad luck. He was usually pretty good with youngsters, but Caleb was one of the most surly, uncommunicative young men he'd ever encountered. It had been like pulling hen's teeth trying to get even the smallest nuggets of information from him, fair enough Caleb didn't seem close to his brother but they'd expected a little more reaction when they told him Jacob was missing and that one of Jacob's closest friends, Marine Corporal Matt Stowe was dead, his body a mass of cuts and burns, he hadn't died easy and he'd been heard arguing with Jacob the day before he was killed.
Caleb had expressed surprise that his brother would argue with Matt. "They were close; I mean real tight, people even said they looked more like brothers than Jacob and me. Matt saved his life over there, can't see them having an argument about anything."
That answer was about as loquacious as Caleb got all day, aside from that it was hard work drawing anything from him. Tim glanced outside, there were dark clouds bubbling up in the previously clear blue sky, looked like they were in for a storm. Caleb started to tap his fingers on the dash; Tim counted to ten very slowly. "I'll try again in a few minutes, maybe it just overheated."
"Seriously? How old is this car, can't the government get you a decent ride?"
Tim leaned back with a sigh and prayed the car would start because he didn't know how much longer he could spend with Caleb without losing control. "I'll go check the engine." He wasn't expecting to be able to do anything; computers he understood, cars were a closed book to him, but if it meant he could have a few minutes away from Caleb's sneers he'd try pretty much anything. Tim popped the hood and opened the door.
"Hey, close the door man, it's cold out there."
Tim slammed the door and took yet another deep breath, then he shivered, it was cold and not the start of a summer storm cold; winter tooth chattering cold, he pulled his jacket close and looked up at the slate grey sky as heavy, icy drops of rain started to fall. "Oh, perfect!"
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