Prologue
Tony DiNozzo sat at the piano playing A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall. It had been three years since Ziva left his life, three long years, and two years since he took the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans office. During that time he'd change a bit, more than a bit. He'd become a harder man, both in body and soul. Like Gibbs after he lost Shannon and Kelly, the job became his life.
He was still social because that was more in his nature than it was in Gibbs. After a real late night of work he liked to come to Claudine's in the French Quarter where he played the piano for enjoyment, if no one else was at the piano, and even occasionally sang a song.
"Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall," he sang.
He sang it as an elegy. After finding the killer of three murdered marines it suited his mood. He lubricated his throat with some Bowmore single malt scotch and continued his song.
"Oh, what did you see, my blue eyed son?
And what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand takers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall," he continued.
The marines were killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They had witnessed a drug exchange. Tony didn't work many cases lately as the ASAC in charge of the whole office, but he took the lead on this and worked with the New Orleans Police closely to bring the drug gang responsible in for the crime.
Director Vance was impressed by Tony's work on this one. It seemed ever since he left Washington DC that Vance found more and more reasons to praise his work. He even hinted that Gibbs was bitching about retiring soon and maybe DiNozzo should come back to DC and take over the Gibbs' MCRT. Tony said no. He was an ASAC running a small but busy office and didn't want a demotion.
"And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin'
I heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin'
I heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
I heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall," he sang on.
He had learned a great deal about himself these two years away from Gibbs. One, he learned that he was ready to lead and not follow. That was a hard one to learn because being with Gibbs was like being with family. Two, he learned that Gibbs never pushed to take a promotion because he always said that Tony would know when he was ready. Once Ziva left, he slowly realized he was not only ready, but he needed a change of venue. Three, he wasn't going to grow up the rest of the way until he finally left Gibbs' side. That was the hardest lesson of all because he missed Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
"Oh, who did you meet my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded and hatred
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall," he intoned.
According to Gibbs replacement senior field agent, McGee, Tony's forever probie, that Special Agent Ellie Bishop and their latest Probationary Agent Tyler Hunt along with Gibbs made a good team, though not as good as McGee, Ziva, Tony, and Gibbs. Their closure rate slipped a little not much. They were still the best in the NCIS system. McGee said that Gibbs was slowing down finally, but he thought it was from loss more than age. He missed Ziva and he missed his SFA.
"And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
And what'll you do now my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are a many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I'll tell and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
But I'll know my songs well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall," he finished.
Tony stopped playing. There was a smattering of applause from the few clients of Claudine's at three in the morning. He drained his scotch. Looking into the audience he saw the Supervisory Agent of his MCRT, Special Agent Katherine 'Kat' LeGault. She was an attractive brunette, who was twelve years younger than him, though she sometimes acted as she was older than him.
He got up and pointed to his table. She went over and sat down. He joined her.
"What is it Special Agent LeGault?" he asked.
"Your phone is off, sir," she said.
He took his phone out of his pocket and looked at it. It was turned off. He must have done it by accident.
"Yeah, it is. Do we have an emergency of some sort?" he asked.
"Director Vance has been trying to get a hold of you," she said then she paused.
Tony could tell that whatever she had to say was important but she didn't want to tell him, which meant it was very bad news. He reached over and placed his right hand on top of her right hand.
"Kat, it's all right. Tell me," he said softly.
"Special Agents Gibbs had an assassination attempt on him and is in critical condition in Walter Reed National Military Center. They don't know if he is going to make it or not," she said.
"Goddamn it," Tony whispered.
He turned on his smart phone and waited for it to power up. Once it was ready he called Director Vance's direct smart phone.
"Vance," he answered.
"I just got the news, sir," he said. "What can I do?"
"I can't have his MCRT investigate this, at least, not take the lead. Plus there are some other circumstances which lead me to want an outside team running this. I want you and your MCRT on this, DiNozzo. This is a matter of national security. Call in replacements and take a transport to DC ASAP. I'll brief you fully when you get here. Understood?" said Vance.
"Yes, sir," said Tony. "How is Gibbs?"
"Bullet through the right lung and another through his chest, he is critical. They have put induced a coma. I'm on my way back to the hospital," said Vance.
"I want Ducky out of retirement and on this as a consultant," said Tony.
"You'll have just about whatever you want, DiNozzo. Get here soon," said Vance.
Tony hung up. He exhaled then looked at Special Agent LeGault.
"Get your team ready. We are going to DC. I'll have the Carolina office send a replacement team and a replacement for me," he said.
"Yes, sir," she said then got up, hesitated as if she wanted to say something to Tony but thought better of it, then she left.
Tony sat back in the chair for a moment. He rubbed his face with his hands and wished he was more awake and less tired because now was not the time for sleep. Things were only going to get harder from here on.