Chapter 1 30/03/2015
Gibbs got a call at his desk, "Yep Gibbs," as he listened to the voice at the other end.
"McGee, MTAC, you're with me," he shouted across at Tim.
They climbed the stairs and Gibbs opened the door, they saw that Vance was already standing looking at the screen; Tim took his place at one of the monitors.
"G'Day Special Agent Gibbs, I'm Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Owen, from the Purana Taskforce in Melbourne, and this is Detective Sima Bollinger," as the guy on the screen indicated to his left. "As you know or maybe don't know, more than 60% of Australia's major organised crime figures now deal in crystal meth."
"And I should know this why?" Gibbs asked looking at the screen.
"We got wind that something was going down, what with Exercise Talisman Saber coming up. TheTS15 is scheduled to take place early to mid-July and New Zealand's Minister for Defence has announced, and that the New Zealand Defence Force will fully participate in the Exercise this year," Steve replied.
"I don't understand what has this got to do with NCIS, Sir?" Gibbs continued to question.
"The Talisman Saber involves joint exercises performed by the Australian Defence Force and the United States Military, right?" the Detective continued.
"Yes," Gibbs answered.
"And it is across, six locations in northern and central Australia, the Coral Sea, and in Honolulu, and Suffolk, Virginia," Steve replied, "And along with your U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, the operating force responsible for your Navy's cyber warfare programmes."
"I know what they do, Suffolk is home to the United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and the 10th fleet was reactivated as the force provider to Cyber Command. What is this all about, Sir?" Gibbs almost shouted, feeling this was getting dragged out.
"We have information that the exercise will be used as a recce for future smuggling between your country and ours. In fact we have information that leads us to believe that one of our sailors has been in contact with his brother in Washington D.C. and that a network has been or will be put in place to smuggle methylamphetamine, the crystal "ice" variety, the most common, into Australia. The price of crystal meth in Australia is among the highest in the world, driving the country's organised crime gangs, to trade increasingly in the drug."
"And?" Gibbs continued to dig.
"And," Steve continued, "According to reports, the gangs supplying the drug are also mixing it with other illegal substances in an attempt to increase addiction levels. It's said Mexican drug cartels are becomingly increasingly involved in supplying the drug abroad, working with distribution networks in other countries such as Australia."
"How much we talking about, cost and weight?" Gibbs now enquired, the word Mexican making him nervous.
"In November last year," Steve began to add, "New South Wales police seized more than 800 kilograms of methylamphetamine, along with two tonnes of MDMA, call it Ecstasy or Molly, it still was worth a combined estimated street value of A$1.5bn or $1.2million. And earlier this month, we discovered 230 kilograms of liquid methylamphetamine in a consignment of 20,000 bottles of flavoured water destined for a Sydney warehouse."
"Boss, Detective Owen, sorry to interrupt, but we have a major incident unfolding at NSA HQ. You mentioned Cyber Command, well seems we may have two dead," Tim now added, looking at his screen.
"I think I should maybe fly over with the information I have," Steve added.
"When can we expect you?" Gibbs now asked.
"Day after tomorrow," came the reply.
"Sounds good, we'll maybe have more for you to go on," as Gibbs indicated they cut the link.
-oOo-
"Gibbs, have you heard or seen the news?" Ellie asked, as the pair re-joined the bullpen. "NSA…..I need to get in touch with Sofia Martinez, but my calls are being blocked," she added now looking worried.
"Yeap, know, and that meeting involved the Australian Police, we need to find out as much as we can on this, a Detective Steve Owen is arriving day after tomorrow."
"Report says FBI taking control," Tony now added, looking at the screen.
"Good then I'm calling Fornell."
-oOo-
The team stood looking at the ZNN news, the official was quoting:-One man has been killed and another was seriously wounded after a shooting at a gate to the US National Security Agency headquarters near Washington. The incident began shortly after 9:00 local time when at least two people attempted to drive the vehicle into the National Security Agency section of the Fort Meade facility. The NSA, in a rare public statement, said that the driver refused to obey an NSA police officer's commands to exit the secure area. "We do not believe it is related to terrorism," FBI Baltimore spokeswoman Anne Sorreson told the Press.
They didn't see Fornell appear from the elevator, "She has to say that, being the official line, "Not related to terrorism."
"Glad you could join us….coffee, I need to brief you on something our friends down under have been working on.
"Friends, from a land down under," as they made their way to the elevator, "Sounds like a song from Men at Work, some 80's group, and your men at work, gonna do some?" Fornell mentioned, "Or it is a gibberish term for your friends over the border down Mexico way?"
"No friends of mine, but the Aussies think so."
-oOo-
Gibbs handed Tobias the coffee, and they went to sit on a park bench.
"Well Tobias what you got," Gibbs asked as he sipped the coffee
"Ok the injured man has been identified as Kevin Fleming, 20, of Baltimore. Fleming and another man were in a stolen Ford Escape SUV when they encountered NSA police at the entrance to the Ft. Meade. Officers say the two inside were men dressed as women."
"Meaning Tobias, and you got any relevant information?" Gibbs asked sipping the coffee.
"Bit early for speculation, but OK everyone for their own kink. Information indicates the two men were partying at a hotel with a third individual, when they took that individual's car without permission. However, it's still unclear how or why they ended up at the NSA gate. "
"Or dressed as women," Gibbs smiled looking straight ahead.
"Preliminary information turned up nothing, but cocaine was found in the vehicle," Fornell replied.
"Ok, I got the drugs bit, now what?" Gibbs questioned.
"This is the second security incident this month involving the NSA. At the beginning of March, a former state correctional officer was arrested, and accused in a string of Maryland shootings, including one at Fort Meade. Gunshots struck a building near the NSA office."
"And you think they are connected?" Gibbs asked.
"Always on the lookout, but when did you say your Aussie task force were arriving?"
"Didn't, but day after tomorrow."
"Sounds like a film," Fornell replied now drinking the coffee.