At first he wasn't at all sure he liked the overconfident, pushy head-gamer when she'd come barging into his investigation last fall. Sure, Doctor Samantha Ryan had done it through official channels, but that had just made him resent it more. Using their chain of command to get what she wanted; access to the details of their investigation into missing missionary workers in South America. If she had a mutual interest in their investigation... or the people involved; she could have just come to him. If she had explained her situation and asked him to share information he would have done so willingly. Instead she had come down on him like some all powerful, all knowing CIA Insider. And if there was one thing Leroy Jethro Gibbs hated, it was the CIA because they never said what they meant and never meant what they said. You couldn't trust them.
That case was a hard one to work for all of them, but it had turned out all right. After Gibbs decided to disregard the esteemed advise of Dr. Ryan and handle things like his gut dictated. She wasn't technically CIA, but the Department of Defense was almost as bad. His gut had never let him down and he knew his team could pull off the mission and get that Navy Chaplain back safe. By the end of that case, Gibbs was ready to show Doctor Ryan the door, with a none too gentle boot to her backside. Especially after she admitted her real reason for her so called cooperation was to get her hands on Monique, the rogue operative that had helped them. Ziva would have taken it personally if their involvement had ended badly for her friend and mentor.
Gibbs had enough problems without getting involved with another power hungry, control freak like Dr. Ryan. After all, it hadn't even been six months since Holly Mann had given him her ultimatum, "Retire with me and move to Hawaii... or else." Gibbs never has responded too favorably to that kind of thinking... just ask his ex-wives. He enters the elevator from the parking garage with a smile as he jabs the button for the third floor. Thinking about how his opinion of Samantha Ryan had changed in the last month.
Officially it had been, what? A month? Unofficially it was two months, but he couldn't really be sure if all of their time together could be considered official. Hell, it felt pretty official to him; having Dr. Ryan in his bed more nights than not. He still couldn't get used to the idea that he was dating the Department of Defense's top shrink. His initial impression of her had begun to crumble that night after the case ended and his phone had rung at two in the morning. Having been asleep, Gibbs wasn't too happy about being woken up, but his training kicked in and his hand was on his cell phone before his eyes were even open. The last person he expected it to be was Samantha Ryan.
He'd been a bit confused, having just woken up, but there was something in her voice. Something soft and scared behind the joking apology and he began to pay attention. She'd used the case as an excuse to call him, wanting to thank him for doing a good job and apologize for how she had handled it... but that wasn't the real reason. She was reaching out to him. He hadn't realized until much later how hard that invitation to breakfast had been for her.
Admitting she couldn't control the whole world alone wasn't something Sam liked to think about, and talking about it was even harder. It had taken them a few more casual dinners and several beers at his place before she opened up to him and he discovered a sensitive, loving woman who was tired of carrying the world on her shoulders. His original nickname of "Doc" was still used while they were at work, but in private only he knew she preferred Sam to her more formal name of Samantha. It took even longer before she confided in him her true fears of her ex-husband and how she'd changed her name and has been hiding from him for the past seven years.
His thoughts are interrupted by his cell phone buzzing on his belt. He glances at the number as he flips the receiver open, "Yea, Gibbs." It takes only a few frantic sentences from Dr. Ryan's secretary to fill him in on his worst nightmare come true. "What do you mean, she's missing!? She was going to drop Parker off at school and go straight to the office." More frantic descriptors come across his phone line and then the distraught secretary is relieved by Dr. Ryan's boss, General Grosskopf. Although obviously upset, he at least was calm enough to be making sense.
Although Gibbs had met her son several times, Sam had felt it was too soon for her teenage son to 'get the full picture of their relationship.' Therefore, they rarely spent an entire night together, unless Parker was away on a school trip or staying over with friends. Being a typical teenager, Parker hadn't warmed up to Gibbs right away, but they were making progress. He was understandably protective of his mother, given who his father was and what they'd been through. He was smart enough at that young age to see the world's dangers.
Now, just a few hours since she'd left his home in the middle of the night, they were telling him she'd vanished. Apparently their office had received intel that Dr. Ryan's ex-husband had unexpectedly been released from prison and had arrived in Washington, DC. Dr. Ryan had warned them that her ex, Liam Colson, was determined to find his wife and son if he ever got out, and make her pay for having put him in prison. Seven years ago, Colson had been put in prison for crimes he committed while leading a radical group from Northern Ireland that was known for trading illegal arms with Libya. Since then she has taken great care to conceal her and Parker's identities and location.
Gibbs feels the fear knotting his gut as General Grosskopf fills him in on what they know. As he storms off the elevator there isn't a person in the bullpen area that doesn't hear him bellow, "God Damn it, General! That just isn't good enough! I need to know where... how long ago?!" He stops in front of his desk, unaware that every eye in the room is watching his outburst; wondering which general is on Gibbs' shit list now. "Bull! I'm on my way! You tell your guys to secure that scene until I get there, you got that?!" With that he snaps his cell phone shut and takes the stairs up to the Director Vance's office two at a time, punctuating his steps with a growling curse, "Son-of-a-bitch! This never would have happened if she'd let me handle this three months ago!"
As Gibbs disappears into Vance's office, the spell is broken and people finally tear their eyes away from the sight; getting back to work. Tony DiNozzo turns to look at his two co-workers, Ziva David and Tim McGee. No words are necessary as they all stand up at the same moment and begin gathering their gear. Whatever the problem, they know their boss will come back down those stairs barking at them to grab their gear because they're heading out to a scene. No sooner had they completed their preparations than Gibbs came storming out of Vance's office with him close behind. As Gibbs took the stairs quickly down to the bullpen, Director Vance felt the need to call out one additional warning, "Gibbs! Did you hear anything I just said?!"
"Yes, Sir. I did."
"Then I don't have to remind you to use caution!?"
"No, Director, you don't... grab your gear!" Gibbs rifles through his desk for something, tucks it into his jacket pocket and heads for the elevator. He is mildly surprised to see his team already standing at the door waiting for him. It shouldn't surprise him, his team was highly trained and they knew him well. As the doors open, Vance calls out, "Keep me posted, Gibbs!"
Without a response, they all step into the car together. Once the door closes, Tony asks what is on all of their minds, "Problem, boss?"
Gibbs takes a deep breath and briefs his team, "We've got a very sensitive international kidnapping. Dr. Ryan and her son are missing and are believed to have been kidnapped by her ex-husband who was mysteriously released from prison without any notification. He was tracked to DC, two days ago and he ain't here to take in the sites." From the confused reaction on their faces, he realizes they haven't heard the story he got from Sam. He fills them in on the way to the garage.
Ziva understands what they are dealing with, "Is this not a security issue due to her work?"
Gibbs gives a curt nod, "You got it, although I don't think her ex, Liam Colson, is interested in torturing her for DOD secrets... I think he's just interested in torturing her for his personal revenge. Dr. Ryan was responsible for exposing his IRA radical group and its ties to Libya... she put him and a lot of others in prison."
Ziva frowns, knowing Libya's history, "That is not good."
McGee, as usual was much better at understanding the technical world of computer speak. He looks from one face to the next and then asks, "Why? What's not good?"
Ziva looks to Gibbs, but he defers to her with a nod so she answers the question. "The Libyans are a nation truly dedicated to terrorist activities, from the royal family on down to the commoners. They are not known for showing mercy to those who betray them... and they are ruthless when it comes to torture. They will keep her alive until they have extracted every secret she knows about the USA... and they will not hesitate to use her son, Parker, as a pawn against her."
"I don't know how much paternal feeling Colson has for his son, but if he's as ruthless as she says he is, he'll not hesitate to turn Parker over to the Libyans, too. He wants to see Sam suffer more than anything." The worry on his face makes it obvious that Gibbs is more than just a professional colleague of Dr. Ryan.
Tony picks up on the personal name and gives Ziva a sideways glance, raising his eyebrow as he mouths the name silently to her. Believing Gibbs had not seen him, he is surprised by the sudden head slap he receives from his boss as he steps out of the elevator in the garage. With a groan he ducks away and then apologizes, "Sorry, boss... focusing on what's important now... getting Dr. Ryan and her son back safely." He hurries to catch up as the others get in the car.
Once in the car, Tony tries to elicit more details from Gibbs about the situation, "So, Dr. Ryan was married to an Irish Republican Army leader, huh? And they had a kid?" Gibbs doesn't respond right away as he takes the curving ramp out of the garage at a speed that has the others holding on tightly.
Once out on the road, he replies, "Basically, but it's complicated. They met while she was attending Eton University, she didn't know who he was until later, but right now, we need to focus on the abduction scene at her house. I want it processed in record time because I don't have to tell you that every minute counts."
His cell phone buzzes against his hip and Gibbs flips it open as he rockets through traffic on the way to Ryan's home in Georgetown. "Gibbs... yes, Leon?" He listens as Leon tells him that MTAC is online with tracking the last know movements of Liam Colson and is standing by to aid him in his investigation. "Got it... McGee, MTAC is online, pull up the feed now." He barks the order to McGee who is sitting in the back seat, then turns his attention back to the phone as Vance continues to speak to him. "What now, Leon!?" he growls impatiently, only to calm down as his boss says, "I know this is personal for you... and I'm standing by to provide whatever you need... just bring them home, Jethro." Gibbs is shocked for a moment, not that Vance somehow knows about his involvement with Dr. Ryan, but more so that he is expressing concern and being cooperative. "I plan to, Leon, I plan to." and with that he snaps his phone shut, disconnecting the line.
"I'm on with MTAC now, boss. Flights from all area airports are being monitored, Harbor Patrol has been notified, bus and train stations are being updated as we speak."
Gibbs nods and then adds, "I doubt Colson is going to take a Greyhound bus to Canada, Tim. He's more likely got a private jet and chances are pretty good he's already left the country. Make sure they check all flights that have departed in the last six hours."
Ziva picks up on the unusual time frame and wonders if there is a reason that Gibbs is narrowing the search to that time. "Six hours? Should we not expand the time search since we are not sure when the abduction occurred?"
Gibbs had been hoping they wouldn't catch on quite so quickly, but now he knows some disclosure is necessary in order for them to do their jobs efficiently. "No, she was with me six hours ago... at my house."
Tony can't resist voicing the thoughts that flow through his brain, "That would make it one in the morning. So... Dr. Ryan was with you, at your house...?" Before Gibbs can voice his reprimand at Tony's prying question, a head slap from the back seat stops his words cold.
Tony turns to glare at Ziva as the offender, but she glares back and scolds him. "Tony... please! It is none of our business why Dr. Ryan was there." Gibbs just grins as he makes eye contact with Ziva in the rear view mirror and winks in silent thanks. He knows they have already figured it out, but he isn't about to discuss it with them... at least not now. They have much more important things to think about right now.