"There you go making my heart beat again, heart beat again, heart beat again" Tony's fake country accent rang out as he entered the bullpen, the musical device he held blasted loudly into his ear drums. The room that had sat silent beforehand now filled with his singing voice . Agents glared and laughed, smiling to one another for an unknown reason. Suddenly, sliding to the edge of his desk on his heel, he continued.
"I'm stuck on you,Whoa-oh, whoa-oh,stuck like glue, you and me baby,we're stuck like glue" A startled Ziva looked up at the casually dressed DiNozzo. Shaking her head with a smile, she laughed, and looked once more at the computer screen that had held her attention before. She knew any interaction with him after that would just be too cruel, so she ignored the urge. Not even noticing his quick move; she became confused when she felt two strong hands placed firmly on her shoulders. Knowing interiorly who it was, she leaned back to meet him eye to eye. The move was seductive looking, catching the eye of others. They stared at each other for a moment, before she smiled.
"What are you doing Tony?" she asked politely, drawing out his name.
"Now what were you laughing at?" he cocked his head shortly and leaned a little further down, noses almost touching.
"I never thought you liked… hilly billy music." He momentarily laughed through grinned teeth. His laugh grew deep with intention. Leaning down even more he grabbed her chair handles, spinning her to face him, slouching with bent knees.
"One, its called country. And two this isn't my iPod." Ziva gave him a sarcastic nod, and smiled.
"Oh, sure. Well then whose is it?" she said, trying to lose his focused eyes.
"I found it in the parking garage. I was going to put in the lost and found."
Ziva snorted and turned to face her desk, using her unexpected strength to move from his grip,"Well, then why do you know that song?"
Tony walked around her desk casually, kneeling, cracking his knees deliberately to grab her attention. "Maybe I like country. Don't like a little hoe down Miss Da-vid?" Rolling her eyes, she continued to type. Tony's next assault on her was faulted by McGee as he entered unexpectedly, his fingers going over his phone's key board quickly.
"McGee."Tony stated, not moving. Looking up, McGee scrunched his eyebrows.
"What?"
"Do you like country music?" By the change in his mood, there was an indication the senior field agent had something to suspect.
"I think our Probie has a little secret."
"As do I DiNozzo." Gibbs mysterious presence appeared bullpen swiftly with his regular coffee glued to his hand.
"Spill boss. Obsession with Jersey Shore I wonder?" Tony approached his silvered hair boss with amusement. The look plastered on his face was typical, the I-know-its-wrong-but-its-so-dang-funny look.
"Come here…" Indicating with his finger for DiNozzo to come closer, DiNozzo approached Gibbs even so quickly. Unable to resist, Tony leaned forward, head tilt.
A sharp pain in the back of his head made him wince as he recoiled back. Knowing all too well what happen, Tony gave a soft smile. "Ahhh. Thanks for the info boss."
"Dead petty officer in Fairfax. Grab your gear." McGee rushed quickly for his equipment and followed Gibbs to the elevator. Ziva held back waiting for Tony.
"Secrets are hard to keep around here Tony."
The two walked almost hesitantly towards the elevator, the closeness an obvious proximity. "Yeah, especially with the kinds of people we work with."
Ziva looked at him, "So you have a secret?"
Tony laughed as they entered the elevator, the closeness leaving as soon as they were in Gibbs line of sight. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he whispered as the doors closed, the bullpen just a distant memory.
Many eyes still focused on the grey doors that had engulfed the pair for they hadn't left the "show" since they arrived this morning. After a momentary silence, the room exploded with voices, the subjects of which still unknown.
-NCIS-
"Boss, this is Brian Kales, 32, petty officer here at Fairfax." McGee stated as he quick took pictures of the simple room in the apartment. Brian Kales slouched over his empty desk, blood pooling at his feet from the three major gun shots that sat in his chest, shoulder, and stomach. The apartment was plain, white on each wall. A few pictures were messily tacked up, most had thing hanging off of them. The apartment was littered with dirty clothes and trash. Empty pizza boxes sat on the floor and a blue stain that looked fairly old was in the center piece of the lazy apartment.
"And?" Gibbs pushed.
"Um, this is his apartment and doesn't look like he had anyone over, let alone a girlfriend." McGee paused, unable to say anything more on the subject.
"How do you know that McGee?" Gibbs questioned, leaning down to look closer at the body.
"Well, look around boss. This place is a dump. If he had a company, female company…" Gibbs glared up at the agent, a distant look in his eyes. "Right, not important. His special was accounting and he interestingly was like the money man of the Virginia Navy Sector."
Gibbs reached into the man's pocket, careful not to brush the blood that dripped down his inside shirt. An empty cigarette box, old navy issues watch and a folded piece of paper appeared in Gibbs hand. Opening the note, he read it over thoughtfully.
"Secret admirer boss?" Tony said, rounding the corner from what looked like the bedrooms with Ziva next to him. The large smile on her face was gave way the amuse she saw in the words, but to defend her look, she lightly punched him.
"DiNozzo." Gibbs growled, looking at the close interaction.
"Shutting up."
Ziva pushed into the conversation. "The rest of the house is clean and no sign of a break in. Bed's made, surprisingly." She laughed looking around at the horrific room. Glaring down at the fixated Leroy, Ziva leaned over, giving Tony the chance to "observe" the scene in front of him.
"What's that?" she asked, completely unaware of his roving eye.
Giving it one more look over, he held it up. "McGee."
Taking the crumbled paper, McGee's conflicted face grew even more confused. "It's just a bunch of letters and numbers." He sighed out.
"Well go, figure it out." Gibbs said standing up, straightening out his bent spine.
McGee, who now was even more astonished at the command, stared at his boss. "But the crime scene-" With one look from Gibbs, McGee nodded with a deep breath. "Will do."
As he left, the flashes of the camera continued by ones Israeli's hand.
"Family?" Gibbs walked to the other side of the room, overlooking the pictures on that sat on the dusty walls.
"Not married. No kids. Parents are a… Vicky and Robert Kales." Tony said with a high voice, completely unaware what he said, or the importance of the words.
Ziva suddenly stopped her clicking action and stood up straight. "Rob Kales?" The name was common in her world, and it coming up in an investigation was completely unlikely.
Tony looked at her through squinted eyes. "Yeah. Ninja can't hear?"
"No DiNozzo, I think she means Agent Robert Kales, an agent on Hallson's team." Gibbs approached the body once more, looking down at the fallen warrior. Something in his gut hit him.
"You know? The team who works right next to us?" Ziva kept flashing her camera, but her expression had changed, which Tony noticed automatically. Robert Kales was his friend. He talked to him almost every day, his have-you-heard attitude interesting. Rob was the second brightest smile seen in the morning, his investigation skills not as amazing as his people skills. Family was always a big thing in Rob's life. He would always tell people about his son and wife, once even telling Tony about his sister and her daughter. This news of Brian's death would break him.
"Ah Jethro, how are you this lovely morning?" Ducky's intriguing accent filled the room as he entered the now heavy air filled with unspoken words. Palmer skidded around the corner quickly, being the first to notice the eyes drawing to them. Ziva's frown was well noticeable and Tony stared sadly at the body.
"Just got worst Duck."
Ducky leaned over the body, before looking back up at his taller colleague. "And why would that be?"
"This is Brain Kales. Agent Robert Kales son." He blurted out ignoring any feeling, which was common. Ducky, being that of a professional, sighed and started his examination.
"Oh, dear."
"Time of death?" Gibbs flipping open his notepad, scribbled down a few notes, waiting for his answer. Though he wouldn't voice it, he knew telling Rob of his son's death would be done by him. He classified Rob as a good friend, which he had few of, so this news was coming from him. Whatever would happen with this case, he knew it was personal.
"About, 6 hours ago." Ducky said as he leaned the body back so the gunshot wounds could be clearly seen.
Ziva, taking a few close snapshots on the changed angle of view, approached Gibbs, "Do want me to call Kales and tell him?"
"No," he growled, "Just tell him to be waiting in the conference room when we get there." Nodding, she turned and left the crowed room and walked down the hall, giving Tony a sad smile before passing. Tony continued what she had started, taking photos.
"These shots look close range, the one bullet in his chest looks to be the fatal one from the amount of blood loss." He lowered his gaze slowly, "Well what's this?"
"What Duck?"
"These bruises on his wrists, they are forced downward like he was held down before being shot. Very peculiar."
"Well then how did he end up in the chair?" Tony asked, only to turn as he saw Ziva enter, a quickened pace in her step.
"Gibbs." Looking up, he nodded for her to start.
"Agent Kales didn't check in today and he hasn't missed one day in the over 7 years he has worked at NCIS."
Ducky sighed once more before looking at the body of Brain. "Oh dear."
-NCIS-
Unknowing eyes watched them as she sat on his desk, his personal space defiantly being invaded. Of course he didn't mind and when her eyes met his, he smiled looking up at her as he sat comfortably in his chair. He lips started moved with vulgar, but no words came out. At this he realized she was trying to grab his attention. "What was that?" he asked politely still watching her lips, images of what he could do to them flashing in his mind.
Rolling her eyes, she repeated. "How did you not know Robert Kales was… Robert Kales?" The question came in a laughing voice.
He turned the spinning chair, facing her. "Well, Zee-vah, the thought just didn't occur to me."
Laughing she plainly stated, "Does the left foot not know what the right hand is doing?"
"Hand."
A questionable look appeared on the ninja's face, her I-am-always-right attitude shining through. "That's what I said."
"No, you said, does the left foot-"
Gibbs voice suddenly appeared, "My foot has much more useful thing to do, like shoving it up your-"
"Robert and Vicky Kales." Tony stood abruptly, trying to ignore his boss's last comment as he entered at a fast walk. With the clicker in hand, he approached the plasma. Ziva, rolling her eyes, follow.
"Married 15 years. Vicky works as a secretary at a law firm while Rob has been working at NCIS as an agent for multiple teams for almost 7 years. Spot clean record." With a click, the pictures changed to an obvious family portrait of the Kales family. Vicky stood with Rob, while his sister sat next to him with a teenage girl standing in-between. Ziva snatched the remote from Tony's grasp, giving him a sly smile in the process.
"Has a sister deployed in Afghanistan, her husband died in a car accident a few years ago. A daughter," another click and the zoomed in photo of the teenager had appeared, " 15, and we are in the process of tracking her down now." There was a ding of the elevator and fast footsteps rounded the corner to join the team. "No need." McGee panted, as he walked to his computer, pulling a file onto the TV screen.
"Shelby and Holly Burms were staying with the Kales until Ms. Burms was deployed last month. Shelby is still staying there."
"Tony, Ziva." Gibbs barked, forcing the partners to start gathering their stuff.
"Get Shelby at school. Got it boss." The two exited hastily, still completely unaware they were being followed by many eyes and smiles. Winks and smirks to each other by the wandering eyes were unbelievably unseen by any of team Gibbs.
"And the house?" Gibbs said, still wanting to know the reason behind which both Rob and Vicky, who had been proven that she didn't report to work either, were unable to be contacted.
"No one home. Doors still locked and no sigh of a break in. The house was clean." McGee looked at Gibbs with concern. "You think they are okay boss?"
Bypassing the question, Gibbs stated what he knew was true in his gut. "We have to presume that they are missing. File it McGee." As he started to leave, a thought appeared as if it was a little cloud. "Did you decode that thing yet?"
McGee, caught in some sort of trap, warily looked around. "It's down with Abby. It thought maybe she would have more luck with it."
Giving him the look Gibbs started to walk away. "Right when I'm done here I will go and help her!" he called.
With a smile, Gibbs walked up the stairs to the director's office. "Of course you will."