A Good Day Can Only Get Worse
"Tony this is a bad idea," McGee hissed.
"Relax, McProbie it will be fine," Tony replied, "he'll love it!"
The two partners slunk down the stairs as quiet as a mouse.
"Tony. What if he is here?" McGee queried.
"He won't be, it's the time of day he goes out for a coffee."
"Are you sure?"
"Was John Hannah sure when he arrested that killer in…"
"Ok! I get it you're sure, but I still don't like it."
"Don't worry just stick to the plan,"
"But we're breaking the law!"
"Take a chill pill McStressed. He won't mind."
"This is Gibbs you know, not Mr Colin the goodhumoured man from down the street."
They slunk a few steps further. A floorboard creaked behind them. McGee jumped. HE cautiously turned around.
"Hello Gibbs,"he stuttered uneasily.
His boss looked at him and the balloons and streamers he was holding.
"McGee! Tony! You better not be trying to do what I think you are doing!"
"No boss!" they replied automatically.
Gibbs saw straight through their answer.
"Why are you holding the streamers and balloons McGee,"
"Abby wants them!"
Tony cursed of all things why did McGee have to choose that one.
"Where is Abby then and why are you here?"
"We came to…we came to…just a moment boss" Tony stalled as he fumbled through his phone looking for an excuse. He gasped! "Vance wants to see us in his office pronto, we came to pick you up."
"Both of you?"
"Long story boss," Tony quickly avoided the dangerous frontier.
Gibbs smiled DiNozzo was good at making excuses on the spot. He knew exactly what they were trying to do. Next time DiNozzo wouldn't be so lucky. He wondered what Vance wanted to see them about. As far as he was concerned he and his team had done nothing wrong. He hoped it wasn't another… that was unthinkable. As he passed DiNozzo on the stairs he gave him a small headsmack. That would teach Tony. Tony winced realising his bluff failed.
Vance's office 1200hours
It was raining; not light showers of rain though; New York City had sent D.C. one of its week long bucketing competitions between clouds. Every street was an overflowing river and the river itself, it could have been mistaken for the Amazon river. The wind howled like a thousand banshees as the thundering clouds ominously loomed over the city. It was not a good day to be outside. Vance took a cocktail stick out from his drawer and put it in his mouth. He chewed solemnly. Gibbs and his team were not going to like his orders; nor did he. It had to be done though and Gibbs was probably the best- Barrett would really have been the best but after the calamity of the corruption inquiry she was out of the agency, and there was no way after the Rivikin Affair that he would let DiNozzo handle this case. That left him with Gibbs. He logged in to his emails. One from Ducky- Autopsy Finance Reports presumably-, two from Hetty which were not urgent and could wait for a few hours and one from Eli. He hastily opened it. Leon Vance cursed. The situation was deteriorating. Where were Gibbs and his team? He walked over to the glass shelves at the back of his office. He needed a stiff drink to keep him going.
Suddenly a clap of thunder punched the sky. The door swung open.
"You requested our presence director," Gibbs stated.
He barged in DiNozzo, McGee and David following like timid mice. He could tell from their faces that Gibbs was in a foul mood. It was just his luck, worst day of his career since the meeting of directors of NCIS past and present and Gibb's mood could kill an army armed with nukes.
"Happy Birthday Gibbs," Vance began nervously.
Gibbs just stared at him with a disaproving expression. Vance made a mental note to avoid the subject of birthdays when speaking to Gibbs on future occasions.
"NCIS in Dubai received intell that a jihadist group are targeting naval officers and marines in the region. Five are missing already with several pieces of sensitive equipment stolen. "
Vance paused. "Mossad have also been experiencing the same problem in the Israeli military, as far as our intelligence goes we are the only two countries to be affected so far. A recent discovery has led us to believe these insurgents are located in Israel and Mossad proposed a coaltion investiagation. Agents Gibbs, McGee and David you are going to Israel to work with Mossad. Your plane leaves from JFK at 1900hours tonight. DiNozzo you will stay here and head a team with one probie, a transferred agent and an FBI budget cut they've loaded onto us. You'll handle the domestic side of the case."
Everyone was stunned. Gibbs was the most shocked. He opened his mouth to speak. Vance cut him off,
"Go home and pack Gibbs, this is all I can tell you for now. You will be briefed when you get to Tel Aviv. DiNozzo. Your lot will be here sometime in the afternoon. Their transports arrive at different times. Not a word of this mission to anyone. Understood?"
"yes director," they chorused before exiting sharply.
They walked out. There was a sense of unease between the team.
"Enjoy the warm snny weather and say hello to Maladict for me," Tony joked.
"We've got the best end of the stick," McGee exclaimed,"Tony is stuck with the probies."
"They can't be that bad," Ziva replied.
Squad Room 1600hours
He last saw his team seven hours ago. The new lot were that bad. First of NCIS Special agent Emile Henry, half French half-palestinian with a resemble to someone Tony just couldn't work out. He had tanned copper coloured skin and a black mess of hair. Blue knife-sharp eyes and a slow smooth exotic voice reminded him even more. Family resemblance? To be honest to himself, Emile looked like he was originally part of Mossad. He was patient and had briefly talked about cheese before reading a birdspotters manual. Next was Yulee Wang, Chinese-American who had lived in the star spangled banner since the age of five. Her file said she was a sharp-witted quick learner but a terrible temper. The latter he had already seen: She and Emile had fought like cats and dogs since introduction. That was the reason she sat at Ziva's desk and he at McGe's. Lastly the FBI agent, his expectations were severely let down. Agent Chocolate Cream Bourborn-Hell call-me-Coco- for easiness-my-parents were-too-fond-of –the damn-British-biscuit. Had more screw-ups on her record than those who had been fired. The FBI obviously wanted rid of her. She was a forensic scientist specializing in Aquatic forensics but working as a field agent. That made no sense. Tony wanted Gibbs and the team back. He hated this lot already. They fought, and Coco had babbled to him nonstop about pneuclear pnumonnic fission in hydraulics or something that sounded like that since she had arrived. She made him very uneasy, there was a striking resemblance between her and Paloma Ramirez the late drug cartel leader.
"Small-eyed!"
"Nuisance!"
"Catastrophe!"
"Traitor!"
"Will you cut the petty Name calling. You are grown up proffesionals not a bunch of five year olds,"Tony snapped.
"Then the phone rang. He thought his day couldn't get any worse…it could.
"Are you Anthony DiNozzo Junior,"a wiry voice which Tony did not recognise asked.
"Yes, who is speaking?"
"Mrs White from social security. We've recently discovered you are the biological father of…"
His ears burned and the rest of what she said melted away. He was a father? A kid. How old. Were they okay? They could be dying..It was all too much for him.
"Sorry can I call you back later, I have to go."
"Dare do a runner and I will find you and kick your - in."
"Do you want a cup of tea?"Coco asked helpfully,"You look like the grim reaper just called."
"no, I'm fine!"
"Sure?"she persisted.
"Sure."
"HEY WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE HAVE GIBBS ZIVA AND MCGEE GONE!TONY EXPLAIN NOW!"
Abi screamed it out. She looked angry. They hadn't said goodbye.
Meanwhile,
"Shalom Gibbs…