I don't own NCIS. I do this for fun and, unfortunately for me, absolutely no profit. I decided that I wanted to bring Eve back for one more story. This story is part of the Trouble Verse. Let me know what you think about this short prologue...
Premonitions
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.—Shakespeare's MacBeth -Second Witch, Act IV, scene i
Prologue
She woke in the dark of her apartment suddenly, gasping for air. Running a shaking had through her sweat dampened hair she couldn't decide what had awoken her. She had finally decided it was simply a dream when she heard the creaking of the hardwood floor in her hallway. She suddenly realized that she was not alone in her apartment and slowly reached for the gun she kept under her pillow. Pulling it out she quickly chambered a shell in the small Glock and then slowly crept to her bedroom door. She gently pushed the door open and quietly tiptoed into the shadowed hallway. The only light was from the streetlamps, and they only faintly illuminated the hall as she hugged the wall on her way towards the living room. The young woman could feel the sweat slowly dripping down her back and the knots in her stomach as she finally entered her living room. Seeing nothing she stood there feeling a bit silly. Surely she had only heard the normal creaking noises a house made. She turned and walked into her kitchen then gasped as she felt something hit the hand holding her gun and another arm wrap around her neck and squeeze. She froze in terror as she heard her weapon clatter to the hardwood floor and whimpered as she felt her body press against the rock hard one behind her.
She felt breath on her neck and finally a voice rasped, "Did you really think you could get away from me?"
She caught sight of a flash of sliver and didn't even get a chance to scream before darkness overcame her
Running… He loved everything about it. He loved the feel of his muscles as his legs strained with each stride, he loved the feel of the sun on his face and the feel of each breath as the oxygen entered and left his straining lungs. Most of all he loved the freedom he felt anytime he was out in the park. He took a glance at his companion to his right; blinking through the sweat dripping in his eyes and laughed.
"Come on, McSkinny...losing weight is one thing, but we've gotta get you in shape."
"Jesus, Tony! Not all of us were college athletes. Where are Ziva and Eve?"
Tony rolled his eyes as he continued to run. "Those two? They left our asses in the dust miles ago. I think it's something about that super spy training. It gives them stamina"
Tim snorted, "It's more like they stay away from the pizza and the doughnuts."
Tony nodded his agreement, and the two men continued to run in companionable silence until they saw the women they had been discussing. Twin dark heads were bent over something lying in a shallow ditch by the running path. They stopped and joined the pair.
Tony draped a sweaty arm over his wife's shoulder and peered over her head. "What've you found?"
Ziva looked up from where she was leaning over and replied, "I thought at first it was a dummy of some kind until we stopped."
Eve tilted her head up and looked at Tony. "Call Gibbs and Ducky; I think this is that intelligence officer who went missing last week.
Tony knelt down beside the body and peered into the dead eyes of Lieutenant Mary Lawson.
Gibbs hadn't wanted to receive a phone call from his Senior Field Agent at 6:00 am, and he really hadn't wanted to hear that the foursome had found the body of the Lieutenant that they had spent the last week looking everywhere for.
"You got a time of death yet, Duck?"
"Good morning to you too, Jethro." Ducky turned to his assistant, "Mr. Palmer, what do you say the time of death is?"
Jimmy carefully looked at the liver probe and made a quick mental calculation. "Time of death is about six hours ago, doctor."
Ducky looked at the body then looked at his assistant before smiling his agreement. "I concur with your findings. Jethro, the body isn't in full rigor yet. The cause of death appears to be asphyxiation. See the petechial hemorrhaging in the eyes of the deceased?"
"Anything else jumping out at you?
Ducky shook his head. "I should know more when we get her home. Mr Palmer?"
"I'll just go get the gurney, doctor."
Gibbs turned to the rest of his team. Tony was shooting and sketching, McGee was carefully checking the area directly around the body and putting evidence markers down where needed, and Ziva was speaking to the few witnesses that were in the park at this time of the morning. A motion caught his eye, and he saw Eve carefully walking the perimeter of the crime scene."
"DiNozzo?"
Tony jerked his head up at the same time Eve turned her head in his direction. Tony finally replied, "Yes, Boss?"
Gibbs shook his head and said, "Wrong DiNozzo. Go finish, Tony, I was talking to your other half."
Tony gave his wife a concerned glance and Eve smirked in his direction before she walked over to where Gibbs stood. "What can I do for you, Jethro?"
"Why are you walking my crime scene?"
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You mean other than the fact that I was here when the body was found? Seriously though there's something about this... I swear we had a case not too long ago that would have been a perfect match for this. Strangulation, body dumped in a local park, government employee. I'll get the case file as soon as I get to the Hoover Building."
"You gonna try and steal my case."
She fluttered emerald green eyes in his direction and gave a smirk. "Now Gibbs... would I do a thing like that?"
Gibbs took a sip from his near empty coffee cup and sighed. "You...probably not...Fornell...hell yeah."
"Let me handle Fornell. I'll make sure this stays under NCIS' purview. It's not like we don't have enough to do at the Bureau. Besides, I'm not planning on telling Fornell anything."
She and Gibbs exchanged smirks and watched the other three agents finish working the crime scene.
Ducky was humming to himself as he walked into autopsy from his office. "Are we ready to begin, Mr. Palmer? He looked up at his assistant and frowned as he noticed that Jimmy was standing there staring at the body in abject horror. He walked closer and said, Mr. Palmer...what seems to be the problem?" He walked next to Jimmy and got a good look at the body. His eyes widened and all he could say was, "Oh good Lord!"
