Chapter 1
"I don't care Tony, that was not fair, nor funny," Kate shouted at her co-worker, not seeing Gibbs appear from the stairs.
"Life's not fair Kate, but Tony stop doing whatever you were doing and find Tim," Gibbs replied.
"Tim says he was off to see Abby, something about Secret Santa this year, they were in cahoots about it. Do you think one of them may have me?"
"Tony, it's September…..," Kate wailed thinking maybe she too should start to shop.
"Never too early to start planning," Tony replied, wondering if he would get Kate in the draw, and embarrass her with something sexy.
"Mind out of gutter DiNozzo, we have a dead Marine Corporal out of the Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown," Gibbs now roared at the pair, "And find McGee. Oh never mind call him and tell him to meet us with Abby."
"Abby? Must be serious," Tony muttered to Kate, as the three walked to the elevator.
-oOo-
"So where are we going precisely Gibbs? Because you just took, what looked to me, like a detour," Kate questioned.
"Yep, I said we had a dead Marine out of Yorktown…I never did say where she was found."
"So using my powers of deduction, we have a female Corporal, not alive, but dead from Yorktown….found at," Tony now added from the rear seat and then looking at the sign and pointing, "The Busch Gardens Amusement Complex, wow."
"Glad you have at last sussed, now call McGee, and tell him the rendezvous point, and get him to give you his ETA."
Located some three-hour drive from Washington DC, the amusement complex of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is like taking a tour of the European continent. The complex sits amidst a setting of natural beauty surrounded by the distant echo of the first settlers in Virginia and the battle cries of the Revolutionary War.
Long before the world ever conceived of such things, as the testing and evaluation that now goes on at the weapons station, the infantry of the American Revolution and the Civil War slogged along the Old Williamsburg Road.
"Yuk, I just had a thought, this reminds me of when I was a kid, my dad was into re-enactments and I was made to carry the "poop buckets," Tony added, as he remembered his history and his childhood.
The car rounded the entrance and drew up at the security gate; Gibbs opened the window and spoke to the guard who pointed to the main car park. Gibbs drove to the empty parking lot.
The three got out the car and looked around. A solitary car sat in the far corner, the outline that of a Marine pool car. The local LEOs had examined and reported that it was from Yorktown. A brief call to the base had confirmed one of their cars, was missing.
The team walked over to the main entry gate and walked through.
"Wow" as Tony stared up at the building "London Rocks", "Looks like I could have a great day here."
"Tony, we are here to do a job not play," Kate responded.
"But a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down….Mary Poppins, the musical, set in London."
"Yes, but still Disney, so American," Kate replied.
"All right, little miss tighty twisty pants, can you not just loosen up, once in a while? And anyway Mary Poppins was Julie Andrews and she is as English, as they come," Tony now replied.
"Hey you two, the body is up at New France, up at the Le Scoot, and if you want to walk fine, I'm catching the train from Tweedside Train Station," their Boss shouted over his shoulder.
As Gibbs walked towards the station, he looked at the little red train that was puffing away, at the Scottish station, ready to take the trio to New France, he wondered where the other two of his team were, and where was Ducky, but he could already hear the tales Ducky was going to regale everyone with, but in the meantime, Tony and Kate had a train to catch, as he watched the pair climb aboard the and the engine toot tooted and in a puff of smoke left the station and the journey through the park.
Tony was in his element as the little train left Scotland and travelled to Italy, on his right the Da Vinci's Cradle. "Loved, Tom Hanks in the, Da Vinci Code," was all he could whisper as the engine now passed through Festa train station and as they passed Della Piazza Tony's eyes lit up, "Pizza, aww please Boss I'm starving never did get breakfast."
"Tony, is that all, you ever think about, food? Don't answer that," she replied seeing the look on his face and the smile start.
The train chugged on and round, passing out of Italy it moved round to Germany. Gibbs was beginning to think this was daft, as his cell rang and he saw it was McGee, "McGee where are you?"
"Boss, just moving through the gate and I see Jimmy and Ducky."
"I'm in Scotland, oh the Heatherdowns," Jimmy smiled looking about at the Highland Stables and then the Lil Clydes.
"Hobby Horses, a merry go round, the word "carousel," can also be spelled "carrousel". It is a word that came from the 17th century, from the French meaning titting match. It referred to the jousting game played by knights hence the horses, but the reason a carousel is generally used today is due to its tie to the origin of the ride," as Ducky made a circular movement with his finger.
"Fascinating Dr Mallard, but can I have a go, and oh look there's the Loch Ness Monster," as Jimmy now looked up at the roller coaster and pointing and then at Dr Mallard smiling or was it a laugh, "This is so cool, could I not get to have a go?"
"I think you a little old for the horses, but we must get up to New France. In Scotland, there is a Little France just outside Edinburgh, it's where the new ERI is and if we don't catch this train, I have no idea when the next will be, but here comes Timothy and Abigail."
The pair watched as Tim and Abby hurried to join them.
"Oh Ducky this is going to be so good, I am so glad Gibbs asked me to tag along. I can't wait to see the park from the train." As they too now clambered aboard the train and with a toot toot toot and a whistle the train chugged out of Tweedside and onto Italy.
"Look Abby Escape from Pompeii," Tim said as he pointed to the building, "Remember we once played that game."
"Remember, you cheated."
"Is that the Alabama Smith game?" Jimmy now asked, "Because yes there is a website with the answers."
"Knew it," as Abby now hit Tim on the arm, before turning away and looking out over the Park.
The train now passed out of Italy and into Germany. This was where the Christmas Markets were usually based, but on the right Abby spotted the "Curse of Darkcastle."
"Oh I so want to go in there" she squealed, "I bet it's, a scream," she added laughing.
"Look," Ducky said at last as they saw New France come into view, "The end of the line so to speak," as the little train now stopped at Caribou Station and the four got off.
"Do you know when I was a medical student in Edinburgh; we used to see, from the Castle, the Navy sail up the Forth heading for Rosyth, they, that would be the Navy ships, used to anchor off RNAD Crombie. We always said if any of the ammunition went off it would take out half the central belt. Ah Jethro, where is the body?" Ducky now questioned.
"Glad you made it, the body lying down there at the foot of Le Scoot," Gibbs now pointed to where Tony and Kate appeared to be arguing.
"Oh my, they are, aren't they," as Ducky and Jimmy began to walk to the body.
"One question Gibbs, "Abby asked, "Have either of them wondered who brought the body bag and how are they going to get her back to the van?
"Now that is going to be interesting isn't it?" Gibbs replied.
Down at the body or should that be at the Le Scoot, Tony and Kate were arguing on who was going to get wet. Two LEO's were standing shaking their heads.
"I am not taking my shoes off and getting my feet wet," Kate shouted, "You roll your trousers up and wade in."
"I will not wade in, and I refuse to roll my trousers up. Oh and have you wondered how we are going to get the body out of there? Have you? Have you?" Tony shouted back, his hands on his hips.
"Children please," Ducky began to say as he looked down at the body that was bobbing gently in the water, the green skirt of the Alpha base uniform, and the khaki short sleeve shirt with the two stripes, on the feet, one black pump.
"Do we have a name?" Dr Mallard now asked.
"Nope, because we haven't got the body from the water to see if there is any I.D. on the deceased, YET." Tony shouted looking at Kate.
They didn't see one of the LEO's now take off his socks and shoes and putting on waders climb into the Le Scoot.
"Oi, you there young man," Ducky now shouted, pointing at the guy, "Careful with my crime scene but yes I will let you retrieve, thank you," as they watched the man turn the body over to reveal a face with a nine o'clock shadow.
"Bother, looks like we have another cross dressing case," Tony muttered, "You gonna tell the Boss or will I?"
"I don't think that is necessary," Ducky replied, as they saw Gibbs looking at the dead Marine Corporal, the shirt now open, showing the padded bra, and a hairy chest, the long blonde wig floating gently on the water.
The team watched as the LEO's now pulled the body from the water by the arms and pulled it over onto the ground.
"Thank you," was all Ducky could say, as he walked over to the victim.
"Gonna try for an ETD?" Gibbs questioned.
"Water can be so funny, but I will try a liver probe and of course the Vitreous Humor in the eye helps to establish the time of death," Ducky now replied. "But if I could ask you two nice gentlemen," looking at the LEOs, "To assist in getting my guest into the body bag Mr Palmer has in his case… new compact style, and then on to the train, we will take him home," Ducky now smiled politely.