The Italian Job…..DiNozzo Style
"I got an idea." Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo declared, as the team stood and watched the MCRT van dangle precariously over the edge of the ravine. Dr Mallard and Jimmy still inside…..
24 hours earlier.
Gibbs lay on the floor in the basement. He couldn't remember for a moment, what happened. The pain, the excruciating pain, shooting up his leg. Then he remembered. One careless mistake up the ladder. Yes it lay, one rung broken. Snapped in two, like his leg, he thought. The pain up his shoulder…no along his shoulder. Not again he thought. Not the collar bone again. He rolled onto his back. He was getting old. He raised himself up into a sitting position and looked at his leg. It did look broken but didn't feel snapped. Using his good arm he pulled himself up, using the banister. He looked about for his cell. It was on the work bench. He dragged his body across and dialled 911.…then Vance.
16 hours earlier
"I have had a call from Agent Gibbs. Due to a slight accident, Gibbs will be absent from work for a while. How long depends on Gibbs. But I would say, or like to say at least a fortnight. Ms Scuito has applied for leave, which…..I have….denied. This would make us a Forensics Officer down, and I'm sure Agent Gibbs can fend for himself. So," Vance continued looking at Tony, "Would you be up to being in charge….again… for a couple of weeks?"
"Ye…ss Sir, you can count on me. I'll keep this team together, no matter what it takes. Thank you Director Vance." Tony smiled.
The others, Tim and Ziva they just cringed.
5 hours earlier.
"Special Agent DiNozzo, NCIS." Tony had said down the phone.
"The caller will know we are NCIS, he called our number." Ziva whispered to Tim.
"Or She…."
"What?" Ziva whispered.
"Could be a woman," Tim replied watching Tony closely, who was smiling, "Yes definitely a woman." as Tony replaced the phone in the cradle.
"Grab your gear team, we have a dead Petty Officer in Norfolk. Well at the Naval Hospital."
"Going to explain a bit more. I mean there are usually dead people in hospitals." Ziva replied sarcastically.
"My little date palm. He is dead at the hospital." Tony sneered as they made their way to one of the pool cars.
"What did he die of? Do we know?" Tim asked.
"That Timothy is what I will endeavour to find out, when I get there in the truck. Mr Palmer, you do know the way to Norfolk?"
"Of course Dr Mallard, I turn left at the road junction, and then right again and then left…or was it left and then right." Jimmy questioned.
"Race you Duks." as Tony threw the keys to Ziva.
They arrived at Norfolk. Tony was as annoying as usual. He had explained that the deceased had been found on the Naval playing fields. He was now in an ambulance outside the hospital. A sniffer dog had got slightly exited.
"This so reminds me of something familiar. Have we been here before?" Tony asked.
"We are in Norfolk, of course we have been here before." Ziva replied
"No I mean the ambulance. Ziva want to check for leads?" he asked.
"Why me?" she asked
"It's a very difficult job and the only way to get through it is we all work together as a team. And that means you do everything I say." Tony announced.
"Why do I feel he is pushing his luck." Ziva replied, as she walked back to the car.
"David, did I say you could go?" Tony shouted after her.
"Ok Ok. What do you want me to do? Open the doors?"
"Well check for explosives and then open the door yes." DiNozzo replied.
"Fine. Whatever." Ziva retorted. As she checked the vehicle. "Nothing…..except for an over whelming smell of gasoline."
"Duck." Tim shouted as the air filled with the vapour.
"Where?" Tony asked looking about, as the ambulance disintegrated.
"¼ back just got roasted Tony." Tim replied.
"That is so unfunny McGee. Ziva you got anything to say?" Tony enquired.
"I'm Israeli. This isn't my first exploding ambulance."
"Oh yeh, you were only to open the bloody doors ." Tony shouted at her.
"I think she did Tony." Tim answered on her behalf.
"This would never have happened if Jethro was here." Dr Mallard replied, walking away shaking his head.
"What do we do now Dr Mallard?" Jimmy questioned as he looked at the smouldering twisted wreck.
"Ask the team leader." Ducky shouted from the van.
"So now what, Tony?" Tim enquired, "Body's a bit well done. Do you think Dr Mallard will still find the cause of death?"
"Oh I know he will. We just have to extract the remains. The remains or should I say what remains of our deceased, and transfer to the van." Tony smiled.
"I would like to say, you are being totally unprofessional Anthony, and I will be writing a report to your superior and to the Director." Dr Mallard now replied, walking back to the ambulance. "Now Mr Palmer, maybe you and Agent McGee could bundle up the remains and place in the van please, and we will return to my sanctuary, with my sanity."
As he reached the van, "Mr Palmer you have locked the vehicle." Ducky shouted.
"Yes Dr Mallard. I thought with all the break-ins these days, and the Director was going on about how a car had been stolen, due to the carelessness of a couple of agents, I locked up. Why do you ask?" as he looked in through the glass and saw the keys dangling from the ignition, "Oopps."
"Oopps precisely Mr Palmer," as Ducky leant down and picked up a brick, that was just conveniently lying by the vehicle. "You must learn Keats, there are more things to life than breaking and entering." Dr Mallard said to Jimmy, as he knocked the window in with the brick.
"Now if Timothy would be of assistance and get the deceased into the back we will now make our way back to autopsy."
They heard the screech of tyres, and turning saw the car approach. They watched as the Director and Gibbs arrived in the Volkswagon beetle.
"Leon, do I look like a guy who would be driven in a squishy little car?"
"Hell Gibbs, mine's in the garage, and Jackie very kindly has leant me hers. She didn't have to, you know."
"Ok, but a VW…" as Gibbs threw open the door of the vehicle.
"It was mini coopers in the Italian Job wasn't it?" Tim enquired
"Yeh, and the Police ran around in Alfa Romeos." Tony answered.
"The minis out ran the Police and didn't get speeding tickets." Gibbs replied, passing Ziva, dragging his leg.
"So which film had the VW?" Ziva asked
"Hey, you never heard of the Herbie?" Vance answered
"That would be the Looooovvvvvvve Bugggggggggg." Tony leered at Ziva.
"I was actually thinking that dark psychological thriller, about a serial killer, the title eludes just now." Ducky replied, as he turned, got into the van and shut the van door.
There wasn't a lot the team could do. They asked about. They really had very little to go on. As for the ambulance, they would get it taken back to Abbs, lab and see if the vehicle had been sabotaged. They jumped in the car and headed for the office. As they made their way back they were stopped by the local Leos.
"Accident ahead sorry. Need to detour."
"We're NCIS, we got to get back quickest way. Can we be of assistance." Tony asked as he saw Tobias approach from behind a vehicle.
"One of yours I believe, round the corner." as he turned and walked away.
"Hey Fornell, you can't just leave it at that." Tony shouted as he got out and followed Tobias. The rest of the team,got out the car and followed, What they saw turned their skins pale. The MCRT van dangling precariously over the edge of the ravine. Dr Mallard and Jimmy still inside…..
"Shit." Tony whispered.
"Public toilet behind the bushes Tony." Ziva replied.
"Not funny David." Tony replied.
"But seeing you squirm DiNozzo, is." Gibbs whispered in Tony's ear.
"Didn't see you Boss." Tony whimpered.
"Glad you realise who is. "Gibbs replied, "But your call Tony."
Gibbs watched Tony.
"I got an idea." Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo declared, as the team stood and watched the MCRT van dangling.
"We're waiting DiNozzo" Gibbs shouted. As he watched Tony sander off.
"Guys we got a problem." Tony requested.
"You do….I don't. I'm not the Boss." Ziva replied.
"David. We are in this together." Tony replied.
"Not in my mind." Ziva replied, not realising what was going to happen in the enfolding minutes.
"We have to stabilise the van. So lets all pile in." Tony replied.
"All of us?" Tim whispered.
"We need the weight to keep the van from toppling over the edge." Tony replied.
"And if we all get in the van, how are we going to move it forward?" Ziva now enquired.
"I'll think of something." Tony answered, as he headed for the van and climbed in. The van rocked, as the others followed.
"What's the matter." Tony asked of Ziva, as they settled down."Tim, says he wants to sit up in front. But he can't can he?""I always get sick in the back." Tim wailed. " Listen, if you go in the front, you'll move the weight forward, and topple the van. Oooo I'm getting a migraine, thinking about this." Ziva replied."You are not going to be sick. You are not going to have your migraine. And everybody is gonna sit in the back of the van!" Tony shouted back. "What? me in the back of the vehicle with my asthma?" Jimmy cried.
"Palmer, it's the only way we can stabilise the van." Tony now shouted.
"This would never have happened if Jethro was here in charge." Dr Mallard said, shaking his head, and looking out the window. He saw Gibbs on his cell, and then he saw the winch crane arrive.
"Does he really NEED all this equipment?" Vance enquired. "He says he does…" Fornell replied looking at Gibbs. Who was pointing and smiling and eventually, the crane driver and Gibbs laughed. The driver punched Gibbs' arm and went about his chained the van to the FBI winch crane and indicated to Fornell and the driver.. The driver put the vehicle into gear and revved up. The chain tightened and the MCRT van stabilised,. Fornell watched as the truck driver winched the van back level and back onto the road. The team emerged from the van. Tony looking sheepish. The rest pale. Tony looked at Gibbs.
"And that Dinozzo," as Gibbs looked him in the eye, and before turning and limping off with Tobias, "Is how it should have been done."
The End.