A Midsummer Night's Scream
Written for the R.L. Stein Challenge and the Give Tim a Break Challenge
Rating: FR 15
Genre: Supernatural/Horror/Suspense
Characters: Tony, Ellie, Gibbs, Ducky
Summary: It started, as it often did, with a dead Petty Officer.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of their respective copyright holders. No infringement intended. The original characters and places mentioned are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to those living, dead, or undead is completely coincidental.
"I wish McGee was here," Tony grumbled, a drop of sweat slowly meandering down the back of his neck and settling uncomfortably at his collar as he struggled with the portable fingerprint scanner.
Ellie looked up from the scattering of shell casings she was photographing, a puzzled look on her face. "Why?"
"Then he'd be the one dealing with this damn-" The device gave a piercing whine, and the DID NOT SCAN message appeared on the screen. "-picky machine."
"He'll be back from vacation the day after tomorrow…Do you want me to try?"
"No, you have your job, and I have mine...and Tim's to do."
"Really, it won't take but a minute-."
"I got it." He managed to maneuver the dead Petty Officer's thumb onto the small screen so it was centered and pressed the scan button, only to be rewarded with another error message. Tony bit back a curse that he was sure had never passed Ellie's delicate ears and cleared the scanner again. Finally he succeeded in getting a scan and read the information off the screen.
"Petty Officer Brian Thomas. Stationed at Pax River. He's a long way from home."
"What's he doing in Rock Creek Park?"
"Not much at the moment," Tony snarked. "A better question would be, 'what was he doing here?' Besides getting shot, obviously."
"And not by a professional. They would have…" Her forehead crinkled as she tried to remember the correct phrase. "Policed their brass."
"Very good. Anything else you can tell me, my junk-food loving little probie?"
Ellie surveyed the scene. "Well, he knew his attacker. He let them get close enough to shoot him at close range."
"And so, the DiNozzo rule comes into play: the wife did it."
"He had a wife?"
Tony checked the scanner. "No. Amendment to the DiNizzo rule: or it was the girlfriend. How much do you want to bed she doesn't have an alibi?"
"I don't gamble."
"Never mind. What's the verdict, Ducky?"
The M.E. had been witnessing their exchange with thinly concealed amusement. "I estimate somewhere between midnight and three AM."
"So with a driving time of approximately 90 minutes, we're looking at a window from 2230 to 0430. Most people can claim to be asleep during that time, and it's unlikely anyone outside family would be able to observe them. Hard to confirm an alibi."
"Which makes our...your job a lot harder, I'm sorry to say." Ellie made a face and Tony grinned, which quickly disappeared when he saw Gibbs approaching. "What did the ranger say, Boss?"
"Not a lot. Never saw the victim before he got the call reporting the body. Bishop, check with the rest of the staff. DiNozzo-"
"Track down known associates. Got it."
"McGee-" Gibbs caught himself and a look of annoyance crossed his face before he chuckled. "He'll do what we need when he gets back."
"Lucky him."
Gibbs ignored the comment and turned to the M.E. "What do ya got, Duck?"
As Ducky started to explain his findings, Tony moved off, hoping to finish the scene search as soon as possible and escape the heat and humidity that permeated the area. It was way too hot for late June, even for D.C., but he supposed Mother Nature was making up for the brutal winter they had just experienced.
Two hours later, sweat soaked and grumpy, Tony finished his survey of the area. Ducky and Palmer had already left with their patient and Ellie was packing her gear in the van as the sun sank below the tree-line. In the gathering dark, the area took on a rather eerie quality. Tony was glad to be heading back to NCIS.
"DiNozzo, take the sedan. We'll meet you back at the Yard."
"Got it."
Tony took one last look around as Gibbs and Ellie drove off, appreciating the fact that the air seemed to grow cooler as the light faded. He walked over to the sedan and was just about to open the door when he heard a vehicle approaching. A truck bearing the National Park Service insignia soon came into view and the driver rolled down his window.
"You the guy from NCIS?" Tony held up his badge. "I heard you wanted to talk to us."
"We do." He pulled out his phone and brought up a close-up of the victim. "Ever see him around before, Ranger...?"
"Patrick Daly. Can't say that I have. I usually patrol the southern section of the park, though. I switched with Dan, that's Ranger McIntyre this week."
"Any particular reason?"
"Change of scenery?" the man replied with a grin. "We switch out every once in awhile. Keeps things fresh."
"Understood. Where is Ranger McIntyre now?"
"Probably on his way home. Shift ended an hour ago."
"He ever do night patrol?"
Daly laughed. "Nope. Not a big fan of being out at night. We tease him about it, actually."
"I can imagine." He handed Daly one of his cards. "You see him, have him give me a call. That goes for anyone else working this area. I'll probably be back tomorrow."
Daly pulled out his wallet and extracted a card of his own. "Let me know when you're coming and I'll try to get as many of us as possible at the ranger station."
"Thanks."
Daly gave Tony a mock salute and drove off. Tony opened the door and started to climb into the sedan when a blood-curdling scream shattered the humid stillness of the night. Tony immediately drew his gun and looked around, only to find himself alone. He quickly retrieved a flashlight from the trunk and scanned the surrounding forest, searching for signs of the woman who had screamed and her attacker but the area was completely empty.
Tony reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone and call for backup, but before he could complete the movement another sound drew his attention: the squeal of tires, followed by the violent impact of metal against metal. He ran in the direction of the sound, towards the road that led to back to the city and soon he came upon the scene of a horrific accident: two vehicles mangled together like toys destroyed during a child's temper tantrum. His heart sank when he recognized one of the vehicles. It was Patrick Daly's truck. A quick glimpse inside told him that the ranger was probably beyond help but he called for an ambulance as he went to check on the second driver. Finding him in a similar state as the ranger, Tony quickly turned away, sickened by the scene in front of him. Such a waste…
After making sure an ambulance and the local police has been dispatched to the scene he punched the first number on his phone's speed dial.
"Boss? I'm going to be late getting back to the Yard. Road's blocked. No, it was an accident. Looks like the rangers are going to be busy. I'll get there as soon as I can. OK." He hung up, glad he wasn't directly facing Gibbs' ire at the moment, but knew what awaited him when he returned to the Yard wasn't going to be pleasant. Those thoughts temporarily drove the memory of what he had heard just before the accident from his mind.
XXX
Tony didn't make it back to work until the next morning, managing only a couple of hours of sleep after he finally got back to his apartment. Being on the other side of a police interview was never his favorite thing, and the time has passed with excruciating slowness as the ranger in charge made Tony go over everything he had witnessed.
"About time, DiNozzo," Gibbs growled by way of greeting as Tony arrived at his desk.
"Sorry, Boss. The Keystone Cops in charge of the scene didn't want to miss anything."
Gibbs handed him a slip of paper. "Bishop tracked down Thomas' girlfriend. She works for D & L Construction in Bowie."
"Check out the girlfriend, on it, Boss." Ellie stood and grabbed her backpack but Gibbs' stopped her.
"I need you here checking Petty Officer Thomas' financials. Tony can do handle this one on his own."
"But Gibbs…?"
"Headed to Pax River. Need to talk to Thomas' C.O."
"Oh, right."
"Get going."
"Yes, Boss."
The drive to Bowie was uneventful and when he arrived at the construction site he immediately headed for the trailer that (he assumed) held the company's on-site office. When he stepped inside he was greeted with the sight of an attractive blonde sitting behind the desk. She looked up and smiled.
"May I help you?"
"Deborah Kincaid?"
Her smile faltered. "No, sorry. She's out with the crew. What was it you needed?"
He flashed his badge. "Special Agent DiNozzo, NCIS." A puzzled look crossed her face. "Navy Criminal Investigative Service. I need to speak with Ms. Kincaid."
She grabbed a walkie-talkie from its charger and pressed the talk button. "Gus?"
"Yeah, Holly?"
"Someone here to see Deb. Says he's from the Navy."
"She's in section six. Give him a helmet and send him up."
"OK." She returned the radio to its charger and rose to retrieve a construction helmet from one of the cabinets. She handed it to him with a strained smile. "Make sure you wear this at all times while out on the site. Someone will meet you at the gate."
"Thanks." He flashed a megawatt smile and she blushed slightly, smiling in return. Feeling better than he had since the previous night, he headed out to the construction site. A portly man wearing a bright orange helmet, jeans and a grey t-shirt met him at the gate and Tony followed the man to a freight elevator.
"Hope you're not afraid of heights," the man joked as they climbed into the car and it started to ascend.
Tony chuckled. "Nah, that's my partner. Doesn't bother me at all."
"Good."
The elevator finally stopped at the top floor and Tony cautiously followed the man to the far corner of the building where someone was busy welding, their back to the two men.
"Hey, Deb! Someone wants to talk to you," the man yelled over the screech of the torch. The welder killed the flame on the torch before turning around and lifting their visor.
"What do you want?"
Tony was surprised to find himself staring at another very attractive woman with auburn hair and deep blue eyes. She noticed his scrutiny and glared back at him
"Yes, I'm really a welder. No Flashdance references."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"You had a question for me?"
"Several, actually." He nodded to his escort, who headed back towards the elevator and flashed his badge again. "Special Agent DiNozzo, NCIS. I understand you're in a relationship with Petty Officer Brian Thomas?"
She made a sound somewhere between a growl and a sigh. "You could say that."
"What else could you say?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Humor me."
"Fine. Yes, we're dating. He's been giving me grief about my job. Thinks it's too dangerous. I told him at least I'm not in a position where I expect people to be trying to kill me. We had a pretty bad argument a few days ago and I haven't spoken to him since. He'll pout for about a week and then come crawling back, begging forgiveness. It's a normal thing with him, you know?"
"When was the last time you saw him?"
She paused to think. "Three days ago, at my apartment. Why?"
"Where were you two nights ago between midnight and three A.M.?"
"Sleeping."
"Can anyone verify that?"
"I was sleeping alone, if that's what you mean. Fighting doesn't mean cheating, Agent DiNozzo."
"Never said it did. Ever been to Rock Creek Park?"
"Not since I was a kid. What's this about?" Suddenly her eyes widened. "Did something happen to Brian?"
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but his body was found yesterday evening."
"He's dead?"
"Afraid so."
"How?"
"Multiple gunshots to the chest."
"My God...Do you have any idea...I mean, he didn't...you know…"
"Shoot himself? Unlikely."
Her eyes narrowed. "You think that I shot him?"
"Did you?"
"No! I just…I mean, we argued, yes, but it was never...I'd never hurt Brian! I love him." Her expression crumbled. "I loved him…"
"Did he ever mention any problems with his crew-mates?"
"No, never. Everyone liked Brian…at least that's the impression he gave. I had no reason to doubt him."
"Even though he was a little...controlling?"
She sent him another glare. "I'd say he's...he was a little old fashioned. He didn't like the idea of women in high-risk jobs. But that's no reason to… Is it?"
"Maybe. Did any of the women he worked with complain about him being old-fashioned?"
"Not that he ever mentioned." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not being much help, but I just can't believe...I can't believe he's gone."
"I'm sorry for your loss." He handed her one of his cards. "If you think of anything else give me a call."
"You're going to find who did this?"
He gave her a reassuring smile. "We won't stop until we do."
She weakly returned his smile before lapsing into silence as she stared off into space, apparently too overcome with grief to do much else. He watched her for a few moments before turning and heading for the elevator.
A loud, high-pitched wail caused him to freeze in place, before he frantically looked around, wondering just what in the hell was happening, but could not find the source of the sound. He turned back towards the elevator just in time to see the cable holding it snap and it plunged to Earth, taking the man who had escorted him with it. Another scream echoed through the construction site just before the elevator hit the ground six stories below with a thundering crash.
Tony gripped the railing, barely managing to remain upright as he watched the chaos below. More screams and exclamations of horror reached his ears as the crew realized what had occurred, but he hardly noticed. His thoughts were on the events of the previous night, and the fact that he didn't believe in coincidences any more than Gibbs did.
XXX
"Where in the hell have you been?" Tony met Gibbs' irate gaze and the lead agent paused as he took in Tony's appearance. "What happened?"
"There was an accident at the construction site. Freight elevator broke. Got stuck on the sixth floor for a couple of hours."
"You OK?"
Tony winced. He must have really looked like hell if Gibbs was asking.
"Fine. Didn't make much progress on the case. Deborah Kincaid claims she was sleeping during the time Thomas was killed."
"Any reason to doubt that?"
"Not that I was able to find right away. I'll keep looking, Boss."
Gibbs nodded as Tony sat down at his desk and started typing up his notes. He glanced up and noticed that Bishop was watching him from her perch atop her desk.
"Are you OK, Tony? You look...freaked out."
"Yeah, well, watching someone get crushed to death tends to do that."
"What?"
"The construction site elevator cable broke, and someone was inside." Tony let out a humorless chuckle. "If I had been a little faster getting to the elevator, it could have been me." A horrified look crossed her face and he waved it off. "But I'm fine. Just fine."
"Go see Ducky."
Startled by the order, Tony turned to Gibbs. "Boss, I said I was fine." Gibbs just stared. "OK, fine. I might have gotten a splinter. I'll have him check it out."
"You do that."
Tony headed to Autopsy, and when he arrived he found Ducky pouring over a set of x-rays.
"Anything interesting?"
"Not particularly, other than the grouping of the shots. I'd say our killer is an expert marksman."
"Or woman."
"Yes, that's also a possibility. What brings you to my domain, Anthony?"
"Gibbs sent me. I guess he thinks I need to talk to you."
"Regarding?"
"I was out interviewing a witness, and I became a witness. There was a accident."
"Oh, dear. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, it's just...that was the second accident in two days. I'm starting to think I'm a jinx."
"I think that's highly unlikely." Ducky paused to study the younger man. "There's something else bothering you."
"Yeah, but it's going to sound crazy."
"Let me be the judge of that."
"OK, fine. Both last night and today at the construction sight, just before the accidents occurred, I...heard something. Something I can't explain."
"What did you hear?"
"I heard...a scream. It sounded like a woman, but I couldn't find anyone who could have made the sound in either case. I'm starting to wonder if maybe I am going crazy."
A thoughtful look crossed the M.E.'s face. "You say you heard these screams just before accidents occurred. Were there fatalities associated with them?"
"Yeah, for both. Two died in the car accident and one in the elevator. Why?"
"Well, there are legends, of course, in which one hears a phantom cry just before someone meets an untimely demise. In Scottish mythology, the source of these screams is said to be the bean sìth or bean-nighe, but it is more commonly known from Irish mythology as the bean sí or bean sídhe."
"Banshee? I thought that was one of the X-men...and don't tell Tim I know that."
Ducky chuckled. "Your secret is safe. But as I was saying, tales of a death omen that takes the form of a wailing woman have been around for centuries." A rather wicked grin crossed his face. Of course, the non-supernatural explanation attributes these cries to Tyto alba - a barn owl. Perhaps that is what you heard."
"In the park, maybe, but the last one was in the middle of the day. I doubt there are any barn owls hanging out in broad daylight."
"Unlikely, I'll have to admit. Perhaps the second event could be attributed to something else related to the accident itself, hence the timing."
"Maybe. An elevator cable broke, so the noise I heard could have been from the metal getting ready to break."
"That is possible. I take it this explanation is far more palatable," Ducky commented with a wink and Tony chuckled.
"Yeah, it is. Thanks, Ducky."
"Happy to be of assistance."
Feeling quite a bit better, Tony headed back to the bullpen where he returned to his computer searches, not for the first time wishing Tim was back from vacation. As much as he hated to admit it, Tony appreciated the younger man's skills with a computer. He certainly made the job easier.
Several hours later, after Tony and Bishop had both failed to turn up anything significant regarding Thomas' personal or financial history, Gibbs dismissed them with the caveat that they needed to be back in the office at 0700 the next morning. Happy to have a break, Tony quickly headed for his car and drove home. On the way he decided to stop for dinner and after ordering his usual entree from his favorite restaurant, he leaned back in his seat and started to relax a little. It had been a seriously weird week…
After enjoying his meal, Tony paid the bill (leaving a sizable tip) and exited the restaurant. He had almost reached his car when he heard a horrifyingly familiar sound.
"Not again…"
He turned to see another patron of the restaurant exit and start to cross the street, his unsteady gate evidence of the imbibing he had obviously done as part of dinner, and served as an explanation for why he didn't see the car barreling down the street as he stepped out in front of it.
"Stop! Don't-!"
His warning went unheeded and in instant later flesh and metal connected with a sickening crunch. The man's body flipped over the hood of the car and landed a few feet away from where Tony stood. He managed to turn away before his dinner made a reappearance, and he barely registered the sounds of running feet as other observers rushed in to help.
Tony staggered away from the scene, desperately trying to keep from passing out, and wondered if he would ever be able to rid himself of the apparent curse that had so suddenly manifested, producing images that would haunt his dreams, turning them into nightmares.
XXX
"You look like crap, Tony."
"And a good morning to you, too, Ellie," Tony snapped as he made his way to his desk.
"What happened?"
"Nothing." You'd never believe me if I told you. "Just a bit under the weather."
"Should you be here?"
"Of course. We've got work to do." Gotta do something to keep my mind off this...whatever 'this' is.
"Yes, but-"
"I'm fine."
"Good, then you can interview Thomas' brother. He's in conference room one."
Reminding himself that nothing had yet happened to him aboard the Yard, he made his way to the conference room and opened the door, surprised to find a man who looked very much like their victim.
"Bradley Thomas?"
The man turned, his expression stormy. "Are you making any progress in finding my brother's killer?"
"Were exploring several leads."
Bradley snorted. "Well let me give you one that might be useful. You should be checking out Brian's girlfriend."
"Deborah Kincaid?"
"Yeah. Last big fight they had, she threatened to kill him."
"And how do you know that?"
"I heard her say it. Brian called me to come pick him up after the big screaming match, and let's say they weren't done by the time I got there."
"I see. Do you know if Ms. Kincaid owns a firearm?"
"Not that I've seen, no. Isn't that your job to check?"
"I did. She doesn't have one, at least not officially."
"Doesn't mean she couldn't have gotten one. She works with a pretty rough crowd you know. They could have loaned her one."
"Possible. Any other suspects?"
Bradley made a face. "No. Brian was not the type of guy to accumulate enemies."
"So we've heard. I promise you, we're doing everything we can, but if you do think of anything else, let me know." He handed Bradley a card. "OK?"
"Yeah…"
"We'll figure this out. I promise."
Bradley nodded and bowed his head, sitting silently as he waited for someone to escort him to the exit. Tony returned to his desk and started another search.
"Anything?"
"I need to cross check gun registrations with employment records for D & L. Bradley thinks one of Deborah's co-workers could have loaned her the gun."
"I'll help," Ellie offered.
"We're looking for a Glock 19 or 26. Abby said there aren't any records of it in the database, so it's probably an original purchase."
"Got it."
They worked in relative silence for nearly an hour before Tony's phone rang.
"DiNozzo."
"Hey, Tony, it's McGee. My, uh… Penny was supposed to pick me up from the airport but she got delayed. I was hoping…"
"Yeah, of course. What terminal?"
"It's A, but I'll be waiting by the Metro station. That will make it easier to get in and out."
"No problem. Be there in a few."
"Thanks, Tony. I owe you."
"Yep, you do," Tony replied with a grin and he could almost hear McGee's eye-roll on the other end before he hung up.
"Gotta go pick up McGee. His ride home didn't pan out."
"OK. I'll keep working on these records. Maybe he can help us, too."
"McJetlag might not be up to it, but I'll ask. Have fun."
"Right…"
Feeling marginally better after talking to McGee - who had sounded so normal-Tony was soon driving towards Reagan National. He followed the signs to the Metro station and searched for a familiar figure. He pulled into the passenger pick-up area and was soon rewarded with the sight of his partner walking toward him, suitcase and laptop bag in tow. Tony popped the trunk and jumped out to help McGee stow his bags.
And he heard a scream.
Everything seemed to slow to a crawl. He saw Tim look up, startled, and followed his gaze. The sight of a glint of sunlight on metal sent him barreling towards his partner, desperate to beat fate.
"Tony, look out!"
He made it to McGee just as a shot rang out and he pushed McGee to the ground, praying that he wasn't too late to save his friend. His head connected with something immovable and bright flashes of light crossed his vision before darkness closed in. As consciousness faded he could hear his partner's voice, full of panic, fear, and pain.
I'm sorry, Tim...I tried…
XXX
The first thing he noticed was a soft, steady beeping. He wondered briefly who had left their alarm clock on without hitting the snooze button before his memory came rushing back and his eyes snapped open.
"Tony?"
A familiar face entered his field of vision, but it was not the one he so desperately wanted to see.
"I'm sorry, Boss...I couldn't...I didn't save...him."
An odd look crossed Gibbs' face. "Save who?"
"Tim…"
Gibbs sighed and shook his head. "Tim's fine, Tony. Worried about you, but fine."
"But...I heard the scream...saw the gun…"
"Aimed at you."
"What?"
"One of Deborah Kincaid's co-workers, Gus Dolan. Ellie found his registration for a Glock 19, got a warrant but he was already gone. After we arrested him and retrieved the gun Abby tested it and the bullets matched the ones from Petty Officer Thomas. Guess he thought you were getting too close."
"To him… or Deborah?"
Gibbs chuckled softly. "Probably both."
"So Bradley was right...sorta. Did Deborah…?"
"She didn't know."
"Oh…"
"Why did you think Tim was in danger?"
"I heard...the scream…"
"A witness saw Dolan with the gun. Raised Holy hell. But he was aiming at you, not Tim."
"Oh… Good."
"You got a death wish, DiNozzo?"
Tony started to laugh but stopped when the pain hit. "No, Boss… Had enough...to last me...awhile."
"Glad to hear it."
"Tim...he's OK?"
"Yeah. He was here with you all night, didn't want to leave. I sent him home 'cause he needed a break."
"Tell him...not allowed...to go on vacation again."
Gibbs chuckled. "I'll pass that along."
"Thanks..."
Gibbs gently placed a hand on his forehead. "You're gonna be OK, Tony. You hear me?"
"Yes, Boss… No more screams?"
If Gibbs was confused by that statement, he didn't show it. "No more screams."
"Good…"
Tony smiled and closed his eyes, finally drifting off into a dreamless slumber.
Outside the windows of his hospital room, the warm, humid night was quiet, save for the normal sounds of the city. The source of the phantom cries had finally been silenced.
For now.
The End
A/N: For the first challenge, we were to write story inspired by either the plot or the title of an R.L. Stein book. Since I've never read any (believe it or not) I chose to use a title.