Hi, everyone! I'm both a JAG and NCIS fan, and this is my first time writing for the NCIS fandom. I was so excited to see Bud Roberts' guest appearance on the NCIS season 14 premiere, and I wish we had heard more about Harm and Mac from him.
I realize that McGee was not in the NCIS back-door pilot episodes, but he seemed to know Bud and he asked about Harm and Mac, so I'm assuming he knows what happened.
Since this is my first time writing some of the NCIS characters, I haven't included the two new agents yet. I hope you like this little three-shot ficlet – thanks for reading!
"Hello? Is anybody there?"
The young Navy lieutenant calls out in a timid voice, but the only reply is the echo of his own footsteps. It's dark, and he can barely see the hallway in front of him without squinting, and he takes a deep breath to calm the heart that he's sure is going to pound right out of his chest.
Suddenly there's a loud bang behind him, and he whirls around with a gasp as the silhouette of another man emerges from the shadows.
"Well, looky here. Johnny boy actually showed up tonight."
"Ricky, I—I don't know if this is such a good idea," he stammers.
"You chickening out, Johnny? I don't like people chickening out on me."
Ricky steps into a square of dim light, and it's just enough to highlight the wicked glint in his eyes.
It makes Johnny take a step backwards.
"Ricky, I helped you once," he says. "You didn't say anything about twice."
"But Johnny," Ricky drawls in a mock whine. "I finally got a really good buyer, and he's counting on you to deliver the goods."
"No," Johnny declares defiantly. "I won't do it anymore."
"Oh, I think you will," Ricky hisses angrily. "You're in too deep now…there's no going back."
"I—I don't think so, Ricky." With shaky fingers, Johnny draws a concealed weapon from the waistband behind his back and aims it at the other man's chest.
Ricky smirks. "What are you gonna do with that, Johnny boy?"
Johnny gulps and tries to take a firmer grip on the gun. But his finger is still trembling over the trigger when a shot rings out, and he doesn't even have time to blink before Ricky slumps forward onto the ground.
"Ricky?"
Johnny falls to his knees beside the body, shaking the other man's shoulder. But there's no response, and his hand comes away sticky with blood.
"Oh, God," he whispers. "Oh, God…I didn't fire..."
He doesn't even hear the sirens approaching outside, the splintering crack of wood as the federal agents break down the doors, or the loud exclamation that follows.
"NCIS! Drop the weapon!"
"This guy gives me the creeps."
Special Agent Eleanor Bishop tilts her head slightly to study the photo of the dark-haired, scowling Navy lieutenant posted on the plasma screen.
"Well, he definitely didn't remember to say cheese," Special Agent Timothy McGee agrees. "Lieutenant Richard Carlson," he reads from the file. "Better known as Ricky. He's been arrested for drug use before, but he's never been convicted of dealing."
McGee clicks the remote and the plasma switches to the photo of the other lieutenant.
"Lieutenant Jonathan Martin," he says. "Better known as Johnny. Exemplary service record. His CO can't say enough good things about him. His parents live in Virginia, and he has one older brother, Christopher."
"So why would a successful Navy lieutenant get involved with one who's a drug dealer?" Bishop wonders. "Not to mention take a shot at him."
"Well, when we brought him in last night, he kept saying that he didn't fire the gun."
"Then who did?"
"Well, that's what we need to find out," McGee says. "But we can't question anyone until the JAG lawyer gets here."
"She's here, Agent McGee."
Bishop and McGee both spin around at the voice behind them, taking in the sight of a U.S. Marine officer standing in the middle of the bullpen. Bishop recognizes the insignia of the Judge Advocate General Corps on her uniform, and she's extremely pretty, even in Marine green, with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes.
McGee's face breaks out into a wide grin. "Mac!" he exclaims, embracing the woman in a friendly hug.
"Hi, Tim," she says with a smile.
When he steps back, McGee immediately motions to his partner. "Special Agent Eleanor Bishop, this is General Sarah MacKenzie Rabb. She's with JAG, commander of the Joint Legal Service Center Southwest."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Ellie says politely. She extends her hand, and the Marine grasps it firmly.
"Likewise, Agent Bishop."
"So how are you, Mac?" McGee asks.
"Good," she replies, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "A little jet lagged. I wasn't expecting to pick up a case on my layover in Washington."
"Still racking up the frequent flier miles to London?"
"As often as I can."
Bishop is puzzled by the sympathetic look that crosses McGee's face. "What's in London?" she asks innocently.
"Office of the Force Judge Advocate," comes the brisk reply from the other side of the bullpen.
Bishop and McGee know that deep, gruff voice anywhere – and apparently so does Mac.
"Special Agent Gibbs," she greets coldly without turning around.
"General MacKenzie," he mimics in the same tone. "Or is it General Rabb now?"
His gaze feels like it's boring a hole in the back of her head. Mac doesn't even flinch.
"MacKenzie is fine."
She turns to face him and they lock eyes in a way that reminds Ellie of two angry bulls about to face off. Although she usually counts on Gibbs to stare down anyone, she can't tell who is going to win this one.
Bishop leans over to McGee and whispers, "Is this a Marine thing?"
"Picked up a Navy lieutenant last night," Gibbs says, stepping around Mac to sit down at his desk. "Found him in an old warehouse kneeling next to the dead body of one of his shipmates."
"Lieutenant Richard Carlson." Mac is already familiar with the case. "He was court-martialed in London a few months back. They caught him dealing drugs, but he got off due to mishandling of evidence."
"Yeah?" Gibbs leans back in his chair, a knowing smirk playing on his face. "Force Judge Advocate probably isn't too happy about that, is he?"
Mac's eyes narrow. "No, he's not."
"Didn't think so."
There's another uncomfortable silence, and just when Bishop and McGee start to wonder if that's all Gibbs and Mac are going to say to each other, the ring of a cell phone slices through the tension in the room.
"Yeah? Gibbs."
He listens for a moment and then snaps his phone closed. "Ducky's got something. McGee, Bishop, our lieutenants." He points to the plasma. "Everything about them. MacKenzie, you're with me."