Amazingly Disoriented.
The phone on the desk rang. Gibbs picked it up.
"Boss?" DiNozzo asked down the line.
"DiNozzo, what can I do for you?" a certain Special Agent Gibbs asked angrily.
"I'm geographically disorientated……….." now looking about.
"In other words you're lost." Gibbs shouted.
"You could say that Boss.."
"I just did DiNozzo. Now find yourself……… or I'll get McGee to chip you. Where's David." he shouted down the phone.
"She'll be here somewhere, but I don't know as………." Tony now replied beginning to sound sheepish.
"As you are geographically disorientated."
"Lost….Boss"
McGees' cell rang he answered listened, "Boss it's Ziva…….."
"Don't tell me………she's lost too." beginning to get even more annoyed than usual at the two.
"No…. but she's lost Tony." Tim replied looking at Gibbs for inspiration.
"Well tell her to call his cell."
"She did but it was engaged. She missed………….."
"Am I surrounded by idiots," Gibbs questioned angrily, now looking at McGee. Tim wondered how it had come to this.
"McGee get Ziva to call again, or get back to the car. Can you track Tony's cell?"
****
Ziva made her way back to the car. The wood wasn't that thick. No, Tony was. He was only a Baltimore cop. He could only follow road signs. He was lost in the thick of it. His designer shoes would be ruined. She smiled to herself. Her phone rang.
"Tony…where are you?"
"Silly question David………..But I need your help."
"How can I help when you don't know where you are." she replied.
"Oh I know where I am…………I'm………"
"Lost Tony."
"No, I'm geographically disorientated."
****
It had all started earlier that week. A call from an unknown source. The voice muffled, disguised. The team hadn't managed to get a fix. It sounded like a railway station or coach terminus. Gibbs couldn't hold the caller long enough to let Tim get a fix. Gibbs slammed the phone down.
"Get anything McGee?" he shouted.
"Nope……..but I know the rough area."
"You know the rough area, McGee? There is more to you than meets the eye." Ziva now replied.
"No, I have an educated guess where the caller was calling from"
"And………….." Gibbs now asked looking at Tim, wondering if he should head-slap some sense into him, or would that just knock it out. Before he could decide which was the better of the two evils, the phone rang.
"Yep, Gibbs…………wow slow down." he listened, and then placed the phone down.
"Well Boss………" the three asked in unison.
"Dead body. The Senators house…………..well the grounds. And yes Tony it was the coldest night of the year, and no Tim, I don't know if it froze to death and yes Ziva it will be as frozen as the proverbial turkey, but until Ducky can give us a liver probe I don't know. OK"
"Probably be wrong then if frozen." she replied.
"David………." Gibbs shouted.
"Sorry."
"For that you go with Tony. Tim I need you with me………..Consider yourself head slapped for that thought Tony. Tim I need advice on how to up grade my PC."
"Buy a new one." Tony whispered under his breath.
"Heard that Tony."
"Ouch Boss." as Ziva and DiNozzo entered the elevator. Gibbs just smiled as he and McGee collected their gear. They would get the elevator when it came back.
****
The Senators house stood alone behind the majestic wrought-iron gates. The marquee was visible just over the brow of the incline. Gibbs opened the car door and pressed, no pulled the handle. Somehow he knew that it was only for show and the electronics were probably laser beams and when they crossed the line, security would know. He was right, he heard a voice from the gate post. He looked and could just make the small microphone, he looked for the camera, it was hidden in the statues eyes, which was on one of the gates pillars.
"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS." he replied, his voice to the mic but flashing his ID at the statue. The gates opened. Gibbs let Tim drive the car through, then the other followed. He walked in, turned and watched as the gates closed.
Dr Mallard and Jimmy were already there. The body, lying so peaceful. No, a violent end. But it was just as if he had laid down and fallen asleep. Well he had in a way. It had been the Senators 60th birthday. A large marquee had been raised in the garden. A shooting and archery range erected as well. It was to have been supervised by the Major. But he was lying dead with a gaping hole in his chest, and nothing to show what had killed him. Gibbs did not like this.
****
As they were looking at the body, they did not notice a young woman, a teenager appear from behind the large hedge.
Gibbs looked at the young woman, "And you are?" now looking the punk, up and down. He just wondered if he had been spared Kelly's rebellious years, no he might have been fine with it. He too had been rebellious in his youth.
"Pinz Zipper." she replied, chewing gum and twirling it on to her finger. He thought she needed a good slap.
"Relationship to my dead Major?" he asked, "Or a relation of Frank Zappa?"
"He mentioned Frank Zappa, Boss just went up in my expectations." Tony whispered to Ziva.
"I do not know this Zappa., so I can not comment." Ziva answered.
"Frank Zappa influential musician of the 60's went on to influence Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath, to name but two………….." Dr Mallard now replied.
"Wow, even Ducky good." Tony replied in awe.
"I'm his niece," she replied, "He been dead long." she questioned, now looking at Ducky.
"That my dear, I will determine when I get him back to Washington." Dr Mallard
"Can I come too? Could do with seeing a real live autopsy, that stuff they show on the crime stories is soooooooooo boring and unrealistic." Pinz answered.
"I think not, but you could maybe see if Agent Gibbs here…." turning and looking for Gibbs, "I was going to say would like help." turning back to the dead Major.
"I think the girl needs help." Tony whispered to Ziva.
"I was thinking maybe Abby could give her a good talking to." she replied, walking away to find Gibbs.
****
Gibbs met the Senator in the drawing room. He, that would be the Senator was standing by the fire. A huge open fire, roaring beside him.
"Agent Gibbs, my brother?"
"Sir, yes………" Gibbs now replied looking for the reaction the question had triggered.
"My brother,………he has not been himself recently. Something about Iraq………….and my position in the senate……….Felicity………….do you have to just appear like that?" he asked as the teenager materialised from no-where.
"Felicity?" Gibbs asked now looking at the girl, "Thought she said her name was Pinz?"
"Stupid phase she's going through, her mother was just the same but then that would be hippy. Free love. Oh yes she gave it away, look what we have." the senator now snapped at the girl.
"You say was………. is she dead?"
"Might as well be……….she is nothing but a waste. Felicity is our sisters' child. No our sister took off earlier this year to some Buddhist retreat in Canada. Left Felicity here with me. My brother was to install some good old fashioned discipline into her head. I personally would have sent her to boot camp."
"So do you think she hated her uncle enough to kill?" Gibbs now asked.
"She hasn't the brains. No, as I said I think you need to look to a Government source. But have you found out what he died of?"
"No, but I'm sure my forensics team will in due course. Thank you for your time." as he indicated that he should go. "I have one last question to ask?" as he turned and looked at the senator and then out into the garden. "What is beyond the archery and shooting range? I see a green construction."
"Ah, that would be the maze. I got it built for the children. It has a secret way in, but you have to find your way out." the senator now replied.
Gibbs smiled and nodded. He looked at Pinz, as he left the room, "I know someone who could give you some tips."
****
Back at HQ, Gibbs went to find Ducky.
"Find anything Duks?"
"Yes Jethro and no. It would appear our Major was anaesthetised. He had a large concentration of propofol in his body. It has been humorously dubbed "milk of amnesia" by us medical professionals. He appears to have been drugged, and then shot at, and killed, by all I can describe a large sharp object, which as now melted."
"Are we talking an icicle?" Gibbs now asked looking slightly surprised.
"We are Jethro. Our Major was drugged and then shot at…. probably with a cross-bow. He had been given the recreation drug……..it can be used and yes I know what you are thinking…..I've worked with you long enough…Jethro…….Jethro……why do you do that?" as he watched the door slide shut and Gibbs gone, "It's ok Major, he does that all the time, you get used to it." turning back to the body.
****
"DiNozzo", Gibbs shouted as he exited the elevator and entered the work station, "You and Ziva back to the Senators house,…………now."
"What you want us to do Boss?"
"I want you to pickup the Senator AND Pinz whatever her name is." he shouted gruffly. "And the housekeeper, and the gardener, and the dogs and who-ever you find, still at the scene of my crime. Got it DiNozzo?"
"On it Boss." as he and Ziva hurriedly left.
"Why does he want us to bring the dogs in?"
"Your guess is as good as mime. But I would say something to do with Frank Zappa and Zombie Woof."
"I do not understand?" Ziva replied.
"I got a great big pointed fang, Which is my Zomby Toof………..I might snatch you up screamin' through the window all nekkid………….am about as evil as a Boogie Man can be!" Tony sang as the elevator door shut.
****
Back to present day.Gibbs and Tim raced to the house. They saw the car inside the gates. Gibbs slammed the door of his and stormed over to the entrance. He rang the bell, flashed his ID, the gate opened and Tim drove through. Gibbs watched as the gates shut behind them. Jumping back into the vehicle, Tim drove to Zivas car.
"Ok, gonna tell me what happened?" he snarled at Ziva, as he got out, she just shrugged her shoulders.
"It was like this. The maze……..Tony said he wanted to see. He bet me he could get out first and quickest."
"And?………." Gibbs shouted looking at her and then the maze.
She shrugged, "Bet he didn't then."
"Ziva………….." he shouted back, as his phone rang.
"Boss, you gotta help me out here." DiNozzo shouted down the phone.
"Yep DiNozzo, which way you come in." laughing.
"That was cruel Gibbs." Ziva replied.
"Why?" he asked looking at her pouting face.
"Because I wanted to say that."
"DiNozzo, how did you and Ziva get in?" he questioned, looking at Ziva.
"We were put in a golf car and blindfolded. I thought I heard creaking and then we went in a straight line. We stopped and were helped off. We were asked not to remove the masks until we couldn't hear the motor……""
"And?"
"I do what I'm told now……….remember Gibbs."
They didn't see Tim appear with a child. A blonde haired little girl. She was sucking her thumb and skipping along.
"And who is this McGee. I do not play nursemaid. How will she find Tony?"
"Boss, may I introduce Pinzs sister………..no not needles. Her name is Angela. Say hello to Uncle Jethro and Auntie Ziva."
She removed her thumb from her mouth looked at Gibbs, smiled but glared at Ziva, "Hello……..you want me to get big bad Tony out the maze?" she asked.
As Gibbs knelt down, he smiled, "Could you?" he asked.
"You want me to,? 'cos Uncle Timmy said he would give me some of Tony's jelly beans."
Gibbs looked at Angela and then at McGee. He shook his head, stood up and touched the top of Angela's, "Okay, off you go." They watched as she skipped into the maze.
****
The little girl came up behind Tony, he turned and looked down at the blonde headed child.
"You are who," he enquired thinking back to the hospital and Jeanne.
"Angela," she replied.
"Not the Angel of Death?"
She shook her head, "Uncle Jethro says if you don't take, my hand, he'll make sure Uncle Timmy and Auntie Ziva eat all your jelly beans." as she offered Tony her hand.
"Why do I believe him," he responded as he took the seven years hand and she led him out the maze.
Epilogue.
It was the sister, she didn't like the way the Major and the Military were conducting things in Iraq, she wanted the Senator to influence the Government. She used propofol to drug her brother. It had made him sleepy and calm. And then she shot him with the icicle. The senator was so pleased with the team, he said thet Tony and Ziva could try the maze.
The End