The bustling of the MCRT team packing up their belongings and readying themselves to go out to the local Gruffy's pub, a tradition of the team since returning from Somalia, on this cool Friday evening was interrupted by Leon Vance.
Vance stealthily descended the stairwell and was immediately greeted by another one of Dinozzo's movie references and David's broken English idioms.
The MCRT bullpen was always filled with banter and gentle chiding of one another. Sure when observed by most it seemed unprofessional, but to Vance's ears it was music. To Vance the banter and McNicknames were ways that the team let off steam and Vance just couldn't explain to others why it was so right. But it just was.
The Director felt bad for interrupting such banter and taking away a well deserved Friday night off but he knew that he couldn't let another team take down the criminal that he wanted the team to bring in.
"Sorry people Friday night drinks will have to wait" Vance said. As he said that he saw the faces of the team deflate.
"What Leon, we just finished a case no way that another one came in that fast. And even if one did you are just gonna have to give it to another team" Gibbs gruffly replied. He knew that his team needed Friday night drinks, he knew that they needed the night off. He had run the team ragged lately, what with six cases coming to them in the past few weeks. The team needed this time off. Hell he needed it…he had woodworking plans that needed to be begun if he wanted to make the holiday deadline.
"Sorry Gibbs something…more importantly someone has come up" Vance cryptically said.
"Oh yea who's that Director" Gibbs said while placing a sarcastic emphasis on the title.
"Kara Pickens" Leon said the name and watched the flash of anger cross the faces of the team. He saw the pissed looks of a night interrupted quickly being steeled into looks of determination. Those looks told him that he was right in picking the team to capture the fugitive.
Kara and the team had unfinished business to be tended to.
"Okay where do we find her Leon" Gibbs asked
"I sent the directions to Agent McGee's computer" Vance said
And with that Vance strode out of the bullpen knowing that the team would catch Pickens and have even more to celebrate later.
…..
"Okay so Probie fire back up that computer" Tony said in anticipation.
While the team waited for the computer to power up each mulled over what picking up Pickens would mean.
Gibbs thought about how Kara had murdered her own daughter because said daughter was going to spill the beans about her drug and sex trafficking ring that Kara had set up on the side to supplement her Naval income. He remembered how he had promised Laura, Kara's daughter, that he would protect her and how he had failed.
Laura had been killed right under his nose. On his watch. It was a blow that had hit him hard and made him even more resolved to find Kara and put her where she belonged…either six feet under…or in jail.
Tony thought about how hard the case had been for Gibbs. He thought about how hard it was to convince the man to not walk away from NCIS…the team…or from him.
After all Tony was the one that was assigned to protecting Laura. He was the one that was supposed to keep her safe, handpicked for the job by Gibbs himself, and he had dropped the ball.
He had let his guard down, and now Laura was dead.
Tony and Gibbs had walked on egg shells for awhile before having a heart to heart after consuming too many alcoholic beverages.
Ziva thought about how the case had affected the team. She thought about the broken relationships that Pickens had caused and she vowed revenge. She vowed to bring Kara down not only for what she did to her own daughter, her own flesh and blood, but also because she had nearly ripped the team apart. She had nearly destroyed the only family that she had left.
Tim just sat there. He was amazed that Kara had the audacity to resurface after essentially four months in seclusion. Had it really been only four months!
Four months since he had gotten that call from Gibbs to meet him at the safe house. He remembered that bad feeling he had when he got that call, and how it was confirmed when he got to the safe house and saw the lifeless body of Laura Pickens.
Pickens was shot twice, once in the head, and the other in the chest, in many ways the body reminded him of Kate in how lifeless but beautiful she looked. She didn't have the corrupted look that some dead bodies tended to have, she looked peaceful and like she was asleep.
She was asleep he chided himself…just an eternal one.
The Ding of the computer turning on and alerting all occupants to the now deserted bullpen level brought all members out of their reverie and back into the real world.
"McGee address" the clipped tone emanated from Gibbs
"134 Wilshire Lane Boss" McGee said getting straight to the point.
'Okay grab your gear. We have a fugitive to catch!" Gibbs boomed out.
All three team members had to run to the elevator in order to keep up with the frenetic pace of their boss.
Each one had a steeled look of determination on their faces. Kara Pickens had evaded capture once but the looks on these faces said it all….Her hours were numbered.
The MCRT would catch this criminal one way or another.
They were sure of it this time.
….
Gibbs drove the sedan faster than he had ever before. He needed to get Kara off of the street….like now fast. He needed to be able to say that he had got this woman, that Laura's death wasn't for naught. He viewed this arrest as a way to eradicate yet another demon.
The fast driving meant that all the team members were holding onto whatever they could in order to ensure safety.
The normal 40 minute drive to inner city Washington took less than 20.
No one said anything in the ride over. Each lost in their own thoughts yet again about what this takedown would mean.
Again their reverie was rudely interrupted with the abrupt stop in front of the Wilshire address that housed Pickens.
Gibbs motioned for DiNozzo to follow him and take the front entrance. He then motioned to David and McGee to bring up the rear and wait for his signal.
Once all four of them radioed in their affirmative to being in position Gibbs counted off one…two…three.. and both he and David kicked in the doors.
The yells of "freeze, federal agents" echoed throughout the house.
After a moment or two all hell broke loose.
Nothing would be the same now….