A/N The original story of the hunt did not involve a cattle drive. The prey was not always mentioned but it was likely to be a well grown red stag with many points on his antlers, or a wild boar. A hare would not carry the same weight as an animal for the hunt to chase.

Hunter's Moon, Chapter two – 2nd night of the full moon.

"Lieutenant James Thomas Bradley, age 42, born Fall River Massachusetts. Joined navy aged 18, service record good but unremarkable, however ... " Tony turned at the unusual silence. "What's up McGee?"

"He had unusual interests."

"Like what, not like being an Elf Lord or flying with a jet pack." Tim McGee managed a smile.

"Not quite – he claims to have seen the Wild Hunt, his insistence on this made him get sent for psychological evaluation a year ago. He has done research, it says here, into immortality of the soul and avoidance of being taken to ride with the Hunt."

"The WHAT! What's a wild hunt?." Tony hoped McGee was not going to describe anything like his nightmare dream. However, within a few words his hopes were scuppered.

"From English, Scottish, Scandinavian folklore and legend – Also German, Austrian, French and maybe others – criminals, bad kings, dishonoured leaders were lead across the skies on a wild hunt forever trying to catch the deer, the wild boar, the crazed hare – and here in the USA, the Devil's herd of red-eyed cattle. The legend crossed the oceans and became ours too. Have you heard – course you have, you probably know it – "Ghost Riders in the Sky?"

"Johnny Cash sang that – years ago. "

"Story goes, seeing the wild hunt was a sign of coming disaster."

Tim McGee waited for a smart arse response from Tony, but, oddly, there was none. Tony seemed thoughtful. He looked again at the picture of the murdered Lit: on the plasma screen.

"So, you saying our victim was killed on a wild hunt? Maybe a wild goose chase?"

As usual, nobody had seen or heard Gibbs' approach.

"Ducky hasn't said what killed him yet." Said McGee.

"Fright, was what he told me."

"He looked terrified." Tony offered.

"If he saw the hunt he would have known disaster was coming his way." Ellie added "But did he know the legend?"

"Studying the Wild Hunt was a hobby of his." Tim tried to sound as if what he was saying was perfectly sensible.

"Maybe he dreamed about it, gave himself nightmares." He suggested.

"But we saw the prints from cattle and horses." Tony was trying to keep a sense of normality, and failing.

"There are none left." They all turned to look at Ellie.

The bright morning had darkened and huge rainclouds shadowed the navy yard. Coffee cups overfilled trash cans and Gibbs' mood was growing dark as the cloudy skies. They had life history and financial history for the dead man and nothing but his Wild Hunt hobby gave pause for thought. Tony and Ellie had examined his living quarters and found nothing suspicious in the naval neatness of everything. He was a widower with no children. Tony had tried to contact his sister in New York, and left a message on her ansaphone to contact NCIS for news of her brother. They had also told the local police but they had been unable to contact her yet. There were no parents living and no other living siblings. There was a locked box, like a small seaman's chest, beside his bed on the table there, with his books.

"We should wait for his sister to arrive – she may have a key." Tony had readily agreed with Ellie; neither wanted to touch the box, although they could not have said why. It was not some creepy old chest from the time of pirates, but a modern copy of how an old treasure chest was supposed to look. Ellie photographed it. They debated about procedure – should they leave the chest in place or take it to the evidence garage at the Navy Yard. Bishop was hungry – nothing new. She decided to take the chest back after all – maybe there was a key amongst Lt: Bradley's personal possessions, those he'd had with him.

As they left the quarters, they were shocked at how dark it had become for early afternoon. The chest felt heavier as they made their way to the car, heavier than when Tony had first picked it up.

'Yippee-i- oh-oh-oh, yippee-i-ay-ay, the ghost-riders in the sky;'

"It's no use looking at me like that, Gibbs. I want to explain it, but I can't. I SAW the hoof prints on the photos when Tim and Ellie brought them. I have no clue as to how they disappeared." Abby seemed bewildered and tired. Gibbs was wondering how to report this to Director Vance. Rain pattered on a window. Very soon, evidence of a stampeding herd of cattle followed by horsemen would be gone.

They had conferred with one another, they had expressed disbelief in all they had seen and heard around them as the day grew darker; the squad room emptied. The agents stood watching the crime scene on the largest screen, joined by Abby, Ducky and Palmer. They knew that somewhere, where they had left the ordered daily world, night staff were settling to their quiet routines. Cops on stake-out kept silent watch; doctors and nurses silently tended those in such need; less honest people of the night went about their dubious business.

On the glowing screen, the red-eyed cattle plunged and bucked, ran toward the West, leaving behind them a thunder on the air. They were followed by horses who snorted fire and smoke; the riders had blurred eyes, gaunt faces, sweat soaked shirts. And as they passed, they found they understood which was the leader for he turned to see them, one eye a glacial blue, wild light-coloured hair blowing in a crazy wind, sharp features like an avenging axe. He was gone in a heartbeat.

The screen faded and soon everything was cooled off and dark. Ducky made the first move. He turned toward the lift and led the way out and toward the parked cars. Nobody spoke. Jimmy Palmer hurried home to Breena and Ducky set off in his fine old car, after advising the agents and Abby to get home and rest. Five cars set off from the Navy Yard. They had called 'Goodnight.' They went home to their various solitary houses and apartments, and night cloaked the city in a hushed peace.

YIPPEE-AYE-OH YIPPEE-AYE-AY – THE GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY!

McGee awoke, bewildered; he had a blurred memory of getting home from work and getting to bed. He wondered how far they were in solving the murder of Lt: Bradley. His thoughts were interrupted by a high, piercing whistle. He was standing in a wild heroic landscape. Gigantic trees grew from the dark red earth. Great white boulders were spread about. The sky was a pale grey and the air was cool and still.

The distant baying of hounds sent shivers up his spine, a thunder of hoofs chilled him to the bone. He remembered the wild hunt. And as he thought of them, how the cattle appeared; red eyes, steel hoofs, black shiny horns, brands still on fire and it was the Devil's brand he saw although he didn't believe in the Devil. The riders were coming – and some he knew – Ari Aswari, Harper Dearing, the port to port killer, Pedro Hernandez, others he thought he knew; they were all laughing with a wild insanity, desperate and trying to catch his eye. Some were women. Amanda met his eyes and laughed. He flinched. Then, the Huntsman was there.

He stared and started falling back onto his bed, his world fading into darkness.

Tony found he had lost his voice. Red eyed cattle pounding across the television screen could do that. He had been dozing in front of the set most of the night, wishing he had got Tim and possibly Bishop, to come home with him. He wasn't sure where the visions or dreams were coming from, but he had noted that Tim and Ellie seemed to have been having something similar. Had they all been drugged, or hypnotised? The investigator within him was awakened. Someone or something was responsible for the dead navy officer. What was really going on here?

The victim – was he also a killer? Was the Wild Huntsman a serial killer or some kind of avenging angel? He had gathered that the people forced to ride the hunt were the spirits, (souls, perhaps?), of those who had done bad things in their lives. He had recognised Ari Aswari, who had killed Kate. Had Tim also seen him? How had the Wild Hunt appeared on the screen in the squad room?

Had there been tampering with the computers and technology at the Navy Yard? If so, who would do that, and why?

Tony wrote a note to himself to ask Tim how such tampering could be done – or ask Abby? Better be Tim, who, Tony was certain, did not believe in ghosts and demons riding fire-breathing horses, nor in the ancient one-eyed god.

Tony felt incredibly weary. He opened his laptop and Googled Wild Hunt –

And there came a flash of surprised realisation. They all knew it was the Wild Hunt. However, nobody had said those words as far as he could remember. They had not discussed it. He took out his notebook and pen and made a note about discussing the dreams or illusions, whatever they were with everybody else. This moment of decisiveness made him feel more like the investigator he really was. Then he looked at his laptop screen and wondered why it was displaying a herd of red-eyed cows.

Ellie Bishop sat cross legged on her floor. She had looked up Wild Hunt on the internet and found the stuff she needed. Her music player filled the room with music – Ghostriders in the Sky – had she bought that? Unlikely! How could it be playing? The screen flickered; an internet item about the Harry Potter books: horcrux?

End, chapter 2