CHAPTER 2

The team returned to the Navy Yard tired and unsure if they had a case or not. That would depend on Ducky's findings. McGee wearily dropped his pack beside his desk and collapsed into his chair. God, he was so ready to go home.

"Hey, McGoo!" called Tony tossing a ball of paper at his partner. "Did you send those photos down to Abby?"

"No, Tony," replied McGee irritably. "We don't even know if we have a murder yet."

"Doesn't matter, McScrewup" grinned Tony leaning back in his chair. "We need all evidence turned in just in case! So, get your little Probie butt down there and give her the photos."

Grumbling, McGee grabbed his pack and dropped it loudly on his desk. As he began to reach for the zipper pull he frowned. The pack wasn't fully closed. Examining it more closely, he realized that the zipper had split open, undoubtedly as a result of his fall down the hill. With a sinking feeling he began to dig through the pack, his feeling of desperation growing rapidly. Finally, he stopped, slowly stood and with slumping shoulders sighed miserably. "It's gone."

"What's gone, Probie?" asked Tony absently. He was digging through his desk looking for that Twinkie he knew he'd left there last week.

"The camera," moaned McGee softly. He collapsed back into his chair and buried his face in his hands. "The boss is gonna kill me for sure."

"You lost the camera!?" Tony's eyebrows shot up his head in disbelief. "Oh, ho ho, Probie," he chortled, "You are indeed, dead meat!"

"Tony, this isn't funny!" snapped McGee wretchedly "He's already threatened to send me back to the basement and if this doesn't send him over the edge, nothing will."

Tony felt a surge of pity for his junior agent. McGee looked positively downtrodden and yeah, he was right, Gibbs would be furious.

"What will send me over the edge, McGee?"

Tim looked up to see Gibbs staring at him expectantly. Tim felt sick. He dropped his gaze to the floor, unable look Gibbs in the eye. "Um, Boss, I…uh…seem to have lost the camera." He blurted this out as quickly as he could. He fought the instinct to duck.

There was a long silence. McGee glanced up to find Gibbs glaring at him so coldly that McGee couldn't even move. This was even worse than he'd imagined.

You…lost…the camera?" Gibbs voice was low and dangerous. "The very expensive evidence camera that we waited nine months to get? The one that now supposedly has photos taken from a potential crime scene? I am assuming, of course, that you actually took those photos, McGee but for all I know you took pictures of your damn foot!" His voice was rising dramatically. "And you LOST IT!?"

Tim's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally managed to make a sound. "I…I, uh…must have lost it when I fell down the hill, Boss. It must still be there!"

"Ya think, McGee?" snarled Gibbs. "Well, then I suggest you get your ass back out there and find it!" Gibbs turned and stalked towards the elevator. "I'm going to see Ducky."

McGee cringed in humiliation as he slowly picked up his jacket and turned to where Tony was watching Gibbs stalk across the room and disappear into the elevator. "Whoa Probie," Tony marveled shaking his head, "I don't think even I've ever made him that mad!"

"Shut up, Tony," growled Tim. "I gotta go. It's gonna be dark by the time I get there and I don't wanna have to search all night."

"Oooh, good point, Probie!" chuckled Tony leaning forward on his elbows. "You never know what kind of psychos lurk in those deep, dark woods…Michael Myers…Leatherface…Jason Voorhees! Just be sure you keep your clothes on. You know how those psychos always go for the cute young things running around in their underwear!"

McGee just glared at him and punched the elevator button. This could be a very long evening.

Gibbs found Ducky hovering over the body of their dead marine carefully examining the man's arm. "Whataya got, Duck?" Gibbs asked. He had finally managed to wrestle his temper back under control. He was so fed up with McGee right now it was best the young man was out of his sight for awhile.

"Ah hello, Jethro," greeted the Medical Examiner warmly but one look told Dr. Mallard that Gibbs was not in the mood for cheerful banter this afternoon. He decided it was best not to press. "Well, upon careful examination, I can say that although our young lieutenant here did technically drown, he was already dying when he fell into that pond."

Gibbs looked at him impatiently. "Dying of what? Was he shot? Stabbed? What?"

"Poisoned," replied Ducky triumphantly. "Here, Jethro, look at this man's arm. What do you see?"

Gibbs studied the arm carefully. "Looks like it's about twice the size of the other one. Looks pretty bad."

"Exactly!" grinned Ducky turning the arm over. "Now look here. Do you see those two puncture marks?"

Gibbs leaned forward and could make out a pair of large puncture marks approximately two or three inches apart. "Snake bite?"

"Yes, indeed! This poor fellow was dying from the bite of what I suspect to be a Crotalus horridus horridus better known as the timber rattlesnake although it could possibly have been a diamondback or perhaps even a copperhead. I've sent a blood sample to Abby for analysis but regardless this man would have died even if he hadn't stumbled into that pond."

"So, you're saying it was an accident? Guy got bit by a snake, tried to get help, fell into the pond and drowned?"

"Well, that is the most likely scenario," agreed Ducky, "except for one thing. Look at his wrists and ankles. See the bruising? At some point this man was being held in restraints. This happened at most a day or two before he fell into the pond. Maybe he had been trying to escape when he was bitten. That, however, is a piece of the puzzle I can't help you with, Jethro. Have you identified him yet?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I've got Ziva working on it now. It woulda helped if he'd had some ID on him. Ok, thanks Ducky. I think we better treat this as a murder for the time being."

***************

By the time McGee had reached the forest clearing, the sun had long set and the early spring night was very dark and very cold. Tim picked up the flashlight from the seat next to him, climbed out of the car and glanced around nervously. This place was creepy enough in the daytime but was ten times worse at night.

Muttering curses under his breath, Tim cautiously shone the light along the edge looking for the spot where he had fallen earlier in the day. Carefully he began his descent, picking his way through the rocks and dense underbrush as he apprehensively kept an eye open for snakes. His encounter with the copperhead earlier that day had made him wary. He waved his light back and forth hoping the camera would at least catch the light but so far, there was nothing. Cursing even louder, he stumbled and slid several feet further down the steep slope.

Tim methodically worked his way farther down, back and forth searching relentlessly. He knew he couldn't go back without the camera. Finally, he reached the bottom of the slope with nothing but some scrapes and scratches. He sighed as he flashed his light around. He was now in narrow ravine with a stream running through it. He jumped as a large shape leaped past him. He jerked the light around just in time to see the white flash of deer's tail as it bolted around the curve of the ravine. Laughing nervously, he shook his head and continued his search. He looked back up the slope. It was unlikely the camera had fallen this far. It must be at least 30 feet back to the top. He'd have to head back up.

With another deep sigh of frustration he readied himself to begin the ascent when he paused. Did he just hear a scream? He frowned and looked down the stream. He couldn't see anything but perhaps he should take a look just in case. He hesitated knowing he had no back-up. What if he did run into something? He looked back up the hill then sighed again. He was sworn to uphold the law and sometimes that meant taking chances. He thought of the girl he'd met earlier in the day. What if it had been her? That decided him. He could never live with himself if he'd ignored a cry for help.

Watching the ground carefully, he made his way alongside the stream. He tried to be as quiet as possible and a few times found it easier to simply wade through the narrow stream than break through the dense foliage. He made his way about a hundred yards down the stream and finding nothing decided to turn back but he was halted by another cry in the darkness. Tim froze and listened hard. It sounded like the noise had come from just a little farther downstream. Carefully he moved further along and shut off his light. He waited a few moments for his eyes to become accustomed to the dark although the moon was just bright enough to allow him to see some of his surroundings. The ravine now opened into a small valley and about fifty yards from the stream, Tim could now make out a small white building.

Silently he approached the building. It looked like some kind of church with white clapboard sides and a veranda stretching across the front. He could see flicking light shimmering through the windows and a few old vehicles parked nearby so he had to assume someone was in there. As he debated what to do next, he heard a scream so blood curdling , he found himself frozen in place. The sound had definitely come from the building. Pulling his gun from its holster, he hurried forward. If there was someone in trouble, it was his duty to help!

He crept closer to the window closest to him and slowly raised his head to peer inside. What he saw made his blood run cold. He was so shocked that he never heard the man soundlessly approach him from behind until it was too late. Tim felt his head explode in a white hot burst of agony and then all went black.