Author's Note :
Thank you for all the great reviews. I love your feedback and it's inspired me to get this next chapter out asap.
Enjoy…
And please keep those reviews coming. Thanks…
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Tony and Ziva arrive at the park just a few minutes after Gibbs and McGee. A park ranger meets them, and informs them that the body is a 2 mile hike away and it's in a shocking state. He also informs them that the storm that's been threathening for the last few hours is due to hit the park in the next hour. Tony leans unassumingly against the van as he waits for his stomach to settle. That's when he realizes that his ears are ringing and he is feeling a bit weak. He shakes his head and takes a few deep breaths trying to clear his head.
"DiNozzo, McGee, grab the gear. Ziva, you're with me." Gibbs says coffee in hand, as they start following the ranger. As Tony's head clears a bit, he goes to the back of the van. His stomach is still twisted in knots and his head is still aching so he takes 2 more aspirins just before McGee rounds the back of the van. McGee notices that Tony is a bit pale and breathing deeply but a bit rapidly. He puts it down to Ziva's unique driving style. Tony grabs the lighter bag, leaving the heavier one for McGee. McGee frowns, but takes the bag and follows Tony who seems to be moving a bit slower than usual.
"Tony, you okay?" McGee asks as he walks next to Tony.
"I'm fine. Go ahead Probie. I'm checking the trail for any evidence that may have been dropped." Tony makes an excuse as he hooks his hand onto his belt and discretely holds his aching stomach.
"How do you know what you're looking for if you haven't seen the crime scene yet?" McGee asks.
Tony looks at him with annoyance in his eyes and says sharply, "Well, that's why I'm the senior field agent. I know what to look for. Now you better move it Probie, unless you want Gibbs to bite your head off."
McGee moves off in a huff thinking that Tony will pull rank on him every chance he gets.
As soon as McGee is out of sight, Tony holds his stomach and doubles over in pain. Damn it, what the hells wrong with me? It feels like someone's taking a drill to my navel! Tony moans. Just then Ducky and Palmer come up the trail, with the gurney on hand. Tony takes a deep breath and pretends to be looking at something on the ground.
"Anthony, whatever are you doing?" Ducky asks.
"I thought that I saw a scrap of material on the ground, but it was nothing." Tony lies as he stands upright and puts his bag on the gurney. Ducky notices that Tony looks rather pale and he has a fine sheen of perspiration on his brow. Ducky approaches him and places a steadying hand on his shoulder and asks, "Are you okay, Anthony?"
"I'm great Ducky. Let's go before Gibbs has an aneurysm." Tony says as he deliberately walks behind Ducky and Palmer, trying desperately to keep up with them.
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At the scene, Gibbs frowns at the sight in front of him. Ziva and McGee look shocked at what they see.
The male officer is lying on his back, naked and sliced open from his neck to his pelvis. The only way that they know that he is an officer, is because his ID card is lying next to him. There is blood all around the body indicating that the murder took place in this spot.
What the team finds more disturbing is the fact that the officer's intestines have been removed and wrapped around his neck like a noose. It also looks like a few of his organs are missing. His eyes are open but his eyeballs are nowhere to be seen. The body is surrounded by a ring of leaves and a long, brownish-red bird's feather is sticking out from his chest cavity. McGee swallows convulsively as Ziva shakes her head and then proceeds to take photos.
"Where's DiNozzo?" Gibbs shouts as he looks up from the body and notices that DiNozzo hasn't arrived yet.
As Gibbs finishes his coffee and squashes the cup and stuffs it into his jacket pocket, he sees Ducky and Palmer arriving with the gurney. Then he notices Tony strolling slowly behind them. You chose the wrong day to piss me off, DiNozzo! Gibbs thinks as he stands up.
"DiNozzo, should I start looking for a new Senior Field Agent since you're clearly not interested in this job anymore." Gibbs growls as he stands nose to nose with Tony.
Tony flinches and moves backwards a step as he says, "Sorry, Boss. I thought I saw something on the trail."
"Yeah, so what was it?" Gibbs growls. Ziva and McGee look at each other and decide to keep doing their jobs and to keep out of Gibbs' way.
Tony you've really stepped into it this time. Gibbs is going to rip you apart. Ziva thinks. Ducky thinks that Gibbs is being rather harsh with Anthony, but he doesn't say anything.
"It turned out to be nothing." Tony says, trying to keep his voice even. He doesn't look at anyone as he doesn't want to see their reactions to Gibbs' treatment of him.
"Yeah, you seem to be turning up nothing on a regular basis." Gibbs says as he turns away and reveals the mutilated corpse.
"Sketch the scene and then I want you and McGee to cover a 10 yard radius around the body. Ziva, are you done with the photos?" Gibbs asks. When she nods, he says, "Bag and tag everything around the body. Hurry people the storm is almost here. Ducky, what can you tell me?" Gibbs asks as he kneels down next to the ME.
"Just when you thought you've seen it all, something like this turns up." Ducky says as he shakes his head.
"Got a time of death for me, Duck?" Gibbs asks.
"Oh dear, that's going to be rather difficult Jethro, seeing as how his liver's been removed. I think that we need to get Officer … Derricks back to the van quickly, before the storm breaks. That is if you want to save any evidence for Abby to work on." Ducky says.
"Okay, get him out of here." Gibbs orders. As he turns around he finds Tony still standing next to Ducky, holding his stomach and staring in horror at the body.
The blood, gore and smell of the scene, combined with Tony's already delicate constitution, all work to make him lightheaded and extremely nauseous. His stomach twists violently sending a stabbing pain through his abdomen and before he realizes it, he throws up a mere 15 inches from the dead Officer's left foot.
Everyone looks at him in stunned silence. Tony is horrified and moans out in pain and embarrassment. McGee and Ziva are shocked. Ducky is concerned. But Gibbs is fuming.
Tony avoids meeting Gibbs' glare.
"You've just contaminated my bloody crime scene. Get the hell out of here!" Gibbs barks as he throws his hands up in the air and walks away in disgust. Then he turns back and growls, "I want a complete background check on Officer Derricks when I get back to the office. And DiNozzo this is your last chance so don't screw it up!" With that Gibbs starts walking the perimeter, ignoring everyone.
"Timothy, Mr. Palmer, please prepare our officer for transport back to the van. Come along, Anthony." Ducky says as he can see how embarrassed and upset Tony is. Tony feels so miserable, that he just nods his head and follows Ducky. Palmer and McGee place the body into the body bag on the gurney, after Ziva bags the feather.
The pain in Tony's navel gets worse and seems to be spreading to his right side and his head starts pounding. He realizes that he is even feeling a bit hot. Well making an ass of yourself in front of your team and your Boss, who's already mad at you, will make anyone a bit hot under the collar.Tony admits as he follows Ducky and Jimmy back to the van.
"Mmm Boss, so do we have to bag DiNozzo's puke too?" McGee asks as he and Ziva shudder.
"What do you think, McGee?" Gibbs snaps as lightening flashes through the sky.
"Yes, we must." Ziva replies as she kneels next to McGee and covers her nose, as they bag the puke. They then hastily turn back to bagging the leaves.
What the hell's going on with you DiNozzo? Gibbs wonders just as the first rain drops start to fall.
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Author's Note :
Poor Tony…. Are things going to get worse?
And where will the investigation into the Officer Derricks mutilated body lead to?
Stay tuned to find out and please review this chapter. Thanks…