When Gibbs walked into the bullpen on Monday morning he knew something was different. He couldn't really explain it, but that's why they called it a gut feeling.
He knew Morrow had left for his position with Homeland Security. They had said their farewells on Friday; Gibbs didn't do social functions so he wasn't at the party.
Besides, there would've been politicians and journalists there to 'celebrate.' As much as he hated social functions, he hated politicians more.
As such, he had no idea who the new Director was. Morrow had dropped a hint that he would definitely enjoy whoever it was, and went to a lot of trouble to keep it a secret. Gibbs didn't mind. He figured he'd know soon enough so he didn't bother to push the issue.
As he looked up from his desk, though, and watched the red headed woman walk down the stairs, he almost wished he had. Some forewarning might have been nice.
He stood and walked over to meet her. "Jen," he said, a warning and a question in his voice.
"Hello Jethro," she smiled. "It's been too long."
He gave a laugh, "Always moving up, huh Jen?"
Her smile faltered for a moment, and he knew the barb struck, but she was already covering it up. "Well not all of us are content to remain a case agent for the rest of their life," she replied.
He read her eyes and backed down for the moment, "So, Jenny. Director of NCIS. Impressive. Hadn't heard from you in a while."
She took the less personal route in answering his question, "I've been keeping a lower profile in the field. Need-to-know operations. I guess you didn't need to know."
He saw her eyebrow raise in challenge and a smirk lit up her face but he caught sight of Kate coming from the elevator and changed the subject.
"I'll show you my team. You should know who you're sending out there," he turned her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Kate," he called. "Director Jennifer Shepard. Director, Special Agent Caitlin Todd."
"Very nice to meet you, Madam Director," Kate shook the offered hand.
A look flashed across Jen's face that he barely caught. It was familiar and yet he hadn't seen it before. He recognized the face she used after that though; she was keeping a secret and needed to recover.
"Please, Agent Todd. Just Director Shepard or ma'am. Not Madam," she laughed to let Kate know it wasn't personal.
"Of course, ma'am," Kate agreed.
McGee walked in a moment later and Gibbs let Kate take care of the introductions as he observed Jen.
She's changed.The thought shocked him, although he knew it shouldn't. It had been years, after all. It wouldn't make sense if she'd stayed the same, but it really drove home how long it'd been.
There was an easy and confident air about her that he knew she must have worked on. Her face, too, she'd been training. He could still read her but it wasn't as easy as it used to be. And to his agents who were just meeting her, he would bet that it was hard for them to see what she was hiding.
Jen's always been good at keeping secrets. But she's crap at hiding the fact that sheknows something. Her face is still expressive, still open. But there's something guarded that wasn't there last time.
He was unsettled by this new Jen. This Director Shepard. But he'd be damned if he let it show.
DiNozzo walked in fifteen minutes later, giving him some half-ass excuse and he waved it off. Jen had left a couple of minutes ago to meet the other teams, but he knew that Tony at least knew that he had a history with Jen. He'd been here too long to have not heard her name connected to one of Gibbs' old ops. Tony was a good enough investigator to fill in the blanks.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs called without looking up from the report he was reading.
"Yeah Boss?" he answered hesitantly, not sure if he'd be chewed out for being a little late.
Gibbs smirked, it's good that I can still keep him guessing. "New Director's over there." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and watched as DiNozzo stood and looked around.
He saw Jen but it took a moment for his face to light with recognition.
He looked back to Gibbs, who was finally looking up. "Really?" he drawled.
A sharp nod from Gibbs was all the answer he got, so Tony walked around his desk to go make his first impression and see what he could wheedle out from her. Gibbs just shook his head as he heard Tony's voice floating back to them. His phone rang and he grabbed it before the first trill was over.
"Gibbs," he said. He listened for a moment before replying, "Got it."
He hung up and called to his team, "Gear up. Two Navy Lieutenants found dead." He locked his Sigin place at his hip, grabbed his phone and said, "Kate, grab the truck. McGee, grab DiNozzo."
He watched with a smile as his agents scurried along and he made his way to the elevator, catching the look that Jenny sent his way.
He just shrugged his shoulders. You're the Director. Go figure it out. Of course she'd be apprised of the situation as soon as she was back in her office.
But it was more fun this way.
The crime scene was a mess. There didn't seem to be any indication of what fueled the murders, aside from the missing hands. Their wallets and other valuables were still there. No witnesses, and only an anonymous call to report the crime.
It wasn't too far off the road but it was an odd place to pull over. If they had in fact pulled over, but the car hadn't sustained any significant damage to suggest that they were forced off the road.
The fatal gunshots to their heads indicated a close range between them and their killer or killers. It would have been somewhat straightforward, except for the fact that they were each missing their right hands. It could be a serial killer, but Gibbs hadn't heard anything to suggest there was one in the area, and until he had anything to point in that direction, he'd treat the missing hands as a clue toward the killer's motive.
His best guess was that they were pulled over by someone or were already stopped for some reason and the killer approached them from behind. There had to have been a reason for the murders, and the missing hands were part of that reason. He wasn't really sure why the car had been moved if that was the case, but at a yell he turned to see Kate and McGee running up the hill from the location of the car.
He heard Kate yell, "Bomb!" But that was all she managed before a blast rocked the scene. He turned quickly, eyes searching for his agents.
"Tony!" Kate yelled. His heart stopped as he looked around and saw that DiNozzo wasn't there.
A moment later, though, he saw Tony crawl over the guardrail and he could breathe again. He called Ducky over and they all made their way quickly to check on Tony.
"What the hell happened?" Gibbs turned to McGee and Kate once he was sure that Tony was ok.
McGee started, "Well, um. We were, we were-"
Gibbs cut him off with a glare, his need for an answer outweighing his willingness to let McGee attempt to finish a sentence.
Kate spoke up instead, "There was a snake on my foot. Tony pulled it off and made a joke about it so I pushed him back and he fell. McGee was opening the trunk when Tony yelled and jumped up.
"He kept a hand down on the trunk and said there was a bomb and that when McGee opened the trunk he had armed it. It would explode when the trunk opened the rest of the way and we couldn't attempt to disarm it. He told us to get up the hill and tell you and then, apparently, he detonated it."
Gibbs was furious and scared and he let his anxiety at almost losing his whole team bleed into his anger, "No one saw the bomb until then?"
Kate and McGee looked down, "No." "No, Boss."
"And then you let DiNozzo. DiNozzo! Who was just released from the hospital after having plague. Who came back early and who you both knew wasn't feeling one hundred percent yet. You let him detonate the bomb and run from the blast," Gibbs yelled.
Kate looked upset and McGee looked ashamed but Gibbs didn't really notice. He had several other problems to deal with.
"McGee, call the bomb squad. Kate, compile everything we had since the crime scene is gone now," he called as he walked back over to Tony.
He nodded to Ducky who gave him a light pat on the shoulder. Gibbs acknowledged the warning with another nod and he took a breath before addressing Tony.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he asked quietly, his voice hard.
Tony looked unrepentant, "Believe me, if there had been another way to do that, I would've done it. But the bomb was armed and McGee was already panicking. Besides," Tony puffed up a little. "It's my job as Senior Field Agent to protect my Probie. And Kate."
Gibbs gave a smile and patted DiNozzo lightly on the head, "That's good work, Tony."
They turned over what was left of the crime scene to the bomb squad and local leo's once they arrived.
What little they had managed to collect and document they packed into the truck and then headed back to base.
He wasn't looking forward to explaining what had happened to Jen, so when he got back he ordered the team to do what they could and compile a list of possible suspects and motives.
He went out to grab a coffee.
The baristas had learned to recognize him long ago, and got his order ready as soon as they saw him. He had the exact change ready for them when he got his coffee, plus a tip. He left slowly, not in any rush to get back. Something caught his eye and he turned to examine it more closely.
A yellow sports motorcycle. He growled, eyes searching the crowd for the face of that bastard. Ari.
"Agent Gibbs, how nice to see you again," the voice that had haunted him since that day in autopsy spoke from nearby. He turned carefully, his hand reaching to rest on his gun, but Ari put up his hands, frowning.
"No need for that yet, Gibbs," Ari smirked and gestured to the other patrons of the coffee shop sitting at tables nearby. "We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, now would we? Come, sit with me," he continued. "I promise to tell you where the bomb is if you do."
Gibbs didn't immediately jump at the offer, but after scanning the surrounding area he felt better that Ari was here alone, so he sat down opposite Ari, leaning back a little.
"What do you want, Ari?" he asked roughly, in no mood to play any games.
"I just wanted to ask after your team. I heard all sorts of nasty rumors about a car bomb and I was worried," Ari smiled nastily.
Gibbs jumped to the only conclusion that made sense, "You planted the bomb. Why?"
"Because I could," Ari smirked and leaned back. "I wanted to talk to you and I figured that would get your attention."
"Oh, you've got it now," Gibbs said tightly. "And you'll have it after I bring you in for the murder of two enlisted men and the attempted murder of three federal agents."
"Now why would I let you do that?" Ari didn't look worried. "As I said, I just wanted to talk."
Gibbs wasn't listening, though, and instead had one hand on his gun while the other withdrew his cell phone.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Gibbs," Ari continued. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "You see, I guessed you might not want to talk, so I've hidden a bomb, or maybe two, I can't really remember, under one of the tables here."
He turned around to wave at a little girl who sat at a nearby table with her mother. "You sit there nicely and listen to what I have to say, and I'll tell you where it is."
His options cut off, Gibbs moved both his hands into view on top of the coffee table, "Talk then."
"Hamas is getting suspicious. And they want revenge on NCIS and you for interfering with their last project," Ari said, looking unconcerned. "They have ordered me to kill you."
Gibbs snorted, "I'm sure you're really broken up about it."
"Not particularly," Ari replied. "But I decided to tell you because I know you're a good little patriot. This is bigger than you. If I can convince them to trust me they'll tell me vital information. They're planning an attack soon."
Gibbs gnashed his teeth together, "You can bet I won't kill myself and help you out. You want me, come and get me." His voice turned deadly serious, "Leave my team out of this."
Ari merely shrugged and stood, "I had to make it look like I was trying, at least. Stay where you are until I'm gone."
"The bomb, Ari?" Gibbs reminded him.
Ari pulled on his helmet and lifted the face shield, "There isn't one. I lied." He revved his bike and sped away. Gibbs watched him go, and then looked frantically back to the other customers.
He checked under his table first, knowing that collateral damage of innocents would probably come later if Ducky's assessment of the terrorist was correct.
He grimaced when he saw the blinking light and carefully removed the bomb from under the table. He hid it in his jacket and walked briskly away from the shop, moving into a nearby alley before sprinting. He glanced down and saw the ticker was almost at zero and pulled the bomb out, looking for somewhere he could put it to isolate the blast. Seeing a dumpster nearby, he chucked it in and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
The explosion wasn't very large, but it knocked him off his feet and he covered his head, breathing deeply and cursing Ari's name. He called the police to get someone on the scene and promised to give his statement over the phone from NCIS when they called, then he headed back.
As soon as he was back in the bullpen his team bombarded him.
"Boss, FBI says-"
"Gibbs, where have you been?"
"Um, Boss, I tracked-"
"Gibbs!"
"One at a time," he growled, sitting behind his desk and looking at his agents expectantly, ignoring Fornell for the moment. DiNozzo cleared his throat and started, "A group has stepped forward claiming responsibility for the murders and the bomb."
DiNozzo hesitated but Gibbs answered glibly, "Yeah, DiNozzo. I know."
"This group is-" Tony began. "Wait. You know?"
"That's what I said," he replied.
Kate jumped in next, her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "How do you know? They just called in."
"I heard it firsthand," he answered unhelpfully.
"Boss," Tony was serious now. "The group is a terrorist cell. One that the FBI just found out Ari is running instead of infiltrating. You went out for coffee. How did you hear it?"
Gibbs shuffled through some papers and answered calmly, "Well, DiNozzo. Ari was at the coffee shop. Wanted to tell me something and he took credit for the double murders and the bombs."
"When they called they told us what their next move would be. Said it wouldn't make a difference," Tony said at the same time Kate yelled, "Bombs!"
"There was only one bomb at the scene, Gibbs," she said hotly.
"Well, yeah, Kate. Ari's trying to kill me. Left a bomb at the coffee shop. I threw it down an alley. Locals are dealing with it," Gibbs didn't even look up from his papers.
"Yeah, that's what I was gonna tell you, Boss," Tony said guiltily. He retreated back to his desk and picked up his phone, speaking quietly into it a moment later.
When Jen walked down the stairs a minute later he shot an irritated look at Tony, but his agent was unrepentant.
"You wanna explain the situation to me, Agent Gibbs?" Jenny stood in front of his desk, arms crossed and an angry expression on her face. Fornell moved next to her and Jen didn't stop him.
He opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off, "Don't play cute, Jethro. I'll make it an order if I have to. I won't let this get out of control because you didn't feel like sharing all the relevant facts of this case."
He was very aware that they were having this conversation in the middle of the bullpen, so he lowered his voice, "Ari claimed credit for the murders and the bomb. I ran into him at a local coffee shop two blocks southwest of here. He told me that he has orders to kill me to prove his loyalty and left a bomb at the scene, which I took care of. Local police are handling the scene. Meanwhile, I have two dead Lieutenants whose families have no reasonable explanation for their deaths yet."
Jen replied just as quietly, although her voice was still stern, "Agent Fornell informed us the moment they received the intel. Ari isn't loyal to Mossad. He's leading the Hamas cell and they're planning an attack. We need to stop them. I am closing the case on the Lieutenants. Their killers have come forward and we can offer nothing else to their families. Your priority is this attack."
"Gibbs," Fornell began, but Gibbs just raised a hand. "I know, Tobias. But I'm not sitting this one out."
"Then for the duration of this assignment, you will be under protective custody," Jen said, cutting across his loud complaint and beckoning someone over.
"I'm sure you know Agent Todd," Jen smirked. Gibbs groaned when he saw a matching smirk on Kate's face. "I hear she used to protect the President." Jenny's voice turned quite serious, "You will follow her orders and not take any chances or I will bench you. Is that understood, Agent Gibbs."
"Perfectly," Gibbs ground out. "Director."
Jen smiled, "Good." She gave Fornell a nod of thanks and walked out of the bullpen, heading back up to her office.
Gibbs watched her go, then turned to find Kate standing in front of him, a Kevlar vest in her hands. "No," he said strongly.
"This isn't an option, Gibbs," Kate said as she handed it to him. "You wear it, or you don't work. You hear Director Shepard."
He shot her a dirty look, "I'm not wearing it at my desk."
"Fine," she agreed smoothly. "But you wear it whenever you're not here."
He nodded but Kate pressed on, "Whenever you're not here, Gibbs. I don't care if you're just going for coffee."
"Fine, Agent Todd," he growled. "Can we start investigating now?"
She acquiesced, and went back to her desk, bringing her computer screen up and starting the search once more for Ari.
Edited and re-posted on 4/11/14