Chapter 2
The Director was waiting in his office for the call, the call that he had waited the last few months for.
Kara Pickens had been a thorn in his side. He remembered vividly the day that he got the initial call from Gibbs about the death of Laura Pickens.
***Flashback***
The intercom crackled to life suddenly, and the voice of his assistant startled the Director, "Um sir, Gibbs is on line 1" Pam hesitantly replied.
"Patch him through please Pam" Vance replied.
"Leon we got a problem" Gibbs said in a rush that Vance had never heard from the man. For as long as he had known him Gibbs was always a slow speaker, he always exuded confidence.
"Yea we do. I am due to leave soon to go home, the first night in a month where I'll be home for dinner. Jackie has been on me to get home earlier. Don't make me renege on a promise Gibbs" Leon replied with his ever present toothpick kneading around in his mouth.
"Well Director" Gibbs snapped out and lacing a bit of sarcasm on the title "Laura Pickens is dead. I think that warranted your attention"
Vance nearly swallowed his toothpick whole upon hearing the news. "What do you mean dead? I thought that you had your best agent, Dinozzo, on the scene?" Now it was Vance's turn to lay on the sarcasm in way of titles.
The sarcasm did not go unnoticed but Gibbs thought it best to let it drop here, I mean after all a little girl was dead.
"Yea well we didn't account for Kara wanting to see her daughter one last time. Or that she would use force to get around the armed protection." Gibbs said sighing.
"Okay Gibbs get everything processed and off to Scuito. I want Kara found now" Leon bit out before abruptly hanging up.
Gibbs was surprised to hear dial tone and wondered if the feeling of annoyance that he was feeling at this moment was what others felt when he employed the same conversation ending tactic.
***End of Flashback***
Leon had never gotten home that night, and in fact the three succeeding days he rarely saw the outside of his office or the squad room.
He hounded the team for answers daily but in the end the trail went cold, and he eventually had to close the case.
He never figured out why that case bothered him so much but he chalked it up to the fact that he had kids.
So now all these months later he was like a hound out for blood. He wanted Pickens found, alive, because death would be too easy for her.
He wanted her to pay for all those lives that she ruined. All those families that she tore apart.
Sure nothing could ever bring their loved one's back, but the imprisonment of a perpetrator would bring closure, to everyone.
He also knew that the team needed this.
The team had changed a lot since that case.
In the weeks following the tragic death of Laura he began to notice that the team became more distant between one another, and it even got to the point where the best team had to be taken off rotation.
Being taken off the rotation did them good.
They had team building exercises and workouts, and the sweat and pain that the team members endured in the military style workout seemed to do them well.
Little by little the team got back on track. No more barriers separated the team.
It had been hard…on everyone…which was why the capturing of Pickens would be such vindication.
And so Leon settled in to wait. He had already called Jackie and told her to not wait up.
That was one conversation that went better than expected.
***Flashback***
"Pam hold my calls while I am on the phone please", Leon said while he breezed past the secretary and into his office.
"Yes sir" Pam replied.
"Vance residence" Jackie replied with a warm voice.
"Hi honey, I am just calling to say that it will be a late night" Vance said and steeled himself for his wife's argument.
"What, why? Leon you promised to read Kayla the rest of Judy Bloom tonight" Jackie huffed out. Sometimes being married to the head of a federal agency really sucked.
"I know but something, unexpected, came up sweetie." Leon replied with compassion hoping that would soothe some of Jackie's anger.
"Yea what could be more important than family Leon" Jackie bit out.
All Vance could say was "Kara Pickens" and before he could say anything else he was interrupted.
"You mean the woman who killed her daughter?"
"Yes dear, that would be her"
"Well Leon I understand. May not like it but I understand"
"Thanks hunny. I'll call you when I am on my way" Vance said before disconnecting the call.
***End of Flashback***
So now Leon waited for the call. He knew that the call would come in soon. He settled in to wait.
About twenty minutes after Leon called Jackie the desktop phone crackled to life. This was it he thought.
This was going to be the end of it.
Vance picked up the phone and waited with baited breath to hear what the team leader had to say on the other end of the line.
Before he could get a word in edge wise the man on the other end of the line began talking and a short five minutes later Vance hung up the phone.
He never got to speak a word.
Never got to say congratulations on a job well done.
All he thought as the call disconnected and he numbly put the phone back on its cradle was how that was not the way the call was supposed to play out.
There was going to be no celebrating tonight, he was sure of that.
Somehow Vance managed to make it out to the exterior of his office to bid Pam a goodnight before sprinting out of the office and to the stairs.
The elevator would take too long.
He needed air now.
Now!
When he finally made it outside he was greeted with cold air and lots of noise, people calmly going about their night with no care in the world. They all jubilantly laughed to what seemed like meaningless jokes and stories.
Completely and blissfully unaware.
That unawareness was something that Vance wished he had.
Everyone scurried home to their loved one's unaware that they had just lost a good guy tonight. Potentially lost a protector.
That harsh reality was the only thing on Vance's mind as he made his way to his car.
He lost a great agent.
But he knew that he had lost an even better man.
….
***Flashback, Pickens Residence***
Gibbs' team rushed into the Pickens compound.
It seemed like a small eternity before anyone made any moves.
However in mere minutes the scene crackled to life, Kara's life preserving instincts kicked in, and the team's training kicked in.
"Put the gun down Kara" Gibbs said while having his gun trained on the hated villain.
"I don't want to, Agent Gibbs, I still have plans" Kara said snidely.
"Well those will have to be put on hold, Kara" Gibbs replied with a small amount of venom in his voice.
"No I don't think that will do. I have so much left to do" Kara said while she internally calculated her next move.
"Don't make me say it again. Put the gun down!" was all Gibbs felt was left to say.
"No, you lose Gibbs" Kara said while she moved a fraction of an inch and let out a succession of three rounds.
At the sound of gunfire the team's instincts kicked in.
Gibbs let out two shots.
Tony let out a few shots of his own.
Ziva got out a single shot as well.
Kara went down in a heap of red hail. But the smile on her face was unnerving to all involved.
"You still lose Gibbs" Kara said in her last breath.
The team couldn't understand what she meant.
Then their minds finally reengaged with the scene.
Where was Tim?
Where were his shots?
Looking out over the scene Gibbs saw the junior agent about to hit the ground hard.
Tim's hand was covering his stomach, but the palm was covered in a burgundy color, an unnatural color for the otherwise pale man.
He had a look of disbelief as he crumpled to the floor.
This wasn't what was supposed to happen everyone thought.
Gibbs recovered fastest and reached Tim in time to softly lower him to the ground as gently as he could.
Gibbs added his own hand to try and stem the flow of blood coursing out and onto the dirty floor.
"Tim you listen to me you don't have permission to die" Gibbs said in a menacing voice.
"W-W-W-what happened B…Boss" Tim said in a slow, shaky voice.
"Tony call an ambulance" Gibbs said ignoring Tim's question.
In the background Gibbs could hear Tony frantically calling a hospital and Ziva was scrumaging around for anything that would stem the flow of blood.
"Help is on the way Tim" Gibbs said. "Everything will be fine" Gibbs said willing himself to believe the latest statement.
"S..Sure Boss" Tim said trying to keep his heavy lidded eyes open.
"Gibbs I found this blanket we can wrap around Tim, yes? Ziva asked with uncertainty. Even though she dealt with death for much of her life, she had never been privy to the moments between life and death when it came to those she cared about.
Taking the old blanket from the agent Gibbs said "Yes" while he began to wrap the dingy blanket around Tim's midsection.
The actions elicited a groan from Tim, but Gibbs took it as a sign of recognition.
"Where is the damn ambulance" Gibbs muttered while Tim's breaths became shallower and shallower.
"They should be here soon" Tony said from his perch by the door. He was waiting for the hint of the life saving medics so he could be ready for their arrival.
Moments later the red flashing lights pulled into the still driveway and the medics bustled out with all their equipment.
"What do we have" one sandy haired medic said upon entering the house.
"Two shots to the abdomen" Gibbs shortly replied. The less talking the better to him.
"Okay, sir we need to you step back so we can work" the sandy haired man said.
Gibbs moved out of the way and watched in morbid fascination as the two medics barked out medical jargon that he would never understand, and as the two people worked in tandem preparing Tim for transport.
A short five minutes after the medics arrived they were bustling towards the ambulance and preparing Tim for the journey to the hospital.
Gibbs jumped in the back without a second thought, and before the doors closed behind the other medic, Gibbs barked at the other agents, "Call Balboa tell him he has a scene to process. Wait here and then meet me at Bethesda.
And with that the ambulance roared to life and made another endless journey with a sick man to treatment.
In its wake left the other half of team Gibbs.
All they could do was stare at the white van until it was out of sight.
"I'll call Hank and get him down here" Ziva softly said.
Tony only nodded.
…
"Mark he is crashing we need to get to the hospital now!" A medic barked from the back as Tim's vital signs tanked and a loud monotonous beep was emitted.
Upon seeing this Gibbs told a strong hold of Tim's hand and fiercely declared, "Tim do not give up. Not now!"
Clouded emerald eyes opened and they caught the equally clouded cobalt eyes.
Tim slowly muttered something too soft for human ears to detect.
"What was that Tim" Gibbs said.
Tim endeavored to speak louder his time.
What he had to say was important.
"Take care of Abby for me. And tell Ziva I love her" Tim replied breathless.
"Tell them yourselves McGee" Gibbs replied. Seeing his agent this weak scared him. He began to think that maybe he didn't have as much clout with death as he thought.
"Please Boss, promise me you'll do that" Tim stated.
"Tim" Gibbs said dangerously.
"Boss come on" Tim said breathlessly.
"Fine Tim. But I still think that you'll be fine" Gibbs said.
However even as he said that Tim's heart flat lined.
The medic began slapping electrodes onto the bare chest and Gibbs watched in horror as Tim's chest unnaturally arched as the electricity hit his heart.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beeep.
The beeping got longer and the monitors started showing flat lines. There were no arches showing signs of life.
Tim McGee was lifeless. The hand intertwined with Gibbs' was cold.
"Mark time of death 10:20" a medic said while disconnecting the electrodes from the bare chest in a professional way that made Gibbs want to scream.
The beeping stopped.
Breathing deepend.
All was silent.
Tim was dead, Gibbs thought to himself.