Ch 2

When Gibbs team got to the crime scene, it was already a mess with an ongoing crowd and local news trying to get first-hand coverage. Gibbs' face cringed a bit because he can't stand dealing with the local media. To cope, he started assigning jobs for his team. "Ziva, samples. McGee, photos. DiNozzo, scout ahead to see any more evidence." Gibbs ordered.

"On it, boss." Tony said.

McGee answered after Tony. "Yes, sir."

Gibbs ordered one more thing to Ziva. "David, when you're done with the samples, give DiNozzo a hand."

"Right." Ziva said, then headed off to collect the samples.

60 yards away from the scene, Drift in his vechicle mode pulled up in front of a hardware store. "Are you sure about this, Kicker? There are Federal agents out here." Drift asked his human passenger.

"I know, but the victims are NEST operatives. Don't worry, I'll be far away from that mess of a crime scene. We'll do our own detective work when they're gone." Kicker said confindently.

"But if you get caught, Galloway will going to be furious. Plus, Prime will never let me hear the end of it either." Drift said while opening the door for Kicker.

"Well, if I do get caught, follow me anyway and contact Magnus." Kicker told Drift.

"Alright, Kicker." Talking to himself in Cybertronian. "Stubborn human, he's going to get himself killed one of these days."

Gibbs was heading over to get witness statements which didn't do him much good. "I'm special Agent Gibbs. I'm here to ask you a few questions."

"Ok." The waitress said to Gibbs.

Gibbs looks down on his notepad, then the waiteress. "So, did you see anyone outside this diner 2 days ago at midnight?"

The waiteress was in a bit stressed and doubtful. "Sort of. All that I was doing at the time was clearing some far off tables when I saw a small group of soldiers, Marines maybe just joking around being like long-time friends or something."

"Then what happen next?" Gibbs asks again.

"Only 2 of soldiers weren't talking that much which didn't bother me. Then I saw the soldiers head into the woods for some odd reason, when I went to the kitchen to unload the dish bins, I heard a siren of a cop car following the soldiers into the woods. That's the last I saw any of them."

Gibbs sighed a little. "Thank you for your cooperation, if you know anything more, please call this number." He handed her a business card.

"Of course." Then she accepted the card.

Gibbs headed back towards the scene where the Medical Examiner, Dr. Donald Mallard aka Ducky and Jr. Med. Examier Jimmy Palmer was determining the cause of death. "What do we have, Duck?"

Ducky looked up to see Gibbs. 'Oh Jethro, we got ourselves a real mindbender here."

"How so?"

Ducky lifted the dead marine's coat. "Do you see these incinsions: quick, perecise and without remorse. It is a real riddle."

"Like the Riddler on the original Batman back in the 60's." Palmer added making a TV show reference.

Gibbs and Ducky give him a confuse stares.

Palmer trys to save himself. "Yeah, you know "Riddle me this, Batman." Then gets another stare from Gibbs, trys to speak, but clears his throat. "Getting back to dating the deaths."

Ducky shakes his head. 'Mr. Palmer, I suggest that you hold back on your analogies for the off-hours."

"Yes, Dr. Mallard." Palmer looked down to read the thermometer. "The time of death for our poor soldiers was under 48 hours ago."

"I'll learn more when I have them on the table." Ducky told Gibbs.

Gibbs walks over to Palmer to whisper something in his ear. "You actually don't bug me as much as DiNozzo, let's keep it that way."

Palmer slightly nodded. "I'll keep that in mind.'

Kicker was ahead of Tony by 150 yards trying to get any clue on what happen to his fellow operatives. Kicker kneeled down to a puddle of bright blue metallic liquid, dabbing it a bit and talking to himself. "What happen to you, Lion...Scoop...Needle?"

Ziva finished taking samples for Abby and joined Tony in scouting. She's still cranky from earlier. Tony dared to ask why. "You seem a bit tense, quit being such a sore loser about the coffee."

"It wasn't just about the bet. When I went to get it, I bumped into some guy on the street. I didn't realize that the 10$ that you gave me fell out of my coat pocket until I was inside the shop. I felt a light tap and it was the same guy handing me the 10$ back." Ziva said.

"So, what's the matter?" Tony asked.

Ziva became annoyed. "He called me "ma'am". You know I don't like to be called "ma'am"."

"Oh believe me, how could I forget?" Tony added and letting out a small "shesh!" in the process.

Ziva was a few yards ahead of Tony when she heard the slesh. "I heard that, DiNozzo."

They have walked some more when they heard some leaves cracking and took out their 9mm handguns. Ziva step ahead to get a better view. By the time got to the source of the crackling leaves, she meet up with the last person she expected, Kicker.

Ziva raisie her gun and her voice. "NCIS!"

"Federal agents!' Tony added.

Kicker turned around with his hand up to see Ziva. "Oh, crap!"

"I can't believe it's..." Ziva added.

"It's you!"

Tony got confused. "Can anyone explain to me the connection here?" He was still having his gun pointing at Kicker.

"Remember that guy this morning?" Ziva asked Tony.

"Yeah?"

"Well..." Ziva bobbed her head in Kicker's direction.

Tony finally got the connection. "Oh! Bad news, dude, you shouldn't have called her ma'am."

Kicker was rolling his eyes in a "Oy" motion. "I can explain everything, but not here.'

Ziva was buying it. "Why should we go along with this?"

Kicker tried to word his occupation in the best way that he can. "I'm a US Elite operative on assignment...this assignment."

"Oh man, Gibbs is going to love this." Tony chuckled softly.

Kicker got very annoyed. "Oh really, try me. I got training that even challenged Navy SEALs and Israeli soldiers. I can probality make the outcome a draw with your lovely Hebrew coworker." He said trying to give a inkling of wit to Ziva.

Tony relaxed his face and lower his gun at that point. "How you know she's Israeli?'

Kicker raised his leg and gave it a few taps. "The fact she cursed in hebrew. Plus, her revolver strapped to her ankle is good clue and her Star of David pendant gives her away."

Ziva sighed as a result of this foolishness and put her gun back into its encasement. "What do you want? I didn't get your name when we knocked heads."

"For now, you can call me Kicker. But I need your help, this is far more dangerous than you realize at the moment. I'll come quietly, without any resistance but I need to avoid "The Media Horde". We don't need to have mass panic at this time." he said.

"Let me go over this with Agent David. Don't move." Tony told Kicker as he pulled Ziva over to the side. "Can we trust this guy?"

"No, but he maybe our only lead for now." She pointed out.

Tony looking back at Kicker. "Come on."

Kicker followed Ziva and Tony around the media towards the NCIS transport truck. "Before I tell you anything, I need to contact my bosses, they didn't expect you guys to be involved.

"Right, Kick-ah." Tony said mocking his nickname and was dialing his cellphone to reach Gibbs, then pointing back at Kicker and mouthing the words "dead man walking" to Ziva. "Come on, boss. Pick up."

Back the scene, Gibbs answers his cell and nods, he turns to face McGee. "McGee, we're bringing company back. Live company this time."

"Is it a suspect, boss?" McGee wondered.

"More or less."

Gibbs met up with Tony, Ziva and Kicker to head back to NCIS. While all of this is happening, Drift was still parked. He activated his holodriver and started his engine. He drove off following the NCIS truck at a distance, during this he contacted Ultra Magnus about the whereabouts of his human ward.

Kicker tried to whisper something to Tony. "How did you guys got here before me?"

"She drove." Tony said as he was pointing to Ziva.

"Oh crap, I'm done for." Kicker said to himself.