Author's Note: Even though this isn't really a mystery, even the small little plot here required some research and thought (not in keeping with my winging it sort of writing style), hence the delay in updating. Got it sorted now, though, so hopefully there will be more frequent updates.


Agent Meredith Brody entered the New Orleans' NCIS office, expecting friendly greetings from her coworkers. Or, at least a distracted 'welcome back' if they were busy.

She received neither.

The building seemed quite desolate. She'd talked to LaSalle yesterday, and he said things were pretty dead, but the agents surely wouldn't have both taken off? Someone had to be on call in case of emergency. Or had they figured that just coming back from her triannual evaluation in D.C. (her flagged status for past mistakes annoyingly meaning that her supervising agent's performance review wasn't enough to satisfy the bureaucracy), she wouldn't mind sitting around waiting for some excitement to befall their little office after the tedious week.

"Hello?" she tried. "Anybody home?"

No reply came, so she did a quick search of the building, pulling out her cell phone and calling the senior agent as she made her rounds. It went to voicemail.

"Hey, Pride. It's Brody. Just got back in, wondering where everyone's at. Give me a call when you can."

As LaSalle's phone rang on and on and on... Brody began to develop a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She paced about in front of her desk as the call finally went to voicemail and that uneasy feeling turned into a knot. Something was up. It was 11am. There were still signs of breakfast lingering in the kitchen sink, and the place had gotten a little cluttered again in her absence. She shuddered to recall the mess it had been when she'd first arrived all those months ago.

It might be nothing, but... she walked over to LaSalle's desk. There was a partially constructed plastic block sculpture and a plethora of random lego spread across the desktop, strewn over, under and in piles of paperwork. A glance over at Agent Pride's space informed her his neatness level was no higher. Men. Well, at least these two...

Brody pawed through the items on LaSalle's desk with extreme caution. Firstly, because she was aware of the invasion into his space that it was, especially when maybe he and Pride had just gone out for an early lunch. And secondly, because she feared what might lay hidden amongst the debris... a molding half eaten sandwich, maybe. Or a rat feasting upon such an offering.

Just some old personnel files, potentially relevant to a current case, or just something the agent had never bothered to properly file away. For all of his multitasking abilities, LaSalle was poor at organization... at least any sensical organization. Brody had to admit that maybe it did make sense in his own brain.

She started with an outcry on her lips, pulling her hand hastily away.

Ew! Ew! Ew! Why were men so disgusting?! Her fingers had come in contact with something... soggy...

She warily lifted the corner of the last file she'd glanced at, and reassured herself it was merely the a remaining bite of a jelly donut, oozing its contents onto the desktop, rather than something even more disturbing.

Brody decided to move on to Pride's desk, which was only marginally better, not so filthy, but just as disorganized. Nothing significant stood out. No file left open, half-perused, no scribbled notes on the legal pad. It was hard to say if they might have pulled a case that had them rush out the door that morning, perhaps that lead them to a place with no cell service. Not entirely improbable, considering vast portions of the bayou obviously boasted no cell towers.

But there was someone who might have some intel on the whereabouts of her two missing boys.

Brody called the coroner's office. When she was finally connected through to Dr. Wade, the medical examiner informed her that the last she'd seen of the two missing agents, they'd been standing in on her preliminary examination of the recently discovered corpse of Coporal Richard Waller.

/They got a call and rushed right on outta here./

"Do you know what the call was about?" Brody asked. It could've just as easily been entirely unrelated to the case, but her gut told her to go with the only lead she had. And she'd spent enough time with Agent Jethro Gibbs, and now Agent Dwayne Pride, to know to trust her instincts.

/Not specifically, no, Agent Brody. But Pride did say they'd caught a lead, before he and LaSalle went runnin' off./

"And I don't suppose they let you in on any specifics of said lead?"

/You know you agents.../

Brody sighed. She needed to train her boys to play better with others. Oh, they were all smiles and southern charm, but they played their cards close to their vests. And now if they'd gotten into some sort of trouble, it might just cost them severely.

"Alright, Dr. Wade. Can you send me your final report? Maybe that will provide a clue to where Pride and LaSalle have run off to. I'll let you know-"

/Wait a minute, dear. Sebastian just rushed in here and is jumpin' up and down like a kid in a candy shop./

Brody heard the medical examiner attempt to calm the overenthusiastic forensics geek in distant, partially muffled tones, and then there was a change in the sound quality, sounds coming through sharper and tinnier.

And then Loretta Wade's dulcet tones returned.

/Now, Sebastian, tell Agent Brody what's got you all worked up./

Sebastian's much more agitated voice began to clip out the information he had to impart at a rapid pace.

/The substance found on Waller's clothing was, just as suspected -although I don't know where Agent Pride found the data on which to base his initial surmise-/

"Sebastian, please!" Brody didn't feel guilty for snapping at the rambling man over the phone. Normally, she'd try to be more diplomatic, but there was that uneasy feeling twisting her gut, making her feel like she was under the wire. "In simple terms, what have you found? And what does it have to do with whatever case Pride and LaSalle are working?"

/Gold, Agent Brody!/

"Gold?"

/Well, actually the traces of gold dust were negligible, but combined with the presence of a cyanide solution and zinc on the deceased's clothing…/

"English, Sebastian."

/The corporal was likely involved in the process of melting down gold, specifically gold with impurities./

Gold? What the hell? Were they in some sort of Indiana Jones movie?

"And you told Pride this?" she asked, trying to confirm the specifics of what her fellow agents knew, what they had to go on, before they disappeared.

/He made me make any educated guess, yes./

"And then they left in a hurry?"

/Well, he received a phone call first./

"Is that all you guys got?"

/Unfortunately, yes./ Loretta joined the conversation once more. /I wish we could shed some more light on the case for you, Agent Brody. But we honestly don't know where the evidence may have taken Agents Pride and LaSalle./

"It's a start, Loretta," Brody said, noting the concern in the older woman's tone, one that hinted Dr. Wade likely also had an uneasy feeling in her gut. "Thanks, guys."

/Let us know when you hear anything./

"Will do."

Brody ended the call. The clues had to be here, in the office. Her boys had no more information than she did right now, and yet they had gone off (knowing them, half-cocked) and apparently had gotten themselves into some sort of trouble...

Or she was just freaking out for no good reason.

She tried calling both of their cell phones again, but was directed to voicemail for each.

Or not...


A/N: Well, at least Brody's aware there's trouble… Now can she figure out where the boys are, and save their butts?