Title: Irretitus
Part: 3
Summary: What if Camerlengo Patrick McKenna was truly innocent and not the manipulative SOB he turned out to be?
Note: I want to thank Rap541, James Axelrad, Rashida, and Vi for their input and for their expertise. Without them, this story would not be what it is today.
Disclaimer: Angels & Demons and its characters are creations of Dan Brown, scenes are from Ron Howard and Imagine Entertainment. All NCIS characters are creations of Don Bellsario and owned by CBS. I make no money off this endeavor.
This story all started out as a "what if Camerlengo Patrick McKenna wasn't the manipulative bastard he turned out to be?"
Chapter 3
For the longest time McGee sat hunched over the computer, looking closely at the screen that held very little information. Thinking it might be better, he indicated the larger screen that was attached to one of the walls, "Can we use that?"
The Polizia intel analyst Maria Turano nodded. She opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out a remote. A short time later the two were now standing before the screen. "What is this?" McGee asked while shaking his head.
Maria shook her head. "Schematics of something, we are not sure at the moment."
"Not sure? I thought you'd be able to read this," the NCIS agent pointed to written text.
"This document is over six hundred years old. Things change, names change. And I have never seen this building before, if it is still standing," she finished with a whisper.
"There's nothing you recognize? Nothing at all?"
"Agent, we do not have records such as this for the very old buildings. Even though it could be at least six hundred years old, it looks like it might be older." Maria backed up and folded her arms. "Look at Castel Sante'Angelo. Emperor Hadrian built it as his mausoleum. We do not have access to it because even though it is in Roma, it is part of Vatican City. There are several other buildings like that. It is the duty of the Swiss Guard to protect the buildings of the Vatican.
"Really…," McGee's voice trailed off as he continued to look closely at the image on the large screen. I need to show this to Gibbs. He snapped back. "Can you keep this on the screen? I'll be right back," he said over his shoulder as he hurried through the door and out into the corridor.
"Boss," McGee blurted out as he burst into the room. The senior agent was still looking out the window as he answered, "What do you have McGee?" Gibbs turned around to look at the younger agent as if to prompt him.
"I really need to show you something. Uh…they were able to access one of the few files that wasn't entirely corrupted," he began as they moved into the corridor.
"And?" there was a slight edge to Gibbs' voice.
"I think they might have found something." McGee led Gibbs into the room he had been working in and stopped before the plasma screen which still had the image on it.
"Schematics of some sort," Gibbs muttered as he took a long look.
"The analyst never saw this before. She also thinks it's the schematics for one of the buildings here in Rome."
Gibbs cocked his head to the side before baking away. "And all the writing is in Latin," he muttered. "Get a copy of this. I want you to take a closer look at the Embassy."
"Sure, Boss," McGee pulled out a flash drive from his suit pocket and copied the image onto the portable drive. When he was finished, he followed the senior agent out of the tech room and back into the corridor to the offices they were initially brought to.
Several minutes later both Tony and Ziva met them.
"Boss?" Tony paused at the look Gibbs gave him.
"At the Embassy."
As soon as they were back at the Embassy McGee plugged in the flash drive into his computer. Once he deemed it safe and that it had not picked up any viruses, he accessed the image. The large plasma screen sharpened the image so it was easier to see than before. "I'm still not sure what I'm looking for, Boss," he said as he turned to look at the older agent.
"Keep at it, and let me know what you find."
"Right…." After a moment McGee turned around and realized he was alone in the room. "I wish Abby was here," he muttered as he went back to looking at the image on the screen.
Gibbs left McGee so he could see what Tony and Ziva had learned. Normally he would have asked them there at the Polizia headquarters, but he didn't feel right about it. Now at the Embassy, he felt better, but not by much. "What did you find?"
"Policing procedures are different," Tony looked with some disgust.
Ziva cut him off, "There was something interesting." The Israeli hesitated for a moment before continuing, "There was a rope used for scaling walls hanging from the top of the Passetto to the street."
"Could be anything, Boss…Boss?"
"Stay here," Gibbs ordered as he left the room. Several minute later he walked into the office of the ambassador without preamble. "Where's the Ambassador to the Vatican?" he demanded.
John Stanton looked up in surprise at the sudden interruption. He wore a dark suit with an American/Italian flag pin on his lapel. The NCIS director had warned him that Agent Gibbs was brusque at best. "Agent," he removed his glasses, "the post is vacant at the current time."
"Then how am I to contact Vatican City?" Gibbs began pacing the room.
"Until the post is filled, I perform some of the duties. Tell me, why do you have to contact them?"
"It is part of my investigation," Gibbs countered. He hesitated before finally sitting down in one of the available chairs. "There's been an interesting development in the case," he admitted.
"Of the missing Major?" Stanton leaned forward showing great interest.
"Maybe."
When Stanton realized that Gibbs would not offer any more information he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Figures," he muttered. Sighing, he shook his head. "Okay, what do you want to ask them?"
The sudden capitulation caught Gibbs completely off guard. The NCIS agent had clearly been gearing up for a fight he knew he would never wind, but recovered quickly. Before he could repeat what what he said, the Ambassador pushed forward a pen and piece of paper. "Here, that is if you think it might jeopardize your investigation."
"Thank you," the agent answered as he reached for the objects.
"While you're writing, make sure you put down your name and who you are working for. I'll have the courier send it over to the Vatican Security."
Gibbs gave him a long look. "I would think I would know that by now."
"Sorry," Stanton muttered.
"If your sending this directly to them, doesn't it need to be translated?"
"No." Stanton shook his head. "Most of the members of Security speak English."
After several minutes of writing, Gibbs folded and then handed the paper back to Stanton who in turn called one of the couriers that was on staff.
"I need you to take this over to," Stanton looked down to his notes, "Commander Chartrand."
"Is he head of the Swiss Guards or Security?"
"He's head of the overall security of the Vatican. He's not a member of the Guards. And he was promoted less that two weeks ago. I'm still trying to remember everyone's name since the election." He frowned, "It's just like one of our elections. When a Cardinal is raised to the Pontificate, everyone's positions changes within the hierarchy." He hesitated, "Well, maybe not exactly the same. Everyone is still in the hierarchy, just in different positions."
Gibbs left the office in search for his agents once again. McGee was where he expected, still staring at the image on the screen. "Find anything yet?"
"No, Boss. I think it'd be good if Abby was here to look at it."
"She's on the other side of the world right now, McGee. Keep at it." Gibbs looked around the room, checking to see if anything did catch his eye. On the table were a couple of photographs of several stone arches above a street.
"The Polizia were nice enough to give us copies of the images they took at the crime scene," Tony explained as Gibbs picked one of them up. He could just see something hanging down from the top of the image down to the street level.
"Is this the rope?"
"Yes, but they're not letting it go."
Gibbs looked over to DiNozzo, "Why?"
"They haven't said why."
"All right, see what else you can find out." The senior agent turned back to the image on the screen before leaving the room.
After lunch a member of the Ambassador's staff came in looking for Gibbs. The senior agent had come and gone several times, and just happened to be available. Apparently Stanton wanted to talk to Gibbs again. For the NCIS agent, the whole thing seemed rather odd. It was almost as if the government official was getting permission from another source. Knowing not to take anything for granted, Gibbs followed the staff member back through the building and to Stanton's office.
As before, the door was open enough so that Gibbs could see the Ambassador seated at his desk. The man seemed preoccupied with something or someone in his office. The receptionist frowned but eventually nodded towards the door. Acknowledging it, he reached his hand out, and pushed the door further open and stepped inside the room.
Gibbs had been right for Stanton wasn't alone. Seated across the desk from the Ambassador was a smart dressed man. He had sandy blond hair and a slight build. His size reminded him of their medical examiner, Dr. Donald Mallard, when he was much younger. The younger man turned and looked him over with one sweeping glance then turned his attention back to the ambassador.
"Agent, I would like to introduce to you Commander Georg Chartrand. He is head of Vatican City's overall security."
At the introduction, Chartrand stood up and gave Gibbs another once over before finally reaching out a hand in greeting.
"Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, NCIS," Gibbs pulled out his ID and showed it to the Commander before accepting the proffered hand. He never expected to see someone from the Vatican, and if he did think it would eventually be needed this was too early in the investigation.
"If you will come with me," the commander ordered while brushing past Gibbs on the way out of the office.
Giving Stanton a slight smile, Gibbs followed Chartrand out of the office and back into the corridor.
"I am to escort you to Vatican City," Chartrand frowned. He looked down and paused at the bulge where Gibbs had his shoulder harness. "And leave your weapon here."
For a moment Gibbs gave his own frown. It was one of those things he realized that if he wanted to get answers, he needed to go along with it.
"Vatican laws are different from Italian laws."
It was at that point Gibbs realized that he would be entering into another country. "All right," he nodded in acquiesce. "I need to let my people know."
With Chartrand's nod, Gibbs went back to the room he had his suitcase and stored his weapon then went back over to the room where his agents were the last time he saw them. McGee was still standing in front of the plasma screen and muttering to himself, while Tony and Ziva were at their computers.
"I told you McGee, Abbey's not here."
"I know, Boss," McGee sighed as he turned to look back at him.
"Keep at it." He put a hand on McGee's shoulder. The simple action seemed to create a spark in the younger agent's eyes.
"Don't worry, Boss. I'll figure it out."
Getting the reaction he wanted, Gibbs turned to leave and found Chartrand standing in the doorway and staring intently at the image. Interesting.
The commander shook himself out of his trance.
"What's going on, Boss?"
"Yeah?" Tony looked up from his own work.
"This is Commander Chartrand of Vatican City Security," Gibbs introduced the commander to the rest of his team. "Someone in the Vatican wants to talk to me. Probably their prime minister, or whatever the position is called.
"And weapons are not allowed in the Holy See except for select members of Security."
"If you need me, call," Gibbs said over his shoulder as he left the room and back into the hall. As soon as they exited the building, Chartrand pulled out a packet of cigarettes and drew one out. He lit the narrow roll of tobacco from a generic lighter and took a deep breath. After a few minutes they moved in the direction of the parking lot. "How long will this take," Gibbs asked as he managed to fold himself into the small car.
Ten minutes later the two were walking through the corridors of the Apostolic Palace. In all his years, Gibbs had never expected to be where he was at this moment. Yes, he had been in the White House and other important buildings within DC, but this was different. "Does the Prime Minister know I'm coming?" Chartrand had never told him whom he was meeting.
They stopped in a simply decorated room that looked suspiciously like a foyer.
"Who said you were going to meet with the Cardinal Secretary of State?" Chartrand went over to a phone and dialed a number. After a moment he said something in Italian. A few moments later he answered again then replaced the receiver.
Gibbs had no idea what was happening until the door opened and a priest slipped out of the next room.
"Agent Gibbs?" the newcomer asked in heavily accented English.
"Yes?"
"You may enter now."
TBC…..