Chapter 3

When they pulled into Montauk Point State Park, Tony found he was impressed with the LEO coverage of the scene. There were four State Troopers on scene in addition to the two that had met them at the airport. Once you got out of the Boroughs of New York City and away from the closest suburbs, crime fell relatively quickly. To have a congregation of this many law enforcement personnel this far north on the Island was tantamount to a convention.

"We need to get the scene worked quickly," Gibbs said as he pointed towards the churning ocean. "We've got a tide coming in, and the seas are higher than they were this morning. DiNozzo, I want you to sketch, McGee, photos. David, I want you with me."

Ziva looked miserable in the biting wind as she walked away with Gibbs. The pair met up with a couple Troopers who led them away to another SUV.

"Something seem fishy to you, Tony?" McGee asked quietly as he prepped the camera.

"You mean aside from standing on the beach as a Nor'easter approaches within spitting distance of an old fishing village? Absolutely nothing fishy, Probie," Tony quipped.

McGee glanced at Tony sideways. Translation: shut your yap and get to work. "Right."

Both men climbed over the snow covered dune to where the dead men lay. They shared a look when they observed the bullet holes in each of the officers' parkas and life vests. Tony ruled out 'ship in trouble' from his list of possible problems. It looked like much of the blood had been washed away, so he concluded that these men had been shot before washing ashore. He made a circuit around the bodies noting their positions. He paused and gazed out to sea, curiosity piqued.

DiNozzo took off his glove so he could use the sketch pencil. Every few minutes he stopped to put his hand in his pocket to warm it. There was nothing holding the wind back. He put the finishing touches on his sketch as McGee took a final few snaps. Gibbs sauntered over with Ziva, a Trooper and a slender young woman. Tony eyed the young woman appreciatively. He put on a charming smile. Then he saw Gibbs' expression. Not the time.

"If you're done here, I'm going to let Dr. Dubois look at the bodies so they can be released from the scene. "

McGee and Tony both nodded and went to stand by Ziva. The young doctor went to work. She rolled the men over. She inspected the bullet wounds and removed one dog tag from each man handing them over to Gibbs. The second tag would remain with the bodies. McGee snapped photos through the process, trying to capture some good pictures for Ducky to view.

"My best estimate for TOD is 24 to 48 hours ago. Sorry I can't give you a tighter timeline, but with these men landing in the ocean, it would have dropped their core temperatures much faster. The bodies are in rigor, but the full extent is difficult to tell due to some freezing of the bodies. Given the nature of the wounds, my opinion is that Lt. Stein here died from a bullet wound to his heart." She gestured over to the older officer, "Captain Richter here appears to have lived at least a little while after he was shot. His COD was most likely exsanguination but I can't rule out drowning or hypothermia."

The young doctor stood and crossed her arms. "I am releasing the bodies. I'd really like to know what you think is going on here."

Tony looked over to Gibbs, curious how he would respond. He had expected some ruffled feathers from the State Troopers, but not from the coroner. He almost smiled when Gibbs replied, "We've been on the scene less than an hour. I think you have a better idea what's happening here than we do. If there appears to be a threat to the local population we will notify local law enforcement immediately."

Dr. Dubois narrowed her eyes. "I'd believe that if these gentlemen were being sent via regular ground transport to Rhode Island. This isn't our first dead sailor, Agent Gibbs. I've worked with NCIS out of Rhode Island, and their M.E. has no knowledge of these men being delivered to his morgue."

"Rhode Island is swamped with cases, Dr. Dubois," Gibbs countered hotly. "All their MCRTs are in the field working cases. Seven bodies are on the way to Dr. Campbell's morgue. Now do you have any more insinuations to make or can we get these men on their way?"

DiNozzo almost felt sorry for the poor doctor as she stood with her mouth agape. She stared at Gibbs' back as he stalked off to the SUV. When she started ordering the EMTs that had arrived to transport the bodies, he decided he didn't need to feel sorry for her. He felt sorry for the EMTs.

Tony took one last look around the area in the fading light. He knew there was little chance of finding anything useful on the beach, but both protocol and his conscience demanded it. He handed McGee the sketchbook and asked him to bring it back with him to the SUV. Looking at Ziva shivering in the wind he took pity on her and told her to go warm up in the truck.

~*~*~*~

The drive down to Southampton had been long. The worsening weather had made what was usually an hour-long trip into a two hour nightmare. They had finally gotten settled in their rooms just after 1900. Gibbs still had not filled the team in on any details he was privy to. Tony was hoping they would get some information once the team met up for dinner.

When Tony sat down at the table with Gibbs, Ziva and McGee he knew by the look on Gibbs' face there would be no information forthcoming. Gibbs read the consternation on his senior field agent's face. He looked around the room and said quietly, "Too many ears. We need to eat quickly."

Halfway through the meal, McGee was looking at Tony with an indecisive expression. He kept looking like he was about to say something and then would pick at his food. After the fourth aborted attempt, Tony rolled his eyes and demanded, "What is it, Probie? Do I have lettuce in my teeth?"

Tim's mouth worked a moment. Gibbs stared at the computer expert. McGee started to look a little uncomfortable but finally spit it out, "Well, Tony, I remember you telling us a long time ago that you, uh, grew up on Long Island. You never really talked about it much. I was just wondering where you grew up, what it was like? I mean, this is your home, right?"

Tony sat back in his chair, his eyes turning stormy. Gibbs watched him carefully, unsure how his agent was going to react. McGee looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock from DiNozzo's scrutiny. Very quietly, Tony responded. "I was born at Southampton Hospital. My father's estate is just outside of Sag Harbor. I lived here until I was fourteen. I did not grow up here, and this is not my home."

Tony stabbed at the piece of chicken on his plate for emphasis. He held McGee's gaze while he brought the fork to his mouth, going through the motions of eating. He suddenly did not have much of an appetite. McGee looked away replying softly, "Got it, don't want to talk about it."

Ziva looked like she was going to come to Tim's defense, but a sharp glance from Gibbs told her to let it go. She turned her eyes to DiNozzo, watched as he tried to close the mask over his emotions. She had seen him in turmoil like this before: the entire trip back from California after Jenny had died.

Gibbs cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. "After we're done eating, we're heading over to the hospital to check on the patient."

Tony pushed his plate away from him while standing up. "I'm done, Boss," he forced out. "I'll meet you in the Lobby in ten."

Ziva noted the concern in Gibbs expression as he watched DiNozzo retreat. "Gibbs, what was that about?"

Their team leader turned and regarded Ziva and said gently, "Not my story to tell."

"I'm sor..." McGee started. He cut off the apology at the warning glare from Gibbs. "I didn't mean to upset him, I didn't think…" he let his excuse trail off expecting Gibbs to respond with a 'that's right, you didn't think'. When no response was forthcoming, he looked at Gibbs curiously.

The former Marine looked at his agents. He didn't need them walking on eggshells around Tony. There was too much at stake for his team to be anything less than one-hundred percent. He wasn't going to betray the confidence his senior field agent had entrusted him with, but he needed to make sure that Ziva and McGee didn't unintentionally provoke DiNozzo.

Looking at Ziva and McGee in turn he began, "I know you are both aware that DiNozzo did not have the best of childhoods. He's made enough cracks about it over the years. Unless he brings it up, just let his past lie."

Each agent nodded under Gibbs' stern gaze. They shared a look when Gibbs turned his attention back to his food. "Eat up," he ordered without looking up, "Next meal could be a while."

Ten minutes later the team was piling into a rental sedan that had been dropped off for their use. Gibbs pulled out of the parking lot and finally began to reveal some of the mystery without preamble.

"The Navy has lost a major asset. The three officers that washed up on shore were part of a five-man crew of an experimental sub. Sec-Nav wants to keep this as quiet as possible; the political ramifications of the U.S. losing this asset are serious. Two men are still missing. Last night when Lt. Hastings washed ashore he was aboard a rigid inflatable raft. He was suffering from severe hypothermia and frostbite. Until this morning, the Navy was concerned the sub had been lost at sea. This was the boat's sea trials. This morning, when the two officers washed up dead with gunshot wounds: that changed their entire outlook. Half the Newport fleet is pinging the hell out of the Atlantic from here to the Grand Banks. From what Admiral Davis told me, it may be a futile effort. This sub was the first in a new class of stealth submarines."

~*~*~*~

Tony stood outside the entrance to the hospital. It had changed in the twenty some odd years since he had last exited those doors. He didn't know who he was trying to fool, thinking he could come back here. After that graveyard conversation with Gibbs so many months ago he thought he had finally laid some demons to rest. He thought some of those scars had begun to fade. Yet here he was, standing outside a hospital unable to walk through the doors.

He had stalled at the car allowing Ziva and McGee to go in ahead of him. He didn't need their questions right now. Gibbs had followed them. The wind howled at his back and he hunched deeper into his parka. He seemed stuck in a juxtaposition of age and season - child to adult, winter to summer. His departure from this hospital had marked the most significant landmark of his childhood. When he left this hospital he was free: free to pursue his own life, his own dreams, to make his own way. Most importantly it marked his freedom from living under his father's hate.

He had never been able to reconcile why his father had hated him so. That great unanswered question was what kept him from going in those doors. To enter that hospital was to face that demon head on. He didn't know if he was strong enough to do battle that night.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs inquired his tone neutral.

Tony jumped. He hadn't heard the former Marine approach. In a rough voice the younger agent spoke, "This is the hospital I recovered in that summer after he beat me, when I filed for emancipation. Boss, I…." DiNozzo trailed off at a loss for more to say.

"DiNozzo, look at me," Gibbs commanded gently. When his agent complied he continued, "That hospital may represent a lot of things for you. But I need you here. I need your skills, your instincts. I know this is a difficult thing for you to face, especially with no warning. I hate that I have to ask it of you."

Gibbs watched as Tony worked through his request. He had felt like he had stabbed DiNozzo in the gut earlier today when he said they were going to Long Island. Now he felt like he was twisting the knife. He watched as DiNozzo rallied.

"Give me just another minute Boss; I'll be right behind you. What room?"

Gibbs held a smile in check as he replied while walking back towards the hospital, "ICU 4-C, fourth floor, take a left off the elevator."