Emily's dark eyes roamed around the shrubs and trees that surrounded her as she made her way through the woods, following her boss who quickly kept up with Gibbs and Derek. She turned to her brother beside her and gently tapped his arm. "So how come you haven't caught this guy yet? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It's been a couple weeks, yeah. But Gibbs was too stubborn to call anyone else in for help."

The brunette's eyes widened as her brother helped her jump down off of a small, stoned ledge. "So because he's hardheaded, he let more marines and lieutenants die?"

Tim shook his head as he and Emily made their way past the yellow caution tape. "You don't know my boss, Em."

"I know that what he did made innocent men die." She shook her head, shrugging away from her brother's hand. "Innocent men who were fighting for our country, Timmy."

"Emily I know tha-"

"Well apparently your boss doesn't." Emily felt herself roll her eyes before hiking through a couple more shrubs to stand next to her boss. She looked down to the victim whose neck was severely lacerated, his right hand lying just over his heart. "It's as if he's saying the pledge."

"The pledge?"

Gibbs looked over to the paramedic with annoyance clear in his eyes. "Of allegiance." He turned his gaze back down to the body, feeling the presence of his team behind him. "The marks are deep."

Tim nodded, kneeling down beside the body and tracing his gloved finger across one of the lacerations. "Looks like a clip point blade."

Derek looked to the young NCIS agent with his eyebrows perfectly arched. "How can ya' tell?"

"A clip point blade gives a quicker and deeper cut. It has a quicker and better advantage when stabbing or slicing, if you will, with it having less drag duration and a faster withdrawal. It's one of the most commonly used knifes, although it may be considered weaker to a spear point of even drop point blade." Emily looked up from the marine's body, being taken back by all the eyes staring her way. "What?"

Tim looked up to his sister, nodding when his boss glanced his way. "Our father had a prized knife collection and taught me and Emily about them."

"What about Sarah?"

Emily shook her head, dismissing Derek's question with a wave of the hand. "She was too young, and dad didn't want her near them."

"Anyway," Gibbs watched as everyone looked his way when he gave a bark, "this is the fourth in two weeks."

All heads turned when they heard a yelp from behind, and their eyes immediately landed on a younger man with his gloved hands carrying a large doctor's bag. He gave a shy nod of the head as an older gentleman passed by him with his eyes lain on the victim. "Hey everybody."

The older man let out a laugh before he knelt beside Tim, sticking a metal looking rod into the marine's ear. "I apologize for Mr. Palmer's little outburst back there. He hasn't quite managed to keep up with me."

"I try, Doctor Mallard." Palmer held the bag to his chest as he made his way to the group. "No one said I was the best."

Emily smiled down to the older man beside the dead body. "It's good to see you again, Ducky."

Ducky looked up from the victim beside him and grinned up to the brunette. "You too, my darling. I'd give you a hug as usual, but I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."

Emily shook her head, feeling the eyes of everyone leave her and go back to the dead marine. "We can save it for later."

The older man let out a grunt as he pulled the thermometer from the marine, checking it's reading. "The body is around ninety degrees, but since we're outside in the heat, I would say he's only been deceased for about five to six hours. Would you agree, Palmer?"

Palmer quickly nodded his head. "That seems to be right, doctor."

Hotch let out a huff. "So he was killed about six hours ago, then dumped here in the middle of nowhere."

"Well there were no tire tracks in the mud out near the entrance of the woods."

Derek nodded. "The killer's gotta be strong enough to carry an average sized man through the woods and dump him here, and then walk back to wherever he had hid his car."

Emily looked towards her boss. "And unless there were any joggers, that would be long gone by now, there are no witnesses. There aren't even any houses or stores for at least five miles."

"Alright. Derek, you and Reid go east and try every store and apartment for at least the first seven miles and see if they spotted a large truck or SUV coming this way. Dave and JJ, you go west. Prentiss, you and I will head back with NCIS and work up a profile."

Emily gave a nod, watching as everyone started to head back to their respective vehicles. She waited until Gibbs was slowing his pace as he headed towards his car, and she gently tapped his shoulder. "Sir? Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Gibbs turned to face the brunette next to him, his eyebrows scrunched before he nodded his head. He took his keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors. "Of course. Get in."