A/N: Howdy folks. I hope you're doing well on this lovely Tuesday evening. Here's chapter three. Feel free to let me know what you think!

Thanks!

"Time to wake up Abby. There we go." Still groggy, Abby blinked her eyes opened. After a moment, the reality of her situation kicked in and adrenaline coursed through her system. She gave a violent pull, struggling against her bonds. In the back of her mind, it registered that she was bound to a chair by hand cuffs and rope around her ankles. Not something she was likely to get out of. Still, she pulled, unable to quell the surge of raw instinct.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you. It'll only tire you out and won't help." Abby forced herself to calm down, shaking her head to clear her vision. She was in a small room. There was a window, though it was boarded up and had bars across them. The room itself seemed to be used for storage. There were crates arbitrarily strewn around and stacked upon each other.

"What...do you want...with me?" asked Abby, her breathing labored. She felt unconsciousness creeping up on her again.

"Abby, what we want is to pick your brain. But I can see that will have to wait until later. Who knows, maybe the next time you wake up you'll have company. But maybe not. I suppose that will be up to you." Abby wanted to respond, but found she couldn't and without another word, her head drooped forward again the darkness enveloping her vision.

Thoop

"Director, I do not need a security detail! I can take of myself." responded Ziva, adamant. Director Shepard had come down to Abby's lad. She'd been filled in on the situation and had ordered a lock down on the Navy Yard until all facilities could be searched.

"Ziva, you are a target. The video was sent to you. The man signed that message to you. I will not allow you to remain alone until this situation is resolved. And that is non negotiable." Ziva let out a sigh of furious frustration.

"But Director, you know that there are few in this building who could better protect me than me!" responded the angry Israeli.

"I know Ziva. That's why Agent DiNozzo," Jenny raised her voice to catch the other agent's attention, "is not to let you out of his sight. You will be in his protective custody and that is the best you'll get in your favor. I want all of you to work this case, but if you don't want me to lock you away in an interrogation room until we find Abby, then you will live with this arrangement. Do I make myself clear Officer David?" Ziva knew that arguing was useless. Properly cowed, but still fuming, Ziva nodded her ascent.

"Shall we?" asked Jenny, a smile on her face indicating to Abby's lab. Ziva nodded and followed her into the room. Tony had already swept for prints and come up empty for any but Abby's. McGee checked the computer to see what Abby was looking up. It turned out that she was running tread marks that belonged to a vehicle that had been impounded a year ago by Metro PD. It hadn't seen the open roads in all that time. Lee was photographing the crime scene.

"Tony, if you don't need McGee, I have a project for him regarding your case." said Jenny. Tony looked uncertain. He knew that it was a big case, possibly their biggest since Gibbs bomb blast, but Tony wanted to, no needed to, run the investigation.

"I have our head of base security in the Cyber unit. All the videos for all of the security cameras for the last three months are ready for Agent McGee's review, if you can spare him." Before Tony agreed, he used his eyes to indicate that he wanted a private word. Jenny obliged, leading the way to the hallway.

"Yes, Special Agent DiNozzo?" Tony rubbed the back of his head.

"Listen Director, I know that this is your home court and for this to happen here I'm sure it sucks. But you're going to allow me run this investigation, right? I trust your judgment, but I won't be micro-managed. I need to know where we stand." said DiNozzo, trying to inflect as much confidence in his voice as possible. Jenny fixed him with a serious expression.

"This investigation is yours, Tony. For the record, I trust your judgement." Tony nodded slowly.

"McGee, go with the Director." he called. With a regular DiNozzo smile, he nodded at the director and reentered the crime scene. McGee nodded at Tony and disappeared with the Director into the elevator.

"David, let's take a look at that bomb." he said. Ziva nodded, carefully lifting the bomb of the ground and onto Abby's counter. She'd already disarmed the bomb, but was careful nonetheless.

"Can you tell me what it is?" asked DiNozzo, impatient for answers.

"I will need to dissect it. Carefully. I do not know what kind of bomb it is, but I do know that it will not explode." she responded, ignoring Tony's tone.

"Then get to it. If you know how to work anything in here, use it if you need it. Agent Lee, get something to write on. I've got questions and you're going to write them down." Lee sprung into action, desperately looking for a note pad. Tony signed and directed her to Abby's office.

"Alright write these questions down. Why was Abby in here at six in the morning? Who is the little man that knows sign language? Does Agent Sommer's know who he is? How did he gain access to the NCIS building? Does Abby have enemies? Where are her would be enemies? Who are the other two guys? Why would Ziva be sent the video? Which of Ziva's potentially numerous enemies would do this? Hmm, okay, what was the first question on the list?" asked Tony, pacing the room.

"Why was Abby here so early?" responded Lee quickly. If she was perplexed at Tony's need to have his question restated, she kept it to herself.

"Right." Tony pulled out his phone and dialed the Director's office. "Hi, Cynthia, this is Agent DiNozzo. Is the Madame Director around? Yes that would be great. Hi Director. I know it's been too long. Tell me, why was Abby here so early? Diagnostics every third Monday. Thank you, that's all. Please, tell McGee to work as fast a possible. Thank you." finished Tony with false sweetness in his voice. He wasn't mad, just anxious, impatient.

"Lee, Abby comes in early every third Monday of the month to run diagnostics on her machines. Call security. Tell them I want Special Agent Sommers in interrogation. I'd like a word with him." Agent Lee did as she was asked and Tony went into see what progress Ziva had made. What he found worried him. Her face was pale and worried. She was seated in Abby's seat looking at the counter with the various bomb pieces scattered about, one arm crossed, the other with its elbow resting on the other arm, her hand other her chin.

"Uh, Ziva? What's up?" asked Tony. Ziva pointed with the hand under her chin to the contents on the counter.

"I have seen this before. Several times, but only once recently." she replied. She was still contemplating the bomb and it's connection to Abby's kidnapping.

"A Mossad mission?" asked Tony.

"No, more recent. An NCIS case. I am trying to remember which."

"We haven't done anything with any explosives except with, you know, Gibbs' a couple weeks ago." Suddenly the words Jiigsaw Puzzle popped into her mind. That realization did not bode well. Their enemy was unknown and obviously very dangerous.

"Tony, this is not good. Do remember that case a couple of months ago with the Petty Officer who cheated on his wife and she killed him? His name was something like Barry Larry something...Jerry! Jerry Smith. Remember the silver case McGee managed to hold onto when the messenger tased him? The bomb squad blew the case apart by accident."

"Yeah, I remember. The one with the monkey. The messenger guy was Kirby or something. What does this have to do with that?" asked Tony still not seeing the connection.

"That case had an epoxy strip on it. It was wired similar to this one, though this would have done greater damage. That case was designed to implode. This was designed to explode out, causing more damage. Tony I think the people who took Abby were the ones who wanted the box transported. And they're coming after me because... because I helped Abby put it back together. I told her I was good at jigsaw puzzles."

"What was inside?" asked Tony, curious about this piece of information he was never privy to.

"That is the problem. We could not find out. Finally, Gibbs let it drop and it was handed over to ATF. Tony, I do not know anything. I do not know anything."

Thoop