Chapter Three
But he wasn't home, Tony had called with the news that Gibbs had feared.
The apartment was empty, Tim's cell on the kitchen counter.
Abby was ready to go into panic overdrive, but Gibbs was determined to keep the situation as low-key as possible for as long as possible.
"Listen...there's no reason to think anything's wrong. Maybe McGee didn't want to go back to his apartment, he could have checked in to a hotel."
She beamed at him.
"That's it Gibbs! We should check his credit cards....I'll get on it."
And she was gone, leaving Gibbs to inform Director Vance that they could have a missing agent; and to get out a BOLO. With any luck it wouldn't be needed, McGee was sleeping in a hotel somewhere and would call in as soon as he woke up.
Tony picked up the dishes from the floor and poured the water into the sink, opened up the nearest cupboard and put the dishes inside.
"Why are you doing chores Tony?"
"Figured McGee won't want to see them when he gets home...let's get back...Gibbs will have a BOLO out by now."
They locked up the apartment and headed back to NCIS. Several blocks into their journey Ziva switched off her phone.
"The BOLO is done...Abby is tracking McGee's credit cards...Tony do you think? That email...McGee seemed..."
"Pissed..."
She glared at him.
"More than that...he seemed upset...perhaps...it was not so amusing after all,"
"Ya think Ziva?"
They travelled in silence for a while, the only sound in the car the rhythmic thudding of the wipers as they cleared the raindrops from the windshield.
As they were pulling into the parking lot Ziva asked.
"Tony, the email...I know you could not have put it all together yourself...to make it look so professional, did Abby help you?"
"Are you kidding me? Ever since that crazy assassin messed with McGee, she's been all...'poor Timmy, he's been hurt, I have to make him feel better.'"
"Perhaps she is correct."
But Ziva knew there was no perhaps about it, McGee had been hurt, and she had offered scant sympathy.
The squad room was a hive of activity when they returned....Vance had every available agent following up on possible sightings of McGee, but so far there was no positive lead. Gibbs had at last admitted it, if only to himself, he was worried....McGee was too conscientious an agent not to call in by now, even if he'd slept in. Gibbs checked the time again, although it was only minutes since he'd last looked, 09.40, and the last positive sighting of McGee had been around 21.00 last night. Where was he?
Ziva threw off her coat and checked her emails; perhaps he had sent her a message. Nothing, but why would he? She felt ashamed when she remembered laughing along with Tony yesterday. But Tony could be so persuasive, and he convinced her that McGee would 'see the funny side', but in truth there was no funny side.
She would apologise to him when he came back, he deserved that...
Tony flicked open his phone to check with Abby, then closed it again. If she had anything she would have called right away. He glanced at McGee's empty desk and pictured his face yesterday when he opened his emails. Shock, surprise, Tony was expecting that, but then he thought Tim would laugh, tell him he was such a child and they'd get on with things like always.
Only Tim's next expression had not been one of amusement, he'd looked…angry, really angry….I have to get away from you or I'll punch you in the mouth angry. And because he always tried to keep the peace, Tim had got away, Tony cringed inwardly as he recalled that accompanying him to the men's room Tim would have heard the laughter of his team mates…laughter at his expense…
The ring tone on Gibbs' phone broke his reverie.
"On my way Abs."
Tony and Ziva fell into step behind him as he ran for the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. Abby was bouncing up and down when they got to the lab.
"His card….someone tried to use his card, but it was refused...local LEO's are already on the way."
She handed Gibbs a note with the address.
"Magruder's, Kemp Mill Shopping Center…go Gibbs, go find Tim!"
In record time Gibbs was parking the car beside a Montgomery County PD cruiser; they ran into Magruder's and were directed to the manager's office by a store security guard.
Two officers were standing watch over two young men; two currently very nervous young men…Gibbs flashed his ID.
"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS."
The elder of the two officers shook his hand.
"Officer Gallear…despatch told us you were coming, we figured you'd want to ask these….gentlemen, some questions, we read them their rights…this here is Matt Horne and his buddy is Philip Cooke, here's the card....can you believe it, they were trying to buy booze...don't look old enough to be drinking do they?"
He handed Gibbs a small evidence bag containing McGee's Visa card. Gibbs took a step toward Matt and the young man cowered under the icy glare.
"Where did you get this?"
The ice wasn't only in Gibbs' eyes; it was in his voice too.
"I told him we should have left it, but…"
"Shut up Matt! You were happy to take…"
"Enough!"
Gibbs' shout silenced the argument.
"I said, where did you get this?"
Cooke shrugged his shoulders.
"No big deal man, just some drunk sleeping it off in the woods."
Tony thought for a second that Gibbs was going to hit Cooke; but instead Gibbs whispered very quietly.
"You are going to come with us and show us exactly where you found this 'drunk.' "
They walked out to the car with Horne protesting.
"Doubt if he'll still be there…when he woke up he probably staggered home, I mean it was pretty cold out last night."
Ziva snapped out the question.
"What time did you see him?"
The two exchanged guilty glances.
"Maybe midnight, or a little after…look, we live over in Loxford Terrace, and we were on our way back from a friend's house…we sometimes stop over in the park…to, you know have a smoke…nothing bad, just a little weed…that's when we saw him…"
"Ziva, call the EMTs, I want an ambulance on standby, just in case…"
As Gibbs barked out his orders, it started to dawn on the two youngsters that the guy they had seen was no drunk….three Federal Agents looking as concerned as these people did, had to be more than a bum sleeping off too much booze…
Gibbs signalled for Horne to go with Officer Gallear, and Cooke was unceremoniously bundled into the back of their car by Tony.
It was only a short ride from the shopping centre to the edge of Northwest Branch Park, but Tony was pretty sure it was a ride that Philip Cooke would never forget.
"At the end of this street, that's where we were walking."
Gibbs slammed on the brake and pulled open his door. Tony hauled Cooke from the car, the youngster was looking pretty green, the first taste of Gibbs' driving could do that to someone...and this time Gibbs had driven like a man possessed. He stared out across the rain swept parkland and without looking at Cooke, he demanded.
"Show me."
With a trembling hand Cooke pointed to a small group of shrubs nestling beside a stream.
"Down there, we thought he was sleeping there to keep out of the rain...look, we really thought he was drunk..."
Tony whispered in his ear.
"You'd better hope he got up and walked away Phil...Because if you think Gibbs looks mad now..."
With his sniper's vision Gibbs was sure he could see a shape, a human shape, a still human shape. Breaking into a run he called to Ziva.
"Get the EMTs here, now!"
Tony released Cooke and chased after Gibbs, dodging the bare, almost lifeless trees, then he could see what had set Gibbs running. He recognised that coat, drenched as it was, he knew...
"McGee!!"
Gibbs wasn't wasting any breath shouting, he fell to his knees beside the still form. His breath coming in ragged gasps, he tried to compose himself and took Tim's icy hand in his...get a pulse, he's not....no, I can't find a pulse....I have to...
