After Tim's briefing, everyone headed out to start the investigation into Damien Blake. Tim sank into a chair and put his head down on the table. Why was this happening to him?
A hand on his shoulder prompted him to lift his head. Gibbs was standing next to him.
"We're going to find him."
"He's always a step ahead of me, Boss. He got away from me ten years ago. He's going to do it again."
Thwack!
"Do you really think I'm going to let this bastard run around free?"
"I'm not going to be able to track him... I couldn't do it last time."
Gibbs leaned in close to Tim's face.
"You've been on my team for over ten years. I don't accept second best on my team. I don't have any doubt that you can track this guy down. You have the skills. Don' t ever doubt that."
"Thanks, Boss. I needed that."
Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder.
"Good. Come on, let's find this guy."
Tim gathered his folders and followed Gibbs out of the conference room. They walked to the squad room together, and found Ducky and Tony staring at the plasma, at the latest note.
"This guy is picking his movie quotes with style," Tony remarked.
"He's a psychotic bastard, Tony, and he needs to be stopped," Tim snapped.
"Whoa, Probie. I was only kidding."
"Tim is right, I'm afraid," Ducky chimed in, interrupting the budding argument. "Damien Blake is deeply obsessed with Tim. By sending these particular quotes, he seems to be taunting, saying "catch me if you can," if you will."
"I'm going to catch him," Tim said, sitting down at his desk. "He isn't getting away from me this time."
Tim's cell rang on his desk. Everyone watched as he answered it.
"McGee."
"I was hoping I found the right phone number."
"You..."
"That's usually not what I go by, but I'll take it, Tim. Now, what was that you were saying about finding me?"
"What are you talking about?" Tim said quickly.
He put the phone on speaker as he signaled to Gibbs. He scribbled "Bug" on a piece of paper and held it up for his colleagues. Tony and Gibbs immediately started to search. Tim pulled up a tracer program and started to run a trace on the phone call. The signal was completely blocked.
"You'll never find that bug... you might as well stop looking."
"I'm going to find you, and you're going to suffer, you hear me, Blake?" Tim said angrily.
"Go ahead and try, Timmy. You couldn't catch me before."
"I won't let you end any more lives."
"It's not just about the Navy anymore... the Government screwed me out of my career, and they are going to pay."
The call disconnected. Tim threw his phone against his cubicle wall.
"What the hell just happened?" Tony asked in disbelief.
Gibbs signaled for everyone to be quiet. Tim wrote another note and held it up for Gibbs to see.
Tell Vance!
Gibbs nodded, and sent Bishop upstairs. Tim wrote again and held up his paper.
What now?
As Gibbs read the note, Tim's computer beeped, signaling a new e-mail. Tim glanced at it, and then sat down. It was from an unfamiliar e-mail address, with no subject line. He clicked on it.
"And the library? Gone... sealed off, brick by brick. We'll have us a little book barbecue in the yard. They'll see the flames for miles. We'll dance around it like wild injuns! You understand me?"
Gibbs exchanged glances with Tim as they read. What was Blake planning?
Tony suddenly ran up to them with something in his hand. Gibbs took the bug, dropped it on the ground, and stomped on it. The bug smashed into pieces. Gibbs nodded his permission to talk again.
"Where'd you find it?" Tim asked quietly.
"In your desk lamp, Probie."
"How in the hell did he get into this building to plant that bug?" Tim said in frustration.
"This is bigger than just Blake," Gibbs said suddenly, grabbing his team's attention. "He's got an accomplice. There's a mole in NCIS."
Tim and Tony exchanged looks, and a shiver ran up Tim's spine. Someone inside of NCIS had been spying on him for years. It could have been anyone he'd been in contact with, or not had contact with. But who?
"Gibbs!"
The three of them looked up to see Vance jogging down the balcony stairs, Bishop at his heels.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Leon, this is bigger than a rogue Navy Officer... Blake is getting help from someone inside of NCIS."
"Are you telling me we have a mole?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you, Leon."
"Sir, we have another quote," Tim interrupted. "Blake, or his accomplice, sent me an e-mail while Tony was looking for the bug." Tim put it up on the screen for everyone to see.
"Shawshank?" Tony said immediately. "I don't get it."
"I do," said Vance, eyes glued to the screen. "He's talking about the Library of Congress."
"What?" Tony practically shrieked. "How-"
"If Blake wants to see the flames for miles, that is the only "library" that will do the job."
"We have to get everyone out of the area," Tim said. "Director-"
Tim didn't get to finish his sentence. Vance was already on Gibbs' desk phone, calling the SecNav.
"Boss-"
"Let's go."
Tony, Ellie and Tim grabbed their weapons and ran to the elevator behind Gibbs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they arrived outside the Library of Congress, people were already running out of the building in a mass panic. Luckily, Congress wasn't in session, so staff was limited. They jumped out of the sedan and took off across the yard toward the main building. They didn't make it halfway before an explosion stopped them in their tracks.
"Look!"
Ellie was pointing toward 2nd street. The John Adams building was aflame. They could see dozens of fire trucks attempting to control the blaze.
"My God," Gibbs breathed.
"We're too late," Tim said, sheathing his gun.
"What if there's more?" Ellie said suddenly.
"He's not that bold," Tim said. "He's trying to prove a point."
"You don't think he 's still here, do you?"
"He isn't here, Ellie. He sent us on a wild goose chase."
Gibbs turned back to the group, having just hung up his phone.
"Vance is calling a meeting in 30 minutes, with SecNav. Let's go."
They all started walking toward Independence street. Tim stood for a moment, watching the flames.
"McGee! Let's go!" Gibbs shouted.
Tim came out of his daze and ran to the sedan. He slid into the backseat. He and Ellie watched the flames from the back window as the car moved away from the scene.
TBC...
