Chapter 2-
The team of three walked into a dark, mostly metal room, where an old English man in light blue scrubs was hunched over the dead body of a young male. The body had a deep gash just above the belly button; otherwise, the body was completely clean. The English man took a ruler out of the man's gash and studied it, casting a glance at the three who walked into his lab. "Why hello there Jethro." He said and put the ruler away in the sink by the door where the team just walked in.
"What'cha got Duck?" Gibbs asked calmly.
"Just getting to the point I see. Ah well, no point in wasting time. This young man may be dead…but that doesn't mean his life is over…" "Duck" said slowly and opened his mouth to continue.
The leader sighed, "Duck, today." He said impatiently.
"Right, sorry." Ducky stood by the man's body and looked at the three agents. "Cause of death was in fact the stab wound. Absolutely nothing was wrong with him, no diseases, scars, anything. Which is amazing but also very strange." He lifted up the man's hand.
Tony spoke up, "He has no defensive wounds…" Ducky nodded and opened his mouth to say something but Gibbs cut him off before he could. "He knew his attacker…well enough to let him close enough with a weapon. Do you know what type of knife he used?" The leader asked.
Ducky shook his head, "No, oddly, the wound was messed with so the blade was not easily known. But what I do know is that the blade was at least ten inches deep. That's a very large blade, which are usually used in the kitchen…" He said. "That reminds me of when I was a young lad; all we had to cut were butter knives because the usual kitchen knives were too expensive for my family…"
Gibbs headed for the door, not interested in Ducky's story, Tony and Ziva at his six. "Thanks Duck, that's good work."
Ducky watched them for a second, "Jethro, that's not all." He said before they left. The silver haired special agent stopped and looked back at the medical examiner. Ducky continued, "In the wound, I found traces of what looked like bark from a tree, or branch."
"Well yeah. He was found in the woods. So?" Gibbs walked back to the body slowly.
"The bark was embedded deep in the wound, which could not happen from drifting bark pieces." Ducky explained.
Gibbs nodded slowly, "Is that all?"
The M.E. nodded, "For now anyways."
"Okay, thanks Duck." The leader of the agents there headed back for the doors, and the elevator.
Ziva waved goodbye to Ducky before following Gibbs, Tony right beside her, looking a little troubled. Once all of them were in the elevator and the doors were closed, Tony asked his leader, "Where to now, Boss?"
"Abby. Let's see if she got something with that bark." Gibbs answered, taking a sip of his coffee. He wrinkled his nose in the distaste of old coffee, even if it was barely an hour old. When the elevator stop and the doors were open, the silver haired man stepped out and crossed the hallway into a three-sectioned lab. A woman in large black combat boot and black lacing up her legs and a black t-shirt with skull and crossbones on the front stood at a desk with several computers surrounding her. She looked back at them, sipping on a large Caf-Pow. She smiled and waved at them and the three agents crowded into her room.
"Hi guys!" The peppy Goth shouted to them over her music.
Tony grinned at her, "Hey Abby."
Ziva nodded a hello.
Gibbs winced a little at the loud music. "Turn it down!" He shouted at her.
Abby sighed and turned off the music. She turned to Gibbs. "So, I heard there's a girl involved with the case, and you can't find her mother. What's her name?" The Goth speed-talked.
"Is that why Kate is upstairs? Because we can't find her mother?" Tony questioned. So far, he didn't particularly like Kate, and her being at his desk made it worse.
"Her name is Kate?" Abby said in utter shock.
Gibbs ignored both of their questions. "What'cha got Abs?" He asked.
"Not a Caf-Pow." She said smugly as she gulped down the rest of the overly caffeinated drink.
The leader rolled his eyes, "Only if you got something." He stood beside her at the desk. His two agents stood behind him, Tony leaning on a table.
The Goth twirled around to face her computer and tapped on some keys on her keyboard. A chart of different elements came up. She read off several elements on the chart.
"Tree bark. Ducky found this in the wound, right?" Gibbs looked at the forensic scientist.
She nodded. "Yes, but not just any tree bark. I found traces of sap."
"Sap? From pine trees?" Gibbs pondered how that was possible with the closest pine trees miles away.
Tony asked, "How close from the murder was a pine tree?" For he had never been to the crime scene, which irritated him.
"Not close." Gibbs said quietly, busy with his thoughts. He headed for the door. "Nice work Abs."
Abby watched him go, frowning. She was mad at him for not getting a Caf-Pow.
Ziva noticed Abby's frown before she left. "Hey Abby." She pointed to a fridge along the far wall. Inside, was a large Caf-Pow.
Abby's eyes widened in shock, "No…but how..?" She began to question how it got there when she realized everyone was gone besides her.
