Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or NCIS
chapter 4: twilight
May 24, 2004
location: black cat subprowler in high Earth orbit
"Chief, I think you need to get to the ops center" said Cortana.
John got up from his meal with Linda and they both entered the ops center. Fred and Will were in the cockpit so they had the place to themselves.
"I've run an analysis on the blueprints of the target drones at Danforth avionics, you're not going to like it".
"Just give me the good news first" John said as he took the seat in front of the controls.
"sorry Chief, all I have is bad news' said Cortana as she put a set of schematics on the main display. "If Ari were to equip a small amount of explosives to the drone he's got himself a fairly powerful weapon".
"Any idea what his target could be?" Linda asked.
"I haven't got a clue" said Cortana, "but the amount of explosives he could pack the drone with would have to be small if its going to take off".
"So he probably couldn't damage a building" said John. "then what is his target?"
"a crowd of people" said Linda, "soft target, you wouldn't need a big bang for that".
"Cortana cross reference any events involving large crowds of people for the next couple of days" said John.
"It'll take a while Chief" said Cortana, "like you said, these computers aren't as advanced enough. Hang on, I don't think we have to. I've intercepted signals from two satellites over Virginia that are relaying data to NCIS, I think I can hack the feed".
"Do it" said John.
"accessing now" said Cortana, "it looks like they're trying to contact someone using the satellites, I'll path the feed in".
"Special Agent Gibbs. Now how did you get this number?" John recognized the voice, it was Ari.
"I pulled some strings" said Gibbs.
"yes, your friend Fornell I imagine" said Ari, "he's there with you?"
"nope" Gibbs replied "nope, I've been thrown off the case".
"its for the best" said Ari. "I really wasn't looking forward to killing you".
"I'm detecting a trace in progress" said Cortana, "they're trying to find his location".
"hack it" said John.
"wish I could say the same thing, Ari" said Gibbs "I've resigned from NCIS".
"I hope it wasn't something I said" said Ari.
"next time we meet, Ari...will be the last time" said Gibbs, "there won't be anybody to stop me".
"Gibbs, I'm honored. I had no idea that you were in such..." the line went dead.
"what happened?" John asked.
"NCIS terminated the feed" said Cortana, "but I was able to intercept their trace of Ari signal. He's in the warehouse district of Newport News".
"He's planning his attack somewhere nearby" said John. "Cortana..."
"already on it, Chief" said Cortana cutting him off. "my sensors are detecting a number of surface ships approaching the Norfolk naval base".
"He's going to sink a ship?" said Linda, "with a small amount of explosives, it doesn't make sense".
"I don't think that's the target" said Cortana as she overlayed an overhead image taken by the prowler's underside cameras. It was one of the military docks at Norfolk, gathered on it was a crowd of people.
"They're navy families" said Linda, "if that drone hits, it'll be a bloodbath. John, we have to do something".
"Cortana, can you find any reference of a terrorist attack in Norfolk on this date?" John asked.
"Chief, I don't have a historical database in my programing" said Cortana, "neither does the prowler. I can't tell you for certain".
"Why are we even debating this?" said Linda, "we should stop Ari before he has the chance".
"that's enough!" John barked, "General Strauss gave us explicit orders".
"which we've already violated" said Linda, "a bit more tampering couldn't hurt".
John sat there taking in what Linda had told him. He had the power to change history but he also had his duty and he never violated an order even though the first time was an accident. Now he was understanding why General Strauss ordered him not to interfere, the chance to change history was tempting enough, even for a Spartan. John searched his mind for an excuse that would prevent himself from taking out Ari's warehouse, then he got it.
"What if Gibbs and his team manage to destroy the drone?" said John.
"we can't be sure about that" said Linda.
Linda had him backed into a corner. John knew there wasn't any way of getting out of this, so he decided to go along with it.
"Cortana, find us an LZ in Newport News and alert Fred and Will to suit up, we're going in".
May 24, 2004
location: Newport News, warehouse district.
John and his team, suited up in ODST bodysuits posted in a building across from another warehouse where Linda had spotted a sheet covering something on the roof. They took up a position near one of the windows, John ordered Will downstairs to guard the exit and Linda set up her sniper rifle at the window.
"Chief, contacts" said Linda, "its Gibbs' team".
John crawled over to the window and peeked over the ledge. Gibbs and his team were gathered by their car while McGee removed a case with computers in them. Gibbs took the shotgun from agent Todd and shot a nearby light. One of the guards on the roof of Ari's warehouse was alerted and Gibbs shot him when he looked over the side. John looked back at the roof and the other man on the roof removed the sheet covering the drone and moved to his computer. They watched as Gibbs and his team split up and entered the warehouse, muffled gunshots could be herd as Gibbs and Todd engaged the terrorists.
"Chief, I have a shot on the drone pilot" said Linda. "should I take it?"
"Negative" said John, "we'll wait on Gibbs' team".
Linda looked over at John for just a second. He couldn't see her face through her helmet but he imagined she was giving him a glare. Linda returned her gaze to her oracle scope. John moved up, set his BR55 on the window ledge and activated his 2X scope to watch the situation unfold. Gibbs, Todd and Dinozzo approached the roof from multiple sides but were pinned down by machine gun fire. They were able to neutralize the guard and the drone pilot.
"Sir" said Linda. "I have the drone in my sights, its still flying. I can take the shot now".
John's mind raced with options, what if the pilot locked out the controls, or McGee couldn't hack the signal? "Do nothing" he ordered.
"Chief, there are women and children on those docks" said Linda. "its not going to be in range for much longer".
"My order stands" said John.
"Chief, McGee" said Fred.
John looked down the scope of his battle rifle and saw McGee duck behind their car as he took fire from one of the windows. His computer was also shot.
"Chief, I have the shot" Linda repeated upon seeing McGee's computer destroyed.
John mind was once again racing with possibilities, he was just about to order her to shoot it when Linda suddenly said.
"Wait... it crashed into the water".
John looked over at the roof with his scope and saw that Gibbs had shot the main controls for the drone, causing it to crash. He also saw Todd dive in the way of a bullet meant for Gibbs who quickly dispatched the last terrorist that had fired it before helping her up, John figured she was wearing a vest.
"Chief, I've got a contact in the building across from them" said Fred.
Linda adjusted her rifle accordingly. "Confirmed, sniper on the roof. He's aiming for Gibbs and his team" she said, "I have him in my sights".
Time seemed to slow as John quickly weighed his options. Gibbs and his team were heroes and they had save a lot of lives, he didn't deserve to be shot by some sniper looking for a lucky kill. "It was only three people" he told himself. "how much damage could that do?"
"Take him down" said John. "make sure to wound him, no kill shot".
"Copy" said Linda as she adjusted her scope, placed her hand on the trigger and pulled it back. A crack sounded for her rifle and John watched through his own scope as the sniper grabbed his arm where Linda shot had grazed his skin, leaving a deep wound. Suddenly John's vision blurred and he became dizzy, this was followed by crippling pains through out his entire body that caused him to pull his BR55 trigger and shoot off a three round burst. He fell backward and lost consciousness.
--
"wow, I thought I'd die before I ever herd a comment fro..." Kate started before Gibbs pushed her to the ground upon hearing a loud gun shot. Dinozzo crouched and swept the area with his weapon as did Gibbs, he looked over at the building across from theirs and saw a man clutching his arm heading for the door.
"Ari" he muttered, but he got hit by someone.
"What was that for!?" Kate yelled as she got up.
"Ari" said Gibbs, "he was across the roof preparing to take us out. But someone got to him first".
There was three consecutive gunshots from nearby and Gibbs was able to localize the sound as coming from the building across from theirs. Gibbs looked over and caught a glimpse of a long gun barrel being pulled in side one of the windows.
"McGee, we've got a sniper in the adjacent building" Gibbs said into his radio, "get in the sedan and seal off the other entrance".
"On it, boss" McGee replied.
"Lets go" Gibbs said to Tony and Kate as he slapped a fresh mag into his pistol and made for the fire escape.
--
"Chief!" Linda cried as she pulled her rifle back in and went to his side. He was curled up in a ball convulsing.
"I didn't see him get hit" Fred said as he slung his BR55 and picked up the Chief's before grabbing one of the Chief's arms and throwing it over his shoulder. Linda slung her rifle and grabbed John's other arm and together they helped him downstairs.
"Will, secure us a route to the LZ" Fred said into his COM. "tell Cortana we've got wounded inbound and we need a quick extraction".
"Who's hit?" Will asked.
"the Chief" Fred replied, "double time, now!"
"F-Fred" John muttered.
"hang on, Chief" said Fred as he set John down near the door, "we'll get you aboard the prowler in no time".
Fred went outside and saw Will in an alley way a few hundred feet down the road waving Fred to his position. Fred moved out into the street and made for his position but suddenly someone said "NCIS, freeze!"
From down the street came Gibbs, Kate and Tony with their weapons drawn heading for Fred and Will. Tony and Kate glanced at each other as they looked at Fred in his ODST armor but Gibbs kept his weapon trained on Fred.
"Drop the gun!" Gibbs called out.
Fred raised his weapon in a quick motion, hit the scope and started randomly shooting the pavement in front of Gibbs. Gibbs dove for cover behind some wooden crates and Tony and Kate ducked behind a dumpster.
"Get him out here" Fred called to Linda.
Linda unslung her rifle and held the whole thing in her right hand while she helped the Chief outside with her left. Gibbs saw them exit the building so he came out from behind his cover and emptied the remainder of his clip into Fred. Most of the bullets pinged off his body suit but one of the rounds was lucky and penetrated his suit in his upper thigh. There was a blood spray from the wound followed by Fred collapsing. Linda set John down next to him and knelt down to examine the wound at a glance. Before she had the chance though her motion tracker picked up a contact, closing fast from behind. Linda spun around and saw a bullet ridden sedan charging at her position. She quickly raised her rifle, lined up the sights and sent a 14.5 mm bullet into the engine block. The car seized up and died, the driver opened the driver door and used it as a shield as he drew his weapon. Will starting firing at him with his rifle and McGee was forced to duck for cover inside the sedan.
"go...take Fred" John croaked.
"no!" Linda yelled.
"that's an... order" John said as the crippling pains resumed.
Linda quickly weighed her options, she was surrounded and Will couldn't keep all four agents pinned down so she could save them both. Linda quickly glanced at Fred's wound, the bullet had done a lot of damage and it looked like Fred was bleeding from an artery. Fred was going to die if he didn't get treatment soon. So Linda was forced to help Fred up and they ran across the street, past the sedan and over to Will's position... leaving John behind.
Gibbs saw them take off so he shouted "McGee, after them".
McGee came out from the driver side of the sedan and ran for the alley. Gibbs moved from his cover with Tony and Kate at his six. He quickly slapped in a fresh clip and arrived at john's position.
"What the hell is he wearing?" Kate asked
"he looks like he dressed for the moon rather than killing civilians" said Dinozzo.
McGee came running back from the alley out of breath.
"sorry... boss" he said, "they got away"
"McGee, call the Norfolk office. Tell them to get some transportation over here, we're taking this 'spaceman' back to NCIS". Gibbs turned to Kate and Tony. Good work today he said to them.
Tony knelt down and pulled John's helmet off. John only caught a glimpse of his face before he passed out from the pain.
"he's out cold" Tony said.
May 24, 2004
location: black cat subprowler in holding pattern above Newport News
"we shouldn't have left him back there" said a distraught Linda.
Fred was sitting on a table as Will finished removing the bullet lodged in his leg. He then maneuvered a laser scalpel into the wound and stitched together his nicked artery.
"Its the best I can do until we get you to a proper medical facility" said Will as he filled the wound with biofoam and covered it with a bandage.
"I know this isn't the best time for this" said Cortana from the ship's speakers, "but I've intercepted radio chatter that Gibbs has John in custody and is bringing him back to NCIS".
"that's it" said Linda as she picked up her helmet and rifle. "Cortana, take this tub down, we're going after him".
"Belay that" said Fred, "this is my mission now, we're not risking it for one man".
"I'm not just going to let them take John" said Linda.
"I want him back too" said Fred, "but if we go in there guns blazing what do you think is going to happen to history?"
"Damn it, Fred, history has already been messed up!" Linda yelled, "so long as NCIS has John its going to be messed up".
"Fred's right" said Cortana "we can't rescue John now... because Nassau station is in orbit".