CHAPTER 6 – WORKING TOGETHER

When Randolph Jerome learned that his girlfriend had died, he broke down and could not be consoled. It was McGee who poured him some water and handed him a box of tissues, while Gibbs stood to one side. It was obvious that Jerome had been ignorant of Capt. Boucher's death, but that didn't mean he was entirely blameless.

Gibbs placed a jar of the toxic skin cream on the metal table. "Tell me about this."

Yes, Jerome admitted, he had supplied Anna with the cream. Yes, he knew that taking it was wrong, and illegal – but dangerous? "No. Of course not! What do you take me for?" He was genuinely shocked when Gibbs informed him that the jars of skin cream he'd given to his girlfriend had slowly poisoned her on the inside, while making her beautiful on the outside.

Once he recovered from the horror of what he'd done, Jerome said, "It was easy to grab a couple of boxes. They were just sitting on the loading dock awaiting disposal." Nobody thought anything of him putting them in his car; he often transported trial medications or other products to hospitals and universities in the course of his job.

"What made you choose this cream?" McGee asked.

"I didn't choose it. Anna told me what she wanted, where to find the cases. They're always destroying perfectly good preliminary batches." Jerome looked from McGee to Gibbs. "That's what Anna said. She'd seen the early test results, and they seemed very positive. She would have known if the cream was harmful, wouldn't she?"

Gibbs didn't know the answer to that. It was possible Capt. Boucher was so intent upon the outwardly positive effects of the skin cream that she was willing to overlook the side effects.

Jerome appealed to the two agents, saying, "I didn't want to do it, but she seemed so… obsessed with getting hold of it. And… I loved her. How could I refuse her anything?"

Gibbs scoffed, "You say you loved her, but last night you two had one hell of a fight. What was that about?"

Jerome nodded guiltily. "It was because… because Anna wouldn't stop sucking up to Van Daalen. Her project was winding up and she wanted to be part of the next phase of the limb regeneration study. She would have done anything to be on that team." He shook his head. "That bastard had his eye on her, right from the start, but not to help her with her career. He just wanted her for sex, and I told her so! But she didn't want to hear it! He was trying to steal Anna away from me, with his money, his cars, his slick ways, and she was being so blind. She lost weight, and did these skin treatments to make herself look more attractive to him." Jerome made a frustrated sound and said, "I was just trying to make her see how wrong she was about him, and… and it may have got out of hand."

"You call shoving her against the fireplace, so hard her skull was cracked, 'out of hand'?" Gibbs asked angrily.

Jerome cried, "I shook her, but that's all! I swear!"

"Her skull was cracked; she died from it," Gibbs growled.

Jerome stared at Gibbs as if he couldn't fathom what he was saying. "She tripped, fell back. God, the way she looked at me… like it was all my fault. I had to get out of there…"

"You left her to die," Gibbs accused.

McGee opened the folder and pulled out the photos of Capt. Boucher's body. "Why didn't you call 911? Did you want her to die?"

Jerome glanced at the photos and quickly averted his eyes. "No! I'm telling you, Anna was fine when I left." He looked at McGee and entreated, "You've got to believe me! I would never hurt her, but I was losing my mind!"

McGee shoved a photo of Capt. Boucher in Jerome's face – a graphic shot of the back of her head, her hair matted with blood. "Look at this! You shoved her hard enough, against the fireplace mantel, to do this much damage."

Jerome stared at the photo with wide eyes. "I'd never… I just wanted her to see him for what he is…" He rubbed his hands over his face and asked, "Do you have any idea what it's like to know you're losing the love of your life to someone like Van Daalen, only because he has more money than you? It isn't like he made his fortune doing good for anyone. Van Daalen cuts corners, manipulates the findings, bankrolls the research he knows'll bring in the big bucks. Hell, he shoves aside anything that isn't profitable enough! But, you know what? Money can't buy everything, and without it, he's a nothing! Nothing! He thinks I'm some schmuck salesman, but I'm going to prove him wrong. He never should've underestimated me! Never! He'll find out soon enough, just wait and see!"

"What're you talking about? What have you done?" Gibbs demanded, but Jerome was done talking. He wrapped his arms around himself, shaking his head, and said he wanted a lawyer.

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DiNozzo joined them in the hallway. "Wow, what a piece of work. He's as obsessed as Capt. Boucher was. But it does look like he shoved her and ran, and didn't have a clue how badly she was hurt."

"So we have him on manslaughter?" McGee asked.

Gibbs agreed. "Get the charges written up, McGee. Throw in illegal removal of a hazardous substance from Vitex, for starters." McGee nodded and headed for the elevator.

"Something bothering you, Boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs realized he'd been standing in place, staring off into the distance. "'Wait and see,' he said."

Tony frowned. "Wait and see what?"

"Good question, DiNozzo. Good question."

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They couldn't interrogate Randolph Jerome any further without his lawyer present, but his last words suggested he had planned some sort of revenge against Van Daalen, and possibly Vitex. Gibbs gave Director Vance the job of contacting Van Daalen and giving him a heads up.

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It was well past noon, and Gibbs was about to tell DiNozzo and McGee to grab a quick lunch when he got a call that the two FBI agents has just passed security and were on their way up.

Special Agent Dave Rossi was smiling as he greeted Gibbs and his agents, in turn introducing them to the tall young man at his side. "This is Dr. Reid, special agent at the BAU, the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. So, we hear your Navy scientist was killed last night. Thought we'd come and compare notes, if that's okay with you. We've lost a couple of scientists recently ourselves."

Gibbs and Rossi knew each other professionally, and when Reid and Tony greeted each other, it was obvious they'd met before. Tony explained they'd met in Atlantic City. He'd gone there with his frat brothers a few years ago, and had met Reid in a casino.

"You should have seen this guy obliterate the blackjack dealer," Tony said, grinning at Reid. "No wonder they barricade the casino doors when they see you coming. He's a regular Cincinnati Kid."

Reid brushed off the compliment and explained, "The real trick is not getting thrown out of casinos. Generally I shuffle-track, following the cards when they're shuffled and figuring the odds of where they are in the deck. My strategy is staying in as long as I can, because the odds tip in your favor over time." He looked sideways at Tony and said, "Tony is more of an impulsive gambler."

"That's true. Lady Luck and I have a capricious relationship. However, I have a strict rule to go in with $500, and when it's gone, I leave," Tony said. "If I win, it goes to charity. However there was this one time…"

Before Tony could launch into a story about his gambling exploits, Gibbs said abruptly, "DiNozzo! You and McGee, show them what we have." He stood in front of the plasma, with Dr. Reid and Special Agent Rossi on one side, DiNozzo and McGee on the other.

After a brief tussle with Tony over the clicker, McGee gained possession of it and launched into a description of their victim. He gave an overview of the crime scene, Capt. Boucher's personal details, and finished up with, "The Navy's studies in tissue regeneration, which are in the early stages, were overseen by Capt. Boucher. She divided her time between the NMRC in Silver Spring and Vitex, which is only a few blocks from here..."

Tony continued, "And she also divided her favors between two boyfriends: the CEO of Vitex, Hugo Van Daalen, and Vitex's clinical research coordinator, Randolph Jerome. Jerome is currently cooling his heels downstairs in one of our comfy holding cells." He gave a synopsis of Jerome's interrogation, and noted they were waiting on his lawyer. "He clammed up right after saying something that sounded like a threat. It could be nothing, but…"

"We've notified Vitex, so they can take precautions," Gibbs said.

Rossi nodded and said, "We have two scientists missing since early June. We've been checking out labs all over the country, including Vitex, but nothing raised any red flags. You visited them this morning, I understand?"

"Yup. Got the ten-cent tour," Gibbs said sourly.

McGee added, "Van Daalen seemed cooperative until his people discovered Jerome in a section of the building he apparently wasn't supposed to be in. We took custody of Jerome and questioned him. He appeared to be glad to be out of there. There's definitely some friction between them." At a nod from Gibbs, McGee disclosed the bare bones of their interview with Jerome, including his threat to Van Daalen.

"So, there's no love lost between Jerome and Van Daalen, but so far you have nothing specific, except his 'I'll show him' taunt," Rossi summarized. He studied Gibbs' face for a long moment before making a humming sound and said, "You're taking his threat seriously."

"Yeah, I am." Gibbs' gut was churning and he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Jerome again, even if a lawyer was present, doing their best to block him. "Your missing scientists tie in to our case… how?"

McGee offered Rossi the clicker, but the FBI agent gave a wave of his hand, refusing it. "You seem to be a pro with it, Agent McGee." The images he'd brought over were loaded into the system, and as soon as a series of photos came up – picture IDs, the victims' cars, phone records – Rossi started narrating. "Two research scientists have been reported missing, Dr. Guittierez and Dr. Reisenberg, on June 7 and June 14 respectively. No sightings, no trail, and no ransom demands have been made. We are going on the assumption they're still alive. We were just working on our next action when we heard about Capt. Boucher this morning, and wondered if our case and yours might be related."

Reid supplied the background information. "On June 7, Dr. Julius Guittierez, a Cornell University researcher who studies the immune system's response to wound trauma, disappeared after he left his lab in Ithaca, New York. He never arrived home and his wife, who says she is used to him working long hours and staying at the lab for days, didn't realize he was missing until a colleague phoned her two days later to ask where he was."

"He's still missing after six weeks?" Tony said, sharing a look with McGee.

"And no sighting of him since that date," Reid said. "A week later, on June 14, Dr. Joseph Reisenberg, head of the Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine at the Fulbright Clinic in Atlanta, went missing. He left work mid-morning to attend a conference in Charlotte, where he was scheduled to be a speaker. His car was found in an empty lot off Interstate 85. There were no personal belongings in it. His luggage and all work-related papers, which his assistant says he had taken with him, were not in the vehicle. We interviewed people but nobody saw anything, and at this time there are no leads. No signs of struggle with either of these incidents. No witnesses either."

"So the only connection with our dead captain is they're in the same field?" Gibbs asked, thinking it was a stretch to think the crimes were related. "What's the motive?"

"All three of them are experts on cell regeneration," Rossi pointed out. "It could be that someone has a beef with their research, or their methods, but we have a theory that someone wanted these two particular scientists for their working knowledge."

"They couldn't just hire them?" Gibbs asked, irritated.

"Maybe they refused, and couldn't be swayed by whatever was being offered," McGee suggested. "It isn't always about the money."

"Everyone's always in it for the money, McGreenback," Tony said, shaking his head. "I mean, there's got to be a mega-ton of cash up for grabs for whoever figures out how to control regeneration. Imagine if a doctor was able to heal all wounds, even on the battlefield? Or if you could get a human to generate a new kidney, or heal a leaky heart valve, or re-create a missing limb? People would not only live longer, but it's possible that they wouldn't age."

McGee shot back, "You want to look twenty again? Remember that Capt. Boucher looked creepy young on the outside, but her organs were rotting on the inside."

"No, I don't need to look like a college freshman, but it would be nice to have my lungs back at full capacity again," Tony replied sharply. "And I'm sure Gibbs could be happy if he could run after perps without his knees hurting. Think of all the kids with terminal diseases, all the people who could be helped by this, even if it's just giving them some small relief from a life of pain. This isn't just some exercise in vanity, McGee."

McGee said, "You're right, but according to the papers I've read, they're nowhere near achieving regeneration at that level. Nobody's going to be throwing away their crutches and claim they've been healed anytime soon."

Gibbs growled, "Enough. Nobody's expecting miracles! And DiNozzo, my knees are just fine."

"Sorry, Boss, didn't mean to suggest you had trouble with your knees, because we all know you can still run like a gazelle. Or maybe you're more like a wolf after its prey. You beat me every time we run down a suspect," Tony replied, with a smile. "Okay, you usually jump in the car and head them off at the pass while I'm chasing on foot, but…"

"Hey!" Gibbs narrowed his eyes, warning Tony to put a lid on it. Tony took the reprimand with good humor and a sideways look at him that almost made Gibbs laugh. Damn, trust Tony to be both insightful and humorous at the same time.

Reid pitched in, saying, "Just imagine the clinical applications if we could control regeneration. The human body continuously regenerates due to the properties of its resident stem cells. They possess the unique ability to self-renew. The ability to re-grow body parts is common to a lot of animal species. Zebrafish are capable of amazing regenerative processes, and have the ability to regenerate complex organs, like the heart, the central nervous system, and the limbs. If this ability was harnessed–"

Rossi butted in and got back to the specifics of the case. "What we do know is that someone took each of these men without leaving any trace behind. Whoever it was is intelligent and highly organized. He or she planned these abductions in advance, and he knew that each of the victims would be at a certain time and place. It looks like they went along without a struggle. He may have delivered threats they took seriously – either fearing for their lives, or for the lives of loved ones." Rossi looked at Reid, who took over.

"We deduce the UnSub is male, in his forties, and has a type 'A' personality," said Reid. "He may be connected to the scientific community, possibly in the same field as Dr. Guittierez or Dr. Reisenberg. There have been no demands so far, and no contact from the UnSub. And there is no evidence of this, but the kidnappings may be the work of more than one person."

Gibbs asked, "Working together?"

Rossi replied, "Not as equals. Most likely one of them is the leader."

Tony suggested, "If both scientists are still alive – and it appears they were taken without injury for a reason – like you said before, it's possible they were chosen because someone wants to put them to work in their own lab. You've said they're both highly specialized."

McGee raised an eyebrow. "Someone is enslaving scientists to work on a super secret project?"

Tony shrugged. "I know, it sounds like something DC Comics or the CIA would cook up. The problem is, how could anyone expect these scientists to do their best work in a hostile environment? What's to say they're not going to sabotage the experiment, or create a weapon to use against the megalomaniac who's keeping them chained to their workbench?"

"Iron Man all over again," Reid said absently. "It's not uncommon, especially in times of conflict, to capture useful individuals and coerce them into doing your bidding. Even if the captive is held on a tight leash, that doesn't prevent them from planning an uprising."

"Exactly!" Tony looked around and found everyone's eyes were on him. "I'm just saying, someone has to have a hold over these two guys, or they won't do whatever it is they were kidnapped for."

Reid suggested, "Threats to their families could be enough to convince them."

Rossi observed, "Possible. Guittierez has a wife and grown kids, grand-kids, too, but Dr. Reisenberg apparently cared only about his work."

"How does this tie to Captain Boucher? I think we're trying too hard to match them up," Gibbs mused.

McGee agreed. "Apart from her scientific knowledge, Boucher has no connection with Guittierez or Reisenberg. Does she?" He exchanged a look with Gibbs and quickly amended, "I mean… I'm going to look into that right now and see what the connection might be, Boss." In two seconds flat, he was hard at work on his computer, trying to connect the three scientists to each other.

"We only found out about Capt. Boucher's death a few hours ago but the FBI is working on finding any connection, and will share it with you, of course," Rossi told McGee.

Tony was staring at the plasma, chewing on his bottom lip. "Could Boucher be the UnSub? We already know she was dedicated to getting results and had an obsessive personality."

"I doubt she did the actual abduction. She was a small woman," Rossi said, looking at the info they had up on the plasma.

Gibbs said, "She could have planned it…"

Tony finished up, "… and had someone else do the heavy lifting. You know, it wasn't exactly on Capt. Boucher's to-do list to get murdered by her boyfriend last night. She could have grabbed these two scientists and delivered them to Van Daalen. 'Hey honey, look what I got for you! Those two scientists you need to get ahead of the game.' Or, they could have planned it together. If Van Daalen asked her to do something for him, for the good of science, she'd have done it, no question. Is there any way of finding out if the missing scientists are being held at Vitex? It's a big place with all those secret units, and nobody knows what's going on in the other labs." He turned to Gibbs. "We need to ask Jerome if he knows anything about Guittierez and Reisenberg."

"We have to wait for his damned lawyer," Gibbs reminded him.

McGee looked up from his screen. "Their firewalls are really strong, and while I work on them, I could try to access their cameras, maybe their non-classified files."

"Call legal and get a warrant first. Vance has already cleared it with them," Gibbs ordered. He then asked Tony, "What else have you got on Vitex?"

Tony clicked through some images and brought up photos of the top personnel of the large corporation, including Hugo Van Daalen. "They have labs and offices in several US locations, and also Europe, two in Scandinavia. They specialize in creating and testing advanced materials for military use, like protective gear. And they do a wide range of medical research and testing. It's all classified." He indicated a fair-haired man on-screen. "Mars Odell, the owner, is a billionaire, has residences in Sweden, France and Greece. He has lots of friends in high places, gives a lot to charities, and is on his fifth wife… McGee, do you have a picture of him?"

McGee took a minute to locate a photo of Odell and put it up on the plasma. "The woman at his side is his wife, Natalie, age fifty. The accompanying text says they're at a gala in Paris, seven months ago. Tony, isn't this the same photo you pointed out, in Van Daalen's office?" When McGee enlarged the photograph, he and Tony exchanged glances, and said at the same time, "House of Wax!"

Tony muttered, "Another one?"

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