Director Leon Vance cleared the MTAC and let the team with the medical examiner and the forensic scientist enter. He ordered McGee and Abby to work on the computers and they quickly obliged.
"I gathered all of you here since you already know about Jenny Shepard's status. Now, I assumed that you've already checked Alexei Vladimir's history and found nothing but his Russian shipping business." He received an affirmative response from the senior field agent and he quickly continued before his agent say something that is related to a movie. He handed each of them a thick folder with large red words stating 'top secret' on it. Abby got excited on her seat since it's her first time to be included with such thing like this.
"Operation Romulus," the Director started again. "It was initiated after Agent Gibbs and Shepard finished their assignment in Paris. Our Intel informed us that Anatoli Zhukov had twin brother, Anton. Anton Zhukov became the prime target in the operation." The picture of Anton Zhukov making a call with an aircraft carrier on the background flashed on the screen.
"He changed his name into Alexei Vladimir after he got the news that his brother is dead. He had been covering his tracks ever since." Alexei Zhukov was ten years older than the previous photo. It seemed that he was in his mid-forties and he chopped off all of his hair. "He is twice dangerous than his brother and we've been tracking him down after the op in Paris and every time we were one step closer to him, we just took two steps back." He gritted his teeth but proceeded with the briefing.
"Shepard's lose end kept her on watching her back. She knew that some point Svetlana Chernitskaya –" he stopped when Abby raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Sciuto?"
"Who's Svetlana Chernitskaya?" Nobody told her that it was Svetlana's body that was discovered in Jenny's townhouse. As far as Abby knows, it was some mean woman that was responsible for Jenny's death.
"Fill her in everything about Jenny's death… after this meeting." Vance ordered Tony to do it and glanced at the other agents to inform them that he'll move on.
"As I was saying, Shepard knew that some point Svetlana will be after her so she's been digging to find out where Svetlana disappeared. She came across Operation Romulus during her years as the Director. As her successor, she warned me and the SecNav that Vladimir and Chernitskaya had been contacting each other," another photo of the two Russians on the screen this time. They were at a Café and four tables apart. The next photo showed Alexei leaving a newspaper on his table then the last photo showed Svetlana taking the sinful newspaper.
"One of Shepard's last missions was this and she came up to the conclusion that one of NCIS former agents was their informant and turned their backs on us. Eli David and I continued the op after SecNav ordered Shepard to disappear under the radar." Vance looked at the M.E.
"She wasn't sick, was she?" When the Director nodded, the doctor looked relieved but pained also because Jennifer had lied to him and forced him not to say anything about her 'illness' to Jethro.
"Then, how did she come out alive? I checked her pulse there's no way that she was alive, Director." Tony voiced out his thoughts.
"She took a fake death pill." He answered but before he could go back to the main topic, Abby piped up and the seriousness of the operation faded for a while.
"Oh! Oh! I know that! It's a potassium cyanide capsule that fakes the death of the user. I thought it was only in that game …" she recalled what game that was.
"Metal Gear." McGee supplied.
"Yeah! Metal Gear! And there's a revival pill that counters the effects of fake death pill. It secretes –" she was cut off by McGee by calling her name. "Okay, fine … but Director," he glared at her but she ignored it. "Last question. Is it true that the CIA developed it during the 60's?"
"Yes," he answered with a toothpick in his mouth.
"Oh! I'm loving this top secret operations!" she bounced on her seat.
"For the sake of Shepard's life, cut it off!" he snapped.
Abby fell silent and slumped her shoulders. McGee tried to soothe her. The others wanted to tell the Director that there's noneed for snapping at her like that but they understood that the Director wants t get this over with.
"Jenny Shepard's life is in a great danger that is why the SecNav told her to pretend that she was sick and provide a proof about it. That is why she came to you, Dr. Mallard." He looked at the older man. "The first plan was to take her to a Witness Protection Program after she faked her death due to her disease but the plan fell apart when the incident in the diner happened."
"Her body in the morgue…." Abby murmured.
"It's Sasha Gordon's. I ordered Ducky not to do the autopsy and tell no one about it. Shepard was recovering for months after her 'death' under the name of Jeremy Hanlon." Jenny's photo flashed but she had a blond hair this time. "She chose that cover even though I strongly disagree with her decision. She told me that if ever anyone of you finds her accidently, Gibbs will know that she's in trouble and not to bother her. But Gibbs being Gibbs, of course he followed his infamous gut and went after her."
"Alexei recently attack her again this week and based on his pattern, he will be gone for the next few weeks or months to cover up his tracks. We have those limited time to find Vladimir and get Shepard out of trouble."
He motioned for them to go but Ziva, who remained silent the entire briefing, stood in front of him and waited for the others to exit.
"What is it Agent David?" he cocked an eyebrow.
"Why are you helping Jenny?" She knew from the past that Jenny and Vance didn't go along well based on Jenny's side of the story especially that time when he took her position during the investigation of La Grenouille. She knew he would be lying if his answer is it is because of his job or its SecNav's orders. She knew for a fact that Leon Vance used to loathe her friend because Morrow appointed her to become the Director instead of him who was few years ahead of her. But now, he was trying his best to save her friend's life and to the point that he snapped at Abby who was merely being the usual energizer Abby.
She saw his face hardened. His eyes were guarded. She was wondering if he would even answer her question.
For a moment, he sighed and said, "She saved my boy's life two years ago."
She was slightly surprised. She did not see that one coming. But of course, even though Jenny hated the guy, she has a soft spot for children under that hard exterior of hers.
I forgot to add my A/N when I posted this a while ago. So here it is...
I really can't believe that people are still reading this. Thank you so much especially for your reviews! :D
