"I'm waiting" DiNozzo said after sinking a crumpled napkin into an old coffee cup from the backseat. With two people sitting inside the cab of a Dodge Charger, the air got stuffy quickly. With four, especially if one was DiNozzo, it was plain suffocating.

"Waiting for what?" grumbled McGee from the driver's seat. Ziva had shotgun while Katie and Tony were in the back, "I'm wondering why use the word Popcorn in a message."

Katie slowly turned to him, "That was the code word Gibbs and I used. If I ever needed him I was supposed to call NCIS and leave him a message. If I got a popcorn message, I was to contact Gibbs. Tony had a confused look on his face, "He never thought of me as a child Tony and I never asked to be treated like one. Believe me I know more than you think."

Tony chuckled, "That's great," then he got serious, "Listen sweetie if I consider letting you come in there I need to know if I'm going to have any problems with you."

Ziva and McGee turned around, "Back off Tony" snapped Ziva. Tony held up a hand for silence.

"It's OK" Assured Katie, "What's your problem DiNozzo?"

"Guys" McGee tried to get the groups attention but they were yelling.

"I don't want any cowboy antics when we get in there" he Tony.

Katie nodded, "So the only thing you're worried about is that I'll go off on my own and jeopardize Gibbs rescue?"

"Yes!" growled Tony.

Ziva scoffed, "This is so unnecessary!"

"Guys" McGee sounded mousy compared to Tony and Ziva's arguing.

"Who's Senior Agent?" Tony countered.

She threw up her hands, "You are the most self centered, egocentric, pain in the"

Katie interrupted by punching Tony's shoulder, his injured shoulder, "Hey!" She didn't say anything, she pointed to what McGee was looking at. Ziva grabbed her own set of low-light binoculars then passed them to Tony. Katie didn't need them; she knew who she was looking at, "Would it be cliché to say 'Hi honey, I'm home'?"

Michael Hawke stood proudly at the loading docks behind the restaurant listening to an alley cat tussle with another for garbage. He smiled to himself; he'd avoided capture, acquired his target and was about to put right the wrong Katie had done to him.

After thirty minutes, and the windows fogging up, it was time to move, "McGee take Katie and cover the front," said Ziva as they exited the car.

Tony cleared his throat, "What was that?" Ziva held out her hand and motioned for him to continue, "Thank You" he said smugly, "Katie you go with the Imperial McProbie Droid here and cover the front. Do not move until you get your cue from me" he looked at Ziva, "And only me."

Then he shot Katie a look, "Remember what I said?" Katie had been checking her weapon so DiNozzo thought she was ignoring him and moved in for a head slap. To his surprise she caught his hand in transit before it met its target, "I remember," she said looking up and letting go of his hand, "Any cowboy antics come from you."

Ziva and McGee smiled behind Tony's back, "Cute" remarked DiNozzo. McGee tapped Katie on her shoulder and they walked off.

"I do believe Gibbs was a bad influence on her," Tony said taking his gun from its holster.

Ziva smiled at him, "I'm counting on it." Then he took off after her to take their positions around the building.

Gibbs poured the idea over in his head. Sure DiNozzo wouldn't be that stupid, he thought, then again he'd done dumber things.

Hawke had secured Gibbs in the walk in freezer. The front façade of the building looked to be a burnt out restaurant. The kitchen however had been heavily cleaned enough to pass a health inspector's visit. Hawke had employed Jarrod Lamb, a man he met while in prison that'd been paroled earlier than Hawke. His primary objectives were to track down supplies to help Hawke re-establish himself as a mercenary for hire. Starting with the current location on his ex wife, Katie. Lamb expected Ziva and Katie to emerge from the building first. Gibbs had been a bonus. "You said all we were going to do was make your ex suffer," Lamb said pulling off his ski mask, "Not kidnap Feds!" Hawke sighed then pulled out a suppressed .9mm Walther, "Sorry Jarrod too many questions" he answered as he shot his accomplice twice in the head and twice in the heart.

"I don't know about this. Are you sure this is going to work?" McGee asked through his comm.

"I've done dumber things" DiNozzo remarked, "Katie are you ready?"

"Standing by, you're sure this is going to work?" she asked looking over at McGee.

If he could head slap her he would have, Tony thought, "You aren't allowed to question me, no go!"

"You OK with this?" McGee had been quiet the ten minutes he and Katie stood outside the front door preparing to enter. Inside they heard a shot through the quiet then another until they had heard four, "Let's get this show on the road!" barked DiNozzo.

"Just get Gibbs, McGee" assured Katie. Her voice didn't shake and her gaze was direct as she began to walk inside, unarmed.

The blood was moving to the center of his body to keep his internal organs warm - Hypothermia – wonderful. Gibbs began to yawn as his body began to shake. Stay awake he told himself. If I get out of this a trip down south will be in order. Then Gibbs heard the four shots. He knew what had happened before the door opened. A wave of warmth hit him fast, "Sorry about this Gunny," Hawke stepped inside with Lamb draped over his shoulder, "I know you booked a single billet but," He let Lamb's body fall hard, "We're filled to capacity." Gibbs just stared at his captor, breathing in all the warm air he could.

"Michael?"

Oh hell thought Gibbs, she's going to get herself killed, "Hawke it's me you want, it's me you got now let's finish this!" Gibbs stumbled trying to stand up, "Sorry Gunny," Hawke answered followed by a left jab to his ribs, "But I have company."

"How long do we need to give her?" McGee asked finally. He hadn't heard a word from Ziva or Tony and he thought this plan was ludicrous at best. "Patience, you can use this later in a book, call it Memoirs of a Probie: a Guide to Waiting on Women," answered Tony sarcastically, he didn't want to let too much time by, "Besides I've sent our little she-ninja inside as her back up. Then we move in."