This chapter is a little bit longer. It gives the back story to fill in any blanks. If you have any questions to where something needs to be filled in, please let me know. Also, again, I can't reiterate the kind words in the reviews. Hope everyone continues to read, enjoy and review.
It didn't take Tony much time to get back to the condo following the new revelation. He was greeted by Palmer and a not-too-happy Abby, and could easily tell that Palmer had woken her up and she wasn't too thrilled to not be at least warned of what potentially was going down.
Tony was expecting the upset face, the punch to his arm but he certainly wasn't expecting the tight bear hug Abby engulfed him in.
"Tony, I was so scared. You left me alone and expected Palmer to be able to protect me if anyone came to finish the job?"
Tony tried to play it off while Palmer's jaw almost hit the floor in shock when Abby said that.
The senior field agent wasn't sure what to exactly say or do at this moment. He had been thinking about Nicky Carson finding the condo, so moving Abby and Palmer were his priority and Abby essentially spoke what he was saying.
"So, if they know we're here, how are we going to be safe?"
Tony had a flash of brilliance and he turned to Palmer with a wide grin.
"Palmer, are you allergic to sawdust and bourbon?"
"No, why?"
"I know where we'll be safe and where you two can hear the adventures of Antonio Gabriel."
Billy Rocci sat in the visiting area of the maximum-security prison, palms sweaty and a little too anxious to see his father sit down across the table from him. His father couldn't tell if this were a last-time visit or if something had gone terribly wrong.
"Billy, look at your old man. Why you trembling?"
"That damn DiNozzo did something again. I can sense it father. Nicky hasn't reported in about whether the hit was successful or not and none of those goons you told me to hire haven't heard from him either. I just got this feeling."
Jim Rocci immediately knew the feeling his son was experiencing. He had felt it as well and finally opened up about something his son would have never heard him say before.
"Listen here Billy. That DiNozzo is a jack-of-all-trades. You better believe if he sniffed something, he knows something's up. I know for a fact he didn't have police backup when he worked for me and he always knew when something was coming. He has an instinct that normal detectives don't have, which is why I never made him and that's what pisses me off."
Jim Rocci paused and looked at his son. For the first time, he told the truth about DiNozzo. Yeah, he hated the bastard for putting him away, but he was still mystified that a lowly detective was able to get so close to him that he was like a son. The only one so far who hadn't been served a bullet for an appetizer for deceiving him.
Which is why this last plan of his seemed to have come together far too easily.
He still couldn't believe that his son, known to those at NCIS as William Mason, was able to get a job at the Navy Yard as a non-descript agent and his nephew, Nicky Carson, was able to make his way into the Baltimore Police Department. It was a long, drawn-out process that started several years ago. Billy and Nicky had to sell everything – go to every training school and session possible, get physically fit and stay as far away from the heroin to make this work.
They passed mostly everything with flying colors and their phony backgrounds were solid as rocks. Jim had estimated that they would be able to get to DiNozzo within the last 10 months or so that the elder Rocci was still alive and be able to take him down.
It was almost perfect that DiNozzo's team at NCIS was gone except for him for those two weeks. The window of opportunity was there to murder a Navy officer in Baltimore and get DiNozzo back to Baltimore.
Billy and Nicky needed to find the perfect situation to get DiNozzo out of D.C. and up to Baltimore. A team from the Pentagon would likely take over that case, Billy reported. They needed another avenue, which is when Nicky suggested killing one of DiNozzo's old friends from the department.
"I have to ask Billy, why was Alderson chosen to be executed? And where did that Bradley guy come from?"
"Alderson was doing some double dipping for the Muchismo family in D.C. He sold the drugs for us, but body packed a little to take back to D.C. for them to sell. They gave him a little extra slice of the pie for taking our product, stealing it and selling it. He was easy."
"And the cop?"
"Nicky had followed him for about two months getting his schedule down. We knew he would be a Good Samaritan and try to help out. I was far enough away that he didn't see me and I was able to kill him before he got to Nicky. We stripped him of his weapons and took off."
Jim Rocci nodded his head in approval of how the plan had unfolded in getting DiNozzo to Baltimore. Then, he remembered why Billy was trembling when he first entered the visiting area.
"So, you don't know where Nicky is?"
"No father. I'm trying to think of what to do. DiNozzo is so clumsy and goofy at work. I don't see why he is so important to any agency."
"Look, go underground. DiNozzo has probably connected the dots. And do I need to remind you of how he acted when he got close to me? I don't think clumsy and goofy describe his focus and I guarantee you he has that same focus now. You need to stay safe and try to let this smooth itself out. The Rocci name needs to live on and you can't do that if you are like me behind bars or six feet under. Nicky likely is keeping his mouth shut so you should be able get away."
"Thank you father. I'll be back in two weeks and hopefully with better news."
"Okay, since we all drove our own cars over here, who is Antonio Gabriel and why should be care anything about him," Abby immediately asked once they entered Gibbs' front door and Tony immediately locked it.
He stared Abby down and pointed toward the stairs to the basement. Palmer was already heading down there when they both heard exactly what someone who has never been to Gibbs' basement before says upon entry.
"Why is he building a boat in the basement?"
Tony flashed a smile at Abby and both of them went down to the basement.
"So, about Antonio Gabriel, you sure you want to hear all of this?"
Both Abby and Palmer nodded as Tony sat on a workbench in Gibbs' basement and started to unearth the almost forgotten tales of Antonio Gabriel.
- Flashback –
A slick haired, designer suit wearing Antonio Gabriel strolled into Jim Rocci's personal office overlooking the bustling streets of downtown Baltimore. Tony had already welcomed the new persona of Antonio – a Spanish-born businessman who moved to the States before he turned 1-year-old and inherited a boat load of cash from his father, who found a way to traffic heroin and whatever other drug you wanted from either Spain or Central and South America.
The long-standing rumor that circulated throughout Baltimore, and had been picked up by the Baltimore PD through a few sources who could no longer be reached, was that Rocci was looking for a Spanish connection to expand his drug empire. If that expanded, Rocci could possibly move south to D.C. and begin overtaking rival Mafia operations.
Tony as Gabriel didn't appear fazed at the rumors that circulated about the blood on Rocci's hands from the countless murders that went unsolved each year. He was focused on the money and the drugs.
"Mr. Rocci, I was told you wanted to see me," Gabriel was the first to speak, using his to Spanish accent to make the sell. Tony was pretty sure if the sell were made, he would be Gabriel for a long time.
"Yes, Antonio, I am personally excited to meet a man of your stature. Thank you for coming, would you like a drink," Rocci's Italian accent nearly boomed through the spacious room. It was immaculate and larger than the Baltimore PD squad room.
"Yes, I'd love one," Gabriel replied. Tony's real-life persona and profession were thrown out the window, figuratively. Rocci gave him a smile and he knew that Antonio Gabriel was a new face in the Rocci Mafia.
"Good, it's my personal favorite – Dalmore. I only allow those who I view as trustworthy and respectable to drink from this bottle. Can I trust and respect you, Mr. Gabriel?"
"You most certainly can, Mr. Rocci. My father once told me that money is the easiest thing to obtain and save, but trust and respect are hardest things to gain and easiest to lose. I take trust, respect and money very seriously."
Rocci flashed a smile that mirrored that of Antonio Gabriel and a toast solidified the new bond.
- End Flashback –
"Tony, weren't you scared about how evil Rocci was," Abby asked, bringing Tony out of the memories that were flooding back to him.
"Yeah. Initially, I pissed my pants when Raimey picked me to go undercover. I'd done undercover work before, but never something as dangerous as infiltrating a Mafia family. I'm thankful I did because I wouldn't have the balls today to stand up to Gibbs if I didn't take that assignment."
"Seemed like you got in rather easily," Palmer pointed out.
"I told the cliff notes version. It took about three months to get to that point and then almost another six to gather the information. It was a long nine months of maintaining my cover as Antonio Gabriel. He was everything I despised in a human being."
Abby and Palmer shot each other a look that Tony knew far too well. He had revealed another part about him that they didn't know, despite how often he opened his mouth on a daily basis.
Tony let out an uneasy breath and finished up giving them a quick rundown of how the operation went down.
"In a nutshell, I was able to become Rocci's right-hand man. I knew where the money was coming from and going, I knew where all of his men were hidden in plain sight to strike whenever he needed them to and I found out quickly where and how he killed the people he wanted to take care of himself. I didn't have to do any of the dirty work – just keep the books and keep my ear to the ground to hear if anyone was coming after him. After finding ways to make him more money and tipping him off that someone was coming after him, I quickly found his trust."
He scanned both of their faces. Abby was absorbing the information and Palmer still had that look of 'we need to talk' plastered all over his expression.
"So, if you were able to get that close, how were you able to get the information to those you needed to get in touch with?"
"I called a designated number from a payphone in downtown Baltimore near one of Rocci's favorite dining establishments. Simple call, let it ring and have a detective pick up and then hang up. That was the sign. No one saw me call, so they had no clue how the police found them.
"The plan from the get-go was that I was supposed to be arrested with the rest of the family and crew. While the rest of the organization was being charged with murders, fraud, laundering and the whole shebang, they planned on dropping information to the Rocci's that I was being extradited to an European country for extortion and whatever charges they wanted to come up with to make it sound legit. This was to ensure that I didn't talk about the Rocci Mafia and they'd think that I was going away for unrelated charges."
"What went wrong," Abby asked.
"Rocci saw the officer release me from my handcuffs not far from where everyone else was arrested and give me a firm handshake and pat on the back in congratulation. I was seething at the time and let him know that – basically my cover was blown on the spot, whether I reacted or not. They whisked me away but the damage was already done. Rocci was adamant that he wanted my head."
Both Abby and Palmer shot another glance at each other. Abby found the words to ask: "So, what happened to Rocci?"
"He's in jail and currently on death row. In between trying to check on whether I still have friends in the department over the past 10 years, I've been monitoring the progress of Rocci to death row. He's scheduled to be executed in a few months."
Abby uneasily got up from inside Gibbs' new boat and walked up the stairs to the kitchen. It was about noon now and all three were starting to get hungry. As Tony rose to see if Abby needed any help, he heard Palmer clear his throat. That conversation still needed to happen.
"Look Palmer, about earlier … "
"No, Tony, listen to me. I'm concerned."
"Wait? Why are you concerned? You're safe. Abby's safe. I'm in control."
"You see, that's the thing Tony. I don't know if you are totally in control because of how you throw yourself into missions and you've got the responsibility of the MCRT. That didn't work out too well last time. You were dating Jeanne, put into the big shoes and had the rocky start, which cost Renny Grant years he didn't deserve to serve in prison. I know things sorted themselves out later, but you need to avoid something like that now, especially since you have no backup."
"Palmer, are you done," Tony asked, trying to temper his emotions after being essentially put in his place. "First, I'm not going at this like Gibbs went after Ari or the Reynosa cartel. I've kept you and Abby out of harms way from the very beginning. I haven't gone solo since I'm currently working with the Baltimore PD and they have my back. I know we haven't talked as much since Gibbs came back – primarily because I don't come down to autopsy and the lab as often as I used to – but I'm fine and under control. You've heard what we're up against, which is why I made sure the two of you were safe before I went any further. Gibbs would have been in action before he even thought about making sure his people were safe. Palmer, I've learned a lot from Gibbs and I've learned a lot about what mistakes to avoid. That's where we'll be fine this time."
"I'm just making sure Tony. And if you ever feel that you're about to lose control, don't remain quiet. Talk to me, talk to Abby. We're here."
"I know. Thanks Palmer."
That talked really did something for Tony since he took the steps out of the basement two at a time to get up to the kitchen and see what Abby was cooking. He was momentarily taken out of his train of thought when he heard and felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.
"DiNozzo."
"Tony, it's Ms. Anderson from the apartment 213."
"Hey, Ms. Anderson. What can I do for you?"
"Were you expecting guests Tony?"
"No, I wasn't."
"Well, there was this man who came by your apartment. Didn't knock or anything, just looked around. He acted very suspicious. I poked my head out of my door and said I was going to call the police and he ran down the stairs to his car. I have one of those feelings, Tony."
"Yeah, I do too. Thank you Ms. Anderson. I'll look into it."
With that, he hung up his phone and found Abby and Palmer waiting for him to tell them what to do.
"Hmm … OK, here's what we're going to do. The two of you, go back down to the basement and cover the windows with dark cloth. I'm moving both of your cars into the garage and then my car will be parked a block over. If that same goon comes by, I'll get his license plate and call the police to report an angry driver who is a threat to others. That'll at least get him stopped and possibly searched."
With that, Abby stopped the cooking and found a few large blankets in Gibbs' closet that would cover the small windows in the basement. Tony grabbed all three sets of keys and quickly got the cars into the garage and the Baltimore PD motor pool car up a street and on the next block.
He ran back, hid in the bushes and waited. While he thought it would take forever, the suspicious car stopped in front of Gibbs' house and the driver stepped out. He definitely looked like a goon Rocci's son would hire – about 6 feet tall, some muscle, shaved head, a few tattoos and too much facial hair.
Tony quickly dialed 911 and advised that a man was suspiciously walking around a person's residence. He got them the car – standard issue Ford Crown Victoria with Maryland plates – and hung up.
A few minutes later, while Rocci's man was getting in the car, a few police cruisers cut him off in front of Gibbs' house and ordered him out of the car. Aside from finding a couple of guns on him, they found heroin in the glove box.
Tony watched them call in the wrecker and to tow the car away to the impound lot and put Rocci's goon, who is Maxwell Marshall based on his Maryland driver's license, in the back seat of the police cruiser.
Tony saw the pizza deliveryman pull up to Gibbs' place about a minute or two after the cops had cleared. While he was watching the drama play out in front of him, he called and ordered pizza since Abby hadn't been able to fix anything with the threat of someone finding them in Gibbs' place.
Tony got the pizzas, gave him some cash and entered the house. He heard Abby yell, "Don't come any closer!" We're heavily armed!" which brought a smile to his face. He opened the basement door and let the aroma of pizza float down the stairs.
It took a few moments before Abby and Palmer came running up the stairs like a couple of starving teenagers.
The three began indulging in pizza in silence, which allowed Tony's brain to begin refocusing on the case at hand. He took Palmer's words to heart and wasn't going to let his thoughts and feelings of the case to take control of his actions.
He glanced over at Abby as she picked at the pizza – she needed to search the bank records of Nicky Carson. She'd argue that was McGee's area of expertise, but since he was in LA, she needed to handle it.
Palmer was busy finishing up the crust of his slice and Tony remembered that he needed more results from the autopsies when Abby broke his train of thought.
"Did you find out what exactly was in Alderson's stomach line?"
"It was a substance in a plastic bag. Can't really tell what exactly it is."
"Wait, what the hell did you find inside the Navy officer," Tony asked, almost spewing the soda he was drinking. "My guess is he was body packing."
"Wow, I hadn't thought of that yet. I couldn't tell what kind of drug it was, but it was something that wasn't easy to break down."
"I can guarantee you it is heroin. That's the specialty drug of the Rocci's. Looks like lil' Billy is definitely getting into his father's business. And he's likely going into hiding, which is what he did right after the bust was made."