A/N: Yesss! I'm more relaxed today, so I can take a little time to answer your questions. First off, thanks to leath, miss37, and TwilightPony21 for reviewing the last two chapters, and thanks to AngieFaye76 for her author alert and author favorite of yours truly ;) Additional thanks to all my reviewers for all your praise and compliments. It's really very nice to know I'm doing these awesome shows justice.
Now, about McGee and Abby...they are officially back together as a couple in this fic, but the rest of the team doesn't know that (obviously). As for today's chapter - it's the second last of this story, and it settles most of the issues that carried over from the first story - but, as this is still only the second story of the trilogy, it must also pose new problems and new questions, mustn't it? Heehee.
Also today, we get back to two characters we haven't seen since Urban Murder - Marie and Linnaeus Wilcox. Let's give them a welcome back, shall we?
Chapter Eight
10:15, November 1; New York City
Marie and Linnaeus Wilcox's house was airy and spacious – quite a rarity in the heart of New York City. The living room was well furnished and tastefully decorated in soft hues of cream, beige, and brown – and Lindsay, who was sitting in it, commented on its beauty.
"Thank you," Marie said, smiling. "I picked out the color scheme myself."
"It's lovely," Lindsay assured her.
Linnaeus, sitting next to Marie on the pinstriped-upholstered couch, cleared his throat. "You were saying you have my brother in custody, Detective?" he asked.
Lindsay drew her attention back to the reason she had come. "Yes, we do," she replied. "NYPD apprehended Vincent Wilcox at his home yesterday, and NCIS agents in D.C. arrested Kendall not long after."
"Does this mean we're…safe?" Marie questioned.
"Well…" Lindsay hesitated. "Not entirely."
"Why not?" Linnaeus queried.
"Vincent admitted to killing Leah Jasper, but he claims he'll walk."
"What?" exclaimed Marie. "How would he walk?"
"He seems to think his connections will keep him out of prison," answered Lindsay. "Do you have any idea who he might be referring to?"
Linnaeus shook his head. "I'm sorry, Detective, but I really don't have a clue. I don't have the best relationship with my brothers. I don't even like to admit I'm related to them, for obvious reasons." He looked uncomfortable; Marie rubbed his back soothingly.
Lindsay was disappointed, but she hid it well. It wasn't Linnaeus' fault his brothers were criminals.
"I understand," she said. As she rose to go, she held out her card. "If you remember anything, please –"
"Call you?" Marie smiled. "We will. I still have that other detective's card – Mac. You can keep yours."
Lindsay nodded in acknowledgment and kept her card.
"Oh, um, Detective," Linnaeus called as Lindsay opened the door to go out. Lindsay paused and looked back.
"Yes?"
"I'm just wondering…with Kendall and Vincent in police custody, does this mean we don't need protective detail anymore?" When Lindsay didn't reply immediately, Linnaeus rushed on, "It's just…my wife and I…our anniversary's coming up next week and we usually take a trip out of town to celebrate." As he spoke, Marie smiled and clasped his hand.
Lindsay considered that for a while.
"I don't see a problem with it," she said finally. "Just be careful, okay? And call us if you see anything suspicious."
"We will, Detective," Marie agreed. "Thank you."
Lindsay nodded and left.
13:33
Adam looked up from analyzing a broken shard of glass from one of the lab's other cases when he felt someone's presence in the room.
"Oh, hey, Sid," he greeted cheerfully – albeit a little puzzled. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Mac," Sid replied. "Or Stella. Either one of them."
Adam frowned. "Why? What's up?"
Sid exhaled as he wondered how to explain. "Uh…Dr. Mallard sent me the autopsy report of Daniel Wells."
"Their other Marine vic?"
"Yes. He wanted me to compare the torture methods used on Major Wells to the injuries inflicted on Col. Jasper."
"So what'd you find?"
"Well, whoever tortured Major Wells was quite obviously not as skilled as Vincent Wilcox. He was definitely not military," Sid said. "However, it's clear that the intent was there. Wells shares some injuries with Jasper – broken ribs, lacerations…his killer was trying to recreate the wounds Jasper sustained."
"Okay," said Adam. "But, uh…I still don't see where this is going, Sid."
"Well, I got curious; I wanted to know why anyone would bother trying to torture Wells the same way Vincent tortured Jasper – unless there was some sort of symbolism to it," Sid explained. "That would be the first sign of a connection between our two Marines."
"Right," Adam agreed.
"So I did a little digging," Sid continued. "Remember the girl who was killed fifteen years ago? Jasper's best friend?"
"Anna Winston," Adam supplied.
"Right, well…it turns out that she was a good friend of Wells', as well."
Adam blinked. "How'd you find that out?"
"Well, I called in some favors from some old Marine friends of mine – they still owe me from the time I helped them get girls on a night out at the club by stringing up their –"
"Stop," Adam pleaded, holding up his hand. He should have remembered how eccentric Sid could be before inquiring. "I'm sorry I asked."
Sid chuckled, used to this reaction. His past was colorful, to say the least – Hawkes called it his 'creepy place' – but he did enjoy startling his colleagues with tales of his former exploits.
"Anyway, one of them told me that Wells used to talk about this girl named Anna from his childhood who was murdered when she was thirteen," he resumed. "Apparently he used to have quite a crush on her. Another one said he emailed a female Marine quite frequently. When I asked him what her name was, guess what he told me."
"Lt. Col. Leah Jasper?" Adam guessed.
Sid nodded. "Bingo. And not only that, but some of the members on his unit also mentioned that Wells was trying to find answers about Anna's unsolved murder."
"Just like Jasper."
"Exactly."
Adam's brow furrowed as he concentrated on this new piece of information, thinking deeply. "So if Wells and Jasper were both investigating Anna's murder, they both would have found out about Main Wave, and they both would have dug deeper. What're the chances that they were working a joint investigation together?"
"Oh, I'd say quite probable," Sid calculated.
"We've gotta tell Mac."
"Look, Mac, I knew that sooner or later someone was going to ask you that question. I decided that if I asked you first, it would be easier – because you and I have an understanding. I figured it would be easier for you to truthfully say you didn't have evidence now instead of later in the investigation. And once I asked the question and got an answer, no other reporter would ask it for a while, giving you time to work your case," Reed explained over the phone in response to Mac's query about his question at the press conference.
Mac leaned back in his office chair, mulling it over.
"Mac?" Reed inquired. "You still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here," said Mac.
"You understand why I did it, right?" Reed asked, a little anxiously. "I mean, I wanted to help you."
Mac allowed himself a smile. "I get it, Reed," he assured the young reporter. "Just do me a favor, okay? Next time you want to do something like that, give me a little warning first."
There was a chuckle from the other end. "All right, Mac. I'll see you."
"Bye," Mac said, before the line cut off. Before he could put his phone away, it rang again. "Taylor." He listened for a while. "Five minutes," he said, before flipping his phone shut once more – just as Sid and Adam came into his office.
"Mac, Sid's got some information you need to hear," Adam told him.
"He can tell it to everyone," Mac said. "Video conference with Agent Gibbs' team in five minutes. Get Stella, Flack, Hawkes, Danny, and Lindsay."
"Flack's at the precinct," Adam said.
"Then get everyone else and meet me in the conference room."
Five minutes later, when Mac, Stella, Danny, Lindsay, Hawkes, Adam, and Sid were gathered in the conference room, they waited for Gibbs' connection.
They didn't have to wait long; the call came just as Hawkes closed the door.
"Mac," Gibbs greeted.
"Gibbs," Mac returned. "You've finished interrogating Kendall Wilcox?"
"Yup," said Tony. "And we got a lot of information."
"Great," said Stella. "Let's hear it."
"First of all, Kendall Wilcox is not guilty of murder of any sort," Ziva reported. "He's guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, but not murder itself."
"He's not the real leader of Main Wave, either," put in McGee. "He told us that when he arrived in D.C. he headed straight for a safe house Main Wave maintained in the city. That night he met a man there by the name of Ernest St. James, who was one of the original hijackers of the jewel load in 1990 – and the real leader of Main Wave."
"Kendall was just a decoy to throw us off track," Mac realized. His gut feeling from earlier had just been proven correct.
"Right," Abby agreed. "Now, Kendall said that Ernest St. James left the safe house at around eleven that night, saying he had somewhere to be. Kendall hasn't seen him since. But Major Wells was killed at approximately four o' clock the next morning."
"Five-hour window," said Hawkes.
"Plenty of time," Danny agreed.
"Uh, while we're on the subject of Major Wells," Sid interjected, attracting everyone's attention, "I have something to add about his murder."
He related what he had found about the connection between Wells and Jasper. When he was done, everyone looked thoughtful.
"So Wells and Jasper were investigating together," Tony mused, thinking.
"Then it makes sense that they were both killed to protect Main Wave's interests," put in Ducky. "It also explains the similarities between their torture."
"Only difference there is that Jasper's killer had military training, and Wells' killer did not," Sid finished.
"Is Ernest St. James Wells' killer?" Stella inquired.
On-screen, Gibbs shrugged. "It's possible – it's even likely, but we don't have any proof."
"That's Gibbs' way of saying 'yes, he did'," Tony translated. "He's got a gut feeling – and Gibbs' gut feelings are never wrong."
Gibbs promptly whacked him upside the head for unnecessary input. Tony rubbed the spot and muttered, "Sorry, boss."
"Okay, so assuming Gibbs' gut is correct," said Lindsay, "Ernest St. James got Vincent Wilcox to kill Jasper in New York while he took care of Wells in D.C."
"Where is St. James now?" Mac questioned.
McGee shrugged helplessly. "I haven't managed to locate him – yet. It's like trying to find Kendall Wilcox all over again," he complained.
"I know the feeling," Lindsay sympathized.
"We do have a possible lead on his whereabouts, though," said Ziva. "Kendall mentioned that although Main Wave has been expanding across the United States, their headquarters is still in Los Angeles. He said that St. James rarely ever leaves L.A.– when he does, it's only for important things."
"Like killing a Marine who's getting dangerously close to their secret," Tony supplied.
"What Kendall's told us," Abby interrupted, "is consistent with the evidence we found on Wells' body. Kendall's hair was transferred to Wells via St. James, and St. James probably tracked in the wood chips from L.A., too."
"What makes you so sure?" Danny queried.
Abby smiled brightly. "Because Tony's right. Gibbs' gut is never wrong."
"So we can probably assume that St. James will return to L.A. to continue managing the smuggling ring," Hawkes said.
"Not just managing," Gibbs corrected. "Transforming."
"What?" Adam asked.
"According to Kendall, there's a big heist planned for November 9," McGee explained. "After that, St. James is gonna shut down the entire ring until the attention from the media and cops has died down and he judges that it's safe to restart business. Then he's going to slowly revive Main Wave under a new name."
"And we'll never find him," Mac concluded.
McGee tilted his head in acknowledgment.
"Is that it?" Stella asked.
"There's one more thing," Ziva replied. "Kendall managed to evade us for so long because he had a source in New York giving him tips about how far the investigation was progressing: his brother. He warned Kendall that you were closing in, and that's how Kendall knew to get out of New York."
Mac nodded. "Well, we've got Vincent Wilcox in custody now, so that shouldn't be a problem."
At this, Gibbs gave him a funny look.
"What?" Mac asked.
"It wasn't Vincent who was tipping off Kendall," Gibbs told him.
Once they heard this, the entire New York team knew who was responsible for aiding Kendall even before Ducky said, "It was Linnaeus."
The short silence that followed this announcement was broken by Lindsay, who groaned in realization.
"Oh, no," she moaned.
"What?" Danny questioned.
"We recalled Marie and Linnaeus' protective detail this morning," Lindsay replied. "There's no one at their house; the way's free for them to run."
Mac had already got out his phone to tell Flack to get to the Wilcox house pronto.
"I'm sorry," Lindsay apologized.
"It wasn't your fault, Lindsay," Stella assured her.
"They told me their anniversary was next week and they were going out of town to celebrate," said Lindsay. "They've probably fled the city by now."
"Then we'll track them down and arrest them," Gibbs declared.
A/N: We have six days to go till Christmas, and this IS the second-last chapter...reviews would make the best Christmas present you guys could give me! =D
