Chapter Nine – Tangled Web
Franklin stepped out of the airport and looked around. He had arranged a car; not a limousine, but chauffeured nonetheless. He wasn't going to do anything just yet except look around. He told the driver to give him a tour of the city. Putting on the excited tourist face, he sat back and watched as the capital flew by. The driver was coming near the Navy Yard when Franklin asked, as if he didn't know, "What's that up ahead?"
The driver focused on the location in front of them. "That's the Navy Yard."
"The Navy Yard? What's there?"
"The Navy Yard," the driver answered, and then shrugged. "Lots of stuff… Department of Naval History, Navy JAG Corps and NCIS – they're like Navy Cops. They're the most interesting thing on the Yard to me."
As the driver passed by the gates, Franklin watched as a navy blue sedan pulled up to the gate and an arm stretched out to the guards showing credentials. It was as he thought. This would have to be a water approach.
---
Steph showed her ID to the guard at the gate, and pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head. Receiving her dazzling smile, he pressed the button to raise the security arm. She winked and drove onto the Navy Yard. Parking in plain sight, she stepped out of the car, adjusting her jacket over her side arm. Walking confidently into the federal agency, she showed her ID to the guard inside and he nodded her through without asking questions.
Once in the elevator, she pressed the button for the floor above the lab. It would be cutting it close with the agents on that floor, but it was necessary to go up first and then down to access the lab. When the doors opened, she kept her head down, while watching for agents and obstacles. She managed to get into the stairwell without any problems. Walking quietly down the stairs, she peered out the window of the exit door. The hall was empty and not a sound was heard. She eased out of the stairwell and once again kept her head down, shielding her face from video surveillance. Entering the lab, she knocked out the agent talking to Abby.
Abby turned when she heard a 'thump', and stared into the eyes of the woman from the other night. This time, she was holding a gun on Abby.
"What do you want?" Abby asked, shuffling closer to her desk.
"Answers," Steph told her.
---
"Agent Gibbs!" Jenna exclaimed.
Gibbs and Ziva reflexively looked at Jenna and then at the plasma screen that was showing the feed from Abby's lab. There was a redhead holding a gun on Abby. Before Jenna could get out of her chair, they were on the move, off to rescue Abby.
---
"Answers about what?" Abby asked, taking another small step.
Steph shook her head. "Don't do it. You couldn't hit me with anything on your desk before I get a shot off, and I'd rather get my information from someone without putting a bullet in them."
Abby stopped moving. "I don't have any information for you."
Steph studied Abby and noticed that while calm on the outside, her eyes were screaming that she was scared and that she did know something.
---
Gibbs and Ziva molded themselves to the walls and approached Abby's lab with their guns drawn. From their position, they could see Tony lying on the floor. Standing just beyond the point that would open the doors, Gibbs felt a movement beside him.
"What are you doing?" He asked Jenna.
"Buddy system, remember?" she replied.
"You shouldn't be here. You could get hurt and you can't help Abby." Ziva murmured.
Turning her stubborn gaze from one to the other, she told them, "I might, but he won't let that happen. And you don't know if I can help or not."
"Stay back and stay down," Gibbs ordered.
Jenna nodded, jaw set and she crouched low to stay out of the line of sight.
---
"You're lying," Steph said and clicked the safety off her gun. "You do know something. All I want is an honest answer. Did you know Mike Lancaster?"
"Don't move."
---
Franklin had become one with the tourist crowd and made his way to onto the USS Barry. He was watching for tourist boats along the Anacostia as well as taking in the layout of Navy Yard. Barely hearing the tour guide's voice, he walked when the crowd did and stood still when they did. He saw tourist boats on the river but they wouldn't get him close enough to get to her that way. The water approach would not work.
He just knew she had to be in there. They wouldn't let her go without making her formulate an antidote. And from the scuttlebutt about NCIS, he knew they didn't like to turn their evidence over to other government agencies. The director, he had learned, could stick to her guns when it came down to it.
Not caring about the history of the Barry, he made his mind up and left the tour. When asked where he was going, he acted sick and security lead him off the boat. He'd have to rent a car and just watch. When the time was right, he would strike and strike hard.
---
Steph heard the voice at the same time she felt the muzzle of a handgun brush her ear. Making a noise of disgust, she released her weapon to Officer David, as Agent Gibbs kept her covered; she couldn't believe she'd been so overconfident that both team members had slipped into the lab. Hands cuffed behind her back, she was turned to face Special Agent Gibbs. Grinning in his face, she took pleasure at seeing the anger flare in his eyes.
"Take her to interrogation, Ziva. Stay with her until I get there," Gibbs ordered.
As they exited the lab, Abby rushed to Gibbs and hugged him tightly. Jenna walked in, witnessing the hug and felt a strange sensation. Not bothering to address that feeling at this time, Jenna asked, "Abby, are you all right?"
Abby looked over Gibb's shoulder to the younger woman and said, "Now I am." She watched the look that flashed across Jenna face and knew her gut had been right. There was attraction on at least one end of this "buddy" relationship. Releasing Gibbs, she told him, "I'm getting a little tired of having guns pointed at me Gibbs."
Gibbs had put his own weapon away when she hugged him and he just laughed. "Your methods aren't conventional Abs, but they work when you disarm people." He pulled away from Abby and knelt next to Tony's prone form. "He's okay; just unconscious. Call Ducky."
Abby quickly made the call. "That woman better be glad he didn't get seriously hurt," she said threateningly. She grinned. "So, you gonna let her stew all night like you've done in the past."
Gibbs shook his head and turned. "Nope, I'm going to question her as soon as we get Tony taken care of."
Abby's panicked look hit Jenna and she knew what the woman was after. "Can we watch?" she asked, feeling bile rise in her throat at the thought of what happened being exposed.
Grabbing her arm, Abby said, "Of course. Gibbs' interrogations are always riveting."
As if on cue, Ducky and Palmer entered the lab, Ducky rushing to care for his injured colleague.
The girls exchanged worried glances behind Gibbs' back as he briefed Ducky on the situation.
"Jenna, call your sister and check on her and McGee," Gibbs ordered.
---
"Oh my gosh, are you serious? … Is she okay? … Tony! Oh, no! … We'll be right there. … Jenna! I know the antidote is important, but so are you; so, you better tell Agent Gibbs to get over it. … Okay, whatever."
"What's happening?" McGee asked, concerned.
"The chick that attacked Abby last night got into her lab somehow, knocked Tony out and pulled a gun on Abby."
Seeing his horrified expression, she quickly continued.
"Everyone's okay. Gibbs saved the day… again. Tony is fine; he was just out cold. Ducky's taking care of him." She paused a moment, and then smiled, "Abby is fine, okay. She wasn't touched. Gibbs has the attacker in custody. I want to go upstairs and check on Jenna. I want to watch Gibbs interrogate the big bad chick, and I want to help be part of the solution. But they are insisting I stay here and continue working on the antidote."
"I'd like to go, too, but you have to think of the big picture, Brenna. This antidote is way more critical than checking things out upstairs," he reasoned.
"But I can't focus, McGee! Think about it. Wouldn't it be a more efficient use of my time to take thirty minutes to ease my mind, and then return with renewed vigor? I mean, at this point, I'll be much less productive. Would Gibbs approve of that? I don't think so."
"Brenna, stop trying to manipulate me."
"I'm not manipulating," she rolled her eyes. "It's the truth. I am worthless until I go up there and see for myself that Jenna is fine. Okay? I've been taking care of her for too long to just take her call at face value. She's under a lot of stress right now, okay?"
Brenna smiled when she saw McGee was actually considering her point of view. "Besides," she continued, "you have to admit you want to check on Tony and Abby for yourself."
McGee shrugged and nodded his head in agreement. "A compromise? Twenty minutes?"
"Deal," Brenna said, smiling brightly as she shook his hand.
---
Jenna was busy reassuring Brenna that she was fine when the picture on the television caught her eye. Reading the scrolling marquee under footage of DAX Pharmaceuticals, she grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. 'DAX scientist and researcher Brenna Davis is also being investigated in connection with these allegations…' "Oh, no! Brenna! I have to call Damien!"
Reaching for the phone, she didn't hear Brenna call her name. She did, however, feel the hand on top of hers. Looking up, she stared at Gibbs. "I've been gone for days and haven't called him. I have to let him know what is going on."
Gibbs stared down at her, seeing the same stubbornness she'd revealed outside Abby's lab earlier. "Speakerphone, and McGee records it."
After muting the volume, Tim turned from the TV and ran to his phone. He nodded to Jenna and she dialed the cell phone number she knew by heart, grateful that Damien himself answered. "Damien, it's Jenna."
"Jenna, where are you? You haven't been in the office in days, and now we've got some sort of fiasco going on. The DEA thinks…"
"That you authorized approval on developing an oral biochemical drug, and that Brenna and I might somehow be involved," Jenna finished his sentence. "Damien, I'm so sorry I haven't called. Brenna discovered something in Dexter's lab and we had to run and hide."
"Why? What's going on? What did she discover?" He lowered his voice. "She's up to her neck in this, Jenna. There is substantial paperwork incriminating her."
Jenna smiled faintly at the concern in Damien's voice, but her eyes told everyone how worried she was. "Listen to me. Brenna didn't have anything to do with this. You know that. You've known her longer than you've known me. It's Franklin. He isn't all you think he is. He knows what Brenna saw."
"Adam? You know, I haven't seen him since the day I left early."
Jenna's eyes widened and she looked over at her sister, who had stopped smiling at the news story but paled when she heard that. "He's missing?" At Damien's affirmative answer, she told him, "Damien, the best thing to do right now is to cooperate with the DEA. Brenna did see a formula for that pill and she's here with me. We're working to figure this all out, but you will have to work with them, okay?"
"Jenna, you know me. This whole corporation is an open book, as far as I'm concerned. They can look into whatever they need to. You promise me one thing, though."
"What's that Damien?"
"You'll be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you, sweetheart."
Amazed at her boss's acceptance of the whole situation, Jenna smiled and noticed Gibbs staring at her. "I promise, Damien. I have to go for now, but you take care and I'll be in touch, all right?"
Ending the conversation, she saw Gibbs turn and walk toward the hall where she now knew the interrogation rooms were. Preparing herself for what was about to happen would be useless. How do you prepare for the moment that destroys your life?
