Three weeks. In three weeks time I will deliver a body to your doors unless you can solve the puzzle you see before you. Think fast, think hard and leave no piece unturned. Sleep with one eye open, keep your head over your shoulders and your gun loaded. You never know where I may be when the shadows lurk. Save your next victim Detectives... Mekanik
"That's pretty straight to the point..." Don said sarcastically as Mac set the letter down on the table.
"It sounds like a threat to me..." Jo commented. "We should be taking extra precautions when on our own from now on. This isn't the first time we've received something threatening the lives of one of the staff here since taking the case."
"Not to mention we still don't know who this Mekanik character is. It could be serious for all we know." Lindsay added.
"Well whatever this guy is up to we gotta catch him before he can kill anyone else." Danny grumbled, arms folded firmly across his chest. "Any word from Dr. Mallard and Sid?"
"No not yet. They're still doing a cross examination with a few of the older victims." Sheldon replied.
"Still? Why is it taking them so long, what was there to be cross examined exactly?" Tim asked sitting up straight in his chair.
"Ducky said there was something amiss with the latest victims." It was Tony who responded this time. "Mentioned something about an inconsistency in the wounds or something like that, I dunno..."
"What about this puzzle he mentioned?" Gibbs more stated than asked, changing the subject. "We haven't received anything like that at all, not in a package with the discs or on the victims. We should be trying to figure out what he meant by that first." Gibbs's mention of the puzzle in the letter brought an eerie silence to the group of officers. They all looked from one to the other unsure of what to think or say. Mac looked over the letter again and sighed.
"Gibbs is right. Until we know what games this Mekanik character is playing now we need to examine every possibility, this 'puzzle' included. Go through all the packages they've sent us and review any new evidence we've accumulated with the last three victims. If you find anything you're to call both myself and Agent Gibbs." As if on cue the group stood up and filed out of the room with the exception of Gibbs and Mac.
"I'm right?" Gibbs asked Mac trying to understand the Detectives change in attitude towards him and his team. Mac sighed again not wanting to get into a debate with the agent but replied anyway.
"Yes. The puzzle he mentioned is a concern, of that there's no doubt. It's not the first time he's mentioned it and it probably won't be the last until we figure it out."
"How many other letters is a puzzle mentioned?" Gibbs replied.
"In total? At least three others, maybe more." Mac said leaning forward resting his forearms on the table all the while holding the letter in his hands.
"And there were no prints on any of them?"
"None. As usual he's very clean and particular about what condition these things he sends us are in. Although his pattern is changing there are still a number of things that remain the same. We find the victim bled out from the neck missing one bone from various parts of the body depending on the victim. Then the discs show up, usually with 'Play Me' written in the victims' blood on the cover anywhere from a couple of hours to three days after the victim is found. If he's seen on camera whether on the discs or through security footage he's wearing a mask made of different parts of the human skull which we now know are real and most likely from previous victims we haven't found yet." Mac paused and looked at the note again. "Now he's added the letters..."
"Then we can only assume Detective." Gibbs started, holding his hand out motioning to Mac for the letter. Mac gently slid it across the table to him and Gibbs looked it over before continuing. "That the puzzles will be his next change."
"I just hope we're ready for it, whatever IT is..." Just then gun shots rang out in the building echoing through the halls. Mac and Gibbs both looked at each other with concerned wide eyes making sure the other was hearing the same thing. When they were both absolutely sure they got up from the table, Mac quickly grabbing the letter and tucking it in his pocket, and bolted out the door towards the sound of the gun fire. "What's going on, what happened?" He asked when he saw Jo and Tony ducking behind a corner. Jo turned to face him, her gun already drawn and held firmly between her hands.
"Seems our new friend doesn't like the way we're conducting our investigation." She replied.
"The suspect?" Mac asked. Tony nodded in return.
"The man letting off the shots was pushing a mail cart towards your office. Next thing you know he's blowing holes in the walls ranting and raving about that Mekanik person..." Said Tony. Gibbs leaned closer to the small group and slowly peered around the corner to try and catch a glimpse of the shooter.
"I don't see him now. Do we know who the shooter is?" He asked.
"It's Mr. Freeze." Tony replied. Gibbs looked at him and shook his head.
"You mean Milo Thomas DiNozzo?" He retorted. DiNozzo nodded quickly in return and took back to canvassing the area for Mr. Thomas.
It had taken them a while to get it out of him, but with Gibbs there to aid them they finally got the name and current address out of their lead on the Skeleton Killer case. His name was Milo Thomas, a 26 year old male living in the East Bronx with his Grandmother and two sisters until August of 2009 when he was evicted and moved to Queens, presumably to be closer to JFK International Airport. He had told Agent Gibbs he was expecting a lot of company over the next few months and needed more room for his honoured guests. Mekanik's name had been one of the many on his list.
As luck would have it though, they had no way of keeping him detained. He had done nothing wrong beyond hitting Mac with the door when he ran and there was no evidence to say otherwise. So against their better judgment when he'd done his time for assaulting him with the door, Milo Thomas was a free man. But now he was here in the crime lab shooting up a storm like a lunatic demanding to speak with Detective Taylor and Agent Gibbs.
"What does he want?" Gibbs asked.
"He wants to speak with you and Detective Taylor..." Gibbs looked to Mac who nodded in response and the two men stood up and carefully stepped out into the open.
"Milo?" Mac held his hands in the air as he cautiously walked towards his office. "Milo Thomas?"
"Throw the guns down!" The voice came from behind the overturned couch in Mac's office.
"Alright." Mac and Gibbs both set their guns down and gently kicked them off to the side. "We're unarmed Milo. Don't shoot, we're coming in." Slowly the men inched towards the open glass door.
"Stop!" Milo yelled halting their advance. "That's close enough."
"Milo." Gibbs called. "We understand you came here to talk to us?"
"I can hear you just fine from over there..." Milo reputed quickly, poking his head out from behind the couch. His short dark brown hair was a mess and his eyes were blood shot like he hadn't slept since his release a month ago. Gibbs and Mac looked to each other, hands still poised in the air, before either of them spoke again.
"So?" Gibbs asked.
"So what?" Milo growled.
"Talk to us Milo. What'd you want to talk to us about?"
"You ruined my life!" Milo shouted. In his momentary rage Mac was able to see the weapon he was holding in his hands when he leaned out in their line of view. When Milo retreated behind his shield he leaned in towards Gibbs and spoke.
"He's got a Colt. 9mm SMG by the looks of it..." He whispered. Gibbs nodded in affirmation.
"Good eyes Detective..." He whispered in response, then turned his attention back to Milo. "Explain that to us Milo. How did we ruin your life?"
"Everything! It's ALL over! Mekanik is furious! He cast me out like rat!" He growled and stood up pointing the gun at them. "It's all because of YOU! Because you had me in prison! And for what? Because I hit you with a door?"
"Just calm down Milo." Mac held his hands out in an effort to keep him from firing. "Assaulting an officer is a crime regardless of whether or not it was done with your hands or an object." Mac replied. "But that's not what you came to say to us is it?" When Milo didn't respond Mac continued. "Tell me why you came here Milo, tell me what you came here to say to us."
"Detective." Gibbs called. Mac looked back briefly but kept his focus on the submachine gun aimed at them both.
"Tell us what you came here to say." He continued.
"You just don't understand Detective Taylor..." Milo muttered and lowered the gun a little.
"Detective!" Gibbs called again trying to get Mac's attention. Again Mac looked back briefly but turned his attention back to Milo.
"Then help me understand Milo, explain it to me so I can understand." He retorted. Milo raised the gun again and Mac braced himself for a shot. There was a moment of confusion when he lowered the gun and stood up straight shaking his head, hot salty tears streaming down his face.
"It's too late. It's too late..." He wept.
"Too late for what Milo? Talk to me!" Mac's eyes darted between Milo and the Colt in his hands trying to figure out a way to get the gun from him but before he could even think of moving Milo threw the gun down.
"It's too late for that Detective..." He sighed, and pulled out a pistol. Mac backed up a step as Milo turned the new gun over in his hands. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He looked up at Mac, a look of utter defeat and self loathing plastered on his face. "Look in the cart Detective. There's a gift in there for you..." Milo looked down to the gun he held and looked up one last time to say one last thing. "Oh, and Mekanik says hello and to tell you," He paused. "You should just... Open the box." The moment the word 'box' left his mouth, the gun was in it and the trigger was pulled.
"Milo NO!" Mac shouted, but he was too late. The shot screeched through the crime lab and the blood and brain matter painted the glass behind him. Milo Thomas was dead.
Both Mac and Gibbs stood there motionless looking at the mess. There was at least five minutes of silence before either of them spoke again.
"Are you out of your mind Detective?" Gibbs snapped. Mac turned around to face him a little put off.
"What do you mean?"
" Don't you think that was a little dangerous?"
"I was doing my job Agent Gibbs."
"The man had a Colt pointed at our heads Detective and neither of us are wearing vests."
"I know that, but it didn't look like he was about to shoot us."
"So you thought approaching him like that, unarmed and unprotected was the best option? You could have been killed."
"Like I said Agent. He wasn't about to shoot us. He didn't have it in him. Assault with a door perhaps, but not murder. He wasn't capable of it..." Mac and Gibbs stood there staring each other down before Gibbs side stepped him and approached the body.
"You should check the cart Detective. He obviously wanted you to see something." Mac didn't bother saying anything this time. Instead he pulled out a pair of latex gloves from his coat pocket and picked around in the cart until he found a large white box with the usual black print on it he'd seen on all the packages sent here so far. "So?" Mac almost jumped when Gibbs spoke again. "What's the verdict?"
"Seems like the packages are getting bigger..." Mac motioned to the box in his hands. "Same handwriting as the envelopes, same request as before, 'To be delivered to the desk of Detective Mac Taylor'..." Mac tilted the box to look at it from all angles. "There doesn't appear to be anything to be overly concerned about at a first glance but we'll have to wait and see what's inside it first."
"Then let's get to work, shall we Detective?" Gibbs motioned with his hand to Tony and McGee. "You two know what to do here right?" He more stated then asked looking to Milo Thomas's corpse.
"On it Boss." DiNozzo replied and immediately got to work with his colleague.
"Danny, Hawkes." Mac nodded his head towards the scene and Danny darted off returning moments later with his and Sheldon's kits. "Now we can get to work."
1:46pm – New York Crime Lab, Evidence Examination
"What did you find Adam?" Mac asked the moment he and Agent Gibbs came in the room.
"Well, we've got our puzzle. Or puzzles." Adam chuckled to himself, stopping immediately when he realized Mac wasn't amused and cleared his throat. "Uh, we've. That is, Abby and I have separated the contents of the box you received from Milo Thomas into six different puzzles. Uh, they look like the make pictures of some sort, but of course they would they're puzzles and all... Puzzles make pictures so..." Adam rambled.
"Adam." Mac growled.
"Right. Anyway uhh, Abby and I are working on piecing them all together but we thought you might want to take a look at what was with them."
"And that would be?" Gibbs asked a little annoyed. Adam pointed with both hands to the letter Abby held in her hands.
"Seems like he's left a new letter for you Mac." Abby said handing Mac the letter. Mac slipped on a pair of gloves and took the note carefully. "I dusted it for prints but as usual, nothing."
"Yeah well that's not surprising." Mac said studying the note. Almost instinctively now Mac read it aloud. "Detective, as you can see there are many pieces of me. Be quick be nimble and you might find Agent Kimble. Be slow be wary and you might find yourself in something hairy..." Mac and Gibbs both exchanged odd looks trying to figure it out. It wasn't until Adam spoke again that their gazes shifted elsewhere.
"Oh, I get it! Uh!" Adam did a little dance of triumph to himself stopping when he saw the look on Mac and Gibbs faces.
"Care to share Adam?" Mac demanded.
"Oh well umm..." Adam pointed to the note. "It's a rhyme. Be quick be nimble and you might find Agent Kimble. Be slow be wary and you might find yourself in something hairy..." Adam paused and looked to Mac again. He saw the look on his face hadn't changed so he continued with his explanation. "Something hairy you know like, a 'hairy situation'? Be slow be wary and you might find yourself in a hairy situation?" To alleviate Adam of the spotlight Abby drew Mac's attention to herself.
"Adam and I also found this." She turned around and leaned over a computer, clicking on a few things before striking the enter button and pulling up an image on the large screen.
"What is it Abbs?" Gibbs asked walking up behind her, Mac not far behind.
"It's a picture of someone but I'm not sure who yet. It's so pixalated and blurry that it's just... UGH!" Abby threw her hands in the air frustrated. "You just can't see a thing and it's taking forever to clean it up an..." Abby went on.
"Abbs..." Gibbs said firmly. Abby stopped and looked at Gibbs for a moment.
"I'm sorry Gibbs. I ran out of Caf-Pow and I'm going out of my MIND trying to focus here without my music..." She replied.
"You didn't bring it?"
"I didn't think it would be appropriate..." Gibbs studied her for a moment before picking up his phone and punching away at the numbers.
"Ziva. Do me a favour will yea? I need you to drive back to Washington and grab Abby's music and some more Caf-Pow. Great, see you in a few hours then." Gibbs hung up, never once taking his eyes off Abby.
"You didn't have to do that Gibbs, I was coping." She replied to his gaze.
"I need you focused Abbs. Clean up this picture and call us when you do."
"This is important Abby, that picture may tell us who our next victim is if you can clean it up enough for us to see it..." Mac added pointing the screen. Abby nodded in return taking a deep breath to relax herself.
"OK, I'm on it Mac." She immediately turned around and started playing around with the photo again. Satisfied with her work Mac turned back to Adam who just happened to be standing there with his hands on his hips watching Abby work away.
"Adam..?" Mac sighed. Adam turned his head to face Mac waiting for his instruction. Mac merely nodded his head towards the puzzles on the lighted table shifting Adam's focus to his work.
"The puzzles, right. I'm on it Boss." Adam turned to the pieces splayed out on the table and studied them intently. "I'll call you when I'm done." With both Adam and Abby working away Mac and Gibbs returned to the scene of Milo Thomas's death.
2:23pm – New York Crime Lab
Jo sat at the computer anxiously waiting for the printer to spit out the DNA reports on the last two victims. The latest three had been John and Jane Doe's since they found them. They had no ID with them and there were no hits at first when running their DNA. A week after finding the last of the three a hit turned up for the first of them when someone filed a missing persons report. That had been a nightmare for the team. The woman came in to possibly identify one or more of the bodies and found her son there in the morgue. He was missing his pelvic bone and most of his legs and stomach. Jo was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed her phone ringing in her pocket. Carefully she pulled it out and answered it.
"Danville."
"Ahh Detective Danville. It's Ducky Mallard from down in autopsy. Do you have a moment?" He asked. Jo smiled.
"For you Ducky I have several. What do you need?"
"I thought you might like to be the first to know that both Dr. Hammerback and myself believe there are two killers out there." Jo was taken aback by Ducky's words.
"What do you mean two killers?"
"Well, Sid and I were examining the wounds on our latest string of victims and comparing them to those on Mark Quinlan, Matthew Lakehill and our poor Mr. Schwepper and there was something odd about them." Ducky paused giving Jo a moment to catch up. "The wounds on the first three were made by someone who uses their right hand predominantly were as the cuts on the last three were done by someone who is left handed."
"So either our killer is ambidextrous or we have a team of them out there..." Jo replied solemnly.
"My fears exactly my dear. I fear we are dealing with far more than what we bargained for originally..." Jo was about to respond when the printer spat out the paper she had been waiting for.
"Hold that though Ducky." She said as she reached for the paper. Sure enough there was a hit for both and two profiles pulled up on her screen. "Oh..."
"What's oh?" Ducky asked curiously.
"I think our killer just went national..." Jo replied. "Ducky I'm gonna have to call you back."
"Of course. Good luck Jo." Ducky said and hung up. Jo placed her phone down on the table and looked at the screen once more before looking up a few numbers and dialing them, the ring tone buzzing in her ear. Mac had said if need be, contact who needed to be contacted to catch this guy so she hoped this would fall into that category.
"Mac's not going to like this..."