Question and Answer Time

Jereld French looked up from his beer just in time to see Detective Rizzoli and Agent Gibbs walk into Willy's. When it seemed apparent that they were coming their way he stood up at his table and glared at them. "What, I can't go out for a beer with my buddies?" He spoke louder and with more emphasis as he continued. "I didn't do it!"

Gibbs gave him the deadly Gibbs Stare and Rizzoli just smiled as she moved toward El Shadi. "We know that French. We're not her for you but for Mr. El Shadi, a member of Al Qaida."

El Shadi's face went white and he rose from his chair. His cup of coffee sat untouched on the table in front of him. He met both Gibbs and Rizzoli's eyes before he started to talk. Both the detective and the agent felt that something didn't jive but waited to here the man out. "I am not that man anymore. I left Al Qaida in Arabia when I moved to a new life. My parents saw the angry young man I was becoming and knew that if I stayed in Arabia much longer they would lose me to that filth. The young in Arabia are disgusted with the displays of wealth that never trickles down to the rest of the country. They are tired of not having good paying jobs and watching their families suffer for the sins of our rulers. Al Qaida used that as a tool to enlist the young men and women to their forces and to carry out their twisted Jihad." El Shadi looked away and then straight into Gibbs eyes. "No, I walked away from that eight years ago. I am not that man."

Gibbs heard his com click. "Go ahead McGee."

McGee, when he spoke, had a sense of urgency. "Patrick O'Rourke is 34 and lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife and daughter. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where his parents still live. He is here on a work visa. His job at Desjardins is to lead teams to place demolition devices in buildings to be burned slowly. Boss, he's not home. His wife said he never came home from work today. Maybe we've found our man."

Gibbs turned back to El Shadi and extended his hand. "Sorry to interrupt your evening and your coffee. You have my apologies. Please sit." He then turned to the rest of the demo team. "Tell me about Patrick O'Rourke."

Jeremy Smalls spoke up. "What's to tell? He does his job well and is a damn good friend to all of us."

Omar El Shadi met Gibbs eyes and the agent knew there was more. El Shadi took a moment to think about what to tell Gibbs. Rizzoli watched as he made the decision to share what he knew. "He has a past as well. His brother died in a bomb blast in Northern Ireland, fifteen years ago or more. He works in slow burn because he can't stand the sound of a bomb blast. We work together the most because of that. I can't stand bomb blasts either. I lost too many friends to bomb vest martyrdom."

Jane had worked with a lot of Irish cops and knew many to carry grudges seemingly forever. "Did O'Rourke blame anyone for his brother's death, like another faction in the government, our government?"

Omar nodded his head to her question. "Yes, he blamed the British government for forcing their group to violence and the United States for not interfering. He never accepted that it didn't have to be that way and for the most part the bickering between the factions was over. The Irish Republican Army today is a political group like you have here. There were some angry members, Pat's brother being one, and they wanted to make a point. The blast, according to Patrick, was actually set off by the IRA. Three people died in that blast. Patrick said his mother and father just buried Seamus and his name is never mentioned at home. The reason Patrick is here is because he is blamed for involving his brother and not taking care of him. His parents felt that seeing him was a reminder of Seamus' death."

Gibbs sat at the next table thinking. His mind went into overdrive. Where would Patrick go? Jethro's com unit clicked again. "Go ahead McGee."

McGee's voice sounded like a kid enjoying something really exciting. Gibbs knew that it would be technical and, to him, boring but this is how McGee earned his living by thinking outside the box. "Boss, did you know there are listening outposts up and down the east coast? They are attached to the bottom of the ocean and there are people who get paid to listen to them. Those listeners are trained to differentiate between different types of boats."

Rizzoli watched Gibb's face as they listened to his man and saw interest in what McGee said but also impatience as well.

Jethro hit the tabletop, making Frankie and her jump. "Any second now, MeGee, you're going to explain how this important to the case at this time. Abby, slap him for me."

There was a shout of denial. "Boss, No, and yes Boss." Gibbs could imagine him making Abby stop her swing and then came a sigh through the com. "The listener in the Navy Yard where the Constitution is moored just got a ping. It's not a boat, no motor. It's not a row boat either, that makes a bigger noise than what he's hearing. It's a person swimming in to the yard wearing scuba gear. I think we just found Patrick O'Rourke."

Gibbs gave a huge grin. "You just earned your paycheck McGee." He turned to Rizzoli. "We got him." To Frankie, "Pay your bill, we're out of here."

Frankie smirked. "It's already done. Let's go."

French looked up as Frankie joined Gibbs and Jane. "Jeez Gibbs, you had me followed?"

Gibbs turned back to him grinning from ear to ear. "Oh yeah!" He then turned and ran from the pub with both Rizzoli's following behind.