Chapter 10

"Jerk," Fran hissed, glaring at Michael Thornburgh from behind the trees as she and Dabi watched him. They had ducked for cover when they saw him approach the group, worried he might have seen them in the mines.

"Dad wants to know who his girlfriend is," said Dabi, looking at her cellphone.

"Suzy Somers, but she's not here," said Fran. "I don't know where she is."

An idea came to Dabi as she sent back a reply. It was a risky one, and her dad would probably read her the riot act later, but it might work.

"Michael a player?" she asked.

"Big time, but so is Suzy," said Fran. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't think he saw us at the mine," said Dabi. "Fishy fishy?"

"Chompy chompy," Fran replied, smiling nastily.

"You stall, I muck. Dad taught me a thing or two about vehicles."

"Gotcha. Hey Mikey!"

"Yeah?" the young man called back, looking at Fran as she came out of the trees.

"Suzy's not here, but I am and Suzy says you're really good where it counts."

"So?"

Fran started fiddling with her bikini top and flashed him a naughty look. "I'm eighteen. My boyfriend's not here and I want to play."

Michael swallowed, and both girls could see him getting aroused.

"Suzy says you're nice and big and you really fill her up," said Fran. "I want to find out." She ran her hands down her body provocatively. She was wearing a bikini top and Daisy Duke shorts.

Michael swallowed again before casting a hurried look around.

"You could teach me how to do a bj," Fran offered.

That did it. Michael quickly hurried over and Fran pulled him down for a kiss that would have melted his socks off had he been wearing them.

Meanwhile, Dabi and Gibor dove for her bag on the beach and then ran for his truck. It didn't take her long to get out her knife, a stainless steel pocket knife with a serrated/straight edge and engraving on the handle. It was a birthday gift from Gibbs, following Rule Number Nine; never go anywhere without a knife. It even had Rule Nine engraved on it.

A swift downward stroke punctured the truck's back tire and then Dabi was putting the knife in her pocket and grabbing a tree branch.

"Get away from her, you pervert!" she yelled, running and taking a swing at Michael. She whacked him across the shoulders, with Gibor barking and growling at him. Fran's friends saw what was going on and started laughing at them.

"Hey, you crazy bitch!" Michael yelled, ducking her next swing.

"Get away! She's mine!" Dabi yelled, playing the role of a lover or girlfriend. "Leave her alone!"

Michael took off running for his truck, while Dabi quickly sent her father a text message, letting him know the suspect was going to have a flat. He must have been driving because she got a scowling face icon back, one she was sure he didn't know how to do but Ziva did.

"Oh my god!" Fran yelped, running for her bag, where she grabbed a bottle of water. She quickly rinsed her mouth out as Michael tore out of the area. "That perv uses way too much tongue! Way gagsville!" She spat out a mouthful of water before asking, "What did you do?"

"He's gonna have a flat to match his flat," Dabi sniggered, holding up her Spyderco Police Model pocket knife and pulling open the blade.

"Whoo!" Then she saw the engraving. "Rule Nine?"

"One of Dad's personal rules. Rule Nine is never go anywhere without a knife. These days it's my Rule Three."

"What's Rules One and Two?" Fran asked, watching as Dabi put her knife away.

"Rule One, just because you can, doesn't mean you should, especially when it comes to a fight. Rule Two, never leave home without your phone or your dog."

Suddenly Fran jumped and Gibor barked. There had been a loud screeching, crashing noise from up the road and Dabi looked at Fran quizzically. "I think Michael's flat just made him crash."

"C'mon guys, let's go find out!" someone called. The group, a mix of girls and boys about sixteen to eighteen years of age, all friends, ran down the road, with Fran and Dabi right behind them. Dabi's fingers were flying across her phone.

"Fran said there was a crash. Possibly Michael?"

A moment later, there was a reply.

"He did. Truck couldn't handle the curve. Nice work. Don't do that again."

"Yes sir."

A few minutes later the group arrived at the scene, where Gibbs and his team were hauling out a dazed and angry Michael Thornburgh. The truck was in a ditch and a wreck but Michael was otherwise okay, just cut and bruised.

As Tony and Tim hauled the murder suspect out of the wreck, Fran yelled, "Hey Mikey, a dog kisses better than you! No wonder Suzy was always kissing another guy! I would be too, if I had to put up with your slobber!"

Ziva winced and Fran's friends howled with laughter.

"The next time you set off a blast in a mine to cover up your stupidity, make sure there aren't any witnesses, like us, you loser!" Dabi yelled.

Michael's eyes went wide and Gibbs gave him a nasty smile, holding up his badge. "Michael Thornburgh, you're under arrest for the murder of Michael Carter, your grandfather, the attempted murder and assault of Brian Peabody, as well as the attempted murder of those two girls and a federal agent."

"What federal agent?" Michael demanded.

"Me. I was in that damn mine when you tried to cover up your grandfather's murder," Gibbs snarled.

Michael was scared and it showed. "All I wanted was the damn money, the money people said was buried with that freak Marine! But Grandpa said there was no money, that we had to move the body! Like fuck!"

"So you beat him to death for that?"

"He was old! He was going to die anyway! Who cared about some old fool?"

"I did," Gibbs snarled. "And so did the rest of his family. You want to know where the money is? It went to pay for your grandparents' first house years ago."

Michael's already pale face went whiter.

"And now, Mister Bright Boy, you get to think about that for the rest of your life," said Tony, gleefully. "Oh look! Here comes the sheriff and I think he wants to have a little chat with you!"

"I need to see a doc, man," Michael moaned.

"Oh you will, young man, you very much will, and then you'll be seeing a judge," said Lankin as he joined them.

"Hi Dad, nice to see you again," said Dabi cheerfully, waving.

"How's the water, Dabi?" Tim asked.

"Great! Gibor's having fun and we were too, until Dinglebrain showed up," said Dabi.

"I would love a swim," said Ziva, pulling at the neck of her shirt; the temperature was rapidly heating up, typical for a summer day in Stillwater.

As Lankin took Thornburgh away, Tim and Tony joined them. "So would I," said Tim.

"Me three," said Tony, trying not to stare at Dabi, who was wearing a triangle bikini top and boyshort bottoms.

Gibbs nodded. "Grab your stuff," he said. "I think Dad has a portable barbeque in the garage." He chuckled when his team tore for the car Tony and Tim had been driving. "No alcohol! There are kids around!"

"Yes boss!"

Before long, they were back and joining the group. Dabi was sure it would be a summer to remember. She was also sure she was going to murder Tony before the summer was over.

"Tony, you miserable son of a bitch!" she yelled, surfacing from where Tony had just thrown her in the river.

Tony was too busy laughing but that laughter suddenly stopped when Fran tackled him, sending him straight into the river with a loud splash.

"Pay back's a bitch, and I'm the bitch!" Fran yelled, laughing as Tony surfaced, spluttering.