CHAPTER 10
"Baby girl, I promise you I will find out what is going on. But my first priority is to keep you safe. I'm going place agents around you at all times when you are not with me. There will be no sneaking out or you will spend your time away from me in lockup. Now I am going to find your friend. You got five minutes to meet me at the car." With that, Gibbs helped his daughter to her feet and they walked upstairs. Austin made her way to her room and was dressed and back at her dad's car in less than five minutes.
They were just as quickly en route to the residence of Lt. Maya Daniels. While in the car, driving at what seemed to Austin as mach 10, Gibbs called his troops to meet him at the residence. When they arrived at her house, Gibbs immediately noticed the front door sitting slightly ajar. "Do not move from that seat until I come to get you Austin."
"Dad, I don't want to just sit here. Let me walk in with you. I won't touch anything, I promise."
"No Austin. Ah, McGee, stay here with my daughter. If she tries to get out of this vehicle, shoot her."
"Um, ok, boss." McGee wasn't sure what to make of the order but he knew better than to let her out of his sights. Meanwhile, Austin just glared at her father and pouted.
Gibbs, Ziva, and Dinozzo headed up to clear the house. "Dinozzo, around back. Ziva, with me."
As Gibbs and Ziva made their way stealthily through the front of the house, Dinozzo did the same through the back of the house. They didn't find any evidence of anyone having lived in the house. There were no clothes, no household cleaning items, or bathing items to be found anywhere. The drawers were all pulled open to reveal they were empty. Dinozzo observed that even the refrigerator and freezer were empty. "Boss, there is nothing in this house. This girl has completely vanished."
"Process the house. Get all the evidence that you find to Abby on the double. I'll call her and tell her to meet me at lab. I'm going to drop Austin with her and go talk to their CO." Gibbs just turned and headed for the vehicle. "McGee, go inside and help process the house."
McGee turned around to find Gibbs heading in his direction. Gibbs immediately noted the scratches on McGee's face. "What the hell happened?"
"Boss, don't worry about it. She just tried to get out and when I got in her way she scratched me. But I'm not mad. I understand she is worried about her friend, and I may have done the same thing if it were me."
"No, it's not okay. I will handle it. Go to truck, and clean your face up and go on and help them. I'm going back to lab to meet with Abby." Gibbs then walked over to the driver's side and got in the sedan. Without saying a word to his daughter who continued to glare at her father, he drove off toward the Navy Yard. On the way he called Abby and let her know to meet him there. The rest of the trip was quiet and uneventful. When they pulled into the Navy Yard and into the parking area, Gibbs said two words and didn't even look at Austin in the process. "Get out!" They walked into the bullpen together where Gibbs locked his gun in his desk. He then motioned for his daughter to follow him. Abby was processing some evidence for another case she was working on when she heard the ding of the elevator.
"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs. What you got for me?"
"Turn the damn music off Abby. Austin, go sit down."
"Jeesh Gibbs, it wasn't that loud." Abby whined with the best of them.
"Abby, just don't let your crazy sister out of your office. I'm going to Bethesda."
"Alright 'Dad', hopefully Tony comes back with some evidence for me real soon." Gibbs then turned around and left the two 'sisters' alone with an armed agent standing guard outside the lab. He headed straight for Bethesda naval hospital to talk with his daughter's commanding officer.
"Abby, I'm so mad at dad I could strangle him. He won't let me help find my friend, won't tell me what's going on, and then locks me away like some sort of common criminal. If you know something, tell me."
"Girl, all I know is that I need to be here waiting on Tony to bring us whatever evidence he collects. Your dad is just trying to protect you and you need to wake up and see that. Trust me, he is going to do all he can to find Maya, and find out who shot your boyfriend. Austin, give him a chance."
"I will, I just needed to vent. I love him, but he gets on my nerves," replied Austin, with a slight smirk.
"Oh, I know that, but it's good to know that no matter what he will always love us. He may not be the huggy type but he will always be there for you even if you screw up big time."
"Yeah, Abby, and for some reason I think this is one of those times I've screwed up big time. God, I hope he finds what happened to Maya."
Meanwhile, at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Gibbs was talking with Lt. Daniels' CO. She allowed Gibbs access to her locker which turned out to be completely empty. "It looks like she has disappeared without a trace. Her house was empty too, no clothes, no food, no evidence that anyone lived there except for some furniture. I need to look at her service record, Commander."
"Sure thing Agent Gibbs. Something just isn't right about this whole situation. First with your daughter's fiancé being shot and now with her best friend vanishing, I just don't know what to say…How is your daughter holding up? This has got to be so hard on her."
"She's tough. But right now she is scared and acting out because of it. She isn't thinking anything through….I guess she is just like me."
"Well, tell her if she needs a female to talk to I am here. I see a lot of myself in her too. Here is Maya's service record. I need to get back to the nurse's station. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with."
"Thank you, Commander, I will." Gibbs then took the file and headed back to NCIS headquarters to meet up with his team. "Timetogettothebottomofthis" was the thought that repeated itself over and over again in Gibbs mind as he was driving back. He needed to solve this to get his daughter back. Gibbs rarely ever felt fear, except when it came to family. Right now, Gibbs was terrified of something happening to his little girl and that fear drove him to a firm resolution to solve this particular case.