It was dusk and the two friends were approaching the warehouse like a scene from High Noon. Neither was wearing a vest or a wire and Danni was the only one armed. They drew on each other for strength, not unlike they had all those years ago when they first crossed swords with Clan McClelland.
"Danni," Jacki reached out, stopping their progress. The agent turned at her name but didn't speak. "I just need you to know whatever happens, I couldn't have faced this without you."
"Jack…" she began.
"No, Danni, you didn't hesitate. I called, you came and now, my children are safe. I just need…"
Danni cut her friend off, "Jack. When this is all over, if you still want to, then, thank me. But, for now, let's just get this done. Okay?"
"Okay." She nodded, "And our signal is still the same?"
McCleary smiled, "Yep. 'Run' in Gaelic."
"Alright," Jacki returned the smile and they continued their progress towards the warehouse. McCleary knew it was surrounded so, she had no doubt, McClelland knew it, too. But, that wouldn't stop the older woman from making good her threat to kill Danni, Jacki and her own son, Nick. Only that knowledge would hold off the Feds.
Fortunately, this building was also one the FBI had wired. The girls knew everything could be heard and, the authorities, too, would be waiting for that code word. This was going to be delicate and both felt the stress.
The two female agents entered the building where they were immediately stopped by Sean McClelland and searched. Satisfied, the younger man called out, "Jack's clean but McCleary is armed."
"If you think I'm walking in here without some sort of weapon, you're crazy," she threatened.
Margaret McClelland's voice filled the room, "Come ahead, Danni, but take a look around." The ladies entered the center of the room and could see they were surrounded. "You've got six guns pointed at you so one wrong move..." Her sentence trailed off to make her point.
Outside, in the FBI's surveillance vehicle, the team including Gibbs, DiNozzo, Fornell and Blackadder, began to develop a sense for the scene playing out.
Jacki spoke, "Where is he?"
Mags McClelland chuckled, "Anxious to die?"
Jacki took a menacing step forward only to hear weapons engage. Danni restrained her, "C'mon, Mags. I made good on my end of the deal. It's your turn."
The matriarch of Clan McClelland was enjoying her role of being in control. She waved a hand and two more men dragged Nick into view. He was gagged, bound at the wrists with duct tape. His face showed cuts and bruising. The man had obviously put up a fight, not happy with his forced family reunion. He and Jacki locked eyes, visibly relaxing, satisfied that they were both alive for the time being.
"You can go now, Danni. You've delivered your package," she tried to dismiss the NCIS agent.
She shook her head, "I don't think so. This is supposed to be a trade and I'll see it through."
"Very well, McCleary." She turned to Jacki, "Walk towards me. Nicky will walk towards you. You'll have a few minutes when you meet in the middle to say your good-byes." Nick glared at his mother as she spoke. Jacki and Danni exchanged knowing glances. With a quick nod to her partner, Jacki walked towards the center. Nick, seeing his wife take those first steps, hurried to meet her.
In the middle of the room, oblivious to those around, Jacki gently removed the tape from Nick's mouth. She didn't release his hands, knowing he would try to fight and restrain her. Logue had to see this through, as well, trusting her old partner would have her back. She smoothed a hand over her husband's face, tenderly caressing the bruises. Nick leaned in and kissed his wife. He whispered, "The kids?"
She returned the kiss then nodded, "They're safe."
"Don't do this," he whispered.
"It's okay," Jacki held him close. "Trust me."
"Enough!" Margaret McClelland broke up the intimate scene, "Come along, Jacki. Let's get this over with."
But, Jacki still didn't move forward. This was where the years spent with Danni came into play. She was waiting on her partner and their code word.
To this point, Danni had kept her weapon in her hand but held to her side. She finally raised it and aimed. Unexpectedly, she pointed the gun at her friend. "You heard her, Jacki. Keep walking." Even from where she stood, Danni heard the gasp as if she'd slapped Jacki.
Maggie laughed aloud, a grating sound, "That's right, Jacki, darling. Your best friend," she spat those two words, "sold you out for thirty pieces of silver."
Logue's face told Danni everything – the hurt, the disbelief, the betrayal. "How could you?"
McCleary took a deep breath, "I'm broke, Jacki. My stepmother's care has all but bankrupted me. I've got nothing. It…" her voice told how far she'd sunk, "it was more money than I could make in a year."
Jacki's gasp was audible even in their van. They could hear the anguish in Logue's voice and the calm resolve in McCleary's.
Fornell hissed, "She double-crossed you, Gibbs. C'mon, we need to get in there."
"No," was the Boss' succinct answer. Even Tony had to question but Gibbs responded, "She hasn't given us the signal."
"And what if she doesn't?" Tobias countered.
The Senior NCIS Agent didn't respond.
"But, my kids, Danni? How could you do this to them?"
The anger in the female NCIS agent's voice was the first give-away, "The kids were never supposed to be involved. It was always you for Nick." She glared at Maggie.
The older woman had the nerve to shrug, "Who can blame a grandmother for wanting to see her only grandkids?" Then, she laughed, "But that worked to my advantage as well, didn't it, McCleary?"
Danni saw her friend's mouth move but before losing her nerve, the NCIS agent ordered, "Now, Jacqueline. Nicholas." When they didn't respond to her satisfaction, Danni pointed her weapon at them and yelled, "Move!"
The couple exchanged a final glance and then parted. Jacki took her place next to Maggie McClelland. As Nick walked up to Danni, she refused to make eye contact. He stopped next to her and spat in her face, hissing, "Bitch."
Danni squared her jaw and wiped her cheek as she responded coldly, "Your kids are waiting for you outside, Nicholas. I suggest you join them."
He shouldered past McCleary and left the building. He was immediately taken into custody by the FBI agents and reunited with his children, unaware of how the scene inside was playing out.
Once again, Maggie tried to dismiss Danni, "The exchange is done, McCleary."
Danni shook her head, "Not without my money, Mags. Sorry but I don't trust you."
The leader of Clan McClelland sighed in exasperation but pulled a phone from her jacket pocket and punched numbers. After a few minutes, she gave specific instructions, waited for a response then slammed it shut. "Ten minutes."
"Then we'll endure each other's company for ten more minutes," McCleary's voice was dispassionate.
The room was silent, tense. Danni still hadn't lowered her weapon. She kept it trained on Jacki but her proximity to Maggie made it uncertain which person was the actual target. Finally, the quiet was broken as McCleary's phone buzzed. She answered it quickly, confirmed the transfer and hung up.
"Satisfied, Danni?"
She nodded, "Yeah, satisfied." Since her revelation, Danni looked directly at Logue. "Jacqueline," she called her name, using the less common pronunciation, Jack-clean. When her friend glanced back at Danni, the NCIS agent simply said, "Ruith."
At that point, all hell broke loose. McCleary had quickly changed the aim of her weapon and shot Sean McClelland in the clavicle upon uttering the code word. Hearing the signal, Jacki ran, ducking for cover behind several nearby crates. The doors swung open and officers from the U.S Marshals Service along with the FBI began to pour in, yelling their law enforcement affiliations. Gunshots rang out through the building, combining with shouts demading surrender. Fornell and Blackadder joined the other federal agents while Gibbs and DiNozzo brought up the rear. The situation was under control in a matter of minutes. Margaret McClelland was in handcuffs along with the other members of the Clan who were surrounded and were being arrested. Officers from the Marshals Service rescued Jacki. She was rushed out, under close guard, and reunited with her family. The four of them were immediately taken into Wit-Sec custody and whisked away. Medics were finally given the all clear so they could attend to the wounded.
One of the U.S. Marshals approached the last group to enter the building. The tall blonde with long hair, dressed in boots and jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt under her vest called out, "Which one of you is Gibbs?"
"That'd be me," the NCIS agent responded as he holstered his weapon. He met the woman half-way, "You Shannon?"
"Yeah, call me Mary."
"Where's my agent?"
"Haven't seen her since we got the situation under control," she responded.
From behind them, another of the U.S. Marshals, Mary Shannon's partner, Marshall Mann, called out anxiously, "I've got her. We need a bus. Hurry!"
Gibbs joined the other man where he had his hands on Danni's side, applying pressure to keep her from bleeding. He could see the wound in her right thigh, also pouring blood. Jethro dropped down and squeezed hard, knowing in addition to the pressure, it would make his agent react to the pain. Danni's eyes flew open, cursing as she did.
"Gibbs," she managed to rasp out between the short breaths, clenching her jaw in agony.
"You're not done, McCleary, hear me? You've got a job to finish," he growled, "Am I clear?"
Tony watched, standing behind the two men and the EMTs who had joined. Danni McCleary may have been hurting but she was clear enough to know how to respond to each question. Every one of her answers was the same: "Yes, Boss." DiNozzo smiled.