A/N: I have rewritten the last part of this chapter because it was all I have had time to do this week. The ending allows me to start the next chapter full on. Am hoping part 2 will be posted on Monday morning, with part 2 on Tuesday. Anyway this is the first part of episode 4 in the series, which I think is coming along at a nice pace. On my profile is a poll concerning which episode in this series you are have liked the most or are most looking forward too. It would be great if you could answer it so that I can improve other episodes that maybe people didn't like or aren't looking forward to as much as others, and on the other hand I can see which epsisodes you do like so I can write more to a similar plot. Anyway, enjoy part 1 of 'State Of Play'
State Of Play
Part One of Three
The streets of Washington were quiet and peaceful at four o'clock in the morning. That was until six cars, all pimped up with more powerful engines and bigger tyres, skidded and drifted down a calm high street and turned left through an open gate into a neighbourhood. At the same time four men stepped out of a house and stumbled their way down the driveway. One still had a beer bottle in his hand, clutching it like Gibbs and his coffee. The cars accelerated down the narrow road without seeing the men stumbling slowly down the drive, who also did not see or hear the cars. Despite the narrowness of the road, a pimped up Dodge Challenger still tried to overtake a Ford Mustang as they both sped down the road. As the Challenger did so the Mustang darted to the right, forcing the Challenger to take evasive action and go on the outside of a lamppost and a tree. By the time the Challenger appeared on the other side of the tree it was already too close to the men to stop. The men finally heard and eventually saw the car, and were still sober enough to recognise that they were in great danger. The Challenger ploughed in to them all, knocking them all to the ground. This was followed closely by the beer bottle that smashed upon impact as the Challenger accelerated again down the road, leaving all four men on the ground.
The elevator doors glided open, revealing Tony and McGee stood next to each other. Both men got out the elevator but did not speak to each other as they walked towards the squad room, where Ziva was sat at her desk.
"Morning" She said brightly as they both walked past her. All she received back were two short grunts. Ziva looked confused. "What is the matter with you two?"
McGee looked up as he sat down. "Tony thinks that Dodge Challenger is better than a Ford Mustang"
"There is no thinking about it probie, I am right" Tony said, looking over to Ziva and shaking his head.
"You two are not speaking to each other because you like different cars, yes?" Ziva checked, not believing what she was hearing.
"Why do you say it like that?" McGee said. "Cars are the second most important thing in America after baseball."
"What about money, happiness" Ziva said.
"If you play baseball then you have both" Tony explained. "And if you have a nice car it means you have money, and a nice car would definitely make me happy."
"And how would you get the money to have a nice car?" Ziva asked.
Both male agents replied instantly, without hesitation. "Baseball!" Tony looked at McGee and smiled.
"Nice one McGee. How about we team up on Ziva instead?" Before McGee could reply Gibbs walked in to the squad room.
"How about I team up against you DiNozzo and smack you in the back of the head?" Gibbs growled. "Where is Agent Fuscoe?" Gibbs then asked, noticing the empty desk next to McGee's.
"Right here" Fuscoe said, as he half walked half jogged past Tony and Ziva's desks.
"Don't bother sitting down. We have a case" Gibbs said.
"Where to boss?" McGee asked.
"Capitol Hill, a marine and three others were run down by a car early this morning." Gibbs replied as he led the four other agents to the elevator. Once they were all inside Gibbs said. "McGee"
"Yeah boss?"
"DiNozzo's right" Gibbs said, referring to the car conversation that he had somehow heard earlier.
Despite it only just being 9pm, the neighbourhood was bright and looked good. However the three police cars, an NCIS van, an NCIS ME van and an NCIS sedan spoiled the view as the five agents all ducked under the tape and headed towards the crime scene.
"Fuscoe, take the left side of the street and talk to neighbours, see if anyone saw or heard anything."
"On it"
"Ziva, you do the same for the right side."
"Ok"
"McGee and DiNozzo take the crime scene." Gibbs instructed his agents. Gibbs himself went off to an ambulance that was also parked near the scene. Inside was a man who had a nasty gash to his head and was also cut on his hands and arms, one of which was half in a sling. A police officer approached Gibbs as he neared the ambulance.
"Agent Gibbs. I'm Detective Parker." The detective said.
"Nice to meet you Detective Parker" Gibbs said.
"I've already got two homicides to deal with, I'm happy to take a backseat on this one if you want the lead?"
"Fine by me. Who's the one in the ambulance?" Gibbs asked.
"That's Jason Kirby, he was the only survivor. The others were all flattened by the car." Detective Parker answered.
"Alright, me and my team will take it from here" Gibbs said, shaking Detective Parker's hand.
"No problem, if you could just send me a copy of all your results when you have them that would be great"
"Sure, thanks for your help" Gibbs said, as the Detective went to leave the scene.
"No problem" He said as he ducked under the tape and left. Gibbs turned and approached the man in the car.
"Jason Kriby, I'm Special Agent Gibbs NCIS" Gibbs said, showing his badge.
"Hi" Kirby replied.
"Do you remember anything about the incident?" Gibbs questioned.
"Only a lot of tyres screeching and waking up next to three motionless friends." Kirby replied bluntly.
"So there was more than one car?"
"Yes, I think there was about four, maybe five. But I was drunk so I might be wrong." Kirby said.
"And do you remember anything about the car th-" Gibbs tried to say, before Kirby interrupted.
"Are they dead?"
Gibbs sighed. "I'm afraid so Mr Kirby." At that moment Kirby put his head in to his hands and started sobbing. One of the paramedics approached Gibbs.
"Sir, I'm afraid we are going to have to take him to hospital now, he needs stitches in his head." Gibbs nodded and stepped back as Kriby was helped down in to the stretcher, and the doors were shut. Gibbs watched the ambulance leave before heading over to Ducky.
"What have you got Duck?" Gibbs asked, crouching next to Palmer.
"Not a lot I'm afraid, I won't know anything until we get them back to the autopsy table. All I can tell you is that they all died between four and five hours ago. And that their deaths would have been almost instantaneous due to the amount of broken bones." Ducky explained.
"Ok, if you're done you might as well head back and get started on the autopsy." Gibbs said.
"Yes I think we are done here, fetch the gurneys Mr Palmer" Ducky said, worryingly cheerfully considering the three bodies in front of him.
"Will do Dr Mallard" Palmer replied, getting up and heading for the Medical Examiner's van as Ziva approached Gibbs.
"Gibbs, I got CCTV"
The five agents gathered around the bid plasma screen hung up between McGee's desk and Tony's desk. McGee pressed a couple of buttons on the remote and a black and white video appeared on the screen. McGee hit play and movement began on the screen.
"4:08 am" Tony noted. On the screen four men began stumbling out of a house.
"Those are our victims" McGee said." At the same time six cars got closer as they raced down the road. The five agents watched as a Ford Mustang darted to the right, forcing a Dodge Challenge to swerve to the right, straight into the path of the men. All five agents, even Gibbs, winced as the Challenger charged into the men at a speed of around 50 miles per hour. The two men in the middle were flung back, hitting their heads on the pavement as they landed whilst Jason Kirby, the survivor, dived to the left as the car came at them. The car smashed in to one of his arms as it drove past and he to smashed his head on the pavement. The worst part was the last man. "That's our marine" Gibbs identified.
"Petty Officer John Monroe" Fuscoe read aloud from his notes.
The video showed the Challenger plough straight in to the stomach of the marine, knocking him over but not backwards. Petty Offcier Monroe landed on his back and was still moving when the Challenger skidded over him, two of the tyres going straight over the body, crushing him before eventually driving all the way off the other side. After coming to a temporary stop the Dodge Challenge sped off, as it tried to catch up with the other drivers. The video ended, but the five agents were too speechless at the video to talk. Instead every single one of them had the same shocked expression painted on their faces. After a few seconds Gibbs started to instruct his team on what he wanted them to do.
"McGee, help Abby identify who these drivers are, I want all six of them." McGee nidded before heading out of the squad room and towards the elevator at the back of the building. "Tony, Ziva go check out Monroe's apartment."
"On it boss." Was the reply from Tony as he and Ziva grabbed their weapons and their badges and headed towards the elevator at the front of the building. This left just Fuscoe and Gibbs left in the squad room.
"So where are we going?" Fuscoe asked.
"To talk to the FBI"
A/N Part 2: Just an extra note to say that I have changed the title of episode three because I didn't actually include all that I had planned in the episode so the original title didn't actually make much sense