A/N Well here is the next instalment of the story. Pack a lunch because this is another long chapter . As always kudos for my BR Arress for her help in sorting out this complex section. Gotta love betas, they are the unsung heroes of fan fiction. Thanks also to everyone who reviewed, alerted, faved or read the last chapter. We are getting to the pointy end of the story but I'm no longer prepared to guess how many more chapters because I always end up with egg on my face. :) Hope you enjoy this one - as promised Tony makes his long awaited appearance.
On a different topic, thanks to the massive response I received from people to my thoughts at the completion of my last story. I haven't been focused on the reviews or PMs as I have been concentrating on getting this chapter written, although now this monster is complete I promise to go back and response to everyone I can. To the guests I'll thank you here and hope that you are reading this. To those people who said that they don't usually leave reviews because they aren't good with words or feel like a "good chapter" or its equivalent doesn't mean anything to an author I would say emphatically, absolutely not. I think I speak for many writers when I say that the anxiety that you experience once the chapter is finished and you are getting ready to upload it is massive. I will read and tweak and obsess and work myself into a state and I have talked to other authors who say the same. So every single "good job" or "I liked it" is gratefully received and while concrit is always welcome too, most writers will be more than happy just to hear that we made people feel happy, sad, frighten, angry - I don't care but I do like making people think or feel and telling me that is more than enough because writing is a very isolating past time and feedback (or reviews) help writers feel connected to their audience. So drop us a line and don't worry if it is a few words - it will totally be appreciated.
A/N Heads up that when Croc is talking about his windy baby he is referring to colic. *Shrugs* it's an Aussie thing. FYI Agent Polk is a fake FBI agent in The Sting.
An Eye For An Eye Leaves Everyone Blind
Chapter 11 Doppelgängers and Misdirection
Jimmy Palmer:Sunday 8th April 2012
I pulled to the curb outside of Agent Gibbs' Alexandria cottage… well, the former Agent Gibbs. He hadn't been an agent for almost three years, since he commenced his single-minded search. Initially he'd just been on temporary leave, confident that he could locate Tony and convince him to come back, but as the weeks turned to months, the new SecNav and NCIS Director who replaced Davenport and Vance became impatient. Gibbs' leave to search for Tony was questioned. They wanted him to come back and along with McGee rebuild the MCRT. So Gibbs had simply handed in his resignation. If they thought that by telling him his leave entitlement had run out it would bring him back into the fold, then they seriously underestimated the obsessiveness of the man. And for 32 months he'd been crisscrossing the countryside searching for his former senior field agent and partner.
After a night on duty in the ER, a Saturday night no less, full of ODs, accidents and Aussies, I'd headed home for a hot shower and a few hours' rest. In all honesty, I was knackered, but determined not to miss this gathering because for the first time since we lost our friend, I felt optimism that we might get him back. Knocking at the front door, since I had never had the sort of relationship with Gibbs where I felt comfortable just walking in, I was somewhat surprised that it was Abby that opened the door for me and hugged me fiercely before pulling me inside the modest dwelling. She grabbed the bowl of salad greens out of my hands and directed me to the back yard.
As I wandered through the house, I was struck with the air of despondency and neglect, and yes, I'm fully aware that that makes me sound anthropomorphic and that houses are inanimate objects. Yet, the fact remains that Gibbs' house feels sad and lonely. I always thought that Gibbs' house never really felt like a home and it seemed trapped in a time warp, but somehow it was even more pathetic and alone than it used to be when Gibbs had been at NCIS. Not so surprising I guess since he hardly ever actually lives here anymore, and that's probably partially why Dr. Mallard and Abby seem to be Hell bent on convincing the man to give up searching for Tony. Except I don't like their chances since the only person who had the ghost of a chance of talking him around about stuff was Tony, and even then it was a cold day in Hell when that happened.
Still, as I made my way out back and saw Gibbs grilling what looked like a side of beef, I could understand their concern. The former leader of the MCRT looked diminished somehow. Sure he was older – we all were, and not just in chronological age, but we were older in terms of cynicism, lost optimism and faith that good triumphed over evil. Yet, it was more than that with Gibbs. He had always been so much larger than life, charismatic. He walked with a swagger and an unmistakable air of the type one personality, supremely confident in his abilities, even omnipotence. For Pete's sake, he coined Rule #6 – never apologise - it's a sign of weakness, and he never seemed to entertain the concept that he was ever wrong, even when he clearly was. Yet, all that had changed.
Gibbs, I've no doubt could probably kill me with his little finger since he was a former Marine, special Ops trained federal agent, but he'd lost the killer death ray stare. He looked shrunken like his chi was lessened or something, and his magnetic personality seemed to have gone AWOL. Perhaps it was just that he was one of those people that drew strength from leading a team and without them he was diminished. Perhaps he was reeling from his perceived failures in bringing Tony back home to DC. Or maybe, just maybe, Gibbs was feeling guilty over his own role in forcing my friend to flee to protect us all. In all likelihood it was a combination of all-of-the above, but I could see why Ducky and Abbs were concerned. Trouble is, that aside from him being the most stubborn individual I've ever met, I very much doubted that they'd be successful in persuading him to cease and desist, even before the breakthrough at the BAU.
I glanced around the yard, taking in the usual suspects. Ducky was already working on Gibbs as he barbecued a cow and got that familiar expression on his face that bespoke of him digging in his heels. Abby was clearly bent on making a frontal assault, evidently intent on providing backup, and I know that Abby was confident that she could persuade Gibbs to give up his current obsession because, as she was fond of reminding us all over the years, she was his favourite. Of course, since he had been taken in by Ziva's mendacity and manipulations, I think that Abby's ability to wheedle her way past his stubborn defences was minimal.
Glancing around I notice Tim McGee talking to Fornell as they sipped on bottles of beer, and Eric Balboa was chatting to Cassie Yates and another agent whose name I couldn't recall, but had been part of the FBI investigation three years ago. Rina Lanes I was thinking, but perhaps I should just ask Tim or Tobias. Gibbs noted my arrival and gestured me over under the guise of offering me a drink, but I knew that he was keen to disrupt the attempt by Ducky and Abby into browbeating him to give up his 'chasing rainbows' as Ducky had dubbed it.
Handing me an iced tea, Gibbs in a blatant attempt to change the subject, smirked at me. "We're just waiting on Jardine and then we can get down to business. We'll eat later in case Fornell, Yates or Balboa get called out."
"What about McGee and Jardine?" I queried curiously.
"Naw, unless it's a terrorist threat or attacks, the analysts should be safe, and Ducky and Abby are off duty this weekend. Best get it done and dusted."
An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everybody Blind
FBI Special Agent Lina Reyes watched the collection of individuals curiously. Although Dr. Palmer was now an ER doc at George Washington, McGee an intelligence analyst with the CIA and Gibbs was retired, they all were former employees of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Apart from Tobias Fornell, her FBI colleague, and herself, although she was feeling a bit like a fish out of water. She couldn't help but wonder what she was doing here. It wasn't like she and Gibbs got on together the two times they had to deal with each other professionally. To say that they despised each other mightily wouldn't be too strong a statement.
The first time they worked a case together had been years ago. Gibbs thought she was a cold-blooded ambitious bitch who was prepared to use Lieutenant Commander Micki Shields and her husband and kids as bait to catch a terrorist cell. Gibbs was outraged that she thought it was acceptable to put them in jeopardy to trap a terrorist cell, and that was understandable she guessed, because he was tasked with their protection. But he was also clearly biased since he had served in the military himself, and maybe more tellingly, his own wife and daughter had been killed by a drug cartel.
They had butted heads and he had bulldozed and bullied his way into the FBI side of the case in order to crack it and solve it before the Naval aviator's terminal leave expired. Neither of them realising that there was a second killer much closer to home that also posed a threat. Frankly, as much as Gibbs thought she was ambitious and ruthless, Lina thought he was an overly emotional, hot-headed loose cannon who had no compunction about blackmailing her to get his own way. She had never been so glad to be finished with a case so she could be shot of the asshole.
Then almost three years ago, they had locked horns again when the FBI deputy Director had given her and Tobias point on a high profile investigation. They were tasked with figuring out the mess surrounding the death of ICE agent Thomas Sherman and Mossad Liaison Officer Ziva David, who just happened to be the Mossad Director's daughter. They don't get a lot more high profile than that. Not to mention the attempted murder of NCIS Agent DiNozzo and the questionable investigation into Michael Rivkin's illegal activities in the US and his subsequent death when he resisted arrest.
Due to the fact that they were also investigating the actions of the Secretary of the Navy, Director of NCIS and Gibbs to a lesser extent in his role as the SSA of the Major Case Response Team, who also just happened to be David and DiNozzo's boss. Lina had handled the interview for Gibbs with Bridie O'Reilly, who was Fornell's probie agent, to make up the numbers. TPTB had decreed that Fornell couldn't be present for Gibbs' statement, and frankly he had no desire to be there either. Truth be told, no one wanted to sit in the second chair when Leroy Jethro Gibbs was on the other side of the table, which was why O'Reilly had finally volunteered. 'Oh the bravado of youth,' Lina thought cynically. Of course, the fact that she'd had a huge crush on the absent Anthony DiNozzo probably helped explain Bridie's willingness to stare him down. In the meantime, Tobias had taken refuge on the other side of the two-way mirror for Gibbs' interview, and looked seriously shaken at the end of the process
Reyes had decided that while former Marine Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs might have found her callous about the Shields family, she had to wonder why Gibbs was so damned concerned with a woman and her family that he'd never met. Obsessed to the degree that he'd risk his own career by blackmailing a federal agent and physically and mentally intimidating the suspect to keep strangers safe. Yet, when it had come to having his SFA's six and stopping the farce of a trip to Tel Aviv where DiNozzo, already injured, had been abused by Eli David and his daughter further, and probably wondering just how far "taking one for the team" would go, Gibbs seemed deaf, dumb and frankly uncaring about his agent. One he knew well and had worked with for years. Knowing that DiNozzo had been nothing but loyal to Gibbs, to the team, and to his traitorous and lying partner, she was frankly appalled at the lack of loyalty reciprocated by his boss.
She'd always heard that Gibbs would never leave anyone behind, but he'd totally screwed over his senior field agent when he'd let him be railroaded into an unlawful trip to Mossad without benefit of legal advice or representation. Ironic really that they worked for a law enforcement agency sworn to uphold Naval and Marine Corps personnel's rights and safety, and then went about systematically humiliating and destroying a valued, dedicated and brilliant agent. They had ignored his rights as far as she could see, simply because of political machinations and ambitions, and Gibbs, the holier than thou protector of those who served their country and defender of the weak and innocent, stood by and looked the other way. He let an agent who had done nothing wrong and a Hell of a lot right be screwed over and had done squat to protect him.
In contrast, he'd let an agent of a foreign country who had demonstrated that she had lied to them about Rivkin and his activities on more than one occasion get off scot free. In fact, he had comforted her because the Mossad agent she'd lied about and who he'd personally ordered, in addition to Operational Manager Macy, to get out of the country and been ignored, had been killed resisting arrest and attempting to kill said arresting agent. Of course, attempting to kill DiNozzo would seem to have been a minor consideration in the scheme of things. She wondered if he might have been more focused on protocol if Agent DiNozzo had died instead. Was that what he had needed to happen in order to invoke some loyalty?
Flashback:Three years previously
"C'mon, Gibbs, why did you not step up and protest about DiNozzo's treatment by Director Vance when he announced that he was dragging him over to Tel Aviv at a moment's notice. You've been a federal agent for over 15 years now. You must have known that what he was doing wasn't lawful? As DiNozzo's direct supervisor, you had a duty of care to him, and letting him be railroaded into what could easily have resulted in him being harmed…" She berated him before correcting herself. "Oh, wait! My bad, he was harmed on the trip. Would it surprise you that the Director," and the way Reyes placed stress on the word director left little doubt that it was probably only a temporary situation, "Admitted that if Mossad had demanded it, DiNozzo would have been surrendered to them for… well, you're an experienced agent. I'll leave it to your imagination, shall I?"
Gibbs' expression turned feral at revealing that snippet of information, and Lina knew that it was just a matter of time before he lost his temper. She knew he was already conflicted and highly guilty, and just a little more pressure would do the trick. Of that she was certain. The fact was that according to the profilers, he wanted to talk but to save face, like any red-blooded male being questioned by a woman, he just needed a gentle shove.
"Why, Gibbs? Why did you abandon your agent?" She probed.
"I was following SecNav's orders. He ordered me to follow Leon's lead because he taking point on something big." Gibbs revealed in a strangled voice, his words spat out, each consonant sharp as glass.
"And you always follow orders, Gibbs, even when you disagree with them, isn't that right? Oh, wait, what about when you ignored Director Morrow and Shepard's orders not to pursue Ari Haswari. Let's not forget when we worked together on the terrorist cell case when they tried to kill Lt. Cdr. Micki Shields. For the record, let me refresh your memory about how despite you having orders from above that your team confine yourselves to protecting the targets, you forced your way into my investigation." She gave him her very best stink-eye before continuing her assault.
"Have you forgotten blackmailing me in your bullpen into letting you interrogate one of the subjects under surveillance so we could find the rest of the cell? Even though if it had failed, it could have tipped the rest of the terrorists off and they could have gone to ground, ruining hundreds of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of work and resources. And your motivation for that was to protect Navy personnel and their family, but when it comes to your senior field agent, YOU FOLLOW ORDERS? Sorry, not convinced!" She declared scornfully, her posture relaxed despite her folded arms as she exchanged disbelieving looks with the rookie agent O'Reilly, who she was shocked to see was out for blood after working briefly with a shattered DiNozzo. She could see the bloodlust in her fierce Celtic blue eyes.
Bridie had been the only one to volunteer to step into the interview room with Reyes when she and Tobias had called for volunteers to accompany her. The girl had spunk, Lina thought appreciatively, although her indignation had almost certainly been fuelled by her infatuation with Anthony DiNozzo. Women found it difficult to resist a wounded hero, and from what Fornell had said, the agent had been shattered.
"So, Gibbs," the FBI Latino agent pursued her prey. "Why did you really turn your back on DiNozzo?"
"Couldn't play favourites between my agents," Gibbs forced out, clearly unhappy.
Bridie O'Reilly leapt in. "But by doing nothing, Sir, you did take sides. You failed to protect Tony, um, ah Special Agent DiNozzo from the Israelis, Sir."
Getting in first, Reyes smirked. "He doesn't like to be addressed as Sir, O'Reilly. Seems it's an insult to him, even if you didn't intend it that way. That said, you're right, not acting was taking sides, and anyway, why were you so worried about staying impartial. Even at that point in time you knew that Officer David had lied to you and DiNozzo, obliquely and directly, yet you failed to discipline or sanction her in any way. You failed to even acknowledge her transgression, no doubt encouraging her to think she above the law. Why was that?"
"She had lost her lover and her apartment. I didn't think it was the appropriate time to raise the issue with her."
"You sound more like her father than her team leader. What does one have to do with the other? Isn't it true that you gave her special treatment because you thought she had saved your life, even though her own father had ordered her to kill Ari Haswari, her half- brother, when he went rogue. That is, if you believe to the Mossad line. Personally, I think that he was really a mole, one that Eli David thought he was planting with the Palestinians, but it was Mossad that was fooled."
Gibbs scowled, the whole topic of Ziva fooling him still very painful in light of everything that had occurred. "Yes, she led me to believe that she was going to be in trouble with Eli." He spat out the name venomously. "Yes, she was like my daughter," he conceded grudgingly.
"How did you find out that it was a scam? Did Ziva tell you?" Lina asked curiously, knowing that Gibbs was ready to talk now. The dance around had all been for show, but now he was ready to open up and get to the good stuff, and to drop his superiors in it.
"No, Davenport and Vance did." He admitted.
"When? " Lena prompted.
"After she'd been shot and I went to pay my respects to her in autopsy. And before you ask, they told me so that I wouldn't feel I had to avenge her death with her shitheel of a sperm donor. They wanted me to cover their asses, me and DiNozzo. They expected us to take one for the team. Figured he do it, too, if I told him to."
From then on he gave his statement and helped to put the nails in Director Vance's coffin. Not so much Davenport, but if Vance thought he was going down (and he was), then he might decide to drop Davenport in the crapola, too. It wasn't just thieves who had no honour when it came to facing a prison stretch. Between the quack who'd written a dodgy clearance to fly medical certificate, Gibbs and DiNozzo's evidence, the evidence that Davenport and Vance knew about Mossad's part in the death of a federal agent and tried to conceal it, the attempted murder of a second one and their collusion and cover up of Rivkin's activities, they were sunk. Quite the feather in Tobias' and her caps!
End of flashback:
Of course, even though Gibbs helped to end the career of Leon Vance, who had let his own career aspirations take precedent over US laws and federal statutes, they hadn't exactly been cordial upon parting when the case ended. Reyes couldn't help asking him why he was such a hard ass about rule 12 – the one that said don't date a co-worker, presumably since it could easily influence how he treated his team, but yet surprisingly had no such compunction about playing favourites on the team by treating Ms. David as his precious daughter? She'd also pointed out that he had a rule 10 about not becoming emotionally involved, but from where she was standing, he had let his emotions rule his head, big time.
From her investigation, she could see that Ziva David had received preferential treatment on numerous occasions long before the fiasco occurred with Michael Rivkin. According to some of Gibbs' peers, he had let her off the hook repeatedly when she should have had her ass handed to her. Lina informed him that according to other agents, they were of the opinion that David could do whatever the Hell she liked and Gibbs would protect her, and since he took back the team from DiNozzo the consensus was that he only kept him around for the team to use as a punching bag. So, with those observations put out there in the ether, their parting hadn't been a fond one, on either of their parts.
So, to receive an invitation to lunch with the inner cadre of Gibbs' cohorts was a surprise to say the least. Sure, she knew he'd been combing the country trying to locate DiNozzo – as had every man and his dog in the law enforcement agency if it came down to it, but it didn't explain her invitation, and Lina was definitely curious to see why she had been included in this little get together. So curious that despite feeling like an outsider, she had decided to satisfy that curiosity, even if that voice inside her head was warning her that it killed the cat.
Accepting a bottle of sparkling water from Gibbs, she observed him carefully, noting that his air of authority had diminished markedly. Yet, for the first time in many months, he seemed optimistic. Not cocky like in the old days, but resolute perhaps? Alright, she was definitely inquisitive about what had caused the change. Exchanging a look of speculation with Fornell, he just shrugged, clearly not in the loop either.
Watching, Gibbs stuck his fingers in his mouth and elicited a shrill whistle. She half expected him to hop onto the BBQ grill, too, except for the annoying detail that it was full of a dead animal's charred carcass and red hot to boot. As he got everyone's attention, they all turned and stared at him and he gestured to the outdoor furniture. He strode over to grab a file and waited until the crowd all wandered over like ducklings following the mama duck.
The eccentric medical examiner sighed audibly. "Well, Jethro, are you going to finally explain what this is all about?"
Gibbs smirked. "Yep, Duck."
"Excellent, my old friend, put us out of our misery. Do you know where Anthony is?" Ducky demanded impatiently.
"No, Duck, but I know how to bring him home," he explained hurriedly when he saw the defeat on their faces, Abby's and Ducky's most particularly.
Fornell looked dubious. "How, Gibbs? Personally, I think we need to focus on Dr. Reid's findings about DuNotzo and figure out where he's going to go next. I don't see how you plan to entice him home, and sorry to be blunt, but you haven't exactly been successful up to this point."
"True, but a good friend pointed out that instead of focusing on hunting Tony down, we need to find Rivkin. DiNozzo's too damned good to be found if he doesn't want to be, and clearly he doesn't want to be found at this stage," Gibbs stated coolly.
Cassie Yates looked interested. "Okay, I'll grant you that he's good, but the BAU has solid leads to pursue now, Gibbs."
"Yeah, they do, and we'll probably just lead Rivkin right to him if we do happen to catch a break and find him. Knowing the sort of informational network Ziva had to call on when she was on the team via her Mossad contacts, it's feasible to expect that Rivkin does, too. What's to say that Rivkin doesn't already know about this new lead that the BAU has tracked down? Ziva had contacts in the FBI and the CIA, so we have to assume that Rivkin may know, too. And that is why this meeting is taking place here in Alexandria and not at the NCIS or FBI buildings," Gibbs argued forcefully.
Balboa nodded thoughtfully. "Good point, Jethro. But I hope you've got more to offer than naysaying, or they won't be convinced not to pursue such a promising lead."
Gibbs grinned his half grin and nodded. "Yeah, I do. WWDD," He confided and watched the various expressions like a cat who'd stolen the cream.
Reyes and Fornell looked pissed off, Abby looked like she was trying hard to remember something, Ducky looked intrigued and everyone else just looked confused or frustrated.
"WWDD, Bossman? Why does it sound so freakin familiar, but yet not?" Abby queried softly.
"Cause my informant said it was a derivation of something DiNozzo used to say – WWGD."
Abby squealed. "I know that. Tony used to ask 'What would Gibbs do?' So WWDD…"
McGee who in the three years he'd been an intelligence analyst had become even more geekish in appearance, interrupted. "Then WWDD stands for what would DiNozzo do?" He stated watching his old boss.
Ducky pursed his lips. "Oh my, I think I'm beginning to see where this is going. If our Anthony was still here, he would probably use some convoluted movie plot to solve the case, but in his absence then the burden of responsibility lies with the people who best know how his mercurial thought processes work. So what movie would this remind him of?" He trailed off as they all tried to work out where Gibbs was going, since it was clear by the gleam in his eye he was going somewhere. That gleam had been a long time absent and everyone felt relieved.
Gibbs waited for a couple of minutes, seeing that Tobias had the same look on his face that he'd worn in Stillwater. "Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw."
Fornell smirked, "The Sting – 1973. Great movie."
Lina stared at the two grizzled agents as they continued to speak in a unique code. "Yep, gonna need everyone's help to pull it off."
Tobias nodded. "That why you asked Reyes and the others along, Jethro?"
"Yep, gonna need everyone to bog in and make it happen," Gibbs explained.
"Got any idea where to stage it?" Fornell asked animatedly, although Lina figured that unless you knew the veteran agent well, his excitement was not obvious.
Ducky looked at his fellow colleagues, seeing confusion and bewilderment on most, although Balboa had a sly half grin on his face. "For the love of Mike, gentleman, stop speaking in tongues and tell us the plan. We're all dying to know and it has been a very disheartening three years." He scolded them jokingly, obviously delighted to see that finally there was a fresh plan other than just chasing shadows, Reyes decided.
"Alright Duck, I'll tell y'all. If you stop with the scolding. Good news, everyone! We're getting together with DiNozzo for a team reunion in Indiana," He informed the team brusquely.
"Um, Boss, ah, I mean Gibbs, how can we get together with Tony when we don't know how to contact him? Isn't that why you've been searching for him all this time?" McGee asked diffidently, clearly thinking his former SSA had finally lost his mind and a trip to the giggle factory was advisable.
"Trust me, he'll be there for this, McGee." Gibbs insisted firmly.
"Indiana - I do believe that is where our dear Caitlyn resides now, Jethro? Would I be right in assuming that that is no coincidence, dear boy?" The ME inquired, and Lina realised that behind his slightly dotty air was a vein of shrewd intelligence.
"Yep, and it's coming up to the anniversary of her death, which is why we are all meeting at the cemetery for a memorial ceremony," He explained shortly.
"But what makes you think that Tony will show up, Boss?" McGee persisted, clearly perplexed.
Cassie grinned. "Because, Tim, Gibbs will make sure he's there, even if he's not." She commenced drumming on the outdoor table in a manner reminiscent of DiNozzo. "Cue in the doppelgangers."
"Gibbs is baiting a rattrap for a big ol nasty rat. He doesn't need DiNozzo – he only needs Rivkin to think that Tony is going to show up so he will, too." Balboa explained to everyone. "And from a distance, a green-eyed, 6' 2" brown-haired man of the right build who can't stay still, will look sufficiently similar to Tony so that he can bait the rattrap, McGee."
Abby hugged Gibbs. "Cool, Gibbs and super, duper sneaky. So, we're all going to Indiana? How am I going to keep this a secret and act like there's nothing going on, though? You know I totally suck at keeping secrets."
"Actually, Abs, although I don't want you to tell every man and his hippo, I don't want you to try too hard to keep it secret. Everyone knows 'you suck' at keeping secrets so act guilty, maybe share with a few people who aren't really discreet. Not the water cooler gossips, but pick a few people who aren't totally trustworthy. Obviously, just don't mention that it's a trap or that DiNozzo won't be there," Gibbs coached her, encouragingly.
"You think there are informants at NCIS, Boss?" McGee inquired.
"Possible, but we're going to let it slip at the FBI and CIA, too. Both places, realistically, are more likely to have people passing Intel to Mossad and Rivkin, but it would look suspicious if you didn't let something slip at NCIS, Abs," Gibbs reasoned.
"So, Abigail and I need to request leave?" Ducky clarified to Gibbs. Noting his friend's nod of assent, he smiled. "You know, dear friends, I think that this travesty of justice coming to a head in that location with the help of our Caitlyn is very apropos. Let's do this," He declared, looking much cheered, and Lina thought he looked a good few years younger, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Jimmy, silent until now joined the discussion. "When do we leave? I'm going to have to talk to HR about juggling around my shifts."
McGee nodded in agreement. "Me too. Cate's death was May the 26th, so how much time do we need to get ready for the get-together?"
Gibbs thought for a few seconds, "At least 24 hours prior and to be safe, another 48 to wrap up," He decreed.
Abby bounced up and down with what Lina decided disbelievingly was glee – since the woman was supposed to be one of the US' foremost authorities on ballistics. "Hey, Duckman, Jimbo, we're going on a road trip to Indianapolis," She trilled squeezing Palmer's arm, painfully.
Gibbs smirked. "Not a road trip, Abs. We're flying."
"Technicalities my Silver-Haired-Somewhat-Haggard-Looking-at-the-Moment-Fox. There's such a thing as being too tight assed and literal, Gibbsie. YOU need to chillax!" She counselled him, teasingly.
Lina watched, her jaw at half-mast as the arrogant pr… er jackass she'd butted heads with attempted to scowl at the forensic scientist, and failed. As the corners of his mouth turned up despite his attempts otherwise, he responded. "McGee, Balboa, Bert and I are going down to Indiana. Abs, you, Ducky and Jimmy are going into protective custody with Cassie, out of sight, while your doubles are going in your stead."
Reyes saw the pout of monumental proportions on the Goth forensic scientist's face even as she noted the previously shy and nerdy looking assistant to Dr. Mallard cross him arms and say sotte voce, "We'll see about that."
Knowing that the ER doc had matured and grown a set of balls, Reyes stared at Gibbs, who had either not heard the doc, or more likely, was ignoring him. "And my part in the sting, Gibbs?" She enquired curiously, "Since it's no secret that that we aren't exactly friends."
Gibbs nodded. "True. We need you to sell the con. You're going to play the part of FBI Agent Polk and add…"
He seemed to be searching for a word and Ducky stepped in helpfully. "I do believe the word you're looking for is - verisimilitude to the con, dear boy," He chortled.
"Yeah, Duck… that word. Need you to put a tail on me, visible, so you can track down DiNozzo and bring him in and earn brownie points. State that you don't trust me not to balls it up and let him escape again. The odd word in the right ears so that Rivkin takes the bait." He outlined the plan.
Fornell chuckled. "No one will believe that you two are working together."
Gibbs grinned. "Exactly."
An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everybody Blind
Elete Retreival Services office 15th April 2012
Croc stalked into his office after a conversation with Carrington, their Intel officer, about the latest poop on DiNozzo. After returning yesterday from New Mexico with The Rottweiler in tow – their success rate intact, he'd given the FRS guys some leave and he'd returned to make sure that the business hadn't fallen into a hole in their absence. Okay, the truth was that Croc was a workaholic who along with his wife Molly was bringing up his young daughter. His eight month old daughter was suffering from chronic wind and getting a good eight hours sleep was impossible, even if they took it in turns to get up with her at night, plus they currently had a house full of doting grandmothers. Coming into the office was often a whole lot more peaceful than going home, especially at the moment when not only his mother-in-law but also his own dear mother, were alternating between ganging up on him for being insensitive and arguing with each other about their differing philosophies on child rearing practices.
Jack had gone surfing for a few days and apparently caught the latest chatter and called him to let him know. So now Croc headed towards his office to use one of the burn phones he kept for when he needed to get hold of Tony. He knew he was down in Miami – hanging out with a cop buddy from Philly PD to try to solve a series of murders targeting old homeless men that the Miami cops had had on the books for over five years and had been unable to solve. Although, as Tony said, no one gave the cops the resources to solve these sorts of cases, not unless the press had a slow new week and picked up the story and gave it oxygen. Anyway, there'd been a sixth killing in the last couple of days and DiNozzo was hoping to find a new lead.
Dialling the new number for Tony's latest burn phone, he waited impatiently for him to pick up. Hearing the familiar voice, he sighed with relief. "Hey, Tony, can you talk?"
"Not really, Croc. I'll call you back in 30," He promised before hanging up.
The bail agent and skip tracer paced up and down in his office, worried that Tony was in danger, but knowing that he would call when it was safe for him to do so. So right now all he could do was wait 'til his friend called back. The Aussie was worried. Things were heating up and momentum was building, which made it more difficult to gather and analyse data in a timely and accurate manner, and that made everything that much more dangerous.
Tony had managed so far to stay one step ahead of the Kidon assassin, Samuel Rivkin, and the procession of Feds that had been trying to run him to ground for the last 30 odd months. Oh, sure, his friend was a chameleon, adept at undercover work, one of the best, but he was taking a Hell of a risk in continuing to work in the law enforcement community, even if it was supposed to be off the books. When Croc protested at the risk his friend was running, he deflected his concern, saying that he stuck to the seedier side of the cities, habiting ghettos, slums, red light districts and the underbelly of society that inhabited such places.
He got that DiNozzo was a gifted investigator who felt compelled to use his talent to help others, but going into the seedy underbelly of metropolises to solve crimes of violence including murder and sexual predation was inherently dangerous, even for an experienced cop and federal agent. Of course, the fact that he was working most of the time without any backup or a partner to watch his six, Croc admitted worried him sick. Tony had always had a pretty casual attitude regarding his personal safety, but since the debacle at that damned NCIS, his friend seemed to have resigned himself to not making old bones.
At least that time when Tony was chasing down a serial rapist targeting working girls in Nevada, Croc had insisted on giving him backup. That was how he knew that Dino often took unjustifiable risks when he was chasing scumbags, like his personal safety was secondary to catching these vermin, although when it came to watching out for Croc's ass he acted as if he was guarding a newborn baby. At least when he had someone else to watch out for that he felt responsible for, he was more cautious. Now, the latest Intel that Jack had gathered had Croc seriously concerned. One piece of info in particular was damned worrisome.
Jack had heard from a highly trusted source inside the FBI that the BAU had found proof that Tony had been working with cops he'd served with before in several cities to help solve cold cases targeting the most disenfranchised sections of society. Apparently, a few witnesses had ratted him out in exchange for lighter sentences or charges being dropped. Of course, they didn't get anywhere with Tony's cop buddies who'd stonewalled, but the Fibbies had confirmation, and now they would be on the lookout for him, making it that much harder for him to fly under the radar. And thanks to the fact that there was the fresh death down in Miami, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that DiNozzo, if he was trying to solve cold cases, would hot foot it down to Miami. Tony had explained that the best chance of catching a murderer was during the first 48 hours after they struck.
Deciding to send Steve to Miami to run interference for Tony since it was possible that Rivkin could probably get the Intel, too, and the Feebs would also be hot on his tail. Knowing that Rogers could back him up and help get him out of there safely should it become necessary, he reached for his cell phone. He sent Rogers a text message informing him to get his butt down to Miami ASAP.
Steve was physically closer to DiNozzo than anyone else since he had opted not to return from New Mexico with the other operatives, but had gone to stay with a SEAL buddy at Weiss Lake in Alabama for a few days of R&R. It would take Croc much longer to get to Florida, so he'd book Steve a flight from Birmingham to Miami even if he had to charter a plane for Rogers to get him there fast. Efficiently, he found a flight and booked him on it, sending through the details to Steve's cell phone. Meanwhile, he checked the time and saw that the 30 minutes were almost up. Sure enough right on the dot Tony called in on the burn phone.
"What'cha got, Croc?" Tony asked without preliminaries.
"Hallo to you too, Dino, good buddy. What I've got is two pieces of very interesting Intel from Jack, who says 'hi to a fellow alumni' by the way. One piece of info comes from the Fibbies – I suspect from the BAU and FYI, they are this close to figuring out what armpit of a slum area you will decide to pop up in next. Seeing as there has been a new killing in the cold case down in Miami, it shouldn't take a brain surgeon to work out that you'll end up down there poking around. So, Dino, I've sent Stevie down to back you up."
"No, Croc, it is too dangerous. I'm not going to get Stevie Wonder killed, too. Put him back on the leash."
"Nope, I'd have come myself, but he's already in Alabama so he's a Hell of a lot closer. If Jack can get that info, what's to stop Kidon or the Mad Mossad Maniac getting it, too? So be ready for a rapid exfiltration, Tony. Watch yourself, bro."
Tony was silent, knowing that Mike wasn't about to back down. "You said there were two bits of Intel. What was the second?"
"Okay, this is more perplexing, mate. The skinny is that you have been in contact with your old team and are planning a rendezvous with them on the 26th of May. Some sort of anniversary or something Jack said, was the rumour that's been floating around. Oh, and he said that every man and his dog knows about it, which seems just wrong. What the Hell do you think that's all about?" Croc could feel the tension ratchet up even though there were no words spoken between them. "You haven't been sneaking around playing footsie with NCIS without telling us have you, cobber?" He teased Tony who snorted.
"It's a trap, you dumbass." He retorted dismissively.
"How could that trap you? You're not stupid enough to fall for that." His friend wanted to know, confused.
"Not me, idiot. It's a sting to trap Rivkin! Did Jack say where this so-called reunion is going to take place?" Tony enquired?
"Yeah, Indianapolis. Bit of an obscure place to stage a rendezvous."
"The only reason I can think of to go to Indiana is because it is where Caitlyn Todd, my old teammate, is buried," Tony explained. "And it's coming up to the anniversary of her death on the 26th of May. Seeing that it was Eli's son that killed her, he would know that, and you can bet his yarmulke that he also knows where she was buried, too, and that he's in contact with Rivkin. So, it's a pretty good place to bait the snare." He observed, the silence full of tension.
"You're planning on turning up to the party, aren't you?" Croc demanded, groaning at the risks inherent in such idiocy.
"Yeah, Mike. I can't let them risk their lives for me and hide away like a coward. If anything happened to anyone I couldn't live with myself. It's hard enough having Ziva and Sacks on my conscience, but Fornell and Gibbs will be there, maybe Tim, too. I hope that they don't let Abby and Ducky or Gremlin take part in this farce, but I have to be there," He explained desperately. "I can't believe they are crazy enough to do this," He fumed.
"I know, Dino, it's such a crazy and dangerous plan, it's something that you'd dream up, dude. If you're determined to risk your sorry ass and go to a cemetery in Indiana, then I'm coming too, I have to keep my eye on it," He declared firmly, hoping to forestall any objection."
Tony sighed exaggeratedly. "You always did love watching my tushie, didn't you, Croc? Don't think I didn't see you sneaking peeks in the showers at school, dude," He teased, hearing his friend having a fit on the other end of the phone. He knew that Mike wouldn't let him go alone and if he refused to let him, he'd just come along anyway. It was better to coordinate their efforts.
"In your dreams, Dino. And I think that it might be time to invite the others along, too, you great big galah."
Tony wasn't so sure. "Let's discuss it later, Mike. I have to go, I'm meeting a witness," Tony said. "Talk later. And thanks for the heads up." He hung up and Croc went to his computer and sent Jack Carrington an email telling him to call him. He would get their Intelligence officer to dig up as much Intel as possible on the cemetery where Caitlyn Todd was buried so that they could start planning their operation. It was about time Carrington and Marsh got to meet Dino, too, and having everyone watch his back, perhaps they would be able to make sure he didn't sacrifice himself to save those idiots that decided to set a trap for the crazy Kidon assassin. Maybe just maybe, between them they could end this and give Dino his life back again.
An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everybody Blind
18 th April 2012
"Okay, guys, you've got the specs for the cemetery and the topographical maps, we even have Dino's projections for how he thinks the Feds will set the trap for Rivkin. Finally, I have studied previous Kidon terminations plus put together some thoughts about how Special Ops might approach this situation. I want everyone to study everything and then we'll come up with our own plan," Croc instructed, glaring sternly at his employees, notably Jack and Jono, who were acting like all their Christmases had come at once.
Jono frowned. "Why are we worried about what everyone else 'might' do, Croc? Let's just skip to the part where we figure out where we are gonna be. I can't believe we are gonna get to meet the phantom Dino DiNozzo, finally."
Jack nodded eagerly before seeing the scowls directed at him and Jonathan from the older guys, asked. "What?"
Rogers fixed the excited Deltas with a steely stare. "Because first of all, you asses, we want to get in and out without revealing ourselves, so we need to not to trip over the Feds or vice versa. Second of all, we need to figure out how to make sure that Rivkin, if he even takes the bait, doesn't walk away from that cemetery unless he's wearing shackles." He lectured sternly, wanting them to remember their target was a killer and trained by Mossad. "And what makes you think that you will get to meet DiNozzo. He's not exactly thrilled about you two guys tagging along," he confided.
"What's wrong with us? We are after all Deltas – the elite of the Special Forces," Jonathan whined as Rogers, a former SEAL, snorted amusedly.
"Nothing," Gator soothed them, ignoring Croc and Steve who were grinning like loons. "But he wants to play safe and there's no guarantee that the trap will be successful. So, he's going to need to stay off the radar if that happens, and the fewer people who know what he looks like now he's altered his appearance, the safer he is," He explained gently.
Jack looked like he was torn between being outraged and deeply offended. "We are Deltas, we don't sell out innocents like DiNozzo," he protested. "And besides, we're RIMA old boys too!"
"Yeah, and he doesn't want you to risk your lives for him, and if you don't know what he looks like at least then you have some safeguards. If Rivkin ever realised the connection the three of us have to him it would not be pretty. Which is why he doesn't want us sticking our noses into it," He said shooting a look at Rogers and Croc.
"Yeah, well he can chuck a wobbly as much as he likes, but we're going to be there watching his bloody six, so he can go and get stuffed." Croc declared huffily, sounding like he had had this discussion several times before.
Rogers grinned. "Yeah, and he loves you, too, Croc. That's why he doesn't want us involved, you butthead," he teased his friend. "So, how about we all study this data and come up with an awesome plan, guys?" Steve suggested conciliatorily.
Rolling their eyes, the four other skip tracers nodded and commenced studying the pile of information that had been compiled for their perusal.
After looking through the data briefly, Gator laid it down. "In case it doesn't go to plan, Croc, we're going to require a damned good cover story about what the Hell we're doing running around a cemetery in Indiana with our usual fire power. That way they won't bother digging into our history together. Otherwise, if they figure out our connection to him, then he'll have to cut ties with us and lose an important avenue of support. You know he won't endanger any of us." Croc's little brother observed as Steve nodded seriously.
"Too true, Gator. Not just a pretty face are ya? Leave it with me - I have an idea that will cover everyone's ass. Plan B comin' up." He looked at Croc as he spoke. "Might cost us some serious cash, Boss."
Croc nodded. "No worries mate, DiNozzo's family. Spend what you need to, to make it happen. What's the point in being handsome, brilliant, talented, resourceful, irresistible and filthy rich if you can't use it to help your family?"
Jack smirked, "Shame that you seemed to miss out on some humility when it was being handed out, Croc! Wouldn't go astray y'know. Where were you, hiding behind the door?" He joked as the guys all laughed, including their boss, since he prided himself as being a quintessential Aussie who was in his own vernacular 'always ready to take the piss out of himself'. The non-Aussies had learnt that this meant he was always ready to laugh at himself. They also learnt that Aussie swore a lot and swear words had multiple meanings!
An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everybody Blind
25th May 2012
Abby Scuito bounced up and down in her seat as the plane taxied along the ground prior to take-off from Dulles Airport, her eyes alight with excitement. Nudging her two male companions enthusiastically – one who had his eyes tightly screwed shut and muttering dire facts about the actuarial statistics on crashes on take-offs and the other one who appeared to be meditating, she peered out the window.
"Timmy, Timmy Timmy, turn that frown upside down and don't be such a worry wart. If you do crash it will be over before you know what's happened. Your neuroses are even worse since you became an analyst. Talk to me instead."
"Told you before I'm NOT neurotic, Abs," Timothy McGee protested, grumpily."
"Not what your psych eval in your personnel file said, Elf Lord," She countered, fondly. "Now talk and take your mind off actuarial statistics."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Well, let's start with the fact that we are going on the road trip to Indianapolis, Probie."
"Not a road trip, Abbs, we're flying!"
In the seats behind them, Ducky was attempting to mollify his cantankerous companion. "Now, now, Jethro. Sulking is such an ugly look on you, my boy. Just remember that compromise is a sign of maturity. Indeed, Nikita Khrushchev once remarked that 'If one cannot catch a bird of paradise, better take a wet hen'," he proffered with a quick look at his old friend.
Gibbs grunted something under his breath and Ducky, with experience born out of years of knowing the grumpy ex-Marine, inferred that it had been less that complimentary. Although honestly, that was more the norm than the exception with Gibbs. "Mm, perhaps you might find this one more palatable then. The eminent English essayist Dr Samuel Johnson wrote that 'Life cannot subsist in society but by reciprocal concession'." The ME spoke soothingly.
Gibbs looked seriously angry and Duck tut-tutted in frustration. Gibbs was a heart attack waiting to happen, and Ducky was genuinely surprised that he hadn't ended up in cardiac ICU already. Not to mention that it was seriously hard work trying to mollify him. "Not safe for you, Duck." He harrumphed.
"Nonsense, Jethro. We aren't going with you to the cemetery." He said, lowering his voice, "Only to the Hotel. And Mr. Palmer was right to point out if we wanted to create a credible trail to be followed, it was imperative that we and not our doubles made the journey down to Indianapolis where Caitlyn rests. It would have been too obvious, my friend, and we want our quarry to take the bait. Too much is riding on this, for Anthony and all of us. We want him back!"
"Liked him better when he had no balls," Gibbs growled, no doubt alluding to their young doctor, and Ducky sighed. It was going to be a very long flight. He had to agree with his young protégé that while a double could pull off the subterfuge out in the open air of the cemetery, it was a different kettle of fish on the plane. If Rivkin had spies on the plane, they would quickly spot the substitution.
It made perfect sense to him that they make the swap once the old team were down in Indiana, and the medical examiner felt that there was minimal risk for them in the minor change in plan. While on the other hand, there was plenty to be gained to make the switch after the flight. He wasn't exactly a babe in the woods, having served in the military, and dear Abigail hung around with a decidedly rough crowd, bless her. Then there was young James – working in the ER department of a DC hospital was not for the faint of heart. The murder rate in the city was one of the highest in the US, and then there were the drugs and attempted suicides. He understood that Dr. Palmer routinely wrestled with methamphetamine addicts and other desperate drug desperados and gangbangers. He was not the naïve young lad who had frozen when accosted by a scoundrel at a crime scene. Anthony had taken off to keep them all safe almost three years ago, and now that they had a way to bring him home and free him from his years of sacrifice, of course the three of them wished to reciprocate the gesture. They wanted the plan to succeed and for their Anthony to come home.
Gibbs, of course, was not so sanguine about the risks, but then the former team leader was never the optimist. Abigail and Anthony had been the ones that had fulfilled that role in their dysfunctional little group. Seeing young Abigail bobbing up and down enthusiastically, he wished he'd agreed to her being seated beside her Bossman. She couldn't have done a worse job of placating Gibbs than he had, as it turned out. Catching one of the attendants when he made his way back from the lavatory, he requested that they bring Gibbs the strongest blackest coffee they could manage and keep it coming until they landed at Indianapolis International Airport.
An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everybody Blind
26th May 1230 hours Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis:
Croc was hanging out with his two younger skip tracers and their 'Plan B', Eddy the Weasel, entrusted to their supervision as they staked out their territory tucked up inside an ornate Victorian style crypt. Typically of burial crypts of its ilk, it was gaudy, replete with marble statuary and over the top decorative features which was 0.8 clicks away, but in direct view of Special Agent Caitlyn Todd's grave. While the Elite Retrieval Service boys would have liked to have been closer, Tony DiNozzo had predicted that the Feds would be crawling around the cemetery, and the last thing they needed was to have the fibbies falling over them. Still, because of the topography, Carrington and Marsh's position was on a slight rise, and the elevation gave them an excellent view, not just of Todd's grave, but also an overview of the whole area.
As he settled them in to wait, knowing that Gibbs and his flunkies were going to arrive at Crown Hill at 1530, they'd had to get into place well before all the other cast of characters arrived. DiNozzo had predicted that the Feds would arrive much earlier, and so they had been in place since early this morning, figuring that Rivkin would also be wanting to be in situ early, too. Croc felt it would be hilarious if it weren't so serious that there were all these groups trying to avoid bumping into each other, although of course no one knew about them, at least he hoped not. Luckily, there had been plenty of hustle and bustle at the cemetery this weekend that had worked in their favour. Crown Hills was one of the largest privately owned cemeteries in the US, and there was a Civil War Re-enactment taking place there over the Memorial Weekend, which helped camouflage their movements.
In fact, Steve and Gator had been at their encampment in the historic section of the cemetery as Civil War buffs, camping out since yesterday, getting the lay of the land and checking out the people who were hanging around. Although today they constantly had to avoid the re-enactors, they also were great diversion. The problem was, as Gator had pointed out to the others, it also aided Rivkin in his attempts to merge into the background.
Croc smirked as he recalled the look of absolute horror on Dino's face when he'd first told him that Jack Carrington had suggested that they could pose as Civil War enthusiasts as a way of explaining their presence if they were stopped by the Feds. Clearly, his friend had some major issue with running around playing Civil War soldiers, but Tony had that stubborn closed-off expression that said he'd rather cut off his arm than talk about what was bothering him. Steve recognised his friend's abhorrence immediately and was quick to point out that he'd gently explained to Jack that running around dressed as Confederate and Union soldiers would look pretty damned suspicious if they were armed to the eyeballs with modern firearms but dressed as Civil War geeks. Then he explained his alternate plan to their friend of using one of their frequent fliers, Eddy the Weasel, who was a conman.
And he wasn't a good one, hence his fairly frequent arrests and arraignments on fairly minor charges that had him usually let out of jail after serving short sentences of months, sometimes less. Even when sentenced to longer time periods, due to overcrowding in prisons, his good behaviour and recognition that he wasn't a criminal mastermind meant that he usually got let out early. He was a throwback to the old-fashioned crims who while dishonest, were not real bright, but who didn't harm others – many of them ending up incarcerated simply because they weren't capable of living an autonomous life and found prison comforting.
Rogers had organised that Croc would pay his bail for the next couple of transgressions in return for helping to create a diversion if needed. They were hoping he wouldn't be needed, but just in case, he had failed to show for his last sentencing hearing, so he was officially on the run and needed to be apprehended. Eddy, who was almost family at this point, was keen to bank a few get-out-of-bail-free cards, since he freely admitted as a habitual and none too bright crim, it was a dead cert that he was going to be caught by the cops again. In reality, Eddy the Weasel, so nicknamed because he bore an uncanny resemblance to the actor Larry Linville who played Frank Burns in the iconic television show MASH, was hanging out with them and would only 'go on the lam' if they needed a diversion.
Croc suggested that they could explain what he was doing here in Indianapolis as looking to take advantage of the re-enactors and run some of his cons. Gator agreed that it was a good cover story if they needed Eddy, since such a gathering would attract someone like him to run his scams like a moth to a flame. Rogers grinned and proposed that they dress Eddy as a Confederate Soldier, and the others had chuckled and agreed it wasn't a stupid idea. Consequently, the guys had had fun dressing him up, although Tony didn't see the funny side of it at all.
As part of Plan B, Eddy the Weasel was going to remain in the custody of Croc's two youngest skip tracers, Leyland 'Jack' Carrington lll and Jonathan "Jono' Marsh.
Meanwhile, after touching base with the B Team and settling down their diversion, Croc prepared to head back to his own position to wait. His guys were fine, of course, but they'd texted him to say that Eddy was getting antsy hanging out inside the crypt – go figure, and he'd come down to help calm him down. DiNozzo had tossed him a spare deck of cards as he was leaving and suggested that Team B play some hands of poker to pass the time.
Luckily, it seemed to have worked like a charm and he figured it was one of the ex-cop's long standing methods of staving off boredom on stakeouts, that and driving his partner up the wall, to pass the time. Croc was situated along with his team approximately 0.65 clicks to the south of Todd's grave inside a moderately sized family vault, and he stood up preparing to return as he looked around the dim interior. Croc shook his head, thinking it was fortunate that none of them were superstitious about being up close and personal with the dead or claustrophobic, because with the Feds that would be crawling around here soon, they were keeping an extremely low profile.
"Okay, Eddy, I'm leaving you with my guys – no more whining. Suck it up and it will be over soon," He advised his frequent flier, handing over an extra-large size packet of M & Ms in lieu of poker chips. "Hey, Jack and Jono - heading off now. Stay off the coms unless absolutely necessary, and make sure you find a freek that the Fibbies aren't on. Preferably text if you need anything. Any problems?"
"Yeah, Croc. What's Junior's ETA?" Marsh wanted to know. 'Junior' was their code word for Tony, since they obviously couldn't mention him in front of Eddy.
"Been here for a while now, Swampy," Croc announced casually, knowing that Jack and Jono were still pissed that DiNozzo had vetoed his plan of revealing himself to them.
Dino was determined to do everything in his power to minimise risk to them all, and was still pissed that Croc had insisted on backing him up. After Rivkin had accidentally killed Special Agent Slacks (why on earth wouldn't you change your name?), he was adamant that no one else was going to die in his stead. Even though they were all Special Ops trained – or maybe because they were, it was easy to underestimate the washed out Kidon wannabe who failed to qualify as not being a threat. It wasn't because of his abilities, but because his psych profile let him down. And, Croc told himself as he made his way unobtrusively back to their position, after practically three years of Dino outrunning the mad Israeli assassin, well, that really made Rivkin look like an amateur. The reality was, though, the length of time Dino had managed to outrun him was more of a testament to exactly how good the ex-fed was at being undercover than any weaknesses in the assassin's skills. Many people underestimated his friend, always had, but as Dino took great pains to point out, underestimating Rivkin in this situation was extremely foolhardy and dangerous.
"Any sign of the bait?" Jack queried, referring to Rivkin.
"Nada, but Dino reckons he's here, say he can feel him," he reported as his two former Deltas nodded seriously. They could easily understand how he might develop a sixth sense about someone who had been trying to kill him for three years.
"What about Steve and Gator? Did they see anyone that they thought might be him down at the encampment last night?" Jono inquired, knowing they had volunteered to spend the day and night with the re-enactors to see if Rivkin was using them to avoid detection.
"Steve said that a few people 'pinged their antennae' but they didn't want to create suspicion." He reported, also feeling pretty sure that Rivkin had been hanging out with the Civil War buffs because it was what he would do if he was in his shoes. Saying a final goodbye he made his way back to his position thinking about Tony's comment regarding whether Rivkin was going to show.
Flashback:
"No sign of Rivkin, hope he shows." Croc had noted.
Tony snorted, his gaze steely cold. "He's here, Mike. He's somewhere in the crowd of re-enactors."
Croc stared at his friend. "Have you seen him?"
"Nope, but I can feel him out there. Got close to me, too close a few times," He admitted wryly. "And I guess on a visceral level I can recognise him now when he's around."
Looking across at Steve who had hung out with the Civil War nuts overnight, his boss asked "Did you guys see anything down at the battlefield?"
He shrugged. "There were a few candidates that pinged our antennae. But no one that we could verify positively, not without showing our hand. And as our gallant hero here," and he pointed at Tony, "Doesn't want for there to be any collateral damage - that kinda put the kibosh on any investigations we wanted to do." He teased gently as Tony scowled and kicked him in the shin.
"Idiot," he stated, mock outraged.
End of flashback
Slipping inside the vault and trying not to shiver involuntarily, telling himself that it was because of the cold fusty air in the crypt, he called out softly, "S'me, guys," knowing that they already knew who was coming in or his face would be getting intimate with the ground by now and his arms and legs zip-tied.
"Problems?" Steve inquired laconically.
"Just Eddy freakin' out about his accommodations, I think," Croc reported.
"See any Feds yet?" Tony wanted to know.
"Saw a couple of suits trickling in…"
Rogers as a SEAL, as opposed to a LEO, took his statement literally. "They're wearing suits?" he blurted out, appalled. "Man, what are they thinkin?"
Tony laughed softly, appreciating the respite from his anxiety. Croc grinned, too, "Naw, just what the cops' call em, thinking it's not a compliment," He commented as Tony smirked.
"Got that right, Mike."
As an indication of how preoccupied he was, Croc failed to correct his friend about his name.
Over the next 30 minutes they watched as the Feds blanketed the area and they meticulously confirmed their positions and passed them on to the other team members so that if they needed to move in closer, they didn't accidentally trip over them, which would be downright awkward. Steve watching them deploy and listening in on their com frequency to their sporadic chatter, was scathing of their attempts at stealth, but Croc was patronising, too. Tony was philosophical. "They're not Special Ops trained, guys, not even military training. Course Gibbs would have had a fit if we'd been that sloppy, but he's a Marine and Special Ops, too." He shrugged.
"Just hope that they don't scare off Rivkin."
"I doubt it, Mike. His brother was an arrogant prick and if he's anything like him, he'll think he's too good to get caught. And he's gotta be getting desperate after all this time, cuz Eli David is not a patient warm and fuzzy kinda boss. He's got to be demanding results."
An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everybody Blind
Gibbs cursed Jimmy Palmer! Why did the young ER doc have to have grown a pair while he'd been away? He'd been actively thwarting Gibbs' efforts to keep him out of harm's way, insisting on accompanying him to Indianapolis and in the process, egging on Ducky and Abbs, too. Not that they needed any encouragement if it came down to it. But now that Jimmy's FBI stand-in had mysteriously come down with stomach flu and was getting intimately acquainted with the toilet, Jimmy was maintaining that he should go with him, McGee and Ducky and Abby's stand-ins to Cate's grave. Considering he'd been most disparaging about the stand-in the feds had found to play him, it was most suspicious as far as Gibbs was concerned.
So okay, he had to grudgingly admit that Palmer might have a point about his doppelgänger – he was pretty bad, but then again, it was much easier to get someone to impersonate Abby and even Ducky. A raven-haired pigtailed Goth with chains and spiked collars and miniskirts was pretty distracting and Duck, well, with his bow tie, braces, trilby hat and his Columbo-esque rumpled all weather-coat, it was much easier for someone to stand-in for them. Palmer was boringly normal in comparison and nothing short of a mirror image would fool Rivkin, but the fact remained that he was a civilian who didn't even work at NCIS anymore. Of course, the problem was – neither did he. Fornell had been given operational control of the sting, and after hearing that the Jimmy clone was 'struck down' with the stomach flu, he had giving his consent for Palmer to go to the sting.
Jethro was shocked and angry, arguing strongly against letting Palmer go with him, McGee and the FBI stand-ins to no avail. It seemed that while he was criss-crossing the country these last 30 something months, Palmer and Fornell were, in Ducky's own words, "Drawn together in the common goal of finding Anthony, and as a result, had gotten quite chummy, dear boy."
When he had quirked an eyebrow at that piece of info, Abby had scowled and actually head slapped him before setting him straight. "Eww, Mister. Not like that! Jimmy's still NCIS even if he doesn't work there anymore, and he would never get 'friendly' with someone from the FBI. That's just hinky."
Still, the fact remained that Gibbs didn't want anything to get in the way of getting Samuel Rivkin, and he really didn't want to take a green civilian along to the cemetery. If anything happened to him, DiNozzo would be furious. But since his resignation, he didn't have any official power to stop him, although it didn't stop him using his forceful personality to dissuade Palmer. The kid had always caved in pretty easily, scuttling off like a scared rabbit. Up until now… and why did he have to pick this moment to get up into Gibbs' face, anyway?
Palmer returned his glower manfully, and he returned fire verbally as well. "I'm coming. Rivkin will smell a rat if me or my stand-in doesn't make an appearance. So get over it. I'm not that easily intimidated wimp that freaked when a perp (SOB, he was hanging round Fornell too much) pulled a gun on me anymore. I'm an ER doctor and I've had criminals pull guns on me and knives, and even a blood filled syringe. I've had gangbangers, murderers and rapists threaten me, not to mention the fact that I've wrestled with meth heads and coke addicts, and I've had people in full blown psychoses attack me. If you really think that your pathetic stare is going cower me, you'd better think again, Gibbs!"
Endnotes: I took artistic licence on several points in this chapter. AFAIK Cate's grave location has never been more specific than being in Indiana but I decided for purposes related to the story that she was laid to rest in Indianapolis in Crown Hills Cemetery which does exist. And the Civil War Re-enactment weekend did actually take place at Crown Hills but it was in 2014 not 2011 so I just rearranged the facts slightly to suit the story.