Chapter 14

"This is a terrible attack on the campus. The Herndon Monument has been around for years. Everyone visits it."

"Everyone?" Tony asked, looking up from his camera.

"It's where we hold the 'plebes-no-more' ceremony every year." At the blank expressions, Lt. Lewiston elaborated. "The freshman class has to climb the greased obelisk without using ropes and put a midshipman hat on the top."

"Greased?"

"With about 200 pounds of lard. It's a tradition."

"Interesting tradition," Tony said. "I love the Navy." He smiled widely and then returned to his photos.

Ziva put some detritus in an evidence bag.

"Is this related to those other bombings?" Lewiston asked Gibbs.

"It's possible," Gibbs said shortly and walked over to Ziva. "What did you find?"

"Stuff for Abby. It's some paper. It may be nothing more than litter, but..."

"Every little bit helps," Tony said. "I got some of the bomb here, Boss."

Gibbs knelt beside it as Tony took another photo.

"It's got to be the same guy," Tony said in a low voice. "I mean, this is the third bombing on a Navy-related target since we pulled McGee out of that box. That can't be a coincidence."

"I know." He turned back to Lewiston. "How is the injured student?"

"Well, this was a harsh lesson against running late. It's too soon to tell what will happen. Oh, he'll survive, but being hit by granite shrapnel tore up his back and his legs pretty badly." Lewiston's eyes hardened. "Why is this man targeting the Navy?"

"We don't know yet."

"Figure it out, Agent Gibbs. That boy was lucky he didn't get killed by the explosion. It shouldn't even have gotten on campus. We're checking our security tapes and we'll forward them all to you, but I want your assurance that this is not going to happen again."

Gibbs locked eyes with the lieutenant. "We will find him. He's already managed to maim or kill four people. I'd like the list not to get any bigger."

"Good. Thank you, Agent Gibbs. We will compile all our video and get you copies before the day is out."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

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"Well?" Gibbs asked impatiently. It was hours later. Gibbs had come back and put Abby right to work, pulling her off of her other analyses. There were too many attacks on college campuses across the country as it was. The Naval Academy was supposed to be secure.

"Well, what, Gibbs?" Abby asked her eyes wide and questioning, although a smile quirked the edges of her lips.

It was good to see that side of her back. She'd been a little down ever since Tim had disappeared. His reappearance hadn't helped matters all that much.

"Do you have anything?"

"Would you be here if I didn't?"

"Abby!"

"The bomb used C-4, as I'm sure you were aware, and it's the same batch. This is the same guy, Gibbs."

"Good work, Abby."

"...but that's not all."

Gibbs turned around, halfway between Abby and the door. She paused, her sense of the dramatic keeping her silent.

"You have something else?"

"Only what could be our first clue to this guy's identity... if it's not just junk, of course. But then, I don't see how it could be. There's residue from the C-4 on it, as if it had enclosed the bomb or something. So, I'm pretty sure our psycho put it there. You know, Gibbs, psycho really doesn't even come close to describing this..."

"Abby!"

"Look here, my noble leader!" Abby whirled around and brought up a screen. "Now, Ziva found all these little scraps of paper and I thought, 'well, surely they're just trash' but au contraire. They were a single sheet of paper with writing on them." She pushed a few keys. "Now, I've only managed to fit a few together. This is not quite as bad as that exploding suitcase we got a couple of years ago, but bad enough."

Gibbs looked at the screen. The scraps had writing on them, yes, but how could she tell the way they fit together? "Is this all?"

"No, of course not. I got Ziva in here helping me for a little while. Remember, she said she was good at puzzles. She wasn't kidding either. She just sat there and start to assemble the pieces. Of course, there are holes. There's no way we got all the paper and I'm sure quite a bit of it was incinerated, but..."

"Abby!"

"Okay, okay. Here's what we've found so far." She pushed a few more keys and brought up an image of imperfectly assembled scraps which read,

I wi ever qu t. I pe re and thri adv ty. My me to be physic ha er and m ally stronge han my emies.

"Do you see it, Gibbs?" Abby asked, intently. "It took me a few minutes and a little searching, but I saw it before Ziva did. ...of course, it's not her country; so I suppose she's excused for not knowing. Do you see it?"

Gibbs squinted. He hated it when Abby did this, and he hated even more when he didn't follow it.

"Here, I'll show you!" Abby pushed another key and brought up the same image but with the letters filled in:

I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies.

"The motto of the SEALs," Gibbs said in surprise.

"Exactly. It's only a snippet of it, but I'd guess that the rest of it is on the paper I still have to sort through."

"Has Ducky seen this?"

"No. No dead bodies this time around, remember?"

"Show him. What's the good of him having that degree if he doesn't use it?"

"It doesn't make him more all-knowing."

"That's only because he's too close to that mark as it is," Gibbs said and smiled briefly. "Get him!" he shouted as he left.

Abby looked after Gibbs with a grin on her face. They were going to get this scumbag. She tasted the word... scumbag. Not quite strong enough. She might have to resort to swearing to really encompass the sheer amount of loathing she wished to express.

"Ducky?" she said, connecting to Autopsy.

"Hello, my dear. What does the wonderful world of forensics have for me now?"

"Our honored leader has instructed me to request your insight on a piece of evidence."

"What kind of insight?"

"I want you to look at some paper left at the scene."

"Paper? How does that require my expertise? Oh, I have heard about people being killed with nothing more than a small piece of paper and drinking straw, but that hardly..."

Abby had begun working as Ducky began to speak. She managed to place two more pieces of paper and noticed a partial print on them. "Yes!"

"...I know. It is quite stunning."

"Just get up here as soon as you can, Duckman!"

"On my way, Abigail."