Sitting at her desk, Martin looks at the three names she wrote down during the interview. These three men may be responsible for what happened to Private Hunter, but there is no denying that Hector Raul is involved.
Looking up to her boss and partners she says, "Alright guys. We've got three new names to look into." The men look up and acknowledge they are ready to get to work. "First of all, we have Herman Rodriguez…Hector Raul's childhood friend and right hand man. Second, Hector Raul's son Antonio Raul. He's also being primed to take over the business one day. Finally, Victor Sanchez. He handles a lot of Hector Raul's dirty work. He's also a childhood friend of Alesandras. At least at one point, he wanted to be more, but Alesandra's father moved the family away."
McGee and DiNozzo both nod before typing away on their computers. Gibbs stands up heading for the elevator. "McGee financials. DiNozzo back ground checks. Martin, I want other agencies notified, and these three men along with Hector Raul put on the no fly list. When Bishop gets back, I want BOLOS put out on all three of them."
Without looking back, Gibbs gets on the elevator and heads to Abby's lab.
By the time the BOLOS have been put out, notifications sent out to other agencies, and information on the three men obtained, it is past lunch time and well on it's way to dinner. Gibbs walks back to his desk, asking "What do we got?"
The team jumps up. Bishop informs him that BOLOS have been put out on the three members of the cartel. Metro will call when they have a lead. Gibbs nods, and moves on to Martin.
"Both Rauls, Rodriguez, and Sanchez have all been placed on the no fly list. They are going to be pissed when they find out." She looks to her boss, who doesn't say anything. Martin continues, "FBI, TSA, NSA, and USCG are all on high alert. Fornell and Borin are both headed this way. Director Vance is in contact with SECNAV." Stepping back out of the way, she allows McGee to take point.
"Antonio Raul, Hector's son. Not a lot going on with him, as he's not in charge yet. He's got a few large sum deposits here and there. For instance, last month he had a deposit of $300,000. Obviously we can't be sure, but I would say he moved a large sum of Cocaine recently. The other two, Victor Sanchez and Herman Rodriguez, are the ones to watch for. It appears, Victor Sanchez does most of the odd jobs. He has several small deposits made every few weeks. Around the time that Private Hunter died, he received one of his largest deposits of $100,000. We can't be absolutely sure they are related, but you know….rule 39."
Bishop interrupts to say, "Sanchez was interested in a relationship with Alesandra years ago. That plus the money may be enough motive." The partners nod as McGee continues.
"Finally, Herman Rodriguez. His financials look similar to Hector Raul. He's definitely not hurting for money, as he gets large sum deposits multiple times a month."
DiNozzo takes the remote from McGee and displays the three men's criminal histories on the screen.
"All right boys and girls. Herman Rodriguez. He had several arrests back in the day…petty theft, drug possession. Not much recently though. It seems he likes to give out orders and let others take the fall. Next up is Antonio Raul. He went big for his first offense. Police found him with four kilos of cocaine when he was just 16 years old."
He stops long enough for McGee to comment. "If that's not following in your father's footsteps, I don't know what is." Bishop tries to contain her laugh, while Martin rolls her eyes.
"He spent some time in Juvy before going on to catch a theft and battery case as an adult. Then we have Victor Sanchez. He's definitely their go to guy. His rap sheet goes on forever. Which charge do you want to talk about? We've got possession, intent to sell, theft, robbery, battery."
"We get it DiNozzo" Gibbs says, effectively cutting him off. Staring at the screen, Martin says, "There's even times he was arrested, but the charges were dropped. With all of this, you would think they could hold him a little longer."
Walking towards them, Fornell says, "Money talks Martin. You know that." They heard the elevator ding, and him walking towards them, but nobody bothered to turn around. They continue to stare at the screens, until Martin finally breaks the trance. Turning to Fornell, she asks, "So does that make us the brave or dumb ones to go after them?"
He simply shrugs and says, "Take your pick."
Gibbs looks to his friend and asks, "You got anything for us?" Fornell hands McGee his thumb drive and takes the remote out of DiNozzo's hand. "In fact I do. This was taken from a security camera across the street from Private Hunters apartment."
Martin turns to look at him, "How did you?…We were told the cameras had been broken ?"
Fornell smiles, "We have our ways." DiNozzo glares at the man. "Yeah. Like that's not cryptic."
They all turn back to the screen to see what was on the cameras. They watch as Victor Sanchez sits in a car nearby, and observes Private Hunter and Alesandra walking arm and arm up to the apartment building. He sits there for a a moment after they are inside and then drives away. Bishop looks to the others and says, "Well he definitely knew where Private Hunter lived."
McGee agrees, "I bet he wasn't very happy about seeing them together either."
"There's one more" Says Fornell. They turn back to the screen. This time they see Antonio Raul and Victor Sanchez sitting in a different car. They don't appear to see the couple, as they sit there for several hours.
"What's the point of sitting in a car in front of his building? Is that some kind of intimidation tactic?" asks Bishop.
McGee responds, "It's doubtful he even saw them."
Martin picks up where her partner leaves off. "They were establishing his routine." Turning to Fornell she asks, "When was this taken?" Without looking at her Fornell answers "Two weeks ago."
"So this was premeditated. They had been planning this for a while."
Bishop stares at the screen where it is paused on the two men driving away. "Isn't this enough reason to put a detail on Alesandra and Marta?"
Unbeknownst to them, they have an audience. Abby has just brought up a visitor. The two stand behind the group watching. They are all standing in a row. Gibbs is obviously the leader with his intimidating stance. Next to him is Bishop, McGee, Martin, Fornell, and then DiNozzo.
Martin thinks what Bishop has said is a terrible idea, but before she can respond, DiNozzo is already on it. "These guys are pros. You put an unmarked car out front, they're going to spot it. You might as well go ahead and sign their death warrants."
They all stand quietly thinking. From behind, they hear Abby's voice say "Look at them. They're like little ducklings all in a row." A male voice laughs before they can turn around.
As the team turns around, Martin is surprised to see Johnson staring right at her. Her eyes display a mixture of surprise and confusion, before a smile spreads across her face. Walking as casually as she can towards him….she is at work after all…she stands right next to him. "What are you doing here?"
He smiles and puts his hand on her back. "Abby told me you guys were hard at work, and hadn't eaten anything all day." Turning to Gibbs he says, "If it's alright with you, I would like to take everyone to dinner."
Gibbs looks at his team, and then nods. "Go ahead. I've got a few things to take care of around here." Abby squeals in delight ad the rest of the team smiles and grabs their coats. "Are you coming Fornell?" asks Martin. He smirks and says, "No. You kids go ahead and go." Just as they are about to leave Gibbs stops them. "Head out for the night. If metro picks up our guys, I'm calling you all back in." A mixture of "Got it boss." and "Thanks boss." flow through the air.
They are just about to get on the elevator, when Borin steps off. Martin puts her hand on Borin's arm. "We're being aloud out to eat. Do you want to come?" Borin laughs, but says, "I'm good." The group files onto the elevator, and the doors close.
"What sounds good?" asks Bishop. Abby smiles. "How about Mortys on Wisconsin?" The team agrees, just as the doors open and everyone steps out.
Without giving it much thought, Johnson puts his hand on Martin's lower back again. DiNozzo, who has been standing directly behind them, can't let a chance go by. Getting everyone's attention, he says, "Awww. Look at the love birds. I'm so glad you two listened to me and finally took a chance." Martin blushes a little, while Johnson looks like he wants to punch DiNozzo in the face.
Recovering quickly, Martin asks, "So will Keates be joining us, or does she have to work late?" Bishop and McGee do their best, to stifle their surprised laughs. DiNozzo looks like a dear caught in headlights. Abby and Johnson both look confused, but for some reason Johnson can't help but smirk.
"Wait. I thought…." Abby is cut off by Martin. "Abby. In the car." "But I…"
"Abby!" Martin gives her a look. Abby turns to Johnson, and asks, "Which one is yours?" He unlocks the car they had almost reached, and Abby climbs in the back.
DiNozzo is still standing there in shock. He looks like a fish out of water, as his mouth opens and closes. 'How do they know?' he wonders. Bishop and McGee laugh out loud, while McGee claps him on the shoulder. "Come on Tony. We'll let you drive."
The second Martin is in the car, Abby leans forward. "What do you know?"
"Oh Abby. I love that you are our scientist, but sometimes I really wish you worked upstairs." Johnson looks at the two, and shakes his head. Starting the car, he heads towards Mortys.
Abby looks her friend in the eye, and says, "Start at the beginning." Martin hesitates for a split second, and the dives right in.
"You know we met her a few months ago, when we thought she was a terrorist. I could see the spark then, but I knew he wasn't ready. I made a few comments here and there, but with everything happening, I backed off. Of course he hadn't brought anything up either. So…imagine my surprise this morning when McGee and I got off the elevator."
"No way!" Shrieked Abby.
"Standing right by his desk, as close as two people can be with their clothes on, she leans in and kisses his cheek. I grabbed McGee and we hid around the corner. It was hilarious to see him look around the room to make sure no one was watching. About that time, Bishop came walking around the corner. We grabbed her, and the three us watched."
They both turn towards Johnson, when they hear him laughing. Glancing over at Martin he asks, "You don't talk about us like that, do you?" The two women make eye contact before Martin turns back to him. "Of course not!" At the same time however, Abby says, "Yeah. Although with this case coming along, I never got to hear about your date the other night." Johnson shakes his head, while Martin stares straight ahead out the window. Abby makes a mental note to ask about that later.
Hitting Martin's arm, Abby asks, "So what happened next?"
Martin quickly turns sideways again, and says, "You'll never believe it. Keates said, "I came to return what you left at my apartment this morning as you rushed out the door."
Abby starts to hyperventilate. "What was it. Please tell me you saw."
Martin laughs. "Of course I did! She pulled out his cuffs and dangled them in front of his face. DiNozzo grabbed them and stuffed them in his back pocket…but not before we saw it."
Abby falls back onto her seat. "Unbelievable! I'm so glad he found somebody after Ziva."
No longer smiling, Martin says, "Me too. That was a rough time. But listen Abs. Don't push him to hard. I'm not sure how new it is, and he must be serious about her for him to be so quiet about it."
Abby uses her fingers to close her lips. "Don't worry my lips are sealed." Martin gives her a knowing look. "Well, most of the time they will be." The two don't stop smiling and laughing until they pull into the parking space at Morty's.
The three head into the restaurant and grab a table for six. It doesn't take long for the other three to arrive. Immediately, DiNozzo walks over to his partner. He puts both of his hands on her shoulders and leans in behind her. "Nicely played." She smirks. "Of course. Did you expect anything less?" He laughs and walks around to the other side of the table. "We'll talk about this later." She tilts her beer towards him and says "You can count on it."
If Johnson had seen this a few weeks ago, his insides would have been burning with jealousy. Now, however, he just takes another swig of his beer, and scoots his chair closer to her.
Halfway through the meal, Johnson gets up to get another round of drinks. DiNozzo gets up and offers to help. They are standing at the bar, waiting on the bartender, when DiNozzo speaks up.
"So…you and Martin." Johnson glances over at him before saying, "Me and Martin." DiNozzo takes his big brother stance and looks serious. "So you're together now? Are you sure this time? Because if you're not…walk away now before she gets hurt." Johnson looks at DiNozzo and nods. "I'm sure." He turns his head to look back at their table. For a moment, he watches as Martin laughs at something Bishop has said.
Turning back to DiNozzo he says, "I never should have turned her away the first time." DiNozzo stares at him a little longer. He must accept what the CIA Agent says, because he smacks him on the back with a smile. They order the group's drinks and head back to the table.
Sitting down, Johnson grabs Martin's hand. She looks over at him and then down to their hands. She gives his hand a little squeeze, and goes back to her discussion with her partners.
After dinner, they all drive back to NCIS. Standing in the parking garage, DiNozzo calls Gibbs. "We just got back from dinner. Is there anything we need to come back up for?" He listens a moment and then says, "Alright boss. We'll see you in the morning."
Putting his phone back in his pocket, he turns to the group. "Metro thinks they have a lead on Victor Sanchez. They're going to watch him tonight, and bring him in in the morning." The three partners nod. Martin sighs and says, "I doubt Antonio Raul will turn on his father, but it would be nice if they could bring him in too. You know how easily they get spooked."
DiNozzo agrees. "FBI is going after him. Guess we'll find out tomorrow."
Bishop says, "We have evidence against those two. It will be nice to get justice for Private Hunter."
"Yeah, but Hector Raul will still be out there. We need to bring him down." says McGee.
They are silent for a moment. Leave it to Abby to brake the silence. "Alright my little ninjas. I'm heading home." Turning to Johnson, she throws her arms around him. "Thank you for dinner." A little stunned, Johnson is slow to respond. He puts one of his arms around her and says, "Ugh…You're welcome." Martin is trying not to laugh as she says, "Abby let go. He's not used to your hugs yet." "Oh sorry!" Abby says as she lets go. "I'll see you all tomorrow."
They all say their goodbyes, and Martin and Johnson are left standing there.
Johnson is leaning against his car as Martin walks over to him. She stands next to him, and leans against his car. She looks over at him and says, "Thank you." He turns to her and smiles. "I can't believe you bought everyone dinner. That's just crazy."
Johnson puts his arm around her waist and pulls her towards him. "I figured you guys were busy today….and from the looks of everyone's clean plate, hungry too."
Martin laughs. "I ate breakfast at seven o'clock this morning, and only had a snack from the vending machine. I was starting to feel like Gibbs, with a coffee only diet." Johnson laughs and rubs his hand up and down her arm. She stands directly in front of him and says, "Seriously Jeremy. Thank you. A good diner is exactly what we all needed."
They look into each others eyes for a moment before he leans down and presses his lips to hers. Martin snakes her arms around his neck, as Johnson pulls her into him and places his hands on her hips. They pull apart when the need for air is too much. Martin looks around and chuckles. "This probably isn't the best place for this."
"You're right." Johnson says. "What do you have planned for tonight?" Martin shrugs her shoulders. "Part of me was hoping our BOLO would come through tonight. Don't know what I'm going to do now."
"Well" he says stepping closer, "Do you want to come over to my place?" Martin puts her hand on his chest. "Whoa there cowboy. It might be best if we both took cold showers." Johnson looks at her for a moment, and takes a step back. "You're right. I'm sorry." She steps closer to him again and grabs his hand. "No. Don't do that." He looks up at her. "I just want to make sure it's the right time." Johnson looks at her, worried about what she's thinking.
"Sam. It's not going to be like last time. I'm in this for the long run." She gently kisses his lips. Pulling back she says, "So am I. So let's do this right." He smiles and caresses her cheek. "I'll see you soon Sam." He quickly turns and gets in his car.
Watching him leave, she hopes she made the right decision.