Chapter 50

Gibbs walked up the steps to NCIS using his cane only while climbing the stairs. His orthopaedic doctor had recommended he carry the cane with him when pavement irregularities or weather might make a false step more possible. He probably wouldn't have taken it today but his beloved wife had handed it to him with a smile and another kiss as he left. He could deny her nothing.

As he moved inside the doors he was greeted with smiles by the Marines on duty and some staff that were headed out as he came in.

They all stopped to talk with him. He moved to the elevator rather than the stairs not wanting to push his luck.

When the elevator opened on the lobby level he crossed to the one opposite and rode to the bull pen. As the doors opened he felt an intense rush of memories that made him blink and touch the railing of the elevator to steady himself. For just a split second he was seeing with other eyes all that was familiar. With a deep breath he stepped out.

His appearance was noted at once by Johnson and his team members who were closest to the elevators. People surrounded him and shook his hand, welcoming him back whole heartedly. They asked about Abby and the baby, they asked when he would return, they asked if Abby would return. He smiled and nodded to everyone. Then as he was feeling a bit overwhelmed and as his anxiety began to rise he felt Abby 'touch' him and was immediately centered and grounded. He made his way through the crowd and found his team was out on a call. That was fine, he was expecting to see them this weekend. Ducky was going to have the first barbeque of the season at his Georgetown home as it was the teams weekend off.

"It will be April first Jethro and we may eat inside, but we're going to have a barbeque. The first in my new home. A wonderful American tradition. Such fun!"

Gibbs moved to the rear elevator and took it to the balcony. Entering Leon Vance's office, he showed his ID and badge to the security guard at the door and gave a cool smile to the secretary, he had no memory of knowing her. Of course Cynthia would have left with Jenny. The security was so intense that they had brought folding chairs for the men to sit on in the vestibule with the secretary. His face showing no emotion, he nodded to the sitting men. He was wanded and it went off near his hips.

"I have pelvic pins, 1 on each side."

"OK. Go on in."

Gibbs nodded and with a silent cleansing breath he entered when the guard opened the door. His eyes were half lidded and a cool blue ice in color. A sure sign he was in analytical mode Abby always said. Head high, posture erect he stepped into the room. Vance and SecNav rose. SecNav smiled and gestured to a chair between himself and Vance at the round conference table.

"Welcome Gunny. Thanks for comin'." SecNav said.

Gibbs glanced at the assembled people and nodded to him. He came over to the chair and sat down.

"You made yourself clear Sir."

"None the less, let me introduce the gentlemen present. First, here to my right, FBI Director Ebert Lendle. To his right, acting CIA Director Douglas Pembroke.

Next, Homeland Security Director Fred Ilinger. Then Interpol Liaison Janet Fielding. To her right Mossad Liaison Erte Solhof. We are currently waiting for NSA Director Holmes, he was due about 10 minutes ago. Gunny, are you aware the White House would like to have you for a luncheon?"

"I received the invitation Sir." Gibbs nodded.

"You said 'No' didn't you?"

"Yes Sir."

Ilinger leaned forward and asked curiously "Why?"

Gibbs answered him with a neutral expression on his face.

"It would serve no purpose. My time's better spent with my wife now, she's on bed rest and she needs me. The President indicated he understood when he called."

"It's the President man! You said 'No' to the President of the United States! He's one of the most fascinating and inspiring people of our time!"

"I respect the man and I respect his office. He's not really interested in me and I have nothing to say to him. We have nothing in common except our love for this country. That's good enough."

"You're a hero Gibbs. Learn to live with it." Pembroke said dismissively.

Gibbs tipped his head slightly to the side and studied Pembroke with a slight frown on his face. Pembroke felt a shiver start at Gibbs' unblinking stare and close scrutiny. It wasn't normal to stare like that. Did he remember? He didn't seem to when they were introduced earlier. Pembroke regretted saying anything.

The door opened then and a small man entered in a rush carrying a computer bag and holding his yarmulke onto a head of wild curly reddish hair. He had rimless glasses on the end of a large nose and a surprisingly sweet smile on his lips.

"Hello,hello everyone! So sorry, so sorry! I didn't even know I was to be here until 30 minutes ago. Oh s'cuse me, so sorry." He said as he sat down and jostled Vance. He then stood again and extended his hand to Gibbs.

"Special Agent Gibbs…Such an honor… I am Stephen Wolfstein. I'm a special assistant to NSA Director Gary Holmes. He is currently on a plane in a holding pattern above D.C. he forwarded all of the information needed through to me."

He waved his I Pad.

"I truly enjoyed reading about your history Sgt. You have had a varied and interesting career and have performed above and beyond in service to your country. I commend you!" He smiled and nodded at Gibbs who simply nodded once, his face expressionless.

"And hello to all of you as well!" He nodded at everyone. " I assure you I am up to date on all of you, and on this situation. Shall we proceed Mr. Secretary?"

"Of course." SecNav nodded to Vance.

"Special Agent Gibbs we have some photographs of known players in international illegal munitions and explosives sales. We're hoping you will recognize some of them, or even have other names to add to them."

"Understood Director."

Gibbs slipped his reading glasses on as Vance opened a folder. There was a stack of photos inside. The men around the table all opened their I Pads. Gibbs studied the first 2 photos.

"Yeah. These two are peripheral players in Germany. They had/have no real power in the Family, no direct contact with The Lady."

He wrote names on the photos and moved on to the next two. He continued in silence except for his comments on each set of pictures. The frustration of those around him grew as pair after pair they were identified as non-cartel wanna-bee's.

SecNav then took out a few more from his folder and pushed them to Gibbs.

He studied them. He then selected 2 and gave them back. He gestured with his pen at the first.

"Ayi Pushapurii. Self-made gangster in Asia. Lives like a king in Bali. The Lady was seeking an opening to add his territory to the Family. Fingers in every illegal opportunity you could think of from slavery and pornography to weapons gathered from the old USSR. More than a little mad. He thinks his presence in the world balances good and evil, and of course nothing he wants could be bad. Lady Sallah bedded him and said he was perverse there too. The other is his second in command Ruji Amaratidita. Much more secretive, doesn't talk just listens. The third is Sallah's representative Muni Santors. He's a 'Pet' and will be blindly loyal to Sallah's interests. She left him there to keep an eye on Pushapurii and her investment. She often did that when beginning negotiations with people."

Gibbs slipped his glasses off. Wolfstein was following everything Gibbs said with close attention and his fingers flew over the keyboard of his computer. Nodding he turned back to Gibbs. His mouth opened to speak when Pembroke spoke again.

"She often did that? Left you or one of her other "Pets" to observe and report?"

"Yes."

"How often did that happen to you?"

"I don't know, in the beginning I went with someone else, then after a few trips I supervised the others and collated the reports for the Lady. I matched personnel with the assignments she gave me."

"There are still other "Pets" somewhere out there?"

"I don't know. I have no current knowledge."

"This is unacceptable. How do we know he isn't withholding information?" Pembroke slapped his hands on the table. "After all he calls her 'The Lady'', we could all be being set up and used. What are you going to do about this Fred?"

"Relax Doug. Gibbs has no way of knowing the things you're asking. He's been under medical care since Shalamonte's destruction."

He turned to Gibbs with an easy dismissive gesture of his pen he sought to reassure. Gibbs merely looked at him, his body appeared relaxed hands clasped lightly.

"So you think the next area to move weapons will be through this East Asian connection. What about radioactive materials. Weapons of mass destruction."

"I…I'm not sure about that. According to Sallah, Ayi bragged non-stop. She didn't feel he had the means to follow through on something like that. And if he did, Sallah wouldn't have been involved. She always said 'The world has enough evil. And I don't want to destroy that which makes me money. I just want to control it. ' I believed her. She actually eliminated one dealer who sought to sell to terrorists. If you're going to continue to search for her I would start there."

"And you know all of this how Agent Gibbs?" Pembroke said seemingly curious.

"Lady Sallah talked to me Director."

"You were her confidant." this between his teeth.

"No Sir. I worked for her. She talked, I listened. "

"You were her lover and her confidant. You assisted her with the running of the largest organized crime family in the world."

Gibbs sat looking directly at him, his face remained but neutral his blue eyes darkened.

"Yes Sir. I worked for her. Sallah had sources of information in the governments of a majority of the world super powers and most of the secondary ones as well."

"You make her sound like a source of considerable power. How did she establish that power? By fucking her way to the top? By playing mind games with law enforcement officers and making them her willing slaves?" he sneered. "Oh yes I read your debriefing Gibbs. You accused the Director of the CIA of being involved with Sallah Ste-Germaine. Where is your proof?"

Ilinger and the others looked uncomfortable and SecNav said to all,

"That's quite enough. Gibbs I want to thank you for…"

Pembroke was beside himself at this point. He half stood up.

"This is unacceptable! I say it again. No proof!"

Gibbs lifted his chin and tipped his head, eyes cold and disdainful.

"C'est vrai. I did not actually see them together fucking. Just as I did not see her actually fucking you 'M. le Directeur'. But I know it happened. I know her and how she thinks, how she acts. She also loved telling me. She told me many other things about you, them, many others. Do you really want those things brought out into the light Directeur?"

"You know nothing Ste-Germaine, nothing about anything!"

" Peut-être oui, peut-être non."

He gave a slight shrug and waved a dismissive hand. His icy eyes remained cold and calculating.

Vance had moved to speak at the beginning of the exchange but been waved down by SecNav. SecNav was watching the exchange with avid interest. Vance looked at the others and saw they were watching as well. Something was going on. Something he hadn't been privy to? What was really happening ? Leon frowned, what was with all the French?

"Étienne, Étienne Ste-Germaine and the Great Patriot LeRoy Jethro Gibbs. Does your little tattooed whore know your real identity? Does she know she opened her legs and bred with a con man, a criminal organizer, an internationally recognized murderer? I saw her prancing next to you in night clubs, climbing in and out of your expensive cars. If Sallah had known you were breeding a child with that little bitch she would have killed you herself!"

Vance saw the subtle change in Gibbs eyes, the dilation of pupils, just a second too late to save Pembroke. It was indeed a murderer then who moved across the table. With a single graceful leap Gibbs was across the table top. His hands tracing over the surface, left leg uppermost and extended with foot flat, the right bent beneath from the powerful jump he hit Pembroke straight in the jaw with his foot.

Pembroke hit the back of his chair and went end over end to land on his knees before the closet double doors. Gibbs simply stood up from his slide and kicked Pembroke over onto his back. He dropped to his left knee and raising his right arm in a tightly controlled movemen, he brought his elbow down toward Pembroke's sternum in a kill move.

Pembroke screamed, his mouth full of shattered teeth, with his jaw broken in three places he couldn't talk. His arms flailed helplessly as he waited for another blow.

"Lâche! Menteur! It was you, not Sampson who first betrayed our country. You who brought Sallah's invitation and plans to Sampson for action after fucking her. Ultimately you were responsible for Sallah's destruction and her home and empire. You! And you think you're in love her… I think I'll leave you to think on that while you rot in prison. Perhaps you'll hang yourself and save us all the cost of your trial. I think I'll suggest to some of my 'friends' in Turkey that they should be allowed to prosecute you first!"

Pembroke looked wild eyed up at him, blood running out of his mouth, gurgling and then at the end of Gibbs speech he screamed again. As he rose in another graceful move Gibbs stared down at the terrified man.

"I think that will do Mr. Secretary. We're even." he said calmly.

"You got it Gunny."

Gibbs calmly went round the table and picked up his cane in his fist. Without a single backward glance he moved round the stunned body guards and out the door.