Chapter 19: Kill Ari (Part 1)
AN: Thank you for the support. Hope you like this chapter.
A couple of hours have passed since Kate was killed, something which Ziva learnt about pretty soon after it happened thanks to the fact that she was listening into Law Enforcement radio calls. As soon as she realised Kate was killed Ziva turned of the phone her Dad uses to call her and took out the battery. Even though Ziva knows it will make her Dad worried she knows, considering the circumstances, that at the moment it is for the best
While Ziva cannot call her father just yet there is someone she can call and so she pulls out her regular phone.
"Shepard," Jenny's voice answers after a couple of rings.
"Jenny, it's Ziva," Ziva tells her friend.
"Ziva, I assume you're not calling to congratulate me," Jenny says as she knows Ziva knows about her promotion as she told her in an email, and even if she didn't she is sure Ziva would have already found out.
"I am, but I also need your help," Ziva explains.
"You've got it," Jenny says, without hesitation as she doesn't even need to think about helping Ziva. "What do you need?" Jenny asks curious.
"Dad," Ziva says simply and she starts to explain her plan for how she is going to handle the whole situation she is in; how she is going to protect her dad, her cover, and herself.
At NCIS Ducky is arriving in Autopsy. Walking in he hangs up his umbrella, coat and hat. Once he has hung up his possessions Ducky walks over to slab, where he opens the body bag, revealing Kate, looking like she is sleeping.
"Oh Caitlin. I am so sorry," Ducky says as he stares at Kate.
Upstairs, Gibbs is sitting at his desk, as he sits he pulls out his phone and tries to call his daughter. Just like he has been getting every time he has tried to call her in the last few hours he gets a reordered voice saying, 'I'm sorry the person you called in unavailable'.
Hanging up the phone Gibbs puts it on his desk and just stares at Kate's desk.
"Why me Gibbs?" an image of Kate asks. "Wasn't stopping one bullet enough for you?" Kate asks and Gibbs doesn't answer. "Why did I have to take two?" the image angrily asks.
"I… I don't know," Gibbs admits.
"You don't know?" Kate asks disbelieving. "Come on Gibbs, what's that famous gut of yours telling you?" Kate asks, and once she does Gibbs' eyes dart around, tyring to find the answer. "WHY DID I DIE INSTEAD OF YOU!" Kate yells as the elevator dings, and McGee and Tony walk towards him.
"Found Ari's sniper nest Boss," Tony reveals.
"Roof of the abandoned office building to the east," McGee explains as Tony takes an evidence bag from his inner jacket pocket.
"He didn't police his brass," Tony explains as Gibbs looks up and sees the three casings in individual jars in the evidence bag.
Seeing the evidence Gibbs gets up and takes the evidence bag, which he holds under his desk light to have a look.
"They're Lapua .308s," McGee explains as Tony gives him a look. "I… I didn't mean that you couldn't see that, Boss," McGee explains.
"I can't, without my glasses," Gibbs says with a shrug, causing Tony and McGee to exchange looks. "Match-grade sniper ammo. You guys find any bullets?" Gibbs asks curious.
"Uh, none that matched the casings. I left three guys on the roof searching," Tony explains as Gibbs continues to examine the casings through the bags. "McGee and I'll go back to the roof, Boss," Tony explains, and as he does Gibbs hands the bag back to Tony, who flinches, expecting a blow.
"Tony, you're soaking wet. Go put some dry clothes on," Gibbs says, as he pats Tony on the bat. Causing Tony to stare at him in disbelief, as Gibbs walks over to the window.
"Ari's rooftop wasn't much higher than ours," Gibbs notes. "Rooflines behind were lower. No telling how far a full metal jacket bullet would go after killing Kate," Gibbs explains.
"How's he know it was a full metal jacket?" McGee asks Tony in a whisper.
"Didn't you see Kate?" Tony asks.
"I didn't want to," McGee says, shaking his head.
"Her head was intact," Tony reveals.
"So, she didn't look bad?" McGee asks surprised.
"Nlo, not at all, Probie. In fact, a little mortuary putty right here…" Tony says, taping McGee's forehead. "and she'll be good as new. Course, she was having a bad hair day, though, right back here, 'cause a full metal jacket'll put a hole the size of a grapefruit right about there," Tony says a s he smacks the back of McGee's head.
"Tony. Please," McGee says, his voice breaking.
"I'm sorry, Kid," Tony says as he pats McGee's shoulder.
"Three rounds. Only one hit?" Gibbs asks, feeling very surprised by that.
"He must've popped off a couple of rounds while you were weaving across the roof," Tony suggests.
"I was standing still when Kate was shot," Gibbs points out.
"McGee lasered the distance at nearly six hundred meters," Tony reveals.
"Five seventy-two," McGee corrects.
"Slight shift in the wind, he misses you, hits Kate," Tony explains and as he does Gibbs remembers back to what the conditions were like.
"There was no wind," Gibbs reveals.
"What're you saying, he was aiming at Kate?" Tony asks shocked. "You're the one he wants to kill!" Tony exclaims.
"Ari had a thing for Kate," McGee reveals.
"What are you talking about?" Tony asks shocked.
"She told me that he was always coming onto her. In autopsy, when he kidnapped her and let her go," McGee explains.
"She never told me that," Tony says, sounding surprised.
"What?" Tony asks as he headslaps McGee. "Huh?"
"Don't do that, Tony," Gibbs says as Tony looks confused. "When was this hit, Tim?" Gibbs asks as he looks at the drone controller McGee was using.
'When I was pinned down," McGee reveals.
"Ari have a shot at it?" Gibbs asks, and as he does McGee remembers back.
"Our car was between the controller and the terrorist. There was no way he could have hit it. Boss, I'm so sorry, I should have realised it was Ari," McGee realises, feeling guilty.
"Why didn't he pop McGee?" Tony asks.
"Oh, thanks Tony," McGee says annoyed.
"All I'm saying is, you're a sizable target. The controller isn't," Tony comments.
"You saying I'm Fat?" McGee asks, clearly insulted.
"No. I mean, maybe a little around the waist, under the chin," Tony says as he gestures to the areas he says.
"He didn't have an angle on Tim," Gibbs realises.
"Wow. You we that shooter from the Wearhouse a thank you. He saved your life," Tony reveals as Gibbs looks closely at the controller.
"The bullet entered here. Could've ricocheted into the car," Gibbs explains.
"We'll get on it," McGee says.
"Abby should be here by now," Gibbs reveals. "Tony see what you can off that Brass," Gibbs says before handing Tony the evidence bag.
Once he hands over the evidence bag Gibbs looks around nervously, and walks around the bullpen a little.
"I'm going for Coffee, can I get you some?" Gibbs asks as the pair just look dumfounded.
"No," Tony answers.
"Thanks," McGee responds, and Gibbs nods and leaves.
"That's a first," Tony comments.
"He called me 'Tim'," McGee says shocked.
"He patted my back," Tony says equally shocked.
"It's kind of nice," McGee comments.
"Nice? I don't want nice. It's not Gibbs if he's nice," Tony reveals.
In the elevator Gibbs tries once more to call Ziva, and once more the phone doesn't even ring before telling him that Ziva is unavailable.
A little while later Gibbs is walking down the sidewalk outside, NCIS, carrying a cup of coffee. Just as he walks past the windows to Abby's lab a bullet whips past his head and goes into lab. Dropping his coffee Gibbs runs into the building.
Getting to the lab, Tony has dragged Abby to safety, and Abby has also complimented him.
"ABBY!" Tony yells as he runs into the lab.
"Bos down!" Tony says as Gibbs turns off the lights are he runs towards Tony and Abby, "Taking fire," Tony explains as Gibbs turns off another two light switches and gets to Abby and Tony.
"You okay?" Gibbs asks Abby worried.
"Yeah," Abby answers.
"Close of Anacostia Park between the bridges. It's a crime scene," Gibbs orders, and Tony starts to move so Gibbs grabs his leg. "Hey! What if he has a night-vision scope?" Gibbs asks.
"That's a good point, boss," Tony says, before crawling away.
"I will get you bulletproof glass," Gibbs promises Abby.
"There's no such thing, Gibbs," Abby comments.
"Okay, bullet resistant glass," Gibbs says as he pulls something from Abby's hair.
"Ari didn't shoot at you and hit Kate by mistake, did he? He's after me now," Abby says, and that is directly what Gibbs is afraid off.
"I was walking by that window when he fired," Gibbs explains.
"You're just saying that to make me feel safe, Gibbs," Abby says, and as she did Gibbs puts his arm around Abby's arms.
"I'll keep you safe, Abby, I promise," Gibbs says as he kisses Abby's head.
Downstairs, Ducky is in autopsy. Staring at Kate's body and Ducky images her eyes open and smiles a bit.
"I appreciate you keeping me covered in front of the others. Especially Tony," Kate comments.
"Yes, I know how modest you are," Ducky comments.
"We're I'm dead now, Ducky," Kate says, with a chuckle. "Shouldn't be. Could've killed Ari right here, in autopsy," Kate comments and she and Ducky remember what happened.
"Why did you hesitate?" Ducky asks curious.
"His eyes. There was something in his eyes that made me not want to him," Kate explains.
"His eyes were ice to me," Ducky comments as the door opens and Gibbs walks in, causing Ducky to cover Kate back up.
"Ari fired into Abby's lab," Gibbs explains.
"Good lord," Ducky comments, sounding horrified.
"It had to come across the river, from Anacostia Park," Gibbs explains.
"Was Abagail hurt?" Ducky asks worried.
"No, she's a little shook up. Tony's with her," Gibbs explains.
"In the lab?" Ducky asks surprised as he walks across autopsy.
"In the squad room, writing up an incident report," Gibbs says as he stares at Kate's covered body. "You should've brought in another ME, Duck," Gibbs comments.
"Couldn't," Ducky says as he approaches Gibbs with a bottle of scotch. "Not for Caitlin," Ducky says as he pours the scotch into two glasses.
"I've lost men in combat. You hope you won't, you know you will," Gibbs comments.
"This is different," Ducky comments.
"But it shouldn't be. Kate was an agent. She knew she had to lay her life on the line," Gibbs says, and Ducky goes to say something, but Gibbs just keeps talking. "But you're right. It's different," Gibbs confirms.
"Well, you just said it. You've lost men. Have you ever lost a women?" Ducky asks, and then chuckles. "Let's face it, Jethro, you and I are a couple of old Chauvinists. Woman will never be equal in our eyes until they're equal in death," Ducky comments.
"Why, Ducky? Why Kate? Why not me?" Gibbs asks.
"Well, maybe he meant to hit you," Ducky suggests.
"No, no, him sniping at me means he's after my people. Woman first," Gibbs reveals, knowing that that means Ziva is in even more danger if Ari knows who she is.
"Then he's torturing you," Ducky comments. "One has to wonder, what makes him such a sadist?" Ducky asks.
"I don't give a damn. I just want to kill the bastard," Gibbs says, as he heads to the door.
"Jethro," Ducky says, and he turns back around. "Have you heard from, Ziva?" Ducky asks curious. As while he may not know what Ziva is doing he does know she's in Mossad, which potentially means she knows Ari, or worse that he knows her.
"I've been calling, she's not answering," Gibbs says, the worry clear in his voice as he heads out of autopsy.
Down on the garage, Abby is digging through the trunk of a car, trying to find the bullet that could be in the car, while McGee is with her.
"Hey, McGee, take a look at this," Abby requests. Hearing the request McGee closes the door to the car, places a large piece of metal on the ground, before walking around to the back of the car where Abby is holding up a casing. "I think it's a .308," Abby comments, and McGee just stares at her butt. "Stop staring at my butt, and get me an evidence jar," Abby instructs and McGee walks over and gets one.
"Drop it," McGee says and Abby does just that. Once the evidence is in the jar McGee goes back to staring at Abby's butt.
"Oh! I found another one!" Abby says and Gibbs is looking over McGee's shoulder, watching him stare at Abby's butt
"Boss, uh, we…we..we found a .308 slug," McGee explains, Gibbs nods, and Abby stands up holding another slug with tweezers.
"Two," Abby explains. "They were plugged in the trunk," Abby explains as McGee grabs another evidence jar and drops the slug in it.
"These fired by that dirtbag in the warehouse?" Gibbs asks curious, as he examines the bullets.
"Yes," Abby confirms. "Those I found in the right side of the car," Abby says, pointing to where and Gibbs has a look. ".9mil slugs," Abby explains.
"Ari missed with his first shot, hit the controller with his second," McGee explains as Gibbs runs his finger around a large hole in the car's side.
"Where were you before you took cover?" Gibbs asks curious, and McGee moves around the car.
"Uh, right here," McGee says, as he squats down to demonstrate.
"Tony's right. You do owe that terrorist a thank you," Gibbs comments judging the bullet trajectory as McGee remembers what happened and Tony walks in from the elevator.
"He didn't police his brass again. Metro PD found a .308 casing in the park next to tire trucks," Tony explains.
"And?" Gibbs asks.
"Nothing. I was waiting for you to tell me to tell them to bring the evidence here ASAP," Tony explains.
"What, I have to tell you that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks surprised.
"You always do," Tony comments.
"Tell Metro PD to…" Gibbs starts to say.
"Already did boss," Tony says, causing Gibbs to give him a dirty look as he steps onto the elevator.
"Oh, and by the way, the director wants to see you up in MTAC," Tony says, giving a thumbs up as he smiles.
"Why are you baiting Gibbs?" Abby asks curious.
"Trying to get him to stop being nice," Tony explains.
"I like him bice," McGee comments and for a moment Tony and Abby just exchange looks and then both simultaneously headslap him.
After leaving the Garage Gibbs heads up ot MTAC, where there is clearly a mission going on, and sits down next to Director Morrow.
"What do you have?" Morrow asks.
"Brass from Ari's sniper's nest, three bullets, tire tracks in Anacostia Park," Gibbs explains. "Ari fired shot across the river into our forensics lab," Gibbs explains.
"Unusual for a sniper not to police brass, isn't it?" Morrow asks.
"Yes Sir," Gibbs confirms.
"I've received calls from every director I know promising to hunt down this sniper as if he killed one of their own," Morrow explains.
"FBI might be the most help. Ari Haswari is their mole," Gibbs explains. '
"I've endorsed your recommendation to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Special Agent Todd," Morrow explains and Gibbs nods.
"Thank you Sir," Gibbs says, sounding appreciative.
"According to your after-action report, no one action saw the sniper who killed Agent Todd," Morrow points out.
"Ari was on a rooftop six hundred meters away," Gibbs explains.
"Extraordinary shot," Morrow says, sounding a little impressed.
"No, sir, not really," Gibbs comments.
"You were a sniper with the Corps, weren't you?" Morrow asks.
"Two tours," Gibbs answers.
"Vietnam?" Morrow asks, and Gibbs laughs.
"I'm not that old, Sir. Panama, Desert Storm," Gibbs explains.
"I thought you were older," Morrow admits, and the noises from the mission, which includes conversations in Hebrew which Gibbs understands, and ends with a target being destroyed and congratulations. "Where was I?" Morrow asks once all the excitement dies down.
"Avoiding using Ari's name and sniper in the same sentence, Sir," Gibbs comments.
"Your anger is understandable, Jethro. You lost a good agent. You want payback," Morrow says.
"Don't you Sir?" Gibbs asks, feeling like the director should be angry.
"That's a passion I can't afford," Morrow comments.
"You honestly think it wasn't Ari?" Gibbs asks, as he is positive that it is, and feels like the director should be too.
"No, but there are those who do," Morrow admits, causing Gibbs to laugh.
"Those who ran him? Those who thought they had the Holy Grail of moles? Those people covering their asses right now," Gibbs comments.
"Make sure you cover yours when you bring him in," Morrow instructs.
"Won't be a problem, Sir. I wont be bringing him in," Gibbs explains, as Morrow starts to rise out of his chair as he looks at Gibbs.
"Anyway, you're not my problem anymore, Jethro," Morrow comments.
"You firing me, Sir?" Gibbs asks surprised.
"I've been offered a deputy director position at Homeland Security," Morrow explains.
"You'd leave NCIS, sir?" Gibbs asks surprised.
"Well, the agency could use some younger blood," Morrow comments.
"Well, who'd be replacing you, Sir?" Gibbs asks curious and a smile tugs at the director's lips. "Not me," Gibbs says shocked as he wouldn't even want the position, and Morrow laughs.
"Much as I like you, Jethro, I would not shoot NCIS in the head," Morrow says, before walking away. "He's your problem now, Director," Morrow says and Jenny stands up and turns around.
"Hello, Jethro," Jenny greats as Gibbs remembers the relationship they shared in Paris, and Jenny walks towards him. "Should we skip the 'you haven't changed a bit' bull?" Jenny asks, curious, feeling glad to see Gibbs as she has truly missed him, but also feeling that she has to tell him about Ziva.
"Why start lying to each other now, Jen?" Gibbs asks.
"Any problem taking orders from me?" Jenny asks curious.
"As Director or as a woman?" Gibbs asks.
"Either," Jenny says and he shakes his head slightly.
"That was six years ago," Gibbs says as he rises out of his seat. "The past won't be a problem," Gibbs says as he walks towards her. "You were a damn good agent, especially undercover," Gibbs comments.
"Jethro," Jenny says with a slight smile.
"Madam Director," Gibbs says, responding with a smile, feeling glad to see her once more.