Special agent Gibbs was sitting at his desk when his phone rang. Gibbs sighs. It has been 2 days now that he had no team. He finally did it, he fired them all. Not on one day. No but in one week is a record even for him. Three agents fired in one week. And to say that the director was not pleased was an understatement. He was now sitting at his desk for 3 days doing cold cases. No field work. And he was getting bored. And when he got bored, he got pissed. And now the director called him to see him.
He walks upstairs and walks into the director's office. He director looked up with a heavily sigh.
"You wanted to see me Director?" Gibbs said.
"Agent Gibbs. Yes. As you know I'm not pleased that you don't have a team anymore. You keep firing them whenever you want! They were good agents." Director Morrow said.
"Tom you know a good as I. They were not good. One couldn't even hold a gun. Another didn't understand the word evidence! And the last one almost had everybody killed. Don't say they were good Tom because you know. They wouldn't listen, they wouldn't learn so here we are." Gibbs said angry.
"Jethro how do you plan to work if you don't have a team. All the agents you got are fired. I can't protect you forever."
"Let me look for my own team. People that I can work with and know how to do their damm jobs."
Tim morrow thought for a moment. "Fine you can look for your own team. But before you do that I got a case for you."
"What case?"
"Dead petty officer was found in Baltimore. You will be working with detective Henderson who will meet you there. I don't want to hear any complaining Jethro so behave. Go and get Ducky and keep me posted."
"Joint investigation director? Thought we hated that."
"Yeah well. I got an agent with no team whose fault is that huh Jethro now go."
Gibbs sighs. Great joint investigation with a Baltimore cop. Well at least he is out of the office. That has to count for something.
Half a hour later Ducky and Gibbs were on their way to Baltimore.
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Detective Ryan Henderson was not happy. He just heard that he would have a joint investigation with some special agent from NCIS. Of all the times now that his partner was on leave. He had to work with a navy cop.
Cops were already securing the scene were the dead body lay when detective Henderson arrived.
He quickly starts to get information from an other detective who was here first and waited for him so that he could leave. Soon after the other detective left, a van stopped at the crimescene. An agent with grey hair and an older man stepped out of the van.
Well here they are, detective Henderson thought.
"Really Jethro, when are you going to slow down. One of these days you make an accident." Ducky shook his head when Gibbs just struggles and walks to the detective that was looking at them. Ducky soon followed.
"Are you detective Henderson?" Gibbs asks.
"Yes, agent Gibbs? Gibbs nodded. " and you are?"
"Oh my dear boy I'm doctor Donald Mallard. The M.E." ducky said as he shook his hand.
"So detective what can you tell me?" Gibbs asks.
"Petty officer was found around 7 A.M. no witnesses."
"That's it? That's all you got?" Gibbs asks in disbelief.
"Well yeah agent Gibbs like you I just got here." Ryan said angry.
"Come now gentlemen. Let's see the dead body than you can do your thing." Ducky said calmly and walked to the body. But not before giving Gibbs a look to say he needed to behave. Gibbs sighs but soon followed with the detective.
They were working now together for half a hour when they heard some commotion. Someone wanted to enter the crimescene but the cops wouldn't let him. Gibbs looked up what was happening. Some kid in a red hoodie was yelling at a cop to let him enter. He looked at the detective questionable. Henderson looked at the kid and sighs.
"YO RYAN! TELL THEM TO LET ME THROUGH!" The kid yells.
"Seriously" Gibbs hears Henderson whispering.
"It's okey Brian. Let him through." Ryan said and walked to the kid.
"Could you believe that! Glad you are here. So what have found? Any witnesses?" The kid said.
"Tony what are you doing here? Do you understand the word leave?" Ryan asks angry.
"Of course I do. I left now I'm back. So what you got?" Tony said and walks to dead body.
"Wow wow we had an understatement. You would leave." Ryan said as he catch up. Gibbs and ducky could now hear the conversation clearly.
"Yeah AND I DID! Now can we move on. This is as much your case as it is mine and you know it." Tony said frustrated.
"Is there a problem Detective?" Gibbs asks.
Ryan and Tony were now starring at each other before Tony broke eye contact and turned to Gibbs and Ducky.
"Not at all agent. Hai I'm detective Anthony Dinozzo. But you can call me Tony. I'm detective Henderson partner so I guess we are working together. And you are?" Tony said smiling.
"Partner? Nobody mentioned a partner." Gibbs said.
"Because he was on leave." Ryan said angry.
"AND NOW I'm here. So more hands and eyes. You need me so who are you?" Tony said.
Ducky saw how uncomfortable the situation was between the two detectives. So he decided to step forward. "I'm doctor Donald Mallard but you call me Ducky. This is special agent Jethro Gibbs." Ducky said kindly.
Tony smiled. " nice to meet you. So what do you got?"
"Petty Officer Ronald was killed 5 hour ago. Stabbed to dead as you can see." Ducky said.
"Did the officer got any money in wallet?" Tony asks thoughtful.
Gibbs looked at him why would you ask that at first.
"Uhmm I will take look." Ducky said and looked in the pockets. Soon he found the wallet. " no my dear boy no money in it."
Tony looked at Ryan and sighs. Gibbs was looking questionable at them.
"It's not the first one. It's the third. Two other bodies were found with no money in their pockets. They were stabbed in pattern like this one. If you look closely you will see it. It's not a normal stabbing." Ryan said.
"Your right my dear boy it's not a normal stabbing now you mentioned it." Ducky said while examining the body more closely.
"So we are dealing with a serial killer you say?" Gibbs asks.
"Yes agent Gibbs that is what we are saying. You see now why you need me Ryan?" Tony said as he looked at his partner.
"We are not done talking Tony" Ryan said angry and tony rolled his eyes. "Let's bag and tag than we can wrap it up and go to the station. We explain more to you there."
Gibbs nodded. Soon they were done and on their way to the station. Gibbs was driving the van with ducky sitting next to him.
"So what you think ducky?"
"I think it could be a while before we leave Baltimore."
"And about the detectives?"
"I think they are very capable detectives Jethro they know what they are doing."
"What about the kid?" Gibbs asks. Normally he could read people like a pro. Like ducky said he knew they were capable detectives. He knew that Henderson would do what needs to be done. He wouldn't leave a thing. Somebody who would watch your six. But Dinozzo he didn't get. He was too young to be a detective. Hell even young to be a cop! And the situation between the detectives he didn't understand and it frustrated him. He wants to know. And hell to understand the kid. He changed personalities as if it was a game.
"You mean detective Dinozzo? Really Jethro he is not a kid anymore."
"You sure about that ducky he looks awful young to be a detective."
"Well he looks young indeed. But he is a detective so he must be good. Give him a chance."
Gibbs thought for a moment about what ducky just said. He had a point. But why couldn't he read him.
"What do you think they meant by leave? Henderson didn't looked pleased that he was there. And DiNozzo changed personalities more than I can count."
"About the leave I don't know. You have to ask them. It could be all kinds of leave." Ducky said and looked at Gibbs. "But I can see what you mean Jethro I also noticed. He probably has many masks..."
"Masks?? Why does he have that?"
Ducky sighs. "Jethro you just know them for a couple of hours. Be patients and get to know them. I don't have the answers your looking for. But I say one thing Jethro. Nobody were masks whiteout a good reason. They made them to protect themselves. They're not always be aware they have them. They let you see what they want you to see. Just get to know them Jethro."
Gibbs thought about what ducky said. What could the reason be? He was still so young. Damm why am I even thinking about this, he thought. I have an investigation with a serial killer. He needs to be focused on the case not the kid.