Leon Vance parked his vehicle in front of his house, unexpectedly happy. The day at work hadn't been especially positive with the case going on, but at least everyone had had the chance to go home in time to enjoy the rest of the evening. That was a first.
He opened the door of his vehicle, taking care of grabbing the box he had left on the passenger seat, and headed to the truck. He then took two more of them, looking even happier than he had been before, and ended up locking the car, now finally walking to the front door. He tightened his arms around the cubes, crushing them a bit, and turned the key.
''Jackie? I'm home!'' He started heading to the kitchen, putting his present on the table. ''Kids?'' he smilingly added, grabbing a beer from the fridge. ''Dad brought some very nice things for the two of you. Now who is gonna greet me and wonder what is inside the boxes?'' He opened the bottle and headed back to the living-room, surprised to get no answer in return. ''Well? No one wants presents, I believe? If so, I guess I can bring them back to the shop and ask for...''
Still, no answer.
Leon Vance took a look at his watch as he let his body fall to the sofa, taking a sip of his drink. 7:30pm. Well, Jackie was usually pretty formal with schedules, but maybe she had decided to do things differently, this time. Maybe she had a surprise for him, too. After all, it'd been a long time since they hadn't been able to share diner altogether, like normal members of a family. He switched on the TV and instinctively stared at his wrist for the second time, trying to relax. Being a Director was making him worry way too much, sometimes...
He was tasting the hop extract and loosening his tie when he heard the bell ring.
'Finally' he thought, switching off the TV.
He was opening the door when his eyes widened, the man not expecting such visit at all.
''Good evening, Director.''
Leon tightened his hand around the handle, suspiciously staring at his new guest.
''May I ask you what you are doing at my place, Agent McGee?'' he neutrally wondered, still extremely focused on the man.
''I don't understand...''
''Wasn't my question clear enough?'' Leon turned into a Director again, severe.
''I...I received your message, so...''
''Inside. Now.''
Tim didn't wait for any other word to be pronounced and obediently did so, discovering Vance's living-room for the very first time.
''I don't understand, Director...did I make a mistake?'' he questioned straight away. ''I just thought...''
''Let me see that text, Agent McGee.''
The young agent immediately grabbed his cell phone and pressed a few buttons.
''It's not a text, actually. It's a voice message.'' He watched the man take possession of his personal object, feeling extremely dubious. ''I didn't see your call. I...was finishing a report and I noticed the message. I thought maybe my phone had some problems for not mentioning the call, but I just thought of listening first what was left on the voice m...''
He instantly stopped speaking and let the man listen, watching Vance's index in the air. Leon's second hand quickly hung up, his eyes soon focusing on his agent again.
'Take that battery off and call Gibbs immediately with that phone' he silently ordered, using sign language, grabbing a pretty basic one from a cupboard nearby. 'I'll contact the Secretary of Defense' he added with that same hands' system, taking off his own battery. He then grabbed another phone from that same cupboard and started climbing the stairs. ''Jackie?'' he now called his wife aloud, as neutrally as possible, dialing a number. ''Jared? Kayla? I'm home, kiddos!''
Tim heard Gibbs' voice a second later.
''Gibbs.''
''Boss? Sorry to bother you, but I might have a problem with our shopping list.''
''What have you got, already?''
''I've got 28 toothpicks.''
Tim immediately hung up and discreetly grabbed his gun, climbing the stairs in turn. He could hear Vance's voice happily call his family, pretending everything to be alright. He tightened his hand around his gun as he walked in the darkness, thoughtful but extremely focused. If they were only recorded, they could hide the worries in their throats, but if they were filmed as well... He tried not to think about it yet and silently hit the door of what seemed to be a room, raising his weapon in front of him...
Both his shadow and Vance's soon met each other when they went back to the corridor.
''My kids are playing hide and seek with their mum'' Leon said on his other phone before hanging up immediately, addressing his words to the Secretary of Defense. 'Nothing in the room?' he then added, quiet, using sign language once more.
'No,' Tim hands answered back, 'no note, or threats. Only books, a backpack, and a tablet.'
Leon's eyes widened instantly, the man now using his own voice to express his thoughts.
''I strictly forbid my kids to have a tablet.'' Both men immediately reentered that previous room and approached the black rectangle left on one side of the bed, guns raised. ''I will unlock it, Agent McGee. You'd better step back a bit. You can leave as well if you feel like it.''
''It is out of the question, Director.''
Leon Vance then simply nodded and didn't waste more time, silently expressing everything, and slowly started unlocking the tablet.
''Is...someone sobbing somewhere?'' Tim finally dared asking, trying to find where such sound could be coming from. Leon Vance didn't answer yet, eyes still focused on what seemed to be a video. ''Director?'' Tim kept speaking, approaching.
''Is this live, Agent McGee?'' Leon immediately asked, although extremely calmly.
''Let me see that.''
''Is this video live, Agent McGee?'' Leon Vance calm but tense voice insisted only a second later, seriouser than ever.
''Give me just a second, Dir...''
''Hurry up, Agent McGee.''
The wanted answer came out almost straight away, Vance looking like a bomb ready to explode.
''It is, Director'' Tim spit the words. ''It is live.'' A painful whoosh of air brusquely escaped Leon Vance's lungs, Tim instantly grabbing the arm of the man falling to the kid's bed. ''I've got you, Director. Hold on to me.''
''They're alive'' Vance finally spoke aloud with a very strange voice, the man dealing with the terrible, violent bumps of his heart, his head spinning. ''That's...that means they're still alive for now.''