Startled out of her reverie by the angry words exchanged by the two men, Christie thought about what Tony had said. She wondered if her own partners felt that way about her and doubted it. She'd begun to feel some of that connection today working with DiNozzo. She envied Gibbs' team now more than ever. Of course if Tony ever decided he was interested in a personal connection she might consider... Wait a minute... connection...'

Christie called.

came the grouchy response.

What was it you said about knowing how to warn Tony about the porch?

I said I heard the hum and then I felt the dampness. Why? Shit! DiNozzo, There were switches on the stairs!

Tony just stared at Harrison. And you thought you'd save this bit of news?

NO! No, no. I was coming over to tell you I'd found them and that's when you took off up the stairs, then you yelled to go change my shirt and I forgot. I mean I saw it all happen in slow motion but I...

Tony waved off the rest of the other man's explanation. It's fine, Harrison. What kind of switches, where?

he said, pointing out both pairs of sensors.

Tony carefully waved his hand through one beam area, but there was no reaction from the elements on the deck. Doesn't look as if it's an on/off. Harrison, check the other one? He retreated up the stairs to see if there had been any effect. All three of the items were still functioning. He sighed. Looks like these are just on' switches. But if we have on switches, shouldn't there be off switches?

I'm right there with you, Christie chimed in. I'm looking around the door area right now. In case we can't find one, is there a plan B?

Yeah, but it involves ripping the antistatic mats out of the trucks.

That's destruction of...

...government property. He finished with her. Yes, I know. But they're thick enough that even if the bottom layer melts we might get away with it. Maybe. Tony eyed the ruined haz-mat suit on the deck again. He noticed the rubberized coating was taking on a strange appearance as well. On second thought, scratch plan B.

Christie paused in her search to peer out the window. Riiight. Got a plan C?

Yeah. I liked it for my plan A, actually. Wrecking ball.

Oh, no. Very bad idea. This maggot may have been married to poison, but he was having an affair with things that go boom. Christie had been appalled at the number and types of explosive devices she'd found in the house.

Harrison called up from his spot on the grass, What about the railing?

Tony looked at him and then over at Christie. She shrugged. Tony reached out and tugged on the on the section of railing nearest to him. It was flat and wide, maybe six inches, and seemed sound enough, but everyone knew that was no guarantee.

What do we have for ladders in the trucks? Tony asked

Christie's response was quick. We have a ten-foot folding metal ladder and a twenty-foot rescue roll ladder, also metal. The hooks might fit over the rail but I'm pretty sure the side bars would come in contact with the floor of the porch.

Owens chimed in, I just checked the other truck. Same same.

We'll keep them in mind. The biggest problem is staying out of range of whatever's being sprayed. I can give walking the rails a shot. Worst that happens is I hit the deck and Tony joked, trying to lighten the tension a little.

Hang on, Christie said, There's a funny spot above the door. I want to check it out.

Funny how? Don't take any chances, Shales. Tony admonished the younger agent.

No, I don't think it's anything like that, DiNozzo. It could be a panel that someone would hide switches behind. I just can't get a good look at it, I'm too damn short. I need a chair. Aha...

Shales! Stop! Tony had seen her movement through the window in the door. You had better be checking to make sure it's safe, or I'll come kick your sorry, broken ass in the hospital.

Christie's hands were shaking as she took the scanner out of the leg pocket where she'd secured it earlier. She'd nearly forgotten about the floors inside, what with trying to bypass the danger outside. Clear. Another step and she'd reached the chair, which was wired into something in the floor: more plastique. But this was arranged differently, something about this suggested... Christie dredged her brain. She'd taken a class on explosives some time ago, it had been required. There was something about shaped charges... think... she breathed, as she looked again at the chair and then at the screen. This is sick! Beyond sick. I can't... She backed away almost blindly until Tony's voice saved her again.

Shales! Shales, dammit, snap out of it before you get us both killed! Now, I'm not dying here today and neither are you.

Oh my God, Tony. I don't know how much more... She involuntarily looked at the wall opposite the chair. She swallowed and explained, There's a chair off to the side, I figured I could use it to stand on. Thanks for reminding me to check everything. It's kind of an old chair, it's got metal spindles, but the back is broken, there's no top across where there should be on the spindles. She was shaking now, and she knew all the words were coming out wrong. So I got to the chair okay and I was about to take it and check under it and something was attached to one of the legs, like under it. And I looked further and saw more plastique. I mean, God knows, seen enough of it today in this place. She was rambling now, great. And her shaking was getting worse. She could not afford the nausea that was threatening. So, of course, I take a good look at it so I can get another capture. Habit now; find a bomb, get a picture, hey! And I notice it's arranged funny, you know, not like all the other ones. And I gotta think a minute. I mean, I know I've heard something like this before. And then it comes to me; shaped charges, you know, bombs that go off in specific directions. So I take a look at the whole thing again and I realize that he's set this thing up so that if you stand behind the chair, like I was and you grab it, like I was about to, the bomb goes off and you get impaled on the chair and blown across the room and, oh my God, Tony I can't help it, I'm gonna be sick!!

The urge to run outside was powerful, but mindful now of just how deadly movement could be, her only option was to risk airborne poisons. Frantically she yanked at the helmet and fell to her knees as she emptied her stomach. She felt tears streaming down her face: tears of exhaustion, of weakness and of anger. She was a trained federal agent, wasn't she? Would another agent behave this way? Would any still respect her now that she had?

She stood up shakily and tried to draw her gloved hand across her mouth. She glared at the offensive covering, then grimaced at the inability to rid herself of the sour aftertaste of horror. As she replaced her helmet she knew that it would be this moment when cynicism would begin to tailor itself to her.

Tony had listened to Christie describe the latest installment in Erickson's deadly plot. His earlier feelings had mirrored those he now heard in her voice: agitation, shock, humiliation. He was happy to hear her basic humanity come through as well, as she refused to accept what this animal was willing to do to another person. He wondered, Will this break her, or will it make her tougher? Guess there's only one way to find out -- keep a close eye on her for a little while. She's pretty shaken up.'

Okay, Shales, Tony said once she'd suited back up, other than the fact that you'd like to brush your teeth and wash your face, do you feel better?

Yeah, I guess, Christie's answer was pretty lackluster. She was just waiting to be chewed out by someone.

You sure? Because if you start to feel strange, say so. We don't know if there's anything airborne in that house, especially because no one made it that far back. So, anything strange, and you better speak up pronto. No heroics. Got it? Now, any ideas on that panel above the door?

Me? The last suggestion I gave nearly had me looking like the end of Act Three in Friday the 13th'! I'm surprised you'd trust me with house-sitting a fern right now! Christie erupted. Waiting for his reprimand was unbearable, and she had had all the tension she was going to take for one day.

Tony felt relief, hearing the fighting spirit return to Christie's speech. She might just make it yet. Sorry, Shales. No ferns here. And since you're not Jason's latest victim, tell me what you think.

Fine. If the chair is for killing, and our resident psycho is my height, and that is indeed where those switches are, then the rotten bastard's got to have hidden something nearby to help him with the -- ahhhh, now what could this be, hmmm? Christie had been searching while she talked and had found a hidden panel in the lower cabinetry beside the door.

Christie, be careful! Tony well remembered some of his early assignments and knew that being faced with your own mortality could take its toll on you. It was all too easy for fear to swing all the way to recklessness.

Look, DiNozzo, I'm being as careful as I can. But let's face it, our perp isn't just a lunatic, he's an undeniable sociopath. Completely irredeemable as far as the human race goes. If he's gone to this much effort just to keep us out of the house, I'm going to consider myself lucky just to see sunrise. There; got it. Little twerp built himself a clever little riser into his cabinets. Now, since this is too high to be a mail slot, let's see what we have. Christie scanned the suspect area above the door and smiled when it showed nothing. Nothing shows on the scanner, I'm guessing he's lead-lined this. Otherwise I'd be seeing some of the two by fours that should be here. She carefully tapped around the edges and was finally rewarded with the feel of a faint click. The panel popped open on cleverly hidden hinges to reveal a number of switches, some labeled, some not. Well, score one for the good guys for a change. Let's see, there's one here labeled Elec.' Shall I give that a shot?

Tony had been standing on the stairs, listening and waiting. Sure, go ahead, he told her wincing with uncertainty.

Christie flipped the switch and waited. Hearing nothing from either agent, she ventured an impatient,

That may actually have done what we'd hoped for. I don't feel current anymore, and the disks' glow is definitely fading, Tony replied, hope lightening his voice for the first time in hours.

Harrison chimed in, Hum's gone, for what that's worth.

Next up, I have a choice of Water' or Benzene', she told them, reading the labels of the next two switches in line.

Try Water' first, advised Tony. Let's see if that takes out the jets on the house. Those were the first jets that came on, the ones that got Harrison.

Okay, here goes. The second switch was flipped. This time the response was more immediate.

Thank God!!! Harrison was relieved to see that the water jets were indeed the ones that had sprayed him.

That just leaves these last jets. Must be the benzene, don't you think? Nasty piece of work, our slimeball. Make you think all you need to do is insulate yourself against the electricity, then trigger a spray of rubber solvent. Tony shook his head in disbelief.

Nice. Okay, here goes the last one. She toggled the switch and waited for confirmation.

Looks like that's it, Shales. It's kind of scary, you know? Something actually going our way. Hm, I'm having trouble seeing the trigger for this one.

It's not on the top stair or the back wall of the house? Christie tried to think where else would be a likely place for the final trigger.

Not that I can see. Let's see, if I were a totally deranged piece of pond scum, where would I have put a trigger for a potentially deadly chemical? Tony mused, while searching the area with his flashlight.

Well, at least your mood has improved, she quipped.

I tend to feel better when I'm making progress. Aha! Sneaky little shit.

I take that to mean you found it. Care to share?

He ran a fine wire across the porch in a few places. I'm guessing it must be on a hair trigger, because I didn't touch the suit to the wood with very much force. Tony stood up and asked Harrison to adjust one of the halogen lamps a little. With the change in angle, light now glinted off the wires. Hit the water switch again. Let's see if we can rinse this deck off before I head in.