Kate stood in the middle of the apartment looking through old eyes and new. Bits of the conversation between Gibbs and the manager, Ms. Weeks, wandered through the door to reach her ears. After giving herself a moment, she headed for the kitchen and began a thorough search of the sink and counters.
By the time her boss had entered the room, she collected several evidence bags and some fingerprints. She looked up at his approach.
Did you get anything more out of her? Kate started to clean up from her fingerprinting efforts.
Not much. She did say that she has a friend who's also a landlord, and that he's had a couple of his managers complaining about people at vacancies. The story he tells sounds similar to what we suspect here; borrowing the apartment for a drug deal.
She nodded, not really looking at him. Gathering up the evidence and moving past him, she asked, Do we know if Ms. Weeks came into the apartment with her, or just gave her the key and let her come up to look on her own?
She said she came up with her, but she did get called away for something before Pederson was done looking. She said Pederson came down by the office about fifteen minutes later, said she locked the door and thanked her.
Both Kate and Gibbs had moved to the door and had begun to examine it. Gibbs found the traces of adhesive over the latch and pointed it out to his partner. Looks like this is how she did it. I wonder if we'll find similar traces at the other apartments.
Kate finished taking a sample of the residue and stood. That assumes that they're still vacant. I'll be happy if we can get into any of them. She walked back into the center of the living room, once again trying to see the room as she saw it Tuesday night.
Gibbs watched her as she slowly turned her head and seemed to search the room. She took slow steps as she moved about, her hands unconsciously curling around the camera she'd held on another night. When she paused in her movements, he waited, curious to see her next find.
There was something here, she told him, but I can't remember what it was. Something like a backpack or a duffle bag. Dark colored; navy, black. She shook her head in frustration. When I started to move over in this direction, Emily very neatly stepped between me and whatever it was and started gesturing toward the window. I did try to get around her but she was just as good at sidestepping.
While she talked, he came over to where she stood and began to examine the carpet. He didn't see any trace of fibers from a dark colored bag and told her so, but she knelt down next to him to check for herself. Somehow she knew she'd have to touch each piece of this place that haunted her in order to forever silence the nightmare that tormented her.
Tony walked in while the other two were kneeling by the wall examining the carpet. Not wanting to interrupt Kate's search, he was willing to wait quietly despite the information he was anxious to deliver.
Kate sat back on her heels. Well, I know it was here. I should have taken a picture of it, but that woman was such a nuisance. And after I fell... She shook her head again, then climbed to her feet. It was then that she saw Tony standing inside the door.
Hey you, she called over to him, with a smile. He returned it with a grin of his own.
Gibbs looked over his shoulder as he stood. DiNozzo, what have you got?
Well, Boss, I have several people who saw her fall; employees of the businesses across from the alley. But, he held up a finger as Gibbs' mouth opened, what'll really make your day is the bank across the way has a handful of surveillance cameras. One in the ATM and one in a training room on the second floor, both of which give us a view of our fire escape.
Get a warrant, I want those tapes.
Tony turned on his smile. No need, Boss. The bank president happened to be in the branch while I was in there questioning the manager. When he heard the whole story, he helped me figure out if any of the cameras would be of any help and then he copied the tapes in question. He also said Lynn Holder was one of the bank's best customers, though not at this branch. He assured me he would fully cooperate with our investigation, although we would need a warrant for her financial statements.
A Navy Lieutenant was one of their best customers? Where'd she get the money? Kate was puzzled.
Good question. The background check I pulled shows she comes from modest means and has average income and outgo. No account at this bank came up anywhere, Tony told them.
Get on that warrant for her...
Already done, Boss. Tony cut off Gibbs before the older man could complete the command.
Kate began to walk slowly toward the window, determined to face down the last of what this case had dealt her. Once she reached it, she unlocked it and opened it with shaking hands.
Tony's voice was soft and gentle.
I have to do this. I can't be this afraid forever. Her voice was steady, but her eyes gave the truth away.
How can we help? Gibbs voice was as gentle as Tony's, surprising Kate.
Just don't let me fall. She gave both men a weak smile, then stepped through the window and onto the fire escape platform.
Tony was right behind her, holding her hand as the structure wobbled. He heard her sharp intake of breath and felt her grip tighten. When the movement stopped, she inched forward toward the ladder. By the time she'd reached the far end of the platform, Tony was out on it with her and Gibbs had Tony's other hand through the window. Kate looked to be more confident about her position, and was even trying to search the surface of the platform near the ladder. Suddenly, she looked around, then leaned over the ladder and looked down.
Kate! What are you doing? Tony was scared for both of them. He remembered all too well the feeling of seeing her fall; there was no way he could bear to lose her now.
Getting pissed. C'mon, help me back in. She stood slowly, back against the wall just as a shot rang out. The of the bullet hitting the brick between her and Tony startled her, and she instinctively jerked away. Losing the grip on his hand as he made a similar move and feeling the surface beneath her feet shift shoved fear and bile up her throat. Once again, there was the familiar feeling of air rushing by. As images spun around her, she reached out in desperation, fingers scrabbling for purchase on any surface. Feeling her hand make contact with metal, she latched onto the lifeline as her eyelids slammed shut and her body rode the momentum of the fall.
Shooter's on the roof! Gibbs' shout came to Kate from far away, as if he were already running.
Kate? Oh, God! Kate! Tony's voice was closer, sounding like a choked off sob. Another gunshot and Kate flinched again, but she felt none of the pain associated with being hit.
Tony? Are you hit?
Kate? Thank God! I'm fine. Where are you? The relief in his voice was palpable.
Where am I? Good question.' She slowly pried her eyes open and looked around. She was on the fire escape ladder, but had twisted around it and was now underneath the platform from which she fell. I'm hanging from the ladder, beneath you. I'm fine, just a little shaken up.
Let's see if we can get you up from there. Tony started to stand when suddenly there was someone at the window behind him.
Kate could see movement through the grated surface; the body in the window unidentifiable, but the drawn weapon unmistakable to the former Secret Service Agent. Tony, gun! The words exploded from her throat out of pure reflex.
Tony had seen the shadow of another person as he stood, but Kate's warning had him dropping back to the platform and drawing his gun in one motion. He saw the flash of someone disappearing back into the apartment. He was torn, he wanted to go after this new threat, but he didn't want to leave his partner hanging on the ladder. Kate's voice made his choice.
Go! I'll get out of this, just catch him! she ordered, strong and sure. Trusting her, he turned all his attention toward the pursuit. He crept carefully to the window and then risked a fast look around the frame at an unlikely height, should the shooter be waiting for him.
Kate was slowly disentangling herself from the rungs of the ladder when she heard several shots. She sucked in a breath and prayed Tony was still safe, then she forced it from her mind. The ladder wobbled uncontrollably and she battled her fear of falling as she sought firmer footing. After a number of nerve-wracking minutes she was past the first floor section and the ladder gained some stability. Finally she was on the ground and she immediately drew her own weapon, eyeing the alley carefully as she moved toward the front of the building.
Not knowing either Gibbs' or Tony's precise location made her hesitant. Her initial glimpse out of the alley gave no sign of either agent or the gunmen they chased. She had just about made up her mind to head back into the building she'd rather unconventionally exited when another volley of shots captured her attention. These seemed to come from the other building where Gibbs was supposedly chasing the first shooter. Kate could also hear sirens wailing in the distance, their volume steadily increasing as they drew closer.
Kate! She's on the ladder! Gibbs' voice echoed from above.
Gibbs! Tony may need help! There was another shooter in the apartment! Kate hollered back as she ran, reaching the bottom of the ladder at the same time as the woman descending it -- a disguised and armed Emily Pederson. Tired beyond belief of being haunted by this woman, Kate loosed her rage on her enemy. Knocking aside the weapon, she paid no attention to it as it skittered across the alley, she simply drove her body through this hated figure and rode it to the ground. Emily made the mistake of fighting back; it only fueled the fury powering the woman determined to capture and cuff the threat to her team. Kate was clearly the superior in the battle, but her enemy fought dirty, getting in a few good licks on the agent.
After an exhausting several minutes Kate had Pederson face down on the ground, arms pinned behind her. Both women were bloodied and sweat poured freely down Kate's face and neck. She wrestled the handcuffs on the recalcitrant prisoner and dragged her to her feet. Prodding her nemesis down the alley, they'd gone a mere dozen feet when both women spied the gun, ignored from earlier. Pederson dove for the weapon, rolling so her cuffed hands could reach. Kate lunged for her prisoner, catching her by the hair and kicking the weapon away from the grasping fingers. Pederson let out a howl as the steel-tipped low boot made contact with her hand and her hair was stretched to its roots. Through a haze of pain she heard the hiss of hatred.
You want to keep shooting at my team, bitch? Think you can take the punishment I'll give you for trying? Kate twisted her hand the mass of hair and dragged the body not caring whether the woman was able to get her feet under her or not.
