Kate walked through the house, thinking. If someone were watching Leah, watching her dress, watching her eat, where would they have to be? As she paced back and forth, examining the angles, she finally concluded that the spy would have to be inside the house. A shiver went down her spine.
Hey, Kate! Check this for me? McGee's voice called the woman back to the front entry from the bedroom.
McGee motioned to the wired setup on the alarm box and she peered at it thoughtfully for a minute, turning it around in her head. Slowly she nodded. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's right, McGee. She looked up at him and waited for his explanation.
Really? Cause it doesn't do anything. They locked eyes for a moment before he continued. This system can't be bypassed from here. I ran this based on what you guys described, but it sounds to me like our weirdo has her security code.
Kate's eyes widened for a moment, and then her analytical processes kicked into high gear. If he had her code, either he had to know her extremely well -- Gibbs apparently knew it or guessed well -- or he had to be able to see her enter it. Deciding to experiment, she said, Humor me a minute here. Stand at that panel as if you were going to disarm the alarm.
McGee complied and Kate began to move around the room. Finding what she thought would make the best vantage point she stopped. Okay. Now how would someone get a view of Leah from this angle?Hidden camera, the younger agent instantly replied. The two began sweeping the area looking for some evidence of surveillance equipment. McGee finally spotted the device.
Kate! I've got it! He pointed to the joint between the wall and the ceiling on a line with Kate's presumed vision line, indicating a tiny black dot no bigger than the eraser at the top of a pencil. The two looked at each other and McGee asked, Is there an attic?Let's find out, Kate replied, tersely.
After a bit of searching, they finally located the attic access hatch in the utility closet. McGee crawled up and Kate listened to his progress across the ceiling. After a few minutes she heard a muffled expletive and she dashed back to the kitchen, scrambling up on the dryer to stick her head through the hole.
McGee? You okay? She couldn't see very well in the darkness and there was no sign of his flashlight.
His voice came distantly to her. I'm fine. This is one sick puppy though. He has this whole house wired. I'm trying to follow the main video trunk back to see where it goes. His voice came to her distantly.
Kate nodded and climbed back down. Now that she knew what to look for, she peered into every room in turn, finding the tiny cameras in each one. She then headed toward the front door and stepped out onto the porch. After a few minutes of searching, she found one of the telltale black spots. She nodded to herself, realizing that whoever their scumbag was he was able to make prints of his surveillance.
She came back inside and heard McGee descending from the attic. What'd you find? she asked as she walked over to him.
He's got a secure transmitter set up on the roof. I disabled it, figuring he must know we're on to him now. He held out the smallish box in an evidence bag. Don't know if we'll get anything useful from it, but it can't hurt to try.Let's pack up and go. Kate helped McGee gather their equipment and left, foregoing the alarm, but carefully securing the locks on the door.
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Gibbs was in the lab with Abby checking on the progress of the various tests when Kate and McGee arrived.
Hey guys! Abby's cheerful greeting caused Gibbs' head to swivel from the computer running the John Doe's fingerprints.
What'd you find? He leaned back in the chair and waited for their report.
Kate shook her head. You're not going to like it. Can I ask you a question, first? Her boss' raised eyebrows invited her to continue. Did you know Leah's alarm code?
He was silent for several long seconds.
McGee jumped in. Her alarm wasn't bypassed. It was only made to look that way. The perp has been watching her with a network of hidden cameras throughout her house. McGee recoiled a step from the violent look building on Gibbs' face. One of them was set up to see her alarm panel. He had to have the code, Boss. The system is unbreachable from that panel.
Gibbs flipped open his cell phone and stabbed the button for Tony. When the agent answered the team leader snarled at the younger man. Find Leah and both of you get down to the lab, now. He snapped the phone shut and glared at the three people staring at him. We need to figure out just what the hell is going on.
Kate turned over the transmitter box to Abby, while McGee returned the electronics equipment to its proper location. Abby answered the chiming of a machine, indication that a test had completed and Gibbs frowned at the computer screen again. A minute later the doors to the lab slid open and Leah announced her presence with a complaint.
...I don't care what old Grouchy wants, I'm hungry and I'd like to get some dinner! She turned to see everyone staring at her. Sorry. I skipped lunch and I get cranky when I get hungry. She glared at Gibbs. Especially when I have to deal with overbearing jerks.
He stood sharply, shoving the chair backwards with his legs. Well, maybe you won't think I'm so damned overprotective when you hear what Kate and McGee found. Everyone in the room flinched from the vicious tone except for Leah.
I have absolutely had it with you treating me as if I were a child! In case you haven't noticed, you dimwitted jackass, I am a adult. A woman who can take care of herself! She stepped forward, glaring. Who can put a bullet through your head at 30 meters. She held his eyes, daring him to say something.
There was no way this woman would get the last word on him in front of his team. He leaned toward her, using his height to intimidate her. Yes, you certainly are a woman, Leah. His voice was a low growl. You have all the curves to prove that and yet you lack the basic common sense and courtesy most adults have. Now shut up and let's get on with this. He anticipated the hand that flashed up to slap him, holding her wrist only tight enough to prevent her from reaching her goal.
Indignant, she narrowed her eyes, staring into his as he held her arm easily. Suddenly something changed; there was a gleam in his eye that made her skin heat and his fingers on her wrist sear her in an oddly intimate way. Not wanting to feel this way about him, not after what he'd said, she yanked her arm from his grasp and spun away.
Gibbs transferred his glare to the rest of the occupants of the lab, all of whom had to struggle to contain their mirth at their verbal ping-pong match. He snapped, Kate! Tell Detective Hecht what you found at her house today.
Beginning with Kate, the various members of the team related all of their finds from the day so that at the end of a half hour everyone was up to speed on all the latest developments. Gibbs and Leah seemed to have calmed down somewhat and everyone was brainstorming on what to do next.
I don't know, I can't think anymore. Leah ran her hands through her hair. I'm going to get something to eat and then I'm curling up under my desk. If you're working late, do it quietly.
A chorus of protests arose and she looked at the people around her, explaining, I don't feel safe leaving here. I'm reasonably certain I'm not being watched inside this building...
Gibbs cut her off. You are not sleeping on the floor under your desk. As long as you're not alone you're fine.
Abby chimed in, Yeah, you can stay with me.Abbs, you're going to be here all night, remember? McGee looked at the lab tech. Besides, she doesn't want to sleep in the coffin. Leah shook her head. I don't think I wanna know.Oh, yeah. Well, I have the futon.No, Abby, Gibbs said. She needs to get out of this building. Leah turned to Kate, her aqua eyes begging for the invitation.
Gibbs leaned close to Leah's ear and spoke in a stage whisper. You don't want to stay there. Every time I call they're in bed together, he said, nodding at the couple.
Tony and Kate glared at their boss and Leah smothered a grin, then turned to Gibbs. I can't go home with you. Morrow's already had a fit about last night.Well, if it's appearances he's worried about, it appears we've already done what we're accused of. He leaned on the word for the audience's benefit, while looking Leah in the eye. Besides, I don't give a damn about appearances. I'm more concerned about your safety.Yes, but how safe am I from sleeping in your bed, Jeth?' The thought rang loudly in her mind as he dragged her by the wrist from the lab.
The two couples watched them leave. After the doors closed, they turned to face each other and Tony spoke up.
Well. That was interesting, don't you think? He glanced around at the nods as he pulled out his wallet. Ten bucks says they're doin' the horizontal bop tonight. He gave a sly, sexy grin as he laid the bill down.
God, Tony! That's disgusting! Betting on someone's sex life? McGee looked in disbelief at the cocky agent, while the two women shifted their gaze to him. He looked at the three faces for a moment, seeing the dare in their eyes, then yanked out his wallet as he spoke. Okay, I'm in. Ten bucks, nothing happens. Gibbs knows better that to sleep with someone he's protecting. But if he finds out about this bet, I swear, I'll shoot you!
Kate fished a ten out of her pocket. I'm with Tony on this one. There's way too much smoldering there. If they're not hittin' the sheets, one of em's dead.You're kidding, Kate. You really think the Bossman would let sex cloud his judgment? No way, I think McGee is right. Gibbs'd handcuff her to a chair before he'd let things get out of control. Abby dropped a ten on the pile.
Handcuff her to a chair... Tony's voice was softly speculative. Too bad they didn't go back to her place; I'd've paid money to see that.
A chorus of made him look around.
Kate smacked him good-naturedly in the chest and redirected the conversation. There's something I didn't mention earlier. Remember the FBI team that Leah and Gibbs mentioned in that shooting with Trainor? The nods she received encouraged her to continue. I want to know if we can find out who they were, and where they are now.
Tony thought for a second. First thing, I guess, would be to see if we can pull the NCIS file for the case and see what's there. Maybe we'll get lucky enough to get a name or corresponding case file for the FBI. Then we can go from there.
Abby nodded, but before she could speak, Kate's cell phone rang.
Kate Todd. She could barely understand the frantic voice on the other end.
Okay, calm down. Kitty? Okay... What did you find? All right... where? I can do that. What do you mean don't dress like... I'm not going to... Okay, I can do that... Can I bring a friend? Someone who can help, you can trust him. As fast as I can, honey. Yes, bring Candy, too. She hung up the phone and looked at the group.
That was the little girl we met in the, I don't know what to call it, part of town. She's found out something and she's terrified. She wants me to come get her right away.You want me to go with you? McGee volunteered.
No, I'll take Tony. She glanced over at him. We need to dress down. She said not to come looking like Feds.
Tony began taking off his tie. What was that about bringing candy?
Kate looked at him for a second. Oh! No, there was another child, her name was Candy.So we're rescuing two of them? He untucked his shirt and looked down. I'll be right back.
Kate checked her own appearance and realized no amount of rearranging would allow her to blend in. Abbs, I don't have any jeans or anything here. Do you have anything I can borrow?Maybe. Let's go see. Kate followed Abby and the two women went through the goth's stash of clothes. After rejecting several pieces, Kate finally found something tolerable.
Thanks, this'll do. I'll go see if Tony has a T-shirt I can borrow. She headed up to the bullpen.