In celebration of my computer returning to me, here's an update, YAY I'm so happy, i can write again, and take notes at school which I can actually read, well, here it is.
Tony's POV
I led Eric to the bedroom, and he gave me a funny look, "what is it?"
"Gibbs wants me to take Tim to meet up with Kate in Vegas, rather than sit here in Miami and wait, for this guy to find us, I don't want to leave you, unless I know you're going to be alright, if you want, I can set up for Tim and someone else you trust, to go to Vegas, and I'll stay," I told him.
"No matter how much I don't like the thought of you going into danger, by escorting Tim, I know you have to, the sooner you catch this guy, the sooner you can come home," Eric said.
"Eric, this guy eluded Gibbs for twenty years, he's getting tired, but he's still cunning, Gibbs told me, that he left a message, for the police, in his hotel room, in Vegas, 'The first will be next, and the last will be the first."
"He's finishing this," Eric smiled.
"Yes, but if he doesn't find Tim here, I'm afraid that he'll kill someone else, here, just to scare them, and I'm afraid that he may choose to kill someone close to Tim," I wasn't trying to scare Eric, but I was, at the same time.
"What are you saying?"
"There is no proof of it, but rumours went around, a few years ago, about how he chose his victims, most of the ones I've heard of, were gay and, I saw some pictures, accidentally, he goes after people that look alike, about half of them look a fair amount like Tim, even remotely, you fit his profile, and I don't think I could bare it, if something happened to you," I said.
"I'll be careful," Eric said.
"I know you will, but Eric, this guy is good, if he doesn't find Tim, chances are he'll go after you, if he does, I want you more that just playing it safe, I want you to have protection," I pulled the gun out from behind my back, and handed it to him.
"I can't take your gun," Eric said.
"I've still got one with me, and I'll call Abby, get her to send my hard case down to Vegas," I told him.
"Tony, I'm scared, not for me, but for you, you look like this killer's other victims, he may just go after you," Eric replied.
"I've got a plan, come on, I'll explain it to everyone," I said, going back to the living room.
I sat back on the arm of the couch, and Eric sat next to me, "I've got a plan, Gibbs got Tim and I a flight out of Miami, but if we're going to make the flight we can't wait for the FBI team, Horatio, I want you to take Tim to the airport, where he'll get on the flight, whether or not I'm there, I'll leave ten minutes before you, with Eric, Eric and I look enough like his victims, that he may think we're the ones he's after, leaving an opening for Tim to get to the Airport,"
"And if that doesn't work?" Tim asked.
"You're both good shots, right?" I said.
"If it does work, if he does follow you, and catches you, what then?" Tim asked.
"We've both got guns, we're both good shots, but I don't plan to let him catch us," I smiled.
"How do you plan to evade him, if he thinks you're the ones he's after?" Horatio asked.
"We're going to be driving Eric's SUV, and we've worked on it a lot, over the last few years."
"You've souped up a company vehicle?" Horatio said.
"It's got bullet proof glass, an extra piece of metal plating, so no one can shoot out the engine, and a slight addition in speed capability," I told him, "Nothing real major."
"Bullet proof glass, isn't major, why?"
"That would be my job, I work for NCIS, someone who was in the Navy, and mad at me would know how to use a gun, I wouldn't want them to take out their anger on my best friend, as he drives down the road."
"And what about protecting Eric, after you leave him at the airport?"
"Well, that is where you come in again, before Tim checks in, I need him to change clothes, leaving what he's wearing now, for Eric, I want you to keep that, if we take a little longer, getting to the airport, than planned,"
"We'll go straight to the lab after, where I can change into something else I own, and go on with work," Eric said.
Eric and I left, I took notice of the cars in the area, as I got into the drivers seat, and drove away. I drove directly to the lab, "Tony, what are we doing here?" Eric asked.
"I'm dropping you off, if the killer thinks you're Tim, then he'll see you go into the police station, and you'll be safe, he'll probably go back to Vegas, where he'll be arrested upon detection, and they'll be watching."
"Can we be watching for this guy too?" Eric asked, "Or does Vegas get all the credit."
"Call Gibbs, his number is second on my speed dial," I handed Eric my phone.
Eric got off the phone, after talking to Gibbs for a minute, and handed it to me, "Call me, when you get to Vegas, I want to know you guys got there safe."
Eric got out of the car, as I put the phone to my ear. "Tony, where is Tim?"
"We're both on our way to the airport, right now," I told him.
"But..."
"I wanted to protect Eric, by dropping him off first," I told Gibbs.
"Protecting friends should not put the person you're supposed to protect at risk," Gibbs said.
"I'm not putting him at risk, we'll be on the plane," I said.
"Alright, get to the airport, get on that plane," Gibbs said.
"K, Gibbs, is Abby there, I need to ask a favour of her,"
"Hold on," Gibbs said, a second later, Abby's happy voice came over the line.
"What can I do for you, Tony?" she asked.
"I need you to go to my apartment, and get a black case from the bedroom closet, it's got a lock and the keys are in the fire safe, the keys for that are in the bedside drawer, I would like the case, sent to Vegas, there is money, and papers to fly it out in the safe deposit box as well, would you do that for me?" I asked her.
"Of course, Tony, but why?" she asked.
"The case is a gun case, I'll be forever grateful, there is a prepaid slip, that should get it on any plane without problems, you'll need to show the papers, but don't send them along, I've got copies with me," I told her, pulling away from the crime lab.
"Alright Tony, I'll try to get it on a flight that gets in around the time your flight does," Abby had a smile in her voice.
I hung up with Abby, when I pulled up at the airport, I went in, and checked in, Horatio was waiting for me, near the security checkpoint, "I was afraid I was right about the killer, I dropped Eric off at the lab, to keep him safe, I couldn't tell you, because he may trust you, but I don't," I said, before heading through security, with little to no hassle. As soon as they saw my badge.
I settled in next to Eric on the plane, and he said, "I was afraid you wouldn't make it."
"You weren't afraid, you don't know me, so you don't really care," I told him.
"You're very cynical, you know that?" Tim replied.
"I tend to be, yes," I glanced at him.
We didn't speak again, until the plane was in the air, when Tim said, "You and Eric are closer than you say you are,"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you wanted to protect him more than your duty tells you that you have to protect me."
"Tim, you're very perceptive, that's probably why you make such a good CSI, yes, Eric and I have known each other a long time, I moved in with his family, when I was fifteen."
"You're the same age as him, then?" Tim asked.
"A year older, actually, he got mad at his mom that year, and ran away, I found him, in one of my hangouts," I replied, "Convinced him to go home."
"Really?" Tim said.
"Yeah, just don't tell Eric I told you that," I replied.
Tim and I spent the rest of the flight trading stories about Eric, and laughing. When the plane landed, we got our bags, and I led him to the security desk, where we were supposed to pick up our guns. There was no problem picking up our handguns, as we both had all the appropriate paperwork, but when I put the paperwork down for my rifle, I the woman said, "I'm going to need you to produce the rest of the paperwork," She said.
"I've never had a problem with this gun before, carrying all the papers for all my guns is not feasible so I carry the ones that allow me to get them through security at the airport, if I need them sent to me," I told her.
"Tony, why do you need another gun?" Tim asked.
"Because, it's part of my job to protect you, and this gun is different from the ones I carry on a daily basis, it's more accurate, at a long range."
I pulled out my ID, and showed the woman my badge, I didn't want to, but she was giving me a hard time, and I didn't have the energy to deal with it right then. "I work for NCIS, please don't aggravate an already difficult situation," I told her.
"If you have the keys for the weapon case, I'll let you have it with the paperwork you have."
I pulled out a ring of keys, from my duffle bag, and flipped through them for the right one, then I had to wait for her to get the case. "What's the point of this second gun, in fact, didn't you have two in Miami?" Tim asked.
"Like I said, this gun is different, and I left one of my guns with Eric, department issue guns are prone to getting jammed at inopportune moments, and I'd rather that not happen to Eric."
Eric's POV
I walked into the lab proper, from the locker room, Calleigh was standing in the doorway, of the trace lab. "Hey, Eric, where's Tim, I was hoping he would help me with some trace evidence, on my newest case."
"He had to go somewhere, he'll be gone for a couple days at least," I told her.
"How do you know this?"
"I was at his place before he left, that's why I'm so late."
"Maybe you can help me, this is confusing me, I don't quite get trace as well as ballistics," Calleigh told me.
"What is it?" I asked.
"These fibres, I can't quite figure out what they are."
"Let's take a look," I smiled.
I looked in the microscope, Calleigh stood beside me, "Where are the results, from the tests?" I asked, adjusting the focus a little bit.
"Right here," Calleigh sounded proud.
I checked the printout, and was pretty sure about my thoughts, but pulled a reference book, to be sure, "Yup, Calleigh, your fibres are angora."
"How did you do that so fast?" she asked.
"Experience," I smiled.
I went to leave the room, when she said, "You got a new gun?"
"How did you do that so fast?" I replied.
"Experience. Where did you get it?" she asked, "It's not standard issue."
"A friend wanted me to carry it, additional protection," I told her.
"A friend?"
"He wanted to ensure I was protected."
"Who is he?" She asked.
"A longtime friend, he wants me to carry a better gun, because he's worried that someone his boss has been trying to catch for years is going to go after me, because I look like his typical victim."
"But he was just fine with you carrying a standard issue gun before?"
"There was no proof, that he was in the area, now there was, I only look slightly like the typical victim, Tim fits the profile exactly, since Tim is friends with the guy who's in charge of the investigation, when there was proof that the guy was in the area, my friend, Tony, was asked to get Tim to a safe place, he wanted to bring me, but there was no way that he could get permission to bring me too, and he couldn't just send Tim and I away, and stay himself."
I went into H's office, Calliegh going into one of the layout rooms. Horatio came into his office not long later, and gave me a look, that told me he didn't appreciate being out of the loop. "I didn't even know, H, he stopped here, and told me I'd be safer here, than going from the airport back here, that you and Tim would be safer too, and it's Tony, the one person I trust more than I trust you."
