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INTERROGATION ROOM 1: Tuesday 1556
Gibbs and Kate arrived simultaneously at the interrogation room. However as Gibbs had the head start in the lift, Kate took the stairs in a rather speedy dash and only had a few seconds to relieve herself before striding pass the lift to hear it chime and Gibbs to exit.
It was so close in fact that there was nearly one other collision…
"Whoa… Kate," Began Gibbs, "At least the taxpayers aren't paying you to sit on the floor…you're pretty good at sprinting down stairs too!" He grinned.
This seemed to relieve the tension from the scene before. However as they both reached the outside of door one, Gibbs stopped Kate from entering by lightly grabbing hold to the upper part of her arm.
Kate stopped with a start and glanced at Gibbs' hand and then up at him. Gibbs quickly muttered, "Let me do the talking… you profile." And headed inside the room, clicking the door shut behind him.
Kate stood there with her feet barely planted on the ground…her breath barely diving in and out of her lungs…Gibbs' touch was still lingering on the light warmth created by his fingers on his skin.
She shook her head quickly, stop it Kate she thought. These weren't the type of thoughts that she should have about a co-worker, let alone her boss! Anyway, she wasn't even sure if he, at all, felt the same way, and even since that incident, he seemed to become even more distant.
He simply went flying through the bullpen, barking orders and getting himself out into the field. These days it seemed that it was all they ever did, go out into the field; it was like he didn't have a good feeling about being here anymore.
She cleared her throat at that last thought, it was something that she didn't want to be reminded of either… so she quickly shuffled the notes in her arms and opened the door that lead into the observation room that viewed into the interrogation roomed Gibbs had entered only moments ago. Though it seemed much longer for her.
Inside the interrogation Gibbs is standing and leaning over Lt McCuthen, who is sitting, or rather squirming, in his chair as Gibbs whispers something incoherent in his left ear.
Gibbs suddenly then stands up and sets himself down across from the lieutenant so that his back in facing Kate in the observation room. Kate turns up the speaker box next to her and concentrated and studied their conversation.
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Inside the interrogation room:
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Gibbs stared intently at the lieutenant; he knew he was hiding something.
"So what was so important inside that particular container that you had to get your hands on?" Gibbs began, and flicked over the manila folder to scan the preliminary report from the two MPs.
Lt McCuthen dared not make eye contact with Gibbs and just stared at his sweaty palms in his lap.
Gibbs was in no mood. "Look at me Lieutenant!" an order that echoed throughout the entire floor.
He nervously raised his eyes to see Gibbs' piercing down on him, he conceded and opened his mouth.
"I….i didn't know anything about this… this…" He stuttered. "We've done it every year since we joined the core…"
"And what is that Lieutenant? Murder and smuggling illegal goods…?" Contrived Gibbs.
"No.. no! Nothing like that!" He whimpered, "…every year an acquaintance of ours adds a little extra to one of the containers...all we'd do is get the container number, flip the latch, get it and go. No-one ever got hurt..!"
Gibbs was now reaching past the point of annoyance, like Tony on a bad day, to a high point usually only reserved for one person in particular…
"Give me names, Lieutenant…you aren't helping yourself by being cryptic! " Gibbs strongly directed. He stood up slightly off his chair and leaned in over the table to skyrocket the tension.
Lt McCuthen paused for a second, not sure if he should give up entirely. However the words, "is it hot in here of is it just me, had new meaning and in no way was it a good one.
"My roommate Matt Robertson, Lt Robertson…. But I swear I don't know his contact. I just help by collecting the gear…."
"Lieutenant…"
"Okay… the drugs, marijuana." He confessed with a blush of guilt spread across his face, and once again lowering his head.
Gibbs eyed him one more time, "Got a someone you can call?"
McCuthen once again just mumbled into his lap, "…had one…now an ex-girlfriend…"
Gibbs had heard enough, flipping the file closed, he exited the interrogation room and directed straight into the observation room with Kate.
"What do you think?" He questioned, closing the door behind him.
"Well, he defiantly thinks that he did something wrong, but I'm certain that he didn't know anything about the murder or any of the surrounding events. He's only a pawn, Gibbs, we need to bring in this roommate to get some real answers." Kate lectured, looking from her notes to Gibbs as she spoke.
Gibbs listened silently before heading towards the door. "I want to see what Abby and Ducky have found first before letting him know that we are onto him…"
"I'll setup a surveillance unit then…" Kate added before the door clicked shut on Gibbs' quick exit.
Gibbs hadn't gone two-meters when an unusual sensation raced along his nerves and as he approached the lift, it had finally struck him.
….Kate…he breathed, but as quickly as it had disappeared he 'properly' shunned and dismissed it as the silver doors closed together.
"I need…I need…coffee…" he restrained.
Ding
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ABBY'S LAB: Tuesday 1613
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As the clear slide doors swooshed open to reveal the entrance to Abby's, blackened-out, Lab along with multiple decibels bouncing off all four walls.
(Collide's- Wings of Steel)
Gibbs enters to see Abby with a giant fluro-torch in one hand and also a sing-a-long tune escaping from her mouth.
"Chasing the ghost… chasing your wings of steel…." She hums and is suddenly alerted by Gibbs' presence by his shadow that is disturbing her view of the evidence.
He instantly skips the pleasantries, "What have you got for me Abbs?"
She looks up and pushes the orange plastic frames to the end of her nose and replies, "What haven't I got, Watson!" Whilst holding a definitive stare with her eyebrows furrowed and lips creased…the perfect poker face.
Gibbs smiles and walks over to the bench set-up in the corner of the lab. It is covered with the material evidence from the container ship, along with some personal belongings and clothing from their Jane Doe.
Abby shines the ultra-violet light over a rugged blanket and sealed samples of the cargo that surrounded the body.
They see little flints react to the purple light by shining a dull, but distinctive, yellow reflection.
Gibbs leans of the material, eyeing it closely.
"What exactly is that? … Some kind of…." He motions for her to finish the quiz.
"That…" She begins and turns off the purple light and flicks on the ceiling lights, "…is something highly explosive. A raw material… and when they say a little can go a long way, they really mean it for this lot!" Answers Abby.
She then walks over to her computer and in a quick couple of clips a magnified image appears on the overhead screen.
Gibbs steps over to stand in viewing distance of the screen, as Abby moves closer to explain the image.
"Here you can see that what was thought to be rust shards from the usual old-wear-and-tear of the container… are actually crystals..." Abby pauses and looks at Gibbs…she wants to have some fun and grips her hands together positioning them up in front of her lips to conceal her playful grin.
"Abby…." Gibbs warns, he leans forward and rests his palms on the edge of her work desk next to her computer, still eyeing the screen and her.
"Okay, okay…" She concedes, "…now I've only done a preliminary tests…but you are looking at some highly refined explosive
"Isn't that like usual TNT power?"
"No… no, just a pinch of this baby can blow up a hundred foot radius…with the right ignition"
"What sort of ignition?" Gibbs snapped, getting a little impatient at these games.
"Well, there are a few… fire, electricity… your temper." She cooed, shaking her finger at him, but collapsed her smile knowing that she had to be serious now.
Suddenly from behind them, one of Abby's diagnostic computers started to beep.
Abby breezed across the room and investigated the new.
"What else have you found?" Asked Gibbs as he followed her over.
However she didn't reply very quickly… only a stunned-like-gasp hung from her dropped jaw.
"Well!" Gibbs whined impatiently.
Abby slowly tuned to him and in an emotionless dead stare said…
TBC………………………………………………………………………………………………
a/n: hahahahaha! evil laugh! i hope u all all enjoyed the longer chapter! lol :P... the more reviews the quicker the update! OOOOooooooOOOH!…..And thanx to my beta, Jenny! YAYS for the beginning of season 2 last night! Even though I'd seen it, the McGee/Kate scene is priceless! Lol:Pluv ya :)) xoxo claire