Chapter 10
Liz approached the counter in Gibbs's favourite coffee house and flashed her badge at the young boy serving behind it. He looked at her nervously, a wobbly smile trying to give the impression that nothing was wrong. Liz smiled and wondered how much pot he had stashed in his locker out back.
"Hi, I need some information about a customer a few hours ago" she told him softly, noticing out of the corner of her eye the way Abby was fiddling with the sachets of sugar, arranging them into a neat line.
Liz pulled out a picture of Gibbs, and handed it to the slightly relieved kid.
"Yeah man, the grumpy old dude, comes in at least 5 times a day" the kid replied handing the photo back. Liz reached out a calming hand to Abby, as she saw the younger woman bristle at Gibbs being called a grumpy old dude.
"Can you tell me if he was with anyone today, or spoke to anyone at all?" Liz questioned him.
The kid looked down and to the right, obviously recalling a memory.
"Yeah he did, I remember cos it was like so totally weird for him" the kid replied, absently wiping down the counter in front of him, relaxing more now that he knew the cops weren't after him. Liz waited for him to continue, but he just kept wiping the counter.
"And?" Abby asked him impatiently, her dark eyes impaling him with an almost Gibbs like stare.
"Hey are you a cop too?" the kid asked looking Abby up and down in admiration of her outfit "Cos that rocks if you are" he complimented her.
"Forensic analyst" Abby corrected absently "Who did Gibbs talk to?" she prompted the kid.
"Oh yeah the old dude" the kid said getting his mind back on track, and missing the narrow eyed glare Abby aimed at him.
"Yeah he was with that red head from the other day, the one who got bashed around by her old man" the kid told her happily. "So you like cut up dead people and stuff?" he asked Abby changing the subject. Normally Abby would have loved to have got into a discussion on what her job entailed but today the only thing that interested her was finding out who did this to Gibbs, and why.
"No, I shot things and nuke things and cut them up" she growled at him, her voice dropping to a husky angry growl "I only cut people up when they totally tick me off" she warned him.
"Right, cool" the kid replied wide eyed, his head nodding like a toy dogs.
Liz pulled Abby back slightly, having visions of her leaping over the counter in a moment to beat the kid to death with his wet dish cloth.
"Thanks for your help" Liz told him, manoeuvring Abby around to the doorway.
"No problem" the kid said cheerfully "Hey tell the dude he left his cup behind" The kid added on absently, once more wiping the counter. Abby and Liz both froze mid step, swivelling around as one to peer at the boy.
"What cup?" Abby asked softly as she stepped closer to the counter once more, her head tilting to one side, her pig tails giving her a puppy look.
"He bought a stay warm cup the other day, and left it here when he left earlier on" the kid told her. Abby grinned and reached over the counter, grabbing the kid by the shirt collar and pulling him forward. Liz moved forward to pull her away but could only watch as Abby kissed the kid full on the lips, before letting him go.
Liz watched as the kid raised a shaking hand to his lips, his eyes unfocused and dazed, a goofy smile on his face.
"You are so totally hot" Abby said happily, "Have you still got the cup?" she demanded almost bouncing on the spot in her excitement.
"Ugh… yeah… down here" the kid said dazedly, reaching down without taking his eyes of Abby. He slowly straightened up and handed Abby a white cup, with a lid and the store logo on it.
"Did you wash it?" Abby asked excitedly, reaching past him to grab a napkin from the counter, and using it to hold the cup.
"No were not allowed to, insurance" the kid replied, his eyes never leaving Abby's face.
"I could kiss you again" Abby said in ecstasy, clutching the unwashed cup to her, like a lost treasure.
"Sure" the poor boy murmured leaning forward in preparation.
Liz couldn't stifle her snicker as she leant forward between Abby and the boy.
"Down boy" she murmured to him with a soft laugh "we're going to need your prints" she told him, before turning back to Abby.
"I have it from here, if you want to get back and start to analyse that" she said nodding to the cup and its contents. Abby nodded her agreement and marched with determination out of the coffee shop, Gibbs's cup safely stowed in a paper back courtesy of the coffee shop.
Abby never noticed the car outside, its passenger watching her intently.
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Abby stopped to cross at the intersection, not really paying attention to what was going on around her. Her attention was focused on the cup inside the anonymous looking paper bag. She hoped that it would reveal fingerprints and trace elements of arsenic, which would clearly link Writer as the one who had tried to kill Gibbs.
Abby waited impatiently for the cars to pass and she could be on her way again. She looked up in exasperation as a car swung onto the corner of the intersection right in front of her, its tyres squealing a protest. Her eyes widened slightly as the passenger door shot open and the figure in the driver's side lent over, a dark object glinting dully in the light.
"Get in my dear Abigail" she heard the cultured and accented tones from her nightmares utter.
Abby froze for a moment, her head moving automatically behind her to check for an escape route.
"Don't" Ari warned softly "I will shoot you if I have to" he continued, the muzzle of the gun appearing clearly for a moment. "I just want to talk to you" he said, a smile creeping up slowly on his face, the effect transforming his face from that of a killer to the man next door.
Abby's mind whirled at dizzying speeds, trying to work out her best course of action. Slowly though came the realisation that she couldn't out run a bullet, but she had escaped Ari before. Abby looked down at the bag clutched in her hand and slowly dropped it onto the pavement, hoping that Liz would find it later when they realised that she was missing.
"Was that your lunch or perhaps a clue as to your whereabouts?" Ari asked conversationally as Abby carefully climbed into the passenger seat, refusing to look at him.
"So talk" Abby said as she settled into the seat, finally looking at him, her eyes shooting sparks of hatred.
"Buckle up first, Gibbs would never forgive me if I killed another of his ladies, even if it was accidental this time" Ari informed her, his eyes dark and unreadable, but Abby knew in her gut that he was taunting her.
"He isn't going to forgive you anyway" Abby said remaining where she was, making no effort to buckle her seat belt.
Ari laughed softly as he reached quickly over Abby and buckled her up, Abby sat still, keeping her heart rate steady knowing that he was trying to intimidate and scare her.
"So stubborn," Ari murmured when his mouth was close to her ear, his breath whispering intimately against her face. Ari moved back to his seat slowly, his eyes lingering on her before he started the car. "So like Gibbs" he told her a hint of a smile dragging at his face. Abby inclined her head slightly.
"Yep" she said with a wicked grin. "Give me a gun and I'll show you just how like him I can be" she informed Ari, the effect slightly marred by her swinging pig tails.
"I'm not that foolish. I am aware that you can shoot with a high degree of skill" Ari responded as he negotiated the traffic with dexterity and skill.
"Cool car, but I want out, so what do you want?" Abby finally asked as they drove in silence for a while, her eyes taking in the fact that they seemed to be going in a large circle around the block.
"Will Gibbs live?" Ari asked quietly, his tone almost genuinely concerned.
"Yes" Abby responded without hesitation "He isn't going to die till your dead" she informed him happily.
Ari inclined his head in acknowledgement of her words "As you say" was all he said though. Abby frowned as she noticed the NCIS building ahead.
"Tell him I said hello" Ari said as the car pulled to a stop in front of it. Ari reached over Abby and opened her door. "Tell him…" Ari started to say, turning to face Abby, his face betraying an emotion that could almost have been regret.
"Tell him she is mine" Ari finally said as his face settled back into its usual mask.
Abby sat there for a moment longer before slowly getting out of the car, her mind a jumble of confused thoughts as she watched Ari speed away.
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Ari pulled over the car some distance away from the NCIS building, leaving the keys in the ignition he walked away towards the motorbike parked a short distance away. Before mounting the bike though he pulled out a small plastic box and hit a switch. A city map flashed on, the co-ordinates for the NCIS building highlighted, and a small green light flashing to indicate Abby's position. Ari watched it for a few moments, nodding in satisfaction before mounting his motorbike and roaring away.