Music greeted McGee on his entrance to the forensics lab, the pulsing rhythms vibrating through his body as the doors closed behind him.
Hey Abbs, new tunes? he yelled, hoping to be heard over the driving electronic refrain.
Abby looked up at him before going over to turn down the volume. she replied. The Crystal Method. A friend recommended it. You ready to look over those tapes now, McGee?Definitely. I guess we should startWith what I already found, Abby cut him off with a smug tone.
What, you found something that fast? Abby always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone but Gibbs. McGee hoped she'd struck gold again.
You tell me. I have a shot of a masked orderly going into Gibbs' room at about the right time for the IV tampering. Her fingers danced across the keyboard brining up an image of a man at the door to a hospital room in a busy hallway. Unfortunately he has his head bent. We can't even get a good look at his eyes.Are you sure that's him?Yeah. Take a look at this. Abby's quick fingers tapped out another key sequence and a second image appeared next to the first. It was clearly the same man, this time just exiting the room. The time stamps on both photos showed that they were taken a little more than a minute apart.
Well, this, at least, proves what Gibbs and Nurse Bradford were saying, McGee commented as Abby held up one finger.
But wait, there's more! She brought up a zoom shot of the second image, one that focused on the back of the man's neck as he was turned away from the camera. There was some kind of mark – a tat, a mole, maybe a large freckle. Recognize that, McGee? she asked, proudly.
Tim just stared. In all the data that he had been through with Ari; all the facial mapping characteristics that he'd input, socio-economic background information, he'd never actually seen the man. Never been close to him, never even seen a picture of anything other than his face. Nothing in his file indicated a distinguishing feature like this, and oh, had Tim gone over his file! After Kate had died – been murdered, whispered his subconscious – he had studied that file like he was preparing for a final at MIT. This, this man with the mole or scar or whatever – just didn't feel right.
Abby, this guy isn't Houdini. He couldn't have left the grounds of the hospital without showing up on a camera somewhere, could he?Well, if he left on foot and hiked through the green stuff to a nearby road, then maybe. But I'd bet he'd still show up on at least one of the cameras. Abby snapped her fingers. Say, McGee, that face mapping software you developed last year? Let's put it to good use and have it scan the exit cameras; match the drivers against Ari?That's a good idea, Abbs! Tim nodded. Then we can concentrate on going through the remainder of the parking lot cameras.Don't forget the ones from the parking garage. You wanted all the outside surveillance tapes and the hospital gave us all of them.
Tim simply nodded. All right then. Cue up the exit tapes and I'll get the facial recognition program set up. Then it'sDrive-in movie time! Abby chimed in, as she popped the digital surveillance tapes into the players and cued them up. I think we should concentrate on a two- to three-hour window starting with the time we know he was in Gibbs' room, Abby said as entered the specified duration into the program.
Good enough to start, I suppose. If we don't find him anywhere in that window we can broaden the search. Tim agreed.
Once the facial recognition software began running, Abby then turned her attention to the remaining tapes. Parking lot or garage?Lot. More open space more chance to slip away, Tim responded.
Mm, you have a point. Okay, lot it is. They each took one of the twelve tapes from the lot, leaving the stack of tapes from the garage untouched. And they each began the identical process of scanning through the same three-hour window, pausing to check each individual, hunting for the man who'd supposedly drugged their boss.
After a dozen or so minutes of silence punctuated only by the whirrs of the computer hard drives, Tim ventured a question. Say, Abbs, why do you think he's doing this?
Eyes focused on her screen, Abby answered back, Who's doing what, McGee?Ari. Why is he attacking Gibbs like this? It's not his style.
Abby glanced over at him briefly before continuing her work. This scumbag doesn't need a reason. He hates Gibbs. Who knows why he does what he does? Maybe he is trying to drive Gibbs crazy, I don't know. Her words were spoken without heat, but with more emotion than Tim had expected.
Abbs? You okay?No, McGee, I am not okay, Abby said, suddenly quiet. That that she paused, signing something that Tim supposed was obscene in the extreme. He looked at her curiously and she took a deep breath. she said with emphasis, murdered one of my very best friends. Are you okay? Is Tony? Gibbs certainly isn't. Abby shook her head. And you know what's worse? I had to hear about it secondhand from the rest of you. Somehow, I knew something was going to happen, and yet I had to sit here, helpless!Abby! You are not helpless! We need you, what you do here. Without you, all of this, we couldn't catch these guys. We'll never catch Ari. Tim tried to soothe the frustrated woman beside him.
You don't understand. This is all I've wanted to do; all my life, it's all I've ever been interested in. She turned and looked Tim in the eye as she said plainly, And now, just this one time, I wish I were field rated. That I had a gun and a badge and the right to be there when you take that bastard down. I want to put a gun to his head, I want to be the one with the right to blow him away if he so much as twitches. She turned away from him and with very deliberate motions pulled the cassette from the machine and took the next one from the stack.
Tim was taken aback. Kate's death had hit the team hard and they'd all done their share of grieving. Then they'd all sworn revenge – privately, of course. He never dreamed that Abby harbored such hatred for this man, however, and it bothered him that he hadn't picked up on it.
It bothered him even more that this attack on Gibbs felt off for Ari. The more he thought about it, that view of the back of the man leaving Gibbs' room and what he knew from studying Haswari's dossier it just didn't fit somehow.
Apparently his silence bothered Abby, because after she loaded the next cassette and forwarded to the desired timestamp, she asked, never taking her eyes off her screen, What, McGee?Nothing! I'm just thinking. Why is he doing this? It doesn't fit. It would make more sense if he took another shot at the team than to play this head game with Gibbs. He took his tape out and switched to the next one in the stack.
He's a terrorist. Terrorists don't do logic, they do fear, McGee. Abby told him simply. You're wasting your time trying to make sense of it, just concentrate on catching him.
Tim shook his head. Even terrorists have logic, Abbs. It may not be very logical to us, but it is logic. What's Ari's logic? What's he after this time; what's he out to prove?Who cares? Abby sounded tired. I don't care what his motives are. Honestly, all I want is for you and Tony to arrange for him to have an up close and personal dialogue with Allah.Abby, that's all the rest of us want, too. He took a deep breath, bracing for the backlash to his next question. But what if this isn't Ari?
Abby's eyes were fixed on the viewscreen as she scrutinized her tape. Of course it's Ari, she replied, mildly. You're just afraid to confront him.
Tim turned from his screen to stare at her in shock. Was that really how she saw him? I'm not afraid to go after him. But think about it, Abbs. Why would Ari need to come after Gibbs like this? Gibbs is already going to go after him, why not just sit back and wait for the inevitable attack?Because Ari's a control freak? Who knows? Again, what difference does it make? Abby paused and studied a figure closely on her screen before shaking her head and resuming her scan.
Tim sighed. Okay, let's say, for the sake of argument, that it is Ari, deliberately doing all this. He gets us to, what? Go charging off after him and what? He stared into his viewer watching the empty parking area as the timestamp showed the hour tick past.
Into a trap! McGee! You're brilliant! Abby grabbed him and kissed him on the forehead. Of course that's why he'd come after Gibbs like this. To get us to go charging after him and right into a trap! This is why you need a plan! Now aren't you glad you listened to me!
Tim closed his eyes for a moment. Keeping up with Abby's thought processes was a full time job some days. This felt like double duty. Abbs, you're the one who's been oh never mind. That argument was a lost cause and he knew it. Changing tactics he asked instead, So what kind of a trap would this be, do you think?I don't know. That's your job, not mine, she replied, taking her second tape from the machine and setting it aside.
Yeah, that's the problem. I can't quite figure it out either. Tim finished searching his second tape as well and ejected it. He switched tapes, keeping his thoughts to himself as he puzzled over the situation.
Ari preferred direct strikes to this oblique game. Case in point: the bomb he had placed under Gibbs' café table. Its twofold purpose had been elegant. Although it failed to kill its target, it succeeded in distracting Gibbs from pursuing his nemesis.
Kate's death was an unexplained mystery. He didn't really accept Tony's theory was it was Ari's way of tormenting Gibbs in perpetuity, nor did he agree with Gibbs' belief that it was the cleanest way to fracture the team. In any case, both the bomb and the shot were actions, not merely mind games. Inducing psychoses, making you doubt your sanity? Not Ari's style.
This logic vied with the death threats he remembered Gibbs receiving, mind games in their own right. Those, coupled with Gibbs' own certainty that Ari was the man he'd seen in his hospital room had Tim uncertain as to whether or not his other person' theory was valid. As he scanned his third parking lot tape, he weighed both sides of the argument and came up with nothing. Except the nagging feeling that he was missing something. Something important.
Just as he was about to start his fourth tape, his phone rang.
he answered, distractedly.
Ah, yes, Timothy. Would you be so kind as to do me a favor? Ducky's voice inquired.
Sure Ducky, what can I do for you?The deli down the way has just opened for breakfast and I've called in an order. I'm afraid, however, that I don't dare leave Gibbs unattended, even though he's dozing at the moment. Could you go pick up breakfast for me? It's all paid for.Sure, Ducky, Tim nodded and looked around for his discarded suit jacket. I'll be back in a few minutes.What was that all about? Abby wanted to know, as Tim closed up his cell phone and prepared to leave.
Ducky ordered breakfast from the deli, asked if I'd pick it up. You want anything? He patted his pockets looking for his keys.
Ew, from that place? I'll wait and go get something from the Veggie Bar when they open in a couple hours, Abby told him.
Okay, I'll be back in a little bit then.
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Tim did as Ducky bid, picking up the take out order the doctor had called in for his cranky patient. Cranky Yeah, that about covered everyone's mood at the moment, he thought. Shifting the containers in his arms, the savory aroma hit him full on, reminding Tim how long it had been since he last ate. Over the rumble of his stomach, he hoped that he and Abby would find their scumbag soon. Then maybe they could all take a break, get some food and a nap. Had he really gone a fully day straight without sleep? If he and Tony didn't get a break soon, they were going to start looking like Gibbs did yesterday when they saw him at the hospital.
Twenty minutes after Ducky called him, Tim entered Autopsy carrying breakfast for the two men there. Handing the bag to Ducky, he looked around. Where's Gibbs?Asleep in the changing room. There's a sofa in there. Thank you very much for this, Timothy. I know Jethro will appreciate the food. Ducky smiled at the young man.
There's no coffee here. He gestured at the bag and winced at the thought of his boss without his morning beverage.
Ducky snickered and grinned conspiratorially at the young agent. I made some decaf. It will have to do for now,
Tim nodded, then he felt his earlier concern resurfacing. Hey Ducky, while I'm here, can I ask you a question?Of course you can, my boy. What can I do for you?Could the combination of caffeine and the anti-psychotic drug cause Gibbs to see something well, less than clearly? Tim hated the way he was asking the question, but he didn't want to lead the doctor into an answer.
It could, the doctor mused. Is there something in particular you had in mind?
Tim sighed. Is it possible to mistake one object for another, or one person for another under the influence of these drugs?Oh, you mean the way he mistook that phlebotomist for Kate, Ducky nodded.
He mistook someone for Kate? At the doctor's nod, he continued, So if he were expecting to see Ari in his room and a man looked enough like him, then Tim trailed off and waited for Ducky's reaction. He had the satisfaction of seeing surprise on the doctor's face. Thanks Ducky. You've been a big help. I appreciate it. At least I know I'm not crazy. Tim didn't wait for Ducky's reaction before he headed out of Autopsy and back up to the lab.