"That's all you have?"
"At the moment. Yes, Sir." Morrow eyed Gibbs, waiting for the man to elaborate. "My people are following up on Marcos and checking on an old case with ties to—"
"Jethro," Tom interrupted Gibbs' not quite emotionless recap of his team's work. "It's not enough. The evidence is too thin." As Gibbs began to protest, Morrow held up a hand.
"Turn what you have over to Balboa's team later today after they've filed their reports for their current case. Let them handle this."
"Sir, Agent Balboa's team isn't up-to-speed on this matter. My team is. Why are you doing this?"
Morrow stifled a sigh. He should have known that Gibbs wouldn't make this easy. "Balboa is perfectly capable of doing the same research that your agents are currently doing. As far as not being up-to-speed, then get them there. Today. I need you on more urgent matters." He watched as the Marine focused on a distant point, his features a controlled mask as he responded.
"Sir, with all due respect, what could be more urgent—"
As Morrow nodded to one of the communications techs, he thought about how this case with Ari had eaten at the soul of one of his best men. He needed to get Gibbs to let this go, to let someone else handle it. Surely there must be a way to make the man see that he was too close to it, that it was destroying him both inside and out.
When the main screen sprang to life, the bright white of Autopsy lit up the dim room, the coroner standing in front of one of the gleaming steel tables. Tom hoped that this case would prove to the driven agent that there was more at stake than just one terrorist with an alleged vendetta. Or was the vendetta Gibbs'?
"Doctor Mallard, I believe you were looking for Special Agent Gibbs?" Morrow's voice carried easily across the room.
"Ah, yes. Good morning, Director. Jethro, are you familiar with a case of a missile specialist who went missing?"
"Yeah, Duck. Has he been found?" Morrow watched as Gibbs seemed to shift focus from the terrorist. It appeared that as the doctor spoke the agent was already searching the room behind the doctor.
"In a manner of speaking, he found us." Ducky moved aside and revealed a small metal basin sitting on the table behind him.
"Ducky, what is that?" Gibbs leaned forward unconsciously, as if to get a better look. Morrow, having already been briefed, didn't need to.
"That would be the poor boy's left thumb."