Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. I've been swamped—had a lot of family stuff lately. It might be awhile bfore I post again.
Thanks for you who caught that I had Tony the dog as male. I knew that, I just must have been really tired that night!
Anyone see the interview with Pauley Perrette on the Late Late show? I never watch that kinda stuff, but I happened to hear about it, so I decieded to catch it. I thought it was really cool! I had no idea she had majored in forensics in real life. How ironic! (and I hadn't known we shared a birthday. Go March 27!)
Chapter Eight
"They know everywhere we are going, everything we do," Tony told Gibbs later that night.
"Maybe we should inform the director," McGee added timidly.
"Oh, sure, Probie. "Hey, Mr. Director. We need back up here, because we're all in extreme danger investigating a case. What case? Oh you know. The one you and the FBI, oh, and now the CIA, want us off. Uh-huh. That'll go over real well." Tony sighed. "We got any leads on Haswari?"
"I've got a theory," answered Gibbs.
"Yeah, can we hear it?"
"Well, we have to figure out what Haswari wants me for. I think I know the information he needs out of me."
"That being?"
Gibbs did not answer. He was thinking. Thinking way back.
"Lieutenant Colonel Ried, sir!" the Marine gave a smart salute, which was returned by the colonel.
"Gunny," the man acknowledged, " at ease. Good to see you again."
"And you, sir!" Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs replies.
The colonel sighed. "Gunny, you know I consider you a fine Marine. More than capable to earn your commission as a First Sergeant. However, Colonel Nylon is over me. He believes, because of the situation when you were a corporal, you have yet to prove this."
"Yes, sir."
"Colonel Nylon has selected you, Sergeants Smith and Holloway, under Second Lieutenant Dempsey, to perform a special task."
"Sir?"
"I realize you and the second lieutenant aren't on great terms, Gunny."
"We can get past that, sir."
"Gunny, I'd like to trust you on that. But, you've proved to have a slight problem with authority, specifically with Dempsey. This task will not allow for any of that."
"Yes sir."
"We are perfectly clear?"
"Sir, crystal, sir."
"You Gunny, are a Marine. You are a non commissioned officer. And you are here. 1991. A year in history, is it not? Kuwait. And we have a job for you."
"I hope to exceed your expectations, sir."
"As do I, Gunny."
…………………………………………………
Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs crouched low to the ground, raising a questioning eyebrow at Second Lieutenant Dempsey. It wasn't that he did not trust the officer. It was just, unlike himself, Dempsey was young. Inexperienced in real combat. Fresh out of Annapolis.
Always, a NCO would be an advisor to a higher ranked, younger officer,. However, Dempsey did not appreciate Gibbs' advice. Maybe as a squad commander at the Academy, and a top student, he though he was capable. But one thing Gibbs knew that Dempsey, unfortunately, had not found out—you couldn't learn leadership on a campus. Real combat, real action, is what brought it.
Lt. Dempsey motioned to the three other Marines. They followed noiselessly out of the dark room. The two young sergeants crept directly behind the first lieutenant, but Gibbs remained behind a moment, before sighing, and following the members of his unit.
Heavy machine gun fire rang out. Gibbs ducked behind, seeing the bright flashes from the lieutenants. One of the sergeants fell, and the other knelt beside him, checking him for signs of life.
The fire ceased. Gibbs ran out to see Lt. Dempsey leaning over a dead Iraqi soldier. Two more heavily armed guardsmen lay on the ground, blood surrounding them. The lieutenant straightened up.
"Sergeant Holloway!" barked the young officer to the man leaning ovr the dead American soldier.
"Sir?"
"Get him out of here."
"Yes, sir."
The sergeant took the body of his friend and fellow Marine on his back, and disappeared back towards the base.
Lieutenant Dempsey glanced back at the dead enemy soldiers.
"Gunny, you are with me."
Gibbs bent over the dead soldier. "Lieutenant, sir!"
"Gunny?"
"This one's still alive."
"Look at him, Gunny, he's almost dead. Leave him."
"With all due respect, sir, I think—"
"Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs! Do you have a problem here?"
"No sir!"
"Good…you search him, I got the others."
The gunnery sergeant examined the body carefully. He pulled from the soldier's garments several well-guarded files.
"Lieutenant Dempsey, you might want to see sir."
The officer paused, and looked through the several papers. His eyes widened as he read the few that had been translated to English. He motioned to the half-dead Iraqi. "We're right, Gunny, he's one of their top guys. Here, we need to take these back to our CO. You take these--!"
A shot rang out, and the young lieutenant fell to the ground, the papers flying around.
Gibbs scanned the area. No sign of the sniper. Quickly, he gathered what he could of the scattered files, and returned to base.
…………………………………………
"You did what Gunny?" Colonel Nylon demanded of the hard-faced Marine.
"Sir, there was a sniper about. I gathered what I could, but my life was in danger, sir."
"You are a Marine, Gunny. Your life doesn't matter. Do you know" and the officer jerked a hand towards the few files,"know what these are?"
"Yes, sir."
"You can kiss the title first sergeant good-bye, I'm thoroughly disgusted with you. Go!"
And with a salute, the Marine left.
"What were in the files?" McGee asked, perplexed, after Gibbs had finished speaking.
"They contained information on a major attack on the United States."
"911?" inquired Tony.
"No, it was bigger. It contained the key information about breeches in security. Tony, I think you found the other half in that house. My CO destroyed what we had."
"And?"
"We were raided by Iraqi forces, he had no choice. They would have gotten their hands on it again."
"So," McGee began, "What does Ari Haswari have to do with this—I mean, so long after?"
Gibbs tightened his jaw. "I'm the only one left alive on Earth that knows what those files contained."