Author's Note: Although this is a story in progress at the moment, I have about 5 chapters done already. Should be posting them pretty regularly and should be able to keep up with the new stuff by getting this head start. Thanks in advance for reading this one.
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They were running out of time, and very soon the FBI would be arriving at her office to forcibly remove their newest investigation from NCIS hands. When Agent McGee discovered the information about the other bodies, Director Sheppard knew they would not be able to keep Fornell and the rest of the feds away from her door for long. She only had one last ace up her sleeve to play. She just hoped it would work, and work fast.
Pressing the intercom button on her desk once more, she spoke into the microphone, "Have there been any calls from the SecNav's office, Louise?"
There was a slight pause before the woman on the other end of the intercom spoke, "Sorry, Madame Director, but nothing yet." The intercom went dead for a moment and then her assistant was calling her again, and this time she was not on speakerphone, "Madame Director, Special Agent Gibbs is here to see you. What would you like me to do?"
Jennifer Sheppard did not hesitate, "Thank you, Louise… Send Agent Gibbs in, please." She had sent for Jethro, after all… She had just hoped that she would have had good news by now. She hated giving Jethro bad news; especially bad news that involved the FBI.
When he entered the door, she could tell that he was irritated at having been summoned to her office, but this was one bit of news she wanted to tell him in private. "Jethro, before you say anything, please know that I have done everything in my power to prevent this, but I'm afraid that with Agent McGee's discovery, there is simply nothing I can do to stop it. I've gotten word from one of my contacts that Fornell is on his way over here to take jurisdiction over the GySgt. Furmansky case."
His face immediately filled to the top of his silver-head with a fiery crimson color, "Jenn, you gotta stall 'em. We just need more time."
"I know, which is why I have pulled out all the stops and called in every favor I could to keep this from happening, but the fact is that we simply do not have the same resources as the FBI when it comes to serials. They have a valid case for stepping in this time." She was just about to tell him everything she had done to prevent it from happening when the intercom on her desk started beeping. This was it… Section Chief Tobias Fornell was probably standing on the other side of that door with twenty agents ready to seize all of their hard fought work.
She reached for the button on her desk when the door to her office opened slightly and her assistant nervously poked her head through, "I'm terribly sorry, Madame Director, but it's getting ugly out here quick… You should probably come out here."
What Jennifer Sheppard found on the other side of her door was a lot more than she could have ever imagined. Gibbs was right behind her, obviously ready for a fight until he caught sight of the scene in front of them. Locked in heated debate was the Secretary of the Navy and Section Chief Fornell, each with their own people surrounding them.
The aging SecNav appeared to have his own ace up his sleeve, "Look, Fornell, you can squawk as much as you damn well please, but the fact of the matter is I have authorization from the Secretaries of Defense and Justice to command this investigation and they are getting their marching orders from the man himself, so you better just tuck your tail and get right on back to the Hoover Building before you find out just how scrappy this old salty dog really is, you backstabbing little weasel!" Gibbs could not help himself, but he had to stifle the chuckle that was demanding to escape his lips. He had not seen the SecNav this riled up since Desert Storm, and this was even worse than that.
"Special Agent Gibbs, good." The old man turned everyone's attention on him, "We have cleared the way for you to 'borrow' certain assets from the Pentagon. The Behavioral Sciences Division of the Department of Defense is now at your disposal for solving this horrific case. Your work in connecting the case of GySgt. Furmansky with that of the ongoing investigation of the FBI into this obvious serial killer case will not be in vain, Agent Gibbs. With a little help, I have no doubt that your people can make a proper case for finding GySgt. Furmansky's killer…" The SecNav then turned to stare Fornell down with his last statement, "And only THEN will Agent Gibbs hand over his case files to the FBI for inclusion in the serial murder case. Is that understood?"
Gibbs, knowing exactly when an officer was using him to make a point, "Crystal, Sir. And I should get back to those people so I can get this thing closed all that much faster, Sir." Gibbs gave the SecNav a quick salute and a snap of the heels before walking through the center of the two firing lines, which had gone completely silent.
He was stopped just before the door, "Good man… Agent Gibbs?"
"Aye, Sir?" Gibbs knew exactly how to play this game.
"I've got one of our best people on the way over from the Pentagon Building right now… Should be here any minute, I'm sure." The SecNav was still staring Fornell down, even though they all knew the fight was done.
"Aye, Sir. We'll get this one in the bag ASAP, Sir." And with that final jab, Gibbs was away from the scene that he knew was about to get started once more. Tobias was never one for backing down from a fight that easily, and Gibbs did not wish to be around when he pushed the SecNav's buttons once more.