Author's note: Sorry for the delay, life happens... Now on to the story!
(Gibbs with a grimace of a smile, looking at an eight by ten photo.)
Gibbs sighed deeply moving out of the way and allowing the M.E. to attend the body. He walked into the house where his team waited. "Boss nothing from the victim's kitchen or closet." Tony stated when Gibbs was in range. "Ziva, stay with that body don't let it out of your sight I don't want another pile of ash on my hands." Gibbs clipped towards agent David. "DiNozzo, I don't care what you can't find, tell me what you did find."
"Ahh Boss, I found a wireless router, but I can't locate a computer." McGee spoke up. Gibbs just glared at him "Right, just what I find. I'll keep looking" McGee said as he stumbled out of the room.
"What did the club owner have to say about our Admiral?" Gibbs asked turning face to face with Tony. "No much, the Admiral has been a member of the club for just over a year now. The funny thing is that he just sold his sailboat before re-upping his member-ship for another two seasons." Tony said as he leaned back slightly from Gibbs. "I have a call into the new owner, but I haven't heard from him yet."
"Well DiNozzo get on it. I'm going back to the base and have another chat with our friendly M.P." Gibbs marched out of the house narrowly missing Agent McGee coming around the corner of the front door.
"Hey Tony you mind taking a look at something?" asked McGee. Tony shook his head and walked toward McGee "Alright Probie show me what you got."
Her head bumped the glass of the side window of the corner's van. Ziva wondered why she was the one sent on this mind numbing assignment, couldn't McGee have handled this better. The van made its way around the sloping corners of the coastal road. Coming around a bend a car was stalled blocking the road its hood up and steam rising from the engine. Ziva climbed out of the van and walked toward the distressed motorist while the van was still slowing to a stop.
"Can I offer any assistants?" Ziva inquired making her way from the rear of the vehicle to the front. The sun light glistened off the chrome metal of the car causing Ziva to lift her hand up to shield her eyes from the glare. Suddenly the hair on the back of her neck stood straight up and the world around her went in slow motion. From behind, she heard a yell from the driver of the van as an unknown assailant manhandled from the driver's seat. Popping up like a whack a mole from the opposite side of the car another assailant opened fire on Ziva. Her heart leaped into her throat as she rolled on her side pulling her weapon and targeting her attacker. Squeezing off a few rounds she shattered the windshield and popped the tire of the car as she missed her goal. The smell of rubber burning brought her attention to the assailant in the van. She jumped from her position and ran like a hunch back trying to stay low yet find cover as quickly as possible. Her attacker from the car was a blur as he made his way to the van firing randomly in Ziva's direction. One in the van, the attackers left the scene speeding away in a cloud of dust and smoke.
"Well, that's interesting Probie" Tony said shaking his head back and forth like a bobble-head. McGee rolled his eyes and stated "This is a hardwire port for a T1 connection, but the house already has a wireless router hooked into a cable modem. There's no point to have this in a bedroom closet."
"Ok McGeek, what's a reason why a person would have one of these in a closet. Afraid somebody would find his porn?" Tony scoffed back at him. McGee looked up at Tony from his hands and knees and answered. "Well, you might have a point. It's for something that he was trying to hide that's for sure. Help me pry up this carpet." Tony dropped to his knees as he pulled out his knife. Swiftly he jabbed the blade into the corner of the closet and bent the carpe backwards. McGee helped yank the carpet back from the entire closet to reveal a flat panel wire leading to a square latch in the floor. Tony rose to his feet and pulled his weapon. "Careful McGee, look for wires and booby traps. I have you covered." McGee ran his finger over the crack around the square trying to feel for any kind of wire or detonation device. Feeling nothing he grunted slightly as the carpet glue gave way and the wooden piece of flooring came apart. Peering all McGee could say was "Oh Boy."
Gibbs made a brisk walk to the M.P. office. A different Petty Officer was sitting behind the desk since his last visit. "May I help you Sir?" she inquired sweetly. Gibbs halted his pace to look the person right in the eye. "Agent Gibbs to see the head of base security again." The petty officer's look of confusion made Gibbs take a step back. "I'm sorry Sir but He's in an important meeting right now. I can have her see you in an hour, if that's ok with your schedule." Gibbs shook his head and plowed right in to the next room, stopping abruptly as soon as he entered. The office had no less than a dozen agents and officers crowded together. "Where's the officer I spoke to earlier?" Gibbs said. A blonde officer looked at him and said "I'm Commander Meg Austin, and this happens to be my office. Who are you?"
"You're not the person I spoke with earlier. What's going on here?" Gibbs answered back. Commander Austin came forward parting the people in the room as though she was Moses parting the Red sea. "You haven't answered my question."
"Agent Gibbs NCIS. Now where is the officer I spoke with earlier?" Gibbs shifted his weight back and forth. "I am conducting a JAG-man investigation in to the disappearance of seven crates of personal side-arms. The former occupant of this office is the chief suspect in my case. Have you any ideas where this officer is?" Meg said handing Gibbs a photo. Gibbs looked at the photo and recognized the profile of Officer Higgins starring back at him.
(Gibbs with a grimace of a smile, looking at an eight by ten photo.)