Chapter 3 - SNAFU
"You see, Jethro, this man only appears at first glance to have died from a gunshot wound," Ducky said, as the team gathered around he and Jimmy.
"I don't suppose the third degree burns covering…" Gibbs started, when Jimmy thoughtfully volunteered, "Eighty-five percent, Agent Gibbs."
"Eighty-five percent of his body, had anything to do with it?" Gibbs finished, glancing briefly at Jimmy with a small and subtle expression of thanks.
Ducky glanced to his assistant to continue where he'd begun. Jimmy nodded at his boss in acknowledgement, then said to the team in general, and Gibbs in particular, "No, actually. Believe it or not, the burns were post-mortem, judging by the lack of soot in his lungs. There was no evidence of smoke inhalation. He wasn't breathing when he was set on fire."
"So the fire was probably set to cover something up, then?" Tony asked, as Tim looked on.
Ducky nodded, "Most likely, yes, Tony."
Abby and Tim glanced at eachother and shrugged, and Ziva was about to ask another question, when the lights went out.
"Oh… SNAFU," Tony was heard saying.
"SNAFU, Tony?" Jimmy's voice was heard in the darkness.
Tony unwisely chose to elaborate. "Situation Normal All Fuh…" but his words were cut off as Gibbs' hand instinctively found the back of his head in the darkness of the morgue.
