Lieutenant Harrison Wilson and Lieutenant Arthur Delaney were career soldiers, sons of Navy officers following in their family tradition. Both men had joined the service as a matter of obligation, neither felt the loyalty and pride that their fathers and grandfathers had. It didn't take long for the two men to find each other, two resentful scions of wealthy families looking for an easy way to earn extra money. When the two men were approached by the Columbian drug cartel, they eagerly accepted their proposition and set up a drug distribution operation. Both men worked in the Port Operations department at the Norfolk Naval Station, giving them access to the various vessels that docked in Norfolk. Together, they recruited young, naïve men who needed to send money home to their families.
Gibbs started working in the Port Operations Department as Warrant Officer Lee Franklin. He and Lieutenant Wilson hit it off immediately. Soon the two men were drinking together after work, talking about politics, women and the lousy way the government treated them. Wilson introduced Gibbs to his friend Delaney, and after a few weeks the two men brought Gibbs into their confidence.
DiNozzo had an easy time gaining the confidence of Petty Officer Burton and Seaman Stacey. The two young men were naïve and fun-loving, hitting it off with Tony immediately.
The undercover operation had been going smoothly for weeks before Gibbs and Tony crossed paths. Tony spent most of his spare time at the warehouse they used to produce the meth-amphetamine. Burton and Stacey had recruited some local gang members to do the mixing and sent Tony there periodically to oversee the production. There had been talk about a meeting with a representative of the cartel, so Gibbs and Tony continued to maintain their covers, waiting for the right moment to bring the operation down.
The Monterey was about to head out to patrol the waters off Yemen. Burton and Delaney were going to a meet to get orders from their bosses, bringing Tony along with them. The three drove to Newport News where they met with Lieutenants Wilson and Delaney and their friend, WO Franklin. Wilson informed the group that he had set up a meeting with two members of the Escobar cartel at the warehouse the next day.
It was time to close down the operation. Gibbs got word to his contact with the time and location of the meeting. Unfortunately, there was a change in plans, and the meeting was moved up by two hours.
Shortly after midnight, they gathered in the warehouse. Esteban Montoya and Carlos Rodriguez were trusted associates of Emilio Escobar, the ruthless leader of the cartel. The two came to the United States to deliver instructions from their boss and to bring a supply of cocaine and heroin that was to be distributed by the dealers recruited by Wilson and Delaney, along with the meth that they had produced.
Gibbs didn't have an opportunity to talk to DiNozzo privately, and he hoped that the younger agent knew that they had to stretch the meeting out, delaying the departure of the men until the other agents could arrive on the scene. The younger agent appeared relaxed, joking with his companions and laughing over some incident at the mess hall the night before.
One of Montoya's bodyguards kept staring at Gibbs. DiNozzo raised his eyebrow questioningly at Gibbs, who shrugged slightly. Suddenly the barrels of three automatic weapons were pointed at the older agent.
"Whoa!" Gibbs said, raising his hands in the air. "What's going on?"
"Yeah," Delaney said, "what's this all about?"
"You two have been careless," spat Montoya. "This man is Federal Agent. He's one of the agents who arrested Tomas' father ten years ago."
"That's crazy," Gibbs replied, "I was in Rwanda ten years ago, providing support for humanitarian relief."
"You lie," hissed Tomas. "I saw you and your men arrest my father and his friends. You came into our house and took them away."
"How old were you ten years ago?" Tony asked.
"Old enough to remember his face," snarled Tomas. Gibbs was grabbed and thrown to the ground, his hands and feet were tied.
"Take care of this," Rodriguez said to Delaney. The lieutenant signaled to Burton, who came over and helped lift the bound agent. They carried Gibbs to their car and threw him into the trunk.
Tony watched helplessly, unable to do anything to help the other agent without getting himself and his boss killed and blowing the entire operation. His mind raced wildly as the car drove off. He knew he had to keep the meeting going until the original time they had given their contact, but he also knew he had to get himself out of there somehow to help Gibbs before the two men killed him.
Jeremy Stacey was fidgeting nervously. He was the youngest person in the group, the most inexperienced. The fact that there was an undercover Federal Agent with them shook him up. Nervously, he put a cigarette in his mouth. He pulled out his lighter…
"Hey, don't do that!" yelled Tony.
Stacey looked up as he flicked the wheel of the lighter and the whole world turned bright.