Chapter 4
Late Thursday night, Abby and Jamie have been in the Forensics Lab, frantically working on all the evidence in the missing children case. As for the team, they've been trying to follow any leads that have been called in, but none have made any major breaks in the case. Gibbs walks into the Forensics Lab.
"I really hope you got something for me Abs." Gibbs said.
"The evidence was planted." Abby stated.
"What makes you say that?"
"I have hair samples from 54 donors, six per house. Since when does it take six people to kidnap one child?" Abby said.
"We also have things like packs of gum, pieces of jewelry and a lot of other small things that could've easily been dropped and forgotten. Each of which has finger prints or skin samples to put even more people in each house. In addition to the finger prints you took from stuff that was already in the house." Jamie stated.
"Gibbs… Between the hair and skin samples, plus the finger prints from all the small things left behind… Also, the finger prints you got off security panels, doorknobs and other things are also from a bunch of people. We're looking at 12 different people inside each house to kidnap one child." Abby stated. "This is ridiculous!"
"It's smart."
"Why do you say that, Dad?"
"Cuz whoever did this, knows we have to follow every lead the evidence gives us."
"But if it's planted evidence then why follow it?" Jamie asked.
"In order to do a thorough investigation, we have to… Even if the evidence was planted cuz we're working on the chance that the kidnapper screwed up somewhere and actually left us something that will give us a hit." Gibbs said. "The kidnapper wants us to waste time."
"At least we're almost done with everything from those nine boxes." Abby stated.
"But how can a person make a duplicate of another person's finger print in order to plant it as evidence?" Jamie asked.
"Gibbs, remember that ex-SEAL and how he escaped from Levenworth?" Abby asked.
"He used tooth paste in order to get the finger print." Gibbs answered.
"Jamie… For example, if you take something like silly putty and you dig your finger into it a finger print will be left. If you leave the silly putty exposed to the air for too long, it will harden. In this case, the kidnapper probably made a mold of the indentation in order to reproduce it. Then let it dry and harden. There you go… Instant finger print that a person can plant anywhere they want." Abby stated.
"I didn't realize a person can do that." Jamie said.
"It's time consuming and it may be hard to get another person to leave their finger print like that." Abby said.
"What does this all mean?" Jamie asked.
"This means we're dealing with a person who had access to people's houses." Gibbs replied.
"You mean, it could be anyone like; a painter, plumber, electrician, cable man…" Jamie begins to say.
"As for the families of the abducted children, the kidnapper may or may not have ever worked in these people's homes before. But we know he worked in a lot of other homes." Gibbs stated. "We're might be looking for a needle in a haystack."
Tony, Ziva and McGee all run into the room.
"We found a couple things each family has in common." McGee stated.
"Family members, whether it's the father, mother or both… All work at Quantico." Tony said.
"All the children go to the same school." Ziva said.
"And all the families have the same security systems." McGee said.
"DiNozzo… Get over to Quantico and found out anything from whoever works with any of the family members. Stay there all night until you find out something."
Tony runs out of the lab.
"It's too late for the school, but the security company is a best bet." Gibbs said. "Ziva… McGee… Find out why the security systems didn't work that night."
As Ziva and McGee run out of the lab, Abby hands a list to Gibbs.
"Here's a list of names we got from DNA samples and finger prints. Some are in the criminal database for minor crimes when they were teenagers. Some are in the military database. Abby said. "And other samples are unknown cuz they're neither."
"What about the crosses?" Gibbs asked.
"The crosses aren't giving us anything to work with." Abby stated.
Suddenly, FBI Agent Tobias Fornell enters into the Forensics Lab in order to speak with Gibbs.
"Gibbs…" Fornell tries to get Gibbs' attention.
"Yeah… Hold on." Gibbs said. Then he looks to Abby. "Keep looking."
Gibbs and Fornell leave the room. Before going back to work, Abby watches as Gibbs leaves. Jamie notices Abby watching her father.
"Are you checking out my Dad?" Jamie asked.
"No…" Abby defends herself.
"You are so lying!"
"Am not!"
"Oh come on… Your tongue was practically hanging out of your mouth as you were watching my Dad leave the room."
Abby grabs her stereo remote control and presses a button. Music begins to blare.
"What did you say?" Abby asked. "I can't hear you!"
"You are so busted!" Jamie exclaimed.
"Still can't hear you!"
Jamie shakes her head. Both of them get back to work on the evidence. Just outside the elevator, Fornell stops and looks back.
"How can she work with that music?" Fornell asked.
"It helps her concentrate." Gibbs responded.
When the elevator door opens, they both get on. After the door closes and the elevator begins moving, Gibbs slams his hand onto the stop button. He then turns to Fornell.
"My men didn't find anything in our databases that match this case. So we have nothing. I hope you had better luck Jethro."
"We also have nothing Tobias. We have samples that can place up to 12 different people in each house. The evidence was planted in order to make us waste time."
"Here's a list of names we got so far." Gibbs hands Fornell the list.
"I'll have my people check all them." Fornell said as he looks at the list.
"The names are of people who have done minor crimes or work in some type of military service. But we also have a couple unknowns as well."
"Jethro… The samples that are done and came up as unknown…"
"Yeah?"
"The FBI has a database we use for the samples that come up as unknown. For a long time we've illegally collected DNA samples and finger prints. The FBI pays people who work with the finger prints in local police departments and also labs where blood is tested. We pay a certain price to those people and they sneak samples out for us…"
"Tobias… Don't tell me anymore. I don't wanna know. Just check the unknowns."
"I'll get one of my people over here to collect the unknown samples to run them against the database."
"You get anything from the Amber Alert?"
"Nothing that helps."
"We found a couple things that each family has in common."
"What?"
"Family members working at Quantico, the children go to the same school and all the homes have the same security systems."
"How come the security systems never worked?"
"I sent Ziva and McGee to find out."
"So that's the best lead we have?"
"For now it's the only lead we have." Gibbs slams his fists against the side of the elevator. "Almost 24 hours since the children have gone missing and…"
"Jethro… You can't beat yourself up over this."
"I know."
"We'll find them."
"I'm gonna talk to each family on that list to find out if they can give a description of any repairmen or give a name to any that have gone to their home in the passed couple months."
"I can have my people do that."
"Alright… Then do it."
Fornell flips the button to restart the elevator. Fornell finally gets off and Gibbs stays on the elevator in order to think.
