New Orleans:
Pride's phone rang and he picked it up. "New Orleans NCIS office," he said, not recognizing the area code on the number that showed up on his phone.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for Special Agent Dwayne Pride," a young female voice said.
"Speaking. How can I help you?"
"My name is Sabrina Miles, an' I'm looking for someone I was told you knew an' might know where she went," the female said in a rush. "Her name is Jane Emma Langston, an' her last known location was in Maine, where she was a state game warden. I was told she joined NCIS after meeting you, an' you could be located at this number. She's my step-aunt, an' the family hasn't seen her since she left home when she was nineteen an' I really, really want to find her."
Pride blinked as he tried to process the information. "Okay, Sabrina? I know who you're talking about, and I would very much like to help you, but you need to understand that the information you're asking for is sensitive."
"I know, an' I figured as much," Sabrina said, sounding disappointed. "But I had to try."
"And I commend you for that. I'll tell you what; let me see what I can do. Is there some way for me to verify your identity? Perhaps a video conference?"
"I'm on Facebook," Sabrina said. "There's the video thing on Messenger."
"Okay," Pride said. He tucked the phone in his neck, and did some quick typing. "Okay, I have a Sabrina Miles, in Texas, because I remember Jane saying she was from there. Is that you?"
"If it's got a picture of a black horse, then yup, that's me," Sabrina said.
"Okay, I am going to send you a message, with the phrase, Hi, it's King. That's my nickname," he said, doing some typing.
A moment later, Sabrina yelped happily. "Got it!"
"Okay, good. Let's hang up, and we'll switch to video," he said, while gesturing at Sebastian.
Sabrina ended the call and a second later, his computer was buzzing, signalling an incoming video call. Pride toggled the button and the screen changed to show a young girl of about twelve, with long dark brown hair, and an anxious look on her face. Pride smiled at her. "Hello, Sabrina, I'm Special Agent Dwayne Pride. Friends call me King. It's nice to meet you. I understand you're looking for your step-aunt, Jane Langston?"
Sabrina nodded. "Grandma Mary says she left the ranch when she was nineteen, to join the Maine State Game Wardens, but the Game Warden I spoke to, he said Jane left a couple of months ago to join NCIS, and he remembered you and another agent by the name of Christopher LaSalle." She did something with her computer and a picture popped up on the screen of three teenage children, two girls and a boy, with the boy in the middle, seated beside or behind two older women. They were sitting on what looked like wooden porch steps, and all wore similar clothing and similar smiles. The oldest woman, her braided black hair streaked with white, her features spoke of having Native American heritage, and Pride remembered Jane mentioning her Grandma Emma was part Choctaw. In fact, the girl on the left looked very much like a young Jane Langston, and Pride was willing to bet the boy, who was seated behind whom Pride guessed was Grandma Mary and Great-grandma Emma, was John, with the other girl being Sarah. "This is the last known photo of the three of 'em together, before Uncle John left, an' the date says Mother's Day," Sabrina explained. "Grandpa Michael won't even talk about Aunt Jane or Uncle John, an' I know it's hurting Grandma Mary. So I asked Great-grandma Emma what I could do, an' she suggested I follow the footprints. So I did. I even found a picture of Aunt Jane on her graduation day from the Game Wardens. Gram says a cousin of Grandma Mary's sent it to her. That's the last time she saw Aunt Jane."
Pride saved the picture, knowing Jane might want to see it. "I know your aunt, and she did join NCIS. I also happen to know where she is," Pride said. In the background, Sebastian nodded, getting the idea, and went to get Patton to run a background on Sabrina Miles. Pride checked his files and found a certain photograph of him, Jane, and Chris, which he sent to Sabrina. "The fellow on the right is Christopher. We met Jane when we were chasing after a suspect that decided to go hide in Maine, in the area that Jane was working at the time, and we became friends. What do you know about your step-uncle, John?"
Sabrina nodded. "Grandma Mary said he joined the Marines, and I've had as much luck finding him as I've had convincing the wind not to blow," she grumbled.
Pride laughed. "Yeah, I can understand that. Well, depending on what I hear, I will see if I can get your uncle's file, the one that's allowable for public viewing, and I will send it to you."
Sebastian came back and gave him the thumbs up; Sabrina was legit. Pride nodded. "Okay, my team says you're legit. Jane is currently in Washington, DC. I will get in touch with her, and talk to her, see what she says. Depending on what's going on, because I know what she's doing these days, it may take at least several hours before she gets back to me, but I will let you know what I find out. However, I think this might interest you," he said, having done some fast typing. He sent Sabrina Gunnery Sergeant Langston's file photo. "This is your Uncle John, and according to what I'm reading here, he's still with the Marines, and has the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. Okay, and wow; he's also the recipient of the Navy Cross, which is the second highest medal, one down from the Medal of Honor."
Sabrina's eyes went wide. "Wow! Thanks so much. I really appreciate this."
"By the way, what made you decide to try and find Jane?" Pride asked.
"Grandma Mary. I've seen her looking at the old photos of Jane and John, and she looks so sad. I really like her, and I want to help her. She has a birthday coming up, and I thought I'd try and find Jane or John, maybe try and, I dunno, make Mary happy," Sabrina said.
Pride smiled. "You're a good kid, and you have a good heart. Give me a bit, and I'll send you a message via Facebook with what I found out. And if you ever decide to join NCIS, you'd make a fine agent."
Sabrina's face lit up at that.
Washington, DC.
"Who do you think you are
What do you think this is
A game you can play tryin' to steal him away
Well I don't need a heartache like this.
Well don't think I don't go through hell
But heaven is what we both want
He's easy to love but he's hard to give up
And if you think I will well you're wrong," sang Dolly, doing a duet with Lorrie, while Langston listened with a wireless earbud in her ear and half an ear, as she worked.
Staff Sergeant Lunsden had been released, along with Mina, and had taken his daughter home, leaving Langston free to wait for Brigadier General Potter. Meanwhile, she was going through Van Der Kooi's case files, looking for possible suspects. The rest of the team was also working their way through the files, Aerospace Engineering, and Van Der Kooi's file on Corporal Sutherland.
"Langston," Langston said absently, answering her desk phone.
"Hey Jane, it's King," Pride said.
"Well hey there, pard. How are ya?" Langston asked, leaning back in her chair.
"Doing as well as I can these days, given everything that's going on. I heard what happened, and Gibbs and I are old friends. He's a good one, and you're with a good team."
"Good to know. So, what's up?"
"I got a very interesting phone call from a young lady by the name of Sabrina Miles. Her father, Donald, is your sister's husband," Pride said.
Langston sat up in her chair. "I know th' names."
"Sabrina's looking for you. We checked her out, and she's legit. She wants to know who you are, and she mentioned Grandma Mary apparently missing you and your brother. Seems she has a birthday coming up?"
Langston glanced at her desk calendar and felt her heart drop. "Yeah. Three days from now. Jeeze. Daganabit, King, I miss her too. An' I know who Sabrina is. Team ran me, an' Johnny, jest after I joined. An' here's the kicker; Johnny came t' DC fer a few days, an' he an' I found each other again."
"Good. That's real good. I have Sabrina's Facebook name and she knows me; we've had a video conference. She sent me a picture, which I think you'll want to see; according to Sabrina, it's the last known photograph of all three of you, your mother, and someone named Great-grandma Emma. You were a pretty teenager then. Are you willing to talk to her?"
"Send it t' me please," Langston said. She gave Pride her email address. "How did she even know how t' find me?" Langston demanded.
"She contacted the Maine Game Wardens, who pointed her in my direction. Told her I'd talk to you, first, before I gave her your number or any other contact information. She's a bright kid, and I think her heart's in the right place."
Langston's computer chirped as an email popped in her inbox, with the subject line of Photo. Langston opened the attachment, and felt her heart drop to her feet. She must've made a noise, because everyone else looked up. Then Torres was coming around to her side, seeing the look on her face.
"How in th' hell did Sabrina git this?" Langston demanded, quickly putting her phone on speaker, causing the rest of the team to join her, concerned. "This was taken, I think, Mother's Day, jest after I turned fifteen, an' jest before Johnny left."
"Wow," Bishop said, studying the picture. "You've got a lot of your mom in you, but I can see your gram in you, and Johnny."
"Sabrina sent it to me via Facebook Messenger, so I'm guessing she found it amongst your mom's things. She also found your Game Warden graduation photo, which a cousin apparently sent your mother." Langston made a strangled choking noise at that, causing Torres to rub her shoulders in sympathy. "Sebastian checked Sabrina out; she's legit. The kid wants to know you, Jane, but I told her I would have to talk to you, first," Pride said. "She even went as far as contacting the game wardens, which led her to me, and thus you. I won't give her your number unless you okay it, but from what she says, your mom really misses you."
"Damnitall, King," Langston said, putting her knuckles to her lips.
"Let me guess; what do you say, after all this time?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah," Langston said.
"Same thing as you said to your brother; start with hi, and go from there," Gibbs said.
"Man's got a point," Pride said. "I have a daughter about your age, and I know if I didn't hear from her for a long time, for whatever reason, and she suddenly appeared again, I wouldn't care what she said, as long as she never stopped talking to me again. The fact that you also found Johnny, hey that's a honkin' big bonus, as far as I'm concerned."
"She- th' last time I saw 'em, Ma made me swear I'd come back one day, but Pa, he said I would never, ever set foot on Whispering Black Oaks again, as long as he lived," Langston admitted, rubbing her temple, where a headache was threatening to start. "I've got a box at home, wit months of letters an' cards I wrote but never sent."
"So send it," Torres said. "I don't know about you, but that would be a hell of a birthday present."
"That it would," Pride said, a smile in his voice.
Langston nodded, taking a shuddering breath. "Number." Pride gave it, along with Sabrina's Facebook profile name, which Langston scribbled on her pad.
"Sabrina knows my nickname is King," Pride said.
"Thanks, Pride," Langston said.
"You're more than welcome, Jane. Oh, Chris' family said to say thank you for the card you sent, regarding Chris. Seems you have quite the artistic talent for calligraphy," Pride said.
Langston chuckled softly. "Yeah."
"I'll catch you later, kiddo. Let me know how it goes," Pride said, and he ended the call.
Langston stared at the photo on her screen, memories rushing through her, her hands folded in prayer in front of her. "Dang battin' blast t' hell," she said. "Ma's birthday is three days away."
"Call the kid," Gibbs said.
"Yeah. No. Not right now. I have work t' do," Langston said, shaking her head determinedly, and taking a deep breath. When the team opened their mouths to argue, she looked at them, and there must've been something in her eyes that got the message across, because they wisely stayed quiet. Gibbs knew Langston would deal with her family sooner or later, but right now was not the time, or so she thought. What Langston didn't realize was if she didn't deal with it according to Gibbs' satisfaction, he would. They watched as she put the photo in her files, just as an agent arrived with none other than Brigadier General Potter, who was a distinguished-looking man in his late fifties, in a brown dress uniform, with his ribbons displayed neatly on his chest, and his cover tucked under one arm.
"I'm to understand a Special Agent Langston wanted to see me in regards to Private Smits and Areospace Engineering?" he asked.
"That would be me," Langston said, holding up her hand. "Glad y' could make it." She stood up and Potter stared at her, looking at her up and down.
"And exactly what kind of special agent are you?" he all but sneered, causing the rest of the team's eyes to go wide at the apparent disrespect, but Langston just smiled.
"Th' kind that had a whole lotta lovin' from one oh yer best, an' ain't afraid t' show it, not even t' some jarhead wit' more brass on his chest than bullets in my gun," Langston fired back, planting her hands on her hips as she went up to him, not backing down or flinching under the Marine's cold gaze. "This is my boss, Supervisory Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, head oh th' Major Crimes Response Team. We got questions, pard, you got answers, an' my pretty little ears are jest a' burnin' t' hear 'em."
"What she said," Gibbs said. He smirked as Torres, McGee, and Bishop held up their hand in agreement.
"You don't have to like what she wears, sir, you just have to talk to her," Torres said.
Langston smiled brightly at Potter. "I kin be nice an' show y' our really nice conference room, or I kin be a class A bitch, an' show y' our interrogation room. Conference room comes wit free coffee. Interrogation room comes wit a cold glass of harsh reality. Your choice."
Potter stared at her then chuckled. "And a fair choice. Conference room, please."
"This way, sir," Gibbs said, gesturing.
As the two men walked away, Torres muttered to Langston, grinning, "Smooth move."
"Somethin' Johnny told me 'bout brass like 'im; they will try it. If they do, hit back, hard an' fast, but keep it respectful, so they can't complain," Langston explained just as quietly. "Or at least make it sound respectful. Best shots are th' ones that take 'em 'bout five minutes t' figure out, an' by then most guys are outta reach."
"Dodge, shoot, and run like hell," McGee said, nodding. "Works every time. And I think Gibbs wants you to join him."
"Grabbin' an' goin'," Langston said, grabbing her notepad and pen and heading for the conference room.
"Okay, while those two have their fun, what do we got so far?" McGee asked.
"Okay, I've made my way through three of Van Der Kooi's files, and this guy was detailed," Torres said. "Two divorce cases, one child abuse case. First one ended when Van Der Kooi was able to find out that the wife had been screwing around with another guy for months before the divorce proceedings and had actually been planning to murder the husband. MPD charged the wife and her lover, and that is currently proceeding."
"Wow," Bishop said. "Glad my divorce was amicable and quick."
"The second divorce case?" McGee asked.
"Van Der Kooi wound up stepping away from the case when he realized that his client wasn't interested in a fair divorce, so much as causing the wife as much trouble as he could," Torres said. "The ex-husband might have an issue with our vic, but I found out he has a perfectly good alibi." At their inquisitive looks, he delivered the punchline. "He was picked up last night for a DWI an hour away from our victim's address, about two hours before the shots were heard, and according to the police report, he was so drunk, he couldn't even stand straight, never mind walk straight."
"Yeah. No," Bishop said.
"Child abuse case is closed, because the victim relocated out of DC, to some unknown location, and the perpetrator is currently in jail, where she's likely to stay there for at least several more months," Torres said.
"She?" McGee repeated.
"Yeah, the victim's aunt, and from what I read, Van Der Kooi was sick in his stomach a few times at what he discovered," Torres said.
"Okay, I've made my way through some of Areospace Engineering; they're one of our major defense contractors, so what they did pretty much ran the gauntlet," Bishop said. "Everything from top secret to common knowledge."
"Private Anderson?" McGee asked.
"Working on improving the portable GPS systems for remote locations, to include target locating and locking," Bishop said. "Corporal Sutherland is also involved in that, specifically the coding, as well as a few other projects. I've already called Private Anderson and asked her to come in, but she hasn't returned my messages yet."
"Might have to go and visit her in person," McGee said. "She did know Van Der Kooi wasn't who he said he was."
"Might be a good idea. Get an idea of what our vic was up to, what he had access to," Torres said.
"And an excuse to get away from all this paperwork," McGee said.
"That too," Torres said. "Field trip?"
"What about the general?" McGee asked.
"With the way our favorite cowgirl just handled him? And combined with Gibbs?" Bishop pointed out.
"Right. Good point. Field trip," McGee said.
"I'll let Langston know," Bishop said, taking out her phone to send Langston a message that she could pass on to Gibbs.
In the conference room, Langston glanced at her phone, which had signaled an incoming message. She read it and showed it to Gibbs.
"Our team is headed to Areospace, to see what Private Smits was up to," Gibbs said.
Brigadier General Potter nodded. "I gave him full access to whatever he needed to do, with the understanding that he would be discreet and the trust that he wouldn't do anything that amounted to treason. I went as far as giving him an all-access key card, and I was operating on both his word and the word of Staff Sergeant Lunsden that he was above board."
"Did you run Van Der Kooi's background?" Gibbs asked, while Langston sent Kasie a message.
"I did, and I was satisfied," Potter said.
"Why an outsider?" Langston asked.
"To see what others might not see," Potter said, tugging on his uniform. "The Marines are a prideful bunch, and such as it is, we don't readily admit to our failings, even if it means failing our own."
"Corporal Peter Sutherland?" Gibbs said.
"An arrogant asshole I would dearly love to give a good beating to, on account of his behaviour, but those above my pay-grade think he's some kind of god with computer coding," Potter said. "That means I can't touch him, unfortunately."
"So you brought in an outsider to find something you could touch him with," Gibbs said.
"I did. And what Todd found me, sickened me," Potter said. "Have you found his private files?"
"Found 'em, brought 'em in, goin' through 'em now," Langston said. "Should see th' file labeled Complaints."
"Thick and sickening?" Potter asked.
"I have a Winchester rifle at home, used t' belong t' my great-grandpa. Fantastic fer takin' out varmits wit," Langston said. "Haven't used it in a while, but, meh, that could change." Potter nodded in understanding, while Gibbs chuckled.
"Beautiful rifle," Gibbs said. "Waste of a good bullet though."
"Indeed," Potter said.
"Accordin' t' the notes I read, Van Der Kooi followed up on each an' every one of those complaints," Langston said. "Th' worst Corporal Sutherland got was a slap on the wrist an' a written reprimand. An' the vic? Turned in her uniform fer another one, one well away from Corporal Sutherland."
Potter nodded. "I know of the one you're referring to. Good Marine. And I couldn't protect her. And that, I'm afraid, that is on me."
"Did Corporal Sutherland know he was being covertly investigated?" Gibbs asked.
"He may have, and with his personality, he may not have cared," Potter said.
Langston's phone chirped and she glanced at it. "An' we have a problem, y'all. I asked our forensic specialist an' medical examiner t' check Van Der Kooi's personal effects, an' the stuff we brought in, fer the access card. They can't find it, an' according t' the logs, it wasn't among th' stuff that was brought in."
"Desk?" Gibbs asked.
"I'll have th' trio check, but my horse sense says nay," Langston said, already working on a message. Another message came in. "Okay, Kasie says she checked for Van Der Kooi's keys, on a hutch, an' y'all never found 'em."
"Not even his house or truck keys?" Gibbs asked.
"No keys of any kind, except th' little lock key, which was in his bedroom, from what I recall of th' briefing," Langston said. "Already lettin' th' others know."
"Can you disable that key card?" Gibbs asked Potter.
"Get me in front of my computer, and I can," Potter said.
"Let's go. Now," Gibbs said.
Across town, still driving, Bishop read the message Langston had just sent her. "We have a very serious problem. Not only is the all-access key card missing, but so are the keys."
"Ruh-roh," Torres said.
"They're on their way to Areospace Engineering with Brigadier General Potter to disable the key card," Bishop said.
"This is going to be fun," McGee muttered.
Back at NCIS:
"I don' jest Walk th' Line, boy, I do th' whole Boot Scootin' Boogie, an' if y'all ain't careful, yer gonna find out These Boots Are Made Fer Walkin'," Langston shot back to Potter, as she tugged her hat on, her gun and gear already on her belt, and jacket on. He had commented on the hat, wondering if it was just part of her look for the day. "I'm from Texas, which means I ain't no dainty piddlee'o thang. I'm Nobody's Girl, an' don't y'all ferget it."
"I'm afraid to even ask," Potter muttered to Gibbs as they headed for the elevator.
"She's a cowgirl, born and bred," Gibbs said. "It's no act."
"And that scares the hell out of me," Potter said. "And I'm a Marine. Please tell me she doesn't have family in the Marines." Gibbs grinned at him. "Oh hell."