Chapter 13

"So Chegwidden is going to take care of her then?"

"I hope not, but I don't know…"

"What the hell do you mean 'you hope not'?!" he interrupted with a snarl.

"I mean that she is a single mother whose son's life was being held in the balance. She was not going to profit from what they wanted to do unless you consider her son's life a profit! So I'm hoping AJ just sends her home to her son."

"So she gets no punishment at all?"

"Unless you don't consider having her son kidnapped and held hostage punishment!"

Gibbs was silent for a moment and then asked, "What are Chegwidden's plans to get the kid back?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't let me in on the rescue because I was 'dead'!" she snapped.

"I'll check with him later," Gibbs offered.

"I'll be in the office tomorrow," she said with a sad tone in her voice.

"Tomorrow is your birthday Sam, take the day off and I will take you out to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate."

"I don't feel much like celebrating Gibbs. Why don't we do that next year?" she countered.

"You are not sitting home alone on your birthday. We don't have to celebrate but I am taking you to dinner so no more arguments! Got it?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'll go to dinner with you."

"I'll pick you up at 1830."

"Fine, now I'm going to take a hot bath and go to bed."

"Bed?! It's the middle of the afternoon!" Gibbs gasped in amazement.

"I know that but I've never been more exhausted. See you tomorrow Gibbs," she said and hung up, going to do just what she told him.

After dumping some of her favorite bath beads into the hot bath water she poured herself a glass of wine then undressed and slid into the tub. She had told Gibbs the truth about how tired she was and she actually fell asleep in the tub. Glad that she had finished her wine and put up her empty glass before she did.

After Samantha and Webb had left, AJ dismissed the MPs because he wouldn't have Ensign Moore arrested if she had only committed one of the two murders she was supposed to have done. Once he had made the call he faced Ensign Moore and told her, "You're free for now Ensign because we can't have you in the brig and still be able to keep up the story that you're still in play to kill Admiral Morris."

"Yes Sir," she agreed in a timid voice.

"You need to call Grant now and set up a meeting to trade the photo of Major Bell for a live site of your son for proof of life."

With a gulp she nodded her agreement. Making the call, it did take some convincing to get Grant to agree to the live meet. He insisted that a phone call should be enough. Carla insisted that he could tape Kasey's voice and that she would not provide the proof until she could 'see' her son. Finally Grant agreed and they set up a time and place to meet later that evening.

AJ told her that she would be watched the entire time, but he was also going to be working on a plan to rescue Kasey at the meeting.

Tiner wondered why the MPs showed up in his office and then also without reason left after a phone call from the Admiral. He was also a bit surprised when Ensign Moore came out of his office looking like she had been crying at one point. Her eyes were puffy and red even though there were no tears evident at the time. Jason watched Carla go back to her desk and was left to wonder what was going on.

He stopped focusing on what had happened when the Admiral told him to get Commanders Rabb and Turner, Colonel Mackenzie, and Lieutenant Roberts. Tiner made the calls to get the four into the Admiral's office and now he had something new to wonder about!

Once all four of them were in AJ's office he instructed them to sit down and began to explain what was going on. After they were all up to speed on the situation AJ took a moment to look all of them over before going on with the part of the plan that involved them.

To be continued…