Chapter 6

McGee's phone rang and he answered it absently as he read Operation: Dead Wrong. It was from MTAC, letting him know there was an incoming call for them.

It was Lieutenant Kent, and he did not look happy.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded, looking as if he was calling from inside his tent or one of the other tents on the base he was stationed at. "First, I get word that my grandfather is dead, then I find out NCIS is investigating."

"Sir, first of all, we're sorry for your loss," McGee said. "Second, unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding your grandfather's death warrant investigation."

"What happened?" Lieutenant Kent demanded.

"He was murdered. From what our medical examiner said, someone broke his neck and tried to make it look like an accident, but his nurse said otherwise," McGee said.

"Something like that, yeah, she would. She spent most of her time with him, really cared about him," Lieutenant Kent said.

"We're aware of your relationship with Nurse Mackenzie. Your stepmother had a few interesting photos of the date you two went on the last time you were home," Torres said.

Lieutenant Kent smirked. "She did, huh? No surprise there. Let me tell you something about April; she wanted Granddad's money and she wanted the house. Now that he's gone, she's going to try and grab whatever she can, even though she's got a restraining order against the house, which could be considered expired upon his death. She will also try and go after Mac because Mac kept her away from Granddad, which makes her an enemy for life. Slandering someone means nothing to her if it means she gets what she wants, when she wants it."

"Understood," McGee said. "We know about the restraining order, and we can delay things with regards to the house for a bit, until you can come back, by claiming the house is a crime scene. As for Nurse Mackenzie, because of the nature of her relationship with Admiral Kent, she's under federal protection. Are you confirming the nature of your relationship?"

"Very much so," Lieutenant Kent said, grinning. He tapped a few keys on his computer and a photo popped up of him and Mac, looking very cozy. He brought up another one, of Mac in a short, sexy robe with kimono sleeves. The photo was a bit racy, but it was still fairly tame compared to some other photos both men had seen. "First time I saw her, I thought I'd swallowed my tongue. Then I made the mistake of suggesting she was Granddad's maid and if she was, I was coming home more often. She let me know she was his nurse, and what was going to happen if I didn't smarten up and behave. Woman's had a piece of my heart ever since and I've not been in any hurry to get it back."

"Sir, do you know of any reason someone might want to hurt your grandfather?" Torres asked.

"Not off hand, but he did mention he was writing a book, said something about making heads roll once it was published," Lieutenant Kent said. "Did you find it?"

"We did and we're currently going through it as we speak," McGee said.

"Good. Do me a favour? Make me a copy; I want to know what the heck Granddad was so determined to tell the world," Lieutenant Kent said. "And if you see Mac before I do, tell her I'll be calling her pretty quick and she'd better answer or I'm going to worry."

"Yes sir," McGee said. "We'll see what we can do."

"Good. I'll be home as fast as I can, even if I have to strap myself to the wing of the next outbound plane," Lieutenant Kent said. He signed off, and Torres turned to McGee.

"Well, their first meeting stories are consistent," McGee said.

"Wanna bet Nurse Mackenzie's phone is going to be going crazy right about now?" Torres asked.

"That's a sucker bet. I want to get back to that book," McGee said, heading for the door.

"Good?"

"Guy could tell a tale, and I think my publisher owes me a favour," McGee said.

"Hot off the press?"

"Might be a way to draw our killer out."

"Let's talk to Gibbs," Torres said.

Back downstairs, Bishop was typing furiously on her computer, a copy of Operation: Dead Wrong open beside her. "Hey guys, how'd it go?"

"Lieutenant Kent confirmed the relationship between him and Nurse Mackenzie, as well as the fact that April Kent wanted Admiral Kent's money and house," Torres said. "Said he'll be home as fast as he can, even if he has to, quote, strap himself to the wing of the next outbound plane."

"You find something?" McGee asked.

"Running names right now," Bishop said. "Meet Chief Petty Officer Charles 'Chucky' Baldwin, Petty Officer First Class Adam 'Apple' Jenson, Petty Officer Second Class Shane 'Willy' Williams, Lieutenant Thomas 'Tommy Boy' Kent, Lieutenant Commander Hal 'Detroit' Burns, Lieutenant Bryan 'Red' McEntire, Lieutenant Peter 'Knife' Zyder, and Ensign Aaron 'Oak' Ashmore," she continued, sending a bunch of file photos to the plasma screen. "They were all SEALs, and all on the same team during Operation: Dead Wrong." She threw up some more file photos. "These guys are Captain Mark 'Flyboy' Smith, Petty Officer First Class Bradley 'Wingit' Mark, and Lieutenant Commander Conner 'Rockabilly' O'Hara. They were Navy pilots who were attached to the SEAL team the night of the operation."

"The synopsis said five men died that night," Torres said.

"Five men did die," Bishop said. "Jenson, Williams, Burns, and Mark died as a result of injuries sustained during the operation and later, Ashmore, who died when his service pistol 'accidently' fired during cleaning, less than a week later."

"Suicide," McGee guessed.

"Anyone still alive?" Torres asked.

"McEntire, but at his age, it's doubtful as to whether or not he can help us," Bishop said. "I'm trying to locate him now."

"What about the spy?" McGee asked.

"Andrei Nasonov, suspected Russian spy, during the time of the Soviet Union," Bishop said. "Don't know what happened to him yet, as I'm just trying to identify the players. Oh, and Kent mentioned a CIA contact by the name of Darien Jones, but wasn't sure if that was the guy's real name or not."

"Probably wasn't. Remember Kort? Guy was former CIA and had at least a dozen different aliases," McGee reminded her.

"Kort?" Torres asked.

"Pain in the ass CIA agent who killed a fellow agent and friend of ours," Gibbs said, joining them.

"He's dead," McGee said to Torres.

"That bad, huh?" Torres asked. McGee and Bishop nodded. "That bad."

"Who was in charge of the operation?" Gibbs asked.

"According to Kent, he wasn't sure. He thinks it might have been a guy by the name of Admiral Marvin Harris, but he's not sure because a lot of the mission was need-to-know, and he wasn't high enough up the ladder at the time to know," Bishop said. "I'm still reading."

"Find out exactly what happened to these guys," Gibbs said, going to his desk, "and what happened to the rest of the team."

"On it," Torres said, McGee following suit. "Oh, and McGee had an idea."

"Yeah, I was wondering what would happen if the book was actually published," McGee said. "Someone killed Admiral Kent to prevent the book from coming out, but what if I pulled a favour with my publisher and actually got the book printed?"

"Might draw the killer out," Torres said. "And see who freaks out the most over this."

"What about the risk to Nurse Mackenzie?" Bishop asked.

"If the killer is smart, he won't go after her because it would look suspicious," McGee said. "However, if we 'let' it slip that the Admiral's book is still being published, the killer might try and raid her place to find the manuscript, or even go after the publisher and try and do something to stop the book from being published."

"And we could set up a trap to catch him," Torres said.

"Can your publisher be trusted?" Gibbs asked.

"You mean after that little fiasco the last time?" McGee asked, referring to the time when his publisher had tried to make it look like there was a stalker after him, even setting a crazed fan after Abby because she resembled a character in his book, one that had hurt his main character, Agent Tibbs. "Trust me, I had a word with the publishing company, and now have a different publisher. She can be trusted, and I think she would love an opportunity like this."

"Did you find out where the second manuscript went to?" Gibbs asked.

"It was supposed to go to another publishing company, but it never got there, because the bike courier took a nasty hit-and-run while he was delivering it, and while he was laying on the ground, someone from the car grabbed his bag, which happened to have the manuscript," Bishop said. "The copy we have is the only copy left."

Gibbs thought for a moment, then made a decision. "McGee, call your publisher. Pull whatever favor you have to, but get that book 'published' and make it look like a big deal."

"Calling," McGee said. A few minutes later, he hung up. "She'll be down here within the half hour and has promised to do what it takes. Oh, and she needs a really nice picture of Admiral Kent, and anything else we think might help."

"Do it," Gibbs said.

"Doing," McGee said.

"Maybe Nurse Mackenzie or Lieutenant Kent should help with the foreword," Bishop said.

"Get Mac to do it, and explain what we're up to," Gibbs said.

"Is she with Sloane?" McGee asked.

"She is. Something about getting something to eat," Gibbs said.

"I'll call her," McGee said, picking up his phone.

"Might help if Director Vance was in on it," Torres said. "Make it a little more legit, especially with some of the higher-ups, because this kind of thing would have needed some help from upstairs, and someone might know something."

Gibbs nodded. "Keep reading. I'll talk to Vance."

Upstairs, after listening to what Gibbs had to say, Vance nodded. "I want a copy. I have a meeting with several members of various defense departments over the next day or so and I can always 'accidentally' leave the book out. See what kind of reaction I get."

"That would help."

"How's the nurse holding?"

"She's gutsy. She's already sitting down with Jack to write the foreword. You ever meet Admiral Kent?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I do recognize him and Nurse Mackenzie," Vance said. At Gibbs' look of interest, he explained. "Several months ago, there was a reunion of sorts with a bunch of white suits and it was in the Stars and Stripes." Vance did some typing on his computer and pulled up a photograph that Gibbs recognized. "She was there, and the paper identified her only as Admiral Kent's companion."

Gibbs studied the date of the newspaper article. "That coincides with when Admiral Kent started writing his book," he said.

"Could be a coincidence," Vance said. He saw the look Gibbs gave him. "Right; no such thing as a coincidence in a murder investigation."

"Mac knows something, She just might not realize she knows something."

Vance nodded. "Get me a copy of that book, and I'll see who I can scare. And keep digging."

"Ain't no other way," Gibbs said, leaving the office.