Chapter 3

"There was someone here, Boss. Look at these batteries," Tony said as he held up the discarded double As. "Think it was McGee?"

Gibbs looked up and down the river. The small bloodstains they had found on the rocks had made them all worried. "It was certainly someone. The question is where did he go."

"The trail leads to the river. How can we track him from there?"

"We have to guess." Gibbs climbed over the rocks to the river bank where Tim had gone into the river. "Where would McGee go?"

"Back to the crash site, for sure. That's upstream. He'd want to join up with us."

"So, did he fall?"

"Well, that's what I'd assume. The great outdoors isn't really McGee's area of expertise, and that cliff edge does come up rather abruptly."

"Hmmm..." Gibbs look at the footprints in the sandy bank. Tim wasn't an expert at avoiding detection, that much was obvious, but it seemed that he was injured as well. There was something more. Something they didn't know.

"Do you want to split up, Boss?" Tony asked. Gibbs didn't answer. "Gibbs?"

"What, Tony?"

"Should we split up?"

Gibbs considered. Ziva was with the park ranger. They could head back to the site and watch for Tim. Henson, the ranger, could call for some help in tracking Tim's whereabouts. That would take care of upstream. He and Tony could go downstream and see if they could find him that direction.

He pulled out his radio. "Ziva."

"Yes, Gibbs?"

"You and Henson head back to the crash. Watch for any sign of McGee on the way."

"Did you find something?"

"Batteries and a bloodstain. Tony and I will head downstream. Once you get back, check in with us and then call for a search team."

"What do you think happened?"

"Who knows?"

"Right." Ziva signed off and turned to Jack Henson. "Did you hear?"

"Yes," Jack said. As they headed back to the crash site, he commented, "This isn't a good part of the park to get lost in."

"Why not?"

"There aren't any hiking trails. It's a protected area; so there's no fishing allowed and only limited logging. He's unlikely to run into someone to help him. That's one of the reasons this wreck was so hard to get to. Is your man experienced?"

Ziva smirked. "He's experienced with computers, not with nature."

"Hopefully, that means that he'll be found quickly. Otherwise, it's a bad sign."

Ziva nodded. They reached the site half an hour later. Once again, she was amazed at how little the fire had damaged. The plane had crashed into a dense forest and yet not started a raging wildfire. Jack had said they were lucky. The Intermountain West had been hit with a drought the last few years and often a single match could end up burning hundreds of thousands of acres.

She looked around at the other workers and then at the plane itself. They were just getting all the bodies out now. No survivors and the cargo was missing. That had been why NCIS had been called out in the first place. Sensitive Navy cargo missing, presumed stolen from a mysterious plane crash. The local police had no desire to be in charge, and Ziva was beginning to understand the feeling. This was a mess... and now McGee was missing as well.

She pulled out her radio. "Gibbs?"

The radio crackled. "Are you at the site, Ziva?"

"Yes. Any sign of McGee?"

"Not yet, but DiNozzo will be needing dry clothes when we get back."

She grinned. "I copy that. You need the search team?"

"Probably. Let me talk to Henson."

Ziva looked over at Jack. "Henson! Gibbs needs to speak with you."

Jack came over and took the radio. "Yes, Agent Gibbs?"

"Are there any search and rescue people on your team?"

"Yes. Every one of them is certified and most have actual experience."

"Okay. Here's what I want to do. Leave the least experienced members at the site to continue cleaning up, and send your most experienced down to the river and start searching it upstream and downstream. We'll search as long as possible and meet back up at the site."

"Agent Gibbs, it's been almost a full day since Agent McGee went missing... do you want to know the odds?"

"No," Gibbs said curtly. "I don't care about the odds. I care about finding my agent."

"Yes, sir." Jack handed the radio back to Ziva and went off to marshal the other rangers.

"Anything else, Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

"Yes. I think McGee is running, although I have no idea why he didn't head back to camp."

"He could have been disoriented."

"Disoriented enough to forget that we are upstream, not down? Not even McGee would be that disoriented. There's something more."

"I agree. Do wish me to join in the search?"

"No. We need someone from NCIS at the site to keep track of things."

"I am to be a babysitter?"

"For now, yes, Officer David."

"Fine, Gibbs."

Gibbs shut off the radio with a sardonic grin at Ziva's lack of enthusiasm. It was going to be rough going through these trees. He took off his jacket. Even in the mountains, it was pretty hot for a black jacket. He looked over at Tony who was still nursing his bruised ego...as well as his bruised knee.

"Let's head out, Tony."

"Right, Boss." Tony removed his jacket as well and tied it around his waist. Then, he stood and squelched after Gibbs, embarrassed by his slip in the middle of the river.