CHAPTER 3

The agents reacted quickly. Ziva first to reach the body, she checked for a pulse but Gibbs had shot true, 2 bullets to the heart. Their only suspect was dead.

McGee looked around the body, "boss, I don't see a gun"

Tony joined him, also looking everywhere, "he's right boss, there's no gun"

Gibbs holstered his weapon, looking ashen "I saw a gun!"

His team were looking at him strangely and he didn't like that one bit, he turned on his heel and left the garage, ignoring Ducky and Palmer who had just arrived.

The three agents lingered at the crime scene long after Ducky and Palmer had left.

"Tony! What do we do?"

"About what, Ziva?"

"Gibbs, something is.." she struggled to find the word "..hinky"

"She's right Tony, he killed an unarmed man who was our only link into this case, a case where his DNA appears in the wounds of one of the victims, he wasn't even supposed to be here"

Tony glared at both of them "If the boss says he saw a gun, then he saw a gun"

"Then where is it?" Ziva demanded

Tony talked over her "his DNA was planted and he was here for a reason"

"Tony, we hate this as much as you do, but you have to face reality, something is not right here"

Tony shook his head "Let's just finish up here and get back to the office"

Back at the office Tony told McGee and Ziva to take the evidence down to the lab. He made his way up to the directors' office.

Vance's secretary was waiting for him "Go right in, he's been expecting you"

Without hesitation Tony opened the door, glancing quickly into the corner Gibbs usually sat in to avoid detection.

"He's not here, come in, sit down"

"Gibbs tell you what happened?"

"I want to hear it from you"

"There was no gun, I don't know what the boss thought he saw but it wasn't a gun. Thompson was our only lead, I don't think he was the killer, but he knew something, we'll turn over everything we can but…" Tony's voice trailed off.

"You think Gibbs knows more than he's telling?"

"Officially? Not a chance"

"Unofficially?"

Tony looked bereft of confidence "Unofficially, I don't know what to think, something is defiantly 'hinky'"

An uncomfortable silence descended on the room. Tony was the first to break "Where is the boss?"

Vance gave Tony an intense look "until this case is over, Gibbs is not your boss. Get the rest of your team up here"

Tony sat without moving, then mechanically he pulled out his cell. He called McGee who was still in the lab "Directors office, Tim, bring everyone"

In the few minutes it took for the others to arrive Tony sat still and tried to digest what Vance had said.

Vance wasted no time in telling the assembled team that they would not be seeing Gibbs again until the case was solved. He also made it clear that they were not to contact him in any way until that time. Lastly he ordered them to investigate, thoroughly, any link between Gibbs, Thompson and the case.

He was expecting a barrage of questions, of denials, of outrage that their precious boss had been taken away from them, but all he got was 4 pairs of eyes, looking at him uncomprehendingly.

Vance realised that they needed some time to process his bombshell, so he dismissed them, telling them that if any of them wanted to talk, his door was open. He knew that not one of them would take him up on the offer.

The team found themselves in the lab, they were all still shell shocked by the news their leader was, well, no longer their leader.

"Gibbs hasn't done anything wrong! Guys, come on, positive energy!" Abby tried to inject some life into the room.

She lifted her cell "I'm calling him"

Tony caught her hand before she could hit a key and shook his head.

Abby rounded on him "Tony! You can't seriously believe Gibbs is involved!"

Tony gathered her in to his arms whispering in her ear "We have to do this without him, Abs. He needs us, Gibbs needs you, to stay strong and prove Vance wrong, but we need to do it by the book"

Abby fought back her tears, nodded and snapped her cell closed.