CHAPTER 16

They all looked at each other, indecision evident on every face.

Still holding Abby, Gibbs barked orders, "Abby stays here with me, you all go to the crime scene, send everything to the outside lab and tell Vance I want to see him, here, immediately"

The team took off while Gibbs tried his best to calm Abby down.

They stopped off at the office to collect the Autopsy wagon, Tony ran up to the directors office to tell him about the latest victim, where it was and to pass on Gibbs message. He didn't wait for a response before he ran out and back into the waiting car.

Tony looked at the latest victim, displayed prominently in Abby's living room. He let out a sigh "I don't need a file to tell me about this one, Ducky. My first case with Gibbs, his daughter was selling drugs around base, a bad batch killed 4 people before we stopped her. This guy took it hard, couldn't believe his little girl could do such a thing"

McGee and Ziva were collecting evidence and photos from the rest of the apartment. Every room had been destroyed. "We can't ever let her come back here" McGee murmured. "I agree McGee, we must keep as much of this from her as possible."

When the evidence had been collected and the body removed, the three agents went looking for any witnesses not really expecting to get anywhere. They were shocked therefore when Abby's neighbour could describe in great detail the victim who had arrived late the previous evening, along with a somewhat less detailed description of the man and woman he was with.

Vance drove carefully to Gibbs place, alone. Parking up he entered the house quickly, finding Gibbs hovering over a sleeping Abby.

"Gibbs"

"Leon, what the hell is going on?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing?"

"Patrick Gow, what's the story?"

"Gow? Gow is behind all this?" Vance was incredulous.

"Maybe, what's the story?"

Vance sat down "To give you the highlights, the smuggling ring he was 'investigating', they were smuggling children into the US, selling them into a porn ring run by some of our less honourable service men and one very less than honourable woman. This woman turned out to be sleeping with Gow, that's what I reported him for, he should have been arrested, he screwed up the entire case!"

"That's great Leon, but it doesn't explain why the hell he's coming after me and my team!"

Vance shook his head "I don't know Gibbs, I wish I did"