Chapter Three

Back in The Bullpen

The mood was really low that morning in the bullpen. Every one was in grief. Tony, Ziva, and McGee were all working at their desks when Gibbs came out of the elevator and walked towards his desk.

"What do we got," ordered Gibbs.

"The Camero that belonged to the suspect who killed the Petty Officer and his wife also belonged to the person who shot Abby," Ziva said.

"The guys name is Erick Red," Tony added as he brought up the suspects' picture on the monitor.

As McGee glared at the picture, rage swept through his body.

"He's already wanted," Tony continued, "for drug trafficking, murder and theft. He blew a yacht that belonged to his rivals, while two of his cousin were still on it."

"Apparently," Ziva said, "he was having a meeting with couple of local gang at the motel."

"The last people who were with him were these two guys," Tony said putting up two more pictures on the monitor, "James Drake and Johnny Briggs."

Gibbs then turned to McGee.

"What info did you get from his home computer, McGee?"

"I was about to check his file and emails," McGee said.

"About to," questionedGibbs .

"I had a little trouble hacking into it. It just been slow work." McGee said.

"Well try to work a little faster. You got that," ordered Gibbs.

Gibbs was just about to turn and walk towards desk when McGee slammed his hands on his desk, and got up from his chair.

"Look," McGee yelled, "this shit hard, and I'm trying to work as fast as I can, SO GET OF MY BACK!"

The whole room fell dead silent.

Nobody has ever snapped at Gibbs like that before. No one even dreamed of snapping at Gibbs. All four were shocked. Both Tony and Ziva stared, with their mouths open, at Gibbs and McGee waiting to see what will happen next.

"I'm-I'm sorry," McGee finally said, looking at the floor, "I didn't mean t-to snap at you like that, boss. I-I'll continue working in the lab."

And with that he walked over to the elevator taking out his pill bottle. He got in the elevator, swallowed another pill and let the doors close behind him. After a few moments, Tony went after him. Ziva looked at Gibbs, who looked back at her with a concerned face on him. Both knew the reason to why McGee was so stressed.

"Hey Probie," called out Tony when he reached Abby's lab.

McGee was sitting at one of the tables with his head down. He put his head up when he saw Tony come into the lab.

"What do you want Tony," McGee asked.

"What happened up there?"

"I don't want to talk about it Tony."

Just then Tony noticed McGee hand, which was cut up from last night.

"Jeez, what happened to your hand?"

"Leave me alone Tony." McGee said, who was now getting angry.

At that moment Ziva walked into the lab and walked up to Tony and McGee.

"Come on Tony," Ziva said, "Leave

McGee alone."

" Hold on," Tony said, "Talk to me, McGee."

"I don't want to talk, Tony," McGee said.

"Well, I'm not leaving till we talk," Tony Said.

Just then McGee jumped up from his chair and punched Tony in the face, Knocking Tony to the floor.

"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT." McGee yelled furiously.

Ziva gasped as she saw this. McGee and Tony gazed at each other, both in shock.

"I'm-I'm sorry Tony." McGee said as he was shaking, "I-I

Don't know w-what came over me."

Ziva walked in between Tony, who was getting up from the floor, his hand on his cheek where McGee hit him, and McGee.

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off," Ziva told McGee. "I'll tell Gibbs you went home."

"Alright," McGee said.

As he walked towards the elevator, he took out the pill bottle again and opened them, dropping a couple of them on the floor.

He took no notice though as he popped a pill in his mouth and got in the elevator.

"Son of a bitch, that hurt," Tony complained, rubbing his cheek.

In the elevator, McGee mind was still troubled. He didn't know what was happening to him. Thoughts of punching Tony, yelling at Gibbs and Abby lying on the hospital bed. He really wanted to get Abby's shooter. Just when he reached the ground floor, an idea suddenly popped in his head. He smiled as he thought out a plan. Instead of stepping out of the elevator, he pushed a button for another floor. He started to chuckle as the elevator doors closed.

Xxx

"DiNozzo, what happened to you," Gibbs asked.

Back in the bullpen Ziva and Tony were going to their desk when Gibbs noticed the fresh bruise.

"McGee timed him," answered Ziva.

"What?"

"The expression is clocked, Ziva," Tony said correcting her, "McGee clocked me."

"Whatever."

"Why'd he do that," Gibbs asked.

"Tony made him angry," Ziva answered, "So I told him to take the rest of the day to clear his mind.

"He needs more of these pills, that's what it is." Tony said taking the pills that McGee dropped in the lab out of his pocket.

"Jesus," Gibbs said under his breath.

Just then Gibbs phone rang.

"Gibbs," he answered.

Tony and Ziva watched him expecting another case.

"What? How," Gibbs said talking to the person on the phone, "do you know who did it? Alright, I be right there,"

At that he hung up the phone and reached in his drawer and pulled his gun out.

"Tony, Ziva," he ordered rushing towards the elevator, "grab your guns and come with me. Someone just broke into the weapons locker.

"Who," Tony and Ziva both asked grabbing their guns and following Gibbs.

"We're about to find out," Gibbs answered as the elevator door closed.

When they reached the room that contains the weapons they barged in with their guns drawn but nobody was inside. Then a security guard entered the room.

"Anything taken," Gibbs asked the guard.

"A few hand guns, couple shotguns, and a bunch of ammunition" replied the guard.

"Dammit,"

"We caught the person on tape but we haven't looked at it yet."

"Alright lets check it out."

The guard led Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva to the security room where another guard inserted a tape into a VCR and pushed PLAY. Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva all watched the on a monitor the weapons rooms' door open and McGee entering with a black duffel bag in his hand.

"No way. That can't be McGee," Tony said as he saw him stuff guns and bullets in the bag.

But sure enough it was McGee. At that moment Ziva noticed McGee on another monitor that was showing what was happening at the underground parking lot as it was happening.

"Look," she said pointing at the monitor.

Everyone turned to the monitor to see McGee walking to his car holding the duffel bag on his shoulder by the strap.

"Send somebody to stop him," Gibbs told the guard as he saw McGee open the trunk, stuff the duffel bag in it and close the trunk.

Then he walked up to Gibbs' car that was next to his, pulled out a gun and shot out its' front and rear tires.

"Son of a bitch," Gibbs yelled.

As Gibbs was turning to leave the room he noticed on the monitor a guard pulling out his gun and aiming it at McGee, obviously yelling freeze. McGee, who had his back to the guard, raised his hands and dropped his gun as to surrender. The guard walked up to McGee and was pulling a pair of handcuffs when McGee suddenly turned around knocked the gun out of the guards' hands with one hand and punched the guard with the other in the face knocking him out.

Then McGee picked up his and the guard's gun, putting them in his pocket, got in his car and drove off.

Every looked at the monitor in shock.

"What's happening to McGee," Tony asked.

Just then Gibbs remembered the pills that McGee has been taking.

"Tony, do you still have those pills McGee dropped," he asked Tony.

Tony nodded and pulled out the pills from his pocket.

"Take them to a lab to be analyzed," Gibbs ordered.

"Why," Tony asked.

"My gut is telling me something," Gibbs told him, "Ziva, you come with me. We got to stop McGee before he hurts someone or himself."