Chapter 2
"Keep on him, Tim. I think we're closing in," Abby said, intent on her monitor.
Tim heard but didn't reply. All his attention was focused on hacking the direction of this money transfer. This case had taken several unexpected twists. At first, they had thought they were dealing with the blackmail of Lieutenant Browne; then, it had taken a more sinister turn when a petty officer had been killed. Tim and Abby had traced email messages to his email account, but when Gibbs and Tony had gone to the location Tim had indicated, all they had found was a man who had been dead for days. Evidence they had gathered there had turned the case onto money laundering with the result that Tim and Abby had been tracking the most recent transfer for the last two days, waiting for the culprit to reconnect and send the money.
"Almost there. We're headed back to the U.S. now," Tim mumbled. He had two levels of thought going on right now. First and foremost, he was tracking the money. However, this brought back memories of the case that had brought him to this team. That Navy Captain who had instigated his own family's kidnaping. It still made him feel ill when he thought about how panicked he'd been while watching the scene unfolding on the train; then, to have the followed by the revelation that a man would put his own family at risk for money. Hopefully, this case wouldn't end up the same way.
"Ooo, he's a sly one. He's just jumped from San Diego to Las Vegas," Abby said, gleefully. She looked up when he heard someone's footsteps. Anticipating Gibbs, she turned, and saw Ziva watching McGee with a look of vague distaste. Abby quickly turned back to her monitor. Tim had told her yesterday he was hoping to get to know Ziva better. To Abby, that meant that Tim liked her, at least in Geek-speak, whether he was aware of it or not. She didn't like the idea in the first place: Tim was her geek, after all. It was worse to see Ziva looking at him that way. She kept telling Tim not to waste his time on her, but he was determined.
"Got it! I got it, Abby! Here he is, in DC, just like we thought." Tim abruptly rejoined the real world and pointed at the little blip on his screen in excitement.
"Let's go, then, McGee."
Tim spun around in surprise. "Ziva! When did you get here?"
"A couple of minutes ago," she said drily. "We're supposed to check out the address. So let's go before he moves on."
"I thought you were still on desk duty," Abby said, suspiciously, annoyed at Ziva's obvious dislike for the assignment.
Ziva stared at Abby, surprised by the animosity in her tone. Tim was as well. "Gibbs said I was done with desk duty. Now, I'm with McGee and we need to go." She turned and walked toward the elevator without another word, leaving Tim to follow.
Tim smiled at Abby. "Well, time to go." He started to leave.
"Tim..."
He turned back. "Don't start, Abby. Ziva's part of the team, too."
Abby gave up. "Oh, just go. Otherwise, Ziva will make you walk."
Tim grinned again. "Bye, Abbs." He ran after Ziva and made into the elevator just before the doors closed.
"Don't even think about driving," Ziva said, staring straight ahead.
"Wouldn't dream of it." At least not if I wanted to walk without a limp, Tim finished silently.