Tony edged slowly down the side of the old warehouse; his back pressed flat against the brickwork.

He knew Kate was right behind him.

And Gibbs?

Well, Gibbs had shot off up a staircase, a staircase so old it shook dangerously as he shot up the rickety steps, Sig in hand.

Kate tapped his hand with her fingers, drawing his attention to her.

Tony turned his head and she signalled that the corner coming up was to be taken carefully.

Tony rolled his eyes at her and nodded in what he hoped was a sarcastic enough gesture.

Jeez! Did Kate think he was McGee?

The two agents softly made their way to the corner.

Tony held up his hand and looked at Kate.

'On three?' he mouthed.

Kate nodded.

Tony held up his hand and held up his fingers.

One.

Two.

Three!

Both agents spun round the corner - firearms at the ready.

The alley was empty.

"What?!" Tony dropped his pistol and scanned the narrow alleyway.

"Where the hell is he?" Kate asked in exasperated tones.

Her radio crackled.

"Kate. DiNozzo. Top floor now!" Gibbs harsh tone sounded and the radio fell silent again.

Tony and Kate shot off back the way they had come, charging up the staircase their boss had taken and followed the landing walkway to a metal ladder that led to the roof.

"Ladies first." Tony stepped back.

Kate rolled her eyes and held out her hand.

"No, please DiNozzo."

"Well, if you insist..." Tony placed his foot on the ladder and began to climb.

As he did he heard Kate say something.

"What? Sorry, didn't catch that?" he asked, looking down the ladder at her climbing after him.

"I said, 'age before beauty'!" Kate told him.

"Hey!!" Tony paused in mid climb.

"Tony! Keep going!"

"We'll talk about that later!" Tony told her and continued to climb up. He paused as he reached the open hatch.

"DiNozzo! You gonna hang there all day or what?" Gibbs barked from nearby.

"Comin' Boss!" Tony swung out of the hatch, blinking in the sun.

He paused to help Kate out of the hatchway, then both agents armed themselves and made their way across the rooftop to Gibbs.

"You took your time." he grunted at them.

"The perp took off and we followed him, Gibbs. What did you want us to do? Take a gentle stroll in the opposite direction?" Kate told him, her eyes never stopping as she scanned the rooftop.

"Yeah, he took off down the alley, but he was heading for that," Gibbs indicated the opposite building roof and the small hut perched there.

"So why are we here?" Kate asked him.

"Because he thinks he's lost us."

"And how do we know he hasn't?"

"Because, DiNozzo, I saw him scuttle in there not five minutes ago!"

"Oh. Good call. Boss."

"Thank you." Gibbs gave him one of his myriad of snarky looks.

"So what now?" Kate asked.

"We watch. And wait." Gibbs told her.

"But not in the open?" Tony asked.

"Well, I don't know DiNozzo, I thought I might set up a coupla deck chairs, get a barbeque and few beers up here to while the time away!" Gibbs rolled his eyes and moved towards a large air conditioning unit, "And watch your step, this roof is unstable."

"Yes Boss." Tony followed meekly.

The three agents perched uncomfortably on the asphalt rooftop watching the small shack for signs of movement.

Time crept past. The sun got hotter. Their perp stayed put.

After what seemed an interminable amount of time, the door of the shack swung open and Petty Officer Giles Mason stepped out, carrying a rucksack containing a laptop, which he had been using to hack into the Pentagon with.

And an AK-47 assault rifle.

Gibbs leapt up and assumed the position.

"Mason! Freeze!"

Kate and Tony followed suit.

"Federal agents!" Kate shouted.

"You are so under arrest, Mason!" Tony took careful aim.

The Petty Officer spun round, shocked by his welcoming committee.

"NCIS, Mason! Freeze!" Gibbs reiterated.

"You and whose army?!" Mason shouted back.

"Oh, I don't need an army, Petty Officer - however you are gonna need all the help you can get!" Gibbs told him.

Mason's reply was to raise the AK-47 and open fire. The agents scattered.

Gibbs found a vent to duck behind, and Kate shot back behind their original hiding place.

Tony was left out in the open and he ran, zig-zagging and ducking to avoid the bullets missing him by mere inches.

He saw Gibbs beckon to him and he changed direction, heading for the safety of the metal air vent.

He heard a single gunshot and there was a pause in the fire coming from the opposite rooftop.

Tony stopped and looked as Kate stood up and took what Tony thought must be her second shot at Mason.

Mason, was standing open mouthed on the rooftop, looking down at the red stain spreading across his white shirt.

Kate's second shot hit his left arm, and Mason spun round as the force of the bullet hit him.

As he fell to the ground, he let off a final salvo of bullets, arcing into the sky wildly.

Then silence.

Gibbs strode past Tony, patting him on the shoulder as he did. "Nice footwork, DiNozzo."

"Er, thanks. Boss."

Kate stood up and was putting her gun away in her hip holster.

"Nice shot, Kate." Gibbs nodded in approval.

"Thanks, Gibbs. I saw my shot and took it. Well, them."

"Second one was a bit off though." Gibbs allowed himself a grin and marched across the rooftop.

At the hatch he stopped and looked behind him at his younger colleagues.

"Well? You two gonna stand there all day?"

Kate shook her head and she and Tony walked towards Gibbs.

"Talk about damned with faint praise." Kate said.

"Oh, I know! Still, I thought I was pretty good as a decoy. Y'know? Drawing his fire so you could get your shot in?" Tony told her.

"Decoy? Tony - you were dancing like a loon out there!"

"Kate! Please! You mean you didn't appreciate my fancy footwork?" Tony stepped back in mock dismay.

As he did, he felt the roof give out under him.

"Tony!" Kate cried and reached for him.

But it was too late.

Tony didn't even have time to throw himself flat, to try and save himself. His feet went clear through the ageing roof, and the rest of him followed...