Jimmy Palmer checked his suitcase one last time. He had everything. He stared sadly at the colorful sportswear he wouldn't be wearing at that honeymoon resort in the Bahamas. By this time tomorrow, he would be back in his scrubs at NCIS. He glanced at his watch. Their flight left in a little over three hours. They'd have to be going before too much longer. Maybe he'd better call Dr. Mallard and see if he was ready to go.
Breena sat watching him sadly. They had gotten married just a few hours ago. Her family hadn't been happy about moving up the ceremony, after all the wedding and reception arrangements hadn't been cheap, but they understood. Jimmy was leaving today and she would soon follow. Jimmy had insisted she spend some time with her extended family before coming home to D.C. She had reluctantly agreed. Suddenly her phone rang. She glanced at it, then with a sigh answered.
"Yes, Mom?" She frowned. "What? Are you sure?" Jimmy glanced at her as she leapt to her feet and grabbed the TV remote. A moment later they stood gaping at the image of the ruined remains of the NCIS building. A newscaster was standing outside the building, his face grim. Behind him, scores of emergency vehicles and personnel were scrambling around.
"As reported earlier, a powerful car bomb has been detonated outside of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. We have no reports regarding casualties, but from what we can see from here, they have been heavy. The bomb took out the entire front of the building. We understand that people were being evacuated from the building just prior to the explosion, but at the moment, we have no idea how many people may have still been inside when the bomb went off. We still have no idea who set the bomb or why. Terrorists are suspected but as of yet, no one has claimed responsibility."
Jimmy's mouth hung open as he stared at the building. He went there every day. It was like his second home. His legs went out from under him and he collapsed onto the edge of the bed still staring at the image on the screen. How could this have happened? The answer came immediately. Dearing. He must have set the bomb. Jimmy's mouth went dry. What of his friends? Abby? Gibbs? Were any of them still alive. He closed his eyes feeling sick. Dr. Mallard! He turned to Breena, his voice urgent.
"Breena, I have to find Dr. Mallard. I have to let him know what's happened."
"He told me he was going walking on the beach." Breena stared at her new husband feeling so helpless. Jimmy had been devastated that his friends from NCIS had been unable to come to the wedding, but he'd understood. He couldn't tell her much about what was going on, just that there was very dangerous nutcase threatening not only the Navy but NCIS. Obviously, he was as dangerous as Jimmy had feared. She glanced at the TV again. Were his friends all right? They were like his family and the loss of any one of them would be hard. This was not an auspicious start to their marriage.
Jimmy leapt to his feet and darted from the room. He suddenly had sense of extreme urgency. He had to find Dr. Mallard right away. He was extremely worried about his mentor. How would take this? He had many friends among the men and women who worked for NCIS. Dr. Mallard was not a young man, despite his seeming never-ending energy. Jimmy knew Dr. Mallard would insist on being in charge of all autopsies. Could he handle it? He would need Jimmy more than ever.
Jimmy reached the beach and scanned the area. The skies were gray, a storm that had held off for the ceremony now threated to unleash its fury. The waves were large and smashed against the beach with a vengeance. Where could the doctor be? Jimmy ran farther out and stared first in one direction, than the other. He saw no one strolling along the beach. The wind whipped the sand into his face. Could the doctor have returned to his room? As Jimmy turned, he noticed a dark shape huddled on the edge of the water. At first, he thought it was a bag of trash but his stomach fell as he identified it as a body.
"Dr. Mallard!" Jimmy screamed as he sprinted across the sand. Dr. Mallard was supposed to be safe. He wasn't in Washington. He hadn't gotten blown up. What could have happened? Jimmy flung himself down onto the sand beside the barely conscious Dr. Mallard. Quickly assessing the situation, Jimmy knew the doctor had suffered a heart attack.
Dr. Mallard opened his eyes for a brief moment. He opened his mouth, trying to talk. He weakly pawed at Jimmy's arm. "NCIS…bomb…"
"Yes, Doctor, I know, please, don't talk! You're going to be fine."
Jimmy frantically searched his pockets for his cell phone, not noticing the doctor's, lying open on the sand. He punched in 911, gave the dispatcher the information then quickly began CPR. He'd be damned if Dr. Mallard died on his wedding day. "Don't you dare die, Doctor!" panted Jimmy. "Don't you dare!"
"Jimmy! Oh my, god, Jimmy, what's happened?"
Jimmy barely noticed Breena's presence beside him. "Heart attack," he grunted. "Watch for the ambulance." Breena nodded then hurried back up the beach to watch for the help that was on its way. Jimmy thought he could just make out the sound of the sirens above the wind and the crash of the waves.
"Please, Dr. Mallard," Jimmy whispered, "Please don't leave me."
xxxxxxxxxxx
Gibbs struggled through the smoke that roiled down the stairwell. His face covered with the breathing mask, his breath rasped abnormally loud in his ears. He counted the floors until at last he reached the door leading to the squad room. He yanked open the door and immediately the smoke cleared. He turned and stared at the gaping hole that used to be the outside wall.
A group of voices nearby caused him to turn. Several people were huddled in front of the elevator. Gibbs ripped off his mask and joined them. "What's going on?"
"Agent Gibbs," said a man Gibbs recognized as Agent Carson. Like himself, Carson was a former marine and had experience in working in bombed out buildings. "Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David are trapped in the elevator between floors. We've got a guy working on the mechanism to try and get them up to here so we can get them out."
Gibbs felt himself go weak with relief. He'd been so scared. He didn't like to admit it, but he cared about his agents more than he'd ever thought possible. "Are they all right?"
Carson shrugged. "Ask them yourself. They can hear you."
Gibbs approached the open door to the elevator shaft. He could see the car several feet below. There was a gaping hole in the top where debris had crashed through. "Tony! Are you and Ziva all right?"
A moment later, a bloodstained Tony peered up through the hole, a broad grin spread across his face. "Boss! You're okay!"
Gibbs gave him a relieved smile in return. "Yeah I'm fine, but what about you two?"
Tony lifted a hand to his head. "Got knocked in the head and Ziva's arm is broken, but we'll live." Tony swayed but quickly steadied himself. "What about Abby and McGee? They okay?"
"Abby's fine." Gibbs hesitated. "I'm still looking for McGee."
Tony was now joined by a pale Ziva. "You have not found McGee?" There was real fear in her voice.
"Not yet, but I'm sure he's fine." Gibbs was not sure of anything of the sort but he had to say something.
"We'll be okay, Boss," said Tony directly meeting Gibbs' gaze. "Go find Tim."
Gibbs nodded then turned back to Carsons. A paramedic stood nearby. "You take good care of them, Tom."
"Don't worry, Gibbs. We will. DiNozzo owes me twenty bucks."
Gibbs now turned his attention to the charnel house that had once been the squad room. Bodies lay strewn amongst the wreckage. A couple of paramedics were going from body to body trying to find the ones that still lived. It didn't seem there were many.
Vance had said this was the last place he'd seen McGee so it made sense to check here first. Gibbs prayed he wouldn't find him here. After the devastation wrought by the explosion, the chances of finding Tim still alive were slim.
Slowly, Gibbs went from body to body, checking each face. He knew each and every one of these people. He had worked with them all to one degree or another over the years. He tamped down his emotions. He couldn't let them get the better of him. It was a trick he'd learned in the marines. You had to detach yourself from your feelings to get through something like this. Still, he couldn't fully push back the fear that he'd find that one face more familiar than the rest.
It was an arduous task. A few of the victims were buried under piles of soaking wet debris. The firefighters had done their job well. Gibbs started at one of the room and methodically checked every body he came across. Some, were already covered by black tarps, others he had to clear away debris to examine. He found none alive. Then he heard a shout.
Gibbs turned and looked over his shoulder. He saw a young paramedic kneeling beside another prostrate form. He was signaling his partner. He'd found a live one. It was first since Gibbs had begun his search. He hurried over just as the paramedic was settling an oxygen mask on the victim's bloodied face. But this time, it wasn't just any victim, it was McGee.