Chapter 9
The Following Day -- The Search Continues
6:05p.m.
Ziva instructs several workers to vacate their working areas. Their computers buzz as the fans inside of them circulates.
The Corporate Center is stuffed full of wires, papers, fax machines, pens, pencils, computers, folders, bulletin boards, post-its, and wheel-y chairs.
She holds her gun tightly as her eyes search frantically for any means of escape the murderer might have taken.
6:17p.m.
Tony makes goggle-y eyes at the amount of books scattered around the library-like facility. He notices the Navy personnel hard at work.
He slightly feels sorry for them. Much of the workers on this end spend the majority of their time with their noses buried in books.
The temptation to win over a few females in the room skitter across his mind, but he knows he should stick to the case.
That's what the government pays him for after-all.
6:31p.m
The sun is setting straight ahead. The men and women that operate the Shipyard are packing their belongings for it is the end of their shift.
Gibbs feels a slight breeze behind him. Whipping around he holds his gun trained on a pigeon that decided to land on a wooden stoop.
He rolls his eyes and shakes his free hand in the general area of the bird. The bird flaps its winds as it makes a sound.
Gibbs begins to walk, but he feels another breeze. Stopping with one foot in front of the other, he waits while he listens.
6:48p.m.
McGee phones Tony as he peers through the large in-door windows of the Research Park.
"Probie we're in the middle of tracking a murderer!"
"Is that why you're leaning against a bookshelf fingering through books that contain words you've probably never even seen before?"
Tony straightens himself as his fingers fall from the books.
"Nobody likes a spy, Probie." He looks around for his partner. "Gibbs catches us and we're dead!" He says into the phone while he motions a 'knife to his throat' signal in McGee's direction.
"Take it easy." McGee walks casually into the Park. "I've got to make a stop at the Men's room--"
"Rashes again?"
McGee's face falls into a glare.
"Maybe you should see a doctor."
"Alright Tony enough of your insults. Just alert the others if they pass through here."
"I will not!" He shifts one eyebrow. "Do you want me to get my ass kicked because of you?"
"It'd be the first time."
"Never gonna happen Probie. Besides, we're supposed to head to the F-D department."
"F-D?"
"Future Development. Come on! Work with me, Probie!" He says quickly. "Take care of your business and meet me there."
"Yes, Tony." McGee tosses as he finds his way into the Men's room.
7:00p.m.
The boards of the shipyard creak with every step Gibbs takes. He curses the boards beneath his feet, but he appreciates the water and it's view from where he is standing.
Search lights come on. They circle around in their usual way as the night-time ritual begins.
Through the side of his right eye he catches something glisten. Turning his head a bit, he squints; his poor eye-sight beginning to take place.
The light from the fallen sun touches the silver of a rectangular box.
Stepping closer, he keeps his gun pointed at the object.
The air around him is dead. The slight breeze that once blew around him is suddenly gone.
"NCIS!" Gibbs yells his identity. "Come out with your hands up!"
Nothing moves, not even the air.
He continues to approach the flickering light that rides left and right on the silver object.
Squinting again he notices a bucket and a mop. Putting his gun down and showing a face of slight foolishness, he takes a moment to himself. Once he is through, he attacks the cart with his hands until he uncovers three bottles of anti-freeze.
The look in his eyes intensify.
7:14p.m.
Running past the front of the tower, the search lights follow his figure seconds behind. He rushes up the walkway of the entry and pounds on the secure door.
Security shows his face through the tiny window on the door.
"NCIS!" Gibbs flashes his badge.
The security guard opens the door and stands there for further inquiry.
"There's a cleaning cart on your dock--who does it belong to?" Gibbs can hear himself shouting.
"Jeffery Dommers, why?"
"Where'd he go?!" Gibbs is fierce.
"Ten minutes ago he said he'd be right back."
"Any idea where he could have gone?"
"Bathroom, cafeteria…" The guard shrugs.
Without a thanks, Gibbs flee's the scene.
7:28p.m.
"Tony!" Ziva calls for him as she notices him from behind.
"Are you and McGee trying to get me fired?" He doesn't wait for an answer as he begins his made-up scenario. "I bet it was a plan from the start. Finish your respected areas with a less than thorough yet thoughtful search and then hightail it to DiNozzo. That's me!" He points to his face with his two fingers. "Then boss man finds out that we're together instead of meeting at the F-D department--"
"F-D?" Ziva cuts him off
He stares at her and wonders why she look as if everything else he said wasn't important or worth a decent listen.
"…Future Developments." He says flatly.
"Oh." She goes along with him. "Let's get McGee and find Gibbs."
"Probie's taking a potty break--a long one at that…" His eyebrows knit. "Been gone at least ten minutes."
"Ten minutes and you couldn't find Future Developments?"
"I don't have a map." He argues defensively.
Ziva points to a grid lit up in the center of the area they are in.
"I knew that." He says somewhat lowly.
Ziva grins at his lie, but does not say anything more.
The shrill of Tony's phone snaps them both out of their comfortable silence.
"It's Gibbs, don't make him a sound. I don't want him knowing you're here and if McGee shows up behind me, shoot him before he opens his mouth."
"Tony!"
"You don't have to kill him!"
"Tony!"
"Okay! A hand signal will most likely silence him."
"Answer the phone!"
Her voice is loud and it draws the attention of a few workers and visitors.
"Tony Di--"
"Get to the cafeteria!"
"Which one?" Tony eyes the grid-map lit in front of him. "There's like five of them."
"All of them!" Gibbs catches his breath. "I'm scoping out the bathrooms."
Tony wants to ask him why, but he knows better.
"McGee's in the bathroom…one of them at least. Want me to call him?"
"Don't worry about him, just get to the cafeteria's."
Tony waits for further instructions , but his line goes dead.
Within seconds Ziva's cell phone ring pierces the air with a steel knife.
"Deaf, are we?" Tony rudely questions before fleeing the scene.
"Ziva, it's Gibbs."
She wait's a moment as she thinks about his introduction. He very seldom politely introduced himself when taking to his team members.
"I don't want to take any chances. Cover the women bathrooms."
"You've found our suspect?"
"It's likely." He pants. "Go!"
She follows her orders as soon as her cell phone reaches the clip at her side.
8:01p.m.
Gibbs reaches for his cell phone and dials the number to the last Agent he hired for his team; McGee.
The ringing of the phone sends jolts to the pit of his stomach when he realizes McGee isn't going to answer.
He can't answer.
McGee's in trouble.
