CHAPTER 2

All heads turned as Gibbs strode back into the bull pen. Abby, alerted by a telephone call from McGee, had come up from her lab to wait with the rest of the team. They had been curious when their leader had headed up to Director Vance's office, and that curiosity doubled when Ziva was called away.

"What's up boss?" Tony was the first to ask.

"Until further notice, we're on protection detail," Gibbs responded shortly.

"Protection detail?" McGee was surprised. That was the last thing he had expected.

"Yes, McGee, protection detail." Gibbs proceeded to fill his team in on what was happening.

"Where's Anya now?"

Gibbs turned to look at Abby. He was slightly surprised to see his forensic scientist in the room. However, her presence gave him an idea. Being Goth might give her something in common with Anya so that the girl might be willing to open up to Abby. Plus, there weren't very many people who could withstand Abby's charm once she got started.

"She's with Ziva getting something to eat. Abs, why don't you call Ziva and find out where they are and go join them. Maybe see if you can't get Anya to open up some."

Abby saluted, "on it, boss." Glad to be useful, she pulled out her cell phone to do as she had been asked.

Turning back to McGee and Tony, Gibbs continued. "McGee see what you can find out about Vladimir Lubivich and the FBI's investigation into him. Tony, see what you can find out about Anya. While you're at it, see what you can dig up on FBI Special Agent Amy Dawson." Gibbs had considered contacting his friend, Tobias Fornell, a senior agent with the FBI, to get information. But, he quickly decided to hold that particular card in reserve. "I have a feeling there's more to this than I've been led to believe."

Down in the cafeteria, things weren't going quite as well as Anya had hoped. Ziva hadn't let her out of her sight. The woman had even accompanied her into the restroom and stood at the door until she was finished.

When Anya had refused to make a food selection while going through the cafeteria line, Ziva randomly picked a sandwich and side salad. "You will eat that or I will force feed you," Ziva quietly threatened once they were seated at a table in the far side of the nearly empty dining room. Anya had no doubt the woman would and could carry out her threat.

The two were sitting in silent animosity when Ziva's cell phone rang. Anya half listened to Ziva's side of the quick conversation while trying to come up with a plan on how to escape. She remembered Gibbs, not only the spanking he'd alluded to earlier, but the good memories of ice cream and laughter. After Lubivich's attempt on her life while she was supposed to be protected by the FBI, she wasn't sure she could trust anyone to keep her safe, even him. To her mind, her only chance for survival was to disappear. And in order to do that, she had to get away from NCIS and the FBI. But, she knew that wasn't going to be easy. When she wasn't able to come up with an immediate solution, she turned her attention back to Ziva's side of the telephone conversation and was surprised when she heard the women tell whoever was on the other end of the conversation their location in the cafeteria.

Anya was even more surprised few minutes later at the other women who bounced up to their table. The woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties, had pitch black hair like her own. But where Anya wore her long hair loose, hers was worn in braided pig-tails. A spider web tattoo was visible on her neck above her studded dog collar, and the red t-shirt she wore was covered in miniature skulls and cross bones.

"Hi, Ziva." Abby slid into a chair at the table. She held hand out to Anya and introduced herself. After seeing Anya, Abby was sure she knew why Gibbs had sent her down here. He probably figured her Gothic appearance would give Anya something to connect with. And, after what she had heard, Abby was sure the teenager could use a friend.

"Hi, I'm Abby. You must be Anya. Gibbs sent me down here to keep you company. Although, I think he'd getting pretty anxious for you to return upstairs. Believe me, Gibbs isn't known for his patience. In fact, he prowls around my lab like a tiger while he's waiting for test results. I'm a forensic scientist, by the way."

Anya just stared. She couldn't believe how Abby was just rattling on. It didn't seem as if the woman had paused to take a breath. Ziva acted like nothing was out of the ordinary, and even managed to comment a time or two on Abby's running commentary.

"I know you're probably scared half to death, but Gibbs will keep you safe. He's like super-Gibbs or something. Nobody'll be able to get past him." Abby leaned forward as though what she was going to say next was a secret she wanted to share only with Anya. "Don't let Gibbs' growl fool you. He's really a nice guy." She glanced over at Ziva, who had given a short, derisive laugh.

"I think you would do better to tell her to behave and do whatever it is that Gibbs tells her. He can be very formidable when he is angry, no?"

Anya was a little amazed at the two women's conversation. She didn't know what she had expected, but it certainly hadn't been this.

"Speaking of doing what you have been told," Ziva interrupted her train of thought. "You need to eat that." She pointed to the sandwich and salad. "Gibbs will not be happy if I have to report that you disobeyed me."

"Boss, I've found something." McGee's statement interrupted the silence in the room and immediately brought Gibbs to attention.

"You going to keep me waiting?" he demanded when the computer expert wasn't immediately forthcoming

"According to the FBI file I accessed, Vladimir Lubivich, was a low level enforcer with the Russian mafia who worked his way up to the head of the organization's drug trade in the D.C. area." McGee paused to put a picture of Lubivich on the viewing screen. "He's suspected in at least five drug related murders, including the one Anya overheard him discussing." He paused and turned to look at Gibbs before continuing. "Boss, other than the mole the FBI has in Lubivich's organization, the only evidence they have linking him to any of the suspected murders is Anya's testimony."

Gibbs nodded. "What about Agent Dawson?"

"I've got this one, Probie," Tony punched a few keys on his computer keyboard and the picture of Vladimir Lubivich was replaced by one of FBI Special Agent Amy Dawson. "Special Agent Amy Dawson is originally from a small town in southeastern Kentucky. She got a criminal justice degree from Morehead State University and then went on to Quantico. Graduated three months ago and was assigned to the D.C. office."

McGee interrupted before Tony could go any further. "According to her record with the FBI, Agent Dawson has worked a few minor cases. She was assigned to Anya's protection detail earlier this week after an attempt was made on Anya's life."

That caught Gibbs' attention and he turned to McGee. "What?" he demanded.

McGee swallowed hard, he wasn't sure if Gibbs' reaction was to the fact that they'd put a rookie in charge of protecting a witness or the attempt on Anya's life. He was hoping it was the latter. "I was just getting to that, Boss. There's not a whole lot of detail available. But, from what I can piece together, Anya snuck out of the safe house the FBI had her in. Apparently Lubivich or one of his men had been tailing her and knew where she was. Minutes after she left, she was nearly run down in the street. Nobody got the license plate of the car, but it's too much of a coincidence for it not to be connected."

"You know how I feel about coincidences, don't you, McGee."

McGee stammered for a moment before answering. "There's no such thing as coincidences."

"That's right." Gibbs moved to his desk and grabbed his cell phone. He thought for a moment and then turned to Tony. "What else did you find out?"

Tony didn't bother putting Anya's picture up on the screen. He sat down in front of his computer to read off the information he'd managed to gather. "She was born in Moscow and immigrated to the U.S. with her father at the age of two. She was about ten when her father denounced his Russian citizenship and became a U.S. citizenship. Because she was a minor, she became a citizen at the same time."

"I know all of that, Tony. I was at Peter's swearing in ceremony. Give me information that's a bit more recent."

Tony cleared his throat and continued. "She's eighteen now and, from the looks of it, just barely graduated from high school earlier this year. There's no indication that she's enrolled in college anywhere. There's no employment history. She's got a sealed juvenile record, but since turning eighteen she's gotten some speeding tickets and what appears to be one hit for public intoxication and underage drinking. Looks like someone pulled some strings and she was let off with a warning." He looked over at Gibbs. "I can't decide if she's taking the teenage rebellion bit a little too far or if she's really that bad of a kid."

Gibbs didn't respond as he flipped open his cell phone and punched the number to speed dial Ziva. When she answered, he ordered her to bring Anya to the conference room. They all needed to sit down and talk. He didn't know the answer to Tony's question. The one thing he did know was that Anya was in for a rude awaking.

"McGee, find out if Peter and Special Agent Dawson have left the building yet. If not, have them escorted to Conference Room 1. I think all of us need to have a serious discussion."

*** TBC ***