CHAPTER 6

"Agent Dawson," Gibbs greeted as the FBI agent entered the bullpen behind McGee. "I understand you have something for us?" When she didn't answer quickly enough, he snapped, "well?"

Amy Dawson wondered if it was just her, but it seemed like Gibbs was grouchier than the last time she'd seen him. She looked around at the other members of his team, but their faces didn't reveal any clues. Of course, the members of Gibbs' team knew exactly why their leader was in such a bad mood, but they chose to say nothing about it. Sighing, she placed her brief case on a desk and, opening it, pulled out a compact disc. She passed the disc to McGee, who immediately moved to install it and pull the information up on the plasma screen.

"Our informant inside the Russian mob has slipped these surveillance pictures to us, along with information indicating that a hit has been ordered on Vladimir Lubivich." A series of photographs of the mobster appeared on the screen. One showed him getting into a late model luxury vehicle.

"Stop it right there," Gibbs ordered. "McGee, what kind of locator device does that model have and can you hack into it to find his location?"

"On it boss," McGee responded, already busily typing away at his computer.

"What do you know about this hit, Agent Dawson?" Gibbs asked, turning back to the FBI agent.

"No much beyond the fact that it's been ordered. We think one of the higher ups in the drug operation by the name of Alexander Titov has ordered it. From what we've been able to gather, the Russians want him out of the way even more than you do, Agent Gibbs." Her last comment earned Agent Dawson a hard stare from the NCIS special agent.

McGee interrupted. "I've found his car."

"Well?"

"It's, um, in the Metro Police impound yard. According to the records I accessed it's been there for the last three days."

"What do you mean 'the records you accessed?" Agent Dawson demanded. The looks Gibbs and every member of his team shot her way convinced her that this was not an avenue she should explore further. "Never mind," she quickly stated. "What were you saying?"

McGee continued as though he hadn't been interrupted. "The car was found abandoned off of Wisconsin Avenue." He paused as he read the report. "Boss, they found blood and bullet holes in the driver's seat."

"Lubivich's?" Gibbs asked.

"They don't know, or at least they haven't stated in their records yet. The abandoned vehicle was called in by a taxi driver."

"I hope the sonuvabitch is dead," Anya declared, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. No one had noticed her and Abby exit the elevator and enter the bullpen. "Then maybe I can get back to my life."

Tony was the first to break the silence. "We don't know yet if the blood belonged to Lubivich. For all we know, someone else was driving the vehicle when the shots were fired."

"Not to mention the fact that the vehicle isn't registered in Lubivich's name." McGee picked up the conversation. "Just because we have a picture of him getting into a vehicle, does mean it's his." He paused to take a breath. "We haven't been able to locate a vehicle or property registered in his name or in the name of any of his known aliases." At Gibbs' hard look, he continued, stammering slightly, "b.. but we're still looking."

Gibbs nodded and turned to look at Anya and Abby. "What are you doing up here? I thought I told you to stay in the lab until I came to get you?"

"Abby and I worked things out, and we talked a while." Anya paused and looked over her shoulder at Abby, who gave her a smile and nod of encouragement. "There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Gibbs started to ask if this particular conversation could wait until they got home, but a movement from Abby caught his attention. She shook her head and quickly signed that he needed to talk to Anya now. Sighing, he stepped forward and motioned for Anya to follow. "Keep digging for any property in Lubivich's name. I want some answers when I get back." His team members responded with variations of "on it, boss," and quickly turned back to their computers.

Agent Dawson stood in the middle of the bullpen, totally at a loss. She didn't know whether she should quietly excuse herself or offer to help. "Is there anything I can do?"

McGee was the first to look up. "Are you able to access any of the FBI's databases from here?"

She nodded. "I think so – at least I should be able to access some of them. But, why would I need to do that. We've already gathered all of the available data on Lubivich. Wouldn't going back over it be a waste of time?"

"Never assume that just because something wasn't found the first time that there's nothing there to find," stated Tony, as he came to stand beside her.

"Tony is correct," Ziva chimed in, earning a smirk from the senior field agent. "Plus, you have more information now than you did the last time you looked."

"Okay," Agent Dawson replied, removing her jacket. She looked around the bullpen. The only empty computer was the one on Gibbs' desk. "Where should I work?"

Tony pointed to Gibbs' desk.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, its not like the bossman uses it for anything."

Meanwhile, Gibbs escorted Anya into the conference room and motioned for her to take a seat. She shook her head slightly and began pacing around the room. She knew that if she sat down and met Gibbs's gaze she would chicken out and wouldn't be able to say what she wanted to tell him. She wasn't sure she'd be able to say it anyway.

Sensing Anya's need for movement, Gibbs just shrugged and sat in one of the chairs. He watched her pace the room for several seconds before asking, "what is you need to tell me, Anya? Have you thought of anything else that might help us locate Lubivich?"

"No," Anya replied, stopping to look at Gibbs. She was slightly surprised that he'd asked that question. "I've told you everything I know about that."

"Then what is it?" Gibbs tried not to sound too impatient. He was anxious to get back downstairs to see if his team had managed to gather any more information on the Russian mobster.

Anya resumed pacing. "I know I've been acting like a spoiled brat lately." Before Gibbs could comment, she rushed on. "Not just with you, but with everyone."

"Yes, you have," the NCIS agent stated matter-of-factly.

She'd known this wasn't going to be easy, but she really hadn't expected Gibbs to be so blunt in his response.

"And I know all of this is my fault. If I hadn't gone to that club, none of this would be happening."

Gibbs nodded his agreement. "Go on," he directed. He sighed when Anya finally stopped pacing and turned to look at him. Finally, he thought. They were going to get somewhere with this conversation. But, he hadn't been expecting what Anya said next.

"I'm scared, Gibbs. I can't get rid of the feeling that somebody's going to die because of this." She reached up to wipe away the tear that was trailing down her cheek. "I don't mean Lubivich. I mean someone I care about, my dad, you or someone on your team. And it will be my fault."

Gibbs stood and pulled Anya into his arms and held her as she cried into his shoulder. Finally, when her sobs had subsided, he drew back so that he could look down into her tear-stained face. "Is that why you called your friend to come pick you up at my house?"

Anya nodded. "I thought that maybe if I left, then there would be no reason for Lubivich to come after anyone else."

Gibbs sighed. He didn't think now would be the time to tell her that Lubivich wasn't going to stop until he had taken care of everyone who might have information about his activities – including Anya's father. Although putting Lubivich behind bars would be a huge step in the right direction, the only sure way to stop Lubivich would be to kill him. But, in order for that to happen, they had to find him first.

"All you would have done if you'd left would be to put yourself and your father in even greater danger." Gibbs paused and waited until Anya's gaze met his. He wanted to be sure that there would be no mistaking his next words. "I can't promise you that nothing that like is going to happen." Gibbs knew better than anyone how impossible that promise could be to keep. "But, I will promise you that I will do everything within my power to prevent it."

Anya nodded.

"Good." He took a step back from her. "Let's go see if they've found anything."

Later that evening

"We are not ordering Chinese for dinner," Gibbs nearly growled in frustration. "End of discussion."

"So what are we going to have for dinner," Anya asked. She couldn't wait for the ride home to be over so she could get out of the car. "And why couldn't I ride with Tony, since he's in the car behind us?"

If Gibbs hadn't been driving, he'd have been tempted to strangle the girl sitting in the passenger seat of his car. "I don't know yet what we're going to home. You keep this up, and it'll be nothing but bread and water. And you can't ride with Tony because I said so. Why are we even still having this conversation?" He had hoped that Anya would have been more cooperative since their discussion in the conference room, but it hadn't taken long for the teenager to return to being antagonistic. He spared a glance at her as he pulled into the driveway. "What's gotten in you?"

"Nothing," she stated as she climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind her. "I'm just wondering how long I'm going to have to put up with your excuse for cooking." Ignoring Gibbs's order to wait, she started toward the house.

Gibbs was ready to spit nails. He clinched his hand into a fist, fighting the nearly overwhelming urge to deliver a punishing swat to Anya's backside. "I told you to wait," he said as he came up behind her and grabbed her arm to stop her progress. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you'd better lose this attitude fast, or else you're not going to be able to sit down to eat dinner. You got me?"

Before she could respond, a shot rang out and a bullet slammed into a tree behind her. Gibbs drew his sidearm and shoved Anya to the ground in one fluid motion. Tony, who had been reconnoitering the perimeter of the house came running in a crouch, gun drawn.

"Where is he, boss?"

"I don't know." No more shots were fired, so Gibbs thought it was best to attempt to make a run for the house. "Cover us," he ordered as he pulled Anya to her feet and moved to shield her with his body. Several tense seconds followed while the two men and the teenage girl made their way into the house.

Once they were safely in the house, Gibbs gave Anya a push in the direction of the couch. "Get down behind that and don't come out until I tell you." He saw the rebellion still brewing in her eyes. "I don't have time to argue with you on this. Either do as you're told, or I'm going to tie you up and toss you into the basement." He hoped the treat would work, because he didn't want to have to take the time to carry out the threat.

The sound of sirens wailing in the distance was growing stronger. Gibbs assumed one of his neighbors had called the police after hearing the gun shot. He exchanged a look with Tony that clearly communicated the knowledge that once the police arrived they would lose the chance to track whoever was shooting at them.

"I don't know, boss," Tony interjected. "But, I suspect Lubivich has found out where Anya's hiding."

"Ya think, Dinozo," Gibbs responded sarcastically as he moved to answer the knock at his front door. He'd watched the police officer exit his cruiser and walk up onto the porch. Tucking the gun into the waistband of his jeans, he pulled out his badge and motioned for Tony to do the same. This was going to be a long night.

TBC