Author's Note: Thanks for the review, guys! They really made me glad! Some are already taking a stab on who this lady is… They are GREAT guesses. ;D Well, anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to review! They make the crazy author happy!
Disclaimer: No. NCIS does not belong to me. Neither does its characters and other things. All I own here is the story and the OCs.
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"Yeah. I know," McGee said, his cell phone pressed to his ears. "You told me that three times already."
Ziva narrowed her eyes as she watched her workmate become more and more upset with whoever he was talking to on his phone. It was just Monday morning, but McGee already looked worn out. She took a quick glance at Tony. His feet was up in his desk while he laid back comfortably on his seat. His face housed a smirk. A crumpled paper ball went back and forth on his hands. Like her, he watched the stressed young agent with interest.
McGee sighed. "You know I can't do that. Remember the last time?" he asked. After the caller answered, he closed his eyes, attempted to calm himself down, and massaged his temples. "No. I'm not. I can take care of myself. Look. I'll just…I'll read it myself, okay?" He turned off his phone hastily, not giving the other person a chance to respond.
"Should we be worried, McGee?" Ziva inquired.
McGee opened his eyes and turned to her, as if he have just realized that there were other people in the room. "No. Uh…not really," he replied awkwardly, shaking his head a little. Immediately, he went back to his computer and continued his work.
Tony and Ziva exchanged glances. "Probie, have you learned nothing?" Tony asked smugly. "When it comes to women, you know you can always ask me. I'll help you. Well, if it is a woman."
"Gee, Tony. I don't know. Is that an offer or a threat?" McGee countered, his eyes not tearing away from the computer screen.
Tony's smirk slowly fell down from his face. As Ziva started chuckling, Tony turned to her. "Don't laugh, Dah-veed. It's not funny."
"So it is a woman, then?" Ziva asked McGee.
The young man nodded gravely. "She's been bothering me since last week."
"Maybe she needs your attention," she suggested, slightly amazed. "You should talk to her."
Tony swung his feet off his desk. "McGee with a girlfriend?! And you giving advice?!" he looked at Ziva with frustration. "Did I just wake up in a parallel universe?"
"It's not a girlfriend, okay? It's Lyndi," McGee replied irritably.
"Lyndi? You mean your publisher?" It bothered Ziva a little to hear the woman's name. The last time she was involved in a case, Abby almost got killed.
McGee nodded once more. "She keeps calling me about these obsessive fan mails they've been receiving. All of them addressed to Tim McGreggor, which scares her a lot. That's why she wants to talk to Gibbs. For all I know, she made all of them up. Again," he sulked, albeit seemingly absent-minded. "Probably for the next book's sales this time."
"A third novel?" Ziva regarded him with a glare. Armed with a contemptuous intent, she slowly made her way towards his desk. Tony also stood up, then walked towards the young agent's desk with a sly smile.
McGee's eyes widened with nervousness. "Uh…I-I--" he stuttered.
"Don't even try, Probie," Tony shook his head.
"Perhaps I should dislocate your arms. That would be enough to stop you from writing about us, yes?"
Tony chuckled as he saw McGee crumbling under Ziva's threat. "Thom, Thom, Thom. Boss would be so upset when he hears this. It also makes me wonder what Abby will do. I'm sure they'd be very ecstatic to hear that you're writing a third book."
"Not anymore," Gibbs breathed out as he strode to his desk, then pulled out the things he needed. "Gear up, people. Dead body in Seattle."
Despite their reluctance, Tony and Ziva followed their boss's instructions. McGee was thankful that Gibbs' had come; he would've been injured if he came a minute later. Nonetheless, he drew out his badge and gun from the corner drawer. After securing these at his side, he hurried to the elevator where his team had gone.
"McGee's writing another book, Boss," Tony tattled.
Gibbs pushed the button for the garage. "Landon knew that, DiNozzo. That's why he escaped."
As the elevator's door closed, three pairs of eyes shot Gibbs anxious looks.
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"Commander Jared Lake," Gibbs said casually as he saw the man standing meters away from the body.
"Special Agent Gibbs," Commander Lake regarded him, although he was nervous. "Sir, I'm really so--"
"What time did he escape?"
Commander Lake's eyes slightly fluttered before answering. "Uh…Probab-Probably two o'clock this morning. One of the guards were doing rounds when he noticed that Landon--Mr. Jake--was not in his room. We looked for him here in the woods, because this is the only way he could get out. But it was dark and raining, so we lost him."
"How did he get out of the building?" Gibbs asked, then looked up from his notepad after jotting down Lake's statements.
"That's what we're trying to figure out, sir. Our security is good enough for prisoners like him."
"Really? So how do you explain what happened?"
The commander was speechless. He had been fretful ever since they called off the search party. He knew that sooner or later, he has to answer to the senior agent. If he had known better, he would have guarded the escapee himself. "I don't know," he replied. "Maybe he had it all planned."
"That, or," Gibbs closed his notepad, then walked towards the body, "your prison is not as good enough as what you claim it is."
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Tony cradled the camera in his hands while he searched for any tracks or evidence. When he saw a bloodied foot print under a bush, he squatted down and took a picture of it. He found it a bit funny to hear about McGee's obsessed fan escaping from prison. True, it was weird, but it was the kind of weird that makes him laugh at times. However, seeing McGee's reaction, Tony did not even consider doing so. The young agent had been uneasy and anxious after their boss told them about the incident. Perhaps it was because the case they have in their hands at that moment have brought back horrid memories in mind.
Tony felt a chill run down his neck when he thought of what Landon might want to do. Surely it wasn't just to buy McGee's next book. Maybe he escaped to see Amy and McGreggor's wedding. That would be a big disappointment, Tony thought. But maybe he escaped for a worst reason. He wanted revenge.
"Tony," Ziva called, snapping him out of his reverie. "You've been staring at that bush for five whole minutes now. Did you find anything useful?"
"Yeah. A footprint under here," Tony pointed at the print, standing up at the same time.
Ziva frowned at it. "Looks smeared."
"He probably ran," Tony suggested. "It rained here last night. That's why it's also muddy." He looked at McGee to ask him for other footprints, but he only found the younger man staring at a tree with an unsure glower on his face. "Oh, c'mon, McGee. What did that tree do to you?"
"This is all my fault," McGee mumbled.
"There, there, Probie. It's not your fault that Landon loved you so much that he ran away to see you," the older agent joked.
McGee scowled at him.
"Perhaps this is more convenient," Ziva said while searching for other evidences at a distance. "I don't have to break your arms anymore. You do not have to be hurt. But I'm not so sure about Abby. Maybe when Landon finds her, you'll learn your lesson."
"Ziva," Tony cautioned her. When he glanced at McGee, Tony could see more guilt befalling him.
"McGee!" Gibbs yelled. Averting their gazes, McGee walked towards their boss silently.
With his hands on his hips, Tony looked at his partner. "That was outright wrong, Ziva," he said disappointedly.
Ziva answered him by only raising her eyebrows.
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"Yes, boss?" McGee asked.
Gibbs gestured towards the body of an old man, dressed in a Navy uniform, lying lifeless on the ground. At his left side was Ducky. "That's Lance Corporal James Higgins. He was supposed to retire next week."
"Ah. That's very unfortunate, my man," Ducky muttered as he removed a burrowed knife from the cadaver's stomach. "I'm sure you were looking forward to your retirement. Your death is very…untimely."
"Yes, it is," Gibbs agreed.
"Did you want me to pull up some information about him?" inquired McGee, apologetic to the dead lance corporal's condition.
"What I want to know is whether this man is another character in your next book, McGee," Gibbs demanded quietly before walking past his agent.
McGee remained speechless. He only felt worst. He knew everyone was blaming him. If he had not written about his team, then he wouldn't have this problem. Everyone would be okay. Abby would be safe. "Award-winning book, huh?" he asked.
Ducky smiled sadly at him. "Timothy, it's not your fault," he assured.
"We both know that that's not true, Ducky," McGee smiled back.
Ducky sighed. He was sure that McGee had been taking a beating, both from other people and from himself. The kid has the tendency to shoulder what he needed not to shoulder, especially when things like this happen. The old man stood up and decided, with their dreary conversation, to change the subject. "Mr. Palmer's been gone for quite long now. I wonder if he got lost," he said thoughtfully.
"Don't worry, Ducky. I'll go find him," McGee volunteered. Without another word, he went on his way to the parking lot.
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McGee, for one, was aware that his mind's a mess. The worries that troubled him added up every single second. Gibbs was mad at him, he was absolute on that. Ziva was, too. Maybe Abby later, and Vance when he finds out about his character in the new novel.
But he already learned his lesson. This time, he burned every single ribbon from his typewriter after he's done with them. He tried not to have any of the major characters killed in his free writing entries. He didn't even base any of the other characters--beside his team, of course--from real people anymore.
However, he could only guess that what's done is done.
McGee stopped all of a sudden when he heard a twig break. He searched around him, but found no one. With alertness, he continued on his trail. Moments later, he heard footsteps following him behind the trees. Slowly, he placed his hand on his gun. He drew it out swiftly then spun around.
Jimmy's eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. With his hands up in the air, he said with terror, "Whoa. I-I'm sorry if I scared you. I was just following you because I didn't know where to go."
McGee sighed as he lowered his weapon, and placed it back to its case. "Don't worry about it. But next time, make sure you tell someone you're behind them. It could save your life," he advised. "The team's this way."
Jimmy followed McGee's lead with his heart madly hammering inside his chest. The 'point-blank' scenario between him and the cold gun was not a wonderful moment at all.
As both men vanished in the dense woods, Landon stepped out from behind a tree with a livid expression on his face. "You were right. He lied to me," he quietly fumed.
"I know he did. And he lied about a lot of things, after you protected him."
"What will we do now?"
She smiled. "I say we take him out."
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Okay. I know there's a lot of grammatical error on this one (and probably the next), so I ask you to be patient with me. I know, I know. I should ask someone to Beta, but I'm always in a hurry to submit all of my stories that I don't have time to wait.
I'm really sorry.
Anyways, I'd love reviews! If you found something that bothers you, PM me. I'll work it out for your convenience.
=D