6.

Director Morrow's question broke the stare-down as Gibbs and DiNozzo turned to face him.

"State Senator Malcolm Harrison?" Reaching for the composite sketch, the police detective smoothed the paper out before moving back to the computer he had been using. Pecking quickly at the keyboard, he soon had a photograph to compare to the sketch. "I'll be damned. Gibbs, check this out." Tony turned the monitor around, holding the paper up next to it. There was no mistaking the resemblance.

"You haven't answered my question, Jethro."

"That's our serial rape suspect," Gibbs replied. "And it appears that you've given us his name, sir."

"Tread carefully. Harrison is a powerful man, a politician who has been reelected over the years on a strong law and order platform. Make certain of your facts before you question the Senator's son."

Tony bristled. "Are you warning us off, Director?"

"DiNozzo."

Morrow's raised hand stopped his agent's protest. "No, Detective DiNozzo, by no means. If Lawrence Harrison is the man who committed these horrendous attacks, he needs to be stopped. But jump the gun and your suspect will be hidden behind a wall of attorneys you'll never get through. Or vacationing in some lovely country with no expedition treaty."

"Yes, sir. Sorry."

Morrow's smile was forgiving. "Jethro will tell you that you should never apologize, that it's a sign of weakness."

"Sir?" Tony thought he detected laughter in Morrow's dark blue eyes.

"I, on the other hand, believe it is a sign of accountability." He handed the drawing back to the younger man. "Put your puzzle pieces together, Detective DiNozzo. Until you have enough for an arrest, tread softly."

Tony inclined his brunette head. "Understood."

Morrow left Gibbs and DiNozzo behind, his destination the bowels of the building. Based on what he had been witnessing, it was time to have a little talk with NCIS' resident medical examiner, Doctor Donald Mallard.

"DiNozzo, research our suspect. I'll see what Abby has come up with in the evidence we brought from Baltimore." Gibbs strode toward the elevators, while Tony resumed his computer search.

~NCIS~

"Ducky, do you have time for a cup of tea?" Tom Morrow walked into autopsy, spotting the spry older man sitting at his desk.

"Of course, Director. Gerald, why don't you take a break as well. I think twenty minutes would be good."

Gerald glanced over at the two men watching him before putting the mop and bucket he had been using to clean up the last autopsy's bodily fluids safely in a far corner of the room. "Of course, Doctor Mallard."

Once they were alone, Ducky pulled out a bottle of single malt scotch from his bottom desk drawer along with two glasses. He poured a small measure into both, handing one to the Director after he had snagged a chair to sit beside Ducky's desk. Neither man spoke until they had taken a healthy sip from the golden liquor.

"What's on your mind, Tom?"

"Gibbs."

An eyebrow raised, Ducky waited for more.

"And his new partner."

"Ah, young Anthony DiNozzo. Does he concern you for some reason?"

Another sip taken, Tom considered his answer. "Concern? No. But I've been watching the two of them since Jethro agreed to work with the Baltimore detective, going so far as to ask for my assistance in clearing it with the police department. You know that was unusual enough to catch my attention."

"He seems to be quite capable."

"Yes, he does. And apparently capable of standing up to Jethro."

Ducky nodded. "Anthony doesn't appear to be cowed by Jethro's rather bearish personality. What did you see?"

"When I was walking down the stairs, they were nose to nose arguing. I don't think I've seen anyone that brave or, perhaps, that foolish before." He waited for Ducky to consider that.

"Indeed? That is most unusual. Especially considering that they have been working together long enough for that young man to know better."

"I think he was well aware of Gibbs' reaction, I just don't think he cared."

"And this concerns you, Tom?"

"Not in the way you think. Gibbs has driven away almost every agent that has worked with him. Even Stan Burley finally asked for a transfer."

Ducky was momentarily speechless in his surprise. "You want to recruit DiNozzo for NCIS?"

"I'll need to do some checking on his background, education and the like. But, yes, I believe I would."

"Are you asking me my opinion?"

"You've meet him, watched as he and Gibbs interacted. What do you think of the idea?"

Ducky's blue eyes narrowed speculatively. "The idea does have possibilities. There is something about Anthony DiNozzo that reminds me of Jethro, back before the Kyle Boone case. I would have to observe them interact before I could say whether this would be a good idea or a disaster in the making."

"Do that, Doctor. I value your opinion." Morrow stood, finishing off the scotch before placing the glass back down on Ducky's desk. "Meanwhile I shall do a snooping of my own into Anthony DiNozzo's life."

~NCIS~

Gibbs walked into Abby's lab, the wall of noise that she called music slamming painfully into his ears. He made his way quickly to the stereo system and slapped at the off button, earning an immediate reaction.

"Hey, what do you think…Gibbs!" Black pigtails bouncing, the enthusiastic young forensics expert spun around on her stool. "Where's my Caf-Pow!, mister?"

"The machine is being refilled. Put it on my tab. What've you got, Abby?"

"With the masses of evidence you brought me?"

"Yeah."

Abby Sciuto frowned. "Something's hinky, Gibbs. Based on what I could find, there was real DNA evidence taken, but it seems to have 'disappeared'," she said, her hands making quotes in the air.

"Disappeared?" Gibbs frowned, his eyes level under drawn salt and pepper brows.

"Yeah, supposedly sent to be analyzed, but it never seems to have gotten there."

"How many pieces of evidence went missing?"

"From all the cases that you and Tony have connected?"

Gibbs nodded.

"I'd say about 12 samples total." Just before the older man exploded, Abby held up a finger. "Wait, it isn't all bad news."

"I don't know how it can't be."

"There are other samples that were never sent off. I don't know why, unless someone suspected what was happening and wanted to keep a backup supply."

He considered that idea, slowly nodding in agreement. "I want everything you found and didn't find notated."

"You think this is a crooked cop, don't you?" Abby asked, tilting her head to the side.

Gibbs didn't answer. Instead he turned his attention back to the evidence they still had. "Do whatever tests you can."

"I still need someone to compare the results to, Gibbs."

"Working on that."

"So, bossman, how is Tony working out?"

"Why?"

"Well, you really can't be a team leader without a team to lead. And with Stan gone, you need someone permanent to work with."

"You realize that DiNozzo is a cop, not a special agent."

"So? You know you could steal him from Baltimore, if you wanted. C'mon, Gibbs, he's good. Admit it."

There was no answer, but a pale blue lightning of amusement flashed under his lashes as he turned to leave.

Abby called after him. "Gibbs! We need to keep him here!"

He was still ignoring her when the elevator doors closed, hiding her grinning face.

~NCIS~

Having filled Tony in on the situation, Gibbs was pleased to see his reaction was one of pure fury. "We need to speak to the detectives involved in these cases, DiNozzo. Somebody is covering. We need to find out who."

"And which of them might have suspected what was going on enough to keep evidence hidden in plain sight. Did Abby say which cases were involved?"

"I didn't ask. Call her and find out. We'll speak to that person first, see what they can tell us."

Tony's hand was on the receiver, but he hadn't picked it up as yet. Biting his lip, he looked up at Gibbs. "I don't think they'll tell you anything."

At first Gibbs was inclined to snap at him. The look on Tony's face stopped him. "Why not?"

"Best guess?"

"Yeah."

"Besides the whole Thin Blue Line and the Brotherhood of the Badge thing, there's one more problem. Whoever this is has to be higher than just a mere detective. It has to be someone with clout."

"Someone of rank."

"Yeah."

"Any ideas who it could be?"

Restlessly, Tony's hand stroked the arm of his chair. "Not yet. I'd need to go through the case files again, talk to the detectives involved."

"And when you do figure it out?"

A muscle flicked angrily at Tony's square jaw. "Then they go down. I don't give a rat's ass who it is."

"You might find it tough afterwards." Gibbs wanted the person behind the cover-up, but also wanted to make certain that DiNozzo was aware of the potential repercussions in regards to his own job.

"I've changed departments before, I can do it again."

"Then get to it."