Chapter 5 – The Hunter and the Hunted

"Mr. Lancaster," the pilot's voice came over the intercom, "we'll be landing in DC in twenty minutes."

Sterling looked over his laptop at the red-haired lady sitting across from him. Steph had proven to be an invaluable asset over the years, and he felt he had made the perfect choice in bringing her along. "You know what to do?"

Steph smiled, showing she enjoyed this part of her work. "Yes, sir. When we land, I'll rent a car with the documents you had prepared. No one will know I was in DC; and you are here on a business trip."

"Make sure nothing goes wrong. I want to know what, if anything, this Abby Sciuto knows about Mike's death."

As the plane landed, Steph took down her bag and checked to make sure she had everything. She'd be stopping by the lockers to pick up the package that Sterling had arranged to be delivered earlier that day. With evening only hours away, it wouldn't be hard to conceal herself near Abby Sciuto's place and watch for her to come home. Sterling took a rented limousine to his hotel, and Steph rented an inconspicuous sedan. There would be no record of her being in DC; she wouldn't be the best of Sterling Lancaster's staff if there was.

She drove around for a while, acclimating herself, once again, to the city. It had been years since her last trip to the capitol, and she needed to plan for all possible escape routes from Ms. Sciuto's place. Once that was done, she settled in to watch.

---

"What do you got for us, Abby?" Gibbs asked, walking in as she was about to call him.

She narrowed her eyes and murmured something that sounded like 'psychic link', before turning to her computer. "It's not good, Gibbs. From the formula Brenna remembers, we've worked on several models for each possibility. None of them are pretty." Hitting a key on her keyboard, the first scenario was shown on the screen. "In a small town, say somewhere like Edenvale, one person takes the pill and dies within ten to twelve hours. If they aren't found and embalmed right away, the decomposing body will spread the biochemical throughout the nearest buildings or houses within a few days. If those bodies aren't taken care of, the whole town can be wiped out in a matter of two to three weeks. For a city of hundreds of thousands, they'd have to give the pill to hundreds of people throughout the city at the same time for the results to be the same in a similar time frame."

Jenna watched Gibbs' expression closely. His face didn't register any reaction, but his eyes turned icy at the news.

"Is there an antidote for this?" he asked.

"I wasn't in the lab long enough to get that information," Brenna answered. "But with time and equipment, I could formulate one. I will definitely need a secure place to work. The chemicals required are very dangerous," she warned.

He pulled out his cell phone while telling her, "Whatever it takes." He looked at his agents and they started asking Brenna what she needed. "Jen, we have a situation. I'm coming up to brief you."

Gibbs disconnected as he heard Brenna say, "I can work on possible formulas from the motel tonight, and we can process them through the computer tomorrow."

"You can't stay at a motel!" Abby protested. "You have to stay with me. Besides, we're having a team dinner at my place tonight."

Gibbs smirked, and Tony, Tim and Ziva all exchanged looks that said they had forgotten about the dinner.

"That's right," Tony said. "And you don't want to miss the chance to get to know us better," he added flirtatiously.

Both girls smiled at him, causing Tony to smile even brighter and Ziva to raise an eyebrow at Tony.

"Everyone is bringing a dish and it'll be great fun. So, you have to stay tonight at least," Abby told them.

Brenna and Jenna had noticed the looks exchanged by the other team members, and smiled.

"That sounds great, Abby. Thanks for inviting us." Jenna said politely.

"Should we stop and pick up anything?" Brenna offered.

Abby shook her head. "Nah, between these guys and what I've got, I think we've got it covered."

"Um, see you guys later," McGee said, tripping over his feet at the smiles he received in response.

Brenna quirked an eyebrow as he exited. He was absolutely adorable.

On his heels, Tony and Ziva each mumbled excuses and quickly left.

The sisters grinned and said in unison, "Okay, then."

"I'll be in the Director's office, Abs. Call me if you come up with anything," Gibbs said as he kissed her cheek and walked out.

Jenna bit her lip over that small peck, and then had to laugh at Abby's protest, "How are we supposed to come up with something before dinner?!"

---

Franklin was watching Janice Simpson with his binoculars. She was readying a bath with plenty of bubbles. Candles were lit throughout the bathroom, and she had a stand beside the tub with a book on top. Once he was certain she was settled in and entranced by her book, he decided to have some fun. It had been a long time since he had searched a house while the owners were home and awake. Feeling the adrenaline pulsing through his veins, he made his way to the backyard. He had decided earlier that the backyard would provide the best cover. There was a tall privacy fence between her house and her only neighbor's house, plus there were many high shrubs lining the other sides of the property. Slipping up to the door, he picked the lock in good time and eased himself through the opening.

Looking through the kitchen quickly and quietly, he then made his way to the dining room. There was a china cabinet along one wall with two small drawers. Pulling them out, he searched through the papers there. Nothing again. Methodically, he searched room to room downstairs with no results. He stopped as he heard water draining and realized she had finished her bath. Slipping down the hall, he hid in the broom closet as he heard footsteps on the stairs.

She moved past him down to the kitchen, and he listened carefully as the door to the refrigerator was opened and closed and then opened and closed again. The microwave sounded next as the door closed and the power started. Apparently her dinner hadn't filled her up. He smelled the chocolate as if drifted down the hall. Impatient, he was about to leave the closet when he heard footsteps again. She was coming back down the hall, and he could hear the appreciative sounds she made as she ate whatever concoction she had warmed up.

Easing the door open, he watched as she topped the stairs and disappeared. Stepping out into the hallway, he heard her television come on. Making his way up the stairs, he searched room to room, bypassing her bedroom at the end of the hall. The door was closed and the light was off. He settled in to wait until she fell asleep.