Chapter 6

After further research into the Arliss family, the girlfriend and the car turned up with nothing more, both teams concluded ruefully that the death of Lieutenant Kent had nothing to do with his stealing classified reports. So, further planning and investigating was in order.

"So, we know the lieutenant asked for a personal leave, stating he was going to visit his sick mother. However, his family lives nowhere near Washington DC and his mother isn't sick. His younger sister is apparently missing, she's supposed to be away for college but her parents haven't heard from her in more than a week and neither did her roommate" Tony summarized what the Air Force team supplied earlier. "He obviously came to deliver that memory card to someone here, who was possibly blackmailing him with holding his sister, and had previous contact with that someone using the phone. If we could just identify whose print it is…"

Right on cue, Sam finally came up from the forensic lab, Abby hot on her heels.

"Sir, we have a problem" she waved a piece of paper she was holding.

"You matched the print from the phone battery" Gibbs stated.

"She wouldn't tell me Gibbs, tell her to tell me, it was my computer who found the match, I clearly heard the beep but…"

"Abby!"

"I need to talk to Colonel O'Neill first" Sam was looking at Gibbs, pleading with her eyes for him to understand.

He did understand, especially in light of all the stuff they disclosed earlier, but still hated the position this put him in with his team. Ziva's outburst earlier proved the strain they were all under, and letting on that he didn't control the show was not the best course of action. He chose to make light of the situation. "Go, talk, confer, just remember we haven't had dinner yet… You can use my office" he pointed to the elevator.

Sam smiled as she left with the colonel and Daniel outright snickered.

"What?" Gibbs was confused

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs, you just sounded exactly like Jack there. The way you both use humor to… well, not important"

'Thank God he stopped there. Did he always put his foot in it or am I just that special?' Gibbs scowled. He didn't really need to hear how similar he was to O'Neill.

"O'Neill is a great warrior. He is at all times prepared to sacrifice himself for others, he is honorable, brave and loyal. I still do not understand his humor on occasion, but it is an honor to be compared to him. I sense many of those qualities in you, SpecialAgentGibbs" Teal'c bowed his head slightly. Gibbs was left gaping, no more than the rest of his team, though. "Thank you, Teal'c". He wasn't sure if the alien (Gibbs still couldn't get his head around that piece of knowledge) was clueless or really smart, but he had to admit the praise, however awkward it made him feel it also made him feel good. 'Well, how many Marines can say they heard that from an alien?'

….

"Okay, Carter, what is it?"

The elevator was stopped between floors, giving them the privacy to speak freely.

"I matched the print from inside the phone in the NID database. It belongs to one of the businessmen we recently connected with the Trust, one of those who disappeared before we got to them" she showed him the printed paper.

"Do these guys never stop?" O'Neill rolled his eyes. He thought for a while. "Fine, so we pack up and head home. We'll try tracking him down from there"

"Sir, are you sure that is such a good idea? Abby knows we have a match, they won't let this go so easily. We can always include the Trust into the story we already told the agents. Plus, someone most likely has Kent's sister and we are not trained to investigate matters like this"

Her arguments were logical and convincing, but she was looking at him with those big blue eyes he loved so much and all he could picture was her with Gibbs, touching, laughing, kissing - everything he couldn't give her. The wave of anger took him off balance.

"You're sure that's the reason you wanna include them, or you just can't bring yourself to leave your friend yet?"

Sam felt like she was slapped and staggered backwards into the elevator wall. Of all the things he could have said he chose the one which hurt her the most, and he knew her well enough to realize that. In a single phrase he insulted her professionalism, her loyalty to the job and her personal integrity.

She opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. To her horror, her eyes filled with tears she couldn't hold back. She didn't want to cry in front of him, of the man who humiliated her both as her CO and as the man she loved.

"Oh crap, I'm so sorry Carter" he made a move to touch her and she pulled back. "I didn't mean to…"

"You didn't mean to what, Sir?" she spat the word out. "Didn't mean to imply I would compromise the Program so I could get laid some more?" she realized she passed the border to insubordination but didn't care. Her voice broke "You of all people should know I don't let my personal feelings decide the way I do my job. You're the last person I ever thought I'll hear this from. How can you even think…"

His heart broke into a thousand pieces, the pain so real he couldn't breathe. "Please, Sam, I'm sorry…but I lied. I did mean to say what I did"

She was shocked beyond words now.

"I wanted to hurt you, I just… seeing you with him was… hard. I'm so sorry I was an ass. You deserve to be happy, and loved, and have a life that I…can't offer to you now. I wanted to hurt you but I don't really believe what I said. You believe that, don't you?"

She did. "God, Jack, why do we do this to each other?" He took a step forward, tugging her gently. She put her head on his chest, his arms squeezing her almost desperately, hearing his loud heartbeat under her ear. Minutes passed until they heard Daniel's voice from above "Hey guys, you're OK in there?" "Oh, Daniel and his impeccable timing"

Jack moved back, caressing her face with just the tip of his fingers, eyes speaking volumes. "Yeah, Danny, on our way"

"So, they're in then. You explain the Trust, we'll see how things go, Carter"

"Yes sir"

….

"'You allright?" Gibbs visually inspected her as she exited the elevator, ready to take O'Neill on if necessary. He wasn't sure of what the result would be, he'd seen his file after all, but he would still try. The man in question seemed pleased at his concern and inquiry. 'Hm'

Sam smiled a bit shakily, but she looked fine.

"Okay, so, here's the deal. The whole deal" she looked at Gibbs "I identified the print, it belongs to a Ralph Bitner, who is a former…acquaintance of ours. Not long ago we identified an international organization of businessmen set on acquiring classified technology by any means necessary and sell it to the highest bidder. They call themselves the Trust. We managed to dismantle the organization, or so we thought, and arrest most of its members as a result of an undercover operation. Some members who were not present at that moment escaped though. Bitner is one of them. Obviously, he wanted to get his hands on our reports so he can get the alloy I mentioned earlier himself. We're not sure of his resources and man-power, but expect them to be extensive"

"Tony, Ziva, find out what you can about this guy. McGee, keep trying that phone" Gibbs stood from his desk.

"Sam, you wanna grab a coffee?" right now he didn't care what feathers he ruffled, he needed to talk to her. She stood and followed him outside. "Interesting that he thought to take the stairs and not the elevator" she thought "Maybe there's truth in the Gibbs-knows-all legend"

Out in the yard he put an arm around her shoulders and she was glad to snuggle up to him. He always made her feel safe.

"So, talk to me, Sam"

She wondered for a while what he would want to know first. She knew when he turned to look at her. "I'm OK Jethro, really. We had a bit of a… discussion in there, but nothing I can't handle. This case, us working together, it's difficult for many"

He definitely agreed to that "Yes it is" She smiled up at him. "You had your own 'discussion', huh?" "Oh yeah…Sam, we'll probably need to talk about this when the case is over"

"I know" she brought his head down and kissed him lightly. "Now, to get back on the case. What I said about the Trust is true, except for the fact that it is alien technology they're after. You probably figured that out" he nodded. "So when we find this guy and his associates and go after them you can't bring your team in. We don't know what kind of weapons they'll have, what your people might see. Plus it's not right, you can't throw them into something this big blindfolded and armed with pistols"

"I agree. I had no intention of bringing them. Won't be easy, though"

"I know. They'll probably hate you for a while, some in particular, but it's better than having them hurt or worse"

"Yeah. Count me in, in any case"

"Jethro…"

"Don't, Sam"

"Right, figured you're stubborn as hell"

They started on their way back to the office when both their phones rang at the same time.

"They found him"