Divide And Conquer
111208
Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing worth suing for.
Summary: A plan, a dog, a stakeout and trouble brewing…. oh my.
Reviews: Yes please Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!
A/N: I wish to state that I have absolutely no experience in police procedures; I've never even been arrested. So please, y'all should suspend all belief and just go with the flow, ok? I offer no excuses for the tardiness of this chapter. It's all my own fault that it has languished in the doc files of my computer for all this time. I will say that I'm not happy with this chapter at all. It doesn't 'feel' right to me but I can't figure out how to fix it. There is one chapter left and then an epilogue. I make no promises as to when they will appear. The inspiration that had led me into writing fan fiction has seemingly vanished off the face of my world and I don't know when I will get around to finishing the other two works I have up. But have no fear, I will finish those even if I never write anything else once they are completed. So for now I give you this sorry excuse for a chapter.
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Chapter 13
Gibbs and Fornell exchanged glances at McGee's surprising statement. Tobias jerked his head slightly and Jethro followed him a few feet away.
"Let's see how the children handle this." The FBI supervisor murmured.
Gibbs was only mildly surprised by the almost insulted glare Mars shot them from his position on the other side of the FBI car, farthest away from the two older agents. Jethro's amused smirk was answered by a raised, scarred eyebrow before Grant shifted his gaze back towards his ex-partner and the rest of the NCIS crew.
"Whatcha got, Tim?" Grant asked curiously.
"Someone has to go in there and verify that it's our dirtbag. But none of us are injured or sick." McGee started nervously.
Grant bounced on the balls of his feet. "I can fix that." He smirked. "Hey, Tony, can I break your nose? I do owe you one."
DiNozzo covered his nose protectively. "No. Thanks. Did that a couple months ago. Don't want to do it again." He replied from behind his hand.
"You're no fun." Grant complained even as a calculating look crossed his lean features. "Can you still do the 'Riggs' thing?" His question was greeted by puzzled expressions on Ziva's and Tim's faces.
Tony, on the other hand, responded with a grimace. "Yeah." He answered. "Hurts like hell though. I don't wanna."
"What is "the Riggs thing"?" Ziva asked with a smile at the thought of Tony in discomfort.
"Lethal Weapon 2, 1989, directed by Richard Donner. Mel Gibson played a cop named Martin Riggs. He wins a bet from his co-workers that he could escape from a straight jacket. He does it by dislocating his shoulder." Tony recited in a monotone that was accompanied by a scowl towards his ex-partner.
A truly evil gleam lit Grant's eyes but was prevented from baiting Tony further by McGee. "He's in there because of a broken nose. They're stalling him by saying the doctor is working on an emergency. They weren't sure how long they could stall though."
"Can we not simply go in and ask if he is still there?" Ziva asked.
"He'll spook." Tim answered. "Besides, we need to be able to follow him back to where he's got the girls hidden. Now, Ziva and Tony, you guys need to verify that he's in there. Grant, you and I need to go to my place and get Jethro."
"Um….. isn't that Jethro over there?" Grant asked, gesturing towards Gibbs, who raised an eyebrow at the familiarity.
"Not that Jethro." Ziva snickered, noticing the Team Leader's slightly offended expression.
"Ah, I see." Grant said but the confusion on his face showed that he clearly didn't.
Tim's suggestion was met with horror from Tony. "No! McBad-Idea! We don't need that vicious…."
Gibbs joined the conversation. "McGee, start again and tell us your plan all at once." He included all of the younger agents in his glare. "Without interruptions."
A few years previously Tim would have stuttered through his idea but all that time under Tony's special brand of hazing had stiffened his backbone. "Well, I was thinking that Ziva and Tony could go in and verify that Romar is still in the clinic. When Romar leaves, Tony and Ziva, along with either you or Agent Fornell, could follow him back to where he's keeping the girls. Grant and I could go to my place and get Jethro and bring him to that location. Grant said that Romar uses drugs to control the girls. I was thinking we might be able to get Jethro to 'hit' on the drugs. We could get a warrant if we can use a drug dog to prove probable cause."
A wordless exchange occurred between Gibbs and Fornell. Steely blue eyes communicating briefly with amused dark ones. Fornell spoke first.
"Not bad, McGee, not bad at all. But DiNutso and Mars should be the ones to go in. I'll go with you and David to get the dog. He likes me." He stated with a smirk firmly in place as he remembered the one time he'd come into contact with Abby's dog. The retired military K-9 drug sniffer had been lying in the NCIS forensics lab after a visit to the vet waiting for McGee to get off work and take him home again. The Goth's landlord refused to allow her to keep the animal in her own apartment so he lived with McGee, who'd, ironically, had to move to accommodate the pet. The German Sheppard had taken an immediate liking to Fornell who had come to the lab to ask Abby for some information on a joint case the agencies had solved a few months before. He and the dog had hit it off immediately, delighting Abby endlessly. She'd instantly become more at ease with the previously formidable FBI agent and now felt free to tease him as much as she did her own teammates.
Grant rocked back on his heels and frowned. "Boss, I told you I'd questioned Romar in New York. Hell, I arrested the bugger. He knows what I look like."
Tobias nodded. "That's true but you know what he looks like as well. McGee said that he's being seen for a broken nose so he doesn't look like the photo you have of him so you have to use something else for an ID. You know what he sounds like, his build, the way he moves, right?" Grant nodded thoughtfully as his superior continued. "So you have to be the one to verify that the man in there is the dirtbag we're after. No arguing." He held up his hand as Tony and Grant both opened their mouths to object.
Tim and Ziva turned towards Gibbs with questioning expressions. He waved his hand impatiently. "You heard the man."
"McGee, you drive. We're taking your car, Jethro." Tobias grinned and held out his keys while Gibbs grimaced. "What? You think I'm gonna get dog hair all over my back seat?"
"S'not like you own the damn car." Jethro grumbled good-naturedly as he tossed his keys to Tim, who caught them easily.
"Gibbs, you should let me drive." Ziva suggested. "We would make the trip much faster."
"No." Fornell told her firmly. "I want to survive long enough to make this bust."
Gibbs hid his grin as he motioned for Tony and Grant to join him next to the FBI sedan. They waited patiently for the others to leave in the direction of McGee's home. Once the dark blue Dodge turned out of the parking lot, Gibbs turned towards the two younger agents. He assessed their clothing and, after a few seconds, determined that the suits all three wore would be all right. There was no indication that they were law enforcement. "Ok, Mars, you passed out in the car as we were passing here. DiNozzo and I will carry you in and you listen for Romar. We'll try to get you in a position to take a look at him but we're not gonna risk him recognizing you. We'll identify ourselves to the receptionist and get you called back to the exam room quickly. As soon as we have an ID we'll go from there. Clear?"
"Crystal, Boss." Tony shrugged. The NCIS agents each grasped one of the shorter man's arms draping him between them while he slumped as if unconscious, deliberately letting the other men take his full weight.
"Jeeze, Mars." Tony complained as they started toward the clinic. "A little help here?"
"First rule of undercover, make sure you're convincing going in, don't wait until you're in to get into character." The FBI agent muttered almost inaudibly.
"Quit bitching, DiNozzo. You didn't have any trouble picking him up earlier." Gibbs admonished his Senior Agent as his agile mind fine-tuned his plan.
"We will be talking about that later." Mars growled as they reached the clinic door. Gibbs opened the door and they entered the building slowly, pausing just inside to readjust their hold on the 'unconscious' man in their arms. Grant let his head loll around as they made their way deliberately slowly to the reception desk, he peered through nearly closed eyelids at the various people taking up the chairs scattered around the small waiting area. He immediately spotted the man fidgeting impatiently back in a corner next to an artificial tree, his back to the solid wall at the front of the building. The man, who looked to be in his mid-thirties, was dressed in an inexpensive dark suit much like the one he'd worn in New York six months prior when Grant had questioned him on his presence in the house where an FBI raid had taken place. The swollen nose and beginning of black eyes distorted the man's features but not so much that he was unrecognizable.
Jethro smiled at the pretty young receptionist. After she asked how she could help, he explained. "My son's friend here passed out in the car. We called my doctor, Timothy McGee, and he told us to come here since it was closest to where we were."
The receptionist, whose name tag read 'Stephanie' recognized the name of the NCIS agent that had been on the BOLO and who'd answered the telephone when she'd called in the man she suspected as being the one listed in the alert. "Yes, sir. Dr. McGee called and let me know you were on the way in." She chirped. "If you'll follow me we can put your friend on a bed while you fill out the paperwork." She rose and motioned for her assistant to take over her position.
"Wait a minute!" A voice Mars would never forget sounded loud and clear in protest from right behind the trio. "I was here first and I demand to be seen before this guy."
Gibbs turned slightly, keeping his own body at an angle that would shield Mars, to glare at the intruder.
The petite brunette receptionist addressed the protestor. "I'm sorry, sir. The doctor will be able to see you very shortly. The only reason we're taking this gentleman to the back is because we need to put him in a bed. You don't expect us to put an unconscious man in a chair or on the floor out here, do you?"
The man Grant had just identified as Romar grimaced and raised a protective hand to his swollen nose. "I guess not but I've got to get back to work." Without any more than a cursory glance at Tony and Grant, he stomped back to his chair in the corner.
Grant remained limp as he let Gibbs and DiNozzo haul him through the door into the back of the building carrying on the charade until they had a curtain shielding them from anyone peering through the window in the door. He regained his footing as soon as he felt the other two loosen their grip on his arms. They all pulled out there badges and identified themselves to their escort.
"That's him." Grant grinned with vicious anticipation.
"You're sure?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah." Grant nodded. "He's the one with the black eyes that was sitting next to the plastic tree, the one who came up behind us and yelled at poor Stephanie."
Stephanie smiled at the trio. It wasn't often she got so many well-groomed, good looking men in the free clinic. "He's asked several times when he can be seen. If we don't bring him back soon he'll leave."
"We don't want to take him from here. We have to follow him when he leaves." Tony explained as he peeked out through the curtain, he could just barely see Romar through the door's window. The suspect wasn't paying attention to anything other than his need to get seen and get out. "He's wanted for kidnapping."
"Is there a back door or an employee entrance?" Gibbs asked. The young woman nodded. "Good. DiNozzo and I will go back to the front to 'fill out paperwork' and Mars, you slip out the back and cover it in case he gets suspicious and leaves through there. Romar's expecting you to be on a bed so he won't think anything of it if he doesn't see your feet under the curtain."
"How will I know when he leaves?" Grant asked.
Gibbs pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and tossed it to the shorter agent. "Put your cell number in here."
Grant caught the phone, flipped it open and quickly typed in his number, adding it to the contact list under 'Mars, FBI'. He pushed 'send' but cancelled the call after letting it ring only once and then tossed it back. "Just push 'talk' twice, it'll ring me right away as long as you don't get or make any other calls first." He told the Team Leader. Gibbs nodded.
"Ok. Agent Mars was it?" Stephanie asked as her dark eyes roamed appreciatively over the FBI agent's compact form.
Grant smiled, his dark blue eyes sparkling as he returned her survey. "Grant will do." He told her.
"Grant ,then. If you follow me I'll let you out of the employee door." She smiled as she led him down the short hallway. "If you gentlemen will wait for me, it'll be less suspicious if I come back out front with you." She told the remaining agents.
Gibbs watched as she unlocked the back door and ushered Mars through it. He didn't say anything as she returned and motioned for him and Tony to follow her back to the reception area. She handed a clipboard to Tony with a flirtatious smile. His ego was instantly appeased as her prior attention to his ex-partner had rankled. "Sir, if I could have you fill out as much of the information as you can on this form we can have your friend finish it when he wakes up. As soon as he does I'll let you know and the doctor will check him out. Until then the nurse will monitor his vitals and keep an eye on him. Could I ask you to have a seat?" She smiled at Tony as she picked up a different clipboard and scanned the waiting area. "Mr. Roark? The doctor will see you now."
"It's about freakin time." Romar growled as he rose from his chair and stomped across the waiting area. He brushed past the federal agents, again without giving them a second glance, as he bee-lined for the back room.
As soon as they saw him disappear behind a curtain, Tony and Jethro abandoned the clipboard and bolted out of the clinic. They rushed over to the car and piled in. Gibbs pulled out his phone and dialed Grant. The FBI agent answered quickly in a hushed tone. "Mars."
"He's in the exam room." Jethro stated brusquely. "He shouldn't be long."
"Right." Grant agreed. "It only took a few minutes when Tony broke mine. Just long enough to make sure it's straight and prescribe some really good pain killers."
"Yeah, it was the same when DiNozzo broke his a couple months back." Gibbs sent a steely glance towards the sulking Italian.
Twenty minutes later, the suspect, a prescription in one hand and a cold pack in the other, returned to the reception area. His blackened eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where are the guys who came in with their unconscious friend?"
Stephanie smiled calmly. "The younger man is in the back with his friend and I think his dad is in the restroom. Now, there is a pharmacy two blocks up the road, they're open late so you can get your pain pills filled right away. Tell them we sent you and they'll give you a huge discount." She told him.
"Wow. Thanks. With the cost of medications we can use all the discounts we can get." He commented amiably.
"I don't think the doctor needs to see you again unless you develop a nosebleed that won't stop or your headache lasts for more than two days. Now, if I can get you to sign your release instructions?" She handed him the clipboard for his signature and then pulled a blank piece of paper over and began writing. He handed the clipboard back just as she finished and folded the note over.
"What's that?" Romar questioned.
"What's what?" Stephanie asked innocently.
"What were you writing?" He pointed to the folded note under her fingers.
"Oh! That's just a reminder to myself to call my boyfriend." She smiled as she slipped it into her pocket. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Well, I was thinking about asking you to dinner but I don't date girls who have boyfriends." He tried what he obviously thought was a charming smile but did nothing more than give her the creeps as she remembered the trio of handsome Feds who had livened up her day.
"How sweet." She handed him his copy of his release instructions and picked up the chart for the next patient. "Have a nice evening, Mr. Roark." She smiled again as she let the young mother and her little boy though the door. She ushered them into a treatment cubicle and continued through to the employee entrance, unlocking it and shoving it open quickly and silently.
On the outside, Grant tensed when the door began to swing open, his hand resting on his gun, ready to draw. He relaxed when Stephanie peaked around the door.
"Grant!" She hissed and held out the paper. "This is address of the pharmacy I sent him to."
Grant grasped her hand between both of his, holding it warmly for long seconds until his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. "Thank you." He told her sincerely. "You've been a huge help." He smiled sweetly at her as his let her hand slip from his, retaining the note. He pulled his phone out to answer it. "Mars!"
"He's leaving the clinic. Get your ass out front!" Gibbs barked.
"On my way." Grant told him and took off with a final grateful wave to the pretty receptionist.
Stephanie retreated back into the building, made sure the door was locked and stood against it for a couple of dreamy seconds before pushing the memory of charming Feds out of her mind so she could concentrate on the last couple hours of her shift.
Grant peeked around the corner of the old brick building to make sure their quarry wouldn't spot him making a run for the car. The pharmacy address was clenched firmly in his fist. Not seeing Romar, he dashed for the dark FBI issue sedan and bailed into the back seat. He shoved the crumpled paper towards Gibbs, who was driving. "He's going to this pharmacy." He said as he draped himself over the back of the front seat. His position there didn't last long as Gibbs floored the accelerator. He was sent tumbling gracelessly onto the back seat.
Jethro steered the car out of the parking lot in the same direction he and Tony had seen Romar turn only a few minutes before. They could see the maroon sport car several car spaces ahead. Tony closed his cell phone with a quiet click. "BOLO's out, boss." He reported.
"Good." Gibbs growled. "Call McGee and tell them to pick up his tail at the pharmacy. We'll tag-team him so he doesn't rabbit."
Later, none of them could figure out if Romar had been that confident in his anonymity or if he'd been in too much pain to really pay attention but following him to his latest brothel set-up had been ridiculously easy. Gibbs parked nearly a block away while McGee had circled the block to make sure of the house number their prey had gone into. On the return circuit he parked next to Gibbs. They converged on the sidewalk.
"So that's Jethro." Grant smiled as the large German Sheppard sat obediently at Fornell's feet. "Wow, Boss. Looks like there is someone in this world who likes you." The unaccustomed snark drew a scowl from the senior FBI agent. "Does he bite?" The question was aimed at Tim but it was Tony who answered.
"Only Probies and Rookies." The Italian stated seriously, his green eyes glinting with a sort of challenge.
Grant knelt down and scratched behind the ferocious looking dog's ears. "It's good we don't have any here then, yeah?" He grinned at his ex-partner. "What's next?"
Fornell answered him. "I get to take a dog for a walk." He grinned and tugged lightly on Jethro's leash. "Come on, Jethro. Let's see if you're any better an investigator than your namesake." His grin broadened as he heard his old friend growl, sounding suspiciously like his furry counterpart.
He led the obedient dog leisurely down the sidewalk towards the red brick row house. It had, at one time, been a nice neighborhood but crime and economy had done a lot towards its decline. He could see the occasional boarded up window in the graceful old houses. Stray pieces of newsprint blew across his path as he walked the dog in a seemingly aimless course that led unerringly to the doorway of the house they'd seen Romar enter. Walking until they were just past the steps, Tobias murmured a command to stop and knelt down to 'tie his shoe'. Jethro sat quietly awaiting his next command. He didn't have to wait long. "Seek." At the nearly soundless word, the trained drug sniffer began to quiver. His head came up alertly and he swung it back and forth, sniffing the air around him. He stood and faced the house they were standing in front of. He pulled at his leash until he could feel Tobias following him to the foot of the stairs. He gazed steadily at the door to the house for long minutes before giving a soft "Woof". Fornell pulled out his cell phone and dialed Gibbs. "Feels like a hit, wanna call in that warrant?" He asked quietly. He began leading the dog back the way they came.
"On it." Gibbs motioned towards Tony who nodded and opened his phone again. "Get back here so we can spread out and cover the place until back up can get here."
It wasn't long until everyone was in position, watching the house to make sure no one left before the warrant and reinforcements arrived. Tony and Grant ended up stationed in the alley at the back of the house together.
"Are you sure we should leave them back there alone?" Tobias asked Gibbs.
A gleam appeared in Jethro's steely blue gaze. "I just wish I had a surveillance camera back there."
Fornell grinned with appreciative glee. "Yeah, me too."
TBC