Thanks once again to everyone who has taken the time to read and review/message.
Sorry it has taken me so long to get around to posting this one; it's been half done for a while but I've been pretty busy. Nearly halfway through the lambing now but still have our work cut out for us; I feel like I've been sleep-walking through some days. Have already started chapter 10, and I hope to avoid quite the same delay.
So anyway, on with the story…
Tony had been working his way through Aikers' phone records and found several calls to the same number; it obviously belonged to a disposable cell phone, as the number could not be traced back to anyone.
He was comparing Aikers' phone records with Bradford's and Henson's, trying to find some tangible link that could take them all forward in the case, when Gibbs and Fornell exited the elevator.
They were alone.
"Where's Aikers?" Tony asked, a little hesitantly once he noticed Gibbs' tensed jaw.
"Good question," the Senior Agent answered before turning to glare at the FBI Agent.
Fornell was completely unaffected by the scowl directed his way and barely managed to suppress an eye-roll. "Norfolk is a very large military base, Jethro; the FBI do tend to have more than one case underway at the same time," he explained, voice thick with sarcasm. "We had as many men as we could afford to spare watching the entry-points, as ordered; if they'd been following him two steps behind then Aikers would have spotted them and had the opportunity to contact his friends in Mexico and warn them off."
"Instead, we've lost our only lead," Gibbs replied acerbically.
"We have Bradford's testimony and soon, we'll have the warrants necessary for searching Aikers' home address," Fornell reminded the incensed NCIS Agent.
"Warrants have come through," Tony said, waving the pieces of paper for both men to see.
"And why the hell am I only just finding out that a judge signed off on them now?" Gibbs demanded, turning his glare on the younger man.
Tony was not fazed in the slightest, all too used to being on the receiving end of glares and scathing comments. "I left you a text message; I didn't want to risk interrupting your interview with Aikers because…well, you know…Rule 22 and everything," he explained calmly.
Gibbs' ensuing grimace was little to do DiNozzo and everything to do with the increase in the reliance upon technology, in the job and beyond; why the hell did phones need to be so complicated? He slumped down at his desk and discreetly looked at his phone noticing a symbol of an unopened envelope; he scowled and shoved his phone into his draw before turning and viciously jabbing at the keys of his computer.
Tony wasn't quite sure what to do; he'd spent the entire time Gibbs and Fornell had been driving to and fro Norfolk rushing around trying to get all available information together in one place but he wasn't sure what the Senior Agent would want to do with all that data without Aikers in interrogation.
He looked at Fornell who only shrugged in response before heading back towards the elevators without telling anyone where he was going.
Tony frowned.
"Gibbs?" he asked a little hesitantly. He'd witnessed the man's infamous temper before but had so far managed to avoid having too much of it directed straight his way.
The older man looked up, the scowl in his face not at all softened, before returning his gaze to his computer screen.
"I have the information you wanted," Tony gestured towards the thick pile of papers on his desk. "I've sent it all to your e-mail, but I have the hard copies if you'd rather," he offered, having long ago picked up on the man's reluctance to embrace the Age of Technology.
Without looking up, Gibbs extended his hand and gestured impatiently for Tony to hand over the files; he'd be damned if he was going to trawl through his in-box looking for the necessary e-mail. He made a concerted effort every now and then to try and catch up with the hundreds of e-mails that seemed to come his way, but after reading so many redundant inter-departmental memos about completely unnecessary sexual harassment seminars he tended to give up before the job was even half-way done.
Tony got up and handed over the files without saying a word, but he did smile to himself as he returned to his own desk; Gibbs was holding the files out at arm's length, squinting slightly as he tried to fight through the need to find the glasses hidden discreetly away in one of his desk drawers.
The NCIS and FBI agents had slowly been working their way through phone records and bank statements and a whole forest worth of military records belonging to Henson, Bradford and Aikers, trying to find something that linked them all together in an effort to find the link to Mexico; to find Aikers, they needed to know who he would go to for help.
Fornell's perusal of Aikers' latest bank statement was interrupted by his phone ringing; all eyes turned to him as he answered, hoping that whoever was on the other side had some intel on the missing Marine's location.
"We just got word from the new Quartermaster over at Norfolk; they've been doing inventory since we told them about Bradford and Aikers. There are numerous weapons missing from the weapons cache destined for decommission, but according to Bradford, they hadn't taken anything from the main armoury since Harrison's body was found; that should mean that nothing is missing from there," Fornell left his sentence hanging.
"Should?" Gibbs clarified, wishing the FBI Agent would just spit out whatever information he seemed intent on holding back.
"Two Berettas and one M16A4 rifle," Fornell informed them grimly. Aikers wasn't just armed, he was armed with some serious firepower that he had been trained to use since he first started in the Corps.
"Is he armed to defend himself from the Cartel or is he just taking what he can carry for some easy cash as he's making a break for it?" Tony pondered.
Even Gibbs' infamous gut held no answers.
"I need a coffee," Gibbs grumbled as he looked back at the thick pile of paperwork he was attempting to sift through. "DiNozzo, with me," he ordered without looking behind him as he stalked towards the elevator.
The younger man had been going through the paperwork far longer than anyone else and he looked exhausted for it. The man might be whole and reasonably healthy, but he was still recuperating from the effects of a serious gunshot wound and the surgery that repaired the damage; a full recovery took time.
"Black, no sugar," Fornell called after them.
Tony saw for the first time just how well known Gibbs was in his favourite local coffee shop; despite the lunchtime rush, Gibbs had a server give him immediate attention. There were no smiles or pleasantries exchanged, rather, it was as if one party was doing everything within their power to appease the other party and get them the hell out of the shop before anything could even be said.
He tried to hide his grin at the idea that Gibbs' infamous 'second 'b' for bastard' personality was known well beyond the confines of the Navy Yard.
As they exited the coffee shop, Tony's thoughts returned to the increasingly complex and dangerous nature of the case, from corrupt Marines and well-armed gang-bangers to a powerful Cartel with enough military-grade hardware to wage war on the Border States.
"Gibbs, I've been meaning to ask," he began hesitantly. He didn't think that the older man would mind his final decision, but they were yet to truly know each other and it all felt a bit presumptive.
"Don't strain yourself, DiNozzo," Gibbs noted wryly after a long pause showed the younger man's hesitation to continue.
"I've been thinking about what you said the other day, you know, about me needing to find a new next-of-kin because Sam was too far away in Baltimore."
Gibbs nodded, glad to hear that the conversation had not been forgotten as he wanted that particular set of paperwork completed asap. He liked DiNozzo and wanted the man on his team for the long-haul, but he knew that would mean future hospital visits were unavoidable; the man seemed to attract trouble like no other.
"Well, the thing is I don't really know anyone in the DC area, so I wasn't really sure who to put down. There is no way in hell I'd put down Fornell's name for anything and Abby…well…she's already threatened to micro-chip me, wrap me in bubble-wrap and cotton-wool and all sorts of other unmentionable things; I know you're the one with the reputation, but she's the one that can kill me without leaving a trace and that makes her far scarier than you could ever hope to be," Tony said emphatically before catching the raised eyebrow and deciding that the most sensible thing to do would be to carry on and pretend he hadn't just say that.
"Doctor Mallard…Ducky," he corrected himself. "Well, he's like Abby only not as scary, unless he's going all doctor on you, which he would definitely do if he was listed as my next-of-kin because that's the kind of man Ducky is. Well, he'd actually do that even if he wasn't my next-of-kin but then he'd just be fussing instead of being able to legitimately tell the doctors that they have every right to strap me down to the hospital bed and ply me with drugs until he gives me the all clear," Tony visibly shuddered at the thought.
"You're the only one I know that I can put down as my next-of-kin and I was sort of hoping that you'd agree to do it," Tony finished in a rush. "I mean you're the one that told me to put down someone's name and I just…" Tony paused as he realised the frown firmly etched on Gibbs' brow was probably not because the older man was thinking about refusing, but because there was a very likely possibility that Tony's request came across all wrong.
In between his rambling on the subject, Tony, who could usually be more than eloquent, had found a way to insult the one man whose name he wanted on those forms.
"I didn't mean it like that," Tony said quietly, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting. Once he calmed down his breathing and rediscovered his courage he lifted his eyes to meet Gibbs' gaze. "They don't get it, but you do," Tony explained softly.
He was glad to see the frown disappear but was puzzled by the emotions that seemed to replace it; in those crystal blue eyes, Tony very clearly saw compassion and pity and he knew that concern was directed at him. 'Maybe he's questioning my sanity,' Tony thought to himself.
"I am the job, Gibbs; I have been from the moment I graduated from the Academy. I have put so much of myself into this job and so much of this job has shaped me into who I am today.
"From the very first time I walked my beat in Peoria to this day, here, I've had more injuries than I can count; most of them small, some just plain accidents, some of them avoidable, and some of them beyond excruciating. Not once, even after I found myself bleeding out on a dirty apartment floor and drowning in my own blood with a bullet in my lung, did I ever regret doing my job.
"Before Sam, I never really had anyone to watch my back…no one wanted to watch my back," he clarified. "I've looked after myself for a long time; I know my limits and I know when I need to do everything I can to push myself to new limits. I know exactly what I'm capable of Gibbs, even when all I should want to do is curl up in a corner and cry, I just want to get back to doing my job.
"Abby and Ducky, they're nice people and I know they're trying to make me feel like I'm part of the team, but I don't really know what to do with their…concern, I guess," Tony confessed quietly, struggling for the right words. "It took me a long time to realise that when Sam was giving me orders about getting proper sleep in an actual bed, or glaring at me until I took my meds or taking me to the gun-range so that I don't go all lone gun-man-in-the-bell-tower when I was truly pissed off with some asshole from the Precinct, he was just concerned.
"And I could handle that. He wasn't hovering and he wasn't fussing and he wasn't pitying me; most of all, he let me do my job; he might have been more aware of my every step if I had a concussion or a busted rib, but he still let me work. And when I wasn't injured and was just fucked up, he didn't try to coerce me into seeing a shrink or taking time off work because he knew that I needed to work.
"When I got thrown down those stairs, it was nice to know that Ducky already cares enough about me to give me a stern lecture and to try and look out for me…the same with Abby, but they both wanted me to sit out and let you do this with someone else.
"I work with you now, and that makes you my partner; that means where you go, I go. I'm not going to turn that responsibility over to someone else just because I have a headache, not until I know that I'm doing more damage by staying in the game.
"I know that you won't abuse any of the powers that come with being listed as my next-of-kin," Tony stated firmly, specifically thinking about the access to his personnel files and his medical files and everything in between. "And I know you won't try to bench me unless there is a damn good reason for it, because I know that you're the job too, Gibbs. I want you listed as my next-of-kin because I know you understand and because I trust you."
Gibbs stayed quiet, examining DiNozzo's face, analysing his words and scrutinising his tone. He was already used to the verbose nature of the man; DiNozzo could start by prattling off trivia about a movie he saw the night before and somehow break off into a tangent about how it reminded him of a case before coming back to another movie and a girl he once dated.
For all that DiNozzo talked a lot, he rarely ever said anything of substance.
When it came to the job, DiNozzo was better than good and delivered his information before goofing around.
When it came to anything even remotely personal, Tony could talk rings around anyone listening without revealing a single sustainable fact.
Gibbs didn't know what it was about the younger man's life that made him so closed off to people's curiosity and concern for him, but the effects were clear to anyone with an ounce of perception.
Tony sometimes seemed to do all he could to get in the spotlight; whether it was pulling pranks on the unsuspecting or saying something inflammatory just to witness the fallout, the man was very skilled at rapidly attracting every eye in the room.
An attractive woman was a target for that DiNozzo charm he's so fond of dishing out, happy when he got a coy smile or a sexy wink for his effort before smiling and offering his number to a woman that he would perhaps date twice before moving on to the next meaningless liaison.
So many people…too many people believed that Tony was little short of an attention-seeking juvenile, with too much money and no real concerns in the world, who treated life like one big game.
But Gibbs knew better.
He had seen the younger man being fussed over by some lonely old woman who had the common decency to spare a few seconds fretting over his too thin frame and the dark circles under his eyes.
And how had Tony reacted?
He shrank into himself in a manner that not even Gibbs' steely glares could ever manage to incite.
Instead of soaking up the attention, Tony had tried to avoid all the motherly touches, brush off her concern and redirect her inquiries onto another topic. Ironically, he seemed to take Gibbs rather more unorthodox methods of showing concern with ease; the head-slaps and browbeating seemed to be something DiNozzo strived for on occasion.
Tony's discomfort with overt signs of concern directed at him had been a revelation for Gibbs.
The Senior Agent already knew that Tony was not anywhere near as self-assured as he portrayed himself to be, but he couldn't imagine what had happened to him in his life that made him so unused to people showing him a little kindness.
DiNozzo clearly did not lack the understanding for compassion as he had shown himself to be empathetic by nature throughout the case in Baltimore and several times since. His confusion on the matter only seemed to appear when that compassion was directed at him, as though he deemed himself unworthy of such considerations.
He had never met DiNozzo Senior and, given the lack of a relationship he seemed to share with his son, Gibbs doubted he ever would; that didn't stop him from wanting a little one-on-one with him in the NCIS gym. Ever since he had his own daughter violently wrenched from his life, he couldn't understand any parent throwing their child to the side as if they didn't matter when in reality a child should be one of the most important parts of a parent's life.
Gibbs couldn't deny that when he first heard Tony's proposal about his next-of-kin, he had been disappointed to hear that he was only Tony's choice because the others had been crossed off the list as possibilities.
He couldn't deny that he had envied the way that DiNozzo and Jacobs had seamlessly worked together in Baltimore, each backing up the other without a moment's hesitation and without regret or doubt following their actions.
Gibbs hadn't found that sort of camaraderie since the Marine Corps, not even with Franks. He had learnt to trust Franks but the relationship had always seemed to be very much the mentor and the mentee; DiNozzo and Jacobs had that side to their professional life, but they had been equals in every other way. Neither man had been afraid to call the other up on their bullshit nor had there ever been any animosity after the fact.
The Senior Agent knew that he could be a demanding team leader and he wanted his subordinates to respect him enough to follow his orders when push came to shove; that didn't mean he wanted mindless drones. Most of the time the only people who called him up on his crap were Abby and Ducky; even they did so, more often than not, once the deed had been done.
Gibbs had little trouble believing that DiNozzo would not hesitate to tell him when he was going off the beaten track into the grey areas; he had certainly done so in Baltimore. He also knew that the younger man had enough respect for the chain of command to do so in the privacy of their own company, without an audience to witness any disagreement.
Part of that belief was entirely related to the sort of man he knew DiNozzo to be: dedicated and passionate and principled and wholly dedicated to the job. The man might be an expert at bending the rules to get his crook, but that didn't mean he was going to throw the law-book completely out of the window.
He recognised early on in Baltimore that DiNozzo was good at his job and he knew almost from the get-go, even when he had felt like shooting the young Detective for his impudence, that he was exactly the sort of man Gibbs wanted and needed on his team; he would take one DiNozzo over a thousand Nixons, a hundred Blackadders and yes…even over ten Stan Burleys.
He successfully managed to hide his true emotions when he heard that Tony trusted him; he knew that to some degree already, as the man had been prepared to move to DC and start a new career simply because Gibbs had offered him a job. The Senior Agent also knew that he had done a lot back in Baltimore to prove himself in helping to close down the human-trafficking ring and looking after Tony's injured partner; that sort of trust was wholly related to Gibbs' professional abilities.
Being listed as Tony's next-of-kin and being witness to the younger man's almost painful confession about how his life had demanded he become more than adept at looking out for himself and knowing exactly how far he could push himself, showed trust on a far more personal level.
He knew that he could not say 'no' to the man without far-reaching consequences on DiNozzo's ability to trust in him in the future; more than that, though, he didn't want to refuse the man.
So he did the only thing he could: he agreed.
"Do you now?" he asked gruffly. He might like the kid and be more than happy that they were getting a better understanding of each other, but that didn't mean he was going to get mushy and sentimental; he had a reputation to uphold after all.
Tony looked at him apprehensively, not sure whether or not the older man had agreed or not.
"Well…are you going to give me the papers or not?" Gibbs asked, the small smile on his face belied the frustrated tone of his voice, allowing the younger man to catch a glimpse of how he really felt about the issue.
"They're in my desk," Tony grinned with relief. "Thanks for this, Jethro," he said quietly, using the man's first name in an effort to try and convey his gratitude and how much Gibbs' consent had meant to him.
"Anytime, Tony," Gibbs said sincerely, taking care to look his Agent in the eyes to ensure the younger man believed that. "Well let's get back to the bullpen; we've got a missing to track down."
"On your six, Boss," Tony said before falling into step alongside the older man.
Gibbs smiled at that before stating, "By the way, DiNozzo, if you think I'm the soft option for your listed next-of-kin, then you'd better hope it is one hell of a long time before you need to find out just how wrong you are."
Tony saw and heard the promise in Gibbs' face and in his words and wondered what he'd let himself in for.
"Understood, Boss," Tony gulped.
"Dammit!" Tony spluttered quietly as he returned the phone to its cradle none too gently. "We spent ages trying to get enough evidence together to get a warrant on that son of a bitch and then we spent ages trying to track the bastard down once he does a Houdini, and he gets pulled in by a security guard," Tony muttered with the slightest hint of disgust as he got off the phone.
"What the hell are you talking about, DiNozzo," came the exasperated response of the Senior Agent from across the bullpen.
"That was Reynolds from Metro PD; we spent a lot of time on the phone when I was trying to get the skinny on the dead Diablos. Anyways, he rang to let me know that they have Aikers in lock-up.
"Apparently, a security guard at one of the nearby malls saw him acting suspiciously in a hardware store and went over to talk to him when he noticed a gun sticking out of his belt. Luckily Aikers didn't see him until it was too late otherwise a lot of civilians could have been hurt in the crossfire; he certainly seems desperate enough to try and shoot his way out."
"A security guard?" Gibbs asked, just a little stunned and a whole hell of a lot pissed off as he glared at the mass of paperwork they had been needlessly trawling through for hours with no result.
"A security guard," Tony confirmed. "A mall security guard," he clarified distastefully as he too glared at the stack of files that he had spent all morning going over in an effort to find a lead only for some ex-cop with a beer belly and a crappy pension to bring in their main suspect and render hours of paperwork obsolete.
"Anyway, Reynolds wanted to know if we want Aikers out of lock-up and sent over here or if we want to go there and interview him at the station; I said you'd prefer to have him transferred to NCIS custody," Tony informed the Senior Agent. "You would, right?" he asked, a little unsure with Gibbs' eyes trained on him and no words coming forth.
"I would," Gibbs agreed.
Tony sighed in relief and turned his attention back to his overflowing desk; he closed the files that he no longer needed and shoved them all to one side before turning his gaze to his computer to track down another potential lead. Ever since he had completed his next-of-kin forms he felt a lot more positive about his future at NCIS; it felt like a sure sign that he now had a person in DC that he could always rely upon. He would have to tell Sam about the change but he had no doubt that his former partner would be more than supportive about the decision.
"What are you doing now, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He knew that Tony would not be returning to the paperwork they had been trawling through in an effort to find where Aikers would go to ground, so clearly the man was working on something else.
"Well, I thought we should probably try looking for our Mexican connection," Tony said. "I mean I know our case is supposedly all about the murder of a US Marine and the gun-smuggling out of Norfolk, but the Cartel were involved too and if they can take out half a dozen Diablos and coerce a few Marines into doing their dirty work then we should probably try to find the point man on the Cartel's side and bring him in before this goes any further."
Gibbs nodded; he agreed, he just wasn't sure how to go about getting that result. "Where are you looking?"
"I thought I'd look at flight manifests and see just who has flown in to DC from Mexico recently; I've been cross-referencing names with the dates Bradford gave me and then I've been trying to match ID with the description of our missing Cartel man with the one Bradford gave us.
"This guy, Rodriguez, he seems to be our best bet so far; he matches the description of the man Bradford saw with Aikers when Harrison was killed and his flights seem to correspond with all the deals. I'm just checking with other agencies…" he trailed off as he worked his way through the information on his screen.
"Anything?" Gibbs asked as he made his way over to DiNozzo's desk. He was glad to see that the three FBI Agents had all stopped what they were doing to try and track DiNozzo's progress, looking a little sheepish that they hadn't thought to do something similar; it was always good to see someone from NCIS outthink men and women belonging to the largest of all the Federal Agencies.
"Well, would you look at that," Tony smiled widely. "He also happens to be on a DEA watch-list as a suspected member of a Cartel; looking at the file they have on him they don't have enough evidence to deny him entrance to the US but if they're watching Rodriquez, maybe we can find him and bring him in for questioning."
"Any other names stand out on the flights he's been on?" Gibbs asked, thinking about a possible partner. They still needed to know whether or not the Sinaloa Cartel was involved or whether it was simply a couple of people trying to make a name for themselves and get some money. If the Cartel was involved, they were going to need more than five agents looking into the cross-Border deals.
"There are none that stand out. I'm thinking Rodriguez is going his own way, trying to impress and speed up his way up through the ranks; there doesn't seem to be any real support network going on here and with the number of men on the Sinaloa payload, you'd expect a few foot soldiers to act as guards for the weapons."
"And Aikers?" Gibbs asked. They would need proof for a conviction but he was interested in hearing DiNozzo's theory.
"His father's a big name South of the Border; maybe it is a simple case of trying to prove himself better than or at least worthy of his father," Tony shrugged, finding that particular concept not at all alien to him.
"Well let's put an APB out on Rodriguez and talk to someone with the DEA and see what else they have on the guy. Aikers should be here soon but I want to let him stew in a holding cell for a while."
"On it, Boss," Tony said as he looked for the necessary number to call. "One question: do you ever deal with the local LEO's if you can avoid it or is that something I should just get used to now?"
"You got a problem with that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked with one perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Not me, Boss," Tony denied quickly. He would have to make an effort to play nice with any DC cop he came across to try and dispel the image of all NCIS agents being like Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
The office was quiet except for the odd agent using the calm to catch up on their paperwork and for the five agents pooling together all their information as they waited for information on their latest suspect.
An agent with the DEA had supplied them with the licence plate of the rental car Rodriguez had picked at the airport before informing them that the man had lost his tail a few days before.
When Tony's phone rang, five sets of eyes immediately sprang to it with hope that they would finally have a solid lead that promised an end to the case.
They listened to the one-sided conversation and managed to figure out enough about the call to know that they had positive confirmation of their target, but they waited for Tony to hang up so he could confirm it.
"We've had a call; an undercover Vice cop from Metro recognised the plates from our BOLO on his rental; Rodriguez was last seen heading towards an old industrial park in Fairfax County, just off the I-95 near Springfield."
"I know the place," Gibbs replied; he'd visited a dump site there over eight months ago. "There's not a lot still standing in the area; can you help us get the manpower to search the place?" he asked Fornell.
"Sure," the FBI Agent agreed without hesitation. "We can get the local LEO's to cordon off the area and erect road-blocks just in case Rodriguez manages to give us the slip, and I'll call for a SWAT team to serve as back-up. Richardson, Best, call some of your friends over in the OCU and see if they can come and help with the search."
The two FBI Agents left to do just that while Gibbs asked another MCRT team leader who had his team finishing up their paperwork after their own long case had wrapped up. The site was too big for just a couple of agents to successfully search the area; hopefully they would at least find Rodriguez's car and narrow down the search to just one building.
"Gear up, DiNozzo," Gibbs instructed the younger man.
"On it, Boss," Tony replied as he holstered his side-arm and pocketed his badge.
The derelict factory was long abandoned by the owners but far from being silent or unused; the strong winds brought the place to life with a multitude of sounds and there was plenty of evidence to suggest that many a homeless man had made the place his bed for the night.
Plastic bags and bits of old newspaper were blowing across the cracked asphalt, and a half-open window was banging in the wind.
"The car is still a little warm," Tony said quietly as he removed his hand from the hood of the vehicle. "There's not a lot going on out here, Gibbs; he must have heard our engines."
"He knows we're here," the Senior Agent nodded before talking quietly into his radio, letting everyone know that they had found the likely building and ordering smaller groups to enter the various entrances in an effort to contain their suspect inside.
When everyone was set, they approached the building as quietly as they could. Even as the two agents attempted to slowly open the large, heavy door that blocked their entrance, the creaking echoed around the hollow interior.
Both men winced and halted their movements, looking for some sign that Rodriguez had heard their failed attempt at a silent entry. Once they were sure that there was no movement inside, they crept in, gun in one hand and torch in the other.
The only light in there came from their torches and from the moonlight flickering through the broken windows; the room dimmed every time a cloud covered the moon, throwing the rest of the factory's interior into shadows.
The factory was large and with many winding corridors and rooms that led away from the main workrooms in the centre. There was a lot of ground to cover and a lot of places for Rodriguez to hide. While Tony, Gibbs and two members of SWAT entered one of the dark workshops, several other NCIS and FBI agents as well as armed police were making their way through various other exits and entrances, each group trying to block off one of Rodriguez's potential escape routes.
Anything of value had long since disappeared from the place, leaving the building a mere shell of what it had once been.
Electrical cord had been stripped of the copper wiring by scrap-metal thieves, leaving nothing but a plastic shell hanging from the cracking walls and collapsing ceilings. Metal walkways that wound their way above the main workshops were rusted and in some cases dangling with only a thin, twisted edge of metal to keep the platform from crashing to the floor.
Part of the roof in one corner was missing a few sheets of corrugated iron, allowing some of the natural light from outside to illuminate a piece of rusting machinery that time and technology rendered obsolete long ago.
There were so many blind spots in the room, so many nooks and crannies where the light seemed afraid to venture; the torch-light only offered so much assistance and everyone felt on edge.
Gibbs spared a glance towards his Junior Agent, glad to note the man's steady gun-hand despite the anxiety they all had over Rodriquez's advantages both in knowing the layout of the building and in the safety that the shadows afforded the man.
The room was large, too large for four people to search it with any degree of speed. The two armed policemen who entered with them were separately working their way around the perimeter; the torches attached to their guns briefly illuminating the dark corners and finding no sign of Rodriguez.
A sudden glint caught Gibbs' eye; behind a pillar he could spot the barrel of a gun that had been briefly illuminated by the peripheral beam of someone's wandering torchlight. Gibbs could not see who was behind the pillar but he knew from the make that the gun did not belong to anyone in law enforcement.
He also knew that the gun was pointed at someone.
He turned to his side and saw DiNozzo a few metres away searching underneath one of the old conveyor belts for any sign of their suspect, completely oblivious to the gun trained on him.
The torchlight moved away and the gun barrel was no longer in view, but Gibbs knew it was still there.
"DiNozzo! Look out!" he shouted, cursing the fact that he couldn't get a bead on the target and hoping against all hope that his warning had not come too late.
The shot echoed around the room.
Thanks for reading; let me know what you think. If you spot any errors, (grammatical or situational) feel free to let me know and I'll do my best to fix them.
For those that need them…
Rule 22 – Never, ever interrupt Gibbs in interrogation.
Beretta – standard sidearm for US Marines.
M16A4 – standard rifle for US Marines, although it is now being slowly phased out in favour of the M4 Carbine.
DEA – Drug Enforcement Agency.
APB – All Points Bulletin. A broadcast from one law enforcement agency to others; normally it is about a wanted suspect they want arrested, or a person of interest that they want to be picked up.
BOLO – Be On the Look Out.
LEO's – Law Enforcement Officers.
SWAT – Special Weapons And Tactics.
OCU – Organised Crime Unit.
MCRT – Major Case/Crimes Response Team.
Next up – the hospital and an inquisition, an interrogation with Aikers and a little trip to the shrink thrown into the mix.