Chapter 26 – A Man Down
Gibbs
He left Jimmy Napolitano's apartment which was in one of the more affluent neighborhoods in town and drove through working-class neighborhoods, past families and children who were just starting to walk to school. He eventually crossed the Anacostia and entered a black neighborhood where he drove to a modest but neatly kept home.
Just as he arrived, a woman stepped outside with a young boy and a slightly older girl. The girl had a lunch pail and a few books bound with a leather strap.
He parked in front of their house and got out of his truck, attracting more than a few stares.
The woman looked at him then spoke to a neighbor who was also out with her young child. The neighbor nodded and took the girl by the hand, leading her off to school.
"That's not a good look," the woman said.
"It hasn't been a good night," he said. "Good to see you Jackie. Is Leon in?"
"He just got home. They have him working the night shift," Jackie replied. "He's cleaning up now. I was about to cook his breakfast before he goes to bed."
"I need to talk to him," he replied.
"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Jackie asked. He shook his head. "Well then come on in. Coffee should be about ready. You look like you could use a cup."
In truth, he didn't want to delay but the thought of coffee after spending the whole night awake was too enticing.
Nodding, he followed Jackie inside. She sent Jared to play in his room and motioned for Gibbs to take a seat at the kitchen table. He sat down heavily and took off his hat.
Jackie set a cup of steaming black coffee in front of him before she disappeared.
He had downed nearly half of the strong coffee before she returned with Leon on her heels.
"Oh boy," Leon said when he entered the kitchen. Leon sat down and poured himself a cup of coffee while Jackie started to cook some breakfast. "What happened?"
"Napolitano is dead," he said cutting to the chase. Leon stopped with a cup of coffee half-way to his mouth. "Last night."
"What happened?" Leon asked.
He shook his head. "We don't know. Tim was called to Napolitano's apartment last night. Three bodies were pulled from the apartment this morning. All burned and all had gunshot wounds."
"DiNozzo and McGee are both dead?" Leon asked in shock.
"DiNozzo wasn't with McGee last night," he replied. "He left McGee with Jim Kidwell. He's one of Napolitano's men but he was a Marine. Both Tony and I vetted him and trusted him with Tim's safety." Leon frowned. "The coroner can't positively identify the bodies. I was hoping he came here."
Leon looked at his wife but they shook their heads.
"No," Leon said. "After Fornell was targeted, we agreed that you could use our home as a safe house because we're not connected to you or your mission. But until you arrived, it was a quiet morning."
"The fire and Napolitano's death probably haven't hit the papers yet," he said as Jackie put some bacon into a pan.
"Were there signs that something was going wrong?" Leon asked.
He shook his head and shrugged.
"McGee's plan to take down Napolitano from the inside out was working," he said. "A month ago, Jimmy asked Tim to consolidate his assets and there weren't any signs that Tim had been made. With each raid, Napolitano trusted Tim even more."
"Was it an internal coup?" Leon asked. "Someone take out Napolitano and McGee to take over the business?"
"It's as good a theory as any I've got," he replied. "There were grumblings that Little Ricky didn't like how much his father liked, trusted and relied on Tim. And with things as they were, some of Jimmy's lieutenants were grumbling that they could do better."
"Did they blame McGee?" Leon asked.
"As far as I know, no," he said with a sigh. "Most people thought someone in Bureau had it in for Jimmy. Not out of the question though."
"You going to look into them?" Leon asked as he poured him another cup of coffee before he stood and collected two plates.
"Kinda hard to look at everything with just the two of us. We're a man down," he replied. Leon cocked an eyebrow at him. Even with Tim, there was no way they could look into every angle. "I've got DiNozzo looking into Ziva David," he said. Leon snorted. "You heard the rumors, Leon."
"Don't tell me you believe she killed all those men," Leon said as he sliced some bread and put it into a toaster.
"I don't know," he replied. "But she told DiNozzo last night that she knew we had been overseas for ONI. Not including my team, I can count on one hand the number of people that knew what we were doing in Europe. And if she knew…"
Leon looked grim as he pulled out the toast before putting in two more slices of bread.
"And you? What are you going to do?" Leon asked. His expression darkened. "No. I know that look. Don't do it Gibbs."
"What?" Jackie asked.
"He's going after Boone, Napolitano's hatchet man," Leon explained.
"I don't know who or what that is, but it doesn't sound good," Jackie said. "Leon, the toast," Jackie said. Jolting, Leon pulled out two pieces of toast that were slightly darker than they should have been. Jacking looked at her husband who shrugged. "Sit down. How do you like your eggs, Jethro?"
"Whatever is easiest for you," he replied. To be honest, he didn't feel like eating.
"Do you have any proof that he's involved?" Leon asked as he brought the toast to the table. "Don't get me wrong, he deserves to be put in a pine box but if there's still a chance that one of those bodies wasn't McGee…"
He set his cup down and sighed.
"You don't think that you're going to find him alive," Leon inferred.
"We found his weapon by one of the bodies and his knife was in the chest of another," he replied. "Hard to explain both of those items being in the room especially if Tim hasn't turned up anywhere."
"And you think taking out Boone while you're still undercover is going to make up for losing one of your team?" Leon asked pointedly. He winced. "I'm sorry Gibbs, but someone needed to say it."
"Yeah," he replied.
"Gunshots and a fire aren't Boone's style," Leon said as Jackie brought over a pan and scooped out some scrambled eggs and bacon for each of them. "Thanks Jackie."
"Do the dishes before you go to bed," she said as she left. Leon nodded.
"You're thinking that killing Boone will help you vent the anger you're feeling," Leon said. "And if he happens to be responsible for McGee's death, it would be a bonus." He sighed. "You're so angry right now but it's with yourself." He slumped. "If Boone had killed those three men, he would have made sure that everyone knew it and he wouldn't have covered it up with a fire."
"Yeah," he agreed as he began to eat.
Suddenly he realized how famished he was. He focused on eating and when Leon realized he wasn't going to say anything more, Leon did the same. Thankfully Jackie had been generous with the portions.
After two more cups of coffee, he leaned back and sighed.
"I know how much you care for your team Gibbs," Leon said. "I'm sorry to hear about McGee. He was a good man."
"This is going to eat up DiNozzo," he said. "He feels guilty cause he wasn't with McGee."
"If he was with McGee, he would be dead too," Leon countered. He looked at Leon incredulously. DiNozzo would have rather died with his partner than live with wondering if he could have done something to save Tim. "Yeah, the survivor's guilt is worse."
"Yeah," he replied. He knew because he felt it too. He was out on a date with Holly when he should have had his ear to the ground, listening for anything that would have told him Tim was at risk.
"It isn't your fault either Gibbs," Leon said.
"Doesn't feel that way," he retorted. "Tim was under my command. It was my duty to protect him."
"I understand how you feel," Leon said. "But if all commanding officers could protect their men, no one would die in battle."
He frowned. He couldn't argue with Leon.
"Look, I'll check in with my contacts at the docks," Leon said. "See if anyone heard anything about a coup. If someone was responsible for Napolitano's death, it won't take long to get around. You should check into Little Ricky and leave Boone alone until you find evidence he's involved."
"You're right," he said.
"I know I'm right," Leon said.
He smiled wryly at Leon. "Anyone ever tell you that you would make a good director of operations?" Leon snorted. "I should get going," he said as he stood. "Tell Jackie thanks for breakfast."
"I will," Leon said. "You'll let me know if you hear anything?" He nodded and pulled on his hat. He turned to leave but Leon stopped him. "Try not to feel guilty for things that are out of your control Gibbs." He snorted. "Yeah, I know. Easier said than done."
Nodding, he left and hurried into his truck. He left and drove back into town, taking back roads to avoid the morning traffic as people began to head to work. When he reached a small, seedy-looking, boarding house, he pulled off to the side and looked up at it. The Alexander Hotel.
For ten in the morning, there wasn't much activity. Then again, most of the activity in his hotel happened at night.
But as he watched, a man in a fine suit stepped outside, smoothed his jacket and hurried on down the street.
Apparently not everything.
Getting out of his truck, he grabbed his toolbox and made his way into the hotel. A woman at the desk looked at him, seemingly sizing him up. She was reading a letter and he just caught the name on the envelope. Katherine Atwood.
"Hey, honey," she said as she dropped some fish food into a bowl with a pair of gold fish. "What can we do for you this morning? Need a room?"
"No," he replied. "I was told there was a problem with one of the bathrooms."
"You a handyman?" she asked skeptically.
"I don't carry the toolbox around for fun," he replied. "Ricky called it in. I work for Mr. Napolitano."
The woman jolted. "Oh," she said. "Sure thing. You're early, sugar. Ricky doesn't get up before the crack of noon."
"I was told to be here first thing or it'd be my head," he said, glad that this woman confirmed that Ricky was on premises. "And since I'm attached to it…"
"Right," the woman said. "Well if you wake him, you might lose your head anyways." She pushed a button and opened the door next to the office. "Third floor. Three A."
"Thanks," he said as he hurried up the stairs.
He had just gotten to the third floor when he heard someone coming up the stairs behind him. And unlike himself, he wasn't trying to move quietly.
He looked around and saw a small broom closet. He eased inside but left the door cracked so he could see.
The man reached the third floor and began to pound on one of the doors. He wasn't a large man but he was armed. As he pounded on the door, his coat lifted up and Gibbs could see a pistol.
"Ricky, get up!" he shouted as he pounded. A woman opened the next door down and looked out into hall to see what the ruckus was about. "Go! Get! Mind your own beeswax!" The woman yelped and hastily shut her door. The man pounded on the door again. "Ricky!"
"What?" Ricky asked irritably as he opened the door. He was only dressed in a pair of slacks and from this angle, Gibbs could see a woman in a bed behind him. "Mario? What the hell is wrong with you? I was sleeping."
"You also don't answer your phone," Mario retorted.
"It's off the hook," Ricky said as he leaned on the doorframe. "Tiffany was apologizing last night and we didn't want to be interrupted. What do you want, Vincetti?"
"It's your pops," Mario said. "I just came from his place. There are cops all over the place."
"Cops?" Ricky asked, standing upright. "He was arrested?"
"No," Mario said. "Dead. Something happened last night. The doorman, Finn, he said there was some kind of big shootout in your pop's apartment followed by a fire that burned half the building. The coroner was there this morning and he took three bodies out of the building, one of which was your father."
Ricky stared at Mario before he wailed in grief. Ricky's expression grew grim and he looked at Mario so intensely that the smaller man withered under Ricky's gaze.
"Who were the other two bodies?" Ricky demanded.
"Dunno," Mario said. "But Gemcity's bodyguard, DiNozzo, was pacing out front for half the night. One of them must have been Gemcity."
Ricky slammed his hand against the door.
"I knew it!" Ricky shouted. "That Gemcity must have made a play for control. He's been cozying up to my father for months. Was the other body Sal? Sal is always with my father."
"No," Mario replied. "Sal showed up this morning. He said your father sent him away before supper yesterday. Said he needed Sal to book a plane just in case."
"In case of what?" Ricky demanded.
Mario shook his head. "Sal didn't know. He just knew he was supposed to have a plane ready and that he should wait at the airport. Sounds like your pops was looking to skip town."
"That don't make no sense," Ricky said. "He didn't say nothing about skipping town. And why wouldn't he take me with him?" Ricky looked around the hall. "I mean the heat has been on lately…"
"What if," Mario said tentatively. "He was planning to skip town with Gemcity and he was going to leave you to the cops?"
Ricky's expression darkened. "If that's true and Gemcity isn't dead, I'll kill him myself!" Ricky turned around. "You! Get out!"
Gibbs watched as a woman, wrapped in a sheet, hastily ran out of Ricky's room.
"What are you going to do Ricky?" Mario asked.
"I'm going to make sure that I have control over the business," Ricky retorted. "I want you to get our people out there. Make sure everyone's loyalties still lie with me. And if they don't, shoot 'em."
"What about DiNozzo?" Mario asked.
"Forget him for now," Ricky said. "We can deal with him later."
"And the business ledgers?" Mario asked again.
"They're safe where they are," Ricky said but he faltered. "And I can't get to 'em. They're hidden in a safe behind a bookcase in Gemcity's office, but the only ones who had the combination are my father and Gemcity. We'll need a safecracker to get to 'em."
"I'll find one right away," Mario said but Ricky stopped him.
"The cops are going to be all over those offices," Ricky said. "Find a guy but don't do nothing yet. We need to make sure that we're not going to do their dirty work by finding those ledgers."
"Good thinking," Mario said.
"Yeah, well I ain't as dumb as my father thinks I am. It's easier to avoid trouble if nobody thinks you're smarter than they are," Ricky said. He blinked as he realized that Ricky had fooled everyone, including his own father. "Now get going. We got work to do."
Mario nodded. "Ricky," he said stopping him before he could close the door. "I'm sorry about your pops."
"Yeah," Ricky replied. "Me too."
As soon as the coast was clear, he left the building and got back into his truck. He glanced up at Ricky's window and saw the younger man pacing.
Ricky hadn't made a power play while his father was alive, but now that his father was out of the picture, he had a feeling that Ricky was going to take over. And he wasn't going to be afraid to use force on anyone that got in his way. That included DiNozzo.
He needed to talk to Tony but he had no idea where the younger man was right now.
Without much recourse, he started his truck and drove to Tim and Tony's apartment. He could wait for Tony there.
He parked several blocks away and once again grabbed his toolbox since it made for a convenient cover.
When he reached the door, he saw doorman with a name plate that read 'Wilson.'
"Can I help you?" the doorman asked.
"Yeah, I work for Mr. Napolitano," he said. The doorman stood up straighter, confirming that Wilson worked for the mobster. "I got a call that one of his apartments needed some work?"
"Four oh three," Wilson said helpfully. "Although I don't think the tenants have left for the day. I haven't seen Mr. McGee but Mr. DiNozzo just returned with Ms. Sciuto."
"I'll just head on up and see if they want me to do the work now or come back later," he said. Wilson nodded and opened the door.
He hurried to the elevator and the reedy bellman named Pringle took him up to the fourth floor. When he reached Tony's apartment, he knocked. There was a moment's hesitation before the door opened.
"Gibbs," Tony said. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."
He stepped into the apartment and saw Abby sitting on one of the sofas. She was dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a white button-down shirt. She had tear tracks down her cheeks.
"Needed to talk," he replied as Tony shut and locked the door.
"Gibbs," Abby said as she stood up.
He set his toolbox down and opened his arms. Abby crossed the room and he pulled her into a hug as she sniffed in his ear.
"It's true, isn't it?" Abby asked.
"Until we're sure it isn't him," he said but he couldn't finish the sentence. Abby pulled back and looked at him and he could sense DiNozzo's eyes on him. He met the younger man's eye. Tony's grim expression told him that DiNozzo didn't think Tim was alive either.
"You think he's dead," Abby said as she looked at him.
"My gut says no," he replied as he drew her back to the sofa. "But it's hard to ignore the evidence in front of us."
"I'd trust your gut over my eyes any day, Gibbs," Tony said. "If McGee's alive, where is he?"
He shook his head. "I don't know but we need to keep our eyes open. McGee will contact us when he can."
"We should check the safe houses," Tony replied. "The Navy Yard. Vance's place…"
"I've been to see Vance," he replied cutting Tony off. "Tim didn't go there."
"I checked your place on my way back from seeing Ziva," Tony said. "She was shocked to hear that Tim was…" Tony cut himself off before he could say it. "I believe her boss. She might know our secret but she didn't rat us out."
He nodded and stood up. He walked over to the phone and picked it up.
"Washington Navy Yard switchboard," he said when the operator asked to direct his call. The switchboard connected him to Tom Morrow when asked. "Tom," he said.
"Gibbs," Tom said. "Tell me it isn't true."
"You heard," he said as he glanced at Tony.
"How couldn't I?" Tom asked. "James Napolitano's death is all over town. I heard it through official and unofficial channels. What about McGee?" He sighed. "Damn," Tom replied. "I was hoping that part wasn't true. I was hoping he was with you."
"That's what I was hoping," he replied. "We were hoping he went to the Navy Yard and that we misidentified the body."
"I was under the impression the coroner hadn't identified the two other bodies with Napolitano," Tom replied. "Although my unofficial sources tell me it was a bodyguard and Napolitano's moneyman, Gemcity. Was the other body, DiNozzo?"
"No. Tony wasn't with him last night," he said. Tony frowned and looked away. "But your sources are probably right. It was McGee and a bodyguard. But that's only based on McGee's weapons being found at the scene."
"But they were unique to him," Morrow said. "I know because we discussed how he would protect himself on the steamship home." Morrow sighed. "I'm not looking forward to that conversation with his father."
He looked at Tony. "I'll do that Tom. Tim was under my command. It's my responsibility to notify his family."
"I don't envy you," Morrow replied. "Admiral McGee is a formidable man. And he's going to get a hell of a shock when he learns his son wasn't a criminal."
"Yeah," he replied.
Since Tim went undercover, he constantly spoke about making amends with his father. And as they grew closer to the end of their mission, he could see that Tim was anxious to tell his family the truth.
"Do you need anything from me?" Morrow asked.
"Rule twenty-eight," Gibbs replied.
"You'll have to forgive me Gibbs," Morrow said. "I don't remember all your rules anymore."
"We need help, Tom. We need ears to the ground," he said. "Little Ricky is making a play for control and he isn't going to deal with disloyalty any different than his father."
"I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise," Tom said. "Napolitano's death opens the door for his son and his lieutenants to fight for control. I'm surprised that Little Ricky is making a play though. He didn't seem the type."
"I think Little Ricky has been playing a fool to stay out of the crosshairs," he said. "He thinks that McGee tried to make a move on his father's business and that McGee killed his pops. DiNozzo could be at risk too."
Tony looked back at him at the mention of the name.
"If DiNozzo is at risk," Morrow said. "So are you. Keep your head down, Gibbs. I'll get my people on the streets and see what we can find."
"If we're not at McGee and DiNozzo's apartment, we'll be at Quicksilver," he said as he looked at Abby. "If this turns into the wild west, Quicksilver will be safer. It has more security."
"Understood," Morrow said. "And Gibbs," Tom said stopping him from hanging up. "I'm sorry about McGee."
"Yeah," he replied as he hung up.
"What's this about Ricky making a play for control?" Tony asked. "Boone told you about that?"
He shook his head. "I didn't go after Boone. A fire and gunshots aren't his style," he replied. "I went to see Little Ricky and overheard him talking to one of his flunkies, Mario Vincetti."
"You don't think that Ricky tried to usurp his father, do you?" Abby asked.
He shook his head. "No," he replied as he sat down on the sofa opposite of Abby. He pulled off his overcoat and threw his hat onto the table. "Ricky was shocked by his father's death. And he was pissed too." He shook his head. "He didn't have a hand in it."
"Maybe not," Tony said as he sat down with Abby. "But it sounds like he's been playing dumb all this time."
"You have to admit," Abby said. "Everyone bought it. He was taking in everything and everyone thought he was harmless."
"I think they're about to find out that isn't true," Tony said. "So, what do we do, Boss?"
"We lie low," he replied. "Not much else we can do, DiNozzo."
"And if Tim is really dead?" Tony demanded. "We just pack it in? Two years of work, down the drain?"
"What do you want me to say, DiNozzo?" he asked tiredly. "Napolitano is dead. He was our target."
"Yeah and McGee is dead too," Tony retorted as he stood up. "Sorry Tim, all your hard work and sacrifices over these last two years, including giving your life, didn't mean a damn thing?"
"We can still take down Napolitano's network," he countered. "We have the duplicate ledgers."
"We do," Abby said. "I know where Tim keeps them."
"When we leave here, we'll take them with us," he said. Abby nodded. "It'll only be a matter of time before Napolitano's offices are raided for the real ones. Ricky said they were hidden behind a bookcase in McGee's office." Tony frowned. "Tim's hard work was and will pay off Tony."
"Fat lot of good it did him," Tony retorted. "Besides, you and I both know that it was going to be his testimony that would have been the most damning. If Little Ricky is smarter than we gave him credit for, then he'll find a way to wiggle out of paying for his crimes."
He stood up. "We won't let him, DiNozzo," he said forcefully. "We'll honor Tim by completing his mission. And for now, that means keeping our heads down. McGee wouldn't want us to do something stupid and get ourselves killed to avenge him."
"Is that why you didn't go after Boone?" Tony asked.
He jolted but then nodded. "That wasn't Boone's work," he replied. "Boone is a bastard and he'll get what's coming to him. But taking him out won't avenge Tim's death."
"Wouldn't hurt," Tony muttered causing him to smile slightly. "I'm going to talk to Dwayne make sure he keeps an eye out for suspicious characters. It may not be the best idea to stay here too long Gibbs. If Ricky is going to come after me, there are too many civilians that could be in the line of fire."
He nodded as Tony left the apartment.
Abby looked at him as he sat down on the sofa again. The drive that kept him moving had evaporated and now he felt exhausted. It had been over a day since he had last slept.
"You know that it might not be safe to stay here," Abby said. "You know it would be safer to go to Quicksilver. So, why are you staying here Gibbs?" He didn't answer. "You're still hoping Tim shows up." He shrugged lightly. "I'm not sure if that's optimism or denial."
"At little of both," he replied. He looked at the door to Tim's room. "My gut is still churning," he said finally. "Too many unanswered questions. Why was Naps looking to book a plane out of town? Why wasn't Sal Balducci with him last night? The man is like Napolitano's own shadow. Naps wasn't looking to skip town before yesterday, so why the sudden change?"
"Something made him think he was at risk," Abby said.
"Exactly," he said as he got up. He called the Navy Yard again. "Tom," he said as the man picked up the phone. "Have you heard anything about an arrest warrant for Napolitano?"
"Yeah," Tom said. "I just heard about it a few moments ago. It was signed yesterday afternoon. The Bureau was going to arrest Napolitano this morning but the agent who picked up the warrant disappeared. He was last seen getting into a cab near the courthouse. The Bureau has all hands on deck looking for him."
"Who knew about this warrant?" he asked as Tony returned.
"Within the Bureau?" Tom asked. "A lot of people. I know what you're thinking. Napolitano's mole probably tipped Naps off and he grabbed the agent with the warrant."
"Ya think?" he asked incredulously.
"Too many people knew about the warrant to narrow it down," Tom replied.
"Who was the agent?" he asked.
"John Charles," Tom replied. "He's been running the Napolitano investigation for the last few years. If Napolitano wasn't dead, he'd be the prime suspect for his disappearance. Naps has taken a few shots at Agent Charles over the years although nothing was ever connected back to Napolitano."
"Seems like Napolitano didn't miss this time," he said. Tom muttered in agreement. "Thanks Tom," Gibbs replied as he hung up the phone. "The doorman have anything to say?"
"Yeah," Tony replied. "He's seen the same car drive by a few times. I didn't tell him about Tim or Napolitano but I warned him that there's been some trouble."
Nodding, he said, "We'll lie low until night and then we'll move to Quicksilver. We'll figure out our next step from there. You should get some sleep, DiNozzo. You look like hell."
"You're a peach too, you know, Gibbs," Tony said. "Wake me in a few hours and you can catch some rack time."
The day passed in a blur. After Tony slept for a few hours, he curled up on the couch but his sleep was troubled. Too many questions were rattling around in his brain to get deep, restful sleep. He woke when the sounds of police sirens drew near.
Getting up, he joined Tony at the window.
"Just passing by," Tony said. He nodded. "Vance called while you were sleeping. Between Napolitano's lieutenants, Little Ricky and Grenouille, it's a war zone out there. Abby checked in with Blue and he said they've seen some men lurking around outside of Quicksilver. He's called in some extra help to keep the wolves at bay. It might make it difficult for us to get inside tonight."
"Difficult," he said. "Doesn't mean impossible."
Tony smiled grimly.
They left when it grew dark and instead of taking DiNozzo's car, they took his truck towards Quicksilver. But as they arrived, they found a heavy police presence around the club. Abby thought that the Bureau was raiding her place but after calling Blue, they found out that Grenouille's boys had tried to make a move on the club. Two of their boys had been killed in the shootout along with two of Grenouille's. But the club was safe, secure and still secret from the police.
But it meant that they wouldn't be able to enter Quicksilver tonight.
The cops remained on the scene throughout the night and long into the morning. They stayed nearby but never found an opportunity to slip inside. He considered entering the factory with the factory workers but when he saw their uniforms and that the cops were questioning workers as they entered, that dashed that idea.
At one point, they left and went to a nearby diner for a meal. He considered taking them to a flophouse to get some rest since they hadn't really gotten much sleep in the last two days. But when he brought it up, both Abby and Tony insisted that they were fine and they could sleep once they were inside Quicksilver.
When night fell once more, they returned to Quicksilver and this time they were able to reach the club.
Tony knocked and as soon as Simon saw them, he opened the door.
"Miss Abby, Tony, Gibbs," Simon said greeting them. "I'm glad to see you."
"Same here Simon," Abby said as she hugged the big man.
"What's going on?" Simon asked.
"You didn't hear about Napolitano?" Tony asked.
"I heard that he's dead," Simon said. "Is that why La Grenouille tried for the club yesterday?" They nodded. "You two look like hell," Simon said drawing their attention. "And where's Tim?"
Tony sighed heavily. "Tim is dead, Simon," Tony said. "He was killed last night with Napolitano."
Simon's face fell. "I'm sorry to hear that Tony. I really liked him."
"I know," Tony said heavily. "Me too." Simon opened the door and allowed them to enter the club.
They made their way down into the club but he could feel that something was off. The band was playing, people were dancing and having a good time. But the atmosphere felt more like a wake than a party.
As they made their way back stage, Blue met them. He looked at them sympathetically.
"I'm sorry about Tim," Blue said. They nodded. "Quicksilver is secure and we've got our eyes open in case Grenouille tries again."
"Has Little Ricky come around?" he asked.
"Not personally," Blue replied. "Mario Vincetti turned up yesterday looking for Abby. I told him she wasn't here. He wanted to me to make sure you knew the price of disloyalty to the Napolitano family."
"What did you tell him?" Tony asked.
"I told him my loyalties lie where they always had," Blue said with a smile.
"Thanks, Blue," Abby replied. "It's been a rough few days. We're going to head up to my place. You need us, you can find us upstairs."
Blue nodded.
They made their way backstage and Tony led the way up the stairs. He opened the door to Abby's apartment and flicked on the light. Suddenly Tony stopped.
"What is it?" he asked as Tony drew his weapon.
"Someone is here," Tony said softly. "The linen closet is open and there are towels trailed across the floor. Someone was looking for something."
He edged around Abby and with a look, he told her to stay put. He drew his weapon and slipped into her apartment. Tony followed as they cautiously searched the living and kitchen area. Tony quickly checked the bathroom before he met him at the bedroom door.
He nodded, signaling for Tony to open the door. After he did, he entered the room and flipped on the light. The sight in front of him was startling.
"McGee!" he said.
"McGee?" Tony asked as he entered the room.
He holstered his weapon down and hurried over to his young agent, who was lying on Abby's bed amidst the rumpled covers.
He started to examine the young man for injuries, wrinkling his nose as he did. Tim smelled heavily of smoke but he didn't see any burns. He did, however, find plenty of blood on his side and on his leg. Tim had several towels pressed against his side with a bloody hand. After making it to Abby's apartment, he had tried to do some rudimentary first-aid.
"Is he…?" Tony asked trailing off.
He held his hand over Tim's mouth. There was just the faintest trace of breath on his hand. "He's breathing," he said. He dug his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Tony. "Get Ducky."
"On it," Tony said as he hastily left.
He carefully pulled up the towels to examine the wound. It was red and inflamed but it wasn't bleeding. When he was done, he carefully lifted Tim up and saw the exit wound. "Through and through," he muttered to himself. Then he looked at the wound on Tim's thigh. He pulled his knife and quickly cut open Tim's pants so he could get a better look at the injury. It didn't take long for him to determine that the bullet was still in Tim's leg.
"McGee!" Abby said as she ran into the room. She hurried to the other side of the bed and grabbed his hand. Tim didn't move. "He's freezing Gibbs."
"He's lost a lot of blood," he said as he hurried to check for other injuries. In the process, he found a weapon in Tim's holster. It was a right-handed weapon, which meant that he had lost his and had taken the weapon from one of their bodies.
"How'd he get in here?" Abby asked. "How long has he been here?" He didn't answer. He didn't know either. "Is he going to be ok?"
"I don't know, Abs," he said.
Suddenly Tim began to murmur and toss his head. He took Tim's face in his hand and the younger man calmed. Tim's hands might be like ice, but he could feel the start of a fever at Tim's forehead. Two days without treatment for his injuries put him at risk for infection. Tim was in for the fight of his life.
"Stay with us, Tim. You do not have my permission to die," he said sternly.
Author's Note: Now for a little good news/ bad news. There's only one chapter left. But it won't get posted until next week. I was hoping to get through things before I went out of town for the weekend but a head cold and hectic work schedule has made that impossible.
So, Tim is in a bad state but medical care as we know it wasn't a thing yet. He lost a lot of blood and his wounds weren't treated right away so Tim is in for a rough time.
As for a little bit of history, blood transfusions weren't really common even though they were possible. (I briefly mentioned it when Jimmy was shot.) It had only been discovered in 1901 that there were three distinct types of human blood (A, B and O) and most transfusions were done directly from person to person because clotting issues. The first US blood bank wasn't set up until 1937. Transfusions didn't become common until the 40s.
Also, penicillin and other synthetic antibiotics didn't come into their own until the 40s. (It's amazing what a world war will do for medical advances.) It was discovered in 1928 but didn't gain much traction until the late 30s. There were issues with mass production so supplies were very limited until the process of deep tank fermentation was developed by chemical engineer Margaret Hutchinson Rousseu.
I apologize for leaving you hanging but it can't be helped! I'll post as soon as I can, early next week!