"What offer?" Gibbs growled. "An offer requires a trade. From what you said before I'm not getting anything. We're doing all the giving." He glanced over at Abby, who was watching, her eyes wide as saucers. He signaled her to run a trace. She started typing, her hands flying over the keyboard.
"My offer is next time I won't put a bullet through one of your agents' hearts." He said lightly. "Or do you prefer head shots?"
Gibbs nostrils flared in anger. "Who are you?"
"CIA is on their way now, they'll fill you in. I hate to toot my own horn, it feels so much like bragging. I know how you hate to deal with other agencies though, so why don't you comply with my request and we be done with it?"
"No."
"Very well, I'll wait until your director orders it." His voice suddenly grew cold. "Much like yourself, Agent Gibbs, I am not a patient man. I am not someone to be trifled, people fear me as well they should. That is all you need to know and all any of the alphabet agencies will be able to tell you. Last time I gave you a freebee, but you won't be able to trace this call."
The phone clicked in Gibbs' ear. He looked at Abby who she shook her head sadly. "I only needed a few more seconds."
"It's ok Abs," He sighed kissing her cheek, "I don't think this guy is going to be found until he wants to be found."
Just as he put his phone into his pocket it started ringing again. His temper was already frayed and he snapped into the phone.
"Gibbs!"
"It's Vance." Came an equally annoyed reply. "I want to see you in my office." Gibbs sighed again quietly and turned toward the elevator while Abby looked on sympathetically.
Going right through to Vance's office, this time, Gibbs received no protest from the secretary. He happened to glance at her as he passed and noticed how her hands were trembling slightly on the keyboard. She gave a nod and spoke quietly.
"The director is expecting you." Gibbs offered her a small smile in return and opened the door.
Vance was hanging up the phone as he stepped in and shut the door behind him.
"We need to talk Gibbs." He said abruptly. His phone started to ring again and he swiftly unplugged it.
Gibbs raised his eyebrow. "Oh that can't be a good."
"I've had calls from Brazil, Mali, Sri Lanka, every corner. Apparently we've got a hit man targeting us." Vance said cutting right to the chase. Gibbs nodded.
"Abby ran the bullet. No name, but whoever this guys is, he's wanted by a whole lot of people, probably all the ones you talked to and more." Gibbs said sitting down.
"Perfect." He sighed placing his head in his hands, but then looked up. "Director David called me. Said he'd be on the first plane out of Israel." Gibbs frowned.
"We don't need him here."
"That's what I told him. He's reluctantly agreed to stay away, but that won't last long if we don't catch this guy quick. What else do we know about him?"
"He called me right before you did and said the CIA was headed over and they would fill us in, that's all I know Leon." Gibbs informed
The door opened and Vance's secretary stuck her head in.
"CIA Agent Cameron Shelby is here to see you, Director."
"This day just keeps getting better and better." Vance muttered rubbing his temples. "Show him in." As Vance stood up, a perfectly ordinary, middle aged man casually walked in holding brief case.
"Good day, gentleman." He greeted.
"Hardly good." Vance grumbled sticking out his hand.
"That depends on how you look at it. Yes, there is a bullet hole in your building, but we do have a lead on one of the deadliest hit men of our time." He turned. "You must be Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs studied him. "Usually Trent Kort is our liaison."
"Agent Kort is…indisposed." Shelby gave a tolerable smile that didn't reach his eyes. "If I may, what did you do to provoke our…mutual interest?"
"We have something he wants." Gibbs answered shortly. Shelby frowned.
"What?"
"A woman we have in custody." Vance said watching him closely. "Josie Baird. He said he wanted her released. Do you know why that would be?" Shelby's frown deepened, his eyes flitting as if searching the corners of his mind.
"I have no idea, I was unaware he had any personal ties. I guess she could be a professional interest, but why…" He trailed off thinking.
Gibbs snorted. "She's a grandmother. We have her in custody for helping drugging my agents and dumping them down a mine shaft to protect her grandson."
Shelby's eyebrows lifted. "Hmmm, well, I never rule anyone out, Gibbs."
"He also said you could tell us about him." Vance's eyes narrowed. "So tell."
"Oh, that won't be necessary. The CIA will be taking the case over." He said deftly.
Vance frowned. "How does the CIA figure that? Last time I checked this happened on the Navy Yard, my Navy Yard. Isn't that how you remember it, Gibbs?"
"That's exactly how it happened, Leon."
"It's not your call, Director." Shelby argued. This call will be made by someone much higher up than you or I."
As if on cue Vance's secretary stuck her head into the office again..
"Sir, the Secretary of the Navy is on line 1."
Vance cursed when he realized he hadn't plugged his phone back up. He picked up the receiver and apologized for being unreachable before listening quietly for a few moments. He didn't look up until he placed the phone back on its cradle but when he did, Gibbs would have sworn he saw a gleam in his eye.
"We'll be keeping the case for the time being, Agent Shelby." Vance said smoothly, the smallest of smirks on his face. "Your director has agreed, albeit reluctantly."
Shelby mouth hung open. He opened and closed it a few times before speaking.
"Director Vance-."
"Thank you for your time." Vance interrupted.
Shelby strode over and put his hands on the desk leaning forward.
"This guy is very very dangerous. He's responsible for dozens of hits around the world. The best security teams in the world haven't been able to stop him. You're one of the smaller agencies and with limited resources." He paused and shifted back to include Gibbs in his line of sight. "Frankly you don't stand a chance in hell."
"Agent Shelby, that's how it is. Now the only question for you to answer is, will the CIA help us or hinder us? Are we going to get in a pissing match for bragging rights or are we going to work together to stop this SOB?"
Shelby stared at him for a few minutes emotion flitting across his face. He sighed and motioned them over to the table. Putting his briefcase down, he unlatched it and pulled out a thin folder and set it on the table. Next he took out half a dozen thick folders. He stepped back and gestured to the smaller one.
"This is what we have on him."
"That's it?" Vance asked raising an eyebrow. "What about the other files?"
"Those are his kills, well some of them." He continued more softly. "The ones we can prove." Shelby paused again. "These documents are not classified at a high level, but it is very important this information doesn't get out. Are we clear?"
At Gibbs' and Vance's nod, he slid them each a folder. "Go ahead and look through them."
They spent half an hour in silence poring over the case files of high ranking dignitaries, political figures, world leaders.
"None of these are attempted assassinations." Vance mused.
"Nope, he's good." Shelby leaned back in his chair. "Gets in does his job, gets out quickly."
"Who is he?" Gibbs asked having gone through countless documents and finding no hint of an identity.
"I told you that's all we have." Shelby insisted. Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I know this is the official version, what's the scuttlebutt?" He asked impatiently, throwing the folder he just finished down. Shelby sighed deeply.
"There are theories, the two most likely are former military using his training to pull this stuff off or former government agent who found gun for hire more profitable, more exciting, who know."
"A mercenary." Vance muttered disdainfully.
"Hmmm, no mercenaries are more bang. This guy is smooth, almost sophisticated. He doesn't blow a hole through your front door-. Well usually doesn't." He amended at a look from Vance. "He fakes a press pass or goes through your duct work, walks though your front door with a fake ID. His kills are never messy. One bullet, clean. We've seen some poisoning that we suspect are his, but can prove."
"Who trained him?" Gibbs asked. Shelby shook his head again.
"No way to know, we don't even know his nationality or what he looks like."
"Sounds American on the phone, no distinct accent or dialect." Gibbs offered. Shelby nodded.
"Well, that's more than we had."
"So you really have nothing," Vance clarified.
"He Is A Ghost!" Shelby stood up abruptly, almost shouting. "Did you not believe me when I said he was good? He is the best you will ever see in your lifetime."
Gibbs studied him. "This seems like more than a job to you. Personal?"
"None of your business." He snapped then stabbed his finger at the files. "Right now, he is your only concern. Responsible for 40 different assassinations that we know of. The Saudi government has a million dollar prize on his head. We aren't for sure but it's rumored that the North Korean government has a hit out on him too. We have searched the world and no one knows more than this." Shelby finished looking a little haunted. The three men sat for a few moments in silence before Vance cleared his throat.
"Agent Shelby, you're welcome to work here for this investigation, but my people will need access to the information you have." Shelby paused.
"I'll go back to my office and see what I can swing."
"We also need any information on Josie Baird." Gibbs interjected. "We find out who she is, why she's important to him, then we have the edge."
Shelby nodded mutely and began gathering up the folders to put back in his brief case. With his hand on the door he turned back.
"This is not about bragging rights to some of us, Director Vance."
A/N: Sorry it has gotten so long between my postings. I was going to try to get several chapters ahead, but that really didn't happen.
This chapter was also hard for me to write considering I like Gibbs/Vance exchanges almost as much as I like having teeth pulled. They are almost painful to me on the show, still I guess they have to happen. I wanted to put some Tim/Tony in this chapter too, but then honestly it would have taken me even longer to post and I think it has almost been two weeks already.
So Happy Friday and thanks to those who are reading!
p.s. I'm also going to blame the site for acting crazy and trying to sabotage my attempt to post. I had to log in no less than 8 times to post this morning, that's why the formatting might look a little strange, I did some of my final editing in Word.