Gibbs and Ziva stepped into the surveillance truck at 12:00pm the next day.
One of the agents swung around in his seat and smiled.
"Hey, Agent Gibbs." He greeted shaking his and Ziva's hands. "How are your agents doing?"
"Not bad, Daniels. On the mend. How we doing here?"
"Just waiting for you and your special package."
Gibbs wordlessly held up a plain black briefcase.
"Great, Carson is our drop off guy." Daniels nodded to an agent standing in the corner. "He'll take the case, get on bus 2578. He'll get on before stop 12, leave the briefcase and get off."
"Everything he asked for." Gibbs commented. "Plainclothes?"
"Per your request, not many. Half dozen spaced around the two blocks between stop 11 and 13."
"Sounds good, now we wait. I've got two agents on standby ready to monitor the case."
"You think it will work?" Daniels asked raising his eyebrows.
"We'll see. Apparently it worked in Hollywood."
Daniels grinned. "Love that movie."
"DiNozzo told you?"
Carson laughed as he picked up the briefcase and headed to the door. "He told everyone."
"Yes." Ziva muttered. "Some of us more than once."
Gibbs smirked and moved out of the way for the agent to pass. "Good luck, Carson."
"Is this going to work?" Abby asked nervously chewing her fingernails.
"Abby! I can't believe you even have to ask. One of my plans? Of course it will work." Tony feigned offense as the rest of the group smiled. Abby, Tony, McGee, Jimmy, Vance and Ducky were all monitoring the happenings in Abby's lab.
Tony and McGee obviously weren't allowed out into the field yet, but neither were content to stay home. Tony glanced over at McGee and smiled inwardly. They had patched up their differences yesterday and he was glad to have that off his mind. He knew now McGee understood why he had done what he did and while still now happy, knew that it had been done out of concern. He still had one more issue too settle between his younger partner and senior agent, but he could get to that just as soon as they had that SOB in custody.
"Everyone in position?" Six affirmative responses answered Agent Daniels.
"Good, Agent Carson has dropped the package and is preparing to step off the bus. Keep you're eyes open people. This is when he will make his move."
"I'm off the bus. Ball's in his court." Carson's voice crackled over the speakers.
"Copy that. Head back this way."
"Now what?" Ziva asked.
"We wait until he makes his move." Gibbs said staring at the screens.
"I hate-."
Suddenly an explosion rocked the van, followed almost immediately by the sound of two more explosions further away.
"What the-?" Daniels and the other agent started grabbing equipment while Gibbs and Ziva tore out the door.
A trash can 20 feet away was on fire and billowing smoke. Gibbs glared down the street and saw more smoke drifting from around the building.
"What's going on?" Daniels yelled out the door.
"Diversion." Gibbs said sprinting in the direction of the bus. He rounded the corner and quickly took in the scene. Another trashcan was on fire and there was smoke rolling out the back of the bus. Gibbs tried to head toward the in that direction, but it was difficult pushing against the crowd as they tried frantically to get away from the bus. Gibbs felt like he was going in slow motion and then everything around him seemed to stop as he saw someone, in stark contrast to the rest of the crowd, calmly step off the bus with a briefcase in his hand. The man casually glanced around and when his eyes caught Gibbs' he smiled and lifted his hand in a wave before disappearing into the crowd.
Just like that, time started again. People screaming and pushing to get away though they didn't know where, car horns blaring, the sound of sirens as fire truck tried to get though. Though he knew following was practically useless, Gibbs hurried in pursuit anyway. Cal had obviously planned his escape and there was no sign of him. After a few minutes Gibbs shook his head and headed back to the van.
Cal quickly set the briefcase down and snapped it open already reaching in his pocket. He swiftly moved the device over the inside of the case before he heard it beep loudly. Taking his knife he cut open the lining and held up the bug to study it.
He laughed as he dropped it on the ground and stood up. "Almost too easy." He murmured to himself brining the heel of his foot down smashing the bug to pieces before walking away.
"How's it looking?" Gibbs asked stepping back in the vehicle.
"He found the main bug, but we're picking up the smaller one loud and clear for now. The other team will pick it up when he gets out of our range. How exactly did he not detect the second one?"
"It has a weaker signal." Ziva explained. The detector he used picked up the stronger one first and after he destroyed that he did not think to look for another one."
"Sneaky." Carson commented.
"Yeah well, DiNozzo does sneaky well." Gibbs said.
"We gonna pick him up?" Daniels asked.
"Somebody else is handling that."
Vance clicked his phone shut. "Apparently the plan worked. Cal is being trailed and is about to be picked up as we speak."
"I can't believe it worked." Abby said.
"Hey!" Tony exclaimed.
McGee and Ducky laughed.
"It was a brilliant plan, lad." Ducky said smiling
Tony swelled. "You know, just doing my job."
"You got the idea from a movie, Tony." McGee reminded.
"Uh, yeah, but I brilliantly remembered the movie."
"How could anyone be so stupid though?" Abby questioned. "I mean double checking is like…just something you do."
"Not everyone is as through as you." Jimmy mused.
"Right, see Abby. It's like the Escape from Alcatraz." Tony started, beginning to get wound up. "Clint Eastwood is Frank Morris. He and a couple of other guys are planning the jailbreak and they're sneaking stuff into their cells. So Morris had to sneak something past the metal detector. He did that by letting them find something. They confiscate what he has in his jacket pocket, pat him down and let him go. If they had sent him though the detector again they would have found the second piece of metal…hidden in his belt. They assumed, never assume, McGee."
"Got it, Tony, thanks." McGee said rolling his eyes.
"The escape, it was awesome." Tony continued.
"You realize you're talking about a criminal, three criminals, who broke out of prison." Vance said dryly.
Tony frowned. "Oh, um, yes sir. Awesome in a totally fictional way."
Vance chucked. "Good work, DiNozzo."
Cal made it to his car and opened his door when he heard footsteps behind him. He whipped around and came face to face with three pistols pointed his way.
He almost laughed as he met the eyes of the one closest to him.
"Hello Cal." Agent Cameron Shelby grinned. "Please turn around and put your hands on the car."
Escape from Alcatraz was the movie I was referring to in the last one. I saw it a whil ago so I hope I got the details correct. Thanks for reading!