Chapter 3
"I don't know what else to tell you, Agent DiNozzo. Lance Corporal Bass was a good Marine. He did his thing without complaint. No, he's never really excelled or stood out, but he never slacked off, either. Not everyone is cut out to be the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps...and not everyone wants to be, either. Bass was never late once. He always pulled his own weight, helped when the group needed it. That's something you can't overlook."
Tony looked at Ziva and raised his eyebrows in question. She nodded. Sergeant Culver, Bass' CO, had been surprised at being told Bass had been killed, but he had vehemently rejected the possibility that Bass could have been involved in anything shady. As far as he was concerned, Bass was above reproach.
"Where was the Nimitz before reaching Norfolk?" Ziva asked.
"The last time we were in port was in Rota."
"Did Lance Corporal Bass have leave?"
"Yes."
"Did he tend to hang out with anyone in particular?"
"Yeah, there are a few guys he went out with in port."
"Can we get a list?"
"Of course."
Tony and Ziva spent the next few hours tracking down the ten Marines Bass had been known to hang out with. They were all scattered to their various homes and party spots and some were just out of touch for their few days of complete freedom. Five were relatively easy to find. Three were harder, and two were off the grid, although friends had promised to try and get a message to them as soon as they could.
The story, however, was basically the same from each one. They were shocked that Bass was dead, insistent that he wouldn't have done anything wrong...and that there was one day when they were in Rota that he had been off by himself. Not doing anything sneaky. He had wanted to get some souvenirs for friends and family and so had begged off the usual haunts. He knew Spanish quite well and could easily get by in Rota in either Spanish or English.
He had come back with his souvenirs, said he had almost got pulled into a street fight which would have been bad for him if it got back to his CO. He hadn't even looked scuffed at all. So if he had lied, he had won the fight handily. But he wouldn't have lied. Bass wasn't like that. No, he wasn't perfect, and he wouldn't have been above a little bragging if he had bested someone in a fight he hadn't started. He had souvenirs in hand.
What they took from their interviews was that Bass was a good man, a good Marine, and the last person who would have been involved in anything wrong.
"So now what?" Ziva asked. "There was some reason that he was killed and no one seems to think it possible that he could have been in the wrong for it."
"Maybe it was a wrong place, wrong time kind of thing," Tony said. "Wouldn't be the first time someone got killed for that."
"True, but I find it strange that he could have been killed as a bystander."
"Again, wouldn't be the first time. Not even Marines are omnipotent. Even Gibbs has been taken down by a bullet."
"Not permanently," Ziva said with a slight smile.
"Not to diss the boss' strength, but I think if he got shot in the heart, he'd die just like the rest of us."
"That would be blasphemy, would it not?" Ziva asked.
Tony laughed. "Maybe. Let's just finish our interviews, get back and give our report on what a great and wonderful guy Lance Corporal Bass was."
"Very well. Perhaps they have discovered more about him."
"If they've already solved the case, I'll kill them for not telling us and saving us all the time it took tracking down a bunch of horny Marines."
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Tim, we will not be hampered by a little bit of stomach acid. We have broken through this kind of stuff before and we will do it again," Abby said firmly.
"Okay," Tim said. "You've worked your magic. Let's try opening it again."
Abby grinned and connected the flash drive. Then, she crossed her fingers and grabbed Tim's arm.
...and it connected.
"Ha ha!" Abby said in triumph. "I got it! I got it!"
She leapt at the computer and started to type to open it up and then she stopped.
"Hey!"
Tim leaned forward.
"It's encrypted," he said. "Huh."
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"So, do you know where Lance Corporal Bass was headed after you guys were let loose?" Tony asked.
"I assumed he was going home to see his family. That's what he told us. It had been his first time in Rota and he'd bought souvenirs for his family." Ensign Lemon suddenly stopped talking and shook his head.
"What is it?"
"It's just not fair, you know? Bass was a great guy and he did his part. He survived a tour of duty only to die in DC? That's not fair! He was safer in Afghanistan."
"It is not fair," Ziva agreed. "That is why we are trying to figure out what happened. A Marine has died and we do not know why. If there is anything you know that will help us..."
Ensign Lemon thought. "Well...he did seem a little preoccupied after we left Rota, but it wasn't anything major. I asked about it once and he just said that it was strange coming back from a tour of duty, after all that time fighting...and coming back so slowly. He said that anything could happen at sea."
"Nothing else?"
"No. I'm sorry. Hey...did he have the souvenirs with him? His family should get those."
"I do not think they were with him," Ziva said.
"We'll keep our eye out for them while we're investigating," Tony said. "If we can do it, we'll make sure that they get to his family."
"Thanks."
Tony and Ziva left Norfolk, feeling more than a little depressed by the last interview. It was always hard when you were reminded of what had been lost by the death of a good person.
"Did we find his car?" Tony asked.
"I do not believe so."
"We need to find his car."
"I agree."
It was less because of whatever evidence might be in the car and more because of the possibility of being able to give Corporal Bass' family the last gifts he'd bought for them.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Gibbs!" Abby said. "You have got to see this! Oh...hi, Hollis!"
Hollis smiled as she walked in beside Jethro.
"Hello, Abby."
"What am I seeing?" Jethro asked, all business.
Tim took over. "Boss, we got the flash drive to work...but whatever is on it..." He spread his hands out a little helplessly.
"What? Spit it out, McGee."
"I can't tell you what it is. The data is encrypted, and Abby and I are both stumped with whatever it is. This encryption is way beyond anything that Lance Corporal Bass could be doing. This flash drive isn't his. I don't know whose it is, but it wasn't his. Unless Lance Corporal Bass is a secret hacker, he had someone else's stuff...and he was protecting someone else's stuff."
"How did he get involved in it, then?"
"I have no idea," Tim said. "I've been checking his records. There is no sign at all that he was ever involved in confidential, secret, or top secret...things. I guess if he was in it deep enough there wouldn't be any evidence of it, but...he doesn't have that clearance. I can't see any sign that he isn't what he seems: a good Marine."
"A good Marine wouldn't stand by," Hollis said. "The question is, did he intentionally get involved or was it an accident and he couldn't walk away?"
"Did it happen here or somewhere else?" Abby added.
"We'll have to see what Tony and Ziva found out. Maybe they got something," Tim said. "Right now...Boss, I know you're going to tell us to decrypt the flash drive, but it's not going to happen easily or fast. Some of the data is going to be corrupted by the acid. All of it is encrypted. Breaking through all that..."
Jethro looked at Tim and Abby. Hollis could see the wheels turning. He was deciding whether or not telling them to do it anyway would produce results. Sometimes, what seemed to be impossible could be done with the right encouragement.
"Abby, get with Cybercrimes. Start working on this. When Tony and Ziva get back, leave it to them and get whatever evidence they have going. McGee."
"Yeah, Boss?"
"Who could have this level of encryption?"
"FBI, CIA...I don't recognize the encryption, but I haven't...been...spending as much time on...that kind of thing as I used to. It could be international for all I know."
"You know people who might be...spending that time?" Jethro asked.
Tim's eyes shifted to Abby who focused on her computer without making eye contact. Then, he looked at Jethro and Hollis.
Jethro rolled his eyes. "No one will know, McGee."
"I might...know some people who could give me some help on this."
"Do it."
Tim nodded and headed out. Jethro didn't ask him any questions. Abby slipped out before Jethro could ask her any questions.
"What's going to happen with Agent McGee?" Hollis asked. "I think he took a copy with him."
"He'll go off and talk to some people. He'll feel guilty about the people he knows but if there's anything to find, he'll find it and let us know."
"So...where did he meet these people?"
"I don't know and I don't ask. There are some things about McGee that I think he needs to keep to himself...if only to protect him."
"Does he indulge in illegal activities?"
"No."
That was it...but then, given the fact that they were currently in a federal agency, it was entirely possible that something might get overheard by the wrong person. Hollis smiled and nodded.
"This is an interesting start, Jethro, but it sounds like you might be hitting a road block before you've gone very far."
"Yeah. Might be. I can call in my own favors if it comes to that. There are people who owe me."
"I'm sure there are."
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Tim waited until he was in his car before he made a couple of calls. Being friends with people who were...in the gray area had its pros and cons. He knew that he was safe as far as getting reported to NCIS, but that didn't mean that it would always work out. He did consider these people to be friends, but at the same time, they were all a little leery around each other. After all, Tim was a federal agent, and they were...hackers. That really wasn't the right word for them because, unlike most of the people who were freelance hackers, they didn't plant viruses or steal and publish information. They just learned everything there was to know about everything electronic they could get their hands on. The more they knew, the more they could learn. It was a small group and they didn't publish their existence very widely.
Tim drove to their current meeting site and waited. He didn't have to wait very long.
"Mac, it's been a while."
Tim looked over and smiled at the woman leaning into his car.
"I know, Lex. Been busy."
"I was surprised to hear from you. Some of us were thinking you'd decided to pull out."
"I don't think I could," Tim said with a smile. "I really have been busy."
She opened the door and sat down beside him.
"So? What is it, then?"
"Found a flash drive with some corrupted data, but what isn't corrupted is encrypted."
"This must be a doozy if you're bringing it to me. You've cracked some major encryptions on your own."
Tim nodded. "It is. Never seen anything like it, and we're trying regular channels, but if anyone has seen something similar, it would make our job a lot easier."
"What's up?"
"Murder of a Marine."
Lex swore softly. "Because of this thing?"
"Probably. We don't know for sure. He thought it was important enough to swallow it."
"Gross."
Tim laughed. "Desperation."
"Okay. How fast?"
"Faster the better, but whatever you can do." He handed over the copy. It wasn't everything, but it was enough to get her working. "Are the others okay with it?"
"They will be. This is a challenge. We like challenges."
"I know."
Lex nodded. "Okay, Mac. I'll keep it in my capable hands and you'll hear from me when we've got something for you."
"Thanks, Lex. I appreciate it."
"Come by more often. We could use some straight-laced insights. We don't have anyone to give us those anymore."
Tim laughed and then blushed a little when Lex kissed him on the cheek. She chuckled and got out of the car. Tim waited for a few minutes and then drove away.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Got anything?" Jethro asked when Tony and Ziva got back that evening.
"We found his car," Tony said. "It was parked upstream about a mile. Boss, he had some souvenirs he'd apparently bought for his family. We'd like to make sure that they get to them."
"One of his friends told us about them," Ziva said. "It is the least we can do."
Jethro nodded. "Get them checked out first. Then, we'll pass them on."
"All right," Tony said. "Otherwise, Bass told his friends that he almost got in a street fight in Rota. Said that nothing had come of it and didn't have any evidence that he'd been injured or even threw a punch. It didn't get reported because no one wanted to get him in trouble. He'd been acting a little different but it was passed off as feeling strange about coming home after being in Afghanistan."
"Everyone told us the same thing about him," Ziva said. "Bass was a good man, a good Marine and would not have been involved in anything shady. According to them, he is the last person you would expect to be doing something illegal."
Tim's ears went a little red but he didn't say anything.
"Evidence that the car was searched?"
Tony nodded. "We dusted for prints. Looks like someone tried to get into it, but it doesn't look like they succeeded. Probably was too public an area for them. They didn't want to attract attention."
"Ducky found a flash drive in his stomach," Hollis said, "but the information was encrypted."
"Encrypted?" Ziva repeated.
"Okay. That's different," Tony said. "Any sign of whose it is?"
"Not yet," Tim said. He looked over at Jethro. "It's going to take some time."
Jethro nodded, having got the message. It was late in the day. They had a strong start, but maybe it wasn't quite enough. Still, they had Cybercrimes working. Tim had contacted his friends. They'd done all the preliminary interviews. Lance Corporal Bass' family would be coming the next day. Once Abby started processing the evidence, they really would have to wait until there was some break.
"Okay. That's it for tonight. Pick it up tomorrow."
There was some surprise, but no one protested.
"Tim," Jethro said.
Tim swallowed and nodded. Tony and Ziva headed out. Abby went down to her lab to get things going down there. Ducky had already left for the day. Hollis gathered her stuff and went down to the car. She didn't see any reason to make Tim more uncomfortable.
"Yeah, Boss?"
"Well?"
"They're going to work on it. It's a challenge and they like that, but with some of the data being corrupted, it might take some time. They'll contact me as soon as they can, and they'll make it a priority."
"I'm taking a risk, you know."
"I know. They'll come through."
"All right."
Tim left and Jethro watched him. Sometimes, it surprised him that Tim had that...gray area in him. It was the point at which his desire to learn more at any cost came in conflict with the laws he was supposed to uphold. Jethro figured that Tim was on a good team for that kind of situation. Jethro knew that he himself had gone a long way into the gray area in the past.
He set that aside and headed out. He was glad that Hollis was around. Whether she could give any real insight or not, more minds bent onto the same task couldn't hurt.