Chapter three

NCIS HQ

DiNozzo walked out of the elevator and into the bullpen. He saw that there was only one other person from his team here. The thought it was weird, but didn't say anything. He sat down at his desk and turn his computer on. After a while he couldn't take the silence any more.

"Am I early or something?" he asked McGee

"No, why?" McGee asked without looking up

"Because Kate isn't here. She normally comes to work before me. And where is the Boss?" Tony asked

"The Boss went for coffee before you got here"

"No surprise there. Maybe he won't notice I'm late. Especially with Kate late this morning. He can't be mad at me when she isn't in yet" Tony stated

"Well I don't know. We will have to wait and see" McGee said. 5 minutes later Gibbs came back to the bullpen.

"DiNozzo you're late again" Gibbs said as he walked pass Tony's desk. "What do you got on our missing Captain?" Gibbs asked his team as he sat down at his desk.

"How did you know...?" Tony started but stop as soon as he saw the look on his boss's face. "Our missing Captain worked at Norfolk and the day he went missing was his day off" Tony told Gibbs. He made his way to the big plasma to show some pictures of the Captain.

"We haven't had the chance to contact the wife yet, but we're still trying" McGee said and added "Kate was checking the wife out, but she isn't in yet so I don't know how long she has gotten" as McGee said that Kate wasn't in yet, Gibbs' face turned in the direction of the females desk.

It wasn't normal for Kate to be late so he began to worry. Normally if something came up she would call someone from the team to let them know, but no one had heard from her.

"McGee, try to call her and hear what she's got" Gibbs ordered as his desk phone rang. Tony looked at Gibbs as he answered the phone. He could tell by the look on Gibbs' face that something was up. After a couple of minutes Gibbs hung up and looked at McGee for some answers.

"I tried her home phone several times, but she isn't answering it" McGee said as Gibbs got up from his chair.

"Try her cell while I speak with the director" Gibbs said as he left the bullpen and walked up the stairs to the director's office.

"What do you think the director wants?" Tony asked McGee as he made his way back to his desk to check his emails. McGee had no luck reaching Kate on her cell either.

"What do you think is wrong with Kate since she isn't answering her phones, like she uses too, and she isn't at work?" McGee asked Tony after trying Kate's cell for the fifth time.

"I don't know"

In the director's office

"Gibbs, I got a call from detective Mac Taylor with the NY crime lab this morning about two dead marines. They want our help. I will send your team because one of the dead marines is your missing Captain" the director told Gibbs. And before Gibbs could say anything the director continued

"You will leave right away. The investigation will be in NY because there was an other victim with a note, possibly connected to the two dead marines, saying there will be more victims" when the director was finished Gibbs walked out of the office and back to the bullpen.

Back in the bullpen

Tony opened his emails and found the usual stuff. Emails about cases that he knew Gibbs wouldn't deal with and emails about free things. But one email stood out. It was an email from Kate. She had send it two nights ago, but Tony hadn't seen it before today because yesterday the team had taken a day off. At least some had. He was sure that Gibbs would be at the office and that Kate would do a little research at home. He opened the email and began to read:

DiNozzo,

I'm sending you this email to tell the team that I will go visit some family that needs me. Tell Gibbs I'm sorry I had to go so quickly without telling you in person. I just had to get away for a little while.

~ Kate

DiNozzo read it again before telling McGee to come and look at it. From the look on McGee's face he was just as surprised by this letter as Tony was.

"Maybe she had too much. The last couple of cases got to her and she needed to get away" McGee suggested, but knew that probably wasn't the reason. Kate wouldn't just leave like that. She loved her work. She would leave without telling them in person, there must be something wrong thought McGee. Before they could talk more about the email Gibbs came back.

"McGee did you get Kate on the phone?"

"No, I'm sorry Boss. But she won't pick up her phone" McGee said and gestured to Tony to tell Gibbs about the email.

"Boss, Kate send me and email two nights ago. But I haven't seen it until today. She said she had to go to visit some family members and was sorry she didn't tell us in person" Tony tried to tell Gibbs this the best way, but knew there wasn't one.

Kate went to visit some members of her family, this isn't like her. There is something wrong with her and I will find out sooner or later Gibbs thought to himself.

"Okay pack your bags, we have a case in NYC" Gibbs said after a few minutes.

"Are we gonna take a new case with one member short?" Tony asked as he grabbed his bag and went into the elevator right after Gibbs.

"I didn't say it was a new case DiNozzo" Gibbs said with a small smile on his lips.

Sorry about the short chapter, but it was just to introduce the other team:) hope you still like it. If not please tell me.... on the other hand if you still like it please, please, please tell me and I will try to get the next chapter up soon:D

P.S. sorry I haven't updated in a while. When I came home from my vacation I was so busy with work and stuff