Chapter 7
The Killer
0700 hours local time, Sunday, 6 July 2003, Naples, Italy.
NCIS Special Agent Jane Melankovic produced her ID as she passed through the 2 uniformed police who were guarding the door to the small hotel room. She walked in where her contact with Interpol was waiting for her. "Inspector" she nodded as she slipped her ID back into her pocket. "Another one?" she asked.
"Si" the Inspector nodded. "The same as the other 3: a prostitute, strangled, founded tied to a chair looking out the window towards the harbor" he said in his very thick accent.
"And you're positive that this involves the United States Navy?" she asked.
"Unfortunately, Si" he told her. "Each was last seen in the company of a United States sailor, in uniform, and each of the 4 murders has taken place while one of your warships was in port" he paused and looked out the window. "That one" he pointed.
"Shit" Jane muttered.
1130 hours, Sunday, 6 July 2003, White House Press Briefing Room, West Wing, White House, Washington D.C.
Everyone was just finding their seats when Stephanie walked in and got behind the podium. "Alright" she said to herself as she got settled.
"Stephanie?" the reporter asked. "Do they know what kind of gun it was?"
"Which gun?" Steph replied.
"The first one"
".38 revolver" Stephanie informed them. "Ok, here are a few confirmations and a few more details" she began. "The shooting took place approximately 15 minutes into the 9:00am service at the United Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. 15 minutes into the service, Daryl Bechtell, B-E-C-H-T-E-L-L, walked into the sanctuary. Reports indicate that he was looking for his estranged wife. He fired off one round from his .38, missing his wife and striking a Mr. Harold Winter in the left shoulder. Mr. Winter is 65-years of age and is currently undergoing surgery at Greensboro Regional Medical Center. Mr. Bechtell then proceeded to fire off 4 more rounds, causing the congregation inside the church to scatter. At this point, a Mr. Ron Cahrl, C-A-H-R-L, pulled a 9mm Glock from under his suit coat and fired off 3 rounds in the direction of Mr. Bechtell. At this time, it is unclear who fired the rounds that struck Melissa Markey"
"Confirmation on her age?" another reporter asked.
"She will 9-years old… tomorrow" Stephanie replied.
"Can you speak to what either Mr. Bechtell or Mr. Cahrl will be charged with?"
"No, the Greensboro Sheriff's office will be handling that" Stephanie told them. "But I can tell you that Mr. Bechtell's gun was registered and that Mr. Cahrl was licensed to carry a concealed weapon"
"Doesn't North Carolina state law prohibit the carrying of weapons into houses of worship?"
"Again, I'll let the Sherriff's office speak to that" she replied. "But I can tell you that the law only applies if said house of worship posts such a prohibition in plain sight" she said as her aide, Carol, walked up and handed her a note.
"Stephanie…"
"Hang on" she said, reading the note. "Melissa Markey has died" she said.
1205 hours, Sunday, 6 July 2003, Guest House, Van Smoot Estate, Annapolis Maryland.
"How luck can one guy be? I kissed her and she kissed me. Like the fella once said, ain't that a kick in the head" Tony sang along with the music as he put the meat on the grill. "Meg, how's that chili coming?!"
"It's coming" she yelled back. Having determined that he was far too old to be living at his father's place in Virginia, and that Rex's apartment was far too small, Tony had finally found a new place. A Vietnam buddy of Sonny's, Billionaire Shipping Magnate George Van Smoot had offered Tony the guest house on his Annapolis Estate. At first, Tony was reluctant to accept, but eventually agreed after they struck a deal that would have Tony serve as de-facto caretaker of the Estate, at least until a permanent one could be found to replace the man who had just retired.
While Tony worked the Grill and Meg cooked the chili, Rex was out on the law keeping an eye on little Johnny Martin, and his own son, John Bartlett. Tony looked up as Rex walked over. "Son, how is it that someone as smart as you has a kid?" he asked.
"I'm not as smart as I look" Rex shrugged.
"Smart ass" Tony replied. Rex laughed as his cellphone rang. Tony tried not to listen in on his son's brief conversation. "What's up?" he asked.
"Melissa Markey died" he said.
"Damn" Tony replied. "Does the President know?"
"Yeah, Steph told him" he said.
"Does the President know what?" Meg asked as she emerged from inside.
"Melissa Markey died" Rex repeated.
"Aw hell" Meg said.
"Who's staffing the President today?" Meg asked.
"Stephanie, Will and Gabby" Rex said.
"Where's Jared?" Meg asked.
"I think he got the day off too" Rex said.
"It had to be North Carolina" Meg said.
"What?" Tony looked over at her.
"Next week, the National Conference of State Legislatures is holding its annual Legislative Summit… in Charlotte"
"Damn" Tony said. "If you gotta go…"
"If they need me, they know where to find me" she said. As if by magic, the phone rang. Tony walked over and picked it up.
"Yeah?"
"Special Agent DiNozzo, please hold for Director Morrow" said a voice. '
"Oh wonderful" he muttered.
"DiNozzo" Morrow's voice boomed.
"Yes Sir" he replied.
"I have a new case for you. Get here ASAP" Morrow barked.
"Yes Sir" Tony said before hanging up. He turned back to his guests. "I have to go" he said.
"Why?" Meg asked.
"New case" Tony said as he rushed inside to change.
"You'd think they'd give him one day's peace" Rex said as he took over behind the grill.
"Your father has the interesting distinction of making just as many friends as he does enemies" Meg replied as she looked out at the children, who were sleeping on a blanket on the lawn. "He may be in tight with Clark, Morrell and Carsten, but there are tons of flag officers, politicians and bureaucrats who'd love to see him fall" she said.
"Well, hopefully come November 6th, he'll have one more ally on the Hill"
"Amen to that" Meg agreed. Tony came back outside now dressed in his street clothes.
"I gotta run" he said as he and Meg exchanged kisses on the cheek.
"Be safe" she said.
"You know I won't" he grinned. He then turned to Rex. "Son, give Little John a kiss from Grandpa… good Lord, I can't believe I just said that" he laughed as he walked towards his car.
1330 hours, 6 July 2003, NCIS Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C.
When Tony stepped off the elevator, Paris was already there waiting for him. "Do you know what this is about?" Tony asked as they headed for the stairs.
"No" Paris replied.
"Not even an inkling?"
"No Sir" she said.
"This better be good. Morrow ruined a perfectly good Sunday Barbeque with my son and grandson" he said.
"You have a grandson?" Paris was shocked.
"Very, very long story" Tony said as they climbed the stairs to the Director's office. "Agents DiNozzo and Summerskill to see Director Morrow" Tony said to Morrow's secretary as he walked right past and into the Director's office. "This better be good" he said to the Director, who was sitting behind his desk.
"Don't you knock?" the Director looked up.
"Not on days that end in Y" Tony replied.
"How haven't I fired you yet?" the Director barked.
"3 words: Perfect. Closure. Rate" Tony replied as he leaned against the back wall. "Now, do you wanna tell us why you've interrupted our Sundays, or are we gonna continue this little dance of ours?"
"Agent Summerskill, according to your file, you took an FBI course in profiling potential serial murders" Morrow read from her file.
"Yes Sir" she nodded.
"Along with that, both of you are fluent in Italian" he added.
"Si, Direttore" Paris said.
"Doesn't answer my question" Tony said.
"I received a call this morning from CINCMED. It seems that one of our Agents out of the Naples Office may have stumbled across a serial killer aboard the USS Gilchrest" he said.
"How many bodies?" Tony asked.
"4 so far; all prostitutes" Morrow said. "So far, Agent Melankovic has been working this case on her own, with help from both Interpol and the Naples Police. But if this is a serial killer, she's in way over her head" Morrow said. "An Air Force C-17 is leaving Andrews in 2 hours, I want you two on it" he ordered. "The Gilchrest leaves Port on the 9th, you have until then to crack this case"
"Nothing like bureaucratic efficiency" Tony scoffed.
"Problems, Agent DiNozzo?"
"Who? Me?" Tony feigned offense.
"Get out" Morrow growled.
"Yes Sir" They both said before walking out.
"Agent DiNozzo" Paris spoke up once they left the outer office.
"What?" Tony looked at her as they descended the stairs.
"It's just" she paused. "I've never actually profiled anyone before. I took one class" she told him nervously.
"Well, that puts you one up on most folks around here" Tony said. "Myself included" he admitted. "And as for your lack of experience, well no shit you've never done it before, you've been a Probie for 2 weeks, what did you expect?" he said. "You have a go-bag?" he asked.
"Always; as instructed" he said.
"Well, at least we know you paid attention" he smiled to himself as he walked off towards his office.
0700 hours local time, 7 July 2003, NCIS Regional Field Office, NAS Naples, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy.
"Ok, we've got just over 2 days to catch this prick, so let's not waste any time" Tony said after he and Paris were briefed by Agent Melankovic.
"Interpol is certain that the killer is aboard that ship" Jane told them.
"Do you agree with them?" Paris asked.
"I do" Jane nodded. Tony pulled out the Gilchrest's movement report.
"According to the Gilchrest's movement report, she passed through Gibraltar in early spring. Her first liberty port was Ravenna, 28 April" he read.
"29 April, between 2100 and Midnight" Jane pointed to a map of the Mediterranean on the wall which had the pins of each murder in it.
"Next port of call was Messina, 5 May"
"6 May, sometime before Midnight"
"Then here in Naples, 13 May"
"13 May, the 3rd killing" Jane said. "The nothing for 2 months"
"The exact time that the Gilchrest was deployed to the Arabian Sea" Tony read. "She passed back through the Suez Canal, arriving back her in Naples two days ago.
"And that very night, the murder struck again" Jane said.
"Fuck" Tony muttered. "I'm gonna need you to run interference with the Italians" he added. "Agent Summerskill and myself are both fluent in Italian and we can find our own way just fine. They'll only get in our way" he said.
"Is there any physical evidence?" Paris asked.
"Follow me" Jane told them. She took them down to the conference room where everything had been laid out.
"Is this all the physical evidence?" Paris asked. "Autopsy reports, investigation records?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, we have very little in the way of physical evidence" Jane confessed.
"Body fluids? Semen? Saliva? Blood?" Paris continued her questioning.
"Nothing, there was no sex with any of the victims"
"What about defensive wounds? Bruising on the body or skin under the fingernails?"
"No DNA evidence at all" Jane told her.
"So, the women didn't see it coming" Paris said. "And the killer cleaned them up afterwards, suggesting that he is highly organized" she started the psychological profile. "Most serial killers fit a basic profile. Single white male, young, father absent from his life, usually distant from his mother, lack of a committed relationship with a woman" she listed. "What we need to find first is what sets this guy off, his stressor, what incites him to kill" she paused, looking down at the other evidence. Inside each file was an evidence bag containing a wedding ring. "What are these?" she asked.
"Wedding rings, each one identical and found on each of the bodies. We assume placed there after death?"
"Are you sure" Paris looked over at her.
"Yes. None of the victims were married, they do not belong to them" Jane told her.
"Very interesting" Paris said. "The killer is young, yet all the victims are older women" she paused. "To a single male, the wedding ring is a symbol of what?" she began thinking aloud. "To desire, to possess, to control" she rattled off.
"Or just the opposite" Tony finally spoke. "Rejection of control"
"Yes, of course" Paris agreed. "He would resent being under the control of a female. His mother, his wife…"
"Or his Commanding Officer" Tony interrupted her. "The Skipper of the USS Gilchrest is a woman, Commander Amanda Waller" Tony said. "Would that qualify as a stressor, Agent Summerskill?" he asked.
"It most certainly would" she confirmed.
0630 hours, 7 July 2003, Presidential Residence, White House, Washington D.C.
It was a typical start to the day as Rex walked up the stairs to the 2nd floor of the Residence. "Enter!" a voice boomed after he knocked. Rex stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. The President was upright in bed, reading some papers. "Morning Rex" the President said, looking up from the paper be was reading.
"Did you get any sleep, Sir?" Rex asked as he crossed the room to open the curtains.
"Very little, I'm afraid" he said, taking off his reading glasses. "What's the overnight reaction from North Carolina?"
"Congressman Tancredo thinks that you're going to use this as an excuse to take away everyone's guns" Rex informed him.
"I wanna see the Vice President, today. Place a call to his office" the President ordered as he rose from bed.
"Yes Sir" Rex nodded. "Also, Mr. Franklin wishes for you to know that the Subcommittee will begin its depositions today" he added.
"Who are they starting with?"
"Ms. Swatello" Rex said.
1300 hours local time, 7 July 2003, Command Bridge, USS Gilchrest, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy
"Let's not beat around the bush, Agent DiNozzo" Commander Waller spoke firmly. "2 NCIS Agents ask permission to come aboard and speak privately; either I'm in trouble or someone in my ward room is, which is the same thing" she continued.
"Actually, it ain't" Tony corrected her. "But that's not why we're here" he told her. "4 prostitutes, all Italian Citizens, have been murdered. Each was last seen in the company of a young, white, enlisted man in a naval uniform. Each murder was committed while the Gilchrest was in port"
"There are a lot of ships in this Battle group, Agent DiNozzo" the Commander countered. "But I assume that you've done that math. NCIS wouldn't have sent you out here unless they were absolutely sure" she admitted.
"That is correct, Mam" Paris nodded.
"They're sure as shit sure enough to ask for your cooperation with the investigation" Tony informed her.
"You're talking about a serial killer aboard my ship. Of course, I'll cooperate" she told them. "And I will pray to got that you're wrong" she added.
1315 hours local time, 7 July 2003, Officers Ward Room, USS Gilchrest, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy.
"I have 360 personnel on this ship" Commander Waller told them as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Eliminate all the officers, women and persons of color and you are still looking at a lot of men, Agent DiNozzo" she paused. "And we sail in less than 36 hours"
"We are well aware of the time constraints" Tony told her. "We'll start the breakdown by duty section" he paused. "If my memory severs, during each Port of Call, one duty section remains aboard ship at all times, in rotation, as a skeleton crew. An Arleigh Burke-class should run 4 duties sections. Correct, Commander?"
"That's correct, Agent DiNozzo" she said as she opened the ship's log book.
"Obviously, we'll need to find the duty section that took liberty each time a murder took place"
"You do realize that if you can't do that, then the killer is not on my ship"
"Thank you for that wonderful piece of insight, Commander. You certainly earned your bars today" Tony replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"April 29th?" Paris asked as she looked at her notepad.
"Duty Section 2" Tony read.
"May 6th?"
"Duty Section 1"
"13th of May?"
"13th, Duty Section 3 was onboard"
"And the last murder was the day before last" Paris said.
"Duty section 2, again" Tony snapped the log book shut. "Duty Section 4 was on liberty each time a murder took place" he turned to the Commander.
"Eliminating female and non-white personnel, how many does that leave in Duty Section 4?"
"50-60, I'm not certain off-hand" she said.
"I suggest you find out. We're going to need to see their service records as well" he told her. "In the meantime, inform the Master-at-Arms and Command Master Chief. We're going to need to verify the whereabouts of all of these men during the night of the murder" Tony said. "Also, we're going to need to speak with the Duty Section Leader, most ricki-tick"
"I'll make him available as soon as he comes off duty" Commander Waller told the 2 of them.
"Very well" Tony nodded.
0905 hours, 7 July 2003, Conference Room 56E, United States Capitol Building, Washington D.C.
Ellen sat quietly and listened carefully as the Majority Counsel began his remarks, all carefully taken down by a House reporter. "This proceeding is known as a deposition. The person transcribing the deposition is a House reporter and although she's not a notary public, you were just sworn in by a notary public and were placed under oath. Do you understand?" he asked.
"Yes" Ellen nodded.
"Because you were placed under oath, your testimony here today has the same force and effect as if you were testifying before the committee in a courtroom. Do you understand?"
"Yes" Ellen repeated.
"Ms. Swatello, I notice that at the present time, you do not have legal representation present. If you would like, your testimony can be postponed until such a time that you have obtained such counsel"
"I waive my right to have counsel present" Ellen said.
"Then would you please sign this document indicating so?" he said as he slid a piece of paper to her. Ellen quickly looked it over and signed. "Very well" he paused. "This committee has been granted authorization pursuant to House Resolution 173, my named is Peter Bash. I am Majority Counsel for the House Armed Services Committee. Would you please state your full name for the record"
"Ellen Swatello. E-L-L-E-N S-W-A-T-E-L-L-O" she spelled it out.
"At this time, I'd like the record to indicate that the Majority Counsel has met the witness socially on several occasions, and without Ms. Swatello's objection, I'd like to continue" Peter stated for the record
"I have no objections" Ellen said.
"Very well, let's begin" he paused. "Ms. Swatello, are you here voluntarily or as a result of a subpoena?" he asked.
"Subpoena" Ellen came off a little terser than she had wanted.
"No need to thank me" Peter smiled. "Ellen, this is going to be easy, you can laugh"
"I'll pass"
"Were you recently asked to help organize documents pursuant to this Committee's current investigation?"
"Yes"
"Please describe how that works"
"On instructions from Jared Franklin and the White House Counsel's office, I took over a storage room at the OEOB and began sorting through any interoffice or inter departmental documents from President Obama's time in the Executive Branch as well as the Senate"
"For the record, what is Mr. Franklin's job title?"
"Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning"
"And yours?"
"Special Assistant to the Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning"
"And the OEOB is an acronym for what?"
"Old Executive Office Building?"
"Ok" Peter nodded as he tapped his pen against the table. "My colleagues are gonna ask you a few questions and then we'll get back to me" he told her. Peter then looked over as the man next to him, another lawyer.
"Ms. Swatello, do you keep a photo album?"
"No"
"Do you keep…"
"I'm sorry" she cut him off. "I keep photographs; I don't have them in an album"
"Ok" the man nodded. "Do you keep a scrapbook?"
"No"
"Do you keep letters, notes, or other correspondence you receive from people?"
"Sometimes; a birthday card or a letter from my father"
"Do you keep a diary?"
"No"
"Do you receive gifts from anyone who's currently…"
"I'm sorry, hang on" Peter interrupted. "Would you read that back?" he asked the reporter.
"Question- "Do you keep a diary?". Answer- "No". Question- "Do you receive gifts from…""
"Ok" Peter said, looking over at Ellen. "Ok, go ahead"
0945 hours, 7 July 2003, Roosevelt Room, West Wing, White House, Washington D.C.
"It's 30 Billion in school modernization funds" Gabby said.
"Interest-free?" asked Terry Beckwith, aide to Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN), who sat on the House Appropriations Committee.
"Interest-free for school districts. Secretary Bush's staff estimates that it will help build and modernize over 7,000 schools nationwide" she said. "And there's another 1.5 billion for urgent repairs targeted for high-need districts"
"Like roof repairs?"
"Roof repairs, heating and cooling systems, electrical wiring…" she paused. "Terry, the point is we need your boss' vote to get this thing out of committee and onto the floor" Gabby told him.
"You've got it" Terry said. "But the Congressman will be looking for Presidential support for a bill he is co-sponsoring"
"And that is?" Gabby asked.
"The Legal Tender Modernization Act"
"Oh, not that fucking thing again" Gabby said.
"What the hell did you expect, Gabby?" Terry asked. "The Corinthos Triumvirate helped write the bill. You want to tell Sonny Corinthos and his sons no?" he asked.
"How much did your boss take from Corinthos during the last cycle?"
"Halting production of the penny was part of my boss' campaign platform"
"Only because Corinthos wouldn't have dolled out the checks if he didn't"
"We didn't take a dime from Sonny Corinthos" Beckwith defended his boss.
"Just because it's his sister Courtney who cuts the checks doesn't mean that it didn't come from Sonny"
"Last year, the US Mint cut 14 billion pennies and shipped them off to the Federal Reserve which dumped them in our laps"
"Terry…"
"Gabby, do you want you're 30 billion for school repairs?"
"Well with 140 Billion pennies, we're well on our way" she smiled.
"Gabby…"
"Terry, I can't guarantee the White House's support on this" Gabby told him.
"I don't need that" Terry cut her off. "If the White House won't support the bill, I need to give my boss a good reason why"
"You've gotta be kidding me" she gave him a look.
"Nope"
"Hang on" she said, holding up her finger as she got up and left the room. She returned a minute later with the smartest person she knew in tow; Rex. "Rex, Terry needs a good reason why the White House can't support his boss' bill" Gabby said.
"Ok" Rex nodded to her before turning to Terry. "Terry, who's on the Penny?"
"President Lincoln"
"And he was from what state?"
"Illinois"
"And from what state was the President elected to the Senate?"
"Yeah that works" Terry nodded.
"Good" Rex replied. He turned to Gabby "Am I done here? Can I go back to doing actual work now" he asked. Gabby nodded. With that, Rex walked back to his desk in the outer Oval Office. He was about to sit down when the President called his name.
"Rex!"
"Coming Sir" he said as he walked in, finding the President sitting behind his desk, reading over a piece of paper. "Yes Sir?"
"You took the National League?" he asked, holding up the office betting sheet for the upcoming Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
"But the White Sox play in the American League"
"Yes Sir, I'm well aware of that"
"And yet you picked the National League"
"Yes Sir"
"Why? Because we've already established that the White Sox play in the American League"
"My mother is an Atlanta Braves fan Sir. I take her lead on the matter"
"A Texas girl, a Braves fan?"
"Yes Sir" he nodded
"Rex in this White House, we always pick the side that has the White Sox. They're from Chicago…"
"So are the Cubs" he grinned
"Out" the President pointed to the door.
"Yes Sir" Rex complied. As he walked back to his desk, the Vice President walked into the outer office. Rex held up a finger and backtracked into the Oval Office. "Mr. President, the Vice President" he said.
"Thank you" the President looked up.
"Rex" the VP nodded to Rex as they walked past each other.
"Sir" he nodded in reply.
"John" the President got up and walked around to shake hands with his number 2 man. He motioned for him to have a seat in one of the arm chairs that faced away from the desk. The President took a seat in the arm chair opposite.
"Thank you, Mr. President" he replied as he took his seat.
"Do you know this church?" he asked.
"No Sir"
"The United Baptist Church in Greensboro?"
"No Sir" he repeated.
"You want a beer?" the President asked.
"Sir?" Vice President Edwards through him a confused look. "It's 10am" he added.
"Never stopped me before" the President said. "Rex, grab us a couple of beers!" he yelled to the outer office. Rex appeared a minute late with 2 glasses of orange juice. "Rex, I asked for beer"
"Yes Sir" he nodded.
"This isn't beer"
"Yes Sir, very good sir" Rex smiled.
"Rex?"
"Strict orders from Mrs. Martin" he said.
"She's worse than my wife" the President quipped.
"You're not married" the Vice President told him.
"And now you see why" the President smiled as he sipped his OJ. "That will be all Rex"
"Yes Sir" he said retreating from the office.
"I need you to go to North Carolina, John" the President told him.
"You don't beat around the bush, do you?"
"Nope"
"You want to send me To North Carolina?"
"It's what North Carolinians do" he paused. "A decade or so ago, we passed some really good gun control laws, so the NRA turned its back on Congress and went after state legislatures instead" the President began. "Wayne LaPierre and his cronies have systematically worked the legislatures to weaken conceal-carry laws, the effects of which is to increase gun sales and pad its own membership"
"Mr. President…"
"Rex!"
"Yes, Mr. President?" Rex appeared in the doorway.
"Is your father a member of the NRA?" he asked.
"No" Rex shook his head. "Along with my Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Rick, he resigned his membership in 1995"
"Why?" the Vice President asked.
"Wayne LaPierre's comments about the Oklahoma City bombing" Rex said.
"I remember them oh too well" the President said.
"Rex, you're a Conservative?" the Vice President asked.
"More or less" Rex nodded.
"What's your opinion on gun control?"
"On the whole, I'm in favor of gun ownership. I myself own 2 handguns and a shotgun" he said.
"What about conceal carry?" the President asked.
"Well, truthfully, I like the law that my Great Uncle passed back when he was Governor of Virginia. It's a "may issue" law"
"Allowing local law enforcement to decide who can get one" the president spoke.
"Yes Sir" Rex nodded.
"You have one, I assume?" the Vice President asked.
"Yes Sir" Rex replied as he fished out his wallet.
"The President wants to send me down to Charlotte, to speak to the National Conference on his behalf" the Vice President told him after looking over his permit.
"That is what North Carolinians do" Rex smiled.
"It's also what Vice Presidents do" the President added.
1605 hours local time, 7 July 2003, Officers Ward Room, USS Gilchrest, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy.
"Petty Officer Marshall, you're the duty section leader for Section 4?" Tony asked.
"Yes Sir" he nodded.
"Have a seat" Tony instructed. The Petty Officer removed his hat and took a seat across the table from Tony and Paris. "We're interested in personnel who fit a specific profile" Tony handed him a stack of personnel files.
"Unmarried white males under the age of 25 whom are known to go with prostitutes" Paris informed the Petty Officer.
"Am I allowed to know why?" asked Petty Officer Marshall
"Not at this time" Tony replied. "We're also interested in sailors whose whereabouts cannot be verified on these dates between the hours of 2100 and midnight" he said, handing him a slip of paper with the date of each of the murders.
"I don't know about this last part, Sir" the Petty Officer told him. "The first 3 are back before we deployed to the Arabian Sea. I don't think most guys will remember back that far" he admitted.
"Understood" Tony nodded. "Just do the best you can" he added.
"When do you need to know, Sir?"
"Most Ricki Tick" Tony said, causing the Petty Officer to look up at him.
"Aye aye Sir" the Petty Officer snapped to attention, something which surprised Paris a little bit.
"Dismissed, Petty Officer" Tony excused him.
"Aye Sir" the PO nodded, making his leave. Tony stood up and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Say we narrow it down to a list of a dozen names or so, what do we look for then?" he asked his partner.
"Behavior patterns: Anti-social, anti-authoritarian, prone to violence" she paused. "And he drinks; heavily at times. Binge drinking, but only after the killing is done, not before or during. He's far too meticulous to let himself go until he's completed every last detail of his fantasy scenario"
"Gee, finding a sailor who drinks, that should narrow it down to the entire fucking navy" Tony replied sarcastically. "Ok madam profiler, riddle me this, why does he pose them in a chair where they appear to be looking out the window at his ship in the harbor?"
"Most likely he enjoys the idea that once he's back on ship, he can see them" she paused. "Or they can see him" she added. "We have to get inside his little fantasy world. If we knew why he does what he does, we'd be a hell of a lot closer to knowing who he is" she concluded.
1130 hours, 7 July 2003, outside Ellen Swatello's Apartment building, Georgetown, Washington D.C.
The sun that had shone only a few hours early was long gone as the skies above opened up. Holding her umbrella with one hand, Ellen used her other to fish her keys out of her pocket. As she did, she came to a stop, looking at the man who was sitting on the building's front steps. "Hey" she said, letting her keys drop from her hand back into her purse.
"How's it going?" the man asked, holding his own umbrella as well.
"How'd you get here before me?" Ellen asked.
"I drove"
"Peter, you're the Majority Counsel who's investigating me and my boss, you shouldn't be here"
"I shouldn't" he nodded in agreement.
"Then why the hell are you here?" he asked, starting to get more than a little annoyed.
"I need to know why you lied" Peter told her.
"What are you talking about?"
"Ellen…"
"I didn't lie"
"I saw your diary" Peter told her. "When I was over that night. You keep a diary. Why'd you say you didn't?"
"I don't keep a diary" Ellen countered.
"I saw it" Peter told her forcefully.
"You didn't, because there is no diary"
"Ellen, it's just you and me here" Peter said as he stood up. "What's in there that compelled you to lie to the committee?"
"It's just me and you?" Ellen repeated his words, trying to stifle a laugh. "It's a partisan witch hunt sorely for the purpose of covering up another partisan witch hunt" she told him. "Not only that, I think that you were a little bit smarmy with you're 'Ellen, it's ok, you can laugh'. Was that charm?"
"Ellen…"
"There is no diary" she repeated as she pushed past him.
"18 U.S.C., 1001; Lying to Congress: $10,000 and not more than 5 years in prison" he recited.
"Peter…"
"18 U.S.C., 1505: Obstruction of Proceedings before Departments, Agencies and Committees: not more than 5 years. 2 U.S.C., 192: Contempt of Congress: $1,000 and imprisonment in a common jail for not more than 12 months" he paused. "Ellen, it was a perfectly innocent mistake" he told her. "Please, let me talk to your lawyer and help you walk this back" he pleaded with her. Ellen only stared at him.
"Just out of curiosity, what would you say?" she asked. "That you thought you saw a diary while you were hunting around for your boxer shorts?" she asked. "Like you said, you shouldn't be here" she said as she walked up the steps.
1145 hours, 7 July 2003, Oval Office, West Wing, White House, Washington D.C.
"Mr. President, 29 states have shall issue laws" the Vice President continued.
"Jesus Christ, were you not listening before when Rex was in here" the President countered. They had been going like this for the past nearly 2 hours. "All you have to do is look at a place like New Jersey, where they have "may issue" laws. That's all. Changing that one little word makes at the difference in the world…"
"Mr. President, I'm not saying…"
"It means that Law Enforcement gets to decide who…"
"For fuck's sake, Mr. President, I know what the fuck it does" the Vice President yelled, bringing about a silence over the room. "I'm sorry Sir, that was out of line" he apologized. The President took a deep breath as he stood up.
"No, that's alright John" he told him as he strode across the room. He pressed a button under a picture of George Washington, swinging the frame out, revealed the wet bar behind it. "Whiskey?" he asked, holding up the bottle.
"No thank you, Mr. President" the Vice President waved him off.
"Your loss" the President said as he poured himself a few fingers.
"It's not even noon, Sir"
"This job is gonna fucking kill me, ya know that?" he said after taking a sip. He quickly got back to the subject at hand. "Right now, there is a "may issue" law before the North Carolina Legislature, if you go down there…"
"It's suicide, and you know it"
"It's called counter-scheduling. You go in front of an unfriendly crowd and tell them things they don't want to hear. It shows you have the courage of your convictions"
"Maybe it does to the editorial board of the Washington Post, but not to the voters who actually decide elections"
"You're a hero in North Carolina"
"I was a hero in North Carolina" he replied. "That all changed when I became your Vice President"
"North Carolinians don't like people who have the courage of their convictions?"
"They're not my convictions, they're yours" the Vice President told him. "And to answer your question from before, I was listening to Rex. And with the exception of his younger sister, every single member of Rex's family is a gun owner. We will get no where treating every single gun owner in this country like they're a psychopath. Not to mention in the South, where guns are a tradition and heritage passed down from father to son…"
"That's not good enough, not anymore"
"Sir?"
"We already tamed the fucking frontier John. There is no more "Wild Wild West""
"Sir, the NRA will say that you're taking advantage of the shooting in Greensboro, that you like it when shit like this happens"
"She was nine years old" the President.
"I know" the Vice President nodded. "But let me tell you something else, Mr. President" he paused. "Last month, a man in Idaho killed all 6 members of his family, including his pregnant wife. You want to know why the liberal intelligentsia didn't lose their collective fucking minds? Because he did it with an axe"
"What's your point?"
"They're all too young sir" the Vice President let his words hang in the air.
Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Gabby and Jared were talking over strategy about how to kill Congressman Davis' Penny Bill. "What nags me the most is that at the heart of it all, this isn't really a bad bill" Gabby conceded.
"Of course it isn't, Sonny Corinthos doesn't waste his time on shit bills" Jared told her.
"But still, someone is gonna have to talk to Sonny and Rick about calling off the dogs"
"I thought about that, but the thing is, they didn't pick this bill out of thin air; they genuinely care about it. They're committed to reducing both the deficit and the national debt and they see this as a viable solution to start doing both"
"But it's like putting a Band-Aid on a severed limb"
"It's still better than doing nothing" Jared told her as the sound of clicking heals walked up behind them. Jared spun around to see Ellen walking up to them.
"How'd it go?" Gabby asked.
"Fine" Ellen told him curtly. "Jared, can I speak to you for a moment?"
"What happened?"
"In your office?" she asked. Jared motioned with his arm towards his office. They walked across the bullpen to his office, Jared closing the door behind them.
"What happened?" he repeated.
"I was asked if I kept a diary, and I said no" she paused. "the only problem is, I do keep one"
"Why did you say you didn't?"
"I don't know" she confessed.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Nothing in the diary is relevant. I'm the only one…"
"Is there anyone else on the witness list who knows that you keep a diary?"
"No" Ellen told him. "But Peter knows"
"What do you mean?"
"Peter came to see me after the deposition and told me that he saw my diary when he was in my apartment" she told him, her eyes welling up slightly. At first, Jared didn't say anything. He just moved around behind his desk and took a seat. "I swear it wasn't premeditated. Nothing in it is material to the case" she started to hyperventilate. "Nothing in it was…"
"You don't get to decide that!" He barked at her. "You don't get to decide what's material and what isn't, Ellen!"
"Please keep…."
"This is how it happens" he gave her s sharp look. "They don't have dick on the President for the JAG Investigation. They're fucking trolling us. But then you go and hand them a…"
"I know"
"You were subpoenaed! You were under oath! You answer the goddamn fucking question!" he yelled, tossing some papers off his desk.
"I know I screwed up"
"Ya fucking think?!" he yelled. Ellen began to cry
"What… what should I do" she finally got it out.
"Nothing. Don't fucking do anything. You've fucked this up enough as it is"
"Yes Sir" Ellen mumbled.
"Get out" Jared snapped.
Back in the Oval Office, the argument between the President and Vice President had calmed down quite a bit. "John, can I ask you a question?"
"Yes Sir"
"If guns are meant to deter crime from happening, then why conceal them? Wouldn't you want the criminals to know that you were armed?"
"I suppose you would" he said, taking a sip of water.
"Then what's the answer to that?"
"I don't know Sir"
"I carried a weapon when I was in the Army"
"Yes Sir, a fact you all too frequently point out"
"You think it smacks of hypocrisy?"
"No" The Vice President shook his head. "But I think the fact that upstairs in the residence you have not only 2 handguns and a shotgun, but also an M-16, does"
"I don't carry em around John" he paused. "And you know damn well why I have em. It's not some imaginary threat when you live in this building" he said, jabbing his finger into the coffee table.
"Yes Sir, as your predecessors can attest to"
"May they rest in peace"
"Mr. President, gun owners see you're going after conceal carry as a threat to the 2nd Amendment"
"Which I think we can all agree is a stupid-ass amendment that was written back before there were street lamps, let alone a police force"
"Sir…"
"There isn't a need for a citizen militia anymore"
"I agree with you"
"Then say so publicly"
"Mr. President, over 40% of Americans have guns in their homes. Including you, me, your Chief of Staff, the Chairman of our reelection campaign, our campaign manager, and your body man"
"Only 16% of Americans believe that gun ownership is an absolute right; 9% believe it's an absolute wrong. There is a huge middle ground here. One we can win"
"Not when we're running the JAG Defense, Sir"
"You stood behind me when I did it"
"As I always will, Sir" the Vice President affirmed. "But that doesn't change the fact that you mislead the United States Congress"
"On a bullshit case where the political motivations were right out in the open"
"And that is the only reason why you haven't been impeached yet!" the Vice President yelled. The President took it in for a second before he started laughing.
"It isn't easy being my Vice President, is it?"
"No Sir, it is not"
"But it's the only way you get the nomination in '08, being my Vice President. You do know that, right?" the President smiled. The Vice President leaned back against the wall.
"Just so long as you know that the only way you get re-elected is if I'm on the ticket. You know that, do you Sir?"
"So they tell me". The Vice President turned to leave. "You'll go to North Carolina?"
"Of course Sir" he nodded. "But I want a seat at the table"
"Fair enough" the President returned the nod.
"Have a good day, Mr. President"
"You too John"
1830 hours local time, 7 July 2003, Captain's Stateroom, USS Gilchrest, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Tony knocked loudly on the door. "Enter!" the annoyed voice called back. Tony opened the door and he and Paris stepped inside, closing the hatch behind them.
"Good evening, Commander" Tony said. "With the help of Petty Officer Marshall, we have narrowed our list down to 2 suspects" Tony told her as Paris handed her to personnel files.
"Both are known to drink heavily on occasion, have histories of brawling and come from broken homes" Paris explained. Commander Waller opened the first file.
"Petty Officer 3rd Class Lester Petrosky" she read. "He certainly wouldn't be my first choice" she said. Then she opened the second. "This one, however, would" she read. "Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin Holt. Uncooperative, not very well suited for the service. He's a loner, and he thinks he's smarter than everybody else"
"He could very well be right" Paris informed her. "Serial killers often a higher-than-average intelligence"
"We'll need to interview the 2 of them when they come off liberty" Tony said.
"You wont have to wait that long for Petty Officer Holt" the Commander told them. "I had him at Captain's Mast just this morning. He was drunk on shore and took a swing at a Master-At-Arms. SPs brought him back to the ship" she paused, handing Tony the files. "He's confined to Quarters, Special Agent DiNozzo"
After leaving the Captain's stateroom, Tony and Paris were escorted down to the enlisted birthing, where they found Petty Officer Holt. Paris was quick to advise him of his rights. "Look, I understand my rights" he told them both. "I know that I made a mistake. I had a few too many on liberty" he admitted.
"According to the Shore Patrol, you had a few too many in your back pocket" Tony read from the SP report as he walked around the room. Paris was seated at a table in the middle, adjacent to the Petty Officer. "You tried to smuggle a flask aboard ship" he added.
"Smuggling liquor is a serious offense, Petty Officer" Paris told him. "Why'd you need a drink so badly?" she asked.
"I guess maybe I just needed to blow off a little steam, Mam" he paused. "Like I said, I made a mistake"
"You have a girlfriend back home, Petty Officer?" Tony asked.
"Not at the moment"
"According to your file, you father is deceased?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Do you keep in contact with your mother?"
"Can't say that I do, being at sea and all"
"Your father was a sailor, wasn't he?" Paris asked.
"Yes Mam"
"See him much, growing up?"
"I guess we can pretty much rule out the Ozzie and Harriet home life, if that's what you're getting at, Mam"
"Your Duty Section Leader tells us that you've been known to favor bars that are frequented by prostitutes. Would you say that that is an accurate statement?" Tony asked.
"Personally Sir, I believe that what happens between consenting adults is private" the Petty Officer retorted.
"Where were you 2 nights ago between the hours of 2100 and 2330?"
"Club Vesuvius, it's a watering hole near the port" he then turned to Paris. "I got drunk, very drunk. I stayed drunk" he paused. "That is why you're here, right? Why you 2 are talking to me?" he asked, turning back to Tony. "That is unless I've misconstrued our conversation, Special Agent DiNozzo"
"That will be all for now, Petty Officer" Tony said as he and Paris turned to leave. After Paris stepped over the knee knocker, Tony stopped and turned around. "Oh, one more thing, Petty Officer. Would you consent to giving a blood sample?" he asked.
"I guess I'd have to know why you'd want it before I could answer that question" he paused. "Commander Waller gonna Court Martial me over half a flask of hooch and scuffle on the beach?" he smiled at them. With that, Tony and Paris made their way back up to the main deck.
"So, what do you think?" Tony asked.
"Well, what do you think?" Paris replied.
"Well, I think that if we have Interpol take a picture of Petty Officer Holt and asked around at Club Vesuvius, and at the hotel where the murder took place, I think we just might have our man" Tony said. Paris remained silent. "You disagree?" he asked her
"He doesn't match up to one part of the profile"
"Which part?" Tony asked.
"His reaction to the blood sample. The guy we're looking for is meticulous; he didn't leave any DNA at any of the crime scenes and he knows it. There is absolutely no reason for him to be afraid to give a blood sample" she told him.
"But would he be sure?" Tony asked.
"He'd be highly confident. He'd likely have anticipated the question and been prepared for it"
"That may be so, but that little prick was definitely hiding something"
"Oh, that much is certain" Paris agreed. "I just don't think that we have our killer" she cautioned him.
"Well, if you're right, then that leaves us with only one suspect, Petty Officer Petrosky, ad he's our there, right now" Tony spoke ominously as he looked out over the water, towards the city.
2230 hours local time, 7 July 2003, Cafe Rosso, Naples, Italy.
It was a few hours later when Special Agent Melankovic joined them. "Jane, this is Master Chief Proctor, the Command Master Chief aboard the Gilchrest. Chief Proctor, this is Special Agent Jane Melankovic from our Naples Field Office" Tony said as Jane and the Chief shook hands.
"Working late tonight, Special Agent DiNozzo?" Jane asked as she took her seat at their table outside the Café.
"Unavoidable" Tony said as he sipped his coffee.
"I was briefed before I came over here; I was told that you have a shortlist of suspects?
"2" Tony told her. "One of them, highly promising, although the Probette, seems to disagree"
"It's merely a hunch" Paris replied.
"And you believe that the other suspect is here tonight, near the waterfront?"
"He's here" Chief Proctor spoke up. "But I'll tell you this much, he's no murdered"
"He is, however, unaccounted for during the hours of the last murder" Tony replied.
"And the Master Chief agrees that he very well could have been with a prostitute during that time" Paris added.
"And with all due respect Mam, that doesn't mean squat" the Chief turned to Special Agent Melankovic. "He's a big tough kid from West Virginia. But he's not mean and he wouldn't hurt a woman" he added.
"I'll have his photo distributed. If he's here, we'll find him" Jane said.
"Or we'll find him" Chief Proctor told her. "A boy his size can't exactly hide out in a crowd"
After Jane left to distribute the photos, Tony Paris and Chief Proctor began roaming the streets, hoping to find the Petty Officer before the Italian Authorities did. "Chief, I hoping that you can provide us a little insight on where he might be" Tony told him.
"Well, if we don't see him, I'm hoping to see one of his buddies. He wound be far from them. We find them, we'll find him" the Chief replied. And as the old saying goes, "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear", as a large man in an enlisted uniform barreled past them with Special Agent Melankovic in pursuit. She tried to grab him, but the large man wheeled around and clocked her in the face with a left hook. Knocking the agent to the ground, he took off running.
"Petrosky!" the Master Chief yelled, but the large man just kept running. Tony quickly took off after him, Paris following behind.
"Stay with him, I'm going around!" Tony pointed to Paris as he took off. Petty Officer Petrosky was surprisingly fast for his size and was able to break away from her. Just as she tough she was about to lose him, Tony burst out from an alley, throwing his shoulder into Petrosky's knees, sending the large man to the ground. Both men were quickly back to their feet, Petrosky holding up his fists. Before Tony could react, Petrosky swung, connecting with a right hook to Tony's jaw. Tony quickly countered with a right hook of his own, connecting with the Petty Officer's jaw. He then threw several left and right jabs into the sailor's midsection. The blows seemed to have little effect, as he reached out and grabbed Tony by the neck, lifting him up, trying to choke the lift from him. Paris quickly jumped on the Petty Officer's back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a rear naked choke. Petrosky reacted quickly tossing both Paris and Tony off of him and into vendor's booth on the sidewalk. Tony was the first one up, coughing as he tried to regain his breath. "Ok, shithead, you want a fight, I'll give ya a fuckin fight" Tony grinned as he raised his fists. Petrosky wound up threw several shots at Tony's head. With his adrenaline pumping, Tony was quickly to dodge all of them, Petrosky threw several more, a couple of them clipping Tony in the jaw. He wound up again, throwing everything he had into the shot, connecting with the left side of Tony's face with a haymaker. The shot staggered Tony, who spit out some blood before giving the Petty Officer a bloody smile.
With Petrosky distracted, Paris got to her feat and flicked out her steel baton. She came up behind the Petty Officer and slammed it into the back of his knee. She did it again and again, forcing him down to the ground where Tony delivered several right hands. Tony delivered one final blow, a haymaker of his own, knocking Petrosky onto his back. When Petrosky started to get back up, Tony decided that he had had enough, and drew his Berretta, flicking off the safety and cocking the hammer all in one swift motion. "Enough" Tony warned him. Undeterred, Petrosky still moved to get up. "Oh, you're just fuckin stupid, ain't ya?" Tony said as he raised his weapon and took aim. "Stand down boy!" Tony yelled at him. Paris came up beside him, her e9mm Ruger drawn and cocked. Just as the Petty Officer was about to get up, Master Chief Proctor and Special Agent Melankovic came running up.
"Petrosky!" the Master Chief yelled. The sailor turned and saw them both, blood dripping from Jane's nose.
"Master Chief?" Petrosky asked stunned.
"You're in enough trouble as it is son, don't make it worse for yourself" he warned him. The Chief then turned to Tony. "He's all yours Special Agent DiNozzo". Tony stepped forward and pistol whipped the sailor to the ground, kicking him in the ribs before turning him onto his stomach. He reached behind his back and pulled out 2 sets of cuffs.
"Mirandize this piece of shit" Tony coughed as he coughed him.
"Petty Officer 3rd Class Lester Petrosky" Paris spoke, breathing heavily. "You are under arrest for resisting arrest and assault on a federal officer…" she began. Tony didn't listen to the rest. He just fell back against the wall of a nearby building sliding to the ground as tried to compose himself.
0100 hours local time, 8 July 2003, Brig, Master-At-Arms Shack, USS Gilchrest, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy
It had taken a while to clean up the mess with the Italian Authorities, as well as transport the Petty Officer back to the ship. Once he had been confined to the Brig; (and after they were checked out by the ship's doctor), Tony and Paris made their way there to question him. "You enjoy your leave, Petty Officer?" Tony asked him.
"What?"
"Did you have any fun, Petty Officer? With women?" Paris jumped in.
"Why are you asking me this?"
"Answer the fucking question" Tony barked.
"I was with a woman tonight" the Petty Officer confessed. "I paid her, just like you're supposed to"
"You are aware that the UMCJ prohibits such an act?" Paris told him.
"No Mam, I was not"
"Where were you 2 nights ago?" she asked.
"I don't know, I was drunk"
"What happened before you got drunk, Petty Officer?" she pressed him.
"Before…Uh… I started drinking as soon as I got there"
"Son, if there's anything you wanna tell us, now would be the time" Tony looked him right in the eye.
"I swear it sir, I didn't know what type of place it was. All my buddies told me, "take here, she likes you", so I did" he started to sob. "I wouldn't have happened if I wasn't so drunk. It was disgusting, I didn't mean for it to happen. I'm not like that"
"Is that why you cleaned her up afterward?" Tony asked.
"Her?" the Petty Officer looked up at him, confusion sewn to his face. "It wasn't a her, Sir. I'm sorry I beat him up, but what he did to me that wasn't right; pretending to be a girl an all"
"You were with a transvestite?" Paris asked.
"Yes Mam" he nodded, ashamed. "I was so drunk, but I went crazy when I found out" he sobbed. "I took off before any police showed up".
"Take his statement" Tony ordered as he flicked out his cellphone
After re-arresting the Petty Officer for assault, Tony and Paris quickly made their way back to enlisted birthing. They burst in, finding Petty Officer Holt lying in his rack. The Petty Officer slowly got up as they stepped in. "A colleague of ours checked out your alibi, Petty Officer. And guess what? I didn't pan out. The Bartender at Club Vesuvius doesn't remember seeing you until well after midnight"
"He was busy slinging drink, I was at a back table"
"No one else on staff can recall you either" Paris told him. "Neither can the other members of your section, who tell us that it was at least 0015 before you showed up"
"They remember wrong then"
"Keep to that story son" Tony grinned. "But it'll only take us a matter of time before we find the one witness that saw you leave with that girl. And then, well, then it will all be over". Tony watched as guilt and worry washed over the Petty Officer's face.
"If I talk, will it make any difference?" he asked.
"You mean, can you use it as mitigation before the court?" Paris asked. "I can't speak to that, but Special Agent DiNozzo has some good friends at JAG HQ. I'm sure he can put in a word"
"Ok" the Petty Officer nodded. "There was this girl there that night" he paused with a gulp. "I just kind of…um…snapped. I swear I've never done anything like this before"
"What happened?" Tony asked.
"She was pretty. She smiled at me, I thought she liked me, so I waited until the place closed and I followed her into the alley out back. I tried to talk to her but she just started slapping at me. I got angry". He paused and looked at Paris. "I know that's no excuse, but after that, things got… out of hand"
"What did you do? Exactly" Tony growled at him.
"You know how it goes Sir, I thought she wanted it"
"You raped her" Tony asked, not showing any emotion.
"Yes Sir" he confessed. "I didn't mean to do it, I just figured she liked it a little rough"
"Who was this girl?"
"A waitress, at this café" he told her. "I'm ashamed of what I did, Sir"
"Was she still alive when you left her?" Tony asked forcefully.
"What?" the Petty Officer looked absolutely stunned. "What are you talking about?" he gasped. "I didn't kill her, I didn't kill anybody"
"Cuff him" Tony told Paris.
2100 hours, 7 July 2003, Farragut Square, Washington D.C.
The rain had finally dissipated as Jared and Ellen sat quietly on a bench in the middle of the small park in the square. Upon hearing footsteps approaching, Jared stood up, and tuned to see Peter Bash walking up. Jared walked to him, leaving Ellen sitting on the bench. "There's a coffee shop across the street behind you. You have one hour, you can read it there" Jared told him, handing him the diary. "I haven't read it, but if anything bothers you, you'll issue a subpoena in the morning. You'll have it back before the end of the day. If not, then that's that"
"Yeah" Peter replied.
"If I read about this in the newspaper or on drudge report, or anything else happens that I don't like; I have the entries for June 24th and 25th" he cautioned.
"What's June 24th and 25th" Peter asked.
"You" Jared told him. Peter nodded and walked away towards the coffee shop. Jared retook his seat next to Ellen and put his arm around her. "It's gonna be ok" he told her.
0930 hours local time, 8 July 2003, Waterfront, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy
"Local LEOs found the girl and the tranny" Special Agent Melankovic told them. "They confirm the stories of both Petty Officers" she added.
"Which puts us back at square one" Tony growled as he lit a cigarette.
"I'm Sorry Sir, I thought the profile was dead on" Paris apologized.
"Don't beat yourself up Probie" Tony told her. "Your profile secured 2 felony convictions, and that ain't nothing" he blew smoke through his nose.
"But we still have a serial killer on the loose. And the Gilchrest puts to sea tonight"
"What's its next Port-of-Call?" Jane asked.
"Monaco" Tony told him.
"Then I will notify local LEOs there" Jane told them. "I have a disturbing feeling that we will be seeing each other very soon". With that, she shook hands with both of them and took her leave.
"What do we do now?"
"Head back to D.C." Tony told her. "Director Morrow won't want us waiting around for this psycho to strike next". Catching some movement in his peripheral vision, Tony turned to see a sailor walking towards them.
"Special Agent DiNozzo, Agent Summerskill" he nodded.
"Petty Officer Marshall" Tony smiled. "Finally taking a little liberty for yourself, I see"
"Yes Sir" the Petty Officer smiled. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Unfortunately, we're still looking" Tony told him.
"Well, if I can be of any more assistance, just let me know. Although we are shipping out soon" he told them. Paris looked over his shoulder and saw a beautiful woman waiting for him.
"looks like someone is a little worried that you're squandering your liberty talking to us, Petty Officer" she smiled.
"We were just married this year" he smiled. "Sharon tries to meet me in as many liberty ports as she can"
"I take it that Naples is a popular destination" Paris smiled.
"That it is Mam" The Petty Officer smiled brightly.
"Well than I suggest you deploy back to your wife" Paris told him. "It looks like she wants a long good by" she winked.
"Yes Mam, thank you Mam" he nodded with a big ole grin before heading back to his wife. Paris turned back to Tony who had a curious look on his face as he watched a group of women see some other sailors off.
"What is it?" Paris asked.
"What if the profiling did work after all?" Tony asked her.
"But I didn't" Paris told him.
"Yes it did" Tony smiled as he wagged his finger. "The only problem is, is that we made an assumption" he paused. "We assumed that the killer was on board ship when she made Port. What if he wasn't? What if he just met the ship at each port-of-call?"
"It wouldn't be hard to find a dependent who came to every city"
"Come on, this son of a bitch hasn't escaped us yet"
1015 hours local time, 8 July 2003, Captain's Stateroom, USS Gilchrest, Port of Naples, Naples, Italy
"Commander, we have a new line of inquiry" Tony told her. "We need to interview every member of the ship's crew that has had a dependent meet them at all 4 ports-of-call"
"But I thought that we have verified the whereabouts of every member of Duty Section 4?" Commander Waller asked.
"Yes we did" Paris told her. "But we eliminated the sailors, not their dependents" she corrected her.
"Our profile is still likely right, but we incorrectly made the assumption that he was on board this ship"
"We now believe that it's a spouse or boyfriend. Anyone who met this ship on the dates of each murder"
"According to your records, there are 25 female sailors on board, that certainly narrows it down" Paris told her. They both watched as a look of realization passed over the Commander's face. "What is it, Commander?" she asked. The Commander leaned around and gazed at a photo on her desk.
"You forgot about me, Agent Summerskill" the Commander told her. "There are 26 females on this boat"
"We already checked your file, Commander" Paris told her. "If I'm not mistaken, your husband passed a number of years ago. Have you remarried?"
"No" she told them. "No, I'm a widow" she paused. "But I have a stepson, Peter, from my husband's first marriage" she paused again. "Um…Peter has had some problems in the past with anger, violent behavior" she told them. "But he's had treatment, he's gotten his life together" she rationalized
"He's visited you? Met the ship while it was in Port?" Tony asked.
"He's studying in Europe" she told them. "He called me in Ravenna the day that we arrived" she told them. He wanted to see me. I didn't…" she stumbled over the words. "I didn't really have that much time for him right then" she told them. "He was angry, but…"
"Do you think it's possible he visited the other ports?" Paris asked her.
"It's possible" she told them as-a-matter-of-factly. "I, uh… I know one way to find out" she paused. "He said that he'd run out of money as asked if I could give him one of my credit cards"
"You think he's capable of this?"
"He's had the best possible therapy and treatment that I could afford" she said, looking away in shame. "I'm deeply afraid that your profile my not be that off at all"
"Commander, if your son is still here in Naples, or rather, if he ever was here, we will find him" Tony said as he stood up. "In the mean time, I suggest that you remain aboard ship. Do not try and contact him. if he contacts you, keep him talking and find out where he is. Am I clear?"
"Crystal" she nodded.
"Also, if you could give your credit card information to Agent Summerskill, that would also help" Tony said as he leaned over to whisper in Paris' ear. "Once you get the information, call Dr. Scuito. If by some miracle she isn't coked out of her mind, she might actually be of some use finding this bastard" he told her.
1500 hours local time, 8 July 2003, La Dimora Hotel, Naples, Italy.
For once, Dr. Scuito actually proved quite helpful and hand no trouble tracking the credit card that Peter Haller had been using. She had not only been able to confirm his presence during all 4 murders, but also the current hotel that he was staying at. Deciding that contacting the local authorities would only arouse Haller's attention, Tony and Paris went in alone. Haller's room was on the 3rd floor, in a room that over looked the busy street below. When they reached the door, Tony checked his side arm. "You expecting a fight?" Paris asked.
"I don't know. Tuck your Ruger in your waistband; I don't want him to get spooked by a holster" he told her. Once her weapon was out of sight, Tony knocked on the door. It opened a few moments later. "Peter Haller?" he asked.
"Yes?" the young man replied.
"I'm Supervisory Special Agent DiNozzo, this is Probationary Agent Summerskill, we with NCIS" Tony flashed his badge.
"If you're looking for my step-mother, she's aboard the Gilchrest" he told them.
"Actually, we wanted to talk to you" Paris told him. "May we come in?"
"Why?" he gave them a look. When that didn't get a reaction from either agent, he back down. "Fine, why not?" he took a step back and opened it for them. They stepped inside, closing the door behind them. "Am I missing something? I'm not in the Navy" he told them.
"Yes, we were able to deduce that all on out own believe it or not" Tony replied sarcastically, looking for Haller to give a reaction. He didn't.
"Is Amanda is some sort of trouble?"
"Peter, NCIS believes that a sailor under Commander Waller's command has been murdering women in the ports of call the Gilchrest has visited.
"Really?" he replied, again, no reaction. "She never mentioned that to me" he added.
"That doesn't surprise you?" Paris asked.
"No, she and I don't usually pick up the phone to chat"
"But you did speak to her in Ravenna, though not in Messina or Naples, though you were there" Tony pointed out. "We checked the credit card records"
"I like to travel, she pays for it"
"We've drawn up a profile of the killer, would you like to hear it?" Paris asked. Haller took a deep inhale.
"Sure" he smiled wickedly. Tony suddenly felt the weight of his holstered Beretta under his leather jacket get a little bit heavier.
"He's smart, but not as smart as he thinks" Paris began.
"Most people aren't" Haller interrupted.
"He thinks he's good looking, but women don't find him attractive" she continued. They're not interested in him"
"Is that why he kills them?" Haller asked.
"It's not quite that simple, Peter" Tony crossed his arms, his right hand subtly tucking itself under his jacket.
"We don't yet know why he does it, but he's done it 4 times already and he's gotten good at it" Paris told him. "He knows and takes what he needs with him everywhere" she paused. "Ropes to tie them up with, gloves, cleaning supplies… his murder kit"
"He's not really a sailor though, is he Peter?" Tony asked.
"How would I know?" he replied.
"But he's got a uniform, doesn't he?" Paris added.
"Look's like you're getting ready to check out" Tony observed. "Mind if we take a look through your luggage?"
"You got a search warrant?"
"Well, Peter, actually, I don't need one" Tony told him as he took a couple of steps toward the bed. "We're not in the United States and the room is registered under your mother's name" Tony told him as Paris moved back to the door, deadbolting it and sliding the chain across. "She's given her consent. As Tony moved toward the bed, Paris watched as Haller grabbed something from under his coat, which lay on a small table.
"Tony!" she yelled. Tony looked up and saw Haller produce a TEC-9 machine pistol.
"Down!" Tony rushed back to her, pushing her inside the bathroom a burst of gun ripped apart the floor. several more bursts erupted followed by the sound of broken glass. After a few seconds, Tony drew his Berretta and cautiously moved towards the bathroom door. his weapon at the ready, he darted out, ready to fire. But he didn't have to, Haller was gone, having jumped from the window. "Fuck" Tony growled as he uncocked his weapon and flicked the safety back on. Paris came out to join him, moving towards Haller's open suitcase on the bed.
"Bingo" she said, holding up a navy enlisted uniform.
"Contact Special Agent Melankovic. We're gonna need to bring in the Italian Authorities"
1800 hours local time, 8 July 2003, US 6th Army Forward Command HQ, Alexandria, Iraq- 31 miles south of Baghdad
"You still haven't told me how you managed to wriggle out of having to head stateside" 1st Lieutenant Hagan asked as they looked over a map that was rolled out across the hood of their Humvee.
"I told Morrell that I'd call your Mother" Three grinned as he flicked away a spent cigarette. The Lieutenant gave him a look. "I galls you that that isn't even a joke, doesn't it" he smiled.
"If you weren't so good at what you do…"
"You ain't gotta tell me twice, Sir" Three joked. "Any word on the final assault on Baghdad?"
"Nothing yet. The Marines are still conducting mop-up operation in Fallujah, once they finish, we'll have a better idea"
"What's taking them so long, I thought that Saddam had his guys pull back to defend the Capital?"
"He did" Tilden confirmed. "But it seems that pacifying the local populace is harder than expected"
"Well, you know what they call a Marine with a 120 IQ?" Three grinned. The LT only shrugged.
"A platoon"
"Do me a favor?"
"Don't tell me not to make jokes, it won't end well"
"No, I actually get that part. Jokes are your defense mechanism against all the shit that comes flying at you"
"What's the favor, Sir?" Three asked.
"Ditch that French piece you've been carrying around"
"Never" Three shot back. "I love this fucking gun"
"How do you keep the ammo for it?"
".32 S&W Long" Three said, drawing the revolver and holding it up. "I've been pilfering every dead froggie we come across" he told his temporary CO. "Say what you want about the snail eaters, but this is one held of weapon"
"What if I order you to get rid of that thing?"
"Please don't" Three pleaded. "I like you Sir, and I'd hate to have to disobey one of your orders"
"Ok, then how about this" he said. "Patch things up with Sky Train boys" he said, giving Three a grin of his own. "See, I can tell jokes too"
"At least my jokes are funny"
"Not as much as you think"
"Oh yes they are" Three assured him. "And as for our friends in the 101st, its only one of them that seems to have a hard-on for me"
"Has your Uncle given you any indication as to why he's so ticked with ya?" Tilden asked him. Three shook his head. "Well whatever ya did, fix it, and that is an order" he added.
"How can I fix it if I don't even know what it is?"
"That isn't my problem, Staff Sergeant"
"Thank you, Sir" Three let the sarcasm drip off his words. "As always, there is no threshold to your inspiring words"
"What?" Tilden gave him a look of confusion.
"Yeah, I don't know, I had something in my head and that's what ended up coming out"
"Smooth, real smooth"
"So, until orders come down for the final assault, what are our orders?"
"Recon" The LT told him. "in 2 hours we're moving out north along the Bagdad Road to a place called Badr, 14 miles north of here. We are to establish an LP and await further orders"
"They know that we're Rangers right?" Three said. "Our job is to kick people's teeth in, not fuckin reconnaissance. That's what we have the bootfuck Jarheads for"
"As always Staff Sergeant, your eloquent use of profanity never ceases to amaze me" he joked.
"Either way Sir, I'm better off stuck here with you guys then I am back with my team. At least while I'm here, Colonel Colleton can't chew my ass out cause he's still pissed with my old man"
"You spoken with him recently?"
"Which one?"
"Your Father"
"No" Three shook his head. "Last I heard, he'd taken a job with NCIS, but even that I got second hand from Doc Benoit over at the 8063rd"
"Don't be too hard on him. The Army was the only thing he ever knew, that is until Colleton pulled the carpet out from under him"
"Don't I know it" Three said. "When I was a kid, I used to hate that he was away all the time. It wasn't until I got older that I truly began to understand, ya know?"
"I feel ya" the LT agreed. Behind them, a Humvee pulled up. They turned around and saw Staff Sergeant Zander Smith jump out.
"Razor, what the fuck are you doing here?" Three asked.
"Busting you out" Zander grinned as he pulled an envelope from his breast pocket. "Sir" he saluted Lieutenant Hagan, who returned it. "I have orders direct from the Colonel himself. Staff Sergeant DiNozzo is to rejoin Delta most ricki tick" he smiled. Tilden opened the orders and confirmed it.
"Very well" he nodded. "Staff Sergeant, gather your gear" he ordered.
"Sir" Three snapped to attention and saluted. After he stepped away, Zander turned to his old CO.
"It's good to see you again, Sir" Zander told him.
"You too Staff Sergeant. I trust that you're well on the mend?"
"Oh yes Sir" Zander nodded. "And eager to kick those fuckin camel jockeys in their fuckin camel toes, Sir" he smiled.
"You Delta guys are fuckin nuts"
"And proud of it, Sir" Zander smiled. Within another minute, Three had returned with his pack and rifle.
"I'm all set, Sir" Three said as he tossed them into the Humvee.
"You did a fine job here Staff Sergeant, it was a honor fighting beside you"
"And you, Sir" Three snapped to attention and gave a firm, crisp salute. The Lieutenant happily returned it.
"You are dismissed, Staff Sergeant" Tilden told him as he lowered his arm.
"Sir!" Three replied lowering his own. They climbed into the Humvee and Zander turned over the engine. "Let's roll" he told Zander.
2100 hours local time, 8 July 2003, Tenuta Polverino Hotel, Naples, Italy.
It was dark when Tony and Paris arrived at the Hotel where Peter Haller had been found. "We've got him?" Tony asked Agent Melankovic as they walked into the lobby.
"Not exactly" she replied. She took them up to a room on the top floor and pushed open the door. "See for yourself" she motioned with her arm. Tony and Paris stepped inside. Peter Haller was dead, strangled, and tied to a chair, just like all of his victims. And just like all of his victims, he was positioned near the window, overlooking the harbor. Tony looked out to the harbor, where the USS Gilchrest was preparing to leave port in only a matter of minutes.
"Someone will have to notify Commander Waller" Paris said.
"I'll take care of it" Agent Melankovic assured them.
"Who did this?" Tony wondered aloud.
"We found a note in his pocket" Jane said, handing him the evidence bag. "We're not certain who it's meant for" she added. Tony quickly read it, and was instantly horrified.
Not to worry Movie Buff, this is just the first round of our little game
You'll be hearing from me soon
"The only question is, who is "Movie Buff"" Jane asked.
"Me" Tony told her, handing her the evidence. "It's me"
"So, this guy knows you?" Paris asked.
"Oh, it would appear that he knows a great deal more than that" Tony spoke ominously.
A/N- PLEASE REVIEW
(Tali's Voice)- "Next time on "28 Seconds: Blood & Iron""-
In D.C., Tony lands on Meg's bad side when a letter he wrote to President Reagan in the 9th grade resurfaces. Meanwhile, Tony speaks with his father about his continued role in the family business. In Iraq, Three reunites with his team as they prep a recon into the heart of Baghdad. Finally, in Port Charles, AJ & Liz prep for AJ's upcoming primary debate.
A/N2- ok, once again I am so, so sorry about the massive delay. But I swear that it couldn't be helped. My life has just been so hectic this past year. But I vow to you all that I will not give up on this story. I shall push it through to the bitter end.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, and to all a goodnight!