[Phoomph-Nine]
It was almost surprising how different a hospital could change in only a few hours. The pale, white and brown halls of the ICU wing seemed to be brighter as the sun was finally able to burn off the fog and shine though the many windows. There was more chatter of nurse as there were more scrubs everywhere he looked. Some gave him a warm smile while other seemed to talk knowing by his demeanor who he was visiting. Now doubt this one was the most existing case last night. Half way down the second floor hallway, Gibbs turned into one of the rooms, he hear the sound of a television and was glad to know his agent was awake. Right when he moved passed the curtain, green eyes locked onto him and a smile appeared on the face.
"Hey boss." A broken whisper came from his agent lying in the small hospital bed.
"How are you feeling DiNozzo?" Gibbs noticed that Tony muted the TV and took as big as a breath as he could before answering.
"Good considering. Any leads?"
Gibbs studied the young man; he couldn't help but see the graphic images that Ziva took instead of the man in front of him. "Got a few."
"When can I, get out, of here?" Tony said with a pause between every other couple of words.
"In a few days at least, and when one of us can take care of you." Gibbs added when he saw Tony's face start to protest and he prepared for the fight that the young agent was going to start. And sure enough Tony's face fell with annoyances.
"I can, take care, of myself."
"You can barely talk and you can't use your left arm. So how can you take care of yourself?" Gibbs pointed out strongly. "We almost lost you DiNozzo." Gibbs was surprised when his last sentence seemed to not even put a pause in Tony's protest.
"I'm always, close to death. Never had, problems taking, care of my--"
"Damn it DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled getting fed up with the agent's thick head. "That's the point. The reason you always end up in this bed is because you never accept the help. You should have called me and this would never have happened."
Just then Gibbs' cell phone went off saving Tony from responding. However the interruption pissed Gibbs off as he reached into his pocket to get his phone. But he never eased up on his stare with Tony who tried to look anywhere but his boss' blue eyes. "Gibbs."
"Abby ID the woman that was with our victim," McGee started to report. "She said that it was the same woman that was with Tony at the festival. Her name is Danica Millious and she works at Bank of America on I Street Northwest."
"Anything on the dead man?" Tony's eyes snapped up from a spot on his bed to Gibbs, when he heard this new information. Gibbs almost smiled he could read the total confusion on DiNozzo's face and the question that asked 'what dead man." But Gibbs gave him no hint as he listened to McGee.
"His name is Alan Kaur, thirty seven years old and works as a teller at the same bank."
"Have Ziva meet me there." Gibbs closed his phone and put it in his pocket in one motion. He looked at the agent, wondering if he should inform his senior field agent that most likely the man that attacked him killed a man in the same way. Maybe that would shock Tony into submission. But he noticed that Tony's eyes were getting heavy and even though he wanted to finish their conversation, he thought it best to wait for another time.
Gibbs let out a breath as he turned towards the door. "Get some rest Tony." The former marine called over his shoulder as he pushed passed the light pink curtain.
[Phoomph]
Gibbs stood by the front entrance of Bank of America waiting for Ziva. However with her driving almost matching his, he did not have to wait more than five minutes. His sliver haired head turned to the right as he caught a glimpse of a dark haired woman turning the corner. He pushed himself off the wall with his back and moved towards the door waiting for Ziva there. When she got within a few feet he opened the tinted glass door and let her in first.
"We'll talk to the manger first, then to Miss. Millious." Gibbs informed the Mossad Officer. She did not respond, but merely followed the Senior Agent to the neatest investor's desk.
"Good afternoon, how can I help you?" A middle aged Hispanic woman asked when she saw the two come up to her.
Gibbs pulled out his badge and flashed it to the woman. "My name is Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS; I need to speak with your manger."
"I will get him right away." The woman stood up from the desk and moved quickly to an office that was located in the very back corner of the grand lobby. The woman stuck her head into the office to inform her supervisor of their guests. It only took a few words to get the manger up and moving. The manger was a tall thin man and wore a clean suite and a serious yet inviting expression. Gibbs and Ziva moved forward to meet the manger half way.
"Hello my name is Marc Walker, please come to my office so we can have some more privacy." The man shook hands with both agents before leading them to his office. "Please have a seat." Marc motioned to the two leather chairs in front of a dark oak desk, as he took a seat in his own chair. "How can I help NCIS?"
"How well do you know Alan Kaur?" Gibbs asked as he took out his notepad and pen.
"Alan is a good friend and one of the best employees here. What has he done that would interest a Navy Investigator?"
"He was found dead this afternoon and we suspect it was done by the same person that attack one of our own." Gibbs watched the manger's expression changed with grief for the loss of a friend, and then a sincere understanding for the situation.
"I sorry to hear about your agent. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"We would like to talk with Danica Millious."
"Sure you can use my office for privacy. But may I ask, do you think she had a hand in this? Because the both of them were good friends, they always had lunch together."
"She was last seen with him and we just need to ask a few questions." Ziva spoke up.
"I'll go get her." Marc got up from his chair and headed out the door.
Ziva waited for the door to shut before she turned to Gibbs. "Do you believe that she had anything to do with it? If they always go to lunch why did they drive separately?"
"He must have taken the rest of the day off or else they would have noticed him missing." Just then the office door opened and Danica walked in, Gibbs stood up and greeted the young lady and he could see why Tony was attracted to her.
"I am special agent Gibbs." He shook hand with her noticing right away that she was nervous. "This is Officer David. Have a seat." He motioned to the chair that he just occupied.
"What can I do for you?" She asked with a bit of hesitation.
"Where were you this afternoon?" Gibbs started the questioning
"I was having lunch with my friend and colleague Alan at a little diner off of 21st Street Northwest ."
"Did you take separate cars?" Ziva asked.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Danica's eyes moved back and forth from cold brown to piecing blue eyes "Um, because he had a doctors appointment at 1:30. So I met him there, we had lunch then I came back."
"Why did you two stop at 7-Eleven together?" Gibbs stood quietly watching Ziva handle the questioning. Danica was nervous but it was more from the fact that the Mossad agent next to her was staring at her rather from the nature of the questions.
"He wanted to get a lotto ticket and I wanted to get an energy drink."
"What time did you arrive back here?"
"A few minutes after one."
It grew quite as Ziva wrote down her answer. "May I ask why are you asking me these questions?"
Ziva looked up and gave a side glance to Gibbs. A quick nod, she turned back and answered. "He was found dead behind the 7-Eleven this afternoon."
Danica's hands went shooting up to her face, covering up her mouth as she let out a gasp. Tears filled her eyes and her breaths became ragged. "How-how did he die?"
"He was strangled." The two agents gave the bank teller a moment; both knew that the news of Alan's murder was a surprise. But Gibbs gut still turned, she was a key to the two attacks and he was going to find out why.
"How well do you know Tony DiNozzo?" Gibbs spoke up. Danica looked up at the sliver haired man with a blank look on her mascara streaked face. It took her a moment before it came to her.
"Tony? We met last night at the street festival, why?"
"He was attacked as he was heading to his car last night." Gibbs moved closer to Danica as if moving in for the kill.
"Oh my gosh." The tears threaded to flow again. "Is he dead too?" She was on the verge of hysterics.
"No, but he came close. Now that's two men in less than twenty four hours who have been strangled moments after being with you."
"Are you saying I had something to do with it?"
"You tell me."
"Agent Gibbs, Alan was my best friend I've known him for years. Why would I kill him? And Tony, I liked him a lot I invited him home with but he said he had to work. So we parted with plans to get together this weekend."
"So it was just coincidence that these two men got attacked the same way."
"Yes." Danica said strongly.
The ringer from Gibbs cell phone went off, and the man cursed at the damn thing for always going off at the wrong time. "What?" Gibbs snapped at the caller.
"Um, Director Vance wants to see you right away." McGee informed.
"I'm busy."
"He has the captain of the police department in his office waiting for you." McGee quickly added knowing Gibbs would hang up any second.
"I'm on my way." Pocketing the cell phone, Gibbs moved towards the door, the two other women stood up, but only Ziva moved towards Gibbs.
"Miss Millious, we will contact you if we have any more questions." Gibbs opened the door and allowed Ziva to walk out first.
"I understand." Danica said as she stayed in the office.
Gibbs and Ziva turned and left the bank with out any other word. Right when they walked out the doors, they were hit with a gust of cool wind. Gibbs zipped up his jacket all the way up and flipped the collar up. Ziva buttoned up her jacket and turned to Gibbs.
"Do you still think she had something to do with it?"
"No. But she is a link between the two. Find out how." Gibbs ordered as he turned and left Ziva standing by the entrance of Bank of America.
[Phoomph]
Gibbs walked towards the Director's door with a fresh cup of coffee. Cynthia did not look up from her desk or say a word when the smell of black coffee whisked past her. She smiled as she heard the door fling open, then almost slam shut.
"Agent Gibbs," Director Vance started when the senior agent walked through the doors. "This is Jack Crawford, Captain of Metro P.D. He informs me that you took on a murder of a civilian with no military connects."
A smug smile appeared on the agents face, "I did."
"Can you explain to me then why you took over this case?"
"Did you bother to ask that question to the officer that was at the crime scene?" Gibbs turned to the over weight officer.
"What? Of course."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"To take back our case!" The officer started to get on a high horse, but before he could mount the horse, Gibbs shot him down.
"Not going to happen."
The captain started to move closer to Gibbs, "Now just wait a damn-"
"Director Vance," Gibbs turned and faced the NCIS director leaving the Police Captain to stare at the back of his sliver gray head. "There is a connection between Alan Kaur's murder and the attack on Agent DiNozzo."
"Are you sure?" Vance asked, but only got a stare of determination from the lead agent. "Captain Crawford, NCIS will be handing the investigation of the murder of Alan Kaur in connection with the attack on one of my agents. Now I can send you--" Gibbs walked out of the office not bothering to stick around any longer and have to deal with anymore professional courtesy crap.
McGee and Ziva watched silently as their boss made his way down the stairs. Ziva noticed a limp with his right leg as he took each step. McGee had seen that look of frustration every time he left the director's office. Yet both noticed the tired blue eyes. Not from the lack of sleep that they all missed, but from the fact that they still haven't been able to find out who had done this. They all felt it, they long forgot sleep because who gives a damn, when one of their own almost died causing the first few hours to feel like days. Both agents waited quietly on what their boss was going to do next. Ziva quietly betted on a coffee run, while McGee figured he would go down to see Abby or Ducky. But he did neither as he went to his desk. Gibbs felt the two sets of eyes follow his every move. He was tired and at the point where no amount of coffee would fix it, and he also saw it in the eyes of his remanding two agents.
"Find anything Officer David?" Gibbs calmly asked as he slowly turned his head towards the Israeli's desk.
Ziva and McGee shared a questioning glance to each other on Gibbs appeared collective attitude, before she turned to her boss and responded. "I believe I did. A year ago Danica Millious filed a restraining order on an ex-boyfriend, named Joseph Scott."
"What were the charges agents?" McGee questioned.
"Obsession, stalking, afraid of physical abuse."
"Pull up his record McGee." Gibbs ordered. However McGee started typing after the second word Gibbs had said. And just a little after the lead agent finished the command, the plasma was lit up with a record of Joseph Scott. The picture was of a middle aged white male with short red hair and a small chin gote of the same color.
"He was arrested twice for physical assault." McGee read off but didn't get far as Gibbs cut him off with more commands.
"Ziva go back and question Miss. Millious about Scott. McGee you find me this guy. Check and see if he had emitted himself to any hospital for a gun shot wound to the leg. Put out a BOLO, I want this guy in custody by tonight." Gibbs got up from his desk with a new found energy as he headed to the back elevator.