a/n - enjoy post one of a double dip day. Fornell is not a happy camper.
Footsteps woke Ron Sacks as he dozed on the sofa. He shifted ever so slightly to rest his hand on his weapon as he listened. The sounds were coming from the hallway, moving closer to him, so he relaxed and opened his eyes. McGee settled in front of the computer without turning on any lights and started working. Numbers streamed across the various screens and McGee shifted his chair to concentrate on one particular search. Sacks shifted further down on the couch and let the clatter of the keyboard lull him back to sleep.
Daylight was streaming in the window when a softly chanted "yes, yes, yes" woke Sacks again. This time he rolled off the sofa to see what McGee had found.
"We haven't gotten any more lab results, what are you working on?"
"I'm in."
"In what?" Sacks rubbed his face to finish waking up as he came over to peer at the screen that had McGee's full attention. He could see Tim's reflection in the glass and he looked pleased with himself.
"I broke through Moore's firewall."
"You're in?"
"I'm in." McGee cheerfully repeated himself as Sacks stared in amazement. "I've been tracking how his system transfers data between operation sites and I was able to tag along for the ride."
Sacks was watching the information flash by on the screen as he fumbled for the phone in his coat pocket. "How long can you stay in before you run the risk of being detected?" On the bottom of the screen he watched a count down edge closer to zero. "What is that?"
"Hang on." McGee tuned him out again as he started working the keyboard. Sacks made a quick call to Fornell before tossing the phone onto the couch. The count down hit zero and a file transfer complete window popped up. McGee paid no attention to it as he continued to work. Eventually, the normal desktop appeared and McGee leaned back with a smile.
"How long until Fornell gets here?"
"About ten minutes, he and the guys are at the donut shop down the street picking up an order. Come on man, what did you find?" Sacks narrowed an eye as he studied the other man. "You're going to make me wait, aren't you?"
"Hey, it's only ten minutes." McGee turned back to the bank of computers he was working. "Besides, if Fornell is bringing donuts, won't he be expecting the coffee to be done?"
Sacks looked up at the coffee maker he had forgotten to program the night before. "Crap." As McGee chuckled behind him, he scurried in to get it started.
Fornell entered the apartment at almost a dead run, dumping the box of donuts on the table. Myers and Thompson were only a few steps behind him. "Is it true? You got through his firewall? Did they detect you in the system?"
"Yes, yes, no." After receiving a glare almost worthy of Gibbs, McGee gave a more detailed explanation. "Once a week every branch of his operation sends an updated file packet to the computer system at his headquarters. I was able to use that window of time to get into his system undetected. As long as I get back out before the transfer is complete, they'll never notice the breach."
Myers grinned and pumped his fist in the air. "Yes." Fornell still had more questions.
"You're saying you can get in, undetected, every time he gets an update from one of his operations?"
"Yes. As soon as we've been monitoring long enough to know the schedule and how long each transfer takes…"
"You'll know when you can get in and how much time you have to work." Fornell finished with a grin.
Sacks had seen how quickly McGee had to work to get in and out. "It was pretty quick, how much can you do when you're in?"
"That I'm not sure of yet, but…" he grinned up at Fornell and Thompson who were standing over him. "I was able to make a copy of every file that was sent. They're encrypted, but we have them." Any further explanation was halted as something on the screens caught McGee's attention and he was back on the keyboard.
It looked vaguely familiar to Sacks. "Another update being sent?" Focused, McGee barely nodded as he worked. As the other three FBI agents watched what McGee was doing, Fornell slipped back into the bathroom to take another call. When he came out, he silently snagged Thompson and the two of them left without a word.
Thompson stayed quiet until they were in the car. "What have we got?" Whatever it was, Fornell did not look happy.
"I had someone do a check on McGee's place; looks like there might have been a break in."
"Moore's people?"
"Timing's right." Fornell cut down an alleyway to make better time. "Since the last time they checked the place, the doormat's been kicked to the side and it looks like somebody's picked the lock. We're meeting a forensic team there."
"You didn't tell the kid." Thompson's tone was sharp.
Fornell shook his head. "Not until we know for sure. He's had enough to deal with the last few days." The FBI Forensics Team was already unloading their gear when Fornell pulled into the parking lot.
The two agents followed the forensic techs up the stairs. One of them immediately rolled up the doormat and slid it into a large paper bag and left with it while the other began examining the lock with a fiber optics camera.
"It's been picked for sure." The tech backed slowly away from the door. "Either by someone not very experienced with picking a lock or it's been picked more than once in the last few days. Lots of marks on the tumblers and they're all fresh." A voice over his earpiece distracted him for just a second before he grabbed Fornell and Thompson and dragged them back down the stairs with him.
They were down on the ground level before he stopped long enough to say anything. "The mat tested positive for bomb making materials."
The tech handling the mat poked her head out of the van. "Bomb Disposal Team is on the way." Fornell was already on the phone, calling in reinforcements, while Thompson called Sacks.
Ever since Fornell and Thompson rushed out, Sacks and Myers had become increasingly more watchful, patrolling through the rooms, closing the heavy drapes, and making sure one of them was always between McGee and the door. When Sacks' phone vibrated against his hip, he moved closer to the door while Myers stood over McGee.
"What the hell is going on, Hank?" His hissed words were not loud enough to disturb McGee who was again following an incoming file deep into Moore's network.
~There may be a bomb at McGee's place. Tobias is bringing in extra agents and putting the Special Response Team on stand-by.~
"Shit, how close is our back up?" This time McGee heard him and started to get up. Sacks and Myers exchanged looks and Myers pushed McGee back down in his chair.
"Keep working for now, but when we say go, you go." McGee nodded at Myers and typed faster.
Sacks stayed on the phone with Thompson as he pulled rifles out of the coat closet and tossed one to Myers. Neither of the FBI agents started to relax until the extra agents arrived at the apartment.
It was almost midnight before Fornell stormed back into the apartment, with a smirking Hank Thompson right on his heels. Fornell looked at the leader of the back up team and jerked his thumb at the door. Sensing the other man's mood, the second team wasted no time leaving the apartment before the door was slammed behind them.
"There was no bomb." While Fornell paced in the living room, Thompson leaned against the entry to the kitchen as the other man continued to rant. "You want to know who broke into your apartment, McGee. I'll give you a hint; there were three of them."
Tim couldn't help it, he started to laugh. Fornell was not amused. "Damn it, they broke into your apartment, doesn't that bother you?"
"They do it all the time."
Sacks stared at the chuckling man. "Doesn't that bug you?"
"They're my team, they know something is wrong. Did you honestly think they were going to just walk away? Come on, Fornell, you know Gibbs."
Fornell did know Gibbs. "I can't bring them in yet, kid. You need to get them to back off, we don't need the distractions."
That was a conversation McGee was not looking forward to. "I'll take care of it."