"It's official," Tony said as he dropped his backpack on his desk an hour later, "this guy is seriously wacked. He kinda reminds me of-"
"What have you got DiNozzo?" Gibbs interrupted, in no mood for Tony's movie references, not that he ever was. "We talked to the guards at the prison Gibbs," Ziva reported.
"And the prison psychologist Boss," Tony continued. "Apparently he had concerns about Rush's mental state but no one would take him seriously and Rush managed to convince the parole board he was okay." Tony rolled his eyes at the futility of the prison system.
"According to everyone else we spoke with, Rush was well liked and got along well with everyone, particularly," Ziva paused, glancing at her notes, "Al Stevens, an inmate from another cell block."
"And get this Boss," Tony added, "this Stevens guy was released two weeks ago."
"There's our catalyst," Gibbs said, grabbing at the information. "Track Stevens and maybe he leads us to Rush." He got up and headed for the back elevator. "I'm going to tell Abby and McGee."
Two minutes later he entered the lab to find both Goth and geek working on separate computers.
"Got another lead," Gibbs announced and they looked up. He stared at McGee. "Find Al Stevens, a former prison buddy of Rush's. He may be the accomplice we suspected."
NCIS
The next 45 minutes were spent checking everything they could think of from bank records to ATM cameras, to traffic cams and convenience store footage, with Abby reading the lips of anyone who looked interesting and providing commentary because there was no sound. But no matter what they tried it seemed that Sam rush must've passed on some of his invisibility techniques to his friend because they still hadn't tracked him to just one location and as McGee regretfully informed them, Al was also using an untraceable burn phone.
With yet another cup of coffee in hand, Gibbs was again on the elevator between floors, keeping tabs on what all of his agents were working on. Suddenly a thought hit him and it was all Gibbs could do not to throw his coffee in frustration. He'd had the answer they were looking for the whole time! Instead he headslapped himself and flipped open his cell phone.
"This is Agent Gibbs. I need a security guard to meet me in the lab right now. Thank you."
The door slip open and Gibbs entered Abby's lab, anger at himself making his words more clipped than usual.
"McGee!" he yelled as if the younger agent should've seen him and immediately been able to read his mind. "With me."
"Boss?" McGee questioned, his gaze flickering to Abby. "What about...?"
Gibbs glared. "I've got it covered."
An armed security guard appeared in the doorway a moment later. "Agent Gibbs?" he asked.
Gibbs pointed at Abby. "You stay with her. She never gets out of your sight, got me?"
The man stood up a little bit straighter. He knew the agent before him had a reputation in the building and he didn't want to do anything to tick him off.
"Yes sir Agent Gibbs," the guard replied quickly, nearly clicking his heels together in an effort to comply.
Gibbs didn't bother correcting him. Abby looked at him, her eyes troubled.
"Gibbs?" she asked.
He went to her and hugged Abby quickly. "We'll be back Abs, just as soon as we get this dirtbag."
She nodded and McGee pulled her close for a moment.
"Stay safe Timmy," she whispered, a little fear showing.
Aware that Gibbs was watching them and waiting impatiently, Tim nonetheless took a moment extra and kissed Abby softly.
"I'll do my best. I love you Abby."
She smiled and he followed Gibbs out. He'd already punched the button for the elevator when suddenly he remembered something.
"Abby," he called and she came to the doorway. "I need you to grab something for me."
Up in the squadroom Gibbs gave the well known order as he breezed past Tony and Ziva's desks on the way to the front elevator.
"Grab your gear."
Tony looked up in surprise. It had been over an hour and they still had yet to discover anything new.
"Where we going Boss?"
But there was no answer and McGee only shrugged, indicating he didn't know either or else he wasn't telling. Curious and a little concerned about their boss's state of mind, the three agents checked their weapons and ran to the elevator, slipping in just before the doors closed.
NCIS
On the way to the address Gibbs had given them, he suddenly turned down a different street and headed in the direction of the Shorey residence. The agents were puzzled but it made sense that he would want to check on the girls. Tony, Ziva and McGee waited as Gibbs pulled up to the house, grabbed a bag from the trunk and headed for the front door.
An agent from the backup team that arrived earlier intercepted Gibbs, hand already on his gun. But recognizing the team leader, he relaxed and stood aside, letting Gibbs knock on the door. He figured the girls would be in bed long ago and didn't want to risk waking them by ringing the bell. Trevor answered the door, confused as to who could be coming by so late. He smiled when he saw Gibbs.
"Agent Gibbs," he opened the door wider, "please come in."
Gibbs held up his hand and shook his head. "Thanks, but there's no need. I just wanted to drop these by." He handed the bag to Trevor, who looked inside.
"The girls' teddies!" he grinned at the agent. "Thank you. These were greatly missed at bedtime tonight. Chell and I will give them back when we got to bed." He shrugged. "The girls wanted to sleep in our bed tonight and there was no way we could refuse them. It'll probably make us all sleep better." Then his forehead wrinkled. "How did you know they'd need their bears?" Most government agents would never think about something as insignificant as children's toys.
Gibbs' eyes softened. "My little girl never went anywhere without her favourite stuffed animal either. He especially had to be present at bedtime, so I understand."
It must've been something in his voice that gave it away. Trevor seemed to know that Gibbs was talking about a child he no longer had. The two fathers shared an understanding gaze and Gibbs turned to go.
"Thank you," Trevor said again, and Gibbs nodded.
"Someone will drop the rest of their things by when this is over. Good night Trevor."
All the way down the walk and back to the car, while his agents watched with new eyes, Gibbs was thinking about Kelly and her favourite, floppy eared stuffed dog. By the time she was eight the thing was ratty and worn from years of being loved. But he was still her best friend next to Maddie. The dog's name was Marnie, coming from the way Kelly had mispronounced Marine when she was three. It had always made he and Shannon laugh when Kelly asked if the "marnies" were coming for dinner.
Gibbs smiled slightly, looking up at the stars he and Kelly used to watch together. "I miss you baby girl," he whispered quietly. "I have never stopped loving you."
The stars twinkled and Gibbs hoped that somewhere, somehow his daughter would hear his words and know how much he loved and missed her.
NCIS
2230 found the team in two separate cars parked on two very dark streets near a run down house in a part of town the locals knew better than to visit at night. In the elevator earlier, Gibbs had finally answered his team's anxious queries.
"I know where to find Rush," he'd stated grimly. "Or at least, where to look."
His announcement stunned the team and Gibbs sighed.
"We know Rush is too smart to go back to his house. He knows we'd look there, it's too easy. Twelve years ago it was the same way. But then it hit me that Rush hid out at this abandoned house for a couple weeks last time. We didn't get him then but I remember the house." He shrugged. "It's worth a shot."
So they were on a stakeout, Gibbs and McGee in one car, Tony and Ziva in the other. Ziva held the binoculars to her eyes for the twentieth time in as many minutes, and lowered them to her lap a moment later.
"He is not here. This is a waste of time!" she blurted out a last.
Having been on Gibbs' team longer, Tony was much calmer about the whole affair. "Don't question the gut Ziva. This Rush character could show up anytime."
She frowned at him but refrained from further comments, checking the house again.
In the other car, another half hour slipped by and Gibbs was beginning to wonder how long they'd have to wait. Finally he turned to his agent.
"McGee, I think we could all use some coffee."
McGee thought this request slightly odd but didn't say so. He just got out of the car and kept to the shadows. There was a coffee place three blocks away. He'd be back in time, if anything happened.
Gibbs sighed impatiently and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his coat, his forehead crinkling when his fingers brushed over something flat. Surprised, he pulled the small envelope out and looked at it, heart dropping as he made out Jenny's handwriting and remembered another letter.
And while Gibbs knew there was nothing for him to worry about, Jenny had promised and even if she hadn't, Gibbs knew she would never do it again, his hands were still shaking as they pulled the paper out of the envelope and unfolded the letter she'd left.
Dear Jethro,
As soon as he read the greeting, Gibbs felt as if he could hear Jenny's voice speaking the words to him.
I wish I had so many more words to say 'thank you' for what you have done for me this month. You have always been there when I needed you, but these past three weeks you have learned so much about how to help me now, when everything is different and everything we know is changed. I love you.
Thank you Jethro. I don't even want to think about how I would be dealing with this situation on my own, because near or far away, for seven years you have been my strength, and I expect that to continue for the rest of our lives. Just you being right beside me every day has meant more to me and helped more than you will ever know.
I don't know what will happen tomorrow or what the future looks like. But I will be right here with you as we find our way back. I want you to know that I will always need you, always crave your touch, your warmth, your nearness. You are everything to me Jethro, please remember that.
Thank you for never giving up. I love you.
Always and forever,
Jenny
Gibbs folded the letter back up and leaned his head against the headrest, closing his eyes to keep the moisture inside. He knew why Jenny had done that, left a letter in his pocket. She wanted this to be a good memory, to replace the one he had of the other letter left in her coat pocket. He smiled a little. It would be a good memory, Jenny's words when he needed them the most. Now Gibbs wished they'd already caught Rush, because right now all he wanted to do was go home to his wife.
NCIS
The end of the case came in a way none of them had expected. Minutes after Gibbs finished reading the letter, Tony and Ziva caught a glimpse of Rush sneaking down a dark alley near the house, maybe trying to get in the back door.
Tony whispered into their microphones. "Got him Boss. Three o'clock, in the alley."
McGee wasn't back from getting coffee yet and Gibbs berated himself for not being better prepared. They'd probably only get one shot at this. Taking his gun from the holster, he clicked off the safety and stealthily made his way to where his agents had seen Rush, ordering Tony and Ziva to remain discretely several steps behind.
He snuck down the alley, keeping to shadows and taking cover behind garbage bins and trash cans, knowing that the others were doing the same. Finding it to be a dead end, Gibbs looked around, something in his gut telling him to run.
"Ah, Agent Gibbs, at last we meet again," a disembodied voice spoke from above him.
Sam Rush was sitting perched on a fire escape ladder seven feet in the air, just above Gibbs' head, dressed in black and casually holding a sleek, looking Beretta with a silencer screwed into the barrel. Gibbs brought his gun up immediately and aimed it at Rush's head, thinking of all the times in the last seventeen hours that he'd dreamed of this moment.
The man chuckled and leapt lightly to the ground, Gibbs following his every move. "Is that any way to treat an old friend?"
Gibbs glared at him. "That word is never going to apply to you and me Rush."
"No, maybe not," Rush said regretfully, before a dangerous gleam took over his eyes, "but it does apply to someone else here tonight. Al," he called down the alley, "will you kindly show yourself to Agent Gibbs?"
As soon as Al Stevens stepped from behind one of the large, industrial garbage bins, Gibbs knew he'd made a tragic error in judgement. He'd been so focused on finding Rush, that he hadn't thought about there being more than one person in the alley. Now he stood in the middle between the two men, keeping his gun trained on one and his eyes on the other, desperately wishing he hadn't walked into their trap.