Jumping up from his chair, Tim announced, "I have something, boss.
Sarcastic retort from Tony. "Of course you do, McPentagon."

Tim took the remote from DiNozzo's hand. "In January 2003, then Colonel John J. O'Neill was arrested for shooting US Senator Robert Kinsey." A picture of Kinsey popped up on the plasma. "O'Neill was cleared of any and all wrong doing."

"Kinsey. From US Senator to VP." Tony was ready with a movie reference, but never got a chance to use it.

Tim continued. "Kinsey was Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee before the assassination attempt. He claimed a sting had all been planned ahead of time, except for actually getting shot, and O'Neill was arrested, but knew about it all from the start."

Gibbs was getting bored and Tim seemed to pick up on it.

"I'm still looking for the video of the press conference." He looked at Gibbs' face. "Okay, I don't really need to find the ten-year-old recording."

Tony wasn't interested, but he was curious. "Whatever happened to Kinsey after he resigned?"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs settled his gaze on McGee. "Wheeler? O'Neill?"

"No connection between Kinsey and Wheeler, that I can find." If looks could kill, McGee knew he should be dead. He struggled for a few seconds to come up with something else. "Uh, neither man is listed on Senior Air Force or Marine Corps. leadership rosters."

Wheeler might not be, but... the AF has what, 35 or 40 Lieutenant Generals? "John J. O'Neill has to be on a short list somewhere."

"I'll keep looking, boss." This time McGee was ready with more information. "I did find a geographical connection. General Wheeler was in Colorado at the same time as General O'Neill. 2000 to 2002."

Not many marines get stationed in the Rocky Mountain state. "Where in Colorado?"

McGee looked at Tony. "Pikes Peak." He looked at Ziva. "US Olympic Training Center." Then he looked at Gibbs. "Seven Falls." The glare he got from his team leader reminded him that it was not a quiz show. "Sorry, boss. Colorado Springs."

Gibbs was wondering when Tim had started behaving more like DiNozzo and as for the case, he was still getting seven when he added two plus two. This case, if it was a case, was infuriating. "ONeill saved Wheeler's life in Kuwait 22, 23 years ago. Then an Air Force officer and a Marine officer end up together nine years later in Colorado and again at the Pentagon ten years after that?"

McGee was pleased with himself. "That's what it looks like."

Gibbs knew they were still missing a boatload of information. He wanted confirmation from McGee. "O'Neill and Wheeler both lived in Colorado Springs?"

Tim looked panicked for a few seconds as his brain processed the question. "Uh, no... I don't know... I don't know yet." He quickly added, "General Wheeler owned a house in Colorado Springs. Property records show he and his wife still own it. I don't know where General O'Neill lived, but I found an old on-line account for video rentals. The store is in Colorado Springs. I also found a divorce decree in Grand County and his ex-wife lives in Winter Park. Property record says she still owns the home."

Tony couldn't help it. "How come you still own your house, boss? Three divorces and..."

Ziva gasped. It wasn't loud or terribly obvious, but Gibbs was certain that everyone heard it. He clenched his jaw, wondering when DiNozzo was going to let his marriages go. Ignoring the comment and the others for the moment, Gibbs thought about the Air Force connection to Wheeler. O'Neill was Air Force and a good friend, but they had also apparently served together, or at the least they were in the same town at the same time. Coincidence? No way. This was exactly what SecNav wanted to know about. Wheeler more than likely died from natural causes so very soon they would have no reason to look into anything. It was time to put some eyes and some ears on the ground... and elsewhere.

Tim interrupted Gibbs' train of thought. "I'm trying to confirm that O'Neill was in Colorado, but the server for records of motor vehicles and licenses is really secure, boss." He waited only a moment before adding, "And I'm still trying to scope out more info about the redacted service records."

"Do you have a local address for O'Neill yet?"

Ziva and Tony were mute, but Tim quietly admitted, "Not yet, boss."

Ignoring his agents for the moment, Gibbs walked back to his desk. Laying on it was a paper with a fax cover sheet. It was addressed to him from O'Neill. Would wonders never cease? "DiNozzo, David, get to the Pentagon. Blend in and talk to people." He handed the paper to Tony. "Find out anything you can about Wheeler, O'Neill... and Colorado Springs." His steely blue eyes met Tony's and then Ziva's. "Be discreet."

"What about me, boss?"

"You, McGee... hey, what are you two still doing here?" When Tony and Ziva had grabbed their things and scurried out, Gibbs put his hand on Tim's shoulder and guided him back to his desk. After the younger man was seated comfortably, he leaned in. "Use your skills and get me Wheeler's and O'Neill's service records. The unredacted versions."

Tim gulped. "I've been trying, boss, I swear."

"Try harder. And get their L-E-O's, get their overseas orders." Looking seriously at McGee, Gibbs told him, "Get their grocery lists, find out if they have pets and what they ate for breakfast yesterday."

McGee blinked and then looked dumbfounded. "Boss?"

Gibbs' voice had gone from soft to an almost whisper. "Look for anything and everything about special Air Force programs and commands. Find something. Find anything at all, McGee. It's important."

McGee leaned toward Gibbs and hissed, "You want me to hack the Air Force?"

The corner of Gibbs' mouth turned up a little. "Well, yeah Tim. Unless you have another way of getting the information we want."

"But, it's the Air Force, boss," he whispered. "Which is in the Pentagon." Tim had already dodged several bullets, aka disciplinary action and/or dismissal and/or prosecution in his quests to get information for cases, for Gibbs, for Vance, for Abby, for himself.

"I get it, McGee. Consider it a... fall back." Blue eyes met hazel ones and Gibbs lowered his voice a little more. "Not all information is located on Pentagon computers. Just be careful." He rapped his knuckles against McGee's desk before heading to the elevator. It was time to stretch his legs for a bit and get a sandwich and fresh coffee before going to see what Ducky had.

A while later at the Pentagon -

Knock knock. "Come."

O'Neill lifted his eyes from the folder he was reading. "Yeah, Ramos. What is it?"

Major Mario Ramos took three steps into the office and stood tall. The General was in the middle of a meeting, but what he had to tell him was important and urgent. "I just came from the food court, sir."

O'Neill managed to look both interested and disinterested at the same time, but Ramos didn't let it stop him. He was familiar with the man's quirkiness and hoped he'd get to work with him for a very long time. "There's a civilian there asking questions about you and General Wheeler."

The General's surprised glance went from Ramos to the Lieutenant Colonel sitting at the table across from him. "He ask you anything?"

"No, sir. I never saw him. Hahn from Logistics walked back with me and told me."

O'Neill's gut was twisting. "Recall everyone."

"Right away, sir," the amiable major replied and quickly left.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davis thought he knew what O'Neill was thinking, but asked anyway. "NCIS?"

"Yeah," O'Neill replied tiredly and grabbed the back of his neck. "I'm pretty sure it's one of Gibbs' people." A moment later he reached for the phone.

At the Navy Yard -

McGee chewed in frustration. He wasn't having a whole lot of luck unravelling the mysterious careers of Generals Wheeler or O'Neill. Oh he had discovered some things, but he knew there was much more to find and Gibbs wanted him to find it. The sandwich, chips, apple and drink proved it. Engrossed in doing Gibbs' bidding, hopefully without hacking, McGee had forgotten about lunch. That was until his stomach growled at the same time a bag and cup appeared at the side of his keyboard.

After delivering McGee's lunch, dropping off his coat and a quick trip to the restroom, Gibbs strolled into autopsy like he owned the place. "Hey Duck."

The older gentleman was seated at his desk, working on paperwork. "Welcome back, Jethro." He glanced at Jimmy, who had a hard time suppressing a small grin, and turned to address the team leader. "Have you come back for cause of death?"

Gibbs' face made it seem like a ridiculous question, but he nodded once and kind of grunted.

"Yes, well, the aneurysm killed him. As to what caused it, my finding is natural causes unless Abby Sciuto's test results reveal something else."

Jimmy looked like he was going to jump out of his skin and Gibbs noticed.

"Something bothering you, Palmer?"

"Uh, no, Agent Gibbs." He shook his head lightly.

"Come now, Mr. Palmer, you and I both know that's not true and we can be certain that Gibbs knows it's not true also." He smiled enigmatically and got up from his chair. "Shall we tell him what we discovered that we did not get a chance to disclose this morning?"

Jimmy smiled. Gibbs looked like he wanted to spit.

Meanwhile back at the Pentagon -

Staff Sergeant Heather Miller enjoyed her mandarin chicken from the Panda Express until the overconfident, flirty guy sat down at her table without an invitation. It was lunchtime and the food court was crowded, but she'd hoped to have someone she knew join her. Tony, as he had introduced himself, was forty-ish with a $100 haircut and nice smile She admitted he was good-looking in his perfect suit with skinny tie and was that a Hugo Boss overcoat?

Small talk ended quickly when she didn't take part and soon it was her eating and him smiling a lot and asking questions. Miller was used to people being curious about the high security corridor where she worked, but everyone, at least until now, accepted her refusal to talk about it. So when her cell phone buzzed alerting her to a text message, she gladly reached for the device to find out what someone wanted. Nice smile or not, the snoopy guy was annoying.

Colonel Daniel Conner wiped his mouth with the paper napkin just as a beautiful woman sat down at his table. From her accent she was Israeli and looked at him appraisingly, almost hungrily if he was day dreaming. Chit-chat turned amusing as she tried to talk about March madness and he knew she was attempting to play him. Ziva, as she said to call her, portrayed innocent female, but he knew she was a deadly jaguar lurking in the high grass.

He'd been there with two lunch companions and they'd seen her studying the crowd. Her dark alluring eyes seemed to be looking for someone and they went back to eating and talking. As soon as they left to go back to work, Ziva had come to Conner's table and sat down. He only stayed the extra minutes because she was gorgeous and he was flattered, but when the text came he was actually relieved.

In Autopsy at the Navy Yard -

"Examination of General Wheeler's body revealed interesting, yet mysterious injuries which were not disclosed or..."

"Mysterious?" Gibbs walked with the ME over to the table where Jimmy had placed the body after removing it from the refrigerated drawer.

Ducky chuckled lightly. "Burn scars like I've never seen."

Jimmy uncovered the body enough to show Gibbs the outside hip, where a patch of rough skin looked like a burn scar. Ducky's gloved hand brushed across it.

"The healed tissue is not only oddly shaped, it is quite thick."

Jimmy wanted to be helpful so he added, "We haven't taken a tissue sample from it because it wasn't related to his cause of death."

Gibbs nodded, not saying he approved or disapproved of that decision. He left those decisions to Ducky. The whole darn case was strange and now he was seeing mysterious old wounds on their dead General.

"He has another one on his back. Judging from the healing, I'd say it's 10 to 12 years old."

Gibbs thought for a second. Wheeler was in Colorado then. Ducky and Jimmy carefully turned the body over. The roundish scar was high on his back, left of center and just under the shoulder-blade.

"This scar tissue is also very thick. The original burn had to be severe."

Gibbs shook his head. "You're telling me these wounds are not listed in his medical records."

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. The record is incomplete."

Redacted service records and now a redacted medical file.

Ducky and Jimmy repositioned the body and then moved it to a rolling table so it could be returned to the cold drawer.

"I attempted to contact the attending physician who performed his annual physical in 2002 to ask about the wounds, but alas, she is deceased."

tbc

Thank you for reading. A bit of jumping around from place to place. Sorry 'bout that.