Chapter 10

Theresa stepped out of the car and locked it. She walked to her house. She had already spoken to Fornell to tell him she had done what she was told and she had spoken to Bob Sherwen who had hated James as well and who completely supported Theresa. His occupations were the finances and the clients and that everything in DC underworld stayed where it was. He was a kind of second head to the organization, Theresa was first now.

Theresa wanted to unlock her door but it was already open. She went in. She did not pull her gun as she was taught to but somehow she was careless this time. She turned on lights and walked to the living room. A man sat on the couch. He looked at her. 'You haven't pulled your gun out', he said. 'That was careless.' 'I know', she said and sat down opposite to him. 'Why are you here?', she asked. 'Where have you been', he asked. 'I killed James.' After a while she added: 'Fornell told me to.' 'Part of your mission?' 'Yes, now I am in charge of his organization.' Gibbs thought for a while. 'It's your turn. Why are you here?', she asked friendly. She was not angry at all although he had broken into her house. Gibbs pulled out an envelope and opened it. He took out a single piece of paper and handed it to Theresa. She looked at it. She was unable to say anything. It was the result of a DNA test. She has just found her biological father. She could not say anything. She had known of course that the marine Maria Palmer had been her mother. She had known this because of a DNA test ten years ago when she had entered Federal witness protection. She never had been allowed by Fornell to meet her mum or even tell her that she existed. On the other hand she had never wanted to. He mother did not want her or her sister. She had always thought that her husband, who had died two days ago, was her father. But she had been wrong. Gibbs was her father. Why? How was this possible. She knew that Mrs. Palmer was married to her husband for twenty years. Did she betray him? With Gibbs? 'You…', she tried to say something but could not finish her sentence. Gibbs nodded. Theresa went over to him and sat down next to him. They hugged. 'I didn't know', Gibbs whispered. 'I did not know that she was pregnant. I did not know that she was married. I'm so sorry.' 'No, I'm glad. It was nothing your fault. I knew that she was my mum because of a DNA test. She doesn't know about me. My sister and I, we never contacted her. We did not want and even if, Fornell forbid us to.' 'Why?' She thought for a while. 'Fornell will kill me when I tell you', she said and explained shortly: 'Federal Witness program.' 'I thought your name was changed because of the mission?', Gibbs asked. Theresa slightly shook her head. 'When my sis and I were six we witnessed a murder. We could escape and since that we live with a new identity. FBI took the chance to make spies out of us although we're actually too young to work for FBI. That's an advantage because adults never suspect kids spying on them.' 'You're just sixteen', Gibbs said. 'Did you know that you have two half-brothers?', he asked. 'What?', she asked. 'No, I did not.'

Gibbs showed her two pictures. 'You and your sister are identical twins', he said. 'Yes, she lives a bit outside DC working for FBI.' 'You miss her?' 'Of course, I'd really like to finish this mission to return home', she sighed. They hugged again. Theresa had had no family except for her sister, now she has found her father. Gibbs had lost his family, his wife and his daughter, now he has found out about two identical twin daughters. They were both happy to have found their family.

Ziva, McGee and Tony already were investigating when Gibbs arrived at the crime scene. It was early morning and he had spent the whole rest of the night talking to Theresa. They had a lot to talk about, catching up the past sixteen years. 'That's suspicious', McGee said when he looked under the car which had went astray and now the dead marine driver was dead on his seat. 'Here's a bomb', he said and got closer. 'Then get away from it, probie. We don't want to gather you and sent you in a plastic bag to Ducky', Tony said. 'It's linked to the luggage trunk', McGee said. 'Do I have a déjà-vu?', Tony asked. 'Why?', Ziva asked. 'The last time we had the same scene and exactly here where we are now, was when Ari had returned to Washington to kill Kate', Tony explained. 'He did not tell you about the explosive device?', McGee asked Ziva. 'He did not plant it', Gibbs said still examining the dead marine. 'He told me. If it was him, we'd be dead already. The device isn't exploded yet. He doesn't want us dead. He wants to send us a message.' 'That he is back?', Ziva asked. 'Perhaps', Gibbs said looking at her. 'He isn't my brother anymore', Ziva explained loudly to all of them. 'We are biologically related but he doesn't mean anything to me anymore. For me, I killed him seven years ago.' Nobody answered.

Time passed and they solved several murders. They did not only gain new criminals but also a new team member. Her name was Valentina Riddle (neither McGee, Tony nor Ziva got the idea to ask if she was related with Theresa Riddle so they did not know that they were sister and because Theresa had platinum blonde hair color they did not recognize the similarity). Valentina was eighteen years old, officially and was great accepted by the team, Abby, Ducky and Mr. Palmer. She was a very good agent and Gibbs accepted that she was sent by Fornell. He did not know specific details but it had to do with Theresa's Undercovermission. Valentina had the order to give her sister certain information only an agent could access so that Theresa could gain more and more trust of the big wheels in the underground she had to deal with. Gibbs accepted it. He was persuaded by his old friend Tobias. The team did not know that Gibbs was Valentina's father and the two did not tell. Gibbs treated her like every other federal agent of his team, including taps.

Exactly two weeks later they had a very difficult case to solve. They suspected several marines to smuggle drugs from Mexico to the United States. It was late night when they visited the Navy ship again. 'You have new suspects?', the Navy Commander asked. Gibbs approved. They stopped in front of the recreation room on deck C. 'Here we are', the Navy Commander said. 'All of your suspects I told to come in here. I am in my office', he added and stepped aside. Gibbs entered the room. Tony, McGee, Ziva and the newest member of the team, Valentina, followed him. She saw her brother at once. Of course, he did not recognize her, he have not seen her for thirteen years because neither Valentina nor Theresa have wanted to contact their mother or their brothers. They have not wanted them thirteen years ago, so why now?

Gibbs started to talk: 'We know that at least one of you is involved in the drug investigation of us. You help the Mexican Renoza cartel to smuggle drugs from Mexico over the border into the United States. We think that at least two of you are doing so. Do you want us to figure out who by our own because then the time in prison will be doubled.' Gibbs looked into the room. There were sitting about ten marines. 'Come on guys', Tony said. 'At least one of you must know something.'

Not even a blink of an eye passed and one marine got up, overran a surprised Ziva who cursed herself, took her gun and ran out of the room. Tony, McGee, Gibbs and Valentina ran after Valentina's half-brother. 'Stay here and look out', Gibbs ordered Ziva. Gibbs ran out. He looked around at the next corner. He saw Tony disappearing at another corner left from him, together with Valentina and McGee running to the right. They had lost Valentina's half-brother, whose name was Alan, by the way. Gibbs came to the upper deck. He ran out of the door and felt a hard hit. He fell to the ground and saw Alan taking his gun and running away. Gibbs ran after him. Alan turned around and pointed Ziva's gun toward him. 'Stop', he screamed. He saw Tony arriving behind Alan. Alan turned. 'Go here', he screamed to Tony and signaled him to plant himself next to Gibbs. 'Sorry, boss. He disarmed me from behind. Like you', Tony murmured. McGee arrived only a few seconds later. 'You, there, too', Alan shouted and McGee went over to the other two. 'Let me guess, he disarmed you, too, probie', Tony said. 'Shut up, Tony', McGee said. Alan walked toward them. 'It was me', he screamed. He did not see his half-sister behind him. She pointed her gun at him. He had not found her to disarm her, too. She walked next to him, into his sight and held two meters distance. 'Drop the gun', he said. He looked at her smiling. He did not know. He pointed the gun at her. 'I'm sorry, but I won't. I kill you and I will go. And you will never see me again.' He walked backwards to the guard rail. 'Don't move', Valentina shouted. 'But first', he said, 'I will kill them', he screamed out loudly and quickly moved his gun toward the three disarmed agents.

Ziva heard a shot. Without thinking and with disobeying Gibbs' clear orders she ran up to the upper deck. It was cold out there and windy. It was dark but the lights enlightened the scene. She saw McGee and Tony kneeing over a dead body. She looked around and saw Gibbs kneeing at a sitting body. Ziva walked to the two agents. He looked at Alan's body. He was dead. 'What happened?', she asked. 'He tried to shoot us. Valentina had to take him off', Tony explained. 'She saved our lives', McGee said. 'She doesn't seem this happy', Ziva said looking up to Gibbs and Valentina. 'Perhaps her first killing', Tony suggested. They did not know that Valentina had just shot her half-brother. She has just done, what Ziva had done seven years ago, only with the difference that her half-brother would never return again.

It was one day later and they all sat at their desks working. Valentina was just finishing her report. A man came out of the elevator. He was nineteen and his name was Eric. He had had a call from director Vance yesterday who told him about the situation. He stopped between Tony's and Ziva's desk. They all looked up. 'Where's the bitch who killed my brother?', he asked angrily. 'Hey', Gibbs said and stood up. 'No, you're just the man who fucked my mother', Eric said aggressively. 'I killed him', Valentina said lowly and stood up. Eric went over to Valentina's desk which was placed next to Gibbs' desk and next to the plasma screen. He wanted to grab her but Gibbs pulled him back. 'Don't touch her', he said warningly. 'Your brother was involved in a drug investigation and ran away. We take along that he is guilty of drug smuggling', Gibbs said and pushed Eric back.

'No, he is not guilty', Eric said loudly. 'He was undercover for CIA', he said and looked at Valentina whose eyes got wider. She sat down again, she was shocked. Tony, Ziva and McGee stared at Eric. Two other man appeared. 'CIA', one of them said and showed his badge and his identity card. 'See, you fucking bitch', Eric shouted to Valentina. 'That's what you get when you shoot a CIA agent in an undercover mission. He was my brother!' One of the CIA man stepped forward. 'Valentina Riddle?', he asked. She nodded slowly. 'We are here to arrest you because of the murder on Alan Palmer.' He pulled out his handcuffs. 'I already spoke to director Vance', the man added to Gibbs. Gibbs looked up. Vance stood there and watched the scene. Gibbs hated him. 'I am taking Valentina in for questioning', the man continued. 'You can't', Tony said. 'You can only force not-Americans to interrogation.' 'We know', the man said and with a look at Gibbs he and the other CIA agent took her to the elevator. 'What did this mean?', Ziva asked. 'That means they know', Gibbs murmured to himself. He knew Valentina was not American, but native German, as her mother. In her new passport where she was Valentina and not Verena she was American so that she could have started working for NCIS. Gibbs got up again. He needed a calm place to call Fornell. He was able to get her out of this. 'When he was undercover, why did he try to shoot us?', McGee asked. 'There was nobody there, he could have just told us', he added. 'I don't know', Tony said and turned back to his computer. That was curious.