Chapter Five
NIS Redux
In the first hour of Alpha shift only one person uses the Employee Lounge. Gibbs glances down at the book open on the table before his friend before taking the seat opposite him.
"Ah, Jethro," the venerable man greets him as he closes the volume, "I thought I would see you soon."
He doesn't glance at his watch. It's only after 0830, but they've been on duty overnight, so he can forgive the break. He wishes he were in a position to take one of his own. "Can't all work around the clock," he says, conveying the impression that he would if he could.
"There is an old Iroquois story that when a young man comes of age he is taken into the woods at dusk, blindfolded and left to fend for himself. And so he sits, no fire, the sounds of the night animals, the bear, the wolf and the snake his only companions. It is a test of manhood, and he will fail if he removes the blindfolded and attempts to return to his village before dawn.
"So he sits, the night sounds evoking terrors as they approach and surround him. He undoubtedly prays to the Great Spirit for courage, though he probably feels it deserting him as the hours stretch on. He has no weapon, no help, no way even to see the dangers until they are at his throat.
"Finally, after the long fearful hours, he sees the morning sun lighten the blindfold and feels the warmth of the rising sun upon his flesh. The ordeal over, he removes his blindfold to find his father seated next to him."
Gibbs says nothing, knowing the point will be revealed in time.
x
"Abby, when I expressed to her some months ago the awareness that I have more days behind me than I do ahead, was kind enough to voice the opinion that I had just recently passed the midway mark, but in point of fact that is not true. You and I feel the breath of the next generation upon the backs of our necks and we must be sure that, when it is time to make way, your bullpen and my suite will be in the best of hands. So, though that day is still distant, we prepare our successors. Anthony has already proven he is ready to step up, and Mister Palmer is a competent Medical Examiner though he is some years away from the legal Certification he requires. What he knows must be tempered with experience, so I shall be testing him more and more often."
"And Sky is the bear, wolf and snake."
Ducky chuckles, but Gibbs can see he makes the effort not to. "No, Jethro. Last season they each graduated from Medical School as M.D.s, but Mr. Palmer does have many years of practical experience, and Miss Sky's position is temporary and occasional, yet each has to certify on paper that their skills are in place. But if she does settle upon one career rather than two, each of which have prodigious demands on time and talent, when the day comes for me to make way, to shuffle off Stage Right as it were, I prefer to know that, as you are doing, I shall leave my legacy in good hands."
xx
"Palmer and Sky think Saunders was tortured to death," Gibbs announces to his team as he strides into the bullpen. "They also found a broken arm and broken rib, both healed."
"Palmer and Sky?" DiNozzo repeats, not sure he'd heard right. Since when does Gibbs take a report from the Autopsy Gremlin and Anna-kin Skyfaller? "What does Ducky say?"
"He was on a break." Gibbs' tone warns him not to challenge; they all know what time it is.
"Well, if someone tortured her for information," DiNozzo says, "I'm not sure what kind they'd get out of her." He uses the plasma screen's remote control to bring up the image, already on his monitor, of an attractive young blonde woman in formal blue Naval jacket bearing Lieutenant's bars matched with oak leaves and acorns, she seated before a furled flag. "Annette Saunders was a twenty two year old Naval Physician Assistant working at the Sewells Point Branch Medical Clinic, Admiral Taussig Boulevard at Norfolk. She was reported AWOL twenty one years ago and her case was investigated byyyyy..." He's already seen the light of recognition ignite in his boss' eyes; the victim's name hadn't done it but her profession and posting had.
"Mike Franks and his team."
"Otherwise famously known as the 'Fed Five'," he announces, quite unnecessarily, for the rest of the modern team.
"Not famous then, DiNozzo," he counters with a glance back into the past. Those were the years before Franks retired, McLane and Betts were reassigned, he'd become an SSA and Martine Joswig and Jennifer Shepherd joined himself and Pride. As the years passed Shepherd had transferred out, Joswig and Pride became SSAs in their own rights and Pride had gone south. DiNozzo had come on just after Joswig was promoted. Since then there had been more and more changes but in those NIS days it was "More like the 'Fed Three' and two schlepping Probies."
"Don't sell yourself or SSA Pride short."
"I'm not," he says. "Annette Saunders was one of my earliest cases. She'd left Norfolk at the end of her shift, family thought she went to a second job until the next morning the father started making calls. Norfolk checked, couldn't reach her and notified NIS. We spoke to the Clinic, her other job, interviewed friends and family but the trail finally cooled, other things got hot and eventually she went into the Cold Case box. It stuck in my claw. I didn't like to lose."
"Didn't?"
"Don't. DiNozzo, she was with a Volunteer Ambulance Company back then. Hunt them down."
"On it, Boss!"
x
"She lived with her family at that place, McGregor. I was there twice but didn't recognize it." The renovation to restore it to its 18th Century grandeur had changed too much of the then modern house and he hadn't expected a connection to the ancient case. "McGee, get into NIS Archives. Pull everything on that case from that idiot savant of yours. Find the rest of the family from your namesake."
"Pulling from the idiot."
"Ziva, that house was being renovated for that grand unveiling. I want to talk to that company, find out how Sky fell into something they missed." She doesn't answer, turning her attention to her computer, probably deciding she doesn't want to try to top 'pulling from the idiot'. He heads to his desk. He'll call SSA Pride and pick his brain.
Michelle rendezvous with him mid way across, hands him the paper printout of the information on the screen, the summary of the woman's professional Naval career. "Palmer, get Warrants for all her personal records. She had a broken arm and a broken rib and I don't remember either. Find out who her doctor was and what happened."
She looks up the tower. "Yes, sir."
"And Palmer?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Welcome back." It was supposed to be Monday, the 30th of this scorching July, but three days early isn't bad.
"Thank you, sir."
"Don't call me sir."
"Yes, si– Spec– Gi– B–" She gives up, walks quickly back to her desk.
Gibbs goes to his own and she can't see his smile. Nice to have things back to normal.
xxx
Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride descends the steps from his working apartment in NCIS' New Orleans Division to find his team, Special Agents Christopher LaSalle and Meredith Brody, hard at work. In the early morning the temperature already flirts with 80 and shows every sign of consummating the relationship, so work attire is usually casual even for the city that defined the word.
"What've we got on this bright and cheerful morning?"
"Not a blessed thing, King," LaSalle declares. "I'm thinking about setting up a Field Annex at Café Du Monde." Pride's phone at his belt rings. "Then again…."
Dwayne pulls the device free and works to force the smile down. "Pride."
/Gibbs./
Perhaps the one living man who remembers Mike Franks' lessons in brevity. "Hello, my brother."
/Need to pick your brain. You remember a Navy Lieutenant who supposedly went AWOL in our Probie days, twenty one years ago, Physician Assistant Annette Saunders?/
"Like it was yesterday." He no longer has to contain the wry smile. "But I'm sure you'll remind me of the few things that might've slipped my mind."
While Gibbs brings back the ancient case and updates him on the latest, Pride exchanges a series of rapid hand signals with his team so that, at the end, he feels confident to say "Things are slow here. Want a hand?" He would love to warm up this Cold Case and put it away.
/Never turned you down yet, my brother./
"We'll see you later today." He presses the disconnect. "Gear up for DC, but don't pack too lightly, it only hovers around 95 up north."
xxx
The call to the Contractor company yielded nothing. Most of the work had been done to the weathered outside of the building and that to the interior had been confined to the rooms which, over the decades, had seen the most use. No one had looked closely at the hall walls to spot a seam obscured by shadows, not when the individual rooms had been the focus of attention. Artists had brought out color on the hall paintings that had lost their vibrancy since the 1800's, but beyond that nothing had been done there.
McGee makes his report from his desk. "Of the four family members noted in the NIS report, Mrs. Nora Saunders, mother of Robert Saunders and Mother-in-Law to Elizabeth, died at 81 of a heart attack five months after Lieutenant Saunders went UA - I mean AWOL. Elizabeth Saunders died in a boating accident eight years ago and Robert died of cancer three years ago. The house was left to Annette's brother Paul. He was nine years old when Annette went missing, now thirty."
The details are coming back. "What about him?"
"His company is a Canon affiliate and appears focused on product research and development. According to the corporate prospectus, being affiliated but outside the Canon conglomerate allows for 'cutting edge and rewarding development'. He's had no run-ins with the law. Seems to have led a quiet life, at least so far as the LEOs are concerned."
"That's the problem with this case," DiNozzo says. "Two decades plus, most everyone connected with it will either be quiet or dead."
xx
It's after each of them have individually broken for lunch and the last agent returned to the searches for clues that the proverbial cavalry arrives, heralded by the ring of the elevator bell. "Anyone here call for pizza?" is how Supervisory Special Agent Pride announces himself and the man and woman who flank him as they enter the enclave.
"All the way from New Orleans," DiNozzo quips, "I hope it's pineapple."
The odd choice earns him disbelieving looks from both teams as Gibbs comes out to exchange a hug and greeting with one of his oldest friends in NCIS. That Gibbs is not known as a hugger, except with Abby who is a hugger of everyone, emphasizes the unique caliber of this relationship.
It's an example of truly cosmic coincidence that said Forensic Scientist hurriedly enters from around Michelle's desk as introductions among the eight agents are winding down.
"Gibbs, I have some good ne–" The three Louisiana agents turn to her. "Oh my God! Dwayne!" She does an impressive imitation of a Starship going into warp.
Dwayne Cassius Pride braces for the collision and only their encircling arms prevent them from bouncing apart. Abby Sciuto is a world renowned hugger but this is an epic encounter. She pulls back only a second before respiration can become an issue. "How are you?"
Hand to his chest, the taller man confesses "Several ribs fractured but I'll live."
"Take more than a collision with a beautiful woman to put you out of action, King," Chris LaSalle quips.
"I had no idea you were coming how are you it's so great to see you how's Laurel how's Loretta how's Sebastian how's Patton when did you get in what's going on in Nu Aulins what've you been doing how come you don't cal–?"
x
"Hold on," he urges behind raised hands. "You're at 'Caf-Pow!' 78 and I'm still spinning at 33."
"You and Gibbs are still a pair," she quips with a glance to her silver Zorro. "Neither of you ever left the Dark Ages of the 60's."
"CDs just aren't the same. Most times you can't even see them, which is why I wonder why they bother to put pictures on them."
Abby hugs Chris and only then does she focus on the black haired woman in their midst. "Oh. Hi."
"Abby Sciuto," Pride says. "Meredith Brody. She joined the team a few months ago." To Brody he introduces the scientist with "You recall Abby's the Sebastian of Headquarters Division."
"Of course. Hi."
Abby hugs the woman, but when they can't see each other's faces for the moment she thinks Samantha Sky is the only one she'd known until now who could look good with that really short haircut. When they pull back she says "I'm sorry about that earlier. I kind of know Dwayne... well, for a while."
"Abby's a home town girl."
"I lived in Esplanade Ridge."
"Abs," Gibbs presses before this can turn into something far removed from work.
"Huh?"
"You said you had some good news."
"Oh. Yes. I have great news."
"What is it?"
"Dwayne's up for a surprise visit."
Gibbs starts a slow count but Pride gives him a wry look. "She hasn't changed a bit."
"I don't believe in change," she declares. "I am the one Universal Constant. In the universe. That's constant."
"Abby."
"I finished the analysis of Annette Saunders' socks."
x
Gibbs reminds the southern Agents that, when found, the woman had been wearing her Summer White uniform but her jacket had been found on the floor beside her, under the layer of dust, her sleeve draped over her leg and her shoes had been at the right wall, one midway along it, the other near the back corner.
"Like they were thrown?" LaSalle speculates.
Gibbs only nods. He'd had the same thought, but won't call it a conclusion yet. In a case this young, if this one can be called young, nothing is definite.
"What did you find?" he asks Abby.
"The soles of her socks were slightly singed, not so you could see them on her feet but under the microscope the threads show definite signs. The material's not burnt, however."
"Consistent with Palmer's theory–"
"And Sammy's."
"Yes. That she was tortured with electricity."
"Like a cattle prod?" Tony asks broadly, looking to McGee at his desk.
"Please, Tony, I still have some scars."
Abby whirls on him. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demands. "Why didn't Siobhan tell me? I have all sorts of solutions for scars."
"It's not important. They're small, only when the end was used. They'll go away."
"Months, McGee. You've had them since last year! When this is over you, me, my Lab, shirt off."
"Better not let Siobhan hear that," Tony quips.
"She's getting a head slap next time I see her!"
Both men are too surprised by this declaration to respond, but Gibbs isn't. "Abby."
She whirls back to him. "WHAT!"
x
Tony almost ruptures his stomach muscles holding the laugh in, but Abby wisely turns the intensity down some fifty notches.
"The socks," he says levelly, a dangerous control. "Electricity?"
"Definitely possible. I give it a 93%. Maybe they were wet so they didn't burn, but they'd have provided the contact for the current. If she was standing up when what was done to her... was done..." they can tell she hates the phrasing, "the charge would go in her torso, down her legs and out through her feet. Narsty way to die."
"What would it take to kill her?"
"Household 120 for a long time, HV for shorter, same result. Jimmy and Sammy say they found 43 burns. The result's the same no matter what the voltage. If they, whoever they were, used something on her torso, I can picture a split frayed wire running household current and her wet socks in my more dispirited moments, they could shock her plenty of times. That would account for the burns but not kill her if it was done briefly. But maybe they overdid it."
"Like you said, Abby," Michelle says with a shudder, "narsty way to die."
"What about the dust?"
"Yes," Abby says, "the dust on the floor and her body were the same depth, measured in micros. Nothing under her body, jacket, shoes. Sadly, while it shows that everything settled from the same time the wall was last opened, it means no footprints or anything else."
"Someone knew the room was there," Gibbs concludes. "The family?"
"I'll check my Ouija Board," Abby promises, hurrying away before Gibbs can present his opinion. It's that in this case such a tool may become necessary if, going by the NIS files, they're to get answers from the few remaining potential sources.