Disclaimer : Still own nothing. Just having fun.
Author's Note : Thank you to everyone who's read and alerted so far. Extra thanks to those who've left reviews.
I appreciate the time you take to leave your thoughts.
-oooooooo-ooooooooo-ooooooooo-
12:38pm – Staff Lounge – NCIS Headquarters, Washington, DC –
"Jethro, I think it's time to head back. Security can only keep the beast busy for so long," Fornell mutters, heading to the entrance. His dress shoes squeak on the linoleum as he slides past the vending machines, and Gibbs cringes at the noise.
Emitting a hollow grunt, Gibbs leads the way to the bullpen past the interrogation and the stairs. He inhales deeply, the air smelling fresher than he's used to in this stretch of the building. It's cooler than normal, almost as though someone has just taken the stairs. He glances back to Fornell, shaking his head when his friend tries for conversation. The scuffing of their shoes along the threadbare carpet is the only dialogue that carries them the rest of their way.
Gibbs' sole focus is readying for the impending battle, readying to face-off with Colvin so he can get some of her resources to find his wayward senior agent.
They haven't reached the bullpen when the team leader feels the hair on the back of his neck rise.
Someone's watching us.
His eyes find Director Shepard on the upper floor, just outside her office.
"Agent Gibbs, Agent Fornell," she greets icily, gesturing for them to follow.
Not needing a second invitation, Gibbs quickly checks on the rest of his team as he shoots up the stairs. Three young men in cheap, shapeless suits stand around the bullpen as Ziva and Kenji wait in the center. The probationary agent stares helplessly at the legal pad in his hands while the Israeli narrows her eyes at one of the FBI agents, clutching her letter opener like a knife. When Gibbs notices McGee's absence, his desk plastered with an open file, he wonders where his agent might be.
By the time Gibbs hurries past Shepard's barely college-aged secretary, rage washes away the concern he has for his team. He hurdles into the office, narrowing his eyes when he notices Colvin seated at the long table that's used mostly for Shepard's hotshot meetings.
The doors thud closed and Gibbs squares his shoulder, facing her.
"Look, Agent Gibbs," she starts, "I know you'll think this is – "
"Cut to the chase," Gibbs growls.
"We lost Agent DiNozzo," she replies, tapping her finger on the file in front of her.
"Whaddya mean, 'you lost him?' How the hell do you lose my agent?"
"He's gone dark, hasn't contacted Agent Schaller since we dropped him off near a known Angel Caido hang-out in Columbia Heights. We agreed to first check-in within 24 hours, then subsequent ones in 72. DiNozzo skipped them all after drop-off and Schaller hasn't been able to re-establish contact. We assumed that business with the cartel made it unsafe for him to slip away…but then there was this."
Pressing her lips together, Colvin slides her folder within Gibbs' reach. He leans forward to the table, snatching it away. When he flips through the pages, he does his best to decipher the mash of shapes that serve as words in the FBI's diminutive typeset. As he rips his reading glasses out of his pocket, he glares at Colvin as though the font size is her fault.
He skims the file quickly, finding it identical to Fornell's information earlier.
"And?"
"Gibbs, it's enough to consider bringing Agent DiNozzo in for questioning," Shepard speaks up, glancing at Colvin for direction. "While he is a highly respected agent, perhaps – "
"Come on, Jen, you really think Tony would knock off some lowlife?" The look in her eyes adds fuel to Gibbs' anger. "Give me one good reason why."
"Maybe Morales found out he was undercover and he needed to maintain his identity. Or maybe Carreras made him an offer he couldn't refuse," Colvin suggests.
"So you really think Carreras went all Godfather on him?" Fornell interjects, smirking slightly.
"Without talking to him," Colvin continues, deliberately ignoring the attempt at humor, "we don't know….that account at The Sand Dollar Bank could be a very good reason to assume his cover."
Gibbs blinks slowly, face contorting in a sneer as he barely suppresses a laugh. "Ever think somebody might've set him up?"
"Why would anyone want to do that?"
"I don't know yet, but I'm sure as hell gonna find out."
"Agent Gibbs, I don't think that would be prudent," Shepard says, shaking her head. "Right now, I think it's best for you and your team to continue with their current caseload. I'd like you to be available to answer the FBI's questions about Agent DiNozzo."
Colvin nods her assent. "We need more information so we can – "
"Issue a warrant for DiNozzo's arrest," Fornell blurts out.
"It's the only way we can bring him without blowing his cover. We have to figure out exactly what happened," Colvin says.
"If you issue a warrant, you're giving him a death sentence if the cartel finds out." When she shrugs apathetically, Gibbs doesn't hold back.
"You really want him to end up like Conner?"
The instant he sees the way Colvin's shoulders slouch, Gibbs regrets his words, wishing he could step back behind the line he just crossed. While he now knows how to maintain a severe separation between his work and personal lives, he can clearly remember how life can be for those who don't.
But for how deeply he buried his secrets, he would never want them dredged up.
Not like this.
"This isn't about my stepson," she roars, face turning red with either fury or grief, "but in case you're wondering, I've spent months waiting for the call that someone's finally found Conner's body. I wouldn't wish this for anyone and I'll be damned if you drag the boy that I raised into this circus. Here's what it comes down to Agent Gibbs : your agent's running amok, doing G-d knows what, with our training and our resources. And it's time to bring him in…so we can talk."
"Then find him yourself," Gibbs says with a shrug.
"I could have you arrested for obstruction of justice," Colvin growls, leaping out of her seat.
When she rushes towards him, Gibbs' blood begins to boil. Just as Colvin gets within striking distance, Shepard slides between the two of them.
"I think we all better calm down! Agent Gibbs, you need to take a minute." He steps towards the door while Colvin turns back to the table. "Veera, where's Agent DiNozzo been lately?"
Gibbs exhales loudly, meeting Fornell's gaze as he paces the length of the director's office. Every time he slams his foot against the plush carpet, he grinds his heel. He just needs to refocus to the task at hand.
The breathing exercises Mallard taught him don't work.
"DiNozzo hasn't been back to his FBI apartment for a few days," Colvin reports, twisting the case file in her hands. "We've been monitoring his cell activity since he left. If it's on, which it usually isn't…he's at the known Angel Caido hang-outs. We're trying to figure out a way to pick him up without blowing his cover and tipping off Carreras. That would destroy our case."
"Again," Gibbs sneers.
"Agent Gibbs, that's enough," Shepard snaps, glaring him down. "Veera, I assure you that all of my agents will work with you to our fullest capacity to aid in your...- " she pauses, carefully choosing her words, "- ...recovery of Agent DiNozzo."
"Thank you." Colvin smiles viciously, holding Gibbs' gaze. "Do you mind if a few agents stay behind to keep an eye on Agent Gibbs and his team?"
Shepard shakes her head. "Not at all, feel free to."
"I'll stay," Fornell offers.
"Excuse me?" Colvin asks.
"I'll stay with Agent Gibbs and his team. You'll want every available agent back at the office to run down leads, won't you Veera? I'll keep an eye on everyone here so you can focus your efforts on DiNozzo." Fornell's features tighten until Colvin nods.
"Agreed…Tobias, keep an eye on everyone, and thank you for your support, Jenny. I'll remember this…" Colvin says, heading towards the exit. She stops for a second to glare over her shoulder at Gibbs.
Then she's gone.
Without even looking at Shepard, Gibbs rushes out of the office. When he and Fornell reach the bullpen, Colvin waits with her minions, evaluating his team.
"Where's Agent McGee?" she asks, raising her eyebrows at one of her agents.
Completely dumbfounded, Kenji glances up from his legal pad at his spot behind Gibbs' desk.
"Didn't he just go for – "
"He's with Abby," Ziva says suddenly.
Gibbs can instantly tell she's lying, and something in his gut burns.
"Abby?" Colvin repeats.
"Their forensic specialist," Fornell explains, rapping a file against Gibbs' back. "I think you'd like her."
"Alright. Well then, I'll leave you to it, Tobias." Colvin grins at Gibbs. "Remember if anything goes awry, it's your job. Time for the rest of us to head back."
Gibbs angrily watches the group of FBI agents walk to the elevator, watching that they're actually leaving. Before the doors even close, he turns to find Kenji trying to slide out from behind his desk. The probationary agent's cheeks flush and he pulls his legal pad in front of his face. Pausing by the filing cabinets, he tries to blend into his surroundings. Gibbs walks over to the younger man, pushing the paper away. Kenji's terrified eyes meet his.
"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs, uh, uh, er, sir…I didn't touch your stuff."
When Gibbs clenches his teeth, his jaw cracks.
"Where's McGee?"
"He – he – he, he, um, er..." Kenji stutters into a nervous laugh. After an exasperated eye roll, Gibbs lands a smack on the back of the probationary agent's head and turns his attention to Ziva instead.
"He went to pick up lunch," she reports, checking her watch.
"Call him now. Tell him we'll meet at my house."
Nodding tensely, Ziva picks her phone off the cradle and quickly dials. When a soft jazz tune starts from Tim's desk, Kenji moves over to it, yanking open the top drawer to produce a cell phone. His lips pull in a tight line as he passes it to Gibbs.
The ringing stops when Gibbs hurls Tim's phone into the wall.