Chapter 6
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of NCIS.
All Gibbs heard was "Jethro, Gunman, I need your help." He did not hear her voice again but could hear the chaos in the restaurant. People were yelling, screaming for help, and crying. Then he heard the sounds of police cars and ambulances. Gibbs looked at McGee. "Trace this call McGee. We've got a marine in trouble" Gibbs barked at him.
Tim McGee looked up from his computer at his boss. He saw a look in Gibbs's eyes that he did not recall seeing anytime in the many years he had worked on Gibbs' team. Fear. "On it Boss."
While McGee was tracing the call Gibbs paced up and down in front of the plasma hoping that Samantha would say something else. He kept listening hoping for a sound from her. Both Tony and Ziva were looking at their boss with confused looks. Gibbs' face looked like he had seen a ghost and his eyes seemed a little watery. "I can't wait any longer McGee. This line is still open and it does not sound anything good is going on there. DiNozzo, Ziva grab your gear we are heading out." Gibbs barked impatiently.
"Where Boss?" Tony inquired looking at his boss with questioning eyes. Gibbs was acting very very unGibbs like.
Gibbs just stared at him. "We can be ready to move out as soon and McGee gets us an address. A Marine is in trouble right now. Let's move!" Gibbs headed for the elevator. Ziva and Tony looked at each other with questioning looks like has the Boss lost his marbles. "Are you two coming or are you waiting for an engraved invitation?"
"On your six boss." Tony answered. Both Ziva and Tony grabbed their gear and followed Gibbs into the elevator.
"McGee, I am keeping this line open call Tony with the address. Ziva is driving." Gibbs barked from the elevator. Tony rolled his eyes and looked up to heaven. He needed to say a prayer. Gibbs is loosing it and Ziva is driving. "I need all the help I can get" he thought.
Once in the elevator, all three agents were silent. Gibbs was still holding his phone to his ear hoping to hear something from Samantha on the other end. Despite the chaos in the restaurant he thought he could hear her breathing or was it just wishful thinking. Tony and Ziva did not want to ask what was up but both of their minds were racing with thoughts about what their boss was doing and what was causing this strange behavior.
For Gibbs the elevator ride seemed like an eternity. Finally the doors opened to the parking garage and the three filed out heading for the black charger in their parking spot. "I mean it you drive" Gibbs barked tossing her the keys. He got into the passenger side and that left Tony to get in the back. Just as they closed the doors Tony got a text of the address where they were headed. Without saying a word Tony showed it to Ziva. She nodded and started the car. "We are fifteen minutes away Gibbs. Bet I can make it in ten." She told him as she steered the car out of the parking garage. Tony rolled his eyes and said a short prayer. Gibbs however was still glued to that phone. Just then he heard someone speaking. "Here is another body. This one is marine better call NCIS because she is dead." Then he heard another voice that said "Steven get over here. Bring the kit. This one is alive." Then the line went dead. It sounded like the paramedics had just hung up the phone.
The car was racing down the street. Tony was wearing his seatbelt and holding on for dear life. Then he closed his eyes so he would not see the near misses that Ziva had during her driving. "Scaring you Tony," she joked. " I will get you there alive I promise."
"That is what I am hoping for Zee-va."
Gibbs looked at them with an evil stare this time. He could not take their banter at this moment. When the phone line went dead his mind started racing with memories of him standing in her commanding officer's tent as he handed him that awful telegram telling him that Shannon and Kelly were dead. Then his mind shifted to their graves and the pain he felt being without them. After that he remembered himself with a sniper rifle getting his revenge. Finally, he could hear DiNozzo's voice on the telephone telling him that Jenny was murdered. Then talking to Mike Franks and knowing she died protecting him. "I just can't take this again. What if she is the one that is dead? I refuse to accept she is dead. She just can't be" he thought. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not notice that they had pulled up to the crime scene. DiNozzo was on the phone talking to Metro police telling him they had a dead Marine. "We are at the scene now Captain," Tony was saying.
Ambulances and police cars surrounded the small restaurant and bar. Lights were flashing and paramedics were treating restaurant patrons with small cuts and bruises on the street. The more serious cases were being put into ambulances and taken to the nearest trauma center. Ziva parked the car and the team got out except for Gibbs who was still totally wrapped up in his thoughts. "Gibbs" Ziva quietly whispered putting her hand on his. "We are here Gibbs. What do you want us to do?"
Almost out of reflex he got out of the car and then started barking orders. "Ziva, call McGee and Ducky. We will need them here asap. Tony finds out where the body is and gets started on collecting evidence. McGee will be here soon." He walked up to the captain. "What do you have for me Captain?"
"We have 15 injured with 3 cases headed for the hospital. We have one dead Marine. She is the middle of the restaurant" Gibbs' heart sank. "Could it be her?" he thought. His brain was not working very well at this point because of a panic feeling he was not used to. Just then a gurney was brought out over the broken glass of the entrance. Gibbs glanced at the patient and despite all the blood that was matted in her hair and the pressure bandage on her shoulder it was Samantha. Her blue eyes were looking straight at him. She managed a small grin. Gibbs ignored the Captain who was still giving his report and stopped the gurney. "Are you ok?" he whispered grabbing her good hand and bringing it softly to his lips.
"I think so Jethro. My head is pounding and I was shot in the arm." She looked up at the paramedics pushing the gurney with a questioning look. "I think
I 'll live?"
Gibbs looked at the paramedic who nodded yes. "Thank goodness," he sighed relieved. "Your eyes look like you are in pain."
"No, they gave me something and now I am a little woozy."
"I am going with you to the hospital." Gibbs knew he had a job to do but he did not want her alone. "I am not leaving you alone." He bent down and whispered into her ear. "You really had me scared to death. I just knew the body we were here for was yours. They told me they had a dead Marine."
She smiled up at him. "Jethro, I am not in uniform. Things are such a wreck in there how would they know I was a Marine?" she smirked. "The gunman shot Olivia. I saw it. Three shots in the back." Gibbs saw tears in her eyes. He bent down and kissed some of them away.
"First you were there on the line and then you weren't. What happened? Did you pass out"
"Must have. When I dove for cover I hit my head on a table leg. I guess I lost consciousness for a few minutes. By the time I woke up the paramedics had me and I could not find my phone. Could your team look for it?"
"We'll try. I am still going with you."
The paramedic looked at him surprised that he would leave a crime scene. "She will be fine. We need to get her to the hospital. She has lost a lot of blood."
"Let's move." Gibbs answered. He began following the gurney still holding Samantha's hand.
"Gibbs, please stay here and find out who shot Olivia? I will be ok I promise." Samantha looked at him with pleading eyes. "After all I am a marine"
It was against his better judgment and his heart but he agreed. He could not resist her need to find the killer of her friend. He handed the paramedic his card. "Give this to her doctor. She is a witness in this case. Have them call me if she needs anything. Also, keep me apprised of her condition," Gibbs ordered.
"Of course Special Agent Gibbs," the paramedic assured him putting the card in his pocket.
Gibbs did not care who saw him. He bent down and gave her a kiss on her lips letting her know he really wanted to be with her. "Wow, I guess I need to get shot more often," she whispered. "Gibbs you need to find Olivia's phone too. She has gotten several threatening text messages. When you get to the hospital, I have several other bits of information to tell you about this."
"I'm sure you do. Don't worry I will be there as quick as we assess this scene." Gibbs watched as they put her in the ambulance. Hearing that Olivia had told her what was going on he knew she could be in danger at the hospital. Gibbs grabbed his phone and ordered an agent for witness protection. Ducky and Jimmy Palmer had just gotten to the crime scene seeing Gibbs give the woman on the gurney a kiss. Jimmy knew better than to question Dr. Mallard about anything Special Agent Gibbs did. But Ducky's curiosity was engaged and he wanted to know more about the woman on the gurney but he had a body to attend too.
McGee got there a couple of minutes after Ducky and came up to the body with his trusty finger print scanner. He confirmed that the body was Staff Sergeant Olivia Stone stationed in North Fork. Ducky observed the body and pronounced that they could move it and get it to autopsy.
All three team members went to work assessing the crime scene looking for clues into the shooting. Ducky found Olivia's phone in her pocket. Gibbs handed it to McGee. " This has some text messages you need to search and find out where they came from." Gibbs told him.
Many witnesses mentioned the two masked gunman and the SUV but not much of a license number. Gibbs was looking around the room. He spotted Samantha's phone on the floor. Only she would have a Dallas Cowboy case on her IPhone . Evidence was bagged and tagged. Pictures were taken and loaded into the van. Metro PD roped off the scene and tended to the civilian wounded. Soon the team was headed back to the office to begin hunted for the killers and the reason the United States had lost another Marine.