Six weeks later

Hi, Tim,

We all miss you, Kei and Ric too, even if they don't say it. How's the new job? Worse than the old one? How many meetings do you have to sit through? LOL!

Just to let you know we are all ok, Ric and Maggie are still together, Kei is still flirting with pretty girls, and even went out on Friday as Xanders wingman. Trust me, Kei loves it when the men hit on him, said it makes him feel loved. Like he ever has a problem with that. The "Ladies Circle" still meet at least once a week, and, yes, we all miss your apartment for weekend drinks.

Talk soon,

Amanda

Tim had read the email several times now, having sent his response as soon as he had got the email. He was happy to know the team was doing fine, especially Xander. If Kei was his best friend and loved him like a brother, then Xander was the littlest brother, the one everyone looked out for. As much as he missed his team, he loved his new job, and seeing his parents at least once a week. He hadn't realised how much he missed them until he was seeing them every week again.

"Tim, I'm home," shouted Cassie, coming through the door.

"Hey," Tim got up from the sofa, "how are you?" Moving to take the bags from her hands, kissing her as he did so. "Did you get the steaks?"

"Yes, the man at the market said he had given you the leanest rib-steaks he had, along with the freshest tomatoes for grilling."

"Gotta love Luigi, he knows his food."

"He should for that price."

"Trust me, Cass, you have no problem with his food. Where do you think the lamb came from?" Tim asked, smiling.

Cassie thought back to that first weekend, she thought sometimes she could still smell the lamb in the apartment, along with the garlic and rosemary. The meat had been so tender and lean, no gristle in it, barely any fat on the edges. "OK, point made. I need a shower before we eat." With that, Cassie headed into the bedroom, where she would undress before getting in the power shower in the ensuite. Tim watched as she walked away, his love for the woman filling him with warmth.

BBBBBBBUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Tim recognized the message coming through on his work Blackberry. Grabbing it, he read the message.

Please report to S.R immediately.

"Damn, guess I'm not cooking," following Cassie into the bedroom, "Sorry, sweetheart, got to go. If you need me, call the White House." Those eight words meant "Contact me in an emergency, otherwise it will have to wait."

"No steak, then. Takeout it is." Cassie was not the best cook in the world, and after seeing what Tim could do in the kitchen, she felt even worse about her culinary skills. She could help peel and cut up the vegetables, or even toss the salad, but other than that, Tim was in charge of the food. "You want me to order you something?"

"No, I'll probably be there late, I'll pick something up on my way back." Tim was changing out of his sweats and t shirt, into one of his suits, forgoing the tie for now.

"Hey," Cassie calling him back, moving to kiss him. "Be safe, I love you." Her lips met his, always worrying about him when this happened.

"I will, I love you." She watched as Tim left, hating this fact. Tim always came home worried, having advised the President on a course of action, and worried about the men and women enacting his proposal. To Tim, these men and women had lives and family, for others they were numbers, nameless soldiers carrying out orders. Cassie moved to get in the shower, knowing she would try and stay awake until her man got home.

Tim moved through the White House, heading downstairs into the Situation Room. He had passed a group of people being shown around. more than likely staffers families or party contributors. At this time of night, most of the junior staff and nearly all the interns had left leaving only the senior staffers, their assistants and a handful of people manning the offices. Tim could walk through the corridors without meeting anybody. As he approached the doors to the Sit Room, he noticed the doors open, and very little sound reach them. This made him worried. Walking into the room, he believed he had reason to worry. "The Circle" was waiting for him.

"Sorry to get you in at this time of night, but we need to brief you on a development." Dance looked at his two cohorts, noticing the attention they were paying everything but himself and McGee.

"What kind of development?"

"A CIA prisoner has escaped Federal custody, and his whereabouts are unknown."

"OK."

"We have reason to suspect he will be coming to DC."

"Thanks for the heads-up, but why bring me here to tell me that?" Tim wondered what the hell was going on.

"The prisoner in question is Michael DeLa Tour." Tim felt his stomach drop to his feet, his pulse began to race.

"What?" Tim barked, feeling his anger rising. "When the bloody hell did this happen?" Dance looked at Lohman, letting him deliver the bad news.

"A month ago." Lohman wondered how the young man would take it, he wished he didn't have to find out.

"A month?" was the explosive response. "A man who had access to some of the most sensitive intelligence about organized crime around the world has been running around this country for a month? How did this happen?"

McCord answered, willing to shoulder his share of the blame. "He escaped with the help of an FBI agent, one who we now know is in the same kind of extra work as DeLa Tour. They escaped together, the agent reported in on schedule for the first three days. Yvette Rhodes and Jack Chapman had been sent to escort him from the CIA holding facility in Kansas to Washington for a further debriefing, when, at some point, Rhodes was killed."

"Murdered, Director, murdered. Killed is when you have no other choice." McGee was livid. in his report, he had warned them that DeLa Tour would have friends, that he would not be the only agent doing this sort of work, and that he should never be transported unless absolutely necessary. "Why were there only two agents assigned to transport him?"

"We believed that he no longer posed a threat like before. He was cuffed at the wrists and feet, with chains connecting them at the front and back. We didn't anticipate being betrayed." McCord and Lohman were both embarrassed by this, letting an NCIS captured traitor escape.

"Who has been informed of this? Please tell me the CTOC has been told?" Tim looked between the three men.

"We made the decision to keep this in house," Dance said. "Tim, think how this will look to the public." Tim was astonished this man would think about that first.

"Think about what it will look like when these two men start killing members of the public who get in their way." Tim was already thinking about security, not for himself, but everyone around him. "We need increased security at Mayport Naval Base, as well as on the members of the CTOC. Also, the Navy Yard, the Secretary, Director Shepard and my father. Better include Stan Burley as well."

"Why all those people, McGee? Do you know what will happen when the increased security gets noticed?" Lohman believed the man would get out of the country, if he hadn't already.

"The CTOC is where we were assigned when he was captured. He knows the base. The other four people all witnessed the capture. He told me he would destroy me, that he has friends I don't know about. As he escaped from your custody with help previously unknown, we know that part is true." Tim was needing to get home, he had to inform Cassie. "My God, what is wrong with you three? Have you told the President?"

"Yes, Tim, they informed me an hour ago. Trust me, there will be consequences to their actions." Anna Elliott walked into the room, having followed behind SSA McGee, her face showing nothing, inside she was very angry with three people and concerned about a fourth. "The security on the base is being increased, we've told them there has been some increased chatted about navy bases, we've done the same for all on the East Coast. Agent Burley has been informed about a threat to his life, and has agreed to personal security."

"Well, lets hope that none of these people have been watched for the last month," Tim said sarcastically.

"Tim, remember when you had that talk with me?" Anna Elliott, smirked at Tim, hoping he caught on. Seeing his nod, she continued. "Wanna say something similar now?"

"No, Ma'am, I'll be alright." The President was shocked, most people would have loved to have the Presidents permission to yell at the men in charge of the NSA, CIA and FBI. "I was always taught never to argue with idiots, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience," his eyes moving between the three men.

"Why, you little…" Started Lohman.

"Finish that sentence, and you can write your resignation, now." The President was not going to let these three have a go at a man whose life they had just upended. "Tim, thank you for coming in, if you need anything, have any concerns, call me, if I can't speak to you, ask for Russell, he'll know to take your call."

Anna Elliott was practically giving the man a direct line to herself, but she felt he needed it. She was not going to allow someone he had already caught ruin his life. Like the Director of NCIS she knew the man in front of her was going places. Apart from the reports she had read, the two meetings she had had with him over Atfall Min Itar and Adala told her everything she needed to know about the man.

"Thank you, Madam President." Tim threw the three men another look, before leaving. As the doors closed behind him, he heard the President start speaking.

"Anyone like to remind me why you three still have jobs?" As much as he wanted to listen, he need to get home to Cassie more.

Authors note: I am building McGees apartment, slowly. Please click the link below

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