"Tim, where are Shepard and Vance?" Tim was on the phone to the President.
"They are both in protective custody in undisclosed locations, Ma'am." Tim replied.
"I get that, Tim, but where?" This was where Tim risked losing his job.
"I cannot divulge their locations, Ma'am." Hearing the woman take a breath, Tim jumped in. "Right now, only myself, Ben Oswald and the DoN agents know their locations. In my mind, thats too many people already. I want to keep the circle as small as possible."
"Tim, there are not many people who can say to the President that I don't have high enough security clearance, but you are one of them. If you need anything from me or the NSC, let me know." Anna Elliott had been impressed by Timothy McGee over the last three months. She had three years left of her first term, if she won re-election, she had ideas where she wanted that man, but she guessed he was like his father, and would refuse promotions and transfers.
"Thank you, Ma'am." Tim heard the phone go down, and put his down as well. Tim looked out at the floor, watching his staff working harder and faster than they ever had. A terrorist threat was one thing, but a direct threat against Jennifer Shepard and Leon Vance was something else. Their bosses, their family, had been threatened and no one liked that. Tim watched as the section heads directed their staff, utilising their strengths, making sure everyone maintained their focus. Tim knew they would need a break soon, otherwise there would be burnout. Moving onto the main floor, Tim headed for Tabitha and Graham. They both spotted him, and moved to the edge of the floor, knowing Tim prefered to speak as quietly as possible.
"We need to start giving everyone breaks. I don't want anyone working for more than three hours straight. And when they take the break, they have to leave the floor and get something to eat." Tim took care of his staff, the way Stan and Bryn had tried taking care of himself, earlier that day. "Tell them to grab a drink and something to eat. I don't want to worry about low blood sugar. I'll get the Mess to bring up fruit and energy bars for everyone as well."
"Tim, no one is going to want to leave their desks," Graham said, "They want these guys caught."
"You think I don't?" Tim asked sarcastically, causing Graham to look away. "Sorry. But, if we have analysts who are low on energy and been sitting for six hours straight, we're going to be in even more trouble. We'll send them in groups, fifteen minute breaks every three hours, on a rolling schedule. Agreed?" When they were confronted with the logic, Tabitha and Graham both agreed. "I'll let the floor know, now." Tim jumped on the nearest desk and whistled. Everyone turned to look at him. "OK, you guys have been at this for more than two hours now. As well as getting these terrorists, we have to take care of you as well. Starting with the African section, and going in alphabetical order, you are taking a ten minute break, starting now."
The whole floor rumbled with discontent. Tim put a stop to that, straight away. Whistling again, "You are no good to me, Shepard, Vance or everyone else if you get cramp from sitting too long, or suffer from low blood sugar due to not eating. You will leave the floor, get yourselves something to eat and drink, come back refreshed. This will be done afterwards every three hours. Heads of Section, this means you too, it also includes me." Tim treated everyone the same. "Right, get to it." Tim jumped down, looking at Tabitha and Graham, "Make sure they leave, not just move away from their desks."
"Got it, Tim." Graham moved away, starting to make sure people left.
"How you doing?" Tabitha asked, knowing he was much closer than she was to both Shepard and Vance.
"I'm doing ok, not the first time I've dealt with death threats to my boss, but definitely the first time I've had to worry about two of them, as well as the city." Tim hoped he could just keep up morale, just the threat against their bosses had them down, God only knew what their deaths would be.
"Tim, you have a call." Georgia Poole was the Intelligence switchboard operator, controlling the flow of calls into the Floor.
"Take a message." Tim had no time for trivial phone calls.
"Tim, its Ben Oswald." Tim realised his cell was in his office on charge.
"My office," Tim said, power walking to his office. Reaching his desk, he saw the two missed calls from Ben Oswald. Grabbing the phone, he wasted no time. "Ben, everyone settled?"
"Yeah, but now we have another problem. Tim, I'm sorry, but the two DoN agents assigned to your mother are dead, they were killed assassination style. Your mother is missing, and we can't get hold of your sister." Ben had delivered news like this before, knowing its better to get it out rather than hold anything back. "Your father has been informed, and we've got hold of Cassie."
Five minutes earlier.
"Hello," said Cassie Yates, answering her cell phone, the caller ID showing unknown.
"Miss Yates, my name is Michael DeLa Tour. Perhaps Tim has mentioned me?" He gave her no chance to answer. "You will come to Tims apartment, parking on K and 27th Street. You will then walk to your lovely home. Should you tell anyone, or deviate from these instructions, your future mother-in-law and sister-in-law will be killed."
The call ended as quickly as it had started, Cassie holding her breath, not knowing what to do. She moved to Oliver Goldings desk, the probationary agent had started three weeks ago, she hoped his phone was new enough to have been compromised. She dialled the number for Ben Oswald from memory, the call ringing only once.
"Hello?" Ben Oswald was not used to receiving calls from numbers not in his cells memory.
"Ben, it's Cassie Yates. I've just had a phone call from Michael DeLa Tour. He claims to have Alice and Sarah McGee, and he wants me to go to K and 27th Street, before walking to my place."
"Do not move, Yates. Your apartment is being used as a temporary protective custody suite. Guess we know who is behind the threat to Shepard and Vance. Do not leave the Pentagon until DoN security arrive."
"Tim, they've been kidnapped by Michael DeLa Tour, and he wants Cassie to meet him at your place. That is no coincidence. Tim, he's after you." Ben listened for Tims response, not getting one. "Tim, you there?"
Tim was silent, planning his way to his home, thinking through everything he knew of the traitor, along with his murderous friend. They needed to change gears, and fast.
"Ben, keep Cassie where she is. Do not let her leave. Meet me in the bullpen, we need the MCRT as well as the SWAT teams." Tim was on the move again, heading out of his office, he yelled, "Ziva, Flick, with me, now!" Tim did not wait for them, knowing his time was limited. He spotted Stan Burley and Rick Hall when he walked onto the main floor, catching Stans eye. He moved towards the elevator, knowing he was being followed. Turning, he saw the four people gather around him. "We have a massive problem," Tim knew he was not far away from a complete breakdown. "Michael DeLa Tour has kidnapped my mom and sister, and tried to get Cassie to meet him at my place. Don't think its a coincidence that these four women would be gathered in one place. When I captured him over three years ago, he threatened to destroy me. Killing these women would do that."
"Tim, what do you need us to do?" Stan knew, when it came to family, protocol and the rules went out the window.
"I know DeLa Tour, but even he couldn't have done all this on his own. We need to know everything about Jack Chapman, the FBI traitor who helped him escape."
"I pulled his file at the request of the Director months ago. We were told he was an FBI agent gone rogue. Let me pull it up." Rick Hall moved to his desk, tapping at the keyboard, bringing up his file. Tim and Ziva both moved forward, looking at the profile picture.
"Tim, do you recognize this man?" Ziva asked, knowing she did, but not how.
"Yeah, he reminds me of someone, but not quite. It's like I've seen his brother or his dad, maybe." Ziva gasped, moving to the computer. She began typing, looking through the file.
"Tim, he was brought up in France, his father is listed as Rene Benoit."
"Damn! It's a two pronged attack! APB out on these two men! Consider them armed and extremely dangerous!" Tim yelled to the other members of Rick Halls team.
"Do it!" Rick confirmed.
"Tim, Ziva, what's going on?" Stan was confused.
"Jack Chapman is the son of Rene Benoit, also known as Le Grenouille, the Frog, an international arms dealer."
"Yeah, Jen was suspected of killing him a couple of years ago."
"Well, my guess is Jack Chapman is going to kill her, innocent or not. We have to stop both of them, and save everyone. Right now, Jen is on the tenth floor, basically trapped. They start a fire in the building, she could be dead by the time the fire crews get to her. We need to stop them."
"Tim, these guys are expecting you, they seem to know you, what makes you think we can take them out?" Stan asked, wondering what Tim had planned.
"Because DeLa Tour thinks he knows me, well, there is someone I know he doesn't." With that, Tim made a call, a number he thought he would never need.