"The SUV is as clean as I could see, Tim. No wires underneath."
"If he wanted me dead, I would be. This was to destroy me, the deaths of Jen, my mom and Sarah all at once, and on his birthday. He was too clever by half, had me running in circles." Tim and Tony were using their phones to see underneath the car, using the video camera feature to show the undercarriage of the SUV. "Mom, Sarah, can you hear me?" Ti head muffled sounds. "OK, one person only. One knock, yes, two knocks, no. Is there a bomb in the car?"
THUD THUD.
"Can we open the door, safely?" Tim was sure his mother and sister would not risk their lives on a chance.
THUD.
Tim wasted no time, throwing the door open, seeing his mom and sister, bound and gagged. He had not noticed the DoN agents pouring into the car park, along with his father. He and Tony grabbed Sarah, with Tony carrying her away, Tim did the same to his mother, taking her in his arms, the way she would have done to him when he was a baby. Tim moved quickly to his father, knowing to get away from the vehicle so it could be properly checked.
"Mom, did he hurt you, apart from this?" Tim asked, taking the cloth from around her mouth.
"No, Tim, he tried to terrify me, but I'm a lot stronger than he thought. Sarah?"
"I'm fine, Mom. Thank God he's dead, otherwise I'd be chopping things off him." Alice McGee wrapped her now free arms around her youngest child, her husband joining her, her son then completing the family.
"Anthony," Alice McGee said, "We know what happened between you and Timothy. While I can never forget what you have done, I will not forget this either. This family owes you a great debt."
"No, Mrs McGee, I spent years ruining Tims life, and kept finding ways to do so. This was just part of a debt I owe him." Tony knew he had done wrong, and he would find a way to repay him.
"Tony," Tim let go of his family, moving towards his former friend. Taking him in a hug, he said, "Lets start over. It will take time, but we can try to be friends."
Jen woke up to men all around her, all shouting, some seemed to be moving things. She felt sick and dizzy, and she thought she saw blood on her hands. The last thing she remembered was making a cup of coffee in the kitchen. This action saved her life. The kitchen unit which she fell behind due to the shock wave of the blast had shielded her from the shrapnel of the grenade, as well as the glass and rubble from the balcony. She was not out of danger, though. The whole apartment had been damaged in some way. The Kitchen, while protecting her, had been peppered with rubble and glass, causing things to be hit and fall. Some the pans that had been hanging up had fallen on her, along with some plates that had fallen out of the cupboards.
Her worst injury was from the knife that had been knocked off the worktop, which was now stuck in her back. Her agents were too worried to move her, knowing the slightest knock would make her injuries worse. They were applying pressure to the wounds, keeping the knife and the Director as still as possible.
"Where the hell is the ambulance?" Asked Neil Fox, knowing she needed to get to Bethesda.
"There were explosions across the city. One of the bombs took out first responders." Dan Accrington was worried about the blood loss, like all agents, he had basic first aid training.
"We have to get her to hospital," Neil said. "That, or get her a doctor."
"That kid from Autopsy, he's just qualified as a doctor. Get him on the phone, or here, whichever is quicker."
"On it," Dan got his phone out, dialing the direct number for the MCRT Bullpen, knowing Stan Burley would know where the kid was, not having the number for Autopsy, or for Jimmy Palmer.
"Hang on, Director. Just keep breathing," Neil Fox begged.
"Tim, Metro PD have found Abigail Scuito, she was in old warehouse in the Industrial District. They are sending her to the hospital."
"Have her transferred to Bethesda, city hospitals are going to be overflowing, right now. That's where my mom and Sarah will be going." Tim told Michelle Danson.
"Tim, I don't need a hospital," his mother began arguing.
"Well, you're going, you too, Sarah. No arguments, I mean it," William McGee had his family back and was taking no chances. "Tim, get your car checked out here, then have it taken back to NCIS. Agent Danson, please arrange transport for my family to Bethesda."
"I need to get back to work, Dad. I'm going to be needed there."
"Tim," Sarah started.
"Sarah, this man planted bombs in places I go to. I need to get other places checked out, make sure there are no more out there." Tim told her, knowing she understood.
"OK." Sarah knew he was right.
"I'll meet you at Bethesda in a bit, ok?" Tim told her, hugging her again.
"Agent Danson, I need a car. Gibbs, Tony, you need to come in as well. You need to be debriefed. Lets go." Tim grabbed a set of keys from Danson, moving quickly, which was becoming the norm for him.
"Agent Burley"
"Madam President." Stan looked at the President on the MTAC screen
"How many more bombs are you expecting?" Anna Elliott hated this place, wanting windows to let in some natural light.
"Agent McGee is providing as much information about places he has been over the last month. We are not too sure as of this time."
"We are sending you help. DEA, FBI, ATF."
"Ma'am, we need space to do our jobs, not more people. The help may prove to be a hindrance."
"These people know you are in charge, they will do as you say."
"Ma'am, with respect, these guys will ignore me in favour of their bosses." Stan knew these guys had their own way of doing things, and would overrule him if they thought he was wrong.
"Agent Burley, you have taken down two people. They led us all on a merry dance, we don't know how many more of them are out there."
"Agreed, Ma'am. But we need to form a game plan, what I need is operational support, preferably in SWAT teams or the JTTF." Stan knew his limits, and organizing a citywide lockdown and search was beyond him. "If you could send Deputy Director Vance back to us, that would be great." Stan felt out of his depth at this point.
"You need to take command there, we can't get anyone else to you right now."
"What do you need us to do?"
"Double and triple check everything. The city is in lockdown. Nothing in or out. Roadblocks are everywhere. They are here, find them, everything has to come through the Citadel."
"Understood, Ma'am." With that the screen went dark, the President of the United States entrusting the safety of the Capitol to him.
"Keep the pressure on the wound, make sure her airways stay clear. Keep her warm."
"Got it, Doc." Neil and Dan had been following Jimmy Palmers instructions for the last ten minutes.
"How are her eyes?" Jimmy was praying for the EMTs.
"She's barely conscious, pupils seem sluggish."
"Feel her legs. Are they cold?"
"Yes, is that bad?"
"Very, the blood isn't flowing to her legs properly, and what blood is, isn't hot enough. She properly has internal bleeding from the kidneys." Jimmy knew the chances of the DIrector surviving were dropping as the spoke. He heard what he wanted seconds later.
"Neil, EMTS on the way up, one minute away."
"Neil, keep me on the line. I need to brief them on what they need to do."
"Jimmy, when this is all over, I'm buying you a beer. You have been amazing for the last ten minutes."
"Once the Director is stable, you can buy me a keg."
"They're here, Doc," Neil kept his hands around the knife. "Doctor Palmer is on the phone, he's going to brief you. Doc, go ahead."
"The Director has hit her head, she's barely conscious, dizzy and nauseated. The knife has most probably damaged her kidney, and the impact from the explosion has damaged her spleen." Jimmy took a breath, looking down at the notes he had made. "She has been stationary for approximately fifteen minutes. You need to get a line in, 1 litre of saline, call Bethesda, the Director is Blood type A Negative. She's going to need at least three units. When you move her, her BP is going to drop like a rock. Be prepared, you may need to shock her. Understood?
"Got it, Doc." Said the lead EMT, securing her neck in a collar, his colleague attaching wires to monitor heart rate and pulse.
"Agent Fox will go with you, he will keep the knife steady. If the knife moves or is retracted, you can cause more damage."
"Understood, anything else?" the EMT asked, knowing the doctors instructions, given over a telephone without seeing his patients, had more than likely.
"Yeah, she had an femoral arterial rupture two years ago. No complications or concerns at the time."
"OK, we need to move, now. That lift better be there, every minute is precious at this time."
Five minutes later, the EMTS had her in the ambulance. That was when she crashed, for the first time.