Impasse
Chapter 3
Already back at his desk, McGee had spent the last five minutes glancing surreptitiously at the closed elevator doors and avoiding Bishop's questions concerning Tony's whereabouts. Rarely had he seen DiNozzo so rattled. He knew, better than anyone, how close the ex-cop and the former Marine were and how Gibbs' abduction was tearing Tony up inside. But if they were to stand any chance of finding their team leader before the deadline, they needed Tony focused and on his game.
He launched to his feet at the ding of the elevator and watched as Tony walked confidently into the bullpen, all visible signs of his previous anxiety were gone. Raising his eyebrows in silent query, he was relieved when Tony nodded his reassurance.
"Abby's just arrived," McGee told him. "She's started processing the evidence from the crime scene."
Glancing casually around the operations room, Tony ensured no one was within earshot before turning to address his partners.
"You identified our John Doe?"
Reaching for the plasma screen remote, Bishop flinched when Tony placed his hand on her arm and shook his head.
"Until we know whether we have a leak, this is for our eyes only," he said.
Signalling for McGee to move closer, both men leaned in as Bishop displayed the photo of the dead man on her computer monitor.
"Joseph Pangetti, aged thirty-six," she replied quietly. "He spent three years with the US Army in Afghanistan as an explosive ordnance disposal technician."
"Looks like we found our bomb maker," McGee remarked before continuing the report. "He served with distinction and reached the rank of full lieutenant but had to be shipped Stateside when an incident left him suffering from severe PTSD."
"What happened?" Tony asked.
Ellie winced sympathetically.
"A coalition operation went horribly wrong and resulted in the death of four US soldiers and thirteen Kuwaiti civilians," she said. "The Army cleared Pangetti of any negligence but he never got over it. According to his file, when he returned home he couldn't hold a job and developed an addiction to heroin."
"Explosives and heroin," McGee added. "The guy had a death wish."
"He have a record?" Tony asked.
McGee nodded and turned to a printout of Pangetti's criminal record.
"Four years ago, he was charged with assault and possession of illegal narcotics," he replied. "Due to his excellent military record, his attorney had the sentence cut from five years to two. He completed rehab in prison and according to his parole officer, he's stayed clean ever since."
"He just got real dirty," Tony remarked.
DiNozzo's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Pangetti's photo and cast his mind back to the eight weeks he spent undercover with the Mahoneys. He was as sure as he could be that there was never any mention of Pangetti's name or, for that matter, any mention of explosives. Had he missed something? He cursed under his breath as his frustration level rose yet another notch. The heavy silence grew and McGee and Bishop exchanged a concerned look.
"Tony?" McGee nudged tentatively. "You okay?"
Shoving his frustration aside, the acting lead agent waved away their concern with a weak smile and addressed Bishop.
"Run a background on the owners of the warehouse. See if there's any connection to Pangetti or the Mahoneys? Then review James Mahoney's profile. We know he was born and raised in Baltimore but see if he has any relatives or known associates here. I wanna know anywhere you think he may have taken Gibbs...a friend's cabin, uncle's boat shed…any place he'd feel safe enough to hole up."
"Got it," Bishop nodded emphatically, the cogs already turning in her astute mind.
Taking the thick file from her filing cabinet and several candy bars from her drawer, she moved to the vacant area between her and Gibbs' desks and sat crossed-legged on the floor to work.
"Not here," Tony said.
Bishop looked up in confusion.
"I'm sorry?"
"We'll work from Abby's lab, it's more private," he told her. "Besides, Abby'll be upset about Gibbs. I want someone with her."
Bishop climbed to her feet.
"Are you sure I'm the right one to do that?" she asked.
"You got a problem taking instructions, Probie?" Tony replied irritably.
"No, no problem…" she hesitated before adding, "it's just, well, you said it yourself, Abby's probably very upset and, well, you both know her better than I do. I'm just wondering whether I'm the best person to offer her support."
"You'll be fine," Tony said, softening his tone.
"Like Tony said, just stay with her in case, you know, she needs you," McGee added.
"And stay out of her way if she doesn't," Tony warned.
"Don't touch any of her equipment," the IT Specialist advised.
"Or press any buttons," the senior field agent said.
Bishop's head turned comically from one to the other like she was watching an invisible metronome.
"Don't move anything in her work area," McGee offered.
"And don't turn her music off...even if your ears bleed."
"If you make a mess, you clean it up."
"Hands off the farting hippo," Tony cautioned.
"And whatever you do…don't drink the Caf-pow," McGee said, "you'll be bouncing off the walls for a week."
Seeing the reticence on the young woman's face, McGee added, "I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Unless you do any of the above, in which case…you're toast," Tony remarked. "Now go."
Frowning, Bishop hugged the file to her chest and walked slowly from the bullpen like she was headed to the gallows.
"I'll…I'll be in the lab if you need me," she said, over her shoulder.
Tony and McGee waited for her to leave before exchanging a satisfied grin.
"So, McTease, it seems you have a natural flair for probie-hazing," Tony observed.
"I had a good teacher."
"You learned well, grasshopper," he said as the grin disappeared from his face and he was back to business. "Check the laptop we found at Gibbs' house. One thing I know for certain is that, when it comes to computers, James Mahoney is no McGeek."
"You think Mahoney is working with someone?"
"Until we know for sure that he's not, nothing is off the table," Tony replied. "Call my cell if you get something."
Turning on his heel, Tony strode quickly toward the elevator and McGee fell into line on his heels.
"Wait, where are you going?" McGee asked.
"I'll be back."
Reaching out, the younger man grabbed Tony by the arm and halted his progress.
"I haven't got time for this, Tim," the acting lead agent snapped. "neither does Gibbs."
"Whatever you're planning, I'm in…but you gotta talk to me, Tony…trust me!"
McGee watched as Tony's expression closed-down. He swallowed the curse of frustration and looked the older man directly in the eyes.
"Come on, man, talk to me...don't shut me out."
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Several hours later, Ducky was reviewing his latest autopsy report when the sound of a quiet knock on his office door caught his attention.
"Eleanor!" he greeted cordially, "What a delightful surprise! To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
The ME frowned when Ellie remained standing in his doorway, shifting her weight anxiously from foot to foot.
"Eleanor?"
"Um, Ducky," she began tentatively. "Would you have a few moments to talk?"
"Of course, my dear. Please, come in."
Always the gentleman, Ducky rounded the desk and held the back of the visitor's chair until the young woman was seated.
"Would you join me in a cup of freshly brewed tea?" he asked.
"No thank you, Ducky. I really need to get back to Abby," she replied, nervously checking her watch. "I'm supposed to be on a Caf-Pow run."
"Ah...I understand," he chuckled. "Tell me, how can I be of assistance?"
Bishop hesitated. From the moment she had seen video footage of Gibbs, badly beaten and with a collar bomb secured around his neck, a question had been simmering in the back of her mind. She had refrained from asking her teammates in case she caused them further distress but as the deadline drew closer, she needed an answer. She looked into the elderly man's kind blue eyes, took a deep breath and gave voice to her concern.
"Ducky, I don't understand why Mahoney chose a bomb. I mean...why would he go to that trouble?" she asked. "We know he has a gun, if he wanted to threaten or even kill Gibbs, why not just use the gun?"
The ME studied Ellie's young face; her large hazel eyes were clouded with confusion. Ellie Bishop had been an NSA Analyst and was intelligent and astute but Ducky knew there was a world of difference between hypothesizing over the possible actions of criminals and terrorists and witnessing, first hand, the wanton brutality inflicted on someone you know. Removing his glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Prior to Anthony's undercover assignment, Jethro asked me to perform a psychological profile on the Mahoneys. It is my belief that they are driven by a deep-seeded desire for revenge. Their sole intent is to inflict as much trauma and suffering as possible," he continued with a barely controlled calmness. " Although it is Jethro who is currently in physical danger, it is Anthony who is the focus of this heinous act."
"Tony infiltrated their drug consortium and obtained the evidence against them," Ellie stated. "So why not just go after Tony?"
"Because, as you will discover, Eleanor, Anthony and Jethro have a very strong bond; a closeness that goes well beyond that of team leader and subordinate. That young man would lay down his own life rather than see any harm come to Jethro. If the worse was to happen, the overwhelming guilt and self-condemnation Anthony would feel, would slowly destroy him."
Ellie nodded her head in understanding and met the doctor's gaze.
"Ducky? Do you think they're bluffing? I mean, would James Mahoney really kill Gibbs to hurt Tony?"
The ME could no longer withhold the bitterness from his voice.
"In a veritable heartbeat, my dear."
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Attorney at law, Victor Ambrose was seated in an NCIS interview room with his briefcase open on the table beside him. Greying at the temples, he fussed with a torn cuticle and glanced impatiently at the closed door waiting for his client, Sean Mahoney, to be escorted from the holding cells.
When the door finally opened, Mahoney was led inside and took a seat directly opposite. His prominent chin was covered in stubble and his hair and clothes were disheveled but, given his circumstances, he looked none the worse for his time in custody. He waited for the agent to leave the room before leaning slightly forward and speaking in a hushed voice.
"Well?"
"The Secretary of the Navy won't authorize a prisoner exchange," Marshall replied, as Mahoney cursed under his breath. "We knew it was a long shot. Some policies are not negotiable...even when they involve long-serving federal agents and Silver Star recipients."
Mahoney leaned back, combing his large fingers anxiously through his hair. His eyes narrowed in suspicion when he recognized the look on his attorney's face.
"Why are you so calm?" he hissed. "I'm facing life in a federal penitentiary!"
A conceited-smile formed on the other man's well-tanned face.
"Maybe not...let's just say there's been a surprising development," Ambrose replied vaguely. "I'll give you the details later. I'm on my way to a meeting with the JAG prosecutor. All being well, I should have you out of here in a few hours."
"And the murder charge?"
"Will be a thing of the past; just like DiNozzo's career in law enforcement."
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At a workstation in the forensics lab, McGee examined the information scrolling onto the computer monitor; occasionally glancing up as Abby's frantic pacing threatened to wear a path into the floor.
"This is so not right," she said for the hundredth time. "Gibbs has risked his life for this agency and for this country, like, a gazillion times and this is how they repay him?"
Sitting on the floor, a safe distance from Abby's platform boots, Bishop cleared her throat quietly.
"Um, Abby? I understand you're upset, but-"
"Upset? Of course I'm upset! This is Gibbs! He's, like, the best agent NCIS has ever had!"she said, stopping to take a huge gulp of Caf-Pow. "I'm just saying that if positions were reversed and the director had been kidnapped, Gibbs would stop at nothing to find him and bring him home."
"It's not the director's fault, Abs," McGee replied. "If US government agencies bowed to the demands of terrorists and kidnappers, they'd open a can of worms that could never be closed again."
Abby pouted, knowing the truth of McGee's words.
"Then where's Tony?" she asked irritably. "Why isn't he down here asking me what I've got and being all...all...Gibbs-like?"
"I told you, Abs," McGee replied, not meeting her eyes. "The director needed Tony's arrest report right away."
Bishop climbed to her feet and stood by Abby's side.
"He should have finished his report by now," she replied. "It's been nearly three hours."
McGee squirmed slightly under the scrutiny of the two women before turning his attention back to his computer screen.
"Well...er...maybe he went to see Ducky first," he stammered.
The women exchanged another suspicious glance.
"I just spoke to Ducky," Bishop said. "Tony wasn't with him."
"Did I say Ducky?" he replied, still typing furiously on his laptop. "Well...of course I meant...I meant..."
He threw out a hand quickly to keep from toppling over as Abby and Bishop spun his chair around to face them.
"Okay, Timmy, spill," Abby instructed.
"Wh-what?" he faltered.
"You're hiding something and we want to know what it is," Abby continued persistently.
"It's nothing...I mean, I'm not!" he laughed nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about?"
"He's lying," Abby told Bishop.
"Really?" she asked. "How do you know?"
"His ears go red whenever he lies. Never fails."
"Good to know," Ellie said, storing the information away for later use.
"That's not true," McGee objected.
"Look for yourself," Abby replied, shoving a mirror into his hand. "If those ears get any redder, they'll burst into flames. Now, out with it...where is Tony?"
"Right here," Tony said as he walked through the door behind them.
"Tony!" Abby exclaimed. Hurrying to his side, she wrapped the agent in a hug and frowned when she felt the bulge of his Sig Sauer under his jacket. "Is something wrong? I mean, I know there's something wrong but, like, something else? You haven't secured your side arm?"
"I didn't stop at my desk," Tony replied vaguely before changing the subject. "The clock's ticking people," he said. "McGee! Stop looking at your ears and give me something."
"I wasn't looking at my..." sighing resignedly at the mirror in his hand, McGee placed it back on the workbench and cleared his throat. "The laptop we found at the boss' home is brand new. Apart from the factory settings, Skype is the only app loaded. He created two Skype accounts...the one he used is called Irish Son and the one he assigned to you is called...er...Sewer Rat."
"Been called worse," Tony shrugged nonchalantly. "Any prints?"
"None, other than Mahoney's, and nothing in the browser history or in the hard drive that's of any use to us. I'm tracking the serial number to see where it was purchased. It's not likely that Mahoney drove across town to buy it so my guess is that he's working with someone or he got it from somewhere close to the warehouse or to where he's holed up. It's not much but it might narrow down his location."
"Stay on it," Tony said. "Also, check the cell and email records of Victor Ambrose from the time Gibbs was taken. See if he's had any contact from James Mahoney."
"You think the Mahoney's attorney played a part in Gibbs' abduction?"
"I know that James doesn't have the smarts to put something like this together by himself. Until we know who's calling the shots, everyone's a suspect."
Tony took a quick glance at his watch and silently cursed the minute hand as it casually counted down the hours to the deadline. Taking a cleansing breath, he continued.
"Bishop, what have ya got?"
"I found a connection between Pangetti and the warehouse," Ellie replied. "The warehouse belongs to a fireworks manufacturer and Pangetti worked there as their chief of pyrotechnics. The company is in the process of relocating from Hyattsville to Bowie and has cleared out most of their stock and equipment. When I informed the owner that Pangetti was a POI in our investigation, he was completely shocked. He said Pangetti's been a model employee."
"That totally fits with what I've got," Abby stated. "That is...the pyrotechnics part not the...model employee...part."
"Abs?"
Abby activated the plasma.
"Ellie gave me a sketch of the size and design of the collar bomb. From that and the gazillion bomb fragments collected from the warehouse, I was able to determine that the bomb itself is very DIY by design and construction but obviously very effective."
"That's good right?" Ellie asked. "DIY would be less intricate, easier to disarm."
"Also less stable," Tony added.
"Oh...I...er...didn't think of that."
"It appears to have a simple hinged collar attached to a metal box, containing cylinders filled with nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose and a small amount of explosive nitromine," Abby continued.
"That's double-base gun powder and C-4, right?" Ellie asked.
"I'm impressed," Abby smiled at the probationary agent.
"As a pyrotechnics expert, Pangetti would have access to the powder but where'd he get the C-4?" McGee wondered aloud.
"Abs, can you trace the C-4?" Tony asked.
"I can if the surviving particles from the explosive contain identification taggants. I'm testing for that now. Oh, and I also found fragments of a RCIED. It would normally be used to trigger a fireworks display but in this case, it was used to trigger the collar bomb."
"RCIED?" Bishop asked.
"Radio-controlled improvised explosive device," Tony replied. "The trigger is controlled by radio link or remote. McGee, any chance you can you block the signal?"
"Not without knowing exactly what I'm dealing with," McGee replied. "These things are really sensitive. If I scan for the frequency I could accidentally set it off myself. I'll contact the company and ask what radio frequencies they use. If we identify the frequency I can try to block it but I'd have to be within close proximity of the device."
"How close?"
"Depends...could be five yards could be fifty."
"No!" Abby exclaimed. "You can't go any closer than ten yards! The crime scene photos of the shrapnel indicate that these bombs have a blast radius of ten yards. Anyone closer than that will get caught in the blast and possibly killed."
She frowned irritably at the ringing phone on her desk and nodded her thanks as McGee answered it.
"Abs, you got anything on the bullet that killed Pangetti?" Tony asked. "Abs?"
"What? Oh, right. The bullet was definitely fired from the gun used to kill your CI, Billy Simmons," she said, noticing Tony wince at the still-painful mention of the name. "It was totally mangled. My guess is that Pangetti was shot at close range."
"As usual, your guess is entirely correct, Abigail," Ducky said as he entered the lab and joined the group in front of the plasma. Turning to the forensic specialist, he gestured toward the remote. "If you would be so kind, my dear?"
Abby clicked ahead to the photos of Pangetti's autopsy.
"The autopsy has confirmed that Mr Pangetti was indeed killed by a bullet fired point blank to the back of his head," the ME stated. "It traveled through the medulla, or brain stem, before shattering his mandible and exiting through the young man's cheek. Death would have been almost instantaneous."
"Mahoney killed his partner so he wouldn't talk," Bishop stated.
"Killed him...most likely, but were they partners?" Ducky asked. "I don't think so, Eleanor...at least, Mr Pangetti was not a willing partner."
Several more clicks of the remote showed bruising and contusions to the man's face and a mass of deep bruising on his back.
"He was beaten?" Ellie asked.
"Unfortunately, yes, my dear. When Mr Palmer and I cleaned off the blood from his face and body, we found evidence that this man had undergone a dreadful beating before his death."
"We're missing something," Tony said. "The Mahoneys ran a drug operation. How did they even cross paths with Pangetti? There has to be a connection."
"Not that we've been able to find," Ellie added. "The background check on both men showed no known connection between Pangetti and Mahoney or the warehouse owner and Mahoney."
Unconvinced, Tony shook his head.
"James Mahoney didn't just happen upon an explosives expert who could whip him up a couple of bombs. Something or someone brought them together," Tony told them.
"Which brings us back to the assumption that Mahoney's working with someone," Bishop said.
Grim-faced, McGee hung up the phone and made his way back to the group.
"McGee," Abby whispered. "Is it Gibbs?"
"It was the director," McGee replied. "He wants to see us right away."
"He say why?" Tony asked as McGee shook his head.
"His exact words were 'I want you and DiNozzo in my office, NOW.'"
"What about me?" Bishop asked.
"Sorry, just Tony and me."
"Oh," Bishop replied, disappointed at the sudden exclusion. "I guess I'll...I'll just stay here then."
"Keep working on those leads," Tony told them. "Deadline's in seventeen hours."
"Tony?" Abby said, chewing anxiously on her lower lip.
He drew her into a hug and she turned her head into the junction of his shoulder and neck.
"We've gotta get him back, Tony. We have to."
Unable to find the words to comfort her, Tony kissed her temple before he and McGee quickly left the lab.
Ducky turned his gaze from the doorway to the concerned faces of the two women.
"Summoned to the Director's office at a crucial time in the investigation," Ducky said. "I don't like the sound of that at all."
"Ducky," Abby replied chewing her lower lip. "I've got a really, really bad feeling about this."
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