A/N: Thanks to all of you who read this story and left a review, especially to Ladyaloysius :). So here is the next chapter, have fun.

Chapter nine: Dinner

As Márisa heard the cracking sound just outside of her holding cell, she knew instantly what was about to happen - the memories of the execution of his latest victim she had had to witness still freshly on her mind. He had staged his body again, red ink on his forehead, a black tie around his neck, right hand broken. Staff Sergeant Johnston had never stood a chance. It made her sick.

Normally she would have thought he was a psychopath, simply mad, but he seemed to have a plan, some greater insight. Maybe that was what classified him as the classical text-book psychopath in the first place.

He didn't talk as he entered, his facial expression gave nothing away. He seemed even more like a maniac now than when he had worn his sick devilish grin when she had first met him. He passed her a USB stick and a piece of paper, presumably the address of the internet café from where she should send the e-mail to the dead Staff Sergeant's e-mail address.

She stood up, didn't quite know what to do until he pressed a third object in her free hand. Her head spun as she looked at the wrinkled photo.

Manolo. His face was blotchy, he looked like he had cried and he had bruises all over his arms, but he was alive. Her baby boy was alive.

"Let's keep him this way, shall we?" There was the devilish grin again.

Tears streamed down her face. If she cried out of happiness because her son was alive, or of fear or anger she wasn't sure about though.

The elevator doors opened at the bull pen and the gray-haired agent exited, a tray full of coffee cups clutched in his right hand. He gritted his teeth, unsure if he should be annoyed or laugh about the fact that his redheaded ex-partner stood, surrounded by his team, in front of the plasma screen and acted like the field agent she once had been.

"Playing agent again Jen?" He passed the tray to his team after having taken his own cup from it.

"Having a problem again Jethro?" He glared at her as she took his coffee and sipped at it before giving it back to him. "SecNav is breathing down my neck, Jethro. He wants this solved, better sooner than later. He has heard about Manolo Sanchez, his grand-children are about his age and he wants both, him and his mother, back safe and sound. On top of this he ordered me to attend this black tie function at Jefferson's hotel this evening." She looked downright disappointed at the end of her rant, having looked forward to spending the evening with him and maybe a bottle of Jack.

"I can come with you if you'd like me there." He offered having forgotten about his team whose mouths hung slightly open at that. Had their boss-man really just asked their lady boss whose temper they were beginning to fear out on a date? At Jefferson's hotel? And she hadn't shot him yet?

"Yeah, I'd like that." She answered, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

And had said lady boss really just agreed to take their fearless leader with her to a black tie function? That was clearly an attempt to commit political suicide.

*whack*

"What are you smirking about DiNozzo? Whip that grin from your face or I will have Ziva be in charge of the team to make sure that nobody goes home before we have a hint!"

"Got it boss. Going back to work now. Have a nice evening, boss, Madam Director."

"You know what Agent DiNozzo? I think today might just be Miss Sciuto's lucky day." Jen said in a dangerously low voice.

"And why is that ma'am?" DiNozzo gulped.

"I think she might witness her first keel hauling today." At that Tony's eyes widened in fear while Ziva and McGee broke out in hysterical laughter. Gibbs smirked as he put his arm around Jenny's waist and led her towards the elevator.

"Call me as soon as you got something" He shouted in his team's direction before the doors slit shut in front of him and Jenny.

It was ten forty-five now and they still didn't have a lead. Abby had come up to see them, she and McGee were checking if any of Simon Shawn's known associates were members of the terror cell while Ziva and Tony went over said terrorists to link them to any potential where abouts of Márisa Sanchez and her son. So far, they hadn't found anything and they were getting frustrated. Tony had an uneasy feeling in his gut and although his gut feelings weren't known to be as precise as those of their boss, he knew something was about to happen.

He came to the next name on the list, Gregory Lewis. He punched the letters on his keyboard and a new window opened upon the screen of his computer. Gregory Lewis was thirty-five years old and quite wealthy as he owned several real estates in the DC area. He had been dishonorably discharged from the Marines two years ago, since then he had been known for his irrational hatred against anything and everything that concerned the USMC only in the slightest.

Behind him Tony heard Abby and McGee speaking lowly to each other. The feeling of danger in the pit of his stomach spread slowly over his whole thinking. If only he knew what this was about.

The ballroom of Jefferson's hotel was filled by all the important people DC had to offer, wearing tuxes or beautiful evening gowns and amusing themselves by playing politics. Normally Gibbs would run as far away as he could possibly get from an event like this, even if it had been initiated in honor of a group of Marines who had been hold hostage in Iraq and recently been freed by a special unit trained to do exactly that.

The only reason there wasn't at least a distance of two miles in-between him and this room was standing next to him giving him elevator eyes. He grinned smugly. He certainly hoped this evening was about more than watching her politely talking to other agency heads and shaking the money tree for NCIS while stopping the wandering hands of most of the present politicians. Jennifer Shepard was surely the best-looking woman of all in this room so he hadn't been surprised that everybody had looked at them when they had entered the room. He looked back at her over the rim of his glass, remembering the beginning of the evening.

He met her at her house around eight o'clock because she had decided that they would let her chauffeur drive them to the hotel in her town car. She opened the door for him wearing an emerald-green evening gown that complimented her eyes and hugged her petite figure. The ivory skin of her shoulders was exposed to him as was her back, her hair was a curly mess that almost screamed at him to run his hands through it. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her, tenderly at first, but as the kiss became more demanding and passionate, he let his hands roam over her body, grazing her breasts and earning a faint moan from her. When they parted, both of them had to gasp for air as she ran a slender finger along his lips. She smiled lovingly, her eyes slightly darker than usual while she grazed his neck with her teeth until she nipped at his earlobe and whispered in a husky murmur in his ear "I certainly hope you will have the time to continue this later on." She trailed her hand dangerously low on his stomach and it took all he had in him not to take her there and then against the nearest wall.

"Jethro? You okay?" The woman in question looked at him over the rim of her glass. He took her free hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles, making a faint blush creep up her face. He smiled at her, not caring about the stares the "director and her mysterious date" were gaining, but lovingly stroking her hair.

"Let's get out of here." He said as his cell phone began to ring.

Meanwhile at NCIS

"Oh my god! We have a problem. A big problem like the world stopping to turn or something breaking the laws of gravity. Is that even possible? Gibbs would know if... Oh my god Gibbs! And the director!" A hysterical Abby jumped on her feet.

"Abbs, Abby, ABBY! Slow down!" McGee shouted, drawing the attention of his team members to him and the forensic scientist.

"I can't. You don't understand. How could I possibly be so stupid? They are going to die because of me..."

"Abby, what are you talking about?" DiNozzo looked away from his screen and at her.

"I forgot to check Johnston's e-mail account earlier today, so when I hacked into it a few minutes ago, I found the "usual" pictures of Staff Sergeant Johnston's staged body, but below the photo was a note saying "Take care Marines, the next event is mine!". Gibbs and the director are at a USMC function!"

"Okay, Abby, McGee, you check the surveillance videos of Jefferson's hotel, Ziva you call the agent in charge of the security for the function and I'll call Gibbs."

Gibbs picked up his phone while he observed the agents positioned along the walls slowly moving towards the doors. Suddenly the atmosphere changed, they were moving hurriedly now and shouting orders at the guests to stay put and let them handle the situation. As the main entrance to the room flew open, Gibbs automatically shielded Jenny's body with his'. The door slammed against the wall and a man wearing black from head to toe stormed in.

For several seconds a shocked silence ruled the room till hell broke loose as the intruder drew his weapon.

A/N: So that's it so far. I am not entirely sure yet how this will work out, but I have quite a few ideas. I hope you enjoyed reading.