Charity hung up the phone and looked up at the stranger with the gun. "Now what?" She asked, glaring at him.
"So much fire." He told her. "Such a strong will. Still a scared little girl."
"I'm no little girl." Charity told him. "I haven't been a girl for a long time."
The ding of the elevator sounded and then the sound of movement outside the door. The stranger acted quickly, grabbing Charity and holding her, her back to him and the gun to her head. Charity watched through the windows of the doors as her team and the director looked inside.
"Boss." Burley said, looking surprised to see her in the position she was in.
"Don't say a word unless I tell you to." The stranger whispered in her ear. Then he looked over at Ducky. "Doctor, you may leave. I still have a few things to say to Miss Gibbs."
Ducky looked at Charity. "Don't worry, Duck. I'll be fine." She told him.
Ducky then walked out of the room. When he was in the hall, the others looked at him. "Are you alright, Dr. Mallard?" Director Shepard asked.
"I'm fine." Ducky answered.
"What's going on in there?" Burley asked.
"I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps we should move away from the door." Ducky said.
The group moved aside and made sure that they were well away from the door. "What happened, Doctor?" Director Shepard asked.
"He came here in a body bag." Ducky began. "He demanded that I call Charity down here. Then when she got down here, he just began talking with her. He hasn't said his name or what he really wants."
"Did he mention anything that could be helpful?" Burley asked.
"He told Charity that he thinks she's a scared little girl, who misses her father." Ducky answered.
Charity...
"I expected more defiance from you." The stranger said in Charity's ear.
"If you put down that gun, I could show you defiance." Charity replied.
He chuckled. "No woman has ever beat me and no woman ever could."
Charity noticed that she was close to a tray of sharpened medical instruments. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and then she acted. She was able to disarm him, knocking the gun from his hand and causing it to land across the room.
He started for it and Charity delivered a swift kick to his gut, knocking him down. She quickly grabbed a knife and held it to his throat. He looked into her eyes. "A knife. A very personal kill." He told her. "Of course you won't want to kill me, not if you want to know where your father is."
Charity's heart leaped out of her chest, but she kept her face perfectly composed. "How do I know you know where he is?" She asked.
"Look in my left pants pocket." He answered. "There's something there for you."
Charity held the knife to his throat and kept her eyes on him as she reached into his pocket. She found a folded up envelope. "What's in it?" She asked.
"A lock of hair." The man answered. Then before Charity realized what was happening, he reached up and gave her a hard hit to the head. Charity fell back, knocked out cold. The man took the envelope and tucked it into Charity's pocket. "We'll meet again, Miss Gibbs." Then he made his exit.
An hour later, Charity woke with a pounding in her head and the frabtic voice of Abby in her ear. Charity slowly opened her eyes. "She's awake!" Abby squealed, pulling Charity into a hug.
Charity gently pushed herself away and slowly sat up. Then she realized that she was lying on the cold metal slab. "How are you feeling, Charity?" Ducky asked, coming over to her.
"I'm fine." Charity answered.
"You probably have a concussion." Ducky said.
Just then Director Shepard spoke up. "Can everyone clear out. I need a moment alone with Special Agent Gibbs." Once the room was clear, she walked closer to Charity. "Did he ever say his name or what he wanted?"
"No." Charity answered.
"So a man breaks into NCIS in a body bag, just to ramble on to you?" Jenny asked, not believing Charity.
"He could have been a distraction or a test to see how easy it would be to break in." Charity replied. "That's probably why he never really said anything specific."
Jenny took this explanation. "That does seem plausible. We'll run a security check of the building. Take the rest of the day off, Agent Gibbs. I can arrange a ride home for you."
"That won't be necessary." Charity replied. "But I will go home, Director."
Jenny nodded. "Alright." Then she left.
Charity slid herself from the table and then she remembered the envelope. She looked around the room, hoping to find it. Then she checked her pockets and found it there. She opened it up and sure enough, there was a lock of gray hair inside. She tucked the envelope back into her pocket and then hopped on the elevator.
I will go home, but there is one thing I have to do first. She thought as the elevator moved up. When she stepped off, she walked into Abby's lab.
"I figured you would be going home." Abby said looking up at Charity.
"I will in a minute." Charity began.
"But first there's something you need me to do?" Abby guessed.
"Yes." Charity answered. "And you..."
"Can't tell anyone?" Abby quessed once again.
"Are my thoughts being displayed or something?" Charity asked.
"No, I just know you." Abby replied. "And I'll do anything for you, so what is it?"
Charity reached into her pocket and removed the envelope. She handed it to Abby. "Can you tell if a lock of hair came from someone whose dead?"
"Yup, hair shows decomp." Abby answered. "Anything else."
"If you can, I need you to pull DNA from this hair and run it through the Marine Corps data base. All active, nonactive, even dead and MIA." Charity answered.
"Charity..." Abby began.
"No, I can't tell you what this is about." Charity replied. "The less you know the better."
"Okay." Abby said, then she got to work, doing what she does best. After a couple of hours, she had everything analyzed. "Okay, this person that this hair came from is definitely alive...or was at the time the hair was removed."
Charity nodded, but she couldn't help the hope that sprung up in her heart. "Any hits in the DNA yet?"
"Not yet." Abby answered. "I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." Then Abby left the room.
A few seconds later, the computer dinged, signaling a DNA match was found. Charity looked up at the screen and saw her father's service picture. That bastard was telling the truth! He knows where my father is and he got away! Charity thought, feeling outraged. She then quickly got rid of the search and left the lab.
Abby soon returned and was surprised when she found her lab empty. She looked around, then she looked at her computer. She headed over to it and realized that the DNA search had been closed out. She was able to pull it back up. The picture of a young man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes popped up. She read the name aloud. "Gunery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs...Gibbs!" She read more and saw that he was MIA and presumed dead.
She was able to pull up his next of kin. "His daughter Charity Gibbs." Abby read, her eyes widening. Then she had an idea. She pulled up the picture from the DVD Charuty had brought in earlier. She then began to compare the patterns of their eyes. After a few seconds, the computer showed that it was a positive match. Abby then debated with herself for a while and then she called Burley.
Charity...
Charity arrived home, feeling completely lost. She now had no idea what to do. Everything had changed. She knew that not even going to work on the car would help her. She looked at the time, it was only one in the afternoon. She picked up her cell phone and started to dial his number.
She looked at the time again. He's going to be busy. She thought. She stood there looking at her phone and debating on if she should hit send or not. After a few more moments, she couldn't fight it anymore and she hit send.
After three rings, his voice came on the other end. "Hey, is everything okay?" He greeted.
"Yes...no...I...I don't know...I need you." She finally admitted at the end.
"Where are you?" He asked.
"Home." Charity answered.
"I'll be right there. Do you want me to bring anything?"
"Just you." Charity answered.
"I'm on my way." Tony replied.
"Thank you." Charity said and then hung up the phone.