Chapter 30

" Why didn't you tell us all this when you saw the symbol on the wall of the crime scene? Why didn't you say that you were in danger? " Asked Tony, leaning against the wall, arms folded.

Palmer sat on the examination table once again. Slowly turning back to his acting. Showing guilt and shame. He held his head on his hands, elbows on his knees.

" I don't know. It was just...too much. " He gripped his hair. " It was a lot of things. I just didn't want it to be real. To be happening. And... it was my problem. I didn't want anyone else dragged into it. To be in danger. " He took a deep breath. " I knew that it would bring up a lot of things that I don't want to talk about, that I can't talk about. She is a part of my life that I left behind, that I locked up and pretended that never existed. Saying it out loud would just bring it back. "

They waited for him to continue, but he didn't just kept looking down.

" Mr. Palmer, I understand that this is difficult, but we can't help without information. The messages, they said you were in hiding. What does that mean exactly? "

" It means that I lied about who I am. "

" And who are you? "

" Jimmy. But not Jimmy Palmer. "

He looked up at the others, observing each of their faces, studying their reactions.

" I was born Jimmy Smith. I changed it, became a Palmer. "

" This is not in your file. " Said Tim.

" No, is not. I lied to get a new life. I guess it didn't work. "

The other occupants of the room looked at each other. He had lied to them, but did it to have a chance in life. Could they really blame him?

" The scars in your body Mr Palmer. How did they happened? "

He shook his head.

" She has nothing to do with them. "

Ducky stood and walked over to his assistant. Standing to his right.

" And the symbol? "

" She didn't brand me Dr. She knew that when I saw it on the wall, I would know it was her. Because, she was the one to know about it. "

" No one else knew that you had this mark? Not even the one who marked it? "

" She would be the one coming for me. She's the only one that would make all this. "

" No one would help her? "

" No. She doesn't like assistants. She works alone. And this is personal. She's hurt, this is about me leaving, I told you this already. "

" You need to tell us something that might help us get her. Places, dates, names. " Said Gibbs.

" I'll write it for you. It will serve as a confession for me getting a job with a fake ID. Then you have two people arrested. "

" Oh Jimmy! " Abby stood and ran to him, hugging him. " We won't let you go to prison! You're our friend, and you were just trying to protect yourself from a dangerous person. "

" Abby. " Said Gibbs, looking at the goth, his eyes getting a bit sad. He knew that it would be practically impossible for Palmer to escape prison, and that would break the young woman's heart.

" No Gibbs! " She said, releasing Palmer from her bear hug, and turning to the older man. " He doesn't deserve prison! We have to do something! "

" We will need to know everything first. " Gibbs said. " Now, there is a crime on the way and we need to know how to stop it. "

Palmer looked deep in to Gibbs's eyes.

" Agent Gibbs, I have absolutely no idea who will die. I swear. I have no way of helping you with this. "

" You can start with everything you know about her. "

He smiled internally, they had bought it. They still trusted him a small bit. Jimmy Palmer's personality really charmed them. He was right, the scars would buy him sympathy. He knew that Gibbs was probably still suspicious, but needed time to think, that would buy him time.

Now he had a fake story about her to give, one that went with his Jimmy Smith persona. The story was good enough to give him time. When they picked up on the lie, he would be long gone.

For some reason, the idea of leaving made him sad.

He had left other lives before, but on his own free will. This was the first time, he would have to do it forcefully. Considering he would survive.

It would be a shame to leave James 'Jimmy' Palmer behind, from all of them, he was the one that felt like a real person. With a real life.

Now he would have to kill him.