Morgan ran a towel over her sweat-covered face in mild annoyance as Ziva stood beside her looking equally displeased.
"Where are we going?" Morgan asked Tony who was grinning away in the elevator.
"Trust me," he said as the doors opened, grabbing Ziva and pulling her out as Morgan followed with Russell happily panting at her side. "You've got to see this."
"I'd rather be taking a shower, Tony."
"Same," Morgan drawled. "Though I appreciate the invite to spar, Ziva."
Ziva grinned. "Good fun, wasn't it?"
Both were sporting new bruises under their clothes but had been rather pleased to find capable sparing opponents in one another.
"Come on," Tony urged, bringing them into the autopsy room where several men and women in suits were standing around a table. "It's every newbie's worst nightmare."
"This liver shows signs of advanced cirrhosis," Ducky rattled on as he showed the gathered new agents his autopsy of a corpse on the table before them. "It's clearly consistent with the jaundiced skin we noticed earlier. Now if you'll come closer, you'll be able to see the inflammation of the pancreas. Oh, hello," he chirped upon spotting them.
A few of the agents already looked pale and one looked nearly ready to be sick.
"Every cadaver has its own story to tell. In many cases, it's just a whisper that reveals—"
"All new agents are required to observe an autopsy," Tony explained as Ziva and Morgan watched, entirely unbothered. "You should have seen McGee. Hurled."
Ziva raised a brow at the word so he explained.
"Emptied the contents of his stomach onto Ducky's shoes."
"It's not only visual cues we look for. Odors can be helpful too. Note the putrid smell," Ducky pointed out and Ziva cracked a small smile.
"I think he's talking about you, Tony."
Tony sniffed at his sweater as one of the men finally gagged and turned to vomit in a bin nearby.
"We have the same test at Mossad," Ziva mused. "If you fail, they terminate you."
"How do you fail an autopsy?" Tony questioned and she gestured to the man who'd vomited.
"By doing that. What happens if you fail here?" She asked when Russell suddenly perked up, drawing Morgan's attention to the other person who'd just walked in and overheard their conversation.
"Depends, Officer David. Some of them go on to become our Director," Gibbs informed her as he went over to Ducky. "You'll have to reschedule your class, Duck. The rangers found a body in Shenandoah Park."
"Well, perhaps you'd be willing to share the specifics with the class," Ducky asked as Gibbs paced nearby uneasily. "Yes, the three most frequent causes of death in our national parks are heart attacks, hiking accidents, and prolonged exposure to the elements."
"Not this time. Sailor was eaten… by a bear." He glanced over at Morgan. "Hope Sergeant Major Russell is eager to do some tracking."
She gave the dog a pat on the head, and the group quickly cleaned up, changed their gym clothes, and headed out to the national park.
"Yet another reason why I never want to go camping," Tony hummed as he took photos of the mutilated corpse and surrounding crime scene.
"Actually, Tony, bear attacks are quite rare," McGee informed him.
"Really? Do you want to tell this guy that?"
"Not a big fan of nature, huh?" Ziva mused.
"Oh, I'm a big fan of nature as long as it's on TV."
"If it helps," Morgan piped in as she held onto the long line Russell was on. "He was probably mauled after being killed. It's getting colder and there's less food around. Fresh corpse would easily draw a bear in."
"You think he was murdered?" McGee asked and she shrugged.
"Won't know until the autopsy but bear attacks are rare, and fatal ones are even less common."
Ziva pulled out the man's wallet. "Well, the name matches the dog tags recovered by the park rangers. Petty Officer Benjamin Riley."
"Bag it," Tony said before glancing at McGee. "Probie, you were a boy scout or whatever, right?"
"Yeah. Well, technically I was a Webelos, but—"
"Whatever. Use your expertise and go and bag and tag that bear poo down there."
"Isn't Morgan technically the probie now?"
Morgan gave him a glance, brow raised in a challenge. "It's just shit, McGee."
"Bag the poo," Tony demanded again before Gibbs started to walk by.
"When you're done collecting scat, find out what the hell happened to Ducky."
"Got it, boss."
"Frost," Gibbs called out, drawing her attention. "Don't go tracking the bear yet. I don't care how fearless you and that dog may be. It's a group effort, got it?"
"Yes, boss," she replied, having had no thoughts of going after the bear alone anyway, but knowing that if Russell caught the sent and started tracking it without her realizing, it could become a rather big issue. "I'll let you know if he finds anything."
Gibbs nodded in agreement as he moved closer to the tent with the rangers who were assisting; Hendricks and Landis.
"This entire area is supposed to be off limits to campers," Landis explained as Hendricks elaborated.
"A hunter was bear-baiting here last month."
"Bear baiting?" Tony questioned.
"Not the old-fashioned kind of bear-baiting either," Morgan chimed as Hendricks nodded.
"Have you spent any time in the woods, Special Agent DiNozzo?"
"Well, heck yeah," Tony lied with a smile. "As much time as I can I'm in the woods. I'ma big fan of Mother Nature."
"In the off-season, hunters set out food, always in the same place. Bears get used to being fed and, come season, all they have to do is wait," she explained.
"That's clever. I'll have to try that the next time out," Tony replied, making her expression go cold as Ziva spoke up.
"It's illegal, Tony."
"If I had my way, hunting would be too," Hendricks said sharply.
"Who was baiting the bear?" Gibbs asked as Landis replied.
"A local. Jason Edom. We pulled his license and banned him from the park."
"For life," Hendricks added.
"Gibbs," Morgan called, drawing him over to see something Russell was sniffing at while Ziva continued to question the rangers.
"Petty Officer Riley know this was a potentially dangerous area?"
"We hand this out to every visitor," Hendricks said, handing her a pamphlet.
"Had a real bad drought around here this year," Landis explained. "The berries the bears normally feed on have been scarce. A hungry bear will eat just about anything."
"The sad fact is they're going to track down this bear and kill it because your stupid sailor couldn't be bothered to read a three-page pamphlet," Hendricks said sharply before storming off and Landis offered an apologetic smile.
"You'll have to forgive her. She's what we like to call opposed to hunting."
"Yes, that's not the only thing she's opposed to," Ziva hummed with a smirk aimed at Tony as Gibbs headed back over and Morgan headed further into the forest with Russell.
"You said Riley checked in alone?"
"Monday afternoon. I signed him in myself," Landis replied.
"We're going to need to organize a search."
"I'm one step ahead of you. I've got a team out tracking the bear now. If he's still in the area, we'll find him."
"I'm more concerned about the woman," Gibbs said, showing him the footprints Russell had found. "There's two sets of footprints. One is Riley's. The other's a lady's size seven."
"You sure about that?" Landis asked.
"My agent just went out with her dog to track the scent," Gibbs replied, opening up the pack on the ground near the tent. "I trust that dog's nose with my life and…" He pulled out a pair of white lacy panties. "Unless these are Navy issue…"
"Your agent shouldn't be going off alone then," Landis said, getting up as he brought out a phone to contact others.
"She wasn't going far," Gibbs replied. "Just doing a wide parameter search. She'll meet back with us once your people get here."
"Give me ten minutes," Landis said with a nod, stepping away to call in the search team.
They were quick to arrive with horses, dogs, and rifles and Morgan returned with Russell, who looked eager as all get out with the excitement.
"Listen up!" Landis called out to the group. "I want four-man teams in each sector. At least two of them armed with rifles. She's been out there at least two nights, possibly injured, and most definitely scared out of her mind. All communications will run through Mountain Tac One."
As the group started to head out though, Morgan and Russell stayed put for the moment, waiting to see what Gibbs would want them to do.
"Most of them have been working search and rescue in the park before I got stationed here. They'll find her," Landis informed Gibbs.
"Hope it's before the bear does," he grumbled, giving Morgan a look. "You'll be fine here?"
She nodded. "Russell's already got the scent and is eager to go," she said, patting the dog who was practically vibrating in place.
Landis eyed them in uncertainty. "We have dogs already out there."
"Hunting dogs," Morgan pointed out. "They're more likely to get distracted by the bear scent and follow it. Russell's done tracking and search and rescue before. He'll trail only the woman's scent and if we're lucky, will find her and not the bear." She turned to Gibbs. "If we do stumble upon it, I know how to handle things and I'll have my service weapon on me if needed. Won't do much against a bear but between Russell and I, we should be fine to run off if we come across it."
"Don't stray too far from the rest," Gibbs said, glancing at her before holding up a finger for her to wait.
She did, a little confused as he moved to their car nearby until he pulled out a heavier coat and tossed it to her.
"Stay safe, Frost."
"Yes, boss," she replied, pulling the oversized coat on and giving Russell the go-ahead to move back toward the crime scene.
Ziva cracked a smile as she trailed after Gibbs. "That was nice of you."
Gibbs shot her a drab look. "We don't know how long this will go for and temp's already gone down. Knowing her, she'd just power through it without even realizing. She gets sick, that's one less person searching."
"I was just saying—"
"Shut up and get in the car."
A few hours later more information was coming out. For one, the bear did indeed attack Petty Officer Riley after he was dead and thanks to the autopsy, Ducky was able to find that he'd been murdered with a flat blade to the heart. They hadn't received much information from the diner where he'd left his vehicle either. They did find the local who'd been banned from the park for bear-baiting but were also told the Petty Officer had shown up alone. The only thing Abby had gotten for the moment was that he was having sex with the mystery woman, thanks to the patch she'd found. They were running out of leads.
"What if we're not looking for a damsel in distress here, Probie," Tony mused in the bullpen the following morning.
"Hm?" McGee hummed in question as they looked over the crime scene photos.
"No one saw our missing Jane Doe. Not the rangers when Riley checked in or the hillbillies when he parked his car."
"She didn't want to be seen," McGee concluded.
"We could be dealing with a Black Widow here."
"Lions and spiders and bears. Oh my!" Ziva quipped when she stepped in after visiting Abby, earning a look from Tony. "What? Mister Movie doesn't know The Wizard of Oz?"
"I'm talking about a predatory female here, Ziva. Mates then kills. Reminds me of my father's second wife," he mused with a grimace.
"I don't buy your theory."
"Oh, what's to buy? She lured him out to the woods, made love to him, then hacked him while he was sleeping."
"Or ran off while Riley was being stabbed to death," Ziva countered as two familiar faces stepped into the bullpen.
"How about neither?" Gibbs suggested, unzipping his heavy coat as Morgan trailed after him with Russell; all three looking exhausted, though Russell still had some pep in his step.
"Rought night, boss?" Tony asked.
"Well, yeah, DiNozzo. I spent it tracking our missing woman with a bunch of volunteers in Shenandoah Park."
"You found her?" McGee asked and Morgan dropped down into her chair at her desk and pulled out an energy drink.
"No," she grumbled, downing half the can right there and digging through her desk to get a bowl and some water bottles to empty for Russell.
"So she's still out there?" Ziva questioned in surprise.
"Park service thinks so. Here, McGee," Gibbs said, handing him a camera. "Take the film doey-whacker out of there and put it up there on the plasma."
"Well, boss, actually, this is a digital camera. They use memory cards now—" He stopped at the sight of Gibbs's annoyed expression. "I'll put the doey-whacker in."
"There wasn't a sign or a track of a ladies' size seven boot ever leaving that campground," Gibbs explained.
"Then, how'd she get out here, boss?" Tony asked as he brought up the photos he'd taken.
"Like this."
"So, what's this?" Tony asked, seeing very little in the pictures of leaves on the forest floor.
"It's a ghost," Morgan explained. "People who can move through an area almost undetected. I thought Russell had picked up on the woman's scent but it was whoever brought her in and out of the campsite."
"We followed them for three hundred meters before we lost them," Gibbs explained to the others. "They only left two obvious signs. The back edge of a military boot heel and this."
He turned the photos to an image of a small diamond.
"Jewelry?" McGee questioned as Gibbs handed him an evidence bag.
"Yeah. Get it to Abby."
"So, you think someone carried her away," Ziva concluded.
"Well, Ziva, I think she didn't just float out of that campsite. We need to find out who she is," Gibbs said as Tony cleared his throat.
"Right. I talked to the guys Riley worked with at the Navy Yard. Only one of them... a Seaman Brad Phillips, knew he was going camping. Riley mentioned taking a girl he met a couple weeks ago. Phillips never caught a name."
"Pull Riley's phone records."
"Did it," Ziva cut in. "And he has a cell phone he doesn't use much. Went back two weeks. Made a couple of phone calls to his family in New York, and the rest were to local businesses and government agencies."
"Check out his room," Gibbs said, finishing his coffee as Morgan cracked open another can and dropped her head back against her chair in exhaustion.
"Went through his room at the Navy Yard. Nothing unusual. No sign of a girlfriend," Tony explained.
"Rangers set up a temporary aid center inside Jackrabbit Slim's for the volunteers. I want you both there. I had them pull the files of all other deaths that happened in that park," Gibbs told them as they started to pack their things. "Morgan."
"Yes, boss," she said, not opening her eyes but still listening.
"Get down to Abby. See if she's got anything."
She grunted, getting up from her seat and running a hand through her hair. It had been a long night and while Gibbs had managed to move a bit slower through the woods and spot the smaller details, Russell had kept her moving from the second they'd stepped out there. Always eager to impress, she silently mused as she grabbed a box from her desk drawer and stepped into the elevator; leaving Russell behind to rest. She wished she had half as much energy as he did but she hadn't slept much the night before this case either.
Her sleeping medication had run out and the pharmacy had to order it because it wasn't in stock. She'd been out of it for a few days and forgot to call. Then, the nightmares started cropping back up. She'd had a particularly bad one the night before the case that left her feeling nauseous and her entire body sore and in pain. It was psychosomatic but that hadn't made it any easier to deal with. She had gotten maybe two hours of sleep that night before getting the offer to spar with Ziva. It had been a welcome relief and she'd gone and let the exercise help distract her and calm the phantom aches and pains. Now though, she regretted not trying to sleep again that night. She hadn't expected to be out in the forest on a trail for the entire evening.
The elevator chimed as the doors opened and she dragged herself out of it and into Abby's lab. Abby was looking intently into a microscope at some hair follicles as Morgan stepped up to eye them.
"Hey, Abby," she greeted, lifting up the box she had. "Happy birthday."
Abby turned in surprise. "You knew it was my birthday?"
Morgan was a little surprised as well. "Yes? The others mentioned it last week but I do have access to some of the team's files. I'm… not great at figuring out gifts or being on a team, really, but my therapist suggested trying."
She handed the box over for Abby to open and the woman did so with a grin.
"Oh, my god! This is amazing!"
"It's not much," Morgan argued lightly, rubbing the back of her neck at the coyote skull covered in black crystals. "I know you like darker things and saw it online with other colored crystals and wasn't sure if—"
She was cut off when Abby practically tackled her in a hug. Morgan awkwardly pat her back before she pulled away.
"This is amazing. I love it!" Abby replied. "Is it a real skull?"
Morgan nodded. "Ethically sourced. I think the person who makes them said they have a ranch and find them before beetle cleaning them."
"That is so cool," Abby chirped before glancing at the door and losing her smile.
"Something wrong?" Morgan asked hesitantly.
"You… You haven't seen Gibbs, have you?"
She nodded, confused. "He just went upstairs. We were out all night trying to track down the missing woman."
"Oh… Okay."
Morgan shifted uneasily, not entirely sure what more to say, so she shifted the topic. "Do you have anything? For the case?"
"Just these hair follicles," Abby replied, gesturing to the screen. "Doesn't give us much. Caucasian, brunette. It's in the anagen or growth phase so I can probably get DNA off the root."
"There's two of them," Morgan pointed out.
"The other one's from Petty Officer Riley's car. They're both from the same person."
Morgan's brows furrowed. "So she was in the car. What about the patch?"
"It's a low-level estrogen patch. Prescription dosage is based on weight and height. So odd are she's of average to small stature."
"Just need a name then. Thank you, Abby. Happy birthday."
Abby nodded with a smile that was a little forced and Morgan stepped out, feeling rather confused. What the hell did Gibbs do? She shook the thought off and returned to the bullpen where she sighed, leaning back in her seat once again and closing her eyes only for Tony and Ziva to return. The two were quick to gloat with one another about their dates too.
"Slam dunk. We're going out next weekend. Yeah," Tony hummed, showing Ziva the ranger's card as she chuckled and held up her own.
"That's not bad, Tony. Landis asked me out tonight. I said no. I don't want him to think I'm sleazy."
"The term is 'easy,'" Tony corrected, making her frown.
"What's the difference?"
"Mostly the makeup."
"What do we have?" Gibbs asked, making Morgan jolt only to relax when he glanced at her and moved behind McGee as Tony explained.
"Uh, over the last seven years, there's been eight deaths in the park, boss. Three from natural causes, a stroke, and two heart attacks."
"The others?"
"All accidental," Ziva replied. "In 2000, a couple drowned while canoeing. The woman's body was never recovered."
"In 2002, a couple got lost hiking. Their remains were recovered last year."
"In 2004, a woman named—"
"Tracy Roberts' body was discovered nine months after she went into the park to photograph wildlife. Her remains were—"
"Too ravaged by animals and the elements to determine a cause of death."
Morgan perked up. "Have we looked at the driver's licenses of all the victims?"
Gibbs moved to his desk as he started to hand out orders. "I want to see a profile on the address—"
"Boss, I think I found something," McGee cut in, going ignored.
"Passports. Get me a—"
"Boss?"
"What, McGee!" He snapped.
"Sorry, uh… I think I found something here. The three dead women. They all fit the same description. Twenties, caucasian—"
"Brunette and petite?" Morgan added, turning to Gibbs when he eyed her. "The hairs Abby found. One of which was in Riley's car, and the patch was related to height and weight." She paused. "Did you do something to upset Abby?"
Gibbs rolled his eyes, ignoring the last bit as he turned back to McGee.
"Yeah. Since we all know about how you feel about coincidences, I decided to pull their driver's license photos," McGee said, bringing them up on screen and Ziva frowned.
"Wow. They look like they could be sisters."
"Something tells me their deaths weren't exactly accidental."
"We're dealing with a killer who's using park accidents to cover up murder."
"It's confirmed, boss," Tony said upon checking into the woman who Abby had identified. "She told a co-worker she was going camping with her boyfriend in Shenandoah."
Ducky had started to walk by then when Gibbs stopped him. "Duck, all three of these women's deaths were ruled accidental. Pull their autopsy records along with the two guys who died with them."
"To look for what, specifically?" Ducky questioned.
"How they were murdered."
"Oh, right."
The elevator opened then and Ziva stepped out with the two rangers, who were both rather impressed with the setup.
"They just cut our wildlife conservation budget and you guys have a skylight? Nice," Hendricks hummed as they approached Gibbs's desk.
"I understand things have taken a turn for the worst, Agent Gibbs?" Landis questioned as Morgan walked into the bullpen with Russell.
"If by worse you mean multiple homicides in your park since 2000, then yeah. Worse."
"Well, there goes that theory," Landis muttered, perking Ziva's interest.
"What theory?"
"I was prepared to say that this could all be just a coincidence but when you see them like that…" He eyed the photos of the missing women on screen along with Hendricks.
"It's more than a little disturbing."
"Yeah."
"What can we do to help?" Landis asked, only to jump and shift away from Russell; who'd gotten up and was sniffing at his heels.
He glanced at Morgan, expecting her to call Russell off but the woman just stared at him with a small frown. The others on the team didn't react either and just continued on, so Landis just tried to ignore the dog.
"We're looking for someone who knows his way around your park," Tony said. "Most likely a local."
"We've got a list of the usual troublemakers; poachers and vandals. But I never figured any of them for a serial killer."
"Most likely you wouldn't, James. The most successful ones blend into their environment," Ziva informed him as Tony nodded.
"Yeah. I mean, look at the BTK killer, right? Pillar of the community, Cub Scout leader, president of his church."
"You're saying it could be anyone?" Hendricks asked as Russell sat down at Landis's feet, making the man more uneasy with his staring.
"Not in this case. We're looking for someone who carried a woman through the woods and hardly left a track," Gibbs pointed out as Morgan spoke up.
"An experienced hunter or someone with military training."
"I'd like to send the photo of the missing woman out to our search teams," Landis suggested, starting to step around Russell, who stood back up when he did.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs called out.
"I'm on it."
"Get it to Pete at Jackrabbit Slim's. Tell him to post it on every pole, every fence, every car near the park," Landis told Hendricks who went over to help Tony as Gibbs answered his phone and stood up.
"Abby's got something," he announced. "Morgan, with me."
Morgan nodded and got up, calling out. "Rus."
Russell perked up, abandoning his sniffing of Landis and heading to her side, much to the man's relief. Once in the elevator though, Russell continued to watch the man as Morgan ran a hand over Russell's head. She wasn't ignoring what the dog was doing, just making note and keeping watch. It wasn't like Russell to take that big of an interest in someone for no reason. It set her on edge, though her lack of sleep didn't help with that.
"I swabbed what's left of Petty Officer Riley's clothes. It's mostly his blood and what I now know to be bear saliva," Abby chimed once they'd gathered around the remains of Riley's clothes and gear.
"He was eaten by a bear, Abby. Tell me something I don't know," Gibbs replied, earning a sharp look from Abby that reminded Morgan about the other problem that was going on.
"About the case or perhaps something more personal?"
"Abby," Gibbs pressed and she eyed him before continuing.
"I also found traces of a cornucopia of different chemicals sprayed all over his clothes. Phenylacetic crystals, methyl anthranilate, and acorn, caramel, and bergamot oils."
"A hunting lure?" Landis questioned.
"You are correct, Mister Ranger, sir. More specifically, it was Uncle Bebo's Bear Attractant. Somebody hosed the Petty Officer down with it."
"I can pull a list of every hunter that applied for a bear hunting permit this year," Landis offered but Ziva spoke up from a nearby computer with McGee.
"You don't have to. McGee just found who sprayed him with it."
"Boss, we pulled multiple prints from the equipment at the campsite. Most of them are Riley's. A bunch, I assume are—"
"You assume, McGee?" Gibbs challenged.
"Well, yeah. I mean, we're working on getting Jessica's fingerprints to clear them, but we have three other matches belonging to a third individual. Jason Edom."
"Looks like he was baiting more than bears," Ziva said as Gibbs hummed.
"McGee, go pick him up. Ziva, escort the rangers out. Morgan, upstairs."
The group split up and once back in the bullpen, Gibbs turned to face Morgan, gesturing to Russell.
"What was that?"
Morgan gave him a look, knowing what he meant. "Not sure. It's odd for him to take such a large interest in someone but it's usually not for a good reason. Could be he just recognized his scent from the crime scene."
"He's a suspect."
Morgan shrugged. "Everyone's a suspect. Like Tony said, even the BTK killer was someone unexpected and well-liked. We need an experienced hunter, someone with possible military experience who knows the area well. Landis covers all three of those but so do other locals like Edom or the diner owner or half a dozen hillbillies."
Gibbs sighed as he walked with her to get a coffee before Edom would be brought in. "You should be more confident in your theories. If you think Landis is a suspect we should be worried about, then just say so."
"I think he's a suspect we should be worried about," Morgan chimed back, earning an annoyed look from Gibbs as she grabbed an energy drink for herself. "But I don't like limiting options based on a hunch, even if I do trust Russell's nose."
The dog himself perked up at hearing his name and Morgan sighed before buying a piece of jerky for him as well.
"I want you to run Russell by Edom when he's brought in. See if you get the same reaction."
"Of course," she replied.
"Any thoughts on Edom?"
She shot him a look. "I've not met him, though Ziva seems rather displeased."
"Outsider's perspective," he hummed. "You'll see him when he walks in."
Morgan sighed, not sure what to give him. "Seeing him won't mean much. I only know what little I've read on his file and what I've overheard. Ziva thinks he's racist and a piece of shit. His record backs that up with assault charges, though they were from a bar fight according to the incident report. Could just have a temper. Him doing the bear-baiting means he's either lazy, overconfident, or the exact opposite."
"How do you mean?" Gibbs asked.
"Too lazy to hunt properly when there's an easier way, which might just rule him out of being an experienced hunter if that's how he usually does things," Morgan explained. "Overconfident in the fact that he knows he can get a bear easy and wants to come off as impressive by doing so. Or he's insecure and isn't good at hunting, so he does bear-baiting to fit in and impress. Based on Ziva's description, I'm more likely to assume he's overconfident."
"All that without meeting the guy, huh?"
She shot him a small frown. "All hunches that aren't backed by irrefutable evidence, meaning I could be entirely wrong."
"Still. Good hunches," Gibbs replied as the elevator opened and McGee and Tony stepped in with Edom. "Trust your gut, Frost. Check him, then watch."
She nodded and gestured to Russell. "Come on, Rus."
The dog happily plodded along beside her and she took Edom from Tony and McGee to bring into the interrogation room herself. They hesitated for a second, glancing at Gibbs who nodded and let her bring him in. She stepped out to trade with Gibbs and gave him a look.
"Russell ignored him. He wasn't at the crime scene at all otherwise there would've been some reaction to that scent Russell followed before."
"So how'd the prints get on the items?"
"Frame job or if they came from the shop he works at, he could've just bagged them for someone else. I don't think he did it."
Gibbs nodded and stepped into interrogation, having a similar thought himself. They were missing something and he didn't like Russell's reaction to Landis. He needed to be more careful from now on.
"You shave, right?" Tony asked suddenly, drawing Ziva's attention away from the phone where she was on hold trying to get info about Edom as Gibbs interrogated him.
"What?"
"Nothing." Tony glanced at Morgan who was napping—head tipped back in her chair with Russell snoozing on the bed beside her desk. "How come she gets to sleep?"
"Maybe because we're stuck waiting while Gibbs interrogates Edom and she was up all night tracking? Or maybe Gibbs just likes her better than you," Ziva offered as Tony wrinkled his nose.
"That can't be it," he declared. "How did the killer's prints end up at the campsite?"
"Obviously when he murdered the sailor and abducted the girl," Ziva huffed, propping her feet up on her desk.
"No, Gibbs wants you defending him, Ziva," Tony reminded her.
"McGee, what objects were the killer's—Sorry, sorry. Edom, Edom—Edom's prints found on again?" She asked.
"Two cans of tuna, one pack of double A batteries," he replied.
"All items sold at Jackrabbit Slim's. Okay, so what if Riley bought these items and Edom placed them in the bag?"
Tony clapped. "Yeah! That one's actually plausible. Nice job. But it is hard to prove. Ah, sorry, Morgan," he apologized upon seeing his clap had startled her awake.
She scowled at him as Ziva was taken off hold and Tony continued.
"Okay. Edom's a hunter, right? He's familiar with the area and he's done time for violent crime. And we found his prints at the campsite, so—"
"He didn't do it," Ziva said upon hanging up the phone.
"Okay, you're not getting this. You can't just say he didn't do it."
McGee agreed. "Ziva, he's right. You need to back your side up with facts and rational—"
"The night Riley was murdered, Edom was at his daughter's dance recital in Manassas, Virginia. Multiple witnesses," she explained.
"Unbelievable," Tony huffed.
"I agree. I thought for sure this was our man."
"No. I mean, this guy actually reproduced?" Tony complained as Morgan huffed.
"You're all too busy jumping to conclusions before there's proof. There are other people who could be suspects."
"Like who?" Ziva asked.
"The town had any number of hunters in the area, a good portion of which could have applied for bear hunting permits," she explained, digging through her desk for an energy drink once more. "A number of the volunteers who were searching could be potential suspects given their knowledge of the area and skills, and—"
She was cut off when Gibbs headed over and Ziva spoke up.
"Gibbs, we just—"
"Confirmed Edom's alibi. He was in Manassas the night of the murder," Tony finished for her.
"He didn't do it."
"I know," Gibbs confirmed as Tony frowned.
"He knows."
"So what now?" Ziva asked.
"You're going to go down there and have a talk with him, Ziva," Gibbs informed her, surprising her.
"Why? You just agreed he didn't kill the Petty Officer."
"Because he knows who did," Gibbs replied. "Or thinks he does, anyway."
Ziva gaped for a second before he waved her off.
"Go on, Ziva. Get some answers."
It didn't take long for her to get a name out of him but the team had to wait until morning to get the State Troopers out to search.
"Boss, State Troopers just missed Wes Rowan," McGee said after getting off the phone with them the following morning. "He left Jackrabbit Slim's with a rifle and a backpack. Said he was going to help with the search."
"He is the search, McGee," Gibbs said sharply as Tony spoke up.
"Jessica Fegan was Wes Rowan's childhood sweetheart. It was all pretty much all over when she filed a restraining order against him in 2000."
"Why am I just finding out about this now?" He questioned in annoyance.
"She legally changed her name. It used to be Parker."
"Most likely to make it difficult for Rowan to locate her," Ziva added. "When he couldn't, he took his anger out on women who resembled her."
"Probably why she wasn't seen going into the park," Morgan chimed, dragging a hand tiredly through her hair. "Didn't want to get spotted by him."
"Oh, you think?" Gibbs complained, earning a disgruntled look from her before his phone rang and he picked up. "Abs, I have no time… Two minutes."
"Boss, State Troopers are setting up roadblocks on all highways leading down from the mountains," McGee added as Gibbs pulled on his coat.
"He took his backpack with him, McGee. He's not planning on coming down. Grab your gear! I'll meet you out back in five!" He ordered, rushing off to meet with Abby as the others grabbed their gear.
"Guess what, guys," McGee added. "Rowan is a hunting guide and apparently one of the best in Virginia."
"Great. He'll be like finding a pin in a haystack," Ziva complained.
"A needle in a haystack," Tony corrected.
"Well, aren't these just as hard to find?"
"No."
"No."
"If he walked in, Russell can track him," Morgan pointed out lightly. "Might make things easier."
"Unless he's aware of us tracking him with a dog," Tony challenged. "As it was, they had other dogs in the search last time. Wouldn't take much to fool a nose."
Morgan shrugged and helped the others pack up the cars, double-checking the shotgun they were bringing to ensure it was ready before Gibbs hurried down to join them.
"The jewelry was a trail she was leaving for us. We're going to need to keep an eye out for that. Ducky also said the victims were beaten before being killed but they were healed. He kept them seven to ten days after beating them. She's still out there somewhere."
"I'll call ahead," McGee offered as the groups piled into their cars. "Get the rangers ready."
The drive didn't take long and once they arrived, they were greeted by only Hendricks, who claimed Landis had already led the search.
"There are hunting cabins along this edge of the park," she explained, pointing to the map for the team. "He could have taken her to one of them."
"Any cabins in the park?" Tony asked and she nodded.
"Two. Birch and Pine. Gotta reserve them a year in advance. They're real popular."
"Is anyone there now?"
"No. We only open them Memorial Day to Labor Day."
"Where?" Gibbs asked and she pointed them out. "Pine's here. Birch is here."
"The other night, Frost and I lost the trail right here," Gibbs explained. "Jessica could be in one of those cabins."
"Checked them the first day," Hendricks argued.
"What if he held her in the woods while you searched the cabin? Search them again," Gibbs said. "Where is Ranger Landis and the search party?"
"Razorback Ridge," she said, pointing to the map again.
"Well, he's a lot closer than we are. Have him search them. McGee! DiNozzo, you're with me. Ziva, Frost, you stay here with Ranger Hendricks."
"Gibbs, I think I'd be better suited if I actually went—" Ziva started but he cut her off.
"We're taking him alive."
"Russell and I should—" Morgan started as well but he took a finger and lightly pushed at her shoulder.
"You're exhausted. I can see it in your face and you've been nodding off at your desk," he pointed out. "We can track him now that we know what we're looking for. You're not the only one good at finding ghosts, Frost. Stay here. If we need you, we'll call."
She looked ready to argue further but begrudgingly nodded and let them head out as she joined Ziva and Hendricks.
"I hate it when men try to protect you because you're female," Hendricks huffed as Ziva smiled.
"He's not trying to protect me. He's afraid I'll kill Rowan before he tells us where the girl is." She glanced at the rather displeased Morgan. "He just likes her."
Morgan scowled. "He doesn't. He just thinks I'll be a liability because I've not slept."
"Sure he does," Ziva hummed, not believing it and even Hendricks cracked a small knowing smile.
Morgan ignored them, running her hand over the top of Russell's head when he leaned up against her a bit more. Hendricks pulled out her radio to check in with Landis and the search team as they stepped into the Ranger Station and got a look around.
"You both live here?" Ziva asked.
"Jim does. I got me a log cabin about a mile down the road. Built in the 1830s."
"Is that old?"
"Yeah, around these parts it is."
"I'm sorry, that was bitchy. I get that way when I'm tired," Ziva apologized, nodding over to Morgan. "She's worse."
"Watch it," Morgan grumbled, settling down a chair as Russell dropped his head on her lap.
"Me too, if that helps," Hendricks offered with a small smile as the sound of a car pulling up caught her attention. "That'll be more searchers. I'd better go brief them."
"Do you mind if we grab a bat nap?" Ziva asked as Morgan closed her eyes and dropped her head back.
"Cat nap," she corrected.
"Right. That."
"Sure thing. I'll wake you if anything comes up."
She stepped out and Ziva settled into the chair beside Morgan's, letting out a soft sigh herself. She didn't care for these sorts of cases and they tended to wear her out more. Gibbs was always a bit more uptight and easily frustrated when a missing person was involved, which didn't help matters, but long cases like these really drained the team. She and Morgan drifted off easily in the quiet calm of the cabin and Russell took that chance to have a bit of a wander himself.
Russell was honestly rather confused. The smells in here were familiar with those at the crime scene but Morgan hadn't praised him or offered him any sort of direction when they'd arrived. He wasn't expected to track a scent and he hadn't found anything despite the obvious scents he was picking up. Perhaps he was missing something, so he drifted away from Morgan and started snuffling about. He found something small on the floor first, recognizing the feminine scent and he turned toward Morgan, expecting some sort of attention but she was asleep. He needed to alert her he found something so he sat down and let out a loud, single bark.
Morgan jolted awake easily, rather startled by more than just the bark, but when the dregs of the nightmare faded and she realized Russell wasn't by her side comforting her as he usually would, she turned to find him. He was staring at her expectantly and she got up with a small frown, which only deepened when she found what he discovered.
"Russell, speak," she ordered, pointing at Ziva and he happily rushed over to her and began barking.
Ziva jerked awake as well as Morgan shushed Russell and drew her over.
"He found something," she said, showing Ziva the rhinestone that matched the missing woman's. "She's here. She's in this cabin. Landis's cabin."
"I'll find her. Can you get to Gibbs?"
Morgan nodded, giving Russell a pet as she stood. "We can track him down quick. Be careful since we don't know if Hendricks is involved."
"Will do."
Morgan grabbed a coat off the rack near the door and showed it to Russell, letting him take a good sniff before clipping on the long line she'd brought to his harness and opening the door.
"Search."
Russell eagerly began rushing off into the forest and Morgan hoped they would get there in time before someone was hurt or before Landis was alerted that his cover was blown.
Further in the forest, Tony and McGee had spread out away from Gibbs as they realized the trail they'd been following was too obvious and could possibly be leading them toward an ambush. When a gunshot went off, the two rushed forward, concerned that Gibbs himself had been shot but coming upon a surprising scene instead. Landis stood over the fallen Wes with his own scoped rifle, rolling him over when they hurried up.
"I downed him."
"I thought it was you, boss," Tony admitted in relief when Gibbs rushed over as well.
"Me too," McGee added and Gibbs knelt by Wes and eyed the wound to his shoulder.
"I… I was trying to find Jessica," Wes breathed and Gibbs felt something uneasy in his gut twist at the turn of events.
"We've got to get him to a hospital," he declared and Landis scoffed.
"We ought to just let the bastard bleed to death."
"If he dies, we may never find that girl alive," Gibbs snapped at the man, silently remembering the way Russell had reacted to Landis back at headquarters as he started first aid treatment as best he could for now. "Your station can't be far."
"Maybe a quarter of a mile that way," Landis replied as Gibbs turned to Tony and McGee to help him up.
The two scooped the man up and started back through the forest toward the Ranger's Station. Gibbs figured it wouldn't hurt to try and calm the suspicious swirling in his gut about Landis. Morgan's information and Russell's reaction had been a little too spot-on for his tastes and this situation only made it worse.
"I thought you were leading the search."
"Bobby radioed. She had fresh searchers. I was cutting back to pick them up and I spotted Rowan sneaking through the woods," Landis explained.
"He wasn't sneaking. He was tracking," Gibbs pointed out when Landis's radio went off and Hendricks spoke up.
"Jim, this is Bobby. Officer David found Jessica Fegan. She was in your root cellar. Jim? Jim, do you read me?"
She was right, Gibbs mused as Landis whipped around and aimed his sniper at the group.
"Drop the gun."
Gibbs didn't move. "How many?" He asked instead, gaze flickering to something dark not too far off.
"Twenty-seven," Landis admitted. "No, twenty-six. Can't count Jessica. I didn't finish with her. Drop the gun!"
"Alright," Gibbs said, slowly starting to lift it before the dark shadow he'd seen before rushed up behind Landis.
By the time Landis registered the quiet rush of paws and turned, it was too late. Russell lunged and sank his teeth into Landis's arm; the dog's sheer mass running at speed swinging him off his feet. Landis let out a cry of pain as his gun fell from his hands and grabbed at Russell but the dog held firm as Morgan hurried out from behind a tree. Gibbs cracked a smile and nodded to Russell as she nodded back, reaching out and grabbing the back of Russell's harness.
"Release!" She ordered and Russell let go of the man's arm but continued to pull against her hold on him and bark should he try again.
She held firm as Gibbs rolled Landis over on the ground, ignoring his cries of pain, and cuffed him.
"Good work, Frost."
She pat Russell on the side, starting to calm his barking down to just growls now. "Russell did the work. He found a rhinestone in the cabin and I left Ziva to get the missing woman and headed down here to find you. Russell was tracking Landis but I figured if we found him we'd probably run into you as well. Just glad his hunch turned out to be right."
"Sure did," Gibbs hummed, pulling Landis onto his feet. "Let's go."