The Cascade Effect Chapter Eight/???
The Cascade Effect
Rating: R(Will Go Up to NC-17)
Summary: One Event, One Minor change in the way something happens can change a lot of events in the future.
Disclaimer: I don’t own so no sense suing.
Chapter Seven Recap
Ari smirked as he saw the back of Kate’s head in his crosshairs. He pulled the trigger, watching as it made contact with her forehead dead center.
“Sorry Caitlin” he whispered before hurrying to pack up and get out of there.
Chapter Eight
Ducky had been called and had taken the body of their fallen comrade away. Gibbs had followed while Tony and McGee searched out Ari’s sniper nest. It had taken them several hours and them getting soaked with the sudden onslaught of rain, but they had finally found it. They headed straight for the Navy yard after collecting the evidence left behind.
“Found Ari’s snipers nest boss.” Tony said, walking over to Gibbs.
“Roof of an abandoned office building to the east.” McGee chimed in.
“Didn’t police his brass.” Tony said, holding the bagged casings out to Gibbs. “They’re Lapua .308’s.”
“Lapua’s match grade sniper ammo. You guys find any bullets?”
“Uh…None that matched the casings. I left three guys on the roof searching. McGee and I will go back to the roof boss.”
“Tony…you’re soaking wet. Go put some dry clothes on.” Gibbs said, knowing that Tony shouldn’t have been outside in the bad weather having barely covered from his bout with pneumonic plague.
As they continued talking about the ammo Tony had to explain how they knew it was a full metal jacket bullet. They ran through several scenario’s before realizing he was aiming for Kate, not Gibbs. Tony had seen Gibbs be nice, at home. It was weird for Gibbs to be nice at work. Tony went down to the lab and told Abby to run the casings they’d found. She was understandably upset despite certain misgivings. After Abby berated Tony about what she could and couldn’t tell them with just the casings he grabbed her and held her.
Within five minutes of arriving in Abby’s lab someone took a pot shot at Abby. He knocked Abby down and covered her with his own body to protect her. He then dragged her right under the windows where they wouldn’t be seen.
“Abby!” Gibbs called from outside the lab.
“Boss, down! We’re taking fire!” Tony whispered loudly. Gibbs ducked in and started shutting off all of the lights before joining Abby and Tony.
“You okay?” Gibbs asked Abby.
“Yeah”
“Close off Anacostia Park between the bridges. Tell metro cops it’s a crime scene. Call Kelly as well, make sure she gets to the yard ASAP.” Gibbs told Tony, knowing that Ari was now going after the women he worked with and cared for.
“Ok.”
“Hey!” Gibbs grabbed Tony and pulled him back down from his half standing position. “What if he has night vision goggles?”
“Good point boss” he said before crawling out of the lab.
“I will get you bullet proof glass” Gibbs told Abby once Tony had left.
“There’s no such thing Gibbs.”
“Ok, bullet resistant glass.”
He took Abby up to the bullpen and had Tony stay with her while they wrote up an Incident report before heading down to Ducky in Autopsy. Ducky really should have brought in another ME but he knew he wouldn’t. Abby went down to the garage when McGee brought the car they had driven to the warehouse in. She managed to dig out two slugs from the trunk of the car.
When Gibbs went to speak with Director Morrow in MTAC he wouldn’t use Ari’s name and the word sniper in the same sentence. That’s when he found out Morrow was leaving NCIS and going to Homeland Security and met their new director; Jenny Sheppard. They’d worked together in Paris and it was one of the things Gibbs wished he could forget. Normally he wouldn’t have gone so far away for work but Kelly had been 17 and his nephew, Seeley* had agreed to keep an eye on her. It also gave Seeley’s son Parker a chance to re-connect with Kelly, who he hadn’t seen since he was two or three. He’d fallen for her charms and had gotten kicked in the teeth for it; part of the reason why Rule Number Twelve was so important now and why he couldn’t risk it with Tony, no matter what Kelly said. He’d work with her only because he had to, her being the new director and all. He made her come with him so he could change clothes. Thankfully no-one outside of his team knew about Kelly and she only saw his basement.
When he arrived back at the Navy Yard it was to an unknown woman who walked right up to their new director like she was an old friend. He went over to his desk, Tony meeting him and leaning over so they could talk without being heard.
“You first.”
“Ziva David, Mossad. She’s here to stop you from whacking Ari. Yours?”
“Director Jenny Sheppard. Same mission.”
“Which agency?”
“Ours.” Tony shot him a disbelieving look when he said that, but Gibbs’ look said it was true, unfortunately.
They spoke silently for several seconds before being interrupted by the Director and the Mossad Agent. Tony had gotten the message loud and clear. It seems their charade would last longer than previously planned. Ziva’s anger at Gibbs’ accusing Ari of being the sniper was rather obvious and Gibbs and Tony shared another look. Kelly had just texted Tony. She’d understood some of the conversation that Ziva David had had on the phone. She was to leave a package somewhere for Ari to pick up.
Gibbs had Tony follow Ziva to find out what the package was and where it would be dropped off at. Tony was talking with Kelly whilst he was following Ziva’s taxi to a hotel. Her dad had figured out which rifle Ari had used to kill Kate. A Bravo 51, also known as a Kate. That was no coincidence. He would get that bastard Ari and make him pay.
Shortly after Ducky left the building when Gibbs had said no-one was supposed to leave. It didn’t take them long to realize that Ari had abducted Gerald to get to Ducky. When Gerald came into the building but Ducky was still missing Gibbs went to meet with Tony before following the woman that Ziva had slipped a fake passport to.
Ari had managed to temporarily fool the newest NCIS director by setting up a Hamas Terrorist to take the fall. After Ari was supposedly cleared and the Assistant Director of Mossad had spoken with Ziva, telling her to give her full cooperation to NCIS they went down to Abby’s lab to talk.
Tony walked over to Gibbs whilst Director Sheppard and Ziva David were in MTAC.
“What’s our next move Boss?”
“Keep the charade up. I’m gonna get Ari, and use his handler to do it.”
“Do they know about…” he lowered his voice even more “Kelly?”
“No, they know what the official reports said and that’s that she died with her mother.” Gibbs told Tony, who had heard the story from Kelly before asking Gibbs about it.
“Where is she anyway?”
“Sent her to stay with Seeley, Temperance and Christine. Didn’t want her to get caught up in this, especially since the arrival of Ziva.” Gibbs told him in a whisper. “Here they come.”
Before implementing their plan he had Abby, Tony and Jenny leave the lab and got the information he needed. Ziva had done Dossier’s on him and his team; including Shannon and Kelly. He had to show Ziva what Ari was really like.
When he went down to his basement to pull out his Sniper Rifle Ari made himself known. He got Ari to admit to killing Kate before Ziva took him out. It was then that he learned that Ari was Ziva’s half-brother. He left her there to call Tony and have a team sent out.
The funeral was really nice; closed casket though. He almost hadn’t made it because their new director didn’t see it fit to handle things she was supposed to. It was a good thing they hadn’t ended the ruse yet. After placing their roses on the casket they went to leave. Abby was on his left side, Kelly on his right and Tony was on her right. He’d seen the look that Jenny had shot Kelly and it pissed him off. Tony had noticed it too and didn’t look none too happy either. They would have to remedy Jenny’s jealousy soon.
TBC…
*Yes, I am talking about Seeley Booth from Bones. It dawned on me that Seeley’s grandfather and Gibbs’ father are portrayed by the same actor so, I thought it would be interesting if they were related. Yes, I did do a full background that is plausible but Seeley (and Temperance) might not be mentioned other than in passing.
AN: Another chapter finished. As always Reviews Welcomed and Flames and Flamers will be given to Norbert.
Chapter Nine>