[Fanfic] All the Right Moves - Chapter Six
Title: All the Right Moves
Show: NCIS
Characters: Tim, Gibbs, Ziva, and Tony
Genre: AU, Drama, Slash
Rating: FR15
Pairings: Gibbs/McGee
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Challenge: The Boys Wrapped in Plot
Spoilers: Spoilers for characters up to season nine.
Summary: The word ‘Gifted’ is defined as ‘having great special talent of ability.’ But during the mid 21st Century the word gained new meaning as children were discovered to be developing psychic abilities. Tim McGee is a 1st degree technopath, he has managed to keep his gift a secret all of his life...Until Ziva David-Hadar found him.
Chapter Six
A month out of the field. Tim held his breath, gently testing his weight on the injured ankle. Ziva had determined that it wasn’t likely a bad break, although medical care had been necessary. The day after Tim’s less than graceful flight to freedom the two had driven up to a discreet clinic in Baltimore to have x-ray’s done and received a walking cast for their trouble. Now just over a month later, it was gone.
Feeling better than he had in a long time Tim put his entire weight on the ankle. He winced at the flare of pain that blossomed from the joint. But still, it was better than the harsh ache from the first week.
A cold nose nudged at his hand and he smiled at Jethro before scratching him vigorously behind the ears. The two made an interesting sight as they walked slowly down the stairs of Tim’s apartment complex. One limping along, taking the stairs one step at a time while the dog patiently kept pace with his slow human. After Jethro finished his business they climbed back up the stairs at the same snails pace.
Tim went about his morning routine as the dog wolfed down his breakfast. The sun was just beginning to rise above horizon when he climbed down the stairs for the final time that morning and made his way to his car. The streets were mostly quiet, every now and then he would pass a family on their way to church. He made it to the shop in good time and let himself in through the back door.
The shop might not be open on Sunday, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t work to do.
Ziva was out for her morning run so Tim avoided another flight of stairs and instead headed towards his office. There was a small backlog of computers on the shelf in the corner for repairs, but Tim ignored them completely. Flopping into his desk chair he booted up his desktop and set to work screening the night’s messages.
Something had changed in Ari’s organization.
Two months ago Tim had to work hard to gain access to their cell phone records. He’d had a Technopath guarding them seemingly night and day. They couldn’t have been more than a 2nd degree, but had made up for it with sheer cleverness. But now it seemed that Technopath was gone and while Tim rejoiced at his new ease of access; he worried about what had happened to them.
It was possible that whoever it had been had worked with Ari voluntarily. If that was the case he had no reason to mourn them. But something in the way they programmed told him that wasn’t the case. They had safeguarded the records, with clever traps and firewalls. But nothing they had ever done had harmed Tim’s system.
Also they had always left a back door open. Not something that just any old hacker could stumble across. A back door that could only be found by a Technopath that could clearly see the network. Whoever they had been seemed to be just on the cusp between the 2nd and 1st degrees.
But they were gone now and the entire organization’s records were fair game to anyone brave enough to look them up. But Ari was aware of that. Every message now was sent in code, something he had no doubt developed himself. Ziva and Tim were both working to translate it but it was a time consuming task.
The second monumental task to fall on Tim’s shoulders was to determine just who was actually a part of Ari’s organization. Cell phones were registered under aliases, bought with untraceable refillable Visa cards. Suppliers purchased the cards and phones at gas stations and retail stores delivering them directly to Ari’s right hand man to distribute to the organization.
In the month off his feet Tim had been able to connect only five men to the organization. For someone used to his Gift giving him instant gratification on all technical matters being stumped by cell phones was a hard blow to Tim’s ego. But Ziva assured him that he was doing the best he could.
Ari had been trained how to stay under a Technopath’s radar.
But it stilled irked him. It felt like a slap to the face.
Tim didn’t expand his Gift, choosing instead to hack the records the ‘old fashioned way’. He sat up with excitement as the records loaded. There had been a lot of activity last night. Message after message sent out to multiple phones. He quickly copied the coded messages onto his own system and sent them to the printer.
All five of his confirmed crooks had been included in the messaging. Jimmy Napolitano, father or Ricky, had received two messages but only replied to the first. Ian Hitch, nicknamed Bulldog and owner of the Club Teaz, had received a total of seven messages and had replied to them all before sending five messages of his own to five other numbers. Tim made a record of the numbers, to run them at a later date.
René Benoit had been sent ten messages. He had replied to none and sent none. Jeffery White, one of Ari’s known suppliers, had been sent two messages. Both of which he had replied too. Ari’s right hand man, Saleem Ulman, had sent out all of the original messages.
Tim quickly shut down the system and looked over the stack of papers. Either something had happened last night or something was set to happen soon.
Tim heard the door swing open in the back. For a moment he tensed, staring out of his open office door. He’d set up everything so he couldn’t be traced, surely no one in Ari’s organization could have traced him. But then he remembered Ziva’s warning the month prior and clenched his fists tightly.
For an instant he wished he had a weapon of some sort. But Ziva insisted that owning a gun or a knife was practically useless since he didn’t know how to efficiently use either. That he was more likely to injure himself than an assailant.
For a moment the tension was almost tangible in the air. Tim sat stiffly in his chair, eyes locked on the door. Then Ziva entered and he slumped in his chair with a long drawn out sigh.
“Ziva, you scared the crap out of me!”
“Who else did you expect to walk in through the back door?”
Tim shook his head, motioning towards the stack of papers on the desk.
“I don’t know, I was looking through Ari’s phone records earlier. Thought maybe someone had traced me here.”
“Do not worry so much,” she said, stepping forward to snatch up the papers and flip through them eagerly. “I have had all of the Mossad Technopath’s attempt to trace you and none of them could.”
Tim brightened slightly at that.
“Oh really?”
Ziva smiled at him over the papers.
“Yes. Now, have you been practicing what I taught you last week?”
Sighing Tim stood.
“I have, though I don’t really understand why I need to learn to breathe. Or what yoga has to do with fighting.”
Ziva followed him out of his office then through the storage room towards the stairs.
“You are not learning to breathe. You are learning to breathe right. A runner or a fighter needs to be able to keep his breath, not be quickly winded. You must be taught how to breathe right before you can be taught to fight.”
She was still flipping through the stack of papers as then climbed they stairs. She either didn’t notice how slow Tim was going or she simply didn’t mind following the slow pace.
“And the yoga?”
“Yoga is good for building strength, as well as improving balance and agility. It will be good for you. I do not want to begin teaching you something more dangerous until your ankle is completely healed.”
When they reached the landing Tim stood to the side, allowing Ziva to step forward to unlock the door. It creaked loudly as it swung open, something it hadn’t done until Ziva moved in. After flicking on the light switch Ziva motioned him towards the practice mats. Tim limped over and began his warm up stretches.
“So what happened last night? You told me to head home before you got back in, I was worried.”
Ziva shot him a smile, looking away from the papers for the first time since she had gotten them.
“It wasn’t anything to worry about. As I was scouting around Club Teaz I heard someone trying the back door.”
Tim nodded.
“So that’s why you asked me to loop the camera?”
“Yes, one of Hitch’s girls was trying to make a run for it. I do not think she expected me to be in that alleyway, but you can never be certain. When I said I would help her she begged me to take her home. When I said I would not do that she requested to be taken to Detective Gibbs.”
Tim frowned, sitting on the mats to touch his toes.
“Was she a set up? With his gift Hitch can follow those girls he owns anywhere in the world.”
“Her terror seemed genuine. Either way I escorted her to the police station. I waited outside to see if she would flee or if Hitch would come to pick her up. After two hours neither happened so I left.”
Tim laid back on the mats, stretching his arms out over his head as dread burned at his gut.
“So, either she really worked up the courage to run and wanted the best to protect her. Or…”
He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Ziva sat the papers down on her table then joined him on the mat. Together they lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling in silence until Ziva finished what Tim hadn’t been able to say.
“Or Ari is becoming more aware of our activities against him and the activities of Detective Gibbs. He has set his dogs upon us all.”
Tim shuddered slightly, recalling to mind all the police reports, all the death Ari had caused. In the forefront of his mind was the final picture of Kate, taken just before her autopsy, with a bullet hole in her forehead. He felt Ziva’s hand reach out and he gladly took it. She shocked him when she rolled to her feet, pulling her up with him.
“No more talking! You should be practicing!”
-NCIS-
Leroy Jethro Gibbs was awake before the sun began to filter in through his large living room window. He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the sofa as he pushed the blankets away. Rubbing slowly at his face Gibbs stood, slowly making his way to the kitchen. He got the coffeepot going then leaned against the counter with a frown.
Some odd dreams last night.
Already the details were slipping away from him, but some stuck around. It seemed his eyes were always starting the same way these days. With a pair of surprised green eyes starin’ at him. Wasn’t much unusual about that in itself. He dreamed about Shannon all the time. But something in his gut made him believe these eyes weren’t his wife’s. After that though the dreams got a little hazy. Tony and Kate. Kate falling over as Ari’s bullet entered her skull. All of them rooted to the ground, unable to move. He saw Tony take a bullet as well. Then the mysterious eyes were back, clouding over in death.
Gibbs growled, low under his breath, and kicked the bottom cabinet violently. His gut was churning. Something was about to happen…or already had.
The beeping of the coffeepot brought him from his reverie and he chuckled as he poured himself a mug. His gut. The undiscovered Gift Abby liked to call it. He sat at the kitchen table, sipping the scalding drink as he tried to interpret the feeling and the dream.
Tony had green eyes. Abby also. Could it have been either of them that he saw? No, he decided. Just like he always recognized Shannon in his dreams, he usual recognized Tony and Abby as well. This was someone else.
It wasn’t until he was in the shower getting ready for the day when recognition finally struck. He didn’t recognize the face because he’d never seen the whole face! Just those big green eyes.
That vigilante. The Technopath.
It had been just over a month since Gibbs had seen him last. Tony had said the kid had probably injured himself in his foolhardy escape. Turning his face up towards the spray Gibbs let the water rinse away the soap suds.
Why was he dreamin’ about that kid almost every night? Watching his eyes go dark and lifeless. Why did he wake up, short of breath and just short of terrified? How come sometimes instead of going dark those same eyes lit up, like a fire, and he could see that cocksure smile he’d been given in the stairwell?
He turned the water off, grabbing a towel as he stepped out of the shower. It wasn’t of any use dwelling on it. The Israeli woman had seemed to get some sense. She hadn’t brought her boy out with her since he'd almost gotten captured at DWB.
Besides, he had work he needed to do.
Almost an hour later Gibbs unlocked the door to his office, a fresh coffee from the diner and an order of steak and eggs in hand. Tony wasn’t in yet, no surprise there, so he ate his breakfast as he watched ZNN news reports on the television Tony had insisted on placing in the corner. After his food was gone he sat back in his chair and checked the time. 0900. Muting the TV Gibbs picked up the phone and dialed.
“Yeah, Pacci here.”
“Hey Pacci. You busy?”
“Gibbs? Is that you? What are you up too? I hear you opened a Private Detective office.”
“Yeah I did. I’m working a case right now, need help with an ID if you’ve got the time.”
“Sure Gibbs, the girls and I are just doing a stake-out right now. Got some new leads on a cold case. Remember that Lieutenant Commander suspected of embezzling that died before his court date? We’ve finally gotten a lead on the money.”
“That’s great Pacci. Paula and Cassie should get sick of a stake-out quickly enough. That'll motivate 'em into solving the case quick." Chris chucked on the other end of the line. "When you get the time could you run some searches under the radar for me?”
“Well, so long as it doesn’t loose me my job. Man doesn’t get to Team Leader of the MCRT everday.”
“No, just the men that deserve it.”
“I don’t deserve it as much as you did Gibbs. If you hadn’t left when you did…”
“No use talking about the past Chris. I need you to run ID’s and known aliases of Mossad operatives entering the United States in the last year. Or suspected Mossad operatives.”
“Wow Gibbs, when you ask for a favor you really ask for a favor! There any particular reason you don’t want the Israeli’s to know your snooping around their people?” He paused. “ Or is it a little closer to home?”
Gibbs’ eyes narrowed.
“What makes you say that?”
“Director McCallister was screaming up in his officer the other day at the head of Cybercrimes. Apparently all the Agency Directors have caught scent of fresh blood here in D.C. CIA, FBI, NSA. Everyone has Agents on the streets of DC looking for your new ‘friend.’ But nobody mentioned it to NCIS. McCallister doesn’t like being the bottom of the ArmFed food chain.”
Gibbs felt a jolt of irritation; it appeared so quickly that it almost covered up the uneasy feeling he had.
“So word about the boy is getting around then? You have any intel on which dogs the CIA sent?”
“I’m no help to you there Gibbs. But as soon as I can I’ll look up your favor. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
The phone clicked as the call was disconnected and Gibbs laid it on his desk. So the ArmFed agencies were after the Technopath. Another good reason for the kid to stay out of the field. Because if the agencies had realized what his Gift was it was a sure bet that Ari had as well.
Ari. Gibbs felt his jaw clench tightly with anger.
It didn’t make sense to him. Why Mossad had lied wasn’t a mystery. They made a mistake somewhere. Wanted to clean up their own mess without having to reveal their dirty laundry to their allies. The woman wasn’t a mystery. She was under orders; find Ari and get rid of him. Do not contact the government or police. She had found a useful ally on her own; one Mossad was likely urging her to bring back home with her.
But Ari…Ari was a mystery.
With his Gift he could almost literally live anywhere in the world in splendor. What had brought him to Washington D.C.?
The door rattled open and Tony entered, a grief stricken woman following behind him. Gibbs resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Another cheating husband. He nodded when Tony introduced him, but otherwise pretended to be invested in his paperwork. He listened with half an ear as the nameless woman filled Tony in on the details, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.
What was Ari doing in D.C.?
-NCIS-
“Have you managed to find Kendall yet?”
Simon Frankle would have jumped almost a foot in the air if not for the firm hand on his shoulder. He hadn’t heard Ari or Saleem enter the dark room that housed Ari’s computer network. For a fearful moment he had the urge to lie, to tell his boss that he was getting close. But Saleem’s hand on his shoulder forced the truth out of him.
“Not yet Mr. Hasewari. Erin Kendall was a very powerful 2nd Degree. I’m only a 3rd Degree. I can follow her digital trail easily enough but it seems like she is always a step ahead of me.”
Ari sighed as he looked at the only Technopath he had left. The only Technopath to work for him voluntarily.
“You need to recover the plans that she stole. Without them every year spent here building my organization will have been a waste. Simon, do I need to explain to you how wasting that time would displease me?”
Simon shoot his head frantically. He had seen what had happened to Erin Kendall. Hooked up to an IV, strapped to a computer chair all day. When Ari had discovered what she had done he had pulled the IV and tossed her outside to the elements, leaving her body to die. Gulping he turned back to the computer. He couldn’t do what Kendall did. He was a 3rd degree, he couldn’t even see the network! Saleem’s hand tightened, forcing this truth out of him.
“I can’t see the network like Kendall could. Everything she did is still in the coding, but it’s possible that she hid it well enough that I’ll never be able to find it.”
Ari’s dark eyes landed on him. Simon’s blood froze with terror. He would probably be killed for that comment. Not for the first time he cursed Ari’s right hand man and his Truth Gift.
“If you are so weak Simon, why should I keep you? What is stopping me from freeing up your wages for someone more useful to me?”
Simon swallowed and turned to look his boss in the eye.
“Because I’m the only Technopath you have left. Without me it’s guaranteed you will never see those plans again.”
A smile broke across Ari’s features and Simon’s heart resumed beating again. ‘Thank God’, he thought. ‘I’ve either amused or impressed him.’ But Ari’s smile quickly turned shark-like.
“That might not be true in the near future Simon. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors just like I have. Mossad has sent my little sister here to kill me and she has found herself a new friend.”
Simon felt his eyes widen with shock. Those rumors were true? He felt his heart racing. If there was a 1st Degree Technopath in D.C. somewhere, Ari would find them. And then he would have no need for Simon Frankle.
“Already my best men and I are working out the best way to introduce myself to my sister's new friend. When he and I finally meet, I will no longer have a need for you. I might not even need those plans anymore.” Ari rested a hand on Simon’s shoulder, turning him back to the computer. “You have a new task Simon. I want you to gather as much information about my sister and her friend. If you find him for me, I might just let you live.”
Show: NCIS
Characters: Tim, Gibbs, Ziva, and Tony
Genre: AU, Drama, Slash
Rating: FR15
Pairings: Gibbs/McGee
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Challenge: The Boys Wrapped in Plot
Spoilers: Spoilers for characters up to season nine.
Summary: The word ‘Gifted’ is defined as ‘having great special talent of ability.’ But during the mid 21st Century the word gained new meaning as children were discovered to be developing psychic abilities. Tim McGee is a 1st degree technopath, he has managed to keep his gift a secret all of his life...Until Ziva David-Hadar found him.
Chapter Six
A month out of the field. Tim held his breath, gently testing his weight on the injured ankle. Ziva had determined that it wasn’t likely a bad break, although medical care had been necessary. The day after Tim’s less than graceful flight to freedom the two had driven up to a discreet clinic in Baltimore to have x-ray’s done and received a walking cast for their trouble. Now just over a month later, it was gone.
Feeling better than he had in a long time Tim put his entire weight on the ankle. He winced at the flare of pain that blossomed from the joint. But still, it was better than the harsh ache from the first week.
A cold nose nudged at his hand and he smiled at Jethro before scratching him vigorously behind the ears. The two made an interesting sight as they walked slowly down the stairs of Tim’s apartment complex. One limping along, taking the stairs one step at a time while the dog patiently kept pace with his slow human. After Jethro finished his business they climbed back up the stairs at the same snails pace.
Tim went about his morning routine as the dog wolfed down his breakfast. The sun was just beginning to rise above horizon when he climbed down the stairs for the final time that morning and made his way to his car. The streets were mostly quiet, every now and then he would pass a family on their way to church. He made it to the shop in good time and let himself in through the back door.
The shop might not be open on Sunday, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t work to do.
Ziva was out for her morning run so Tim avoided another flight of stairs and instead headed towards his office. There was a small backlog of computers on the shelf in the corner for repairs, but Tim ignored them completely. Flopping into his desk chair he booted up his desktop and set to work screening the night’s messages.
Something had changed in Ari’s organization.
Two months ago Tim had to work hard to gain access to their cell phone records. He’d had a Technopath guarding them seemingly night and day. They couldn’t have been more than a 2nd degree, but had made up for it with sheer cleverness. But now it seemed that Technopath was gone and while Tim rejoiced at his new ease of access; he worried about what had happened to them.
It was possible that whoever it had been had worked with Ari voluntarily. If that was the case he had no reason to mourn them. But something in the way they programmed told him that wasn’t the case. They had safeguarded the records, with clever traps and firewalls. But nothing they had ever done had harmed Tim’s system.
Also they had always left a back door open. Not something that just any old hacker could stumble across. A back door that could only be found by a Technopath that could clearly see the network. Whoever they had been seemed to be just on the cusp between the 2nd and 1st degrees.
But they were gone now and the entire organization’s records were fair game to anyone brave enough to look them up. But Ari was aware of that. Every message now was sent in code, something he had no doubt developed himself. Ziva and Tim were both working to translate it but it was a time consuming task.
The second monumental task to fall on Tim’s shoulders was to determine just who was actually a part of Ari’s organization. Cell phones were registered under aliases, bought with untraceable refillable Visa cards. Suppliers purchased the cards and phones at gas stations and retail stores delivering them directly to Ari’s right hand man to distribute to the organization.
In the month off his feet Tim had been able to connect only five men to the organization. For someone used to his Gift giving him instant gratification on all technical matters being stumped by cell phones was a hard blow to Tim’s ego. But Ziva assured him that he was doing the best he could.
Ari had been trained how to stay under a Technopath’s radar.
But it stilled irked him. It felt like a slap to the face.
Tim didn’t expand his Gift, choosing instead to hack the records the ‘old fashioned way’. He sat up with excitement as the records loaded. There had been a lot of activity last night. Message after message sent out to multiple phones. He quickly copied the coded messages onto his own system and sent them to the printer.
All five of his confirmed crooks had been included in the messaging. Jimmy Napolitano, father or Ricky, had received two messages but only replied to the first. Ian Hitch, nicknamed Bulldog and owner of the Club Teaz, had received a total of seven messages and had replied to them all before sending five messages of his own to five other numbers. Tim made a record of the numbers, to run them at a later date.
René Benoit had been sent ten messages. He had replied to none and sent none. Jeffery White, one of Ari’s known suppliers, had been sent two messages. Both of which he had replied too. Ari’s right hand man, Saleem Ulman, had sent out all of the original messages.
Tim quickly shut down the system and looked over the stack of papers. Either something had happened last night or something was set to happen soon.
Tim heard the door swing open in the back. For a moment he tensed, staring out of his open office door. He’d set up everything so he couldn’t be traced, surely no one in Ari’s organization could have traced him. But then he remembered Ziva’s warning the month prior and clenched his fists tightly.
For an instant he wished he had a weapon of some sort. But Ziva insisted that owning a gun or a knife was practically useless since he didn’t know how to efficiently use either. That he was more likely to injure himself than an assailant.
For a moment the tension was almost tangible in the air. Tim sat stiffly in his chair, eyes locked on the door. Then Ziva entered and he slumped in his chair with a long drawn out sigh.
“Ziva, you scared the crap out of me!”
“Who else did you expect to walk in through the back door?”
Tim shook his head, motioning towards the stack of papers on the desk.
“I don’t know, I was looking through Ari’s phone records earlier. Thought maybe someone had traced me here.”
“Do not worry so much,” she said, stepping forward to snatch up the papers and flip through them eagerly. “I have had all of the Mossad Technopath’s attempt to trace you and none of them could.”
Tim brightened slightly at that.
“Oh really?”
Ziva smiled at him over the papers.
“Yes. Now, have you been practicing what I taught you last week?”
Sighing Tim stood.
“I have, though I don’t really understand why I need to learn to breathe. Or what yoga has to do with fighting.”
Ziva followed him out of his office then through the storage room towards the stairs.
“You are not learning to breathe. You are learning to breathe right. A runner or a fighter needs to be able to keep his breath, not be quickly winded. You must be taught how to breathe right before you can be taught to fight.”
She was still flipping through the stack of papers as then climbed they stairs. She either didn’t notice how slow Tim was going or she simply didn’t mind following the slow pace.
“And the yoga?”
“Yoga is good for building strength, as well as improving balance and agility. It will be good for you. I do not want to begin teaching you something more dangerous until your ankle is completely healed.”
When they reached the landing Tim stood to the side, allowing Ziva to step forward to unlock the door. It creaked loudly as it swung open, something it hadn’t done until Ziva moved in. After flicking on the light switch Ziva motioned him towards the practice mats. Tim limped over and began his warm up stretches.
“So what happened last night? You told me to head home before you got back in, I was worried.”
Ziva shot him a smile, looking away from the papers for the first time since she had gotten them.
“It wasn’t anything to worry about. As I was scouting around Club Teaz I heard someone trying the back door.”
Tim nodded.
“So that’s why you asked me to loop the camera?”
“Yes, one of Hitch’s girls was trying to make a run for it. I do not think she expected me to be in that alleyway, but you can never be certain. When I said I would help her she begged me to take her home. When I said I would not do that she requested to be taken to Detective Gibbs.”
Tim frowned, sitting on the mats to touch his toes.
“Was she a set up? With his gift Hitch can follow those girls he owns anywhere in the world.”
“Her terror seemed genuine. Either way I escorted her to the police station. I waited outside to see if she would flee or if Hitch would come to pick her up. After two hours neither happened so I left.”
Tim laid back on the mats, stretching his arms out over his head as dread burned at his gut.
“So, either she really worked up the courage to run and wanted the best to protect her. Or…”
He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Ziva sat the papers down on her table then joined him on the mat. Together they lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling in silence until Ziva finished what Tim hadn’t been able to say.
“Or Ari is becoming more aware of our activities against him and the activities of Detective Gibbs. He has set his dogs upon us all.”
Tim shuddered slightly, recalling to mind all the police reports, all the death Ari had caused. In the forefront of his mind was the final picture of Kate, taken just before her autopsy, with a bullet hole in her forehead. He felt Ziva’s hand reach out and he gladly took it. She shocked him when she rolled to her feet, pulling her up with him.
“No more talking! You should be practicing!”
-NCIS-
Leroy Jethro Gibbs was awake before the sun began to filter in through his large living room window. He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the sofa as he pushed the blankets away. Rubbing slowly at his face Gibbs stood, slowly making his way to the kitchen. He got the coffeepot going then leaned against the counter with a frown.
Some odd dreams last night.
Already the details were slipping away from him, but some stuck around. It seemed his eyes were always starting the same way these days. With a pair of surprised green eyes starin’ at him. Wasn’t much unusual about that in itself. He dreamed about Shannon all the time. But something in his gut made him believe these eyes weren’t his wife’s. After that though the dreams got a little hazy. Tony and Kate. Kate falling over as Ari’s bullet entered her skull. All of them rooted to the ground, unable to move. He saw Tony take a bullet as well. Then the mysterious eyes were back, clouding over in death.
Gibbs growled, low under his breath, and kicked the bottom cabinet violently. His gut was churning. Something was about to happen…or already had.
The beeping of the coffeepot brought him from his reverie and he chuckled as he poured himself a mug. His gut. The undiscovered Gift Abby liked to call it. He sat at the kitchen table, sipping the scalding drink as he tried to interpret the feeling and the dream.
Tony had green eyes. Abby also. Could it have been either of them that he saw? No, he decided. Just like he always recognized Shannon in his dreams, he usual recognized Tony and Abby as well. This was someone else.
It wasn’t until he was in the shower getting ready for the day when recognition finally struck. He didn’t recognize the face because he’d never seen the whole face! Just those big green eyes.
That vigilante. The Technopath.
It had been just over a month since Gibbs had seen him last. Tony had said the kid had probably injured himself in his foolhardy escape. Turning his face up towards the spray Gibbs let the water rinse away the soap suds.
Why was he dreamin’ about that kid almost every night? Watching his eyes go dark and lifeless. Why did he wake up, short of breath and just short of terrified? How come sometimes instead of going dark those same eyes lit up, like a fire, and he could see that cocksure smile he’d been given in the stairwell?
He turned the water off, grabbing a towel as he stepped out of the shower. It wasn’t of any use dwelling on it. The Israeli woman had seemed to get some sense. She hadn’t brought her boy out with her since he'd almost gotten captured at DWB.
Besides, he had work he needed to do.
Almost an hour later Gibbs unlocked the door to his office, a fresh coffee from the diner and an order of steak and eggs in hand. Tony wasn’t in yet, no surprise there, so he ate his breakfast as he watched ZNN news reports on the television Tony had insisted on placing in the corner. After his food was gone he sat back in his chair and checked the time. 0900. Muting the TV Gibbs picked up the phone and dialed.
“Yeah, Pacci here.”
“Hey Pacci. You busy?”
“Gibbs? Is that you? What are you up too? I hear you opened a Private Detective office.”
“Yeah I did. I’m working a case right now, need help with an ID if you’ve got the time.”
“Sure Gibbs, the girls and I are just doing a stake-out right now. Got some new leads on a cold case. Remember that Lieutenant Commander suspected of embezzling that died before his court date? We’ve finally gotten a lead on the money.”
“That’s great Pacci. Paula and Cassie should get sick of a stake-out quickly enough. That'll motivate 'em into solving the case quick." Chris chucked on the other end of the line. "When you get the time could you run some searches under the radar for me?”
“Well, so long as it doesn’t loose me my job. Man doesn’t get to Team Leader of the MCRT everday.”
“No, just the men that deserve it.”
“I don’t deserve it as much as you did Gibbs. If you hadn’t left when you did…”
“No use talking about the past Chris. I need you to run ID’s and known aliases of Mossad operatives entering the United States in the last year. Or suspected Mossad operatives.”
“Wow Gibbs, when you ask for a favor you really ask for a favor! There any particular reason you don’t want the Israeli’s to know your snooping around their people?” He paused. “ Or is it a little closer to home?”
Gibbs’ eyes narrowed.
“What makes you say that?”
“Director McCallister was screaming up in his officer the other day at the head of Cybercrimes. Apparently all the Agency Directors have caught scent of fresh blood here in D.C. CIA, FBI, NSA. Everyone has Agents on the streets of DC looking for your new ‘friend.’ But nobody mentioned it to NCIS. McCallister doesn’t like being the bottom of the ArmFed food chain.”
Gibbs felt a jolt of irritation; it appeared so quickly that it almost covered up the uneasy feeling he had.
“So word about the boy is getting around then? You have any intel on which dogs the CIA sent?”
“I’m no help to you there Gibbs. But as soon as I can I’ll look up your favor. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
The phone clicked as the call was disconnected and Gibbs laid it on his desk. So the ArmFed agencies were after the Technopath. Another good reason for the kid to stay out of the field. Because if the agencies had realized what his Gift was it was a sure bet that Ari had as well.
Ari. Gibbs felt his jaw clench tightly with anger.
It didn’t make sense to him. Why Mossad had lied wasn’t a mystery. They made a mistake somewhere. Wanted to clean up their own mess without having to reveal their dirty laundry to their allies. The woman wasn’t a mystery. She was under orders; find Ari and get rid of him. Do not contact the government or police. She had found a useful ally on her own; one Mossad was likely urging her to bring back home with her.
But Ari…Ari was a mystery.
With his Gift he could almost literally live anywhere in the world in splendor. What had brought him to Washington D.C.?
The door rattled open and Tony entered, a grief stricken woman following behind him. Gibbs resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Another cheating husband. He nodded when Tony introduced him, but otherwise pretended to be invested in his paperwork. He listened with half an ear as the nameless woman filled Tony in on the details, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.
What was Ari doing in D.C.?
-NCIS-
“Have you managed to find Kendall yet?”
Simon Frankle would have jumped almost a foot in the air if not for the firm hand on his shoulder. He hadn’t heard Ari or Saleem enter the dark room that housed Ari’s computer network. For a fearful moment he had the urge to lie, to tell his boss that he was getting close. But Saleem’s hand on his shoulder forced the truth out of him.
“Not yet Mr. Hasewari. Erin Kendall was a very powerful 2nd Degree. I’m only a 3rd Degree. I can follow her digital trail easily enough but it seems like she is always a step ahead of me.”
Ari sighed as he looked at the only Technopath he had left. The only Technopath to work for him voluntarily.
“You need to recover the plans that she stole. Without them every year spent here building my organization will have been a waste. Simon, do I need to explain to you how wasting that time would displease me?”
Simon shoot his head frantically. He had seen what had happened to Erin Kendall. Hooked up to an IV, strapped to a computer chair all day. When Ari had discovered what she had done he had pulled the IV and tossed her outside to the elements, leaving her body to die. Gulping he turned back to the computer. He couldn’t do what Kendall did. He was a 3rd degree, he couldn’t even see the network! Saleem’s hand tightened, forcing this truth out of him.
“I can’t see the network like Kendall could. Everything she did is still in the coding, but it’s possible that she hid it well enough that I’ll never be able to find it.”
Ari’s dark eyes landed on him. Simon’s blood froze with terror. He would probably be killed for that comment. Not for the first time he cursed Ari’s right hand man and his Truth Gift.
“If you are so weak Simon, why should I keep you? What is stopping me from freeing up your wages for someone more useful to me?”
Simon swallowed and turned to look his boss in the eye.
“Because I’m the only Technopath you have left. Without me it’s guaranteed you will never see those plans again.”
A smile broke across Ari’s features and Simon’s heart resumed beating again. ‘Thank God’, he thought. ‘I’ve either amused or impressed him.’ But Ari’s smile quickly turned shark-like.
“That might not be true in the near future Simon. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors just like I have. Mossad has sent my little sister here to kill me and she has found herself a new friend.”
Simon felt his eyes widen with shock. Those rumors were true? He felt his heart racing. If there was a 1st Degree Technopath in D.C. somewhere, Ari would find them. And then he would have no need for Simon Frankle.
“Already my best men and I are working out the best way to introduce myself to my sister's new friend. When he and I finally meet, I will no longer have a need for you. I might not even need those plans anymore.” Ari rested a hand on Simon’s shoulder, turning him back to the computer. “You have a new task Simon. I want you to gather as much information about my sister and her friend. If you find him for me, I might just let you live.”