NCIS: "Remover of Obstacles"
.
Title: Remover Of Obstacles
Author: Keenir
Written for: 36 Stratagems.
Prompt: 22. Shut the door to catch the thief. To capture your enemy, or more generally in fighting wars, to deliver the final blow to your enemy, you must plan prudently if you want to succeed. Do not rush into action. Cut off your enemy's escape routes, and cut off any routes through which outside help can reach them.
Fandoms: NCIS
Characters/Pairings: Michelle Lee, Tony DiNozzo, Jenny Sheppard, Gibbs,
Rating: PG-13
Thanks to my beta, Pygmymuse.
…any remaining errors are entirely my own, made after the beta-reading.
Summary: Anthony DiNozzo, and how he got rid of any potential barrier (or speed bump) to taking down the guy who was holding Agent Lee’s kid hostage.
References:
“begin at the beginning…and continue until the end” - Arabian Nights (2000)
“with the Ring” - The Lord of the Rings (2001), or The Ring (2002)
“Numb3rs” - Numb3rs
"Superman" - Superman (1978)
And not really Ride of the Yoga Valrykies (but Tony can dream)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anthony DiNozzo looked across the café table to where he’d sat Michelle Lee down, where she still sat, silent as the grave.
“If you’re worried about being overheard,” he said, “don’t worry - this is as crowded as it ever gets here.” It was the two of them, a waitress and a diner in a far corner, and the cook behind the counter. The place was built for thirty with lots of elbow room, sixty if everyone was a friend.
Agent Lee looked at him. “I appreciate -” she started to say, stopping when Tony lifted one hand, palm facing her. Lee looked at him questioningly.
To Tony, opening a sentence with ‘I appreciate’ never ended well. “I’m just doing what I can, little lady. And whether it was O’Toole or Sharif who said it, all I ask is that you begin at the beginning and continue until the end.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Michelle said.
“This is where Gibbs would slam the desk,” Tony commented. Never heard you BS before, Lee. You’re not good at it. Then again, for most people, that’s a good thing.
“You’re not Gibbs.”
“This is true,” he agreed, and waited patiently.
It all came out, in time: the daughter - Amanda - and the predicament, the blackmail, the ugly choice she’d been facing for three months now: familial loyalty or allegiance to her job. Not a decision I’d like to make, Tony thought to himself.
I take back that bit about you not being able to BS, Lee, Tony thought. You did pretty good these last three months.
Waitaminute. Gibbs’ gut senses trouble in five minutes or less. What gives?
“Consider me on the case,” Tony said to Michelle.
“You don’t have to -” she said weakly, like she didn’t really want to change his mind, but felt at least a token opposition gave some choice.
“Want to,” he said.
“Even with all your other duties?” she asked, watching him cautiously.
“Even with,” he agreed.
“I’ll help,” she said quickly, seizing his offer like a life preserver. “Schedule organizing, you name it!”
Tony smiled, having already in his mind drawn up lines as to what he would and wouldn’t ask. “Much appreciated.”
~~~
Tony DiNozzo watched incognito as Michelle Lee deposited her packet of information and, half a piddly cup of coffee later, some guy came over to take the packet with him. Alright, Tony thought to himself, where’re you going?
The packet-picker-upper man didn’t even stay long enough for a biscotti - just turned and left so fast you’d swear Wagner’s Valrykies were behind the Counter with the Ring.
Tony folded his paper, left a tip under his coffee cup, and discretely followed him, looking no different than a dozen other well-dressed gentlemen walking in this direction on this sidewalk.
The picker eventually reached his car and got in, and drove off. But by that point, Agent DiNozzo already had his plate numbers.
~~~
“You wanted to see me, Director?” DiNozzo asked.
“I did,” Jenny replied. “Does your recent license plate search pertain to one of your cases - in which case, why didn’t you inform Gibbs - or to your assignment, in which case, when were you going to inform me?”
“My assignment, sort of,” he said.
“Explain.”
“I was out with Jeanne, when I got the feeling we were being followed. So, once Jeanne was securely at our destination,” it was a restaurant, that night, in case he was asked, “I excused myself and trailed him to his car.”
“Any connection to La Grenouille or anyone else?”
“No ma’am. False alarm.” Tony hesitated, deliberately. “I could bring him in, but…”
Jenny knew what dangled at the end of that participle - and he knew that she knew: Gibbs would want to know what the guy was being questioned about, and might even break him out.
“No,” Jenny said. “You did the right thing, Tony.”
I know I did.
~~~
Tony knew it was only a matter of time before Gibbs asked about that search, and he had an answer ready: “I saw something - don’t think it was on Numb3rs, though - that said if you randomly generate a string of numbers, the result’ll either be meaninglessness, or it’ll have something to do with the man who’ll one day kill you.”
Ziva or McGee would’ve laughed, told him to get a life - oh, the irony - and cut down on the amounts of tv and movies.
Gibbs just smiled and, as he walked away, told DiNozzo that, “It’s rarely that easy to find the bullet with your name on it.”
“Absolutely, boss!” Tony said. Under his breath, “It’s not the one with my name on it I’m worried about.”
~~~
Tony was prepared, knowing what was coming. He had a Caf-Pow; he figured he was safe enough when the questions came, and come they did. It was Abby, after all. She looked up from her computer and turned on him. He was actually afraid of her for a second. "Tony! You've been holding out on me. You're breaking rule number one! What is all this, and why haven't you told me about it?"
"Gave my word, Abs. But I need your help." He offered her the drink, and she took it, watching him suspiciously. Eyeing the envelope containing hair samples.
"With what?"
He handed her the evidence, telling her what he knew, or at least as much of it as he could tell her. When he reached the part involving the license plate searches, Abby interrupted him: “I knew you did that.”
I know you did.
“But what I couldn’t figure out was why,” Abby said, only an inch away from her pacing-and-talking routine. “I mean you didn’t tell me, Tony. What’s this about?”
“I’ll tell you everything, Abs, once this is closed,” Tony promised. When it’s over and done. Because, no offense, but you can’t keep a secret from Gibbs. And for now, Gibbs and Jenny can’t know. I got this.
That seemed satisfactory to her. She went to the keyboard and started searches he knew nothing about, stopping only to take another drink.
“One other thing,” Tony said.
“What’s that?” Abby asked, her fingers never slowing their superhuman speed.
“I want you to call Agent Sacks over at the FBI, when you’re done,” Tony told her, emphasizing that part, “and tell him everything you’ve found, and everything I’ve just told you.”
“Sacks?” Abby repeated.
Tony nodded.
Those long fingers stopped with a speed that would turn Superman green with envy. “The FBI agent who was tracking Ziva?”
“Yeah, him.”
“The guy who tried to throw you in prison?”
“I know who he is, Abs, and I appreciate your concern…but you said yourself that this bad guy’s in the FBI’s ballpark more than ours.”
Abby soaked in that accidental slip of ‘more than ours’ but said nothing - Tony would talk if he felt like it, later.
And Tony knew Abby was good at demanding a reckoning, and getting an accounting.
~~~
Tony DiNardo was having lunch at an outdoor bistro with Jeanne, when the FBI came calling.
“Step away, please,” Sacks said to Jeanne as he got out of his car, as his partner grabbed Tony. “FBI.”
“There a problem here?” Tony asked as he was cuffed.
“You’re going to come with us,” Sacks said. “This might be a false positive,” he said; Tony suspected it was more for Jeanne’s benefit. Thanks, Abbs, Tony thought.
“Don’t worry,” Tony told Jeanne. Don’t worry. He’d heard it more than a few times himself, as a cop and in NCIS.
Sacks chose then to lift him from his partner, pulling DiNozzo away from Jeanne.
“You do realize I’m going to have to take you in, right?” FBI Agent Sacks told him.
Tony nodded. “Fair enough. DiNozzo or DiNardo?”
“You’re undercover,” Sacks said. “DiNardo. But your real file’s going to have a note of this.” You caught and detained a man who escaped Federal custody, almost killing him. Not bad.
Tony shrugged. Unavoidable. “Just doing my part, Sacks.” My part in a lot of things. Like how, if you arrest me, that might prompt The Frog to move, which helps my assignment. And no matter what happens now, Amanda Lee’s safe and sound. Chivalry my pop would be proud of.
“Come on,” Sacks tells Tony, opening his car door and forcing him in. “One more thing, Tony.”
“Yeah?” DiNozzo asks, seeing Jeanne outside, watching all this. Wonder if she thinks I’m one of her dad’s minions - that’d be a twist.
“Good work on the kid. She's safe and with family."
That’s what I’m here for. “Thanks.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End
Title: Remover Of Obstacles
Author: Keenir
Written for: 36 Stratagems.
Prompt: 22. Shut the door to catch the thief. To capture your enemy, or more generally in fighting wars, to deliver the final blow to your enemy, you must plan prudently if you want to succeed. Do not rush into action. Cut off your enemy's escape routes, and cut off any routes through which outside help can reach them.
Fandoms: NCIS
Characters/Pairings: Michelle Lee, Tony DiNozzo, Jenny Sheppard, Gibbs,
Rating: PG-13
Thanks to my beta, Pygmymuse.
…any remaining errors are entirely my own, made after the beta-reading.
Summary: Anthony DiNozzo, and how he got rid of any potential barrier (or speed bump) to taking down the guy who was holding Agent Lee’s kid hostage.
References:
“begin at the beginning…and continue until the end” - Arabian Nights (2000)
“with the Ring” - The Lord of the Rings (2001), or The Ring (2002)
“Numb3rs” - Numb3rs
"Superman" - Superman (1978)
And not really Ride of the Yoga Valrykies (but Tony can dream)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anthony DiNozzo looked across the café table to where he’d sat Michelle Lee down, where she still sat, silent as the grave.
“If you’re worried about being overheard,” he said, “don’t worry - this is as crowded as it ever gets here.” It was the two of them, a waitress and a diner in a far corner, and the cook behind the counter. The place was built for thirty with lots of elbow room, sixty if everyone was a friend.
Agent Lee looked at him. “I appreciate -” she started to say, stopping when Tony lifted one hand, palm facing her. Lee looked at him questioningly.
To Tony, opening a sentence with ‘I appreciate’ never ended well. “I’m just doing what I can, little lady. And whether it was O’Toole or Sharif who said it, all I ask is that you begin at the beginning and continue until the end.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Michelle said.
“This is where Gibbs would slam the desk,” Tony commented. Never heard you BS before, Lee. You’re not good at it. Then again, for most people, that’s a good thing.
“You’re not Gibbs.”
“This is true,” he agreed, and waited patiently.
It all came out, in time: the daughter - Amanda - and the predicament, the blackmail, the ugly choice she’d been facing for three months now: familial loyalty or allegiance to her job. Not a decision I’d like to make, Tony thought to himself.
I take back that bit about you not being able to BS, Lee, Tony thought. You did pretty good these last three months.
Waitaminute. Gibbs’ gut senses trouble in five minutes or less. What gives?
“Consider me on the case,” Tony said to Michelle.
“You don’t have to -” she said weakly, like she didn’t really want to change his mind, but felt at least a token opposition gave some choice.
“Want to,” he said.
“Even with all your other duties?” she asked, watching him cautiously.
“Even with,” he agreed.
“I’ll help,” she said quickly, seizing his offer like a life preserver. “Schedule organizing, you name it!”
Tony smiled, having already in his mind drawn up lines as to what he would and wouldn’t ask. “Much appreciated.”
~~~
Tony DiNozzo watched incognito as Michelle Lee deposited her packet of information and, half a piddly cup of coffee later, some guy came over to take the packet with him. Alright, Tony thought to himself, where’re you going?
The packet-picker-upper man didn’t even stay long enough for a biscotti - just turned and left so fast you’d swear Wagner’s Valrykies were behind the Counter with the Ring.
Tony folded his paper, left a tip under his coffee cup, and discretely followed him, looking no different than a dozen other well-dressed gentlemen walking in this direction on this sidewalk.
The picker eventually reached his car and got in, and drove off. But by that point, Agent DiNozzo already had his plate numbers.
~~~
“You wanted to see me, Director?” DiNozzo asked.
“I did,” Jenny replied. “Does your recent license plate search pertain to one of your cases - in which case, why didn’t you inform Gibbs - or to your assignment, in which case, when were you going to inform me?”
“My assignment, sort of,” he said.
“Explain.”
“I was out with Jeanne, when I got the feeling we were being followed. So, once Jeanne was securely at our destination,” it was a restaurant, that night, in case he was asked, “I excused myself and trailed him to his car.”
“Any connection to La Grenouille or anyone else?”
“No ma’am. False alarm.” Tony hesitated, deliberately. “I could bring him in, but…”
Jenny knew what dangled at the end of that participle - and he knew that she knew: Gibbs would want to know what the guy was being questioned about, and might even break him out.
“No,” Jenny said. “You did the right thing, Tony.”
I know I did.
~~~
Tony knew it was only a matter of time before Gibbs asked about that search, and he had an answer ready: “I saw something - don’t think it was on Numb3rs, though - that said if you randomly generate a string of numbers, the result’ll either be meaninglessness, or it’ll have something to do with the man who’ll one day kill you.”
Ziva or McGee would’ve laughed, told him to get a life - oh, the irony - and cut down on the amounts of tv and movies.
Gibbs just smiled and, as he walked away, told DiNozzo that, “It’s rarely that easy to find the bullet with your name on it.”
“Absolutely, boss!” Tony said. Under his breath, “It’s not the one with my name on it I’m worried about.”
~~~
Tony was prepared, knowing what was coming. He had a Caf-Pow; he figured he was safe enough when the questions came, and come they did. It was Abby, after all. She looked up from her computer and turned on him. He was actually afraid of her for a second. "Tony! You've been holding out on me. You're breaking rule number one! What is all this, and why haven't you told me about it?"
"Gave my word, Abs. But I need your help." He offered her the drink, and she took it, watching him suspiciously. Eyeing the envelope containing hair samples.
"With what?"
He handed her the evidence, telling her what he knew, or at least as much of it as he could tell her. When he reached the part involving the license plate searches, Abby interrupted him: “I knew you did that.”
I know you did.
“But what I couldn’t figure out was why,” Abby said, only an inch away from her pacing-and-talking routine. “I mean you didn’t tell me, Tony. What’s this about?”
“I’ll tell you everything, Abs, once this is closed,” Tony promised. When it’s over and done. Because, no offense, but you can’t keep a secret from Gibbs. And for now, Gibbs and Jenny can’t know. I got this.
That seemed satisfactory to her. She went to the keyboard and started searches he knew nothing about, stopping only to take another drink.
“One other thing,” Tony said.
“What’s that?” Abby asked, her fingers never slowing their superhuman speed.
“I want you to call Agent Sacks over at the FBI, when you’re done,” Tony told her, emphasizing that part, “and tell him everything you’ve found, and everything I’ve just told you.”
“Sacks?” Abby repeated.
Tony nodded.
Those long fingers stopped with a speed that would turn Superman green with envy. “The FBI agent who was tracking Ziva?”
“Yeah, him.”
“The guy who tried to throw you in prison?”
“I know who he is, Abs, and I appreciate your concern…but you said yourself that this bad guy’s in the FBI’s ballpark more than ours.”
Abby soaked in that accidental slip of ‘more than ours’ but said nothing - Tony would talk if he felt like it, later.
And Tony knew Abby was good at demanding a reckoning, and getting an accounting.
~~~
Tony DiNardo was having lunch at an outdoor bistro with Jeanne, when the FBI came calling.
“Step away, please,” Sacks said to Jeanne as he got out of his car, as his partner grabbed Tony. “FBI.”
“There a problem here?” Tony asked as he was cuffed.
“You’re going to come with us,” Sacks said. “This might be a false positive,” he said; Tony suspected it was more for Jeanne’s benefit. Thanks, Abbs, Tony thought.
“Don’t worry,” Tony told Jeanne. Don’t worry. He’d heard it more than a few times himself, as a cop and in NCIS.
Sacks chose then to lift him from his partner, pulling DiNozzo away from Jeanne.
“You do realize I’m going to have to take you in, right?” FBI Agent Sacks told him.
Tony nodded. “Fair enough. DiNozzo or DiNardo?”
“You’re undercover,” Sacks said. “DiNardo. But your real file’s going to have a note of this.” You caught and detained a man who escaped Federal custody, almost killing him. Not bad.
Tony shrugged. Unavoidable. “Just doing my part, Sacks.” My part in a lot of things. Like how, if you arrest me, that might prompt The Frog to move, which helps my assignment. And no matter what happens now, Amanda Lee’s safe and sound. Chivalry my pop would be proud of.
“Come on,” Sacks tells Tony, opening his car door and forcing him in. “One more thing, Tony.”
“Yeah?” DiNozzo asks, seeing Jeanne outside, watching all this. Wonder if she thinks I’m one of her dad’s minions - that’d be a twist.
“Good work on the kid. She's safe and with family."
That’s what I’m here for. “Thanks.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End