Coffee! I need caffine! I seem to live off coffee, but I'm obviously not the only one. It does keep me awake, but its better than Red Bull, it'll only kill me slowly, or something like that. I dunno and I don't really care. I am on a caffine low and I think I know what to do about it, it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist does it?

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs stepped off the last of the steps on the staircase and walked into the empty bullpen. He glanced at the clock, remembering he'd let his team leave at the reasonable hour of half six. It had been a slow week. Hell, it had been a slow month! Just paperwork and sometimes nothing to do at all. It was an odd thought to think that even DiNozzo didn't have any paperwork left. They'd been leafing through cold cases, trying to find something to occupy them. No luck so far.

Gibbs walked over to his desk and sat down before he noticed the cup of coffee gently steaming in front of him. That was odd, he hadn't gotten it, he'd been in MTAC for the past hour or so. He pulled the Starbucks cup towards him and unclipped the lip. Black from the smell and the look. Looking slightly like drainage water without the lumps. Gibbs took a look around the bullpen. Yep, definatly empty. It was still hot, so it couldn't have been sitting there long.

He put it down carefully, pushing it into the trash bin. Mystery cups of coffee appearing out of the blie weren't something to just drink. Anything could happen to a cup of coffee in an hour.

Gibbs forgot about the mysterious cup of coffee, powered down his computer and left NCIS Headquarters.
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Special Agent Caitlin Todd waited for the elevators to ping open and made her way to her desk. The first thing she noticed was the steaming cup of coffee sitting on the egde of her desk. She glanced at the three other empty desks. She shrugged, thinking someone had come in early. It wasn't unusual for Tim to bring a cup of coffee in from the Starbucks down the road. He didn't usually bring one in for Gibbs, who seemed to visit the Starbucks a few dozen times a day.

Kate seated herself behind her desk and picked up the warm Starbucks cup and took a drink. Exactly how she usually drank it. How thoughtful. She fired up her computer, ready for another dull day of searching through cold case files.

Special Agent Timothy McGee was next to step out of the elevator and make his way across the bullpen to his desk. The cup of coffee on his desk was a pleasant suprise. He raised his eyes to see Kate engrossed in yet another paper file of a file that had been closed some time ago.
"Thanks Kate." He called over, picking up the coffee cup and taking a taste. He didn't really think to ask just how Kate knew how he took his coffee. Kate looked up from her file.
"For what?"
"The coffee." Tim replied, indicating the cup in his hand. She frowned.
"I thought you got them."

Both looked down at the cups of coffee just as the next member of the team entered, setting his bag down on the floor next to the chair. Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo seated himself on said chair and picked up the Starbucks cup of coffee. He swallowed the first mouthful and grinned.
"Which of you angels do I have to thank for the coffee?" He asked, looking from Tim to Kate and back again. They both turned to him.
"Neither." Kate replied, looking down at her own coffee. Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Well it had tp be one of you, because I doubt Gibbs would do it."
"Do what? DiNozzo?" Gibbs entered, unheard and unseen from behind and sat down behind his desk.
"Morning boss." Tony replied, picking up another of the case files.

Gibbs looked across his desk at the Starbucks cup on every desk. Kate ventured forward.
"You didn't get the coffees did you?"
"Nope." Gibbs replied not looking up from the piece of paper on his desk.
"Then who did?" Tim wondered allowed, voicing everyones thoughts at the moment.
"The Coffee Angel." Tony replied, recieving a look with raised eyebrows from the rest of the team.

The Forensic Scientist at NCIS fiddled with one of her pigtails, looking at her computer screen as it flashed back and forth with pictures of different poisenous animals. Frogs, snakes, spiders, anything really. She'd only just got in and hadn't exactly been concentrating. It had just been thought it was a rather dull day. Abby looked up as the door to her lab was opened and more people than she'd seen in hours and hours walked in. She stood up, her twin pigtails bouncing.

"What you got for me Gibbs?" She asked excitedly, looking to see an evidence bag.

"Coffee." Abby watched the four team members all put down identical Starbucks coffee cups.
"We have a Coffee Angel." Tony answered her unasked question before she'd had time to voice it.
"Drops them off in the mornings." Kate continued. "Gibbs wants to know whats in them."
"Except coffee?" Abby turned.

Well it was something to do. The team trailed out after their leader leaving Abby with two half full cups of coffee and two hardly touched ones. As she pulled the chair she hadn't used that morning towards her, she noticed the familiar red and white label. She hadn't seen Gibbs carrying a Caf Pow, but the ex-marine had strange ways of turning up and placing things without anyone noticing. She smiled to herself and started testing the coffee.
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Gibbs walked into Autopsy where Doctor Donald Mallard and his young assistant Jimmy Palmer were looking over a body. A John Doe from the local police. The body had been found in a park half a mile away in civillian clothes. Nothing to expect he was a Petty Officer, so the local polcie had taken the investigation. It was only after they'd finished that they found out the guy was Petty Officer. They'd given the body to NCIS, but the case had been given to another team.

"Ah, Jethro." Ducky's clear cut English accent greeted the Ex-Marine.
"Morning, Duck." He replied, looking over the body of the young Officer.
"What brings you down here?" the ME asked turned to Gibbs whilst Jimmy started putting the body into one of the large freezers.
"Recieved any coffee this morning?" Gibbs asked, recieving some raised eyebrows.

"As a matter of fact I have not, but Mr. Palmer had one when he came in this morning." He glanced over to the assisstant, his back to the two talking. He didn't seem as if he'd heard.
"Where is it?"
"What?"
"The coffee?"
"I believe Mr. Palmer drank it." Ducky replied, frowning. What else were you supposed to do with a cup of coffee.
"Palmer, who gave you the coffee?" The young ME's assisstant jumped and turned around to face Gibbs and Ducky.
"Sorry, Agent Gibbs?" He stuttered.
"Who gave you the coffee, Palmer?"
"I...It was...just on the side over there." He indicated the desk. Gibbs turned, but the desk was empty.
"You finished it?"
"Ye...yes, sir." Jimmy looked at Ducky as if in help. He didn't need to as Gibbs turned on his heel and walked out of Autopsy, heading back up the the bullpen.

Abby didn't turn as Gibbs entered.
"I know you're there." She said with a cheerful smile.
"What you got for me Abs?" Gibbs asked, placing the Caf-Pow down on her desk.
"Its only been an hour, I haven't finished the first one!" Gibbs raised his eyebrows. Well that was a bit slow for Abby.
"But I can have another one, I don't mind." This time Gibbs looked at Abby with slight confusion. They weren't thinking about that same thing.
"What?"
"The Caf-Pow! I haven't finished the first one you gave me." Gibbs raised his eyebrows again.
"What?" It was Abby's turn to ask as Gibbs stared at her.
"I haven't brought you another one, this morning Abs." They both turned to look at the red and white object on the table in front of Abby's computer.

Gibbs picked up the phone beside Abby's computer and pressed one of the speed dials. Kate answered after the first ring.
"Todd."
"Kate, get the camera footage for this morning and last night." He instructed before hanging up.
"Sure Gi-" Abby looked at her boss leaving, calling behind him.
"Call me if you have anything Abs."
"Does he even have to ask?" She muttered before moving back to her computer.
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Kate, Tim and Tony were all gathered around the large screen oppersite Gibbs desk when the man himself walked out of the elevator. He had a cup of coffee in his hand. Tony eyed it.
"You still trust Starbucks. The Coffee Angel could work there." This received a blank stare from his boss. Tony muttered something and turned back to the screen.
"What you got?" Gibbs looked over Kate's shoulder at the screen.
"From last night until this morning no-one comes in or out except the cleaner, but he doesn't leave anything resembling coffee. Further on at 0722 theres a flicker on the tape but nothing else happens. At 0729 there's another stutter of static on the tape and there appears these coffee cups."

Gibbs took a minute of staring at the screen, fast forwarding through the hours. Kate arrived, then Tim and then Tony within a few seconds of each other. A few seconds on the tape anyway. Then he himself arrived and he knew what had happened after that.
"My guess would be that it was put on a loop." Tony broke through the silence.
"You think DiNozzo. Find out who was on duty at the times of the static change."
"On it boss." Tony replied, moving to his desk and calling the security survaillence officer.

Gibbs moved back to his desk, sitting down just as Tony put down the phone.
"They always change over the guy watching the tapes at 0530, so there were two in the space of the run, but he said there was always someone sitting and watching. But, apparently the camera always flickers somewhere around 0730. something about a short circit." He shrugged as Gibbs looked away from him.
"Someone would have to know when the cameras flickered and how long they had." Kate mused.
"But the times the circit shorts isn't always the same." Tony cut into her line of thought. "He also said it does it a lot throughout the day. Just something to do with the camera."

Gibbs phone rang to break the silence in the bullpen as the agents tried to think.
"Yeah, Gibbs." He answered. "Where...How can you not know?"
"Car crash, half way up Highway 72." A voice came from the corridor where the elevator met the floor. Tony, Tim and Kate looked up at the new arrival. Gibbs finished his phone call and stood up.
"Highway-"
"72?" Kate, Tim and Tony said together, looking over at Gibbs. If Gibbs was suprised he didn't show it.
"And what has happened?"
"Car crash, killed two Petty Officers and a Captain, tires were slashed." The voice that had been edging closer and Gibbs hadn't yet looked up at replied. Gibbs' pale blue eyes looked into two bright brown ones. The long brown hair was swept back in a loose pony-tail that she brushed over her shoulder.
"Anyone for coffee?"

Madisyn Kyran didn't even bother taking off the long green coat that reached down to her ankles.

"I presume you all have a reason for not moving." She asked with raised eyebrows.
"Madisyn, what brings you here."
"Well, lets just say its now Special Agent Madisyn Kyran." She replied with a smile. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder and looked meaningfully towards Kate and Tony's packs beside their desks.

"Not in a hurry?"
"McGee, call Ducky. Get the truck." Gibbs picked up the keys and threw them to Tony. He caught them against his chest and picked up his pack, earning a smile from Madisyn. Tim picked up the phone and called Autopsy. Gibbs just eyed Madisyn before she turned and followed Tony into the lift, her bright smile not leaving her lips.
-----------------------------------------------------
The car had slid off the highway, stopping nose first in a ditch ten metres off the road. It was an expensive car, silver with a fold down roof, but seeing as it was raning, the roof was still covering the top. The front two windows had been smashed, even though there was only the driver, the two other passengers were slumped in the back seats. The driver was in a Navy Uniform, emmaculately cleaned and well cared for, if you excused the blood. The two in the back were waring civillian clothing but their dog tags were easily visible hanging around their necks.

Two vans pulled up and a car. Somehow Palmer hadn't managed to get lost this time along the route. Maybe Ducky had been driving or some such explination. Gibbs got out of the driving seat of the first van to pull up whilst Tony and Kate got out of the passenger side. Tim had drawn the short straw and clambered out of the back, looking a little pale. The sleek black sedan that had pulled up just behind the van turned off the engine and Madisyn got out of the drivers side, pulling out her pack from the passenger side. Kate looked up as Madisyn caught up with her.
"That was impressive." She commented.
"What was?"
"Keeping up with Gibbs' driving." Madisyn returned the smile as they made their way down the shallow slope to where the car had stopped.

"Looks like someone checked who they were." Tony called from where he stood beside the passenger window. "And they closed the door after them." Kate brought up the camera and flashed a few pictures of the first Petty Officer before moving around to the other side.

"Someone check the licence-"
"There arn't any." Madisyn interupted him. Tim and Kate exchanged a glance. Most people had more sense than to interupt Gibbs. Gibbs turned around, and the team promptly started doing something again, not wanting to be caught watching.
"What are you doing here, Special Agent Kyran?"
"I was told to observe you by Director Morrow." She replied, holding his steely blue gaze. Gibbs turned his back on her and looked at the car once more. Madisyn carried on as if nothing had happened.
"Looks like someone either ripped them off or cut them off." Kate straightened up and aimed the camera at the two blank spaces where the licence plates used to be, snapping a few shots.

Ducky arrived with Jimmy Palmer and bent down to examine the body of the Naval Captain in the front seat.
"Head trauma, what looks like a broken leg and a chest injury, a few broken ribs at least." Everyone turned to look at Palmer who had spoken. The young ME's assisstant swallowed and looked back at the body, hoping the eyes would turn away.
"TOD, Ducky?" Gibbs asked.
"Patience, Jethro. I've only just met the deceased."
"Boss!" Gibbs turned and followed Tim's call to where he stood a few metres into the brush beside the road. At his feet was a fourth body, curled up in an unnatural position that he'd clearly been put in. Kate joined them with a camera.
"Why dump a body away from the accident but leave three in the car?"

Her question wasn't answered before a bullet thwacked into the tree in front of the three agents and buried itself a good six inches into the solid wood.

Bodies dived in every direction. Taking cover wasn't exactly easy when they, (1) didn't know where the shot was coming from (2) were out in the open. Kate and Tim ducked into the trees, the other side of the bullet. Both pulled out their weapons, keeping down towards the ground, just incase the sniper took another pot shot. Gibbs had taken to ground in the ditch just beside his position. Trust him to notice something like that. His own weapon was out even quicker than the other two. He scouted the area, looking for anywhere where a gun man could hide. Madisyn had thrown herself behind the car, just as Tony had. Ducky and Palmer seemed to have scrambled for cover behind the bonet of the sleek silver car. Madisyn heard the thud of another bullet as it screwed its way into the side of the car. A decor. A trap.

From under the wheel of the car she could see the unmistakeable flicker of light hitting the gleam of glass. Must be a quite old weapon, to have something so easy to identify itself by. She nudged Tony just as another shot bounced off the wheel and took off in another direction. Tony looked under just as a the weak light from what remained of the sun flashed off the glass again. He nodded and leant down. It probably wasn't the safest course of action and he'd probably get a hard slap around the back of the head for even suggesting it to Gibbs. But Gibbs was somewhere behind him. Neither had been listening to the shouts from Gibbs or Kate, but they couldn't see them.

Madisyn tuned in just as Gibbs yelled.
"DiNozzo, if you don't answer me now you will not have a job." Madisyn rolled her eyes.
"He's alright, Gibbs, concentrating!" She called back. She didn't catch his reply as Tony fired. The glint caught in the sun once more before there was a yell and a thud. The revolver clattered on the road, beside the ditch on the other side where the shooter had been.

Tony moved over and picked up the revolver. Madisyn joined him, looking down at the body which they had made sure wasn't going to move again. It was a man in his late thirties with thinning mouse brown hair and a large hole in his forehead.
"Nice shot." Madisyn commented as Gibbs stormed up. Then the shouting started. Ducky and Palmer got back to the bodies, Kate to the photographs and Tim to sketching and shooting.
-----------------------------------------------
One of the bodies of the Naval Officers and the mysterious John Doe lay on the slabs in Autopsy. The first two had already gone into one of the large freezers. The second John Doe was just being unzipped by Palmer as Ducky looked over the other two bodies.

It wasn't exactly a pretty sight. The Petty Officer, Petty Officer Jack Hinstern's skull had been smashed in from the impact, his arm was evidently broken and his had at least four, purhaps more, broken ribs. He wasn't quite as bad as the Captain, Captain John Tawmorsh who had come out with a head like a pancake. The second Petty Officer, Petty Officer George Witther had sustained a broken neck and the rest of the injuries were post mortum.

The first John Doe had a slit throat and nothing to identify him. He'd been dressed after he died, as his clothes didn't have a spec of blood on them. He was impeccably dressed in an expensive suit and trousers, crisp white shirt and very expensive leather shoes. Tony had made some comment about them, earning a head slap from Gibbs and a stern look from Ducky.

The second John Doe, the shooter, had been betrayed by his finger prints to be a Joseph Lidren, a petty criminal busted four years ago for assalt and battery on a neighbour of his. He fell off the radar six months ago and came back on about four hours ago. He had sustained a single gunshot to the head, carefully aimed and delt by Anthony DiNozzo.

Ducky had been examining each body with care, aided by his able assisstant, for the past two hours. He'd found nothing that noted that the deaths might not have been caused by the crash. All injuries had obviously been sustained on impact and easily were natable as coming from a car accident. It was just the John Doe that was interesting. One single slice from behind with a sharp blade. Cut through the windpipe and nearly severed the entire neck. Not something to look at on an empty stomach. The time of death had been at least three hours before the deaths of the Captain or the Petty Officers. Mystery if ever there was one.
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Kate and Tony had been flicking through the files on Captain John Tawmorsh, Petty Officer George Witther and Petty Officer Jack Hinstern when Gibbs came in. He didn't need to ask his agent to give him a report of their findings, as they got up to do so just as he entered. Kate picked up the remote to control the plasma and started talking.
"Petty Officers Jack Hinstern and George Witther and Jack Hinstern both served under Captain John Tawmorsh. Neither of them ever deployed and had only been in the Navy for eleven months. Tawmorsh had been back from Iraq for six months according to his wife."
Tony took up the chain: "Witther was married to Petty Officer Juliet Garben, killed in Iraq under Tawmorsh seven months ago. Hinstern never married, no living family listed or found."

He flicked over another page in the file whilst Kate brought up a picture of the shooter.
"Joseph Lidren, 34, arrested at the age of thirty when he assilted his next door neighbour in the middle of the night when she asked for the spare key."
Tony joined in again: "Prisioned for two years, got out in one and a half and was forgotten by the police. We found him, he worked in a local shop in California. Called his boss at the time and found out they fired him when he started turning up for work late and when they confronted him he replied that he was at the clay pidgion shooting range."
Gibbs looked at the two agents, expecting more.
"He was fired two days ago and we lost him until this morning." Kate finished, sitting down at her desk.
"Find out where he's been for the last two days and why he's trying to kill NCIS agents." Gibbs left the bullpen, heading for the elevator.
"Like we haven't been trying." Tony muttered, going through the list of motels and anywhere Lidren could have been staying on his way from California to DC.
"Kate, why is it always us?" Kate looked up from her desk, eyebrows raised.
"I mean, what have we done so wrong in life to make us the target of every known sniper in a hundred mile radius?"
"Maybe they married one of your 'girlfriends'."

Tony put down the phone and grinned manically at Kate. She didn't look up immediately and simply said, "What is it Tony?"
"I found him!" He announced in a voice loud enough to be heard in California.
"Well, isn't that what you get paid to do?" Tim asked from his desk. Tony looked oer at him with the look he always reserved for the probie.
"Where have you been, Probie?"
"Helping Abby."
"Of course you have." Tony was stopped in his rant as Gibbs walked in. He had a habit of coming in in the middle of one of Tony's rants, but he was early today. Lucky for Tony in any case.

"Boss, he stayed at the Gold Stallion motel just outside of DC, checked in two days ago at 1400 and didn't leave his room. Someone else apparently came to see him at around 1800 and didn't leave until yesterday morning. Lidren checked out an hour or so after him, paid and left. The man who visited him matched the description of the John Doe in Autopsy." Tony finished, leaving Kate to stutter that she didn't have anything to add.
"That's good work Tony." Gibbs praised. Gibbs picked up his keys and made his way to the sedan calling behind him,
"DiNozzo with me. Kate, find out who the John Doe is." And then both Tony and Gibbs had vanished in the lift. But not before Tony had given Kate a little wave and a wink that made her want to shoot him.

Kate mumbled to herself as Tim walked in, sitting down at his desk. He'd just rewired a short in Abby's computer and wasn't really up to speed.
"What's wrong, Kate?" He asked, seeing the annoyed look on the other agents face.
"DiNozzo's being an ass." Tim smiled.
"Tell me something I don't know."
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The Gold Stallion motel wasn't exactly a run down place. There was nothing remotely wrong with it at all. It had a steady stream of clientele who came and went without question. It wasn't exactly rolling in money, but it keps up its shares and anything that needed to be fixed was. All in all, it was just a regular motel outside the city for travellers to stay in before making their way into DC for whatever business they had there.

The black sedan pulled up in the parking lot, beside a beat up old jeep and a dusty red truck. Both agents stepped out of the can and walked into the small office where the front desk clerk looked up and smiled. Tony grinned back at her, even smiling inside as she visibly blushed. Gibbs cut through the unspoken flirting.
"Special Agent Gibbs and DiNozzo, NCIS." He introduced them, curtly. Showing the badge. Tony did the same, twisting so the NCIS shield was visible.
"And what can I do for NCIS today."
"A man checked in two days ago." Tony pulled out the photograph of the John Doe and showed it to the clerk. She nodded, catching Tony's eye. She flicked through the large ledger which held all the clientele and stopped three pages back, running a long, painted fingernail down the names and dates. She tapped the nail on one name.
"Tyler Plearn-Sorefult." She said, beaming up at Tony, not even noticing Gibbs. "Checked out yesterday at half past ten." She concluded just as Gibbs turned to leave. She caught Tony's jacket sleeve.
"I get off at seven." She muttered in a voice choked with seductivity. Tony smiled but was saved from answering by Gibbs yell of "DiNozzo!"
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Kate's phone rang and she picked it up on the second ring.
"Todd."
"Kate, find out whatever you can on a Tyler Plearn-Sorefult." Tony's voice said over the connection. His voice was slightly quieter than usual. Gibbs must be driving in an...interesting fashion.
"Right." She replied with a hint of smuggness. Tony hung up and Kate starting typing on her computer.

Tim looked up at her, as she called him.
"Tyler Plearn-Sorefult. Aparently he's our John Doe." Tim nodded and started opening up databases and checking files. He also called down to Abby to see if she could match him to anything. It wasn't exactly her job, but he knew for a fact she'd been trying to create a lifesized model of a hippo out of her Caf-Pows and rubber gloves.
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Tony and Gibbs arrived back three quarters of an hour after the phone-call. Gibbs seated himself at his desk, but Tony had to stop in front of it.
"What are you doing?" He asked Madisyn, who had her feet up on the table.
"Well, I had nothing to do, since i'm only 'observing' and so I decided I wasn't going to risk sitting at Gibbs desk." She replied with a smile. She took her feet off the desk but didn't get up. Instead she pulled the chair from behind Tony's desk and let him get behind it, but didn't give him back his chair. This earnt a smile from Kate and a stiffled laugh from Tim. Tony glowered at them both but, for once, decided to take the higher ground. He knelt and started typing on his computer.

Once Kate and Tim had finished silently laughing, they both reported what they had learnt of Tyler Plearn-Sorefult. Which wasn't much.
"46, no living reletives, worked as an till worker at Lidren's shop and put in his resignation the day Lidren was fired. Otherwise nothing."
"Nothing about why Lidren slit his throat and dumped him in a bush before trying to snipe us down?" Tony asked.
"Maybe he was bored." Madisyn supplied. Gibbs looked up at her and she apologized, yet didn't break his eye-contact. She hadn't quite got to the stage of quailing under the glare yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Abby came bounding out of the elevator, her pig-tails bouncing up and down. Ducky left the elevator after her, slower and more collected.
"Hey Madisyn!" She chirruped, stopping in the middle of the bullpen.
"Hey Abby!" Madisyn returned in a similarly high and sprightly voice.
"Tony? Why are you kneeling on the floor?" She asked, before turning to Gibbs. Tony glared at Madisyn who simply grinned back.
"The DNA from Johnny Doe-"
"Tyler Plearn-Sor-"
"McGee!" Abby interupted him back. "I was talking. The DNA from Johnny Doe down in Autopsy has a seventy three per cent match to Lidren!" She finished excitedly.

Even Gibbs looked up. Ducky picked up the silence.
"And, the knife found in one of the slashed tires was also the one that took the life of our John Doe.
"So who would want to slash the tires of a car and kill their own brother just to bring NCIS to the scene?" Madisyn pondered out loud, sitting up and uncrossing her legs.
"Someone with a grudge against NCIS." Tim joined in.
"Oooooh!" Abby chipped. "And someone with the oppertunity to spike the coffees!" She finished. Everyone looked at her except Gibbs. That was, everyone who had tried some of the mystery coffee looked at her. And then they all heard the sirens from outside the buildings. The bullpen had gone deathly quiet.

At nine thirty on the evening, Gibbs entered autopsy just as Ducky had cleared Kate as being healthy. Obviously none of them had ingested enough of the chemical to be deadly. The security guard had been less lucky. He'd been rushed to hospital when the second secutity guard who had been ready to releieve him when he got off duty at two. According to partner on duty, he'd been complaining of headaches and stomach pains since he'd arrived at 5:30 that morning. Tony, Tim and Kate had all had their hair follicles checked by Abby up in her lab whilst Palmer had been sent to hospital. His dose hadn't been fatal but he'd still been taken ill by his 'free' coffee earlier in the morning.

Kate slid off the table in Autopsy, rubbing her arm where blood had been taken. Tony and Tim had been standing close, talking and chatting as if nothing had happened. Well, Tony talked, Tim mearly day-dreamed, or purhaps thought, it was hard to tell. Kate walked over to them, joining them the same time as Gibbs and Ducky.
"They're all clear, Jethro." The ME confirmed.
"Can we get back up to work?" Tony asked, he'd been impatient to do something since he'd been cleared.
"No, they haven't let anyone onto the floor." Gibbs replied, the hint of annoyance in his voice clear to everyone.
"Well, we can brainstorm at least." Madisyn replied from her usual place behind everyone else and sitting on an Autopsy slab.
"Special Agent Kyran, what are you still doing here?" Tony replied with a shake of his head.
"Well there's nothing else to do, and this is much more interesting that paperwork." She replied with one of her usual smart-ass remarks. Tony regretted saying anything. Madisyn pulled out a pad of paper and an old Parker Pen, clicked off the lid with her finger and put it aside, scribbing on her pad.
"So...Lidren worked with his brother Tyler, who for some reason had different name, although that could have been a false name." She mused aloud.

Kate thought it was as good as any to pass the time and joined in.
"He left at half eleven and took him at least an hour before he got to the site where the bodies were dumped." Tim joined in next, thinking over the case.
"But Tyler's time of death must've been just after he left, because he died around twelve. So Lidren killed him along the way."
"So did he kill him in the car or kill him and put him in the car. Either way the car would have blood on...What car does Lidren drive?"
"He didn't. He rented an old Volkswagon Polo in California and drove it down, he was caught on the motel's survaillence cameras." Tony chipped in, determined not to be left out. Gibbs glanced at Ducky who just smiled.

Madisyn was scribbling frantically on her pad, flipping over a page as she ran out of space.
"Where's the car now?" She looked up at the three agents gathered around the Autopsy slab. Tim and Kate looked over at Tony who seemed to know about the car, but stil lkept thinking themselve. Tony tried to rack his memory.
"We had a BOLO out on it but I don't know if anything's come up."
"Call Abby and find out." Madisyn basically ordered. Tony frowned and glanced at Gibbs, who shrugged. Tony sighed and picked up the phone and hit the spe-dial to Abby's lab.
"Abby Scuito Laboritories, What We Can't Find, Isn't Worth Finding Out!"
"Abby, has anyone replied to the BOLO on Lidren's car?" There was a sound of typing.
"What's happening down there. Its like a grave yard up here, not that I really mind that, but still I prefer to stay in grave-yards when I have a party there, but solitude is fine if"
"Abby!" Tony pushed.
"Okay, Gibbs. Yes they have, found two miles from the crime scene."
"Thanks Abs." Tony replied and put down the phone. The rest of the team looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Found two miles from the crime scene." He reported, not noticing the looks. He heard Madisyn scribbling on hert pad before finishing and clicking her tongue, thinking of something else to check for.

"So, hypothetically. Car gets a flat on something, swerves and they can't control it. Crash, bang, smoosh. Into the ditch, hence the injuries. But...there's something wrong. Why didn't the airbags inflate?" She mused outloud, posing a question for everyone.

Gibbs had to give it to her, she wasn't bad. She was incredibly cocky and annoying, but she wasn't a bad investigator. No-one had quite got round to noticing why the airbags hadn't inflated at the scene, what with the shootings. Gibbs remembered about thinking about it before Tim had called him to the other body and then with the shootings, it had all gone over his head. He should've remembered it sooner!

Madisyn tapped her pen on the paper before Kate spoke up.
"The injuries were only made to look like a car crash." She decided outloud, more thinking outloud. "All of them could've been caused manually."
"Ducky, where's the report?" Tony asked. Ducky seemed to have been thinking the same thing and handed over the file that he'd already picked up.
"The Captain died from a head wound from the impact on the stearing wheel." He muttered.
"That could easily have been created by someone smashing his head against the wheel." Madisyn continued his trail of thought. "Who was behind in the seats?"
"Hinstern."
"Injuries?"
"Broken ribs, skull smashed in." Tony provided from the file.
"Ducky?" Madisyn asked, looking up at the ME. "What would he have impacted on to create such a skull fracture."
"Oh, well any number of things. The window, the seat in front."

Gibbs finally decided to walk over.
"What are you thinking happened, Kyran?" Madisyn smiled, flicking back through the pages in her pad as if to check if anything didn't work.
"Well, if Hinstern smashed Tawmorsh's head on the stearing wheel, then it would look like he died in a car-crash, because he would obviously crash the car. But I think Hindtern turned on the other Petty Officer first, what was his name...Witther? Yeah, so Witther put up a fight, and purhaps broke a few of Hinsterns ribs. Thats how Witther recieved his broken neck. Then, before Tawmorsh could stop the car, Hinstern rounded on him and smashed his head against the stearing wheel. Smashed his head on the window or seat and died. Maybe he wasn't supposed to but his face would've been mashed up, that's why someone checked the dog-tags. If they'd been working with Hinstern, they wouldn't suspect hi mto be dead so they checked the tags before waiting for NCIS to come so they could finish the job they were going to do whether Hinstern was alive or not."

Madisyn finished, looking around at the raised eyebrows and blank expression.
"That actually makes sense." Tim concluded, running it through and not finding any reasons why it would not be right. Nothign seemed to be wrong. So now all they needed was more detail on Hinstern and make sure there wasn't another sniper or poisener hanging around NCIS headquarters ready to finish them off.

By half past ten, there was a sentry by the lifts, checking IDs and the contents of bags and pockets. The doors were manned by three extra guards along with extra metal detector tests and checks when people came in and out. Each desk had been swept, cleaned and probably sanitised. No-one was allowed to bring in anything that could contain poisen or a weapon. All cars were held and all cases put on hold for the time being.

The desk and field agents entered the bull pen in whatever spare clothes they had with them, or in some cases the pale blue jump-suits. One size fit nobody types. They weren't exactly unflattering, just dull with 'NCIS' printed on the back. Because of a case that had been put on hold a while back where they were supposed to head off to Paraguay for the weekend, Tony had been especially mortified at the cancallation of that, all the team had a spare set of clothes. Kate had brought a spare and generously given it to Madisyn. You never knew when you were going to need more than one change of clothes, especially after working for NCIS.

Tony quickly grabbed his chair and dragged it back to his desk before Madisyn could nick it once more. Kate powered up her computer at the same time as Tim and Gibbs, who wasn't looking happy at the lack of caffine in the vicinity. The rest of the team, including Madisyn, had noticed this and were keeping conversation and comments to themselves. Only saying something when it was needed. The agents started trawling through the database whilst Madisyn sat crossed-legged on the carpet, flicking through the evidence report as well as the post-mortum reports, trying to find anything linking to Hinstern or Lidren.

At eleven thirty, Kate was struggling to keep her eyes open; Tony was leaning on his palm, scrolling down with his mouse; Tim was staring at the same newspaper print out he'd been for the last ten minutes; Madisyn was leaning against the filing cabinate, her head dropping once every now and then. However, Gibbs just looked annoyed. No tiredness, not even a hint of a caffine low. His team had looked up at him working silently for the last hour or so. Kate suddenly perked up slightly, rubbing her eyes.
"Joseph Lidren was in prison the same time as Jack Hinstern." She announced proudly. The rest of the team glanced up at her through the dim light. Even Gibbs turned from his computer. Kate picked up her phone just as Madisyn got her her feet, coming over to look over her shoulder at the computer.

Kate put down the phone, looking up at the expectant looks from Tony and Tim.
"According to the prison warden and the files. Lidren was Hinstern's cell mate along with another guy called Max Swalarii." She heard Madisyn start typing Swalarii's name into the database. "All were released about the same time." Kate continued. "But no-one knows if they kept in touch. They came to the same rehabilitation sessions for drug use that they all started in prision." She concluded, closing her pad. "The warden couldn't remember much at twenty to midnight." She muttered quietly, earning a slight laugh from Madisyn, who had just managed to find Swalarii.

"37, busted for six years, out on parole in four. In for impeding the police in an investigation and aiding the escape of a known criminal, his father." She scrolled down, looking for more. "His parole officer hasn't seen him in six months, but last time he did, he told him he was going to stay with his brother, David Swalarii, in California." She scrolled down until she found the bottem. "Nothing else to connect them."
"Find David Swalarii-" Gibbs began before a comotion by the lifts made him stop. Then team looked around, stood up to see what was happening. The sentry had been relieved, as another had just taken his place. The new one was a tall, bald man with small black eyes and a large gun strapped to his belt. She smiled apologetically to the assembled agents.
"Tripped over his leg as he went out." He replied.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and sat back down.
"Find David Swalarii and bring him in." He managed to finish. Tim called down to Abby, to relieve her of her hippo creating boredom. Tony started typing again and Madisyn went to try and find a file for the newcomer David Swalarii.
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The guard who had been standing by the door before the second had come to relieve him wiped his forehead on a sleeve. He didn't know hoe much longer he could wait. He jumped as the doors pinged open and another guard stepped in, fresh from the rest of several hours. He gave him a cheerful grin.
"Lots been happening today then." He tried to make conversation as the lift moved upwards.
"You could say that."
"Yeah with all the poisenings and Jacod being taken to hospital. Arsnic shouldn't be any way to go. I mean, as a guard he should've gone in the line of fire or at least retired with a bullet hole somewhere. But, nah! Jacod was just a young lad, really earger." The talkative guard shook his head, looking at the other guard.
"You alright, you look a bit hot. Anything wrong, David?"
"Yes, I'm fine." David replied, moving out of the lift as it got to the right floor. The Forensics Lab.

Abby tapped her fingernails against the hard worktop where her computer sat. Her pony-tails flicked left and right as she moved her head from side to side. The slightly mis-shapen blob of anything she could find stood on the floor. It was really quite impressive. For one thing it actually looked like a hippo. Or at least it looked vaguely like Bert, who was a hippo, albeit a fluffy farting toy one.

Her phone buzzed and starting setting up a shrill ringing. She jumped on it, the most interesting thing that had happened for a while.
"NCIS Forensics Laboritory, Prince Charles speaking." She purred into the reciever.
"Abby, see if you can find anything on David Swalarii."
"Sure thing, McGee!" She replied, upstairs he could almost hear her grin.
"How's Bert Jr coming on?" Then the power went out in Abby's lab.
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Kate had been able to pull up a file or two on her computer, sadly they were the same ones Tony was already trawling through. Gibbs was reading something on his desk and Tim had just picked up his phone to call Abby. Madisyn opened the filing cabinate and clicked her tongue whilst trying to locate David Swalarii, if he even had a file that was.
"Abby?" Tim's tone caused everyone to look around at him. Gibbs in particular, putting down his piece of paper.
"Abby?" Tim tried again, already standing up, reaching into his drawer. Gibbs was already on his feet, Sig out and heading for the elevator. Tony was right on his heels, Kate following just after Tim. Madisyn pulled out her own gun and followed, taking the stairs just as the elevator doors closed.
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Abby stood up. She wasn't exactly afraid of the dark, why would she be? Here we are talking about a girl who sleeps in a coffin, or near enough. She heard the doors open and turned.
"McGee?" She asked, peering into the gloom.
"Sorry, love. You only got me?" A gruff voice muttered out of the darkness.
"Now you just keep still and quiet like a good little girl and Davey won't have to do anything drastic." Abby didn't like the patronising tone in his voice, but before she could answer, a hand was placed over her mouth and a strong hand around her throat.

Gibbs had his gun up, stepping close to the wall, the four agents behind him in the order: Tony, Madisyn, Tim and Kate. It was dark in Abby's lab, and the door was wide open. It was only when the light flickered on did Gibbs see what was actually happening. The security guard that had just been relieved of duty was holding the forensic scientist hostage, the big automatic weapon held in his hand. Abby was blindfolded but a large hood and most probably gagged from the lack of sound she was making. She wasn't unconscience for ever now and then she shifted her position.

"Come in Agent Gibbs." Swalarii called. "But make sure all your agents put their weapons on the floor and leave them by the door. All of you must come in." The agents looked at Gibbs who nodded. They all laid down their weapons with varying degrees of reluctance. The door hissed closed behind Kate as she closed it. Gibbs stayed at the front, locking eyecontact with Swalarii.
"The Navy killed my brother." He started at a slow rate. "I want revenge."
I can see that Thought Madisyn.
"Let her go and we'll talk." Gibbs replied in a calm, collected voice.
"You think I'm just gunna let go of my only hostage? I know, goth isn't really my type, but she was all I could do on short notice."
"And what is your type?" Madisyn asked, her dark eyes watching Swalarii with interest.
"Someone more like you, or Agent Todd." David replied with the hint of a smile before it vanished. "Now, for the point. Your forensic scientist for a free passage anywhere in the world. I know you're gunna say 'we don't negotiate with hostage takers' but you don't really have a choice." He grinned this time, showing off his teeth. He shifted the gun in his hand, running it down Abby's arm. Gibbs' tried not to stiffen.

Madisyn had stayed as calm as possibly under the circumstances.
"Wouldn't you prefer to take someone more your...type?" She asked, her eyes never leaving his face as he turned to look at her. She brushed back a stray strand of brown hair.
"More...enjoyable. For you that is." She concluded. Swalarii seemed to consider this then nodded. Madisyn took a step forward but Gibbs' fingers closed around her arm.
"Where do you think you're going, Agent Kyran."
"To my job, Special Agent Gibbs." She relplied, prying Gibbs' fingers away from her arm.

What the hell is Gibbs doing, letting her go like that? Tony thought, and he wasn't usually one to question Gibbs moves. Maybe they had something planned.

Madisyn stopped in front of Swalarii who pushed Abby forward. She stumbled but was caught by Gibbs who quickly removed the hood and gave her into the care of Tim. Madisyn let Swalarii take a rough hold of her and stood perfectly calmly, one hand resting on the table behind her.
"Much better, not as tall."
"I don't wear heels." Madisyn replied, looking around the lab. She hadn't spent much time around there, so it was just a quick scan of the room.
"So, my passage to anywhere in the world?" Swalarii asked, his hand tightening on the gun.
"Where d'you want to go?" Gibbs asked, leaning against the wall.
"Now, that would be telling." Swalarii smiled. Madisyn moved her foot in a subtle movement, hoping Swalarii wouldn't notice. He didn't, too busy boasting.

She tried again, just shifting her position slightly, just enough to move backwards, or at least move her feet backwards. Finally she found what she was looking for. She had guessed that Gibbs had also noticed it, as he had let her take Abby's place. Swalarii was still having an animated discussion with Gibbs whilst Kate and Tony stood in wait, tensed for something to happen. Madisyn shifted again, this time brushing her hair out of her eyes to conceal what must've been a slightly too obvious move, because it caused Swalarii to brace his shoulders against her, forcing her forward. Well it was now or never.

Madisyn brought her foot forward. It had been looped between a thick cable that connected to come large technical instrument on the floor. Madisyn hadn't known what it was, but by the positioning of it it was just perfect. As her foot pulled it forwards, it smashed into the heels of Swalarii. The pain and shock caused him to drop his gun, which was quickly retrieved by Gibbs. Tony and Kate quickly rushed to help Madisyn steady and cuff Swalarii who was bleeding from the back of his legs. Tony pulled the man to his feet, and dragged him away limping badly. Neither Gibbs nor Madisyn had any sympathy for the man. Kate smiled at Madisyn who smiled back rubbing her neck where Swalarii's watch had left a red mark that was slowly fading.
"Well I've had quite enough excitement for one day." She commented, making her way towards the door and the stairs, leaving Kate and Gibbs look down at the blood stained and smashed piece of equiptment left for Abby. Oh she would be pleased.