NCIS Director Jenny Shephard and Special Agent Jethro Gibbs were two blocks away in a coffee shop when the blast occurred. Gibbs easily outdistanced Jenny who took off her heels and ran barefoot after him as they raced toward the building. A crowd had gathered outside and Gibbs held up his badge shouting, "Let us through." They made it to the lab just as the paramedics were wheeling their patient out of the room. "Abby!" is she alright? Gibbs queried. "What the hell happened?" he bellowed. DiNozzo spoke first. "We don't know boss, it was some kind of bomb. It shook the whole place. We got down here in a couple of minutes, and found her against the wall. Ducky got here about the same time and he and McGee did CPR on her. She's alive for now is all I know." Jenny, who was gingerly picking her way barefoot through the debris said, "They will be taking her to Bethesda." She looked at Gibbs and said. "Jethro, you bring the car around while I get some more shoes from my office. I don't know what happened to the ones I was carrying. I'll meet you in front in a minute." Ducky's assistant Jimmy Palmer entered the room and said, Doctor Mallard is riding with Abby in the ambulance. He said he would meet you at the hospital."

FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell arrived at the car Gibbs had pulled around just as Jenny emerged from the building. There was concern on his face and he asked, "What happened? Was anyone hurt?" The Director replied, "A bomb of some sort went off in the forensics lab is all we know for now. Abigail Sciuto was in there at the time. She's been taken to Bethesda and we are on our way there." Fornell stood there absorbing what he had just been told. Jenny said, "Tobias, either get in the car and go with us, or get out of my way." The stunned FBI agent said, "Sorry", and stepped back allowing her to get in the front seat next to Gibbs. Then he said, "I'm going to stay here and see if I can help." "Besides" he added, "A bomb attack on a Federal building is my jurisdiction and I want to be sure the scene is secure." Before he could utter another word, Gibbs left in a screech of tires and was down the street.

With both Gibbs and the Director gone, the next in command, and the likely successor to Gibbs was Tony DiNozzo. The FBI Agent entered the squad room and sought him out. Seeing him cross the room, Tony said, "I wondered how long it would take you to get here Fornell." "I got a call just after the incident occurred and got over here as quickly as I could" Fornell replied. "How is Abby anyway?" Tony shook his head and replied, "We don't know. The blast blew her halfway across the room and slammed her into a wall. She banged her head pretty hard and got a nasty gash. When we got to her she wasn't breathing, but Ducky and McGee gave her CPR and she came around just before the paramedics arrived." The G-Man said "Good thing Uncle Sam gives us all classes in first aid and CPR huh?" "Yeah" Tony replied, "Good thing."
Fornell wasted no time in informing DiNozzo that since this was an attack on a Federal building, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Bureau, and that they would take charge of the investigation. Tony started to protest but Fornell held up his hand saying, "We will keep your people informed at all times, and you will be called on to provide assistance, but let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am in charge, and if you don't like it, you can go home and sulk, or you can stay and help. That's up to you." We will find who is responsible for this, rest assured. Nobody bombs a Federal building and gets away with it. Not on my watch!"