It was a little after 2300. Tony was worried; there had been no call from Gibbs.
"Perhaps he has decided to stay at the scene." offered Ziva.
"Maybe, but he did say he would call." said McGee. "It is just not like Gibbs not to do what he says he will do."
"I think we should go back out there." said Tony putting his cell phone away. "It keeps saying his phone is switched off, and we have to assume that he is not going to break rule # 3."
"So you think he is in trouble?" asked McGee.
"If the boss is not answering his phone you can bet someone is in trouble and if it's him, you can bet on it being big trouble." said Tony grabbing his jacket and calling the waiter so he could pay the bill.
"We should go via Sears." stated McGee.
Ziva looked confused. "Why? Have you been taking fashion tips from Gibbs?"
"No Ziva. Between here and Montauk there is a Sears Hardware store and we need a chain saw."
"Ah, ok good point." Ziva smiled and picked up her coat.
The three of them left the restaurant and went to their rooms to pick up the few personal items they had left there. Ten minutes later they were on their way to Sears for a chainsaw.
-------
Drake was sitting slightly in shock over what he was hearing. Never in all his life would he have believed that there was an organisation taking it upon themselves to alter history. He quietly wondered if Ritzmann was in fact telling them the truth or if in fact he was as mad as a barrel of monkeys. If he was telling the truth, what could be changed? He too was feeling the pull of temptation.
Gibbs looked at Ritzmann and shook his head. "This is a lot to take in. Is there somewhere I can be alone to think this through?"
Ritzmann smiled and pushed a button on his desk, the office door opened and the guards entered.
"Take Special Agent Gibbs to guest quarters; make sure he has everything he needs." said Ritzmann who then turned his attention to Drake.
"I don't know why you're looking at me." said Drake slightly defensively. "I don't see how I can possibly be of any help to you. I'm dead, remember?"
"John…. May I call you John? You must understand that we use many different types of time travel here. Not only physical."
Drake was thinking hard, he could not figure out how Ritzmann could know his name. He knew that Gibbs had not called him by name. The only possibility was that Ritzmann knew him before he was killed. This bothered Drake a lot. Suddenly the importance of what Ritzmann had just said hit him.
"What do you mean? Not physical?" Drake, against his better judgment, was becoming intrigued.
"Well there are many ways to travel through time, we all travel through time every day of our lives and it takes it toll on our physical well being. It is possible to travel forwards in time without the physical deterioration but that has limited useful ness. I am of course referring to stasis." Ritzmann looked at Drake for confirmation that he understood.
"You mean like being frozen and defrosted in the future?" He said to encourage Ritzmann to continue with his explanation.
"Yes, almost exactly correct. Now I mentioned before that time travel is risky and inexact. We here at Rainbow specialise in traveling back in time mainly because we at this time cannot bring people back to the present from the past. It is a one way trip in all cases." Ritzmann was careful to make this point clear.
"So can you give me any examples of things in history that you have changed?" asked Drake.
"Umm well that might be rather unwise. We have a strict policy of compartmentalisation to give you any information about our activities could compromise your effectiveness as a field agent…." Ritzmann looked at Drake and waited for this statement to hit home.
"So do I understand that it is your intention to recruit me as an operative in your organisation?" asked Drake with more than a little incredulity.
"Indeed you could be a valued operative." Ritzmann stated looking hard at Drake.
"Well I guess I should ask at this point. What's in it for me?" asked Drake knowing with certainty what Ritzmann was going to say.
"Well John you know already what I'm going to offer you. You will have your life and your wife back. You will be able to live out your days in happiness with the woman you love…" Ritzmann looked at Drake with a broad smile on his face. "Perhaps you need time to think it over? You seemed to find the beach relaxing. Come back when you have decided." Ritzmann pushed the button on his desk again, this time an intercom crackled into life.
"Yes sir?" enquired a disembodied voice.
"Mr. Drake is cleared for entry and exit of the facility. All operations set to condition green." said Ritzmann with authority.
"Yes sir." Responded the voice on the intercom
"Um, I don't mean to be picky but I'm a ghost. How would you stop me coming and going?" asked Drake.
"John, we send consciousness back in time to occupy the bodies of people in history. We can stop almost anything from going almost anywhere." answered Ritzmann mysteriously.
------
Gibbs was alone; he had been lost in thought for some time. He was almost sure that Ritzmann was mad, although he had been surprised by the level of activity in the underground tunnels. When they had arrived they seemed to be deserted but now there was a continual flow of people, some in civilian clothes some in uniform and he had seen a couple of people in historical costume. This was a very strange place.
"I could really use some advice right now." he said aloud hoping that Kelly would respond to this request.
"Hello Jethro. " said a familiar voice behind him.
Gibbs' heart leapt into his throat as he spun around coming face to face with Shannon . He was speechless and over come with emotion, he stepped forwards to embrace his wife, she stepped back.
"Jethro, you know I'm only here in spirit." she said sadly.
"Yes, I know, " he said softly. "I miss you so much."
"I know you do. I know you will be tempted by Ritzmann's offer." Shannon was calm but Gibbs could hear the sadness in her voice. "But you must not do what he wants."
"What? Why? Tell me what you know. It would be worth anything to me to get you back!" Gibbs was close to tears.
"I know Jethro. I'm sorry but you mustn't. You would never forgive your self. Also you have touched so many lives and done so much good since I have been gone. If you do what he wants all of that good work will be undone."
"No! There will be someone else to do what I have done." said Gibbs in anguish.
"No. There won't be. Jethro you are a good man. What you do, what you have done, is important." Shannon 's tone was comforting but also had an edge of menace.
"But if I do what he says and you don't….you live I mean you will not remember this so we could be happy." Gibbs said persuasively
Shannon smiled at him. "Oh now Jethro, I think you know better than that. You will know it is wrong. You will see what you have not changed and it will eat away at you. You won't be happy. It will destroy you. We will lose what we had." Shannon looked around. "I have to go they will know I'm here. Jethro, do what you know is right, remember I love you." With that Shannon faded away leaving Gibbs close to breaking down.
The door opened behind Gibbs and two guards entered the room. They looked around and one of them produced a small electronic device waved it around the room and looked at the readings on the small display.
"Who was here?" the guard asked.
"I have been here alone." stated Gibbs.
"Capitan Ritzmann wants to see you. This way please sir." The guard ushered Gibbs out of the room and down the corridor…
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