Tony's cell phone rang. He looked at the number; it was not familiar.
"DiNozzo." He visibly winced as he recognised the voice on the other end of the line. "Mrs Mallard. It is nice to hear from you but….." he stopped talking and listened for a moment, the expression on his face becoming more and more puzzled.
"What's up Tony?" Ziva asked. He motioned for her to be quiet.
"You have been talking to John Drake….. " Tony was trying to sound understanding. "He told you that there is an underground base here at Camp Hero. Wait, how did you know we are at Camp Hero?…. Oh yes you said you have been talking to Drake…" Tony stopped the truck.
"Tony what is going on ?" McGee asked, and was shushed into silence by a confused and irritated DiNozzo.
"Now hold on a minute…..Oh……But…….Ok so……… Ok……..yes I understand………… yes?………….ok………..Yes Mrs Mallard……. Umm Vanessa…. Thank you goodbye."
"So? What was all that about Tony" asked Ziva.
"Well, it seems that the ghost of the late John Drake has been communicating with Mrs Mallard," said Tony in puzzled and slightly irritated tones.
Drake appeared in the back of the truck and listened to the conversation.
"Ducky's mother?" McGee butted in.
"Yes Probie, Ducky's mother, may I go on?" asked Tony irritably.
"You usually do until some one slaps you," stated Ziva quietly.
Giving Ziva a sharp look, Tony continued. "Well it seems that Drake has told her that Gibbs is in the underground base and he is in trouble. We have to get him out and put a stop to the operations that are underway there."
"And you believe this?" asked Ziva, incredulous.
"No Ziva. As it happens I think she is …. A little senile, but it is odd how she knew where we are."
"Perhaps Ducky mentioned it?" offered McGee.
"Yeah that must be it. She is not playing with all her marbles and she has an over active imagination,." said Tony, sounding only half convinced.
Drake vanished.
Tony's cell phone rang again.
"DiNozzo!…. Ah, Mrs Mallard, sorry Vanessa…. No I didn't mean…..Yes I understand….. Yes I did say that but……. Yes Mrs Mallard err sorry Vanessa. No I'll do what you say….. Errrmm there will be no need for that I assure you." Tony closed his cell phone.
"So what now?" asked Ziva. She was intrigued by the expression on Tony's face.
"She has told me what we have to do. Apparently Drake is with us and is reporting back to her what we are doing," said Tony.
"You mean we are being haunted?" asked McGee with the hint of a grin.
Ziva looked around with mock fear "So is he with us now?" she asked.
Tony just looked irritable and shrugged his shoulders.
"So what did she threaten to do to you Tony," asked Ziva with a grin.
"She threatened to put me over her knee and spank me," he said, looking embarrassed.
Ziva and McGee both laughed.
-------
Gibbs was checking his gear, and Ritzmann was watching him closely.
"So won't these things contaminate the time line?" asked Gibbs, managing to surprise Ritzmann yet again.
"No Jethro, we have enormous stores of equipment, all of which has been carefully catalogued. We ensure that equipment we send is only sent if it has been out of circulation and in our possession since before our operative's arrival time," said Ritzmann.
"Oh so, for example, you have had this hand gun here in storage since before 1997?" asked Gibbs feeling the weight of the berretta in his hand.
"Yes Jethro, and you will be given the ammunition just before you leave," Ritzman said as if he was reading Gibbs mind.
Gibbs continued to pack and prepare his gear.
"So do you feel like telling me about Darrel Ritter?" asked Gibbs, watching Ritzmann for any reaction.
"He is…. was radar & communications officer on board our ship and here at Rainbow," said Ritzmann.
"So why did he have to die?" asked Gibbs.
"Unfortunately he was involved in an accident here, and it affected his mind. There was no choice but to shoot him. Unfortunately, there were hikers around and they found his body before we could recover it," Ritzmann said, choosing his words with care.
"All this time travel equipment and you could not stop a body being discovered at your own back door?" Gibbs asked with a hint of irony.
"I'll leave you to your preparations Jethro. I have other things to attend to."
------
Ritzmann entered the room where the Montauk chair was located. An elderly man was sitting in it. He wore the uniform of a navy commander, and he was apparently asleep.
"Commander. Wake up!" Ritzmann barked at the old man, who opened his eyes and struggled to focus.
"Ritzmann. So you have come to see you old friend." His hands griped the arm rests of the chair, he seemed to have hardly any strength at all. "You will soon need to find another brain to control the time portal. It is almost over for me. I have been here too long." The old man sagged in the chair and started to slip back into unconsciousness.
"You just need to complete two more tasks, and then we can get you out of there." Ritzmann paused and looked at the old man. "You will be ok to do your job, won't you Darrel?"
The old man opened his eyes and nodded, "Yes, I'll do my job."
Ritzmann nodded and left the room.
Shannon appeared beside the old man who was sitting in the chair and asked him "Do you trust me Darrel Ritter?"
The old man nodded and said, "I knew that angels existed. I will do what ever you tell me."
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. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.