PART 25. (A Day to Remember.)
McGee followed Shannon to the chair room. He prepared to burst into the room with his Sig Sauer in his hand. Shannon smiled at him and walked through the door.
"Ah ok I didn't think of that" McGee was out of his element; ghosts did not fir into his view of the world.
Shannon reappeared "It's all clear Tim, you can come in."
McGee opened the door and looked cautiously inside. It was as he was looking around the 10-foot square room with a chair in the middle of the room surrounded by more bizarre looking technology that it occurred to him that something was not right. According to McGee's calculations the chair room was directly behind the time portal yet from all he had been told there was a tunnel that was at least 60feet long behind the portal. This was a very strange place it did not seem to obey the laws of physics.
"Perhaps the laws of physics are only guide lines." McGee thought aloud "So where is Darrel Ritter?" he asked
"He is sort of here only he is not here when we are… He is helping us to do this by displacing time within time… You need to get out of here quickly Tim." Said Shannon.
"I have something to do here and you should go and help Jethro" Shannon started to fade.
"But…" said McGee
"No buts probie! Go!" Shannon's voice was commanding and it startled McGee into action. He checked the charges that he had just placed, set the timers and activated them.
He stood up looked around the room once more and set off to help Gibbs.
Tony and Ziva stood just down the corridor from where the Zero Point Module room was located. There were two guards stationed either side of the door.
Ziva checked her uniform and set off down the corridor towards the two guards before Toy could say a word.
"How long have you been on duty here?" Ziva asked one of the guards
He looked at her then at the other guard. "We have been here for about 30 minutes" he said it was obvious that he was curious about Ziva
"So you're not getting off any time soon?" asked Ziva looking a little disappointed and flashing a sexy smile at the guard.
"Well I might be able to get a few minutes… if you like?" he said looking into Ziva's eyes and smiling
She looked at the other guard, he smiled and nodded
Ziva and the guard headed up the corridor in the opposite direction from where Tony was hiding around the corner. The two of them went into a store room as the second guard watched enviously. Moments after entering the storeroom the guard was unconscious as was the guard remaining at the door, Tony having crept up behind him and used the butt of his Sig again.
"Saving ammunition today" he said with a grin.
Ziva joined him and they went into the room. Dragging the second guard with them.
The device on a pedestal in the centre of the room was very strange to look at; it appeared to be clockwork and had several crystals within its structure. When observed the devices mechanical parts seemed at times to pass through each other and as hard as Tony looked he could not see any cables or power conduits.
They placed the charges, set and activated the timer and then headed for the portal room with the intention of helping Gibbs.
Gibbs had entered the portal room and told the guards to take the technicians to the cafeteria, after a couple of moments hesitation they had done as they were told and Gibbs was alone in the room.
He found that he could not look at the device before him without feeling regret for the missed opportunity to save his family. Drawing a deep breath he set about placing the charges just passed the entry ring of the portal.
As Gibbs finished setting the timers McGee walked into the room, closely followed by Tony and Ziva.
"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to get out once you had set your charges?" Gibbs barked
"No boss" they all said in unison
"You didn't say anything about it boss." Said McGee
Gibbs smiled "Well come on let's get out of here before we all get blasted into history."
They all headed for the second sub level.
Darrel Ritter sat in the chair and Capitan Ritzmann paced back and forth trying to persuade Ritter to answer his questions
"Tell me! Where and when did Drake go? What is he planning?"
"It does not matter any more." Said Ritter. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard the air in the chair room shimmered and both of the men vanished"
Moments later Shannon appeared in the chair and she took control.
Tony and McGee stood guard out side of the secondary control room. Ziva and Gibbs were inside placing the charges.
"Ok so when we activate these timers we have exactly 4 minutes to get out of here." Said Gibbs
"Ok. On three." Said Ziva.
They counted in unison "one, two three. Run!" they leapt to their feet and hurried out of the room telling Tim and Tony to do likewise and rum.
On the surface two men appeared in a clearing Ritter had a colt automatic in his hand that he had be concealing in the chair for years. Ritzmann held his colt peacemaker he was disorientated and could feel that something was happening to him.
"Ritter what are you doing." He said his voice strangled with pain
"You put me in that chair because my brain was different…. You stole my life from me and made me part of your dammed machine. Now with the help of an angel I'm taking my life back!" Darrel said with a tone of triumph in his voice. Having been warned he was careful to keep his gun away from the tree at his right hand side.
Ritter was getting younger as Ritzmann watched and he could feel himself getting older and weaker. He knew his only chance was to kill Ritter. He pointed his peacemaker at Ritter and a shot rang out.
Ritzmann's expression was one of shock. A red stain spread across his chest and slowly he began to collapse as Gibbs ran towards the spot where the two men stood.
"Thank you." Said Ritter "You saved my life."
"Yeah well I never liked him" Gibbs checked Ritzmann for a pulse and felt the man's life slip away at the moment that Ritzmann died Gibbs was sure that he saw Ritter relax.
Ritter drew a deep breath and looked around "This is the first time I have been outside of that place for many years." He looked at his hands and smiled. "I have my life back." He began to cry.
As Tony, Ziva & McGee arrived they all felt the ground shake. They looked at each other, then a second tremor and then the world seemed to spin wildly and they were all plunged into darkness.
McGee opened his eyes and found him self still in the dark. He was in his own bed. He turned on his bedside light and looked around. Moments later he was out of bed and getting dressed. Shortly after that he was in his car and on route to the office.
As McGee arrived at the check in desk at the NCIS building Tony and Ziva arrived too. They all looked at each other
"I just had the maddest dream," said McGee
"Did you?" asked Ziva with a slightly shocked expression.
The three of them were in the elevator still trying to work out what had happened when in unison they all said "Camp Hero, Montauk!"
They walked into the bullpen and found Gibbs sitting at his desk drinking coffee. He looked at them and smiled. "You are all very early for work."
Tony spoke up first "Boss we all…."
"I know DiNozzo. I was there remember." Gibbs said interrupting him.
"But it was a dream…." Said McGee his tone of voice betraying his disbelief.
"I'm going to get some coffee," said Ziva deciding she did not want to think about this.
Gibbs produced a cardboard drinks carrier with three cups of coffee waiting for them.
They each took the drinks proffered to them
"Wow. Boss you even remembered the hazelnut." Said Tony shocked.
"What we experienced both did and did not happen." Said Gibbs "I think we all need to check that our view of recent history is correct if we are going to be able to do our jobs."
They all agreed with him and they each sat at their desks and began to check what they knew against what had been recorded in the NCIS database and other information sources then talked into the early hours of the morning each member of the team closer because of events that may or may not have happened…..
THE END…….OR IS IT?
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