Ducky tapped on McGee’s desk with his fingers. His usual Scottish patience was long gone and suddenly their working hours, or more precisely the time they started, seemed ridiculously late to him. It hadn’t been an easy decision to ask the young man for help. Of course, the first two obvious choices were both out, not only that, they were the reason he needed help. He knew how good McGee was, and although he had even slightly a bit more faith in Abby he knew he couldn’t ask her.
Finally, the elevator opened, and McGee entered the bullpen, to Ducky’s great relief, alone. He wasn’t even at his desk before he stopped and frowned at the elder man.
„Em...Ducky, what are you doing here?“
The last couple of days had been hard on them all. First Tony’s sudden death and then Gibbs being on sick leave. Agent Lee had once more joined the team, sitting at the desk next to McGee’s behind the wall because she didn’t want to sit at Tony’s. Ducky could more than relate to it that McGee was expecting more bad news.
„Timothy, I need to have a word with you.“
„Well, shoot.“
„Not here.“
Ducky shook his head and led the way to the elevator that brought them down into autopsy. He disabled the automatic doors and led McGee further into the dark morgue.
„Ducky, I’m worried here...“
„You’ll be more worried once I told you.“
„Oh, sounds great. What’s going on?“
Ducky took a deep breath and motioned McGee to sit on one of the slabs.
„This has to stay between the two of us. No one can know, Timothy, not Abby, not Ziva, not even the Director. If you’re asked, I never told you anything. This conversation never happened.“
A frown on the young man’s face increased almost comically, though there was nothing funny about it, but finally he nodded.
„Timothy, Tony is not dead. He’s a top secret agent of an international agency. You might have thought Ziva was the spy on the team, but actually Tony was. Well, actually, he’s not Tony DiNozzo, and don’t ask me for his name, I don’t know.“
„Is this supposed to be a joke? Cause it’s not funny.“
„Do you see me laughing, Timothy?“
For a long moment Tim only stared at Ducky. Tony a top secret spy?
„If Tony is a spy, how come you know about it?“
Ducky nodded shortly.
„Because I once was an agent. I retired about fifteen years ago and they gave me this identity. They required one last service from me a couple of years ago; to help Tony to get in here. It wasn’t that difficult, as Jethro trusted me as a friend and consult. Abby wasn’t difficult to get on board, as if she said no to a good looking young man who actually knows what he’s doing. Tony’s mission, as I’m sure that would be your next question, was to protect Jethro. I can’t tell you why, I could say because it’s need to know and you don’t, but actually I can’t tell you because I don’t know myself.“
„Ok...and why are you telling me all this?“
Ducky stood up from his chair and sat next to McGee on the slab.
„When Tony supposely died, Jethro had a breakdown. His feelings for Tony were much deeper than he himself knew. That is why I set him on leave. When I went to his house last night, he wasn’t there but there was blood on his bedroom carpet, not enough blood to be fatal, but still I think that whosever blood it was is no longer among us.“
„You think ...Gibbs is dead?“
Tim’s voice was hoarse; wasn’t it enough to lose one friend?
„Actually, I don’t think so. I talked to my agency contact, and apparently they knew more. The man who died in Gibbs‘ bedroom was a terrorist.“
„But then where’s Gibbs?“
„Now we’re getting to the part I need your help with. That Tony’s dead, or rather that his fake identity was claimed to be dead, indicates that he was pulled off the mission. But my contact told me that Tony wasn’t officially pulled off. Apparently, his CO vanished the same time Tony was announced dead.“
Ducky could almost see Tim’s mind working.
„You’re saying his CO works on his own, and not after order by the agency?“
„Exactly. When I found Jethro all broken I called Tony on his secured cell phone. I think Tony went to check on him and surprised the terrorist and killed him before he had the chance to kill Gibbs.“
„Well, that’s good, isn’t it?“
Ducky sighed.
„Well, it is good that Tony was faster than the terrorist. It isn’t good though that Tony is on the run and Gibbs is with him. You see, his CO, he was like a father to Tony. He has never known anything outside the agency. You can’t compare him to you. You can’t even compare him to me. He has no family, no home, no real identity somewhere out there. When his CO betrayed the agency, Tony lost all of his faith in the system, and now he’s not only running away from the terrorists, but also from the agency. He doesn’t trust anyone there anymore. I need you to find him before they both get killed. and believe me, no one chasing them will ask a lot of questions, at least concerning Tony.“
„Ducky, what do you think I could do? If Tony is a spy, and he doesn’t want to be found, I don’t think that I could find him.“
„Timothy, you have one major advantage; he’s not running away from you. Even Tony needs people, and since he doesn’t trust the agency, he will look for people who have been loyal to him, and before you say it, he did always think of you as loyal, otherwise he wouldn’t have accepted you to be that close to Jethro.“
McGee slid off the slab, and paced the small space between Ducky’s desk and the first slab, the eyes of the ME never leaving him.
„Ok, let’s say this is all true. Tony’s a top secret agent on the run with Gibbs...even if he thinks of me as loyal, what am I supposed to do? I don’t suppose he has his cell phone with him?!“
„Well, I didn’t find Jethro’s cell, but I think that’s because someone was there before me to take the body, and I can’t think Tony would have let him take it. Tony does have a cell, which is most likely turned off, but to check messages, if that.“
Tim shook his head.
„So what? Call him and say, ‚Hey, Tony, Ducky gave me your number. We’re worried, give me a call.’ I don’t really think that’s going to work!“
Even while he spoke, Ducky’s cell phone rang.
„Yes?...Ah, that’s good, Jethro....“
Tim’s eyes went wide.
„Well, of course I was worried...could I talk to Tony?...Whatever name he uses at the moment!...Where are you?...Anthony...Damnit!“
It was the first time McGee saw the elder Scot seriously angry.
„The boy hung up on me! Said my phone could be bugged. As if I didn’t check for that!“
„You see? How should I find him?“
Ducky sighed exasperated, finally losing his patience.
„What do you think Tony’s doing, apart from running away? He’s trying to find out why he has to protect Gibbs. So, if we can’t find him, we have to find out where he’s going to be and be a step ahead.“
„So, a backgrund check on Gibbs?“
„A very thourough background check.“
Tim nodded, and went to the door, but then stopped.
„This should be high priority, right, Ducky? Director Sheppard offered us all two weeks vacation. None of us accepted. It’s easier to forget here, but maybe we should take them now. I mean, it can’t hurt to have Ziva and Abby in on it?!“
„Timothy...“
„They’re grieving, they’re worried. They deserve to help. They’ve been Tony’s friends, too.“
For a moment Ducky didn’t answer, but then the passion of the younger man took over on him.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yet another hunter is trying to track down Gibbs and his Agent