McGee had struck out on getting any sort of surveillance footage from where the burn phones were purchased. The store had cameras, more than a dozen of them in fact, but they’d only been installed three months ago after a botched break in scared the manager into taking tighter security measures. Even if the cameras had recorded anything they reused the tapes, rarely keeping anything longer than a week. Coming up dry wasn’t entirely unexpected but it was decidedly disappointing.
Gibbs’ hands clenched into fists as he fought not to lash out in anger at running into yet another dead end. He cursed vehemently in his head, unwilling to give voice to what he was thinking lest McGee take it the wrong way.
“I’ll keep working.” McGee assured him earnestly, blue eyes wary. Clearly some of what Gibbs was thinking and feeling had made itself know.
“There has to be something here that we can use.” McGee cleared his throat. “I just haven’t had enough time to find it. I will, Boss. I won’t give up. I just need to--“
Gibbs held up a hand, halting McGee’s babbling. “I know, McGee.” He patted McGee on the shoulder. It wasn’t his fault, and there was no harm in letting him know that. He was doing his best.
Gibbs took a breath and let it out slowly. “Something else I need you to look into.”
Gibbs gave McGee the code name for the case he and Shepard worked ten years ago. There should still be a file on it somewhere, although whether or not it was just hard copy or had been entered into a database Gibbs didn’t know. He outlined what they’d been assigned to do and where.
“Why do you want me to dig into all that?” McGee frowned, head tilting to one side as he looked at Gibbs. “I don’t see how it relates to this case.”
“Shepard used the same alias when talking to Nunes. I don’t know how those things might be related"“
“But there are no such things as coincidences.” McGee finished for him.
“Exactly.” Gibbs nodded. “There had to be a reason she picked that name.”
McGee nodded slowly. “If we can document she’s used it before"“
“It becomes another link back to her.” Gibbs finished for him. “With what she told me, the activity in DiNardo’s accounts and money we can link to payments to her doctor, this alias…We may have enough to arrest her even if we can’t get definitive proof she bought the phones or made the calls to Nunes.”
McGee grinned. “I’m on it, Boss.”
“Call Abby if you need help.” Abby and McGee worked together well, inspiring each other to find solutions that they might not come to on their own. “She’s gotten as far as she can on Shepard’s medical records.”
“Will do, Boss.”
Gibbs patted his shoulder again. “Let me know when you find something.”
“Where will you be?”
“Hospital.” Gibbs wanted to check on Tony. He still needed to give him that ‘attaboy’ in person for having information they were able to use. Abby and Ducky would be in need of a break by now too. Gibbs knew from past experience that spending time at a hospital was exhausting. And none of them had gotten a good night’s sleep in days.
It would also be a good time to talk to LaFiamma too and see what else he might have uncovered. The man was still working he case, and had managed to find out a lot earlier just by making a few phone calls. He might know more about the CIA’s role in all this, especially now that they were sending someone to Houston. There might be more chatter about what happened to Kort that LaFiamma had access to that he and his team hadn’t found time to look into.
McGee bit his lower lip before asking, “Will you be taking Ziva with you?”
Gibbs thought about that for a moment. It was probably better if he took Ziva with him. Tony’s partner and coworkers weren’t going to share much with her, not when LaFiamma had made it clear he didn’t trust her. They weren’t outright rude, but they fell silent around her, always stood arm’s length away, didn’t speak to her unless she spoke first. It wasn’t surprising McGee had noticed. Anyone with half a brain could tell she was being handled differently than the rest of the team.
It still grated that LaFiamma had questioned her loyalty, but Gibbs couldn’t fault the man’s logic. If he didn’t know Ziva, hadn’t already been convinced of her commitment to the team, her ties to Shepard and allegiance to a foreign power would be reason enough to keep her at a distance.
He sighed softly. Ziva didn’t have the patience to play nice with others, nor did she always see the need to do so. Leaving her with people who made no secret of their distrust if not outright dislike was just asking for trouble. Gibbs couldn’t afford to have her coming to blows with people who’d already shown a willingness to work with most of his team. Regardless of how they felt about Ziva or the rest of the team, Tony’s teammates were making progress on the case"maybe not as fast or as much as Gibbs would like---and he wasn’t about to interfere with that.
It was one more thing about having Tony on his team Gibbs missed. Ziva might know how to schmooze with politicians and diplomats, understanding better than anyone else the need for tact and care during those confrontations, but when it came to day to day interactions with fellow law enforcement types she didn’t always relate well. Tony might annoy the hell out of people at times, but he always managed to make nice whenever the situation called for it. Regardless of how he felt about another agent or officer, if ordered to work with them he did.
“Yeah, I’ll take her with me.” It would mean leaving McGee alone but he seemed to get along well enough with the team in Houston, and he wasn’t doing anything that should require back up.
McGee’s lips curled upward in a small smile. “Tell Abby I’m still betting on Ziva and LaFiamma coming to blows at some point.”
Gibbs chuckled. He didn’t think they would, as least as long as Ziva didn’t start anything. LaFiamma wouldn’t throw the first punch, of that Gibbs was certain, but he wouldn’t back down if she challenged him directly.
“Come to the hospital in a few hours,” Gibbs ordered quietly.
McGee frowned. “Boss, I might not have anything by then"“
“I know.” Gibbs headed for the door. “I want you there whether you’ve got anything new or not.
“Boss?” McGee called after him obviously confused.
Gibbs looked over his shoulder. “I know you want to see Tony too.”
McGee smiled brightly, blue eyes warm and grateful. “Thanks, Boss.”
Gibbs nodded and left. He might be a bastard, but he hadn’t forgotten the reason they’d all flown to Houston. McGee deserved to see Tony as much as anyone else on the team.
He found Ziva in the hallway. “Ziva, you’re with me.”
He didn’t tell her where they were going, but then he rarely told his people much. Most of the time they were quick enough to catch on without him having to explain it. It wasn’t much of a guess as to where they’d be headed. The hospital was the only other place any of them had gone since getting to Houston.
Gibbs did stop to let Dewing know he and Ziva were heading out. She gave him a two fingered salute and went back to working with Mendez on whatever they were doing. He heard the CIA mentioned and realized they were probably strategizing for how to deal with whoever the spy agency sent. Gibbs decided he didn’t need to know any more than that. He smiled to himself. Plausible deniability wasn’t always such a bad thing.
The trip to the hospital was made in silence. Gibbs was grateful Ziva didn’t try talking to him. There was nothing they needed to hash out about the case, and chit-chat had never been his strong suit.
The only idle conversation or small talk he willingly tolerated came from Tony or Abby. Tony’s running commentary could be interesting at times, was often amusing, and his voice made for pleasant background noise that Gibbs could tune out whenever he wanted. Abby’s babbling was nearly incomprehensible to him at times, and the subject matter rarely seemed connected to what they were doing, but his paternal feelings made it almost second nature to indulge her.
Gibbs parked as close to the door as he could get without taking a handicapped spot or one of the places reserved for staff. In an emergency or back in DC, he would have parked anywhere not caring about petty rules, but in Houston he couldn’t guarantee the damn rental wouldn’t get towed. Better to be safe than sorry.
They made their way through the hospital and up to Tony’s room. Gibbs scanned the area instinctively has he walked. He didn’t think there was any true threat to Tony and Lundy from Nunes’ people, but being unable to put the case completely to bed still made him wary.
Gibbs relaxed when nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Ziva gave him a look that let him know she’d done her own threat assessment. He smiled and got a smile from her in return. She might not be Tony, but she was a good second.
There was still a uniformed officer guarding the door to Tony and Lundy’s room. Gibbs didn’t recognize the man and wasn’t entirely surprised when he blocked the door and asked for ID. Ziva gave him a dirty look, but Gibbs simply complied. The man was doing his job, no reason to give him shit over it. Gibbs would have more reason to give him a hard time if he hadn’t stopped him. Unnecessary or not, there was no excuse for a man not to perform his duty.
Gibbs knocked once lightly on the door. He didn’t want LaFiamma pointing a gun at him again. Regardless of what Abby said about him being a good guy, Gibbs couldn’t be sure that LaFiamma wouldn’t shoot him out of spite.
He’s effort at courtesy was wasted. LaFiamma wasn’t in the room. Gibbs didn’t think he’d voluntarily left since Lundy and Tony had been admitted. He looked around, instinctively assessing the room to see if he could spot something to explain the younger man’s absence.
Abby was sleeping in the chair. Gibbs winced looking at the angle of her neck knowing his own would be killing him in no time if he’d slept like that. Ducky was also dozing. He was doing it sitting straight up though, and Gibbs shared a quick grin with Ziva over that. He’d heard his old friend say more than once that he could sleep any time, anywhere, but this was the first time he’d seen proof.
Tony also appeared to be sleeping. Gibbs found it decidedly reassuring that his breathing appeared to be regular and easy. It wasn’t the unnatural rhythm when he was on the respirator. His color looked better too.
Glancing toward Lundy’s bed, Gibbs wasn’t entirely surprised to see brown eyes measuring him. What did startle him a bit was the pistol in Lundy’s hand. It wasn’t pointed at him, just aimed in his and Ziva’s general vicinity. Gibbs arched an eyebrow. Lundy just shrugged, shoving it under the blanket.
“Old habits,” Lundy murmured.
“I knocked.” Gibbs felt compelled to point out. He’d been polite, that should have meant no one would point a gun at him.
“I know.” Lundy grinned at him. “S’what woke me up.”
Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Asshole.”
Lundy’s grin just got bigger. “You aren’t telling me anything I didn’t already know.”
Gibbs shook his head. He would never understand this man, but he was grudgingly coming to genuinely like him.
Ziva coolly appraised Lundy. Gibbs could tell she approved of his being prepared even is she didn’t like having a gun pointed at her any more than Gibbs had. He knew of LaFiamma’s antipathy for her, but Gibbs had no idea how Lundy felt about Ziva. The two seemed to disagree on a lot of things, but when it came to anything important they were lock step in their thinking.
“Where’s your partner?” Gibbs asked.
“Stretching his legs.” Lundy yawned. “He’s not good at sitting still.”
It was something else LaFiamma had in common with Tony. Gibbs had missed his energy and exuberance. Abby came close, but hers was often the by product of caffeine and a childlike zest for life, whereas Tony’s was an inherent part of his nature and didn’t typically involve quite so much hyper activity.
Gibbs stepped closer to Tony’s bed. Paternal instinct had him reaching out to gently lay his hand against Tony’s forehead, checking for fever, wanting a physical connection. He was pleased to feel only the usual level of warmth.
Tony blinked up at him, smiling when he focused sleepy green eyes on Gibbs. “Hey Boss.”
“How you doing, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked softly, his tone gentle, thumb lightly caressing Tony’s forehead.
Tony sighed. “M’fine.” His voice was raspy and hoarse. Gibbs couldn’t tell if it was because he’d been sleeping or a hold over from having been on the ventilator.
Gibbs smiled, shaking his head slightly. Only Tony would consider his current condition even remotely close to ‘fine’.
“They treating you all right?”
“S’okay. For a hospital.” Tony blinked slowly. “Rather be home.”
Gibbs winced internally, thinking about what ‘home’ used to be to Tony. If home was still DC and NCIS Tony might not be lying in a hospital bed. But given Shepard’s involvement, maybe it was better he was in Houston. Hell, at the moment, Gibbs only wanted to back to DC to kick her ass for being so damn stupid.
Tony’s breathing hitched, and Gibbs found himself holding his own breath hoping it wouldn’t start him coughing. He released it once Tony was breathing easily. He could almost see the younger man becoming more awake and aware.
Gibbs almost regretted disturbing him, knowing Tony needed to rest to heal, but having him alert and talking was so damn reassuring. Gibbs couldn’t bring himself to feel bad about having another chance to talk to Tony.
“How are things…going with the case?” The question was a little breathy, audible proof that Tony’s punctured lung and broken ribs were still causing him some problems. They likely would for awhile.
“It’s getting there,” Gibbs hedged, not wanting Tony to worry overly much about it. He needed to concentrate on getting better. “The information you had gave us another lead.”
Tony looked hopeful. “Yeah?”
“You did good, Tony.”
Tony smiled, color warming his cheeks. “Thanks, Boss.”
Gibbs dipped his head in acknowledgement. He was glad he’d been smart enough to know, even without Abby mentioning it, that Tony needed to hear the ‘attaboy’ from him personally, not second hand.
Tony glanced around the room. When he spotted Ziva still standing near the door, he smiled.
“Sweet Cheeks.”
“Hello, my little Hairy Butt.”
“You going to lurk…in the doorway the whole time…you’re here?” He asked. His eyes sparkled as he teased her, the warm tone of his voice barely concealing the effort it took him to speak as evenly as he had. “I know you ninja types…are gung ho on escape and all"“
“Shut up, Tony,” Ziva said but there was no heat in her voice. She stepped closer, reaching out to take his hand, squeezing once before quickly letting go. “I’m sure your doctor has told you not to talk so much.”
“Nope.” Tony grinned. “He didn’t say anything…like that.”
“Perhaps I should have a word with him then.” Ziva grinned back. “He clearly does not know you like we do.”
Tony rolled his eyes. He turned his head, smiling again when he spotted Abby. “Wake her up,” Tony murmured. “She’s going to hurt like hell…if she stays like…that any longer.”
Gibbs smiled wryly. His neck hurt just looking at her. He started to move only to stop when Ziva waved him off.
“I’ll wake her.”
Ziva stepped over to Abby and laid a hand on her shoulder. Gibbs opened his mouth to warn her but there was no time. Abby came awake with a start and stood up abruptly, arms swinging wildly as she fought to find her balance. Only Ziva’s quick reflexes kept her from getting smacked in the face.
“I’m awake. I’m awake,” Abby nearly shouted. “I was just resting my eyes. I swear.”
Lundy traded a look with Tony, chuckling softly. “She always wake up like that?”
“Whenever she’s anywhere but home in bed, yeah,” Gibbs answered him before Tony could. The doctor might not have told him not to talk much but Gibbs didn’t like the amount of effort it took Tony to speak.
Lundy pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I’ll remember to use a pole if I have to wake her up.”
Gibbs smirked. “Probably a good idea.” He made a habit of calling her name once or twice before he touched her. Sometimes it helped. It helped more to be ready to dodge her wild movements until she was fully aware of where she was and what was going on.
“Tony, you’re awake again!” Abby almost bounced in place clearly holding herself back from trying to hug Tony.
Her exuberant cry woke Ducky who had somehow managed to sleep through everything else. The older man snorted, head jerking to the side once and then back to center. He blinked blearily, blue eyes focusing slowly on Gibbs. “Oh dear.” Ducky sighed. “I’m sorry, Jethro, I must have nodded off.”
“No problem, Ducky.” Gibbs’ gaze flickered toward Lundy. “Lundy had it covered.”
Ducky clucked his tongue. “Levon, my boy, you should be resting.”
“I was.” Lundy shrugged one shoulder. “But don’t think anyone could sleep through the racket y’all make when you get together.”
“It does take some practice,” Ducky said with a soft laugh. “Obviously, I’m better versed in it than I should be.”
“No worries, Ducky,” Lundy said. “Been a long couple o’ days.”
That it has, Gibbs mutely agreed. He let Abby, Ziva and Ducky visit with Tony for a bit, watching to make sure they didn’t tax him unduly. He didn’t worry much about Ducky and Ziva as much as he did Abby. She tended to forget that most people needed to be in top form to deal with her nearly hyper nature.
After a few minutes, he told Ziva take Ducky and Abby to the hotel room that had been booked for them. He cut off any protests with a hard look. They both needed more rest than could be had in hospital chairs. Although still game, Ducky wasn’t a young man any more. Gibbs was sure McGee would be calling Abby later. A few hours of sleep in a real bed would do wonders for her.
A nurse came in as they were leaving. She was an attractive blonde with hazel eyes and a warm smile. She was so petite, that if not for her uniform and competent demeanor he would have thought her a child. She was carrying a breathing apparatus he recognized as one Tony had been asked to use while recovering from the plague.
The flirty smile that appeared on Tony’s face when he spotted her morphed into a grimace when he saw what she held. “Do I have to…do that now?” He asked, green eyes wary.
“Yes,” she said softly, expression understanding. “I know it hurts but the doctors want you exercising that lung several times a day. We don’t want you coming down with pneumonia.”
Tony nodded, reluctantly. Green eyes flicked toward Gibbs. “You want…to go find Joe? No reason to…hang around for this, Boss.”
Gibbs would have preferred to stay, but Tony obviously didn’t want him there. He couldn’t blame him. Gibbs never wanted any onlookers when he went through physical therapy. He didn’t need a spectacle made of his pain---regardless of how much the observer might care about him. And he never wanted to look weak in front of anyone. It was one of the many ways Tony was like him. It had probably been bad enough for Tony that Abby had witnessed him struggling through the first session.
Gibbs looked toward Lundy and read regret in those brown eyes that he couldn’t give Tony the privacy he deserved. Tony might not mind having Lundy here so much, Gibbs mused. Lundy was going to have his own therapy issues before too long that Tony would not doubt witness, so they were on more equal footing. And Lundy’s relationship with Tony seemed to be more that of a big brother than father figure or superior.
Lundy had never said so outright, but every interaction he’d had with Gibbs led the former Marine to believe they didn’t share the same views on a lot of things. Lundy had a code he lived by, but it was a safe bet he didn’t have rules he passed on or expected other to know and maintain. He had doubtless never placed any unrealistic expectations that Tony felt obligated to live up to. He likely hadn’t set standards that were nearly impossible to reach. And Lundy had probably never made Tony prove himself over and over in order to get even minimal praise or acceptance.
Gibbs swallowed hard, angry with himself again for belatedly coming to understand why Tony felt compelled to leave and refused to return. He took a breath and released it. None that mattered at the moment.
“You know where I can find LaFiamma?”
“Try the roof.”
Gibbs blinked. “The roof?”
“About the only place in a hospital that doesn’t reek of antiseptic.” Lundy shrugged one shoulder. “Gets good cell reception too.”
“Thanks.”
Lundy saluted with two fingers. “When you find him, tell he’s got half an hour before I come looking for him.”
Gibbs arched an eyebrow. “You worried?”
“Nah.” Lundy grinned. “He promised to get us some real damn food for dinner. Me and Slick already know what we want. He isn’t going to weasel out of getting it for us.”
Gibbs chuckled. He nodded to Tony and the nurse on his way out. He was pleased when Tony smiled warmly back at him in response.
“If you ask Joe nice, he’ll get something for you too.”
Gibbs stifled a snort. He had his doubts about that. All he wanted from LaFiamma was to review the case and see if the man had anything new to add. He didn’t need anything more than that.
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