Chapter 20
Ducky rested a hand on McGee’s shoulder as they walked into the elevator. “How is Tony doing? It appeared as if you had a nice chat with him.”
Shrugging his shoulder, Tim answered, almost sheepishly. “Tony’s hanging in, we all are. When this is over, he and I are going to talk it out. Sometimes, I forget that maybe he’s not really an arrogant jerk, even though he acts like it sometimes.”
“It is much easier to assume that he has always been this character,” Ducky began quietly. “Rather than remembering that this character is part of some defense system he needed to employ.”
“But is that really fair to him, Ducky? I just can’t see him as some frat boy, womanizer whose most complicated thoughts are where to go Saturday night and who he’s going to sleep with after. There’s more to him than that, Ducky.”
“There is, Timothy. There is a great deal more to him. He’s a highly intelligent man. Remember, he did an exceptional job in sports at a very high level, as well as doing well at university classes. I’ve done some research. Ohio State’s physical education program isn’t easy. But his persona disarms suspects and it is as comfortable as a familiar pair of slippers or a favorite sweater.”
“But it must be hard to live like that, constantly put up a front, hiding yourself from everyone. I know we all wear masks, not always showing who we really are. But to constantly have to be someone you have nothing in common with, that’s gotta be difficult, Ducky…tiring, wearing. Must be like being undercover. Guess Tony has more in common with our FBI guest than he thought.”
“Undoubtedly. I fear only Abigail gets to know the real Tony, the one minus all the masks. It would be wonderful if he’d trust us enough to let us in.”
“But at least there is someone he does confide in. Otherwise, he might explode from keeping it all inside. And he seems to confide pretty easily in Abby; most people do.”
“She gathers people to her without even meaning to,” Ducky agreed with a nod.
~*~
Tony looked over at Ziva and then his watch. “Want to check on Abbs with me?”
“Sure, Tony. I would like to see her, to make sure that she is well. Think she is in the lab?”
“Must be. Bet she’s running facials on anyone we saw.” Tony hit the stairs rather than the elevator and reached for the door to the lab. Expecting it to open like normal, his momentum threw him against the door. It was never locked, but today it was. “Hey Abbs! Abbs?”
Pushing, Tony aside, Ziva pulled out her picking tool and had the door quickly unlocked. Stepping aside, she let Tony through first, knowing he had to slip into his role as the team leader. It wouldn’t be easy for her friend and partner. But she would see to it her support was there.
Jethro had been on the brink of sleep when he heard someone calling for Abby. “She isn’t here,” he replied, sitting up and buttoning his shirt.
Ballistics lab? Tony made his way to it and stopped suddenly, watching Brooks buttoning his shirt up. “Oh…um…hi.”
“Hi.” Jethro stood, extending his hand. “Weren’t formally introduced. I’m Gibbs, Jethro Gibbs from the FBI. You’re…Tony?”
“Yeah. Anthony DiNozzo. Special Agent...” Tony winced at the bruises on the guy’s face, especially the one at the temple. “Sorry about that,” he muttered, turning and looking for Ziva.
“Don’t be. I’m fine.” He noticed the agent looking around. “She isn’t here,” he repeated. “They called her up for a debriefing.”
“Ziva? Oh, you mean Abbs? Yeah…okay. Ziva?”
“I am right here, DiNozzo. Just because you decide to break protocol and take the stairs at a run, does not mean that I have to.” Smiling at Jet, she said, “It is good to see you again. Your bruises do not look so bad. Though in the morning, I may change my opinion.”
Jethro shrugged. “They’ll keep with the whole daredevil appearance.”
“Yeah, very James Bond like,” Tony had to admit.
Gibbs smiled. “I guess. Good to see you again, Ziver. And meet you both properly.”
“Without breaking heads into the wall again, this is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. And Tony you have already met Jet Brooks, aka Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Special Agent with the FBI.”
Tony nodded. “Special Agent,” he said quietly.
“Just Jethro is fine.”
“Jethro, then. I’m Tony. Your head okay? Did they feed you?”
“I’ll be fine,” Jethro assured, stretching his back out. “Yeah, we ate. They just called Abby up. My director and yours are doing the debriefings.”
“And I assume we will be next, yes?” Ziva wondered to herself. “I do not look forward to having to discuss Franks’ dealings tonight, his beating of you mainly, with them. Director Morrow will not be pleased with his actions.”
She knew of Jethro’s ability to get out of handcuffs almost as easily as she could. And because she had been outside of the interrogation room when he and Abby had been alone, she could only assume he had been out of the cuffs with her. That was why she knocked on the door when she had seen Franks coming down the hall. Though the man had proven to be quite honorable so far, Ziva did not necessarily like that her responses to Jethro in essence had her choosing the FBI agent over Franks. Her loyalty had never been so torn before, and especially not over a stranger.
“Probably,” Jethro agreed. “Special Agent Franks acted with the best of intentions.” Why he felt the need to defend the other man was something he didn’t understand.
“He knew you before, didn’t he?” Tony asked even though he knew the answer.
“Briefly,” Jethro allowed. “He investigated a crime against someone I cared about while I was overseas. We met after the fact. Guess he remembered me but not all the facts.”
“Franks acted with far more violence than the situation warranted, despite his wanting to protect Abby.”
“He did. But you or I might have reacted in the same way if we thought someone was being harmed and had the facts wrong,” Jethro challenged quietly, meeting her eyes. “You and I already established that we’re similar and…”
“You bonded with him?” Tony asked Ziva incredulously.
“In a way, yes I did. While you were blustering around, thinking Abby was being hurt, I was investigating the character of the prisoner. That is what we do, Tony…investigate. It is what you and Franks, even Tim, have been plowing me over the head with since the day I arrived at NCIS. To investigate the facts before I come to any conclusions. With you and Franks inarguably covering Abby’s end, I thought to find out the man we had in custody until such time as I could talk to Abby myself.”
“And if he’d been a dirtbag, what then?” Tony folded his arms over his chest, very annoyed about this new development.
“But I’m not. I’m an agent with more seniority than you, I bet. And it was smart of her to assess the situation. She established a rapport and I told her I had some additional weapons you didn’t find.”
“What?” Tony whipped around, looking at Ziva.
Shrugging, Ziva replied, “I thought it best not to inform you of that at the time. You were already high strung enough without that information. Apparently, you and McGee did not search him well enough, or be concerned with whether or not your captive could pick locks.”
“Pick locks? Are you serious? Who expects that? Did he get out of the cuffs or something?” Tony rounded on Jethro. “You’re a regular Houdini.”
“Acquired talent,” he shot back mildly.
“What did we miss, Ziva? And where?”
“Plastic knife at the left of his zipper, inside the pants. He told me about it after I had escorted him to Interrogation. He did not have to, Tony. He could have waited, used it against Abby when she printed him. But he did not; he gave up the information willingly. That is why I knew I could trust him alone with Abby, Tony. Yet no one has really asked me about that.”
She knew Tony would hate her apparently defending the FBI agent, but Ziva had had enough with the bickering and power plays. It was time for straightforward honesty, and no more pissing matches and bruised egos.
“I didn’t even think to pat down his crotch, Ziva. I went up the legs, checked under arms right down the torso.” Tony shook his head. This was bad; if Gibbs had been a criminal he could have killed them all. “I did it by the books, what every LEO would have done!”
Jethro started to open his mouth and then thought the better of it. They needed to work this out themselves.
“I’m not condemning you, Tony, or telling you how to do your job. McGee was there and had no additions to your search. I know I had opportunities to search him, and I did not. I was merely referencing that Gibbs had ample opportunity to attempt an escape, to overcome one of us.”
“He’s a federal agent just like us. He wouldn’t, didn’t...” Tony was getting frustrated. “He’s screwing up everything,” he muttered, feeling like a petulant child but unable to stop himself.
“But I could have,” Jethro pointed out quietly. “When I thought you guys might be the enemy, I considered it, but I needed intel.”
Tony shook his head, still feeling angry and annoyed.
“Why do you think he is screwing up everything, Tony? There is no screw up, only a glitch the directors are working on fixing.” Ziva was confused at Tony’s behavior. He normally behaved as a senior agent, not like a child.
Tony turned to look at Ziva. “One night. I was a little nervous about Abby going undercover at all, but it was just supposed to be for one night. Now we have this situation with this guy and her connection with him and I can’t like it. Abby is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. Abby could die and he’s just as responsible as Mike for putting her in that situation. Someone needs to be pissed that our forensic scientist who couldn’t deal with being an agent is going back. Might not be professional or mature but he’s the one I’m pissed at for it.”
“Then be concerned, be pissed, but do not act like a spoiled child. Bring your concerns to the director, to both directors. Do not make it a pissing match against another agent, even if he is the cause.”
“Point taken, Ziva,” Tony said quietly. Even though he knew he probably deserved it, he didn’t like being called out in front of the FBI agent.
“Good, now can we return to what we were originally discussing?”
“How I missed a knife in the fly,” Tony remarked quietly.
“Before that, DiNozzo. We all missed it, or chose to not investigate further. I did not mention that to take away your manhood,” she said bluntly.
“Didn’t comment thinking that you were, Ziva. You asked a question and I answered it,” Tony replied in that same quiet voice, not interested in starting any more conflict in front of the Feeb.
“Before that, we were discussing that you two had some things in common and had bonded.”
“So, what do we do now, Tony?” For some reason, she had upset the equilibrium. She wanted to write the balance within the team. It was bad enough that the team was out of sorts with Mike. Ziva didn’t want the team to fall apart because of this.
“We find common ground,” Tony said in a firm voice. “We work together. We remember that we’re all on the same side trying to stop criminals from hurting others.” It wasn’t much of a rallying cry but he hoped it would motivate Ziva.
“That sounds like a great plan, Tony. And most importantly, we have to unite to protect Abby. Even with you, Jethro,” Ziva said, including Jethro again in the conversation. “We need to make sure that she is safe. She will go into this guns blazing, without really thinking about the dangers to herself.”
Jethro nodded. “She will be with me, Ziva. I can promise you both that.” He met Ziva’s eyes and then Tony’s. “I know everything shook you all up, but we really are on the same side. Fornell, Director Fletcher, Sacks, Blumenthal. They’re like me. They want answers and to put the criminals away just like you. Just like me.”
“And we will all be behind the two of you; Tony, Tim, myself, the rest of both agencies.” Ziva was confident that, with both agencies pulling their resources, and with Jet and Abby’s individual expertise, the op would not put any of the people involved at risk. Especially Abby.
~*~
Martin watched Abby leave and then turned to Tom. “She’s just as interesting as you’ve always said. I think Jethro will have his hands full. Good thing. He needs the challenge. Hasn’t been challenged like that in a good long time.” He stared at the closed door. “Is she the right girl for this job, Tom?”
“I think she’ll surprise us both in the end. Though she tends to run around like a hyperactive bunny on adrenaline, Abby’s probably one of the most intelligent people you’d ever work with. Maybe not so street-wise like Tony or Ziva, but she can find solutions to problems most give up on, or find new, creative ways to find evidence in places most give up on.”
He nodded, having gotten that impression from him. “Who are we speaking with next?” He was finding the groupings of this agency very intriguing. It sure beat sitting behind a desk all day.
“How about one of the other agents, Ziva, Tony, or McGee?” Morrow suggested. “We could do one at a time or all three.”
“Tony and McGee were the first to see Jet, weren’t they? And Ziva was in the van?” When Morrow confirmed that, he nodded. “All of them together is fine with me. We’re close to midnight and I know we all want to get out of here before dawn.”
“Lord knows that doesn’t happen often enough.” Chuckling, he picked up the phone and punched in Tony’s cell phone.
Tony exhaled quickly, flipping his phone open. “DiNozzo.”
“DiNozzo. Find David and McGee and come to the conference room.”
“Director? Ziva and I are here with the FBI agent in Abby’s lab. You mind him staying here?” Tony wanted to ask if the director trusted him to stay here but he didn’t dare. And Tony was very curious to see that the director called him rather than Mike calling him. Tony was starting to get a serious sinking feeling about all of it.
“Abby set up the lab for him to regroup after this evening’s events. Leave him there, Tony. Got any idea where McGee is?” Morrow could hear the doubt in Tony’s voice. But he knew the agent would wait to voice his concerns when the moment arose.
“I’ll find him, Sir. I think he and Ducky were going to check on Mike.” Tony stepped a few paces away from Ziva and Brooks. Getting an audience with the director wasn’t an everyday thing and he knew he had to take advantage of it. “Sir, is Mike op ready? If you need me to take a bigger part in this investigation, I’ll be glad to step up. Just tell me what you need. I’d prefer not to go through Mike for this, for obvious reasons.”
“I understand your concerns, Tony, and I appreciate you voicing them, as Director Fletcher and I have the same concerns. When we are done debriefing you three, I will be having another discussion with Franks. If I find that he cannot be trusted with this, I will be asking you to step in. Be prepared for that backlash, DiNozzo. I am sure the team will stand behind you if that becomes the case.”
Tony was a little shocked by this but nodded even though the other man couldn’t see him.
“Sir, Ducky, McGee, Ziva, and I were eating together and discussing our concerns about this situation with Special Agent Franks. You may not have backlash and opposition from that corner. Ducky also knows one of the agents. Not Special Agent Sacks but a man named Sebastian Blumenthal. From Interpol. They sounded as if they’re friendly.”
As Morrow knew, the team had worked with Fornell and Sacks on a few operations in the past. Tony made a hand motion to Ziva. “We’ll be right there, Sir.”
~*~
Mike sighed dramatically as he and Fornell went toward the squad room. “Don’t like your involvement. Aren’t pretending I do.”
“I’m hurt, Franks. And here I was, thinking you just wanted some alone time with me. And that’s why you attacked my agent.”
Mike snorted. “You’re too hairy, too weasly and way too old for me, Fornell. You get some knockers and some long hair and longer legs and we might talk.” Mike cocked his head to one side. “Nah, still have the same face.”
“And you’re no prize either, Franks. Gnarly old geezer. I don’t think anything could make you more attractive. Not even a gut full of beer will help ya out there, Mike.”
“The girls love me, Fornell. What’ve you got? Some redhead witch of an ex and a kid to support?”
“Careful where you’re treading, Franks. I adore my little girl, and she’s worth my having to deal with my ex. The girls may love you, you grisly bastard, but none seem to stick around long enough.”
“She’s a cute kid,” Mike admitted. “But the ex is a barracuda, Fornell. Thought you were a better investigator than that.”
“Being a good investigator has nothing to do with being a man. Sometimes, one head thinks louder than another.”
Franks looked up as the elevator dinged and Ducky and McGee came out. “Party’s not ready for you yet, boys.”
Seeing the two coming off the elevator, Fornell nodded at McGee and Doctor Mallard. “The directors will want to see you, Agent McGee, when they’re done with Abby. And possibly you too, Doctor Mallard.”
“That’s fine…fine, gentlemen.” Mike gave Fornell a pointed look. “Could you give us some privacy, Agent Fornell?”
Mike grunted, looking at McGee and Ducky curiously. What was this about?
Looking between the three men, Fornell could feel the definite tension in the room. Deciding he needed a break before beginning the work head of him, he got up and stretched. “I need some coffee anyhow. That stuff in your break room still swill?” Getting nods from the men, he said, “I’ll just head down the street then.”
Giving the FBI agent a nod of thanks, McGee turned to the man seated in front of him. “Boss, we need to talk about what happened tonight?” He looked at Ducky, needing help already with this. How could he, who was still a Probie to them, have any influence or effect on their seasoned boss?
“What?” Mike asked, shifting in his chair. They didn’t expect Probie to do a man’s work, did they?
“Mike,” Ducky began soothingly, sitting on the corner of the desk. “We’re concerned that the emotions involved may lead to Abby getting hurt.”
“Abby’s fine.” Mike ignored Ducky and focused instead on McGee. “You think I’m a threat to Abby?”
“We…um…we think that your opinion of Special Agent Gibbs might color your view of the situation. That maybe you’re biased against him. And you may not be at the top of your game if you’re worrying about him instead of the op. Abby could get seriously hurt, Boss. We can’t let that go,” he finished quickly.
“So what are ya gonna do, McGee, and don’t interrupt, Ducky. Let the kid stand on his own feet and address me man to man.” Mike stood now, staring into McGee’s eyes. “What are ya gonna do about this perceived threat, McGee? Neutralize me?”
“Talk to you about it, Mike. See if you can be reasonable, if you can run this op objectionably. If you can’t, I was going to ask you to step down as lead of the investigation, let Tony or even Fornell run it. I can’t risk Abby to your pride, Mike. None of us can.”
“I’m damned objective, McGee. I’m just worried about Abby. And you have no right to tell me to step down. You’re still wet behind the ears, McGee,” Mike growled. “Abby’s never in danger where I’m concerned. Ya don’t know that?”
“No, Mike. I don’t know that. We…don’t know that. How can you be objective in this situation when you look ready to take me out for bringing the subject up? Can you be trusted to look out for Gibbs’ best interests? Because if you don’t, you know Abby will. And you’ll put her life in jeopardy.”
“Because I don’t like traitors on my team,” Mike said in a low voice. “You have no right, McGee. You weren’t a part of this, Probie.”
Ducky winced, standing shoulder to shoulder with Timothy. “Abigail,” he said quietly, watching her approach. “Perhaps we should all talk, Mike. Come here, dear girl?” Ducky lifted and arm and motioned Abby under it. He and Timothy would stand in solidarity beside her.
“Hey Ducky.” Abby looked back and forth between Mike against Ducky and McGee. “What’s going on here?”
“Abigail, we were having a chat with Mike about his objectivity in this case. If they decide to put you undercover at another party or something, Mike’s lack of objectivity could put you at risk.”
“Lack of objectivity? I’m not biased,” Mike muttered. “You trust me, Girlie?”
“After what happened in interrogation, Mike? What do you think?” Her heart broke a little, but she knew Mike needed to hear it from her. Moving out from underneath Ducky’s arm, she walked closer to him. “I’d trust you with most things, Mike, with almost everything in my life. But the way you’re behaving, blaming Jet like he’s the bad guy, beating him up in interrogation with no provocation…How can you say you’re not biased? That you’re not gonna go in there, into that op, with your objectivity shot? Normally, I’d trust you with my life, Mike. But Jet means…means a lot to me, more than I thought he would. I can’t trust you with his life, or even Tony or McGee or Ziva’s lives.”
“I thought he was a damned dirtbag,” Mike shot back, growling. “A dirtbag who murdered a little six year old girl and her mother.” He grabbed the file and thrust it at her. “Read it, confuse the facts, tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing!”
“I don’t have to read it, Mike. I don’t want to. If and when Jet decides to tell me, I’ll listen. The problem right now isn’t what your behavior was; it’s what you’re doing now. You haven’t apologized or even admitted you’re wrong. You’re still behaving like he’s the perp, he’s the murderer. If you can’t even say you’re sorry and move on, how can anyone think you’ll be objective on this op?”
“It’s not your business, Abby,” Mike shot back. “Not any of your business. Between Director Morrow and me. And the other director. But nobody on my team has ever judged each other and it isn’t going to start now, Girlie! Do you understand me?”
“Of course it’s my business, Franks. It’s my life on the line. Can’t get any more my business. And no one’s judging you, except for maybe yourself. Keep pushing me away, Franks. And you’ll see how you fare then.” Abby didn’t need to threaten. She knew he’d understand. Nevertheless, her eyes started to tear up at the thought that this whole thing could put her and Mike on the outs. She adored the grisly old man, and he her, despite his behavior.
“Trust Morrow to make the right decision then.” Mike was getting furious now. He very deliberately stripped off his badge and gun and put them on his desk. “And someone call me when the trial has ended. I’m getting a drink.”
This betrayal from Abby, Ducky, McGee, ganging up on him. He was furious. Maybe this wasn’t the place for him any more. He’d almost left when the damned Mossad officer was thrust upon him, but Tommy’d convinced him to stay.
Mike knew he’d been out of line, but they had no right to call him out repeatedly. If his team didn’t respect him, maybe they needed to see what it was like to be without him.
Mike knew that he was reacting badly, burn out and exhaustion setting in. He’d been working sixty and seventy hours on this case every week and he’d completely lost perspective.
As he rode down in the elevator, he flipped his cell open, dialing Tom.
Hearing the beep of the call waiting, Morrow looked down at his phone. Seeing exactly who was calling in, Morrow put the phone back up to his ear and said to Tony, “I have to take this, Tony. Find McGee and come to the conference room.” Hanging up on DiNozzo, he saw who was calling in. Taking a deep breath, he answered. “Director Morrow.”
“It’s Mike, Tom. Badge and gun are on my desk. Think you need to take ‘em for now. Hold onto ‘em for me. Get your girl to write me a leave of absence. They don’t trust me and that’s gonna screw the pooch for your operation,” Mike said, speaking quietly. “Not quitting. Just sometimes a tactical retreat is called for. They’re out for my blood. Means they aren’t focused on the case.”
“What do you mean they’re out for your blood? Who are you talking about? What in the hell is going on?”
“Settle down, Tom,” Mike said, feeling very old all of a sudden. “My team, they don’t trust me. Demanding answers. Not taking my replies and interrogating me more. Gonna screw the pooch here if they’re worrying about me and not Abby. Ya gotta know when to fold ‘em, Tom. And I’m stepping back from the table so that I’ll be able to play again.”
“What are they questioning you about, Mike? You better give me a good explanation why my top agent is stepping away from this case. You willing to put Abby’s life into Tony or Fornell’s hands?” Granted, at this point, Morrow was having doubts as to Mike’s capabilities. But he needed to make sure that all the bases were covered.
“Hitting Gibbs,” Mike admitted quietly. “Tom, they lost faith in me. You want them worrying about my motives instead of being on the case? That’ll get Abby killed and I’m not doing that. Not gonna be a part of that. Let Fornell take the lead. Let me step back until everything is set. Then I can come back in a week or so, work behind the scenes.” Mike sighed, running a shaking hand through his hair,
“Tommy, Abby is more important than my pride.”
Closing his eyes, Morrow took a deep breath. Having to make the decision to remove Mike from the case had been taken away from him, relieving some of the stress from him. For that, he was almost grateful. “For Abby, Mike. Get your head together. When things have calmed down, I expect you back in the saddle. You still got that old laptop in your house? Get it updated. I’ll send someone from IT over there. Get you set up. That way, I can have any updates sent to you via that.”
“For Abby, Tom. I wouldn’t do this unless I know it was in her best interests. Laptop is at my place and ya can email me. Say, give it a week, Tom. Been meanin’ to get some sleep for a couple weeks now.” Mike wasn’t as young as he tried to convince himself he was until it all caught up with him. And he knew he hadn’t been objective beforehand, with Gibbs.
“Alright, Mike. I’ll put the paperwork through. The IT guys will be there in the morning. Make sure you’re up. Want to make sure you’re still in the loop with this, Mike.”
“I will be, Tommy. Just behind the scenes. DiNozzo is ready for this, Tom. He could take his own team if he wanted it and there was an opening.” He and Tom had been through this before. “And Fornell, he’s a good man. I trust them.” It was hard to say it, but it was the truth.
Morrow knew Mike had his issues with Gibbs, especially with him being so close to Abby during this undercover op. But he appreciated, for now, that he was keeping it to himself. And what Mike didn’t know was that Morrow had offered Tony his own team, after he had shown how capable he was when Mike was forced to recover. But Tony had turned it down, his loyalty to Mike driving him. “I know, Franks. And when he’s ready, Tony will have it. Get some rest, my friend. I expect you to be back to work in a week.”
“Got it, Boss.” Mike said quietly and with genuine warmth in his voice. “Thanks, Tom. I owe ya one for this.” It would have been within their rights of charges had been filed.
“Yeah, you do, Mike. Now go get some rest before I have to find you and headslap you. Take care, Mike.” Hanging up the phone, he turned to Fletcher. “Looks like either your man or DiNozzo will be taking over the op. Mike’s taking some vacation days.”
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