Gibbs and Puchalski walked into the lab together, Gibbs holding a Caff-Pow in one hand and a coffee in the other. They had been called by Abby early on, it looked like neither she or McGee had left the lab since Luis had told them the previous night that they could take off.
"What am I looking at?" Gibbs asked looking at the blank screen behind Abby.
"Take it away McG!" Abby spun around to the agent in front of the computer. "I mean, very Special Agent McGee." She said, patting his shoulder.
"Probable site where the victims were tortured, killed, perhaps buried." McGee said turning to look at Gibbs.
"You want to know how we did it?" Abby bounced in place.
"Not really." Jethro truthfully told her.
"Good, because it was mostly luck." She laughed and Luis sniggered.
"Where?" Gibbs asked gruffly.
"Wilderness area of Great Falls National Park." McGee said.
"Puchalski, you lead the team." Jethro turned to Luis and started to head out of the lab. "After ten years I’ve finally got something on Boone he doesn’t already know about." He muttered leaving.
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"Dr Mallard, what can I do for you?" Shepherd asked as Ducky made an entrance in her office. She had been in only a short time before her assistant had called through to say the resident medical examiner wished a moment of her time.
"I hear you paid a visit to Anthony. I'm sure he appreciated knowing that you are willing to facilitate his return to work when the time comes." Jenny smiled.
"I know he is a valued and very competent agent. Why wouldn't I want him to continue to help NCIS?"
"I'm certainly not questioning your motives Director, I just wished to make my gratitude known."
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Jethro stalked into the interrogation room and took his seat before the serial killer that had caused so much pain to so many people, not only the women in the pictures down in the lab but their loved ones as well.
"My lawyer was very upset. He wanted to move me back to prison. But don’t worry. I told him I like it here." Boone said happily.
"Don’t get too comfortable. You’re going back today." Jethro stared Boone down.
"Really? What’s changed?" Gibbs stood and made his way to the door after mere seconds in the room. Boone turned, hi eyes following the agent. "You found something, didn’t you?"
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Puchalski stopped the car at a small clearing just off a dirt road. McGee looked to his cell phone and out of the passenger side window where he saw woodland and no route through.
"The site where the photos were taken is two hundred and sixty five feet on a track of three hundred ten degrees. We need to get through here." McGee pointed out of the window.
McGee and Luis exited from the front of the car and Fletcher climbed out of the backseat. All three agents congregated around the boot of the car removing their bags before hiking to the spot McGee and Abby had discerned could be Boone's dumping ground.
Coming to a steep hill all three make their way down carefully to a large clearing, thin tree's scattered around the place.
"Well, if this is the place I can see why Boone picked it." Fletcher said looking around at his surroundings.
"Off the beaten path, no hard surfaces to reflect sound. Those girls could scream their heads off and no one would hear. Yeah, this is the perfect spot." Luis concurred.
"Guys, we’re in the right place." McGee spoke to his fellow agents, having bent down and brushed leaves aside to reveal a human skull. This attracted the other two who walked over quickly, Luis taking his cell phone out as he moved.
"There's no reception. Spread out and tape it off."
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Gibbs stood watching as Boone paced around the interrogation room. He stopped when he reached the mirrored window banging a fist on the surface.
"Come on, Jethro! We both know you’re in there." Gibbs still stood stoic watching as Boone returned to pacing. The control room door opened and Abby entered looking a little sheepish.
"Hey." Gibbs said in greeting.
"Hey. I wanted to see what the monster looks like." The forensic scientist confessed as she stood beside Gibbs, looking from the jumpsuit clad man in the next room to the older man beside her. "He doesn’t look that scary."
"You saw the photographs?" Jethro asked looking down at the brunette as her head turned back to the interrogation room.
"Yeah." A silence hung in the air as they stood watching the killer in the next room. Abby turned to Gibbs looking happy. "Tony called me, he's getting discharged on Monday." Gibbs' brow furrowed at this news. "He's going to rehab in Virginia."
"That's good."
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"Luis!" Fletcher's voice rang out from a distance away, McGee and Puchalski looking to each other before jogging over to where the should had emanated from.
"What are you yelling about?" Luis asked as he approached Fletcher who stood with his back to the approaching agent's.
His head turned and right arm pointed in front of him he responded. "Her." The other two agents made their way to the body of a woman, stripped naked nod hands bound with rope hanging from a tree.
"She couldn’t have been dead more than a few days." Luis assessed looking at the body.
"Boone’s mark." McGee pointed to the bloodied heart shape carved into the woman's back.
"Fletcher hike back to the car and call it in, tell Gibbs we’re going to need everything we have and everyone on this one!" Luis yelled as Seb took off, jogging back the way they had came.
"I’ll be back in twenty minutes." Fletcher shouted back over his shoulder.
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Upon reaching the car Fletcher checked his phone for reception, two bars showing on the screen led him to place the call to Gibbs that would turn this place into a circus.
"Gibbs! We found Boone’s dumping ground." Seb shouted over the static that cut in as the two bars faded to one. "We also found a fresh body." A static filled response that mentioned 'backup' and 'Ducky' came across the line and what Fletcher thought could be the request of more information. "Female. Dead less than a week. She has Boone’s mark on her back." There was nothing but static this time and Seb found himself pressing his free hand to he ear not occupied by the phone to try and listen for a Gibbs like response. The static cut out and all Fletcher heard was silence. "Yo Gibbs, can you hear me?" Fletcher removed the phone from his ear to check the display, no reception and no Gibbs.
His disappointment was cut short when a shock of blinding pain went through him, his head feeling like it had been split open. Turning quickly he saw a silhouetted figure holding what looked like a wooden post.
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McGee knelt by the dead female, looking at her tortured form.
"Puchalski, something’s not right." Tim said looking up to the experienced agent, his brow furrowed.
"What?" Luis asked while surveying the area, Fletcher had been gone twelve minutes in which time he and McGee had cordoned off the area.
"I know this girl." McGee spoke as though he were unsure. His brow still furrowed in concentration.
"You know her?" Puchalski asked crouching down by McGee as he continued to consider the woman's countenance. Suddenly McGee was hit with something and turned urgently to Luis.
"She was the last entry in Boone’s scrapbook. One of the Jane Does." He spoke with barely contained excitement at placing her face.
"He’s been on death row for ten years. She’s been here less than a week." Luis pondered the situation before looking back up to where they had come from and where Fletcher had jogged off. "We've got a copycat."
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"You look a little peaked, Jethro. Is something wrong? Maybe I can help. A new development, perhaps?" Kyle looked up pleasantly as Gibbs entered and took a seat opposite him, Jethro made himself as comfortable as possible in the chair. He was sure they were designed to be as uncomfortable as possible for the person being interrogated but he didn't understand why the person interrogating had to suffer so much.
"I’ve got to hand it to you, Boone. I did my best, but you got me to play your game." Jethro remark conversationally.
"You found the bodies. Not what you were expecting, was it?" A smile spread slowly across the killers face as he spoke, leaning forward. "You see, there’s someone else out there now. And I’m the only one who can help you find him." "You’ll have to request a stay of my execution."
"I’m gonna have to pass on that." Gibbs chuckled as he too leaned forward meeting Boone's eyes "No matter how this plays out, you’re going to sit in that chair Saturday." Jethro smiled sickly sweet. "Hell, I can wait until Sunday to start an investigation." He shrugged.
"You’re bluffing." Boone's eyes narrowed, trying to discern if Gibbs was telling the truth, he certainly would not have done this ten years ago but Jethro appeared to have changed greatly.
"You’re dead in thirty six hours." Gibbs said before standing and heading for the door. "Game’s over." Opening the door Jethro revealed Balboa and Sutton. "Take him back to death row!" Gibbs left the room and met his three agents in the corridor, from the room he could hear Boone's protests as he was manhandled by Sutton and Balboa.
"They’re not going to kill me now Jethro. I’m the only one who can identify the killer." His voice became clearer as Boone was half dragged into the hallway. "Do you think your agent begged for his life?" Kyle asked.
"I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?" Jethro responded, moving slightly to reveal Fletcher to Boone, bruising beginning to appear along one side of his face where he had taken a hit from the post wielding lawyer of Boone.
"Nope no begging, maybe an ouch but no begging." Seb laughed.
"You should have told him that you don't pick a fight with a former Marine." Luis threw in as he moved closer to the killer, a look of hatred on his face only to be held back by Gibbs' hand on the back of his shirt.
"Enjoy hell Boone."
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Gibbs finally made it to his desk, he hadn't sat at the desk since leaving to trap Ari. There was a very thin layer of dust sitting on his computer screen and the dust dulled the flashing light indicating a new voicemail on his phone. Hitting the handsfree button and then the voicemail one he listened to the autonomic voice.
Five new messages. Message one.
Hey Boss. Don't think i'm going to make it to work today, the doctor wont let me out of the hospital.
Next message.
Boss I can't find the exit button.
Next message.
What time is it?
Next message.
Boss don't think I can get to work, think I'm drunk.
Next message.
I think i've been drugged.
End of messages.
Gibbs sighed and decided that perhaps Ducky was right, he really should go and see Tony.
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Fletcher and Puchalski shared the elevator to the ground floor, escaping to their respective cars. Seb turned to Luis as the doors opened revealing the ground floor to them.
"So are we ever going to have that second date?" Fletcher asked, wincing slightly as he touched the purpling bruise forming on his face. Luis didn't even look at the fellow agent, just kept walking to the exit leading to where both cars were parked.
"We haven't had a first date Fletcher." Puchalski eventually said as he stopped by his car. Seb stopped too, moving in close to the other agent who was only by an imperceptible inch shorter than Fletcher.
"Oh so is that an offer for a first?" Seb smiled an leaned in to capture Luis' lips for the first time since that night in the mess hall. This time though both were completely sober, it was soft and sweet and not the gnawing gnashing it had been then. Fletcher pulled away and looked Puchalski in the eye before smiling. "Goodnight." Smiling still Seb turned and walked away into the darkness of the night to locate his own car leaving Luis to stand caught a little off guard.
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When Gibbs arrived at Bethesda it was late and he had a feeling that DiNozzo would no doubt be asleep. Entering the younger agent's room Gibbs found this not to be the case, Tony sat uncomfortably in the hospital bed almost as though he were being held upright by the thick white brace around his midsection. His attention was take from the laptop on his lap to Gibbs as he entered.
"I sensed pepperoni." DiNozzo remarked seeing the older man with a large pizza box.
"And mushrooms." Gibbs added as Tony stopped whatever he had been doing on the laptop and shut the computer lid over.
"My favourite." DiNozzo looked happily at the box, ignoring Gibbs as it was placed on the hospital table and wheeled over to him. "So what's up?" Tony asked when the pizza was in front of him.
"Located the dumping ground of a serial killer who will be executed tomorrow." Jethro watched as Tony opened the box and taking his first bite exhaled a moan of orgasmic bliss. Listening to it was sinful. "Fletcher killed the serial killer's replacement who turned out to be his lawyer." Looking to Tony Gibbs didn't think the Italian was listening to a word he was saying.
After a few minutes of silence interrupted only by DiNozzo's moans of pizza induced pleasure Tony finally seemed to regain a little self control.
"So exciting week then?" Tony asked, turning his head to Gibbs.
"Yep." Gibbs responded. "Abby told me your heading to rehab on Monday."
"Yeah, I can finally get out of bed and do something." DiNozzo looked genuinely excited at the prospect but the excitement faded for a moment as his face was marred by a slight wince.
"You okay?" Gibbs asked ready to go and demand a nurse or doctor pump his agent full of drugs if need be.
"Yeah, no I'm fine." Tony tried to pass it off but under the intense stare of Gibbs he relented. "My knee itches." At Gibbs' confused look he continued. "Doc says it happens, no reason why, brain a mystery blah blah blah. And I thought there was nothing worse than an itch I couldn't reach, how about one that doesn't actually exist?" Tony laughed nervously. "So what's the new guy like?"
"Cocky, smartass, DiNozzo times four." Jethro laughed at the indignant look on Tony's face. "He'll make a good agent but he's a little immature." Gibbs shrugged before breaking into a smile again. "And he spends most of his time trying to get in Puchalski's pants."
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The Return by tdawg
Author's Chapter Notes:
The Boone saga ends. Gibbs visits Tony. Fletcher gets a little of what he wants.
Chapter End Notes:
I had the worst time with this chapter. In the end I just tried to get it over with. Sorry if it sucks ass.