Layla was tired, very tired. Since two psychos were holding her hostage, sleeping was not recommended. Neither armed bad guy was talking. Them being silent scared her. The landline was ringing off the hook for the past three hours. Ringleader and Stooge didn't seem to care. "You going to get that?" she asked.
"No." Ringleader answered.
She rolled her eyes. Marlaina was sleeping peacefully in her playpen. Layla was glad that the infant was too young to understand what was happening. Her body and brain were fighting each other. Brain wanted to stay alert, but her body wanted sleep. She found this very frustrating. So much for mind over matter. She thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Time was flying. They only had seven and a half hours left. Amada kept close contact with Kate. HRT was getting nowhere, since no one was answering in Kate's apartment. The fingerprint on the crowbar matched no one. Blankenship was on his way back to NCIS from Leavenworth. Ducky and Gerald finished with the murdered petty officers' bodies: Nothing new to report. Kate went up to the bullpen to go through all her notes on the case at her desk. She saved everything she learned about the two petty officers on her computer. She finished the background checks. Next, she needed to put a profile together on the off chance that Blankenship was innocent. Her mind strayed a couple of times to Layla and Marlaina. Then she remembered that she had stuff to do and snapped out of it.
Layla awoke to Marlaina crying. The teen didn't know how long she'd been asleep. She picked up her head and looked at Ringleader. "Shut her up." He ordered.
Layla stood up and picked the infant up. Instantly, she started to calm. She kissed the top of her head. "She may be too young to understand what's happening, but babies can sense when something's wrong." She informed them, looking down at Marlaina. She remained standing, while rocking Marlaina. She decided against sitting down, she might fall asleep again.
Marlaina started whining. "What now?" Stooge complained.
Layla rolled her eyes. "She's hungry."
Stooge looked at the cable box. "It's six a.m.!"
"She doesn't know that, babies have their own schedules. She has a bottle in the fridge." She pointed out.
Ringleader nodded. "Go get it." Layla started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm. "Not you."
Stooge groaned and left the room. "Put it in the microwave for thirty seconds!" Layla called.
Ringleader sighed. "Babies are confusing." He complained.
"Who'd let you be a father?" Layla questioned. "You've been pointing a gun in our faces for hours."
He shrugged. "I do what I am told." He responded.
Layla raise an eyebrow. "Told by who, your mother?"
"My mother's dead." He informed her.
"Okay, then who sent you here?" She asked. Ringleader glared. "I'm dead, anyways." She reminded him.
"God." Was all he said.
"God? God wants you to kill innocent people? That's crap and a typical psyche defense. My sister's a fed, I know these things." She snapped.
Ringleader stepped towards her. "I'd watch it if I were you." He warned.
Layla rolled her eyes. These loons were annoying her. "Why? You still need us, so you won't shoot us, yet." She argued.
Ringleader laughed. "I need you, but I don't need the baby." He corrected, pointing his gun at Marlaina.
Layla turned her back toward him to keep Marlaina out of the line of fire. She looked down at the baby, who was still whining. "It's okay, Laina, food's coming." She whispered.
Stooge came back into the room. "Here, feed the brat." He growled, giving Layla the bottle.
Layla turned around and sat on the couch. Marlaina was big enough to hold the bottle on her own. While Marlaina fed herself, Layla and Ringleader were having a glaring contest.
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"Okay, Kate, talk to me." Gibbs ordered as he entered the bullpen.
Kate nodded and looked down at the papers she had just printed out. "No record for Petty officer White, but Petty Officer Collins is a whole other story." She paused. "She's been arrested ten times from ages thirteen to twenty, mostly for shoplifting, breaking and entering, and underage drinking. She spent three months in juvenile hall at fourteen for beating up a girl."
Gibbs nodded. "She joined the core at twenty-one, right?"
"Yeah, hasn't been arrested since." She answered.
"What about Blankenship?"
"No juvenile record, just an adult record. He has no listed siblings and his parents are dead."
Gibbs sighed. When this is over, he's giving everyone a week off. "Do you think he's innocent?" he asked.
Kate shrugged. "I really don't know. There are some unanswered questions, but I have a theory in the off chance that he is innocent."
A moment of silence. "You going to spit it out?
Kate went through the papers she was holding. She handed Gibbs a picture of a metal cross sticking out of the ground. "We found this next to both bodies, but once we arrested Blankenship, we ignored it. If Blankenship didn't do it, there could be a religious aspect to this."
Gibbs frowned. "How do you think?"
"Criminal record. He could see them as sinners. That would explain why he would go after Layla."
"How so?" he asked.
"She's been arrested twice: Once for shoplifting and once for breaking and entering. The kid has a mind of her own."
"Okay, but Petty officer White didn't have a criminal record." He reminded her.
"But her brother did and she bailed him out every time, enabling him to cause more trouble." She pointed out. "I talked to Petty Officer White's brother and Petty Officer Collins' parents. Neither of them are at all religious, therefore never repented."
Gibbs nodded. "Good point. Blankenship may not have done this, but I think he might know who did. What religion do you suspect?"
"I don't know. It could be any." Kate shrugged. "I don't think Blankenship is our murderer."
Tony entered the bullpen and walked our to them. "LEOs just escorted Blankenship here. I told them to put his in Interrogation one." He announced.
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Gibbs uncuffed Blankenship, ignoring the detectives' warnings. Blankenship sat facing the mirror and Gibbs sat on the other side of the table. "Who wants to clear your name?" Gibbs asked.
The other man shrugged. "I don't know." He answered. He didn't appear nervous, even with Gibbs giving him his famous glare. In his eyes, he didn't have much to lose.
"I don't buy it." Gibbs, calmly, accused. He put pictures of Layla and Marlaina on the table. "Someone would go so far to prove your innocence, that they are willing to kill these innocent girls if the results are not what they want. Don't give me that bull that you know nothing." Gibbs remained calm, hoping to rattle the man.
Blankenship laughed. Gibbs' tactics were obviously not working. "That's what it took to convince you that I'm innocent?"
Gibbs was annoyed now. "DNA puts you at the crime scene." He got louder.
"It's wrong."
"My forensic scientist is never wrong, try again."
Blankenship lost it. "I. Am. Innocent!" he yelled. "I have never met your dead Petty Officers, and I know nothing about anyone trying to kill these girls. Check Leavenworth, I haven't have any visitors and I have called no one."
Gibbs turned to face the mirror. "DiNozzo, have Kate check with Leavenworth." He ordered.
On the other side of the mirror, Tony took out his cell phone.
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Marlaina was very content at the moment. Layla sat with her on the floor and watched her play with her toys. The baby laughed as she tossed one of them towards Stooge. Layla smiled. Too bad she missed. Marlaina clapped her hands and let out a deafening screech.
"Must she make that noise?" Stooge groaned.
"She's a baby. Be glad she's not trying to pull off your mask. She's at the hair pulling stage." Layla pointed out.
"I liked you better scared." He insisted.
She looked away. "I used myself was the point was."
"Staying alive."
She didn't respond. Keeping Laina alive. Would be nice, too. Marlaina crawled onto Layla's lap. Layla gave her her pacifier. "I have to go to the bathroom."
Ringleader groaned. "I'll escort you."
With Marlaina in her arms, Layla lead the way out. The bathroom was at the end of the hall. Layla closed the door and locked it. It was the only way that she and Marlaina could be away from those morons for a few minutes. Layla sat the baby in the empty bathtub, and then gazed into the mirror. A bruise was forming on her cheek. She poked at it. It hurt like hell. Tears started to form in her eyes. She seat down at the toilet seat and quietly sobbed. She looked over at Marlaina. She was standing, using the edge of the tub to steady herself. Layla picked the baby up and climbed in the tub with her.
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A young blonde woman saw they cops in front of her apartment building and panicked. She, frantically, pushed her way through the crowd of people and reached for the yellow crime scene tape. She tried to duck under it, but someone stopped her. "Hold on, miss, you need to stay here." The female cop said.
"No!" the woman protested. "I need to find my baby!"
The cop nodded. "What's the baby's name?" she asked, know that a baby was one of the hostages.
"Marlaina Jackson, she's six months old." The frantic woman, tearfully, stated.
The cop pulled the tape up and let her through.
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Ringleader banged on the door. "Let's go! How can it possibly take you this long?" Then he paused. "Don't answer that." He growled. He was annoyed. Fifteen minutes passed and they were still in there.
Inside the bathroom, Layla had dosed off but Ringleader banging on the door made her jump. "Be out in a minute." She climbed out of the tub and grabbed a towel so she could wipe her face. She flushed the toilet and walked out. Ringleader lead them back to the living room.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.