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Author's Chapter Notes:
The D.C. team arrives in L.A., and the games begin. One member of the L.A. team takes a hit for another...Tensions rise and fall, and the stress of the case begins to take its toll on the two teams...
"A New Nightmare, Part Three"

--Chapter Eight--

"Alright then," Hetty said, clasping her hands together.

Everyone was now gathered in the 'Tactical Room' at the NCIS: L.A. HQ. The team, and Gibbs, were in the middle of discussing their next move when Gibbs' 'borrowed' cell phone interrupted the meeting.

It had been Tony calling to let them know that their plane was just about to land at LAX. And so it was decided, that first, they would rendezvous with Tonys team at the airport, and then go from there.

"Alright, lets move." Callen said, turning and heading for the door to the stairs that would lead back downstairs to the lobby area.

Everyone else followed suit.

"Good luck," Hetty called after her NCIS team as they departed from the 'Tactical Room'--well all except for Nate Getz, the teams 'Operational Psychologist' who usually did stay behind when the team left to go out into the field on assignment.

"Guess its just you and me again, hunh Hetty?" Nate said, arching an eyebrow, playfully, at his 'boss'.

"Sorry, Mr. Getz," Hetty said, as she moved past him, heading for the stairs as well. "There are still those of us who, though we do not actively participate in the field work, nevertheless, have work to do." Hetty said, as she disappeared down the first few steps of the stairway.

Nate shrugged. "Guess its just me then." he said quietly, scratching a spot on the back of his head with one hand.








Elsewhere, at LAX Airport...

A plane had landed, and its passengers had already disembarked--heading for the usually busily packed (and somewhat cramped at times) terminal. As the newest wave of 'travelers' to come to California began to spread out as they made their way through the terminal--going their own separate ways at this point--two of these people stuck out, like sore thumbs (so-to-speak), in this particular crowd.

The dark-haired woman, called Alexi, and the thuggish-looking guy with the evil clown tattoo on his arm/shoulder, walked close together as they made their way through the terminal.

"I hate this place." Dominic spat, in a heavy Russian accent, from the corner of his mouth, as he surveyed the hundreds, maybe thousands, of people crowding through the super-busy airport terminal. "Filthy American Pigs-" he started to say.

"Patience, love." Alexi replied, without looking or stopping. "Very soon our plans will come to fruition--and then we will return to our Mother Russia." she told him, reassuringly. "And when we do--it will be to a hero's welcome." she reminded him. "Once we have secured my father's release." she added, in a low voice.

Dominic said something, in Russian, in a low voice to Alexi as they continued to walk. Alexi smiled, but did not look at Dominic and did not stop walking.

Then the dark-haired woman chanced to look out of a side-window as they passed by it. Out the window she could see three, familiar-looking people disembarking from a second plane that had just landed out on the tarmac outside the terminal.

"Dominic." Alexi spoke sternly (and somewhat coldly) as she stopped walking and stood still--looking out of the window at the three people now standing on the tarmac outside. "Its them. They have followed us here." she pointed out, motioning with her head towards the three unsuspecting people standing outside. "They could be trouble." she told her partner.

Dominic nodded at Alexi, knowingly. "Then we will just have to 'correct' the problem." he said, in a low, menacing voice as he stared out the window at the three people standing out on the tarmac.

"Yes, we will." Alexi agreed, looking up at Dominic with a crooked grin.

The pair then turned away, and began walking again towards the terminals' main exit.








Tony, Ziva, and McGee exited their plane and walked down the set of steps that had been attached to where the door/hatch was located. They each carried one piece of carry-on luggage in their hand(s).

"That's the last time I EVER fly coach." Tony remarked, as he and his team mates stepped off of the stairs and onto the tarmac.

Today was cloudy, overcast, not something that was all too common for most days in Los Angeles, California.

"I called Gibbs just before we landed." Tony told Ziva and McGee, as they stood on the tarmac waiting. "Should be here soon." he added, shifting his carry-on bag from one hand to the other.

McGee and Ziva nodded in unison.

"Good." McGee said. "Until then...I guess we wait, right?" he added, with a small grin.

"Sir?" came a voice from back up the stairs leading back into the plane.

All three of them turned and looked back up the stairs. One of the stewardesses was standing at doorway holding what appeared to be a 'Blackberry' in her hand.

"Does this belong to one of you?" she asked, politely, with a smile.

McGee checked his side-holster and his pockets, and then he looked back up at the stewardess kindly--a little embarrassment evident in the expression on his face.

"Yeah," he said. "Sorry--that's-that's actually mine." he said, quickly climbing the stairs to retrieve his blackberry.

"Thanks." he told the stewardess as he returned the electronic device back to its side-holster on his hip.

"You're welcome." she replied, and then turned to head back inside the plane.

Suddenly the sound of screeching tires echoed loudly across the tarmac. Everyone turned into the direction that the sound was coming from.

"Must be our ride." Tony commented, as they turned around.

They saw a black car speeding towards the 'locked' gate that separated the tarmac from the outside. It did not appear as though, whoever were driving the car, had any intention of slowing down any time soon.

Tony chuckled, nervously. "Gibbs must be driving." he reasoned, out loud.

The black car did not slow down, but within just mere seconds smashed through the 'locked' gate, and sped towards Tony, Ziva, and McGee.

"He...must be in a real hurry." McGee pointed out.

Then, without warning, the sun-roof on the black car opened up and a man, dressed in a black jumpsuit popped out holding a machine gun. He opened fire on the three unsuspecting NCIS Agents standing on the tarmac alone.

"Look out!" Tony shouted, at the sight of the machine gunner.

The three team mates rolled for cover behind the stairwell leading back up to the plane.

Bullets ricocheted off the staircase, and off of the outer hull of the plane (for the most part).

"I don't think that's Gibbs, guys!" McGee shouted over the noise.

"You think McGee!" Tony retorted.

McGee rolled his eyes at Tony.

Ziva wasted no time. She pulled her carry-on bag closer to where the three of them sat, and quickly unzipped it. She reached down inside the bag, searching for something, and then a few seconds later she withdrew her hands which each now held a small pistol.

"How did you-" Tony started to ask. He had had to leave his side-arm behind in D.C. and so had McGee, but here was Ziva carrying two side-arms in one bag.

"Face it, dear, Women are just more clever than Men." Ziva said, with a devilish-grin.

"But how-" he started to ask again.

"Take it." Ziva said, thrusting one of the small pistols into her husbands' hands.

Suddenly the car turned sharply, and screeched to a sudden halt. Then the windows rolled down, and two more gunners appeared (both wielding small side-arms). The driver's side door opened up, and another man in a black jumpsuit stepped out. He turned, pulled an Uzi form within his jumpsuit, and held it out in front of him so that he was using the top of the car for support and as a shield.

"What about me?" McGee asked, feeling a little bit left out.

"I've only got two," Ziva told him. "And besides, Tony's a better shot than you." she added.

McGee shrugged. "Well, yeah, I guess that makes sense." he said. "What 'should' I do then?" he asked.

"Call Gibbs." Tony told him, trying to look out from behind their 'shield' for a better look at the bad guys. He pulled back just in time to narrowly missed being pegged by an incoming round. "Tell him we need back-up. Now!"

"Right." McGee replied., pulling out his Blackberry once more.

Tony and Ziva tried to fire off a few shots of their own at their attackers, but with very little luck.

"Yeah, Boss," McGee said into his cell phone as soon as Gibbs answered. "Yeah, we've kind of run into a little trouble." he explained, just as a bullet ricocheted off the underside of the plane and nearly hit him where he crouched. "And please hurry." he added, his heart now beating wildly.







Gibbs hung up his cell phone, as he threw the car that he was driving into a wild turn around a corner. In the passenger seat sat Kensi Blye, only riding with Gibbs, because Callen had asked her too.

"Where are we going!?" Kensi asked, bracing herself against the dash as Gibbs sent the car that they were in careening around another corner.

"We're taking a short cut." he said, as he finally pulled into an alleyway that ran parallel to the airport.

A few minutes later they emerged from the alleyway, with Callen and Sam in the other car behind them playing catch-up the entire time, and could see the tarmac just ahead of them in the distance.

Gibbs put the accelerator down to the floor as far as it would go.

"Is that-?" Kensi started to ask, seeing the black car and the gunmen out on the tarmac.

"Hang on!" Gibbs said moments later as they sped through the already smashed open gate towards the black car sitting on the tarmac.

"What are you-" Kensi started to ask. Then she realized what he was going to do. "You're gonna ram'em!?" she realized.

"That's the idea." he said, grunting as he punched the cruise control switch on the side of the steering wheel.

The Russian guy, in the jumpsuit, that was standing in the doorway of the driver's side of the black car, heard the other car fast approaching and spun around to face it. He immediately began shooting at Gibbs and Kensi with his Uzi as they continued their approach.

Bullets penetrated the car's metal exterior as the car closed in on its target.

"Get Down!" Gibbs shouted at the last minute.

Gibbs let go of the wheel at the last moment, unlatched his own seat-belt, stretched across the tiny aisle between the seats, and grabbed Kensi. He pulled her over, and covered her with the top part of his body being used as a shield.

Their car smashed directly into the side of the black car. The guy with the Uzi was effectively mowed down in the process as well.

The impact shook the members of both cars entourage badly. The machine gunner still sticking up out of the sun roof was dazed, and it took him a moment to recover his balance.

Gibbs pulled himself from the NCIS car with his 'new' gun already in his hands. "Stay down." he told Kensi as he pulled himself free.

The machine gunner spun himself around towards Gibbs, just as Callen and Sam were pulling up in their car. But before the gunner could properly aim his weapon, Gibbs plugged him in the chest with two shots--dropping him out of the 'game'.

The car doors on the other side opened up, and three more guys filed out of the car--one of the guys was Dominic.

Gibbs didn't see them in time, and one of the guys (pointing his weapon across the trunk end of the badly damaged black car) squeezed off a round in Gibbs' direction.

Kensi who had never really been all that great at following orders from guys, suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Gibbs," she cried out, moving towards him.

Gibbs spun to see the guy aiming his gun at him, but it was too late. He had already discharged his weapon.

"Look out!" Kensi leaped in front of Gibbs, and the shot buried itself in her right shoulder--and the impact knocked her to the side, sending her own weapon sliding a few feet away across the tarmac.

"Kensi!" Callen and Sam said in unison as they leaped out of the car that they had been driving.

Sam raised his side-arm, pulled off one shot, and nailed the other guy in the chest--dropping another bad guy out of the 'game'.

Callen dashed over to Kensi's side, and knelt down beside her to tend to her.

"Gibbs," she gasped, without thinking, while clutching at her wounded, bloody shoulder.

"He's fine." Callen reassured her.

Gibbs bolted forward, ahead of Sam, and slid across the trunk space of the black car. He reached the other side, and as his feet hit the ground, he tucked into a roll, came up a few seconds later, and pulled off another shot at one of the bad guys trying to advance on the position that Tony, Ziva, and McGee were currently holding down.

The bad guy dropped to the tarmac.

At seeing this, the final bad guy spun around and tried to make a break for it--tried to escape.

Tony caught a glimpse of the bad guys arm/shoulder as he was trying to run away. Tony saw his tattoo, and immediately, without thinking about it at all, bolted out from under the safety of the airplane's stairwell.

"Hey!" He shouted at the guy as he chased after him.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted after the younger NCIS Special Agent.

Tony closed in, Dominic spun around and tried to fire off a few rounds at Tony; but Tony was too quick and dodged/rolled out of the line of fire.

When Tony came up, he grabbed the bad guys gun hand and forced it up into his face--with a loud Thwack sound resulting from the action.

He dropped his weapon, grasping at his face. "That's for Talia!" Tony spat angrily at the guy.

Then, Tony slammed a knee into the the guys' gut...hard. "That, was for Gena!"

Next, Dominic tried to defend himself against Tony's attacks; but Tony brushed them aside, with a little force, and then slammed a hard, right hook into the side of the guys' face--effectively rendering the bad guy unconscious on the spot.

Tony stood over Dominic breathing heavily. "And that...that was for pissing me off." Tony panted, sucking in a deep breath of fresh air.







Meanwhile...

In the LAX airport parking lot, a yellow taxi cab pulled up to the front curb. The dark-haired woman, Alexi, reached out, opened the back door, and slid inside the taxi. She closed the door behind her, as she muttered something in Russian to the driver.

The taxi cab pulled away, unnoticed by anyone of importance, and headed out and away from the LAX airport--bound for an unknown location somewhere in the city beyond.







Later, Back At The NCIS: L.A. HQ...

A medic was finishing up dressing Kensi's wound in a room in the back of the HQ building. Elsewhere Sam and Callen had escorted their 'prisoner' captured by Tony DiNozzo, down to their special interrogation room.

"Their." the medic said, pulling back to admire his handy work. "You sure I can't convince you to come back to the hospital--just to be safe?"

Kensi growled, as she reached up and touched the still tender GSW in her right shoulder.

"I told you," she said, insistently. "I'm fine."

"Alright." the medic replied. "Suit yourself. Just remember that wound needs to be cleaned and redressed every 12 hours--for the next three days at least." he told her.

"I know, I know." she groaned, still poking at the wound. "Now go. Get." she said, making a shooing motion with her hand.

The medic raised his hands in front of him(self) in defeat, and slowly retreated from the room. As he was leaving, Gibbs passed by him going into the room.

Gibbs smiled, and waved thanks to the medic just before closing and locking the door behind him.

"Come to-" Kensi started to say.

Gibbs spun around, anger showing on/in his face.

"Just what the hell were you thinking!?" he demanded, furiously.

"Gee," Kensi said smartly. "How about--thanks for saving my life Kensi, or-"

"You could have been killed." he broke into her sentence, not letting her finish the thought.

Kensi rolled her eyes.

"You'd probably be in worse shape, if I hadn't intervened." she pointed out.

"If you hadn't intervened," Gibbs countered. "You wouldn't have a hole in your shoulder right now."

"Excuse me for trying to be a good Samaritan."

If she could cross her arms without feeling any pain, right now, she probably would; but as things currently were--she could not.

"I gave you a direct order!" Gibbs snapped at her, his face getting redder and redder with each word. "A DIRECT ORDER!" he repeated the words.

"Your point." Kensi said, jumping to her feet.

"If I give you a direct order, Damn it, you follow it!" he barked angrily at her.

"I don't take orders form anyone," she shouted back. "Especially not from you. You're not my 'boss' or my father!" she added.

Gibbs stepped towards her daring her to continue, as he narrowed his eyes into the infamous 'Gibbs Stare'.

"Oh, that's original," she said, rolling her eyes angrily. "That's new." she added. "It doesn't work on me, Jethro, and you damn well know that!" she snapped at the silver-haired man.

"And you know what, I think I know why you SUCK so bad at relationships--and why so many people have such a problem with you!" she snapped. "Because you're such an over-bearing, short-tempered, hard-ass!"

Gibbs flinched, but only slightly so.

"Oh, look who's talking." Gibbs countered, laughing in a mocking tone at Kensi. "All this 'tough-talk' coming from the woman who prances around like some-kind of...of 'street whore'!" he yelled angrily back at her.

Kensi seized the next opportunity and rounded on Gibbs just as hard/harshly.

"Oh yeah," she countered, trying to match his tone. "Well, if you weren't so incapable of 'Love', maybe you'd have had a relationship that didn't fail. Hmm, ever thought of that?" she pressed on further. "Oh, yeah, there WAS Shannon--the 'Love-Of-Your-Life'--but you know what I think...I think if she and Kelly hadn't died. It would have only been a matter of time before SHE left you too." Kensi spat out angrily at Gibbs.

Then she started to wish that she hadn't gone that far. There was a long silence that passed between the two of them.

"Gibbs," she tried to speak up, to apologize.

"No." he said, raising a hand up between himself and her.

She saw the tear(s) rolling down his cheeks now, and it broke her heart as soon as she saw them.

"You know," he said, not turning to face her but reaching for the door. "I think you're father made the right call." Gibbs said, as he snatched open the door and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him.

As soon as the words rolled over his lips, he immediately wished that he had not even stepped into 'this/the' room.

Tears stung Kensi's eyes now, and began rolling unhindered down her cheeks, as she sank down to the floor.

"You...cold-hearted bastard," she sobbed, as she hit the floor.

Gibbs stopped just outside the now closed door, and waited. His heart ached to just turn around, run back inside the room, pull Kensi into his arms and apologize for all the nasty things that he had said.

But then a part of him felt like it just wouldn't make any difference whether he apologized or not--at this point anyway.







Downstairs, In Interrogation...

Callen, Sam, and Tony all three stood in the interrogation room which was actually one floor below where Gibbs and Kensi had just had their explosive argument just moments before.

The three of them had stopped what they were doing and had been staring up at the ceiling on account of the fact that they could hear every word that was said between Gibbs and Kensi.

"I'd say there's definitely something going on between those two." Sam remarked.

"No kidding." Tony agreed.

"Yeah," Callen said, swallowing a lump. "Remind me to never get on HIS bad-side."

"You and me both." Sam said, shaking his head lightly. "Although, Kensi's is pretty bad too."

Callen nodded in agreement with Sam.









Elsewhere, Across Town...

"Ashenko!?" the burly man said in surprise as Alexi entered the room.

Eric now looked much worse than he had before.

"My lady," the burly man greeted Alexi, with a slight bow/tip of his head in her direction. "We have tried, but still he resists." he told Alexi. "He refuses to talk."

Alexi waved her hand dismissively at the burly man, as she pushed past him.

The burly man's partner had left some time before, and had gone off to who knows where.

"No matter," she said, calmly, as she approached the place where Eric sat tied to the chair. "He does not have to talk." she explained.

"But Ashenko-" the burly man started to protest.

"No." she replied sternly, cutting him off mid-sentence. She knelt down close to Eric's face.

"Because you are going to help us get what we want, another way." she said softly to Eric. "Isn't that right?"

Eric curled his lip back, and spat in her face.

"Impudent Dog!" the burly man spat, moving forward with his fist raised high.

"NO." Ashenko said, standing up, and holding up a hand to stop the burly man in his tracks. She raised a sleeve, and wiped Eric's spit from her face. "Leave him be." she instructed the burly man.

Alexi reached into a bag that she was carrying and pulled out a walkie talkie/cell phone.

"You will listen, and listen closely," she said, stooping over close to Eric's face once again. "You will help us break into NCIS HQ, and you will obtain information pertaining to the whereabouts of my father--Anatolli Alexandrov." she told Eric. "Or someone you care about--will die today." she added, cruelly, with an evil smirk.

"No," Eric replied, panting heavily. "I'll never help...you...ever."

"Aww, too bad," Alexi said in a mocking tone, clicking her tongue against her teeth as she did so. "I was so hoping you would not force my hand," she said, as she speed dialed a phone number from the cell phone/walkie talkie that she was holding in her hand.

"You can do...whatever...you want with me," Eric panted, looking up into Alexi's eyes. "But I will never-"

Alexi laid a finger against Erics lips to silence him. Huussshh," she crooned. "It is not what I am going to do to you," she told him, as she held the cell phone/walkie talkie up so that Eric would hear.

Alexi snapped her fingers, and the burly man handed her a second cell phone/walkie talkie. "Petri is in position, my lady." the burly man told her, as he handed her the device.

She held the device up to her own lips. "Make ready." she told the other man on the other end of the line.

"Yes, my lady." the other man replied.

Just then a female voice came over the other phone, and Eric was startled to hear this particular voice.

"Abby?" he said into the phone, unsure of himself at first.

"I'm sorry who is-" she stopped short. There was a brief silence. "Eric?" she said, surprised. "How are--where are-"

"Silence!" Alexi said, very audibly.

Abby went silent at once.

"You had your chance," Alexi told Eric. "No this--her death, is on your hands--and yours alone." she said in a cold, cruel voice.

"What are you talking about?" Eric asked, panic creeping into his thoughts. "What are you gonna do?"

"Eric," Abby said over the first phone line. "What's going on. Where are you?"

Eric could see the evil gleam in Alexi's eyes, and it really scared him.

"No," Eric pleaded with Alexi, but she was no longer listening.

"Petri," she said into the second phone/walkie talkie device. "Do you have the shot?" she asked him.

"I do." the second man replied, over the phone line.

"No." Eric nearly shouted, shaking his head, pleading one last time with Alexi.

"Take it." Alexi said at once, absolutely no remorse or hesitation evident anywhere in her voice in that moment.

"Please. No, No--Abby get out of there!" he shouted into the first phone loudly.

There came a loud bang (echo) that made Eric jump in the seat that he was currently tied down to. And the phone line went dead instantly, after that.

"No. NO!" he shouted, trying desperately to free himself of his bonds, but to no avail. "Abby..." he sobbed into his own chest. Tears now running down his already blood-stained cheeks.

Alexi stooped over, and brought her face right down next to Erics face.

"You can still save your son," Alexi told him, softly. "And all I will require is your...cooperation in finding my father." she whispered.

Eric was silent except for the sound of his sobbing for a short period of time, but then he finally spoke up, without lifting his head or looking at Alexi.

"Fine," he groaned, out of agony. "FINE. You win." he told her. "I'll do whatever you want me to do, just--please--spare my son."

"Thank you." she whispered to him. "And your request...has been granted. Because I am--gracious--am I not?"

Eric nodded.







Back At NCIS: L.A. HQ...

The team was currently engaged, in the 'Tactical Room' discussing every possible lead and clue that they currently had at their disposal.

Kensi finally decided to join everyone else in the 'Tactical Room' a few minutes later. As she entered the room she caught a glimpse of Gibbs staring at her, but when she looked back to see if maybe she was just imagining the whole thing--he had turned away, and was looking back at some maps and stuff laying out on the center table (thing).

She couldn't help but notice, in that split second that she had caught him looking at her, that the look in his eyes had been a 'hurt' one. But then she shook that feeling away, and joined in with the discussion as best as she could.

The teams' LAPD liaison officer, Marty Deeks, had also been invited to join in the fun as well. He noticed that Kensi looked a little down, and possibly a little hurt. He approached her, and placed his hands on her shoulders (gently) and began massaging them carefully. Deeks bent his head down low, and whispered into her ear.

"Something's troubling you." he said softly.

"No, no--I'm fine." she insisted, quietly.

"No, you're not." he replied. "You can't lie to me. Come on, talk to me Kens." he pressed her.

Suddenly Kensi got a chill that ran down the length of her spine. The last person, and really the only person, that she had ever really let touch her this way was...

She quickly pulled away from Deeks' grip/touch.

"What?" he asked. "What'd I do?"

"N-Nothing." Kensi stammered. "Its not you--Deeks--its me. Its always...me." she said quietly, shrugging away from the group a little bit.

Just then a cell phone, from within the group, was heard ringing throughout the 'Tactical Room'. Gibbs finally reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, and after a second or two answered it.

"Abs," he said into the receiver.

"Gibbs!" Abby blurted out, in a scared and panicked voice, over the phone. "Gibbs, you have to help me. You have to-"

"Abby," Gibbs said, turning away from the group so that he could hear better. "Abby, are you alright?" he asked, while plugging up his open ear with a finger.

"NO!" she nearly shouted back at him. "There's someone out there, Gibbs!" she exclaimed, panic still in her voice. "There's someone out there, and they're--they're shooting at me!" she cried into the phone. "I-I can't even get to D.J.'s room--I'm so scared. Gibbs please, you have to help me." she pleaded, through her fright and tears.

"Stay where you are." he told her. "I'm on my way." then he hung up his phone.

"What's wrong?" Hetty asked, from her spot over in the far corner of the room. "Has something happened to our Abigail?" she asked.

The entire room suddenly fell silent around Gibbs and Hetty.

"They've had someone watching Kensi's place," Gibbs explained. "And now they're firing through windows AT Abby." he said, as he headed for the stairs.

Hetty looked around the room at her team, expectantly. "Well, don't just stand there staring," she said, waving towards the door. "Go!" he commanded them.








A While Later...

Both teams arrived at Kensi's place, and quickly began clearing the entire premises. Sam finally re-entered the place through the back door.

Sam held out his hand to Gibbs and the others.

"Whoever he was," Sam pointed out. "He forgot to police his brass."

"Maybe we can get some prints off of those shell casings." McGee suggested, as he whipped an evidence bag out of his coat pocket.

Sam dropped the two or three shell casings into the bag, and then McGee sealed the bag up and stuffed it into his coat pocket once more.

Abby was holding D.J. in her arms, not wanting to let go of him, for fear that if she did something horrible might happen to her precious little angel.

"You're okay Abs," Gibbs reassured her, quietly. "You both are." he added.

"No, no I'm not Gibbs. No I'm--er--WE are not okay." she protested. "As long as those--those psychos are still out there. We'll never be okay, again." she told him, her voice cracking up the entire time.

"We won't let them get you--either of you." Kensi said, quietly, sitting down on the sofa on the other side of Abby. "And we will find Eric--that's a promise."

Abby suddenly noticed Kensi's shoulder wound through an opening in the sweater she was currently wearing.

"Kensi, what happened?" she asked.

"I-I took a bullet." Kensi replied, softly.

"Took a bullet--for who?" Abby asked.

Kensi shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about it right now." she replied, quietly, looking away from Abby when she noticed that Gibbs was half-staring at her again.

"Abs," Gibbs said finally, looking back to Abby from Kensi. "What exactly happened here?" he asked.

"I-I don't know," Abby began. "I answered the phone, and it was Eric--he was-he was talking to some other, Russian, woman I think." Abby tried her best to explain the events that had occurred earlier.

"There was shouting, and then Eric screamed 'Abby, get out of there!'," Abby continued to try to explain. "That's--that's when I saw the 'red-light' on my chest. I jumped out of the way as quickly as I could, and then..." her voice trailed off at that point.

"Its okay," Gibbs said, placing a gentle kiss against Abby's temple. "You'll be staying with Tony and Callen tonight." he told her. "Both you and D.J." he added. "You'll be completely safe. I promise."

Abby just nodded, still holding little D.J. in her arms.

A little while later Abby and D.J. had been loaded up into Callen's car, and was about to be escorted back to Callen's place for the night--with Tony also in tow.

The others stood in a circle outside Kensi's place, in the drive-way, talking amongst each other.

"This is all my fault." Kensi said finally, in a quiet voice.

"No," Sam replied. "Don't think like that." he added.

"But its true," Kensi insisted, quietly. "She wanted to stay here, so she wouldn't be in the way--and I just left her here unprotected."

Gibbs spoke up next. "Kens-" he started to say.

"Don't--Don't call me that." she said, turning away from him. "Please. Don't call me that."

"Its not your fault," Gibbs told her softly. "And look, about the damages to your place. I can patch those up before I leave, if you'd like." he told her.

Kensi shook her head at Gibbs' polite and sweet offer. "No," she said softly. "Its okay. You don't have to do that."

"I wish we knew what number that call came from earlier." McGee chimed in, changing the subject.

"Well," Sam spoke up. "Our shooter may have forgotten to police his brass, but he sure as hell made sure that that cell phone could not help us any." he pointed out.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"You know what we should do?" Ziva spoke up. "I know it is getting late," she commented. "But we could take another 'crack' at our prisoner back at HQ." she said.

"That we could." Sam agreed. "That we could."

"Yeah," McGee chimed in. "Maybe we can get something useful out of him that will help us find Eric, and possibly end this whole thing once and for all."

"Then its settled." Gibbs said. "We'll go back to the office, and spend a few more hours with our 'friend'."










--Chapter Nine--

The team members that had stayed behind at the office to interrogate the Dominic guy were exhausted by now. They had tried everything they could think of to get him to talk, but nothing seemed to work.

Just then there was a short rapping on the door just outside of the 'Tactical Room'.

"Who is-" McGee said, looking up from where he was sitting at Eric's computer station towards the doorway. "You." McGee groaned miserably when he saw who standing there.

"Who is it McGee?" Gibbs said, lifting his weary head up off of the center table to look. "Trent Kort." Gibbs mumbled under his breath, at the sight of the CIA agent standing the doorway.

"Indeed." Kort replied, straightening up his coat. "As I understand it, NCIS is investigating a case directly linked to one 'Anatolli Alexandrov'." he said.

"So what if we are?" Sam asked, from across the room.

"Well," Kort said, with a smirk. "Then I'm here to shut you down--effective immediately." he told them.

Gibbs stood up, and walked towards Trent Kort. "Listen Kort, if you leave now--it'll be a peaceful retreat." Gibbs told him. "If not--well I don't think I have to say anymore...do I?"

"How many people know you're still alive when your supposed to be dead, Gibbs?" Kort asked, with a smug grin spread across his face.

"Last warning Kort." Gibbs growled in a low voice. "Leave."

"Alright, Alright." Kort said, raising his hands in defeat, as he backed away from Gibbs--albeit slowly. "You win--I'll leave." he said, still backing away. "Oh, just one more thing before I do, though." Kort said, stopping in his tracks. He reached a hand into his left-side coat pocket and pulled out a small, black cell phone. He then tossed the small, black cell phone to Gibbs.

"What's this?" Gibbs asked.

"A gift." Kort said, with a wink. "You know, should you find yourselves, 'In over your head(s)' as it were." he told them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be off."

And with that Trent Kort retreated back out the way that he had come from, and disappeared down the stairs leading back down into the lobby area.








Outside...

In the parking lot area just outside of the NCIS: L.A. HQ office building, Trent Kort walked down the sidewalk towards the Prius he had rented upon arrival in L.A.

He pulled out his own cell phone, flipped it open, and dialed a number into it. He waited a moment until he heard a husky voice answer on the other end of the line.

"Yes?" the husky voice answered on the other end.

"Its done." Kort said, into the phone. "No. They don't suspect a thing."

"Good." the husky voice replied. "Ashenko will be pleased."

"Didn't I tell you she would?"

"It doesn't matter anyway," Kort added, a moment or so later. "Phase two is set to begin. Oh when? Well, now actually."

He approached his car finally, and pulled out the car keys. He pressed the 'Auto-Unlock' button on the key chain, and the car unlocked itself.

"Just tell them to be ready." Kort said, into his phone.

He reached out and pulled open the car door, and then slid inside--closing the door behind him(self).

"Oh, hello Love." Kort said, looking over at the woman sitting, tied up, in the passenger's seat. "Believe you me," he told her. "This is nothing personal--just good business you see." he explained, with a crooked grin.

She struggled against her bonds angrily, but to no avail.

"Its useless to struggle my dear," Kort said, with a slight chuckle, as he dialed a new number into his cell phone. "I promise this will all be over soon."








Inside The Tactical Room...

The sound of a cell phone ringing echoed through the 'Tactical Room', and snapped everyone in the room out whatever daze they might be in at the moment.

"What now?" Ziva grunted, rubbing her eyes, wearily.

Sam yawned, as he sat up where he was sitting. "Sounds like Kensi's cell phone." Sam pointed out, between yawns.

"Kensi's downstairs," McGee pointed out. "That sounds like its coming from..."

Gibbs looked across the center table at the small, black cell phone laying on the other side of the table. It was vibrating in place, and the Caller ID screen was lit up.

Gibbs picked it up, and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Gibbs," the voice on the other side said. "I was hoping it would be you who answered."

"Kort. How did you get this number?" Gibbs asked. "And why did you have THIS cell phone?" he added.

Kort chuckled. "Why Gibbs, it was a gift from Special Agent Blye." he told Gibbs smugly.

"What are you getting at Kort?" Gibbs asked, his voice betraying the fact that he was getting really irritated now.

"Hmm, what's that love? Oh, you wanna say hi to Gibbs too?" Kort seemed to be talking to someone else.

"Kort, who are you-"

"Alright, here ya go." Kort said to the other person.

All Gibbs heard over the phone line, for a brief period, was a muffled cry and a groan--but it was one that he recognized.

"Kensi-" he said.

"That's right Gibbsy," Kort chuckled. "Catch me if you can." he taunted Gibbs. Then he hung up.

"Kort." Gibbs said into the phone. "Kort!" Still no answer.

Gibbs bolted for the stairs, reaching the first step, and then looking down into the lobby area where Kensi had been slumbering peacefully on the sofa just over an hour ago at the very least.

"Damn it!" Gibbs swore under his breath. "He took her." he said, as he bolted down the stairs.

Sam was right behind Gibbs, and McGee and Ziva were right behind Sam.

"Who?" Sam asked, as he followed Gibbs down the stairs.

"Kort." Gibbs replied.

"That lousy son-of-a-bitch." Sam swore. "Its on."

"Like Donkey Kong." Gibbs muttered, as he bolted out the front door.









The next thing that any of them knew they were involved in a three car high-speed chase through the busy streets of Los Angeles, California. Gibbs was swerving in and out of the lanes of traffic, trying his best to keep his eyes on the Prius that Kort was currently driving.

"There he is right there!" Sam said, pointing out Kort's car just two lanes over, for Gibbs (who was driving by the way).

Sam also held his own cell phone up to his ear. As they had left the office building Sam had gotten on the horn, and called Callen and Tony in for Back-up--as well as some LAPD back-up too.

"Where are you G.?" he said into the phone, his eyes darting through lane after lane of traffic. "I don't see you."

"Right behind you, Sam." Callen replied, over the phone line.

"Where, I don't see you?"

"We had to take a short cut to catch up with you guys." Callen told Sam, as he down-shifted in order to weave gracefully through another clogged section of cars/traffic.

"Okay, I see you." Sam said finally, spotting Callen's car in the side-view mirror.

In the back seat McGee also was talking into his cell phone as well.

"Kort's getting away Deeks," McGee said into his cell phone. "Where's that back-up you promised us?"

"Um, yeah about that-" Deeks said over the phone line. "I couldn't round up any of the boys at the last minute," Deeks explained. "But you got me. That's gotta count for something right?"

McGee groaned.

"Can you see Kort?" Sam asked Callen."

"No, wait-Yeah I see'em." he replied, the sound of a car swerving through traffic echoing over the phone line.

"Good." Sam said. "We need to keep eyes on him at all times, or else will lose him in this traffic."

"Deeks," McGee said, sounding a little frustrated, over the phone. "Where are you?" he asked.

"Relax Timmy," Deeks said, with a chuckle. "You said you needed to clear traffic, right?"

"Yeah." McGee replied.

"Well, I'm looking right at you guys." he told McGee.

"What the hell does that mean?" McGee asked, looking around outside the moving vehicle.

"Just tell everyone to watch for the ambulance, and then follow it as soon as they see it, alright."

"Kay." McGee replied, somewhat confused by what Deeks was talking about.

"Damn!" Callen swore over the phone. "He's taking the next exit."

"We see him." Sam replied.

Sam looked over at Gibbs. "We need to get over." he told Gibbs.

"I know." Gibbs replied.

"Guys," McGee spoke up from the back seat. "Deeks says we should follow the ambulance." he repeated Deeks' words--even though he knew that they sounded crazy.

"What!?" Callen asked, sounding somewhat confused and maybe even a little bit worried too.

Trent Kort answered his cell phone now as well. "Yes, they've taken the bait. They're following me as we speak. You may proceed with phase 2 immediately." he said into his cell phone, just before he hung up again.

Suddenly from out of nowhere a big white ambulance shot out across several lanes of traffic until it was right in front of the other cars. Deeks had the ambulance's siren blaring full blast, and several key lanes of traffic parted ways to make room for the emergency vehicle to pass through.

"Is that Deeks?" Callen asked, after he spotted the ambulance.

"I think it is G." Sam replied, into his cell phone.

"Okay, just wondering." Callen replied.

"So what now?" Sam asked Gibbs.

"You heard the man," Gibbs replied, shifting gears. "We follow the ambulance."

Gibbs floored the accelerator and followed the ambulance closely, as did Callen as well. They followed it until they reached the same exit where Kort had turned onto just moments before.

"Okay guys, I think this is your stop." Deeks said over McGee's cell phone. "Go for it." he said, and then he watched as Gibbs and Callen shot their vehicles across three more lanes of traffic just to make the exit on time.

Gibbs and Callen floored their accelerator's down the new road following Kort's dust until they emerged onto a strip that ran parallel to the water/coastline.

"Where the hell's he taking us?" Tony asked Callen.

Callen did not say anything at first, but then he saw a landmark that gave him an idea. "I think I might know." Callen said at last.

"Sam, you still there?" Callen said into his cell phone.

"Yeah, I read ya G." Sam replied. "Whatcha got?"

"I think I know where he's leading us." Callen said.

"Where?" Gibbs asked at once.

"Alright, right here. Follow me." Callen instructed waiting until just the right moment.

"Hang on." Callen said, looking over at Tony, with a small grin.

"Okay. Not sure I like where this is-" Tony wasn't able to finish his sentence because at that point he was too busy hanging on for dear life, as Callen turned off of the road and went barreling down a short hill.

A second or two later, Gibbs spun his vehicle off of the road, and followed Callen down the short hill.

The two cars re-emerged onto another small road, just as a familiar black Prius sped past them--nearly avoiding a disastrous three-car collision.

"There you are--ya sneaky son-of-a-bitch." Callen swore, as he swerved his car back onto the small road and floored the accelerator in order to keep up with Trent Kort.

Gibbs wasn't far behind Callen as the chase began to re-reach its full blown intensity from before--once again.

Callen's phone rang.

"Sam," Callen said into his cell phone. "I've got an incoming call--I'll call ya back."

Callen hung up on Sam, and then pressed the 'Receive' button again.

"Agent Callen." Kort sneered over the phone. "Know where were going yet?"

"I have a pretty good idea." Callen replied, shifting gears once again.

"Good." Kort said. "Then this'll be fun." and then he hung up on Callen again.

Callen's phone rang.

"Sam," Callen said, answering his phone again.

"G.," Sam said. "He's taking us to the old harbor isn't he?"

"Looks that way." Callen replied.

They finally reached the old freight harbor a few minutes later. They turned one last corner around a tall grove of trees--and then there it was.

Kort's car pulled in, stopped abruptly, jumped out, and then pulled Kensi out of the passenger's side of the car.

He pulled her towards the gang plank of a huge, decommissioned cargo ship.








Back At NCIS: L.A. HQ...

The small black cell phone had been left laying on the center table in the 'Tactical Room' when everyone had taken off after Trent Kort.

Suddenly the Caller ID screen lit up with a bright light, and then the words 'Signal Transmitting' appeared to flash across the tiny screen.







Gibbs and Callen pulled their cars up next to Kort's and then jumped out quickly. Everyone had their weapons pulled and ready for action.

"Kort!" Gibbs shouted, as the team moved up the gang plank.

"Up here!" Trent Kort called back from somewhere up on the huge cargo ship.

"If you think we're gonna let you leave here alive," Tony called out, shooting a look at his wife. "Then you've seriously miscalculated pal."

"Have I now, DiNozzo!?" Kort called back, with a snooty chuckle.

"Kort!" Gibbs called out, as they edged up the gang plank. "You don't need her. Let Agent Blye go."

"Sorry Gibbs," Kort called back. "I can't do that and you know it."

"Why's that!?" Sam called out.

"Because," Kort replied. "I don't like Gibbs--and this, well, this is sort of my revenge you see." he explained.

"What's Kensi got to do with you getting revenge against Gibbs!?" Callen asked.

"You mean they don't know, Gibbs?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

Kort chuckled. "She means something to him," Kort explained. "And killing her, will do far worse to him than I could ever do."

Everyone exchanged confused glances, and then they all looked at Gibbs.

Gibbs' eyes were red and moist with emotion.

Kensi struggled against Kort's grip high up on the cargo ship where they were hiding from the others. She did finally manage to loosen up her gag enough, that it fell loose around her head.

"You're wrong Kort." She spat. "Gibbs and I are nothing."

Kort chuckled. "We'll see, love. We'll see."

Back on the gang plank. The two teams finally boarded the huge cargo ship and began their search.

"You're right Kort," Gibbs called out. "She does mean something to me." he agreed.

Kensi could not believe what she was hearing. She had been so sure that what she thought he would say was the truth that she had not expected this.

"She's everything." he admitted.

"See, I knew I was right about you two." Kort chuckled arrogantly.

Then there was the sound of a gun priming, and then he put the gun to Kensi's head.

"Gibbs!" She screamed as she felt the muzzle of the gun pressed against the side of her head.

"KORT!" Gibbs yelled out. "Let her go, or so help me-"

"You'll what!?" Kort challenged.

Gibbs looked across the way at Callen and Sam, and pointed out directions with his hands using military signals.

Gibbs turned a corner, a few minutes later, around a stack of old shipping crates, and found himself face-to-face with Trent Kort.

"Ah, Jethro Gibbs." Kort sneered.

"Let her go." Gibbs growled in a low voice.

"Nope. Nothin' doin'." Kort replied, pressing the muzzle of his gun to her head.

"Now, drop your weapon Gibbs," Kort said slowly. "And back away. Now."

"Gibbs," Kensi spoke up. "Don't do it. Just shoot him."

"I can't do that Kens-" Gibbs told her. "I might hit you if I do."

"Gibbs, if you really meant all those things you said--you'll do this for me--please, kill him." she begged Gibbs, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

"I did mean all those things," Gibbs assured her. "That's why I can't take the shot. I'm sorry."

Gibbs slowly un-tensed his whole body. Then he let the gun fall to the ground.

Kensi closed her eyes, tight, and waited for Kort to pull the trigger and finish her off once and for all.

But just then a small grin began to play at the corners' of Gibbs' lips.

"What's so funny?" Kort demanded.

"Up." Was all Gibbs said.

"Hunh?" Kort was confused, but then he heard a sound, and it made him look up.

"Surprise." Sam said, jumping down off of a stack of old shipping crates.

Sam drug Kort to the ground, and Kensi escaped unscathed.

Gibbs immediately leaped towards Kensi and pulled her out of the way.

Kort and Sam wrestled around on the deck for a few seconds, but the Kort got in a lucky shot; and was able to pull himself free, grab a gun, and make a hasty retreat.

He began to weave his way through the maze of shipping crates headed towards the opposite end of the cargo ship.

Soon he reached a clearing, and saw what he thought was his ticket to freedom. At the back end of the decommissioned old cargo ship, was one (still intact) life boat. He started to bolt for it, but Ziva stepped out of nowhere and blocked his escape.

The two of them had their guns pointed directly at each other at this point.

Kort chuckled. "I do hope you've enjoyed what little time you and DiNozzo have had together." Kort sneered. "Cause its about to end." he added, priming his weapon on the spot.

But just then he felt a cold, steel muzzle pressed against the side of his head, and he froze to the spot.

"Well Trent," Tony chuckled. "Let's see--you've tried to kill my boss, you tried to kill the woman who might be his secret girlfriend, and now you've threatened my wife...there's three things you just don't do in my book." Tony told him.

"You're pathetic, you know that." Kort spat in Tony's direction. "And so is she-"

At that moment Tony squeezed the trigger, and Trent Kort fell flat to the deck of the cargo ship 100% dead-on-impact.

"You were saying?" Tony stood over Trent Kort's lifeless body, and picked up the dead man's gun.

Tony noticed that Ziva was staring at him. "What? He had it coming." Tony said, defending himself.











--Chapter Ten--

"Whoo Hoo!" Deeks cried out as he danced his way into the lobby area of the NCIS: L.A. HQ building. "That was fun."

"Deeks," Callen said, walking past him. "Give it a rest, alright."

"Geez, alright." Deeks said, settling down. "Kill joy."

Sam stifled a chuckle, but he was with Callen on this one--he was tired too.

Hetty just happened to be waiting for them when they came in.

"I was up late, and I just happened to catch the late evening news." she said. "I'm listening."

Gibbs came through the door next carrying an exhausted Kensi Blye in his arms. Tony, Ziva, and McGee were right behind them.

Gibbs laid Kensi down on the small sofa, gently, so as not to disturb her too much.

He gently placed a kiss on her forehead, before moving away from her. She stirred from her slumber a little bit, but then, just as quickly, fell back into dream land.

Callen and Sam explained the whole thing to Hetty in just a matter of minutes.

"I see." she said finally. "Can anyone explain to me why a CIA Agent was involved in all of this?"

"For that, will probably need a little more time." Callen replied.

"I'm gonna go upstairs, and get back to running down leads." McGee said, heading for the stairs.

"I'll be at my desk," Hetty told everyone. "No more 'adventures' unless they're approved by me." she added, as she walked away.

"Yes ma'am." they all said.









Later That Night...

It was 2:00 in the morning when Kensi roused up from her slumber on the sofa in the lobby area. Gibbs was sitting on the floor leaning against the sofa.

Nate and McGee had fallen asleep upstairs in the 'Tactical Room'; and Callen and Sam were slumbering in their own desks.

Even Hetty had, at some point, dozed off at her desk.

"Why are you the only one awake?" she asked, through a yawn.

"Wanted to make sure you were okay." he replied, quietly.

She blinked several times in his direction. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine." she told him, standing up from the sofa.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"I need a shower." she replied, as she turned and began to walk away.

Gibbs sat still for a moment, but then he jumped up to his feet and followed after her.

"Kensi," he called in a low voice, as he followed behind her. "Kensi." he called again, a little bit louder this time.

Finally he ran a few steps towards her, and the reached out and grabbed her wrist. He spun her around to face him.

"What!?" she demanded.

But when their eyes met in that moment everything else faded away. Everything but the desire that now burned brightly in their eyes as they stared at each other there in the dim-light.

Kensi was the one who finally broke the silence, swallowing first before she actually spoke up.

"C-Come with me." she breathed. And she turned away pulling Gibbs along behind her as she walked as quickly as she could down the hallway.

Finally they came to a door at the end of the hallway, and she opened it up. They stepped inside, and then she closed and locked the door behind them.

As soon as they were inside, his hands were all over her. He ripped open her flannel, button-down shirt, and she gasped in surprise. He slid the shirt back over her arms and let it fall straight to the floor.

He seized her mouth with his own, and explored every inch of it--until that moment came where he didn't have a choice but to come up for air.

She grabbed at his t-shirt and struggled to pull it over his head, until he finally gave in and helped her. He tossed the dirty t-shirt over his head and let it hit the floor.

His bare, muscular chest was an awesome sight to her, and she had to blink several times at the sight of it.

They both kicked out of their shoes, and then Gibbs picked Kensi up in his arms and pushed her back towards the table in the center of the small room. He sat her down on the edge of the table, and began to undo her bra.

"Here, let me." she said finally, reaching back and making short work of the pesky little piece of material.

It took all of two seconds for Gibbs to get his hands on her supple breasts. By the time he had finished his work with them, she was gasping for air, and begging for release--threatening death for him if he did not comply with her demands.

He just chuckled in her ear, and then began trailing kisses up and down her neck line.

She reached out and began fidgeting with his pants. She managed to work the belt buckle loose, and unzip and unbutton his pants. "Off." she hissed in his ear.

He chuckled again. "Not yet, kitten." he whispered.

She was going to get what she wanted whether he liked it or not--she decided. She plunged her hand down into his jeans, down into his boxers, and finally found what she was looking for--though it was a pretty tight squeeze.

"Don't you even-" he threatened her.

She gripped his shaft in her hand, as he was beginning to nibble at her ear. He gasped for air as he felt her toying with his erection.

"Off. Now." she hissed again, threatening to continue her torturous counter-measures if he did not comply.

He groaned, but nodded, finally.

"The hell with it." he groaned, as he backed up and quickly rid himself of his jeans and boxers.

"Oh," she blinked several times at the sight of his erection as he stood before her.

"You're turn," he growled as he started toward(s) her again.

But then he did now give her enough time to comply. He rushed her, picked her up, and pushed her farther back on the table. Before she knew what was happening she was laying on her back, half-naked, in the center of the table. He pulled himself up onto the table, and hovered over her for a brief moment.

He reached down and grabbed the sides of her jeans, and with a forceful tug, managed to rip the button fly completely apart.

"Damn," she growled, as he ripped the pants away from her body, and tossed them to the floor. "First the shirt, and now the jeans." she swore. "You'll pay for that Gibbs." she warned.

"I think I can make it up to you," he chuckled in her ear, as he trailed more kissed down her neck line, and towards her breasts again.

"No," she whimpered, as he began to suckle her already tender nipples once again. "D-Damn you...G-Gibbs," she moaned, arching her body against his.

She felt his erection pressed against the silk of her panties, and it drove her mad. So close--yet so far.

"Gibbs, please." she swallowed. "I-I can't-" she whimpered. "I need-" she begged him, tears now burning against her eyes.

He placed a gentle kiss against her forehead, and then reached down, grabbed her panties, and pulled them down. He tossed them to the floor as well.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could form even a single word he entered her in one swift movement.

She bit back a yelp, as her body tensed around his erection. After a moment or two her whole body relaxed again.

"Now." she hissed in his ear, as she began to nibble at the corners of the lobe.

He began to move against her, slowly at first, easing himself in and then out, in and then out--steadily picking up the desired rhythm.

Before long Kensi had her legs wrapped around the silver-haired man's waist, moving with him--inviting him in deeper and deeper with every thrust.

"Faster." she moaned after awhile, between kisses.

Gibbs, less reluctant to comply at this point, picked up the pace and gave her what she wanted.

"Yeah." she moaned. Oh-Oh God--yeah, just like that."

Now Gibbs was sure that the sound of bare flesh slapping against bare flesh was more than loud enough to wake the dead, but even so he wasn't anywhere near ready to give up.

His powerful strokes pushed them both closer and closer to the brink with every passing minute.

Kensi could feel the coil inside her pulling tighter and tighter all the time. "Oh, God Gibbs," she moaned, tightening her grip on his shoulders. "Uh, I'm gonna-"

She barely got the words out of her mouth before the coil inside her finally snapped loose, and she felt her whole body shudder and convulse uncontrollably with her release. The waves of sheer ecstasy that rocked her body were so blindingly powerful that she felt like she were holding on for dear life--trying to keep herself from falling into an endless abyss.

No one else had ever been able to elicit such a powerful reaction out of her like Gibbs could. No one.

She heard Gibbs growl out her name as he finally hit his climax after a series of final, powerful thrusts.

They both spent the next few minutes panting heavily, waiting for their vital signs to reach a state of normalcy once again.


"Say it." she insisted, panting heavily, against his ear.

He trailed a series of kisses down the length of her neck line.

"What's that?" he mumbled through the kisses that he was bestowing upon her.

"Say it." she insisted once again, her voice growing a little more serious now. "Please."

She lowered his lips down close to her ear once again, and whispered the three little words that she had longed to hear for so long now.

"I love you." he whispered softly in her ear.

"And I love you, Jethro Gibbs." she replied softly, as she raised her head to steal another kiss.

"You know," Gibbs said, finally as he rolled them over so that he was on his back, and she was laying on top of him. "We should do this more often."

"I agree." Kensi grinned, as she stole another kiss from her silver-haired lover.

"Kensi, I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier." Gibbs apologized quietly. "I thought was protecting you--I didn't want you to get distracted." he added.

Then his voice got even more serious.

"Besides, you and I both know that I have to go back after this is all over." he commented. "I knew that if I left us get attached to each other again, then leaving would be next to impossible--for either one of us."

"Do you have to?" she asked, looking down at his face.

He nodded. "I can't stay here. You know that." he told her, looking into her eyes.

She realized the look she saw in his eyes/face was one of total seriousness, and she instantly pulled herself back off of him.

"Kensi?" he asked, as she pulled away from him.

"No," she said as she slid down off of the table, and began collecting up her articles of clothing which were actually scattered all over the room at this point.

"Kensi, what it is?" he asked, sitting up.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked as she stepped back into her panties, and then started searching around for her bra.

"What?" he asked, somewhat confused.

"This." she pointed out. "Acting like there could be an 'US', when you know/knew damn well that you were never gonna let that happen." she remarked, tears burning the space behind her eyes.

"Kens-" he started to say softly.

"No, just--just drop it okay." she insisted. "Let's just, end this now while we can."

Gibbs slid down off of the table, and walked towards Kensi.

"Kensi please." he said, as he reached out to grab her.

She jumped back away out of his reach.

"Kensi." he snapped, as he finally got his hand wrapped around her wrist. He pulled her back to him.

She fought him the whole way, tears running down over her cheeks. She slammed her fists into his chest trying to push him back away.

"Kensi," he said softly. "I don't want to say 'goodbye'," he told her. "I've already had to say it too many times, to too many people." he explained.

She sobbed into his chest.

"I just want to love you while I still can," he whispered next to her ear. "No regrets, no--second thoughts." he added. "All that matters is right here and right now."

She finally looked back up into his face/eyes. They were as moist and red as her's felt at that moment too.

She could feel that desire from before re-igniting in her body once again.

"Take me," she breathed finally, raising her lips to his. "I want everything." she said, as she pressed her body against his--feeling his erection rubbing against her sex through the silky fabric of her panties.

Before either of them knew exactly what was happening they were both caught up in the moment once again.

"You'll never forget this." he growled, as he pushed her backwards and pinned her to the wall behind them.

"I don't intend to." she breathed against his lips.

"Ah," he groaned, as he reached down between them. "Damn these infernal things." he swore as he struggled to remove her panties for the second time.

Kensi giggled as she tried to help him complete the task.

"Think you can handle this rodeo?" she asked, as she tossed the silky panties to the floor for the second time. She wrapped her arms around Gibbs' neck.

"Well little lady," Gibbs said, imitating a cowboy from one of those old westerns. "I'll sure give it my best ma'am." he said, with a playful grin.

Kensi giggled as she stole a kiss. "Saddle up cowboy." she said against his lips.










--Chapter Eleven--

It was eight-o'clock in the morning at the NCIS: L.A. HQ building. Kensi sat on the sofa in the lobby area--looking out the window. She had stuffed her old, dirty clothing into her locker, and had changed into a set of clean clothes that she kept in her locker for emergencies.

Gibbs walked up a few minutes later, and sat down on the sofa next to her. He held a styro-foam coffee cup in each hand. He handed one of the cups to Kensi.

"Coffee."

"Thanks." she replied sweetly accepting the coffee cup from Gibbs.

Outside the sun was coming up full and bright, and its warm rays streamed in through the window.

"I never got to tell you," he said, between sips of coffee. "Those things I said yesterday--they were pretty harsh--" he explained.

She nodded, but did not look directly at him. "They were." she agreed.

"I-I didn't mean them...you know that." he said quietly, taking another sip of his coffee.

"I know." she replied quietly. "Jethro," she said looking up at him finally.

Her eyes were red and moist.

"Can you forgive ME?" she asked in a small voice.

Gibbs grinned a small, understanding grin. He leaned towards her and planted a small, gentle kiss against her temple.

"Already done, kitten." he said softly.








Upstairs in the 'Tactical Room' McGee was fast asleep, still sitting in front of Eric's console; and Nate was sitting on the floor in one corner of the room snoozing as well.

On the computer screen in front of McGee a program was running. It had been running since the night before.

Suddenly there was a loud 'ping' noise/sound. McGee's head shot up, and his eyes fluttered open. Nate, startle by the loud noise, fell over sideways, but quickly pulled himself up to his feet without thinking about it.

"What!?" he said, rubbing his hands over his face. "I'm awake, I'm awake."

"Shh." McGee said, rubbing a hand over his face, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he stared up at the computer screen with the flashing message running across the middle of it. "What the-" he started to say, as he began punching keys on the keyboard at lightning fast speed.

A screen popped up and McGee quickly read off the information it displayed.

"Uh oh." he said aloud. "Nate, I think you should round everyone up. Now." McGee said, over his shoulder.

Nate nodded, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, and ran to the stop of the stairs. He looked down, over the railing, and yelled down to everyone downstairs in the lobby area.

"Guys!" he yelled down over the railing. "Tim needs everyone upstairs--double time."

Kensi looked up at Nate, and then back at Gibbs--whom she had been leaning against for the last few minutes or so on the sofa--and shrugged her shoulders.

"Duty calls." she said, giving Gibbs a quick peck on the cheek. She stood up, and headed for the stairs.

"Yeah." Gibbs said, rolling his eyes, as he took another sip of coffee before setting the cup down on a nearby coffee table. He stood to follow Kensi up the stairs to the 'Tactical Room'. "And its got a really whiny--nasally voice too."

Kensi chuckled as she started to climb the stairs.

At the same time, Sam roused up, looked around, and then saw Nate motioning up the stairs with his hands. He shrugged his coat off from around his front and shoulders, and dropped it in his desk chair.

"G." Sam said, shaking Callen lightly.

"Wha-What?" Callen said, rousing up and rubbing his eyes. "Sam?" he said, finally looking up at his partner.

"Come on." Sam said, pointing upstairs. "Tim and Nate found something." he told him.

Callen jumped up, stretched and then he and Sam headed towards the stairs.

Everyone entered the 'Tactical Room' a few minutes later. Hetty was the last one to walk in.

"Where are Agents DiNozzo and David?" Hetty asked, standing in the doorway.

"I called them." McGee said. "They stayed in a hotel last night. Should be here in just a few minutes."

Hetty nodded at McGee. "Very well, Mr. McGee, you may continue."

"Watcha got?" Callen asked, leaning on the center table.

"Last night I started running a program I created to see if anyone had accessed or hacked NCIS' files/database," he explained. "The reason for that, is because I started thinking about how Trent Cort got involved in all of this--and I thought maybe he hacked in to our system somehow."

"I'm assuming you found something then." came a familiar man's voice from the back of the room. "Or else you wouldn't have drug us all back in here so early."

Everyone turned around and looked towards the doorway, and found Tony and Ziva squeezing into the room past Hetty.

"Where have you two been?" Gibbs asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Tony's hair was a complete mess on top of his head, and his tie was barely tightened around his neck. Ziva also looked a little unkempt as well.

"Um, sorry boss--er--Gibbs." Tony replied, sheepishly. "Ziva and I were...'undercover'," he said finally, looking away from Gibbs.

Ziva elbowed her husband in the ribs, and then muttered something, angrily, out of the corner of her mouth in a low voice.

"Ouch!" Tony said, rubbing the spot on his ribs where Ziva's elbow had surely left a decent size bruise. "What," he muttered under his breath. "Its the truth."

She elbowed him again.

Gibbs cocked an eyebrow at the couple.

"Wait," Nate spoke up from the other far corner of the room. "Why were you undercover?" he asked, somewhat confused.

Everyone in the room looked at Nate, at that moment, as if he were the most clueless person on the face of the planet.

"Ahem." Ziva cleared her throat loudly, and everyone--clearly--got the message.

"Anyway," McGee said, turning back to the computer screen. "I found this." he said, pointing to the computer screen.

"What is it?" Kensi asked.

"Someone did hack the system," Sam replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Exactly." McGee agreed. "But it wasn't Cort," he told them.

"Then who was it McGee?" Gibbs asked, from where he stood on the right-hand side of Kensi.

"Eric Beal." McGee replied. "And, when I ran the 'Trace' program--it lead me back to that." he said pointing at the small, black cell phone that was still laying in the center of the table. "They used it as a transmitter (of sorts)." he added.

"What?" Callen replied, out of shock.

"Hey," Kensi said, straightening up a little bit. "That's my cell phone." she pointed out.

"We know." Gibbs told her.

"It makes sense." Sam pointed out, walking towards McGee and the computer. "I mean think about it. They tried to kill Abby, now obviously they failed--but they still could have tricked/convinced Eric that she was dead." Sam explained his theory to the others.

"And they could be using D.J. as leverage now, to force him to do their 'dirty' work for them." Kensi added, agreeing with Sam's theory.

Callen picked up the cell phone, and in a matter of seconds had it disassembled on the table. He picked up a small dark black cube shaped piece and held it up. "Never seen anything like this in a cell phone before." Callen pointed out.

"Our CIA friend must have put it there after he grabbed Kensi from downstairs." Hetty spoke up.

"Right." McGee agreed. "But that's not all I found, look." he said pointing back to the computer screen(s). He punched a few keys and a second window popped up.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?" Tony asked, cocking his head to one side in an effort to read the gibberish that was not glowing across the computer monitor.

"Code." McGee explained. "Eric hasn't given up yet apparently." McGee informed everyone with a smile. "He actually managed to slip in a message for us, while he was 'hacking' us."

"Way to go Eric." Kensi said, with a smile.

"Can you decipher it?" Callen asked, from where he stood.

"Of course he can." Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva all said in unison--not purposely though.

"And, I already have." McGee said, punching a few more keys on the console.

The series of numbers, letters, and symbols suddenly shifted to what could be considered as actual readable material.

"Okay. Sry 4 this. Hrry. Mvd t T.K. plc. A. A.--Alive." Was all that the message said.

"Okay, I still don't get it." Tony admitted, shaking his head in disappointment.

"It says," Sam started. "If I'm reading this correctly. I'm okay. Sorry For This." Sam read aloud.

"Probably means he's sorry for hacking NCIS." Nate spoke up, crossing his arms in front of his chest, as he thought about the possible meanings of some of the phrases on the computer screen.

"Right." Sam replied, rolling his eyes. "Anyway. Hurry (and find me already)." Sam had to think a little bit harder about the fourth piece of the puzzle. "Moved...to...TK...Place." he continued to read aloud.

"And, A.A., must be initials--probably Anatolli Alexandrov." Callen interjected.

"Most likely." Sam said in agreement.

"Wait," Kensi blurted out. "I thought the guy was dead. I mean isn't that what you told us McGee?"

"Yeah," he said, turning to face Kensi. "Yeah, I did--but wait, then it doesn't make any sense--how can he be alive when he's listed in our database as 'Deceased'."

"Someone didn't want us to know that he's still alive." Nate suggested.

"Gee, thanks for that little bit of insight Doc." Sam replied sarcastically.

"That could definitely turn out to be a problem." Callen remarked.

"But what does T.K. stand for?" Hetty asked, from the doorway where she was still standing.

"Good question." Ziva commented.

"Could be anything." McGee pointed out.

"Wait," Gibbs said at once, standing up straight and glaring at the computer screen intensely.

"T.K." he said aloud, thinking to himself. "McGee, can you see if there are any properties in or around L. A. listed under the name--Trent Kort?" Gibbs asked.

"Why sure-" he froze mid-sentence. "of course," he threw his hands up in the air. "Why didn't I think of that."

"Why that sneaky bastard." Tony swore. "Even in death he's still making our lives miserable."

McGee looked up from his computer terminal a few minutes later. "Found it." he exclaimed. He pointed to a spot on a big map that he had pulled up on the computer screen, and read out the address to the others.

"We got 'em." Kensi said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Not quite." Gibbs interrupted. "We've still gotta find Anatolli Alexandrov."

"Hunh."

"Alexandrov's the key to this whole thing," Gibbs pointed out. "We need him.

"So we need to find out where he is right now." Callen pointed out.

Gibbs nodded.

"How do we do that?" Nate asked.

"I am most certain that the FBI would know the answer to that question." Hetty pointed out to the team(s). "If her father is alive, she's probably searching for him."

Callen grinned, as he turned to face Hetty. "And I'm sure that YOU have a contact or two within the Bureau who might be willing to help us--right?"

"I'm sure I can coerce SOMEONE into cooperating with me." she said with a wink.

She turned to walk down stairs, but then McGee stopped her before she could get too far away.

"Wait," McGee called after her. "That may not be necessary." he told Hetty and everyone else.

McGee's fingers danced across the console with lightning fast speed and precision until, a few minutes later, a new screen flashed up onto the computer's monitor.

"Thought so." McGee said aloud, reading off the computer screen.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"I was able to do a back-check and found the information that Alexi was searching for when she hacked into our system." McGee informed everyone. "And it actually took me right through a back door into the FBI's system mainframe. If this info is current, then our guy should be at...Gitmo." he said, turning around to face everyone.

"That figures." Kensi said, rolling her eyes.

"And Alexi's probably on her way down there to get him out." Callen pointed out.

"But how would she do that?" Nate asked.

"Good question." Callen agreed.

"Okay," Gibbs spoke up. "Here's the plan--Sam, you'll take Kensi and retrieve Eric--he'll probably need medical attention when you find him, so be ready." Gibbs explained. "And call Deeks--I don't want either of you to go in without sufficient back-up."

All eyes were on Gibbs now.

Sam nodded.

"Callen," Gibbs continued, turning his gaze on Callen. "You'll come with me, Tony and Ziva to Gitmo--with any luck we'll get there before she has time to try anything." he told them.

"Gibbs-" Kensi started to protest.

"Hey, what about us?" Nate asked, referring to himself and McGee.

"Yeah," Gibbs said, looking up at Nate. "I'm getting there. McGee I need you and Nate to stay here and monitor both teams--you'll basically the go-between guy. Nate, you'll be advising us on we should proceed based on the profile you're going to put together."

"Everyone clear on their assignments?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good. We don't have a lot of time--so let's move."

"All of you," Hetty spoke up walking towards the center of the room. "Be careful."

"We will." Callen said, with a nod.

--------To Be Continued--------
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