"A New Nightmare, Part Four (Chp. 12, 13, 14, & 15)"
--Chapter Twelve--
Gibbs, Callen, Ziva, and Tony were on a red-eye flight, racing to Gitmo to stop a dangerous criminal from releasing an even more dangerous criminal--her father.
Kensi and Sam had been trying for the last few hours to contact Gibbs and the team, to tell them that Eric had not been at the house. But so far their signal was not getting through.
Kensi was especially nervous because when they had called to update Abby on what was happening--Abby had told them that she had just had a really bad dream, about the team, while she was taking a nap. And now she just has this terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen.
"There it is." Tony said, pointing out the window of the plane.
Gibbs nodded.
Suddenly a faint beeping sound was heard.
"What's that?" Gibbs asked.
Tony looked around the cabin. "oh," he said finally. "Its the planes phone." he pointed out, as he picked up the phone from its wall base next to his seat.
"Hello." Tony said into the receiver. "Yes Captain...Oh okay, patch it through."
There was a brief pause, and then he heard Kensi's voice on the other end.
"Kensi?"
"Thank God," Kensi exclaimed at the sound of Tony's voice. "We've been trying to reach you guys for hours and hours."
"Sorry."
"Tony, listen...There wasn't anyone at Kort's place." she told him. "We think they took Eric with them."
"That's great." Tony replied.
"Tony, is Gi...the..."
"Kensi, you're--you're breaking up." Tony tried to tell her through the increasing static over the line.
He tried a few more times, but then the line finally went dead.
"What did she say?" Ziva asked.
"They think Alexi has Eric with her."
"Explains how they plan to get Alexandrov out." Callen pointed out.
"Yep." Gibbs nodded.
"This is your Captain speaking..." the voice came over the intercom. "We will be landing soon, so please sit down and buckle up."
"Here we go." Tony remarked, as he buckled up his seat belt.
The plane finally touched down a few minutes later, and then once the team was on the ground their next priority was to find a ride to their destination.
Back At NCIS: L.A. HQ Building...
Abby strolled back into the lobby area, having run to the bathroom several times already within the last hour or so.
"Any luck?" she asked Kensi, who was just coming back down the stairs from the 'Tactical Room'.
"We had'em for a few minutes." she said, with a sigh.
Abby plopped down onto the sofa, and a worried look spread across her face.
"I just can't shake this feeling, Kensi," Abby said, holding her face in her hands. "Something terrible is going to happen--I just know it." she added.
Kensi sat down on the sofa next to her. "Come on Abs," Kensi said quietly, putting her arm around her friends' shoulder. "Whats the worst that could happen?"
"You don't understand," she told Kensi. "I had this same feeling right before my friend Kate died." she told Kensi, somberly. "Some one's not coming back from this Kensi," Abby told her sadly. "God, please--just let me be wrong this time...please." Abby pleaded, as she held her head in her hands.
Tony, Gibbs, Ziva, and Callen had managed to round up a rental jeep at the airport, and were now making their way down a set of dirt roads leading towards Guantanamo Naval Base, and the Detention Center located there.
"This has go to be--whoa--the worst ride ever." Tony remarked, as he held on for dear life as the jeep bumped, bucked, and rattled along the dirt roads that they were traveling.
"Aww, come on Tony," Callen said with a grin. "This is fun."
"Yeah for you maybe." Tony retorted, rolling his eyes behind his expensive sun glasses.
Gibbs, Callen, and Ziva all laughed at Tony.
"Yeah that's right," Tony said. "Go ahead--yuck it up while you can."
They laughed.
They had only been driving for a little while, but it seemed like they had been at it for ages.
Alexi Alexandrov, and two of her thugs approached the front gate to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Eric was with them. They had cleaned him up, and dressed him in some nice clothes so that he would not look suspicious.
Their jeep rolled up to the checkpoint where they showed their 'fake' credentials, and were then waved on through to the inner-workings of the Naval Base.
"We're almost there." Alexi muttered to her crew, her voice reverting back to its Russian accent. "Just act as if you belong here." she added, quietly.
"Remember your part, Mr. Beal?"
"Yeah, I remember." Eric replied, looking away from Alexi.
"Repeat it to me." she insisted, quietly.
"I sneak into the command center, with help from Mr. 'big-N-tall' here,
and cause a diversion." Eric heaved a defeated sigh. "While everyone else is confused and pre-occupied, you guys will...well you know--do the rest."
"Very good," Alexi replied. "And if you do your job well, we MIGHT just let you go." she told him.
"Yeah," Eric replied, rolling his eyes. "I'll bet you will." though he felt as though he knew the real truth--that they would not let him go at all.
An Hour Or So Later...
"We're almost there." Callen said, reading the directions off of the map that he was holding in his hands.
Callen was sitting up front in the jeep's passenger seat--while Tony and Ziva were sitting in the two back seats. Gibbs, of course, was doing the driving.
"Where?" Gibbs asked. "I've never taken this route to get there." he commented. Because he had been there before, but they'd gone a different route to reach the base.
"Should be just over the next set of hills," Callen pointed out, still reading the map he held in his hands.
Gibbs nodded back at Callen. "Alright."
They finally arrived at the front gate a few minutes later. They flashed their credentials to the guards at the front gate.
"Have you seen this woman?" Callen asked, showing one of the guards a photo of Alexi.
"Uh, yeah--actually." the guard replied. "They got here, a while ago." he told them. She was part of a military escort taking part in a 'Prisoner Transfer'."
"Prisoner Transfer?" Tony asked, confused.
"Yeah, I know right." the guard said, shaking his head. "I didn't know nothin' about it either until 'they' got here. Had the papers and everything--now that I think about it, that transfer was sanctioned by your Agency." he told them. "NCIS, right?"
"Damn." Callen swore under his breath, as he slapped the dashboard on his side of the jeep.
"She beat us to it." Ziva said, shaking her head.
"Yeah, they actually booked it out of here pretty quickly when they were leaving." the guard added. "six of'em came in, and 2 left. And you know, I don't remember seeing her in the vehicle when they left."
"She's still here." Gibbs said quietly, looking ahead into the compound.
"Why would she stay?" Callen asked, looking over at Gibbs.
"Unfinished business would be my guess," he replied. Then he sat silently for a brief moment.
"Callen, go with Ziva--track down that other jeep." Gibbs instructed them as he climbed down out of the jeep. "Tony--with me."
Tony jumped down out of the jeep after Gibbs, after exchanging kisses with his wife--you know for good luck.
Callen climbed into the driver's seat, and Ziva climbed up front into the passengers' seat. Once they were settled Callen asked the guard which way the other jeep was headed, and then armed with that info he and Ziva turned their jeep around and took off back down the dirt roads to chase after their escaping prey.
Gibbs and Tony did not waste any time heading into the compound to search for Alexi and whoever it was that she had kept along with her.
Down in the detention center out of sight of anyone who might would try to stop them, Alexi and the burly man from before were busily tinkering with some sort of medium-sized mechanical/electronic device that they had sitting in the middle of the floor.
The burly man was using a screwdriver to remove some screws from the top of the device. He pulled the last screw out, and set both it and the screwdriver down onto the floor beside him(self).
"Ashenko," the burly man said, quietly, looking up from the device towards Alexi.
"Yes." she replied.
"The timer?" he asked, pointing towards the device.
"Set it for 10 minutes exactly." she instructed him.
"Yes ma'am." the burly man replied, with a nod. Then he turned and began to work with some buttons and switches within the device.
"You guys are really just gonna blow yourselves up?" Eric spoke up from where he was tied up over in the corner of the room.
"You Americans," Alexi scoffed, looking over at Eric. "You know nothing of honor and pride." she accused. "You think that we are crazy, insane perhaps, but what we do--we do for glory." she said, holding her head up high.
--Chapter Thirteen--
Gibbs and Tony moved through the compound carefully. They searched the armory, which sat all the way across on the other side of the compound; and then after that they searched the barracks thoroughly.
Their next stop after the barracks, Gibbs determined should be the actual detention center itself.
They finally reached the detention center, and walked inside the front door. They were pulling out their credentials as they walked in the door.
"Holy shit!?" Tony exclaimed drawing his gun at the sight he was seeing just inside the door.
Both of the guards in the detention centers' lobby area were dead.
"We're in the right place." Gibbs said, as he held his gun out in front of him(self).
Gibbs and Tony started moving forward again with their guns drawn at the ready.
They headed out of the lobby area, and towards a door at the back of the room. Through the door they found a set of stairs leading downward into a special holding section of the detention center.
After a few minutes of walking down the long-winded flight of stairs they finally stepped through a second door into a long corridor.
"Alexi Alexandrov!" Gibbs called down the corridor.
Down the corridor somewhere Alexi Alexandrov looked up, and then looked over at Eric.
"It would seem that the 'cavalry' has arrived." she joked, as she pulled out a pistol from her belt, and primed it for use.
Alexi said something in Russian to the burly man, and the burly man stood up and he also produced a small side-arm from his belt and primed it for use--quickly.
"We are here!" Alexi called back down the corridor towards where Gibbs and Tony were at.
"Yeah," Tony remarked, as he and Gibbs continued slowly down the corridor. "I think she heard us."
"No kiddin'." Gibbs replied. "Just stay focused." he added.
"I will."
The corridor that they were walking down was full of empty holding cells each one with a reinforced glass viewing window, and a single heavy-duty steel door.
"This place gives me the creeps." Tony remarked, as they passed by empty holding cell after empty holding cell--as they made their way down the corridor.
"Are you the one they call--Gibbs!?" Alexi called down the corridor, loudly.
"I am." Gibbs replied.
"Ah," she replied, loudly. "I have heard much about you from your--eh, friend." she told him.
"Can't say the same about you!" Gibbs yelled back.
"All you need to know, Mr. Gibbs, is that I will be the one who ends you." Alexi informed him from where she and the burly man waited somewhere down the long corridor.
"Yeah, well I guess we'll just have to see about that!" Tony answered for Gibbs.
Alexi said something to the burly man, quietly, in Russian and the burly man nodded. He then began to make his way up the corridor towards where Gibbs and Tony were at.
Gibbs and Tony had finally made their way to the end of the first corridor, and had turned left and begun making their way down the second corridor.
Suddenly a small sound caught their attention, and they paused for a moment to listen. But when they did, the door to one of the holding cells flew open and the burly man lunged out at the two men.
Gibbs ducked out of the way just in time, but Tony was not fast enough on this one; and the burly man's fist caught Tony square in the jaw sending the younger man sprawling sideways a nice distance down the corridor.
Gibbs rebounded, and charged the burly man from behind, but the burly man spun around and caught Gibbs as he hit him in the gut. The two wrestled around for a moment or two, but then the burly man pulled a knife and tried to swipe at Gibbs.
Gibbs felt the blade of the knife cut across his upper arm, and he had to drop his grip, and wrap his hand around the wound. The burly man raised the knife over his head to deliver the final blow, but then Tony appeared and jabbed the burly man in the ribs--hard.
The burly man dropped his knife to the floor, and buckled sideways--clutching at his now bruised ribs--with a groan.
That gave Gibbs time to retrieve his gun from where he'd dropped it on the floor behind him(self); and just in time too. The burly man started to pull himself back up to his feet. Tony was still trying to locate his missing side-arm; but luckily for him Gibbs already had his gun, and was able to put two rounds into the burly man's chest before he could get very far.
Elsewhere...
Callen and Ziva had managed to somehow catch up to the second jeep someways down the road.
"They're heading for the airstrip!" Callen yelled over all the noise.
"We can't let him get on that place." Ziva said back.
"I know. They're too far ahead of us right now." Callen said.
Ziva thought for a moment, as she studied the situation. Then she looked up at Callen, just as they went around another bend in the road.
"Give me your gun." she said.
"What!?" Callen asked, unsure he had heard right.
"Your gun." Ziva repeated. "Give it to me."
Callen hesitated, for a brief second or two, but then pulled out his side-arm and handed it over to Ziva.
Ziva pulled out her own side-arm as well. "Keep it steady." she told Callen, edging as close to the edge of her seat as she possibly could without falling out of the jeep.
"What are you doing!?"
"Slowing them down." Ziva replied, as she began to lean sideways out of the jeep a little bit. "Just keep this thing steady for a few seconds--if you can."
Ziva waited patiently, biding her time until the best possible moment, and then just before they came around another bend in the road, she fired off several rounds from both weapons. The rounds impacted the two back tires on the second jeep riding just a few yards or so ahead of them.
The force from the popping tires sent the jeep into a spin, which ended in the jeep barreling down a nearby hill. Callen and Ziva pulled their jeep up to the side where the other jeep went over, and jumped out to take a better look.
"Not bad David." Callen mused, as Ziva handed back his side-arm to him.
Ziva grinned. "Why thank you Agent Callen."
"Oh no, it was my pleasure." Callen replied, with a crooked grin.
"Think we should probably go down there, and check for survivors." Callen pointed out, as he looked over the edge.
"If we are lucky, there will not be any." Ziva added.
"Gibbs," Tony said, making his way back over to Gibbs after retrieving his side-arm.
"I'm fine." Gibbs said, waving him off. "We need to find Eric."
Tony nodded, and the duo headed off down the rest of the corridor to find Eric.
After a few minutes they reached a small holding cell at the end of the corridor. Inside was Eric, bound and gagged, and laying in the floor.
"Eric!" Tony exclaimed, as he rushed in to where the young NCIS Agent was laying in the floor wiggling around.
They immediately began to untie him on the spot. As soon as they ripped his gag off he spoke, quickly.
"There's a bomb!" he exclaimed.
"A bomb. Where?" Tony asked, stopping what he was doing.
Eric explained to Gibbs and Tony which holding cell the bomb was located in--just down the third and final corridor.
"I'm gonna go look at it." Tony said, pulling out his side-arm and heading back out of the holding cell.
"Be careful," Gibbs called after him.
Gibbs finished untying Eric, a process that actually took a few minutes because he was tied up so expertly that even Gibbs had to stop and think about it for a moment or two.
Meanwhile...
Tony finally found his way down the third and final corridor to the holding cell where the bomb was being stored, and he went inside the cell to look at the bomb.
He dropped to his knees, and peered over the side into the device. He saw the device's timer, and it displayed 5 minutes left--and it was slowly ticking down.
Tony reached his hands down into the device, and held a few of its multi-colored wires up into the light so that he could see them better.
Suddenly there was a familiar metallic clicking sound coming from behind his back, and it made him freeze on the spot.
"Drop it." a gruff voice commanded him, with a clearly Russian accent. "And step away from the device." she added, sternly.
"If I refuse?" Tony asked.
The man scoffed. "It would be most unwise."
"Do not kill him yet," Alexi's voice cut in from somewhere to the side. "I still have one last task to complete, and he could come in handy."
Gibbs helped Eric back up to his feet at last, and brushed dust off of his shirt for him.
"There you go," Gibbs said. "Good as new."
"Thanks," Eric said. "So you got them both?" he asked, as he and Gibbs started to turn back towards the holding cell door.
Gibbs froze on the spot.
"Damn!" swore loudly. "Stupid. I completely forgot all about Alexi." Gibbs swore. "We didn't even see her." he added.
"She's probably still with the bomb." Eric pointed out.
"But that's where-" he started to say. "Stay here!" he commanded Eric, as he took off like a bolt of lightning down the corridor to find Tony.
"Well, you are going to die anyway." Alexi chuckled. "So I guess it does not matter, but if my friend here misses you it could mess up my beautiful bomb."
"Now stand up!" the man with the gruff voice barked at Tony.
Tony stayed where he was, and did not move even a single muscle.
"Drop your weapon!" Gibbs yelled down the corridor from just a few yards away.
"Now why would I do that?" she asked. The she barked something at the other guy in Russian, and he nodded.
The other guy began to move towards Gibbs, and Gibbs tried to shoot him but his gun locked up for some reason. Not a good thing at all.
He tossed his gun aside, and managed to drop into a roll and just barely miss two shots fired off by the guy. When he came up out of the roll he threw his fist upwards into the guys' jaw--hard.
The guy faltered backwards a little bit, dropping his own gun to the floor; but then he righted himself up and charged at Gibbs.
Gibbs raised his hands up over his hand and brought them down--hard--against the other guys' back as he came into range. The other guy still plowed into Gibbs and the two men went sprawling to the floor.
The two men wrestled around on the floor for a few minutes, but then finally the other guy was able to recover his dropped weapon.
The other guy slammed his fist into Gibbs' jaw--and then drug the former NCIS Special Agent up to his feet. Gibbs grabbed the mans' gun hand and tried to wrestle the gun free, but to no avail; and the guy had a pretty good grip on Gibbs at the moment.
Thinking quickly, Gibbs made a judgment call. He knew he needed to take the guy out in order to complete the mission so instead of pushing the gun away from himself, he let the man gain some ground on him, and then he pulled the gun down the rest of the way, pressed it into his own chest, and made the guy squeeze the trigger.
The shot penetrated Gibbs shoulder/chest, and then also penetrated the other guys' shoulder/chest. Both men crumpled to the ground with a groan.
"Gibbs!" Tony yelped, in Gibbs' direction.
Gibbs groaned out loud.
Alexi turned back to Tony. "So much for your 'grand' hero." she said with a smirk.
Tony was now facing Alexi at this point.
"But enough games...I have waited long enough for this--revenge on those who kept my father imprisoned here." she said, as she reached down into her coat pocket.
Out of her coat pocket she pulled a small black device, with a flashing red light in the center of it.
"A dead man's switch." Tony murmured, at the sight of the small black device.
"That's right." Alexi replied, she flipped a lever on the side of the device, but just before she could press the final button on the front side of the device--Gibbs lunged out of nowhere and grabbed her.
But she turned out to be stronger than he'd expected her to be--well that and he was injured pretty badly anyway (so that also drained some of his strength out of him).
He struggled with her for a few minutes, just barely able to keep her finger away from the final detonation button.
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, a pained expression spread across his face. "Shoot her!"
"B-But boss," Tony stammered, as he reached for his gun. "What if I hit you?"
Gibbs shook his head at Tony. He knew the implications of what he was asking all too well.
"Just do it DiNozzo." Gibbs barked, his strength close to leaving him completely.
Tony held his gun out aiming it towards Alexi and Gibbs. His whole body shook.
"I-I can't." Tony said, miserably.
Gibbs, of course, understood Tony's dilemma; but he also understood/knew that if Tony did not shoot her now then he probably would not get another chance to do so--much less try.
Gibb thought of one of Tony's movie scenarios, and a small smile played across his lips. His one last chance to make this work.
"Tony," he said quietly. "The needs of the many--"
"Outweigh the needs of the one." Tony finished.
Alexi swore loudly in Russian, as she began to wiggle her other arm free of Gibbs' grip finally.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs yelped, as his strength drained away finally. "Now!"
Tony raised the gun up again quickly, and aimed it at Alexi/Gibbs.
Alexi finally pulled her other arm free, and started to raise it to jab Gibbs, backwards, in the stomach/ribs.
"Sorry." Tony whispered. He squeezed the trigger, and then watched as Alexi and Gibbs and slumped forward to the ground before him.
Tony dropped his gun to the floor, shocked at what he had just done. Just then Eric came around the corner.
"Is it over?" he asked.
"Eric," Tony called out to him. "Can you disarm this thing!?" Tony asked, motioning towards the bomb.
"I-I can try." he stammered, as he made his way over to the bomb.
As Eric fiddled around with the bomb, Tony crawled over to where Gibbs was laying on the floor.
"Gibbs," Tony said, taking the older, silver-haired mans' hand in his own hand. "Gibbs."
"I-Its...okay." Gibbs choked out, looking up at Tony, gasping for air. His eyes were moist with emotion.
"I-I'm so sorry," Tony apologized, his voice cracking up as he spoke.
"No," Gibbs muttered. "You did what had to be done." Gibbs told him, in between blood-filled coughs.
"Just--just hang in there Boss," Tony told him, looking around for something--but what still remains a mystery. "We're gonna get you some help--you hear me, we're gonna-"
"Di-DiNozzo," Gibbs choked out. "N-Not this time...I'm afraid."
"No, Gibbs, don't-don't talk like that." Tony stammered, shaking his head.
"Te-tell everyone I'm-I'm so proud of them." Gibbs said, with a pained smile, blood oozing a little bit over his lips.
"No...Gibbs...Gibbs." Tony said, shaking the silver-haired man's body slightly several times. "Gibbs, wake up--wake-"
But Gibbs had gone silent. He wasn't breathing anymore, and Tony, try as he might, could not find a pulse anywhere on him.
"No..." Tony sobbed.
"Got it." Eric exclaimed, dropping backwards onto his bottom in front of the device. "Its...disarmed. That was...a close one." he added, wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow.
--Chapter Fourteen--
Tony and Eric were coming out of the 'Special Holding Area' of the detention center as Callen and Ziva were walking across the yard escorting a bruised and battered up Anatolli Alexandrov.
Some guards approached the group, and immediately took Alexandrov off of their hands, and began to escort him to another holding cell for the time being.
Behind Tony and Eric several other guards, carrying stretchers, were transporting the dead bodies to the infirmary--there Gibbs' body, at least, would be prepped for transport back home.
"Alexandrov put up quite a fight" Callen told them. "Survived the, uh, 'crash', and then tried to run--but Ziva and I were too much for him I suppose."
Tony just nodded.
"Good to have you back Eric." Callen said, with a grin, patting Eric on the shoulder.
"Where's Gibbs?" Ziva asked, noticing that Gibbs was not with Tony and Eric.
"Yeah," Callen added, noticing the silver-haired mans' absence. "Where is he?"
Tony's eyes were moist and red with emotion as he nodded his head, slightly, at the stretcher that was passing by the group at that moment
"Gibbs...Gibbs didn't make it." Tony said solemnly, his voice cracking as he spoke.
Ziva shook her head at Tonys words. "No," she said, quietly. "No...it can't-"
Ziva spun around and grabbed the sheet that was draped over the stretcher, and pulled it back. Her eyes fell across the most horrible scene she had seen in such a long time.
Almost immediately there was a burning behind her eyes, as she struggled to pull herself away from the saddening sight.
"No," she whispered, in sort of a low moan. She shook her head, as she pulled away from the stretcher. The guards re-covered Gibbs' face, and then began to move him onwards again.
Callen threw his hands up in frustration at the sight, and even though he had not known Gibbs as long as Tony and Ziva had--it still broke his heart.
Callen knew that Kensi would be broken-hearted even more so than he was.
Ziva looked up and her eyes fell upon Anatolli who was still being escorted across the yard; and suddenly anger flared up within her. She and Callen should have been backing Gibbs and Tony up--maybe if they had been doing that he'd still be alive.
Without thinking, and without warning, Ziva bolted past everyone else, and headed in a straight line for Anatolli.
"Ziva no!" the guys cried after her, as they too began to give chase after her.
Ziva pushed past Anatolli's escort guards, and seized him by the throat.
"This is all your fault!" she screamed in his face, her eyes moist and red, and tears staining her cheeks.
Tony and Callen finally reached her, and struggled to pull her off of the Russian bad guy--even though her killing him would really be no great loss to be completely honest.
They finally pulled her off, and she collapsed to the ground, in her husband's arms, sobbing.
"I know," Tony said, his voice cracking up as he spoke. "I-I know. Sweetheart--I know."
A Day or So Later...
Hetty had asked everyone to meet her in the 'Tactical Room'. It was early in the morning, and the team(s) had been waiting anxiously for news from the team that had flown down to Gitmo just a few days earlier.
Hetty had her head bowed where she stood as she waited for the right moment to speak.
"I have just received word from Agent Callen," she began. "He has informed me that their plane will be landing within the next hour or so."
Nate raised his hand to speak, but Hetty waved him off, shaking her head at him--sternly.
"Eric is alright," she told them. "They were able to recover our Mr. Beal relatively unharmed for the most part." she continued. "However, there were casualties involved."
"Who?" McGee asked, speaking up.
"Agent Gibbs-," Hetty began, stopping after saying his name to re-steady herself. "Agent Gibbs bravely sacrificed himself to prevent a disaster that, if it had succeeded, would have proven to be a crippling blow." she informed them somberly.
"What?" Kensi choked out, hoping that she had heard wrong.
Abby swallowed hard, a lump that had formed in her throat, and tears burned the area behind her eyes fiercely. "Gibbs..." she moaned, miserably, as she held her head in her hands.
"No," Kensi whimpered. "This--this isn't happening--this can't be-" she broke down and started crying, as she fell to her knees on the ground.
Sam slammed his fists into the center table--hard--swearing under his breath as he did so.
Nate just looked as if he had withdrawn into himself.
McGee just sat at Eric's console staring straight ahead, tears silently streaking down his cheek(s) as he sat there.
In that moment the whole world seemed to slow down to almost a snails' pace as the team(s) took the news in their own way(s).
Later...
The team(s) addressed Director Leon Vance in the 'Tactical Room' informing him of the latest news of what had happened.
Vance's eyes were visibly glistening with the tears that he was fighting back.
"The world--" he said, trying to keep his voice calm and stable as he spoke. The world has certainly lost a good man." Vance told them.
Everyone nodded.
"One of the best." Sam agreed.
Everyone nodded.
"We were thinking," Abby spoke up. "That he should be buried with his wife and daughter."
"Yeah," Tony spoke up, clenching his teeth as she spoke. "Its what he would want."
"Very well then." Vance said, with a slight nod. "NCIS will make it happen."
Everyone nodded, a few of them said thank you quietly.
--Chapter Fifteen--
Everyone was gathered at the grave site in the cemetery. They all stood, together, looking over the coffin that Gibbs' body had been placed into.
The preacher was giving his customary grave-side sermon/memorial speech as everyone listened on.
Besides the two NCIS teams, Others had shown up to attend the funeral, and pay their respects. Jackson Gibbs was there, of course, as was Maddie Tyler. Mike Franks and his family was also there, and so was Tobias Fornell. Leon Vance was also there in attendance.
Even Doc Mason and Ruby had decided to come pay their respects. Also, Abby's Mom and Brother had come, and so had Eric's parents as well.
As they all stood listening to the preacher talking something strange took place all around them.
Tony felt as though someone had laid a hand on his shoulder from behind, though he did not try to look to see who it was--not that he would have seen anyone there if he had.
Then the preacher finally finished his piece, and at that point he motioned, slightly, with his hand for the mourners to come forth--in a straight line--and pay their final respects before the body is finally laid to rest in the ground.
The line formed up, and then began to move on finally. Callen said some words, Sam said some words, Nate said some words. Kensi stopped, for a brief moment, as memories of the time(s) that she had spent with Gibbs flashed through her mind.
Hetty was next, and then she was followed by Leon Vance and Mike Franks, and Tobias Fornell.
"It was...nice knowin' ya--Gibbs." Vance said, quietly.
"I never told you this before Jethro," Mike said, as he laid a hand atop the coffin. "You were the BEST probie I ever trained." he said, and then he nodded, patted the coffin gently and then moved on.
"I"m really gonna miss our little 'conversations' Jethro." Tobias said quietly, grinning a little bit at the memories that flashed through his mind.
Next was Eric, Abby, and D.J.
Abby stood, silently, with one hand laying atop the coffin, as tears stained her cheeks. Memories from the last several years invaded her mind.
She remembered the time when Mikel Mawher was stalking her back several years ago, and she had taken to hiding in the elevator at NCIS HQ. Gibbs had come into the elevator and sat down next to her. He'd put his arms around her, and whispered "No one is going to hurt you, Abs."--and he had meant every word that he said.
She thought about all the Caf-Pows that he had brought her, and all the times he had kissed her on the cheek or forehead whenever she had done really really good work for him.
"We've decided on a name for our daughter," Abby told him, as if he were still alive. "Kelly." she said softly.
She couldn't help the tears that streaked down her cheeks as she stood there. She bent her head head down and mock kissed the coffin lid (as if she were kissing him on the forehead like he'd done to her so many times). "I love you Gibbs," she whispered. "And I'm really gonna miss you." her voice broke at the point and she could no longer speak.
After Abby and Eric had moved on it was Tony, Ziva, and Talia and Gena's turn to pay last respects to their fallen leader and friend.
Ziva put a hand on the coffin at the same time that Tony did, and she stood there silently and stared at the coffin for a moment or two.
The memory of how Gibbs had saved her on more than one occasion, and how he had always been there for her. He had saved her from her captors in the middle of a desert, and he had saved her when she was being framed for something that she did not do.
"I did not mean to live through it." Ziva heard her own voice echoing in her head.
"You didn't. That part of you died out there." echoed Gibbs' voice behind hers.
Tears stained her cheeks now, as she heard Gibbs' voice echo in her head one more time.
"I owe you one, Ziva." he had said to her that day, when he'd left NCIS after being blown up on board a ship.
"I'll collect, Jethro." she whispered, in unison with the voice in her head.
"I'll never forget you, Gibbs..." she whispered softly. She kissed her middle three fingers, and then gently laid them atop the coffin lid.
Tony stood silently staring down at the coffin lid as well.
"You...will not...die." the whispered words echoed in his head as he stood there.
"Nope." Tony whispered softly to the coffin.
"Its your team now."
"I know." Tony whispered, in response to the voice in his head. "I'll make you proud Boss--I promise."
Next up was McGee, Alicia, and Maxie.
McGee placed his hand on the lid of the coffin, and stood silently remembering his former Boss and Friend.
When he had accidentally shot that detective in the alleyway when he was still a Probie, Gibbs had stood up for and looked out for him. He had learned a lot from Gibbs over the last several years.
"Goodbye Gibbs," McGee whispered, his eyes moist and red with emotion. "You were one hell of a man, one hell of a boss, and one hell of a Friend." McGee whispered.
Then he and his family moved on. And next up in the line were Maddie Tyler and Jackson Gibbs.
A tear fell from Maddie's eye(s), and landed upon the top of the coffin. She sniffled a little bit too.
Jackson Gibbs patted her shoulder/back gently and soothingly. "Its alright." he told her softly. Then he looked down at the coffin in which his son was to be laid to rest in, and let out a small sigh.
"I never thought that I'd outlive my own son." he said quietly, even though it was a sad occasion he seemed to be reigning his emotions in pretty well--though his eyes were a little red (and maybe a little moist) but his voice never wavered.
He chuckled quietly. "Always figured you were too darn stubborn to let it take you."
Jackson Gibbs sucked in a good breath, and stuck out his chest a little ways. "Just want you to know...I'm proud of you son. You've always done the right thing, even when the 'right thing' was the 'hardest' thing."
Jackson Gibbs smiled in spite of himself, and then spoke once again. "Give my love to the family when you see'em." he said softly, running a hand gently over the lid of the coffin. Jackson Gibbs then took a brief moment to proudly salute his son (military style) before nudging Maddie's shoulder gently.
"Mr. Gibbs," Maddie said softly, running her hand over the coffin lid as well. "We'll miss you," she continued. "Give my best to Kelly will ya." she added, smiling a little bit through her silent tears.
Jackson Gibbs and Maddie Tyler then moved on and headed back towards their seats with everyone else.
Everyone stood in silence and watched the next events unfold before them. They watched, teary-eyed, as the Marine Firing Squad performed its '21 Gun Salute', and as the salute was being performed two other Marine officers folded a flag in Gibbs' honor.
Once the flag-folding was completed they handed it to Jackson Gibbs, who accepted it with a small smile and a nod.
On a nearby hill in the cemetery, Gibbs stood silently watching his own funeral from afar. A lone tear rolled down his cheek as he stood there. A part of him hated the way that he had had to leave everyone--it tore him up inside as he stood there looking down on the funeral procession.
"Jethro," came a familiar voice from behind him.
Gibbs looked up, he wasn't sure at first if he had heard what he thought that he had heard.
"Silent Treatment eh," the familiar voice continued, with a slight chuckle. "Don't suppose that's revenge for not keeping in touch like I should have."
Gibbs turned around, and found himself face-to-face with his oldest friend--Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard.
"Duck!?" Gibbs choked out the words.
Ducky strolled towards Gibbs, and looked out over the hill at the funeral procession that Gibbs had been watching.
"I miss them too Jethro." Ducky said, his voice softer now.
"Is it really-" Gibbs started to ask. Still not sure if it was real or not.
"Yes," Ducky said, turning to face Gibbs again. "Its me Jethro." he added.
Gibbs could hardly believe it. He seized the old Scotsman in a bear-hug, and laughed with tear-filled eyes as he did so.
"Ducky I-" but he could not find the words.
"I know," Ducky said, softly, patting Gibbs gently on the back. "Its good to see you too." Ducky told him.
Gibbs pulled back from his old friend, and looked the Scotsman over with his eyes (quickly) smiling as he did so. "You--You haven't changed a bit." Gibbs told him, clapping him on the shoulder/back, with a slight chuckle.
"And neither have you old friend." Ducky said, laying a hand against Gibbs' shoulder with a smile.
"Ducky there's--There's so much I have to tell you--so much has happened since--" his voice trailed off.
Ducky chuckled softly. "I know." he said. "But there'll be time enough for that later." Ducky said, with a soft smile.
"What do you mean?" Gibbs asked, the smile fading from his lips.
"Well," Ducky said, clapping Gibbs on the shoulder. "For one thing, there's someone--er--someone(s) who have been waiting far longer than I...to see you."
"Who?" Gibbs started to ask.
"Daddy," a soft, young girls voice called out.
Gibbs turned into the direction that Ducky had come from, and what he saw was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in such a long time. Kelly Gibbs was standing just a few yards away, looking just as she had the last time he'd seen her.
"Kelly," Gibbs choked out as he ran the few steps to where she stood looking up at him. He dropped to his knees in front of her, and she immediately leaped into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her tightly to him--afraid that if he let go of her she would disappear. "Oh, Kelly." Gibbs cried as he hugged his daughter. The tears sprang from his eyes like the torrential rain falls known to drench rain forests of South America from year to year.
"Daddy," she said softly as she returned his hug. "I knew you wouldn't forget." she said, as she pulled back from him a little bit.
Ducky watched the whole thing with a smile spread across his face, and small tears in his eyes.
"Oh sweetheart," Gibbs sobbed, the tears still flowing like a flash flood down his cheeks. "I could never forget you. I love you so much."
"Mommy wanted me to wait, but I really wanted to see you." Kelly told him, with a smile.
Gibbs opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by another very familiar voice coming from behind Kelly.
"She's just like her father," the familiar woman's voice remarked. "Stubborn and impatient." she added.
Gibbs stood back up to his feet where he found himself standing face-to-face with a beautiful red-headed woman staring lovingly back at him.
"Hi Jethro." Shannon said softly to Gibbs.
"Shannon..." Gibbs sobbed, as he reached out and pulled his wife into his arms. He smashed his lips against hers and kissed her long and hard.
"I missed you too Jethro," Shannon said softly, when they pulled apart a little bit. "And I'm so proud of you." she told him, smiling.
Gibbs just couldn't take his eyes off of his wife as they stood there together. "I've missed you so much--Shannon I-" his words were beginning to fail him once again.
Shannon leaned in and stole another gentle kiss from Gibbs.
Ducky walked towards the group, and chuckled. "Alright everyone," he said, stretching his arms out wide. "Our 'chariot' has arrived."
Gibbs looked up at Ducky, a little confused, but then a soft (yet bright) light appeared behind them. Gibbs' first instinct was to turn away from the light, but at the last second he decided to do just the opposite.
The light was soft and warm, and not only encompassed them--it also filled them up as well. Gibbs closed his eyes as the light bathed over him, causing feelings and sensations that he'd never felt or experienced before to awaken all over his body (inside and out).
Shannon rubbed her husbands' shoulders lightly. "Let's go home, Jethro." she said softly.
Gibbs nodded, absently, but then a thought entered his mind, and he knew that he needed to act on it now while he still could.
"Just a sec," he said, raising a finger to his wife. "I'll be right back."
"But Daddy," Kelly started to protest.
Gibbs knelt down to his daughter's level, and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes.
"I'll come right back," he told her.
"Promise?" she asked.
Gibbs kissed his daughter, gently, on the forehead. "Promise."
Gibbs stood back up to his feet, and walked back over to the edge of the hill where he had been standing earlier, and looked back down at the funeral procession below. It was starting to near its finale.
The bugler was just now starting to play 'Taps' as everyone else stood in silence and listened to its mournful melody ring out across the field(s).
A single tear rolled down Gibbs' cheek, as he thought about each of the loved ones that he was leaving behind now. "I love you all." he whispered into the wind. "I mean it." he added.
"Jethro, come on." Shannon called to her husband from where she, Kelly, and Ducky were standing.
Gibbs turned around and looked back at the group, and smiled. "Coming." he said, as he walked back towards his family.
As he walked into the warm, soft light once again, Kelly smiled up at her father as he stepped up next to her mother.
"All this munchkin has talked about for the last 2 days," Shannon said to Gibbs, with a chuckle, as he stepped up beside her. "Is her baby sister." she added.
Gibbs looked a little confused by that statement.
"Yeah," Kelly exclaimed. "We're gonna be best friends someday!" she told her father.
Suddenly a thought flashed through Gibbs' mind, and what they were saying all of a sudden made perfect sense to him--and his first thought after that was that he should explain himself to Shannon.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead Shannon winked at him as she ruffled Kelly's long, dark hair and smiled.
"I'm sure you will be munchkin," Shannon said, with a smile. "I sure you will be."
Gibbs nodded, and smiled as well. He'd just gotten a glimpse of the future to come from his wife and daughter.
"Let's go home." Ducky said with a smile, as the warm, soft light began to wrap itself around the group.
The gang stood listening to the bugler playing 'Taps'. Suddenly a light breeze blew past them, and they all moved with it. Each of them heard the voice that spoke on the wind. The voice was so familiar that they did not have to think about to know who it was.
Tony looked around, quickly, but saw no one around. "Gibbs..." he whispered softly, but got no answer.
The breeze brought with it a feeling of warmth and love that filled each and every one of them to the core of their very being(s).
Out of the corner of his eye, Tony could have sworn he'd just seen some kind of other-worldly light coming from a hill-top that set not to far from where he and the others were standing. But when he turned his head to look again, there was nothing there.
--------To Be Continued--------
P.S. Be sure to check back soon for the final conclusion in 'Part Five'. Hope you guys have enjoyed reading these stories as much as I have enjoyed reading them.... Thanks Again Everyone For Your Support!!!!!
Author's Chapter Notes:
Kensi, Sam, and Deeks try to free Eric from his Russian captors, while Gibbs, Callen, Ziva, and Tony head to Gitmo to try to stop Alexi Alexandrov from freeing her dangerous father, and possibly starting a war. The final showdown between the team and Alexi and her father ends in a deadly firefight...this mission will be the end for one member of the team--who will it be?