---BOOM! Part Two---
Chapter Three--
Gibbs stepped into the drab-looking hospital room that the nurses had set Ducky up in. He had not been able to follow the doctors and nurses into the area where they were working on Abby, and after waiting for some time he'd finally decided to check-in on his aging friend.
"Jethro." the old Medical Examiner said upon seeing his friend.
"How ya doin' Duck?" Gibbs asked, quietly, seeming a bit out of it at the moment.
"Well, as you can see they've confined me to these rather drab quarters for the time being." Ducky remarked, looking around the room.
Gibbs forced a small chuckle from where he stood near the doorway.
"As for my current state of health I've got a few cuts and bruises, as I mentioned before, and a minor concussion." he explained very 'matter-of-factly'. "All to be expected. Aside from that I am otherwise 'fit-as-a-fiddle' as they say."
Gibbs forced a grin. "Good to hear." he said quietly.
Gibbs moved into the room a little bit further at that point, not really looking at Ducky anymore.
Ducky knew what was really bugging his friend. The very thought tugged hard at his own heart-strings as well. "How is she?" Ducky asked, finally, in a low, serious tone. "Last I heard they were taking her into surgery." he added.
Gibbs now stood in front of the room's single window staring out into the daylight--lost in thought.
Gibbs took in a deep breath, finally, and then let it out before turning back to face his aging friend once more.
"You know how these doctor types are," Gibbs said quietly. "Can't get a word out of'em--much less a straight answer."
"Indeed." Ducky replied.
"Jethro," Ducky said, after several minutes of silence. "Just before the explosion, in the lab, I heard it." he explained.
"What?" Gibbs asked.
"Blue Danube." Ducky replied, seriously. "She received a package--Stanley the Mail Clerk brought in to her--it was a music box."
"And it played-" Gibbs started to say.
"Blue Danube." Ducky finished for him.
"You're sure?" Gibbs asked, approaching the hospital bed.
"Jethro, one does not easily forget something associated with such painful memories." Ducky insisted.
Gibbs stood still, looking straight into the eyes of his aging friend, not moving an inch.
"He's back." Ducky said at last.
---FLASHBACK---
-Several Years Earlier-
--In The Interrogation Room--
Gibbs entered the interrogation room at NCIS HQ. He carried some file folders under one arm and a cup of coffee in the other.
Across the small table sat a well-dressed, very educated looking man. Just in front of him, and slightly to the left, set a small cup of water.
Ducky is watching from the other side of the glass (The Observation Room).
Gibbs set his stack of file folders down on one side of the table, and his coffee cup down on the opposite side.
"Special Agent Gibbs," Gibbs said, extending a hand across the table.
The man returned the gesture, and shook Gibbs' hand with a polite smile that was obviously fake in nature. "Arthur Kraczinsky." the man added, in response to Gibbs' greeting.
Gibbs gave a slight nod in the man's direction.
Gibbs pulled his seat back, sat down, and scooted forward just a little bit.
"You waived your right to an attorney." Gibbs mused aloud.
"I did." the man on the other side of the table replied calmly.
"Interesting." Gibbs mused aloud, once again.
"Only guilty men need to hide behind lawyers." the man told Gibbs, in an effort to explain his actions.
"And you're innocent so," Gibbs started to say.
"Precisely." The man replied, with a slight nod. "So it would ultimately be a waste of everyone's time."
Gibbs just nodded between sips of black coffee.
He pulled the first file off of the stack, and flipped open its cover. He began scanning through the papers within until he reached a set of photographs taken at the crime scene and by the M.E. in the morgue.
"Innocent." Gibbs repeated.
"Absolutely. So, I'm free to go then?" the man asked.
"Nope." Gibbs replied plainly. "Still have a few questions."
"Alright then...shoot--I've nothing to hide." the man said, shifting in his seat a little bit.
Gibbs just gave a small grin at the man. "Good."
"You teach 'Art' right?" Gibbs asked.
"At the University, yes." the man replied, with a nod and a grin, as he took a sip of water from the small cup that he'd been given earlier.
Gibbs had to look away, for a second, to hide the mischievous grin that was playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Whatdya make of these?" Gibbs asked, after a few seconds, as he passed the photographs across the table.
The photographs depicted several scenes in each of which a different woman was at the center. Each photograph was more gruesome than the last--each successive one showing more carnage and more damage.
"Seven women, all in the Navy--all killed the same way." Gibbs said, explaining the scenes depicted in the photographs that he was handing the other man.
"All by the same person." the man added.
"That's what we think." Gibbs said, without looking up from the file (folders) in front of him.
"The killer...chose 'Music Boxes' as his weapon." Gibbs pointed out, as he scanned over the notes in the folder. "Music Boxes that all played the same jingle--Blue Danube." Gibbs added.
The man gave a small chuckle as he continued to examine each individual crime scene photo carefully, before moving on to the next one in the set.
"Not just mere Music Boxes, Agent Gibbs, but 'bombs' masquerading as Music Boxes." the man pointed out, not looking up from his photos.
There was a moment of silence, after Kraczinskys' remark, in which Gibbs took the time to put on a show of false surprise.
The man looked up at Gibbs, after a moment, and noticed the surprise in his face.
"Oh, don't look so surprised Agent Gibbs." the man said, with a small smile, obviously falling for Gibbs' ruse. "This case has been all over the news--and I have been following it quite closely."
"Really?"
"Oh, yes." the man replied, with a chuckle.
"Art...is my passion." the man pointed out. "And this...this is the work of a 'Genius'."
"More like psychopath." Gibbs corrected, calmly.
"Potato-Potato." the man replied, with a shrug.
"Well, I don't know much about art," Gibbs said, finally coming across another photograph in the file folder. This photograph was of a re-creation of one of the 'Music Boxes'.
Gibbs passed the new photo across the table as well. "But I do know a thing or two about wood-work." he said as he passed the photo across to the man.
Gibbs took very careful notice of the look in the man's eyes upon seeing the photograph of the music box.
"Anyway, we think that one of your students may be our killer." Gibbs said, without taking his eyes off of the man.
The man looked slightly confused by Gibbs' statement.
"One of my 'students'?" he asked.
"Yeah...Walter Freeman." Gibbs said, in a matter-of-fact manner. "He worked for a carpenter in Virginia for 6 years, before he began dabbling in other 'arts'. After that, he moved out here to take classes at the University--'Your' class."
"Really...I was unaware of that fact." the man replied, finally. "But surely you can't be serious. I mean--Mr. Freeman is talented, yes--but his work lacks the originality...the complexity of 'TRUE' art."
"That so?" Gibbs said, arching an eyebrow.
"So, does that mean you won't be willing to testify against him in court?" Gibbs asked, calmly, as he began to pick up the photographs off of the table.
"Testify?" the man remarked. "Whatever for?"
"Help establish his state-of-mind." Gibbs pointed out, as he tucked the first few photographs back into their file folder.
The man leaned forward, trying to make sense of what Gibbs was telling him. "Has he been arrested?" the man asked, his eyes glistening in the dim light of the interrogation room.
"He has." Gibbs replied, looking up at the man again. "Why...that surprise you?"
"You must be mistaken!" the man snapped, without thinking; and then afterwards he scrambled to regain his former composure.
"I don't think so." Gibbs countered, still quite calm.
"And why not?" the man pressed, leaning a little bit closer.
"He confessed." Gibbs said plainly, motioning over his shoulder towards the glass window. "They're booking him now."
There was a brief moment of silence between the two men as Gibbs stood up to finish gathering up the rest of the papers and photos scattered across the table top.
"I just thought you could help us strengthen our case by agreeing to testify against him." Gibbs added.
"NO!" the man slammed his fist(s), hard, against the table top. "That miserable little bastard has no right to take credit for another man's work!" the man roared.
Gibbs arched an eyebrow at the man. "How do you know he's faking?" Gibbs asked, pressing what he hoped would be the man's last button.
The man leapt up from the table, his entire body seething with anger and rage. "Because it's my work!" he roared. "I did it!" he bellowed, jabbing a finger in the direction of the few remaining photos still laying out on the table top. "This is MY 'masterpiece'...My-"
The man's sentence broke off short, and his temper began to cool down. It was only now that he realized Gibbs had been playing him from the very start. He looked across the way to see Gibbs staring at him--a smirk spread across his face.
"You...well played, Agent Gibbs." he said at last. "But you've got nothing--save for my 'confession'--in the way of an actual case." the man said, trying to sound calm and defiant.
Gibbs chuckled. "I have a sworn statement from Walter Freeman--who's admitted to supplying you with the music boxes (which he made himself)."
The man rolled his eyes at Gibbs, and just gave a small huff.
"Which you used to murder seven women," Gibbs continued, stepping around the table towards the man. "Seven 'Navy' women." he added.
"Three of them--Amanda Blakely, Jennifer Thomas, and Sharon Wright--all attended one of your classes within the last eight months." Gibbs continued, stepping closer to the man.
"Coincidence." Kraczinsky huffed, without looking at Gibbs.
"I don't believe in coincidences!" Gibbs snapped angrily, as he knocked the man's chair aside, and then stepped that much closer to him.
The chair bounced a little ways across the floor and then toppled, noisily, over onto one side.
"You had access to them...you knew how to reach them--they 'Trusted' you!" Gibbs fumed, his face growing red with anger.
After a few seconds or so, though, the anger Gibbs felt began to slowly subside. "That's why none of them thought twice about receiving a mysterious package from a 'teacher'." Gibbs added, having regained most of his formerly calm composure. "And I'm willing to bet that if we go back far enough--we'll find the same connections to link the other four back to you as well."
The man tried not to look Gibbs directly in the eyes at that point.
"And...now we have your fingerprints." Gibbs added, a small smirk appearing on his face.
A confused look crossed Kraczinsky's face.
Gibbs motioned towards the small cup of water which was still setting on the table top behind the two of them.
"Fingerprints I'm sure we'll be able to match to the one we found burned into a piece of bomb fragment recovered from the last crime scene." Gibbs informed the man. "No warrant needed."
--In The Observation room--
On the other side of the glass, in the observation room, Ducky watched as a knowing and defeated look appeared in Kraczinsky's eyes.
"We've got him." Ducky said, with a sigh of relief, without looking away from the observation window.
The 'Then' Director of NCIS, who was also standing nearby along with two other agents, turned and nodded towards the two other present agents.
The two other agents nodded back, and then headed out towards the interrogation room.
--In The Interrogation Room--
Just then the door to the interrogation room opened up and two other agents entered the room. One of them reached out, with a hankie and carefully picked up the small cup of water, being extra careful to smudge any usable fingerprints that might be on it.
The man suddenly began to chuckle quietly in front of Gibbs.
"I'm glad you like games, Agent Gibbs-" Kraczinsky started to say. "-That's something we have in common."
"Arthur Kraczinsky," Gibbs said, as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and forced the man to turn around.
"And I believe you'll come around to seeing the genius of my 'art' one day." he continued.
Gibbs began to slap the handcuffs onto Kraczinsky's wrists. "You're under arrest for the murders of Amanda Blakely, Jennifer Thomas, Sharon Wright-"
"And Agent Gibbs," Kraczinsky said, cutting into the middle of Gibbs' reading him his rights. "This game's only beginning." another string of low chuckles began to ripple up from inside of Kraczinsky.
---End Of Flashback---
Chapter Four--
--In The Squad Room At NCIS Headquarters--
"Boss?" Tony said into his desk phone. "But the address on the package said-"
"Forget the damn package DiNozzo!" Gibbs' voice boomed over the phone line. "Find Arthur Kraczinsky!"
"Right. Arthur Kraczinsky." Tony repeated, as he jotted the name down on a pad of paper in front of him.
"I'm on my way in." Gibbs told his Senior Field Agent. "I'll be there in 30 minutes--I want good news when I get there DiNozzo."
"On it Boss." Tony replied. "We won't let you down."
They hung up on each other after that.
"Gibbs?" Ziva asked, from her desk across the way.
"Yeah." Tony replied, standing up. "McGee--I need records for Arthur Kraczinsky." Tony said, as he walked towards McGee's desk.
"On it." McGee said, as he turned towards his computer.
"Gibbs know something we don't?" Ziva asked, as she stood up and made her way to McGee's desk right behind Tony.
"Apparently." Tony replied.
McGee's fingers danced across the keyboard of his desktop computer with lightning speed. Within a minute or so he had the information popping up across his computer screen.
"Uh, Tony. According to this Arthur Kraczinsky died in prison about a month ago." McGee said, as he read information off of his computer screen.
"Dead?" Ziva repeated, slightly confused.
"Yeah," Tony replied. "That's what Gibbs said--but if Gibbs thinks he's still alive, then the prison records must be wrong."
"Wouldn't be the first time." McGee said, in agreement.
"Last known address?" Tony said, scratching at his chin.
"Way ahead of you." McGee replied. "Some of the records are sealed for some reason." he added, still punching keys on his keyboard.
"Unseal them." Tony countered, slightly agitated.
"Working on it--it'll take time though." McGee replied.
"Work fast." Tony replied, as he turned in Ziva's direction.
"Ziva, go down to evidence lock-up and get-" he started to say. But Ziva was already heading for her desk.
"-And get the evidence from the Kraczinsky case." she said, finishing Tony's sentence as she retrieved her badge and Sig from her desk. "On it."
"Gibbs isn't in a good mood," Tony explained, turning back towards McGee. "He'll expect us to have something by the time he gets here."
"What about Vance?" McGee asked. "You know he's got eyes everywhere."
Tony was facing the plasma screen, at that point, as information (uncovered by McGee) was flashing up across the screen before him. Tony studied the files and info displayed across the plasma screen.
"Let Gibbs deal the Director," Tony replied, as he read information off of the plasma screen. "Our job's to find the guy who tried to kill Abby."
"Right." McGee replied.
By the time that Gibbs finally walked off of the elevator and into the squad room McGee had just about finished digging up everything he could find on Kraczinsky. Tony and Ziva were going through the evidence from the original Kraczinsky case. Elsewhere, Jimmy Palmer had been tasked with helping get the new 'temporary' lab tech set up where she could work for them until (hopefully) Abby returned.
"What've we got?" Gibbs asked, as he rounded the corner into the bullpen.
He walked straight over, and stood right in front of the plasma screen.
"Not much." Tony said, pushing away from his desk.
"Records show that Arthur Kraczinsky died in prison a month ago." McGee said, while punching keys on his keyboard.
"We even pulled the M.E.'s report from his autopsy to verify." Ziva added, as she stepped up beside him.
"And?" Gibbs asked without looking at her.
"There isn't one." she replied.
Gibbs shot a look at Tony as the younger agent stepped up to where he and Ziva were standing.
"Yeah, figured you'd say that." Tony said, anticipating Gibbs' next words. "Vance is getting an order to exhume the body as we speak."
"Where was he buried?" Gibbs asked, still looking at Tony.
McGee clicked a few keys on his keyboard, and a few seconds later a new document flashed up onto the plasma screen.
"West Memorial Cemetery." McGee informed them. "It's in Richmond, Virginia." he added.
"Gear up," Gibbs said, as he turned and headed around to his own desk. "We're going to Richmond."
Gibbs started to retrieve his shield and Sig from his desk when Tony cleared his throat to get his attention.
"Got something to say, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, stopping to look up at his Senior Field Agent.
"There's just one problem." Tony said.
"Just one?" Gibbs repeated, arching an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Director wants to see you." Ziva told him.
Gibbs gave an exasperated sigh, as he slammed his desk drawer shut.
"Get the car ready." he said, tossing the keys to Tony as he walked around and headed for the Director's office.
--Director Vance's Office--
Gibbs walked into Director Vance's office, paying no attention to his secretary who sat right outside his office at her desk.
"Wanted to see me?"
"What...no 'Hello', and 'How are ya'?" Vance replied, slightly annoyed by Gibbs' rather rude entrance (But altogether used to it by now).
Gibbs just stared at Vance for a long beat.
"Right. Straight to the point--as always." Vance said, more to himself than to Gibbs.
"How are they?" Vance asked, referring to Abby and Ducky.
Gibbs gave a slight shrug. "Abby's in surgery, and Ducky's got a concussion." Gibbs replied.
"I understand how you must feel right now--given what happened." Vance said, as he stood up from his desk.
"I'll bet." Gibbs replied, quietly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vance asked.
"I don't know...you tell me." Gibbs replied. "You're the one wasting my time."
"I've been informed that Agent David had the evidence from the 'Kraczinsky Case' pulled from the evidence lock-up." Vance said.
"That a problem?" Gibbs asked.
Vance could see he was steadily getting nowhere with this one--as usual.
"Look, I don't want to argue with you Gibbs," Vance countered. "You're emotionally compromised--in more ways than one...I just wanna make sure you can see straight."
Gibbs just nodded. "Got 20/20 vision, Leon." Gibbs said quietly. "I can see just fine." he added, as he turned to leave.
"Gibbs." Vance called after him.
Gibbs stopped, his hand reaching out for the door handle, and then slowly began to turn around.
"What?" he asked.
"You'll need this," Vance said, holding out a piece of paper towards Gibbs. "If you wanna dig up that body in Virginia." he added.
Gibbs took the piece of paper, with a nod, and then once again turned to leave.
This time Vance's secretary came through the doors before Gibbs could get anywhere.
"Sir," she said, waiting for permission to continue.
"Go ahead." Vance said, with a nod.
"This just came in over the fax." she said, handing him a piece of paper.
Vance took the piece of paper, and read over it. It was a note.
"What is it Leon?" Gibbs asked, his interest peaked.
"I think you should look at this." Vance said, holding the piece of paper out to Gibbs.
Gibbs took it and read it to himself.
"To Agent Gibbs," he read aloud. "I hope you've enjoyed my latest masterpiece--I told you the game wasn't finished."
Gibbs looked up from Vance to his secretary, and then looked back down at the piece of paper and continued to read it aloud.
"You'll come around to seeing things my way soon enough--I promise. Your Friend. P.S. Oh, and by the way--just a heads up--my next masterpiece will be something a little more...'Exotic'." Gibbs finished reading the note out loud.
"What does it mean?" Vance's secretary asked, curiously.
Gibbs thought a moment, and then the answer came to him.
"Ziva." he said, more to himself than to either of the other two standing in the room with him.
Gibbs turned, and headed out of the room as quickly as he could manage.
--In The Squad Room--
Gibbs reached the squad room in no time and found his team still standing around waiting for him. He let out a low sigh of relief. Everyone, including Ziva, was okay.
"Boss?" McGee asked, upon seeing Gibbs walking towards them. "Everything...okay?"
"You three have a problem following orders?" Gibbs asked plainly.
"We were waiting for you." Ziva replied.
Gibbs just shook his head being careful not to let on that he was anything else but annoyed by their disobedience.
"Gear-up." he told them, as he headed for his desk to grab his coat, shield, and side-arm.
Tony, Ziva, and McGee all began to gather up their gear as quickly as they could.
Gibbs holstered his Sig, stowed his shield away in his coat pocket, and then headed out of the bullpen.
"Go on down to the car," he called over his shoulder. "I'll meet ya down there."
--Parking Lot--
A few minutes later the team met up with Gibbs in the parking lot. They were stowing their gear in the trunk of the car when Gibbs walked up.
"Gibbs is in...'good spirits'." Ziva remarked, quietly.
"Usually when something like this happens his trigger finger starts twitching." McGee agreed.
"I know. Its scary." Tony added. "I think this one's got him really shook up."
"I keep waiting for him to-" Tony started to add.
"Talking about me, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, coming up behind the team.
"Boss."
They all stood up straight and turned around.
Gibbs was carrying a Kevlar vest under one arm.
"Here, put this on." Gibbs said, handing the vest to Ziva.
"Sir?" Ziva asked, confused.
"Put it on." Gibbs repeated.
"May I ask why?" Ziva asked, as she began to strip out of her NCIS over jacket.
"Because I said so." Gibbs snapped, rounding on her. His voice rising ever so slightly.
"Yes sir." she replied.
It took Ziva only a minute or so to get the vest on, and then get her coat back on over that.
"Boss, do we need-" McGee started to ask.
"No McGee. You don't." Gibbs replied instantly, as he slid into the driver's seat of the car.
"He's not telling us something." Tony said quietly, as he reached for his car door.
"You think." Ziva remarked, shifting uncomfortably in the Kevlar vest as she slid into the backseat of the car on her side.
"I've got a bad feeling about this you guys." McGee added.
Everyone strapped in, and then Gibbs pulled the car out of the parking lot in a little bit of a hurry.
---------To Be Continued in Part Three---------
Author's Chapter Notes:
The drama continues for the team as they begin their search for Abby's attacker...The past comes back to haunt two members of the team...