Chapter One - Meeting the Team
The bullpen at NCIS headquarters was practically empty which was common on a late Friday night. There were a few scattered agents spread out in various sections of the bullpen preparing to end a long day with the exception of three. All three were more than familiar with long days and overnighters. They had just returned to headquarters and seated themselves at their designated desks. Their section of the bullpen was located near the base of stairs leading up to the Director’s office and the MTAC ready room. They were all busily working on their reports while their Boss was up in the Director’s office conducting a debriefing with him and the SecNav.
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Special Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Timothy McGee as well as Ziva David the former Mossad Officer now an American citizen, as well as the newest NCIS Agent on the team having completed her probational period. Their team leader was Leroy Jethro Gibbs and they were the team who got the top priority cases because that was their job and they were very good at their jobs. Gibbs’ team in fact held the record for solved cases and set the standards high for other NCIS teams to aspire to.
Senior Field Agent Tony DiNozzo was the second in command on Gibbs’ team his uncanny insights and street smarts as well as his availability to work any witness or suspect into a state of calm made some of their most difficult cases relatively effortless. He also had an unnatural ability to remember the smallest details and piece together the most diverse cues. Tony also hide some hidden qualities and a couple degrees.
Special Agent Tim McGee was a computer whiz, with multiple degrees. There wasn’t a computer or data base he couldn’t hack into or a hard drive he couldn’t crack to retrieve and disentangle the contents.
On those rare occasions when he was stalled, he got assistance from forensic expert Abigail Sciuto. She answered to Abby and she had earned the reputation as the best forensic technician on the East Coast. Between Abby’s expertise and Dr. ‘Ducky’ Mallard’s specialized abilities as the NCIS Medical Examiner there wasn’t a single detail missed in any forensic examination or autopsy. They could establish the cause and circumstances of any death they were investigating.
Special Agent Ziva David had become a major asset to the team with her Mossad training and background. The contacts she had established over the years were a definite plus.
Last but not least there was Senior Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs team leader, Ex-Marine sniper, hard as nails and twice as demanding. He demanded nothing but the best and that’s exactly what his team delivered. His friends called him Jethro and his subordinates called him ‘Gibbs’ or ‘Boss’ being referred to as ‘Sir’ irritated him.
Their latest case was another major on taking even though some of the preliminary legwork had been started by the Agent Afloat on board the Seahawk…a group of midshipmen had tried to used the property of the United States of America’s Navy to smuggle drugs between three ports right under the watchful eye of the newly assigned NCIS Agent Afloat Sean Morgan. The previous Agent Afloat Peter Hammond had died in a freak accident that killed two other seamen as well. Seemingly his lost footing and the fatal fall that followed took him to his death also claiming two lives as he landed below. Three broken necks.
Apparently somewhere during the transition between Hammond’s absence and the arrival of their newly assigned Agent Afloat a scant few weeks after the accident…an intricate plan was implemented or escalated that involved several unlikely suspects. There were at least two or three officers involved in the illegal operation with a small group of midshipmen or that’s what they originally believed.
The Seahawk was the same ship Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was assigned to as Agent Afloat after a brief stint on the USS Ronald Regan about four and a half years ago.
Morgan had become suspicions after being on board for only a little over two weeks. He was beginning to just settle into a regular routine of his own design. The job wasn’t new to him; the Seahawk was his second extended assignment as an Agent Afloat and he took his job very seriously. While Morgan was rearranging his quarters he found a couple dust covered file storage boxes in the back of a one of the closets. He discovered that the files belonged to another previous Agent Afloat…one Anthony DiNozzo.
Morgan had heard the name before DiNozzo was an agent currently working in D.C. with MTAC under the legendary Senior Special Agent Gibbs. DiNozzo had to be someone special considering he was Gibbs’ Senior Field Agent and he was the longest surviving member of his team. Gibbs had a reputation for being a hard-assed case-driven bastard who went through agents during his earlier years like water through cloth. Morgan’s curiosity had gotten the best of him…so he started reading over the information contained in files. He discovered a well thought-out checklist DiNozzo had left behind.
DiNozzo had prepared the list in such a way that made his daily routine more practical…with the checklist he could cover several departments at one-time. Hammond had placed the files away when he should have been using them. The procedures outlined in the files were still being used even though a few years had passed. The Navy wasn’t big on changing things especially when they seemed to work.
Morgan studied the checklist carefully comparing his notes and exploring how useful the materials could be to him. He had his own way of doing things but he wasn’t inflexible, as he read on he decided that DiNozzo’s methods could maybe work better than his own, a lot better and they did…as he started implementing them into his daily routine he starting making some unexpected discoveries.
Morgan called DiNozzo to get his assessment of Peter Hammond. DiNozzo said he had only spoken briefly with his replacement years ago and that he had never met the man personally. He also said he suggested that Hammond read over his notes and take a look at some of the previous reports in his files…suggested that they may be helpful but Hammond didn’t seem interested and kind of blew him off…DiNozzo recalled Hammond’s hastily ending their conversation even though he was the one who initialed it.
DiNozzo said, “There was some kind of ruckus in the background maybe that was why Hammond’s call just ended.” He hadn’t heard from him after that.
Morgan told DiNozzo he had read over his notes, reports and procedures and that he was more than impressed with his thoroughness. Tony said, “Thanks, glad to be of help.” Morgan asked or stated, “I heard that you expressed an utter dislike for your assignment as Agent Afloat but it didn’t seem to stop you from doing an exceptional job while on board.” “Mind if I ask why you disliked the assignment so much?”
Morgan had heard rumors that it had something to do with the sudden change in NCIS Directors. Whether it was true or not it didn’t really matter but his curiosity had gotten the best of him yet again.
DiNozzo hesitated before saying, “That’s a very long story maybe one I’ll share some other time if we get a chance, I’ve got a major case I’m working on right now and I can’t really talk much longer.” Morgan decided not to push. They talked for a few minutes more allowing Tony to answer a couple more questions about his notes before he thanked Tony again and they both said their ‘goodbyes’.
Morgan smiled briefly thinking about their conversation...even though he had never met Tony personally; he liked the guy, especially considering how much his diligent was helping to make his job a lot easier. After all he had left a tool behind that was more than thorough…and it made him wonder even more why Hammond hadn’t used it and other information Tony had provided instead of leaving it stored away in the back of a dusty closet. He was more than thankful it wasn’t disposed of or destroyed.
Tony’s checklist had proved to be extremely useful.
Morgan found unexplainable discrepancies in the departmental reports he received both daily and weekly from one Lieutenant Commander in particular. He also spotted several irregularities that lead him to a large stash of drugs in a storage area that was supposedly decommissioned and deemed off limits by that Lieutenant Commander…the same storage area was suspiciously near where the freak accident that ended Hammond’s life had taken place.
Morgan left his discovery untouched and discreetly set up a series of cameras to monitor the area inside and out from several angles when he noticed a pattern and regular active where there should have been none.
Morgan didn’t know the number of conspirators involved at the time but there had been the Lieutenant Commander in the thick of things. The reports contained too many discrepancies that otherwise would have signaled red flags, actually should have but they were being overlooked or so it seemed. They weren’t really obvious to regular personnel but an officer somewhere along the chain of command should have noticed…or maybe not…the Lieutenant Commander was covering all the bases…except the one’s DiNozzo’s checklist pointed out. That’s what made Morgan look a lot closer. Why Hammond hadn’t come to the same concludes was a mystery in itself. Morgan wondered was Hammond involved…was he covering up the operation or did he make a discovery that cost him his life…and was that freak accident…really an accident.
Slipping and falling several feet to one’s death was possible he supposed but taking out two seamen at the same time was just odd. Why hadn’t they moved? And three broken necks…Morgan had more questions than answers. Morgan sighed as the reality hit him. He had no way of knowing if Hammond was involved or murdered.
The volume of drugs being stored and transported on what was now the naval vessel he was responsible for prompted a call to Director Vance’s office. He really needed some serious backup before the ship arrived at the next port…they were scheduled to dock shortly. And he also knew whatever was going on was too much for him to handle alone.
TBC
Story Notes:
I will be taking liberties with the timeline but everything will fall in place. This is my first attempt at NCIS fiction so try to be kind but let me know what you really think.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Someone from Tony's past comes back hell-bent on making him miseriable.
Chapter End Notes:
I will be taking liberties with the timeline but everything will fall in place. This is my first attempt at NCIS fiction so try to be kind but let me know what you really think.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property Shron. Shron is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property Shron. Shron is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.