Title: Red Peril 05/11
Author: Ceindreadh
Email: Ceindreadh@eircom.net
Fandom(s): NCIS
Genre (general, hetero or slash) : slash/action
Rating: T
Disclaimer. I don't own the NCIS characters, I'm only borrowing them, and I promise to return them in minty fresh condition when I'm finished.
Previously on NCIS: A Private Detective was hired to have Tony beaten up. McGee managed to intervene and scare off the attackers, but was accused by the Police of being responsible for Tony's injuries. Gibbs persuaded the officers to release McGee into his custody and brought him back to NCIS where together with Abby, Ziva, and Jimmy, they set to work on finding the people responsible.
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Gibbs had a half smile on his face as he added, "And Abby, *this* assistant is not for duct taping."
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[5]
The smile had faded from Gibbs's face as he sat at his desk. Ziva had reported in an hour earlier to say that she had checked all the hospitals and found nobody matching the description McGee had given, showing up to be treated for a bullet wound. "Then why the hell are you phoning me, Officer David," Gibbs had asked, "Instead of trying the animal hospitals, all night chemists, walk in clinics. Anywhere in the city that sells so much as a band aid I want it checked out."
"That will take me the rest of the night," Ziva had said.
"Then you'd better get moving." Gibbs had hung up before she could reply.
Abby was down in her lab, processing Tony's clothing. She was also trying to sort through the evidence that the Police Department had collected and sent over with McGee and Jimmy assisting her in whatever way they could. Gibbs had thought of joining them, but he knew little or nothing of the methods and procedures Abby used to work her magic on evidence. Plus he knew that his presence would only serve to unsettle both McGee and Palmer, and the last thing anybody wanted was for mistakes to be made.
So Gibbs sat at his desk and went through copies of the reports that had been written up by the police officers and Detective who had been on the scene. There was something about the reports that was nagging at him. Gibbs was midway through reading the paperwork for the second time when his phone rang.
"Ducky," thought Gibbs as he saw the name on the display. His hands were uncharacteristically shaky as he answered. "How is he, Duck?"
The few seconds before Ducky answered, felt like an eternity to Gibbs.
"He's alive and stable," came Ducky's reassuring voice. "The poor boy has been put through the wringer all right. A concussion, several broken ribs, some deep lacerations and numerous bruises. He has a hairline fracture to his right collarbone and his right wrist is broken as well. The doctors even found a taser burn on his neck, not enough to have knocked him out, but certainly enough to incapacitate him while those bastards did their work."
"Bottom line Duck, will he live?"
"Well his doctors were concerned that there might be some internal bleeding to contend with, but at the moment it looks like he's just badly bruised. Naturally they'll be keeping him under close observation for the next twenty-four hours, but at this stage his injuries are not believed to be immediately life-threatening."
Now that Gibbs's main concern was taken care of, it was back to business as normal. "Was Tony able to tell you anything about what happened?"
"I'm afraid not, Jethro. He was barely conscious when they brought him in, and with the painkillers he's been administered, it's unlikely he'll be able to help much with your investigation for several hours, if not days."
"I understand, Ducky," said Gibbs. He was silent for a few seconds before continuing, "Ducky, will you do me a favor...stay at Bethesda with him."
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere," came Ducky's reassuring tones. "If Tony *is* able to provide any information regarding his attack, I'll see that it gets to you immediately."
"That wasn't the only reason I was asking," admitted Gibbs. "I'd just rather he wasn't there alone..." And I have to work the case, he thought to himself.
"He'll be in safe hands, I promise you."
"Thanks Ducky," said Gibbs, and hung up.
He lay back in his chair and stretched, wincing as he heard his joints creak. "The only thing worse than having to write up a report," thought Gibbs, looking at the reports on his desk waiting for him, "is having to read other peoples." But it had to be done and Gibbs started plowing through them again. It wasn't until he'd read it for the second time, that something - to use Abby's favorite word - 'hinky', jumped out at him.
Gibbs grabbed the file and hurried down to Abby's lab.
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Abby's usual loud music was rocking the lab when Gibbs walked in. "Abby, report!" he yelled, trying to make himself heard but to no avail. Moving over to the stereo, he punched the 'off' button. "Abby, report," Gibbs repeated.
"Jimmy and I analyzed the blood on Tony's clothing," said Abby. "Most of it looks to have come from Tony." Her smile wavered slightly. "But there was some blood on one of his sleeves with a different spatter pattern, as if it had fallen from somebody standing over Tony."
"We think it's from the guy that I shot," said McGee. "It's a different blood type to Tony's. As soon as we have a D.N.A. profile we'll run it through all the databases, maybe get lucky."
"What about the iron bar the cops sent over? Get anything useful off of it?" asked Gibbs.
"The blood on it is a match for Tony's type," said Jimmy, "We'll need to wait for a D.N.A. analysis to be sure, but it looks...it looks like it was the weapon used to cause some of Tony's injuries." Jimmy swallowed hard. He'd only caught a glimpse of Tony when he'd met up with Doctor Mallard at Bethesda to retrieve the evidence. Jimmy knew that he should be used to dealing with the after effects of major trauma...he handled dead bodies for a living...but it was one thing dealing with an anonymous victim in the harsh sterility of the morgue...it was quite another thing when the victim was somebody he knew and worked with every day.
"What about prints?"
"We sort of struck out there, Gibbs," said Abby. "Guy must have been using gloves. Pretty much everything was smudged beyond recognition. I managed to snag a few partials, but A.F.I.S. doesn't do well with partials, so there's no guarantee we'll get a match."
"And if the guy's never been arrested, then his prints won't be on file," added McGee.
"Ya think?"
"Sorry Boss, I know you know that."
"Officer Blunt, the officer that detained you," said Gibbs. "He says in his report that dispatch informed him of a 911 call giving your description as the person committing an assault in that alley."
McGee nodded, "I assumed that somebody had seen me trying to help Tony and got the wrong idea."
"You *assumed*?"
"Um...well what else could it be...unless..." McGee's mind started working furiously. "But there was nobody else around, except for the woman who screamed at me...so the only person who could have seen me in that alley..."
"Was one of the dirtbags attacking Tony," finished Abby. "Gibbs, you're a genius! I'll get the 911 call details, see if we can trace the caller."
"I'll help," said McGee.
"No," said Gibbs. "I need a list drawn up of anybody who would want to harm Tony."
"You think this wasn't a random attack?" asked Jimmy.
"My gut is telling me it wasn't an ordinary mugging," said Gibbs. "Ducky says that Tony got tasered. Now if you're using a taser to knock somebody out and mug them...why stop to beat the crap out of them instead of getting the hell out of there. No," he shook his head, "This was a deliberate attack. Somebody out there has it in for Tony, and we need to find out who."
"Well we can probably strike Chip off that list," said McGee. "I mean, he's still in prison."
"So was Kyle Boone," snapped Gibbs, "And he still managed to organize a murder and kidnapping."
"Um, right Boss," said McGee, "I'm on it. I'll check his visitor log, see who he's been meeting with." He hurried out of the lab.
Gibbs looked around and saw Jimmy standing there, "Yes?"
"Um, well, it's just...."
"Spit it out, Palmer."
"Well the fingerprint search is running on auto," said Jimmy, "So is the D.N.A. typing. I don't know anything about tracing calls so I can't help Abby with that...so is there anything I can be doing to help?"
"Yeah," said Gibbs. "Go get me a fresh coffee." He walked out of the lab.
Jimmy shoulders slumped as he watched Gibbs leave, "I wanted to help," he said, almost to himself. "Be part of the team." He nearly jumped out of his skin when Abby punched him on the arm. "Ouch, what was *that* for?"
"Because," said Abby, "Keeping Gibbs supplied with coffee *is* a big help, believe me. And besides, you think Gibbs would trust somebody not on his team to get his coffee?"
"Really?" said Jimmy.
"Really," said Abby. "Now go, hurry. Decaffeinated Gibbs is *not* a pretty sight!"
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To be continued
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs and his team set to work to find the people responsible for hurting Tony.