CHAPTER TWO
"Need something to do, Tony?" Kate asked as she walked into the office, still soaked from the rain, motioning to the large stack of files that were weighing her arms down.
"Mmn, no. I'm swamped," Tony mumbled, throwing a Malteser up and catching it in his mouth. His desk was bare. And somehow, he'd managed to stay perfectly dry.
Kate rolled her eyes and glared at him. "Remind me why the agency pays you again?" she asked, dropping the reports onto the desk.
"Because I make ‘em look pretty," he smiled, preparing to throw another chocolate. "Hey, Kate, check this out," he called enthusiastically.
Kate glanced up from the papers littering her area, fiddling with a pen between her fingers. "What, DiNozzo?"
He smiled cheekily, leaned his head back and began blowing out softly. He placed a Malteser gently above his lips, allowing it to be suspended mid-air. He continued for a few seconds until he abruptly stopped blowing, let the chocolate fall into his mouth and began chewing it with a broad grin.
"Oh, well done," Kate said, sarcastically. "Quite a talent. Bet you can't do it again."
Tony smiled and held his finger up, in a correcting motion. He repeated the trick again, but as soon as the chocolate began to ‘float', Kate smiled wickedly and threw her pen straight at his mouth, catching him off-guard, causing the small chocolate ball to be knocked from its perch and sending Tony tumbling off his chair.
"Hey!" he yelled, startled. He fumbled with the pen and threw it straight back at Kate, who was now in a fit of laughter.
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, striding through the office, brandishing an already half-drunken coffee cup.
Tony quickly stood up and straightened himself out, brushing down his jacket. "Yeah, boss?"
"Sometimes I wonder why I decided to hire you over a twelve-year-old," Gibbs mumbled, sitting down at his desk.
"Me too, boss," Tony replied. He returned sheepishly to his desk, sending a scowl toward Kate.
"Whose handwriting is this?" Gibbs snarled, picking up a file on his desk and squinting at it intently.
"Oh, it's mine," Tony said, quickly moving to Gibbs' desk. "I was kind of in a rush ‘cause you wanted the report ASAP and I didn't really get time to cross my T's, dot my I's…"
Gibbs glared at him.
"And… now I wish I was dead…" he added, gulping and carefully removing the file from Gibbs' clutches.
"Good morning, everyone," McGee chirped cheerfully, carrying another stack of files as he walked in, backpack slung securely over his shoulder.
"McGee, how the hell can you be so awake at this time of morning?" Tony asked.
"I'm always up by about five or six in the morning," McGee replied.
"Even on your days off?"
"Yeah, usually."
Tony walked over to McGee and placed an arm around his shoulders. He leant in close and spoke in a deep, serious voice. "Probie. I want you to answer me this question with complete and utter honesty. I don't want to hear a word of a lie." Tony paused for effect. "Do you ever get laid?"
McGee rolled his eyes, shrugged Tony's arm off his shoulders, walked behind his desk and dropped his bag on the floor.
Tony smiled broadly and returned to his own, confident that one of the many insults he had planned for McGee had succeeded.
"If you two are done discussing sleeping patterns," Gibbs started sternly, "or lack thereof, the Director wants to see us in her office."
He stood, took another sip from his coffee and began to pace toward the stairs, when he realised that he was not being followed. "Now… !" he called forcefully, not stopping.
A ramble of "oh"s and "right, boss"s trailed behind him as the three agents leapt to their feet and scurried behind him. They hiked up the stairs after Gibbs and exchanged a mixture of concerned and confused glances as they watched him bypass the Director's secretary and march straight into her office.
"Agent Gibbs, I see you've finally learned how to knock," the Director said sarcastically, hanging up the phone as they entered. "What did I say about you barging into my office?"
"That it was domineering… and insubordinate," Gibbs delivered with a cheeky grin.
"Precisely. Only I remember using the phrase ‘don't' somewhere in there."
Gibbs returned another smirk. "You wanted to see us, Director?"
"Yes," she said, standing. "Your case." She switched on the screen behind the group and leaned forward on her desk. "Lieutenant Nathan McGregor."
The team turned to watch the large plasma flicker to life, displaying a scattered range of files and images. At the centre of the display sat a large photograph of a handsome young naval officer dressed impeccably in uniform. He had dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes, with a soft smile having managed to slip past the photographer.
"Twenty-nine years old. Body was called in at four o'clock this morning. He was found at his house. 322 Heathrow Avenue, Norfolk Naval Base," the Director continued.
She paused for a moment. "I asked for you to be assigned this case."
Gibbs took his hands out his pockets uncomfortably, as if he'd known that already, but that it had just been confirmed. The other three agents were silent.
"Gibbs, I assume you'd be aware of why this case may be treated with some special consideration?"
"Anything to do with his last name?" Gibbs answered, cynically.
Jenny smiled.
"Uh, something we're missing?" Tony piped in, mirroring Kate and McGee's perplexed expressions.
"Lieutenant McGregor is the son of Commander Frederick James McGregor," Jenny replied.
Their expressions remained blank.
"Commander McGregor was a Vietnam War veteran, Navy SEAL, and a Medal of Honour and Purple Heart recipient. He's now a senator," Jenny continued.
"Senator James McGregor was a Navy SEAL and Medal of Honour recipient?" Kate asked, taken aback.
"Yes. He's more recognised in the naval community than he is in the political, Agents. And his son, it seems, followed in his father's footsteps." Jenny clicked a button on the remote and the screen maximised a file. "Nathan McGregor was also a SEAL."
The three younger agents nodded their head in acknowledgement.
"Now, obviously investigations must begin into relationships individuals have had with Senator McGregor, both whilst he was in the Navy and now, as a politician. Enemies, complaints, the usual."
"So I'm guessing all those files downstairs are on the Lieutenant's father?" Tony asked.
"Just thinking ahead, Agent DiNozzo. However, I don't want full focus on his father. There are plenty of other motives and I want every single one explored. I've spoken to the Secretary of the Navy and everything has been readied for you to fly to Norfolk and board the USS Saipan, the vessel that McGregor was embarking on in 72 hours."
"72 hours? Shouldn't he have been onboard?" Kate asked.
"Yes, well that's one thing you need to find an answer to, Agent Todd. He would have needed special clearance from his Captain to return home, and even then it's highly unlikely for him to receive permission," Jenny continued. "Whatever the case, his death must be solved as soon as possible. A cruiser or frigate may not leave port whilst one of its scheduled crew is unaccounted for, under investigation or involved in an inquiry of some description. As McGregor was last seen aboard, from this point on, every sailor on that frigate is under investigation."
"You're not saying the vessel is still preparing to leave?" McGee asked.
"If it were any other assignment, departure would have been delayed. However, the SS Saipan is scheduled to leave for a combat zone. McGregor's SEAL Team 10 were being deployed to Afghanistan," Jenny replied. "You have 72 hours to solve this case."
---
"So are we flying private jet or cargo aircraft?" Tony asked excitedly, descending the stairs as soon as he had left the Director's office.
"Whatever takes off first," Gibbs stated bluntly, descending beside him.
Tony crossed his fingers, closed his eyes and began silently praying.
"Is it really fair for us to be given a deadline of 72 hours, Gibbs?" Kate asked. "We're very rarely able to solve a case within three days. We have to take into account blood tests, DNA comparisons, delays in interviews… "
"Kate," Gibbs answered, turning to face her. "I don't think you quite understand the importance that Commander McGregor has within the U.S. Navy. You think I'd call you three in at five-thirty in the morning for an unknown seaman?"
"Well, yeah, actually," Kate answered smartly.
Gibbs glared at her and then slowly let his face soften. He tightened his grip around the side-rail before letting it fall to his side. "I received my sniper training from a marine who'd served with Commander McGregor in Vietnam. McGregor won his Medal of Honour for saving the life of my instructor, among others. I've never heard any soldier speak higher of another throughout my entire career, Kate." He paused for breath. "We will solve this case and we will solve it within 72 hours."
Kate stayed silent. McGee and Tony mimicked.
Gibbs turned and began walking down the stairs. "Grab a change of clothes and a toothbrush," he called. "We're staying in Norfolk until this is done. On the Saipan if need be."
---
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Firstly, For all those who read Chapter One up until a few hours ago, I’m incredibly sorry for this, but I’ve had to alter something. To go where I want this fic to go, I had to change Senior Chief Petty Officer Nathan McGregor to a Lieutenant! I ended up doing a hell of a lot of research for this chapter (you won’t even notice it, though) as I know absolutely nothing about the U.S. Navy, and realised that I had to change it. So, he is now Lieutenant Nathan McGregor. Hopefully this doesn’t cause too much confusion.
Secondly, I’d like to apologise in advance for all U.S. Navy inaccuracies. I have done research for this fic, but I have exercised some creative license. I’m also sure that I’ve unintentionally included mistakes. Please excuse my errors, particularly anyone from the navy who knows exactly what’s wrong!
Anyway, on with the fic!
Secondly, I’d like to apologise in advance for all U.S. Navy inaccuracies. I have done research for this fic, but I have exercised some creative license. I’m also sure that I’ve unintentionally included mistakes. Please excuse my errors, particularly anyone from the navy who knows exactly what’s wrong!
Anyway, on with the fic!