“Whaddya’ got, McGee?” Gibbs asked, his nerves starting to get to him.
“Tony called and said they got a partial plate, but lost the vehicle,” McGee began.
“Darn it!” Gibbs slammed his palm into his desk.
“But the partial plate did match a vehicle that was reported stolen about an hour ago,” McGee continued.
“Can’t just one criminal use his own vehicle?” Ziva asked.
“Would you?” Gibbs countered. “Where are DiNozzo and Diamond now?” he asked.
“Right here, boss,” Tony said, stepping off the elevator.
“You lost him?” Gibbs said condescendingly.
“We tried,” Noah defended. “Trust me; I know what’s at stake.” Gibbs wanted to take him by the shirt and throw him against the wall. But he didn’t.
“Let’s all go downstairs to Abby’s lab and go over this together,” he ordered, out of ideas. He picked up the phone to instruct Ducky to meet them there.
“I’m sorry, they’re just too much alike,” Jimmy said, shaking his head in frustration. He swung his head around to face the door as Gibbs and the rest of the team walked into the lab. “Abby has had me trying to identify what kind of phone or electronic device I heard, but they are all too much alike. All I know is that there was a lot of beeping, so it was probably a text message.”
“Why would a text message be on speakerphone?” Gibbs asked, confused. He looked at McGee for a technical explanation.
“It wouldn’t be, boss,” McGee confirmed.
“So what did you hear?” Gibbs turned to face Palmer. Jimmy’s face went white, seeing the determination on Gibbs’ face.
“I don’t know, sir,” he said, his voice quivering.
“Don’t worry about it,” Gibbs said, cutting him some slack. The rest of the team turned to stare. “What else do we have?!” he barked. The team smiled. That was more like it.
“Well, I’ve continue to research…” Abby began.
“Oh dear God in Heaven,” Noah interrupted, entranced by the 3-D image of the disc on Abby’s monitor. “Where was this found?” he asked, he face reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
“On the ground in the parking lot when the men left with Agent Sullivan,” Ziva quickly replied.
“Did you touch it?” he asked, concerned.
“Yes, but I was wearing gloves,” Ziva responded. “And I’ve taken the radiation treatment medications. I’m fine, Noah,” she continued when he still looked very concerned.
“Diamond, what are we dealing with here?” Gibbs interrupted with trepidation.
“I haven’t seen one of these medallions since my youth. And even then, it was a history lesson,” Noah caught Gibbs’ impatient expression and hurried on. “The medallion is the symbol of an ancient group of vampires called the Alchemists’ Guild. The Guild was focused on perfecting the human race, seeing vampirism as the answer to what mankind should be. They were obsessed with the idea of making all humankind into vampires. The elite of the group were rumored to be obsessed with making the perfect immortal. It was through their extreme experimentations that we developed our strong code against making werewolves into vampires.” He paused for a moment, his mind reaching about a ten different conclusions at the same time. “Of course, it makes so much sense,” he said quietly, before continuing. “I should have suspected…” his voice trailed off in self-derision.
“Diamond,” Gibbs interrupted his musings. “Would you mind sharing with the rest of us?”
“It appears our conflict from last month was about more than just Lenny and Rupert,” he said ominously. “I knew taking him down seemed too easy, but I had no reason to suspect there was any other involvement. If a group of vampires has resurrected the Alchemists’ Guild, then Lenny was their first attempt at the perfect immortal. Clearly, it failed, probably due to Lenny’s madness. I’m certain Maggie is the center of their next experiment.”
“But they can’t make her without her consent,” Abby said, confused.
“That is correct,” Noah confirmed.
“Is it possible a vampire could manipulate her mind to force her to consent?” Gibbs said, angry.
“No,” Noah denied vehemently. “The process of making someone a vampire is extremely intensive. It is all about mental concentration and acquiescence. In order for someone to force her to consent, he or she would have to have complete control of Maggie’s mind for over two years. It would be nearly impossible for a vampire to do that to anyone, especially someone as strong mentally as Maggie.”
“At least if they have plans for her they probably won’t hurt her,” McGee offered. Gibbs gave him a stone cold look.
“Pardon me if we don’t take your word for it,” Gibbs said.
“Is it possible that an extremely old, extremely powerful vampire that maybe was already affiliated with the Alchemists’ Guild would have a way to making someone a vampire that the rest of you wouldn’t know?” Abby proposed. “Sorry,” she apologized at the shocked glances she received. “I’m just saying…”
“Answer the question, Diamond,” Gibbs ordered.
“My instinct is to insist there is no way,” Noah began. “But I’m sure there are secrets among the old that we may never know.”
“I thought you were some high and mighty, powerful, ‘big bad’,” DiNozzo questioned, taking his frustration out on Noah.
“Here in the New World, that’s true,” Noah explained. In other nations, most masters that live publicly are roughly the same age or degree of power as I am. But extremely old and powerful vampires do exist. They live underground and rarely surface.’
“So we’re talking about,” Abby began.
“I only hope we’re not right,” Noah said. “A better alternative would be that a newer vampire has become obsessed with the work of the Alchemists’ Guild and is trying to make us believe he is more powerful than he is,” Noah suggested. “If an extremely powerful vampire came to the United States I would have felt him. Of course, an ancient one could have enlisted the assistance of a young, eager vampire,” he hypothesized.
“Either way,” Gibbs interrupted, “we need to find Agent Sullivan quickly. Diamond, keep working with Abby on this Alchemists’ Guild theory. See if you can get any leads. McGee, assist. Palmer, keep trying to figure out what the heck it is that you heard. The rest of you get upstairs and follow leads on the Suburban. Research as if it were any other missing person case. Leave no stone unturned. Let’s move, people!” he barked.
“My office,” Director Shepard said as she passed Gibbs’ desk. He rose and followed her up the stairs. “Have a seat,” she said.
“I’ll stand, if you don’t mind,” he said sarcastically. “I have work to do.” He paced the floor in front of her desk like a caged lion.
“Jethro, I know what you’re feeling right now,” she said with compassion. “One of our own is in jeopardy, again, and you feel responsible. I also know you don’t always get along well with Agent Sullivan and you are probably feeling guilty…”
“Jenny, I don’t have time to be psychoanalyzed right now,” he interrupted rudely, turned and left out the door as quickly as he had come in.
“Well, that went well,” she said to herself with a smile.
As soon as he reached his desk his phone buzzed. “What now?” he barked.
“I was only asking you to keep me in the loop, Jethro. I am as worried about Agent Sullivan as you are,” she said.
“Consider it done,” he said disconnecting.
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