Flames Burn Out
- Chapter 4: Unspeakable -
In the lab Jenny was in a state of shock, much like Gibbs. Her hand was reeling form that and he couldn't believe she'd actually done it. He glanced at her but quickly found that any surprise she may have felt was replaced with fury.
"If you think I just forgot about this for eight years you are sadly mistaken. I am responsible for their deaths, and I feel it, but that gives you no right. I am your Boss, not some child to be sent away when it suits you, and as your boss if nothing else I deserve at least some respect.
"Jen..." he knew an apology was a little late.
"Jethro, I don't want to see, speak, or hear from you until you get this...whatever it is out of you and even then you better send Ziva. I don't particularly like you right now and you might want to start making amends with Abby and your team, just because they're not the great and powerful Gibbs doesn't mean they're worthless." She walked to the door of the lab but stopped before leaving. "I'm sorry I hit you, but of all the things you have ever said to me that one takes the cake as the worst." She left then and Gibbs slammed his fist into the table.
He hadn't meant it. He could only imagine how she'd finished his sentence. Hell, he wasn't sure why he'd even said it. He was worried about her, worried that he wouldn't be able to protect her and he was faced with yet another failure in his life. To make it worse he could now add his name to the list of people who'd hurt her; not that it wasn't already on there. He knew his team was worried. He suspected Ziva knew more then she was saying and yet no one could possibly know the anger he felt and since the Bastard wasn't present he'd taken it out on his team. That alone was inexcusable, but what he said to Jenny was down right mean. She was right to hit him, especially after what she had just trusted him with. He of all people should understand her, and he knew he was failing at the comforting thing too. He left the lab walking slowly up the stairs. Ziva had disappeared; he hoped she was with Jenny. Abby left the squad room the second she'd spotted him. Tony and McGee were working steadily. It was Cynthia standing near his desk that surprised him.
"From the Director," she said dropping a bag of ice on his desk as he approached. Gibbs knew from her grin that Cynthia was rather proud of her boss and no doubt felt he deserved it.
"Where's Ziva?" he asked.
"Director's office," Tony answered without looking up from the computer.
"Leads?"
"Abby hasn't gotten any hits off the DNA yet, its incomplete but enough for a probable match," McGee informed.
"But she did get a hit on the toxicology," DiNozzo began. "Snake venom in small quantities, paralyzes and can kill in a delayed fashion. He wanted them to be able to feel everything but not fight back."
"What kind of snake?"
"We're looking into it, best guess is the Black Mamba," Tony replied. "The evidence from the other DC victims arrived and was delivered to Abby's lab."
"Any connections between the victims?"
"Besides having red hair?"
"Besides that DiNozzo!" Tony braced himself for the head slap but it never came. McGee looked up curiously.
"Loners, all were in rocky relationships, few friends, no one to miss them," McGee informed.
"Except the first victim, we can't find anything on her."
"Ignore the first victim," Gibbs ordered. He sat down at his desk and turned to the computer. McGee watched him bring up Google and key in some searches. He and Tony exchanged looks and then turned to the stairs as Ziva came down.
"Care to drive?" she asked Tony.
"Where to?" Gibbs inquired.
"Pet stores, there's only three that sell venomness snakes in the DC area," Ziva replied. "The Director has decided to hold her conferences in MTAC."
Gibbs watched the two grab their gear and leave, Tony asking for the keys. He glanced up at MTAC before going back to his search. He thought about going out to get coffee, maybe bringing a second cup back for Jen but decided against it. He decided instead to go back down to the lab and compare the pictures and bring Abby a caff-pow to make amends. He found the young Goth watching the computer run searches and comparing the knife to the pictures of others found with different victims. He placed the caff-pow down next to the old one and she glanced at it before turning her attention back to the knife.
"Abby could you please pull up the pictures again?" He asked. She did it and went back to her own work. He looked them over again and yet all he could see was Jenny.
Abby watched him and recognized the look on his face from when the Director had been kidnapped. She had watched via a camera in the car and remembered Gibbs getting out of the trunk and going to Jenny's side. Ziva had cut her bonds but Gibbs was the one who led her back to the car and watched her like a hawk. It had been all the evidence she'd needed to conclude that Jennifer Shepard was not just another redhead. Based on what Tony had said earlier and the Director's display of anger, Abby was pretty sure she was more than a little related to the case. No wonder Gibbs is so rattled, he doesn't want her to get hurt, again.
"You know she came back on her own," Abby said breaking the silence.
"Abby, I'm not mad at you...or her. She did the right thing," he paused. "It could've been worse."
"How so?"
"She could have used her right hook." Abby smiled at that thought and she knew she would be asking Ducky about it later.
"So what are you looking for Bossman?"
"Something new, some way to catch him..."
"Before he goes after the Director," Abby finished. Gibbs turned to her and opened his mouth but she cut him off. "Well that's what your worried about. She fits the profile: powerful, a loner, no major relationships, no one to miss her."
"She runs a Federal Agency, you don't think someone would miss her?"
"I think the guy is targeting women who don't have romantic relationships or troubled ones," Abby explained.
"I would conquer with Abigail," Ducky voiced entering the lab.
"Anything else?"
"I think he may feel the need to prove himself as man worthy or he may see these women as uh..."
"Whores?" Abby supplied and Gibbs cringed.
"Something like that. You see Jethro, he desired his first victim but perhaps he felt she betrayed him by not dying or perhaps by going back to an old lover, or simply pushing all men away. He kills the others to make her feel guilty and yet he needs to recreate the experience," Ducky lectured.
"So how do I catch him?"
"Give him what he wants..."
"Well that's not happening," Gibbs interrupted. Last thing were going to do is use Jen for bait, he's not going anywhere near her.
"Maybe he desired the first but because she was protected?" Abby suggested. "This could be a vengeance thing, torture the girlfriend to get to the guy."
"Except we don't know if Ms Cutler was in a relationship," Ducky reminded looking specifically at Gibbs.
"We can't find any records of Jane Cutler, she just vanished," Abby said.
"Well then, I suppose we hope for the best and that Anthony and Ziva find something. In the meantime I'll give my report to the Director, unless of course you would like to Jethro?" Ducky inquired.
"Not particularly." Ducky nodded exchanging a wink with Abby and leaving. Gibbs returned to staring at the pictures and comparing it to the one firmly engraved in his mind.
"Gibbs."
"Abbs?"
"I think Ducky is well...wrong."
"Wrong?"
"Gibbs, it doesn't make sense! This first victim was personal but the rest are convinenance, I think that part of his theory is right but he rest...He wants the first victim to suffer, and I think he wants the person who she was involved with to suffer. Maybe her lover protected her in the past or maybe this guy felt the both of them threatened him, maybe she helped her lover betray this guy, either way this is a joint attack."
Gibbs was silent, he thought about what she said. He thought back to Paris and his missions with his redhead partner. She'd always been there as backup and to fulfill a role. The first mission had been to watch a boat and its cargo; they'd never actually gotten involved. There had been others but none that stuck out, except for Paris. They'd been undercover trying to figure out who was selling weapons to terrorists. There's been a lot of guys who had hit on her, she was a beautiful woman after all. Gibbs tried remembering all of them. Most had left her alone, he had been well liked by the 'Captain,' and it was obvious that Jenny had been with him. All had obeyed that unspoken law except... the brother, what was his name... Sack? Max? That's it Maxwell Aurrilla.
Maxwell Aurrilla was the half brother of the 'Captain.' He'd been tall, dark, and handsome minus the tiny scar over his eye, and he was overly interested in getting to know Jenny. Gibbs knew they had never met, Max tended to be the 'behind the scenes' type and the 'Captain' did not parade him around much. So they'd never met but he'd seen her at the parties and such bastard tried to pay for her... There was a thought that had never made Gibbs happy, Aurrilla had thought to pay for Jenny but Gibbs had refused. Perfect person for this too, but he's in jail, at least I think he's in jail.
"Thank you Abby," he said kissing her cheek and leaving. He returned to his desk to find McGee. "McGee run a search for Maxwell Aurrilla."
"On it Boss," McGee typed away and put up the results on the plasma. "Maxwell Aurrilla, son of an arms dealer, deceased, and a Mexican drug lord's daughter, also deceased, half brother of another arms dealer known as the Captain. Turkish nationality but raised in England, has excellent tutoring, considered well versed, one known scar over his eye from an accident. The Captain was arrested and charged with terrorism in 1999, collared by NCIS and the French Authorities; Aurrilla was not charged and released. He's off the radar, Boss, hasn't been involved in weapons or drugs far as I can tell."
"Travel?"
"None that Interpol noticed."
"So he's either dead or hiding," Gibbs inferred. The phone at McGee's desk rang and McGee answered glancing at Gibbs when he recognized the voice on the other end.
"No Ma'am he's right here." Gibbs nodded for him to hand the phone over.
"You tell him to stop looking up criminals who are in jail!" He heard.
"You just told me," Gibbs responded. "And he's not in jail."
"Not in jail? Fine. What is Aurrilla involved with?"
"The case," Gibbs replied.
"How?"
"A suspect from the first victim." Well that shut her up. He heard her take a deep breath.
"He'd never..."
"But that's not to say he didn't know or wasn't interested."
"So was every other male!" She snapped.
"None were that interested."
"And how interested was he?"
"Three million dollars interested." He heard the dial tone and then his cell phone ringing. "Yes?"
"You refused," she stated.
"Naturally, does this mean..."
"No. The next time you should just let McGee handle the phones." She hung up again and he closed his phone. Gibbs glanced up the stairs, well at least she listened, he thought.
"Hey Boss?"
"McGee?"
"Says here Aurrilla's mother collected exotic snakes."
"McGee, I think you found the break," Gibbs praised. "Now find him!"
McGee did as instructed but two hours later he had nothing. Gibbs had been down to the lab multiple times and each time McGee was worried that he the lack of progress was going to earn him a head slap, so far it hadn't. Tony and Ziva's loud return saved him from further worry.
"Leads?" Gibbs demanded to stop their bickering.
"Nothing, no one knows anything," Tony answered.
"But Tony is afraid of snakes," Ziva threw out.
"You screamed like a baby!"
"I at least touched the slimy beast!" Gibbs came up next to them and they quieted down fully aware they could get head slapped.
"Go home and sleep, tomorrow we're going hunting," Gibbs said noticing the Director move from MTAC to her office. Gibbs returned to his desk and watched his team pack up. Ziva moved toward the stairs and Gibbs followed, Tony and McGee just watched.
"Who we hunting?" Tony asked.
"Maxwell Aurrilla, Boss had the 'Ari look,'" McGee answered and Tony nodded. They were both familiar with the 'Ari look,' it was a look of pure hatred and it meant the man would most likely end up in NCIS in a body bag.
"I just who we don't..." Tony faded off as McGee nodded.
"Abby said Gibbs has felt the Director's right hook, and she shoot up that car..."
"She gave him a right hook?" McGee nodded. "Rock on Jenny!" The two men left laughing all the way to their cars.
Gibbs followed Ziva up to the Director's office but stayed out of sight so he could hear the conversation.
"He leave?"
"I would think he's on his way," Ziva replied.
"So you take me home and he's none the wiser."
"Jenny leaving you alone is..."
"I'm a big girl Ziva, tie my own shoes and everything," Jenny remarked.
"Jenny I still..."
"Ziva, he'll probably sit in his car outside the house with a sniper focused on any movement in or out." That's not a bad idea actually, Gibbs thought. Too bad the sniper is at home.
"Okay," Ziva conceded.
Gibbs moved into the hallway and down the stairs. He stepped into an alcove and watched the two leave. She may not want to see him but he was going to make sure she was safe. He waited fifteen minutes before leaving and stopped on the way to pick up her favorite dinner and then at the grocery store to get cereal. He was pretty sure the steak would get him in the house, the cereal was simply to get back into her good graces, or so he hoped. He pulled into driveway cutting the lights and parked the car. He knew Ziva had left and that Naomi, the housekeeper, would not be there. He knocked softly but heard nothing. He checked the molding around the door and found the hole with the spare key and opened the door. The house was dark except for the main hall lighting and the stair lighting.
"Jen?" He didn't hear anything and felt his stomach drop. She could just be asleep. He put the stuff down and pulled his gun checking the first floor. He came up empty for Jen and moved to the stairs walking quickly but quietly. He checked the two spare bedrooms before quietly stepping in the third. The nightstand lamp was on and cast her body into a golden glow. She hadn't changed her clothes and was lying on her stomach, her head tilted away from him buried in her pillow. Her red hair tangled behind her. He stepped closer and noticed her back moving, rising and falling with her steady breathing. He placed a hand on her pillow and found it damp. She's been crying, he thought sadly and sighed.
He moved over to the window and pulled the curtains completely shit. He then grabbed the coverlet from the end of the bed and covered her up. He holstered his gun and went back down stairs putting the food away. He made his way into her living room and found the remote to the TV. He may not have his own DVD player but that didn't mean he couldn't work one. He opened her movie cabinet, maybe now was a good time to watch that Pirates movie DiNozzo was always talking about. He put it in and sat down on the couch.
About an hour in he heard movement upstairs. If her window had been opened the alarms would have sounded so he knew it was Jenny moving around. He went into the kitchen and heated up the dinner he'd gotten her. A glance at the clock told him she might not want a real meal and so set out a bowl and the box of cereal alongside the steak. He heard a muffled curse and faint footsteps in the hall. He slipped back into the living room and heard a minute later the floorboard creak as she entered the kitchen.
Jenny heard the creak as well and cursed again. She couldn't believe she'd fallen asleep as it was but she had. She'd been a little worried when she'd woken up under the coverlet but could hear the movie downstairs and her room had trace smell of his cologne. The food on the table was not a surprise, though the cereal was. She knew she wouldn't eat the steak and so carefully wrapped it up and put it back. She poured the Lucky Charms into the bowl and poured in some milk. She'd heard the movie go back on and was surprised at his choice. Well it is a good movie, I can go in and watch it, it's not like we have to talk or anything. She entered the living room and found him sitting on the couch. She simply sat down on the other side and ignored him. He seemed absorbed in the movie but she knew better.
As the movie finished Gibbs glanced over at her. She'd put the cereal bowl on the coffee table and had curled up, her feet moving into the center of the couch. He smiled faintly; she used to sleep that way, except more often than not she would use him as the pillow. She had to be exhausted, he reasoned, if she was sleeping in his presence. He stood and gently slipped on arm under her knees and the other behind her back. His knees would kill in the morning but it was worth it. He carried her upstairs and lay her down in her bed. He tucked her in and watched her for a moment before checking the drawer in the nightstand and making sure the gun was loaded. He checked the rest of the room and shut off the light pulling the door half closed.
Jenny opened her eyes as the door closed and smiled. She had just been resting her eyes when she'd felt him slip his arms around her and pick her up. She wasn't about to alert him to the fact that she was awake and start another fight. He'd used to carry her to bed exactly the same way; the only differences was he hadn't kissed her goodnight or lie down beside her and hold her. She had heard him check her gun and the room before leaving and could still hear him downstairs and figured he wouldn't be leaving.
She sighed and rolled over trying to find a comfortable place to sleep. She had enough experience to know that after ten minutes of trying she would be able to find sleep. The memories that were swirling around in her head would not shut off and were constantly on replay. The fact that Gibbs might know the one responsible was equally unsettling. She knew what he'd done to avenge his wife and child and while she knew she did not hold the same place, she did know he would go just as far because he felt responsible for it. She stepped out of bed silently and avoided the creaky boards. The advantage to being in her house was she could sneak back to the living room without him knowing. She peaked in and found him lying on the couch. She rolled her eyes, she had a spare bedroom that was perfectly comfortable and he chooses the couch. She entered the room and he didn't budge. Not surprising, probably hasn't slept in a while, she thought grabbing a blanket. Had it been seven years ago she may have snuggled her way into his arms, but as it was they were not involved and as much as she may have wanted it, she couldn't. She gave one glance over her shoulder and entered her study.