We Will Be Remembered

On the Sidelines

So apparently it didn't actually post yesterday's update? I don't know.

Oh well.

Gotta do this now before I go home and am too tired to update.

*****

McGee grumbled something under his breath again.

Gibbs set down the file he was reading.

"The program isn't cooperating," McGee said, continuing to give his computer an intense stare.

"This the one you adjusted?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah."

"Did you ask Abby? She's got that kind of stuff."

A strangle expression flickered across the younger agent's face. "Oh. No. I didn't even think of that..." He shoved a thumbdrive into the computer and then was heading off to the lab seconds later.

Gibbs sighed. The Dragon definitely had them all screwed up.

***

Abby happily took the thumbdrive and downloaded the images.

"Wow. The quality is amazing."

McGee made a small noise of agreement, his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed.

"If you go back to that café, ask them what kind of camera they're using. We need to get these up all around the city. Sure would make it a lot easier to do our jobs."

When McGee didn't responded, she glanced over at him. Usually Gibbs was the only one who could pull off that deep of a frown.

She shrugged. Case pressure.

The program worked fluidly with her mind, almost as if it was an actual extension of her.

"We can adjust the angle a little bit... Change the contrast..." She spoke outloud as she worked, because she knew McGee wouldn't mind. "There. That's as good as it's going to get."

She blew the image up a bit more, but not so much that it became pixelated.

McGee sighed. "Well, there he is."

"Yep. The Dragon." She saved the new image back to the thumbdrive and returned it to him. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Abby."

She watched him go, listened to his footsteps retreat down the hall.

Then she got back to work.

***

"I want to help," Tony said.

"Not a chance."

Gibbs's patronizing tone made Tony want to throw the phone across the room.

"Why not? This guy tried to kill us! As far as the rest of the world knows, he succeeded! I want to-"

"No. You're going to stay put until this blows over. I'm not going to let him go after you two again."

"I- We can handle ourselves. You need us on this one, Boss. I know you do." Tony glanced over at Ziva.

She was still fast asleep on the couch, her right arm hanging over the edge.

"Did I stutter? I said no, DiNozzo." And then the older man hung up before Tony could respond.

He was sick of sitting in Gibbs's house. It made him feel more like a target than being out in the field.

Forget what Gibbs said.

If he couldn't work with the rest of the team on this, he was going to take matters into his own hands.

*****

I have time to write more, but I'm so exhausted. I woke up every half hour last night thanks to my stuffy nose. Probably TMI.

Okay, well, have an excellent day/night, friends, and we shall have a new update tomorrow.

P.S. Vote and comment if you're enjoying the story!