𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 ━━ 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐳𝐳𝐨

FORTY TWO | bad day

"Okay, next." The captain lights another cigar, slipping its tip between his lips.

Another man steps forward and passes me his Philippian passport. I take it before entering its code into the laptop in front of me. However, when an error pops up, I glance up at Gibbs as the device beeps repeatedly.

Noticing our facial expressions, the captain speaks. "Something out of order?"

"There's no record of an Abog Galib ever coming into the United States."

"So?"

"His passport has Philadelphia entry and exit stamps from June of last year." Gibbs stares him down.

"Computer glitch?"

"Or a forged passport."

Just as planned, he makes a run for it through the corridors and decks of the vessel. The other men look at me, to which I shrug my shoulders.

"He's never lost anyone on a run."

I wait my established two minutes, checking my watch every so often. "I should go check up on him. Just in case he needs a little help."

Pushing past the men, I walk through the ship. However, I slowly find myself lost. That is, until a blast from the right knocks me off my feet.

"Gibbs!"

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"That should have been me."

A yelp slips out when Ducky digs an alcohol swab deep into the laceration. He smiles apologetically before continuing to mend the wound.

"You should have been whom, Evaline?" His hands tremble from old age as he grabs a strip of gauze. "The man who's dead or Jethro?"

Tears prick my eyes as I stare up at the dark clouds above. "Why can't I be the one fighting for my life in a hospital? The team's nothing without Gibbs."

"And the team's nothing without you, my dear." His fingers touch the tip of my chin, urging me to look at him.

"I should get back, Ducky. Work on the crime scene with the others."

With a hesitant nod, he allows me to leave. I run up the various decks and corridors, finally stopping when I see the others just outside the blast site.

Ziva's the first to see me, and she wraps her arms around in a hug. "I am glad you are okay."

"Same here." McGee pats my back comfortingly.

"Probie." Tony's curt voice projects from the opposite end. "Got a special job for you. Bomb dog took point on Rice Paddy Dike's foot locker. Tag and stow it in the truck for Abby with Ziva, would you?"

"On it, boss."

McGee and Ziva run off, leaving me alone with Tony.

"I do love it when he calls me boss." He steps forward, eye gaze fixed on me. "Then again, I also love it when you actually talk to me."

My fingers curl around the camera strap around my neck. "There's nothing to say, Tony."

"Every time you shut yourself down, a little piece of me dies inside." His hands rest against my shoulders as he inches closer. "It's been a bad day, Ev. A really bad day." I feel his lips touch the back of my neck.

But I pull away from him.

"Point of origin came from a 55-gallon oil drum. That ring's all that's left." I hover the light over the damaged material. "Why in the hell would someone put an oil drum in a laundry room?"

"Well, ships clean them and reuse them for storage. This one probably held dirty. . .laundry."

I stop moving the light when I see a splotch of blood.

Tony takes over with the light. "The fragments indicate a high explosive. Abby should be able to trace the taggant."

"Of course she should." Another voice speaks from behind. "It's Abby."

The two of us stand back up, now facing Ducky.

"Jethro's critical but stable." He finally catches a glance at the laundry room. "He wasn't in here when the bomb detonated, was he?"

"That corner." Tony points out. "The washer and dryer shielded him from the main force of the blast."

"It should have been me."

By the time we finish processing the crime scene, the sun's already come up. Although, the rain from before continues into the day.

"Why do you suspect the captain?" Tony chases after me as I storm out of the holding room.

My pace slows so he can catch up. "He smokes Havanas, and he's wearing a diamond ring. Likes money and has enough to spend it."

"Could be zircon." He shrugs his shoulders.

"Don't doubt a girl when it comes to jewelry." I turn around quickly, a hand on his chest stopping him. "After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend."

A smirk crosses face as he tips his hat.

"Abu Sayyaf clearly paid him to transport explosives, weapons, and even terrorists."

"I'll take the captain in." He nods his head. "Go visit Gibbs."

Dropping my hand, I shake my head. "I shouldn't. Wouldn't want the first face he sees to be the one who should be fighting for her life."

"Ev. . ."

Night comes quickly, and I find myself in Autopsy. Tony's still in the hospital with Jenny, waiting for any good news on Gibbs' health.

"His skull was shattered when the explosion blew him against the overhead, as if he were fired from a cannon." Ducky points out on the CT scans. "Which, in this case, would be the oil drum."

"How come he was in —"

Ducky interrupts me. "Don't ask me what our guest was doing in an oil drum sitting on a bomb. I haven't the foggiest."

"You're sure there aren't any other explanations?" I glance back at what remains of the body, my arms crossed over my chest.

"Well, none that would explain these remains." Ducky walks back to the body, and I follow.

"Think you can get me a positive ID on the body, Ducky?"

"Well, DNA tissue is in Abby's capable hands."

There's a few more moments of silence, and I look up when I feel the doctor's stare.

"How's Jethro?" His voice grows to a mere whisper.

"Tony and Jenny are with him." I shrug my shoulders. "From what I've heard, he's still out."

"Evaline, why don't you go visit —"

"We're already down one agent. If I leave now, we'll never be able to catch this bastard."

Just as I walk into the elevator, my vision darkens, and my head spins. McGee steps off, accidentally knocking my shoulder.

"Oh, God. Eva, I'm so sorry." He helps me back up.

A few blinks, and the black spots disappear. "Not a problem, McGee. No one's hurt." With that, I press the main floor button, and the doors close.

The next day, Tony's back from the hospital. He sips from a cup of piping hot coffee while gagging every so often.

"Abby confirmed the body in Autopsy to be Agent Abog Galib." I flip through the notes I took from the past couple of days. "McGee and Ziva are still working on the BOLO. Ducky deduced that Agent Galib was in the oil drum, still figuring out why."

"Nice work." He hands me a second cup, although from the smell, I can tell it's tea.

A breath slips from my lips. "Thanks, Tony. But I just had a cup of coffee. I'm not particularly thirsty at the moment."

"Stop blaming yourself."

"I'm not blaming myself. I'm simply speaking the truth of what should have happened."