I occupied myself by drawing more pictures. It wasn't long until I drew one for everyone on the team. For DiNozzo, I drew a portrait of him. For Ducky, I drew a lily flower. For Abby, I drew a doll on a pumpkin. For Dad, I drew him a picture of a boat. As soon as I finished, I heard DiNozzo speak.
"How was lunch?" He asked. I looked up and saw my father. I smiled up at him. He looked over at me and smiled back.
"They here yet?" He asked, turning back to DiNozzo. DiNozzo nodded.
"Downstairs, waiting." DiNozzo said. Dad and DiNozzo started to head to the elevator. I got up and chased after them, my sketchbook clutched to my chest.
"Dad." I spoke, catching his attention. He had just hit the button to call the elevator, when I called his name. He turned around and looked at me.
"What's the problem, Aubrey?" He asked me. I blushed in embarrassment.
"I just wanted you to look at my sketches, and I also wanted to know if I could come with." I spoke softly, looking at Dad. Dad sighed, pondering the idea.
"I don't know, Aubrey. You can show me your sketches after the meeting." Dad said. I nodded. Dad hesitated on whatever he was going to say. "I'm probably going to regret this, but yes, you can come with." I smiled and hugged him. I piled in the elevator with them. DiNozzo waited for an answer from Dad, but he didn't receive one.
"You're not going to tell me about lunch, are you?" DiNozzo asked. Dad shook his head.
"No." Dad confirmed. DiNozzo tried to sign something, but it wasn't comprehensible. Dad and I looked at him before Dad tried to rile him up.
"You should wash your hands with soap." Dad said. DiNozzo paled, thinking he said something terrible. He turned to me, hoping I'd tell him otherwise, but I just looked away. The rest of the ride was silent. When the doors opened, we were in the autopsy room. The DEA walked over to our little group.
"Special Agent Gibbs. Frank Trujillo and Darryl Wilkins as requested." The DEA informed us, pointing out who was who. Dad nodded before heading to the locker area. I stayed by the elevator just in case I needed to make a quick escape.
"Over here." Dad commanded. We all met around the lockers. Dad opened one and pulled out the body. He opened the other one and pulled the other body out. He was watching them for their reactions, and Dad found one.
"That a glimmer of recognition I just saw?" He asked, suspicious. He was in interrogation mode, and no one should interrupt him. Dad continued. "It seems these two belong to you." He said to Frank. Frank nodded, making Darryl sigh in relief.
"Well, good. I can slide, right?" Darryl asked. Dad shook his head.
"Not if you killed them." Dad shot back. Darryl looked taken aback.
"Never scuffed anyone in my life." Darryl stated. Dad was angry now.
"I'm the only one not finding anything funny here. You know why? This naval commander didn't die a natural death or fighting for his country. He died in a crossfire between you two dirtbags." Dad scolded, making the two rivals look a bit ashamed. Frank sighed.
"I want my lawyer." He said after a moment. Dad shook his head.
"This was found on these two boys in the cooler. It's counterfeit. Comes from a foreign government known to support terrorism. That makes you two dirt bags suspected enemy combatants under the Patriot Act. Tony, read them their rights. Put them on the first Navy transport to Gitmo." Dad bluffed, making Frank and Darryl exchange nervous glances.
"You do not have the right to remain silent. You do not have the right to an attorney..." DiNozzo kept reading them the false Articles. The DEA was confused and worried.
"Gibbs, we don't know who counterfeited that money. Even if it does come from a country friendly to terrorists, you can't send them to Gitmo. They're US citizens." He tried to explain. I sighed. The DEA wouldn't get very far because my dad is stubborn, and he wasn't going to change his mind anytime soon. I heard DiNozzo finish up the bluff.
"Do you understand these rights you don't have?" Dad turned to the DEA while motioning for me to come to him.
"Watch me." He whispered with force. Dad and I left in the elevator. We waited in the Bullpen for information. I showed Dad my sketches, and he smiled at me.
"These are really good Aubrey."He complimented me. I smiled. Dad's phone rang, it was Agent Fuller.
The DEA agent had called us down back to the autopsy room. When we got down there, he approached us with a smile on his face.
"Your bluff worked. Trujillo wants to talk. He really believed you'd ship him off to Gitmo." The DEA informed us, causing Dad to smirk. I saw DiNozzo in the room, before looking around to find Darryl and Frank.
"The secret of a good bluff, Agent Fuller, is not the bluff." My father informed him. Agent Fuller nodded, taking in Dad's advice. We walked to where Darryl and Frank were. Frank looked hesitant, but moments later, he started talking.
"The two men on ice are brothers, Jesus and Carlos Garcia. They run two of my boats. Fishing's been poor lately 'cause of poachers in my waters." Frank informed us. Darryl was taken aback.
"Your waters? You own the oceans, Frank?" Darryl snipped back. Frank ignored him and continued to give us information.
"So, I kept my boats in port until our little dispute could be settled." Frank stated before glaring at Darryl. They both glared at each other for a few minutes before DiNozzo cracked a joke.
"I can recommend a federal mediator." DiNozzo stated, making Dad glare at him. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. You were saying?" DiNozzo apologized, getting back on topic while taking their statements. Frank continued to speak. He must really hate Gitmo.
"Yesterday, I learned that the Garcia brothers took one of my boats out Sunday night and never came back." Frank explained. Dad nodded.
"Without asking you, jefe?" Dad asked. Frank nodded.
"Sí. Sin mi permiso." Frank said. Darryl started laughing.
"You ain't ballin' no more when your marks don't ask, Frank." Darryl taunted Frank. Frank got angered, and shot back at Darryl in Spanish.
"¡Callete, tonto! Okay?" Frank ranted. Darryl smirked, happy he got under Frank's skin.
"You can ride out with that salsa spit, okay?" Darryl spoke, while smirking. Frank quieted down and then Dad spoke.
"Believe that, Darryl?" Dad interrogated Darryl. Darryl shrugged.
"There's no way he wouldn't come with the real in front of my grille." Darryl said smugly. Frank glared at him, while DiNozzo wrote down their statements.
"'Real in front of my grille.' I've got to remember that." DiNozzo interrupted, making Dad glare at him again. He turned back to the rivals.
"You know what that tells me? As far as you were concerned, that boat was Frank's, fishing in disputed waters." Dad growled out. Darryl's eyes widened a bit as he took on an innocent look.
"Man, I wasn't hip 'til this narc dragged me down here. Swear on my seeds, okay, we ain't whacked them." Darryl spoke, defending himself. Dad turned to Frank for his reaction. Frank shrugged.
"He's not lying to you. He didn't kill them." Frank said, defending Darryl. Dad turned to DiNozzo with a smirk. I looked at Dad, confused at what just happened.
"This is good, Tony. I mean, it's good. You got two rival dirt bags vouching for each other." Dad explained. I watched the rivals' expressions, but they didn't flinch. DiNozzo caught on to what Dad was doing.
"You think Garcia chartered out Frank's boat to some sports fishermen from Iowa?" DiNozzo asked. Dad shrugged.
"Would they want to do anything legal?" Dad asked DiNozzo, while facing the rivals, gauging their reactions.
"Nope, no. They were probably hauling drug smugglers." DiNozzo continued. Dad shrugged.
"Or illegals." Dad continued. DiNozzo turned to Dad.
"Or running guns." DiNozzo added. Together, they both turned towards Frank and Darryl.
"We miss any potential charters?" Dad asked them. They didn't answer. Frank spoke up.
"I told you everything I know." Frank defended. Darryl spoke up as well.
"Well, can I go now?" Darryl asked. Frank added on to his statement.
"Por favor?" Frank asked. Dad sighed before nodding.
"Yeah, sure." He started, making them turn towards the elevator to leave. Dad finished his thought before they took a step. "Once we have the boat." He stated, making them freeze. My father turned to Darryl.
"Help me out here, Darryl." Dad prompted, causing Darryl to respond.
"He's got GPS locators in all his boats." Darryl admitted. Dad turned to Frank with narrowed eyes.
"Now, why didn't you tell us that, Frank?" Dad questioned. Trujillo looked sheepish.
"I like to handle my own problems." He stated, shrugging. Dad shook his head.
"Not this time. This one is ours." Dad retorted. Frank sighed before asking Dad a question.
"May I use your phone?" He asked. Dad took his phone out and held it out to him.
"Yep." Dad said. As Frank reached for it, Dad asked him a question. "What's the name of the boat?" Dad asked, making Trujillo freeze and sigh. It only took a few moments before he confessed.
"La Eternidad" He said. Dad nodded and gave Trujillo his phone. Dad turned to the DEA and DiNozzo.
"Go find me that boat." He told them. Frank finished up his call and handed the phone back to Dad. Darryl and Frank both left the autopsy room. I walked over to Dad and hugged him.
"Can I come with?" I asked him. Dad nodded his head before leading me to the elevator. DiNozzo and Agent Fuller joined us and joined us in the Bullpen. Dad and DiNozzo geared up while I stood next to Agent Fuller.
"Where's your mom? Why aren't you with her?" Agent Fuller asked me. Dad and DiNozzo finished gearing up and walked over while Agent Fuller was asking me questions.
"None of your business." Dad replied, causing Agent Fuller to flush in embarrassment from being caught. DiNozzo, Dad and I rode together to the pier, while the DEA agent went to pick up their K-9.
Dad, DiNozzo and I walked the docks while looking for the boat. Soon we found it.
"Dad, over here." I call out, causing DiNozzo and Dad to come over to me.
"Great work Aubrey." Dad told me, kissing my head. I heard footsteps, so I turned around. It was the DEA agent. Agent Fuller was approaching us with a sniffer dog. He reached the edge of the boat as Dad and DiNozzo boarded the boat.
"Can Tony sniff for drugs now?" Agent Fuller asked. Tony turned around before looking at Dad, confused.
"Tony?" I asked. Agent Fuller nodded and pointed to the dog.
"Some coincidence, huh?" DiNozzo spoke out loud. Agent Fuller turned to me while my father and DiNozzo were busy.
"So, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at home?" He asked me. I ignored him. Agent Fuller tried again after I didn't reply. "Where's your mother?" He asked me. My eyes tightened from the question, but I refused to look at him, much less reply to him. After the failed attempts of making small talk, Agent Fuller gave up. Dad and DiNozzo examined the boat before speaking again.
"Deck's been hosed, but there's blood residue." I heard Dad say. "Get me some swabs, DiNozzo. I'll start the cabin." Dad ordered DiNozzo. DiNozzo walked up to where Agent Fuller and I were.
"Bet he's a real stud." DiNozzo said, gesturing to the dog. Agent Fuller was not amused.
"He's neutered." He stated, making DiNozzo pause. I handed DiNozzo the swab kits and evidence bags. While he was reaching over, a loud noise startled me, causing me to drop the items. Thankfully, I dropped them on the dock, but I whimpered a bit from the noise. DiNozzo was just as surprised as me.
"Holy Hell! What kind of engine's in this thing?" DiNozzo shouted in shock. The engine was loud and when it started, it sounded like gunfire. The noise stopped, letting me know that Dad turned the engine off. The shock faded away, but I was still on edge. Dad came out and smiled at DiNozzo's reaction.
"Drug-runner special. Blown 502 putting out 800 horses." Dad explained to us. I nodded before handing DiNozzo the stuff. Once he got them, I took a big step back from the boat. Dad looked at me concerned, while I just shook my head. We could discuss my irrational fear later. Dad moved on and explained his findings to us.
"Main cabin's a mess. Blood stains, bullet holes. Found some bloody bandages on the bunks." Dad explained to us. DiNozzo realized what my father was hinting at.
"One of them's hurting." DiNozzo deduced. Dad nodded, showing he agreed with DiNozzo's statement. Agent Fuller was bored, especially since I was ignoring his questions.
"Can I search for drugs?" Agent Fuller asked, reminding us of his lovely presence. Dad shook his head before smirking.
"We're just getting started. What you can do is check with the marina office. See if they paid a mooring fee. Strike out at that and start canvassing the marina and find someone..." Dad started, but Agent Fuller interrupted him.
"Gibbs, I'm a Federal agent. I know who and what to ask." Agent Fuller stated indignantly. Dad just stared at him.
"I keep forgetting you're not a dog walker." Dad said with a smirk. Agent Fuller huffed.
"That's very funny." Agent Fuller said sarcastically. He gently tugged on the dog's leash. "Come on, Tony." Agent Fuller commanded, before whistling. The dog got up and followed Agent Fuller before leading him to the office, away from the boat. I sat on the dock while I listened to Dad and DiNozzo.
"Wow. They should've hosed down in here." DiNozzo complained. I rolled my eyes at DiNozzo's whining. Dad spoke up.
"They did just enough to avoid attracting attention of someone walking by." Dad explained. DiNozzo huffed.
"We're going to be bagging and tagging for hours." DiNozzo complained. I boarded the boat and walked over to DiNozzo. By now, they were on the back of the boat. I whacked DiNozzo lightly in the back.
"Uncle Tony," I started, annoyed with him. DiNozzo turned to me and shot me a look. I shrugged innocently. He sighed and turned around. Something caught his eye though, and he paused.
"If I only had the time." DiNozzo said wistfully. Dad was confused about what DiNozzo was talking about. I looked over to where he was looking and rolled my eyes. DiNozzo was ogling two women in swimsuits.
"What?" My father asked, confused with DiNozzo's actions. I just shrugged. Realizing he's been caught, DiNozzo tried to cover his actions up.
"You got the time?" He asked, turning to Dad. "My watch is slow." He said, while holding up his wrist. I spoke up.
"Going somewhere Uncle Tony?" I questioned, but I'm pretty sure Dad knew what was happening. He always knew when something happened. DiNozzo threw himself back into working.
"Yeah. Back to work." He replied, making Dad nod at him. After some time, the DEA agent walked up.
"Nothing from the marina office, but Jenny and Nancy were very helpful." The DEA agent said with a smile on his face. We were confused.
"Jenny and Nancy?" I asked. He pointed to the two women.
"The girls on the sloop over there." Agent Fuller stated. We looked over at them, and they saw us and waved. DiNozzo and Agent Fuller did a half-wave at them while Dad and I just looked away in indifference. Agent Fuller continued, as I got off the boat. "They're sailing that beauty all the way down the intercoastal waterway to Miami for her owner." Agent Fuller informed us. DiNozzo had that look on his face again.
"All the way to Miami." DiNozzo repeated, a far-away look in his eyes. Dad sighed.
"They're going to be there by the time you tell me how they were helpful." Dad retorted, causing the DEA agent to get flustered.
"When they docked yesterday, there was someone on this boat." Agent Fuller said. Dad looked at him with interest. Now, we were getting somewhere.
"You get a description?" I asked. Agent Fuller nodded.
"Late 20s, glasses, short hair, gay or low on testosterone-" Agent Fuller listed before stopping. He realized that I asked the question, not my dad. He seemed embarrassed, but continued. "They waved. He ignored them." Agent Fuller finished, making DiNozzo gasp.
"No way." He said in disbelief. Agent Fuller nodded to him.
"That's what I said." Agent Fuller stated. Dad was starting to get impatient.
"What did they say?" Dad asked with a bit of edge in his voice to get back on track. Agent Fuller nodded.
"Guy had a couple of cell phones. When he wasn't making calls, he was working on a laptop. Then about 1:00, Jenny started grilling some prawns." Agent Fuller said. He turned to DiNozzo. "By the way, they're Aussies." He informed DiNozzo, making him shocked and excited.
"Aussies. I love..." Dinozzo trailed off after seeing the glare Dad and I were giving him. "So Jenny was grilling prawns?" DiNozzo said, attempting to get back on track.
"Saw a white van pull up here. The guy with glasses was really excited to see the driver. She said they hugged a lot." Agent Fuller explained.
"Gay." DiNozzo interjected, making me roll my eyes. Dad interrupted.
"Describe the driver?" He asked Agent Fuller. The DEA agent nodded.
"Same look as glasses, without the glasses. They brought some heavy suitcases from the boat to the van, then they helped a third guy with a bandaged leg to the van. He must've been in the cabin the whole time. Then they drove off." Agent Fuller stated. Dad asked more questions, hoping the DEA agent could answer them.
"Anything more on the van, other than the colour?" Dad asked. The DEA agent shook his head.
"Nope. I tried. All they could remember was that it was white. Can Tony sniff the boat, now?" The DEA said before turning to Dad and asked him the question. Dad and DiNozzo nodded while getting off the boat.
"It's all yours." Dad stated while motioning to the boat. The DEA agent smirked.
"It sure is." He stated while slapping a pink ticket on the window. DiNozzo read it out loud.
"Asset forfeiture notice." DiNozzo read before becoming confused. "Don't you need to find drugs first?" DiNozzo asked Agent Fuller. He nodded, but then shrugged.
"I used to worry about rules like that. Then I met you guys. Come on, Tony, up. All right, good boy. Hold on." The DEA agent said. We walked away from the DEA and headed to the truck. DiNozzo was still hung up about the two women.
"I'm telling you, boss. Aussie chicks. Definitely different than American chicks. A guy's even got to approach them differently. I'd have gotten more than the colour of the van out of them." DiNozzo stated, ranting and raving about women. Fed up with the chatter, and slightly persuaded, Dad turned to DiNozzo and sighed.
"I know I'm going to regret this, DiNozzo, but follow up on Fuller's interview." Dad told DiNozzo reluctantly. After DiNozzo disappeared to go talk to the women, Dad and I headed back to the Bullpen.
When we got there, Dad spoke up to Agent Kate without really talking to her. "Hey, get anything from your friend?" Dad asked her. She nodded. Dad kept walking towards Agent Kate.
"Yep." She replied before Dad turned the corner. I sighed when I saw Agent Fornell.
"You disappoint me, Kate." Dad said, bracing for the headache that would come. Agent Fornell was lounging in Dad's chair with his feet on Dad's desk.
"Me too, Gibbs." Agent Fornell said. I went over to him and reached under the desk for my backpack while Agent Fornell kept talking. "I thought she knew better than to trade down." Agent Fornell jabbed at my father and the agency. I narrowed my eyes at him as I walked back to my father. Agent Fornell continued. "Is this yours?" Agent Fornell asked sarcastically. Dad turned to Agent Kate with a frown.
"You need to seriously rethink your definition of the word "friend"." Dad spoke in disappointment. Agent Kate was quick to defend her so-called friend.
"If I were in Marcy's shoes, I would have done the same thing." Agent Kate said quickly. Agent Fornell decided it was a good idea to speak up.
"Careful, Agent Todd. You're running out of job options." Agent Fornell warned, turning his unneeded remarks towards her. Dad turned the conversation back around.
"Since I once again have the pleasure of your company, Agent Fornell, we're into more than phony Franklins and dead drug dealers." Dad stated, making Agent Fornell nod.
"Much more." He confirmed. I frowned a bit. The last time the FBI was involved, it was a terrorist on Air Force One. Dad decided to take the team to MTAC and motioned for me to follow. I stayed in the shadows as both the Director for NCIS and the FBI came on the monitor. The next words out of Agent Fornell's mouth caused my heart to drop to my stomach. "Those serial numbers matched a batch of bogus bills passed by 9/11 hijackers. Your killers aren't drug dealers. They're terrorists. Since 9/11, the bureau has compiled a worldwide terrorist database incorporating files from over 70 foreign intelligence services. Any prints lifted from that boat that are left by known terrorists will get a hit." Agent Fornell explained. The NCIS Director nodded before speaking to the Director of the FBI.
"Why didn't we have access to this database, Charlie?" The NCIS Director asked. The FBI Director shrugged, while looking a bit smug.
"All you had to do was ask, Tom." The FBI Director stated, like it was the easiest thing in the world.
"If your Agent Fornell hadn't been here to get us priority, my feeling is I'd still be asking." The NCIS Director shot back. The FBI Director smirked.
"Perhaps I should leave him there?" He proposed, making all parties' expressions show a bit of distaste for the idea.
"I don't think that's necessary, Charlie. Just hardwire us into this terrorist database." The NCIS Director proposed, making the FBI Director shake his head.
"Sorry, Tom. We like to monitor who's accessing our data." The FBI Director shot down. The NCIS Director fired back.
"Hard to keep a list like this to yourself, Charlie. I'm sure when our colleagues who head the other agencies hear of this, they're going to be pounding on your door." The NCIS Director threatened. The FBI Director just shrugged him off.
"Hell, why not? We're all on the same team. But, Tom, if any of our colleagues hear about this, I'll pull your plug and NCIS priority will follow the Sandusky, Ohio fire department." The FBI Director threatened. The NCIS Director nodded, agreeing to his terms.
"Understood. Thanks, Charlie." The NCIS Director said. The FBI Director nodded back.
"Good luck." The FBI Director stated. Agent Fornell turned to us with an exasperated look.
"I see where you cowboys get your chutzpah." He said. I just looked at him. Dad spoke up.
"How long to scan the entire database?" Dad asked.
"Don't know. No one's ever done it." Agent Fornell said. The computer beeped. We had a match. I looked at the profile.
"You know him?" Dad asked. Agent Fornell shook his head.
"No." Agent Kate said.
"The name is Saudi. Same as most of the 9/11 hijackers." Agent Fornell denied. I noticed something.
"What's the red star?" I asked. He turned to me before looking at everyone else.
"Active case with a high priority. He's one of the foreign terrorists wanted for the UN bombing in Baghdad. Believed to have slipped out of Iraq through Syria three weeks ago. Whereabouts unknown." Agent Fornell informed us, reading through the information on the screen. Dad sighed.
"Not anymore." Dad stated before leaving. I followed Dad to the Bullpen and soon everyone else followed.
Moments after everyone congregated back in the Bullpen, DiNozzo rushed in, ecstatic.
"It worked! I had Jenny and Nancy grill some prawns. They don't call them shrimp in Australia. Sip a really nice chardonnay with a wonderful bouquet." DiNozzo explained, but Dad just stared at him in disappointment. DiNozzo defended himself. "I didn't drink. Just sniffed."
"What the hell's he ranting about?" Agent Fornell asked, confused.
"I should have known better." Dad said in disappointment to Agent Kate. She nodded in agreement, while DiNozzo tried to dig himself out of his hole.
"No, no, no." DiNozzo defended. "Boss, I had the girls do exactly what they were doing when the white panel van pulled in, jogging their memory. It worked. They remembered the driver was wearing a company uniform." DiNozzo explained. I was confused.
"Water company? Phone company?" I asked, listing off some of the companies I knew.
"Jefferson Power? Vantage Cable? Milkman? Breadman?" Dad continued my list.
"Hell, that white van could be from any of the 100 different commercial, county or state outfits." Agent Fornell complained.
"It's a start." Dad said, a bit overwhelmed. DiNozzo rifled through his backpack before pulling out a VCR tape.
"I'm not done." He stated, while holding up the tape. "I pulled this videotape from the security camera at the Mobil station on the road out of the marina." DiNozzo stated, proud of himself. Agent Kate was slightly surprised.
"That's really smart, Tony." She complimented. DiNozzo shrugged it off.
"Any guy could have done it." DiNozzo stated, not thinking of who he was talking to.
"Guy? Learn to shut up when you're ahead." Agent Kate snapped at DiNozzo. I spoke up, in hopes to try and save DiNozzo from Agent Kate's wrath.
"What time did the girls say they saw the van?" I asked. DiNozzo turned to me and answered, while putting in the videotape.
"Around 1300." DiNozzo said. As the video was playing, Abby walked up.
"Are we submitting to the Sundance Film Festival?" She asked, confused about what the videotape was.
"Best terrorist film category." DiNozzo said, making Abby smile.
"Sweet." She exclaimed. "So, if anyone's interested, the only prints off the boat I could match were the druggies in the cooler." She stated, explaining the true reason she was up here.
"Not the Commander?" I asked. She shook her head.
"Negatory." She confirmed. Agent Kate spoke up.
"We got a match on a terrorist." She explained, catching Abby and DiNozzo up to speed.
"You didn't tell me that." DiNozzo pouted, making me roll my eyes.
"Who could get a word in?" I asked sarcastically. Abby was confused.
"I ran those prints through the Bureau. I got nada." She said in confusion and disappointment. Dad tried to appease her.
"You didn't have access to the full database." Dad explained to her, making her turn to Agent Fornell.
"You're holding out on us. That is not nice." Abby accused and scolded Agent Fornell. Dad and I were listening while keeping our eyes glued to the screen.
"Whoa! There it is." Dad pointed out. The van was racing by Mobil.
"Yep." DiNozzo agreed. DiNozzo grabbed the remote when Dad ordered him to do something.
"Run it back." DiNozzo did and paused it.
"Jefferson Power." I read out loud. I turned to Dad and he smirked at me. He was right. He squinted at the screen, but couldn't read it.
"Damn it." He muttered under his breath. I looked up at him, and he just shook his head. No repeating what I just said, it meant. "Can anybody read that number?" He spoke out loud to where everyone could hear him. I looked at the screen before rattling off the numbers.
"831." I responded. Agent Kate spoke her thoughts to us.
"They've gotta be going after the power grid." She stated. Abby piped up.
"I found traces of C-4 in the stuff you bagged on the boat." She said, making Agent Fornell nod.
"Thank God. They're just gonna try to blow something up." He said in minimal relief. Everyone turned to him. This was good news? Agent Fornell tried to explain it to us.
"We've been sweating terrorists hacking into our power grid distribution software. That could shut down half the country. C-4 indicates a hard target, a power plant, a substation distribution node, which are all under tight security," He explained while pulling out his phone. "Which are about to get a hell of a lot tighter." He said. I spoke up.
"There's a good chance that driver works for Jefferson Power." I replied, making Agent Fornell look at me and nod.
"I hope he does. We'll have him before sundown." Agent Fornell stated before calling someone. "Terrorist alert. APB on Jefferson Power company van number 831. I want to know where it's based, who's driving it and I want it in five minutes. Thanks." Agent Fornell said. He turned to us after he put his phone away. "You've all done a terrific job." He said before walking away to the elevator. DiNozzo grimaced before speaking.
"I feel like I just kissed my sister." He stated, making Agent Kate and Abby turn to him.
"I didn't know you had a sister, Tony." Abby said, surprised. DiNozzo shook his head.
"I don't. I was fantasizing." He said, making Abby smirk.
"I need music for that." She said, making the rest of us look at her. She just shrugged and headed back towards the lab. Dad spoke as she was leaving.
"Fornell's got target fixation." Dad said, making Agent Kate confused.
"Come again?" She asked, not understanding what my father was implying.
"It's when a fighter pilot gets so fixed on his target that he flies right into it." DiNozzo explained.
"Like you and women?" She asked, causing DiNozzo to look away. She got him. Dad tried to get us back on topic.
"That August blackout was caused by a tree falling on some power lines, right?" Dad asked us. Agent Kate nodded.
"Something like that." She said. Dad sighed.
"Well, hell, these guys don't need C-4. An axe will do." Dad said. Agent Kate was back on her computer and looking up the blackout.
"Okay, here's the timeline for the August 15 blackout." Agent Kate said when she found the website. Dad gestured to the monitor.
"Pull it up on the plasma, Kate." He said. She transferred it to the plasma and I read the information while she told me.
"It started at Eastlake, Ohio at 1400 and by the time it reached indian Point in Buchanan, New York, all of the Northeast and most of Canada was dark." She read, growing alarmed towards the end. Dad was starting to get impatient, so I walked next to him and grabbed his hand. He gave mine a squeeze and let go.
"Pull the state's power grid up off the internet." He said, a tiny bit more relaxed. After she pulled up the power grid, she kept reading the website. Agent Kate was surprised at what she found.
"Whoa. Look at this." She said surprised.
"It says three key failures in Virginia could cascade until every state from here to the Rockies is dark." DiNozzo read. Agent Kate shook her head.
"Yeah, more than says, it shows how." She exclaimed. She clicked a button while reading more information. "Wait, take down those three flashing nodes simultaneously and you take out the entire eastern power grid." Agent Kate informed us. Dad analyzed the map.
"All we have to do is stop them from taking out one?" He questioned. She nodded.
"It looks that way. I mean, if any two fail at the same time, the slack can be picked up. There will be blackouts, but it won't cascade." Agent Kate informed us.
"Which one do we go for?" DiNozzo asked, while I pointed at the map.
"The closest one." I said, jumping to reach the point. Of course the closest one had to be the highest on the map. Dad saw my struggling and pointed for me.
"Right here." He said. I sighed. I knew they were going to gear up and I couldn't go with them, so I hugged Dad really tight before moving to DiNozzo. After DiNozzo, I turned towards Agent Kate and opened my arms. She nodded and I hugged her. She squeezed me tight before letting go. I turned back to Dad with a serious look on my face.
"Come back in one piece." I pleaded. Dad nodded and kissed my head before gearing up. I hid under the desk as they left. Now, all that's left to do is to wait.