The Riddle
- Chapter 6: Plans Go Awry -
"Jethro, tell me you did that," Jenny pleaded as he caught her stumbling form. It was to dark to see her but he could turn to hear.
"I wish. I think we lost power."
"We have a generator."
"Well we'll just have to wait for that."
"It should have come on already," Jenny informed. It was than she noticed that he was still holding her arms. She tried to ignore the tingling that spread from the point on her arms throughout her body. This is not helping. "There wasn't supposed to be a storm today, was there?"
"No."
"So does this mean that someone shut off our power?" She heard him curse. "What?"
"Trent Kourt did this." Jenny's eyes widened.
---
The rest of the team was leaning up against the railings on the balcony. There were relatively silent, the only noise being Tony and Ziva checking their weapons.
"Isn't there supposed to be emergency power?" Abby asked.
"Generator should have kicked in by now," McGee replied.
"That's not good," Tony sighed.
"Do you think Gibbs and the Director got off on another floor?" Ziva inquired.
"Highly doubtful my dear," Ducky answered.
"This never turns out well for the kids," Tony pointed out. "Abby you want to put in a good word for us?"
"They're not going to listen."
"The building should be locked down, so we're not going anywhere until the power comes back," McGee announced.
"I don't like this," Tony said finally.
"Your gut?" Ziva teased.
"Well Trent Kourt shows up and now Gibbs and the Director are separated from us. I would call that sabotage, just like this movie..."
"Tony," Ziva snapped. "McGee stay with Abby, we'll go downstairs and check for a way out."
"I'm senior field agent," Tony began but stopped as the lights went back on. "Well that's interesting."
"Elevator opening," Ziva warned. The team was quiet as Gibbs and the Director stepped off, they were not speaking.
"Gear up, we're going Frog Hunting," Gibbs announced and Ziva, Tony, and McGee began down the stairs. "Ducky you stay with these two, they don't leave MTAC, till I say so."
"But Gibbs," Abby protested.
"Come along Abigail," Ducky said leading the girl to MTAC. Gibbs had not let go of Jenny's arm and led her back to her office. He walked in and held her arm as he reached into her second drawer and took out the ring box and her gun. He dropped the ring in her pocket and put her gun in her free hand, before leading her back to MTAC. He entered the room and dropped Jenny's arms.
"Ducky, don't let her convince you to leave," Gibbs warned and he closed the door behind her.
"I'm going to kill him," Jenny snapped.
---
Gibbs came down the stairs to find his team geared up waiting by the elevator. He grabbed his coat and joined them.
"Where we going Boss?"
"Perimeter search DiNozzo. The power didn't go off by itself."
"Right Boss." The team split up, except for Ziva, who had not strayed to far.
"Something wrong Officer David?" Gibbs questioned clearly irritated.
"You know she can take care of herself," Ziva mentioned. Gibbs turned to look at her. "Abby told us. Can't say I'm surprise, I always suspected Jenny had an interesting past. It explains a lot about her, I've never seen her try and be happy for someone as much as she does for you."
"You really don't know Jenny, do you?"
"Oh I do, I know her better than she wants me to. Besides if you know her mind, as I suspect you do, you know how she feels."
‘You read her journal," Gibbs stated somewhat surprised.
"I will not admit to anything." Ziva had the smile that suggested she'd more than just read the journals.
"And you know how I feel."
"If you care about Jenny as you did
"Boss!" he shouted. Gibbs and Ziva jogged over to see what DiNozzo had found. "Power line's been cut, someone defiantly wanted our lights out."
"Hey Boss?"
"What McGee?"
"Were we expecting the FBI?" Gibbs looked up to spot Agent Tobias Fornell waiting just inside the gate.
"I'm going to kill her," Gibbs muttered. The rest of the team wisely stayed quiet and followed Gibbs to the FBI agent.
"Jethro, who did you piss off this time?" Fornell inquired with dry sarcasm.
"Shouldn't you be talking to the Director?"
"Well yes, she called, but I'd rather not face her. Last time did not inspire fond memories." Gibbs phone ringing broke the conversation.
"Gibbs."
"Jethro, Director Shepard would like to speak to Agent Fornell," Ducky said.
"She doesn't leave that room." He hung up, knowing Jenny was protesting. Fornell smirked.
"So that's whom you pissed off," he summarized. The team followed slowly as Fornell and Gibbs headed back inside the building. Tony, Ziva, and McGee stayed downstairs, wanting to be as far as possible from the imminent fight. "So who'd she piss off this time?"
"Trent Kourt."
"That CIA agent?"
"Oh I'm not sure he's just working for the company."
"So he wants her out," Fornell assumed.
"Permanently."
"She knows?"
"She knows, and I'm sure she has plenty of other things to tell you," Gibbs answered opening the door to MTAC to find Abby ready to pounce.
"Gibbs can I please go back to my lab?"
"No."
"Gibbs, c'mon, no one can get down there! I'll take the whole team, I'm going insane up here!" Abby pleaded. Gibbs looked toward Jenny who was standing arms crossed looking none to thrilled at being kept.
"Honestly Jethro, she could do more work down there than here. I'll keep an eye on her and than you don't have to worry about your team," Jenny rationalized trying to stay calm.
"Did she put you up to this?" Gibbs asked Abby.
"No, but it's a really good idea!"
"Ducky take Abby to her lab, pick up McGee on the way. The Director will be staying." Abby breathed out and gave a sorry wave to her mother before bouncing out behind the good doctor. Jenny said hello to Fornell barley maintaining her civility.
"Shoot him first Jenny," Fornell suggested pointing to Gibbs. "It'll make you feel better."
"Don't give her ideas," Gibbs warned. "So Madame Director, I brought you, your FBI agent." He watched her eyes narrow as she curled her fingers into a fist at her side.
"Fornell will be helping with this investigation. I've already cleared it," Her voice could have frozen blood.
"Oh good," Gibbs replied with disinterest.
"Look I've got nothing on Kourt, we lost him when we lost the Frog," Fornell informed wanting nothing more than to be as far away from NCIS. He'd spent enough time around the two to know when all hell was breaking lose.
"Well we'll just have to go Frog Hunting," Jenny remarked, Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"You got any idea where he might be?" Fornell questioned.
"That's what we call an investigation," Jenny responded with sarcasm. "Do you have a problem with that Agent Gibbs?"
"Not at all Director," came the pointed reply. His attention was turned toward the door where Tony and Ziva were entering slowly, appearing to gauge the situation.
"Something wrong Agent DiNozzo?" Jenny inquired.
"Uh...Boss, we just a got a call from the docks, they fished a body out of the water," Tony began.
"We got a name for the victim?" Gibbs asked. Ziva and Tony glanced at one another knowing that the victim was going to make things worse.
"We're waiting DiNozzo," Jenny barked.
"Rene Benoit," Ziva responded. The room fell silent for a minute and than Gibbs headed out the door, Ziva and Tony knowing to follow. They had reached the stairs when they heard the Director call them.
"Agent Gibbs." He stopped on the stairs, Tony and Ziva quickly sliding past him to get out of the line of fire.
"Director." He stayed in place and she moved to stand one step above him.
"I'm coming with," Jenny stated.
"Nice try, Director. You get to stay in MTAC and make sure that..."
"Jethro, I don't need protection." She stepped around him and walked down the stairs. She grabbed her NCIS jacket from Cynthia and waited with Ziva.
"The old Jenny's still in there," Fornell remarked. "She was a good agent."
"She hasn't been in the field in a while," Gibbs reminded.
"You know I stay out of these things, but you two aren't..."
"Fornell, she would shoot you if she heard that."
"She learned from the best, she can handle it."
"She's a target."
"So use her for bait," Fornell suggested. Gibbs continued down the stairs choosing not to think about how this could possibly go wrong.
"McGee get the truck. Tony, Ziva go with him." The team scrambled and left. Jenny stood her ground and waited for Gibbs to put up a fight. "Tobias we'll contact you if we don't get him."
"Sure, sure, you two have fun. Jenny try not to let him do something stupid. It's bad enough other agencies are pissed at you."
"I'll keep that in mind." The two watched Fornell leave and saw him shake his head and sigh in affectionate exasperation. "We going?"
"I'll drive." Jenny rolled her eyes, he never let her drive. The two entered the elevator and remained silent to the car. They got in and continued the silence till they merged onto a highway and Jenny finally lost her patience.
"You going to say anything?"
"'Bout what, Jen?"
"Why Abby is off the hook for protection and I'm on a leash?"
"Abby is being supervised and the lab is in lockdown. No one can go in or out without your security code," Gibbs said.
"Fantastic," Jen muttered. She remained quiet for the rest of the trip. They pulled into the parking lot and joined the team in the walk to the dock area. She noticed the silence of the rest of the tam and their curious glances.
She reached the body first and starred for a moment remembering when she'd last seen her enemy. She didn't have to be a medical examiner to know that the man had been dead for months. A new idea began to cement itself in her head and she didn't like it at all. She moved toward the edge of the dock and stood starring at the horizon.
Ziva had watched Jenny but was surprised Gibbs did not follower her. Tony and McGee started processing with Ziva collecting and testing the body. Ziva had seen Tony's worried glance at the body and knew he was thinking about Jeanne, the love he had not mentioned since his decision.
"She'll be fine, Tony," Ziva assured. "She's probably hiding away." Tony pretended not to care but Ziva could see his tension relax somewhat.
"Time of death, Ducky?" Gibbs asked.
"Months at least, Jethro. I'll know more later."
"DiNozzo!"
"Yes Boss?"
"That suit look familiar to you?" Gibbs inquired gesturing toward the worn clothes on the body. Tony racked his brain.
"It matches the jacket we found on the boat," Ziva supplied.
"Could've been shot on the boat, before we got there," McGee suggested.
"Figure out the currents and find that boat!" Gibbs ordered.
"You know the Director studied oceanography , she might be able to help," Ziva mentioned. Gibbs caught her glare. In truth he'd been glancing toward the end of the dock watching Jenny from the corner of his eye. He'd been trying to ignore her but he knew she could help. He approached her quietly and simply stood next to her trying to figure out what she was starring at.
"The currents in these pars could have easily brought the body from that marina," she informed. Gibbs nodded.
"What else are you thinking?"
"This isn't over."
"La Grenouille is dead."
"No, Rene Benoit is dead. If he's been dead since we last saw than someone else has been calling the shots, Kourt hasn't backed off."
"So what do you think did it?"
"Kourt. He's the only one who would have a motive for wanting us both dead," she replied coldly. Gibbs nodded again, those were his thoughts as well.
"Jethro!" Ducky called.
"Let's see what Ducky's got," Gibbs suggested and he turned away, Jenny following. Gibbs felt her bump into him and was about to tease her when he heard her sharp intake of breath and felt her stumble again. He caught her only to feel a warm liquid trickle down his hand. "JEN!"