NCIS | The Night's Agents: Book 1: Strangers in the Night

Chapter Eighteen

Gibbs cleared his throat and snapped, "Once you two are done playing—"

            "They didn't look like they were doing anything," Abby interrupted. The Goth looked at them curiously before her eyes landed on the corpse. "What happened to him?"

            Ducky and his assistant crouched near the body. Palmer took one look and blanched. "It looks he was mauled by a dog."

            "Yes, I would say cause of death was this bitemark on his throat," Dr. Mallard said. He snapped on latex gloves so he could further examine the body. Placing a gloved hand on the dead Shifter's skin, he frowned. "Jethro, he's still warm. I'd say he's been dead for a few minutes."

            Tim, Abby, and Palmer stared at the ME and team leader, then swiveled their heads to Ziva and Tony. She held their gazes steadily. "What?"

            The forensic scientist's eyes latched onto the wounds on Tony's neck that were just visible over his shirt collar. "You're hurt." Abby stepped forward and nudged the collar down so she could have a better look. "Ohmigod, Tony, what happened? You too, Ziva."

            Ziva's partner snorted and gestured at the corpse. "He bit me. I bit him back. Served him right. I wish I had rabies."

            "Need I remind you you'd be dead if it weren't for me?" the Israeli added. She winced and put a hand to her head where one of Ethan's hind paws had struck her. There weren't any marks but it did hurt.

            Abby's brow furrowed then relaxed as she figured it out. Ziva could almost see the light bulb go off over her head. "You guys are were—"

            Lightning fast, Ziva clamped a hand over Abby's mouth, muffling the end of her sentence. Removing her hand, she lied, "No, we're not, but we don't want a rumor like that circulating around."

            "Yeah, sure," the Caf-Pow-loving scientist said quickly.

            "Well," Ducky said as he rose from where he was crouched next to the body, "let's bring him to Autopsy. Mr. Palmer, did you bring the body bag?"

            Surprisingly, he had. The two MEs zipped up the corpse and headed for Autopsy carrying the bag between them.

            Tony tensed beside Ziva when Abby, who had moved away from them, whispered something in McGee's ear that had the probie shooting furtive glances at his teammates. Ziva, too, stiffened, but for a different reason: Gibbs was giving them his infamous stare.

            "You two, here, now," he all but snarled. In a softer tone, he told Abby and McGee to head to Labby. "McGee, what's the status on Nixon?"

            "Sorry, Boss, but he's turned off his cell and he hasn't left a paper trail. He's gone off the grid." Then the geek and the Goth left.

            If Ziva was in her wolf form right now, she would have her tail tucked between her legs and be cowering in submission. Gibbs was way mad.

            "I don't suppose you want to tell me what happened?" he asked in a voice of steel, his pale blue eyes as cold as ice.

            "When we arrived," Tony began, "Keane had already shifted and was waiting for us. He jumped me, but I dodged. Keane attacked me again before I could morph. Then Ziva shifted—she was hidden—and shoved Keane off of me. Like I said before, unless we're bitten by another lycanthrope or the weapon that strikes us is silver, we have the ability to heal quickly."