Genevieve

Chapter 1

"We've got a dead researcher and his wife. Grab your gear!" Theories are shot around, the normal ones. That he must have been killed by an assassin from another country based on the research that he had been conducting, and that the wife must have been tying up loose ends. But something doesn't seem right with this case. I have a feeling in my gut that this case isn't like the rest. This feeling churns my insides as Tony and I drive to the crime scene. Ziva had insisted that she drive the van, and McGee lost the rock, paper, scissors battle and was forced to ride with her.

After a ten minute drive we come to a decent sized white house with a nice yard. It was easy to tell that one, if not both inhabitants were neat freaks. The grass is all the same length and is a luscious green. The house has been freshly painting and there is no sign of decay. This could be considered the perfect house, if there wasn't the bright yellow police tape taping off the crime scene. I walk up to the house and the first thing I notice are the pictures on the wall. They are of the two victims with a young girl of maybe fourteen years old. The young girl was smiling in every picture, but her eyes seems empty.

"Hey McGee, is there anything on the victims' file about having any kids?" He looks up from the bodies and follows my gaze to the pictures.

"Huh, I didn't think there was. But when we get back to NCIS I will double check." I turn to the door as another van pulls up. "Ducky is here, better go help him to unload. the van." He runs off and I turn back to the wall. There is something about that girl that makes me feel a fatherly instinct to protect her.

"Jethro, are you alright?" I peel my eyes away and look at Ducky. He looks at the pictures and sighs. "Is she among the dearly departed?" I shake my head. "Oh, well has she been found and notified?"

"Nope. We don't know who she is. We have to double check the file when we get back, see if any kids are listed. If not, then I have no idea how we are going to find her." Ducky nods and moves past me to examine the bodies.

"Well, I would say they have been dead for about twelve hours. There is no blood, so my first assumption is that poison is the cause for their demise. It's tragic, they are so young and had so much ahead of them. Okay, Mr. Palmer, please put them in the back, we will get the autopsy done as soon as possible." Together they load the bodies onto gurneys and take them out of the house. I am about to walk out of the house when Tony yells at me from the office.

"Boss, I found something!!!" I slowly walk into the office to find him holding a manila file. "According to this file the girl in the photos is Genevieve Marloy, the victims' foster daughter." I take the file from him and the face of a broken girl stares back at me. Her face is riddled with bruises and cuts and burns. "According to that she was taken from an abusive home by the state when a teacher finally had enough and called on a hunch."

"Do we have any idea where she is?"

"No we do not. I called her social worker, but he claims that he hasn't seen or heard from her for six months." I nod.

"Okay, talk to her teachers, I want to know if any of them have seen her." I walk back and everyone is loading the van with evidence bags. I look over the crowd that has gathered around the block, pointing and trying to get a peak at what happened. I silently scan the crowd for Genevieve and my eyes fall on a young girl with her hood on. I pretend to walk over to the van and she slowly walks over.

"Uhm, excuse me, sir?" I turn to her and she looks around nervously. "Can you tell me what has happened here? My friend lives here, her name is Genevieve." I see right through the lie but decide that it is best to go with her charade.

"Well, your friend's parents were found dead this morning. We would really like to notify her and give her our condolences and protection. It is quite possible that whoever did this to them will try to hurt or kill her." Her eyes narrow and I see her shiver. "You cold?" She shakes her head.

"No, it is just the thought that someone could be trying to kill Genevieve. She didn't ask for this, all she wants is to be left alone to live in peace." I lean in close and lower my voice to a whisper.

"Let me tell you a secret." She leans forward. "I know you are not some concerned friend. Genevieve, I recognize you from the pictures on your foster parents' walls." She gasps and pulls abruptly away. Then she begins to back away. "Genevieve, I need you to come with us, you're in danger and need protection."

She turns and runs away from me and I start to chase after her. A black Malibu comes racing around the corner and everything seems to go in slow motion as the driver rushes towards Genevieve. "Genevieve, get out of the way!" She looks back and then the impact comes. She rolls over the car and falls to the ground, the driver fleeing the scene without even slowing. I try to get the plate number, but decide her health is more important.

I run over to her and carefully hold her head. She is still conscious when I reach her. "Stay with me Genevieve." Her eyes slowly close and her body goes limp. I check for a pulse and thankfully find one. I turn to the clamoring crowd and yell out. "Someone call for an ambulance!" Someone grabs out a phone and I look back down at her. Then the realization hits me.

The driver saw her and just kept coming. He was trying to hit her.