NCIS Short Stories

A Gunshot To The Heart

Gibbs POV

"Abs? Are ya coming or not," I yell. Today was Abby's birthday, and I promised her a birthday dinner with just the two of us. She doesn't know that I have planned a surprise party for her when we come back to my house. We are going to some place she told me about. It's not to fancy and not too much like the dinner where we go for coffee or lunch sometimes.

"I'm coming, Gibbs," she responds, "Let me grab my bag!" She comes down the stairs in her better-looking gothic clothing. 'Poppy' her umbrella is in her hand and she has her hair in its natural pigtails.

"You look good, Abs," I smile at her.
"Thanks, Gibbsy," she laughs.

"You do realize I hate it when you call me that, right?"

"I know," she slips a devious smile, "That's what makes it funny." I walk out of her door and we get in my car. My phone starts to ring and I see that it's DiNozzo.

"Gibbs," my normal response.
"Boss," he says, "We got the cake and the ice-cream, which just saying looks like blood a little bit, and are getting ready at your house. Bishop has her presents and we are almost done with the decorations."

"Good," I reply not to raise suspicions of Abby. I hang up.

"Tony," she asks. She can tell something is up. She's Abby after all, "Have you ever been to this place," I try to change the subject.

"Yea," she says, "It's really good. They have seafood and steak, just for you, and really good Chicken Parmesan," she looks over at me and punches me in the arm, "You could smile Gibbs." I laugh at her.

"I do smile," she looks at me in disbelief, "It's just a hard task."

"You can say that again," she mumbles, "Ok, Gibbs. If you do smile, the all I want for my birthday is a smile, a real one, for me." I turn towards her. She looks at me, her eyes filled with expectation. Then I hear a car horn. I turn and see a car speeding past me, almost knocking my mirror off. I honk my horn as well. The car keeps going. I drive slowly to insure that the car doesn't circle back.

"Idiots," I mumble, "You ok, Abs?"

"Yea," she nods. I can tell she is shaken. I drive until we get to the restaurant. I get out of the car and go to the other side of the car and open the door for her. She gets her smile back and grabs my hand. We walk in and get seated.
"It's a nice place," I say as I take a sip out of my water glass.

"I know," she says while sipping on her Coke, "I love this place. They have the nicest people." She stops talking when the waitress comes to take our orders. Abby orders the Chicken Parmesan and I get a Steak. We small talk for a few minutes until our food comes. I dig into my steak.

"Wow," I say. The food is good.

"I know right. Is it not amazing," she is smiling ear to ear because I like it. I am about to reply when we hear a crash. I turn, expecting to see an employee who dropped a plate, but I see two masked men with assault rifles. Oh great, I haven't been out of work for two hours and I already have to shoot somebody. I silently grab my gun out of my holster and take the safety off. Abby knows what I am doing. The men are commanding that people get on the floor. They are wearing ski mask. They turn for a moment and I move behind a pillar. Then I push myself in the open.

"Federal Agent," I announce. They turn towards me and pick up the rifles. I shoot one in the leg, but before I can turn the other man fires. I feel a sharp pain go through my shoulder and then another in my chest.

"Gibbs!" Abby yells. I hit the pillar with my back and sink to the floor. I land another shot on the other man in the arm. My vision starts to blur and my head starts to spin. I drop my gun. I hear screams, and more gunshots. I open my eyes to see nothing but red. I hear a voice next to me, and I think that it is Abby, "Gibbs? Can you hear me?" I feel a hand on my shoulder, and the one on my chest. Pain shoots up and down my arm and torso. I hear my own breaths coming in and out. They are shallow and ragged. I can feel hot blood coming out in massive amounts out of my wounds. I hear yells in many different languages. English, Arabic, and Russian.