The Life Of The Daughter Of NCIS

Chapter 17: Don't Play Games

Gibbs

I laid the photos out on the desk, this is the only thing connecting Az to the Knight's, this is the only place where the code could be, I flipped them over and read the backs, all had a little caption, but only some had a time. I grabbed some paper and a pencil and sat down with the pictures with times, their was five overall.

I poured myself some bourbon into a mason jar and mulled over the photos, the times were totally different to the actual pictures, it stated that it was 1437 hours when the moon was glowing in the sky. I reordered them again and double checked the numbers before jotting them down on the paper. I almost laughed, it was an old technique that undercover agents used, one I had many of times.

1822-0900-1752-1226-1437

I glared at my phone as it broke the silence with a continuous buzz, I picked it up and tossed it in the bin.

This was more important.

I took a long sip of my drink, and pulled out the file I wanted, I flipped through the stacks of paper till I found the bank in Zürich, and it's number. I grabbed my gun as voices echoed upstairs but relaxed when I realised it was just DiNozzo leaving a message on home phone. "Hey Boss, I'm surprised that you didn't answer Abby, she's a bit worried now. I need you to ring us back asap as soon as you get this." The long droning noise signalled the end of the message, I raised my eyebrow and knocked back the rest of my drink, I debated about having another but decided it might be better to grab my phone.

I fished through the discarded sandpaper and offcuts of wood till I found the flip phone, it was still buzzing. I flipped up the screen and held it to my ear and waited for Abbs to begin speaking "hi Gibbs." She sounded sad "there's a parcel that's been dropped off for you, it feels like some sort of VHS tape." I glanced between my empty cup and my car keys, I shook my head "okay, I'll be there. Give me ten." I told her, hooking my keys with my index finger. The journey should've taken me twenty but took me less than half that time.

Abby was waiting for me downstairs, I nodded at her and we headed to the elevator. "Are you okay? Like really okay?" Abbs asked as the lift rose to the third floor, I gave her a side look "yeah, Abbs, I'm okay." I told her, lying through my teeth.

Abby frowned and turned to me, anger clear on her expression. "Gibbs you've been drinking!" She yelled, far to loud for the small space "and you drove here." I turned off the elevator and turned to her.

"Abbs, it was one glass, I'm fine." I tried to calm her down.

"But you drove, you drive like a maniac when your sober, and you're-"

I cut her off "don't say drunk. I'm not drunk."

She gave me a 'really?' look.

"You could have been killed!"

I knew what this was about. I pulled her in for a hug "I couldn't lose you, all my family are disappearing and I don't know what to do." She mumbled into my jacket, I hugged her tighter for a second before letting go and stepping back "we're going to find Az." I told her "I'm not going anywhere either, I drove safe."

I put my index finger to my lips and then placed a flat hand on top of my non dominant hand which was in a fist with my thumb on the outside. "You promise?" Abby asked, reading my gestures, I nodded and held my hand against her cheek. Abbs smiled and I turned the power back on.

The parcel was a Jiffy bag laying on my desk, I grabbed my knife out of my pocket and slit the top open, I turned the tape over and inspected it, nothing out of the ordinary. McGee had already set up a player on the plasma. Everyone was gathered, even Leon, I slotted the tape in. I stood back, apprehensive about what was going to come on screen, hoping it was nothing like the photos in Abby's lab yesterday.