𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 ━━ 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐳𝐳𝐨

FIVE | it's a gulfstream

"Well, that's definitely one way to smuggle something into the country."

As soon as he's done talking with Ducky, Gibbs comes up to inform us that the victim in our case had swallowed emeralds.

"Petty Officer Second Class Khalil Sa'id, naturalized American citizen born in Egypt. Worked as a translator at Camp Delta. Fluent in Arabic, Uyghur, and Pashto. Died in his car on Route 522 near Fredericksburg. Almost killed a pair of bikers." Kate reads off the digital case file.

Tony peers over my shoulder at my computer screen. "Vroom-vroom bikers or pedal bikers?"

"Does it matter?" I cut in.

"Next of kin?"

"None in the States. No U.S. address, either." Her computer beeps. "And apparently, he rotated from our naval station in Bahrain to Gitmo five months ago."

"Where'd he got those emeralds?"

"Gitmo exchange — oof." Tony lets out a puff of air when I nudge him in the ribs. "Sorry."

"Get your gear. We're going to Gitmo." Gibbs charges down the bullpen.

Tony laughs. "That's a good one, boss." But Kate and I start to grab our things. "He was kidding, right?"

"I don't think so." Kate stuffs her gun into the holster.

"Unless there's another Gitmo in the middle of — I don't know — Louisiana."

"We're going to Cuba!" He grabs me by the shoulders. "We're going to Cuba!" Tony shakes me some more. "We are going to Cuba!"

I grip his arms to stabilize my spinning head. "Now if you just click your red heels three times, we'll be there in no time."

Soon, we're up on a jet, our priority ride from the Navy.

"I love priority rides!" Tony glances out the window, a smile beaming across his face. "Boss, this is the best."

"I miss canvas seats." Gibbs is still a bit grumpy that we're in such a luxurious aircraft.

"Check this out." He presses a button by the computer screen, and a panel slides up to reveal a mini fridge. "What do you want?"

"Get to work."

"I already started."

I rub my palms together. "Here we go."

"Guantanamo enjoys a year-round tropical climate, cooled by the breezes from the windward passage. Some of the more popular pastimes include skin diving, sunbathing, and horseback riding."

"I would be the last one to rain on your parade, Fidel, but you're logged onto an official Navy website. It's PR." Kate tells him.

"This isn't." Gibbs drops two blue folders, one for me and the other for Tony. "It's the NCIS file on Special Agent Paula Cassidy. She's an interrogator at Camp Delta." I hand the second file to Tony. "Special Agent Cassidy is not to know that Sa'id is dead."

With narrowed brows, Kate looks over at him. "We're not working with her?"

"Sa'id was carrying five unmailed letters of hers. Until we find out how she was involved with him, she's out of the loop."

We nod our heads in understanding.

"I can't believe we're in a $40-million Gulfstream. I mean, come on. It's a Gulfstream."

Leave it to Tony to forget about the case in an instance.

"I mean, it's got to be CNO's or SECNAV's. You know, Tiger Woods has one of these." Tony fangirls relentlessly. "Tom Cruise, all the big movie stars. This is their ride."