What You Don't Know...

The Three Stooges Ride Again

There was nothing more boring than staring blankly at a computer terminal with a grainy, low quality picture and equally low quality sound. A heavy sigh was the only noise that broke the mind-numbing silence that prevailed on the lone security guard working graveyard shift at this Podunk storage facility owned by a greedy, self-serving man and his wicked little witch of a wife.

Tucked away in the furthest, least-active area of the industrial park, Melman's Storage saw little business save for the suspicious characters that frequented their rented units at all hours of the day and night. Each client that banged on his battered door caused his instincts to scream in protest as he allowed them entrance into the office before skulking back to their unit. Despite hating this job, it was a job and provided some meager income while he finished his senior year at USC.

As he considered the many degrading ways he planned to tell the owners to take his job and shove it, his one and only security camera cut out, filling the lone monitor with black and white static. Dark expletives exploded from the young man's mouth as he rose from his squeaky chair and ventured into the darkness to investigate.

****

Using the shadows to conceal their felonious activities, three bumbling, clumsy, and argumentative crooks sloppily stumbled over the rusted chain-link fence after dismantling the security camera dangling from a dilapidated metal pole. For many weeks, the trio had been casing this business looking to make a quick score for nothing more than the thrill of getting away with an easy burgle. Smash-and-grabs were more entertaining and fast-paced, which suited their random acts of petty larceny.

A loud 'bang' caused the leader of this disorganized band of Robin Hood wannabe thieves to jump.

"Seriously, Jack?!?!" He hissed. "Make more noise so the neighbors can hear us!"

"Not my fault you're wound so tight, Barry." The crook named 'Jack' giggled. "Relax dude. This'll be an easy score!"

"Not if we get busted, ya clown!" Morty, the third member of their little raiding party grumped. "Can we just get on with this and get out?"

"Relax boys." Jack kidded. "Let's get at this and vanish like the ninjas we are."

Continuing their klutzy robbery of their intended target, the trio made surprisingly quick work of the nearly impervious lock securing the unit targeted for thievery. Blazing a trail through the small storage unit like a trio of Texas tornadoes, the goons grabbed what they could stuff into their backpacks as quickly as humanly possible before they tripped and stumbled over one another to escape discovery.

Silence once again returned to the dead of night as the thieves disappeared into the darkness from whence they came. An instant later, the late-night security guard discovered the burgled storage unit and let loose with another vile string of expletives as he quickly dialed 9-1-1 before calling the owners. After tonight, the young college student was walking away from this job entirely, citing that this was the last place he'd want on his resume after graduation.

****

Wakey, wakey eggs and bakey, partner...

NCIS Special Agent Marty Deeks said in a text he sent from his smartphone to his partner, Special Agent Kensi Blye. Assigned to a special operation, Deeks had been loaned out to participate in a joint task force with several federal agencies to investigate a conglomerate organization allegedly dealing in nuclear weapons to terrorist groups all over the world. He would be tied up all day at Ops with Sam and Callen working the investigation, so Kensi and fellow NCIS Special Agent Jana MacBride would be partnered up until further notice...not that the two ladies minded about the reassignment.