Mind Games

01-In Your Circle (Pt.1)

|D.C. Office|

He keeps staring on that empty table for the past weeks after the funeral. Though Ari is already killed, he still can't put his finger out of it. The experience itself is surreal and each day feels like a broken record for him.

"Still working Tony?"
"As you see McGoo. I got paperwork to do." McGee seems a little bit concerned about Tony for awhile, especially because he doesn't seem want to share anything with him. "Alright. See you tomorrow Tony."
"Good night McGeek." Just seconds after McGee get in the elevator, Gibbs walks past and saw Tony still on his table.

"Go home DiNozzo. You don't wanna be late in the morning."
"Got it boss." For awhile Gibbs step back and cancel himself to get in the elevator. "You're tired. Go home. It's an order."
"I said I got it boss. Just a few more min...."
"Now. Or don't bother to come in the morning. I need your clear head." He looks at Gibbs and know that he's dead serious. "Okay."

|New York City|

*Should I stay or Should I Go by The Clash is playing in the car*

"I told you I don't like this song. Your music taste is exactly like my dad."
"Yeah? Daddy issue much, Brickson?" She keeps her eyes on the alley where the meeting is supposed to take place. "My dad is a jerk, you know better than that Grant. Give me that, it's been an hour." Richard takes the camera from Allison, and suddenly she sees a laser right at his chest. "Richard, get down!" She pulls him down right before the first shot come at them. "It's a set up, damn it!" Both of them quickly get out from the car and take cover on its side. She tries to reach any cellphone through the window to call for backup but she can't reach it.

"Watch out Grant!" She didn't hear a shot coming from her side and Richard ended up taking the hit. "Brickson!" Allison shot the gunman 3 times but nothing hit, her priorities are trying to help her partner. " Oh shit, my phone is trashed. Hang on Richard. You owe me a chocolate pudding. Remember?" He wanna laugh but also get this horrible pain on his knee, "Hah.....ha...you owe me a bottle of bourbon....Al."
"I will, soon after you're okay." She tries to keep the wound from bleeding more. "Keep pressing. I'll get your phone. Where is it?"
"Backseat."
"Stay here. And keep your eyes open." She hop in the car on the search for his phone but then she can hear a wheezing object passing by. For a split second, she knows what it is. "Richard, no...no. Buddy?" There's a single shot right on Richard's forehead and she's looking at her dead partner, frozen from shock. "Richard...." As she thought it was over, she suddenly feel like someone is watching. A sniper. With a messy state of mind, she grab Richard's cellphone and make a call. "Spiders, 2 flies. One is dead." She dump the phone back to the car and then run away from the scene.

|D.C. Office|

"Morning McGee." It's 7 a.m and Tony is surprised that Tim is already in the office, working on something. "Got a call from boss."
"A call? I didn't get any. Anyway, where is he?" Tony got irritated like he just got sidelined. Tim points out to MTAC. "Wow. Must be serious. I wonder why you got the call and not me..."
"Zip it DiNozzo. Grab your gear. We're going to New York."
"New York boss?"
"Yeah. Got a dead NCIS agent killed with the same weapon from Ari case."
"Wait, what?" Suddenly he got a flashback to when Kate got shot. With Kate's blood on his face.

"DiNozzo! Do you come or not?"
"On your six boss."

|New York City|

"Special Agent Gibbs, DiNozzo and McGee. What do we got?" Gibbs walks onto the special agent in charge, Maxine Craig. "Agent Gibbs. We spoke on the phone. The victim is...." She takes a deep breath, she's ready to break. "Special agent Richard Brickson, 32. He was on assignment. There's a robbery in our office and some evidence that you temporary sent to us, is missing. He was supposed to gather evidence yesterday when he was.....killed." He takes a look at Richard's forehead, a bitter reminder of Kate. A perfect headshot. "I understand there is a connection to an evidence from our office. A sniper rifle from our case?"
"Yeah. My team already match the bullet from the wall right there to your missing weapon. You think it's some kind of message? The weapon and the headshot?"
"We don't know yet. But we would like to take a look. DiNozzo you're with me. McGee, review the witness statement, and send the body to D.C. tell Ducky to get thorough."