Tim sighed. “He was just there, this morning… and now.” Tim said to Ziva as he stared at Tony’s empty desk.
“Do not think like that Tim. Tony needs us to solve this case for him.” Ziva paused. “I will even help you out. Come on McGruff. Lead the way.”
Tim smiled. He had not seen the commercial for McGruff the crime dog in a long time. “McGruff? You don’t watch TV. You don’t own a TV. Do you?”
“No. But I saw a poster on the wall of the bus station. I like the look of the dog in a trench coat. It was rather hilarious.” Ziva explained.
“Okay.” Tim paused, considering. “It is a lot better than McGoo or Probalicious.” Tim nodded. “I like it.”
“So,” Ziva started. “As Gibbs said, a marine would not wander off from maneuvers. So why did Henderson?”
“Someone or something got his attention.” Tim suggested.
“Who and Why?”
“Abby said the casings had no fingerprints on them, right?” Tim asked walking around to the front of his desk and leaning against it.
“Correct.” Ziva went over and leaned on the front of Gibbs’ desk.
“So he wore gloves.”
“Do you prescribe to Gibbs’ theory that the shooter shot Tony and Henderson?”
“It points in that direction, Ziva, depending on Henderson’s time of death. I mean, I can’t imagine waiting hours for NCIS to show up, if we really were the target.”
“But even if Tony had been the target.” Ziva said pacing between the desks in the bullpen. “This person had no way of knowing it would be OUR team who took that call. It could have been any of the other teams sent out today to that scene.”
“That makes it seem way too random.”
“What is way too random, McGee?” Gibbs asked returning from talking to both Abby and Ducky. He went to his desk and sat down.
“This shooting. If Tony had been the target, this person had no way of knowing it would be OUR team who took that call.” McGee explained.
Gibbs sighed. “Except, Abby said the weapon was government issue. Henderson was killed instantly. The bullet ruptured his aorta. Ducky estimated time of death to be around 1 p.m. The body was discovered around at 1:32 p.m. We arrived at 2:17 p.m. Tony was shot about 2:30 p.m.”
“I can’t believe it would be one of our own” Tim stated, shocked.
“NCIS or FBI, correct Gibbs.” Ziva asked, referring to the fact that these two agencies sometimes issued the same type weapons to their agents.
Gibbs nodded. “We have some NCIS or FBI whack job going around shooting and killing military personnel and federal agents.”
“What? Henderson is not the first?” Tim asked.
“There are NCIS and FBI unsolved cases. Tobias is looking into the FBI cases. I/ We are taking the rest.” Gibbs got up and headed for the stairway. “I am needed in MTAC. Tim, pull the unsolved cases as far back as 2000. We may need to go back farther, but start there. We don’t know when this all started. Ziva, go see Abby, help give her a fresh prospective on this evidence.”
TBC
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