Fic: Eternal Father, Strong to Save (Chapter 6)
Eternal Father, Strong to Save (Chapter 6)
Author: thecrystalkey
Summary: Jack Bauer has been framed for the murder of a navy petty officer. Local NCIS calls in the best of the best, Jethro Gibbs.
Spoilers: Season 5 of 24, Season 2 of NCIS
Disclaimer: See Chapter List.
While Chloe and Jack were discussing the details of the satellite coverage he would need, Bill Buchanan and Jethro Gibbs were talking quietly but heatedly in a corner.
“She’s just admitted to being an accomplice to everything Bauer’s done today,” Gibbs argued. “I am not going to just let her go because he says so.”
“You don’t have to let her go. Sign her over to CTU custody, we’ll have her under guard while she works and you can have her back at the end of the day.”
“No. As far as I’m concerned, she’s an accomplice to murder until I see proof that Bauer didn’t do it. She’s not going anywhere.” For Gibbs, that was the end of the argument. He’d pitched his voice loud enough on that last statement that Bauer should have heard him.
“I need her for this to work,” Bauer’s voice came over the phone, confirming that he’d heard Gibbs.
“It’s a computer thing. McGee can do it,” Gibbs offered.
“Has Agent McGee ever even seen a satellite feed, much less know how to read one?” Bauer growled, his mounting frustration clear in the overly controlled tone of his voice.
“Yeah, Probie, have you?” DiNozzo asked McGee.
Gibbs smacked his senior field agent on the back of the head without even having to look. “Not helping, DiNozzo. McGee, answer the question.”
“Uh,” Tim McGee swallowed. “I-I can read a satellite image but I’ve never tried to follow a live feed before. I could probably do it but, uh, if I understood Mr. Bauer and Agent O’Brian’s discussion just now, not well enough.”
“What were they discussing?”
When McGee was silent for a second too long, Chloe got impatient and explained it for him. “Somebody’s going to have to talk Jack safely through the hostiles’ inner perimeter to get him into the main building and then get him out again. Without his being detected or you’re going to have mount a rescue operation just to arrest him. That’s if they don’t shoot him on sight.”
“McGee?”
Not understanding the implied question, the younger agent answered, “Yeah, Boss?”
“Was that what you thought they were discussing?” Gibbs asked impatiently.
“Uh, yeah, Boss. The only experience I have doing anything like that is in computer games. It’s not exactly the same.”
“Try not at all,” Chloe said, unable to completely control her smirk. “Command & Conquer?” She couldn’t help asking.
McGee nodded, blushing a little at having to admit it in front of his co-workers.
“This is the guy you want to put in charge of this operation?” Bauer snarled.
That question didn’t need an answer, so Gibbs didn’t bother. “I guess we have a problem, then, since I’m still not releasing her into anyone’s custody.”
“It would only be temporarily,” Buchanan pointed out before Jack could respond. He didn’t want the former CTU agent to say something they’d all regret.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Gibbs muttered, his own frustration with the situation temporarily getting the best of him.
“She’s told you everything she knows,” Bauer argued. “That was the deal you made. Why exactly are you still holding on to her?”
“The deal didn’t involve any immunity for her,” Gibbs explained to him. “The deal she made with us is what’s currently protecting you. She’s my only link to you and whatever you’re in the middle of, Mr. Bauer. In case you’ve forgotten, you still haven’t been completely cleared. She goes nowhere until you hand yourself in or I get solid proof of your innocence.”
There was a tense silence as Jack internalized Gibbs’ statement. Chloe, hands twisted together from the escalating tension in the room, could almost hear Jack’s teeth grind as he considered and rejected possible arguments. The longer Jack was silent, the more uncomfortable she got.
“I don’t have to go anywhere,” she offered her own solution when the silence became unbearable. “I could do it from here. On my laptop. Agent McGee could - supervise.”
Buchanan looked a little startled at the thought that she could use CTU resources from her home laptop. McGee looked a little startled, and a lot nervous, at the suggestion that he should supervise. Gibbs had that thoughtful look again as he eyed her.
“McGee?” The silver-haired former marine didn’t take his eyes off Chloe even though he was addressing his youngest field agent.
This time the young man actually understood his boss’ implied question. “That I think I could do, Boss.”
“You think?”
“I know I could,” McGee rushed to correct himself.
“Better. Okay, that’s what we’ll do,” Gibbs decided. “If that’s all right with you, Bauer?” he asked the other man sarcastically.
“It’s fine.” Judging by how clipped those two words were, it wasn’t really fine. But it was agreement and that was all Gibbs needed.
“Good. Get on it,” Gibbs ordered the two computer geeks. O’Brian seated herself in front of the laptop, McGee at her shoulder. Gibbs thought of something else that needed saying. “McGee.”
“Yeah, Boss?”
“You see her do anything even the slightest bit off, you get her away from that machine and you let me know,” he ordered. O’Brian rolled her eyes.
“Got it, Boss.”
Gibbs nodded. “DiNozzo. Kate. With me.”
The two agents exchanged a look and then followed their boss out into the hallway.
“What’s his problem?” Chloe grumped, hunched over her laptop.
“I think it’s you,” McGee answered honestly.
She glared at him with narrowed eyes. “That was a rhetorical question.” She turned back to the screen in front of her. “Jack, are you still there?”
“Yeah.”
“This is gonna take a few minutes. It’s a little more complicated to set up than it would have been at CTU. Do you still have those comm units?”
“Yeah, I’ve got one in my bag.”
“Set it to proprietary one-six-seven. I’ll contact you on that channel when I’ve got everything set up.”
“Copy that.” He paused a moment. “Chloe…I’m sorry.”
Her lips quirked into a sad little almost-smile. “I know, Jack. It’s not your fault. I probably should have just left the house before they got there. Of course, then we’d both be on the run. This works better.”
“Not for you.”
“I’m fine, Jack. I’ll get back to you when I’ve got sat coverage. Proprietary one-six-seven.”
He gave a barely audible sigh. “Copy that,” he acknowledged quietly. Then the only thing coming over the phone line was the dial tone. Chloe quickly hung it up and concentrated on the task at hand.
Review. It does a body good.
Chapter 7.