Beyond Rule 12

Red Flag

The chill of the early morning still clung to Noelle Raven as she followed Gibbs out of the car, her steps lighter now that the night-long stakeout had finally led to some action. They approached the suburban house with calculated precision, Gibbs' gaze unwavering as he zeroed in on their target, Lieutenant Caldwell, who was pacing inside. Noelle's heart pounded in anticipation, the long hours of watching and waiting bubbling into sharp focus.

"We go in quiet," Gibbs instructed in his low, commanding tone. "Caldwell's not supposed to know we're coming."

Noelle nodded, tightening her grip on her gun as they moved toward the house. Her breath puffed out in small clouds as the cold air bit at her face, but her attention was locked on the mission. Caldwell had been connected to the suspicious death of Petty Officer Ryan just days earlier, but they needed him to slip up—to confess or do something that would break open the case.

She shot Gibbs a glance. Even after hours in a freezing car, the man was as steady as ever. His focused demeanor didn't crack, not even for a second. If anything, the cold and the waiting seemed to energize him in a way that left Noelle both impressed and mildly irritated. How was he *not* affected by the fact they'd just spent nearly ten hours in that car?

"On my signal," Gibbs said in a low voice as they approached the front door. His blue eyes were hard, locked on the target. "We're taking him in."

Caldwell was still pacing inside, unaware of their presence. Noelle felt the familiar surge of adrenaline, and before she could take another breath, Gibbs gave the signal.

With a sharp motion, Gibbs kicked the door open, the wood splintering as they burst inside. Caldwell whirled around, his phone dropping from his hand as he backed up in panic.

"NCIS!" Gibbs shouted, moving in like a hawk about to strike. "Hands where I can see them!"

Noelle trained her weapon on Caldwell, backing up Gibbs as he moved closer. The lieutenant stammered, his hands half-raised, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"I didn't—wait—I didn't do anything!" Caldwell protested, his voice shaking as he stumbled backward, his hands now fully up in surrender.

"Sure you didn't," Gibbs said coldly, cuffing him in one swift motion. "Now, why don't we talk about your phone call?"

Noelle stepped forward, collecting the phone from where it had fallen on the floor. She tossed it into an evidence bag and then helped Gibbs haul Caldwell to his feet.

"You've been talking to someone pretty interesting, Lieutenant," she said, giving him a pointed look. "Now, let's see how much they're willing to cover for you."

---

Back at NCIS headquarters, the bullpen buzzed with the usual early-morning energy. Tony DiNozzo was already leaning over his desk, munching on a breakfast burrito, while Ziva David gave him an unimpressed look from her chair. McGee, as usual, was typing away on his computer, his focus entirely on whatever data he was running through.

The arrest had gone smoothly, though Caldwell was still refusing to give up any details on the person he was talking to on the phone. There was something fishy about the entire situation, but Noelle knew better than to worry—Gibbs would crack Caldwell eventually.

"Look who's finally back," Tony said, grinning as Noelle and Gibbs walked into the bullpen. "Thought you two had frozen to death out there. Did you catch Frosty the Snow Marine?"

Noelle rolled her eyes. "We caught him. And for the record, freezing to death is way more fun than sitting next to Gibbs for ten hours straight."

"Hey, I'm right here," Gibbs said, his tone deadpan as he passed Tony's desk.