Genevieve

Chapter 7

"Gibbs!" I look at the ceiling and run up the basement stairs. There is another scream coming from the guest room and I run up another set of stairs. I burst through the door and Genevieve sits up abruptly. I sit on the edge of the bed and rub her back lightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." I shake my head. 

"You didn't wake me. I was in the basement working on my boat." She looks at me. 

"A model boat?"

"No, an actual boat." She laughs. 

"How can you build a boat in your basement? How are you going to get it out?" 

"Don't know yet. Figured I could maybe take down a wall an build a ramp." I am about to ask her about what she was dreaming, but then decide it may not be the best option. "Would you like to see it?" She nods and I lead her down to the basement. She laughs when she sees it. 

"Wow! You made this?" I nod and she begins to look around the basement. "Where are your power tools?" I hold up a hand sander. 

"Here. I don't use power tools. Come here." She walks over and I hand her the sander. "Just rub it back and forth evenly." She slowly begins to sand, and she smiles. "That's it, you're a natural. Ever use these types of tools before?" Her smile fades slightly and she puts the sander down. 

"Me and my dad used to make model houses together. We would use only hand tools, he figured it would teach me to be patient. That was at the very beginning of the project, and I already expressed how much I wanted out." 

"How old were you when the project started?" She looks at the ceiling and I can see her back tracking in her brain. 

"Let's see, it was a few weeks after I turned six. I had been with my foster family for about a year." I sigh irritably. 

"So you were experimented on for eight years?" She nods. "That's messed up, I can't believe that no one tried to stop it sooner. Or did they?" She looks at me with narrow eyes. "Did your parents try to get you out of the project sooner?" 

"Yes, they did. The supervisor of the project refused to listen to their pleas. They tried to tell him that he was going to ruin my childhood and break me. But he said that the broken make the best followers. He wouldn't listen to Marcy, who was a trained Child Psychologist." 

"They were trying to brainwash you into becoming a weapon. What kind of person does that to a kid? Do you remember the name of the supervisor?"

"Lowe. His last name was-is Lowe. He is in the military, but I don't know what branch." I pull out my phone and dial DiNozzo's number. "Tony, I need you to search the military database for me." 

"Gibbs, I'm at home. Sleeping. Can't it wait until tomorrow?" 

"No, it cannot wait. I have a girl's life possibly at stake, it needs to be run now. Get your butt back into work and call me when you get there." I hang up and look over at Genevieve. She has resorted back to examining the boat. "Do you see something wrong with it?" She shakes her head. 

"Nope, just thinking about how much my dad would've liked you. He was into all this stuff. I loved to watch him work. He was always smiling when he was working on his projects, and he would even let me help. Then when I got older and started showing more interest he would allow me to design and make my own projects. I have a whole sketch book dedicated to designs I came up with." I smile. 

"Well, we will have to go get that back for you and you will have to show me." 

"That would be cool." She yawns loudly and looks back at me. "I think I will try to go back to sleep. Maybe get a few hours in before another day begins. Good night. Or should I say, good morning." She walks back up the stairs as my phone rings yet again. 

"Hey DiNozzo, you back at NCIS?" There is a silence. "DiNozzo, dammit, speak!" 

"Hey boss, sorry, I didn't realize the call had gone through. So, what was that name you wanted me to search?" 

"Lowe. L-O-W-E." 

"Alright. Oh. Boss, there are 150 people enlisted with that last name. Got anything more specific?" I rub my forehead. 

"He's male." 

"That narrows it down to 110 people." 

"Check for older men with research back grounds." 

"That narrows it down to five people." 

"That's reasonable enough to choose from a line up. Have their pictures ready for when we get there. That way we can have Genevieve point out who the bastard is." 

"He a suspect?" 

"Right now he's the suspect. Thanks DiNozzo, I'll see you when I come in." I close my phone and walk to the stairs, turning off the light as I leave the basement. I walk up the stairs to the second floor and peak in on Genevieve, who is snoring softly. "We'll catch the bastard, Genevieve, I promise."