NCIS: The New Recruit

Chapter 44

I woke up on a bed with Ducky sitting by my side. He was in a black suit and had a solemn look on his face.

"Just in time, my dear," he said, "Your funeral takes place in an hour..."

I sighed.

"There is a car waiting outside. It will take you a block away from where you are meant to be. All you have is your phone and the clothes on your back," he gave me a soft look, "Please be careful. They are torn apart by your death, don't let it happen for real."

"Don't worry, Duck," I gave him a small smile before heading to where the car was parked.

"Before you go," he handed me my phone and I glanced at it. It was a series of texts from Matt.

Please don't let this be true. Please reply to this message, tell me everything is alright, you're going undercover, you're coming back, it's to keep others safe.

Please let me know you're alright. I know you're alright. You were doing well, we were back to normal. You wouldn't do this, I would have seen it coming.

Or I believe I would have. Maybe I didn't know you as well as I thought. Maybe you let me believe you were OK so I wouldn't worry. So I'd be happy again.

Please don't be dead. Molly, you are my love, my life, my everything. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, every dream I've ever had. I will always be yours.

Give me a sign. I beg you.

I looked up at Ducky and handed him the phone, pain coursing through me.

"Don't let him do anything stupid, Ducky," I sighed before going to the car. I couldn't break down. Not now.

The driver said nothing to me when I got in, leaving me to my own thoughts. This meant the guilt started to set in.

Gibbs. He'd lost his daughter years ago, it had torn him apart. He wanted to try his best for me, in his eyes I was his daughter as well. I had forced him to go through all that again, the hopelessness, the guilt. Of course, he would blame himself. I would just have to get this over and done with as quick as I could, be with him again.

And Matt. I'd abandoned him. I couldn't comprehend how he would be feeling. It must have been tearing him apart. He thought I was getting better, he blamed himself as well. He'd believe he could have done something if he'd paid more attention.

The others would be cut up as well, of course. But none so much as those two. All I could do was stay alive for them.

The car stopped and I got out. It was thought that I had been recruited, I had been given an address to go to and from there they would train me to do whatever they needed me for. Possibly train me to die.

I needed to clear my mind of any worries I had of Matt, of Gibbs, of anyone. I wasn't Molly Lees anymore. I had to remember that.

"Kirsten?" My fake name. I turned around and was greeted by a harsh looking man.

"Yes, sir," I said.

"Don't struggle," was all he said and a bag was placed over my head and then I was bundled into a van. I did as I was told. I was meant to be on his side.

I was taken to a large warehouse in the middle of nowhere. It seemed to have been turned into a base of operations. There was a large room at the end of the main corridor that I could barely make out but I could just see that it was filled with computers. The rest seemed to be bedrooms.

I was pushed into one of the rooms and basically told I was to stay there until called for and left alone.

The next few days consisted of me and around twenty other kids being spoon-fed extremist propaganda. The whole time this was going on I was looking for an opportunity to get into the room at the end of the hall. The room that had the information I needed to get out of here.

It appeared to be occupied all the time. That is except for when everyone was in prayer. That was the only time it was unguarded, the only time the entire place was unguarded. My only opportunity to get what I needed. All I would need to do was plug the phone into s computer and let it sync. Then I'd send the info to NCIS and be on my way, get back to my normal life.

The only issue was that it was enforced that we went to prayer. That is, unless we were too ill to stand. One of the other kids had been throwing up and he wasn't at prayer, so maybe that was the way out. They also separated males and females and the females were less closely guarded so that would also make it easier.

The next day I tried to fake being ill. I knew I would have to go all out or they'd make me stay. This was my chance and I couldn't let it pass. If I did it sooner rather than later I would get back to my family quicker. Everything would be over and life would go back to normal, I could focus on making everything better again. I could try and make it up to everybody sooner, if that was even possible now. I had hurt them a lot this time.

I forced myself to be sick. It was disgusting and I felt like an idiot doing it, but it worked. They quarantined me to my room so all I had to do was wait.

As soon as I heard the prayer begin I knew it was time. I opened the door quietly and crept through the hall. Every time the floor creaked I froze, hoping nobody would investigate. I couldn't afford to be caught now, not when I was so close.

I eased the door to the information room open, hoping I was right in saying it would be empty.

Much to my relief, it was. I hurried over to the computer that looked like it was the main server and quickly pushed the cable in. I started the data transfer, praying for it to go quicker. They could be back any minute and if I was caught, I was dead. But I couldn't turn back now. I had to finish this. It was an everything or nothing situation.

The download finished and I unplugged it. As I went to open the door I noticed the noises had stopped.

"Shit..." I whispered.

I listened closely for footsteps and, when I heard none, I quietly opened the door and slipped out. I crept along to my room, jumping at the slightest sound.

I had just slipped into my bed when the door opened. I was taken through to another room with three other kids and told the thing I dreaded most. It was my turn.

The next day at noon, the other kids and I were to go into a packed shopping mall with bombs strapped to us and 'do our duty'.

All I knew was it would be impossible for me to get out of this one unscathed.