NCIS: The New Recruit

Chapter 45

Tomorrow noon Chevy Chase Pavilion four kids suicide

I sent the text to the number I was given for NCIS. It was the only chance I had now. If they could send somebody and subtly get everyone out of the mall, we could minimise the casualties.

Received

That was the only reply I got. Did that mean they were coming or not?

I didn't sleep that night. What if they did arrive just to see me die again? What if Gibbs arrived just to see me die again?

These thoughts ate away at me until dawn broke. I was dragged from my room and shoved into a van with the three others. They looked equally as scared as me but nobody made a sound the whole journey at risk of being shot. We at least had a chance if we went in with the vests.

When we arrived at the mall it was around eleven o'clock. They made us put the vests on and then a jacket on top so that it was hidden. They put us into position and ditched us in the middle of the packed mall. Families, couples, people with futures. All innocent and with the prospect of dying in a little over an hour. It made me sick to my stomach.

I noticed as time passed the mall became a little less busy every minute. This was unusual as it normally got busier around lunch time. Maybe it meant help was coming?

At least they were subtle and doing it slowly. If they evacuated everyone at once our vests would probably detonate early.

I glanced around through the groups of people who still surrounded me when I saw a familiar face.

"No, no, no..." I whispered.

McGee. If he was here, the others wouldn't be far behind. And if they saw me they might not be so subtle.

Stay calm. Face forward. Don't give anything away.

I looked up to see Ziva making eye contact with me and shook my head sharply.

She nodded before walking away, hopefully to warn Gibbs. Maybe Vance had told them that no matter what they saw they were to give nothing away. But would they be able to do so?

I could hear the faint beeping within my jacket and prayed they would hurry up. I was scared, I didn't want to die. Not when things were getting better.

When I focused again the mall was empty save for me and the three other kids. No sign of Gibbs, Ziva, McGee. No sign of anybody.

"Stay still. No sudden movements or else," a voice came from behind me and I froze.

A man in a large bomb-proof suit appeared in front of me and slowly unzipped my jacket.

"Stay calm. We'll get you out," he said, "How long till detonation?"

"Thirteen minutes," my voice was weak.

"Don't worry, we'll do it in ten," he told me before focusing on his work.

"Just in case..." I sighed, "In my pocket is a phone. It has everything NCIS needs."

He nodded and carefully slipped the phone out of my pocket before tossing it behind me, presumably to his partner.

He opened up the bomb and stared at whatever was inside it.

"Oh god," he whispered, "Stay completely still. Homemade bombs are unpredictable and could go off at any second."

I was barely breathing as the bomb was examined. I was tempted to look around, see if Gibbs was there, but I dared not. I was going to get through this and I didn't want to jeopardise that in any way.

The minutes ticked by with no sounds around me. Everybody was focused, you could hear a pin drop with the silence that filled the room.

"Take a deep breath. This is either going to save you or kill us all," the man said and I scrunched my eyes closed.

I heard a wire being cut and then nothing. It took me a second to comprehend. I had heard nothing!

The vest was pulled from my shoulders and I was ushered out of the mall. I looked back to see the other kids in the process of getting their vests off their shoulders and it took every ounce of self-control to not yell with happiness.

I still didn't get to see Gibbs or anybody, I was ushered into the back of an ambulance to get a once over, make sure I wasn't at all injured mentally or physically. When they were satisfied with what they saw they let me go.

I took a deep breath before heading towards the familiar faces that were staring at me with shock and pain.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say.

Nobody said anything. I could tell how painful it was for them to see me after they thought I had been dead. Gibbs had essentially watched me die.

"It was stupid. I know I hurt you guys more than anyone. You probably blamed yourself, thought you could have stopped me from doing what I supposedly did, and I am so sorry," I said before Tony pulled me into a hug.

"Nobody blames you," he said, "It's difficult, that's all."

"I can imagine," I sighed, "Vance just said I was the only one who could do it. They couldn't put a random untrained kid into the field. This was the only way to take this cell down."

"You did good," McGee said and Ziva smiled.

"We were warned not to show any emotion no matter what we saw," she said, "We probably should have expected this."

I laughed slightly.

"I'm going to go get this data to Vance. You should get home, rest. You've had a hard time of it," McGee said.

"Thanks, Tim," I said before following Gibbs to his car.

"Again, I am so sorry," I said for the millionth time on the way home.

"Molly, I don't blame you for anything," Gibbs told me.

"But you do a bit," I said, "You can't not."

"I'm just happy you're back," he said and when I looked up I frowned.

"This is Matt's house?" I said.

"You know what you have to do," Gibbs told me.

I nodded and got out the car, walking slowly towards the front door.

The door started to open before I'd even gotten there.