Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 31

Snap!

McGhee lowered the camera and frowned at the partially incinerated trailer he was photographing. "Man, it's a good thing you and Bishop weren't struck by that energy beam, Tony," he remarked.

Tony looked up from gathering samples of the dust. "You think I don't know that?"

McGhee continued snapping pictures as Loki followed Gibbs up into the remaining portion of the trailer. Following his boss' example, Loki slipped on a pair of plastic gloves and, still watching Gibbs closely, began to look through what remained of Clare Leopard's belongings.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Loki asked as Bishop stepped up into the trailer, holding a camera similar to McGhee's.

"Anything to give us a clue about Leopard," Gibbs answered curtly.

"Like what?" Loki prodded.

Exasperated, the former Marine glanced back at the Asgardian. "You tell me, Loki."

Loki looked around what remained of the trailer. There was a couch, with a low coffee table sprawled before it. A book lay open on the coffee table with a few papers scattered across it. Bishop snapped a couple pictures of the coffee table before Gibbs started collecting the papers.

"What are they?" Bishop asked curiously.

Gibbs flipped one of the pages over. "These look like they're from a file," he mused.

"On what?" Loki asked, peering over Gibbs' shoulder. The page on top was a schematic of a rifle. The same rifle the woman assassin had wielded.

Gibbs and Loki exchanged a look. "This looks dire," the god of mischief commented.

"What?" Bishop queried.

"A connection to another suspect," Gibbs told her.

"Daniel Diaz?" she asked.

Loki shook his head. "This one is unnamed...for now." Crouching down beside the table, he glanced underneath it. A scrap of paper was lying crumpled by the leg of the table. "Bishop," he gestured.

Bishop swung her camera around to snap a picture of the scrap before Loki gently picked it up. Unfolding the paper, he frowned. It was a note.

"Got something," he called, standing and bringing the note to the light. "Looks like a note."

Leopard,

HE needs to see success from you soon. Two assets he has lent to you for this assignment. You have the space walker son and the sniper. His son will be given the meaningful flashes that may benefit your cause. Use these assets wisely. Learn your lesson from the one who preceded you.

Do not fail him, or your fate will be worse than your predecessor.

The signature was a glyph. Loki touched it, feeling his stomach knot up. He knew that glyph. He knew it well. A flash of pain ricocheted through his mind, causing him to jerk back and wince.

"Anything of import?" Gibbs asked him without looking up.

"More proof that Leopard and our suspect are linked," Loki affirmed, taking a deep breath. "And adds another one to our list."

"Bag it," Gibbs ordered.

Slipping the note into a plastic bag and scribbling a label on the bag, Loki moved on to examine the couch. He pulled out the cushions and picked up a thin object of some kind. He held it up to study it closer.

"Loki?" Bishop said. "That's a potato chip."

"It was under the couch cushion," Loki objected.

"Everything falls behind couch cushions," Bishop told him flatly.

"You mortals allow food to linger on your seats?" Loki exclaimed.

"We don't put them there on purpose!" Bishop yelled. "It's just like, crumbs, and stuff."

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Oh."

The Asgardian continued to examine the couch, shooting a triumphant grin at Bishop on finding something that most certainly was not a potato chip. Carefully, he picked it up.

The item was a patch. Circular, it had a blue center with a white rim. A planet sat in the blue field. Red letters danced around the white perimeter.

"National Aeronautics and Space Administration U.S.A.," Loki read.

"NASA," Gibbs said, moving up behind Loki.

"What's that?" Loki asked.

"The U.S. space program," Gibbs replied, furrowing his brow.

"You know, rockets and astronauts," Bishop said, moving around the trailer. "Gibbs, I think you might want to see this."

Gibbs walked over to where Bishop was standing. The female agent gestured down to the floor under the window sill.

There was a piece of silver metal lying there. And quite visible on the metal was blood.

Blood and bits of flesh.

/***/

Two chapters in one day! How's that for a nice surprise?

I hope you liked the investigation scene. What do you think of the clues the NCIS team found? Any theories? 

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

Skylar Wittenborn