Title: "Tears for Allah: A JAG-NCIS Story"
Author: TxJAG_b aka TnJAGAz
Rating: PG/R language, violence, suggestive comments, adult language

Spoilers: Any season from 1 to 10 for JAG and Seasons 1-8 of NCIS and Seasons 1-2 of NCIS: LA

Classification: A JAG-NCIS-NCIS: LA action/adventure mystery thriller

Summary: Begins just before "Secret Agent Man" [though Harm has already come back to JAG] and continues past "Fair Winds and Following Seas." AJ has not yet announced he will be retiring as JAG. Harriet has not yet announced her upcoming reserve status, Cresswell is not on the scene yet, but he soon will be. Sturgis and Harm have buried the hatchet for now – as have Bud and Sturgis. There will be snatches of Seasons 9 and 10 of JAG as well as references to "Yankee White" through "Rule Fifty-One" and references NCIS: Los Angeles' first two seasons. However, the main focus of the story will be fallout from the events that took place in …For Meritorious Service.

Harm and Mac are taking the first tentative steps toward matrimony - but as we know with our heroes - nothing is ever easy. First there are the ups and downs of Seasons 9 and 10 as well as the fallout from Season 8 to contend with. Then both Harm and Gibbs come across some information that makes them each open their own independent re-investigations of the Singer murder. What they find during the midst of Command Staff changes and the consequences of the terrorist attack on JAG, is another terrorist plot that will have Mac rejoining the 2nd Force Recon and Harm working again with his 'buddies' in the CIA. The ending will lead back to the pivotal landing incident that made Harm a lawyer in the first place.

Disclaimers:

The JAG characters in this story are the property of Donald Bellisario, Belisaurius Productions, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Broadcasting Service Entertainment – this story is for non-profit entertainment of JAG fans only. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.

The NCIS characters in this story are the property of Donald Bellisario, Don McGill, Charles Johnson and Gary Goldberg, Belisaurius Productions, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Broadcasting Service Entertainment – this story is for non-profit entertainment of NCIS fans only. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.

The NCIS:LA characters in this story are the property of Shane Brennan, Shane Brennan Productions, Paramount Pictures, and Columbia Broadcasting Service Entertainment – this story is for non-profit entertainment of NCIS: LA fans only. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.

The Hawaii Five-0 characters in this story are the property of Alex Kurtzman, Peter M. Lenkov, Roberto O. Orci, 101st Street Productions, K/O Paper Productions and Columbia Broadcasting Service Entertainment – this story is for non-profit entertainment of Hawaii Five-O fans only. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.

CAST

JAG Corps Headquarters, Falls Church, Virginia

Rear Admiral A.J. [Albert Jethro] Chegwidden - JAG
Captain Roger Landham – Deputy JAG
Commander Harmon 'Harm' Rabb, Jr.
Staff Judge Advocate Lieutenant Colonel Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie
Lieutenant Bud Roberts
Lieutenant, j.g. Harriet Beaumont Sims [Roberts]
Commander Sturgis Turner
Legalman 1/PO1 Jennifer Coates [Tiner]
Commander Carolyn Imes
Commander Alan Mattoni
Staff Judge Advocate Major Carly Clemons
Lieutenant Commander John Burford
Staff Judge Advocate Sergeant Marla Givers
Legalman 3 Michelle Colton
Legalman 3 Trista Wellson
Captain Trevor Bourassa – CO, JAG Corps Security Company
1st Lieutenant Rita Camacho, Executive officer
Staff Sergeant Michael Elkins
Sergeant Cassandra 'Cassie' Ramirez
Sergeant Pete Bauer
Corporal Noel Fastell
Rear Admiral Stiles Morris – Judge
Commander Amy Helfman – Judge
Colonel Clifford Blakely - Judge

Naval Legal Service Office, Corpus Christi, Texas

Commander James 'Slim Jim' Pelzer
Chief Petty Officer Gilland
Legalman 2 Rachel LaGrew
Lieutenant, j.g. Jason Tiner
Staff Judge Advocate Second Lieutenant Mike Hale
Lieutenant Carl Strom

NCIS Major Case Response Team [MCRT] Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC

Director Tom Morrow
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs – Senior Investigator
Senior Special Agent Anthony D. DiNozzo
Special Agent Chris Pacci
Probationary Special Agent Timothy 'Tim' McGee [Norfolk office]
Probationary Special Agent Kate Todd
Head Forensic Specialist Abigail 'Abby' Sciuto
Medical Examiner Donald 'Ducky' Mallard
Coroner's Assistant Gerald Jackson
Coroner's Assistant Jimmy Palmer

JAGC-NCIS Liaison Office

Lieutenant Commander Faith Coleman
Staff Judge Advocate Major John Michael 'Jack' MacBurney

NCIS Branch office, Corpus Christi

Special Agent in Charge Chad Tolbert

NCIS Branch Office, Los Angeles

Director Henrietta 'Hetty' Lange
Deputy Director Leon Vance/Owen Granger
Senior Special Agent Lara Macy
Special Agent G. Callen
Eric Beale – Technical Specialist

NCIS – Israeli Liaisons

Special Agent Jennifer 'Jenny' Shepard
NCIS-Mossad Liaison Ziva David

SEAL Teams

Lieutenant Steven J. 'Steve' McGarrett
Lieutenant Freddie Hart
Senior Chief Sam Hanna
Commander Brad May – 'Rat Patrol'
Lieutenant Catherine 'Cat' Rollins – Intelligence Analyst, USS Enterprise

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Senior Special Agent in Charge Tobias Fornell
Special Agent in Charge Vivian Blackadder – I-52 Anti-Terrorist Task Force
I-52 Interrogator Omar Hassid

36th Marine Expeditionary Unit [Special Operations Capable] GATORFORCE

Colonel Andrew Baxter – Commanding Officer, 36th MEU
Lieutenant Colonel Lyle Kelly – Executive Officer
First Lieutenant Jim 'Young Jim' Hawkins – CO, Gatorforce One
Gunnery Sergeant Albert Sanchez – SNCOIC, Gatorforce One
Gunnery Sergeant Zachary 'Zack' Fuller – LAV unit
Staff Sergeant Mark Dallas – Force Recon 'Shark Three'
Staff Sergeant Joe Corbin – Force Recon
Corporal Kayce Danvers – Force Recon
First Lieutenant Frederick Buell – Firefly One
Lieutenant Rachel Brie- 36th MEU Battalion Aid Station

United States Joint Operation Command – Iraq

Staff Judge Advocate Colonel Gordon M. 'Biff' Cresswell

Iraqi Armed Forces

Major Nassir Azeri
Sergeant Khalil As'sam
Corporal Rafiq T'lass

Civilians and other important people

Mattie Grace Johnson – owner of Grace Aviation
Katerina 'Kit' Pearson – senior attorney, Lowell and Hansen
Sergei Zhukov – Harmon Rabb's half brother
Saddiyah T'lass - adopted daughter of Rafiq and Izdihar
Izdihar T'Lass - wife of Rafiq
Sarah Rabb - Harm's grandmother
Pop McNaab - former pilot, manager of Grace Aviation

Secretary of the Navy – Edward Sheffield

FSB - Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii- Federal Security Service

Colonel Mark Sokol
Major Alex Volkonov

Central Intelligence Agency

Director Bill Watts – Director of Domestic Operations
Harrison Kershaw – Deputy Director of Domestic Operations
Special Agent Clayton Webb
Senior Legal Specialist Catherine Gale
Air America/Pura Vita Head Alan Blaisdell - Directorate for Development Plans [DDP]
DDP Pilot Andy Watson
DDP Pilot Beth O'Neill
DDP Pilot Andy Buxton
Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez - liaison from USMC

Defense Security Division/Defense Security Directorate, US Justice Department

Mr. Green

Terrorists – Al Qaeda & Al Jihad

Samir al Sahood – leader of Iraqi terrorist cell that attacked the 36th MEU
Hamid al Harib – leader of the terrorist cell that attacked JAGC Headquarters
Muhannad Treshchenko – current leader of al Jihad
Umar bin Ayyubi – spiritual leader of al Jihad
Haroun Yare – leader of al Jihad in Somalia
Sadik Fahd – terrorist, al Jihad
Josef al Khamid – terrorist, al Jihad in Chechnya
Sean Macklin – former Irish Republican Army terrorist
Clark Palmer – former DSD agent
Ex- Captain Jacques P. 'Jac' Lewis – former DSD contract agent
Ex-Master Gunnery Sergeant Rudy M. Wilbane/Rafiq al Wahib

THE CASE THAT STARTED IT ALL...

The Admiral and Navy/Marine Judge Advocate General opened a black folder and began reading. "On 25 March, the Second Battalion, Third Marines, also known as 36th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was designated to clear Mirbullah." He looked at his JAG lawyers, "Contrary to all knowledge before today-that operation nearly failed."

He ignored their surprised looks. "As the MEU came into the town, local Fedayeen forces rallied the badly demoralized Republican Guard and they ambushed our guys. Recon by the attached LAV unit had indicated no enemy forces in the region."

"Negligence Sir?" Ventured Lieutenant Bud J. Roberts, Jr., former Public Affairs Officer for USS Seahawk and now one of JAG Corps Headquarters' junior attorneys.

"No, Lieutenant, simple fog of war. The LAV unit responded as soon as the Amphibious Tractor unit GATORFORCE ONE reported it was pinned down. No, this one is far trickier. The unit was pinned down and LAVs could not help extract them."

Commander Harmon 'Harm' Rabb, Jr., former Tomcat 'Top Gun' pilot and one of JAG Corps Headquarters' leading Naval Staff Judge Advocate troubleshooting attorneys looked as if he were about to open his mouth, but Admiral Chegwidden anticipated his analysis. "Though reinforcements were tied down on the other side of the village, the Colonel in charge was able to spare one of his gunships."

"So no negligence on the Colonel's part," surmised Commander Sturgis Turner, former Submarine Officer or 'Dolphin' and now also one of JAG Corps Headquarters' lead troubleshooting attorneys.

"Correct, Commander." The Admiral continued his story. "Just before the gunship arrived, a lone personnel carrier broke ranks from the others and placed itself between the enemy forces and the pinned troops."

"He sacrificed himself, Sir?" Lieutenant Colonel Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie, sole U.S. Marine Staff Judge Advocate on Admiral A.J. Chegwidden's JAG Corps troubleshooting staff still wasn't sure where this was going.

"Exactly, Colonel. 1st Lieutenant Phillip M. Dodge, commander of tractor two zero alpha, was in charge of the detachment of combat engineers assigned to the 36th MEU. According to eyewitness accounts, Lieutenant Dodge ignored his own safety and with a volunteer crew, placed his carrier in the line of fire and held off at least two attempts by the Iraqis to storm the Marine positions. At great risk to himself, he manned the carrier's machine gun, keeping lead elements of the attacking enemy force from overwhelming him and the trapped vehicles of GATORFORCE ONE. This despite the fact that the Iraqis had holed his vehicle with several RPG rounds."

Harm leaned forward in his chair, "That would make him a candidate for at least Silver Star, Admiral. But it's a posthumous award isn't it? And there were some problems with the award verification…"

The Admiral looked at him. Once again, Harm had proved why A.J. Chegwidden put up with the Commander's unorthodox methods for getting to the truth in any case.

"That's right Commander, Lieutenant Dodge did not survive. He died of wounds sustained as the action was winding down."

Mac winced as she listened. For him to have done such a selfless act only to be killed just as the battle was ending…

Harm asked what everybody else present wanted to ask, "Ah Sir, bravery award verification usually isn't the purview of our JAG unit, so how are we involved?"

Harm hit nail on the head. "We're involved, Commander, because Lieutenant Dodge wasn't killed by enemy fire. He was murdered."

He ignored the stunned looks of the officers. The Admiral handed out copies of the report – each was stamped CLASSIFIED.

Tears for Allah – Prologue – Part I

A/N 1: I included the scene above to set the stage as to how our heroes got to where they are in the first place. Included below are scenes from the last two chapters of …For Meritorious Service that are crucial to understanding the story that is about to begin.

A/N 2: Thanks to my trio of editors [Mary Ann, Janlaw and Karen] for their usual fine job and to special editor Laura Davies for her insight and common sense 'whacks to the back of the head'. Kudos also to AeroGirl, Mkim, Soleil, TZ, Janlaw for providing their help and technical expertise. Also finally thanks to Lisa Griffon [Yahoo Shipper Group] for her encouragement on the initial project [FMS] and her continuing support.

A/N 3: What you are seeing is recap of FMS, so before I get any comments about rehashing a previous story - all will become clear shortly. :)

Previously on NCIS:

Fleet Hospital - 17
Expeditionary Medical Facility
An Nasiriyah, Iraq

Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent, Anthony 'Tony' D. DiNozzo,

former Baltimore police detective and number two man in the Washington, DC NCIS Major Case Response Team was sitting out in the hallway of the medical facility, waiting with his two prisoners, both Saddam Fedayeen who had teamed up with Samir al-Sahood's terrorist cell. The organized chaos of the facility and possibly the odors of iodine, sulfa drugs, disinfectant, and soap were making them look a little self-conscious and possibly even scared while sitting next to the NCIS Agent. Or it might be they were scared about what the Americans might do to them, no doubt their comrades had told them horror tales about what would happen to them. It didn't help that a stern looking Gibbs had already taken three others [with an armed escort] in to get x-rays. For all these Fedayeen knew, Gibbs had taken them to be executed.

So now it was just a matter of 'killing time', so to speak, while waiting to get these guys examined by a doctor and x-rayed. Tony looked around; no newspapers or magazines – but then this was a hallway and not a waiting room. Doctors, nurses, orderlies, and patients wandered back and forth past them.

The former Baltimore police detective could have played mental television trivia, but it was more important to keep an eye on his two skittish prisoners. Every once in a while one of them would give Tony a furtive glance and when he looked back they lowered their eyes to the floor.

Since Tony didn't speak Farsi and only pidgin Arabic there was no use trying to talk to them. So they all settled for an uncomfortable silence.

Presently two extra-large, muscular MPs walked up to Tony and his two prisoners.

Tony gave them his winning smile as he stood up. "Gentlemen…"
The beefier of the two MPs looked blandly at NCIS Special Agent. "You must be Agent DiNozzo. We're here to escort the prisoners down to see Doctor Rojas in 12B."

"Wow, I have a reputation," Tony quipped, but no one laughed or smiled. "Well, I'd guess I'd better go with you guys."

"We'd rather you didn't, sir," replied the less beefy guy.

Tony continued smiling. "Oh? And why is that?"

"We can take care of them, sir, and we understand the situation you are in. They are just going to be checked over by Doctor Rojas."

"The situation I'm in…well that's certainly an awkward turn of phrase…" Tony looked for the other MP for an explanation.

"It's not so much that we rather you didn't" added less beefy. "You helped out the 36th this morning that goes a long way in our book, sir."

Tony thought about arguing with them. I mean, after all, they were his prisoners. And Gibbs would have his head on a platter if anything happened to them.

Then he noticed a cute brunette nurse sitting down the hall a little ways from them with a little Iraqi girl who appeared to be on the verge of tears. The girl seemed to be trying to ignore the nurse and concentrate on coloring in her book.

Talking to this brunette seemed like more fun than watching Frick and Frack here get an examination and besides having been around Gibbs for a while had made him more sensitive to kids' needs.

"Okay guys, you can have them, but if they come back busted or folded or spindled or otherwise messed up I'm going to come looking for you." Tony thought his voice sounded like a blend of Eastwood, Wayne and Willis. At least he hoped so.

The two giant MPs looked at each other [more amused by the Agent's tough guy talk than intimidated] and then at the DC MCRT Special Agent. "Don't worry sir," beefier guy said in a serious voice. "Better that they talk to the CIA than have some sort of accident."

"All right, I'll tell the nurse…" he said pointing to one of the passing nurses "to keep tabs on you guys."

"Yes sir," beefier guy answered. He and his partner gathered the two prisoners and escorted them down the hall.

Tony put on his best smile and walked down to the brunette nurse who seemed to trying to have a conversation with the little girl and was failing miserably.

"I take it you're new at this?" Tony began – not his best opening line, but it sounded pretty good at the moment.

The young brunette looked up and smiled. Saddiyah stopped coloring in her book and stared at the agent.

"I'm watching her for a patient," the brunette explained. She had to admit she liked his smile and good looks - he looked like a young George Peppard or Robert Wagner. "She's worried that's something's wrong with her friend and I've been trying to reassure her."

Tony sat down beside Saddiyah as she continued looking at her coloring book. "Who's her friend?"

"Pharmacist's Mate Nicholas Hazon. He was injured in the riots here earlier in the week…"

Tony looked at the picture she had been working on. He tried to recall what Gibbs would do in situation like this. Then he remembered what he had said to that little boy who had lost his parents in a murder-suicide case a couple of weeks back. He'd had been doodling on a sketch pad Abby had given him.

"That's very good," Tony said to the girl. Saddiyah liked the sound of his voice. It sounded a lot like Nick. She gave him a small smile.

"That's the first smile she's had since she came out here," gushed the nurse. She hoped she didn't sound too effusive.

Tony gave her his winning smile again. "I'm very good with kids," he said lying through his teeth. "By the way, I'm Anthony DiNozzo, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, but my friends call me Tony."

"Well, Anthony DiNozzo, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," she replied teasingly. "Would you mind staying with us until the JAG Corps officer finishes with her friend?"

Tony looked around. "Where's her family?"

The nurse smiled sympathetically. She hated telling this part. "Dead. Pharmacist's Mate Hazon is all she has…"

Tony digested that. "Oh…well, yeah, sure."

"Thanks, and by the way, I'm Kim, Lieutenant Kim Fields," she said mimicking his verbal miscue and then suddenly feeling shy about doing so, maybe because she found him attractive and didn't want to chase him off the way she did to most men she met.

"Well Kim, Lieutenant Kim Fields, what do you say to asking her if she needs help with her coloring?"

She gave him a flirty smile. "We can ask her."

Tony nodded and started to ask the girl permission in her native language, "What do you say…" then he looked back up at Nurse Fields. "Um, what's her name?"

"Saddiyah…" Kim whispered.

"Well, uh, Saddiyah, what do you say, can we help you?"

Saddiyah giggled at the agent's attempt to speak her language, but she was pretty sure she knew what he meant. She opened the book to a blank page and gave Tony and Kim a crayon each. She pointed to Tony and then the lower half of the page and then to Kim and pointed to the building on the page.

"Looks like I got stuck doing ground work…." Tony pouted pretending to grump about his 'assignment' - much to Saddiyah's delight.

Kim laughed softly, "I'm sure you'll do a good job, Tony."

Tony gave her another of his winningest smiles of his in return. "Thanks Kim."

Saddiyah liked seeing them smile at each other. She grabbed another crayon and began working on the animals populating the page.

"DINOZZO!"

Tony shot out the chair like someone had poked him with an electric cattle pod

"YEAH BOSS!" he shot back as he scrambled awkwardly to his feet.

"Where the hell are your prisoners?!" The Senior NCIS Agent and head of the DC-MCRT demanded.

"Down the hall being examined by Doctor Rojas, boss!"

"Why aren't you with them?" he asked pointedly as only the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) Head and former Marine Gunnery Sergeant Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs could do.

Tony began his explanation innocently enough. "Well boss, Lieutenant Fields here asked me to help-"

Gibbs deftly cuffed him on the back of the head, cutting his explanation short. "Go get them!" he growled.

"On it Boss!" Tony said as he scooted down the hall.

Gibbs looked down the stricken child and the stunned Lieutenant. "He was supposed to be guarding some dangerous prisoners!" Gibbs hadn't been on the defensive like this in a while. Seeing the woman and the little girl staring at him irritated him further.

Kim Fields stood. "Sergeant Nader and Corporal Stone could more than handle them, Special Agent-"

"Gibbs, NCIS." The senior Agent said brusquely, flipping open his wallet and showing her his badge and ID.

"Well, Special Agent Gibbs, as I was explaining, Stone and Nader wanted to repay your agent for his service to the 36th this morning…and Tony volunteered to help me with this little girl…."

"Tony…?" Gibbs said sounding angry and confused at the same time while he stared pointedly at her.

She quickly averted her eyes from his steel gaze. "I-I mean Agent DiNozzo…"

Gibbs noted the little girl was giving him as mean a look as she could possibly muster. Kelly had done that to him a time or two when he had to discipline her. He could see Kelly in his mind's eye giving him her infamous [as he called it] death stare. Sometimes Gibbs would fake dying just to make her smile.

He squatted down in front of her. "He works for me. He was supposed to be guarding some dangerous men," he explained gently to her.

"She doesn't understand English very well…" Kim said coldly, obviously rebounding from the dress down given to her by the senior NCIS Agent.

Seeing that he wasn't making much headway with the girl, Gibbs reached up to his uniform lapel and pulled off his subdued special agent service pin. Clipping it together, he gave it to the girl.

Saddiyah held the service pin like it was a dead bug. She wasn't very impressed with it.

"Here," Gibbs said gently, "It's a pin; you put it on your shirt; like this…"

Kim was touched. How could a guy act like a total jerk one minute and be so sweet and tender the next? "It's okay, Saddiyah," she reassured the girl in her native tongue. "He's sharing with you…"

Gibb took the corner of her shirt near her chest and Saddiyah placed her hand on his as he carefully placed the service pin on her shirt.

While Saddiyah and Gibbs shared a smile, Tony came walking back up the hall with his two prisoners.

"Got my prisoners and am ready to go, Boss. Doctor Rojas was just-"

Tony stopped his ramble when he saw Saddiyah fingering the service pin her boss had just given her. He felt a twinge of jealousy at the way she was responding. Saddiyah had been the first kid not to despise his approach. He had to admit to himself that he really wasn't that great with kids, but he'd hit it off pretty good with Saddiyah, so seeing her react the way she did with Gibbs seemed a little unfair.

That's when Saddiyah looked up and smiled at Tony, holding out her shirt so he could see the pin. The senior NCIS Agent looked up at his Senior Field Agent.

Tony gave her that special smile he reserved for the girls. "Hey, that's some nice pin you got there. Did you thank my boss for giving that to you?"

Saddiyah turned and, in very rough English, spoke to Gibbs. "Tan-Tan Kew…"

Nurse Fields was floored. Gibbs didn't know what say at first. He looked at the girl for a moment. "You're welcome." He said stiffly. He looked back at Tony and then stood up.

"C'mon, let's go." As they both walked away with their prisoners who were obviously relieved they hadn't been killed yet, Gibbs turned back to Kim. "Excuse us, Nurse."

As they started down the hall, Saddiyah got up from her chair and scrambled after them.

xxixx

Outside in the 100 plus grit-filled heat the two NCIS Agents were hustling their prisoners back on board their waiting CH-46E helo.

The Phrog crew chief motioned with his chin. "Looks like you've got a groupie, Special Agent…"

Gibbs turned and saw Saddiyah staring wide-eyed at the helo. Nurse Fields was directly behind her. "Come on Saddiyah," she quietly urged her back toward the door. "We need to go back inside…"

Tony and Gibbs exchanged a glance. "I'll get them on board, Boss. You go talk to her…" Tony said in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

But his answer surprised the former Baltimore police detective. Gibbs smiled and shook his head "No," the Senior NCIS said as he took the prisoners toward the helo.

Tony stood there awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to do.

Gibbs looked back at his senior field agent. "Go on, DiNozzo," he added motioning him toward the two women.

Kim Fields and Saddiyah looked across the field at Tony who started to approach them.

"Here; you'll need this," Gibbs said as he tossed what looked like a rolled up towel at Tony.

Special Agent DiNozzo caught the 'towel' and looked back at Gibbs who nodded and then ushered the prisoners into the Phrog whose rotors had slowly started to turn.

Lieutenant Fields squatted down next to Saddiyah. "Wait for him to come here," she whispered in her ear and then looked up with a bright smile as Tony DiNozzo approached.

Tony squatted down in front of Saddiyah. He hadn't noticed it until now but she had a roll of paper tightly clutched in her hands.

"What do you have there?" Tony asked the girl.

Saddiyah suddenly hugged Tony fiercely, and then turned away from him, taking the 'towel' but not before shoving the rolled up paper into his hands.

The former Baltimore police detective was speechless as he continued kneeling, not sure what to do next. Kim Fields walked up to Tony, squatted down and slipped a piece of paper in with the rolled up sheet.

"Call me," she said into his ear. "I'll be at Bethesda next Thursday…." and then hurried after the little girl who had gone inside.

Tony slowly stood up, turning around as he did and pocketing the slip of paper. As he looked across the tarmac, he saw Gibbs standing in the side doorway of the CH-46E. He and Tony exchanged nods as the Senior field agent walked over and climbed on board the idling helo.

As Tony got himself strapped in, he looked back at the hospital. There by the door stood Saddiyah wearing the 'towel' a right sized NIS t-shirt. She and Kim were waving. He unrolled the piece of paper and looked at it. It was the picture she had been working on so industriously.

In one corner was a hospital bed with a man on it. On the bed next to him was a helmet with crude Red Cross on it. That had to be Hazon. Outside the building which also had a cross on it was the green grass Tony had colored. Kim had helped Saddiyah with the animals but let her do the people by herself.

Tony could see there were other people on the page as well. A primitively drawn armored car and three smiling people standing by it. The names in English on the paper read 'Sari' 'Harm' 'Dr. Soong'.

His breath hitched when he noticed the crude crayon drawing of Nurse Fields and a guy with 'NCIS' written on his shirt holding hands with a little girl.

Gibbs watched as his Senior Field Agent carefully rolled up the paper and put it inside his shirt. His mind replayed back to another time when Kelly had given him a similar picture….

xx_flashback_xx

What's this honey?

Picture for you so you don't forget us, Daddy…

xx_end flashback_xx

It was only a short deployment, but to Kelly it would seem like a lifetime.

In his mind's eye he could see himself holding the crudely drawn picture of their house and Shannon and Kelly standing beside it. Above them was a plane with an American flag on it. The plane was labeled 'Daddy'. Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs had teared up and only by using his Marine will power was he able to leave the house without watery eyes.

As Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat back in his seat on board the helo, tears trailed silently down his face.

0337 Local_2337 Zulu
Three Miles from Outpost 124
Near Groznyy, Chechnya

Under a pitch black sky, the convoy moved with deliberate speed. The lead vehicle, a worn out UAZ jeep, bucked and bounced on the deteriorating roadway. Josef Al-Khamid fought the sleep that was trying to claim him. They had been on the road since leaving Mozdok, and now their little convoy was approaching their final destination. Once they delivered these plans, he would be able to rest.

The starkness of the piercing searchlight almost caused him to veer off the road. What he saw dead ahead made his stomach churn. Squat sideways across the roadway sat a BTR-90A eight wheel personnel carrier – its 30 mm chaingun was pointed directly at Josef's windscreen.

"Stoi!" barked a young Russian naval marine officer. His black and white striped t-shirt was in odd juxtaposition to his camouflaged uniform. He and his fire team ran towards his jeep with their automatic rifles unslung, most likely with safeties off.

Josef started to grab his Kalashnikov just out of sight of the man, but then realized a pistol was pressed against his temple. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Vasily, one his passengers, was not the man he claimed to be.

The naval infantryman reached in and took the assault rifle out of Josef's reach.

Parked behind the BTR armored car, Major Alex Volkonov sat in his BRDM-2 4x4 scout car staring grimly at the report he was just handed by the radioman. The news was worse than he has anticipated. He was about to say something in response to the report handed to him when the door to the armored car opened and former Mladshiy Serzhant [Junior Sergeant] Josef al Khamid was shoved into the compartment by his naval infantryman guard.

Josef looked surprised to see Volkonov sitting there. For his part the FSB-Russian Legal intelligence operative merely glanced at the Chechen insurgent.

"I take it you were expecting to find some low level GRU or FSB functionary here to interrogate you," Volkonov said in bored voice.

The Chechen guerilla, despite initially being caught off guard, was now stoic. It didn't matter to him who was doing the interrogating. He would never crack.

Alex Volkonov shook his head as if he were talking to a son who had disappointed him. "Ah, the classic 'silent treatment' eh, Mladshiy Serzhant? You know, I was good friends with your senior officer, Starshiy Leytenant Borokov? You remember him don't you?"

Josef said nothing. His breathing was calm and measured for the time being, but Alex Volkonov was going to make that change.

"Of course you do. You slit his throat while he sat in a personnel carrier just like this one!" The FSB operative got up from his seat and moved toward the Chechen. Alex swore he saw him flinch.

"Did you know that the Leytenant had nothing but praise for you, Josef? He said you would go far in your Army career. Even when there were rumblings about Chechnya forming its own state, the Leytenant said you would make a fine officer in their command structure. Did you know that, Josef?" The comments were supposed to make Chechen soldier uncomfortable.

They did. Alex could see that the Chechen soldier was beginning to sweat. And not from heat and humidity inside the cramped armored car. Alex shook his head sadly hoping it would stoke the Chechen's guilt at being misguided in his patriotic and religious fervor.

"Or did you just consider him a Russian infidel pig and think nothing of slitting his throat from ear to ear?"

That comment was supposed to stoke his guilt. It backfired. Josef for the first time looked the FSB Operative right in the eyes. "I killed him, Major, because those were my orders-"

But Junior Sergeant al Khamid did not get to finish his defense.

"Orders?" Alex said harshly, interrupting him. "Orders from who, Gospodin?"

"Starshiy Serzhant Zhamir, my immediate superior," he said, sounding proud of that fact.

"Starshiy Serzhant Zhamir…hmmm," he scanned down the page of the report he was holding in his hands. "Ah yes here he is… Yuri Zhamir, Starshiy Serzhant Yuri Zhamir. So I take it you both defected from 82nd Motorized Rifles, your parent unit, and declared in favor of the Chechen government, correct?"

Josef al Khamid had had enough of this pointless fact verification. This Russian personified everything he was fighting against. The paternal attitude, the smug, overconfident haughtiness.

"You Bolshevik! You say are not Communist! Yet you and your kind still try to suppress our national heritage and destroy our religion and our way of life!" Josef spit out at the man.

Alex steepled his hands in front of him. He had heard it before. "My kind," the Russian officer repeated with a hint of sarcasm, "Just what, exactly, is my kind?"

"Godless infidels, slaves to Putin!" Josef was on a roll. "Yes, I killed the Leytenant, Major, and I would do so again!" His eyes blazed with religious fervor. He was right. He knew it. Allah would reward him.

"And so you killed him on Starshiy Serzhant Zhamir's orders?" Volkonov said blandly.

"Yes, yes, yes! I did, exactly so!" he said, proud of his accomplishment. God was on his side – on their side – not on the side of these barbarians from the frozen north.

But Josef al- Khamid was about to get a very painful lesson in geopolitics. "Well Gospodin," Alex began by addressing him with the Russian form of 'sir' "Zhamir is with us. He has been from the beginning. He was a double-agent, Mladshiy Serzhant – so how exactly did you hear about these so-called orders to kill a senior officer? From Zhamir himself?"

Josef could not believe what he was hearing. "Serzhant Husayn, he-"

Alex gave him a big grin like Josef had just won the lottery. "Oh now we get to the crux of the matter – it was Serzhant…" he referred to his papers again. "Serzhant Piotre Husayn who relayed the orders from…Zhamir! I see, I see…but if you will allow me, Mladshiy Serzhant, do you have anything but Serzhant Husayn's word that the orders to kill Leytenant Borokov came from Zhamir?"

Mladshiy Serzhant al Khamid started to open his mouth. "Wait. Before you answer, consider your words carefully, Gospodin. Right now we have you on a number of charges, the least of which are failure to obey orders and dereliction of duty. There's also absence without leave, sedition, committing terroristic acts, do you really want to pile murder on top of these as well?"

"I am a loyal soldier of the Chechen government and I fight against Russian imperialist tyranny! Your government is the enemy and I am charged to defend my government!"

Alex spread his hands. "Loyal to whom, Gospodin? Starshiy Serzhant Zhamir? No, he's on our side…so you would have been going against his orders? Serzhant Husayn? He's dead – been dead, oh three or four years now. So you were following the wishes of a dead man? Honorable to be sure, but misguided. That is, unless, he can speak to you from the grave. The Chechen government! No, no wait a minute, I'm afraid they don't see things the way you do. In fact Starshiy Serzhant Zhamir works with them and us…."

Alex Volkonov let those thoughts sink in. When they did, Josef came to roiling boil.

"H- He-He's is a traitor!" he sputtered angrily.

"To your cause no doubt," Alex said as if he really didn't care what the insurgent thought. "But I am really not interested in your cause or how you feel about the Starshiy Serzhant. What I am interested in is everything you know about this American Naval officer…."

Alex Volkonov held up a black and white photograph of Lieutenant Loren Singer.

-TBC...