Chapter One
Rosetta Stone-Chapter 1 As told by McGee
I sat down in a desk toward the top of the stadium-seating classroom. I fidgeted like it was my first day at MIT, two years younger than everyone else and still learning how to do my own laundry. Tony slouched in a seat three rows ahead of me, popping his gum. I could imagine him the exact same way at Ohio State. Ziva sat towards the front, with a backpack over the back of her chair and her hands folded on top of her desk. Somehow we all passed as college students, Ziva most of all, and would blend easily with the younger faces.
A Marine, PFC James Silvers, was preying on his peers. His victim seemed to be chosen randomly, except that she was a senior and majored in a foreign language like Silvers. Somehow Silvers had made It more convenient for us (as convenient as a serial killer can be) because I knew that Ziva spoke several languages, Tony constantly spoke Italian and Spanish, and I was fluent in French (though only Gibbs and Abby know that). Several of these students were fluent in more than one language, and PFC Silvers knew at least three (French, German, and Chinese) so he wasn’t choosing his victims based on language of choice.
We were early; Even the professors were oblivious to our undercover operation. Students began filing in, also oblivious to the threat on their lives. I wriggled even more restlessly as PFC Silvers walked in casually. His crime hadn’t been released to the media, so as far as he knew, he was getting away with murder. I tried to shake the image of his victim out of my mind as he took his seat toward the front, about three seats away from Tony…
Army Private Rachel Fink was only 20. She excelled in her early classes, and earned enough credit to take classes with the senior students. Her eyes were a soft brown, and curly hair cradled her face. She looked a lot like my sister.
Silvers befriended Rachel, studied with her for two months before stabbing her with her own craft scissors. We found her face down in her dorm not an hour after PFC silvers got his hands on her. One wound wasn’t enough to silence her, so Silvers managed to stab Rachel twice more before she stopped struggling. She died in my arms just as the ambulance arrived. Ducky and Palmer took her cooling body from me instead of the EMT. I could still feel her warm blood on my hands and chest, even though it had long been rinsed away…
We would have gotten Silvers if chain of evidence hadn’t have been compromised. The CID Agent responsible for taking the evidence was in a car accident on the way back to headquarters. She went to help the driver of the other car, and all the evidence gathered at the scene was left unattended for an hour. Now we were forced to wait for Silvers to try and strike again before pursuing him a second time.
“McGee, quit your damn wriggling.” Gibbs’ voice rang through my earwig.
“Don’t worry Probie, we’ll get this guy.” Tony stretched and turn to make eye contact with me.
“Ziva, you got eyes on our dirt bag while McGee and Dinozzo are playing therapist?” Gibbs was restless in MTAC, I could tell. His voice sounded strained, frustrated. I knew he was regretting letting CID take the evidence and splitting jurisdiction of the case. It was out of character for Gibbs, but he was thinking of me. I usually take evidence, but he insisted I go straight home for the night. I don’t even remember how I got home, or peeling off my blood soaked suit and throwing it in an evidence bag…
“Silvers is sitting in front, very close to Tony.” Ziva pretended to take notes as she whispered into the palm she was leaning on.
The silence of the room was interrupted by a red faced woman entering through the double doors. She felt everyone’s eyes on her and sped up, tripping halfway up the stairs. She recovered quickly, throwing her books onto a desk in the top corner of the room. She was pretty, in an odd way, with sharp features and large, blue eyes. Her red hair came obviously from a bottle, but she wore it well, in a ponytail pulled away from her face.
“Team, meet the agent that lost your case against PFC silvers.” Vance was now in MTAC. I saw Tony tense up and Ziva broke her pencil.
“Special Agent Lisa Favereaux has been willingly volunteered by CID to help us make another case against our possible serial killer.”
“As long as she does not screw this up as well?” Ziva whispered maliciously.
“Yeah, why wasn’t she put behind a desk behind a life’s worth of paperwork?” Tony talked ever-so casually into his notebook.
I decided not to comment.
“Keep in mind that Favereaux is only here because a fourth team member was needed and we couldn’t really pass Dr. Mallard or Gibbs as a college student. And Abby might have scared our target off. And Special Agent Favereaux?” Vance’s voice turned grave.
“Yes, director?” Favereaux barely got out a whisper.
“Be thankful that you’ve only been demoted to a probationary. The SecNav wanted your head on a silver platter, and is already breathing down my neck about putting you in the field right after you lost an entire case instead of burying you in paperwork behind a desk.”
“I’m sorry, director, I had an obligation…”
“You had an obligation to your team, and to these agents that caught a murderer and then lost him thanks to you. Just do us all a favor and don’t screw it up this time, or I let the SecNav personally deal with you.”
Agent Favereaux slouched farther into her seat. She looked like she wanted to disappear.
“Is there a problem, miss?” The professor pulled off his glasses and peered up at Agent Favereaux.
“Play it cool, Favereaux.” Gibbs’ voice was icy and calm. He was just as angry about her being on the case as the rest of us were.
“No sir, just a little under the weather.” Favereaux pulled off her jacket and hung it over the back of her chair. She fumbled in her bag and put a thick notebook on her desk. The professor resumed his lecture on translations of major works.
“DiNozzo, you’re closest to Silvers, what’s he doing?”
“Scanning, Boss. Maybe looking for another victim? He looks like he needs a bath…”
“He’ll get a cold shower in prison, but for now, I don’t really care about his hygiene.”
“Boss, he keeps trying to catch Favereaux’s eye. She can’t do this, she barely knows how to handle evidence.”
“If he chooses her McGee, it’s her ass on the line.”
“That’s not wise, Gibbs, I have more experience, and…”
“The last time I checked, Officer David, I have the lead on this, and Silvers looks like he’s going with Favereaux. Your job is to observe, not to act unless necessary, and NOT to tell me how to do my damn job. Got that?”
Ziva bit her lip. “I was out of line, Gibbs.”
“Ya think, Ziva?”
“But boss, why Favereaux? If he wanted an easy victim, he could choose McStudious back there taking REAL notes. Favereaux’s already dropped the ball.”
I stopped taking notes.
“WHY DOES A KILLER DECIDE TO KILL, DINOZZO?! IT’S NOT MY CHOICE WHO THIS SICK BASTARD CHOOSES, BUT WE HAVE TO GO WITH IT TO KEEP OUR COVER, AND THAT’S FINAL!!!”
All four of us gripped our left ears and a hush fell over the class. The professor fell silent, and the bell rang.
Tony, Ziva, and I got up and headed slowly toward the door with the rest of the students. Agent Favereaux fumbled again with her jacket and notebook as she was approached by Silvers.
“Hey, sorry about Professor Hart. He’s rough the first couple of classes on new Students.” Silvers’ calm attitude angered me.
“Yeah, I noticed,” Favereaux said sarcastically.
“I’m James, by the way.”
“I’m Elizabeth--but everyone calls me Lisa.”
Why is she being so nice?
“Is there something I can do to make you feel better? How about lunch on me? I don’t bite.”
“But you stab, you scumbag.”
I guess Tony didn’t know we could still hear him over our earwigs.
“Lunch as in…a date?” Favereaux inquired nervously.
“Lunch as in two new friends getting to know each other. How about 3 at Glencoe’s?”
“Glencoe’s sounds fine. I’ll meet you there, James.”
Flirting?
“Okay, see you at 3.”
Silvers lingered and then turned and walked quickly toward the door.
He’s nervous--But why?
Favereaux turned to follow Silvers, but was stopped in her tracks by Gibbs.
“Favereaux, let him go. You’re meeting him at Glencoe’s, Not following him there.” Gibbs sounded reluctant to let him go, but he had no choice. As far as evidence was concerned, PFC Silvers was an innocent man.
“Sorry, Agent Gibbs.”
“Don’t apologize…”
“It’s a sign of weakness.” Ziva, Tony and I finished.
Favereaux met us outside as I watched a murderer disappear into a sea of students.