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Date Posted: 14:13:03 03/04/06 Sat
Author: Sylvia Mohr Bartlett
Subject: FWWATT Chapter 7 Section Six
In reply to: Sylvia Mohr Bartlett 's message, "FOR WHICH WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL Ch 7" on 13:01:08 03/04/06 Sat

FOR WHICH WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL

By Sylvia Bartlett Mohr

Chapter 7 Workin' My Way Back to You


Section Six: Evidence Mounts



Abby opened the door and stepped just slightly in. "Is Special…? Oh, hi, boss! I got my blood and I locked it up in the lab safe until we are ready to head back to land. Could you give me directions how to get from here to the hangar deck so I can start my post on the Tomcat?"

Reyes' eyebrow went up slightly at the unconventional young woman standing in his doorway, so Gibbs made the introductions. "Abby, this is Doctor Reyes who is in charge of Sick Bay and the ship's top doc. Doctor, this is Abby Sciuto, my forensic lab specialist."

"How do you do, Ms. Sciuto? If you would like, I can have one of my corpsman show you the way." He offered, in a friendly manner.

Gibbs wondered why every one seemed to be on edge with him before he opened his mouth half the time, but friendly and curious with Abby. At least he was obviously former military to any one who ever served. To say Abby was unconventional in appearance would be a gross understatement. Maybe it was just because she was female; on the other hand, maybe the facts of his interaction with others were beginning to give him a complex!

Abby responded appreciatively to the offer. "Thanks. I'm afraid I might get lost unless someone guides me."

The doctor pushed a button on his phone and Corpsman Bateman appeared within moments. "You needed me, sir?"

"Bateman, could you show this young lady the way to the repair section of the hangar deck for me? She's with NCIS."

"Yes, sir, I know. Ms. ___?"

"Abby…Abby Sciuto." The young woman responded in a friendly tone.

"If you'll come with me…"


Gibbs watched the two head off down the corridor with a bemused expression.

"She's a Goth?" Reyes asked curiously.

"What was your first clue?" Gibbs remarked and winced when he realized how sarcastically that had come out. He sighed aloud. "Never thought I would say this, but I am beginning to think I need to ask her for tutoring in people skills. I seem to be rubbing everyone the wrong way lately."

"Personally," the doctor offered, "I think you've been playing 'bad cop' a little too long. You do come off with a bit of an attitude, but I know you have a job to do."

"Right and let's get back to that."

"Okay, but close the hatch first. I really don't want this conversation overheard, if you follow me." Reyes said firmly.

Gibbs' eyes narrowed as he complied. "You really do believe someone on your staff besides Mahlberg is involved."

"I have already stated that." The doctor said evenly, "We'll come back to that a bit later…to continue where I left off." He resumed his accounting exactly where he had left off before the interruption.

The man certainly had a good memory for details and was good at keeping a conversation on track, too, the agent admitted to himself as he returned his attention to the facts the doctor was laying out for him.

Doctor Reyes had given Gibbs a lot to think about. His narrative built an image of Commander Rabb as an excellent investigator and lawyer whose greatest passion was for getting to the truth. Frankly, that was different from the majority of JAG lawyers Gibbs had encountered who couldn't investigate their way out of a paper bag and were only interested in evidence that would help them win their case. The doctor also described an extremely gifted pilot who loved to fly. Rabb had earned this doctor's respect a long time ago.

Reyes had quietly limited who was involved in Rabb's care because he really feared Mahlberg had an accomplice amongst the people working for him. He had given the agent a list of everyone working the Sick Bay area with a question marking those he knew the least about. He also had placed stars next to those who he felt he could absolutely trust.


Gibbs entered the office NCIS had been assigned, took a seat and typed his notes into his laptop as quickly as possible. Once he finished, he decided to go see how Abby was faring. The walk to the hangar deck would give him time to reflect on the facts he'd been given. Give them a chance to fall into an order of importance in his mind.


When he got to the hangar deck, Abby was working with several young, eager male assistants who were competing to fill her requests. Although the young men were clearly trying to compete on who helped Abby most, they were also very good at their jobs and Abby smiled at Gibbs when she spotted him, accepting a rag from one youth to wipe some grease from her face and stripping off the blue vinyl gloves she wore. "Billy, would you be sure the photographer gets pictures of every thing I asked from a couple of angles? And remember, everyone, don't touch the stuff that is tagged. That's going into our evidence bags as soon as the photographer is done. I'll bag them."

"Yes, ma'am, Abby." Billy had clearly won the contest as he was going to oversee the others as they finished things up for her.

She stepped a few steps away from the working plane mechanics to speak to her boss. "Well, everything there was according to Hoyle. The plane was hit by hostile fire repeatedly. The Commander and his RIO were in quite a little fire fight out there. The armament used is consistent with Al Queda origin, at least on first inspection. I recovered everything I could of the shrapnel that tore up the Tomcat's left engine. That stuff will have to go under a microscope before I can give you any accurate identification, but it was definitely a SAM, probably an SA-7.

"Commander Rabb evidently rolled the bird to maintain visual after he saw ignition of the SAM. He rolled so the cockpit was inverted to the surface and did a left break as soon as he saw the ship had been taken out. He was accelerating away from the surface, but, in spite of evasive maneuvers and dropping chaff, the SAM was close enough to his plane when it blew that shrapnel from the explosion penetrated the canopy and was sucked into his engine. He had an engine fire on that left side and he lost hydraulics. He managed to maintain control of the damaged bird and kept it flying, which impressed this air crew, and they know their stuff. They said the damage must have made that plane a real flying brick. That he had landed as well as he did was impressive enough, but with the extent of the damage the plane had taken, they are calling Rabb a miracle worker.

"One guy said, "Talk about coming in on a wing and a prayer. He snagged a three wire. How in the hell did he manage that one?" The plane also has some damage back by the tail consistent with them actually having been hit by pieces of the ship as it exploded when they were flying away. It must have been quite a ride as they left the scene.

"His RIO ought to be thank his lucky stars, too. We found three rounds of 50 cal bullets inside his compartment. They had expended all their energy by the time they got through; or he'd be wounded and in Sick Bay as well. It's clear they took fire even before they engaged the ship.

"We have what shrapnel from the mines stored on the deck of the ship I extracted from the plane skin too. I should be able to positively match that once we review the recon video they relayed to Home Base."

Gibbs nodded. "It sounds like once we collect and secure the evidence, that part of the investigation is closed. That's good because I need your help with investigating the attempt on Commander Rabb. Here's the photographer to start work. Let's make sure he gets what you need." They went back to oversee the photographer's work.

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  • FWWATT Chapter 7 Section Seven -- Sylvia Mohr Bartlett, 14:20:36 03/04/06 Sat
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