A/N: Welcome to my first NCIS multi-chap. This chap is kind of short, but it was the natural stopping point so...Enjoy. -pj

"Relax, Lance Coolie. This is the Naval Yard, not the Pentagon," Corporal Mathers couldn't help but be amused by his new companion's nervousness. The man hadn't slouched his shoulders since assuming duty that morning and was still standing at attention outside the door to the gate building.

"It's Lance Corporal, sir," the other Marine corrected brusquely, and then added, "and I am aware this is the Navy Yard, sir."

Mathers dropped his feet from the desk inside the miniscule guard shack and came to stand beside the other man. Folding his arms across his chest, he squinted at the sky, the early morning sun was hovering close to the horizon.

"Well, Lance Corporal, do you think you could relax a little bit? You're making me tense," Mathers asked of the other Marine, who reminded him quite a bit of the Royal Guards outside Windsor Castle, "I don't do tense before nine."

"I don't 'relax', sir."

Mathers sighed and rolled his neck.

"The sad thing is, I believe you," he muttered, and then went back inside the small building, propping his feet back up on the desk and leaning far back in his chair.

"Give a holler if you see anything interesting, Marine. I'm gonna rest my eyes a bit."

The Lance Corporal's jaw tightened with irritation, but he responded with a simple, "yes sir" and approached the first car of the day.

"Good Morning, sir. Photo ID and pop the trunk please."

A few minutes later, far too few minutes in Corporal Mathers' opinion, he heard his name being called repeatedly accompanied by a rough shake on his shoulder.

"What? What is it?" He asked, jumping up from his chair and glaring at the other man.

"Does that count as interesting?"

Mathers followed the Lance Corporal's finger through the window of the small building and saw a plain black sedan heading straight for them doing a lot more than 15mph.

His eyes widened, and he picked up the handheld speaker on the table.

"Driver of the black sedan, slow down. The posted limit is 15 and you need to stop for checkup. I repeat, slow down." his voice boomed from the overhead megaphone. He waited a beat and then cursed and flicked a switch on the two-way radio, "Perimeter Guard One to base we have a code Orange. Black Sedan on approach hot, not heeding warnings to slow. Moving to intercept." He threw down the radio and reached for his weapon.

"Cover the entrance Lance Corporal!" He shouted and both he and his companion took up positions on either side of the gate building, their guns raised.

"Stop now!" He shouted one last time. The car still showed now sign of cooperating.

"Open fire, tire shots only."

---

"I would tell you Tony, but then I would have to kill you," Ziva said flatly, glaring at her slower-than-usual computer.

"Ah, so it was a guy on the phone," Tony surmised, his chin in hand as he stared across the space between their desks at his partner.

McGee ignored the entire exchange, optimizing his data input : output ratio was currently taking up his full attention.

"Anything I should know?" Tony pressed.

"If there was I'm sure you would, DiNozzo," Gibbs breezed past them, coffee in hand and made his way to his desk.

"I would 'what', Boss?"

Gibbs looked at him slowly, clearly bemused as to why he was having to clarify himself, "know."

Tony looked at Ziva, who was smiling smugly, and back at Gibbs.

"Right."

Just then, Jenny Shepard descended the stairs and entered the Squad Room.

"Gibbs, we've got a Code Orange at Perimeter One."

Gibbs's head snapped up, his eyes sharpening with recognition while the other three members of his team gave each other confused glances.

"What happened?"

"That's what I need you to figure out. I'd like you to send Tony and McGee down to the scene while you and Ziva interrogate the suspect. Room One."

"You would, would you?" Gibbs challenged, his glare unmistakably indicating he didn't like being told what to do with his team.

"Yes, and I'd like Ziva to conduct the interrogation," she raised an eyebrow and dipped her chin, silently indicating that it was a request, but she could make it an order if he needed her to.

"Why?"

"Because the suspect is a young woman-"

Gibbs looked away and smiled as if to say that was the stupidest reason he'd ever heard.

"Jethro," she waited until he looked at her, "humor me."

"Do you know something I don't?"

Jenny gave one of her secretive, challenging smiles that used to get him all tied up in knots and shook her head, "lots of things Jethro, but nothing pertaining to the case."

Gibbs locked gazes with the Director for several moments and none of the others dared move until their team leader pursed his lips and gave a slight nod.

He looked around and saw his team was still at their desks.

"What are waiting for?" he raised his eyebrows, "go."

TBC