Always a Hero

"Mom will you please just listen to me?" I said sitting down on the edge of the bed in my guest room. For the last 2 hours, I've been trying to convince my stubborn mother to go to her sister's house in Virginia until this case is over but she just won't budge. God why does she have to be this damn way for?

"No Blayke. I'm not leaving you here alone! What if those people come back and really hurt you? You should've took the protective custody thing your boss wanted you to take."

"It would be a waste of manpower. Mom, I've spent half of my life deep in the shit fighting Insurgents. I can take care of myself but I don't want you here in case something else is to happen. I'm asking you to please listen to me and go to your sister's house." I said draping my arm across her shoulders.

"Alright fine. I'll go. I've been meaning to visit anyways."

"Good. Besides I called Aunt Darlene this morning and told her you were coming." I said smiling.

"You sneaky little shit."

"I learned from the best. Now let's get you packed so I can head to work." I said chuckling. As mom grabbed her suitcases from the closet, I folded up all her clothes neatly.

I hadn't noticed when she first got here but now it seems like she brought her whole damn wardrobe with her. I zipped up her last packed up suitcase and carried her bags down to the car. Mom popped open the trunk of her car and I placed her bags inside before closing the lid.

"Please be careful honey."

"I'm always careful momma. Don't worry. You have fun at Aunt Darlene's house and tell her I said hello." I said as I leaned in the driver's side window.

"I will. Don't forget to call me everyday." I nodded and hihged my mother one last time before she cranked up her car and backed out of my driveway. I waved at her as she drove away and a wave of relief settled through me. At least now I know she's going to be safe. I went back into the house and grabbed my badge and gun when my phone began to ring.

"Agent Blayke Carrington." I answered.

Blayke? This is Anita. Can you come to the Port?

"Yeah sure. Are you alright?" I asked as I put Tsunami and Jethro into the backseat.

Yeah I'm fine. We need to talk so can you please hurry?

"I'll be there in 20." I said hanging up the phone. I let the engine roar to life as I turned the key before backing out of the driveway.

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As I drove to the Port, I called Gibbs to let him know about the strange phone call I had gotten from Anita and he said he would meet me there with DiNozzo. It wasn't too long of a drive to the Port where the USS Nimitz is docked but I was surprised to see Gibbs and DiNozzo had arrived before me. I got out of the car telling Tsunami and Jethro to stay just as Anita came out of one of the buildings next to the dock.

"I'm glad you could get here so quickly."

"What's going on? Is everything alright?" I asked as she let me out of her embrace.

"Yeah everything is fine with me. When you came to tell me that Jayla was dead, I got to thinking back to the days she was here. I didn't think anything of it at first but now I'm sure I should've told you."

"What is it?" I inquired.

"Every time we would come off the ship from being at sea for 6 months, there would be a strange car that would be parked just over there. I brushed it off at first but then that same car kept appearing. I tried to get a closer look at the driver but the windows were tented too dark."

"Did you get a license plate number?" DiNozzo chimed in.

"Oh I did better than that." Anita pulled her phone from her pocket and pressed some keys before my phone went off with a text.

"I sent the pictures I took of the car plus the license plate to your phone."

"Thanks. This will be really helpful." I said making sure to save the photos.

"That's not all. Blair received this in the mail yesterday." Anita handed me a small brown box and I opened it.

"Jayla's phone?"

"Yeah. Blair said it was sent in the mail months ago while we were still out at sea. I tried using my phone charger to charge the battery enough to turn it on but it wouldn't work." Anita explained.

"That explains why I couldn't get a fix on her cell."

"I better get back inside before I get questioned for leaving." Anita said.

"We'll call you if we have anymore questions." Anita nodded her head as she gave me a hug before going back into the building.

"Get the phone to Abby and see what she can pull off of it." I nodded at Gibbs' orders as he handed me the envelope. I got back into my car and headed to the Navy Yard with this new evidence. Hopefully there's something on her phone that will give me answers so I can find her killer.

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I got to the Navy Yard quickly and took Jayla's phone to Abby's lab to see what she could find. Tsunami and Jethro laid down on the cold floor as I watched her work her magic on the dead cell phone.

"Abby I don't want to interrupt while you're working but did you find out anything from her phone yet?" I inquired.

"I have McGee working on her call and text history and I'm looking through her photos. Would you like to help?" I nodded and got up from my seat. I looked carefully at each photo that came onto the screen. Just seeing her smiling face in the photos made my heart ache with pain.

"Hold on. Go back to that picture." I said noticing something strange. Abby clicked back on the previous photograph of Jayla with Anita and Blair.

"There. Can you blow this up?" I asked.

"What is it?" Abby enlarged the photo on the specific area I pointed out.

"That's the car Anita sent to my phone. She said it had been following Jayla. Is it in any of the other photos?" I asked and Abby worked her magic by scanning the car and comparing it to all the photos. That same car appeared in every single photo. Even the ones without her friends in them.

"Put a BOLO out for that damn car. Here's the license plate number." I said showing Abby the picture Anita had sent to me. Her fingers danced over the keyboard as she put out the BOLO.

"Blayke, Gibbs wants us to meet him at a location. I've already gotten the address."

"I thought I wasn't allowed out in the field?" I asked.

"No other agents available right now."

"Let me know if you find anything else Abbs." I said as I left. I held the elevator open and whistled for my boys. Once they were on the elevator with us, we went down to the garage where my car was parked. I let Tsunami and Jethro get into the backseat before letting the horses come to life again and sped away.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~Gibbs POV ~~~~~~~~~~
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"So what's the plan boss?"

"We speak with Petty Officer Blair Creedy." I said as I walked away from DiNozzo once I made sure Blayke had left the area. DiNozzo followed me into the building where we flashed our badges at a man in charge.

"I'm Special Agent Gibbs and this Agent DiNozzo NCIS. We need to speak with Petty Officer Blair Creedy." I stated putting my badge back into my pocket.

"Right this way sir. May I ask what this is about?"

"No you may not." I said as he led us through a hallway. The man knocked on the 4th door we came to before a female's voice told us to enter.

"Special Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo NCIS. We would like to ask you about the package you received in the mail." I said showing the going woman my badge.

"You mean what Jayla sent to me?"

"Yes. Why would the Petty Officer send you her phone in the mail?" DiNozzo asked.

"Anita and I think it has something to do with that car that had been following Jayla before she disappeared. We questioned her about it but she always said that she didn't know. Her face told a different story."

"Do you have any idea who is could be?" DiNozzo inquired.

"Not a clue sir. We noticed the car 3 months before she had went missing."

"You and Petty Officer Ryan's?" He asked.

"And Jayla too. I think she was trying to find out who was following her. Then when we got back I checked my mail and found this with the phone." The Petty Officer opened a drawer on her desk and pulled out another envelope.

"I read it and it told me to contact NCIS if anything was to happen to Jayla. I know this doesn't make a lick of sense Agent Gibbs. I've been trying to figured it out for myself."

"If you remember anything at all please contact me." DiNozzo said handing her his card. We left the Petty Officer's office and the building.

"I wonder what she was on to?"

"Call McGee and tell him to meet us at the warehouse." I said getting into the driver's seat.

"On it boss."

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~Blayke's POV~~~~~~~~~~~
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McGee navigated me through the roads until we pulled up at the warehouse. Gibbs and DiNozzo were waiting for us. McGee really didn't have to tell me where each turn was since I had been listening in on the interrogation of that idiot Edward Plano. I turned off the engine and stepped out of my car letting Tsunami and Jethro jump out of the backseat.

"She's not supposed to be in the field McGee." DiNozzo pointed out.

"I'm sorry boss but there was no other agents available." Gibbs just shrugged before taking out his weapon and getting into position to rush into the warehouse.

With my own gun drawn and Tsunami and Jethro at my side, Gibbs counted down with his fingers before busting in the door. We all rushed inside to find the place empty. A good at the end of the warehouse caught my attention and I signaled to Gibbs. Again we took our positions before opening that door. A single chair sat in the middle of the small room with a light dangling above it. I took a close look at the chair and found dried blood on the back and arms of it.

"Boss, there's another door." McGee whispered. We took the position once more before kicking in the door. This room had one chair in front of a desk of monitors. One screen was turned off and the other had a split screen view of both the inside and outside of the warehouse.

"McGee document everything and dust for prints. DiNozzo, you're with me."

"I'm going to check around the building. There might be other exit routes." I left the team to do their thing since if I collected any of the evidence here it would be compromised. We stepped into the sun and I commanded my boys to search but they never alerted me. I led them back over to my car where I put them in the backseat.

"Warten." I commanded to them as I held my hand up for them to stay. I left the door open so the fresh air could get in better and I started to go back into the warehouse when screeching tires caught my ears. A black SUV with dark tinted windows rushed onto the parking lot. The barrel of an automatic weapon stuck out the passenger's side window.

"Heir Schnell!!" I yelled as I ducked into the warehouse. Tsunami and Jethro made it inside just as the rain of bullets pierced into the side of the warehouse.

I drew my weapon and looked out the open door as the SUV made a U-Turn in the parking lot. I fired round after round at the car only to break the back glass as the vehicle disappeared into the streets. An envelope on the ground was the only thing left behind beside the casings and shattered glass. I got out a pair of gloves from my backpack and put them on my hands before picking up the envelope and opening it.

I WARNED YOU

"You alright?" I heard Gibbs voice ring out. I nodded and showed him the note and envelope.

"This was dropped by the shooter." I said and he read over the short note.

"You're getting the detail."

"I don't need a damn detail. I told you that Tsunami and Jethro are all I need to protect me." I argued.

"You're getting the protection detail whether you like it or not." Gibbs' eyes burned into mine and I looked away.

"Fine. Who's on the detail?" I asked.

"DiNozzo is going home with you tonight." J wanted to protest but I know I would be shot down as well. I stayed outside of the warehouse as the other went back to work collecting evidence. I popped open my trunk as McGee brought out the computer system to get Abby's help jn combing through them. I hope to God that the blood on that chair doesn't match my daughter's type.