Chapter 1
Norfolk, Virginia September, 20th, 2010
“I’m Special Agent Eric Monroe, NCIS,” Agent Monroe said, showing his badge to the police officer at the barricade. Monroe turned to the three people to his left. “This is Special Agent Callie Monroe, Special Agent Luke Collins, and Special Agent Bethany Fletcher.”
The officer looked up from the badge and looked at each of the three agents. “NCIS. What’s NCIS?” he asked.
Luke and I exchanged glances and stifled the urge to laugh. Luke leaned in. “Callie, why am I not surprised we were asked that question. It seems this question is asked more often than not,” he whispered into my ear.
I smiled. “Very true, Luke,” I whispered back.
“Naval Criminal Investigation Service,” Agent Monroe replied not at all surprised by the question. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. “When a Navy officer dies under suspicious circumstances or a suspicious event occurs involving the Navy, NCIS is called in to investigate. Did a navy officer die?”
“We aren’t sure yet,” the officer replied. “We are waiting to see if the firemen find anyone.”
“Seeing as this is a warehouse near a Norfolk navy base, we have jurisdiction,” Monroe said passing under the yellow tape.
“I understand. I just want to clean my hands of this mess. I have enough on my plate as it is. By the way, my people will cooperate in every way we can.”
“Well, that would be a first,” Luke commented as we followed my father under the tape.
“Yup,” I agreed passing under the tape Luke held up for me.
“Excuse me, sir,” Monroe said, taping on one of the firemen’s shoulders. From the looks of it, he appeared to be the chief.
The man turned around. “Can I help you?”
“Yes. I’m Special Agent Eric Monroe, NCIS. I have a few questions for you,” Monroe said showing his badge.
“I’m Chief Brian Scott. What can I do for you?”
“Do you know when the fire started?”
“We received a dispatch at eight o’clock sharp. By the time we arrived here, the building was completely engulfed in flames. I would say the bomb went off fifteen minutes before it was called in. But that’s just a guess. I’d have to asses the scene before I could be positive.”
Eric nodded. “Do you know what we are dealing with?”
Chief Scott shook his head. “No, I don’t. My guess-and this is only a guess- would be arson. The flames are pretty harsh.”
Eric nodded. “Thank you for your time. Do you know if anyone was inside? Or when we can go inside?”
“My men are still searching for anyone that could have been in the warehouse when the explosion happened. As for your second question, it may be a while.”
Eric nodded and turned to face me. “Do you know who they are, Callie?” he asked not directly looking at them.
I followed his gaze. Two young men were standing off to the distance talking among themselves and watching the firemen putting out the blazing fire. I quickly looked away. “I don’t know. But, I’ll go find out.”
Dad nodded and headed back to the others who were standing out of the way of the firemen. As I maneuvered my way through the crowd of firemen, the second man, who was also taller than the other man, tore his gaze from the burning building. The two men wore identical white uniforms with matching white hats. They appeared to be Navy.
A smile appeared on the second man’s face when he saw me approach. “Why hello there. What brings such a beautiful young lady to a dreadful event such as this?” the second man said.
I smiled. “What brings you here?”
He chuckled. “I won’t answer until you answer my question.”
I took my badge out and flipped it open. “NCIS. Now will you answer my question?”
“We are here for the same reason you are: we came to discover the truth about what happened here,” the man replied.
“Are you a reporter? A cop?” I asked hoping they weren’t a reporter. Their uniforms suggested they weren’t but one never knows.
He smiled. “No.” He paused and reached into his coat pocket. “I’m Commander Kyle Dawson, JAG and this is my partner Major Ian Edwards,” he said, showing me his badge.
The photo ID seemed to fit the profile of the man standing in front of me. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a nice pair of perfect white teeth, and a mesmerizing smile.
I handed it back to him and headed back towards my fellow team members who were waiting for the fire to be put out and the building deemed safe to enter.
“Hey wait!”
I stopped and faced Commander Dawson. “What?” I asked impatiently.
“You know my name but I don’t know yours.”
I took a moment to decide whether or not to tell him my name. I sighed inwardly. “Special Agent Monroe.”
“Come on, a last name,” Dawson complained.
“Callie,” I replied. “Now look. With all due respect Commander, this is an on-going NCIS investigation. We believe there is a possibility a Navy officer died in this fire and since the fire is on a Navy base we have complete control of the investigation. I don’t have time for being friendly.” I turned to go when a firm grip grabbed my arm. Without any choice, I faced him.
“Easy Agent Monroe. All I was doing was being friendly. I understand this is an NCIS investigation but since I just so happen to be a JAG lawyer. JAG specializes in cases involving the Na-”
“I know what JAG is,” I interrupted.
“Of course, you do. I just thought maybe-” he began.
“Maybe what?” I demanded meeting his ocean blue eyes.
“Will you stop interrupting me?”
“Sorry,” I apologized, tearing my eyes from his. Eyes that made my heart skip a beat. I mentally shook my head and focused on the investigation at hand. There was no time to let my emotions get the best of me. Besides, I only just met the guy. I hardly know him.
“I thought maybe we could join forces and share information,” Dawson finished. “Besides, we can cover more ground with more people.”
For several minutes, I didn’t say anything. After finally seeing what Dawson said was logical, I sighed. “Fine. But you must agree that you report to us first. Are we clear Commander?”
“Agreed,” he replied with a triumphant smile on his face.
“Good,” I said walking towards my father and ignoring the smile on his face.
“Can you please call me Kyle?” Dawson asked catching up to me.
“Okay, from now on I will call you Kyle,” I replied.
“Good, can I call you Callie?”
I sighed. “Fine, you may call me Callie.”
“You’re just in time. One of the firemen found a body. They are bringing it out now,” Luke said. His eyes met Dawson’s. “Who’s this?”
“Yes, Callie, who is this?” dad asked, turning his attention to us.
“Dad, Luke, this is Commander Kyle Dawson and Major Ian Edwards. He’s a JAG lawyer.”
“Hi,” Kyle said holding out his hand. His hand dropped when no one offered to shake it.
“Callie, may I have a word?”
I nodded and followed my father a little ways away from prying ears. He stopped and faced me. “What are they doing here?”
“They came to find out what caused this explosion. JAG specializes in suspicious cases involving the Navy.”
“I know what JAG specializes in. Did you tell them this is our case?”
“I did. Kyle said he understood.”
“Kyle.”
“Yes, Dad. His name is Kyle and yes I agreed to call him by his first name.” I paused. “Dad, I agreed to share information with them.”
“You did what?” You couldn’t miss the anger in his voice.
“I agreed that Kyle and his friend could help us search the scene and share information as long as Kyle reported to us with what he discovered.”
Eric ran his fingers through his pitch black hair. “Next time you come to me before you make this kind of decision.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Look. They are bringing the body out,” Bethany said pointing at the entrance to the burning to building.
I followed my father back and stood beside Luke. A fireman dressed in yellow pants and jacket carried the body in his arms as if it were a child.
“Do you know you have quite a feisty woman on your team?” Kyle whispered to Luke.
“I heard that,” I said trying to ignoring Kyle.
I smiled when I heard Kyle chuckle.
“That was a compliment by the way,” Kyle said.
The fireman carefully laid the body down on one of the black body bags Hailey, our ME brought. Hailey Evans graduated the top of her medical class at Harvard and somewhat new to our team. At the age of 20, she was recruited by my mother, the director of NCIS, to come work for us. Hailey, usually a very fashionable person, wore a blue jumpsuit with the NCIS insignia above the right hand side pocket. Over that she wore a black light weight jacket with NCIS written in bold blue letters. To finish the outfit, she wore a blue baseball cap with the NCIS logo written above the bill. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied back in a pony tail which was pulled through the hole at the back of the cap.
“What can you tell us, Hailey?” my father asked his notebook in hand.
“Well, I can tell you who this is in just a minute,” Hailey replied reaching for one of the victim’s fingers. With her right hand, she pressed the victim’s forefinger onto a small portable fingerprint device. “Our victim is Major Josephine Taylor.”
“Is she Navy?”
“Yes. Other than that, I have to get the body back to the morgue before I can tell you anything else. Sorry Eric.” Hailey, zipping the body bag, stood.
Eric nodded. “As soon as you get back to HQ and examine the body, I want a report ASAP.”
Hailey nodded and turned to the police chief. “Can you spare two of your officers to help transfer the body bag onto the gurney?”
The chief nodded and called for two officers.
“Now be careful,” Hailey ordered. “This body is a human being and should be handled with care.”
They nodded and lifted the body onto the gurney Hailey I had brought with her. Hailey secured the black straps to keep the body from falling.
“Hey, wait! Oh please tell me that’s not Jo!”
I turned around. A young man in his mid twenties stood outside the police tape. His eyes were focused on the gurney Hailey had stopped moving.
“Let me through. I have to see if it’s her,” the man demanded.
I followed my father as he headed towards the young man. In the corner of my eye, I saw Kyle was following us as well. I shook my head mentally. Great. Look at the mess I’ve gotten myself into. Just what I needed in the middle of an investigation, I thought.
“Who are you?” my father asked.
“I’m not going to say anything until you let me pass.”
“You will answer my question and then I will see if you are important enough to be allowed access to this scene.”
The man sighed. “Fine. I’m Major Mark Hall. I work in the Navy’s cryptology department. I’m Jo’s boyfriend. Now who are you?”
My father looked up from his notebook and showed Hall his badge. “I’m Special Agent Eric Monroe, NCIS and this is Special Agent Callie Monroe. Now do you mean Jo as in Josephine Taylor?” my father asked.
“Yes,” Major Hall replied.
My father placed his notebook inside his pocket and turned to the police officer. “Let him pass.”
Major Mark Hall, without saying thank you, walked under the police tape, and brushed passed us. He stopped beside the gurney and looked Hailey in the eye. “Is it her?”
Hailey nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Hall reached for the zipper. Hailey placed her hand firmly on his arm. His hand froze inches from the zipper. “I have to warn you. What you are going to see isn’t pleasant.”
He nodded. “I have to see for myself.” Unzipping the beginning part of the body bag, he looked down at Taylor’s body. He quickly looked away and covered his eyes not bearing to see the desecrated state of her body
“I’m so sorry,” Hailey said pushing the gurney towards her van which she parked on the other side of our SUV.
He moved his hands down; his face was wet from tears and his eyes were overflowing with more tears. “Who did this?” he demanded looking at us.
“We don’t know yet,” my father answered. “But I promise you we will do whatever we can to find out what caused the explosion and to find out whether or not it was premeditated.”
“What do you mean premeditated?” Hall demanded. “Do you think she was murdered?”
“It is quite possible. But for now it is too early to tell,” Eric replied.
Mark turned his back from us and covered his mouth with his left hand.
“Is it true?”
I turned to see another young man standing on the opposite side of the yellow tape. He seemed to be the same age as Major Hall perhaps a bit younger. He wore a blue navy uniform just as Major Hall.
“Who are you?” my father asked.
“I’m Major Aidan Wilson. I knew Jo. Is she really dead?” Wilson answered.
My father nodded. “I’m afraid so. Let him pass.”
The police officer nodded and held up the tape for Wilson to pass under. He leaned under and walked over to Hall who had turned around when he heard Wilson’s voice.
“Aidan,” Mark said.
“Mark, I am deeply sorry for your loss,” Wilson said giving him a hug.
Hall nodded.
“I’m Special Agent Eric Monroe, NCIS. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a few questions,” Eric said once Wilson had let go of Hall.
Wilson nodded. “Of course, I will do everything I can to assist you.”
My father turned to Hall. “If you are up for it, Special Agent Fletcher has a few questions for you.”
Hall nodded and headed over to Bethany who was walking away from the rest of us for a little privacy. If this explosion turned out to be premeditated and Taylor was murdered, then it was best to keep suspects separate.
My father turned to me. “You and Luke go see if the building is safe to enter. We need to collect as much of the evidence as possible. A lot of it has already been destroyed due to the fire. Oh and the fireman who found the body said she was lying beside her desk.”
Luke nodded. “Yes, boss.”
Halfway towards where Chief Scott was standing, I remembered Kyle and his friend were supposed to help us. I paused and turned around. “Are you coming Kyle? You said you were going to help us look for evidence.”
He smiled. “Of course, I’m coming. For a moment, I thought you had forgotten about me.”
Ignoring his last comment, I headed over to Luke who was already asking Chief Scott if we could search the warehouse.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He said the building is safe.”
I nodded. “Good.”
“Wait here. I will go tell boss we are going to search the warehouse and grab our gear from the SUV.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
Luke turned to Kyle’s friend. “Major Edwards, I could use the extra help with carrying the gear.”
Luke flashed me a smile and followed Edwards. I knew Luke had done this on purpose leaving me alone with Kyle. I looked over my shoulder at Kyle and smiled. I turned away hoping my frustration at Luke wasn’t showing.
A few minutes later, Luke and Edwards returned with our gear. Luke handed me my backpack and handed Kyle Bethany’s. Balancing mine on the ground, I zipped it open and took out my camera. I rechecked the camera to make sure it was fully charged and hung it around my neck. I reached into the second pouch of my backpack and retrieved several plastic bags all different sizes.
“You ready?” Luke asked.
I nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”
“Here you go. You’ll need it. It’s pretty dark in there,” Luke said, handing me a flashlight.
“Thanks,” I said taking the flashlight and flipping the switch.
“Who wants to go in first?” Kyle asked.
Luke looked to me and said, “Ladies first.”
I shot him a scowl as I passed him which brought a smile to his face and entered the building.
