Chương 19: Honourless

Alex was given a rundown of the current situation, and he was informed about the virus attack at Q& R and the fact it originated from Cmdr. Tanner's terminal. This meant that Tanner was no longer considered a victim, but a suspect in the investigation; the fact that Tanner had emptied out his entire life savings also didn't help his case. But Gibbs wasn't entirely sold.

There were 5 numbers in the call log of the perp Alex arrested; 4 of them had protected IDs, and the fifth was the office number of Q& R security. A warrant was requested for the inspection of Frank Connell, Q&R head of security, regarding his office and belongings. Tony and Ziva were sent to arrest him. Meanwhile, McGee was trying to get information and trace on the other 4 numbers.

Abby did her magic, and the identity of the man Alex bought in was revealed; his Name was Vincent Pazzo, an Italian-born, freelance mercenary. A gun for hire. Since he was a foreign national, the case was shifted and boosted from kidnapping to accessory to terrorism. Truthfully, in the wrong hands hand, the Honour Code could set back the US defence capabilities by 50 years.

All personnel who were directly involved with the project HC were called to the NCIS HQ for questioning, which included the Q&R Software security crew, Risk management team, and R&D department. Senior Field Agent Anthony Dinozzo and Special Agent Caitlin Todd conducted the interviews in the conference rooms. Alex stood at the corner of the room, observing the interviewees.

No one was more aware of the mess-up than the core team who oversaw the operations, and it was evident in their behaviour. Tony would flirt with women attendees, disarming them with a playful grin, all while keeping his questions precise while Kate played the bad cop. The male attendees would hit on Kate while Tony played the boyfriend and annoyed Kate. But Alex could tell, underneath that rigid exterior, Kate was most at ease when she was with Tony. Among all the Q&R employees, one person set off alarms like no other: Laura Osgood, Frank Connell's personal assistant at Q&R security.

[Conference Room, NCIS HQ]

Tony DiNozzo started the conversation, leaning back in his chair with an easy smile. "So, Laura," he began, his tone casual, "you've been working with Frank for about a year now, right?"

Laura nodded, her expression neutral. "That's correct. I assist him with his schedule, meetings, and any other administrative tasks."

Tony's smile widened as he continued, "And I bet that keeps you pretty busy, huh? Frank seems like the kind of guy who likes to keep everyone on their toes."

Laura allowed herself a small smile in return. "He's very organised and has high expectations, but it's nothing I can't handle."

Kate, who had been silent up to this point, leaned forward, her eyes narrowing slightly as she asked, "Did you suspect any unusual activities involving Commander Tanner or the Honour Code project?"

Laura's eyes flickered briefly before she shook her head. "No, I wasn't. Frank didn't share the specifics of his work with me, especially when it came to the inner workings of the project Honour Code."

Alex watched her closely. The brief hesitation in her response didn't escape his notice. She was carefully controlling her words, which suggested she knew more than she was letting on.

Tony gently grabbed her hand and shifted the conversation back to a lighter tone.

"It's the people who we work close to that we know nothing about; if you wanna talk about it, I am always available. All this must be pretty confusing?"

Laura's expression shifted, her eyes lowering slightly as she replied, "I was shocked, to be honest. Frank was always so dedicated to his work. It's hard to believe he could be involved in something like this."

Alex narrowed his eyes, sensing something off. Her voice had the right tone of sadness, but there was something in her posture, and her heartbeat seemed… relieved. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Alex had seen it before in people who were glad to be rid of someone and knew they had played their part.

"Did Frank ever mention the name Vincent Pazzo to you?"

Laura's reaction was instantaneous, though she quickly tried to mask it. Her eyes widened just a fraction, and her hands tensed slightly in her lap.

"No," she replied, her voice a touch higher than before, "I don't know anyone by that name."

Tony and Kate continued, both of them seemingly unaware of Laura's sudden anxiety.

"He is one the people who allegedly kidnapped Cmdr. Tanner, but we arrested him a while back."

Alex caught the slight shift in her breathing, the way she seemed to focus on maintaining her calm. It was the classic flight-or-fight response kicking in, and Alex knew she was trying to keep it together, and she was, pretty successfully.

He could sense the undercurrent of fear in her, but there was also calculation. She was a good actor, better than most, but Alex had spent too many years reading people in high-stakes situations not to pick up on the subtle tells. Laura wasn't just nervous; she was scared.

Tony, oblivious to the rising tension, gave her another charming smile. "Well, Laura, you've been really helpful so far. Is there anything else you can think of that might help us understand what's going on? Anything Frank said or did that seemed out of character?"

Laura hesitated, her eyes darting to the door as if she was considering making a run for it. But she quickly composed herself, shaking her head. "No, nothing comes to mind. Frank was always very private about his work. And I didn't pry."

Alex finally spoke up, his voice calm but with an edge of authority that cut through the room. "Laura, when was the last time you saw Frank before his arrest?"

She blinked, caught off guard by his sudden question. "Today, at the office," she said almost too quickly. "He seemed… stressed, but he didn't say anything unusual."

"And Did Vincent Pazzo mention anything about meeting with anyone? Alex asked nonchalantly

"Vincent didn't mention any meetings. I mean, Frank didn't mention any meetings"

The girl was spooked, but Alex didn't press; he got what he wanted. Alex was 100% sure she knew Vincent Pazzo.

Tony stood up, signalling the end of the interview. "Thanks, Laura. We'll be in touch if we have any more questions."

As she stood to leave, Alex stepped forward slightly and gently smiled at her.

She stiffened slightly, giving him a tight nod before walking out of the room. As the door closed behind her, Tony turned to Alex, his brow furrowed.

"So, you finally decided to use that voice of yours, huh? Must've been exhausting standing there like a brooding statue while we did all the heavy lifting."

Alex smirked, leaning against the wall. "Brooding? I thought I was being subtle."

"Subtle, sure," Tony shot back, mimicking Alex's tone. "'When did you last see Frank?' Very subtle. Did you think she was going to confess or something?"

Alex chuckled. "I'll leave the confessions to you, DiNozzo. You're better at making people talk."

"Damn right, I am," Tony said, pointing a finger at Alex. "But don't think I didn't notice her squirm when you mentioned Vincent Pazzo. Something's definitely up with her."

Alex was impressed. "She's hiding something, no doubt about it. But she's not ready to crack yet."

Tony sighed, rubbing his temples. "Great. Just what we needed in this investigation—another person with secrets. And here I thought we were tying up the loose ends."

Alex grinned. "When has anything ever been simple around here?"

"Good point," Tony admitted with a smirk. He then glanced over at Kate, who was watching the two of them with a bemused expression.

"You two done with the bromance?" Kate asked dryly.

Alex shrugged.

Tony winked at Kate.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Let's focus on getting some real answers. Laura's definitely not telling us everything."

Alex's expression turned serious again. "Agreed. We need to dig deeper into her contacts."

"She knows more than she's letting on," Alex said. "And if she's connected to Pazzo or the kidnapping, she could be more dangerous than we realise."

Tony sighed dramatically. "More digging, more paperwork… And here I thought being a federal agent would be all action and adventure."

Alex patted him on the back.

"Yeah, yeah," Tony grumbled, though his grin betrayed him. "Let's go crack this thing wide open."

As they left the room.

"By the way, next time, you're taking the lead. I'll just sit back and observe. See how you like it." said Tony

Alex chuckled. "Deal. But don't blame me when everyone in the room forgets you're even there."

Tony smirked. "Oh, trust me, Bish-oops. That'll never happen."

[Bullpen NCIS]

When Alex came down to Bullpen, he saw Cmdr. Wilder talking to Gibbs.

"I went by Cmdr. Tanner's house," Wilder began, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and concern. "Grabbed some stuff for him. I bought Zach a Nintendo to play with."

McGee, seated nearby, perked up at the mention of the gaming system. His enthusiasm was almost childlike as he chimed in, "That's the DS. It's an excellent system!" Realising he'd been a little too eager, he quickly added, "I've heard."

"This is a hell of a situation. Zach's been through so much in his life already."

Gibbs, not one for small talk, got straight to the point. "Is there a reason you wanted to see me Commander?"

Wilder hesitated for a moment before answering. "Tanner is a close friend. I was hoping for information." He paused, then added, "At Q&R, they're saying he's a suspect."

The words hung in the air, heavy and accusing. Wilder's eyes flashed with anger as he continued, "Do you know the sacrifices he's made to serve our country? I do."

Gibbs remained silent, his piercing blue eyes locked on Wilder's. The commander clenched his fists, his voice rising with emotion. "I don't care what the computer log says. Commander Tanner is no traitor."

Gibbs didn't react outwardly, but Alex could sense the wheels turning in his head. The mention of Tanner as a suspect didn't sit right with anyone who knew the man personally, and Gibbs was no exception.

"What about Zach?" Wilder asked, his tone softening as he shifted his focus. "Where's he staying?"

"With me," Gibbs replied without hesitation.

Wilder's brow furrowed in concern. "I'm the closest thing he has to family. I can take him home with me."

Gibbs shook his head firmly. "Can't do that. He's under protective custody."

Wilder's face tightened. "You mean they're after Zach too?"

"We'll take good care of him, Commander."

"Alright, Agent Gibbs, I am going to say goodbye to Zach."

As Wilder stepped into the elevator, Alex's gaze followed him until the doors closed. He turned to Gibbs, his expression grim.

"We need to talk," Alex signed.

Once they were out of earshot, "Gibbs, I've got a bad feeling about Wilder."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "This...another hunch, Bishop?"

Alex nodded. "I think he's directly involved in Tanner's kidnapping."

"That's a serious accusation. You've any got proof to back that?" he finally asked, his voice low and measured.

"Not solid proof," Alex admitted. "But there were too many red flags during that conversation. When he mentioned Tanner being a suspect, he didn't sound surprised—more like he was expecting it, as if he knew Tanner didn't do it. And then, when he asked about Zach's whereabouts, it wasn't just concern. It felt calculated like he needed to know for some other reason."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes, his mind working through the possibilities. "You said he wasn't truthful. How can you tell?"

"I've seen enough people try to lie through their teeth", Alex replied, his voice steady. "Wilder's a seasoned officer, but his tells were there. The way he hesitated when he talked about Tanner, the way his voice shifted—he's hiding something, Gibbs. And then there's the Zach's iPod"

" the iPod?"

Alex nodded. "Right after he gave Zach the Nintendo, I saw him take Zach's iPod from his bag. That iPod could be could be like a leverage, similar to proof of life or something else to make Cmdr. Tanner comply. I think arresting Vincent Pazzo has put him on the edge."

Gibbs let out a slow breath, his gaze still locked on Alex. "It's thin, Alex," he repeated. "But... worth looking into. What do you suggest."

"I get the feeling that Wilder is desperate, and there is a good chance he might go where Cmdr. Tanner is kept captive; if we follow him, he might lead us right to him."

"Ok", said Gibbs after a second and called the whole team to the bullpen.

"Ziva, you are with me. McGee. I want a paper trail or a money trail that connects Cmdr. Wilder to Vincent Pazzo and gets a warrant for his arrest. "

"Gibbs, I think Laura Osgood is connected as well," said Kate.

"Tony, Kate, follow her and report what you find."

Gibbs threw the Dodge Stratus key to Alex.

"Let's go."