The team moved with practiced efficiency. Tony grabbed his familiar shoulder holster, while Kate secured her weapon. McGee, looking slightly flustered but determined, double-checked his magazine. Jerry, having already donned his vest and sidearm, followed their lead, his movements precise and economical, honed from years of military training.
"We got a call from Metro PD," Gibbs stated, his voice brooking no argument. "Marine Sergeant Daniel Bell found dead in an alley near the hotel where the Chief of Naval Operations is giving a speech. DiNozzo, you and Reacher take point on the alley. Todd, secure the perimeter. McGee, with me, we'll talk to the first responders and Metro."
Tony grinned at Jerry. "Looks like we're partners, Probie Reacher. Lead the way." He clapped Jerry on the back and gestured towards the stairs.
Jerry nodded and moved with Tony towards the parking garage. As they walked, Jerry discreetly accessed his status screen.
Jerry Reacher
Title: NCIS Probationary Agent
Jack Reacher Template Assimilation: 62%
Situational Awareness: 95/100
His enhanced awareness immediately picked up on subtle details – the hurried footsteps of other agents, the distant sirens growing louder, the way Tony subtly checked his weapon as they walked. It was a chaotic yet coordinated response, and Jerry felt a sense of grim familiarity with the urgency of the situation.
They arrived at the alleyway behind the grand hotel in downtown D.C. Metro PD officers had already cordoned off the area with yellow tape. The flashing blue and red lights painted stark shadows on the brick walls. A uniformed officer directed them to the scene.
The alley was narrow and dimly lit, even in the early morning light. The air was cool and carried the faint scent of damp concrete and something else… something metallic. Jerry's eyes immediately scanned the scene, taking in every detail. A chalk outline marked the spot where Sergeant Bell's body had been found. Evidence markers were placed beside what appeared to be discarded items – a wallet, a set of keys.
"Metro PD says he was shot," a detective at the scene informed Tony. "Single gunshot wound to the chest. No witnesses so far."
Tony surveyed the alley, his expression thoughtful. "Anything else stand out?"
Jerry, his senses heightened, noticed something the detective hadn't mentioned. Near the edge of the chalk outline, almost obscured by a discarded newspaper, was a small, dark stain that didn't quite match the dried blood within the outline. He crouched down for a closer look.
"Tony," Jerry said, his voice quiet but carrying authority, "there's another mark here." He pointed to the stain. "Looks like… shoe polish, maybe?"
Tony and the Metro detective looked at the spot. The detective shrugged. "Could be anything."
But Tony's gaze sharpened. He looked at Jerry with a hint of respect. "Good eyes, Probie Reacher." He turned to the Metro detective. "We'll take it from here, Detective. Thanks for the initial report."
As the Metro detective stepped away, Gibbs, accompanied by McGee and Kate, joined them in the alley.
"What've you got, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, his gaze sweeping over the scene.
"Marine Sergeant, single gunshot. No witnesses," Tony reported. "Reacher here spotted something else though." He gestured to the shoe polish stain.
Gibbs looked at the mark, his brow furrowing slightly. "Shoe polish?"
"Looks like it," Jerry confirmed. "Doesn't seem connected to the primary scene."
Gibbs nodded slowly, his eyes assessing Jerry. "McGee, photo this. Todd, canvass the businesses along the street, see if anyone saw or heard anything."
As McGee started taking pictures, Gibbs turned back to Tony and Jerry. "Let's go over the scene. Everything looks straightforward?"
Tony nodded. "Appears so, Boss. Just a dead Marine in an alley."
But Jerry Reacher knew, with a certainty that went beyond just observation, that things were rarely as straightforward as they seemed. His assimilation with the Jack Reacher template was telling him to look closer, to find the inconsistencies. This simple alleyway death felt like the beginning of something much more complex.
Gibbs directed the team to spread out. Kate began her canvass of the nearby businesses, while McGee meticulously photographed the crime scene, paying particular attention to the shoe polish mark Jerry had pointed out. Tony and Jerry started a closer examination of the alley itself.
"Anything else strike you, Probie Reacher?" Tony asked, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings
.
Jerry moved slowly, his gaze sweeping over the brick walls, the overflowing dumpster, the cracked asphalt beneath their feet. His internal status screen confirmed his heightened senses were picking up a multitude of details. He noticed the subtle scuff marks on the brick near the fire escape, the almost invisible fibers clinging to the edge of the dumpster, the faint smell of exhaust fumes that didn't quite match the time of day.
"The alley feels… staged," Jerry said after a moment, his voice low and thoughtful.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Staged? What makes you say that?"
"The wallet and keys were too neatly placed," Jerry explained, gesturing with his chin towards the evidence markers. "Someone wanted them to be found quickly. And there's a lack of any real signs of a struggle."
Tony considered this, his expression becoming more serious. "Could be a clean kill. Professional hit."
"Maybe," Jerry conceded. "But even then, there's usually more… residue. A dropped casing, a misplaced step. This feels too clean." His eyes drifted back to the shoe polish stain. "And that mark… it's deliberate. Someone wanted it there."
Just then, Gibbs walked back over to them, holding his phone to his ear. He ended the call and looked at the team. "Chief of Naval Operations just left the hotel. Protective detail is en route back to the Yard. Metro's still looking for any witnesses."
The mention of the protective detail sparked a connection in Jerry's memory of the "Probie" episode plot. He knew this case was tied to the security around the CNO.
"Boss," Tony said, "Reacher thinks the scene might be staged. And he found this shoe polish mark.
Gibbs looked at the mark again, his gaze intense. "Staged how, Reacher?"
Jerry hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to reveal his meta-knowledge, but his instincts, amplified by the Reacher template, urged him to speak up. "It just feels too perfect, Boss. Like someone laid it out for us to find. The lack of struggle, the placement of the personal effects… and the shoe polish seems out of place, almost like a marker."
Gibbs studied Jerry for a long moment, his piercing blue eyes seeming to see right through him. Jerry held his gaze, unwavering. Gibbs finally nodded slowly. "Alright. DiNozzo, Reacher, keep digging here. See if you can find anything that doesn't fit. Todd, report back if you find any witnesses. McGee, with me. We need to talk to Metro about the CNO's security detail."
As Gibbs and McGee walked away, Tony clapped Jerry on the shoulder again. "Staged, huh? You've got a nose for this, Probie Reacher. I like it." He grinned. "Let's see what else our meticulous killer might have overlooked."
Jerry continued his slow, deliberate scan of the alley, his mind working through the possibilities. The shoe polish mark. The lack of struggle. The neatly placed belongings. It all pointed to a level of control and planning that went beyond a simple mugging gone wrong. And the fact that this was happening while the Chief of Naval Operations was nearby… it couldn't be a coincidence.
His internal status screen flickered almost imperceptibly in his vision.
Jerry Reacher
Title: NCIS Probationary Agent
Jack Reacher Template Assimilation: 62%
Observation: 91/100 (+1)
His observation skill had just ticked up. The subtle details were indeed being noticed. He just needed to piece them together. The alley was a puzzle, and he had a feeling the solution was far more complicated than it initially appeared.