“I didn’t say there was going to be punishment,” Will replied.
Shel nodded. “I just figured-”
“You figured wrong, gunney,” Will said sharply. “Maybe you need to realize that you’re not the only one who can throw away the playbook when it doesn’t suit you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Will let out a pent-up breath. “The issue at hand is what to do with you.”
“Permission to speak freely, sir?”
Thank God, Will thought. “Yes.”
“In addition to myself, Victor Gant also threatened my family. I’ve got some leave coming-”
That was an understatement. Shel was a Marine 24-7. There wasn’t a person on the NCIS team who logged more hours or had more leave coming.
“-and I’d like to use some of it,” Shel went on. “I want to go back home. For a little while.”
“We need you here,” Will said.
Shel was silent for a moment. “I understand, sir. But I think maybe I was too hasty in coming back to full duty. Today, during that fracas, I hurt my shoulder. I think maybe I should rest it.”
“I can put you on a desk for that,” Will pointed out.
“There are plenty of desk jockeys,” Shel replied. “So there shouldn’t be any reason to stand in the way of my request for leave. Sir.”
Will knew he’d been neatly outmaneuvered. He didn’t feel like being civil about it. Nor did he want to let Shel go when he was obviously dealing with harsh circumstances.
The fact of the matter was, though, Will didn’t have a viable reason to deny the request.
“You’ll need to fill out leave papers,” Will said.
Shel reached into a pocket and took out a folded mass of papers. He handed them over.
Will took them and dropped them onto the desk without looking at them.
“Shel,” he said, “I’m your friend.”
“Yes, sir. I’ve always thought of you that way.”
“As your friend, I’m asking you what’s going on.”
For a moment, uncertainty wavered on Shel’s face. “I appreciate that, sir. I do. But I don’t have anything to say that I haven’t already told you.”
Will looked at the dark lenses of Shel’s sunglasses. No answers lurked there. And in the end there was nothing else he could do.
“You’re dismissed, gunney,” Will said.
“Thank you, sir.” Shel fired off a crisp salute. After Will returned it, Shel pivoted a perfect 180 degrees and left the room.
Godspeed, Will thought. Then he offered up a small prayer and asked God to watch over his friend while he was gone. Letting people go when they were determined to walk into the jaws of trouble was always one of the hardest things to do.
38
›› NCIS Offices
›› Camp Lejeune, north carolina
›› 1909 Hours
“Did I just see Shel leave carrying a duffel?” Maggie asked.
“Yeah,” Will said as they walked through the hallway toward the main computer area.
“Where’s he going?”
“Home.”
“Why?” Maggie sounded unbelieving.
“He asked for leave to go home.”
“Why would he want to go home? He never asks for leave.”
“I’m aware of that,” Will said.
“Did he give you a reason?”
“I asked.”
“And?”
“He said he had leave coming. He said he hurt his arm today. He said he felt like going home. He said Victor Gant threatened his family.”
“Do you believe any of that?” Maggie asked.
“Yeah. My answer would be all of the above.”
“No.”
“No?”
“You’re smarter than that.”
“Am I?”
“Shel will always have leave coming,” Maggie said. “If he hurt his arm, Shel would rather cut it off than let you bench him to a desk under a medical restraint.”
Will had to admit that was true.
“Shel is conflicted about going home,” Maggie said.
Since she was the team profiler, Will was certain Maggie knew what she was talking about.
“And if Victor Gant threatened his family,” Maggie went on, “he’d definitely stay with us. We offer the best chance at finding out where Gant is.”
Will nodded. He couldn’t argue the logic. He’d been chasing the same conjecture.
“So what’s changed?” Maggie asked.
“I don’t know. That’s why I thought I’d ask Estrella.”
›› 1919 Hours
“Shel didn’t mention anything to me about going home,” Estrella said. She sat in the ergonomic chair at her station and looked worried. “Usually he tells me everything that’s on his mind.”
“Not everything,” Maggie said. “I don’t think Shel tells anybody everything.” She glanced apologetically at Estrella. “Though he tells you more than most.”
Will looked out over the workroom. Several other NCIS agents were in their cubicles, striving to clear their caseloads.
Estrella looked troubled. “There is one thing that he talked to me about that I haven’t told you.”
That drew Will’s instant attention. “Now would be a good time to discuss that.”
“It doesn’t seem like it connects anywhere.” Estrella turned her attention back to the computer. Her fingers glided across the keyboard in swift syncopation. “Shel asked me to look up his father’s service record.”
“His father was in Vietnam,” Will said.
“I know.”
“Shel doesn’t talk much about his father,” Maggie said.
“No,” Will agreed.
“How did you know he was in Vietnam?”
“Because I know that Shel’s father is a sore point with him. When Shel mentions him, I listen.”
“Have you ever asked him about his father?”
“No,” Will said. “Men try not to do things like that to each other.”
“Right,” Maggie said. “But you’re not just a man. You’re also his commanding officer.”
“I play the counselor role when a man needs me to. But I wait for him to make that decision. I don’t make it for him.” Will stared at the computer screen. “What was Shel looking for concerning his father?”
“I don’t know,” Estrella said. “Not exactly. I know he was interested in finding out if Victor Gant was ever in Qui Nhon.”
“What’s Qui Nhon?” Maggie asked.
