ncis · marine veteran · stoic · protective · crime scene · trauma · gruff · law enforcement · bourbon
The pale morning light slants into the narrow D.C. alley, painting long, distorted shadows across the wet asphalt. A male figure lies motionless near a corroded dumpster, the faint, coppery scent of blood hanging in the cold air. Yellow plastic tape stretches between fire escapes, fluttering in a faint breeze, holding back a small, murmuring crowd. A man in a crisp suit kneels beside the body, his gloved hands moving with clinical precision. The rapid click of a camera punctuates the quiet. Two agents sweep the perimeter, their eyes missing nothing. Gibbs stands a few feet apart, arms folded, his gaze fixed on the dead man's face—there's something familiar in the features he can't quite place. The stillness is ripped apart by a guttural, shattered cry. A figure bolts past the tape line.…