"There's no conspiracy theory, at least not in the missions Luke Dolan and Adam Weiner were involved in."
Upon meeting Jethro Gibbs again, the veteran NCIS agent replied with certainty.
It was already late at night, and the Most Wanted Squad had actually driven their command vehicle to the Washington Navy Yard and parked in the yard's parking lot.
"Including the one in 2019 when Adam Weiner received the Navy Cross?" Aubrey clearly favored the conspiracy theory.
"'Operation Drado Falls', yes, there was no intelligence error, and the operation was a success, I can confirm that."
Seeing the FBI all looking at him with burning eyes, Gibbs couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, I'll apply for declassification and make this part of the intelligence public to you, but it may take some time."
Jubal had to step forward to explain, "Sorry, Agent Gibbs, it's not that we don't trust the military, but we do need to know the details of the operation.
We suspect Luke Dolan has fallen into some kind of schizophrenia or paranoia. He was rummaging through his memos and diaries in his parents' garage."
"I will submit the relevant report to you as soon as possible." Gibbs interrupted him and smiled back. Although he didn't know whether he believed Jubal's statement, at least he was sure that he didn't care.
It was already late at night. NCIS lent a large conference room to everyone. After tasting the coffee in their break room, Jiejie went back to the command car to pick up the coffee beans they had brought back from Africa.
Kilimanjaro coffee beans from Tanzania are considered the finest in Africa, with a sweet and sour fruity aroma, and the price is certainly worth the quality.
"Regardless, Luke Dolan was well aware of what he had done. He left his car at his parents' house and didn't drive his father's Cadillac, knowing the police would try to track them.
This shows he was perfectly clear-headed and prepared to carry out a covert mission. This means that despite possible mental anomalies, his ability to act remains strong,"
Jiejie said as she ground the coffee beans.
"Yes, so I sent Clay and Hannah to pick up his wife and daughter. Hopefully, they'll make it in time," Jack said, placing his phone on the table and calling Clay.
The call connected, and Clay's voice indicated he was driving. "They're fine. Luke's wife said he was fine when she saw him last night.
We're on our way to the Navy compound. The police blocked the road near his wife's house in the evening after reports of possible sightings of Luke.
However, the video report hadn't been sent in yet. The officer only realized they'd stopped Luke's car after seeing the photo. The police are still searching the area, but as of now, they haven't found anything."
"As much as I hate to say this, this might be a good thing, at least for the officer," Aubrey said, earning a wry smile from the others.
Jack turned on the TV. Jiejie appeared on the midnight news, a comment she had made to the media earlier. "Luke Dolan is a retired Marine. We believe he suffers from severe PTSD.
Recent trauma may have exacerbated this. He's exhibiting pathological personality disorder and sees himself as a potential enemy.
Don't underestimate his capabilities. Luke Dolan is highly trained and armed, making him extremely dangerous. We urge the public to refrain from approaching without permission and to notify the police immediately if they become aware of his presence."
The conference room door then opened. The door was opened, and Alice hurried in. "Sorry, guys, I just used Frederick's 911 system to find the emergency personnel who responded to the car accident.
The time was 6:20 last night. The emergency personnel confirmed that it was a minor car accident with minor damage to the vehicle. Even the airbag didn't deploy."
Jubal calculated the time in his mind. "That should have been after he sent his daughter to meet his wife last night."
Alice continued, "The emergency personnel said Luke only had a minor forehead injury and left after refusing to go to the hospital. They performed a field sobriety test on Luke, and the results were normal."
At that moment, steam billowed from the coffee machine, and a rich, fragrant liquid oozed out.
"Hmm, I think I smell a scent that doesn't belong to our office." Gibbs reappeared, leaning against the conference room door and sniffing.
Jiejie had just finished her first cup and asked with a smile, "What flavor do you want?"
"Black coffee is fine. I don't like sugar." Gibbs looked at the young people in the conference room with undisguised admiration.
"The declassification process should be completed before dawn. Before then, you might consider taking a break. We have a snack vending machine in the hallway."
Gibbs paused as he saw Jack and Aubrey open a large insulated box and pull out a series of steaming small cakes.
"I baked some on the way here. Come sit down and eat some together," Jack invited him.
Gibbs
ate the cake with his coffee. Everyone continued to discuss the case, with Jack speaking first.
"Honestly, when it comes to schizophrenia, it's rare for a man to have his first episode at Luke's age." Jack felt the need to wait until daybreak to talk to Red's Encyclopedia; his knowledge didn't seem sufficient to explain the current situation.
Although they had a wanted notice for Luke Dolan and warned the public to stay away, Jack didn't believe he would act like a typical psychopath, wantonly attacking ordinary people.
At least when he was stopped by the police near his wife and daughter's house, he didn't attack anyone. This suggested there was an underlying logic to Luke's behavior, though they still couldn't figure it out.
"Could it be a brain tumor or hemangioma, perhaps caused by the car accident? These skits all feature amnesia plots this way,"
Jubal said, drawing attention from the others. He quickly explained, "Ah, well, my eldest daughter loves watching that lately."
Alice smiled and gave him a look that said, "We all understand. "
"Given his past as a Special Forces soldier with numerous covert missions, I think this possibility is slim. But if you add in what Clay mentioned about the 'interfacial astrocyte scar,' then perhaps the answer is clear.
At least we can be certain that the car accident was the trigger."
At this point, Jack suddenly had a strange sense of déjà vu. The Most Wanted squad usually followed leads to arrests, and while they would also perform psychological analysis on suspects, this was the first time they had sat down for such a thorough and detailed analysis.
It was something he'd usually witnessed in the BAU.
Aubrey devoured several small cakes, as if finally getting his sugar fix, his mind finally starting to work again.
"Okay, we've guessed he might be looking for his ex-wife and daughter, and we've taken steps to address it. What's next? Jack believes Luke Dolan's actions are logical.
He's also skillfully utilizing the skills he learned in the military to evade police, suggesting he's at least partially aware. So, what exactly is he planning to do?"
(End of Chapter)