Chapter 1096: Clay’s Overprotectiveness (Patreon)

JJ let out a sigh. “Every SEAL is extremely confident, absolutely certain in their judgment. Maybe Luke only went home to look for files and journals in the garage, but when he saw his parents, he believed they were imposters. We’re lucky we got to his wife and daughter in time—otherwise, it could’ve been fatal.”

“So that’s why he kept asking the admiral where his ‘real family’ was,” Aubrey said, scratching his head, clearly disheartened. “It means his goal in taking the admiral was to arrange a hostage exchange.”

“But even if we do have his ‘hostages,’ if he sees his wife and daughter and also thinks they’re imposters, that’ll only make things worse,” Aubrey continued.

“Then we don’t let him see them,” Jack said, turning to Clay. “Maybe we should set up a plan to lure him somewhere where we can safely take him down.”

Clay gave him a pained smile. “Luke and I are the same kind of guy. Let me ask you: if you were in his shoes, would you walk into a trap you sensed coming?”

Jack thought about it and grimaced. “No. I’d make it very clear that everyone was going to play by my rules, and I’d punish the first person who stepped out of line.”

On the still-open call, Reid cut in. “Then maybe your best bet is to contact the person Luke trusted most. If it’s just a voice, not a face, he might still respond rationally.”

—

“Luke’s closest bond was with his father,” Jenna, Luke’s wife, said quietly. Her words made the entire room fall silent.

“AI-generated voice?” Aubrey offered, his mind clicking into gear—then immediately smacked his forehead and slumped back. Terrible idea.

This wasn’t a phone scam—they didn’t know the nuances of the father-son relationship well enough to fake it. A few wrong words could blow the whole cover.

And Luke had a Navy vice admiral as his hostage. If he sensed he was being manipulated, it would only feed into his delusions and make the situation even more dangerous.

By now, they were back at the NCIS headquarters in the Navy Yard. Jubal and the rest of the team sat around the table, scouring a stack of files with grim faces.

Gibbs had brought not only the file on Operation Delado Falls but also every classified operation Luke had participated in as a SEAL.

Nineteen files in total. The red "TOP SECRET" stamps on the thick manila folders were enough to make anyone uneasy.

“Anything?” Gibbs asked, refilling his coffee after pulling an all-nighter with them.

“Delado Falls was a black op targeting a South African diplomat suspected of selling nuclear intel to a Middle Eastern country,” Jubal began. “The op was a success. The diplomat was killed, along with his…”

He paused.

“…along with his two children.”

Jack’s brows lifted. “Luke pulled the trigger?”

Jubal sighed. “Yes. The record shows he requested a mission abort. Command denied it.”

“Collateral damage. The kids saw everything—potential witnesses,” Clay said with a resigned look.

No one in the room tried to be sanctimonious. Everyone looked somber, but no one stood up to preach morality.

Still, Hannah muttered under her breath, “Just like those employees at Senalock.”

“No, it’s not the same,” Jack disagreed. “Luke had been visiting Adam Weiner’s company regularly. He likely knew the staff.

But in his delusional mind, he walked into a trap—he believed everyone there was a covert agent sent to silence him.”

“So we know that Luke was deeply haunted by the fact that he had to kill two innocent children during Operation Delado Falls,” Jubal concluded. “When the delusion set in, that trauma formed the backbone of his imagined conspiracy.”

Gibbs set his empty mug down. “So what now? According to that Dr. Reid, unless we blindfold Luke, we can’t even do a hostage exchange—he’ll freak out the second he sees his wife or daughter.”

“Which means we can’t wait for him to call us,” Jack said, turning to Alice, who was still working at her terminal. “Any update on the admiral’s phone location?”

Alice poked her head up, looking frustrated. “Not great. The phone has a government-issued GPS chip, but the signal’s extremely weak. The best I’ve got is a zone covering nearly half of Washington, D.C.

I can try triangulating it using cell towers—but only if the phone is in an active call.”

Jack stood up and grabbed his coat. “Then let’s make that call. That’s probably why Luke kept the admiral’s phone—he wants to negotiate. Clay, gear up. We’re heading out.”

To Jack’s surprise, Clay objected. “No. I’ll go. You stay.”

“Why?” Jack looked at him, puzzled. “What’s there to argue about? You worried I’ll get hurt?”

“Luke’s a war hero,” Clay said. “He’s sick, not evil. He doesn’t deserve to die like that.”

His words were vague, but everyone in the room understood.

Though Luke was a SEAL, and Gibbs didn’t fully grasp the dynamic, everyone in the fugitive task force knew exactly what Clay meant: if Jack got involved, Luke Doran would not walk away alive.

Clay knew this better than anyone. Jack would handle it—but with finality. And Clay didn’t want that outcome.

“I get it,” Jack said gently, patting his shoulder. “But that’s exactly why I have to go. Now stop arguing. Gear up. Bring the EOD kit and extra flashbangs.”

—

“You want me to make the call? This case hasn’t even been officially handed over to NCIS,” Gibbs said with a wry smile to the task force.

“You’re the only former serviceman here. I figure you’ll have better luck connecting with him,” Jubal said, sliding the desk phone toward him.

“The best person would’ve been Clay,” Aubrey added honestly, “but he’s tagging along with Jack to make sure he doesn’t shoot the guy.”

Gibbs looked genuinely baffled. “I don’t get it. Shouldn’t you be more concerned about your own team’s safety?”

“That’s… hard to explain,” Jubal muttered, face full of complex emotions as he handed over the receiver. “They’re in position. Make the call.”

“Hello?” The line picked up immediately, as if someone had been waiting. A calm male voice came through.

“Lieutenant Luke Doran?” Gibbs kept his tone relaxed.

“State your identity.”

“This is Gunnery Sergeant Jethro Gibbs, USMC, retired. Now a special agent with NCIS.”

There was a pause. Luke seemed surprised by the name. “Who told you to call me?”

“No one. I called because I wanted to. Let’s talk. First, I need to confirm Vice Admiral Milgram is safe.”

Gibbs pressed a button to mute the line and turned to Alice. “How much longer?”

“The longer, the better,” she said, not looking up. “Keep him talking.”