Yes, there is a good side to insomnia. You have lots of time to yourself late at night. First three chapters of novel are completed, so I started dabbling. Here's something different.
The life of Tony DiNozzo
Prologue
The Ohio State University, 1993
He remembered the night vividly because it haunted his memories and dreams. His mother lay in the hospital bed and he lay beside her waiting for his father to pick him up after a late business dinner. They were watching an old black and white Jimmy Stewart movie, a romantic comedy, on the TV, when she spoke to him.
"Tony, my beautiful boy," she said in a soft voice to get his attention.
"Yes, ma," he replied.
"Try to always be a good man. It's important. More important than money, remember that," she said.
"Yes, ma," he replied.
She gently touched his face then she closed her eyes and died. He was eight years old. This was the end of his childhood in many ways. From here on he was determined to be what his mother wanted him to be: a good man. Of course, he knew he'd stumble along the way. He never got things right the first time.
When he was ten years old his father brought him on a business trip to Hawaii. Senior was trying to expand his company into shipping and other things. He liked the idea of doing business overseas, especially with what he called the Arab Nations. They had oil and oil was money. And Senior loved money.
His business deal got interesting, especially when some nubile young women were added to the equation. He forgot all about Junior, as he left Oahu for a few days for a resort in Kauai to enjoy the girls and make a deal. Tony survived on room service and TV until his father realized he had forgotten all about Junior. Burgers, pizza, milkshakes, cake, and everything his father didn't let him have, while he watched hours and hours of black and white movies. When his father finally returned, Tony wasn't sure what bothered him more that his father forgot about him or that he didn't miss his father that much.
At eleven years old Senior sent Junior off to camp during the summer and a military academy during the rest of the year after he gave the boy a beating that almost sent him to the hospital. He had no idea how to raise a boy, especially one like Junior who seemed to hate money, love movies, and had a stubborn streak a mile wide. His mother left him an inheritance, but it was tied up in many legalities so that he wouldn't get it until he was twenty-four and it would be held for him under her family name Paddington in an Isle of Man account. She wanted to make sure he had time to become a good man before he got his inheritance. And she wanted to make sure that Senior didn't get it.
At twelve years old, he was there when his father hit his first financial rough patch with his grandfather's trucking company that he ran. His uncle Vincent had no interest in the company. He owned several butcher shops and loved his professional, which his father described as a good cut of meat. His uncle Carmine was a Wall Street genius, a CEO, who had a mental breakdown while playing golf. No one was there to advise Senior, who was sure the only way out of his jam was to have his son sign over the inheritance his mother left him. Tony refused to sign it over to his father. His father disinherited him from the DiNozzo money.
From then on he had no real paternal guidance in his life. He was a boy on his own, who occasionally saw his father as he introduced him to his latest stepmother. But he did discover several things at the military academy in Rhode Island: he excelled at sports, girls liked him and he liked girls, and he wanted to do the right thing. Be it being bullied because he didn't really have a family to getting into fights standing up for other kids, he did what he thought was right.
When he got a athletic scholarship to Ohio State University after years of an all male military academy and a fairly solitary life in Rhode Island, Anthony DiNozzo took advantage of everything Columbus, OH and all OSU had to offer a star athlete. Between maintaining his marks to stay on the Dean's List; being the steady, if not sometime spectacular, point guard for the basketball leading them to the Sweet Sixteen twice; and now the starting quarterback on the football team, he became a legend at Alpha Chi Delta. His nickname was Sex Machine because most co-eds couldn't say no to his green eyes, movie star smile, and good looks.
"Tone," as Toby Simon, a Frat Brother liked to call him, "you ready for the big game against Michigan?"
Tony was considered an excellent scrambling quarterback with a more than decent arm and the potential to make it on a NFL roster. He was quick more than outright fast, though, you needed some speed to catch him from behind, but what made him really good was his instincts. It was like he knew when he was going to be tackled and he'd bust a move and buy time for a receiver to get open.
"I guarantee that we will not lose," he smiled.
His smile, or smiles, separated him from the average womanizer. He had one for every occasion to convey his intentions, but it was his sincere, million dollar grin that most people couldn't resist.
"You win this game and we are going to a big bowl and you'll own this town," said Frankie Dennis, another Frat Brother.
"Come on two sweet sixteen appearances in basketball and the starting quarterback of the football team, I already own this town," he smiled.
The game against Michigan was the biggest of the year. Tony had his pick of co-eds. He decided on Sally Dunham, a willowy blonde with a great rack. The night before the game he had her in his dorm room, while his best buddy Todd Healon, his favorite wide receiver target, sat against the door to their room and waited for the okay to go back in the room and get some sleep.
Todd ended up sleeping on the floor while leaning up against the door. When he woke up, he had enough and went into their room to find Sally and Tony scrunched up together and asleep in his single bed.
"Dude, wake up before the coach sends someone to check on us," Todd moaned as he lay down on his bed.
There was a knock on the door.
"Ahh, shit," Tony groaned then he whispered in Sally's ear. "get in the closet."
"Damn it, DiNozzo," she growled then got up, taking his blanket with her ad got in the closet.
There was another knock on the door and the third assistant coach on offense entered the room.
"You guys behave last night," he said.
"Sure, coach, don't I always," Tony said then gave him that million dollar, meant for a cereal box grin.
Todd started laughing: "Slept all night."
Todd' radio alarm went off and Bryan Adams was singing Please Forgive Me.
"Turn that shit off," barked Tony. "It's game day. I listen to either Sinatra or Bobby Darin on my Walkman."
"Do as he says. We want DiNozzo happy for the game," barked the coach.
NCIS
Tony sat with his football pants on, his socks, and cleats and nothing else with his Walkman on head ignoring his teammates and listening to Bobby Darin sing What a Difference a day Makes. His mind was on the game. According to Coach, if Tony had a big game there was an excellent chance to be drafted in the second or third round, not bad for someone who was recruited more for basketball than football.
Coach came walking up to him and taped his shoulder. Tony turned off the music and pulled his earphones off.
"You ready?" Coach asked.
"Playing the Wolverines - oh, yeah," he smiled.
Coach shook his head. He loved DiNozzo's confidence.
"Remember, they're a good blitzing team."
"I'll remember, Coach," he said.
"Okay, do me proud, kid."
"I will, sir," smiled Tony.
He slipped his headphone on and started the music up. Yeah, Bobby Darin and Sinatra, I hope their cool rubs off on me.
NCIS
Early fourth quarter. The score was 17 to 17. Michigan had pulled out all the stops blitzing all day. His stats were okay: 11 for 18 for 189 yards, 65 yards rushing, one touchdown throwing and one rushing. Now all he needed was one more TD and he knew this game was there.
He looked at all the faces in the huddle, sweaty, tense, and waiting for him.
"Okay, third and 8. We can make this first down. X Z, Y slant waggle," he called the play. "On three."
The team broke the huddle and got into formation. Tony placed his hands on his center's butt and started to call: "Hut, 33, Hut, 22, hut, hut, hut!"
The center snapped the ball and Tony rolled out to his right. Michigan blitz, so the play broke down and he started to scramble to his left looking for his tight end or maybe Todd to come back to him. With his eyes focused on the field looking for his players, he didn't see a safety blitz.
The Wolverine safety took him out knee high. Both he and the safety heard the loud pop when he hit Tony, who went down in a ball of pain. His right knee was devastated.
The first person to him as he rolled around on the field in pain was the Michigan safety.
"Sorry, man, I didn't mean to take your knee out," he said.
"It's okay. That's the game," growled Tony, as his training staff reached him
"It's okay, DiNozzo. You'll be okay," one of them said.
"Yeah, I'll be just peachy."
NCIS
Tony sat glumly in the hospital bed. A few of his teammates had just left him and Coach entered the room. He looked annoyed.
"I called your father. He said to keep your chin up, but he's due in Egypt for a business trip," Coach snarled.
"It's okay, Coach," said Tony. "I grew up with him not being around."
"I talked to the doctors. Broke kneecap, ligament damage, you got a hard time ahead of you, a real hard time," he said.
"Kiss getting drafted goodbye, right, Coach?" Tony said trying to hide his bitterness.
"Tony, the pros aren't going to happen for you now," he said. "But here's what you are going to do. You're going to finish your degree and think about grad school until you know what you wznt to do. You can be one of my many assistant coaches until you know what you want to do. Kid, I owe you that much. You gave me your all."
"Coach, I don't know what to take in grad school. I'm a jock," he said.
"You ever think about being something other than a pro athlete?" he asked him.
"Yeah, a good man," said Tony feeling slightly embarrassed that he admitted that to his coach.
"Best man I ever knew was a police officer. He gave up his life to protect people in a bank robbery in my hometown. Man was brave, kind, and dedicated. You can't get better than that," said Coach.
"Police officer," Tony said then he thought about it for a moment. Being a cop would annoy the shit out of his father and it was definitely not an officer job. But he did need time to rehab his knee, a year or more. Grad school and coaching it is.
Tony smiled: "Police Officer. Maybe I wouldn't mind that. What do I take in grad school to become a cop?" he asked.
"OSU offers a Crime and Community grad degree. That sounds about right. I'll have an adviser come in and talk to you and, you know, that you have my recommendation and a job with me. Hell, DiNozzo, you left it on the field for me out there today. It's the very least I can do," said Coach. "Plus, you need the sports facility and staff to rehab. Knees take a long time to get back to normal."
"Thanks, Coach."
"Don't thank me. I'm going to work your ass off," Coach laughed.
NCIS
He ran lap after lap. Two years and he could finally run with some real speed and endurance. He was even able to play in a pickup basketball game the other day and show up someone junior who played on the OSU basketball team. I t felt good. All the hard work had finally paid off. Coach was right; he made the right choice staying a little longer at OSU. His thesis was due in a week and Illinois Police Academy accepted his application. He was well on his way to becoming a police officer.
A smiled cracked his face when he thought about it. His father had sent him a letter telling him how disappointed he was that his only had chosen to waste his life in a career in law enforcement. He berated that if he wanted to be involved in the law then why not a lawyer. Tony laughed. He loved his father and would have been thrilled to get a letter saying congratulation, but he had something to live up to that his father didn't understand - he had to become a good man.
He was still years away from his mother's inheritance kicking in and he'd already come to a decision about that money. Instead of living off of it, he was going to let it grow and only take a yearly payout from it and not too large of a payout, until he got married then he'd use the money to buy a home and take care of his family. He thought his decision would make his mother proud. For all her flaws, and she had them, she had a good heart and she did love him. He wanted to make her proud.
Chapter One
Peoria
The top graduates of the Illinois Consolidated Police Academy usually ended up with solid job offers from police departments throughout the state. Tony didn't expect an offer from Chicago because it was known for being a political motivated department, but he hoped to get one from Peoria, which was the third most populated metro area in Illinois and considered a good city to cut your teeth on. The police department had a good rep.
It had been a rough time at the academy for Tony. The moment someone found out about his background he became the rich guy. For eight months he had to battle the stigma that came with being brought up in a wealthy family but wanting to pursue what was considered a blue collar job. It didn't hurt either that he only had enough money to live off of slices of pizza and the occasional Chinese food. To his fellow cadets he was still the rich guy.
No expected the rich guy to come in first in the physical requirements and third in the mental. They knew he was a jock at OSU, but he was a goofball, who knew more about movies than laws. Tony smiled. He fooled them. They underestimated him and he fooled. He liked doing that to people.
On graduation day after he was handed his diploma along with the rest of the cadets, he was approached by Captain Dennis Worthy of the Peoria Police Department.
"Anthony DiNozzo," Worthy tested his name making DiNozzo sound somehow like a Midwest name.
"Yes, sir," Tony said shaking his offered hand.
Worthy, who stood five foot eleven, appraised the taller, younger man. He smiled.
"You'd look good in a Peoria Police Department uniform," he said.
Tony smiled: "When do I start?"
"Next week," said Worthy. He liked the kid. No hemming or hawing, he just took the job without question. "Any family here I can meet to congratulate?"
"No, sir. It's just me," Tony said.
"How are you celebrating tonight?" he asked him.
"Slice of pizza. It's all I can afford," he said.
"Your file says you come from wealth," Worthy stated.
"My father is wealthy and he and I don't really speak or see each other," said Tony.
"Well, then, I guess I'm taking you dinner. You are one of my men now," smiled Worthy.
"Thank you, sir," beamed Tony.
"Call me Denny," he said.
"Call me Tony."
"What do you want for dinner?" he asked him.
"Italian," smiled Tony, "or steak."
NCIS
Peoria could be cold, very cold. Tony was glad his trainer and partner, Sgt. Thomas Kuppa, liked to keep the police car cold.
"10-52 at the Tango Bar," the dispatcher announced.
Kuppa picked up the radio: "Car 26. We're on it, 10-4."
"10-4, car 26."
"Disturbance at a biker bar," snorted Kuppa. "Make sure you bring your baton."
Kuppa pulled up in front of the Tango Bar which had a doze Harley Davidsons parked in front of it. Zipping up his winter jacket and putting on his police hat, Tony followed the forty year old Kuppa into the bar. Although he was five inches shorter than Tony, Sgt. Kuppa was physically intimidating with his barrel chest and muscled arms. Long ago he was the starting center for the University of Illinois.
They walked into the bar too see to behemoth bikers going at one another, punch after punch, while male and female bikers cheered them on.
"Alright, break it up," yelled Kuppa.
"It's a contest. Leave them alone," a bearded leather clad biker warned Kuppa.
"We got a call about a disorderly disturbance…"
"Hey, alliteration, sarge," Tony interrupted him.
"DiNozzo, shut up and watch," said Kuppa.
"Fuck you, fuzz," said another biker.
The room was starting to get tense. The two men fighting stopped and with bloodied faces glared at Kuppa and Tony.
"Listen, I don't give a shit if you two beat each other to death, but do it in a ring or somewhere that allows fighting," said Kuppa.
"Fuck you," said a biker, who picked one of the heavy barstools and swung it at Kuppa.
Instinctively, Tony knocked Kuppa out of the way and took the chair on his left shoulder, which dislocated his shoulder. Kuppa pulled his baton and smacked two of the bikers into submission. Tony saw a third biker pulled a switchblade and went to stab Kuppa. He pulled his baton, cracked the man's wrist with his baton breaking it then smacked another biker, who was joining the fray, upside his head.
"Stand down," barked a dark haired, clean shaven biker.
The way everyone reacted it was obvious he was a leader. Kuppa and Tony kept their batons at the ready while everyone backed off of them.
"Hey, officer, you two have provided some entertainment, so I thought I'd cut you some slack. We'll behave," the leader.
"Just try and keep it to less than a riot," said Kuppa. "Come on, DiNozzo."
"Yes, sarge."
Tony followed Kuppa out of the bar.
"You first dust up and it's in a biker bar," said Kuppa to Tony. "You are going to have an exciting career."
"Hey, sarge, that barstool knocked my shoulder out of its socket. Can you put it back?" Tony asked.
"Jeez, kid, let me check that," said Kuppa, who put his hands on his shoulders and started to manipulate it.
With in exhalation from the pain, Tony gritted his teeth, as Kuppa forced his shoulder back into place. When he was done he gently patted the rookie on his hurt shoulder.
"Take care of that for the next few days. If you dislocate it again, you might have to take a trip to the hospital," advised Kuppa.
"Don't want that, sarge," smiled Tony.
"I don't blame you. Hospital visits involve paperwork. I hate paperwork."
"Me, too, sarge," said Tony.
NCIS
He lived in a one bedroom apartment in not the best neighborhood of Peoria near the Illinois River. Whenever he came home in his uniform conversations stopped, and people would stare at him. According to the mayor this neighborhood was on the rise, yet somehow the residents hadn't been told this fact.
The late shift was tough on Tony, so when he got home he'd throw a couple of leftover slices of pizza in the oven then stick tape in the VCR. His choice today was On the Waterfront. His mother loved Brando along with Gary Grant and John Wayne. It was until he got older that he realized just how varied his mother's taste was in leading men.
As the opening credits played, he grabbed a beer and his now warm pizza slices then he sat down and started watching he movie. He saw in the stores that there was a new technology out, DVDs. They say it was the best way to watch a movie at home. He made a note to himself that when his inheritance kicked in from his mother, he'd have to check out DVDs.
His telephone rang. He contemplated letting go to his answering machine, but curiosity always got the best of him. Pausing the movie, he put down his slice and got up and picked up the phone.
"DiNozzo," he said.
"Junior," his father's familiar voice reverberated through the phone.
"Dad," he sighed.
"Don't sound so happy to hear from me, Junior," he said.
"Sorry, dad, I just got off my shift. I'm unwinding and getting ready to bed," he said.
"If I was awake at this hour without sleep, it would mean a woman or business deal," his father said.
Or a bottle of scotch, Tony thought.
"Well, as a cop I have odd hours," he said.
"Junior, I'm getting married," his father announced.
"Really, dad. I didn't know you got divorced from the last one," he remarked.
"Oh, yes, Marlene. She took a pretty penny of your inheritance," he laughed.
"You disowned me, dad," he said.
"Oh, yes, I forgot. One of these days I should change that," he said. "I want you to come to the wedding. Your uncle Vincent and his children will be there and Carmine' children. Carmine, of course, won't be there. He's still in a hospital for his problem."
"You mean he's still crazy," said Tony.
"You should come to Long Island. It will be your chance to get reacquainted with family," he said.
"Dad, I have not seen most of these people since ma's funeral. They didn't come to my graduation for military academy or even send me a card when my football career was ended on national TV by a safety named Brad Pitt," Tony said.
"Oh," was his father response. "Are you coming?"
"I don't have the time to take. I've only been on the job a few months."
"The job. Junior, you sound so common. Do you at least still play the piano? Your mother loved your playing," Senior said.
"No time," was Tony's answer. That and it reminds me of ma and that is too painful.
"You disappoint me, Junior. You're probably going to get shot by some lowlife and die in the gutter," his father said then hung up.
Tony hung up the telephone. Trying to forget his father's call, he returned to his slice of pizza and the movie. He restarted the movie. Brando was in the park playing with Eva Maria Saint's glove. This movie and North by Northwest, he thought her perfect.
Maybe I should find a nice blonde this on my days off and blow off some steam. Tony smiled at the thought of finding a young woman to share a few hours with. A few hours, though, and nothing more. Getting married and having bad marriages ending in bitterness was his father's specialty not his. No, he'd live marriage to other's and devote himself to the job.
NCIS
The body was bloated from gas and being in the river for more than twenty-four hours, yet Tony could still see that it was the body of teenage girl. Kuppa stood beside, as body was fished out of the water, and cursed.
"What's it look like?" he asked one of the other cops.
"Rape and murder. The DT's will deal with it when they get here," said Rocky Sheldon, a grizzle old street cop.
DT, detective. Tony was somewhat resentful that the detectives got to catch the bastard who did this. He wanted to track them down and catch them. It was one things being a street cop on patrol reacting to every little and big crime, but detectives got to put a target on a criminal and go after them. That's what he wanted in the end. He wanted to be a homicide detective.
"Well, she won't be going to her prom," Jimmy Taggert remarked.
"I hope they catch the bastard and he never makes it to lockup," said Kuppa.
Suddenly, Tony's stomach churned and he could feel his dinner working its way up his throat.
"Oh, God," he mumbled then moved quickly away from his partner and vomited all over the ground.
"There she blows," yelled someone.
Taggert looked at Kuppa: "His first floater?"
"Yup," was the answer.
"It gets better, kid," said Taggert. "Eventually, you will be able to see the worst sight in the world and all you'll want to do is make a joke to blow off the steam."
"I don't think so," Tony mumbled.
"Oh, I'd bet on it," Taggert laughed. "You got to learn to deal with death. How do you deal, sarge?"
"Alcohol," said Kuppa.
"See. Jokes or drinks, some do it with sex, otherwise you'll go home and eat your gun. The more sensitive you are the more you have to find a way to cope with it," Taggert said to him.
"Yeah, I guess," said Tony. His green eyes looked into Taggert's blue eyes.
Taggert could see it in his eyes. The kid didn't believe him, but he'd understand someday. You had to find a way to cope with the horrors you'd see as a cop. Alcohol, jokes, or sex, or all three. He'd find out someday.