Go Silently Into Woods

By Glow60

First of all, I just want to give you a heads up. No major character is going to die in this story even though it appears that way in this first chapter. I will try my best to update weekly.

Chapter One

It was just two weeks before Christmas and one of the darkest days in Leroy Jethro Gibbs' life. The senior NCIS agent stood outside on the cabin's front porch and watched as the snow fell softly to the ground. It was so quiet and peaceful. He looked and could tell there was already at least a foot of snow and more was on the way. At this moment, he didn't care how cold it was or how deep the snow was going to get. He just needed to be alone for a few minutes to collect his thoughts. He wished he could get as far away from everyone as possible but he knew it wasn't going to happen. He didn't want anyone to see him break down. He hadn't felt this way since he lost his beloved Shannon and Kelly. Right now, he has just lost the closet person he ever had to as a son. Tony DiNozzo was dead and he died saving his life…

Inside the cabin, everyone was in his or her own little world. Ziva stood looking out the cabin window. She didn't know what to do. She had never felt this helpless before. The tears just kept flowing freely. She tried wiping them away but they kept coming back. She was hurting and for once she was not ashamed to show it. She wanted to go and get comforted from Gibbs but he was in his own little world right now and didn't want to share it with anyone. She turned and looked at McGee who was trying to keep himself busy by keeping an eye on the two men who they were assigned to protect. This protection detail cost them dearly. Their fun loving senior field agent and friend gave his life to protect them…

Three hours ago…

The weathermen had been so wrong in their predictions. They said the storm wouldn't hit until the next day. If it had it would have given them plenty of time to get to the safe house. Gibbs, McGee and the two military informants they were assigned to protect were in the first car. Tony and Ziva were following closely behind in the second car. Gibbs and his team were heading toward the safe house in the Blue Ridge Mountains when they got caught in the storm. The falling snow was getting so bad that they couldn't see ten feet in front of them so they had to park the cars on the side of the road and go the rest of the way on foot. The cabin was at least five more miles up the mountain road from where they were. The weather was affecting their cell phones so they could not call for help or let anyone know what has happened. As they headed toward the safe house they were not aware that they were being followed so closely behind. What they didn't know at the time was someone in one at the agency had let it leak out where they were taking the men.

It was still daylight but they were having a little trouble seeing where they were going. Gibbs ordered everyone to stay close. He didn't want them to get separated. While he took the lead he ordered Tony to take the rear. After an hour of walking the snow let up just a little. They were near a slope and a river. They could hear and see the current in the river was very fast. Suddenly, shots started flying everywhere.

After the first shot, Tony saw the shooters and he managed to push Gibbs and one of the men to safety but He had taken two bullets before he fell into the icy cold river below. It took McGee and the two other men to stop Gibbs from jumping in and going after him. He kept screaming for them to let him go but they wouldn't.

Ziva had managed to kill the two bastards who had just shot Tony. She looked over at Gibbs. He was still fighting to get to Tony. She could tell the three men were losing the battle to stop the older ex-marine. She ran over and knelt in front of Gibbs so she could get his attention. She put her gun away and placed both hands on each side of Gibbs face. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she yelled at him, "He's gone Gibbs. Tony is gone. We have to get these two men to safety. Lives depend on it. We have a duty and we will have time to grieve later for him." Gibbs finally stopped fighting. He just stared are her for a few seconds. She could see the hurt in his eyes. She watched as his tried to think things out in his head and then he stood up. He looked one more time at the river. He couldn't see anything of his senior field agent. What was he thinking? There is no way he would have survived the current. He then turned to Ziva, "You are right. We have a job to do. Lets get going. I will take the lead and Ziva you follow up in the rear."

Gibbs knew they were near the safe house. He remembered seeing it on the map. He knew it was just a little less than two miles from the river now. He ordered them to follow him. This time Ziva took the back.

Down by the riverbank…

It was dark; the only light was coming from a full moon that peeked in and out of the fast moving clouds. He was barely conscious when he made his way to the edge of the riverbank. He knew he was too hurt and too weak to climb out of the cold water. He just lay there and waited for death to take him. He knew Gibbs and the others would not be coming for him. They had to stay and protect the two military informants. He was barely able to lift his head and look around. He couldn't see anything except trees. His body was shaking real bad. He laughed to himself. He never pictured he would die like this. He had struggled all his life to find a place to call home and he finally did with the people who he worked with. Now here, he was alone again in his last moment of life. It was a few minutes later; he finally shut his eyes and waited for death to take him. He didn't see the dark shadow moving closer…

Present Time…

It didn't take long for the rest of their assailants to find the cabin. A four-wheel drive with chains on the tires pulled up in front of the cabin and the rest of the hired guns vacated it as soon as it stopped and started firing. Gibbs, McGee and Ziva were ready. There was a shootout and it lasted for a few minutes. Every one of their attackers were dead. It turned out they were no match for the professionally trained federal agents who had an agenda and that was to kill all of them. McGee took a bullet in the arm but he was still able to shoot. His adrenaline had kicked in and he wanted to kill every one of the bastards for what happened to Tony.

Gibbs went outside and checked the dead bodies and collected all their weapons since they wouldn't need them anymore. Their guns may come in handy later. He looked up because he felt someone or something watching him. He looked around but didn't see anything. It might be just his imagination. He ordered Ziva, McGee and the two men to get into the SUV. They needed to get as far away from this cabin and as soon as they could. He now knew there had to be a leak and they needed to leave. The snow had slowed down enough for them he hoped to make it back to NCIS safely. The weather was going to get nasty and he wanted to get out of here before it starts back up. He figure once they got on the main roads the roads would not be so bad. Gibbs took one last look around the cabin to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. He tried not to think about whom they were leaving behind as they passed the river on the way down the mountain road.

Once they were within fifty miles of Washington D.C. Gibbs was able to called to Vance to give him a heads up on what happened and why they headed back. He also warned the director that there was a leak in the agency. He asked Vance to not say anything to Abby or Ducky about DiNozzo because he wanted to tell them himself. When they arrived, Vance assigned another team to take over the protection detail once they arrived. He was going to allow Gibbs and his team some time to grieve. He knew how close they all were.

Gibbs knew it would not take long for the word to spread throughout the building so he needed to talk with Abby and Ducky right away. He called the ME and asked that he and Palmer meet them in Abby's lab he had something important to tell them and he would be there shortly. When Gibbs, Ziva and McGee arrived at the lab the others were waiting. Gibbs could tell they knew something was up the moment they walked into the room.

Abby looked at the three as they walked into the room. She could tell Ziva had been crying. It was then she noticed that one of them was missing and she knew who it was. She started shaking her head and backing away. "No…. No…. don't you tell us…don't you dare tell us. I am not going to listen…NO! NO! Please don't tell me. I can't take it. Please don't…" She tried to cover her ears.

Gibbs walked over. At first she tried to push him away but he would not move. He finally managed to hug her and he then kissed the top on her head. "I am so sorry Abs. I am so sorry…"

As Abby cried into Gibbs' shoulder, he looked over at Ducky. He was not surprise to see a lone tear falling down the Scotsman's cheek. Gibbs knew Tony had always had a special place in Ducky's heart and he knew the older man was going to miss the young Italian just as much as he was. Palmer just stood there is shock. It was Ziva and McGee who walked over to comfort him…