"Boss, my back's shot today," Tony said.
"Did you just admit to being hurt?" Gibbs asked. Tony shrugged and winced. "What happened to your back?"
"Stretched too far I guess," Tony smiled. While sort of true, the real problem were the cuts that had happened when he'd met up with his damn father, and said father had proceeded to push him until he fell onto the glass coffeetable when Tony had dared meantioning the, obviously, new stepmother he had never known about. He might also have asked which number she was, eight or nine. Or possible twelve. And how young she was, younger than Tony. Yeah, he hadn't thought about the reprecussions, but he sure felt them. A week had passed and his back didn't feel like it was burning any more, just itching like crazy and pulling tight when he stretched because of all the stitches.
"Happened to your hands?" Gibbs asked.
"Well, I went on a date, Boss. You know those colored glass bottles are really slippery when wet? Anyway, my date dropped the bottle, I thought I'd catch it and I forgot my back was hurting so I bend down, remember, fall, catch myself on my hands...never thought those bottles would break that easy, I mean the ground was covered in snow!" Tony said. Gibbs sighed and glared at Tony. "Hey, blame my date, *I* wasn't the one drinking on a schoolnight."
"But you were out late dating?" Gibbs asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Didn't know there was a law about me dating at night," Tony grinned.
"There is if you get hurt," Gibbs growled and walked away.
"Boss what do I-"
"Get McGee and Kate to do it. It's what they get paid for!" Gibbs said over his shoulder. Tony sighed...yeah that'd be easy enough...IF the two believed his story.
-0-
They didn't. Kate had, and Tony quoted her in his head, said the following: "I know you Tony. If it was life threatening I'd have to rip the bags out of your hands. As it is, you're telling me, that means at MOST a strained muscle," she snorted and left, "Carry your own damn bags, it's what you get paid for!" she hurried to catch up to McGee who had mumbled a: "I'm not your slave, Tony," and left too. So here Tony was, carrying the bags of equipment down a steep and slipper embankment, feeling them rub against the stitches. He was wrong before, it hadn't stopped feeling like it was on fire...well maybe it had, but now it sure felt like it was back again! Clenching his jaw he made his way down only to come face to face with Gibbs.
"Thought I told you to let McGee and Todd handle the equipment," Gibbs remarked.
"Apparantly I get paid the same as them," Tony deadpanned. Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "what?" he asked.
"Thought I *told* you to let *McGee* and *Todd* handle the equipment," Gibbs repeated.
"And I'm carrying them right now, what does *that* tell you?" Tony growled angrily. He usually didn't get pissy with Gibbs but right now the man was keeping him from putting the equipment down onto the ground and his back was starting to really burn!
"Your back's really hurting?" Gibbs asked. Tony gave a nod and Gibbs grabbed two of the bags, then three, then the last two things. "You sketch," Gibbs said.
"Sweet. Thanks," Tony gave a relieved smile, still clenching his jaw against the onslaught of pain. When they reached the crimescene, and a very surprised Kate and McGee watched as their Boss carried the equipment in front of Tony, Gibbs unzipped one bag and handed the sketchpad and pencil to Tony.
"Kate, bag and tag. McGee, camera. You two carry the equipment. It's your JOB!" Gibbs barked the last word leaving no room for whining at all. Gibbs spotted Ducky in a heated discussion with Palmer making their way down the slippery and steep embankment towards the dead body laying face down in the dirt, upper body bare and bruised, hands tied together with three fingers missing behind his back, and the broken car tipped onto its side next to him, burnt out. That meant the body was also zinged but lucky enough, depending who you spoke to, most of it was intact. "Duck!" Gibbs said. Ducky looked down at Gibbs and a smile graced the old mans features. The two, the ME and the assistant, came down to the flat area and hurried over to the dead man in the dirt. "Kate, anything jump out at you?"
"Well, from the top it seemed like a very ordinary caraccident...but obviously, he's been beaten with something heavy. If I was the betting type I'd say he was killed before he ever got here," she said.
"Not usefeull," Gibbs growled and walked over to McGee who managed a small squeak which made Gibbs snarl and move on to Tony. "Do YOU have something usefull?" Gibbs growled angrily.
"Well, there's a dead body right there," Tony pointed to the dead body. Gibbs was about to slap him in the back of his head, but then Tony spoke again. "See those round marks? I've seen those kind of marks before, te way the bruises spread and the positioning tells me whoever did this used a sledgehammer. Sledgehammers plus three cut off fingers usually equals some kind of mob activety," Tony continued. Gibbs felt himself relax slightly. "I'd search up unsolved murders where the victims had fingers being cut off," Tony said. "OR," he said when Gibbs turned to go over to Ducky, "This could be a very disturbing way to count victims for a serial killer," Tony shrugged. Gibbs twisted himself awkwardly to look at Tony, searching Tony's face for any trace of humor. He didn't find any. "Just saying, I caught a case in Maryland with a guy with one finger missing." Gibbs walked back to Tony.
"The murder we shared in Baltimore had a guy with two fingers missing turning up in the middle of our investigation," Gibbs finished for him. They both looked over at the body. "You know how I feel about coincidences?" Gibbs asked.
"Don't believe in coincidences," Tony said. "But, we have to not let ourselves be biased, Boss. If it comes down to it, we handle it. Meanwhile we consider it and try to disprove it," Tony shrugged. Gibbs gave a nod but Tony could already feel Gibbs's mind working overtime. "Boss," Tony said. Gibbs looked at him. "Don't get carried away with this," he said quietly. Low enough for the others to wonder what they were saying, loud enough for Gibbs to hear it. "I can't headslap you but I can damn well remove you from the case if you run with the idea that this has to be the same killer," Tony glared pointedly at Gibbs. Gibbs nodded and Tony saw the spark waver a bit and then soften in Gibbs's eyes.
"You're right DiNozzo," Gibbs sighed. "Thank you," he walked over to Ducky. "Get to work!" he barked at Kate and McGee. "What do you have for me Duck?" Gibbs asked.
"Well, nothing right now, help me roll him over Mr. Palmer," Ducky said. They rolled him over and Gibbs called for Tony to come over. Tony walked over and stood next to Gibbs.
"Still think we shouldn't go in biased?" Gibbs asked.
"Nah Boss, I'm beginning to think I was right, it's his way of counting," Tony shrugged. Two pictures were stapled to the dead mans stomach along with writing. The pictures showed the two earlier deaths Tony had been talking about. The writing said:
"my FrIeNDs, i HEaR you are both agents now. see you soon. ps since the people that took over the cases could never decipher my code I decided to make it easy this time."
"Writing still sucks," Tony said.
"DiNozzo..."
"Yes Boss," Tony said, "When we get back I'll go through my old casefiles," he sighed, "I *hate* paperwork!"
-0-
AN: Okay so I started this up. Not sure when I can update it but it's probably a bit confusing for most of you. Didn't I promise to start a sequel to Sam soon too? The answer is yes, yes I did. I actually started it but then it sort of killed itself with a hammer and my brain refused to let me live my life. So this is the result. :D Also, about the updating, I wrote this chapter today as a promise to myself that I would practice on my skills with this one. Love you guys!
