Green Eyed Monster
"You're too old DiNozzo. McGee goes with Ziva."
"Boss!"
"Final decision DiNozzo. There's no way you'd pass as a Petty Officer." Gibbs shouted out as he bounded up the stairs to Vance's office.
"But McGee's never been undercover before." Tony shouted up after him. Gibbs ignored him.
"What about when I went to that nightclub with Ziva, Abby and Michelle Lee?" McGee defended himself.
"Well admittedly you were masquerading as an author at the time McShakespear, but it's hardly the same thing." Tony retorted, turning to McGee, who was still sat as his desk.
"You don't think I can do it?" McGee challenged, as he moved from his desk, squaring up to
Tony in the middle of the office. "You think you're such a super agent, that no one else could possibly go undercover and do it as well as you.?"
"I am a super agent." Tony replied smirking, but not backing away.
"Yes, I think we all remember the time with Jeffrey White, where you lost your tracking device and barely escaped with your head still attached to your neck."
"That is enough." Ziva interrupted, separating McGee and Tony. "You are acting like High School children. Gibbs has decided, we must live with that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" McGee demanded, turning to Ziva.
"Nothing McGee. I have every faith in you." Ziva said smiling sweetly at him. "You will have his six right?" She whispered to Tony as she made her way back to her desk.
The team were on a case involving the torture of four female military personnel. In each of their apartments had been a business card for Amare-Torquere, a talent modelling agency. The phone number on each card was different. All were for pre-paid cell phones. From their investigations they had found each of the victims had been to an Irish bar called Finnegan's, a week or so prior to going missing. All the victims had called the number and had disappeared within a few days of placing the call.
The first two victims had been low ranking female army officers, the third a Lieutenant in the Airforce. All had been found in their uniforms in deserted woods around Washington. The forth victim was a 22 year old female Navy Petty Officer by the name of Shelley Neve. This is when NCIS had got involved. The young Naval Officer, was the only one to have survived. She was currently in a deep coma, with her parents, and Ducky, at her bedside. The Doctors did not hold out much hope. Her injuries were extensive, knife lacerations marked her petite frame. She had been stabbed in her left abdomen and had sustained severe head injuries. The other victims had also been tortured, the only difference being, they were lucky enough to have died.
Gibbs and Tony were seated in the unmarked black van on the street opposite Finnegan's. The bar was situated in downtown Washington. By the number of foreclosure signs littering the street, it was not a place with a bright future. The bar was attached to an unoccupied building on one side. A narrow alley leading to the back parking lot, separated it on the other side from a Laundromat. With its proximity to Washington College, it attracted young clientele, with a wish to get wasted quickly and cheaply. It had just turned six and the bar had just opened for evening business. A steady stream of people were making their way inside, some already appearing the worse for wear.
Gibbs was photographing everyone who came in and out, while Tony was in the back watching the video screen of footage Ziva was transmitting from her fake glasses. The images of anyone the team thought worthy of being investigated further, were being sent through to Abby, to run through AFAS.
McGee had hacked into the security camera's at the back of the building, allowing Tony to view the staff exit at the rear of the building and the parking lot.
"Give me a sound check Ziva." Tony requested, as he adjusted the volume control.
"The bar is filling up nicely."
"Got you loud and clear Petty Officer David. Need one from you too McGee."
"Jealousy is an awkward homage, which inferiority renders to merit."
"That's funny McGee." Tony sarcastically replied. "Just watch your backs." He turned off his mike.
"He's ready." Gibbs stated, not even having to see Tony to read his concern. "Anyway, Ziva's the bait. They go after young women, not men. McGee gets practice being undercover without really being in harms way." He took some more photographs of the small crowd now waiting to enter the bar.
"Yer, I know you've got to let the chicks fly solo eventually." Tony replied, chewing his bottom lip nervously. In all honesty, he wasn't yet convinced McGee wouldn't emerge from the nest and plummet straight to the ground.
The bar was now bustling with young people, laughing and drinking their way to merriment or at the very least, a hangover. The bar had decided to go all out with the Irish theme. Each bar stool had a four leafed clover embossed on it. China leprechauns sat among the bottles and glasses at the back of the bar, alongside postcards from clientele who had visited the Emerald Isle. The bar itself was unpretentious. It's décor was basic, the drink was cheap and the bar staff turned a blind eye to underage drinking and the smell of marijuana which permeated the air.
"So what's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?" Ziva joked with McGee, as they sat on two stools by the bar. Ziva was dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans, with a cream halter neck top.
"You seen anything yet?" McGee asked, a little nervously. He'd decided to dress up a little more than Ziva and wore some smart grey pants with an open neck blue shirt. He barely blended in. Add a tie and he'd have blown his cover completely. He sat awkwardly on a bar stool.
"Relax McGee. We might not get anything tonight. Go and chat with some girls. If they have been here before, they may remember something or someone. I am going to chat to a few men." Ziva left McGee at the bar as she started to play her role and put herself in the sight of as many man as possible.
McGee subtly studied the pub from the bar, sipping his non-alcoholic beer and keeping a close eye on Ziva.
"She's pretty isn't she?" A young woman stated as she joined McGee at the bar some thirty minutes later.
"Ah, well…" McGee didn't know how to respond.
"I've been watching you watching her for the last thirty minutes." She laughed. "You can't take your eyes off her."
The woman was in her early twenties, with brown curly hair cascading over her bare, tanned shoulders. She wore black jeans and a sapphire blue strapless top, which, even with the subdued lighting, brought out her greenish-blue eyes.
"It's not what you think. She's a colleague of mine." McGee earnestly offered.
"What do the two of you do then?"
"We're both in the Navy. I'm Petty Officer Tim McGee, my colleague is Petty Officer David. We're being recalled to duty in two days, so we're making the most of what's left of our liberty time."
"Well your friend looks like she's already occupied." The woman said, looking over a Ziva laughing with two admiring men. "How about you buy me a drink? You never know, I might be able to help you make the most of your free time. My name's Sarah by the way."
"Nice to meet you." McGee replied, smiling back. "My sister's called Sarah. You remind me of her actually."
"Oh." The women said, a little taken aback.
"You're killing me McGee. You really think she's gonna want to sleep with you, if you say she reminds you of your sister?" Tony laughed. "Although your sister is pretty hot."
"Knock it off DiNozzo." Gibbs shouted from the front of the van.
"Knocking it off Boss."
McGee pressed the ear wig in his ear.
"Is something wrong?" Sarah asked.
"Sorry, I've just had this irritation in my ear all evening." McGee said.
"Just remember to keep an eye on Ziva, McPlayer."
McGee bought Sarah a beer, before they made their way to a vacant booth at the far end of the pub. Sarah's phone rang just as she sat down beside McGee.
"Sorry. I really need to take this. My housemate is having men trouble. I've invited her out. I'm hoping she's confirming she's going to come. Do you mind if I just pop out to take the call?" She smiled.
"Of course not." McGee replied, politely standing as she left the booth.
"So do you get to dress up in your uniform out of hours?" A stout, shaven headed man asked Ziva, his eyes looking her up and down subtle. The man was over six foot and weighed close to 250lbs. Ziva had spotted him sitting alone at one of the tall tables in the middle of the bar, leering at every young women who walked passed. She'd been sat talking to him for the last ten minutes and he appeared to have an unhealthy interest in women in uniform.
"Well I do not like to get it dirty, but if the occasion is special enough, I might consider it." She said smiling enigmatically at him.
"You're my kind of women Petty Officer David." He responded, licking his lips.
"Are you thirsty?" Ziva innocently asked.
"Thirsty for you. Let me go and get you a drink." He stated, getting up from his stool and heading towards the bar. Ziva rolled her eyes when he was out of sight.
"Who is he?" Ziva whispered firmly down the microphone.
"Still working on it Ziva. Stay chatting with him, Abby's running his details through the system." Tony replied.
"Well make it quick. I may kill him myself if he leers down my top one more time."
McGee had been checking his watch for the last ten minutes, waiting for Sarah to return.
"McGee are you still there?" Tony asked.
"Yes, why?" McGee whispered irritably into his microphone.
"I haven't heard you speak for the last ten minutes. You're supposed to be investigating. Go and chat to some women McGee. You're not on Beauty and the Geek. They're not all going to come to you."
Just then a shapely, auburn haired women approached McGee.
"Can I join you?" She asked.
McGee looked up, seeing a women in her mid-twenties, with her shoulder length hair pulled softly to the side. Her burgundy asymmetric top and jeans, accentuating her shapely figure.
"Wow!" McGee involuntary exclaimed.
She smiled a warm, broad smile. "I'll take that as a yes." She said, sitting next to him. "I don't normally do this, you know, coming up to strange men, but I kept seeing you from the corner of the room. You looked kind of lost." She put her hand out. "I'm Carrie."
"Tim McGee."
"Petty Officer McGee." Tony gently reminded.
"Petty Officer Timothy McGee." McGee corrected. "What do you do?"
"I'm a PhD Psychology student at Howard University. I'm doing my thesis on the 'denial of vulnerability'. I'm researching it tonight, speaking to people about why they continue to come to a place where so many people have met their murderer."
"Oh, so I'm a guinea pig for you, am I?" McGee joked.
"No, this one is purely pleasure. It's the women I'm interested in speaking to. I mean the chances are he is here tonight, checking out his prey. It's unnerving, yet people carry on as though it will never be the good looking guy they're talking to or it will never happen to them."
"How do you know I'm not the killer?" McGee asked.
"I don't. I mean you don't seem the type, but that's what my thesis is on. People rarely spot killers. They blend in, seem non-threatening, lulling people into a false sense of security."
"You know I once did some research on something similar. My specialism was biochemical science, but I did a criminology module. I had to write a paper on 'bystander apathy at crime scenes. I can show you my research paper if you like."
Carrie looked at McGee uneasily.
"I sound like a would-be killer, don't I?" McGee said apologetically. "You can take my cell phone and call me and we can meet up somewhere neutral." McGee wrote down his number on a beer mat and handed it to Carrie. She gingerly took it. "You know, just give me the university address, I can send it there." McGee offered, sensing her concern. "You never have to see me again."
"But I actually think I would quite like to." She said, softly smiling. McGee had never seen such
Just as McGee was about to reply, he looked up to see Sarah standing in front of him, her arms folded and an annoyed look on her face.
"I think you'll find Petty Officer McGee is with me." Sarah sternly stated, throwing daggers at her rival.
"Well I'm sorry, but I'm sat with him." Carrie countered.
"Look ladies, why can't the three of us spend the night together." McGee innocently replied.
Both women looked at him sceptically. He could hear Tony laughing in his ear.
"And to think I ever doubted your ability to play someone else McGee." Tony laughed. "You've gone undercover as Hugh Hefner, right?"
"I need to go to the ladies." Ziva said, smiling sweetly at the same stout man she'd been speaking to for half an hour. She got up from the stool.
"No problem. I'll be here when you get back and you can tell me more about what you ladies do to entertain yourself when you're on board ship."
Ziva made her way to the toilets.
"He makes my skin crawl." Ziva whispered disgustedly into her mike. "Have you got an id on him yet?"
She entered the toilet cubicle.
"He is who he says he is. James Hanlon, a porter at Georgetown University Hospital. Had one restraining order against him in 1996. Threatened an ex-girlfriend and her new partner.
Nothing since. Seems to like jobs which have females in uniform: police stations and hospitals, but no links to the military." Tony stated.
"He is a pervert." She spat out.
"But not necessarily a killer. Move on Ziva. There are still plenty more men to make your way through."
Ziva left the cubicle, to funny glares from the women who had just listened to her one way conversation.
"Ziva, McGee's gone all muffled, tell him to check his mike." Tony said.
When she walked outside she saw Hanlon talking to a group of very young women. Ziva rolled her eyes and started to look for McGee.
"I cannot see him. Have you not got him on one of the camera's?" Ziva asked Tony after she had thoroughly searched the bar.
"Gibbs said he hasn't come out the front and he hasn't shown up on the camera as coming out the back. I can just about hear a women's voice, faintly."
"I have searched Tony. I am telling you he is not in here."
"Well search again, because he hasn't left the building." Tony tetchily ordered.
"When is the last time you heard him?"
"Five minutes ago. Two woman were arguing about who saw him first. It was all very entertaining. I never knew McGee was such a babe magnet."
"So who did he go off with?" Ziva asked Tony as she turned to suddenly find herself face to face with Gibbs. "You do not believe me, that McGee is not here?" Ziva questioned Gibbs.
"He must have gone out the staff entrance." Gibbs stated, ignoring Ziva's accusing question.
"McGee would not have willingly left, he knows he is my back-up."
"Boss, I'm hearing a car engine starting on McGee's mike."
"Any visual?"
"There's nothing Boss. I can't see any moving vehicles on the parking lot camera or out the front."
"I'll be out in a minute. Ziva you stay here."
Gibbs made his way through the staff door, which led to the kitchens, back office and cellar. At the far end of the corridor was the door leading to the back parking lot. He made is way outside to look around. The parking lot had enough spaces for a dozen vehicles. Gibbs looked in all six vehicles currently parked there for any sign of McGee.
"DiNozzo are you sure there's nothing on the camera? He's not out here and the only way out is the front entrance or the alley at the side of the bar."
"I'm telling you Boss, there's nothing. No vehicle has come in or out of the parking lot for the last ten minutes."
Ziva joined Gibbs as he made his way back to the door.
"The barman just told me that the cellar has a door which leads to the building next door."
"DiNozzo, you listen out for any sound from McGee."
"Got it Boss."
They made there way down the spiral stairwell to the cellar, stacked full of beer kegs and well stocked wine racks. They walked through the musty chamber until they reached a wooden door to the left of the room.
Tony leapt up from his seat as he suddenly heard a gun shot through his earwig.
"Boss, is that you?" Tony frantically asked, not knowing which mike the sound had come from.
"Relax Tony, it is just Gibbs shooting the lock off the door." Ziva explained.
Gibbs and Ziva made there way through the cellar next door and up the stairs to another locked door. Gibbs lost no time shooting the lock and making his way into a large empty office. He was followed closely by Ziva. The office still had stacks of unopened brochures and large cut-outs of pretty air hostesses and handsome pilots scattered among the bank of desks, of this now defunct Travel Agency.
"Boss, the vehicle sounds like it's moving." Tony informed them.
They could both hear something in the background and ran to the far end of the building. They quickly wiped away the layer of dust which was covering the set of six large sash windows. They'd just cleared enough away to see the tail lights of a dark sedan disappear out the gates of the building.
"McGee if you can hear me, tell me what you can see." There was no response. "Give me anything McGee." Tony heard faint mumbling. "Just hold on Probie, we'll find you."
Gibbs and Ziva joined Tony in the back of the van.
"Anything?" Gibbs asked.
"Incoherent mumbling at best. I think he's been drugged or knocked unconscious. Did you get a licence number?"
Gibbs glared at him, before moving to the front and starting up the engine, sending Tony and Ziva flying backwards.
"No." Ziva replied on Gibbs behalf, as she picked herself up off the floor and took a seat next to Tony. "Any luck with the pictures run through AFAS?"
"No." Tony stated. "But we were only going through the men. I've told Abby what's happened and sent her the photo's Gibbs took of all the women going in and some of the background one's from your camera. It's going to take a while though, there must be over two hundred. Did you notice who he was with when you last saw him?"
"No. I saw him with two women throughout the evening. First one, early twenties, brown, long hair, about five four and one hundred and ten pounds. I did not see her with anyone beforehand. Second one was mid-twenties, auburn hair, about five six, one hundred and forty pounds. She too was alone."
"Maybe we should continue looking through images of the men too. It could be a jealous boyfriend who's taken him." Tony stated.
"It will take too long. If we find those two women, then it will lead us to any ex-boyfriends."
Tony nodded, before returning to reviewing the video images from spectacles camera, as Ziva continued to look through the images Gibbs had taken. Both were trying desperately to stay focused and upright as they were thrown around the van with Gibbs' erratic driving.
After five minutes of searching through the images, Ziva identified one as one of the women with McGee. Before Tony had chance to enquire, Gibbs suddenly slammed on the breaks.
"Boss do you really hate us so much you want us all to die in a devastating mangle of hot metal and flames?" Tony asked, as he again steadied himself on his seat.
"If you have to ask DiNozzo." Gibbs replied as he made his way to the back of the van. "I can't find them." Gibbs had decided to go in the direction he saw the sedan head off in. He'd jumped red lights, swerved round corners on almost two wheels, but had failed to even catch sight of it again.
"This is the second women he was with." Ziva stated, showing a picture of one of the women to Gibbs.
"She introduced herself as Carrie." Tony explained. "She said she was a student at Howard University."
"It normal for a woman to go to the bar by herself?" Gibbs asked.
"If you are waiting for someone maybe." Ziva replied. "Or looking out for someone."
"She said she was there to do research for a thesis." Tony recalled.
"Tony, you find out what you can about Carrie." Gibbs ordered. "What about the other women?" Gibbs directed his question towards Ziva.
"This is her." Ziva said, pointing at a grainy image she had picked up from her video recordings. "You did not take a picture of her entering the building from the front, so she may well have used the building next door to enter the bar."
"What did you hear them talk about DiNozzo?"
"Her name was Sarah and she looked like McGee's sister."
"That's it?" Gibbs asked accusingly.
"She had to take a phone call and didn't reappear until the confrontation with Carrie fifteen minutes later." Tony defended.
"Okay, Ziva, circulate the image of Carrie and Sarah to the LEO's and get them to search the bar and bring either or both of them in. DiNozzo, get those two photo's to Abby, see if they've got any history."
Gibbs phone rang. He saw the id. "What is it Abs?"
"Have you found Tim?"
"Not yet, two photo's are on their way to you. What you got?"
"I've got Ducky. He wants to talk to you about the other cases."
"Evening Jethro. As Abby kindly pre-empted I have had the opportunity to look through the autopsy reports of the three poor young women who were murdered. All sustained serious injuries, but all were quite different. Usually serial killers have a calling card; a way of marking them out from other mass murderers or run of the mill psychopaths, but in this case there were few similarities between the victims."
"Except they're all dead Ducky." Gibbs stated.
"Well that is not strictly true Jethro. Petty Officer Neve has made a slight improvement and is off the critical list for the moment. But again her injuries, although horrific, were not the same as any of the other poor victims. She was stabbed in the abdomen and beaten with lacerated canes. The first victim was electrocuted for days before she succumbed to her internal injuries, the second had her legs and arm broken but died from severe head trauma and the third was beaten for two days before being strangled with her own scarf."
"What are you saying Duck, that the cases aren't related?"
"On the contrary, I am certain the cases are related, I just do not believe it is the same person doing the murdering."
"There's a group of murderers out there?" Ziva worriedly asked.
"As I am sure you are all aware the literal translation of Amare-Torquere, is 'love torture'. Some, shall we say, deviant personalities, get their sexual gratification from harming others. Sometimes it's consensual, sometimes it is not."
"It's like Hostel II." Tony chipped in. "Torturing and murdering chicks for kicks."
"I think they may have returned to the original Tony." Abby stated despondently.
"Someone want to speak in a language I understand?" Gibbs gruffly asked.
"In the original Boss," Tony explained, "A group abducted young men to be given to other men to live out their fantasies of torture and murder."
"You watch these sick films?"
"It gives me insights into the minds of criminals Boss. It helps with the job." Tony lied.
Gibbs shook his head in disbelief. "So they have fantasies about torturing and murdering military personal. Why?"
"Jethro, the human mind is complex and we all have our sexual desires. For most people the ego steps in and tells us if something is morally wrong and we go no further with the notion. However in some, the ego is not so well developed, or is overpowered by the id, the part of the brain constantly seeking pleasure and gratification. There was quite a fascinating study carried out by two Canadian Psychologists…"
"Enough Ducky. I meant why just military?"
"It's a common fantasy Boss." Tony chipped in.
"Something you want to share with us Tony?" Ziva asked, raising her eyebrow.
"I just mean …"
"Can we get back to the case?" Gibbs interrupted.
"You know only too well Jethro, uniforms have always had a certain appeal to man's sexual longings. It's to do with authority, discipline, punishment." Ducky explained. "I would suggest that the people carrying out these heinous crimes have come from a very disciplined background; possibly mistreated by their parents or institutionalised and potentially bullied or abused in places such as military or police academies or a boarding school."
"That explains a lot." Ziva said, looking Tony up and down.
"What have you found on those two woman McGee was with Abby?" Gibbs interrupted before Tony could bite back.
"I'm running the two images through AFAS, but no hits so far." Abby said. "You didn't by any chance get their fingerprints did you?"
"No, the glasses had been taken by the time we got there."
"Well I've tried to get a location on his cell phone, but it was switched off five minutes ago. The last location I have is six blocks north of Finnigan's. Actually it's right where you are now." Abby stated.
"Call me when you get something Abby."
"Always." Abby replied, before ringing off.
McGee felt the juddering beneath him, before he even opened his eyes. He had the sensation of moving. He tried to place where he was, but couldn't fathom it out. He could hear faint noises inside and outside of his head, all mangled into one senseless din.
A few minutes later, McGee groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. "What's going on?
Am I in a car?"
"I'm taking you home Baby. You weren't feeling so good." The woman softly replied, as McGee lay across her lap in the back of the vehicle. She was running her fingers gently through his hair.
"Okay." McGee replied as his eyelids became heavy again and he started to happily drift off.
"Boss I can hear McGee." DiNozzo stated. "Hey McGee can you hear me? If you can, let me know what's going on. McGee?" Tony waited. "Don't worry McGee, we'll find you, just stay calm and we'll be with you before you can say Fyros." Tony confidently stated.
McGee smiled softly at the reassuring voice in his ear.
The van had remained stationery, as Gibbs figured they'd be better off staying where they were until they had a clear indication as to where McGee had been taken. Tony was looking into the backgrounds of the bar staff while Ziva had Abby on the speaker phone, getting an update on the AFAS search.
"Still nothing. Whoever Sarah and Carrie are they've kept clear of the police so far." Abby stated.
"The LEO's haven't located either Carrie or Sarah at the bar." Ziva replied. She'd received an update from the two officer's tasked with searching the bar, several minutes ago. "Tony found out that there's a PhD student at Howard University called Carrie Henderson. I've given her address to the two LEO's, they're going to check out her apartment in Georgetown."
"Get Abby to check what cell phones were in use when McGee's was switched off?" Gibbs shouted from the front of the vehicle. He'd been on the phone to Director Vance, giving him a status report.
"Gibbs wants you to check cell phone usage when McGee last used his." Ziva repeated.
"What all of them?" Abby asked.
"I think he was talking more about those in the vicinity of McGee." Tony chipped in.
"That's good thinking. McGee's geekiness has rubbed off on you all." Abby shouted, so she could be heard by Gibbs.
Abby brought up the list of cell phone's that were in use within a ten meter radius of McGee's last GPS co-ordinate.
"I've got about twenty cell phones. Five were being used to either call people or be called and seven were receiving or sending text messages. I'll take a look through and get back to you."
They'd been driving for sometime through the night traffic of Washington. McGee had managed to get himself into a seated position and could just see through the black tinted windows of the vehicle he was sat it. He felt something wasn't right, but through his drugged induced stupor, his brain wouldn't let him go further with the thought, so he just sat and stared out of the window.
"Why are we going to Georgetown, I don't live in Georgetown." McGee eventually moaned.
"It's alright sweetie, we're going to have some fun tonight." The woman softly said.
"Who's driving us? You can't drive, you've drunk beer and I can't drive 'cause my hands don't work." McGee slurred, as he tried to move his hands, to find them tied behind his back. For a reason he couldn't comprehend, he wasn't concerned about it.
They passed through the commercial district of the town. Some late night stores were still open for business, their bright neon store signs reflected on the rain soaked sidewalk. Their was still a steady stream of people buzzing around buying things which obviously couldn't wait until the morning.
McGee had his head leaned against the cool window as they passed Arlington's gas station, the rain streaming down the side window distorting the view. They turned right into the financial district of the city. McGee's head and eyes felt heavy, but something in the back of his mind was telling him something was wrong. Something kicked in and he suddenly felt the urge to talk.
"I need to go home, I need to go to Arlington Avenue."
"All in good time. I thought you wanted some fun before you head back to ship. We're taking
you to see a nice man. He knows a lot about the Navy. You can talk shop."
"We going to his home?"
"No, too many people around who don't like noise."
"Carrie?" He suddenly remembered the two beautiful women he'd been speaking to that evening, but it was Carrie's smile which kept coming into his mind.
"Shush baby."
"I could take you to Hollis' Hotel." He groggily said as he viewed the elegant Victorian building to his right. His eyes started to feel heavy again.
"Shush, we'll be there soon." She said stroking his hair.
"I thought, you and me ..." He leant his head against her shoulder and fell asleep again.
"Afraid not sweetie. Unfortunately you're not my type. Now your friend is a different matter, but that's for another day." Sarah said, smiling to herself
Tony had been listening to McGee's conversation, not willing to interrupt it and inform Gibbs, in case he missed something that could lead them to McGee. When he was sure McGee and the woman were finished talking. He removed the headset.
"Boss, McGee has just found his voice. He mentioned Carrie and an Arlington's and the Hollis Hotel. Any idea where they are?"
Ziva hastily input the details into the computer as Gibbs joined them in the back.
"The Hollis Hotel is on New Grifton Street, five miles north, going into Georgetown." She replied. "There is also an Arlington's Gas Station half a mile south of there."
"Which did he mention first?" Gibbs gruffly asked.
"Arlington's first, then the Hollis Hotel Boss."
"So they must be going north, out of the city." Ziva stated.
Gibbs immediately made his way back to the front and without ceremony, hit the gas, speeding off in the direction of the gas station.
Tony's phone rang as Ziva carefully manoeuvred her way to the front with Gibbs.
"Any news your end?" Abby asked.
"McGee's just regained consciousness. We're heading off to a few places he mentioned. He also mentioned Carrie. Did you get any details on her."
"A cell phone registered to Carrie Henderson made a call just before McGee's was switched off. I'm just trying to retrieve the number now."
"Anything else?"
"I've looked at the other phones used at the time and ran the senders details through the
system. The only one with a criminal record was a Julia Kenna, who was arrested in 1962 for a peace protest."
"So she'll be in her sixties now. From peace protester to sadistic kidnapper and murderer with nothing in between. I'm guessing it's not her. Keep searching Abs."
"You should have more faith in your forensics guru Tony." Abby smiled down the phone. "I don't give up that easily. I managed to get into the phone networks records and reviewed the texts sent from the other phones in the area."
"And?" Tony asked impatiently.
"And one was sent from a burn phone to a Barry Waddington thirty seconds after McGee's was switched off. The text stated that they 'had acquired the merchandise and would be delivering it within the next thirty minutes'."
"Any return message?" Tony asked as he typed Waddington's name into the system.
"No."
Tony sighed loudly as he tried to rub away the exhaustion in his face. He looked back at the computer screen. "Right well it looks like Waddington was dishonourably discharged from the US Navy in 1985 for behaviour unbecoming." Tony read from the screen. "Did you find anything else out about him?" Tony heard some noise through the mike. "Hang on Abs, I can hear something."
Tony heard an engine stop and he could just make out the sound of muffled voices.
"So what you got for me?" A rough, gravely voiced man asked.
"Oh something real good. A young Petty Officer in the Navy. No attachments according to her." The man had a drawl from the deep south.
"Well let me take a look at what I've bought." There was a detached tone to his voice.
Tony could hear the voices get louder as they made their way towards the vehicle.
"Sarah, why are we at an Industrial Park?" McGee asked, feigning ignorance.
Tony heard the sound of fist against face, a body being dropped to the ground and dragged along gravel. He could hear a squeaky door being opened.
"Dump him on the chair." The gravely voiced man ordered.
Tony could hear rustling for a few moments, the door squeaked open again. There was a loud bang, before silence.
"Abby what else did you find out?" Tony urgently asked when he knew he'd hear no more from McGee.
"Carrie called a cab company. They've just confirmed that they took her back to her apartment. It's not her Tony."
"No, it's Sarah." Tony confirmed. "McGee finally got round to letting us know."
"Waddington's file states that he was found guilty of attempted sexual assault. Since he left, he's gone under several aliases and been charged with exposure and attempted assault. There's been nothing for the last few years though." Abby continued checking Waddington's record. "Got an address of 25 Smithton Street, but it's twenty miles in the opposite direction to where their vehicle was heading. Both phones have been switched off since that text message so I can't get a GPS fix."
"McGee mentioned an industrial estate. Do you know if the guy owns a company?" Tony asked.
Abby typed away furiously at her computer. "He works as a night security guard at an
Abingdon Industrial Park, that's about fifteen minutes from where you are. I'll email the address to you."
"Thanks' Abs."
"Find him Tony." Abby pleaded before ringing off.
"Hey McGee, I don't know if you can hear me, but we've got your address. We'll be with you soon, just hang in there." Tony stated as he scribbled down the address before rushing to Gibbs and Ziva.
McGee smiled to himself, as he heard the now familiar voice in his ear. He didn't know why he felt so calm, as he found himself devoid of his shirt and tied to a chair. His arms were cuffed behind him, while his ankles were tied to the chair legs with zip ties. He'd been gagged and blindfolded. His mike had gone when they chucked his clothes in the dumpster outside, but they hadn't yet noticed the earwig, which was now concealed by the blindfold. He wasn't sure whether he wanted them to find it or not.
"What have we got then?" The gravely voiced man asked, coming nose to nose with McGee.
"We have a young, pretty Petty Officer." He answered his own question, as he ran the back of his hand down McGee's cheek.
McGee turned his face away and nearly gagged as the acrid smell of the man's breath assaulted his nostrils. He felt the man move away and chuckle.
"You can leave now." The gravely voiced man ordered.
"I thought we agreed we could watch this one. Never seen it with a boy before Barry." Sarah said smiling. "I think Jared was planning on recording it for our exclusive website."
"No, I want to be alone with him." Came the sharp reply. He walked over to the work bench behind McGee and gently pressed the creases out of the crisp white pants and the white shirt that were lain across it. He picked up the cap and moved to place it on McGee's head. "You can stay for ten minutes, then you leave me and Petty Officer McGee, to become better acquainted."
McGee shook his head to knock the cap off.
"Show some respect." The man snapped. He picked the cap off the floor, dusted it down so it didn't have a speck of dirt on it, and placed it back on McGee's head. The meticulous calmness of the mans next words, sent a shiver down McGee's spine. "You do that again and I will break every single one of your fingers into five separate pieces." As if to prove the point, he bent the middle finger of McGee's right hand back, far enough for McGee to audibly groan through his gag. The man leant down to softly kiss the finger he's just bent back. "That's right, those are the kind of noises I want to hear from you Petty Officer McGee. Only maybe a little louder later on." The man moved back to the work bench and eyed the instruments lain out.
"Now lets get down to business."
Gibbs had parked the van just outside the industrial park. The estate was relatively new and housed twenty independent businesses, mostly workshops and factories. It was well lit and had security camera's on almost every building. The lane leading in, forked immediately into two.
"Boss, the LEO's have found Carrie at her apartment. Do you want them to take her in?" Tony asked as they alighted the van.
"Get her over here. If she is involved she might help us locate him quicker."
DiNozzo quickly phoned in the request before rejoining Gibbs and Ziva.
"Look out for a dark sedan." Gibbs instructed. "Ziva you're with me, DiNozzo, you go to the right. You see anything, you call us immediately. You don't go in alone."
"Got it Boss." DiNozzo stated as he made his way across the road to the first building, a plastics warehouse. The building was gated. Tony tried the lock, but it was secured and alarmed. He contemplated climbing over, but took one look at the sharp spikes on the metal gate and thought better of it. He made his way up the lane, but could see no sign of any vehicle. The further he walked up, the darker it became as the street lighting dimmed. As he reached the last two buildings, he saw the street light had been knocked out, with shards of glass strewn across the sidewalk and road.
Tony unholstered his gun and made his way up the driveway to the small parking lot, which extended around the back of the two buildings; an auto repair shop and printers. The metal shutters were down on all of the windows. As he moved to the rear of the buildings he saw hidden at the back of the parking lot and partially obscured by a large dumpster, a black Ponitac G5.
"Boss, I've got a black sedan." Tony whispered into his mike, as he went to the vehicle.
"Where are you?"
"Far end, an auto repair workshop called Clutch Control and printers called Prime Print. I don't know which building he's in."
"Stay where you are, we'll be there in two."
Tony made his way quietly to the entrance of the printing factory. He knew that if they chose the wrong building, it could alert and panic the kidnappers, causing them to do something reckless. He put his head to the door to listen to sounds, but the steel door made it impossible to hear anything other than his own breath. He wondered around the side of the building, but could find no other entrance. He moved over to the auto-repair workshop. As he made his way to the door, he looked down as something shiny caught his eye. He leant down to see McGee's gold signet ring lying on the concrete. He picked it up and placed it in his jacket pocket, smiling to himself.
Gibbs and Ziva joined Tony outside the door to the auto repair shop.
"We've called for back-up." Ziva said to Tony.
Tony pointed to the door.
"You sure he's in this one?" Gibbs asked. Tony nodded his reply. Gibbs made his way to the other side of the metal door.
"On three, I'm going to blow the door and we storm in."
Tony and Ziva nodded in acknowledgment and got into position.
"One, two…"
The door suddenly creaked open.
"Wow, that was getting pretty hot." The woman stated, a feral grin on her face.
"Who the hell is he to tell us to go?" Jared stated as he made his way out, his face turned to
Sarah who was standing behind him. Gibbs made sure they were both out the door before speaking.
"Federal Agents. Hands in the air."
They both turned to Gibbs in surprise. Jared tried to run but was pushed to the ground by Gibbs. Ziva hauled Sarah around so she faced the wall and offered no protest as she was handcuffed. Tony quickly made his way inside and through the only other door in the room. The door was unlocked and he swiftly opened it, aiming his gun forward and stepping into the greasy workshop. Tyres were stacked against the wall, exhausts, engines and carburettors lying around the oil stained concrete floor.
He saw McGee tied to the chair and Waddington behind him, holding an electric prod to McGee's head. McGee's blindfold had been removed and he looked at Tony with panic stricken eyes.
"Get your hands in the air." Tony calmly stated.
"You make a move and I'll use this on him one last time." He made a point of increasing the voltage gauge, and holding it under McGee's left ear.
"You do and you'll be dead on the floor within a second." Tony countered, maintaining his position.
Gibbs joined Tony in the workshop. Both agents now pointing their guns at the older man.
"I think you're outnumbered." Tony said smirking.
The mans green eyes darted around the room, looking for a way out. Seeing none, he reluctantly conceded defeat and placed the prod back on the workbench. Tony rushed to handcuff him.
"Shame you don't where a uniform." Waddington said, winking at Tony. "You'd do nicely."
Tony tightened the handcuffs, before pushing him hard in the back and leading him out of the building, reading him his rights along the way.
Gibbs moved to McGee and untied him, removing the gag from his mouth.
"You okay?" Gibbs asked.
"I'm fine." McGee tetchily replied.
Gibbs helped McGee up, placing his jacket over McGee's shoulders. Burn marks were visible on his arms and hands. McGee tried to stand alone, but staggered forward.
"We'll get Ducky to check you over when we get back." Gibbs stated.
"I'm fine Boss. I'll write up my report and just go home." McGee replied.
"Not until you've seen Ducky."
They made their way outside to find the three suspects chained to a fence railing.
"I'll go and get the van." Tony stated as he made his way out of the parking lot. "The squad
cars should be here soon, to take these crazy people away."
"Tony' gonna give me hell." McGee stated despondently once Tony was out of earshot.
"Proved him right. My first undercover assignment and I get kidnapped by the people we're looking for." He looked over at Gibbs. "I'm really sorry Boss."
"Happened to Tony." Gibbs nonchalantly replied. "Remember how you joined the Team, McGee?"
McGee thought about it. "Yer, a Marine, Sergeant Atlas, went missing and you called me in to help when Tony got taken by the waitress and her burly boyfriend." McGee thought about it more. "You weren't mad at him for screwing up were you?"
"DiNozzo didn't screw up." Gibbs replied as he left McGee and walked over to the prisoners.
"Meaning I did." McGee sullenly replied to himself.
Tony pulled up in the van just as the squad cars were arriving. After giving instructions to the LEO's, Tony walked over to McGee, a broad smile on his face. Ziva went to help Gibbs escort the prisoners to the waiting police cars.
"Hey McGee, you coming back to the yard with us, or getting checked out at the hospital?"
Tony asked, as he handed him a thick blanket to wrap around himself.
"I can either suffer the indignity of being prodded for hours by a surly nurse or endure you cracking endless jokes about my screw-up. You know I think I'll choose the hospital." McGee snapped back. "Sounds far less painful."
"What screw-up?" Tony asked, ignoring McGee's sarcasm. "We got the bad guys, and girl, and no one got too hurt. Give Gibbs ten minutes with these psycho's and they'll be squealing the names of their other accomplices and contacts. Sounds like the perfect case to me." He said smiling.
"I got kidnapped." McGee stated in disbelief. "That's hardly a success. Gibbs' will never trust me again."
"You know McGee, you need to quit feeling sorry for yourself. Humans aren't computers, sometimes they do unexpected things. That's how it goes undercover. It's how you react that matters."
"I screwed up. It's only because you three and Abby were on the case that you managed to find me."
"What? You gave us loads of clues."
"You don't have to humour me Tony."
"Humour is my middle name McGrumpy, but on this occasion I speak the truth. You gave us clues all the way."
"How?" McGee asked disbelievingly.
"Names of buildings you were passing, the general direction you were heading, Sarah's name, eventually, oh yer, and this." Tony pulled the ring from his pocket and handed it to McGee.
"If he's asking you to marry him McGee, don't accept. He's got no prospects." Gibbs stated as he walked passed them into the building.
"He should be honoured Boss." Tony shouted after him. He turned back to McGee who was looking intently at the ring. "You telling me it just happened to fall off your finger outside the building you just happened to be in."
"I don't remember…" McGee thought back. "I don't remember any of that."
"You were drugged, semi-conscious and you went into autopilot. It's what good agents do."
Tony gently led McGee towards a waiting squad car as McGee digested the information. He smiled softly to himself, a little confidence returning.
"So what do I have to do to become a Super Agent?" McGee cheekily asked, smiling at Tony.
"Ah well Super Agents do all that, and get the girl?" Tony replied, winking at him, as he opened the door of the squad car.
McGee looked in to see Carrie sitting there, a concerned look on her face.
"I wondered if you still wanted to lend me your research paper. Seems you went off in a bit of a hurry earlier."
McGee's smile broadened to mega watt proportions.
"Just don't tell her she looks like your sister." Tony whispered to McGee, before gently pushing him into the car.
The End