A/N: Wow, some great responses for a story that's unfinished for so long, I'm sure I've changed the plot from what was originally intended but as long as you enjoy! And don't worry it is finished already so the only delay will be me uploading it which isn't much!
Chapter 2
Tony struggled to swallow but he couldn't. He wanted some water so badly he was tempted to cry. He hadn't known thirst like this ever before. He wiggled his jaw around trying to loosen the glue holding the duct tape to his skin but he had no way of judging if it was even working. He felt like he was going to choke on the cloth in his mouth and it was getting harder to keep the sense of panic in its little cage. He squirmed in his chair gasping in pain as all the bruises awoke in a flash. He could feel blood running down his hands again though he could barely feel them. It wasn't good he knew that for sure. His captor had the cuffs so tight that there was hardly any circulation at all. He wasn't sure whether it was enough to keep the limbs alive or not. Not knowing scared him. Suddenly a hand buried into his hair and yanked his head backwards so far and hard he heard a crack and fire lanced through it forcing a moan.
"Finally awake. I knew you couldn't be so weak as to never wake so soon after such a simple beating" the man taunted staring DiNozzo down from his hovering position. Tony glared as best he could through the pain. The man chuckled.
"You are a feisty one. It will be much fun making you scream" he slammed a fist against Tony's cheek bone and ripped off both strips of duct tape leaving him dazed for a moment. Tony blinked a few times and shook his head trying to shake away the fog growing in his vision.
When his vision cleared again he saw the man with a menacing sneer on his face holding a long belt with a wickedly large belt buckle on the end. Tony couldn't help but gulp with anticipation and yet feel so elated at the same time as he spit out the rag and relished to be able to breathe freely again. The man chuckled and DiNozzo felt a surge of anger that he almost couldn't hold back. He didn't want to do anything to antagonize this man….yet. He was counting down the time until he could throw a few blows of his own and escape. The first lash was exactly how he expected it to be, painful, very painful. He didn't make a sound. He didn't want to give this man the satisfaction. That antagonized his captor. He landed two hard blows, one on the shoulder one on the stomach but all Tony did was suck in a sharp breath silently. His head was yanked backwards again causing a spasm through the muscles in his neck a few hairs pulling from his scalp in the tight grip.
"I will make you scream" the man whispered in his ear.
"Fat chance a wimpy man like you ever could" Tony hissed back his restraint slipping momentarily. The blows after that came without monologue or mercy. They were hard and fast. Everything blurred around Tony as his eyes begged to water and his gut wrenched as agony shot through him like shrapnel filled grenades against his body. There was a buzzing in his ears and the need for his eyes to water faded as a fog began to fill his vision. The buckle struck a cluster of welts all packed together cause him to grunt and couldn't suck in a breath for a moment, nearly crying out at the pain that surged through him. Blood dripping down his back made him squirm. He gave in a little and shivered. It didn't help. He realized belatedly that the assault had stopped. DiNozzo jumped startled at the bright flashes of light and groaned at the pain the movement shot through him. The man sauntered out of the room wave-drying a few Polaroids whistling to himself. He hoped Gibbs would come soon. He tried to stay awake, he really did, but…he was just so tired.
NCIS…
Gibbs poured over what evidence they had trying to force some bit of knowledge from the facts that could lead them to Tony. An hour after the first picture arrived a second was received. Tony's condition was considerably worse and it made Gibbs' gut twist with worry, though he didn't show it. It looked like DiNozzo's nose was broken, a rather large black eye, hunched over clearly favoring ribs, deep dark bruised all over his face and arms and they were sure there was even more hidden under his clothes. He appeared to be barely conscious in the photo. His eyes mere slits and what they could see seemed hazy and unfocused. This guy was moving fast and was violently aggressive with a need to taunt them. Show off. He didn't want to bring this photo to Abby for further examination. She was vibrating from caffeine and fretting with worry already but he had to do it. There may be a clue inside the photo that could rescue Tony.
When she saw it she cried for a few minutes. He hugged her and petted her head for a moment then redirected her back to the job. He wanted to hide it from her, not force her to look at it more closely. He couldn't be more proud as she took a big gulp of her caff pow, dried her eyes and plunged into the Polaroid with all her skills. It was only a matter of time before this guy made a mistake and Gibbs wouldn't be at all surprised if Abbey was the one to find it. He just hoped it didn't take much longer. At this pace of abuse he wasn't sure how long DiNozzo could last.
BACK WITH DINOZZO…UNKNOWN TIME…..
Tony gritted his teeth to bite back the pain as he continued to grip the wrung his hands were cuffed to and wiggle it ever so slowly back and forth. He didn't know whether it had always been loose or if that was a result of the ferocity of his beatings. He couldn't open his right eye at all and he was sure he had broken ribs, badly bruised at least, and had to keep his breathing slow and shallow to reduce the pain. His hands were nearly numb; had been for as long as he could remember since he'd been kidnapped. He was really getting scared about losing them. Were they getting enough blood? Were they dying? He didn't know and he had to change that. The wood chair wrung started to squeak. That delighted and worried Tony. It was nearly free. It was loud. What if his kidnapper heard it? The wood cracked and his hands slipped free of the chair at last. DiNozzo slipped off the chair to his knees and twisted around so he could see his feet and sighed. He had to do it all over again to free his feet.
He didn't start. He was so tired. His head pounded his hands were numb yet ached deeply at the same time. He felt like he was going to throw up. There was a haze filling into his vision making so hard to see. He wanted to sleep all of a sudden. He was so tired. He made himself move. He forced his body to turn so he could start weakening the chair wrung his to which his ankle cuffs were attached. Be like Gibbs. Be like Gibbs. Be like Gibbs. It was the mental chat he used to keep him moving. Gibbs was a marine and would save himself. So he would be the same. Or at least he'd try. Time passed slowly. He worked methodically not letting himself stop to rest because if he stopped he wouldn't move again. If only he could have some food. Maybe, just maybe then he would feel a little better.
He scrunched his eyes shut trying to push back the headache and hunger while he worked. Tony never heard the door open or even knew he wasn't alone until pain exploded through the side of his skull and the blurred image of a gun butt retreated filled his sight a second later. The man was screaming angrily. Tony couldn't discern a single word as his attacker gripped him by the throat and lifted him off the floor, completely, then threw him across the room. The chair hit the wall first and shattered followed by DiNozzo. He cried out in agony as something penetrated his hip tearing flesh and striking bone mercilessly. His captor gave a hearty laugh then kicked him in his shoulder so that he rolled hitting the wall this time and his impaled hip faced the ceiling and grabbed the wood twisting it about cruelly. Tony screamed and then there was nothing.
NCIS…..THE SECOND DAY…..
Ducky looked at the team without them knowing. Kate was still working the marine child murder case but you could see from the way she glanced at everyone else and looked like she were fretting that she was chomping at the bit to rejoin the team looking for Tony. His chances were steadily growing slimmer as the hours flew. Ducky knew that Gibbs would find him. Gibbs always found his guy. The question was whether it would be in time to find him alive. Whoever they were working with had known how not to leave pertinent evidence and was staying off the radar in every way except the taunting photos which never had clues leading back to him. They were all tired from trying to force the case to progress. Then Gibb's cell rang and they all jumped at the sound.
"Gibbs"
"You know, I bet your little DiNozzo is feeling really hungry by now." the male voice sneered into Jethro's ear. Gibb's growled audibly.
"I will get my agent back and when I do I will put a bullet in your forehead" he hissed.
"Ah Special Agent Gibbs, always one to be aggressive. Never afraid to shoot first and then find out who was really innocent afterwards." the man gave a tight angry sounding laugh.
"I don't need to find out that you're guilty. I already know you're a dirt bag." Gibbs waved Abby down having rushed to her lab the moment he'd answered.
"You know, you haven't even bothered to ask why. Why I am doing this all" the man sounded a little distressed like he'd been holding his breath in anticipation of Gibbs asking him why. Jethro looked at Abby. Not yet. She needed more time.
"I don't need a reason. Let me speak to my agent." Gibbs' voice was tight.
"As you can see, he's in no condition to speak" the line went dead and for a moment left Gibb's confused and worried. Then his phone gave that chime of having received something and after a little investigation he found the photo.
"McGee!" second later the photo was on the plasma for close examination. It was hideous. Tony was unconscious with the stain of tears down his cheeks, blood matted to his body which was swollen and discolored horribly with bruising. What made their gut wrench with fear for his life was the large, thick chunk of wood protruding from his right hip. Abby gave a small stifled cry. Gibbs grabbed her by the shoulders, blocking her view of the photo for a moment and looked her hard in the eye.
"Tell me the facts in the photo Abby" her lower lip quivered slightly but she nodded and went to her computer and started working. Gibbs and McGee watched silently as areas of the photo zoomed in and out as she explained what she saw in the photo. Other than Tony.
"There are wood floors with a wall that looks painted or papered so they're in a residential home"
"The lighting is good and unnatural, the house isn't in the process of being built or abandon. It has electricity"
"That's good Abby, what else?" Gibbs encouraged.
"They're still in the state Gibbs but that's as far as I got on the phone trace…and Gibbs, you have to get Tony soon….that wood chunk is…"she paused and swallowed the emotion back" about three inches in diameter."
"I know Abby, I know, good work" Jethro stormed away, McGee struggling to keep up, unable to get the image of that bloody, jagged wood impaling Tony out of his head.
Their time was almost up.
