Chapter 2

"He's still not answering?" Tony asked.

"Nothing," Ziva said. "But perhaps he is simply..."

"Last time Probie didn't show up for work like this, his sister ended up under suspicion for murder...and he was helping her."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"I want to hear him scream, but no permanent damage."

"Yes, ma'am."

"None. Got that? He has to win for me, not die because you softened him up too much."

"Understood."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Ziva looked over at the empty desk.

"I highly doubt that McGee's sister would be accused of murder twice."

"You never know. Maybe this time..." Tony trailed off. "Morning, Boss!"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

It wasn't the beating that made him scream. It was a knowledge of where the pain receptors were clumped.

"Run to the wall before the lights go out and I won't hit you again."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Where's McGee?" Gibbs asked, by way of greeting...but that was only using greeting in the loosest possible definition.

"Not here, Boss."

"But he is probably just running late," Ziva said.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The lights went out before he had taken three steps. The kick came out of the total darkness, dropping him to his knees, knocking the wind out of him. The second kick was so carefully placed that he knew, even through the haze of pain, that this was a person well-versed in causing pain without causing damage.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Find him. He should be here on time." Gibbs stalked away and muttered grimly, "If his sister is in trouble again, I'll let him resign this time."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Run to the wall before the lights go out and I won't kick you again."

The lights came back on and he leapt to his feet and tried to run. He got halfway there before the lights went out again. He kept running, only to be dropped to his knees by an all too familiar sensation. A taser. He began to jerk painfully, his body out of his control...but he still didn't scream.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

It didn't take long before Gibbs was back again. "All right. Forget about McGee. We have a case."

"What is it?"

"Missing Marine."

"Where?" Ziva asked.

"Norfolk."

"Oooh, alliteration," Tony said with facetious excitement. "Can we try assonance next? I don't know exactly what assonance is, but any word that has–"

Thwack!

"Shutting up, Boss."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"If you make it to the wall before the lights go out, I won't hurt you again."

Again, he jumped up and began to run as soon as the lights came up. The lights went out in seconds. This time, he stopped running and waited. When the strike came, he heard it and turned. He tried to catch the foot, but he couldn't see...and his movement only brought his chin into perfect alignment to receive the boot. It knocked him back and rung a strangled yelp his throat.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"He's a newly promoted Private First Class. Didn't show up for duty three days in a row. Before that he was not only reliable but was also early for everything. His superiors put him on the fast track."

"And?"

"And his home on the base shows signs of a struggle. You waiting for an invitation, DiNozzo?"

"Nope." Tony grabbed his bag and ran for the elevator followed by Ziva.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"If you make it to the wall before the lights go out, I won't hurt you again."

The lights came up...but he didn't move this time. Instead, he looked around, trying to find the man who was controlling everything. He seemed to be alone. The lights went out...and within seconds, a hand grabbed him, twisted his arm behind his back and shoved him forcibly to the floor.

"You run when I tell you to run. You stop when I tell you to stop. You don't do anything if I don't tell you to."

Then, the blows began.

Still, he didn't scream.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Signs of a struggle?" Tony asked. "Talk about an understatement...unless he's as much of a slob as Jardine."

The area was a mess...and it was obvious that PFC Dallon had put up quite the fight in resisting his attacker...but since he wasn't there...and there was a significant amount of blood spatter, he had obviously lost in the end.

"A slob?" Ziva asked. "Slobs do not spatter blood all over."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The blood spattered on the floor...at least, that was his assumption as he finally let out a scream of pain. The knife was not sharp. It was dull. Dull meant more pressure over a longer period of time. It meant tearing flesh instead of slicing.

It meant pain.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"You done yet, Ziva?"

"I believe so. I have gathered more blood evidence in this room than I have in the last month or more."

"Abby's going to have fun."

Ziva grinned. "Yes. This should put her in...moons of delight. That is correct, yes?"

Tony looked up from his bag. "Moons of delight?" His expression was a bit bewildered. "I don't know that I've heard that one before."

"Perhaps it loses something in translation."

Thwack!

Thwack!

"Perhaps you two could do some work before losing your jobs."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

They carried him out of the room and dumped him on the floor of his...cell. What surprised him was that they stopped the bleeding...not gently, but they stopped it.

As soon as they left, Tim sat up and looked around. He had no idea where he was, no idea why they wanted him, no idea what was going on...

The only thing he knew for certain was that whatever they were trying to do...if he wasn't found quickly, they'd succeed. He knew that he wouldn't be able to resist this for long. He remembered talking to Ziva about torture once before and she said that everyone broke eventually. He had run because they wanted him to. He didn't know why that was so important, but he had run...each time hoping that he'd make it to that stupid wall, but he never had.

Now, in the quiet of his dark cell, his body trembling from pain and exhaustion, he knew that he wasn't supposed to. They were...evaluating him? Maybe. He was afraid, though...afraid of what they wanted, what was worth all this effort, what they'd be willing to do to get whatever it was.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"McGee had better be sick or dead, you know," Tony said softly as they headed for the elevator.

"Why?"

"Because Gibbs will kill him for missing work if it's not one of those things."

"He has been gone before."

"Yeah, on approved leave. That means that..."

"Are you not worried that he might be sick or dead?"

"Only if he doesn't show up tomorrow."

"You worried much more when he was gone at the time when his sister was accused of murder. You said it was not like him to be late."

The doors opened and they walked toward the lab doors.

"Yes, well...that was different."

Ziva furrowed her brow. "How?"

"It just was!"

"Would Abby feel the same?"

"Of course not. It's Abby! She freaks out every time we leave the building." The doors opened. "Hey, Abby! We come bearing gifts!"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

He wondered how long he'd been there. The whole weekend? Surely someone was looking for him already. Abby would know he wasn't around...if it was Sunday. Was it Sunday? He didn't know. He didn't know how long he'd been kept unconscious before waking up in that room with rich people staring at him.

Then, a booming voice startled him from his musings.

"Round one!"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Abby turned around. "What have you got for me?"

"Blood. Lots of it."

"Excellent! Lay it on me!" She snatched the evidence bags and signed for them. "We'll spend some time getting to know each other!" she cooed.

"Not too much. Gibbs wants to know who the blood belongs to ASAP."

"El Jefe always says that."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't mean it."

Abby laughed. "Of course he means it!" She turned around and began typing.

Ziva nudged Tony significantly. He ignored her.

"Why haven't you two left yet? Don't you have work to do?" Abby asked without turning around. "By the way, where's McGee? He hiding because he stood me up yesterday?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

They opened the doors and dragged him out...into what looked like a miniature arena. It was like some sort of version of...

Tim looked blearily around. The lights were too bright for him to see much beyond them, but he thought he could see human shapes.

"Fight or die!"

Tim looked up toward the sound, but then was knocked flat onto his face by a vicious blow to his back. He rolled over just in time to miss the foot plunging down to his unprotected spine. A man, clothes in tatters, eyes wild, came at him again.

This time, Tim tried to fend him off.

"What's going on?" he asked desperately. "What's going on?"

The man didn't respond. Instead, he dove at Tim again, this time catching a heavy blow to his stomach, knocking the wind out of Tim who sank helplessly to the floor.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tony now looked worried.

"McGee stood you up?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah. Wouldn't even answer his phone. We were supposed to meet at this club. I stood around for an hour before giving up. I called him a few times, left angry messages. Not even an apology."

"You didn't talk to him at all?" Tony asked.

"Why would I? He's the one who owes me an apology."

"He didn't even answer his phone?"

"Yeah. Coward."

"Were you not worried, Abby? Would McGee stand you up?"

"He did once before, completely spaced that we were supposed to meet up. He gets that way sometimes. I'll just have to make sure he crawls on his knees before I forgive him."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tim forced himself up onto his knees. He could barely see because one of his eyes was swollen shut. The man just would not stop. Finally, Tim tried to fight back, forgetting to ask why, intent only on keeping himself from being killed by this madman.

He launched himself toward the man, catching him around the waist and dragging him to the floor. Tim knew he wasn't much good at hand-to-hand, but he'd had some success with wrestling. As he grappled with the man, he tried to make him stop, tried to figure out how this strange fight was going to end.

The man broke free and wrapped his hands around Tim's neck, squeezing tighter and tighter. Tim choked and writhed, trying to get free. The hands were like a vise...and somehow Tim expected that no one would stop the man from killing him.

There was nothing he could do. ...nothing except...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"McGee did not come to work today."

Abby scrunched up her face. "What?"

"Probie skipped work."

"No," Abby said, shaking her head emphatically. "Tim wouldn't skip work. He'd come no matter what. Even if he was so late that there were only five minutes left." She bit her lip. "Where is he?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tim backed away in horror. He hadn't meant to do that, hadn't meant to go so far...but the man just would not stop coming. He stared at his hands. How had he done that? How? He didn't think it was possible. He'd never been trained to react that way.

"Well done," the booming voice said. "Winner."

Tim's eyes looked down at the...the body, those lifeless eyes staring up into infinity...never to see again. Who had that man been? Why had he tried to kill him? Why? Who? Who was that voice?

...what was that hand on his arm? Tim whipped around, expecting another attacker. He was right...in a way. It was a man, one of his captors with a vice-like grip on one arm and before he could react, another one of his captors placed a similar grip on his other arm. Forcibly, they pulled him away from the horrible ring of light and into the dimness beyond.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Boss?"

"What, Tony? Solved the case already?" Gibbs asked sourly.

"No. We...er...Ziva and Abby are worried about McGee."

Gibbs looked up, almost in surprise at Tim's desk...seemingly not expecting it to be empty.

"Worried?"

"Yeah. He–"

Abby jumped in. "He stood me up yesterday and Tim wouldn't do that on purpose and he wouldn't just not come to work. Even when his sister was in trouble, he still sent in an excuse, Gibbs! This isn't right! I think there's something wrong. He's not answering his phone and I tried sending him an email or..."

"I think there may be something wrong, Gibbs. I would like to–"

Gibbs interrupted, shaking his head. "Go if you like after work, Ziva, but right now, we have to focus on the crime that has occurred."

"But what about McGee, Gibbs?" Abby demanded.

"You can go, too...but you had better finish processing that evidence." Gibbs looked back down, seemingly unconcerned...but when the others had dispersed, he pulled out his own phone and dialed for Tim's number.

"Hello, you have reached Timothy McGee. I'm not available to take your call. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you...at some point."

Gibbs looked at the phone and was a little worried.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"If you can get to the wall before the lights go out, I won't hurt you again..."