So I got motivated by reviews and here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy and please feed the little demon writer by reviewing. Thanks to all who did review and all who are reading along with us. I hope I am providing you guys with some interesting entertainment.
NC
Chapter 3
The phone rang in DiNozzo's dreams and he mumbled something about it not being time to get up. Finally realizing that it was a real phone he flipped open the burner phone he had by his bed and croaked, "Boss," while looking at the time, 2:19 am. "Are you ok?"
"I need some answers now, give me a summary quick, I need to know facts." Gibbs gruffed at him.
"OK, lets see, Annie Christina Mayor born July 21, 1960, in Stillwater PA, that would make her… never mind, high school Stillwater High…." he started.
"DiNozzo! Wake up and give me something I don't know" Gibbs threatened.
" Ok, she's had numerous jobs over the last few years, looks like she was kidnapped two months ago, used in slavery ring. She somehow got away from them and made it to the police who took her statement and started an investigation. She was put into witness protection but one cop and two US Marshalls were killed trying to protect her." he read.
"Three people died because of me." Gibbs said out loud.
"It says she had been whipped, starved, and sexually abused before her escape. She said people with power were the kidnappers best customers. There could be military ties to someone who especially liked her. The car she was traveling in was rammed and a marshal died. She got away and that is when she called you. Oh and your dad wants you to call and Vance is about to blow….." Tony tried to continue.
"Enough, I'll pick up the package tomorrow, for now follow-up with that wreck and I will get back to you in a couple of days." he ordered.
"Boss, your dad and Vance!" he begged.
"Tell them we are safe and I'm following up on leads and no I won't come in. It's not safe for Annie. Destroy that phone and go back to sleep." he ordered hanging up on DiNozzo.
"Boss why me, do I really have to call your dad." he said falling back on the bed. He pulled the battery and crushed the sim card then broke the phone apart. He was not looking forward to the morning, unless he could trick Ziva into making that call he smiled. She was gullible, he was sure he could convince her to call Daddy Gibbs.
Kidnapped, torture, slavery, that explained the nightmares and the scars he thought sitting back on the couch. The coffee he had poured was now cold. Getting up from the couch, he glanced in at Annie. The light cast a soft halo around her body. She was still curled up in a ball with his shirt tucked under her chin.
Before he could pour his coffee out, he heard her mumbling frighteningly in her sleep. It sounded like she was begging. He put the cup down and went into the dark bedroom. The sheets were tangled around her legs and she was thrashing around again.
"I'm here babe." he said slipping back in the bed and pulled her up on his chest trying to untangle the sheet from her legs. "You're safe now."
He pulled the covers over them and started to stroke her back trying to penetrate her nightmare. The fire was dying down and there was a chill in the air. She breathed in his scent and curled up on his chest like a child letting her body calm.
He glanced at his watch and saw it was still a couple of hours until sunrise. He closed his eyes and brushed her hair down, the scent of peaches still lingering in it. He sniffed again and figured out she was establishing who he was by his scent. Made sense now that he thought about it. If she couldn't always see the person she could learn their scent to recognize them. He would consider this in the morning after hopefully a few hours of sleep.
She stirred slightly in his arms and opened her eyes seeing he was still asleep. Annie knew it had not been a good night, but not as bad as most. She eased off the bed and limped to the bathroom noticing the time was 5 am.
After washing her hands, she looked at her face in the mirror and observed her puffy eyes and dark circles. Maybe one day that would go away she hoped. She didn't know whether to return to bed and chance waking Jethro or stay up and let him sleep, he needed sleep as much as her.
"Come back to bed Annie." he called from the bedroom. "It's early and you need the rest and should stay off that foot." he chastised her.
"I didn't want to wake you," she said standing in the doorway. "You looked too peaceful."
"Come." he said again holding up the covers. She hesitated for a second before climbing in bed with him. He pulled the covers up and pulled her closer to his warm body wrapping his strong-arm around her. She was tucked perfectly into him as his warmth flowed between them.
This is the safest I've felt in a long time, she thought and let the tension flow from her body as she drifted back to sleep.
"Ziva," Tony crooned as she stepped out of the elevator and walked to her desk. "I have a special job for you."
"Who made you boss?" she quirked dropping her backpack.
"I am the senior agent when Boss is not here. Gibbs called again early this morning," he whispered. "Wish he could pick a better time…"
"Tony! Spill it." she said impatiently.
"He wanted a summary on our mysterious Annie Mayor. Not sure why. He wanted you to call his dad and let him know he is ok." he said handing her a piece of paper with a phone number.
"Are you sure Gibbs wanted me to do this?" she questioned him.
"Of course, would I lie to you?" he said smiling widely.
"If I find out you are trying to pull the lamb over my eyes…" she started.
"You mean wool," he said. "So dial."
Sunlight streamed thru the window in the bedroom as Gibbs moved slightly before feeling a body next to him. He stiffened for a moment and then remembered what had transpired the day before. Annie was still breathing peacefully as she slept in his arms.
He glanced at the clock and saw they had made it thru two hours of sleep without a nightmare. From what he could tell by last night that was a big step. Gibbs was trying to decide whether to get up when Annie blinked her eyes a couple of times and stirred. There was still that glimpse of fear, but it did not last long once she knew where she was and who was with her.
"I'll start some coffee and tea for you." he said not making any comment on last night. He would let his questions wait and not push her yet. She still seemed too fragile.
"Thanks," she said cuddling back down under the warm covers.
The air had cooled as the fire had died down in the stove during the night. She heard Jethro adding wood and stirring the fire to bring it back to life. She could not be sure about all that happened last night but he had been there and had helped. Pots clanged in the kitchen as he started making breakfast.
"Toast and eggs ok?" he asked her pulling her up to a sitting position and lifting her out of bed.
"Jethro, you have to stop carrying me. You are going to hurt your back or something." she complained as he sat her in a kitchen chair. He slipped a blanket over her legs for warmth until the fire from the stove heated the rooms.
"If you weighed more, I might be concerned." he told her putting a plate with toast, jam and scrambled egg in front of her. "Eat we have things to do today."
"Like what?" she asked taking a small bite.
"First, have your ankle x-rayed to be sure there is nothing broken and I need to pick up some mail. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours." he said between bites.
"Is it safe? Should I be worried?" she questioned feeling uneasy.
"No, we'll be safe for the time being. Where we're going there won't be that many people." he said glancing over at her to see how she looked without being obvious. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and the circles were still dark. He could still tell how tired she was as she took another bite of toast. He sipped a second cup of coffee while she finished eating then took her back to the bedroom.
"It's cold out so you need to layer to stay warm." he said laying some clothes on the bed beside her. "I'll start the car to warm it up and bring it around." he continued leaving her in the bedroom to get dressed.
"Ok." she said picking up the pants and sliding them on. "Socks?"
"I'll fix your ankle first and then put on socks so your feet don't get cold." he called as he picked up his keys.
She slipped off her pajamas and tossed them on the bed when she noticed an olive drab t-shirt on her pillow. She picked it up and took in his scent, then sighed. He wouldn't be interested in her, that was too long ago, a lifetime, she was damaged goods she thought laying it back down.
Gibbs checked out the area again before getting the jeep out of the barn. Nothing seemed out-of-place and the trap had not been sprung in the barn.
"Let me look at the foot and we will go." he said lifting her foot on his knee. He unwrapped her ankle and ever so gently rubbed the foot and ankle. The swelling had gone down some but the bruising was worse, but that was to be expected. He wrapped it again and pulled an oversized sock on her injured foot and a regular sock on the other.
"Sexy." she commented looking down at the bulky, grey sock.
"Serves the purpose." he said frankly again picking her up and carrying her to the Jeep.
Gibbs pulled down the driveway being careful not to jostle Annie too much. Ahead of them was dead brush pulled into the road. He stopped the Jeep and got out to move it.
"That wasn't there before." she noticed looking around.
"I put it there to make it look like no one had been in here." he said putting the car in drive.
Forty minutes later he pulled into a vet's office parking lot. She looked at him quizzically as he parked. Sill not sure why they were there, Annie let Jethro carry her into the back of the building.
"Jethro!" a friendly voice boomed as he closed the back door.
"Jake, need your help." he said sitting Annie in a chair. "She twisted her ankle and I want to make sure it's not broken."
"Well, you know my patients usually have four legs, but I will see what I can do." he said holding the door open to another room. Inside was an x-ray machine. Placing her on the table, Gibbs stepped back out of the room.
"OK, now put your foot right here and hold still, first let me drape this over you." he said taking a lead apron and placing over Annie's lap. He stepped behind the wall and took the picture. "I want one more of the other side now and then we'll be done."
"Thanks Jake." Jethro said moving the apron and putting her back in the other room.
"Give me a minute to look at these and I will give you the results." the vet said taking the film away.
"How do you know him?" she asked as they waited for the results.
"Use to come up to the area years ago, we became friends." he said matter of fact.
"He can be trusted?" she continued.
"We wouldn't be here if I didn't trust him." he answered.
"Good news and bad" the vet said coming back into the room. " I don't see any fractures, but you need to stay off the foot for at least a week. No weight on it, so sorry my patients have no need for crutches so I don't have any in stock."
"Thanks Jake, I owe you a dinner next time I come thru." Jethro said shaking his hand.
"I'm going to hold you to that Jethro. Be careful." he said.
"You never saw us ok Jake." he nodded.
"Saw who?" he smiled closing the door.
"Now where to?" she asked buckling her seat belt.
"Post office and then back home. The less we are seen the better." he said pulling down the street to another parking lot. "Don't move and stay low." he said closing and locking the doors.
She glanced around the town and saw a quaint little community that anyone would kill to live in. Clean, quiet and peaceful. She could get use to this place, it was growing on her.
Jethro walked back toward the Jeep with a large envelope under his arm. He threw it in the back seat and started the Jeep backing out of the parking lot. They traveled back toward the cabin meeting only two cars along the way.
He stopped where the limbs lay and pulled them across the road again before continuing on to the cabin. "Wait in the car while I check the cabin." he said making sure his gun was in easy reach. He checked the paper in the door frame and saw it had not been disturbed. Gibbs carefully opened the door and swept the room for intruders. He checked the other room and saw nothing was out-of-place. Satisfied things were safe, he went back to the car and carried Annie in.
"Would you like some Gatorade or juice?" he asked as she pulled off her jacket and settling on the couch. "I have some books if you would like to read something."
"No book, but maybe something to drink would be nice." she sighed. Just that little trip seemed to have sapped all her energy. She leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. Jethro slipped some juice into her hand. She smiled and took a sip. It felt good to relax a bit and not be looking over her shoulder all the time.
While she lounged on the couch, he took the envelope and sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Pulling his knife from his pocket, he slit it open and pulled out the pages DiNozzo had sent. Taking a sip of coffee, Gibbs started reading each line with a professional eye. When he pulled the pictures out his shoulders stiffened and his face burned with fury. Each one was worse than the other.
Annie felt herself being tied again as the man ran his hand roughly down her body. She tried to turn away and he slapped her. She cried against the gag as she tasted her own blood.
"Wake up!" a far away voice was calling to her. She struck out trying to break his hold as he laughed at her. "Annie!" came the voice again. Someone was shaking her harder and she felt her arms pinned down to her side. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Jethro's concerned face in front of her.
"Jethro," she cried letting him pull her into his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder as her body trembled.
"Let it out, let it all out, you're safe here with me." he said rocking her while wiping the blood from his bloody lip. She had a good left hook that caught him off guard before he pinned her arms.
Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. A small keening began to build in her throat and started to escape her lips. Gibbs listened as the sound became more prominent. He pulled her tighter to his chest as she wailed louder and harder than she had allowed herself to do since her escape. They sat like that for nearly an hour before she slumped in his arms exhausted from the emotional ordeal.
He slid her limp form on the couch and went to the bathroom for a wet wash cloth. Coming back, he threw another log on the fire before sitting down and pulling her back into his lap. He gently wiped the tear tracks from her face and neck. She did not move or open her eyes as her hitched breath broke the silence.
"Annie, I'm going to lay you down so you can try to rest. I will be here in the living room, not far away, you are safe. Do you hear me? You are safe." he repeated as he slipped her between the sheets pulling them up to her chin.
She whimpered once and curled up into a ball. He turned on the nightlight by the bed and left the door open so he could see her. Sitting back down at the table, he began to read the report one more time but found it was not any better the second time around.
How someone could be so cruel to another human being was beyond him. It hurt to look at the pictures of her injured body. How many more women were left there being tortured was the question. He needed more Intel on this situation. He needed his people involved and fast, whoever was trying to silence her had eyes and ears in high places.
Annie cried in her sleep as she twisted in the bed. Gibbs was by her side in seconds. He laid his pistol on the pillow beside her, slipped off his shoes and slid into bed. She felt the weight of another body on the bed and started to pull away until she caught the scent of protection. Sliding over against Gibbs she tucked herself into the curve of his body. They fit together perfectly. He encircled her body with his strong arms and whispered in her ear, "Sleep Annie, I am here watching over you."
Annie slept peacefully in his arms for several hours without even moving. Gibbs dosed also, feeling a calm sweep over him as they lay together. It was as if the rest of the world had stopped and they were the only ones alive.
Tony, McGee and Ziva pulled into the parking lot of the Williamsburg Police Department.
"So this is where Annie came when she got away." Tony said glancing around the town square. "Quaint little town, think they have a clue?"
"We have to play nice with the locals Tony." McGee said pulling down his jacket.
"Let Ziva do the talking," Tony suggested. "They won't even notice us."
"What does that mean Tony?" she quipped.
"You will see." he answered opening the door for her. "McGee find a computer and see what you can get. I'll find the file clerk and check out the file room."
"Jethro, I need to go the bathroom." she whispered in his ear. He smiled slightly and threw the covers off both of them. He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.
"Call me when you're done." he told her. "I'll start some dinner, I think we missed lunch."
He picked up the report and photos stuffing them in the envelope before she could see any of it. Dinner was going to be chicken stew with buttered bread. He looked up and saw her standing at the table. "What did Jake say about staying off that foot?" he said sternly pulling out a chair for her.
"I was careful." she replied sitting down.
"It will take a few minutes for the stew and bread to heat up." he said stirring the contents of a pot.
"Where did you learn to cook?" she asked.
"Just add water." he answered as he dished the food into bowls. "Eat up, you need to build up your strength."
"Why?" she questioned.
"Eat first, questions later." he said eating a spoon of stew. "Not bad for freeze-dried."
She took a small bite and realized she was slightly hungry, the first time in over three months. She took another bite chewing it slowly. He watched her thoughtfully knowing tomorrow would be hell for her. He was going to have to make her relive the time she was held captive, something he was not looking forward to.
"What was in the envelope?" she asked.
"Eat." he said sipping his coffee.
"Jethro, I know this is a long time coming, but I wanted to tell you I am sorry about the way I left things between us. It was wrong of me." she said playing with her food.
"Annie that was in the past, a lot of time has come and gone. There is nothing to be sorry for.' he replied. She watched his face as he said those words, he was sincere with every word.
Tears welded up in her eyes and she quickly looked down at her bowl.
"Thank you." she finally said.
He looked into the bowl and saw she had eaten almost all the stew he had given her. Better than the day before but she needed much more nourishment to put the weight back on that she had lost. Darkness was creeping slowly across the yard as he washed up the dishes and put them away.
She sat on the couch in deep thought. He thought back to the last time they had seen each other. Things did not go the way he had planned. She was leaving Stillwater and he was not invited to go along. Was that the way it was supposed to play out?
If it hadn't he would not have met Shannon, gotten married and had a beautiful daughter. Could this be a second chance for him? After his family was murdered by a drug dealer from Mexico, Gibbs lost control. He wanted and needed revenge for his wife and daughter. But after he took matter into his own hands, he found it didn't help. He was ready to give up until one man saved him.
"Do you want to listen to some music before bed?" he asked her as he came around the couch.
"That would be ok." she said softly. He reached over and turned on a radio that was sitting on a table. Soft music flowed from the speakers filling the cabin with a calming atmosphere.
He slid beside her on the couch and pulled Annie into his lap. She laid her head on his chest and listened to the steady, strong beat of his heart. He ran his hands slowly up and down her back trying to massage away the stress of the day.
She looked up into his eyes wondering if he would kiss her. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and tucked her head back under his chin. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity to her. She was afraid to move, afraid of spoiling the moment. She didn't know if she could allow anyone to touch her again after what she had been thru.
"Jethro what have you been doing all these years besides being an NCIS agent?" she asked.
He thought for a moment before answering. "Serving my country as a Marine."
"Did you get married?" she probed.
"Several times, but only one was the real thing." he replied.
"What happened?" she continued to question.
He sighed softly and said, "My wife and daughter were killed by a drug dealer she was going to testify against."
"Oh Jethro I am so sorry. I didn't know." she cried putting her arms around him. He buried his head in her hair and let the long pent-up emotions wash over him.
She felt the tears on her skin as they dripped from his face. She took his face in her hands and kissed the tears away, trying to comfort him as he had comforted her. Could there be a chance for them she wondered or were there too may ghosts still floating around. They had come full circle back into each others arms.
