Disclaimer: NCIS is not mine.

A/N Sigh, I lost my muse for this story for a little while as I concentrated on my other fics. I'm really sorry, but hopefully it's back now and will stay for the time being.

Okay, a quick recap: Tony has been abducted by a hired hit man/torturer hired by a man wanting revenge on Gibbs. They sabotaged his car so that he would break down where they would find him. They took him to some damp place where they proceeded to chuck Kate's death in his face, literally. He also had a dream of his NCIS colleagues telling his to stay strong and now we come to this.

Thanks to my beta, Kandon Kuuson, and enjoy.

Chapter Three: Monday Morning

After regaining consciousness, how long later Tony did not know, he found himself still tied to the chair and since his first encounter with Keller, he had found himself left surprisingly alone. Unfortunately, this unnerved him more than if Keller had been stopping by. It was like he was suspended somewhere between life and death. Life, obviously, was him being alive and death was being stuck in this room with no human contact or sign of life.

For someone like Tony who thrived on friendships and relationships, this was torture on its own. There was no one to talk with, joke with, hell, yell at, scream at. He was alone, something Anthony DiNozzo did not relish. Alone in this … he wasn't sure what to call it, but chances are that it was a reincarnation of hell.

There were no signs of flames or heat, qualities that portrayed hell. In fact, it was the complete opposite … cold, dreary and damp. He knew it was nearing summer, but he couldn't stop himself from shivering. Tony wasn't sure whether that was due to the conditions he'd been left in or the fact that, though he didn't want to admit it, he was scared out of his mind. What he wished to have someone …anyone here with him. But as fate had it, all he had was himself, and after the first … God knows how many hours … he was starting to resent himself.

In the beginning, he tried to entertain himself by listing the names of all the James Bond movies in order of production … and the James Bonds … and the Bond Girls. Then he tried to list all the movies he knew that started with D … followed by J … followed by M and finally, T. Still he continued to list all the movies he'd ever remembered watching, but he found that mind-blowing and frustrating that he had given up after the first thirty. Next, he tried thinking up the most ridiculous pairings of NCIS agents he could think of. After disgusting himself out with some very bad mental images, he just stopped thinking full stop.

Instead, he stared at the walls, his heart hoping that it was nearing Monday morning and his team would finally discover he was missing and come to his rescue. He wouldn't even mind Gibbs' head slaps for getting kidnapped. Ziva's teasing about being the damsel in distress. Even McGee's over-concerned tone of voice would be a welcome relief, or Abby's hugs. In fact, he was wishing for an Abby hug right now, or a Gibbslap, or a bewitching smirk from Ziva, or even a techno-babble explanation from McGee. But no, here he was, Anthony DiNozzo, alone, chained and slowly going insane as the world around continued to spin, even if he felt like time had stopped. No, the world had not noticed that Anthony DiNozzo was falling apart right under its nose.

"Morning, McGee," Ziva said brightly from her desk as McGee walked into the bullpen. Her hands were clasped behind her head and she looked very relaxed.

"Ziva," McGee nodded his greeting as he dumped his bag behind his desk. He noticed her look.

"Good weekend?" he asked as he switched on his computer and sat down behind his desk.

"Yes, very good, thank you." Ziva gave McGee a suggestive smile.

"Ah, okay …" McGee gave Ziva a look. Maybe if he was more like Tony, he would have pried into it more, but as it was, he was Timothy McGee so he hastily changed the subject.

"Tony, Gibbs, not here yet?" he questioned casually, diverting the topic away from Ziva's … err … weekend activities.

"Gibbs is here," Ziva said, matter of factly. "He is with the Director. As for Tony, I do not know where he is. Maybe, he is sleeping in after his big date, yes?"

"Maybe," McGee echoed. He'd woken up with a very strange feeling on both Saturday and Sunday morning, and on Sunday, the lingering thoughts of a dream that involved a beach. On this particular Monday morning, the feeling was even stronger and he had no idea why he was feeling the way he was. 'I must be coming down with something,' he reasoned with himself. 'That's it. I'll talk to Ducky later. That's what I'll do.' But he still couldn't quite shake the feeling.

"He is just late, McGee," Ziva reassured, sensing that something was off with McGee.

"Of course he is," McGee confirmed in what he hoped was a steadfast voice. "He's probably just having a lie in …"

"Not on my watch, he isn't," Gibbs muttered as he walked into the bullpen, making McGee jump.

"B…boss … Good morning, Boss," McGee stammered, the presence of his superior unnerving him even more, something that he was sure he'd gotten rid of.

Gibbs nodded slightly towards Tony's desk. "DiNozzo here?"

"No, not as far as we can tell, Gibbs," Ziva replied from her desk, hastily removing her hands from behind her head and sitting up straight in her chair.

"Why the hell not, David," Gibbs barked at her, shooting her a glare.

Ziva did not flinch. "I do not know, Gibbs. Perhaps he had a large weekend and is sleeping it off, yes?"

"It's big weekend, actually, Ziva," McGee corrected from his desk, but backtracked after Gibbs glared at him. "Not that it's important, is it Boss?"

"He'd better hope he isn't," Gibbs growled, sitting down heavily in his chair. "Or I am going to kick his ass from here to eternity." McGee and Ziva were silent, they knew better than to argue with Gibbs.

"McGee!" Gibbs barked suddenly, making McGee jump out of his seat.

"Yes, Boss?" McGee replied immediately, standing behind his desk.

"Call DiNozzo and let him know that if he isn't here in ten minutes, he'll have me to answer too," Gibbs ordered. "And that I haven't had my morning coffee …" He let the threat hang suspended in the air.

"Okay, Boss, calling Tony," McGee said obediently, reaching for his desk phone. There was a moment's pause as McGee dialled Tony's number

"Gibbs, I …," Ziva started but was cut off by Gibbs immediate interruption.

"What?" he barked, his fuse quickly fizzing out.

"I was going to say," Ziva muttered, "that I think he is just late …"

"DiNozzo better have a damn good reason," Gibbs said angrily to no one in particular.

"Um, Boss," McGee said hesitantly. Gibbs glared at him, which McGee took as a sign to continue.

"Ah, Tony didn't pick up his home phone," McGee said warily.

"Try his cell," Gibbs snapped.

"I … I have, it goes straight to voicemail," McGee replied, a tiny hint of concern in his voice.

Gibbs' body language changed slightly as he took in what McGee had just said. It was minute enough for McGee to miss, but not for Ziva to pick up on.

"You think something is wrong?" Ziva asked calmly.

"I don't know, Miss David," Gibbs snapped as he stood up. Gibbs calling her that meant something was wrong. "Do you think something is wrong?"

"I …" Ziva wasn't sure what she thought, but a part of her felt that something was seriously wrong. Call it partner's intuition, if you will.

"Boss?" McGee questioned hesitantly, looking for guidance.

Gibbs briefly closed his eyes before opening them. "McGee, get the car and pull it around the front. Ziva and I will meet you there."

"Boss?" McGee asked worriedly again

"We're going to DiNozzo's apartment," Gibbs sighed gruffly. "And if he's just sleeping in then …" Ziva and McGee needed no more words; they could envision what Gibbs might do.

"On it, Boss," McGee replied instantly, noticing that he was still standing up. After a second thought, he reached into his draw and pulled out his gun and badge, clipping them in place. McGee walked quickly out the bullpen, leaving Ziva and Gibbs alone.

"Gibbs, do you really think something has happened to Tony," Ziva asked softly, coming to a halt in front of his desk.

Gibbs looked Ziva in the eye. "I don't know, Ziva, but my gut tells me that something is not right."

"Yeah, mine to," Ziva muttered and when Gibbs looked at her curiously, she amended, "I mean, something just feels … hinky, as Abby would put it. I think McGee was feeling weird too."

Gibbs looked thoughtful for a moment, before standing abruptly. "I'm going for coffee!" He stormed away, leaving Ziva standing stunned in his wake.

As McGee pulled up in front of Tony's apartment building, he noticed that the familiar Mustang was no where to be found.

"Tony's car isn't here, Boss," McGee pointed out as the three agents exited the car.

"You think I can't see that?" Gibbs snapped, even more short-tempered now that he was at Tony's apartment and his car was no where to be seen.

"Ah, sorry?" McGee tried weakly.

"Don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness," Gibbs said curtly as he strolled up the path towards the door of the apartment block. McGee and Ziva shot each other a look before following their boss.

"Do you really think something is wrong?" McGee whispered to Ziva as they followed Gibbs into the apartment block and up the stairs, remaining a few feet away at all times.

"I don't know, McGee, maybe," Ziva whispered back. "It is not like Tony to be this late and not answer his phone."

"Do you think Gibbs is worried?" McGee asked as the continued to climb the stairs, nearing Tony's floor.

"How should I know if Gibbs is worried," Ziva snapped, making a split second decision not to tell McGee of Gibbs' gut. It would just worry him further and Ziva wasn't sure if Gibbs wanted her telling anyone what he had said.

"Are you worried?" McGee asked cautiously, not wishing be harmed in anyway.

Ziva closed her eye for a moment, and then opened them. "He is my partner…so yes I am, but…"

As they stepped onto Tony's floor, Gibbs barked at them from down the hall, "You two, stop your yabbering. The door's locked and DiNozzo isn't answering, I'm picking the lock."

"Ooh, Tony is going to love that," Ziva muttered under her breathe and McGee cracked a half smile.

"Don't just stand there," Gibbs yelled as he pushed open the door.

"He's probably just sleeping," McGee said uncertainly as they walked down the hall and followed Gibbs into the messy apartment.

"Definitely Tony's apartment," Ziva commented as entered the living room. A few old pizza boxes lay on the ground and DVD cases were strewn across the room. McGee studied the very poorly stacked shelves of DVDs.

"He really should categorise them, or sort them by alphabetical order," McGee stated for no apparent reason. Ziva looked at him incredulously.

"What?" McGee shrugged his shoulders. "It would make finding titles so much easier. And he really could use …"

"If you're done playing Home Improvement, maybe you two could check out the bedroom and bathroom," Gibbs called sarcastically from the kitchen. "You know, investigate …"

"Yes, Boss," McGee called back while Ziva answered with a curt, "Okay."

Minutes later, after Ziva and McGee had cleared the bedroom and the bathroom, they met Gibbs back in the living room.

"No sign of anyone being here last night," Ziva commented just as McGee's cell phone rang.

He excused himself and pressed the answer button. "Agent McGee."

"He probably had a … big night last night and banged at a friend's house, yes," Ziva suggested, surveying the room.

Gibbs didn't bother to correct her English and was about to say something as McGee closed his phone and walked back to the other two agents.

"What was tha …" Ziva trailed off as she spotted McGee's face.

He had gone deathly pale and had a pained look on his face. Gibbs heart sank. McGee's face did not look like the bearer of good news.

"Tony?" Ziva asked softly, fearing the answer. Gibbs just stared straight ahead.

"They … they found," McGee started hoarsely and Ziva eye's grew wide. Both she and Gibbs had the exact same thoughts and it was not good.

"Metro Police," McGee continued weakly, "they … they found Tony's car … last night … on fire … They aren't sure whether anyone was … was in it or not." He was met with stunned silence, with everyone fearing to worst.