Chapter 4
"You seem out of breath Agent McGee." The man stated as he placed the bloody crowbar back on the table. Tim barely heard him, his head on his chest and his eyes squeezed tightly shut against the pain. Tim feared he had internal bleeding and at least two of his ribs were broken. His breath came in pained gasps.
"Are you going to answer me Agent McGee?" The man pulled McGee's head back with a fistful of his hair. The man's body was close to Tim, just close enough. Tim stretched out his fingers. He had one shot.
"No? No words?" The man asked disappointedly. "That's a shame."
The man lifted a wickedly curved knife. Tim braced himself only to hear ringing filling the room. He released his held in breath as the man sighed and dropped the knife, striding out of the room and putting the phone to his ear.
Tim allowed himself a small triumphant smile. Slowly, so as not to drop the knife he had plucked from the man's belt, he began to saw. It took him five minutes but Tim was patient and when the ropes finally fell away Tim almost laughed. Slowly, he moved his arms back around, trying not to cry out with the pain that simple action caused him.
He took the deepest breathes his body would allow and lifted himself from the chair. He gasped in pain as weight was put on his broken leg and his ribs felt as though they would explode. He breathed through it, inhaling and exhaling through each wave of pain. He hobbled over to the door and pushed against it with what little strength he had. It swung open with a groan and he dragged himself and his broken leg through it. Luckily the other side was just a corridor and he could hear the man talking in a room down the other end.
Not that way, he told himself and turned, gasping toward the nearest door. Inside was just a table littered with objects, one of them he recognized as a cell phone. He examined it as best he could with one eye swollen shut. It wasn't a burn phone. McGee slipped it into his pocket and made for the door at the other end of the room. Pushing through it, he squeezed his eyes closed as sunlight slanted down on him. He forced himself up a set of stairs and emerged into the daylight. He didn't know how long he walked for, all he knew was he was tired, hungry, in pain and in a forest in the middle of nowhere. Great.
He stopped and shook his dizzy head. Think. He had the phone in his pocket. He pulled it out, but the keypad swirled before his one good eye. Shaking his head again, he dialed the number he had learnt by heart.
NCIS
Gibbs slammed a fist down on his computer angrily. McGee would usually fix this for him, but now he was on his own. He missed McGee, more than he would admit, and couldn't bear the thought of what that man was doing to him because of something he had done. He felt Tony and Ziva's eyes on him and narrowed his eyes angrily. He sighed when his phone rang. Flipping it open he said, "what?"
"Boss!"
"Tim!" Gibbs stood up in shock and surprise.
"Trace it… Trace the phone Boss." McGee gasped.
"On it McGee." Gibbs gestured to the startled Tony and Ziva to trace the call. "Are you alright?"
"He's… He'll know I'm gone by now…" McGee trailed off.
"Keep running McGee, we'll find you." Gibbs promised.
"I can't… Run any… More." McGee gasped.
"Stay with me McGee, we are coming to find you!" Gibbs immediately began striding toward the lift when Ziva signaled that Abby had the location.
Gibbs kept talking to McGee as he slipped into the car, throwing the keys to Ziva. For once, Tony didn't argue the selection of driver. Soon enough they were on the road, speeding away.
"Hurry, I think he-" McGee was cut off by a loud bang on the other end.
"McGee?!" Gibbs yelled. "Tim!"
NCIS
"Well, well, well Agent McGee I guess you are more than just a geek." The man purred as he bent over Tim. Tim's eyes flew to the phone, lying in the leaves to his right. The man hadn't seen it yet and Tim wanted to keep it that way. Tim's hand clutched at the bullet wound that man had made in his side. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. "It's such a shame, I had so many things I wanted to do with you. We hadn't even begun on the waterboarding yet, you would have enjoyed it." The man chuckled and lifted the gun, pointing it between McGee's eyes. McGee's heart hammered as he looked into the cold merciless eyes of his killer, but he looked into them none the less. And then Gibbs, who had no doubt heard everything said, came to his rescue. "I remember you now Gorosvitch." Gibbs's voice was steely and even, but McGee could hear the desperation in his Boss's voice. McGee couldn't believe the phone's volume was so loud.
The man froze and McGee lay gasping for air, at his mercy. The man's lips split once more into a grin as he slipped the gun into its holster and searched in the leaves for the phone. When he found it, he put it casually to his ear as though he were in a mall getting coffee. "Nice of you to join the party Gibbs. You did train Agent McGee well, not only did he manage to escape, but he got a phone too; I don't believe it. It's even better now that you remember."
"I remember you dying." Gibbs replied.
"Yes, you would but I didn't die, the bullet missed my heart by inches. My brothers and my sister however are dead; because of you." Gorosvitch hissed and placed his foot on Tim's gunshot wound. He applied more and more pressure until Tim was crying out in pain.
"I didn't kill your sister; you did!" Gibbs yelled, clearly trying to keep Gorosvitch's mind on him instead of Tim.
"She killed herself! You drove her to it!" Gorosvitch's smile had completely disappeared now. He lifted his foot off Tim's wound and strode further from Tim. Tim wished he could run, walk or even crawl away but he could do nothing. He was in too much pain and had no strength left.
"No; you did." Tim could now barely hear his Boss's replies.
Gorosvitch was enraged, he pulled out his gun and Tim realised he had to at least try. Slowly he rolled over and gasped in pain as he pulled his body across the leaves and dirt. The pain was almost overwhelming and he knew it was useless. He felt Gorosvitch's boot slam into his back but could do nothing but completely collapse and gasp in pain as he was rolled onto his back by Gorosvitch's foot.
"I will look into his eyes when I kill him Gibbs," Gorosvitch's voice was calm once more, "as you did with my brothers. Now he will die. Goodbye Agent McGee." He pointed the gun once more at Tim's head. Tim didn't know how to react so he only returned the stare as a last act of defiance.
NCIS
Tony, his gun extended before him, watched the woods carefully, searching for any sign of movement. He, Gibbs and Ziva had split up, figuring there would be better chance of finding McGee in the vast area.
Tony froze when a gunshot tore through the silence Tony had been trying so hard to preserve and quickly tapped his earwig as fear clutched at his heart. Gorosvitch hadn't… "You hear that Boss?"
"I heard it. Go!" Gibbs ordered. Tony moved forward as a second gunshot made him almost jump out of his skin. Then a third and a fourth. Tony was running now, fearing what Gorosvitch was doing to McGee. Tony stumbled up a high mound and froze. "Boss I got McGee!"
McGee lay on his back, gasping desperately for air, one hand clutching a bullet wound to his side, the other holding a gun he kept firing into the air. There was no sign of Gorosvitch.
"McGee!" Tony staggered down the mound and dropped to his knees at McGee's side. Tony couldn't believe what he was seeing, McGee's face was so cut and bruised it was barely recognizable and one eye was swollen shut. His leg was twisted at an odd angle and the finger's on his left hand looked to be out of place. His clothes were shredded and torn and multiple gashes adorned his arms.
McGee dropped the gun and turned his head to Tony. His one good eye locked onto Tony's. A weak smile came to McGee's cut lips. "Tony…"
"I'm here Tim, stay with me." Tony pulled out his phone and dialed 911.
"Watch out!" Tim gasped urgently.
Tony froze as he felt cold metal slide against his throat. A hand took the phone from his ear and ended the call. "Well, well, well Agent DiNozzo. It is a pleasure to meet you." Gorosvitch said as he held a knife to Tony's throat. "Stand up and throw your gun as far as possible."
Reluctantly, Tony stood and tossed his gun as he felt the man remove the earwig from his ear. Gorosvitch guided Tony to the other side of McGee, where McGee's hand was grappling in the leaves, trying to grasp the gun again.
"I don't think so Agent McGee." Gorosvitch kicked the gun away through the leaves. McGee sent Tony an apologetic look as he desperately sucked in another breath. Gorosvitch grinned down at McGee and lifted his foot, placing it on the hand covering the wound on McGee's side. McGee cried out as Gorosvitch applied more pressure.
"Gibbs will kill you." Tony said through clenched teeth, trying to keep Gorosvitch's attention away from McGee.
"Will he now?" Gorosvitch removed his foot from McGee's side and turned his attention to Tony. "We'll see won't we? Move, we're leaving."
Gorosvitch made Tony stumble forward.
"Tony!" McGee gasped desperately.
"I'm going to be fine Tim, just wait for Gibbs!" Tony replied to his team mate's worried call.
"How sweet." Gorosvitch purred. "I wish I could take both of you but Agent McGee's already dying. He'll be dead before Gibbs finds him."
At the rustling sound behind them, Gorosvitch turned, bringing Tony around with him. McGee was crawling desperately through the leaves away from Gorosvitch and Tony, gasping in pain.
"You going to get help Agent McGee?" Gorosvitch laughed but stopped when McGee stumbled awkwardly to his feet, his broken leg bent and his face contorted in pain, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He lifted his right hand and pointed the gun at Gorosvitch. Tony felt pride well in his chest.
"L-let him go." McGee managed. His gun hand shook dangerously and Tony started to feel worried for his own life as well as McGee's.
Gorosvitch didn't laugh or smile, instead he glared. "You can't shoot me without shooting DiNozzo."
McGee's shaking hand suddenly became steady and he aimed the gun perfectly at Gorosvitch's head. "You th-think so?" McGee sounded smug.
Tony felt the knife slide from his throat and Tony stumbled to McGee's side.
"T-Tony get your g-gun." McGee stuttered.
"But we've got yours." Tony frowned and then he realised. Unfortunately, so did Gorosvitch.
"No bullets eh?" Gorosvitch grinned, brandishing the knife.
"There are b-bullets." McGee gasped, clutching at his bloody side with his other hand.
"Then why don't you shoot me?" Gorosvitch moved closer but McGee stood his ground, keeping the gun pointed at the man's head. "You must hate me an awful amount."
Tony saw the hate in McGee's eyes and then McGee murmured. "Tony."
"Yeah McGee?"
"Take the g-gun I'm g-going to f-fall." Tony quickly took the gun and kept it pointed at Gorosvitch, keeping McGee upright with his other arm.
"Stay with me Tim!" Tony tried to keep his attention on Gorosvitch and McGee but Gorosvitch knew the gun wasn't loaded. He launched himself at Tony and Tony and McGee were both sent sprawling. Tony hit his head on a rock and lay dazed while Gorosvitch advanced on McGee, who lay helplessly on his back.
"You just won't die will you?" Gorosvitch picked up the gun and pointed at McGee. McGee allowed himself a weak smile when he pulled the trigger but no bullet came. Gorosvitch laughed. "Thought as much." He muttered and then lifted the knife. "This time you will actually die." Gorosvitch lifted the knife, but it never came down. Instead a bullet flew into Gorosvitch's head and he fell backwards, dead to the ground.
Gibbs slipped his gun back into his holster and McGee gasped. "Boss!"
"Tim!" Gibbs knelt beside Tim and cupped his face with one hand. "Paramedics are on their way Tim; you're going to be fine."
A tear of pain leaked from the corner of Tim's eye. "He… He i-injected me with s-something… Right before he-he left and I p-picked up the g-gun to s-signal for h-help."
Gibbs tried not to let his agent see how afraid he was for him. Tim saw Ziva helping Tony stand upright from the corner of his eye and asked. "Is Tony alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine McGee, thanks to you." Tony knelt beside Tim with a smile. "Don't ever pull a stunt like that again. Gun with no bullets? He could have killed you!"
McGee managed to smile weakly before his eyelids drooped and darkness engulfed him.
