Running Dreams Chapter 6

Tony was truly trying to control his temper, not snap at her, but Abby was really trying his patience today of all days. Even as they were working the case as well as the one they already had; the FBI had also started in as a federal worker had been kidnapped, so it was technically their jurisdiction. Thankfully Fornell had taken the lead, which had mollified both Gibbs and Ducky. Abby, on the other hand, was not calming down yet again. As Gibbs was still not here, both he and Tim had the job of making sure she kept on task of any and all she was processing. She was up to four caf-pows now in the last hour, who knew how many before they had returned due to the cups Tony saw in the trash, and she was definitely not slowing down! Where was she hiding these cups, and who had brought them to her?

"ABBY!" Tim and Tony both shouted at the same time, their ire with their friend now reaching their limit.

Her stunned yet immediate angry gaze toward them showed her still not calm, and Tony had to stop her, or she would not be any help to them.

"Abby," Tony growled with a glare, and she glared back at him.

"WHAT?" she shouted. Tim sighed inwardly, and then stepped back quickly at the furious yet pointed glare aimed at him by his senior agent, which basically said, 'I'll deal.'

Tim nodded and thought in relief, 'Ok, he's known her longer….let him deal.' Turning, Tim left swiftly.

"Abby," Tony tried again, this time a bit kinder and with a poignant sigh, "We all are working as hard as we can to find him, and you doing this is not helping us at all. If you can't calm down and do your job, I will have to do something you will not like."

She glared at him even as he looked at her evenly, not budging, watching her face and eyes go through the myriad of emotions that were being magnified with her caffeine intake. Finally she sighed sullenly, closing her eyes, but her shoulders slumped, giving in. "You would really have blocked me from helping, wouldn't you?"

"You know I can and I will. The director would agree." She stared at him, and then squeezed her eyes shut.

He just nodded still staring at her evenly even as she opened her eyes and looked pleadingly at him even as he crossed his arms and stated, "Don't you think I want to be out there tearing up the streets to find him? Yet that is not going to find him. We have pictures of the van's driver plus the men in the van with Jimmy going through AFIS and anything else we are allowed to put them through. The FBI is doing the same. We have tried to see if we could triangulate Jimmy's cell, but it must be in an area where there is either no service, or it was found or smashed. "

"We need you to focus, Abby. We need your energy to focus solely on everything given you by not only us but the other teams whose tests are just as important…"

He had to stop and glare again as she tried to interrupt, "BUT…"

She subsided with a petulant pout, and then sighed as she recognized she was in fact letting her feelings take over her job, especially on such a busy day, no make that week, as they were also still working on another murder, and Balboa's team had figured out a new angle on a cold case. That was only a fraction of the tip of today's iceberg of tests….she sighed again, nodding now, and made herself breathe slowly in and out, clenching her fists and then relaxing them.

"I'm sorry, Tony…"

He opened his arms, and she launched into his arms finally letting herself go yet fighting her tears.

"I promise to not let my fears give way. We WILL find him!"She said this adamantly.

Grinning now, even though it was forcefully for him, he gripped her harder, both stepped away from each other to begin their duties; she toward her tests and he out the door and up to work on the now two cases they worked on, plus all others.

Abby stopped, then groaned and spun rapidly toward the door again. She really had to pee!

Tony took the stairs, skipping steps as he ran up. Instead of turning toward the door to their floor, he ran all the way to the top and hit the door to the roof, letting it hit the wall on the outside as he tore through and stopped, panting yet letting the burn of his running help him focus on calming the force of fear and rage for his friend in danger go through him. His hands grasped his thighs as he bent over, breathing harshly even as the door closed behind him.

Finally… finally his breathing stilled back to normal, and he stood up straight and breathed out slowly even as he looked around. Suddenly he froze, the one thing that he had seen on the screen earlier finally made sense! Jimmy had known the driver, and she him! He had seen the face turn in shock, but it had not registered the recognition until now. Sighing aggravatingly at his lapse, he turned quickly and hit the code to open the door and raced down to his desk to yet again look at the screen.

When he raced into the bullpen Tim, Gibbs, and Fornell were there, discussing something quietly, and they turned quickly as he rushed in.

Tony took the remote to the screen and replayed the tape yet again, freezing it on the part he had noticed, and smiled grimly.

"Tony?" Gibbs questioned him, looking at the screen, "What do you see?"

"Jimmy knows her, and she him. See her recognition as he is pushed in? The screen is at the perfect angle to see her face even as she is turned to look to the side and back. She knows Jimmy!"

Rewinding back a bit he then slowed down the motion as Gibbs and the rest watched her stunned face mouth out 'Jimbo?' They all mouthed and realized what she said….Gibbs groaned along with Fornell.

Tim paled as he too realized that Jimmy's life may be in more peril now.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Jimmy woke with a groan he could not hold back. Earlier one of the guys had come down and had begun smacking around the woman, and she had let him. Jimmy, on the other hand had yelled at him to stop, which had made him turn to take out his anger on him. Jimmy now had a couple ribs busted, he was positive, as well as at least a moderate concussion, and maybe a cracked jaw. 'Shit,' he thought, 'how does Tony put up with stuff like this?' Opening his eyes slowly he groaned as quietly as he could as the illumination that came from the light bulb hurt his eyes.

'Yep,' he thought, 'definitely a concussion….joy.' Carefully he looked around and noticed that the woman was looking at him in curiosity.

"Why did you do that?"

'Huh?' he thought.

He must have said it out loud, for she repeated her question, adding, "Why did you make him turn to you; if you had kept quiet, you would not have gotten hurt."

He chuckled even as he groaned at the effort.

"Got a friend who likes to stand up for people, guess he kinda rubbed off on me."

She sighed at this, closing her eyes, "Not another boyscout…"

At his questioning look, she shook her head, stiffening up as they both heard the basement door open slowly.

Immediately she bent her head back down and Jimmy did the same, closing his eyes to the merest slits. He tried not to squirm as his ribs were on fire, and he forced himself to take breaths evenly.

The stealthy steps came down the stairs and stopped in front of him, and a familiar heartbroken sigh made him open his eyes and he carefully lifted his head. Looking at him sorrowfully was his old friend Jodie, and they just looked at each other.

"Why, Jimbo? Why couldn't you just have not turned around and kept going? Damnit, Jimbo…"

"Jimmy."

"Huh?"

My name as you well know is Jimmy… not Jimbo, Jodie."

The woman behind Jodie sucked in her breath at the realization. "Oh God….you know each other?"

Jodie turned to her in anger, "Shut up, Sarah. You just had to hide from them, didn't you? This is all your fault…" Her anger faded even as the tears threatened, and she swiped angrily at them, again glaring, but now angry with herself.

The basement door opened again, this time forcefully, and an irate voice called down, "Jodie! Go get the supplies I told you to get!"

Jodie stiffened, then turned to look sorrowfully at Jimmy as she said quietly, "Yes, Adam."

Turning, she walked quickly up the stairs, and the door was slammed then locked. The light was turned off.

"Damnit, he knows I hate the dark…" whined 'Sarah' as Jimmy now heard her struggle with the ropes frantically.

Jimmy hissed quietly, "Hey! Shhhhh….it's ok, I am right here, remember? You are not alone. Do you have a favorite place where you like to be?"

"What?" her panicked shrill question slowed down her movements at least, and he continued, " I like to imagine I am in a favorite place when I am scared, or even think on where I would love to vacation or visit someday. Do you have a favorite memory or vacation?"

He listened to her trying to calm her breathing even as he hoped she would, and finally he heard her force a calming breath.

"Always wanted to go to Aruba…"

"Do you have a picture you like to look at of Aruba?"

"Yeah…"

He heard the smile in her voice, and kept going. "Ok, now imagine yourself there, in a bikini and your favorite drink, a light breeze and the sound of the waves rolling in."

She sighed, "Thanks. Gonna try to keep it in my head while I try to sleep."

A moment later she added, "You going to be ok over there? How bad are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine. Rest now."

He heard her breathing even out as she fell into a restless sleep. He didn't think he could, but due to his exhaustion and injuries, his body forced rest; to sleep he went.

NCISNCISNCISNCIS

"Got a hit!" Abby hollered as she tore into the bullpen as she vaulted out of the stairwell.

Tony and Tim both jumped up even as Gibbs barked, "Which case?"

"No! Jimmy's phone!"

Tim launched toward his computer to check where from his computer, and sent the info to Fornell who was out in the field even as Gibbs called him quickly, and they were asked to come be back-up. Tim quickly sent it to his tablet so they could have real time display to where it was heading to just in case it was needed later. Ziva grabbed her bag even as Tony grabbed Abby in a hug before he too grabbed his gear. The team ran to the stairs this time, hitting the main floor doors at a run even as Fornell relayed that they now had the coordinates and were tracking the phone; an undercover vehicle nearby was on its way to get the vehicle in sight.

Even as they got to the car Fornell reported to Gibbs the undercover vehicle was now in sight of the same van from the kidnapping and was not going to spook the driver, keeping back.

Gibbs threw his phone to Tony even as he opened his car door so as to keep contact. They all slid in, buckling up even as the motor roared to life, and Tony asked Fornell, "Which way is the van headed?"

"Heading north toward the shopping district…damn. Too many stores and people there to do much right now…oop, yep, just reported the van is pulling into the large 24 hour Wal-Mart. We are keeping all back to see if anyone is with the driver. Hopefully he or she will go back soon to where Jimmy and the woman are. Pretty sure we will know soon enough, and put a tracker on the van. "

Tony nodded with satisfaction even as he reported the information to the others even as Fornell hung up. Gibbs growled as he had no choice but to slow down. They were only five minutes away now due to Gibbs driving and it would not do to show up with a screeching of tires. It would only spook whoever was using the van. Quietly he pulled in and parked near a bunch of other cars, and he turned off the motor and lights. Now they could only wait and hope. They watched as an FBI agent crept toward the van and placed something under, and then slid away. Gibbs and the team nodded in satisfaction.

It was a long tedious wait, but it was only half an hour according to his watch when Tony saw the same woman who had been driving earlier come out rapidly with a cart full of bags. She opened the back of the van and stowed them, then brought the cart to the cart area outside.

"She doesn't seem to be in a hurry, boss," Tony whispered even as they had all ducked in case she turned the van their way when leaving.

Fornell called Tony's cell this time, "Got a tracker under the van as you probably know. Tell Gibbs to keep back for now, I will relay her direction so you can follow as well. Don't want to spook her in case she is not returning, with all the vehicles taking turns following her. " He hung up again.

Tony relayed the message, and Gibbs just nodded. All their faces were set, wanting to do something more than what they were doing now.

"Damn tedious formalities…" Tony heard Gibbs growl under his breath, and nodded even though he knew if they didn't wait, it could land Jimmy and the woman in deeper danger than they were already in. As they didn't know exactly how many had been in the van earlier during the kidnapping, they all knew it was better to get a headcount first, and a plan together to both protect the captives and take out the rest. Even as they pulled normally out of the parking lot, the first texted directions came to Tony's phone.

Slowly the motley entourage of agency vehicles crept back the way the van had first come through alone. Twenty minutes later the van left the main road and began to take the smaller yet just as used roads towards a smaller town. The cars following backed further away, letting the tracker keep them in the right direction, and the cars following grouped closer. Finally the blip showed she had stopped, and the FBI and NCIS vehicles pulled over together as close as they dared with their lights already off. All got out and Fornell and Gibbs began to make plans to surround the building; Tim had pulled out his tablet and Google-mapped the coordinates to see what the building looked like and they all saw on the screen a large old farm house surrounded on three sides by forest. All made sure they had their vests and all the ammo they could carry. They didn't know what would happen.

Tony sighed, then stated quietly, "Boss, Fornell, ah, Jimmy lived in this area when he graduated high school. Pretty sure his parents live not ten minutes from here, to my recollection."

Gibbs groaned as Fornell stated, "Which means he may know the whole family, and even graduated with the person who knows him. DAMN!" He spoke this quietly yet forcefully, even as he dialed and called for a warrant on the address. Quietly everyone placed coms in their ears and made sure they were all on the same channel as orders were given out by Fornell to who went where. If all things went according to plan, they would be fanned out around the house before morning light hit, and take it from there. They would be in position before they got word that the warrant was given.

Tim took the infrared instrument given him and his FBI partner, Jacobs, and they silently as possible came to the closest side of the front of the house that was both nearest to their vehicles yet still in the trees. This gave them the time to sweep the house with the infrared to report how many people were inside and their activities.

"Seven life signs; two on the second floor, three on the main floor, and…got two warm yet immobile showing from the basement. Look to be sitting, or tied up," Jacobs reported to all in a murmur even as the rest continued to move their way through the trees to their positions. Tim continued to keep watch via the screen even as Jacobs set himself up with a sniper rifle to take down any who ran out the front door when the time came. Every once in a while he moved the camera to check the two teams positions around the house. He noted that even though the going was slow, the small groups worked in tandem as if they had done it together for years. Tim couldn't help but grin at this, and knew he dare not mention this to Gibbs.

Ten minutes later Tim hissed and pointed to the screen as they saw one of the three from the main floor head down to the basement area, and another followed momentarily. All they could do was pray now, as Tim hoped Jimmy was ok. Jacobs reported this even as Tim bit his lip as they heard Tony curse quietly even as the others listening in did the same. The friends wondered if they would be able to get to their positions, or have to speed up. Fornell reported quietly he had gotten word that the warrant was on its way here. Now they had to impatiently wait.

Tony and Ziva crept nearest toward the back with their two shadowing FBI agents, named Johnson and Gurness. They had been tasked to enter through the back when the time came, and also get to the basement as quickly as possible. Gibbs and his team were to take point through the front door on the right when they reached the furthest side. Fornell's team was positioned to flank their left to enter also via the back door but to stay both on the main floor and take down the ones on the second floor.

NCISNCISNCISNCIS

Jimmy jerked awake as the light was turned on and he hissed in pain at his quick movement as loud footsteps came down the stairs. Warily he watched the man from earlier come to a stop in front of him, and he could see the man was drunk even as the bottle of Jack was waved around. Sadly, the man was still steady on his feet even though much of the bottle was empty. The man turned to glare at the woman, and Jimmy noticed the gun in the back of his pants, which made his eyes widen. He really hoped this guy would just drink himself to oblivion and pass out instead of doing something stupid.

"Where is the rest of the money?"

Author's note…yeah, not an expert of sneaking up on bad guys, but hey, doing what my imagination is trying to tell me, and trying to fill any holes so no bad guys get away. Don't worry, more whumpage is to come, along as an obvious fire fight between good guys and bad! Reviews welcome, pretty please…T