Chapter Six
Jackie Vance made sweet potato pancakes for Kayla, Jared, and Leon, who sat with the Washington Post and New York Times reading them as his son and daughter teased each other. Also, sitting at their dining room table was Special Agent McGee.
"Don't you have an I-Pad, sir?" asked McGee.
"I did, but my wife broke it," he sighed.
"I have one," said Kayla.
"Me, too," said Jared.
"Keep it up and I might take them away from you," said Leon.
"McGee, what are you doing?" Ziva asked in his earpiece.
McGee lifted his arm up and talked into the microphone in his sleeve.
"I'm talking to the director," he said.
"If you are eating breakfast while we are hungry out here I am going to kick your butt," said Ziva.
Jackie Vance put a plate of pancakes in front of McGee.
"Thank you, ma'am," said McGee.
"Agent McGee, what did Agent David want?" asked Vance.
"She wanted to make sure I wasn't having breakfast," he said with a hint of guilt.
Vance laughed, "Tell them you deserve breakfast since you helped my kids with their math homework."
"Yes, sir," said McGee, as he sampled the pancakes. "These are delicious."
"She's knows," Vance said.
"I like compliments, Leon," said Jackie as she sat down with her pancakes. "Thank you for the compliment, Agent McGee."
"It is delicious, ma'am," said McGee.
"You two hear that," said Vance, "your mother likes compliments."
Kayla and Jared laughed.
"McGee," said Vance, "Has Gibbs always been so protective of DiNozzo?"
"Sir?" said McGee.
"Has Gibbs always been so protective of DiNozzo?" asked Vance. "It's a simple question."
"Gibbs is protective of everyone in his team, but he had always been extra protective of Tony. They have a sort mentor and disciple relationship, but more so," said Gibbs.
"The man has let up for the last five months," said Vance.
"Sounds like he thinks of him as a son," said Jackie.
"I don't think Gibbs is that sentimental, honey," said Vance.
"Okay, Leon, you know best," his wife said with a smirk.
NCIS
Ziva and EJ sat in the Charger. EJ shifted in the passenger seat and looked at Ziva. She had a smirk on her face.
"You sound like you don't trust, McGee?" she said.
"I trust him, but Tony was a bad influence on him. I know he is sitting at their dining room table eating breakfast while we sit out here with our stomachs knotted," she said.
"And that's Tony's influence," said EJ.
"Yes," Ziva said then smiled. "You know how Tony is when he wants something. He either whines or charms."
"Or both," smirked EJ. "You should see how he acts when you deny him sex."
"I would not know," Ziva said stiffly.
EJ chuckled, "You and Tony never."
"No, we have never done that," said Ziva.
"Wow, I always assumed that you had. I mean he's crazy about you and he really likes sex," said EJ.
"I don't need to know that," said Ziva.
"But it's true," she said. "I can tell that he is crazy about you."
"I mean about the sex part," said Ziva.
"You don't look like a prude," said EJ.
"I am not a prude, but I don't want to talk about Tony's sex life. He used to do enough of that without prodding," Ziva said.
"He was just being a showoff. The man is an amazing lover," said EJ.
"I thought I said I don't want to talk about this," said Ziva.
"Okay, still I'm surprised you never made love with him," EJ said. "The man is crazy about you. It used to piss me off because I was the one he was dating and you were the one he was worried about. You should really drag him off and give him a good fuc…"
"Please, can we stop stalking about this," growled Ziva.
"Okay, okay," said EJ.
Ziva now shifted in her seat. Her conversation with EJ made her uncomfortable for several reasons not the least of which was the fact she wanted to dragged Tony to her bed and make love when he returns. But, he won't be Tony. He'll be someone they need to help.
"Do you think Tony is going to try to kill Ray Cruz?" asked EJ.
"One of them will try," said Ziva.
"Yeah, I guess so," said EJ.
EJ looked down at her watch.
"Where's Gibbs?" she asked.
"I have no idea," snapped Ziva.
"Someone is in a bad mood," said EJ. "I'm sorry if I put you in a bad mood."
"It's not your fault," said Ziva.
EJ smiled, "You really need to go to bed with DiNozzo when we get him back. The two are you are meant for each other."
Ziva's head snapped to her right and stared at EJ, who was trying not to laugh. It took a few moments but EJ finally got herself under control.
NCIS
Tony had taken a bus to DC. The bus stopped at Union Station on 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE. With a four day growth of beard and his hair a little too long, he got off the bus with his backpack over his shoulder. He already knew his target's routine and had decided on the bus to hit him when he arrived home at night. The Navy Yard was too problematic and hitting him in the morning at home might endanger his kids.
Kids. Vance had kids, thought Tony. He was a father and by the looks of it a good one, unlike his own father. Not only was he taking out the head of a federal agency, which he knew instinctively was wrong, but he was taking out a father.
Tony started walking. Captain Bennett Marco kept coming up in his mind. The movie the Manchurian Candidate. Cobb had made him into the Manchurian Candidate, but it seemed so right. Vance was one of those who created Cobb along with the Secretary of Navy and Ray Cruz. Yes, Ray Cruz. For some reason, he disliked this Cruz more than he disliked Vance. Cruz had Ziva.
No, he needed to stop thinking about Cruz and Ziva. His problem was Vance. He needed to kill Vance. If he did then everything would be alright and everything he had gone through the last few months would make sense. All he had to do was kill Vance, not Ray Cruz, who the woman he loved and was using her, but Vance. He would have preferred if it was Ray Cruz, that son of a bitch, but it wasn't. No, Cobb wanted him to punish Vance for being a good father.
That wasn't the reason. This wasn't about fathers. No, Vance needed to be punished because he thought up Operation: Frankenstein. He should be congratulated for being a good father. Yeah, that made better sense. He wasn't that bad of guy, Tony thought, no, he was a tough boss, sometimes unfair, but he was being punished for thinking.
Tony's head started to ache as he walked. Vance lived in a Virginia suburb. He needed to get to that suburb somehow. Probably by Commuter Rail. That was the ticket he'd take a train, Strangers on a Train. I wonder if I can get someone to kill Vance for me, he thought.
NCIS
Gibbs used the wood shaver to make the piece of wood even. It was a simple, redundant process of running the shaver over the wood until it was even. Tony hated working with his hands like this, but he needed it. He especially needed it when his gut was telling him that something was wrong.
Cobb was too smart to conniving to leave such an obvious clue that DiNozzo was going to kill Cruz. He'd want something more devious than that. Cobb would want NCIS to kill NCIS. It'd made sense if Cobb wanted Tony to kill Vance not Cruz. DiNozzo killing Vance was like family killing family and Cobb would like that with all his talk of calling Tony a brother. Fratricide. How much more satisfying than that would be for Cobb's and Tony's profile? Kill the father, the man who either abused them or didn't have time for them. Yeah, that made much more sense.
Now left his own clues about his situation and that was Captain Bennett Marco cut into the wall. Damn it, the poor bastard was aware that he was being used and probably still had little control over it. Cobb was expert in brain washing. He'd had it done to him on many levels and he had DiNozzo for over five months. Think about that – five months of torture, five months of good cop and bad cop. DiNozzo's mind can't help but to be confused, fuzzy, in need of clarification. He needed someone to show him the way back to who he was. He needed family, which was him, Abby, McGee, Ducky, Jimmy, and Ziva.
Gibbs stopped shaving the wood. The tool had done what it needed to do. The wood was even and he had his gut all figured out. Now it was time for him to lay in wait for DiNozzo to raise his head. When he didn't he needed to talk him down. Once he did that, he was going to have to show DiNozzo the way home. It was going to be a tough journey, but this was DiNozzo. A hospital couldn't do it; a doctor couldn't do it. No, it needed to be those he trusted, which were few and far between. He would take care of Dinozzo.
NCIS
"It's quitting time," Vance said to the MCRT in their bullpen.
Gibbs looked up at him from his paperwork. He longer worked leads on DiNozzo because he was sure that Tony was going to come after Vance. McGee, EJ, and Ziva grabbed their jackets and their gear, while Gibbs slowly put his stuff away. He stood up.
"Ziva you're with Vance," said Gibbs.
"Yes, Gibbs," she said.
"McGee, EJ, you take the lead car," he ordered.
"Yes, Boss," replied McGee.
"It seems that you'll be driving alone, Gibbs," said Vance with a smirk.
"Imagine that, Leo," smiled Gibbs.
"Not that I'm getting sick of you, but I look forward to be my driving my car again," said Vance.
"The burdens of authority, Leon," said Gibbs.
Within forty minutes, they were pulling up in front of Vance's house, while Vance and Ziva parked in the driveway. Gibbs hung back taking in the terrain. McGee and EJ got out of their car to make sure everything was clear. They opened the door to the house to find it quiet.
"Mrs. Vance," called McGee.
There was no response.
"Jackie," he called.
Still no response. EJ raised her gun and started the procedure to clear the room. When she entered the living room, someone grabbed her wrists. She felt an elbow to the stomach then one to the back of the neck and she was unconscious. McGee rushed into the room to find an unconscious EJ and Tony holding a gun on him.
"Tony, what are doing?" he asked.
"You wearing a vest, McGee?" asked Tony.
"Yeah," said McGee.
"Good," said Tony.
He put two rounds into McGee's chest knocking him flat on his back and incapacitated. Just then, Ziva, Gibbs, and Vance came through the door. All three had their guns aimed at Tony.
"Where's my family, DiNozzo?" barked Vance.
"I wouldn't hurt them," said Tony. "I'm here for you."
"DiNozzo, I'm sorry this happened to you," said Vance. "I'll take responsibility for it, if it will help you, but don't throw your life away by killing me."
Tony had his gun aimed at Vance's head. He knew he could make the shot.
"Tony," Gibbs spoke up, "you are like Captain Bennett Marco. You're fighting the programming. Keep fighting it."
Gibbs put his gun away. He raised his hands and started to walk towards DiNozzo.
"Now, I know you aren't going to shoot me, Tony, and you know it. So, put down the gun, son," said Gibbs.
"It's so hard, Boss," said Tony.
"I know, son," said Gibbs.
"He… he kept doing things to me, painful things, and then he became my only… family," said Tony.
"He's not family, Tony. I am, McGee is. Abby is. Ducky and Jimmy are. Ziva is," said Gibbs.
"I'm confused, Boss," said Tony.
Vance and Ziva watched the two men in silence. They almost felt like they shouldn't be there to see this. It was between a father and son.
Gibbs opened his arms and stood still.
"Come here, Tony. Come to me," said Gibbs.
"Boss, I'm really confused and my head hurts," said Tony.
"I know, son. I'll take care of you," Gibbs said.
Tony lowered his weapon to his side then dropped it. Once he did that, he walked over to Gibbs, who wrapped him up in a hug and held him as he began to weep. Vance finally understood Gibbs relationship with DiNozzo.
"Ziva, check McGee and EJ," Gibbs said as Tony wept in his arms.
With tears in her eyes, she did as she was told.
"Where is my family, Tony?" asked Vance softly.
"Locked… in bedroom… upstairs," he cried.
Vance put away his gun and ran up the stairs.
"It's okay, son, I'll take care of you," Gibbs said softly.