12:34 pm
The director of NCIS parked his car across the street from the construction site, watching the second ambulance pull inside.
He had found Gibbs, it seemed.
The construction sight was crawling with police and NCIS officers. Gibbs was sitting on a stretcher, impatiently watching the paramedic bandage up his arm. Blood ran from cuts on his face, but he didn't seem to care. His eyes were locked on the ambulance parked beside the ruins of the house.
Another stretcher over, Ducky was arguing with a paramedic.
"Just tape it up, will you?"
"Dr Mallard, you've sprained your ankle."
"Do you know of Louis XIV?"
"What?"
"Walked around for years without removing his socks. One day, he took them off and his toes went with them."
The paramedic gazed at him, mouth slightly open.
"If he managed to walk, so can I. Tape it."
"So, this is where you got to, Gibbs." The director's voice was soft, almost friendly.
"Thank you." Gibbs said to the paramedic, sliding briskly off the stretcher. He met the director's eyes, face wisely blank.
"Tell me, why did I receive a call from Metro PD this afternoon telling me that two of my employees had been found inside an exploded building on a construction site?" His voice was companionable, calm and even.
Gibbs braced himself. "That's what I'd like to know, sir."
The director dropped the act.
"Where are they." It was not a question. His voice was hard, cold, and brutal.
"Who?"
"Agent's Todd and DiNozzo and Abby Sciuto. Why are two agents and one of our best forensic scientists missing from our office?"
To his surprise, Gibbs didn't glare. He looked- upset?
"I don't know."
He was momentarily perplexed. "You what?"
"They didn't come into the office today. There was no answer from their mobiles or home phone numbers."
Gibbs spoke as though he was relaying the events of a crime of which he had no emotional or physical participation in. But the Director could hear the rage, barely detectable, in his voice, see the subtle lines of tension of a man that was very, very angry.
"Agent McGee and I went to the house of Agent Todd and found blood on the floor and walls."
"And where is Agent McGee right now?"
Gibbs looked over to the ambulance, and his jaw went tight. "He's unconscious."
McGee had been more than unconscious when he'd pulled him out of the wreckage. He'd been bloody.
He shouldn't have even been there, he thought, though there was no anger towards him. He'd saved Ducky's life.
The Director looked from the ambulance to Ducky, to the iron lipped hard eyed Gibbs, and shook his head.
"And you didn't mention any of this to someone because…"
"There was a Videotape."
"I see." Though it was plain he didn't.
"It suggested that to actively engage in police or NCIS help would be exceedingly dangerous to the hostages."
"Hostages? How many are there?"
"This morning there were four. Now there are three. Agents Todd and DiNozzo, and Abigail Scuito."
The director turned to Ducky, who had hobbled to stand beside Gibbs.
"How are you feeling, Dr Mallard?"
"Better," he said shortly, eyeing the director.
The director rubbed his head, with the air that this was going to be a very long day.
"Damn." He glanced at Gibbs.
"Do you have the tape?"
Time Unknown.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The guard glanced up, scowling.
One of the prisoners was banging on the inside of the door.
Annoyed, he turned back to Days of our Lives, wishing he could turn the volume on. His companion growled under his breath, trying to study from his college reader. What they were doing was giving him mixed feelings, and he preferred not to think about it. The noise wasn't helping any.
Thump. Thump.
The second guard turned a page. "Shut'm up, will you?"
Irritated, the first reached over and grabbed the voice distorter, putting it on along with the SWAT helmet.
He banged on the metal door.
"Shut up!"
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thu-
He'd had enough. Gripping his gun he grabbed the door handle, intending to take a warning shot.
The door half opened, then cracked across his face.
He went down.
Tony grabbed him, pulling him inside as the second guard shouted, grabbing his gun and firing.
Sparks flew as it hit the slamming metal door.
Inside, Tony braced himself against the door. Kate and Abby rolled the unconscious guard over, searching frantically through his pockets. Tony grunted as the guard outside through himself against the door.
"Hand radio." Kate thrust it at Abby, who quickly backed into a corner. Her left hand held it awkwardly, her thumb searching for a frequency.
Tony flinched at the second bang, arms already aching. The door juddered under his arms, barely holding.
"Gun, where'd the gun go?" he shouted over the thumping.
Kate scrambled for it, grabbing it from the floor. Holding it tight, she grabbed the man's knife. She stood and pushed it into Tony's hand.
The hand radio whined, coughing and crackling.
"There's someone on the line-"
"Hey, anyone? Hello-"
There was a buzz of static, and Abby retuned with her thumb.
"Hello?" she repeated, frantic. She could see the strain on Tony's face, and knew he couldn't hold out for much longer. Kate dragged the guard to the far wall.
A jabber of voices, a bubbling hiss of electricity. Her knuckles were white as she retuned.
Kate joined Tony against the door. Their heels dug in as the guard threw himself at the door.
It rattled violently.
"Abby, quick!" Kate could hear the shouts of more guards coming.
Abby crouched, listening intently.
"Hey, you're on police frequency-"
"I know, but-"
"If you don't get off we will pursue discipl-"
"Listen, you need to contact Gibbs from NCIS."
"What-"
Static.
"NCIS!"
The door moaned as another guard started to push. Tony leant over and jabbed at the flickering gap between the door, stabbing at the guards. There was a snarl, and a deafing bang as someone shot through the gap.
"Who are you? What's happening?" the voice was alarmed.
"My name is Abby Sciuto." She said it loudly and clearly, praying. "We got abducted. We're in a room underground-"
Static. She tried again.
They couldn't hold much longer.
"Ready Kate?" Tony said through gritted teeth.
She nodded, quickly taking three steps back.
He strained against the door for a final moment.
Then he leapt back.
The door slammed wide. Two guards burst through, the first going down by a shot from Kate. Tony grabbed the other, slashing with the knife.
But more came.
Half a dozen in the room, guns out.
Kate expected to be dead within seconds.
But none of them fired. Instead, they used their weapons as clubs. One caught her across the head. She staggered back, half blind. She raised the gun, but knew she couldn't fire in the confusion in case she hit Tony or Abby.
The gun was knocked from her hands, and she was backed against a wall.
Two guns hovered before her face. They waited, daring her to move. Her eyes darted, flicking through the chaos.
Abby covered her head as a blow fell, trapped against the wall. The radio was smashed by her feet.
Tony wrenched the knife from the throat of a man as he fell, and Kate saw the man behind raise his gun.
Her heart stopped.
"Tony!" She started forward, and an arm caught her across the chest. She was thrown back, lights exploding.
She hit the ground. Her ears buzzed. She couldn't see Tony in the dark, but it was suddenly quiet.
Distantly, she could hear Abby. She was swearing at the men. Her obscenities morphed into a shriek.
The sound echoed and re-echoed until it was nothing.
Kate's head lolled, and she passed out.