Author's Note :

Thank you for all the reviews. I really appreciate them.

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy !!! Please review soon… Thanks.

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Gibbs leaves the hospital and makes his way to his favourite coffee shop. He buys a round of coffees and than heads for the office. He tries to think about the case, but Tony's pale face keeps intruding in his thoughts. And his headache has now changed into a full blown migraine.

As he steps out of the elevator, he is surprised to find the office empty. They're probably down with Abby or gone to get a bite to eat, he thinks as he makes his way to the lab. His left eye has started twitching and he knows that he will need to lie down in a dark room for a few hours before this headache will subside.

As he enters the lab he hears Abby ask "Hey Vaughn, whatcha got for me?"

"The feather is from a red necked falcon, indigenous to Guinea and Mauritania with a migratory path that cuts through Mali and Burkina Faso." Vaughn's voice is heard over the loud speaker. Gibbs stands behind Abby but doesn't reveal his presence as the conversation continues.

"Hold on a sec while I load a map of North Africa onto the screen. Okay. What else, do you have Vaughn? My Boss won't be satisfied with just this." Abby states and Gibbs smirks as he rubs his forehead. He's almost lost vision in his left eye.

"This is going to sound really way out there but just bear with me. The feather and the layout of the body are meant to call the demons that guard purgatory to come and take the victim's soul and to place it into purgatory. This is so that he will suffer for all eternity." Vaughn says.

"Warn me never to mess with North Africans! Tell me more." Abby insists. Gibbs just raises an eyebrow and continues to remain quite.

"According to the North African Umtagati, that is, witch doctors, taking of certain organs will affect the soul's journey within purgatory. Taking the heart indicates that the person is emotionless. Taking his liver suggests that is he toxic and a parasite. Taking his eyes hints at him being blind, stupid and ignorant." Vaughn says.

"Wow. What else?" Abby asks as she pictures purgatory in her mind.

"Taking his kidneys is meant to indicate that he must suffer between the realms of the living and the dead. It also means that he will be without fluids and become dry and brittle until his body shatters. And taking his privates means that he will be less than a man and he will be violated by other men." Vaughn says.

"Oh! It sounds like this was personal. I mean they really wanted this guy to suffer while living and now he's going to continue suffering in the after life." Abby says.

"Yes, it was definitely personal. This mutilation was planned and staged." Vaughn says.

"But as Gibbs will ask, why? And he will also ask, what does wrapping the intestines around his neck mean." Abby asks in her best Gibbs impersonation, as she looks at a crime scene photo on her computer monitor. Gibbs stares at her from behind and just shakes his head and then regrets it as spots start to dance in front of his eyes.

"To your first question, I don't now why. Your team are the investigators so I'll leave it to them to find out. To your second question, wrapping the intestines around his neck is meant to symbolically keep him chained in his mutilated body for eternity without hope of salvation. And that is the thing that helped me to identify the Tribe that practices this ritual." Vaughn says and Gibbs runs a hand over his face.

"Vaughn, you've known all along and you kept me waiting! Spill it now buster!" Abby screeches.

"They are called the Maturashangas and they live in the eastern part of Guinea. They still worship their pagan Gods and pass their traditions on to the new generation as has been happening for hundreds of years. And they are one of the tribes that still does the thing with the intestines." Vaughn says.

Gibbs makes his presence known by placing Abby's Caf-pow on the desk next to her and making her shriek, "Gibbs! How long have you been here?" Abby asks as she stands up and throws her arms around him. He hugs her back and says, "Long enough, not to be satisfied with only this." Gibbs replies and than he grimaces as his head throbs and his left eye continues to twitch. Abby notices and she knows what it means.

"Good job… Vaughn. Now explain to me why would someone kill an inventory officer in this manner?"

"Vaughn you are now speaking to my Boss, The very special agent Gibbs." Abby says by way of introduction.

"Hello Agent Gibbs, Abby has…" Vaughn tries to say as Gibbs interrupts, "The murder. Why?"

"I can only guess that the motive would be revenge." Vaughn says. "That is what it usually is. I am researching the tribe to find out who the current chief might be and what might have happened over the last few months. I would suggest that you look at an entourage of 2 to 6 men that might have traveled together from Guinea to the US. They might have already left if this officer was their only target." Vaughn says.

"Thanks Vaughn." Abby says as she starts typing furiously at her computer. "Let me know if you find out anything more." Abby says as she hangs up. Once the program starts running a flight search, she turns to Gibbs and looks at him.

"Tony will be fine you know. He is strong and he always pulls through these things." Abby says as she hugs Gibbs again.

He closes his eyes as he holds her close for a minute longer and then he says. "Yeah. He'll be fine."

"And now you will lie down here." Abby says as she drags Gibbs towards the back of the lab and rolls out her futon.

"No Abs. I have work to do." Gibbs protests as Abby pushes him down onto the futon.

"You need to lie down before this migraine gets any worse." Abby says.

"I don't.." Gibbs tries to say.

"Yes you do. Your pupils are constricted and your left eye is twitching. Now stay put, while I get you a pain killer." Abby admonishes as she covers Gibbs with a light blanket and then makes her way to the fridge.

"Where's McGee and Ziva?" Gibbs asks as he realizes that he hasn't seen them.

"They've gone to Norfolk to check out Officer Derrick's apartment and to speak to his mother at the mental home." Abby says as she fills a syringe with 10cc of a clear liquid.

"What! They were supposed to wait for me." Gibbs grumbles as he sits up and then sees black spots in front of his eyes. The pain in his head intensifies and he lies down again.

"Yeah, and a lot of help you would have been. Now take off your top." Abby says as she kneels next to the futon. Gibbs looks at her with one brow raised, even though this costs him. Abby just rolls her eyes and then she smirks and says, "Well it's either remove your top or drop you pants. I would personally prefer the later."

Gibbs just glares at her for a second and then removes his sweater. Abby pushes the sleeve of his white t-shirt out of the way as Gibbs asks, "What are you giving me?"

As she jabs the needle into his arm, he winces and she says, "It's Synap Forte. And it will help you to sleep so that the migraine can subside. Happy dreams Gibbs." Abby says as she kisses his forehead, covers him more securely and then leaves him as he falls asleep.

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At the old military housing unit, Benson takes a swig from his beer bottle as he walks towards his small, decrepit lounge. That's when he notices a shadow. He spins around and since he has been drinking steadily for the last hour, his reflexes are not good and he falls down backwards.

Then the shadows take shape. They are dark men with white stripes across their faces and feathers in their hair. They are wearing animal skins over their loins and their feet are also covered in animal skins. They have huge, sharp knifes and machetes. They are silent and stare at Benson with disgust and hate in their eyes.

"No. How did you find me??" Benson cries out in terror as recognition and realization hit him.

"I didn't have anything to do with it!!! I swear. I didn't do it. I'm innocent. NO!!!!!" Benson's cries ring out as 4 men hold him down. A fifth man slices his clothes off and removes them. When he is naked and exposed a sixth man, the leader, takes a smaller knife and kneels between Benson's legs.

"NO!!!!! Please don't do this. Please! NO!!!!!!" Benson shouts out as he struggles to twist away. The men hold him firmly on his back.

"N…oooo!!! He…lp!!! Aaaahhhhhh !!!!!" Benson howls out in pain as his penis is slowly sliced off.

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Author's Note :

That's it for now.

Please note that the meaning of the organs, etc is all part of my imagination and if you happen to research Guinea and the tribes, you will likely not find the details that I have put into this chapter. Therefore please accept the story as is and enjoy it.

Stay tuned for the next chapter because Tony may just wake up… Or not…