Disclaimer: NCIS and its characters do not belong to me and I am making no money from this.

Many thanks to Mr VP for the Beta. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

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DiNozzo leaned against the periscope and watched as Surreptitious' crew efficiently dismantled the sonar panel. Within minutes it was clear that the information being sent to the operator was being sent from elsewhere in the boat and was a recording of previous readings. Root quickly despatched crew members to engineering to begin the search while the crew in the control room worked to restore live feed. Beside him Gibbs was still but DiNozzo could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

"He's blinded us DiNozzo," Gibbs spoke at last. "But he doesn't want to sink us, not without hope of recovering Surreptitious herself anyway. There must be more."

DiNozzo raised his voice. "Captain, could that feed be used to tell someone else where we are?"

Root looked over at his sonar technician, eyebrows raised in question.

"Never heard of it being done before Sir," Peters said slowly. "The signal has to be broadcast to this receiver though, I suppose if it was amplified and someone else knew the frequency to listen in on." He hung his head. "It would take some doing and be pretty sophisticated but Sir; I think it could be done."

"Is it shut down now?" Gibbs asked, moving forwards even as Root ordered the attack periscope raised again. The captain's body language was controlled but there were tight lines of tension round his neck.

"Nothing," Root said lowering the scope. "Change course to bearing one six zero and increase speed to maximum revolutions." He raised his hand to stall the XO's protest. "They probably already know where we are Jim, let's move away a little, quickly, then we'll slow down and change direction again."

DiNozzo, like Gibbs before him, was impressed by Root, not surprisingly perhaps as he was skipper of the Navy's latest multi million dollar investment. Then again, four of the crew had been found to be subversive, it would be interesting to know if they really were who they said they were he mused. Stevenson certainly was though; perhaps personnel needed a radical rethink in how they evaluated their crews.

Root held the course for twenty minutes before ordering a decrease in speed and changing direction. They were still moving blindly through the water with only skill and educated guesses to go on as far as direction went, never mind obstacles in their way. Periodically the captain swept the water on the surface and just below with the attack periscope but every time found nothing in sight.

Gibbs had just decided to have another crack at Michaels to see if the revelation that they had found the sonar loop would trigger any reaction when he was called over the intercom to go to the wardroom at once. He covered the short distance in seconds, DiNozzo on his heels, and poked his head through the doorway before looking enquiringly at the guard.

"He hadn't moved or said anything for ages Sir," the guard reported, "so I went in and had a look, he's not right Sir."

Gibbs pushed past him and hurried to stand in front of Michaels. The man was staring straight in front of him as before but his eyes were fixed open, he didn't even blink. Gibbs wafted his hand in front of Michael's face but still received no response and felt for a pulse at his neck. It was very slow but steady.

"Catatonic," he said with frustration.

"He taken something?" DiNozzo asked. "We miss anything?"

In answer Gibbs ordered the guard to call the medical corpsman to take blood. "Don't move him though," he insisted. "Who knows what's going on in that twisted mind of his."

Frustrated he led the way to where the other prisoners were being held in adjoining compartments. They were both alert and scared but had nothing more to add.

"Control room?" DiNozzo asked quietly, recognising the signs of irritation in his boss.

"Yeah," Gibbs agreed, relaxing slightly and giving Tony a tight smile. "That's where the action's going to be for a while."

They had just re-entered the dimly lit control room when the sonar operator reported calmly, "Contact Sir, bearing two four six degrees."

DiNozzo's eyes quickly scanned the compartment and noticed the clutter had been removed. Clearly they had repaired the sonar equipment. Not before time.

"Close all watertight doors," Root ordered. "Keep present course, silent running."

"Friend or foe?" Gibbs asked sotto voce.

"Now there's the question Gibbs," Root replied just as quietly. "Close too, we haven't got full range out of the sonar yet."

"Do they know we're here?"

"No way to know yet, we'll change course shortly, see if he follows."

Root kept them on course for another two minutes before ordering a course change; they all waited silently, eyes on the sonar operator, alert to his every movement. Finally he reported.

"Contact Sir, I think he's made us."

"Bearing?"

"One three zero degrees Sir."

"Change course to two nine five degrees for five minutes and then resume original heading," Root ordered. "Take us down to a hundred and fifty feet."

Tony shook his head to clear it, the world was going fuzzy around the edges but he couldn't afford to give in to it now. Where was the adrenaline when you needed it he wondered, beginning to have a new appreciation for Gibbs' love of coffee.

"Any sign of a second signal?" Gibbs asked beside him. "Might the destroyers have been separated by the storm?"

"Only one signal Sir," Peters replied on a glance from Root.

"It was a doozy of a storm," Root supplied, "could have separated the ships. It's still running quite a sea up there now." He ran his hand over his face. "Take us back to periscope depth Conn, let's have another look see"

Tony found himself holding his breath as Root did a quick 360 with the periscope. They were in a hell of a situation, no way to make contact or send out a signal and even if the captain recognised the vessel could he be sure that it was a friendly contact? Subversives had taken Surreptitious for a while after all.

Root said nothing as he lowered the periscope and walked contemplatively over to the chart table where he compared the last known position of the destroyers with his best estimate of their own present position.

"It could be one of ours," he said finally, though to Tony's ears his voice lacked conviction. "It's an Arleigh Burke class destroyer. USS Gonzalez was one of the ships sent to help us and she's Arleigh Burke class."

"Are they still following us?" Gibbs asked, moving to stand beside Root. Tony joined him, looking down at the neatly annotated chart preferring to have something to focus his thinking.

"Contact turned thirty seconds after we did Sir," Peters reported.

"Which direction was Michaels heading?" DiNozzo asked, wanting clarification of his reading of the chart. He tried furtively resting his left hand against the chart table, needing the prop, but lowered it again almost immediately as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Beside him Gibbs moved closer and grasped his elbow in silent support. Tony shot him a grateful look as Root replied, showing them Michaels' course on the chart.

"So he was heading away from the destroyers," Tony summoned up the last of his reserves. "And we reversed that course nearly three hours ago now. Isn't it more likely to be a friendly vessel?"

Root nodded slowly, making his own assessment. "Odds are certainly in our favour," he agreed. "Right Gentlemen," he nodded to Gibbs and DiNozzo and beckoned the XO over to the chart table. "Worst case scenario?"

"The vessel's a hostile and she threatens us as soon as we surface," the XO said grimly.

"What does she threaten us with?" Gibbs asked mildly, his hand never leaving Tony's arm. "He doesn't want to sink us."

"Maybe they'd rather sink us than lose us," the XO continued stubbornly.

"They're more likely to try subterfuge than force," Tony suggested, tired of the XO's attitude, he seemed to have a one track mind. "Play along until they can get on board."

"Then what would they do, take more hostages?"

Tony looked bemusedly at the XO, unsure why he was being so hostile himself but was saved from answering by Gibbs who answered bluntly. "Blow the ballast and go straight to the bottom, Surreptitious could easily be recovered and they don't give a damn about anyone on board."

Root considered for a moment. "Jim, detail all non essential men to go to both the forward and rear escape compartments and have them hook up to the emergency oxygen, make sure they are armed. That way if they do try sending us to the bottom most of the crew will survive and be able to fight back. You go too, I need someone to take charge." He looked over at Gibbs who shook his head slightly, whatever happened they needed to see it through, he knew that DiNozzo felt the same.

A look passed between Captain and Executive Officer before the XO reluctantly acknowledged the order and began his preparations.

Root ordered a course change to give his men time to carry out his orders, steering away from the destroyer's current path in the hope of sighting the companion vessel and perhaps confirming that they were US ships.

Gibbs steered DiNozzo into a seat vacated by the Navigating officer who had been instructed to go with the XO. The younger man looked pale and he could feel him shaking slightly beneath his hand. His senior field agent was still thinking clearly enough though and Gibbs knew that the last thing Tony would want would be to be sent away at this point so he simply held on a little tighter as DiNozzo wavered in the seat.

Tony felt as though he was looking at everything behind a screen. Everything was distorted, people moved slowly, in marked contrast to the voices which, though hushed, seemed to be following each other in quick fire succession. He felt the boat begin to rise and, to his battered senses, it seemed to float. Gibbs' face loomed large in front of him as banging echoed round and a sudden rush of cold air started to bring his world back into focus. He shook his head carefully, wishing that Gibbs would let go of his arms, his shoulders hurt and why was the Boss holding him anyway?

Suddenly he felt Gibbs stiffen and he forced his head up to look over the older man's shoulder as two black canisters tumbled down the conning tower ladder bringing back his screen. He blinked, trying to clear his head, hearing Gibbs coughing. Or was that him? Tony was no longer sure as he felt Gibbs' grip weaken and his tenuous hold on reality deserted him altogether.

TBC