Just after 11pm Tony wanders downstairs. He can't sleep regardless of everyone telling him he needed rest he can't get his mind to shut down. Stopping at the opening to the living room he see Gibbs sitting on the couch reading an western novel.
Laughing he walks further into the room, "Never took you for a 'old western' kind of man." sitting down in the armchair, he rests his head back. Gibbs set his book aside with a smile. "Then what kind of books did you think I read DiNozzo?" Tony shrugged, "I don't know, murder mysteries, crime novels. Something like that." Gibbs gave him a blank stair making Tony squirm a little. "Tony, I deal with murder, death, espionage, all that crap. Everyday. What makes you think I'd come home and read that crap."
Tony was quiet for a moment, contemplating his answer "I don't no Boss. You'd think I would know better. I don't read that garbage either. I read a lot of 'The Rainbow Fish' and 'If You Give A Mouse A Cookie'. If I do any reading on my own it's the newspaper."
Gibbs shook his head at his old friend. "Tony, what are you doing up? You should be snuggled next to your wife, sleeping." Tony shook his head, "You know why I cant sleep Boss, I want to get out there and search for her myself. I can't shut my brain down, and if I stay in bed I'll just wake Diana. Just sitting here is driving me crazy."
Gibbs understands, and he feels for him. "Alright DiNozzo, lets look at the files I went back to the office for, then maybe with just the two of us we'll see something new."
The work steadily for an hour stopping only when the hear the front door open and see McGee walk in carrying a tray of coffee and a bag of baked goods in one hand while in the other they can see he is carrying a laptop and a few files precariously by his fingertips. Jumping up from his seat Tony catches the files just before McGee loses them to gravity.
"McGee, it's after midnight. What are you doing here?" Gibbs asked as he stands to take the coffees from him. As McGee takes off his coat and tossed it on the couch he shrugs his shoulders before speaking. "There is absolutely no way I was going to go to bed. I brought a laptop home from the crime lab. Sorry boss," McGee gives Gibbs a slightly sheepish smile. "I have been working none stop, tracking their movements. And I found something." McGee sat down and opened the computer, taking a sip of his coffee as the computer boots up.
"Did you know this dirt bag has a pilots license?" McGee shook his head with disgust. "To fly a Cessna, and a good pilot from everything I can find. Something that should have been easily found in his file. He has abandoned two more cars. Anna left messages, for lack of a better word, behind for you in them too. First car they found a child's sock, the lab rats found traces of what they think is tears. The second car, her other sock, with saliva and blood on it. Each of the socks were found stuffed in between the back seats, hidden from sight but able to be found if searched."
"I'll kill him with my bare hands, I'll kill the bastard that hurt my baby."
"Not unless I get to him first." Gibbs growls.
"Tony you should be proud, you taught her well she is leaving us a trail of bread crumbs to follow." McGee reminds him gently.
"He stole a plane where he dumped the last car small airport and the CCTV is great I didn't even have to hack I just called a buddy over at FAA told him what was going on. He gave me card blanche.
Pulling up the necessary files, maps, and photos he explained step by step where they have been and where he thinks they will be landing.
"I did a lot of digging this bastard has a home in France in a small town the north of Paris. It's so small it's not even a blurb on any map I can find. You don't want to know how I found about, needless to say I covered my tracks."
Tony stopped pacing the floor and looked at McGee. "Where is the plane now Tim?"
McGee saw real raw fear in his eyes, and didn't like it. "His flight path is leading him to a small airport in a city in Massachusetts, an hour away from Boston. There are two tickets purchased for Paris flying out of Logan, early tomorrow night, one of them is for a 5year old. They are under the names Joseph and Marie Thebeau. She is the only child on the plane, so it's worth check out."
They had a lot to do in a short amount of time. They call Fornell first they need the muscle that the FBI has. Then they arranged for a pair of agents to come and stay with Diana and Tony. Gibbs and Fornell know that the agents aren't really needed, Tony is more than capable of taking care of Diana and himself. There real purpose is to make sure Tony doesn't high tale it out and make his way to Boston in his own.
Tony knows this and his only response is to growl at both of them this only make the two older agent shake their fingers in a scolding manner. To bad it was ruined by the grins they both had on their faces.
After calling Vance and bringing him up to date, they head to the airport to get an emergency flight to Logan courtesy of the Navy yard 's commander.
Tony stayed up until the agents came then he went to bed. He woke Diana gently then told her everything that they had learned. She sat there quietly and listened not asking any questions until he finished talking. When she did it was to asks just one question. "So what do you need me to do to distract the agents so you can leave?"
He smiled at his wife, pulled her into his arms, then made love. Both of them needed the reassurance that everything will turn out well and that their Anna will be with them soon.
They stayed in bed until just after eight in the morning, after showing they come down and go straight to the kitchen. After a simple breakfast of cereal, fruit and tea the kitchen is cleaned in no time at all. Seeing that both of the agents cells were recharging, he knew that it was the perfect time to signal Diana.
"Tony, Gibbs said that he would show me the boat he is building. Is he really building a boat or is he pulling my leg?" Diana asks with a skeptical smile.
"Oh no he really is building a boat. It's a beauty too, I saw it last night while I waited for these two to get here." Tony tells her as he points the pair of agents drinking coffee.
"Captain DiNozzo we would like to see the boat too, if it is possible. We'll never be able to live it down if we don't see it. I mean the famous boat that Gibbs builds in his basement, and won't tell anyone how he gets it out. Can we check the walls for passages ways?" the older of the two agents asks with wry smiles.
"By all means, Abby, you know who Abby is right?" When he sees them nod their heads he continues. "she spent a whole day down there looking for the secret and she came up with nothing. Give it a go, if you find it you get the pool money last I herd it was up to five hundred dollars."
He opens the door and lets the agents go first with Diana and him waiting until the light stopped flickering from the cold air. When the second agent is half way down Tony closes the door and locks it with the bolt then places a chair in front of the closed door, he then places a second chair two feet away for Diana to sit in.
He calls down to the agents through the door. "Diana will let you out in an hour, She is sitting right in front of the door so don't break it down. Remember, she is seven months pregnant."
He kisses Diana, then takes the keys to Gibbs charger of off the counter, Diana hears the roar of the engine as she sits with a cup of fresh tea and the western novel that Gibbs was reading just hours earlier.
A/N: The Rainbow Fish. Written by: Marcus Pfister Publisher: North-South / Night Sky Books
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. Written by: Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. Publisher: HarperFestival; HAR/COM edition (September 25, 2007)
