Disclaimers: The usual.
A/N: I apologize for my grammar/spelling mistakes. They're probably stupid ones that I shouldn't make, but I usually don't reread my chapters because I'm afraid that if I do, I'll think it's terrible and stop writing. Which I realize is dumb, so…I'll start rereading I guess.
Chapter Nine
"I'm coming, I'm coming." A voice from the inside warns, causing Tony to stop ringing the doorbell with such urgency. The door opens, revealing the woman they had visited before. A look of anger spreads across her face and then disappears once she realizes that she's scaring McGee. They stand there for a few seconds, overwhelmed in awkwardness. Mrs. Connelly is the first to make move and walks down the hall into her kitchen.
"If you could show us where the body is-" Tony starts, but is cut off.
"Would either of you like anything to drink? I have coffee, tea, soda, water, milk…" Tony opens his mouth and tries to interrupt, but he stops when he notices he's recipient of the death glare he often receives from Kate. "Orange juice, apple juice and cranberry juice." She finishes.
"No thank you, Mrs. Connelly." McGee declines politely. "Could you please show us where the body is?"
"Sure." She smiles. "Right this way."
Gibbs sat quietly in the bullpen reading over files by himself. Tony and McGee had gone out and Kate wasn't in. Suddenly, the door to the stairs slams open revealing Abby who sprints over to his desk. She grabs onto the edge of his desk to steady herself and catch her breath. Gibbs raises his eyebrows as she gasps for air.
"I " GASP "have a trace" GASP "on Kate's phone." She finally states.
"Do you have anything yet?" The Director asks as she appears out of nowhere.
Abby begins to speak to Gibbs, ignoring the Director who becomes slightly annoyed.
"She's on her way back to that warehouse that we found the kidnappers in." Gibbs begins opening drawers, collecting the things he needs.
"You can't go alone." The Director states. "Wait until McGee and Tony get back and take them."
Gibbs continues to ignore her.
"Jethro." She warns. "You can't do this alone. You can't just burst in there without backup."
He expertly places his government issued gun into the holster on his hip and walks out.
"Hey," Abby turns the older woman's attention on herself.
"What?" She snaps.
Abby pauses, slightly taken aback. "I was just going to say…that you shouldn't worry. Gibbs is going to be fine."
"Mrs. Connelly, I'm going to have to ask you to STOP cleaning." The middle aged woman unhappily leans her broom against the couch and places the dustpan on the top of a nearby pillow.
"I can't even clean in my own house?"
"Not when your house is a crime scene." Tony retorts.
"Don't use the tone with me." She warns, causing Tony to laugh sarcastically.
"Or what?"
"You see that man on the floor over there?" Tony nods. "I killed him. Don't make me kill you too."
"Don't make me arrest you, old woman." Upon hearing the insult, she grabs the broom tightly and begins to come closer to the senior field agent. His eyes widen as he steps back. "I'm sorry, I didn't' mean it." He quickly apologizes, attempting to patch things up.
McGee turns off the camera and decides to intervene. "Excuse me, ma'am. Could I talk to you in the hall for a moment?" She backs slowly into the hallway followed by McGee. Tony sticks his tongue out at her back.
"You'll have to forgive my partner…he can be a little…immature sometimes." He chooses his words carefully.
"In other words, you mean he's an idiot."
McGee thinks for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. "You learn to ignore it after a while."
The woman places a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry you have to put up with him." She smiles and walks into the kitchen. McGee walks back into the living room and continues taking pictures.
"Probie," Tony snaps his fingers to get his attention. "Probie! I'm surprised you're alive. She's nuts." He points warily to the kitchen.
The front door bursts open and McGee and Tony draw their guns. Gibbs walks around the corner.
"McGee," he points. "With me." Tony's eyes widen as he realizes what's happening.
"Boss, no! You can't leave me here alone!" Mrs. Connelly stands in the doorway to the living room. "She's a nut." He points to her and she rolls her eyes.
"Boss, I can stay here if you want." McGee offers. He'd rather stay out of danger anyway, but he'd never admit it, of course.
Gibbs accepts and hurries Tony out of the house, leaving McGee to continue processing.
Meanwhile, in the car, Tony is hanging on for dear life as Gibbs drives well over the speed limit. The headlights look like shooting stars as Gibbs weaves in and out of lanes. Tony begins to mutter something.
"DiNozzo, what are you doing?"
"I'm praying, Boss." He shields his eyes as Gibbs avoids a parked car and begins driving down the sidewalk. Tony knows better than to warn Gibbs of the laws that he's breaking and stays silent except for the whimpers and gasps of surprise every so often.
Finally, the pair skid to a halt outside of the warehouse. Tony opens his door and stumbles out onto his hands and knees on the cold pavement. Gibbs grabs his collar and drags him until he stands up and walks on his own.
"Should've brought McGee." He rolls his eyes.
"McGee," Tony points back to the car. "Would not have survived that!" Tony continues speaking gibberish as they try the front door to the warehouse. Locked.
"Tony, go around back and try that door." He whistles the Mission Impossible theme song as he peeks around the corner secret agent style, gun drawn. He's too caught up in his childish games to realize that someone is walking behind him with a baseball bat. Finally, he reaches the back door and as he places his hand on the doorknob, something makes contact with his knee and it gives out. He instinctively grabs his knee as he collapses onto the ground. The hit to the knee is followed up by a hit to his side. A groan escapes Tony's mouth as he curls into a ball onto the ground. Tony is silenced after receiving a blow to the head. His body goes limp and he is dragged through the door into the warehouse.
