CHAPTER 10

Tony could only feel his body throbbing. He blinked his eyes trying to focus them, but he kept them down, he didn't want a repeat of when he last woke up.

Even old dogs learn new tricks.

Not now!

Tony sighed; he definitely needed to see the agency psychologist about the stupid voice in his head. He finally focused his eyes and tried to take stock of his injuries, he knew he had a concussion. But is shouldn't be that severe since he could remember the car wreck. He also felt some cuts from the wreck, along his arms and a few on his face. He could also tell that some of his ribs were cracked.

"Why do the bad guys always go for the ribs?" Tony groaned.

"The ribs are the most vulnerable and easy target for torture." Tray's drawl sounded.

Tony tensed. "Why can't you just go away?"

"And rob you of my wonderful presence?" Tray smirked.

"Feel free to rob me of it. I won't feel the least bit deprived." Tony bit out.

"So bitter Anthony. What shall we start with today?" Tray grinned, surveying Tony.

Tony frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Tray laughed mockingly. "I wonder where to start with… maybe your legs? You wouldn't be able to escape, and even if you did, you wouldn't get far, but… no. The ribs? No, they are already damaged. How about the arms? Hmm, I think that will do."

Tray's grin was that of a predator that had caught its prey. He unhooked Tony's left arm from where it was secured and he moved his hand along the skin lightly. "Oh Anthony, look at what you've done to yourself. You just had to get involved in something that didn't bother you."

Tony gritted his teeth. "It did bother me, when you're murdering good men! Just because you didn't get your…"

Tray cut him off by gripping his index finger and breaking it. Tony wasn't prepared for the intense pain the flooded from his hand and through his arm, and he screamed. He clenched his jaw trying to adjust to the pain.

"What was that Anthony? My teammates were good men? Good men don't rat out their own teammates!" Tray snarled, gripping Tony by the jaw.

Tony just glared and spit in his face. Tray recoiled, and wiped his face with his sleeve, chuckling. "Oh Anthony. That's gonna cost you two fingers."

Tony barely had time to clench his jaw before Tray gripped his middle and ring finger, and broke them. Tony couldn't completely hold in the pain filled scream. Tray grinned as Tony writhed in pain. "Does it hurt Anthony? Trust me. It's only the beginning."

"Go… to… hell!" Tony gasped out. Tray just smiled and squatted so he could look Tony in the eye. "I'll see you there Anthony, but I have a feeling I won't go there for a long… long while."

Tray gripped Tony's wrist. "You see Anthony. I have a good situation in life at the moment, and I don't need you to mess it up."

"Gibbs… will." Tony growled in his pain hazed mind.

Tray put more pressure on his wrist. "That misplaced faith you have in your boss will be your undoing. Did you know that I told him about your new home? He was so happy that you are."

"You're lying." Tony spat.

"Tut, tut, Anthony. Would I lie to you?" Tray purred, applying even more pressure.

"Ask me no questions… and I'll tell no lies." Tony snapped, still trying to deal with his three broken fingers. Tray just smirked, and snapped his wrist. Tony let out a horrible scream, his wrist bent at an impossible angle with a bit of bone visible. Tony continued to scream, and Tray laughed.

"I told you that smart mouth of yours would get you in trouble. Now I had to go and break your wrist. Do you know how much pressure it takes to snap your wrist?" Tray asked as Tony panted.

Tony didn't look up. "Enlighten… me."

"It only takes fifteen pounds of pressure to snap your wrist. It's one of the only useful things I learned in the marines." Tray conversed like he was talking to an old friend, not a prisoner he was torturing.

Tony just continued to pant. "Surprised… you made… it in the… first place. You're… pretty… scrawny."

Tray just grinned. "Oh Anthony, will you ever learn?"

Tony just glared at his torturer. "Not if… you're… the teacher. I tune… you out."

Tray didn't respond, but he wrapped his hand around Tony's broken wrist and grinded the bones. Tony screamed again and didn't even bothering to try and hide his pain. "Now, now Anthony. You seem hurt." Tray asked in a mock concern voice, before he laughed hysterically.

"Sadistic bastard!" Tony grounded out.

"Oh, I'll show you sadistic." Tray replied between chuckles. He moved his hand further up Tony's arm, "Now, I wonder how you deal with your arm broken!" He said before running his hand straight into Tony's locked arm right at the elbow, breaking the two bones connected.

Tony couldn't even scream. All he felt was intense pain exploding from every point in his arm. Each breath was like fire, and he didn't know how much more he could take.

"How does it feel Anthony? How does it feel to be at the mercy of another person? That's how I've felt most of my life. Jethro was one of the first people to show me kindness. He was excited when I told him I was going to get rid of the pain in the ass that has plagued him for all these years. He jumped for joy Anthony, and you think he's gonna save you? You're gonna die here, Anthony. No one will be here to hear you scream." Tray whispered into Tony's ear.

Tony couldn't help the rapid thoughts that flashed through his mind.

Where is Gibbs?

The sadistic man is right. Gibbs won't come for you. Why would he? You've been nothing but a trouble magnet for ten years. First with your disastrous relationships, then getting everyone around you killed or injured, while you're too weak to protect the ones you love.

No! Gibbs will come!

At least you can still hope. That's one thing that hasn't changed. You hope you can get back into Gibbs' good graces, you hope you will be able to settle down, you hope you will amount to something! Just like senior told you, you will amount to nothing!

Tony growled, getting control of his thoughts. He had a plan, and he would die before he let this sick bastard get away with what he did. "I don't… believe… you. Gibbs will come… and he will toss… your ass… in jail!"

Tray delivered a swift kick to Tony's midsection, driving the air out of his already struggling lungs. "Well Anthony, we shall see where hopes get you. I thought hopes would last me through my childhood. I hoped I would have friends. Now look at me! I had to resort to killing! Do you think this is what I hoped my life would turn out to be?!"

Tony took a deep breath despite his aching chest. "It's your… fault. You… decided… to kill… your teammates."

Tray savagely gripped Tony's mangled arm, causing a sharp cry to escape Tony's lips. "They deserved it!"

Tony just grinned despite his aching arm. "Yet… you say… you didn't… want to be… a killer."

Tray just growled and pulled roughly on his upper arm until there was a distinct pop, and Tony's arm was pulled out of its socket. Tony could only watch as his arm seemed to slump. He was beyond pain now, he was accustomed to it. All he felt was numb, aside from his aching ribs.

"Just wait DiNozzo! I was going to offer you some mercy. But now, I'm going to drag this out as long as I can, and make you suffer!" he snarled and kicked the injured man savagely in the head causing his head to lull as the darkness called Tony.

Tray growled, muttering to himself, thinking about the pain that was Anthony DiNozzo. He thought about how he could make the pain in his ass, scream. He made his way towards the main floor grinning, he loved the sounds his prey made and couldn't wait for the next day. Tomorrow he would be using his knife, his favorite one. Tray thought it ironic, that he would use the knife he received from Gibbs to get back into his good grace.

FLASHBACK START

Tray scowled as he tried to skin the rabbit he caught with his pocket knife. He had run away from home a month ago and had to live in the woods, because of his reputation around the town as a drug addict, no one wanted him around.

He let out a frustrated yell and threw the knife into the brook he was sitting next too, and put his head in his hands.

"What did it do to you?" A familiar voice said from behind.

Tray scowled at his only friend. "It didn't help."

Jethro shrugged. "Did you expect it too?"

"It was the only thing I had!" Tray shouted.

Jethro raised an eyebrow unimpressed. "Then this will help."

Tray frowned as Jethro pulled out a wicked knife from a holster at his hip. He flipped expertly, and held it hilt first towards his friend. Tray examined it; it was a steel blade, about six inches in length and seemed deadly sharp. He shrugged and took the offered blade.

"That will be better than a pocket knife." Jethro smirked.

Tray looked at the knife. "Why do you have a knife?"

Jethro actually smiled. "Rule number nine, 'always carry a knife'."

"You and your rules." Tray grumbled.

"Remember it." Jethro smirked and walked off, Tray walked watched him. Jethro was a weird kid, even after two years of friendship. He just chuckled; life certainly wasn't dull with the stoic, Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

FLASHBACK END

Tray grinned at the memory and held the knife in front of, almost reverently. Yes, he would enjoy using his knife to end DiNozzo's miserable life!

Gibbs paced back in forth in front of the two remaining members of his team. They had just returned from the car wreck without Tony's backpack. Now how could they find Tony?

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" A desperate voice called out.

Gibbs turned towards his surrogate daughter. "What is it Abs?"

"I just got a text from Jimmy! He sent me an address, 108 Redline road, and something about checking the bare pantry. Do you know what this means Gibbs? We might have a lead on Tony! We can get him back! Gibbs, I miss my Tony!" Abby cried.

Gibbs pulled the distraught lab scientist into his arms. "We'll find him Abs."

"Did I hear something about an address?" A timid voice sounded from behind the group. Gibbs turned to face a lab assistant that was shuffling his feet; he couldn't be more than twenty.

Gibbs just narrowed his eyes, while Abby frowned. "Hey! I know you! You were that guy I gave the lab results too to give to Tony. How come he didn't get them? I gave them to you, I'm almost positive. But I was drinking coffee at the time, so I may have been hallucinating. Coffee does that too you, it messes with your head like a faulty program or a glitch. But it doesn't work on our silver haired fox, although he is a marine. Gibbs when did you start drinking coffee? I bet that was the only thing you could survive off of, instead of milk. What do you think Timmy? Gibbs! Why haven't you asked him about Tony?!" Abby rambled, much to her team's amusement and Jarrod's fear.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, my name is Jarrod, but what was the address?" Jarrod asked quietly.

Abby answered for the team. "108 Redline Road. Do you know it?"

Jarrod frowned. "I would hope so. I live there."

Gibbs frowned. "Why would I receive your address?"

Jarrod looked around quickly. "I took Agent DiNozzo there two days ago. I had information for him."

Gibbs scowled, why hadn't Tony told him about it? "What did you tell him?"

Jarrod shook his head frantically. "Not here!" He whispered, "Meet me at my house, tonight."

The blond haired assistant scurried off keeping his eyes on the ground. McGee looked at his boss. "Uh… Boss? What was that?"

Gibbs frowned. "Dunno. But we're about to find out."

The team followed their senior agent down to the car they had rented for their time in Stillwater, a few hours later. "McGee! Where is this place?"

McGee pulled out his cell phone, and typed in a few commands. "Alright boss, take the next left… now take the next right… take this ally on the right. Go left, watch the other car! Boss… take the next right. Is should be the eighth house on the left."

Gibbs pulled in front of the town house, and walked up to the front door. He banged on it for a minute before he heard shuffling, and the door opened a little for Gibbs to see Jarrod's angular face beak out. He looked around before waving the team in. "Follow me."

The team followed the lab assistant into his checkered kitchen and Gibbs looked around before setting his steely gaze on Jerrod. "Why did you call DiNozzo here?"

Jerrod took a deep breath. "I told him who was committing the murders around here."

Gibbs glare increased with his anger. "You knew who was murdering marines around here… and you didn't tell anyone!" he shouted slamming his hands on the table in front of him.

Jerrod shrunk in on himself. "Who was I supposed to tell?! Tray has every one of the cops in his back pocket!"

Gibbs stopped dead. "Tray? Tray Young? What does he have to do with anything?"

Jerrod looked around. "Tray was the one committing the murders."

Gibbs scowled. "That can't be possible. Tray would never do anything like that."

Jerrod just looked away. "I watched him." He said quietly.

Gibbs dropped into a seat, looking older than he ever had. He couldn't believe it, his oldest friend was a murderer. McGee looked scared to comment, and Ziva looked thoughtful.

Ziva looked at the lab assistant. "You would be willing to testify, yes?"

Jerrod shook his head frantically. "I want to stop him, not die in the process!"

McGee frowned. "We can protect you."

Jerrod shook his head. Ziva and McGee tried for over twenty minutes to get Jerrod to testify, but to no avail. Gibbs finally looked up. "Ziver, what did Abby say? Something about a pantry?" He stood up and made his way towards the pantry and opened the door. Right in front of him sat a tape recorder. Jerrod followed him over and frowned. "When did that get there?"

Gibbs picked it up and hit the play button. It was a recording of Jerrod talking to Tony. Gibbs just shook his head. "Tony… you sneaky little bastard."

McGee looked confused. "Boss?"

Gibbs didn't answer. "McGee, Ziver, go to the car. I'll be out in a minute."

Once the two agents left, Gibbs turned to Jerrod. "If Tray really is behind this… than you aren't safe. He'll probably know you're involved." Gibbs took a piece of paper, and wrote down his dad's address on it, "Go here, this is my dad's house. It's safe."

Jerrod took the piece of paper."Thank you. I hope you find Agent DiNozzo. He seems like a good man."

Gibbs nodded, deep in thought. "That he is. And Tray won't get in the way of me and my son."