Note: I don't own the NCIS world. Wish I did.
Sorry it has taken so long to get this rather small chapter out. I was waylaid by a stomach bug. I will likely have another chapter up in the next few days. Feel free to review or PM me with questions, requests, etc.
The blurred vision and foggy thought processes were an uncomfortably familiar sensation for Tony from his experience with Gunnery Sergeant Bill Atlas in Virginian sewer system a few years earlier. He stumbled as he tried to head for the door, bumping into someone whose features he couldn't make out.
"Crap," he muttered, leaning against the wall and sliding down to his knees. He felt someone holding him up and moving him to a chair. He felt someone holding him up and moving him to a chair.
"Stay with me, Tony," Tim said, lightly slapping him in the face to get the senior field agent's attention. He opened a fresh bottle of water and held it to Tony's mouth. "Drink this..." he then spoke into his microphone. "Boss, Tony's looking pretty out of it. We're getting him some water and taking him out for some air."
"I'm intercepting Carrie," Gibbs said. "Ziva, find the waiter that gave them the drinks."
Ziva took off toward the serving area where the waiters picked up trays but could not find the one responsible for supplying the drinks. Whoever he was, he'd left as soon as he'd delivered the drinks. She then heard Gibbs as she returned to Tony and Tim.
"Carrie's been grabbed. I'm in pursuit."
"Let's get him outside to get some air," Tim said, motioning for Ziva to take Tony's other arm.
Tony slung his arm around Ziva's shoulders. "I love you," he said, leaning in close to her ear. "You are so amazing. You're beautiful, you're intelligent, and you... you... I really want you right now."
Ziva wrapped her arm around Tony's waist, pulling his weapon from it's holster and chuckled. "Why don't we go for a little walk, Tony? We'll get someone to help with your problem and we'll talk about the rest later. I'll take care of your weapon for you."
"Thank you, Love," he said, kissing her.
"You're going to regret that later, DiNozzo," Ziva said. "But I won't hold it against you... for now."
Tony whispered something to her and she shook her head. "Tony! Look, there's an ambulance. Let's get you some help first."
He continued to mumble incoherently as a pretty pert blonde paramedic attached him to oxygen.
"Do I even want to know what he said?" Tim asked.
"I will kill you, McGee," Ziva warned as she stepped into the back of the ambulance.
"Hi, Beautiful," Tony said, seeing Ziva. "Couldn't stay away, could you? You know how much I love you?"
The medic gave Ziva a smile. "He's going to be very loving for the next few hours. We'll take him to the hospital to rest and continue with IV saline to help flush him out. He will be tested for date rape drugs at the hospital."
"Thank you. I will come with him," Ziva said.
Tony reached out and took Ziva's hand. "What about Carrie?"
"Gibbs is taking care of Carrie," Ziva said, stroking his hair. "Go to sleep, Tony. I'll be with you when you wake up."
She looked down at Tony's jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a pair of tweezers. It simply read: You Lose.
Gibbs hopped into the local NCIS car and peeled out after the van which had already turned the corner and speeding off. As he made the turn, there were two vans of the same make and model weaving through traffic. There were too many civilian vehicles to obtain a safe and clear shot at either van. The two vehicles split at the light and Gibbs needed to make a split second decision. He followed the one that turned to the left and found an opening to take his shot at the tires of the van. The bullets hit but no deflation came as the van's occupants returned fire., blowing out the windshield and hitting the engine block, killing the NCIS vehicle. Gibbs punched the steering wheel as the van tore away.
"Damn it," Gibbs swore as he dialed Ziva's cell phone. "I lost the van. Any luck with the server?"
"He was gone already, Gibbs," Ziva replied. "Tony is being taken to the hospital now. Tim is canvasing the scene with the local agents and LEOs. I found a note in Tony's pocket. It says, 'You Lose'. Maybe we can lift some prints from that."
"I'll be there in five minutes," Gibbs said, closing his cell phone. He kicked one of the tires as he headed back for the museum. As he began the jog back, Gibbs' anger flooded him. This wasn't a fight he could lose.
He returned to the museum. Tony and Ziva were already on their way to the hospital as Tim took witness statements and looked for any other clues as to the identity of the drink steward.
"Any security tapes?" Gibbs asked McGee.
"Yep, and have copies on disc, Boss," McGee said.
"Let's go," Gibbs said, taking a critical look at the scene. "The local LEOs can take care of this. We're not going to find anything that will help us here. We have to see if that note Ziva found on Tony will help us."
The hospital emergency room was bustling with activity as Gibbs and McGee found Ziva waiting in a family room while the doctors and nurses moved Tony to a bed.
"Ziva, get that sample to Abby and get her in the lab. Send it by helio if you have to but I want an analysis of everything about that note," Gibbs ordered.
When they entered the room, Tony was sleeping peacefully. The toxicology report showed that he was sleeping off a heavy dose of GHB but was otherwise unharmed and would be well in a few hours.
Some hours later, Tony began to rouse as Gibbs sat in the chair next to him.
"Hey, Boss," Tony said pushing the button on the side of his bed to sit up a little. "Where's Carrie?"
"She was grabbed, Tony," Gibbs said. "We'll get her back."
Tony tried to smile but failed. "I screwed up, Boss. I'm sorry." He swung his legs over the bed and Gibbs promptly lifted them back in.
"Yeah," Gibbs said, leaving any anger out of his voice. "We'll deal with that later. In the meantime, stay in that bed."
"Boss," Tony began to argue. "I have to help find her."
"Not until the doctor clears you, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "Don't make me have to get Ziva in here to tie you to the bed."
Tony offered his usual charismatic grin as Gibbs gave him a light slap to the head. Tim and Ziva stormed into the room. "Boss, you have to see this," Tim said, turning on the television. The image of the Statue of Liberty flooded with lights and a small figure wearing an explosive vest and holding an infant was chained to the torch.
"...demands are not yet known. The United States Park Police are on hand to negotiate. We will be bringing you live updates as this incredible story develops..."
"We know where she is now," Gibbs said, grabbing his jacket. "Let's go."
"Boss," Tony said, standing up. "Please don't make me stay behind."
"Grab your gear, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, "and some pants."
As Tony was dressing, Gibbs cell phone rang. It was Abby.
"Hey, I pulled two prints from the paper and the gas chromatograph had a field day with what was found on it..." Abby said. "The prints are still running and the ink wasn't any help. It came from a Hewlett Packard Deskjet so you'd only have about a couple hundred thousand to go through to find the right one. But on the paper itself was a trace of amniotic fluid. Whoever touched that note recently gave birth, and I mean like REALLY recent. In the last day kind of recent."
In the background, Gibbs heard Abby's computer giving her a match sound. "What was that, Abs?" he asked.
"We have a match on the print but you're not going to like this, Gibbs," Abby answered. "Last year when Tony was being all secretive about the girl he was dating which turned out to be his big undercovers assignment..."
"Abby!" Gibbs scolded to get the young woman back on track. "We're running out of time."
"One of the prints on the paper match the print that Ziva brought me from Tony's car before it blew up," Abby said. "Jeanne Benoit."