Gibbs freezes, in instant recognition of the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Ari!" he answers calmly. "I'd say it was good to hear from you, but I'd be lying."
"Aaw, now Gibbs. I'm hurt," Ari replies, feigning indignation. "So, how are all my friends at NCIS these days?"
Gibbs ignores the question, determined not to engage more than he has to.
"What do you want, Ari?" he barks impatiently.
"I have everything I want right here Agent Gibbs. Kate is looking exceptionally well today," he teases.
"Leave Kate out of this," Gibbs snaps angrily.
"Well, it's a bit late for that. You see Kate and Abby are going to be guests of mine for a while," Ari says smugly.
Gibbs stomach sinks, but he prays Ari is just winding him up. The thought of that maniac anywhere near Kate and Abby makes him sick.
"You're lying," he accuses.
"Okay, if you don't believe me, why not try calling one of them on their cell phone," Ari suggests.
Gibbs is already dialling Kate's number. It picks up, but Ari is on the other end.
"Believe me know, Agent Gibbs?" Ari asks.
"Okay, you've got my attention. But they're no good to you, Ari. Let them go. We both know it's me you really want," Gibbs says trying to reason with him.
"Don't flatter yourself, Gibbs. What make you think I'd choose you over these two beautiful creatures?" Ari laughs.
"Enough of you games, Ari. Lets you and I finish this," Gibbs shouts down the line.
"But the game has just begun, Agent Gibbs."
"Let me speak to Kate," Gibbs demands.
"Well, she's a little tied up at the moment," Ari sneers in response.
"Put her on the line, or I'll presume they're both dead already. Then your game will really be up," Gibbs threatens.
There's silence. Then Gibbs hears Kate's voice.
"I'm so sorry Gibbs. He just …." she starts to explain before the phone is pulled away from her.
"There. Satisfied?" Ari asks.
"If you harm either of them, I swear I'll hunt you down and take great pleasure in killing you personally," Gibbs says vehemently.
"You don't scare me, Gibbs. If I wanted you dead, I'd have done it long ago. But I'd heard you'd been looking for me, so I thought I'd come and save you the trouble," Ari tells him.
"Yeah, well why don't we meet face to face and settle this once and for all?" Gibbs suggests.
"What? Are you calling me out, Gibbs? Let me guess, pistols at dawn?" Ari laughs.
"Are you scared to face me, man to man? Well, I know it would mean you wouldn't have anyone to hide behind, no agencies, no family and no innocent civilians. Maybe you're not man enough. Are you scared, Ari?" Gibbs taunts.
"Like I said, I'm not scared of you old man. Okay then, I will meet you. Tonight. I'll get back to you with a location," he tells him. "And Gibbs, no cavalry or the pretty ladies will die." The line goes dead.
Gibbs leans on his desk, his head in his hands. He has a knot in his stomach. He takes a couple of deep breaths. How the hell did he get them, he wonders. Just as he's about to plan his next move, a slightly dishevelled McGee walks into the office.
"Hi, Boss. Where is everyone?" he asks, unaware of what's unfolding.
Gibbs decides to tell him everything that has happened. He relays his conversation with Ari and goes into as much detail as he can. McGee is distraught at the thought of Abby being held against her will. He sits calmly and absorbs what Gibbs is telling him. As Gibbs continues telling McGee, Fornell walks in. Gibbs raises his head and is visibly relieved to see his old friend. He stands up and they hug and slap each other backs.
"So, where are we with this then?" Fornell asks.
"I spoke to Ari since we last spoke," Gibbs begins.
"You what?" Fornell asks in disbelief.
"He's got Kate and Abby," Gibbs continues.
"Jesus, Jethro. How the hell did this happen?"
"I've no idea. All I know is that he has them and that he'll get back in contact later. He's going to meet me face to face," Gibbs informs him.
"Really? And you agreed to this?" Fornell asks.
"Agreed tcdo it? It was my idea," Gibbs tells him.
"Why? You know he'll kill you, right," Fornell says, stating the obvious.
"He'll try, but hopefully not before I get him to release Kate and Abby," Gibbs says with resignation.
"Fine. I know nothing I can say is going to change your mind anyway. So what do you want from us?" Fornell asks.
"Back up would be good. The trouble is I've no idea where he's going to want to meet but wherever it is, I'll go in alone. You can set me up with a wire or a tracking device or something. You can follow at a safe distance. We can go into more detail when we know the location. I need to call DiNozzo and tell him to get back here as soon as he drops Ducky and Mrs. Mallard off," he says, reaching for the phone.Fornell looks over at McGee and throws and exasperated look to the heavens. McGee shrugs. As soon as Gibbs is finished on the phone, Tim makes a suggestion.
"Boss, come to Abby's lab with me and we'll get you kitted out with some tracking devices. If we do it now, we'll be ready when the call comes," he tells him.
"You're right. Let's do it," Gibbs says, hurrying towards the elevator. "While we're there I want you to trace where the last signal from Abby or Kate's cell came from."
McGee nods as he follows his boss to the lab. While down there, McGee helps himself to a few of Abby's gadgets, imagining to himself how annoyed that she'd be right now, knowing he was poking through her lab. He fixes Gibbs up with a tiny tracking device which Gibbs places in his shoe.
"Hopefully he won't look there," he says wishfully.
McGee also places a tiny microphone under the collar of Gibbs shirt.
"We should be able to hear you, but you won't hear us," he tells him.
Fornell and Gibbs agree that an earpiece would be too obvious and might backfire so they decide against it. They take about an hour, trying and testing each piece of equipment. By the time they get back upstairs, Tony is at his desk.
"Hey, Boss. What's the word?" he enquires.
"No word, we just wait," Gibbs answers.
"Just wait? We can't just sit around while that freak is doing God knows what to the girls," Tony blurts out, instantly regretting it.
"We don't have a choice DiNozzo," Gibbs says angrily, marching over to Tony and getting in his face. "Do you really think I want to be sitting here waiting for the phone to ring? The fact is, we don't have any leads. The last signal from their cells was in the north D.C. area. We've got nothing. Have you any suggestions, hotshot?"
"No, Boss. Sorry, Boss," Tony apologises and Gibbs backs down.
The four agents sit and wait for Ari's call. Gibbs walks to the window and stares out as the city lights flicker and darkness descends. He wonders where they are, if they're out there? If anything happens to them, he'll never forgive himself. The shrill ring of the telephone snaps Gibbs out of his daze. He rushes over to pick it up. Before doing so he signals to McGee to start a trace.
"Gibbs," he answers eagerly.
"Hello Jethro. Having a good evening, I hope? We sure did, didn't we ladies?"
Gibbs mind races with thoughts of what the creep might have done to the girls. He wants so much to scream, but keeps his composure.
"So, what is it to be, Ari?"
"You're going on a little road trip, Agent Gibbs. Come alone, you know the drill. You should be getting an e-mail any second now. It contains directions. You have two hours. Don't be late," Ari warns.
"I'll be there," Gibbs promises, as he looks across at McGee, who is already opening the mail. Ari hangs up.
"Did you get the trace?" Gibbs asks.
"Nothing on the trace, Boss," Tim replies. "He wants you to take the I270 to Frederick County. Turn off for Green Valley. Lots of twists and small roads after that. Looks rural, farming country I'd imagine," he informs Gibbs.
"Right. Print it out for me. We'd better get moving," Gibbs says, preparing to leave. "And get me a map!"