Chapter 11
Kate sat slumped over in her usual chair. The ropes were around her once again, tight as ever. After Ren raped her, she had stopped struggling as much. Her wrist still throbbed since he had broken it. Sometimes she felt like she was at her breaking point. But no. She had to stay strong. For Gibbs. Whether he made it or not, she would not let him know that she gave up. Fighting was something she was good at, and fighting for her life was something she would have to do. She sat up straighter in her chair; Ren noticed her movement.
"Ah. Feeling a little tougher, are we now?" She glared at him.
"You can't win you know." Her voice was still hoarse from yelling. "Even if you kill me, even if you kill Gibbs, you can't win. Because someone will eventually kill you. And on that day, the sun will shine and the world will be a better place." Ren did not respond, but he did not smile either. But Kate did. She felt accomplish because she finally wiped the smile off his smug face. Just then, there was a crash followed by a bang above them. Ren jumped up.
"Looks like they found you Agent Todd. Maybe you'll even get to go home today. Maybe." He grabbed his knife and started cutting through the ropes. "But, only if you behave." He released her legs first and then her arms and the rest of her body. He pulled a gun out of his back pocket; a gun Kate had never seen before. He grabbed her by the arms again and pulled her toward him. Ren put the gun on her right temple and held Kate closer. His breathing was heavy on the back of her neck. And as the noise from up stairs came closer, Kate could feel Ren becoming tenser. The lock on the other side of the door slid out of place. The door scraped open quickly, and Gibbs and McGee entered the room. McGee poked his head into the room on the right while Gibbs stood in front of Ren and Kate.
"Myers!" Gibbs yelled. "Let her go and put the weapon down." He readjusted his firearm. Ren positioned Kate so that she blocked most of his body. Neither Gibbs nor McGee had a shot.
"Mmm…Don't think I can do that Agent Gibbs. At least not yet. By the way, did you like your present?" He was referring to the video recording of Kate's rape. He smiled again. Fury filled Gibbs' eyes. "I thought you might like it."
"Let her go Meyers. Let her go and I will stay. Just the two of us." Gibbs was trying to convince him to be alone with Gibbs.
"Let me ask you Gibbs. You want to save her, true? Well what would you do to make sure she's safe?" Gibbs paused for a moment.
"Whatever it takes."
The words sent chills down Kate's spine. She stared at him, into his eyes. His eyes told her that he spoke the truth. He would do whatever it took to ensure her safe return.
"Drop your weapon." Ren broke the silence. "Do it! Now." Gibbs hesitated. Kate knew the minute Gibbs and McGee surrendered, Ren would be in control. And once Ren was in control, there was no need for Kate to be around anymore. In the heat of the moment, Kate grabbed the gun in Ren's hand.
He grunted as they struggled. She prevented him from pulling the trigger, but he would not loosen his grip on the weapon. Gibbs still didn't have a shot. They raised the gun in the air, and a shot rang out. Only, the shot wasn't from Ren's gun; it was from someone outside the window. The bullet soared, breaking the glass and colliding with Ren. He collapsed, followed by Kate, who was lying on top of his chest.
Ren was dead. Kate was covered in blood, but she had no wounds. There was a shuffle of footsteps coming from behind her. Someone kicked Ren's gun away.
"Kate! Kate!" Gibbs was hollering at her. He crouched down next to her.
"I'm ok." She managed to say. "The blood is all his." She sat up away from the dead body. Gibbs' hand was on her shoulder. He looked at her for a moment. It took a minute before she could look at his face. Tears welled in her eyes. Gibbs pulled her into his chest. She didn't want to cry in front of him, but the tears rolled down her eyes. Kate exhaled. Gibbs just held her in his arms. He vowed he would keep her safe.
Back outside, Kate rapped Gibbs' NCIS jacket around her. It was pretty cold out and the ground was wet. She walked down the steps of the house onto the walk way. There she saw Tony. He was standing by the shattered window; his shirt was dirty like he had been lying on the ground.
"Well, well. Look who finally showed up. Don't I get a thank you?" Tony smirked at Kate. It was obvious that he was the one who had shot Ren.
"Thank you Tony." Her tone was soft and serious. "Seriously. Thank you." They stood about a foot apart, and the looked deep into each other's eyes.
"Anytime."
Just as the two finished their conversation, the sun broke through the clouds. Gibbs came up to the pair. "The sun is out." Kate said. And she smiled to herself. It was over. Her nightmare was over.