Chapter 12: Deal or No Deal?
"Boss?"
"What, Tony?" Gibbs asked. After the elevator doors closed, he had sat down at his computer and began typing.
"Aren't we going to go after him?"
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
"Because McGee is right. If we follow, if we break his deal, Sharp will probably kill him. Think about it: This is the first place Sharp came after breaking out. He wants McGee more than anything else. He probably doesn't even care about getting killed later on. He's been in prison for twenty years. He has no position in the drug trade anymore. All he has is...revenge or whatever it is that brought him here."
"If that is the case, then, why are we letting him get what he wants? I know that we can follow McGee using the tracker, but it seems risky to let him get too far away," Ziva said.
"What is going on?" Abby shrieked.
"Ziva, explain. DiNozzo...I need a phone number."
"Whose?"
"Someone who can make McGee think...because I doubt we succeeded."
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Tim had time to think as he drove...too much time. He had always known he was more of a thinker than a doer. It was easy to think about things before taking any action. He hadn't been doing much thinking when he left...not the logical thinking he so preferred anyway. What he'd been thinking of was Sarah and Sharp and...and Tobias Allen McGregor. As he drove across the Anacostia River, he looked across the muddy waters and back toward the Navy Yard. He couldn't see NCIS from there, but he knew where it was.
No more looking back, Tim ordered himself. Now is not the time. Even so, he almost missed his exit from I-295. Horns blared as he swerved onto the exit ramp. He flushed. It would be the perfect irony if he got in an accident on his way to get himself killed. He took a deep breath and merged onto Overlook Avenue, heading southwest. It seemed to take forever, although in reality it was only a few minutes before he saw the turnoff for Blue Plains...and for an instant, he wanted to change his mind, turn right around and drive back to NCIS.
Then, his phone started to ring. He picked it up and answered quickly, thinking it would be Sharp.
"I'm here! I'm here!" he nearly shouted.
"Is this Tim?"
The voice was not what he was expecting.
"Yes? Who is this?"
"It's been a long time, about fifteen years."
"Nick?!"
"It sounds like you're in some trouble, Tim."
Tim had to pull over. He didn't want to be late, but it was only 9:45 and he hadn't heard Nick's voice for years. Even their written communications had been few and far between.
"Nick, you have no idea. I really can't talk right now...how did you–?"
"Get your number? I got a call from your boss. He said you were about to throw your life away."
"I'm not. I've got to..." Tim's phone beeped, signaling another caller. "I've got to go, Nick. I can't explain."
"Just one thing, Tim: Sharp thinks he's holding all the cards and that makes things more dangerous. He's also in a hurry and that makes it more likely that he'll make mistakes. Don't take any more unnecessary risks. Remember that you can win this one...and you are not your father. You are not your father, Tim. Remember that."
Tim couldn't think of a response. He hung up, hating that he had to do it.
"Yes?"
"Where are you?"
That was the voice he had expected, the one that made him feel like a child again.
"Uh..." Tim looked around frantically. "...at the...nitrification reactors."
"At the next road, turn right." Sharp hung up.
"Wait! Let me..." Tim sighed and turned right when he reached the road. His phone rang again.
"There are two sets of basins. Drive past the first. Park in the space between them on the south side." Again, Sharp hung up.
Tim did as instructed and found an empty space in which to park his car. It was dark and this part of the plant seemed empty...oppressive with the silence. He got out of the car and his phone rang again.
"Walk south between the two sets of basins."
"How far?"
"Until you see your sister. Time is of the essence. Don't waste it. Leave the phone in the car and start walking." Sharp disconnected, leaving Tim no choice but to obey.
Timidly, Tim took a step...then, another. Water churned in the basins on either side of him. The smell wasn't particularly pleasant, but it wasn't unbearable...not like the stress causing his heart to pump at a million beats per minute. He jogged across the cement walkway, skirting the various pylons and equipment sitting out. As he moved, his eyes darted around, looking for any sign of Sarah. He saw nothing in the darkness, heard no screams, no pleas for help such as had torn him apart on the phone. He reached the end of the basins, having seen nothing. He looked around, bereft of any further guidance.
He said to keep walking until I see Sarah, Tim told himself. That seemed to mean that he had to go on...because he saw nothing. He jumped down from the walkway and walked toward what seemed to be a storage area. As he came closer, he got the feeling that this was where Sharp and Sarah were hidden. Even so, his pace slowed and Tim actually reached for his gun...and then was chagrined to remember that it wasn't there. The piles of junk took on menacing auras. Sharp seemed to be behind every one. Then, Tim saw a flash of color...red.
"Sarah?" he called, throwing caution to the winds.
There was no reply, but the red jerked out of sight, briefly.
"Sarah!" Tim began to run. Behind a pile of culverts, tied to a chair, was his sister. She was gagged and there was a bruise on her cheek, but otherwise, she looked unhurt. He could see, however, that she was terrified. He could see it in her eyes. Tim reached for the gag, but froze when he felt someone behind him. He started to turn.
"I don't think so, Toby. Untie her legs, first."
Tim couldn't stop the shaking when he heard Sharp's voice, felt the man behind him. Sarah was crying and Tim mustered up a weak smile before bending over to remove the rope from around her legs.
"Now the rope around her waist."
Tim did so.
"Now, her arms...and don't even think about moving, missy," he warned.
"Are you going to let her go?"
"What do I want with her? She's a waste of space. You hear that, missy? You keep your tongue in your head if you want to get out of this alive."
Tim removed the ropes from around her arms and Sarah removed the gag herself. Then, she fell on Tim hugging him tightly.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Don't listen to him, Tim. Don't let him take you...please," she whispered in his ear.
Tim didn't respond directly. "Sarah, here are my keys. Run straight back, between the basins and you'll see my car," he said aloud. He leaned closer and whispered, "I love you, Sarah. Remember that. I love you."
Sarah was crying as Tim pulled himself from her arms.
"Go, Sarah."
"Tim...please..."
Tim shook his head. "No. Go."
Sarah looked back over his shoulder to Sharp. Then, her eyes shifted back to Tim. She didn't speak again, but her eyes were pleading.
Tim smiled at her, ready to place himself between Sarah and the one who would hurt her...as he had his entire life. Finally, she turned and began to run, her sobs audible as she departed.
"All right, Toby. Let's go."
Tim began to turn toward the voice, but as he did so, Sharp hit him over the head with the butt of his gun and Tim fell to the ground.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"He's moving, Tony. He's heading...south, slowly," Abby said. "Here, I'm sending the GPS to the car."
"We got it, Abbs. Thanks," Tony said. "There he is, Boss. That's not on I-295."
"Nope. Not yet, anyway."
Gibbs' phone began ringing. He tossed it to Tony to answer.
"It's McGee!" Tony said. "McGee!"
The sobbing immediately clued him into the fact that it was not Tim on the phone. "Agent Gibbs...he's got Tim. He got my brother!"
"This is Tony, Sarah. Is it Sharp?"
"Yes!"
"He let you go?"
Sarah's voice was nearly unintelligible through her gasping sobs. "He said I was a waste of space. He didn't want me. He wanted Tim. That's all he wanted. He took me because he knew that Tim would save me...he knew that Tim wouldn't let him hurt me...Tony! This is all my fault. I didn't ask them for ID, I just went with them. I didn't even think about it!"
"Sarah, it's not your fault. Where are you?"
"I don't know. I'm lost. I was trying to get back to NCIS, but I can't find how to get on the freeway, and I couldn't think of what to do...and I can barely see. Tim's going to die! Sharp is going to kill him! I know it!"
"Tell me what happened," Tony said, trying to remain very calm.
"He tied me to a chair and dragged me out there. He hid his van and then put me in this other place. Tim came and let me go. He told me to run to his car. He gave me his keys. He made me! Tony, I didn't want to leave him! I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want Tim to go with him!"
"Okay, Sarah? I need you to take a deep breath. Look around," Tony said. "What road are you on?"
"I don't know! It's right next to the freeway, near Blue Plains, but it doesn't join back up going north."
"Okay, just keep driving. You'll get to a place where they join up. Don't worry. Once you get on the freeway, drive back to NCIS and stay there. Okay?"
"I don't want my brother to die!"
"He won't, Sarah. We won't let him. Promise. So...take a deep breath...and don't worry about a thing. We'll get him back."
"You promise?"
"I said so, didn't I?"
"Okay."
"Good. Now, I need to hang up, Sarah. Are you all right?"
"Yeah. I'm okay."
"Good. We'll see you back at NCIS." Tony hung up. Then, he picked up his phone and looked at the GPS. "Wait, Abbs. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"That he seems to be heading for the Potomac? Yeah."
Gibbs floored the gas.
"Why would he be headed for the river?" Ziva asked, striving to lean up while still preserving her life. "There is no bridge there. In fact, only one road leads away from the plant. ...unless, he has a boat somewhere near there."
Tony repeated what Ziva said.
"There is a dock on that side of the plant. I'd bet it's normally for larger transports, but that's no reason for Sharp not to use it. Tony, what if he's going to..."
"We won't let that happen, Abbs," Tony said, hoping he wasn't lying. "We won't." Then, he hung up and looked at Gibbs. "We won't, right, Boss?"
Gibbs didn't answer. He swerved off of I-295, not giving up a single mile per hour.
Please, let us make it.
