A/N: Hi everyone!
Here's the next chapter for you :)
Thanks so much for the continued support on this story! All the amazing people who left reviews, alerts, favourites and who just quietly follow along deserve a big thank you one again!
Now, I got one guest reviewer who had a really good point. They said that they were wondering if I could try and make it more realistic in the way of effects on Tony from his injuries. At the moment (for this chapter) Tony is running on pure adrenaline, BUT the team do mention his injuries. Though rest assured that adrenaline can only last so long and Tony will soon be hit with the full weight of his injuries as he gets worse. And that will lead us nicely from Angst, to Angst/Hurt Comfort. Thanks for bringing it to my attention though; it'll defiantly come into play very soon.
Well, without further ado, happy reading! :D
"He's not here." McGee sighed in frustration, stating what the remainder of the team already knew.
"Tony was here, but we were not fast enough." Ziva commented while she looked around Tony's bedroom.
"What makes you say that?" McGee asked as he and Gibbs looked through the larger lounge area in the next room which seemed untouched.
"Some of the drawers here are slightly agar and there are a few clothes out of place." She explained even as she walked into the neighbouring bathroom. "And the towel and the shower walls are still damp. Most likely he has a back start of about two hours."
"Um, head start?" McGee queried.
"Yes, that." She nodded as she re-joined them in the kitchen.
"Boss?" McGee asked as Gibbs picked up a piece of paper and a fifty dollar note from the bench.
As he quickly scanned the note he scowled slightly and handed it to Tim.
"At least the damn bonehead has manners." Gibbs grumbled just loud enough to be heard as he charged back into the bedroom to see Ziva's findings for himself, but more so to give himself a little distance from the others, he had to get his head on straight.
Ziva watched Tim as he read the note, trying to gage his reaction from the message Tony had obviously left him.
'Probie
Sorry I lied back at the hospital, but I needed the cash, the fifty bucks is yours. Don't let Gibbs see the apology, but he already has, right? Yeah, thought he would've, anyway I took the phone for your tracking thing, I might need that later so have Abby watch that for me will you? Oh, have fun telling her I'm gone by the way, I know you'll draw the short straw there McProbster, tell her she shouldn't bother punching you since she can hit me directly in a few days.
I know were Stratton is; thanks to some pretty sweet background Intel, and that's where I needed to go. There's a tape that NCIS didn't get; shows Stratton without his mask on shooting E.J, I want that tape Tim, and we'll never get it from an interrogation room. I'm going off the record here Probie, by any means necessary and I'm taking the fall alone.'
"Damn it!" McGee cursed loudly and out of character.
Going by that, Ziva assumed it wasn't good news.
"Why does he do this?" McGee asked his partner exasperated.
"Do what McGee?" She asked gently as she approached him.
"This! He's gone after Stratton alone, injured, because he wants some tape of him killing E.J without a mask for evidence and he doesn't think we could get it with a legal interrogation. So the idiot goes after him off the record! What does that even mean?" Tim exploded.
"It means he is correct and has gone to get the job done. Stratton is trained to handle pain McGee, a legal interrogation would certainly provide no answers and no closure for E.J's family; Tony knows this." She answered gently.
"'Off the record', Ziva? What if he kills him? Tony will go down for it and we won't be there to stop him from reaching that point. What if we lose him?"
"We must trust that he will not jeopardise himself for justice while we aim to locate him, that is all we can do."
"What if that's not enough?"
"You are worried for him."
"Yeah, he annoys the hell outta me, but I kinda like that, it's like having a big protective brother who drives you nuts but also taught you just about everything you know."
"You did not realize this until he was gone." She stated rather than questioned.
At his nod she added quietly, "Neither did I."
Gibbs searched the room purposelessly, he knew there was nothing useful to find.
'Why does he always do this?' Gibbs silently asked himself. 'He goes off alone and gets hurt, damn it he already is hurt and he's just going to get worse. If he kills Stratton, we won't be able to protect him, no matter how much we try to, you can't just shoot away a good lawyer, and it won't take a skilled one to get Tony locked away'.
"This is useless, damn it all to hell!" He growled as he headed back into the kitchen to see a quiet McGee and Ziva waiting.
"There's nothing here, when we get back to the Yard I want everything there is on Stratton!" Gibbs barked, and with that stormed out the front door of the apartment with two worried agents following just a step behind.
Tony had just done a sweep of the perimeter and was back to his starting position behind one of the thick trees towards the front of the cabin, providing his cover.
The little one-story wooden building was quaint. It had the typical four sides, slightly peaked roof, only the main front door, two windows on each side and one on both the front and back walls, complete with an adjoining garage off to the left side.
Simple.
Stratton was seated on one of the arm chairs reading an article with the television blaring in the background, the extra noise would make getting inside undetected that much easier. As the man sat facing the back wall, Tony had the best change of successfully picking the lock and sneaking up behind his target.
He knew Ziva's lock picking skills would come in handy, although she'd stabbed him with the key a fair few times in there 'Ninja Lessons', as Tony had dubbed them.
Pushing distractions aside, he made his approach, plan in place, and advanced on the door. He'd taken a straight pin out of his pack before he reached the front step, and began picking the lock.
It didn't take long for the door to click quietly open and Tony cautiously entered the cabin. Leaving the door ajar rather than risking shutting it behind him being heard, he walked steadily forward, careful not to make a sound.
He positioned himself behind Stratton and quickly pulled him into a choke-hold.
Unable to breath or move after being caught off guard, Stratton could only put up a futile struggle until grey clouded his vision and he feel unconscious in Tony's grasp.
Tony owed knowing how to pull that move off to Gibbs' teaching. His gruff leader had taught him a lot over the years.
Tony hauled the unconscious man into the adjoining garage and dropped him down onto the hard concrete floor. The room was a good size and there were a few tools and planks of wood scattered around the place, but no car. A vehicle could've been traced and Stratton wasn't stupid enough to risk something like that.
Tony found some rope around the garage and tired Stratton's arms and legs to two sturdy structures on either side of the room, pulling him to the limit of his height as he was stretched out longways. He wasn't going anywhere.
Tony looked around the room and found a particularly thick, medium length plank of wood. Wielding the plank he walked back to stand over his immobile pray.
With one hard swing he brought the beam crashing into the side of Stratton's torso. The man startled to consciousness with a sharp intake of air and an obviously stifled cry of pain.
That's one rib snapped, maybe two…
"Morning Sunshine, more like afternoon now really. Did ya miss me?" Tony asked condescendingly, a wild, over-bright smile on his face.
"Agent DiNozzo." Stratton managed, finally able to bring the pain to some degree of control. "I'm disappointed, you're fleshy skeleton should be getting discovered about now. You're lucky to be alive."
"Funny, because soon you'll wish you were dead." Tony said, face now void of emotion, eyes void of conscience.
"That's an awfully strong promise; don't make ones you can't keep."
"Oh, I can keep it." Tony assured icily.
"You can smash every bone in me Agent DiNozzo, but I won't break."
"I know." Tony stated simply, eliciting a satisfied smile from Stratton. "But Kari will."
The smile dropped from Stratton's face as his eyes widened at the prospect.
"Yeah, I know about her." Tony continued. "I don't go into any assignment without my own Intel, and my contacts are very, very good." He told the man who was now close to panic, struggling against his bonds.
Tony's face never changed, the pitch in his voice was low and calm, he had the upper hand; he knew Stratton's weakness.
"You go near her and I'll…"
"What?" Tony cut in. "I'll get to her before you and I'll show your baby sister the same hospitality you showed E.J."
"You're bluffing." Stratton stated, suddenly more sure of himself. "You're a Fed and she's innocent."
"So was E.J."
"Your Erica Jane was involved, and you'd never hurt Kari to get to me."
"The moment you killed my partner, you killed all the rules."
And that's when Stratton's conviction fell apart.
"All you have is a name." He shot back weakly.
"She's a sophomore at Spingarn High School, 2500 Benning Road, Washington DC. She's a flatmate to three other students in an apartment at 4228 Benning Road, nice and close to school. A cute little blonde, pretty green eyes, great legs..."
"Alright!" Stratton caved. "But what the hell makes you think I won't get to her before you? I'm a trained assassin and you're just a Navy cop." He spat.
"Wrong."
"Wrong?"
"I'm a thoroughly pissed off Navy cop with a dead partner."
"What do you want from me? Revenge? Retribution?"
"Justice."
"And how do you propose hurting me and my sister is going to get you that?" He sneered.
"Because I want the tape Stratton."
"Tape?"
"The last tape, you don't have mask, E.J dies, and you walk away. The camera was on Stratton and you're not stupid enough to send it to NCIS, but it's good for business right? Show the clientele what you're capable of? I want that evidence Stratton; I want you on death row. I'd like to not have to hurt your sister, but if it brings E.J peace and keeps other people safe from you, I will."
"And you know what else?" He continued, a new addition coming to mind. "I want the location you keep all your documents on you previous assassinations and the people who hired you to do them, the whole lot Stratton, all the tapes, files, weapons; the entire thing."
Seeing the look of defiance of Stratton's face, Tony powered on.
"How about I give you a firsthand demonstration of what I'll do to your sister if you don't give me what I want."
Before Stratton could even comment, Tony had the plank of wood positioned over his victim's shin and sent it crushing into the bone, breaking though in one foul strike.
Stratton didn't scream, only releasing a grunt, but his lip was bleeding from the bite that he'd used to silence himself.
"Where is it, Stratton?" Tony demanded as he held the plank dangerously over the other man's knee.
Stratton stayed defiantly silent.
The plank was forced down, and there was another sickening crack.
A/N: So, how what that? Thoughts, comments, constructive criticisms? All reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated. Please be gentle though, I am a delicate young flower! LOL
Thanks for reading :D x