Chapter 14: Kidnapped
They think they've found me--How long I've been waiting.
I hope they keep the female at bay. She isn't needed for my plans.
Gibbs storms into Ducky's lab.
Ducky is busy looming over the victims body with a small, sharpened tool.
"Ah-Jethro, have you found the answer you were so desperately seeking?"
"I need you create a profile on a woman and her fascination with lighthouses." He says for his answer.
"Are you sure we're dealing with a female, Jethro?"
"I can feel it in my gut." He offers in a strong voice. "It's a woman--a heart-broken woman at that."
"Well let me just finish--"
"No Duck! I need you working on this now. We just got a break. We need to work fast."
"Well alright…" His words are slightly jumbled as he tries to make his way over to the sink. "I'll need to scrub down--"
He feels a slight breeze and realizes Gibbs has left.
Ziva notices their boss walking quickly into their work area, but does not make a move to scoot herself off of Tony's desk.
"This isn't Speed Dating." He comments, almost crassly.
"How do you know about that, boss?" Tony cracks a large smile.
"I may be older, but I'm not stupid."
"Being stupid has nothing to do with it. Speed Dating is a modern thing." Ziva speaks lowly, but he is able to hear her every word.
"Catching up on American customs are we, Ziva?"
"I was forced into Speed Dating once before for a case--if you bother to remember--"
"I remember." He says briskly. "Get to work." He orders the both of them. "Where's McGee?"
"Had to make a phone call." Tony notices the worry in Gibbs' eyes. "He got a call from his hot sister."
"Everything okay?"
"Don't know." Tony shrugs. "I'm sure he'll be back in a minute."
"He leave the building?"
"I think so. He mentioned something about a pastry shop?" He looks to Ziva.
"That's what he said." She confirms.
Gibbs grabs his weapon and badge. Slamming his drawer shut, he looks to Ziva.
"Work with Ducky on creating a profile."
She stands from her seat and rushes quickly to the elevator.
"I'm with you boss?" Tony is hopeful.
Gibbs slaps him on the back of the head.
"What was that for?!"
"For making comments about McGee's sister. Get down to Abby's lab."
"For what?" Tony quickly rids himself of his attitude once he sees the hard look on Gibbs' face. "For…what, boss?" He says politely.
"Brainstorm. Double check her findings. Do something related to the case. Help her analyze."
"Yes, boss!" He exclaims before rushing off in the direction of the elevator.
A eerie feeling hangs over Gibbs' head as he waits for the elevator.
McGee's body lay in the bitter snow.
She looms over him; checking his pulse is of importance for her reoccurring plans. She finds a pulse and turns around to continue pulling the small red wagon with his body inside.
His belongings such as his car keys, badge, weapon, and cell phone have all been discarded; thrown in the nearby water after being locked inside a wooden, crusted chest.
I was hoping for the older one; but his youngest Agent must do for the time being.
"Excuse me. Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS." He shows his badge to the cashier behind the counter. "Did one of my Agents come through here a few minutes ago?"
"Timothy McGee?" The woman looks at the receipt he left.
"That's him. Where'd he go?"
"How should I know?" The middle-aged woman looks weirdly at him. "He just muttered about paying with a credit card because he was out of cash--then left. Shy and quiet thing, really--if he only came in here to browse I wouldn't have noticed him."
"Thanks."
Gibbs leaves the shop and scans the areas in front of him. Every few seconds he thinks he spots McGee's jacket, but soon realizes that his gut is twisting more than usual.
"DiNozzo!" He is quick over his cell phone.
"Boss Man!" Tony decides to play.
"McGee's in trouble! Round up the team."
"McGee's in trouble?" Tony repeats the words, then regrets it when he sees the color from Abby's face drain. "I'm on it boss."
Tony waits for Gibbs to hang up; an act that sends Abby on a whirlwind.
"Where's McGee?!" Abby's voice is thick with emotion.
"We'll find him, Abs."
"No we won't. Aw, Tony--it's McGee. Who'd want to hurt him?" She saddens quicker than Tony could put his arms around her for a hug.
"It'll be alright Abs. He probably met his Sorceries--or something." He adds humor to make light of the situation.
"This isn't a joke, Tony!" She moves out of his embrace. "What else did Gibbs say?"
"He said to round up the team. Call Ducky and Ziva, now." He orders her.
She doesn't think for a second to waste a minute.
"SHIT!" Gibbs says loudly to no one, but himself. His eyes begin to frantically scan the area once more in hopes McGee is standing somewhere amongst the throngs of people. "Damn it, McGee…where are you?"
"Finished with that profile, Duck?"
"Jethro, I've only just begun--" Ducky cuts himself off. "These things take time, Jethro."
"Damn it, Duck--we haven't got time. McGee's out there--somewhere."
"But this is your gut talking, Gibbs."
"When has my gut ever proved me wrong?"
"How many times have you been married?" Ducky challenges his long time friend in a seriously rude question. "More than usual your gut is correct, but there were times when you've been wrong, Jethro."
"I'M NOT WRONG THIS TIME, DUCK! I CAN FEEL IT!" He rushes past Ducky faster than he intends and ends up knocking straight in Ziva.
"Gibbs!" She says to alert him. "Watch where you're going."
"OUT OF MY WAY!" He shouts at her.
The shrill of his voice makes her take a step back. With Tony behind her, her back hits his strong chest.
"Well, well, well Ms. David…" Tony begins his usual acts of flirtation.
"Cut it out, DiNozzo!" Gibbs smacks him in the back of the head. "One of your team members is missing and all you can think to do is screw around? Get to work!"
"Yes, Boss." Tony's lips grow thin.
Gibbs continues to look at him for a very, extremely, long minute.
McGee awakes only to see a blurry flicker in front of him.
The light from the bulb hangs from the thin cord from the ceiling. It dangles a few feet before him, but he can not make out his surroundings.
She stands in the corner looking sadly in his direction.
It's a shame they all must leave this way…
Ducky works closely to Ziva at her desk. His hand scribbles letters and words over any free area he can find.
"This is ever-most frustrating…working this way…under extreme amounts of pressure…" He says slowly just so Gibbs can hear. "…My work will indeed be sloppy--"
"Keep working, Duck." Gibbs orders him.
"I should remind him that I am older…" He smirks at Ziva who smirks back. "…but I'll let him have his moment."
Gibbs pretends to not hear as he makes three strides to McGee's desk.
"Anything?" He puts his arm on the back of McGee's chair.
"Nothing." Tony bangs away on the keys. "I can't seem to unlock…anything of his. It's like he's withholding a top government secret on his computer."
"More interesting than what yours holds." He gives Tony a knowing look. "Keep working. I want in--of everything. Emails, gaming sites--whatever, I want it all."
"Are we ruling out kidnapping?" Ziva asks allowed.
"Who the hell would kidnap, McGee?" Tony makes a face while pondering his question, then breaks to speak. "Well, okay--in all fairness--good question."
"No." Gibbs feels wrong for thinking this of McGee. "Someone could have jumped him from behind--And DiNozzo, wipe that smirk off your face."
Tony quickly replaces his smirk with a serious face as he bangs more on McGee's keyboard.
"This things driving me nuts, boss…" He says more to himself than out loud.
"Tell me you've got something, Duck." He comes over to Ziva's desk and crowds his two team members with his large shoulders and long arms.
"Almost there, Jethro."
"We've managed to create somewhat of a profile, however it isn't exact." She sighs. "We're dealing--"
"I think I'll take it from here, Ziva." Ducky says kindly.
"Of course, Ducky." She steps back and relocates to McGee's desk.
"Need any help?"
"Depends--you any good with aiming a sledgehammer at this damn thing?" Tony smacks the side of his computer.
"Call Abby!" Gibbs finally grows tired of Tony's lack of advancement in his assignment. "She's the next best techie we got here. Do it, now!"
Tony grabs the phone and leaves the mouse open for Ziva's pursuit.
"We're dealing with a woman that feel's small inside…" Ducky begins to read his notes while looking to Gibbs in-between. "Her only way to feel big--to feel important is to do something to get her noticed."
"We've been working this case for months now." Gibbs is not pleased with this information. "Everything she's done hasn't gotten her noticed until now--and now we still don't know just who the hell she is."
"Abby's on her way up, boss." Tony notifies his boss.
"Keep working." He points his fingers at Tony and Ziva before turning back to Ducky. "You better have more."
"I do." Ducky feels a moment of annoyance sweep through him, but for McGee's sake, he keeps his issues to himself. "She has a fascination with water. Anyone with a love that strong tends to resort to their childhood."
"You're saying she's young at heart?"
"Possibly so--but just the general idea of how humans grow. As a child one might love a candy bar or in these modern days, video games. As they mature they very well could keep these passions dear to their hearts."
"She isn't a product from the last decade or so." Gibbs is formulating inside his own head. "She's from a different era--a different time where simple pleasures meant something."
"Precisely."
"Why is this happening now?" He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "Why does she murder now?"
"Serial Killers generally go through phases. One phase creates a need for satisfaction and when they grow tried of whatever it is that is satisfying them, they move on to the next--each time the phase grows larger and more deranged."
"How can we possibly put out a BOLO?" He asks himself more than Ducky.
"You can't, Jethro--but you can visit the parts of the water you have before." Ducky puts his papers down on Ziva's desk. "There is a very good chance that she has been on the look out herself."
"For McGee." Gibbs states.
"For all of you." His eyes flash with worry.
Gibbs inhales sharply and catches the scent of Abby.
"We've got to find Timmy, Gibbs."
He thinks to himself without giving her any means of comfort.
"It's pointless to conduct this investigation from his computer, Jethro. We know that he isn't where he could be. He's with her. We need to find out where before he's…"
Abby's forehead creases even more at Ducky's comments and lack of a single word--a word she knows all too well.
"DiNozzo, David--you're with me. Ducky and Abby, stand by for further instructions."
Abby hates herself immediately. Her position creates a wall she can not get through or over. Her job is in the lab, not the field.
I might have made an error.
They are here now--their guns drawn and their breaths leaving small clouds of smoke in the freezing air.
I only wanted him. His presence is one I am used to. I can feel it. He reminds me of a time--a greater time where everything was pleasant.
The young man stirs; the splintery floorboards are scratching and poking at his skin.
I do not feel anything. The way this man is, is the way they were--and they were the way 'he' was.
A smile forms as the one I want gives orders to his female partner.
He tells her to keep an eye in town.
I wanted her at bay--away from any terror she might see and report.
The last thing I need is someone fucking up my plans.