Trapped – Chapter fourteen
Title: "Trapped"
Author: AbbyGibbs Stephjag or Well, I do not own them and that is pretty unfair – they again belong to DPB! Why does he always have to own the best shows and the best characters? Could someone explain that to me? His characters are always suffering too much. So I have decided to borrow them for a little while, the length of a story, but I promise to give them back though I really wish I could keep them for myself.
Classification: I don't really know, except that it is a Navy NCIS fic. There will be some romantic moments. Love comes when you're expecting it the least. Oh yeah, and there will be angst.
Rating: T or maybe K+ (+13 or maybe +16 as always to be on the safe side, isn't it?)
Spoilers: none, but every moment involving Gibbs and Abby
Summary: Gibbs is alone and cold in a disused hangar, it windy, he's full of bruises and is still bleeding. A man is waiting for an appointment with his partner. Abby's still having some visions, Kate is scared and Tony's starting to have a breakdown. Will they ever find Gibbs again, and if they do, will he still be alive? The only way to find out is to continue reading!
Author's note: I need you guys, I need some encouragements here. Come on! I promise you will have to know and read more about Gibbs, but I first needed to set some stuff right. Neither will you get bored, I can assure you that.
Please, be patient I promise, I'll finish the story, but remember that English isn't my native language and that it takes me more time to write. I really do my best to update the story, but I have also other things to do, and other passions… so, please be patient, okay? Thanks for your understanding.
Big thank you to Beth for helping me out with this. You're the best, hon! Any remaining mistakes are mine, and mine alone.
Feedbacks: well, I'd love them, of course – who wouldn't? But please, only if you respect my work because it takes a lot of time and energy to get a story together. I love writing; I wouldn't allow anyone to discourage me from doing so, never. I don't have any problems at all with readers who choose not to go for this, but I decidedly do with those who write disrespectful mails just because they didn't get the ending they would have wanted. If you want to tell me what I might have done better within the story I made up, you're always very welcome to let me know. But if your only concern is to rant about it, then please, do it in private, okay? Thank you.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tony and Ducky looked at each other in disbelief. Abby had fallen unconscious, scaring the hell out of her friends, and then when she finally opened her eyes she was telling them that she knows where their boss is? Yeah, this was definitely Abby-like.
"Easy, honey, just take it slow and tell us what happened," Tony said, gently.
Abby flinched slightly as she tried to sit up and Tony smirked a little. "Strange, I was convinced I told you to take it easy. I must have dreamed that."
The suborned Abby managed to sit up anyway. "I know what you told me, Tony, and I know I should do as you say, but there's no time to waste. Gibbs is dying. I've seen him; he's not going to be able to hold on much longer. We have to go to where Gibbs is held hostage. I'm hoping that Curtin won't come back until we get there."
"Wait… Wait a minute, Abbs, how do you know for sure?"
"It's a long story, and I don't get why I didn't think of it before."
Tony looked at her with questioning eyes. Abby had lost him completely on this one. How could she know where Gibbs was and that he was dying? Tony knew and acknowledged that they were connected in some strange, bizarre ways even, but this was far beyond that. Eventually Tony knew he would figure it out. What Gibbs and Abby had was a little hinky, though.
A few weeks before this entire nightmare had begun, Abby had been in her lab typing frenetically on the keyboard connected to her computer, trying to finding a link for Gibbs about a hinky murder case, when her cell-phone had rung. For some reason she had forgotten to switch it off. At first she hadn't bothered to pick up; if someone needed her they'd call back.
After a few seconds, though, Abby had decided to pick it up after all, and a huge grin had appeared on her lips when she saw the name of the person who tried to reach her. "Oh, my god," she'd whispered.
Abby had flipped her cell-phone open and cheerfully said, "Hey, girl, how are you doing? It's been so long!"
"Hey, Abby, honey—I'm fine, thank you! It's so good to hear you again!" Dawn had replied happily, though Abby could have sworn that there was a hint of sadness creeping through her friend's voice.
"Dawn, what's wrong? You know you can't lie to me, and by the way, you are a very bad liar." Abby had told her, chuckling softly.
"I still am, huh?" The false cheer had faded away. "Abby, I saw him. He's still walking freely on the streets, and he did it again!" Dawn told her friend vehemently.
"Easy, hon, try to calm down first. Who did you see? Who did it again?"
Then something had clicked in Abby's mind. The bastard who had run her friend down was free. Sometimes the legal system was so unfair. Thomas Johnston had paralyzed her best friend, but he had been released for lack of evidence.
"Johnston. Thomas Johnston, Abby, except now his wife has been found dead, and again, he was able to walk because of lack of evidence! Abby, I became a lawyer to nail guys like him. And here I am, years later, and he's still on the streets," Dawn had explained to Abbs in a voice full of tears.
"Dawn Wilkerson, you cannot blame yourself for that, you hear me? You've been through hell and back. I know that, remember? I was with you then. And when your parents wanted to make the biggest mistake of their lives by killing him—okay, no one would have missed the bastard—but your parents' lives would have been destroyed completely."
Abby had paused a few moments before adding, "You were the one who made them realize what a big mistake they were about to make. Dawn, you showed them—and me—that there is always another alternative to the dark side."
"Thanks, Abby, you're my best friend ever; everyone should know someone like you!"
"Anytime! Don't worry about that jerk, honey, you'll get him some day. Justice may take its time, but it is always served. Believe me. And honey, when I will have the pleasure of seeing my favorite attorney in the world?"
"Hmmm… let me think, would this Wednesday work for you?" Dawn had asked her friend, who, she was sure, could feel the smile on her face.
"Wednesday is in two days… yeah, that's fine for me." There had been a pause as Abby realized what that meant. She laughed. "You little… you're in D.C.! How come? Since when?" Abby asked, excited.
"I've been here for a week; I took some time off… and please don't say it. I know what you're thinking even through the phone," Dawn had told her friend without further explanation.
Abby had heard a beep on one of her monitors then. "Honey, I'll call you back tonight, I have to get back to work, otherwise Gibbs is going to kill me." She'd chuckled, knowing full well her boss never would. "Bye, hon. Oh, wait, where and when are we going to see each other Wednesday? Why don't you come over here to NCIS? Then you can meet my coworkers."
"All right then, see you Wednesday. Bye!"
"Bye!" Abby had answered, and she'd hung up.
She couldn't believe Dawn Wilkerson had called her. It had been such a long time since they'd seen each other; both their lives were so hectic. Dawn had worked pretty hard to get where she was now, had fought against her differences and even her own body sometimes, but she'd made it through. She was a winner in so many ways.
Curtin should have taken a lesson from Dawn: she was a living example of the idea that tomorrow is what you make of it. The life you live is the life you choose for yourself. Doing things right is difficult, but it's worth it because of the satisfaction you receive.
Of course you could also choose the other way—the easy one—steal, kill or do many other things that are shabby. Each person has the opportunity to make the right choice or the wrong one; that was why God granted us free will. Yin or yang.
Whichever choice you make shows whether you're strong or weak. And Curtin's choices tended to prove he was weak. Being a SEAL didn't show his real personality. Even if Curtin had his reasons, there was always another option… always.
"Tony, you can call Kate back—she doesn't need to check on him! It is Curtin; Jack Curtin is Gibbs's kidnapper. I know it for sure. Even if I kind of understand his reasons, his actions are inexcusable."
Tony looked at his friend, not sure he was following her. His eyes went up again for a few seconds to look at Ducky, but Ducky was wearing the same mask of incomprehension on his face.
"Abbs, what are you talking about?" he demanded.
"Curtin kidnapped Gibbs because he's convinced that Gibbs is responsible for the fact that he's unable to see his son, Kevin. But the person who's guilty is himself, Tony. He can't see Kevin because he chose to make his own justice."
Tony smirked at her. "Okay, that I understand."
"Some people should really be taught that acting above the law doesn't pay off, it makes situations worse," she said worriedly.
Ducky nodded. "That is very wisely said, my dear."
"Abbs, honey, do you have any idea why you fainted a couple of minutes ago?" Tony asked.
At his question Abby's eyes watered. Seeing her reaction, a knot formed in Tony's stomach. He thought about it for a minute and frowned. Now he was practically sure that she would tell them that Gibbs had passed out or something, otherwise she wouldn't have said that he was dying.
"Tony?" Abby called.
Tony looked at her and immediately knew what she wanted to say. He nodded. "Yeah, Abbs, I'm gonna call Kate."
Abby gave him a grateful look and tried to get up; she had things to do. She had to save Gibbs—with the help of the others, of course—but she had to save him. There was no time to wait or they would be too late and all they would find in the end was Gibbs's dead body… which was something Abby Scuito refused to accept.
Tony and Ducky helped Abby to stand up and made sure she was fine before Doctor Mallard went back to his morgue. Tony took out his cell-phone to forewarn Kate to stop searching, since there was no need for it anymore.
It would be in Curtin's best interests not to face Tony or Kate or even Abby, because the chance he'd survive the encounter would be very small. What he'd done was completely crazy and irresponsible. It was a good thing he'd showed his real personality now, before he regained custody of Kevin and taught his son how to hate people.
Although the world was hardly an easy or peaceful place, Abby didn't see that as an excuse to be hateful. Revenge was not and could never be a good thing. If parents were unable to show their children right and wrong, who will? Children imitate the ones they look up to—so what might Kevin have become? A delinquent or even worse…
God did give people the ability to think, right? So why didn't more people use that ability before doing something? Most of the time it seemed to go the other way around: first act, then talk. That was why kidnapping and murder happened way too often. Where there is white there is also black, and that's what life is about—but fortunately there is also a bunch of wonderful colors and shades.
Kate entered the lab a few minutes later, looking at Tony as if she had just discovered that he had killed someone in his youth.
She stopped a couple of inches from him and looked at him intently and defiantly.
"Have you gone crazy or something?" she demanded.
"No, Kate, I told you to come back down because we're going to pick Gibbs up…" he started to say, but she cut him off.
"Tony if this is some kind of a sick joke…" Kate's lips stopped moving as Tony's index finger was slowly and delicately pressed against them.
Still looking at him incredulously, she suddenly knew Tony was telling her the truth and nothing else. They were about to get Gibbs, and they finally would bring him home.
"Tony?" came Abby's voice.
Tony's head turned to look at his friend, "Yes, Abby?"
"No way in hell am I gonna stay here while you bring him back home,." Abby told him firmly.
"I wasn't going to tell you to stay, because I know it would be of no use. Besides, you need to come with us to lead us to him."
Abby inclined her head a little to the right and said, "You have a point there, Tony; you couldn't go anywhere without me. So let's go then." She was already heading to the double doors.
"Abbs, don't forget your coat. It's cold outside, remember, and if you catch a cold or anything, Gibbs will kill me."
"All right, all right…" Abby went back to get her coat and put it on with the help of Kate, who was now standing next to her.
"Abby, try to calm down a little, will you? I know Gibbs is in grave danger, but you won't be of any help if you rush and…" Kate hesitated a few seconds before she continued "… and because of that rush you do something stupid, Abbs. We don't know what we will find there. Curtin might still be there. We don't want anything happening to you. Do you understand?" Kate asked calmly but firmly.
Then she looked at Tony, knowing that if he confirmed what she'd just said Abby would calm down and listen.
"Kate is right, Abbs. Rushing things could be very dangerous for any one of us. We all need you to be there for Gibbs when we have him back… and we need you to stay focused, because from what you told us, Gibbs is in a very weak condition, and he has severe injuries, you need to be there for him…"
Abby felt her eyes fill up with fresh tears as she nodded her head.
Kate and Tony went out of the lab with Abby after she made sure every computer and machine woff. Then they headed for the elevator. Kate made a at the morgue to inform Ducky that they were bringing Gibbs back home.
Ducky smiled and said he was coming with them. Kate was about to protest it'd be better if someone stayed at NCIS, but one look at him and she knew it would be of no use he'd go with them anyway.
They all took the elevator Tony and Kate stopped at their desks to grab their guns and ammunition while Ducky and Abby went to the parking lot. A team of agents was going with them as well as the FBI. At first Tony to call, but they might out to be useful.
hile open the car door, a thousand questions were spinning in his head. W Abby right? W they there in time? W still be alive? The only to answers was to go where Abby .
He unlocked the doors of the car, and they all the vehicle. A few minutes later they were riding to an unknown location.
An ambulance and an intervention team follow. A heavy silence pervade inside of the car they were all lost in thoughts Kate was silently praying they would be at the right place this time and that they w find Gibbs alive.
Abby direct Tony to where Gibbs was keptTony gulped as they neared the ; this place was nothing good. wished for Curtin not to be inside the building as well. All he wanted right now was get Gibbs safe and nothing more.
They would handle Curtin later, and refused to talk when would leave him in company of a certain lab tech…and no one would stop her from do whatever she wanted to do to him But that was not the most importanthing right now. The most important was to bring boss back and nothing else.
"Tony? Tony… this is it" Abby told her friend as she looked up at him with anxious eyes.
Tony DiNozzo didn't say a word, just nodded. He stopped the car so did the ambulance, had sirens to alert Curtin, if he was still in the building, that they were arriving. He told Abbs not to move away from the car, buter eyes him there was nothing he could do or say that would her stay the damn building as they were going to free .
"All right then, but stay behind me or Kate" he told her firmly, and added, "…or I swear I'll cuff you to the steering wheel of the car, and you Gibbs would give me all rights to do so."
Abby couldn't help but smile.
ne last look at her headed inside. All was still; they could hear the wind whistle through the broken glass. Tony turned to Abby then and gestured for her to stay re she was. He told her he and Kate were going to look around—with the intervention team—to make sure Curtin was nowhere nearby.
Abby Scuito did as she was told, but she couldn't stay still er hands were moving nervously. Then she heard Kate yell "OVER HERE!"
Abby felt her heartbeat rise as she ran to where her friend had screamed. She stopped next to Kate and fell on her knees covering her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks. She knew Gwas in bad shape from her visions, trances, nightmares—whatever they were called—but seeing him like this for real was different, and shocking.
They finally found him… whatever happen from no on could only be good.
TBC… No, not finished, yet.
9