''Mark Pierce ! NCIS ! You're surrounded, surrender !'' Gibbs angrily shouted as he entered the part of the building Bryan Kurt had told them to check on their arrival. Not a single man in here, nor any proof that McGee might have been in here either, although there were other spaces to take a closer look at. ''Mark Pierce,'' he repeated, Tony and Ziva only a few steps behind him, guns raised, ''you are surrounded, surrender !'' Both his agents next to him ended up lowering their weapon, although not completely. The entire building might be empty, there still was these cameras in that other room, and that was then still extremely suspicious. Jethro kept walking and discreetly moved his head, silently inviting the two others to follow him. He could hear someone behind that second door...that was it. It had to be. The trio froze for a second on both sides of the rectangle, ready to violently intervene...and Jethro finally gave the signal. ''NCIS ! Don't move !''
The group of people brusquely raised their guns in their direction, ready to shoot back.
''NCIS !''
Gibbs lowered his own with frustration, sighing. He faced the agents in front and waited for some informations.
''Anyone ?''
One of the men in front nodded, imitating him.
''No one. But we still have two spaces to check. We take the first on the right, you take the other one ?''
Gibbs simply nodded and already headed in another door's direction, trying to fight that hopeless feeling that was playing with his heart.
''Building seemed bigger on the plan'' Tony said.
"I have to agree, Gibbs'' Ziva confirmed.
"One step at the time" Jethro commented. ''Now let's enter that other area."
The two agents instantly nodded, walking next to him. They both heard Gibbs whisper '1,2,3' and watched him press the handle with a sharp movement.
"NCIS !'' they shouted all at once, guns raised again in any direction, looking for someone. Gibbs and Ziva lowered their weapons first after some time, although they could both notice Tony having trouble doing the same. Maybe was he still hoping to see someone in the corner, someone that would give him the proof that McGee was here, so that they hadn't renounced to their previous location for nothing.
''Tony...'' Ziva started to say, feeling her partner's angriness ready to explode.
''Damn it !''
Gibbs approached his agent, that same neutral expression on his face.
''DiNozzo, calm down.''
''No, boss. I refuse ! So what, now ? Is McGee really at the fourth location, so we missed our chance and lost some precious time ?''
''There must be another team over there by now, DiNozzo. If we don't find him, they will.''
''And what if McGee isn't there either ? Maybe we thought we had a great chance to find him, according to our case elements, because 'coincidences do not exist', but who can say if he's still kept prisoner, or even linked to Mark Pierce, uh ?'' Tony begun making a few steps forward, his hand sliding along a part of the wall, nervous. ''It's been weeks, boss...!'' he added, trying to hold back the tension in his fist.
''Abby's back'' Gibbs neutrally commented. ''And we didn't find any bomb on her, any new threat against NCIS, nor any kind of tracer either.''
''Oh, so because they decided to treat her well we have to trust the fact that Tim is still alive ? Wrong, boss, they released Abbs because they wanted to be done with McGee ! And you're both crazy if you think they're gonna do the same with him'' he added, pointing a finger at Gibbs and Ziva. "If we're still working on the theory that Tim thinks he has killed Abby, then why would they free him ? That won't affect her that much if she finally can hug Tim and knows he's safe and sound.''
''You know sometimes it's useless to try to understand too much how these people think in their heads, DiNozzo'' Gibbs begun speaking again, slowly approaching him. "You can make theories, gather proofs and elements, that won't always tell you why these people did what they did, or what for. The only thing I know is that we need to find Tim, dead or alive, and to put these criminals behind bars for what they did to him...and us.''
''It's true, Tony'' Ziva simply commented.
Maybe she wished she could have said something else in order to comfort him, but it seemed like Gibbs, for once, had perfectly explained the situation. But Tony still looked extremely tense.
''What the hell...'' the agent in front of her nervously whispered, still lost in his thoughts. He rubbed his neck and uselessly stared at the white walls...that was so unfair, and now everything was ruined, probably forever. ''Damn it !'' he brusquely added, that same feeling of unfairness not leaving his guts.
''Tony !''
He quickly took a look at her, then at his hand, where thin red lines were now moving along...the same strange sound was repeating itself around them, strong and annoying, but he could barely hear it, his eyes and mind focused on the blood. A small piece of glass. Where was it coming from ? He carelessly noticed Gibbs grabbing his phone, dialing a number...was he calling an ambulance for only a few drops of...
''Yeah. It's us, Kurt. We triggered the alarm by accident. Can you do what it takes to turn it off ? Alright. Thanks.''
''Let me see that...it's okay, no deep wound'' Ziva slightly smiled at Tony, wrapping a tissue around his skin.
Jethro finally hung up the call, walking in the two agents' direction, and if Tony was still a bit lost in his thoughts, he could perfectly picture Gibbs' anger.
''Next time you feel like you cannot handle your emotions, DiNozzo, you stay in the vehicle !''
''Come on, boss, it is just an alarm...''
''Then you'll be the one calling the firemen and the whole necessary medical staff if you decide, one day, to reiterate your action ! Frustration is one thing, Tony, but you cannot be a victim of your compulsive behav...''
Ziva brusquely turned back, hearing the same thing as her team.
''The fire alarm system must have opened something ! Let's go back to the other area !'' she pronounced, the alarm sound starting to play with her nerves, as well.
The trio begun running in the same direction, none of them thinking anymore about arguing...they entered the previous room again and noticed the slight opening in one part of the wall. They all raised their guns and pressed their backs against the white surface, curious and secretly terrified. Gibbs was the first to enter. He didn't say any word and only discovered the additional place, extremely suspicious.
''I told you it seemed bigger on the pl...'' Tony begun speaking before stopping completely, discovering as well the room. The very small one. "What is this, boss ? Something like a panic room ? It can't be just it. It has to be larger.''
Both men started staring at each other for a minute, trying to find answers to the multiple questions waiting inside their brains...
"Who puts a carpet when there is no furniture, nor anything around ?'' Ziva finally asked and knelt down, gun in one hand, her five other fingers slowly grabbing the material... ''Once I dropped some orange juice by mistake on the floor, so I hid it by moving the carpet, so I wouldn't get into troubles'' she shared her anecdote, smiling.
''No way...'' Tony exclaimed at the discovery, not commenting here Ziva's memory.
They all faced in the end the trapdoor under the colorful decoration, the female agent carefully starting opening it.
''Ready ?''
The trio brusquely pointed their guns at the invisible, certain to find anyone under the new secret entrance...but they were still alone. Ziva showed the black ladder with her new available palm and decided to go down first.
"Be careful, Ziva'' Gibbs whispered.
''I will.''
The woman reached the deeper floor without any problem after a handful of seconds, and heard her two other friends and colleagues do the same.
''Be careful,'' she said, trying not to speak too loudly, "it is very dark in here."
"I hope it's not like these disgusting places in movies, full of dust and dead people...'' Tony started moaning from behind, a bit back to his old self again.
''Let's go'' Gibbs only neutrally said, switching on his flashlight.
''Do you think there is someone in here, Gibbs ?'' Ziva kept whispering, hearing the sound of her own steps along the strange kind of corridor.
''Question is 'did they stay ?'''
Ziva was nodding in the half darkness when she heard the click of a gun. Gibbs brusquely stopped and slightly hit her back. He had heard it, too.
''What's wrong, David ?'' Tony asked a bit louder, groaning.
''Boss...'' she slowly spoke. ''I think we have a problem.''
An additional click sound resonated in the new large space, although they could all notice, this time, that it wasn't related to a gun. They waited a second or two and full light suddenly filled the entire area.
''Tim...!'' Tony immediately pronounced without paying attention to the details at all, ready to move in his direction, but Gibbs' arm reflexively stopped him.
He deeply exhaled and tried taking, this time, a closer look at the one he hadn't seen in a while, the ghost he had wished so much to see again but had lost hope to talk to... Well, that definitely was a surprise. Tim was clearly standing in front of them...but ready to shoot. Tim strongly wrapped his hands around his gun, pointing it in their direction. The circles under his eyes were darker than ever, and his face pale as hell. He slowly breathed in and out, as if it was something difficult to do, and finally seemed ready to speak, careless.
''Guns down, and hands up. Now.'' The Tim they had in front of them was looking extremely nervous, due to his extreme, visible tiredness, but they could all be certain of one thing : his hands weren't hesitant at all. ''Slowly'' the former NCIS agent advised and ordered, watching the ones who used to be part of his team execute his demands.
''McGee, it's me, Gibbs. We won't do you any bad, we're here to...''
A bullet brusquely entered the ceiling, next to their heads, and they all momentarily bent down, Tony feeling the thin powder fall on his hair. Tim's eyes deeply stared at them, exhausted and confident.
''Next time you try to speak and manipulate me, Gibbs, you're dead'' McGee slowly said, cold as stone.