Part 25
Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Hope this answers some of the questions. A few chapters left yet though.
Gibbs was beyond furious, "You know this man?" Ducky stepped over in case he had to restrain Gibbs. When Michael didn't answer he stepped right up to his face. "What the hell is his name?"
"Thomas MacPherson."
"And how do you know him?" Jack asked in a calmer voice.
"It's a long story," Michael said clearly still in shock. "Believe me I never thought they would hurt Tony."
"Well just give us the short version, I haven't got time for this."
Michael sat down and Jack handed him a glass of whiskey. "In 1953 I joined the army just as my father had done before me. I was only 18, I met a girl when I was on leave before going to the Korean War. Her name was Catriona MacPherson. We were married soon after. I was shipped out to Korea and didn't see her again until I came home in 1953. She'd had a baby when I was away, called him Patrick. The only problem was he wasn't mine. She begged me to accept him as ours. Said she was sorry. I threw her and the baby out, told her to go back to her family."
"And this Thomas MacPherson is related to him?" Jack said.
"Yes, his son."
"Catriona tried everything she could to stop me from divorcing her but because of her adultery it was easy. I met my wife Fiona and we married and had Murdo and Ailidh."
"So why does Patrick MacPherson have a grudge against you?"
"His mother convinced the boy that I had lied, that I was his father and wouldn't admit it. He came here many times to confront me. I couldn't convince him."
"Has he done anything like this before?" Ducky asked.
Michael hesitated," We need to know the truth. Tony and Finlay's lives may depend on it."
"I could never prove anything. He's a very devious man but I think he murdered Murdo."
"What?" Gibbs shouted.
"I couldn't prove anything. I hired private investigators to try and get information but there was no evidence. I couldn't prove he did it. The only thing that he did was send me a letter saying one down one to go. I took it to the police but they said it wasn't proof."
"I've had people keeping tabs on him for years. They tell me where he is and what he is doing. He's supposed to be in New York. His family were very well off and Catriona was their only child. She inherited everything."
"What do you think he wants with Tony and Finlay?"
"He approached me a few years ago and asked to buy the estate and I refused."
"And you think that's what he wants now?" Gibbs said.
"Yes. But I also think he wants to torture me as well. He wants to wipe my family out. Leave me with no one."
"Why didn't you mention him before?"
"I checked with the people who work for me and they said he was in New York."
Gibbs picked up the phone and spoke to McGee. "I want to know everything about a Patrick MacPherson." He turned to Michael. "What company does he own?"
"MacPherson Industries."
"Hear that McGee?"
"Yes," McGee said. "I'll send the information as soon as I have it."
"Do you have any guns we can use?" Gibbs asked.
"Yes. Come through to the gun room."
James Thompson had spent the day searching the crofts to see if there was any sign of someone staying there. His son and daughter were helping him. They found nothing. "Where could they be?" Robbie asked. "We've searched everywhere. What's going to happen to Finlay?"
"He's going to be fine," James said. "We have to keep going."
"Can't we get some more people to search?" Jamie said.
"No if that man finds out we're looking for him he may kill them both."
James headed off down the glen towards the lochan. There was an old house there but it wasn't habitable. He was just about to move out of the wood towards the old castle when he heard a noise. He looked down, the grating was open. He threw himself to the ground. A man got out carrying a brown bag. He knew he had to be very careful. He watched the man walk away and followed him. He sent a text message to Jamie and Robbie to stay away from the old castle and meet him at the house.
James followed the man and watched him leave a bag on the doorstep, then he crept away. He made sure he had gone before picking up the bag and going inside.
"Sir Michael, a man left this on the doorstep." He handed him the bag.
"You saw him?" Gibbs said.
"And followed him from his hiding place."
"Great. Let's go."
"No Mr. Gibbs. The place I saw him come out of we cannot get into. There is only one way in and if we try to storm it I have no doubt he'll kill the boys."
There was a cry from Michael as he opened the plastic box. Gibbs and James turned round and saw the part of a finger. "Oh my dear Lord," Ducky said.
"There's a piece of paper in there as well," Jack said.
Gibbs picked it up and read it. "You've probably worked out who I am by now but just in case you haven't it's 'The Prodigal Son' come back to get his inheritance. If you don't want your grandsons back bit by bit then meet me at the hunting lodge tomorrow at 1400 hours. I have a piece of paper for you to sign. And don't bring any of your friends or I promise you the next bit you get will not be a finger."
"He's mad," Jack said.
"Yes but very dangerous," Gibbs said. "Now James, where is he holding them?"
"The dungeon. He must have them down there."
"But we checked there," Michael said.
"No we didn't, when the men saw that it was still padlocked they didn't bother to check."
Gibbs phone rang. "McGee, what have you found out?" Gibbs listened and then shut his phone. "His business is bust, he's lost all his money."
"I had the private detectives check everything, they said nothing had changed."
"Maybe he paid them more than you did," Gibbs said. "We have to have a plan ready by the morning."
Finlay moaned as he turned over in his sleep. "Finlay?"
"It's okay Tony, just rolled on my hand." He sat up. "Hand me the water."
They both took a drink and ate a sandwich. "We're going to have to try and find a way out of here," Tony said.
"I've already told you there is no way out."
"But the passage that was mentioned in the book, if we could find it."
"Tony I know you're frustrated because you can't do anything but you have to be patient. I'm sure your dad will be planning something."
They heard someone move near the door. They looked up. A man not much older than them was standing at the door shining a light at them. "What do you want?" Tony asked. "Come to admire your handiwork," he pointed at Finlay's hand.
"I didn't do that, that was my father. And anyway it was our grandfather's fault. If he hadn't disowned our dad we would be the heirs to all this. So if you want to blame anyone blame him."
"Our grandfather? Sir Michael only had two children," Finlay said.
"No he didn't. Our father was from his first marriage. Turned out our grandmother and dad because he wanted to marry someone else. Divorced her. Can you imagine the stigma attached to that?"
"Michael," a harsh voice called from one of the other cells," get in here."
It went dark again. "The two names in the bible," Tony said. "The ones that were scratched out must have been his first marriage and his father's name. But why would he do that? He was desperate to have an heir."
"Because that's the sort of man my father is," the older man said. "But he's going to pay and then you two are going to pay. I want him to see you one last time."
The man went away. "You were right Tony, he's not going to let us go, he's only been keeping us alive so he can taunt Michael."
TBC