Chapter 25

Kate spotted a small knife on a table. She took it when He was't looking. Ducky zipped the body bag and then saw Kate.

"No, Kate. He wants you to try" Ducky whispered. She glared at the man. He was approaching Kate, slowly. She showed him the knife.

"Dr. Mallard thinks you were daring me to pick up this knife" Kate said, almost temptingly.

" The proper term is a dissecting tool" He corrected her.

"You didn't answer my question! You just wanted another excuse to shoot Gerald, didn't you!" She yelled.

He laughed and turned his back to her. She waved with the knife and tried to stab him, but he quickly turned around hit her. She gasped in pain. He grabbed her and held her tight.

They were few inches apart. She was afraid he would do something to Gerald again, and maybe Ducky. He was pointing his gun into Ducky and held her. She still apprehended her knife.

"I have no intentions of shooting Gerald again, Caitlin. I did however, want to see if I was right about you" He whispered.

"Next time I'll be quicker" She added.

"Oh, don't you wonder why you weren't now?" He asked.

"Uh, could you give me a go?" Ducky suddenly interrupted them.

"I think not, Doctor. You wouldn't hesitate like Caitlin. I do think you would regret it, however. We got to work if we want to survive this day" He said as he let go of Kate. She was glaring at him.

At the MTAC…

The phone ringed all of sudden. Agent Arkin picked up.

"Hello" She says.

'Is special Agent Gibbs there?'He asked.

"Uh, um, I don't know who that is" She lied unsuccessfully.

"I'm here" Gibbs showed up.

Sure you are. I thought so. You have seen me on the video, right?' He asked.

"Yeah" Gibbs said into the phone.

'Now it's my turn see you' He said.

"Looking forward to it" Gibbs said sarcastically.

'Come alone. Unarmed.' He ordered. 'And don't forget Qassam's things' He hung up afterwards. Tony showed up with evidence from Qassam's room.

"Got it all bagged and tagged, boss. Aspirin, breath freshener, nasal spray, and tea. Qassam drank a wimpy Darjeeling from northwestern Kashmir. I prefer the darker, more robust flavor of tea from the Brahmaputra area in north-east India where they actually take the leaf and they rake it…" Tony couldn't stop talking.

"Tony" Gibbs interrupted.

"Yeah, boss?" Tony stopped talking.

"You nervous?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah. I don't like you going down there unarmed and solo. And I'm worried for Kate and Duck" Tony confessed.

"No choice. Besides, I need you outside receiving. Team one. Gibbs. Elevator to level three" He said.

"By the time we get down from receiving, it'll be over" Tony was pessimistic. He bowed his head

"This guy's not a suicide bomber. He has an escape plan. Maybe to get out the same way he came in. I want someone I know there" Gibbs assured him.

"That's the same as saying someone you trust. Someone you can depend on" Tony said. He looked sad and exhausted.

"I tested everything. The nasal spray was the only viral container" Abby said suddenly as she showed up.

"Thanks, Abs" Gibbs said. When Abby walked away, he turned to Tony.

"Hey, don't worry. They can do it. So can we" Gibbs gripped Tony's shoulders. Tony nodded. Gibbs left him there.

At the Autopsy…

Gibbs is alone with Him.

"You're older than I expected" He unexpectedly said.

"Where are the other hostages" Gibbs tried his best to stick to the plan.

"Box on the floor. Hands on the back of the head, turn around and walk back to the door" He ordered.

"Not without Gerald" Gibbs persistently said.

"He won't leave out of here unless you put your hands on the back of the head, turn around and walk back to the door" He repeated.

"…I know. Older doesn't mean deaf. You want out of here alive?" Gibbs overlapped his words.

"I'm sure Gerald does" He said.

"Actually, you do too. So, I'm going to take out slowly exactly what you want from this box with two of my fingers" Gibbs says as he took out a nasal spray. He breathed in the substance from it.

"Ah! Surprise! You failed. Mission over. The real smallpox is on its way to CDC. Do you want to talk about whether you live or die?" Gibbs said as he put down the nasal spray.

"How far were you from Qassam when you shot him?" He asked.

"I don't know" Gibbs shrugged.

"You measured it for your incident report" He continued.

"Thirty seven feet and a few inches, give or take" Gibbs said.

"Oh, your shot was clearly very good" He said.

"I would love to demonstrate" Gibbs joked.

"Funny. Special Agent Todd said the same thing" He laughed evilly.

"Where is she? And the doctor?" Gibbs questioned.

"Would you truly like to demonstrate?" He asked.

"Yep" Gibbs replied.

"Pick up Agent Todd's Sig Sauer. It's in the box" He motioned with his gun to the box.

"Why?" Gibbs asked as he took the gun.

"Why not?" He answered.

Gibbs took a shot.

He shot at Gibbs at the same time.

The SWAT team showed up. Gibbs was aching in agony on the floor.

He was shot in the chest, but survived. Tony showed up too.

"Hey, boss! Calm down, Nothing vital. Don't try to sit up" He said.

"Did I get him?" Gibbs asked weakly.

"You did, boss" Tony nodded.

Later at the NCIS bullpen…

Tony and Kate were sitting there, all alone.

Tony was thinking about everything that happened today. He looked at Kate.

She was thinking.

She leaned her head on her hand. She was sighing all the time. He knew she was still hurt by everything. And the emotions too.

He decided to start a conversation.

"It was his backup plan. To escape. He just needed someone who could shoot him in the chest to trigger the assault. Gibbs figures he was wearing a bullet proof vest all along"

"He was. I felt it" She said after a while, but as soon as she said it, she regretted it. Tony looked up from his report questionably at Kate.

"You felt it?" He said in a questioning tone. It looked like he was jealous.

"Yeah. I did" She pretended doing her paperwork.

"Well, how close did you get? Close enough to touch him. With your hands, or did you touch him with…?" He was talking as he was getting closer to her desk. He leaned on it and watched her with suspicion.

"Close enough to stab him with a knife in my hand" She said forcefully.

"And you didn't" He seemed surprised.

"No" She bowed her head.

"Stockholm Syndrome?" He asked.

"You can't identify with your captor in an hour" She said.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's like falling in love. That can happen… like that" He snaps his finger.

This made her think for a while.