Warnings: Spoilers for "Truth or Consequences".

A/N:

Tony heard the door open and close. Slowly he opened his eyes and watched as the man moved towards him, a small leather bag in his hand. He prayed that what was in that bag was his demise because, quite frankly, he was getting tired of playing the game.

Saleem moved towards him and unzipped the bag, pulling out a syringe of some kind. He grinned, coldly at Tony. "My men are concerned that we have American captives in our camp. Your presence makes them nervous, Agent DiNozzo. I have assured them that you are going to talk and we are going to get the details of your mission."

"Yeah? How do you figure that?" Tony snapped while Saleem inserted the syringe into his arm and released the drug into his system.

"Because I've just given you truth serum. My own design," Saleem boasted. "You will now tell me all I need to know."

Tony swallowed the bile in his throat. He'd never felt so vulnerable in his entire life. He couldn't hide behind masks or lies, the drug would make sure of that. It had already been the longest twenty-four hours of his life, being beaten and taken captive, being denied food or water. He just wanted this to end so he could go home to Kaitlin.

Saleem sat down in the empty chair across from the one that Tony was strapped too. "Now, Agent DiNozzo. What brings you to this part of the world? As far as I know I have not done anything to permit an investigation from NCIS."

"We're tasked with investigating crimes that involve the United States Navy and their families," Tony responded through clenched teeth.

"And I have committed a crime against one of those families?"

"Yes. Mine."

Saleem's eyebrows arched in interest. "Really? I had never heard of you before, Agent DiNozzo. I am curious, which family member have a wronged?"

Tony struggled against the truth serum. God, if he gave up Gibbs now, if Saleem truly had the man in his captivity, he would surely kill him. Perhaps he'd kill all of them. He tried to think of another, truthful answer and before he could stop himself, he blurted, "You haven't wronged her-not yet."

"Her? Your wife? Girlfriend?" Saleem ventured to ask.

"D-daughter," Tony ground out, heart hammering in his chest. He'd just given up his baby, his sweet, innocent Kaitlin, to this monster.

"Daughter," Saleem repeated, his smile deepening. "So. I will wrong her when I kill you. But that is the future. It does not explain why you are here, now, in the present."

Tony tried to look away. Maybe if he didn't make eye contact with Saleem he wouldn't have to answer the questions honestly. He knew that wasn't how this worked, but he had to give himself some kind of hope. "Missing marine," he said. "By the name of Daniel Cryor."

Saleem pursed his lips together. "I do not have any marines in my captivity. But, I highly doubt that one, missing marine, sent you here -alone, without backup. What is your real reason?"

"L-looking for...for a friend," Tony confessed. NO! STOP! STOP BETRAYING GIBBS!

"And this friend...you think he is here, with me?"

"Yes."

"Do you have proof?"

"N-not definitive, but my gut says yes."

Saleem leaned back in his chair. His dark eyes cunning and cold. "So, that is your mission then? To find your missing friend, that I might have in my captivity? Seems rather foolish to me, to risk your life on a whim. But I am curious. How exactly did you find me? I move my camp often so as not to be found."

Tony watched as the terrorist put his canteen to his mouth. He licked his lips, longing for a drink.

"Caffeine," Saleem stated. "Keeps the mind sharp."

"Caffeine was how we found you."

Saleem pulled back, glaring at the federal agent.

Tony grinned. "You had to have your Caf-Pow, huh Saleem?"

In an instant Saleem had lost the calm facade and thrown his canteen against the wall. Tony watched as the Caf-Pow leaked from the now broken container as the other man jumped from his chair and stomped out of the room. With the terrorist gone and out of ear shot, he whispered, "McGee? You okay?"

"Never better," McGee mumbled from the floor. "Any sign of Gibbs yet?"

"To be honest, I haven't seen much besides this chair," Tony snapped, his frustration clearly evident.

"And I haven't seen much but this floor. Doesn't mean he isn't here."

Tony didn't have time to respond. Saleem had barreled back into the room, a prisoner at his side, hood over the person's head. Tony's interest was peaked as the prisoner was shoved down into the chair opposite him and Saleem snapped, "Rumor has it that there are Navy Seals asking around about missing American agents. Now, one of you is going to tell me everything I want to hear and one of you is going to die. I will let you make that decision."

Saleem yanked the hood back before leaving and Tony came face to face with his mentor. Gibbs, even though had a swollen eye from a beating, managed to glare at the SFA through his good eye.

"DiNozzo," he snapped, "Do I even have to tell you how much trouble you're in?"

"S-sorry, boss," Tony managed to choke out, "couldn't leave it alone, I guess."

Gibbs didn't take his glare off of Tony as he asked, "You alright, McGee?"

McGee sighed. "Just happy to see you alive, boss."

"We get out of this-you're both fired."

Tony couldn't help the small smile that graced his features. Even in the midst of captivity his boss had not lost his bite. "Boss, do you honestly think that we came all the way out here...without a plan? Come on, that would be breaking every rule you ever taught us."

Gibbs looked at him incredulously. "Are you telling me you two wanted to get captured?"

"Had to give the Seals a reason to come in here, guns blazing."

"Vance know about this?"

"Approved it himself."

"What about Kaitlin?"

Tony winced. Of course Gibbs would bring the subject of his baby up. "She's with Abby and Jimmy. They're staying at the house with her, you know to make it more comfortable for her while I'm gone."

Gibbs continued to frown at him. "DiNozzo, you should have left well enough alone."

"C-can't, boss, always...always been a character flaw I've had."

"Always one I liked about you, DiNozzo."

Tony felt his heart race. Of course it would take this near death experience, looking their fate in the eyes, for the boss to admit something like that to him. He wished he knew what to say but nothing would come out, and the door was opening again.

Saleem stalked towards them and glanced out the window. "Have you made up your decision yet? Which one of you is going to die and which one of you is going to live? Because we are breaking camp soon. The Seals are getting too nosy."

"Those boys are going to be more than nosy in about a minute...Saleem," Tony drawled, "'Bout as long as you have left to live."

"How is that? You are still bound. You're lying."

"Can't. You drugged me with your truth serum, remember?"

Realization dawned on the terrorist's face as glass shattered above them. One, clean, simple shot went through the skull of their captor and he fell, backwards on the floor, his rivers of blood he'd boasted about changing the world, flowing beneath him.

For the three agents, there wasn't much time to react. Tony watched as McGee managed to use Saleem's discarded knife to cut his ties and scramble to his feet. He ran to cut his partner loose. He had one restraint done when the door kicked open. "Look out!" Tony shouted in warning.

McGee whirled about and fired the gun he'd stolen from Saleem as well. The terrorist fell dead at the door and McGee was able to finish freeing Tony. Both men worked on Gibb's restraints and helped him to his feet, supporting him between them. Now they had to focus on getting out of this camp alive. And it was going to be slow going because Gibbs was more injured than either of them thought. He had endured four days of captivity. Tony and McGee had only endured twenty-four hours. They still had plenty of their strength left and they were going to need all of it to drag Gibbs out of this camp.

McGee clutched the only weapon they had in his hand tightly. He wished that he could give it to Tony because truthfully Tony was the better shot, but Tony's dominate side was supporting the boss. They didn't have time to switch to give him the gun. They knew that the Seals were moving in, they could hear the automatic weapons fire. They just had to stay alive long enough to find the Seals and get the hell out of here.

But it wasn't going to be easy. McGee shot another terrorist dead before he could open fire on him, but there was another right behind him.

Tony saw the man's eyes flash with anger and hatred and he thought, remorsefully, this is it.

Suddenly, from behind their would be killer was shot dead. Tony, McGee, and Gibbs stood there frozen as someone emerged from outside and blocked their sunlight.

"Agent Gibbs," the Seal captain said, smiling. "It's nice to see you sir."

"Captain Donovan," Gibbs greeted. "Those your boys out there?"

"Yes sir," Donovan said. "We're gonna get you and your agents home. Promise."

Gibbs smiled and urged his agents to keep moving. As they made their way out into the sunlight, more Seals coming to their aid, dragging each of them to a waiting humvee, the former marine whispered, "Never had any doubt you wouldn't."