— WE'RE GOING INSIDE ! Break me that door, now ! Gibbs ordered to the men and women behind him.
— No, Gordon, please don't…
— I'm gonna blow up the building !
But two pairs of arms had already grabbed the item and violently hit the rectangle while a woman was still screaming inside, the new free space in the wall now revealing a couple and their child. The Vice Admiral raised a gun and a remote control in Jethro's direction, his victims still by his side, a broken lamp and damaged table lying onto the floor.
— Don't move, Agent Gibbs ! the man warned him, Jethro immediately raising both arms in the air.
— Don't shoot ! he ordered again without a glance, colleagues behind him immediately lowering their guns. Vice Admiral…
— No sudden moves, Agent Gibbs…or I kill them !
— No sudden moves…I promise. I'm just gonna kneel down, in order to drop my gun…is that alright ?
The man only nodded with crazy eyes, holding back some tears trying to blurry his view as he kept tightening his wife the way he could, and Gibbs simply abandoned his weapon, making it slide to a corner of the room.
— Mrs Peterang, are you hurt ?
— Don't talk to her ! her husband warned, gun now focused on her temple.
— I just want to know if she's alright, Vice Admiral…Gibbs slowly pronounced. This is our duty to protect people, remember ?
— Okay…he trembled. Amelia, darling…he nervously kissed her again, answer the question.
— I'm…I'm alright, Agent Gibbs. Honey, you alright, too ?
The little girl nodded and Gibbs then discreetly sighed with relief.
— You see, Agent Gibbs ? Everybody's alright. Now, back to me.
— What do you want, Vice Admiral ?
— I want a car. Now. And I don't want anyone trying to stop me…otherwise, I'll press the button.
— I'm sure this is something we can do. Agent Forsingle ? he called the man, still staring at Peterang.
The Vice Admiral carefully listened to the other agent as he started talking to someone on the phone.
— Agent Forsingle, I need…
— Speaker on !
— Agent Forsingle, he begun again, I need a car and a clear road for the Vice Admiral Peterang. Don't try to stop him when he goes down, I repeat : don't try to stop him. Am I clear ?
— Hear you loud and clear, Agent Forsingle. Space will be free in a minute, with a car at your disposal for your man.— Alright, every agent now leave the building, he then loudly ordered, before everyone around him started doing so.
— Anything else ? Gibbs asked, still watching the damaged family picture.
— I need a helicopter.
— This might be a little longer to obtain, Vice…
— I don't care ! Peterang shouted, his wife and kid jumping at the violent sound of his voice.
— We might be able to do something about that too, Forsingle spoke. But we'll need something from you too.
— Free our daughter, Gordon…the woman suddenly tried to say. I'll go wherever you want, but please…free our daughter...
The man seemed to be hesitating for quite a while, until his lips slowly begun moving again…
— I want a car and a helicopter ready for my wife and myself, in exchange of my daughter... This will be my last word.
— Agent Forsingle, I need a helicopter for Vice Admiral Peterang and his wife.
— I can have you one in Cardinal Stadium in about thirty minutes, the voice finally answered.
Peterang listened to the words he was desperately hoping to hear, taking a look at his child, still waiting by his side…
— So I repeat, Agent Forsingle spoke again, is the road clear with one car at Vice Admiral Peterang's disposal, and will the place be clear as well in Cardinal Stadium with a helicopter ready to use in maximum thirty minutes ?
— Check, and check.
— You have everything now, Gibbs slowly commented.
— I want a woman to take care of my baby...the man almost cried.
— Okay.
— This is Agent Forsingle again, we are looking for the Agent David. Not armed.
— Coming.
Only a minute later, Ziva reached the floor for the second time and gently approached the sad family.
— I love you, darling. Daddy loves you very much...
The little girl didn't say a word, only staring at her tearful mother and visibly tense father, before leaving with the new smiling agent, and when Peterang seemed to be certain that his daughter had completely left the place, he slowly started to move as well.
— You too. Out.
— Vice Admiral…
— I said 'OUT' ! Peterang shouted before shooting Forsingle in the leg.
Gibbs hurried to kneel down in order to help him and hoped not to receive the same treatment, but Peterang only insisted even more for the duet to leave. Jethro then quickly stood up and grabbed his colleague's waist, heading outside with a new risky idea in mind, taking Forsingle a bit away from the place.
— Don't…don't shoot, Forsingle told his colleagues as he gasped for breath, Peterang finally entering the car with his wife, he still has his bomb jacket... Don't worry, Agent Gibbs, as soon as he's… Hey, Gibbs…where the hell are you going !
— GIBBS ! Ziva called him in turn from her other spot, trying to run after him.
Jethro entered the parking lot under the hotel and rushed to the opposite exit, definitely uncertain of what he could really do without a car, but ready to take any chance he could. He reflexively started touching his hip, realizing his gun was still upstairs, before a car brusquely stopped next to him. His car.
— I felt you'd think about going the other way, boss, Tony smiled.
— Dinozzo, get out, Gibbs neutrally ordered, opening the door.
Tony thought about protesting, but he knew deep down it wasn't the moment, so when Ziva arrived in the middle of the car park, he only raised two shoulders and worriedly wondered what would happen next…
- - - - - - - - - -
…lights…a woman…a woman being thrown out of the car…or leaving it all by herself…it was too complicated to remember…why was it so complicated, by the way ?
— Boss…?
Tony…Tony was here…well, that was hurting…the shock…and…
— Boss, what were you thinking…!
— A feeling…
— Yeah, right…
— Is he…
— No, he's not, boss…but we got him, the voice became clearer.
— Go...tell Tim, Gibbs slowly pronounced, taking off his new oxygen mask for a second.
— Go, Tony, Ziva immediately said. I'll go with him to the hospital.
— Okay, boss, he reluctantly agreed, running to his own car, the crowd getting bigger and bigger around the recent accident. Ducky ? he finally spoke after grabbing his phone.
— Yes, Tony…speaker is on.
— We got him, McGee. It's over.
Both men deeply sighed on the other side, Tim feeling his skin turning pale and red, the news of his parent's murderer arrest burning his heart in both comforting and devastating ways…
— I need…I think I need to freshen up a little, Ducky...if you will excuse me for a second…Tim said with difficulty, calmly shocked by the revelation.
— Of course, Timothy...do you need anything ? Maybe a glass of water ?
— It's alright, Ducky, Tim added before walking to the bathroom.
— Good heavens…Dr Mallard deeply breathed out, speaking to Tony again. So this is really over, right ?
— For real, Ducky. But we'll get through the details tomorrow, I think what we need for now is to be here for McGee. I'll be here soon.
— We're waiting for you, then…Dr Mallard sighed and pressed his forehead against his palm, before starting boiling some water.
Yes. Tea would be good for everyone…
Five minutes later…
— Ducky ? You're here ?
— In the kitchen, Tony !
— McGee's in here too ?
— He must be in the bathroom, now, Ducky tried to smile.
— How is he ? You know, I wanted to talk him face to face, but...I guessed he deserved to have the news first.
— Well, he's pretty shocked, as expected, but you are right, I think it would be good if you two could talk a little between friends, now that justice is about to be done.
Tony nodded and then nervously headed to the bathroom, knocking on the door with hesitation.
— McGee, you're in here ? It's Tony… I'm…he deeply sighed, I'm very sorry about…
No sound...
— McGee ? Tony asked and paused another time. McGee, open the door, please...he suddenly added, feeling that something might be wrong. McGee ? the terror finally took control of his whole body, Tony raising a foot in the door's direction. Oh, damn it…he renounced to speak again, using now violence in order to get the truth...
The old rectangle invited the agent to enter after the bad hit it just had received, and revealed another agent on the floor... Tony noticed the open cylinder of painkillers and the still body next to it.
— No, no, no, no, no…he started to panick. McGee, wake up ! Tony quickly tried slapping Tim's cheeks, dialing 911 on his phone...
