Into the Fold Chapter 36
"Then talk."
Malachi Culpepper stated as he threw the ball into Gibbs' court.
"After all these years you don't seem a bit surprised to hear from me." Gibbs said
Culpepper did not respond.
"I, on the other hand, am very surprised to find you are alive. It makes me wonder how that happened." Gibbs said with curiosity and contempt in his voice.
Malachi was determined to not give much away.
There was just a momentary pause, and then Gibbs said with authority:
"I know you have NCIS Federal Agent Anthony DiNozzo at the grotto." Gibbs stressed the "Federal Agent" part to make sure Culpepper knew who he was dealing with.
Gibbs waited for a response.
Culpepper seemed to not care or he already knew he was dealing with Federal Agents.
He remained silent.
"I want him back…immediately." Gibbs said, filling in the silence. His voice did not waver.
Gibbs heard Culpepper chuckle deeply and then sigh.
Culpepper let Gibbs know he was listening but he still chose to remain silent.
"Damn him!" Gibbs thought, struggling to remain composed. So much of what would happen in the near future hung on how he handled this first contact.
Gibbs could tell the man he had first known as his best friend's father was still the self-righteous, pompous ass he had always been.
"Well?" Gibbs finally said, his patience running very thin.
"What makes you think this Agent Anthony Di…Di..No..zoe…is that right?" Culpepper waited for Gibbs to respond but when Gibbs didn't take the bait Culpepper continued:
"What could possibly have led you to believe your Agent is at the Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes?" Malachi Culpepper asked innocently.
Gibbs felt his fury begin to rise but he hammered it down.
"Smug son of a bitch!" He thought.
They seemed to be at a stalemate when Gibbs said frostily:
"What would the good people of Emmitsburg think if they found out Patrick Monroe is a fraud and a charlatan? I bet the New York diocese would be shocked. That Cardinal's visit would probably not happen."
Gibbs could almost feel the chill of Culpepper's breath through the phone. Gibbs knew he had hit the Reverend where he lived. He also expected the anger Culpepper unleashed as he said venomously:
"I suggest you do not threaten me, Jethro, when I obviously possess something so dear to your heart."
Gibbs smiled and said "We both have much to lose so let us compromise. I come to you and take my Agent back. You go about your business…no harm,no foul."
Gibbs just wanted to get Tony away safely. He would work on seeing Ezra at a later date.
Culpepper chuckled deeply and said:
"Bring Katherine Maddox to me and I'll give you Anthony. Those are MY terms and I shall not falter. I will have claim to him in a few weeks Jethro and I am a patient man. I may bind him or maybe just kill him outright. I'll send you his battered body if I go that route. Or maybe, I'll sell him to the highest bidder…..there hasn't been a hunt in decades…might be fun….what do you think…hmmm?"
Gibbs lost any control he thought he had gained.
"YOU SON OF A…."
"Tsk tsk Jethro" Culpepper sounded bored as he admonished Gibbs "You have the ground rules….when Katherine is on her way be sure to call my Secretary and make an appointment. I should have an open schedule sometime next week."
Gibbs fought to contain his rage as Culpepper hung up on him.
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"What was that Anthony? What was Father talking into?" Ezra asked when he finally found his voice.
"It's called a cell phone." Tony said as he struggled to stand up. His ankle was throbbing and likely bruised from Ezra's steel grasp. He tried to put pressure on it but it hurt. He hopped towards the kitchen area but the movement set his side on fire. He felt along his ribs and the pain took his breath away.
Malachi had definitely damaged him.
"Why don't we have breakfast and I'll tell you all about it?" Tony suggested, almost out of breath.
Ezra stood up and joined Tony at the dining table. He helped Tony sit and then took the chair opposite him. Ezra was not hungry but Tony was famished and dug in for a few minutes. The steak and eggs were heavenly. He took a drink of the protein shake and downed the vitamins. He wiped his mouth with a linen napkin and looking at Ezra said:
"Cell phones are the latest in communication technology."
Ezra looked at him with childlike eyes. The curiosity was evident but the comprehension was lacking.
Tony wished McGee was with him. He needed McGeek's scientific mind. Tony sat back and thought of conversations he had had with Tim McGee regarding geek stuff. He surprised himself in how much of their conversations he had retained. McGee had written a paper on the evolution of the telephone while at M.I.T. and had bored Tony with the details.
"Bless you probie!" He thought as he shuffled through his memory.
"So…you know about Morse code and the telegraph right? That was the technology in the late 1800s."
"Yes…I am familiar with them." Ezra answered
"And you have heard of the telephone….that …"
"Yes…I have seen the telephone but have never used one. So that thing in Father's hand was a telephone?"
"Yes!" Tony was excited at Ezra's revelation "Except it is wireless and functions through a cell battery that picks up signals from satellite…."
He could tell he had lost Ezra at wireless.
"Ezra…what month did you enter this chamber?"
"It was in the late spring or early summer….I do not really remember anything other than the flowers were in full bloom."
Tony nodded and tried to set up a timeline in his mind. He began with:
"An Italian named Marconi invented a wireless form of transmission and the first Atlantic transmission was used on the Titanic."
"Yes! I read about that in the newspaper! That was a horrible event! All those people lost. Mr. Marconi was credited with saving lives with his invention. I do not really understand how it works though." Ezra said.
"Me either" Tony thought to himself.
He pictured McGee trying to school him and Kate one boring day in the bullpen many years ago.
"We have a lot to cover Ezra. I am about to tell you about how the telephone evolved then I will tell you all about radio, television, movies, computers and the internet."
Ezra looked excited but a bit lost in all of it.
Tony smiled and said "We will then talk about modes of transportation. You had horses, carriages, trains, wagons but have you ever been in an automobile?"
Ezra's eyes glowed and he smiled "I remember automobiles! I enjoyed those. In 1902, Father and I rode in a Studebaker electric automobile and it was thrilling!"
"Did you say electric? In 1902?" Tony asked
"Yes…they sold gasoline run engines in 1904."
Tony was stunned at Ezra's information.
"An electric car back in 1902?" Tony thought.
He wondered how different the world would be if the gasoline powered vehicle never caught on.
"Did you know Anthony… that the word automobile comes from the Ancient Greek word autós, or "self" and the Latin mobilis "movable"; meaning a vehicle that moves itself?"
Tony stopped himself from laughing out loud.
Ezra had just sounded like Ducky with one of his crime scene historical tidbits.
"I did not know that. Did you….." Tony began but was startled into silence, their conversation interrupted, when they heard a key in the lock.
The door was pushed violently inward and Malachi Culpepper entered like a raging bear.
Tony saw Ezra bow his head in submission and keep it down.
He also noticed that Malachi ignored his son. His eyes focused only on Tony.
Ignoring his pain, Tony burst out of his chair and tried to move away from the angry vampire.
Malachi moved around the table one way as Tony ran for the door.
He was almost there when Malachi grabbed his shirt from behind and pulled him back against his chest.
"Never run from me boy!" Malachi whispered harshly, his breath hot against Tony's ear.
Tony cringed trying to keep his fear contained. He was surprised when Malachi pushed him forcefully through the open door and followed him through it into the dark foyer near the stairs.
Tony heard Ezra plead for his father to spare Tony any pain as Malachi closed the door behind him and locked it.
Tony lay sprawled on the floor in semi darkness listening to Malachi Culpepper try to control his breathing. Tony's mind flew through scenarios as to what may happen next. Malachi Culpepper's bi-polar moods were slowly beginning to tear away at Tony's sanity. Tony focused on his own outrage and anger. He fought to stifle his fear and fight back no matter what.
"Get up!" Culpepper commanded
Tony did as he was told. He tried to fight his bodies desire to tremble but was unsuccessful.
"Goddamn body!" he thought as his body betrayed him.
Culpepper grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the stairs. Instead of going up the staircase they turned to the right of it and Tony heard a door being opened and then a light switch was flipped.
The dank room smelled of musty oak and layers of dust. A single light bulb hung from a cord from the ceiling. Tony looked around at the wall of bottles and rows of casks.
He and Malachi Culpepper were standing in a subterranean wine cellar.
Culpepper pulled a cask from its shelf and placed it end up.
"Sit!" he commanded Tony, who did so immediately.
Culpepper's movement had been so fast the light bulb was caught up in a rush of air and began to swing back and forth. The shadow effects it cast on Culpepper's face was more frightening then any film noir movie Tony had ever seen.
When Tony gulped it was audible.
That seemed to amuse Culpepper as his face relaxed.
Tony looked down to the floor; self-preservation told him to not hold the vampires gaze.
"I just talked to Jethro Gibbs." Culpepper stated
Tony's head shot up at that. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly changed his mind. He hung his head and stared back at the floor waiting for Culpepper to continue.
"Gibbs wants you returned to him, Anthony, and I will give you to him…."
Tony looked up with hope.
"But.…"
Tony's brows furrowed in anger as he said sarcastically "There is always a "but"…"
Malachi backhanded Tony with such force; he drew blood as he split Tony's lip.
Tony turned back to Culpepper with fury in his eyes.
He didn't move as Culpepper reached out and ran his index finger over Tony's bloody wound.
Culpepper then brought his finger to his own lips and licked off Tony's blood.
He closed his eyes and relished the moment.
"You taste good enough to eat Anthony."
Tony had had enough of this arrogant prick and his fucking mind games.
"Fuck you!" Tony spat as he ran the back of his hand across his mouth.
Culpepper grabbed him by the throat screaming "Watch what you say to me boy…or…"
"OR WHAT?" Tony screamed back "You'll kill me? Go ahead then! DO IT!"
Tony began to laugh hysterically as Culpepper began to squeeze.
Tony allowed his body to go limp. He would make it easy for Culpepper.
When Tony refused to struggle, Culpepper realized he would love nothing more than to end this problem right now. Reason took over. He needed DiNozzo alive for now, so reluctantly, he released him.
Tony brought his hand up to his neck and rubbed at it.
His throat was raw and his voice hoarse when he said:
"I thought so…..this must be where the "but" comes in."
Culpepper turned away, outraged that Tony now had no fear of him.
"You have one week Anthony to do as I instructed earlier. Since you do not fear for your own life I will say again…" he turned back to Tony with a deadly calm "…. I will make Rebecca Monroe suffer in your place. You bring my son back to me and I will release you to Jethro and Rebecca will be unharmed."
Tony did not believe a thing Culpepper said but he knew he could not fight him so he shook his head in understanding and stood up.
"I happen to like Ezra so I will help HIM. I'll do it for Ezra and for Rebecca." Tony stated defiantly.
He wanted to add, that he hoped with enlightenment, Ezra would realize what an ass of a Father Malachi was. Tony wanted to arm Ezra with what he needed to fight to be free of his Father.
Tony held those thoughts close to his heart.
If he spoke them out loud that would be giving far too much away.
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Gibbs stared at Henry's phone, infuriated Culpepper cut him off.
Henry's mocking laughter brought him around.
Gibbs discarded the phone to the ground.
When Henry began to protest Gibbs slammed him back against the wall of the house.
Henry looked around and seeing no witnesses said to Gibbs "There is nothing you can do vampire! I am bound to Father! You have no power over me!"
Gibbs released him and took a step back. He wanted to slap the smug smirk right off of Henry's face.
Henry bent and picked up his phone muttering obscenities as he dusted it off.
Gibbs gasped as he felt Tony's pain, fear and anger. Gibbs knew Malachi was tormenting Tony at that moment. Gibbs fought to dismiss the immediate feelings and focus on the task at hand.
Gibbs looked around and noticing they were still alone he knocked the phone out of Henry's hand and grabbing a wrist, spun Henry around to face the house wall. His actions knocked the wind out of Malachi's disgruntled minion. Henry yelped and tried to struggle but Gibbs held firm.
He pulled Henry's arm up tightly behind his back and said "You're right. As a vampire I have no control over you, but as a Federal Agent, I'll make sure you end up in Gitmo as a domestic terrorist unless you tell me where Anthony DiNozzo is being held!"
A/N-I so apologize for taking so long to update. Would sure love to hear you are still out there reading peeps! I will do my best to get another chapter done ASAP. Thanks again to all who have stayed with me thus far…and thanks for all the faves, alerts, comments etc!