WARNING: Some mention of actual violence towards a child and adult in this chapter.
Tony stepped slowly ever closer towards Mr Percy. His heart beat so fast and hard that he thought it was going to push its way through his chest and land on the floor in front of him. He switched off from the sound of Joanne screaming at Mr Percy and trying to grab him and pull him back. If he was going to survive this, and he had before, he had to get his head into that place that let him pretend it wasn't hurting and that he was fine.
"You sniveling little brat, why do you keep having to ruin things," yelled Percy his spittle foaming at the corners of his mouth and his eyes wildly piercing into Tony's very being. "Your father should have listened to me at the start, but he had to be greedy he wanted your mothers trust fund too and then he dared to swindle me out of the rest."
He swiped out with the back of his hand, knocking Tonys head violently to the left, his teeth feeling loose in his mouth and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Joanne screamed and tried to lunge forward to grab Tony back only to be met with the same violence.
"Boss, DiNozzo is here," Jo intervened.
Percy paused, looked at the blood on the back of his hand and wiped it across Tony's face then picking the child up he threw him back onto the mattress. Tony didn't utter even the slightest moan, he was in that place. Joanne grabbed him to her wiping the blood from his mouth crying and begging him to talk to her but he was gone into that other world and he wasn't coming back until it was all over.
Percy walked away to where DiNozzo Senior was being escorted into the barn, a henchman on each side of him.
"Percy what's all this about?" he laughed awkwardly, "lets talk."
"Can it DiNozzo, I'm sick of your games, we are now going to play this my way and when I'm finished with you, you'll wish you had listened to me in the first place," he snarled.
"I'm sure there has been a misunderstanding," DiNozzo tried to turn on the charm, why don't we sit down over a nice meal and talk.
"The only misunderstanding here is that you thought you could get the better of me," Percy spoke through gritted teeth, "you and that bitch over there thought you could con me, pretend that the boy was no longer your responsibility that you no longer had access to all that money in the account. That's my money DiNozzo, I made you and I decide what happens to the brat. I told you that after your wife tried to wrestle things away from us, I thought I showed you that when I moved in to 'play' housekeep to have an eye on you, but you thought you could beat me, well you are wrong."
"I'm not working with her," argued DiNozzo, "she drugged me, left me chained to a bed, sent her son in law to kill me. It's her and her family who are trying to get their hands on the money, They are trying to swindle us both."
"I'm not buying it," stated Percy, "and you are going to make sure that we have the kid and I have access to the funds, then you are going to sign it over to me, what you do with the woman and the kid after that is up to you, I'll leave you cash for the bullets."
"But we have a deal, we have a good thing going on," DiNozzo tried, "for six years we have been putting all those funds through the kids trusts, no one suspects a thing. Think how much more we can put through it."
"It's over DiNozzo, what you do when I have my money is up to you, now do I need to demonstrate to you how you are going to pay it back or can you work it out less painfully?" Percy walked towards DiNozzo.
"No no I get it we'll get you your money, its going to take a couple of days though," pleaded DiNozzo.
"Your pathetic, your kid has more backbone than you," sneered Percy and then turning to Jules, "tie him to that post he's staying with us until I have the cash."
…
Back at the safe house Shannon had gone into the rear yard to comfort Gibbs and look for support for herself. He had been out there for two hours, walking in the tight triangular yard over and over trying to calm himself and gather his thoughts. He wanted nothing more than to march out that front door jump in his truck and go out looking for them, but on the one occasion he had tried he had been met with two armed marine guards who had barred his exit.
"They are going to find them Gibbs," Shannon spoke as determinedly as she could.
"They should never have let them get him in the first place Shan," he argued back, the temper still barely contained.
"Tom is on his way back, he thinks he has some news, AJ has cooked some food for us all, you need to eat," she insisted.
"I'll eat when Tony and Joanne are back here," shouted Gibbs bringing his father out into the yard to see what was happening.
"What the hell are you shouting about Leroy, there's a lot of people in that house including the Judge you need to impress and demonstrate you can be a good parent and you are out here as if you are going to explode and kill us all," he said quietly but forcefully.
Scrubbing his hand over his face Gibbs tried to keep some grip on himself and the reality he found himself in.
"Dad, I feel helpless, I should be out there, but you all have me penned in here as if I'm going to go off half cocked," explained Gibbs. "Would you have stood for that if it had been mom or me?"
"Leroy do you think I feel happy about being here and not out looking?" asked Jackson, "Do you think you are the only one who's angry, who's hurting, hey, well you are wrong? And as for going off half cocked surely you know where we are coming from or has the lesson already worn off?"
"No Sir," the humbled reply, "good then we can make some head way." Jackson pulled Leroy and Shannon into him and stood holding the two as they wept.
As the sobbing petered out he said, "right are you ready to come in eat and hear what Tom is coming to tell us?"
"Yes Sir," nodded Gibbs, "thanks Dad."
"Son, its ok I understand but I think you should apologize to Shannon too."
Turning to his wife Gibbs pulled her towards him, "God Shan can you forgive me, will you let me try again and do it right this time?"
Smiling weakly she replied, "well I haven't given up on you yet marine and I'm not giving up on finding them."
Holding her tightly and kissing her forehead Gibbs led the way back into the safe house.
AJ presented him with a plate of food, "sit yourself down and eat Gibbs, its not necessarily the best food ever but it's warm."
"Thank you Sir," Gibbs responded, "I've been acting like a bit of n idiot haven't I?"
"Can't say I'd noticed Marine," laughed the Commander.
"I've made you a coffee Mr Gibbs," said the Judge entering the small dining area, "it's probably not as strong as you like it but it's quite passable and has got me through a few tedious trials in the past."
"You didn't have to Judge," smiled Gibbs, "but thank you, are we putting you in a difficult position with regards the case?"
"Let me worry about that," answered the Judge, "I was thinking of it as experiencing family life at the Gibbs residence first hand."
"Not sure you are seeing the best evidence Sir," replied Gibbs.
"Well you let me work that out for myself and you just eat and think about how we are going to get that little boy and Joanne back," advised the Judge.
Tom arrived, the Colonel in tow. "We've got a lead," said Tom, "vehicle was sighted at a gas station out on the US-17 about 20 miles north of here, I've got agents heading there now."
Gibbs didn't wait, he pushed through the crowd, pushed past the marines at the front door and headed to his truck. As he got to the door he felt a hand grab his arm.
"Let me go," he demanded, "I need to be out there, I'm not going to do anything stupid."
"Then let me drive you out there then," said the Colonel maintaining his grip.
"Make room in the back, me and Shannon are coming too," demanded Jackson, opening the door for Shannon to climb in, she had Cottontail with her.
Gibbs looked towards his CO, "I'm sorry sir, about…"
"Stop there Marine, I understand and I will give you a pass on this one, now give me the keys and get in," ordered the Colonel.
The small group arrived at the garage only shortly after NIS had arrived there to get info and look at CCTV. Shannon wandered around the forecourt clutching Cottontail. A small gust of wind blew under the vehicle NIS had arrived in. Shannon saw something roll out from underneath. Picking up the small roll of paper her heart stopped.
"Gibbs," she screamed, he immediately ran to her, "it's Tony's," she said, "it's his speech and woggle."
Gibbs started pacing the forecourt looking for more the others joining him.
"Over here," said Jackson who had wandered off about 200 meters or so down the road, "isn't this Joanne's?"
"It's a trail," proclaimed Gibbs, "running off down the road."
"You don't know that Sir," shouted one of the agents.
"My gut is telling me otherwise," he replied and then to the others, "are you coming?"
….
Back at the barn Percy was getting angrier, it was taking longer than he expected to get the paperwork together to withdraw the money, to finally rid himself of the conman and his kid.
Tony was still staring fixedly ahead, lost still in his other world.
Percy saw the kid and remembered he was going to belt him, he'd get pleasure from that. He picked up the belt and made his way towards him.
"So you thought I'd forgotten had you?" he sneered, "thought you had gotten away with it?"
Tony didn't answer he just shuffled backwards on the mattress. If he was in a corner Percy couldn't get as good a swing. As he shuffled back his hand went through the hole in the mattress and found the cold steel of the gun.
Tony's hand gripped around the pistol grip his fingers hovering near the trigger. As if on auto-pilot he pulled the gun out and pointed it in Percy's direction, closing his eyes tight and gripping the weapon with both hands he pulled the trigger.
