Chapter 23

Levi woke up, feeling as rested as he ever did. He knew that Tamara thought he was overdoing it, but the fact that he could wake up and feel pretty good told him that he was at his limits, not exceeding them.

And it was morning and time to get to work. He sat up and saw that Tamara was already awake. No big surprise there. Quickly, he got out of bed and got ready for the day.

As he walked to the kitchen, he got his first surprise of the day.

"Ray Cruz. What brings you to my kitchen table?" Levi asked.

Ray looked up from the newspaper he'd been reading.

"You, actually. You're the one who wanted me to come, Carew. I needed a place to stay the night once I got here. If you didn't want to risk me dropping in, you shouldn't have asked for my help."

Levi smiled. "Point taken. Are you going to want to tag along when I go to NCIS?"

There was a moment of pain in Ray's eyes, which was why Levi had asked. He wanted to know how recovered Ray was, without having to ask the question.

Not completely.

"No."

"Any thoughts so far?"

"How widely do you want my current status to be known?" Ray asked.

"How widely do you want your current status to be known?"

"Doesn't matter what I want. My status could pose problems for the CIA given that I'm supposed to be dead."

"Only if they remember you."

"Your daughter did."

"Bri has a very good memory. I doubt there's any reason to expect most people to know you."

"Just tell me, Carew. Anything specific you want?"

"Beyond a definite location? No. But this group must exist and somewhere they've got to be talking about it, even just in whispers."

"You want me to look for that? Okay. Can I keep sleeping here?"

"As long as you don't bring anyone home," Levi said.

"Understood."

Ray looked at his watch and then finished off the cup of coffee he'd been sipping from and stood up. He looked over at Tamara who had simply been watching.

"Thank you for your hospitality, ma'am."

"My pleasure, Ray."

Ray nodded and then left the kitchen. A minute later, the front door opened and closed, signaling that Ray had left.

Tamara sat down.

"What was that about, Levi?" she asked.

"Which part?" Levi asked.

"Something you said really bothered him."

"Oh. Yes. That's why I asked the question. To see if it still bothered him."

"What?"

"He used to be in a relationship with Ziva David on Tim's team."

"What happened?"

"He destroyed his life," Levi said, bluntly.

"Like you?" Tamara asked, pointedly.

Levi smiled a little. "No. I did it deliberately. I knew what I was losing. He didn't realize he'd done it until it was in ruins, and there was no way to fix it. ...and he did something I've never done."

"What?"

"I'm not sharing that, Tamara. Some things shouldn't be shared by anyone other than the one whose story it is. Do you want me to get my breakfast?"

Tamara looked at him for a long moment and then she shook her head.

"No. You won't eat enough if you get it yourself. Besides, you still need to wait for Bri."

Levi knew that Tamara wanted to ask for details. He knew that she wanted to push him, but none of those things were said. Tamara just went over to the fridge and got out the eggs. Levi sat for a moment but then, he got up and got out the plates. He brought them over to the table and then sat down to set them out.

He ate breakfast with Tamara and Bri, but his mind was already back on the task at hand.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tim sat, staring blankly at the screen for a while. It was getting harder to focus. The less sleep he got, the worst it got, but he avoided the nightmares that seemed to be plaguing him every time he closed his eyes.

In his mind, he kept running over and over what he'd done. Would the message be clear enough for anyone to figure it out? Would they believe it? Would they figure it out and move in too quickly, leading to everyone's deaths? Would his captors realize what he'd done? Would they see that he'd once again started putting the kill switch in his program, just in case the worst happened? Every morning when he logged in, he reset it, but if he didn't do that, within another day, the program would release a virus that would destroy it. They wouldn't get it, even if they killed him.

But what if?

The possibilities were eating him up inside, and it was definitely interfering with his ability to focus.

"Get back to work."

He didn't even react. He just kept staring at the monitor.

A rough hand grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him.

"You hear me? I said get back to work!"

And there was a minor crack. It wasn't a complete meltdown, but it was the first harbinger of it. Tim grabbed the hand on his shoulder, wrenched it away and then surged to his feet and punched his guard right in the face.

Unfortunately, it wasn't hard enough to do anything but surprise and enrage him. He pulled his gun and pointed it right at Tim. The safety was off.

"Please, kill me right now," Tim said. "I'd rather be dead than keep doing this. Just kill me."

"Don't kill him."

Tim was breathing heavily as the guard spun around to confront one of his captors.

"He hit me!"

"And you're fine. Unless you can do what he's doing, you will not kill him. For now, his life is worth a lot more than yours."

The guard turned back to Tim, and Tim knew that if a punishment could be given, he'd get it.

He didn't care. He felt the same loathing for his guard as his guard felt for him at this moment. He was glad of it.

"Agent McGee, you haven't made much progress today."

"No, I haven't. Now what?"

"Now, you make some progress."

Tim laughed bitterly.

"Yes, I know."

His captor left the room. Tim stared at his guard for a moment and then sat down again. He was wary, though. He didn't trust that nothing more would happen.

And he was right.

Suddenly, his guard wrapped his arm around Tim's throat and squeezed tightly.

"When they don't need you, you're dead, and I'll be the one to kill you."

He let go after only a few seconds, but Tim knew he meant it.

"When I get free, I'll kill you and spit on your bloody corpse," Tim whispered, rubbing at his throat. "Then, if there's anything to bury, I'll dance on your grave."

"Get back to work."

At least, Tim knew that he could out-threaten his guard. He was much more eloquent, even in this state.

Tim stared at the computer again. Where would he pretend to put his efforts now?

And how long could he stave off the breakdown that he knew would come if he didn't escape?

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Any hits on the BOLO?" Gibbs asked as he walked in.

"Nothing, but I think there might be something coming soon, Gibbs," Ziva said.

"Why?"

"Because Cynthia came out and looked down at us for a moment."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"She came out of the office, looked down at us and then went back to the office," Tony said. "Didn't say a word."

"Anyone been in today?"

"No. Not even Carew," Ziva said.

"Don't say that. Then, he'll show up!" Tony said.

And sure enough, as if it had been a summons, the elevator doors opened and Levi came out, with Bri as his shadow like usual.

"Good morning, Agent Gibbs. What would you like me to be doing today?" Levi asked.

Gibbs thought about it. What would actually be useful while keeping him out of the way?

"How often have you planned rescue missions?" he asked, ignoring the surprised looks from Tony and Ziva.

"Quite often in the past. None at all recently," Levi said.

"Director Morgan doesn't seem to feel it's a good idea to make rescue plans before knowing the specifics. He wants to keep things general until we have a definite location. Is he right?"

Levi raised an eyebrow. "To an extent."

"What extent?"

"Roy is much more cautious than I ever was. He wants all his ducks in a row, and that works well for him. He plans things out and keeps himself focused on the job. That's his personality and working within what is best for you will more likely lead to success than trying to be something else. I was always much more willing to take a leap. Look at the evidence, make a decision and implement it without much more consideration."

"Like driving out into the middle of the desert because there were clouds?" Gibbs asked.

Levi actually smiled a real smile.

"Yes. Just like that. I could easily have been wrong. Fatally wrong. Roy would never make that decision. He doesn't want to have to live with being wrong in a way that could be fatal. I'm willing to take the risk."

"Would you be willing to start working with what little we know already?"

"How little?"

"A message from Tim. Originally in binary. Sent to the CIA."

Levi's brow furrowed. "What part of the CIA?"

"Does it matter?"

"It might."

"Director Morgan wouldn't say. In fact, he specifically said that we were not to ask questions about it."

To Gibbs' surprise, that also brought a smile to Levi's face.

"Ah. I know where. And no, I won't tell you, either. It's not germaine to the situation except that it tells me that Bill Joyce must be in on the message to some degree. It's not where Tim would think to go."

"And?"

Levi raised an eyebrow, but it was Bri who answered.

"Bill doesn't usually get involved unless there's something in it for him," she said. "He'd throw in with their captors if he thought it would help him. That he's helping Tim shows that he's decided it's better odds to let Tim get them out if he can. Their captors have made a huge mistake in dealing with him because they didn't think about how best to handle a complete opportunist."

"Would Director Morgan have known that and not told us?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Levi said. "He doesn't know Bill as well as I do. It's possible both ways. But if you'd like me to start on a plan, then, give me the message and let me get going."

Gibbs nodded. He looked at Tony who stifled a sigh and stood up.

"This way," he said, almost managing not to sound dreary.

Then, they left, and Ziva got up.

"Gibbs, Agent Andrews is coming here to work with us on the general plans," she said.

"I know. You go with him and get started."

"Is it not just duplicating our efforts instead of combining them?"

"No. Because Carew doesn't think the way these CIA guys think and he'll go a different route if he has the chance to do it."

Ziva smiled just slightly. "He would do that anyway."

"I don't know if he would when it's the CIA itself," Gibbs said. "Only if he knew for sure his idea was better. Without that, he'll just give the ideas no matter what. When we get the location, it will be easier to judge what will work better."

"Very well."

Then, Gibbs smiled a little himself. "And it gets him out of the way."

Ziva did laugh at that and went back to her desk.

Andrews came about ten minutes later and Ziva led him and a couple of other agents to a conference room. Once they were gone, Gibbs let himself consider what was happening. Ziva was right to a certain extent, of course. However, there was a degree of curiosity to see just how differently the CIA agents thought to how he thought. When there were no rules to restrain what he decided to do, what would he do?

But then, there was whatever message Cynthia had been silently conveying. Could the FBI have found them already? Would it really be that fast? For not the first time, Gibbs regretted that Fornell had decided to retire. Yes, he could call on Sacks, but he didn't have the same kind of connection. Really, Tony could...if he wanted to. So far, he didn't want to, though.

That meant Gibbs was stuck waiting for news.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Ray was sitting on a bench in Chantilly, Virginia, staring at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) building. He had debated taking this step, but he decided that it was worth doing. It was always possible that something would come of it.

The person he was waiting for came out of the building. As she got closer, she glanced at him and started to move on.

Then, she stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face him.

"Ray," she said.

"Hi, Lucia."

She stood where she was without moving.

"You were dead."

"Most days, I wish I was," he said.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hoping for your help."

"To do what?"

"Find out about any movements by people affiliated with domestic terror groups."

"Why?"

"To find Tim McGee."

Another pause.

"You know about it?" Ray asked.

"I do. Why do you?"

"Because I was told. Can you help?"

"Maybe. Official?"

Ray smiled sardonically.

"I'm dead, Lucia. What do you think?"

"What have you been doing?"

"Being a ghost."

Lucia looked at him with some irritation, but Ray had no interest in explaining the wreck of his life, not even to her.

There was some hesitation.

"Does Ziva know?"

"Yeah."

Lucia nodded and then sighed.

"Okay, Ray. Why me?"

"Because I thought you might be willing to help out someone who deserves to be dead."

Lucia reached out as if she was going to comfort him but then she stopped.

"Let's go."

They walked together into the NRO headquarters.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tony was impressed in spite of himself as he watched Bri and Levi working on what could be the layout of wherever Tim was being held. They had paper and pencils and they were actually sketching out possible arrangements.

"North and west of here," Levi said, musing. "A large house and an open yard. Bars on the window... that indicates isolation. Unless he meant bars on every window, but a large open yard, big enough that it's worth mentioning would have to mean out in the country. An abandoned house or is this a group that has extremely wealthy members?"

"Does that part really matter, though?" Tony asked. He hadn't really planned on participating, only listening.

"It could. Everything could matter," Levi said.

"Yeah, but as far as figuring out how to get into this place, unless that means a fenced-in estate, does it matter?"

"Why do you think it doesn't?" Levi asked.

"Because, unless you're thinking about how to deal with this entire group, the only thing we need to know is whether or not we can get into the property, whatever it's like. If you're willing to throw caution to the winds and..."

"Who said I am?"

"You said that you don't bother with worrying about whether or not what you're doing is a mistake."

"That's not the same thing as throwing caution to the winds, Agent DiNozzo," Levi said. "It's just that I don't sit around dithering about whether or not my choice is the right one. I won't know until I try it. And I'll put my own life on the line to find out."

"Will you?" Tony asked, skeptically.

"Are you suggesting that I won't be present when the rescue takes place?"

"What good would you be if you can't walk a block without needing a rest afterward?"

Levi's smile was bitter.

"Agent DiNozzo, do not mistake my weakness for a lack of ability. While I agree that going into the house to get Tim out will not be an option, I will most certainly be there. You can tell Agent Gibbs that if he tries to leave me out of it, I will still be there."

"How will you know?"

Then, there was a smile, and Tony couldn't explain how it was dangerous, but it was dangerous. Levi's body might be weak, but his mind was as sharp as it ever was, and he was still someone with the potential to cause damage. To whom and how was in question, but for the first time, Tony was actually taking the time to evaluate, and Levi was still someone who could be dangerous.

"I'll know."

There was a dangerous pause. Then, the moment passed and while his expression hadn't really changed, Levi was no longer dangerous. Tony couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if someone tried to physically attack Levi in that dangerous moment.

"Now, that we've got that out of the way, I agree that it may not be a necessity to know but your suggestion of a fenced estate could be a valid concern. We will simply have to be prepared for that. If it's a real fence, a simple hacksaw will be enough. It will be quiet and is easy to transport. If it's vinyl, it's even easier. Depending on the nature of the fence, it could be scaled, but we don't want to depend on that if it's not necessary. If there are any injuries or if they're better prepared for invasion than I think they will be, we may need to retreat in a hurry and scaling a fence would slow us up, perhaps fatally."

"There's a bigger problem than getting in, you know," Tony said, barely noticing that he was sitting down right beside Levi and Bri to point at their current diagram.

"What's that?" Bri asked.

"If we can't get to the house easily, how are we going to signal to Tim that we're there to get him?"

"A very good point, Agent DiNozzo," Levi said. "Let's see what we can come up with."

Tony leaned forward and looked at the current layout. Was it right? Probably not, but did it matter? No. The issue at hand could be an issue regardless. This would give them a chance to figure things out.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"I thought that there would be more than just you in on this planning, Agent David," Andrews said.

Ziva smiled. "As did I, but there were other things that came up."

"Such as Levi Carew?" Andrews suggested with a slightly smile.

Ziva was surprised.

"Oh, come on. I know he's here. He's probably been here every day since Agent McGee went missing. It's no big secret that he takes Agent McGee's security very seriously. As I do."

Ziva raised an eyebrow just slightly.

"Agent David, I guess you might have forgotten, but I was part of his protection detail when he was taken to the Empty Quarter. I watched Agent Banta get killed and I've never forgotten it. Geoff knew that protecting Agent McGee was more important than his own life, and I've remembered what he was willing to give up...and what he did give up. Which was everything. I can tell you which star on the wall of CIA headquarters is his. If I can help get Agent McGee back, then, I will."

"I am sorry. I had forgotten," Ziva said, honestly.

"Easy to do. I was a lot younger," Andrews said. His smile was definitely different than it had been when he was a new agent. He'd seen a lot in his years in the CIA. Ziva understood that kind of change.

"Andrews, if Carew is here, why are we doing this separately?" one of the other agents asked. (None of them had identified themselves...which was an identification of sorts all its own.)

"Because we're working differently than he is," Andrews said. "Now, I'm thinking that there's little point to having a huge team when we go in."

"Unless they have more defenses than we might think they do," Ziva said. "I would think that having a fair number ready to move in but hanging back until we need them would be better than having only a few and wishing we had more."

"True. I wish we had a location. I don't like working blind on things like this. Can't change it, but I don't like it."

"What kind of weaponry do you think will be needed?" Ziva asked.

"I don't think anything beyond the usual will be necessary," another agent said.

"Unless we want some kind of tear gas or smoke bombs to hide our movements."

Andrews nodded.

"Getting him out of a place with wide open spaces around is going to be difficult. If we have to get close to the house, whoever goes will be much more likely to be killed. I don't like sending people in to die."

"Tim does not like that, either."

"I know. He told me, and I believe him. But getting him and Bill Joyce out of the hands of these people is more important than our lives."

"What about Curtis Jacobs? Are you not worried about him as well?" Ziva asked, curious to know what he'd say.

To her surprise, the agents all smiled.

"If Agent McGee is getting himself and Bill out, then, he'll get Curtis out. Curtis is safe if Agent McGee is safe," Andrews said. "He wouldn't sacrifice Curtis to save himself. Now, if it was only Bill, then, yeah, we'd be worried, but saving Agent McGee means that we're saving Curtis, too."

Ziva was surprised to see how confident these men who barely knew Tim were about what he would do and how he would operate. Tim had made a positive impression on those who protected him.

Hopefully, that could continue.

They continued to plan for the hope that a location would be found.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

There was nothing for another day.

Then, suddenly, a new message popped up.

It wasn't encoded, but it was so slowly sent that it was only the fact that they were hoping for another message that it was even caught.

Only three words. It was planted letter by letter over the course of a day causing the entire NRO to stop what they were doing and try to find the full message.

As the other two messages had begun, this one started with SOS.

But the other two words were concerning to those who knew Tim well.

After twelve hours of single letters, they had the two words.

B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G D-O-W-N