Gibbs drove, his foot on the gas pedal as heavy as he dared for a dark night and an unfamiliar road. He just had the sense that time was running out for Tony. They had no real idea of DiNozzo's injuries other than McGee's, "Hurt… bad," and the blood they'd found at the site. A lot of blood, soaking the ground where DiNozzo had sat.

The situation was definitely not good.

Their time… Tony's time was running out. And Gibbs couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault. Leo had been a step ahead of them the entire way, and he didn't like that. Leo had been in control too long, it was time to take the control back.

He headed the car into the night determined to do just that.

His cell phone rang and he pulled it out, flipping it open. "Gibbs."

"Special Agent Gibbs?" The voice on the other end of the line was crisp and professional. "This is Office Stevenson with the DC police. We responded to the call to get someone to Nancy Morgan's house."

"Are you there now?"

"Yes, sir, and I'm afraid that we were too late."

Damn, a step behind, again. It was getting old fast. "What happened?" Gibbs asked tiredly.

"The perp, Leo Morgan, was already here. It seems he took the boy, Benjamin Morgan."

"And his wife?"

"We're with her. She's suffered a minor concussion."

"Stay with her until someone from my office gets there to collect the evidence."

"Will do. Agent Gibbs…"

Gibbs could hear the hesitation in the other's voice, "Yes, officer?"

"The wife is pretty shook up. She's really worried about what the guy will do to the kid."

"We'll get him back, tell her that."

"I will, sir. Thanks." The line went dead.

"Gibbs?" Kate asked, worry in her voice.

"It's Leo, he's already been to Nancy Morgan's."

"And?"

"He took the kid," Gibbs said simply. There was no other way to say it.

They had to work fast if they were going to save Tony's life and get Nancy Morgan her son back.

He clicked the speed dial on his phone. It was answered quickly, as if the person on the other end was waiting for him to call. "It's Abby," she said.

"You at the hospital yet?"

"Just getting there, Gibbs. What's up?"

"I need you to speak with McGee as soon as possible. I need any information that you can get from him. This thing is escalating and we need to get a handle on it."

"Will do, Gibbs. Any word on Tony?"

"You'll know when I do." He knew he was being short with her, but there was only so many times he could say that he didn't know anything. It was an intolerable position and one he was working hard to fix. "Call me when you know something."

"Will do, Gibbs."

"Abby," he thought of something else he wanted her to do.

"Yeah, Gibbs?"

"You got your equipment with you?"

"Never leave home without it."

"Can you triangulate on Leo's phone again?" It was a long shot, but it was one they had to try.

"Before or after I talk to McGee?"

He knew how much she needed to see McGee, to make sure he was alright. He also knew how much it cost her to ask that. It was one of the reasons Abby was part of his team. "I'm sorry, Abby, but before. It might give us the jump we need to find DiNozzo in time." If they were lucky. But luck hadn't been on their side all night, why should he expect it now?

He heard the quick intake of breath on her end and then the simple, "Sure thing, Gibbs, I'll get right on it."

"Send it to Kate's computer if you get anything," he instructed.

"I will, and Gibbs…"

"I'll call you the second I know anything, Abs."

"Thanks, Gibbs."

He flipped the phone and put it away, knowing Abby would do everything in her power to help. He trusted his people to do their jobs, and they trusted him to pull them out of the fire when they fell in.

He hoped he was going to be able to come through for DiNozzo in time.

As Gibbs talked to Abby, Kate balanced the computer on her lap. She worked trying to find any information on Leo Morgan that they could use to help them find the man. And Tony.

… Tony…

She just kept remembering McGee's body. She was afraid that when they finally found Tony all they were going to find was his body, lifeless and cold as McGee's had been.

She just couldn't imagine Tony that way. If there was a word you could use to describe Tony it was alive, alright also infuriating and juvenile, but most definitely alive. He could find something joyful in every situation, whether it was flying in a Gulf Stream to Cuba or figuring out the mystery of crop circles.

And, as irritating as she found him sometimes, she did value his friendship and she'd never trusted a partner more. It was weird that sometimes she wanted to shoot him herself, but she couldn't imagine her life without him in it. As annoying and snarky as he could be, he was also warm and compassionate, a side he rarely showed anyone, but she'd seen it peak out upon occasion.

She flashed on McGee's body as it had been when she first saw it – dead and lifeless. Only this time it wore Tony's face. She took a deep breath, pushing it from her mind, she had a job to do and it wouldn't help them to find Tony and the boy, Ben, if she lost it.

There was a beep and a message from Abby popped up on her screen. Opening it she found the current coordinates for Leo's cell phone. She pulled up the map and discovered they were almost on it. When she looked up, she found they were pulling up in front of a dilapidated, run-down house.

Located far from any sign of civilization, the yard was overgrown with grass and weeds. The road that led to the house wasn't even paved. Gibbs turned off the lights and parked in front of the house. Kate checked her gun quickly before following him out of the car.

"Gibbs," she called out softly.

He turned to her, impatience etched in every line of his body. "What?"

"According to Abby, Leo's here. Or at least his cell phone is."

He nodded curtly. "You take the front, I'll take the back." He strode off around the house, not even waiting for her answer.

Every nerve tingled as she made her way slowly to the door. She felt exposed with no one at her back. That was where Tony was supposed to be. She knocked on the door and announced herself, "NCIS."

The silence was complete. She didn't even hear Gibbs. She knew they needed a warrant to search the house, but she tentatively tried the door. It turned easily in her hand and the door swung open. The stillness inside the house was nearly deafening. She called out again, "NCIS." She took a step inside, listening, her gun at the ready. She told herself she wasn't breaking and entering - technically, the door had been open. This was the kind of logic she'd learned from Tony.

It was still and close inside the house, a layer of dust coated everything. Shining her flashlight around, Kate found a track of footprints in the dust on the floor.

She followed cautiously, the footsteps leading her down a long hallway. It felt claustrophobic, almost like the walls were closing in on her. She kept expecting Leo to jump out at her as she made her way slowly down the hall.

She paused at the doorway into the living room. Taking a deep breath she swept in just as Gibbs entered at the same time from the back. There was one trembling moment while they faced each other, guns leveled at each other.

"Down, Kate," Gibbs instructed, lowering his own gun.

He swept the room with his flashlight and she saw a glint of metal. Sitting in the window was a cell phone.

Gibbs strode over to it, pulling gloves from his pocket and snapping them on. He picked the phone up carefully. From where she stood Kate could see there was a note taped to it. Moving to stand next to him she saw that it read 'better luck next time.'

Kate wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Gibbs growl. He thrust the phone into his pocket and stalked out of the house. Kate hurried after him.

Abby snapped the laptop closed, shoving it back into its case. She'd done what Gibbs had asked her to do, now she was determined to see McGee.

She made her way through the hospital corridors, shuddering at the smell of antiseptic and sickness. No way did she like hospitals. They were too messy, not like her lab where she knew where everything was located, where everything had a place.

It wigged her a little that someone she knew had actually died, but it also intrigued her. Her curious nature was already devising tests she could run on McGee to measure the effect that dying had had on him – once he was recovered, of course. But first she needed to see him, to touch him, to know that he was alive and well.

Then she'd kill him for all the worry he'd caused her.

She saw the number of McGee's room – 412. It looked quiet. There didn't seem to be a lot of activity, just a man standing guard at the door. She nodded at him, flashing her NCIS ID. He waved her in.

She found Ducky sitting at McGee's bedside flipping through a magazine. She approached, a little unsure of herself. It wasn't something she was used to feeling, she liked being in control of everything in her world. She was just never knew what to say to people lying in hospital beds.

Hearing her step, McGee turned fevered eyes toward her. They brightened at the sight of her. "Abby." No sound came forth, but she recognized her name on his lips.

"Hey, McGee, how you doing?" She tried for casual, but it sounded false, even in her own ears.

The bruises around his neck were beginning to form, ugly black and blue, evidence of the violence he'd encountered. His eyes were huge, and his mouth worked with no sound coming out, but she could still understand what he was trying to say, "Tony."

Ducky stood protesting, "Now I must insist that you not exert yourself, dear boy, you could do permanent damage."

McGee's mouth set determinedly and he turned a mutinous look in Abby's direction.

"Ducky, I think he has something to tell us."

He formed words again, and this time Abby couldn't make out the words. She shook her head helplessly.

McGee's eyes searched the room wildly, trying to find some way to communicate with them. His glance fell on her computer case and he reached for it. Immediately understanding what he wanted, Abby pulled it from its case. Opening it, she booted it up before turning it where he could work on it.

Even as drugged and out of it as he was, McGee's fingers flew across the keys, pulling up screens as he worked quickly. His mouth kept working, saying something she couldn't make out, the same thing over and over again.

She leaned in to try and get a sense for what had him so worked up. Finally she was able to make out, "Father and sons.' He kept repeating it over and over again. Like it was something important that he couldn't forget.

She looked over at Ducky and he just shrugged, apperantlyas mystified as she was.

Abby and Ducky just watched as McGee worked, his eyes narrowed in concentration, his breathing erratic. Abby didn't know if the beeps from the machine McGee was hooked up to were good or bad. But when a nurse came in to see what was happening her eyes widened and she left at a run.

The three in the room just ignored her.

Then McGee must have found whatever it was he was searching for, he looked up at Abby and Duckytapping on the the screen. Abby leaned in over his shoulder reading what was printed there. She whipped out her cell to call Gibbs as McGee slumped back in his bed, completely exhausted.

I just wanted you all to know that I am making note of your questions, you have some great ones, and I promise I will try to answer them all in the course of the story ;-)

Thanks for taking the time to share your questions and your comments. You're all helping to make this a better story!