He had escaped from the Iraqis twice. He thought he had gained his freedom twice, each time only to be recaptured and brought back to his hellish prison. They'd done it to break him, destroy his hope. In the end they did it just to toy with him because he had no information that was useful to them.
It was ironic, but in the end his rescue had come from his own military, a military that thought him dead. He'd finally been able to escape when his prison had been hit in the most recent bombings by the US as they looked for Al Qaeda.
He'd barely dared to hope that it was true, that he had somehow escaped when his captors lay dead around him, sprawled lifeless in the ruins of his prison. It had been nearly a day before he could actually bring himself to crawl out of the rubble and stumble away. No one had questioned him, no one had seen him, as he left his own personal hell behind.
Now his only goal in life was to make those people pay who had stolen his life from him. His Iraqi captors were dead, Jethro Gibbs would be next and then Thompson and Miller – his so-called teammates who had left him for dead.
Right now, this moment, it was DiNozzo's turn. DiNozzo who thought he could steal Ben from him.
He'd left the gun where the other man would be sure to find it. Conducting a test of his own. He'd been curious as to whether Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo would try to escape; or, upon finding his gun, would he stay and try to play the hero and take his captor out himself?
The door opened further and Morgan could see a shape in the doorway. He saw Ben slip past onto the porch and begin sweeping at the floor haphazardly with something wadded up in his hand. "Damn." Somehow they'd seen his parting gift for DiNozzo, a lesson on the foolhardiness of escape.
He watched as the man took one halting step and then another, following in Ben's wake. He could tell by the absolute stillness in the way the agent held his body when he stepped on a stray piece of glass.
Leo felt grim satisfaction knowing that he was causing the other man's pain; even if it was only a physical pain, quickly past. It wasn't the soul deep pain that tore at Leo's soul. The pain that came from loosing everything he ever loved.
Another step, another piece of glass found, and another. Then they were off the porch and headed to the car.
DiNozzo stumbled and would have fallen if Ben hadn't been there to provide an anchor. Morgan felt hate sear him at the sight of the man with his hand on Ben's shoulder – his son's shoulder, knowing that Ben was choosing to go with a stranger over staying his own father.
Oh, yes, DiNozzo would pay. Leo looked forward to making him pay, slowly and painfully.
He didn't really blame Ben, though. The kid had only known he'd had a father for a few hours now. Even less to actually get to know him. It wasn't nearly long enough to see that the things he'd been told all of his life weren't true.
Leo just needed the opportunity to let the boy get to know him, to show him that all the things he'd been told weren't true. They'd have plenty of time for that soon enough. For now, he watched as the car pulled away with his son in it.
Leo did reluctantly admire the tenacity of the other man. To be able to drive with those cuts on his feet, shit, it had to be painful. The car fishtailed a little as DiNozzo gunned it a little too hard in the gravel. He barely slowed as the car disappeared into the night.
They wouldn't be getting far though, not in that car.
Leo finished setting the perimeter before he took off after the car. There was no need to hurry. He knew where they were going; there was only one road to the cabin, and the car would be out of brake fluid long before they hit the main road.
Leo looked forward to seeing DiNozzo's face when he realized that he'd been had. When the car went out of control and he found himself back at the cabin, a little more battered, a little more beaten. That's the way his own captors had broken him. Taking away his hope a little at a time until there was nothing left but hate and rage.
Once he was done with DiNozzo, maybe he'd take the pretty agent next – Caitlynn Todd. He'd been in Iraq a long time, it'd been a long time since he'd even seen a women. Yeah, Todd would be a good choice next. That would really cause Gibbs to suffer, to think about what Morgan might be doing to the female agent. Oh, yeah, he smiled in pleasure at the thought.
The night lit up around him when the cabin blew. The concussion knocked him flat and he lay there on the ground stunned. Shit! He cursed his own stupidity. How had he not seen that he'd just left all the tools and supplies necessary for DiNozzo to construct a bomb?
Obviously he'd miscalculated badly, thinking all the other man would have on his mind was escape. Debris rained down around him, flaming remnants of all that was left of the cabin littering the ground around him.
He gritted his teeth as he stood -time to retrieve DiNozzo, time for payback. He knew lots of painful ways to make theother manpay. He was going to die by bits and pieces, his life slowly bleeding away.
Setting off down the road at a trot, he found the place where the car had finally ran out of brake fluid and careened out of control off the road. He followed the trampled underbrush until he found the ruined car where it came to an abrupt halt when it crashed into a tree.
Everything was quiet, but he was still careful when he approached the car. He'd given DiNozzo his gun back after all. He couldn't believe it when he found the car empty, abandoned. There was no sign of life anywhere.
He found the tracks of the other vehicle that must have taken DiNozzo and Ben away.
Although he didn't have any proof, he knew that it was Gibbs in that other car. Somehow he'd found out about the cabin and arrived in time to take DiNozzo and Ben away.
Leo was alone again.
He'd miscalculated badly this round. It wouldn't happen again.
Kate winced at every pothole they hit, every jar that caused the car to bounce. There wasn't a sound in the car as Gibbs' drove. With his head on her shoulder, Kate just concentrated on holding Tony so that he was cushioned against the bumps and jars of the car as they drove down the uneven, unpaved road. She could feel his heart beating against the hand she had clasped against his chest, holding him steady.
From where she sat, she could see that her partner was covered in blood, it's metallic odor filled the backseat with its coppery stench. So much blood, it was everywhere, she felt like she was covered in Tony's blood, too.
She knew that he was out of it, but she still tightened her arms around him as Gibbs gunned the engine and the car fishtailed in the gravel as they picked up speed. She understood the need for urgency in the situation. They had to get Tony to a hospital and quick. They'd rescued him, but if they didn't get him to medical help soon, he'd still be just as dead.
She knew that their ordeal wasn't over, but she felt a huge load lift from her now that he was back with them. It was the not-knowing where he was, what was happening to him, that had weighed against her.
Now she held the reality in her arms, now he was her responsibility to keep safe. It was an unreal feeling to know that Tony was so helpless. She was used to him taking the lead, sometimes it was almost a competition between them.
It occurred to her that it could have been she and McGee in that SUV when it went over that ravine. Would she have been able to do as well at keeping herself and her partner alive if their positions had been reversed? She wanted to think so, but she just didn't know.
Sure, she'd been in a hostage situation when she, Ducky and Gerald had been held by a terrorist at gun point. But she hadn't been able to use the knife against the dirt bag that had held them hostage. It still haunted her dreams.
Tony stirred in her arms, moaning softly, mumbling, "Gotta keep going, can't stop..."
She'd heard the comment about his feet, had a quick glimpse of the damage to them. How he'd continued walking on them she didn't know. Of course, DiNozzo was stubborn, it was one of his more irritating traits. And one of his most endearing.
She vowed silently that Leo Morgan was going to have to come through her to get to Tony. There was no way he was going to be allowed to hurt her partner again. It didn't matter how obnoxious he might be, how juvenile and petty at times, she knew a Tony few other people saw. She would fight to protect him with her own life.
She could feel him shivering in her arms. Shock and blood loss were taking their toll on top of everything else he had suffered during the night. They had to get him to a hospital and quick.
"Gibbs?" Just the single word held all of her concern and worry.
"I know, Kate, I'm going as fast as I can on this damn road. Is the ambulance going to meet us?"
"As soon as we hit the main road," she assured him.
She felt the car fishtail again. She hoped they would make it to the hospital without Gibbs killing them all. She tightened her hold just a little more so that she could keep Tony safe.
Thanks so much to all of you who continue to offer your feedback and your support. It's very much appreciated.