Cherished Agony
While getting her morning coffee an unsuspecting Kate is kidnapped and terrorized. Who is her captor and what does he want? Gibbs and the team work frantically to save her from the imminent danger. Please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of the characters, although I occasionally inhibit Kate's mind in an NCIS role-play. I also think I have some better ideas than DPB.
Chapter 1: Darkness Descends
The bullpen was filled with the usual noises of the morning. The phones were ringing, keyboards were being attacked with vigor and exasperated groans emanated from those trying to catch a breath in between tasks. Kate glanced around the bullpen and found Gibbs behind his desk poring over a case file, Tony on the phone with his newest conquest and McGee messaging back and forth with Abby down in the lab. There was no new case material, so Kate got up to stretch her legs.
"Why don't I go out and get us some coffee?" Kate suggested.
The team considered her offer and they slowly agreed.
"Just be quick about it," Gibbs ordered.
Kate inclined her head and turned on her heel to leave the bullpen. She made sure to take all of her personal belongings so that Tony wouldn't be inclined to pilfer through her things. Kate took the elevator down to the lobby and walked out of the building into the springtime sun. The early morning dewdrops still glistened and coruscated on the lush blades of grass of the NCIS HQ lawn. Kate walked the three blocks down the street to DC Beans. She quickly ordered all of their coffees and walked outside again.
Kate didn't notice the unmarked black van following her down the street. All she noticed was a slight pickup in the breeze and the lone cloud that had suddenly obscured the sun. The sudden change in the atmosphere set the hairs standing on the back of her neck and chilled her a little. Kate shivered and quickly shook off the feeling of foreboding. She picked up her pace a little bit and continued down the quiet street toward NCIS headquarters.
Kate was rounding the second last corner on her way back to NCIS when she heard the opening of a car door. She spun around and barely had time to register what was going on before a cloth covered her mouth and nose and she felt faint. Kate lost consciousness quickly and was dragged into the van. Her captor gently stroked her cheek as they sped away from the scene and off down the highway. Once they reached their chosen destination, Kate's captor carefully picked her up and carried her inside.
Back at NCIS headquarters, Gibbs glanced at his watch yet again. Kate had been gone over an hour for coffee. There were still no new cases, but he needed her there to pick up some of the slack with their paperwork. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Kate's number. The phone rang four times before he was connected to her voicemail. After leaving a harsh voicemail, Gibbs hung up and growled unsatisfactorily. Where the hell was she? If she had gotten caught up somehow she would have called. Gibbs sighed and returned to his paperwork. A few moments later the silence was broken.
"Where's Kate with that coffee?" Tony wondered aloud.
"Maybe she's just taking the road back slower. It's nice outside and the thought of coming back here to this paper work is pretty depressing. I'd be taking my time, too," McGee suggested.
Gibbs looked up and glared at McGee for a long moment. McGee swallowed thickly and averted his eyes.
"Sorry boss," he apologized.
Gibbs thought that McGee was probably on to something, but it still didn't feel right. Kate was a responsible agent. She wouldn't just take an extended break without letting him know, first.
Kate regained consciousness and tried to look around groggily. Her attempts were made in vain which she realized as soon as she opened her eyes. She was blindfolded and, it appeared, that she was also tied to the chair on which she was sitting. She tried to pull herself free and shake the blindfold off, but to no avail. Kate stopped moving completely when she sensed another person in the room. Her captor walked over and crouched down beside her, laying a hand to rest delicately on her shoulder as not to startle her.
"Caitlin, it's good to see you're finally awake. I'm sorry about the blindfold. I will remove it when the time is right. I've restrained you so that you didn't hurt yourself when you regained consciousness and were startled by the change in scenery. Unfortunately you had to be chloroformed. I knew that you wouldn't come quietly. I'm going to untie you now, but I want you to keep the blindfold on," her captor explained.
Kate nodded briskly, grudgingly. Her captor deftly untied the knots that were burning into her wrists and grasped her hands in his. Kate only then realized that she was no longer wearing her jacket. She shivered slightly and took a deep breath as she felt a chill pass over her bare arms. Kate was extremely nervous. Without her sight she didn't know where she was, who she was with or what was happening around her. The chloroform still burned her throat and made everything sound distant. She recognized her captor's voice but couldn't quite place it. Her mind was cloudy from the chloroform and it made her head spin. Her captor held her hands in his and ran a thumb over the raw skin where the rope had burned her flesh. Kate pulled away and tried to reach for her gun. It was no longer in the holster at her hip. She knew it wouldn't be there, but it was a reflexive action. She placed her hands in her lap and willed herself not to scream.
"I'm sorry, Caitlin. I had to take your SIG Sauer so that you wouldn't try anything. Just relax for a moment. I won't hurt you, Caitlin. Slow your racing heart. I know your throat is sore from the chloroform so I've got a glass of water here for you," her captor said softly.
Kate held out her hand and a glass of water was placed there for her. She took a tentative sip before swallowing a few mouthfuls. Her throat felt soothed by the cool fluid. She placed the glass back in her captor's outstretched hand and tried harder still to place the voice. She cleared her throat and broke the terse silence.
"Who are you and where am I?" Kate asked.
"In due time, Caitlin," her captor replied.
"What do you want with me?" She inquired.
"It's nothing personal, Caitlin. I just want to watch agent Gibbs suffer without knowing if you're going to live or die for a while. It will be my revenge for the last time I encountered him, a sort of cherished agony. I thoroughly enjoy seeing agent Gibbs out of control. If you stay calm and follow my orders then I promise that you will remain unharmed and will be returned to agent Gibbs alive and well at the end of this ordeal," he elaborated.
"Could you at least remove the blindfold?" Kate snapped.
"Not quite yet, Caitlin. I will take it off once you've had the chance to calm down and take some of this in," her captor said lightly.
Gibbs sat at his desk and glanced at his watch for the thousandth time. It had been over three hours since Kate had gone to get coffee. Gibbs had tried her cell phone another few times and still hadn't gotten an answer. Her home phone wasn't being picked up, either. Gibbs gave an exasperated sigh and finally decided to take matters into his own hands. Gibbs stood up from his chair and moved to stand directly in front of McGee's desk.
"McGee! I want you to pull up the GPS screen and triangulate on Kate's cell phone the second it turns on. Tony, I want you to go out into the parking lot and check if her car is still here. Go to it!" Gibbs ordered.
In the meantime Gibbs racked his own brain for people who had it in for him or his team members. The only answer he found had already been discounted previously, but there was always a chance that he would come back and get his revenge. Gibbs sighed and headed up to the multiple threat assessment centre to speak with director Morrow.
Tony headed out of the NCIS building after having time to think to himself in the elevator. Gibbs was obviously worried about Kate and Tony had no idea whether it would be a better answer to say Kate's car was still there or not. The last time Gibbs had gotten in this kind of a mood was over Kate, too. It had been when Ari had kidnapped her for information about Marine One. This time, however, Tony doubted that the Hamas terrorist was up to his old tricks. No, this was something more personal. Tony noted that Kate's car was still in its parking space and he headed back upstairs.
Back in the bullpen McGee was still waiting for Kate's cell phone to turn on. The only fault in the logic of the GPS system was that it only worked when there was a working source of power in the corresponding system, such as Kate's phone. They sat around impatiently for a few minutes before Gibbs returned from MTAC.
"What did director Morrow say?" Tony inquired.
"Nothing," Gibbs snapped. "Do we have a location yet?"
"No boss," McGee replied.
"Kate's car is still in the parking lot," Tony replied.
Gibbs blue eyes turned even icier than either of the other agents were used to and the silence was suddenly deafening. At that same moment the shrill cry of the cell phone clipped to Gibbs' belt startled the entire team, less Gibbs himself. The senior agent quickly snatched up the phone and sighed with relief when he saw Kate's number on the display. He swiftly answered with a bark.
"Gibbs," he snarled.
"Hello agent Gibbs, it's good to hear from you again. I know you were probably expecting Caitlin, but she can't come to the phone at the present time. I just thought I would let you know that she's with me and she's alright," the captor said quietly.
"Let me talk to her you bastard," Gibbs instructed.
"I'm afraid not, agent Gibbs," the other man replied.
"I just want proof that she's okay," Gibbs said harshly.
Gibbs heard a sigh on the other end of the line before he heard Kate's voice.
"Gibbs? Listen, I'm fine and I'll be okay. Don't do anything stupid," Kate said hoarsely.
She sounded panicky. Gibbs heard her hyperventilating a little.
"Stay calm, agent Todd. Cooperate with him and try not to piss him off. I'll come and get you soon," Gibbs said lightly.
"I know," Kate replied.
At that moment the phone changed hands again.
"What do you want from me?" Gibbs asked.
"I just want to watch you pace like a caged tiger for a while, agent Gibbs," Kate's captor replied.
Damn it, why did that voice sound so familiar?
"I swear to God that if you hurt her you are going to wish you had never been born," Gibbs growled.
"As long as you listen to what Caitlin told you and don't do anything stupid than I shall have no reason to harm her," the man replied.
Gibbs heard the familiar click as the other man hung up. Gibbs followed suit before letting rip with a volley of well placed curses. So someone had managed to kidnap Kate. Again. What was it with her and bad luck? Gibbs then resolved to keep a guard on her at all times in the future even if he had to do it himself.
Kate heard the end of the conversation and wondered what was to come. Since the drug had worn off she had no idea how long she had been away from the office. It could have been hours, it could have been days. All she knew was that she had to stay alive. Gibbs would come for her, she knew it. He would die for her if the need arose. However, Kate sincerely hoped that wouldn't be the case. A moment later Kate felt her captor's presence beside her once again. He placed a hand on her back and leaned closer to whisper to her.
"Come, Caitlin, I'll take you to another room where you will be more comfortable," he said softly.
Kate allowed herself to be helped up out of the chair and led down a long hallway. Her legs were still weak with the after effects of the chloroform. The two of them turned a corner and Kate was led over to the far side of the room. Her captor helped her settle herself blindly on a plush couch. She felt the pressure on the sofa change as he took a seat beside her.
"Why don't you try to get some rest and sleep off the chloroform? I'll give you something to help you relax," her captor said.
Before Kate could protest she felt a sting as a needle was driven deep into her upper arm and a burning as some kind of a drug was injected into her flesh. Her captor quickly withdrew the needle and lightly brushed a hand over the now reddened skin. Kate felt herself getting sleepy almost immediately.
"Just relax and let the drug take effect. I promise you'll feel better once you wake up. Goodnight and sleep tight, Caitlin," her captor whispered.
Kate tried her best to fight the fog that was beginning to obscure her senses. She shivered slightly as the cool room air settled over her skin and felt a warmth sweep over her as the drug took further effect. Her captor covered her with a soft blanket and stroked her cheek as she was lulled into a deep sleep. Soon Kate had completely lost her resolve to the beckoning darkness as slumber settled into her bones and sprouted roots in her brain. The last thing she felt was a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder from her captor. After that, Kate Todd felt no more.
Kate's captor watched as she was lulled into sleep by the sedative he had given her. It would be easier for her to cope while she slept. He sat by her and watched to ensure that she was protected from the nightmares that would plague her in her sleep. She was beautiful, that was for sure, but he wasn't going to act on any kind of a physical impulse. He respected her as an agent and as a woman. Besides, it wasn't his style. All he wanted was her understanding and her compassion. It would have been easy in their first meeting if she had been able to see past his countenance and into his soul through the kind eyes she was faced with. No, she was too smart for that and he knew it. All he could do was watch her sleep and hope that they could get better acquainted when she finally awoke again. He gently stroked her cheek and ran his hand down her neck. He could feel her pulse drift slowly near her collarbone. She was at peace as she slept.
At the same time, Kate's male counterparts all worried for her safety. They would have worried more, however, if they didn't know that she could handle herself in a hostage situation. She was just as good as any of them would be in her place, maybe even better than some. Gibbs finished his ninth cup of coffee as he continued to stare at the screen, waiting for the GPS to pick up a signal on her cell phone. They had all been too wrapped up in waiting to hear the news before that no one had noticed the location on the screen as the call was made regarding her situation. Now all they could do was wait and hope that the next time they would be able to think more clearly. Only time would tell if Kate was to survive this time or not. After all, there had been some pretty close calls in the past. However, Gibbs promised himself that he would to everything in his power to postpone the inevitable.
Tony paced nervously around the bullpen. He realized that there was no sense in wearing a hole in the floor. His head snapped up as he heard the elevator door open and saw Ducky step out with Abby hot on his heels. The duo walked over to the waiting trio and joined in the looking somber they all partook in.
"Any news about Caitlin?" Ducky asked.
"Nothing since the phone call," Gibbs replied.
"You've got to have some idea who did this. You're Gibbs, after all. You're never completely in the dark about these things," Abby said weakly.
All of the usual humor and effervescence in her voice had been replaced with melancholy and quickly fading hope.
"My only idea can almost surely be discounted. I've already talked to the director and I've got MTAC looking up the whereabouts on our suspect. The last we heard he was stationed out in the Middle East and being accused by Al Qaeda of espionage. Are you getting the hint yet?" Gibbs asked.
"Ari," Ducky and Tony said simultaneously.
"Right in one," Gibbs snapped.
The team all strongly suspected that it was a dead end. After all, if Al Qaeda had gotten a hold of any classified information on Ari then he was most probably either dead or being held in a POW camp somewhere. Besides, after the last time Ari knew not to tangle with Gibbs. The whole team sighed collectively and prayed a silent blessing for Kate. They all hoped that the nightmare would end quickly and happily.
There were only hope and cautious optimism, though.
A.N.: Honestly? I don't know where this idea came from. I have learned, though, that typing is very difficult with two sprained, splinted fingers. I've still managed to finish this! So now tell me, what do you think of the first chapter? Can you guess who our captor is? Please review! Thanks! -Julia-
