A Son for a Son

Chapter eight

"Oh God please … no more … no more!"

The pain was unbearable but Tony was determined not to give the man what he wanted. He would not call for Gibbs.

Dawson kept hitting Tony with jolt after jolt, each one stronger then the last. Finally Tony cracked; he couldn't take it any longer.

"Gibbs! ... Gibbs! Oh God!..." As Tony cried out a sob escaped from his mouth. The man had finally broken him. Tony was disappointed in himself; he should have been able to hold out. Bitter tears of frustration ran down his face. He had failed and the man had won.

Dawson smiled. Gibbs's teammate calling out for him was sure to put a knife right through his heart. He walked over to Tony and punched him twice in the stomach as an added bonus to the tape. Tony gasped as he felt like all the air had been knocked out of his lungs. He hung there gasping for air, praying the man wouldn't put the tape back over his mouth. He knew if he did, he would suffocate. But instead Dawson suddenly pulled out a gun and put it at Tony's head then pressed a remote control button he held in his hand shutting down the video portion of the tape but leaving the audio on. All the tape caught was the sound of the gunshot.

NCIS Early Tuesday morning

Gibbs was once more on the phone with the police department when another e mail popped on his screen. He swallowed hard, Tony had been taken sometime Saturday night and Gibbs had no idea how long this man was going to play with him before he killed him. He called Kate and McGee into his office.

"I got another one." Gibbs said his voice void of emotion. They could tell Tony's kidnapping was taking a toll on him.

Kate and McGee glanced at each other, both relieved that Gibbs hadn't called them in to tell them that Tony had been found dead. As relieved as they were, both of them dreaded seeing the video.

Gibbs clicked on the e mail and the words Soon he will die came on the screen. He clicked on the attachment and they watched in horror as Tony was shocked over and over, his body convulsing with each jolt. They then watched as the man walked over to Tony and whispered something that they couldn't hear and Tony's reaction, first 'Forget it' then 'Go to Hell'. All three of them shut their eyes briefly and winced in sympathy as Tony cried out begging his tormentor to stop. When he finally screamed out for Gibbs, Kate and McGee automatically looked at Gibbs worried how he might react. He showed no outward sign of emotion, but they both noticed his eyes seemed to glaze over as if he was lost in his own misery and thoughts. When the gunshot ended the video, Kate had to steady herself against Gibbs's desk.

"Oh my God! He shot him! He shot Tony!" She could barely get the words out and didn't even try to hide the tears that streamed down her face. McGee instinctively pulled her into a hug, his own eyes tearing up as he stared at the blank screen in shock, each thinking they had just witnessed Tony's execution. Gibbs sat in front of the computer his eyes now closed. He took a deep breath then opened them a few seconds later.

"He didn't shoot Tony."

"What!" Kate looked at him in disbelief. "We saw it Gibbs…."

"We saw nothing Kate. This jerk gets his rocks off showing us him torturing Tony. If he had killed Tony he would have shown it. Tony is still alive."

Just then another agent appeared at his office.

"Excuse me Sir." He said to Gibbs then looked at Kate. "Kate, the courthouse is on the phone."

"Transfer the call over here." Gibbs ordered.

"Oh please let them give us something to go on." Kate said as she waited for the call. When it rang she grabbed it.

"Hello … yes …yes… " She looked back and forth between Gibbs and McGee a look of shock on her face. "Are you sure? …Okay…thank you."

Kate looked up at Gibbs in disbelief.

"Dawson … Milton Dawson is Michael's biological father."

"The son of a bitch was right under our noses!" Gibbs started heading for the door. "Kate you're with me. McGee keep working on breaking through his security. You break through, you call me."

"Right Boss."

They got Dawson's address and sped toward his house.

Warehouse

Tony kept fighting to stay in some kind of control. He knew if he gave into the panic he was feeling he would lose it completely. He was now shivering violently, both from the pain and the fear of what ever was next. Plus trying to breathe was getting more and more difficult with each passing moment.

Dawson once more set up the camera and turned it on.

"Just tell me why … why are you doing this? … Please, I just need to know why?" Tony said through bloody lips. He tried to shift his position a little and his whole body screamed out in agony. From all the pain he was having in his side he was pretty sure a rib or two were broken, and he was positive his shoulder was dislocated. He dreaded what ever the man had in store for him next.

"You need to die for Gibbs's sins." He spoke, not worrying any longer about the camera picking up his voice. He knew they would be onto him soon anyway, but by the time they were he'd be on his way to Canada.

Tony was glad the man at least was talking to him.

"Why? What did he do to you?" Tony hoped to keep the man talking, maybe he could establish some kind of relationship with him.

Dawson thought for a second then decided Tony would be dead in a few hours so what harm would it do to tell him.

"He killed my son."

"You're son? ... But I'm not Gibbs's son, why did you grab me?
"You're the next best thing to a son he has."

Tony gave a little laugh and flashed a brief smile.

"The next best thing? … I'm not even sure if Gibbs likes me … I'm sorry but I think you picked the wrong guy." Something about the man's voice sounded so familiar. Where had he heard it before?

As Dawson talked he walked over and picked up a suitcase in the corner of the room. Might as well get this over with. He opened it, then carefully began assembling the contents of it, a small stick of dynamite, wires and a small clock. No Tony, I didn't pick the wrong man.

TBC