Chapter Eighteen

She lifted her chin to meet his eyes defiantly, but shivered inwardly as he passed them over her. Yes, his eyes were kind. Looking at her as if she was a long-lost friend he was being reunited with.

Kate watched him closely. His eyes flickered and met her own for a split second, then focused on her throat. She felt his gaze on the silver pendant that lay on a chain around her neck, and she saw him frown.

"Are you mocking me, Caitlyn?" he asked, his voice almost silk-like, as he stood mesmerized by the jewelry. Kate covered the butterfly pendant with her hand. His one bete noir.

"You have not spoken to me yet, Caitlyn. I have missed your delightful company."

"Perhaps you will get much more of it." She spoke with a half-earnest smile.

"Oh, I mean to. I can't trust you with my men, Caitlyn. I'm afraid you are smarter than them."

"Is that why you've so often failed in getting what you want from me?"

Haswari smiled, in an annoyed way, like an adult to a small child who wants attention. He moved his head closer to her face, until she could feel his breath. "It's not what I want from you. Its what I want to do to you to get what I want from Gibbs."

"You aren't getting anything about Gibbs from me—he's a closed book."

"Mmm. A typical Marine, yes? Which reminds me, I need to wish Gibbs a happy birthday of the Marine Corps. Semper Fi! A great, strong motto. Much like one I have. Except," and he drew back from her, and took her arm, "My goal is very different." He led her towards the entrance.

Kate laughed scornfully. " 'To fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean'? I can't compare you to the Corps, Ari—especially on the honor part."

His jaw tightened in anger, but it was the only sign of impatience on his otherwise calm, collected face.

"Well, Caitlyn. I think I'm going to keep you for awhile. I admire your spirit. Maybe some will rub off onto my men, hmm?" and he patted his "man" roughly on the head, led Kate in, and closed the door behind them.

………………………….

"So they think you are dead?" Ari asked, pouring some steaming coffee in a mug and handing it to Kate. She stared into it suspiciously. He took it out of her hands, took a sip, and handed it back to her reassuringly.

"Yes." She warmed her hands on the glass sides of the mug.

"Very clever. You pulled that off extremely well. And what of Agent Dinozzo?

"What about Tony?" Kate asked, heart beating wildly. The terrorist wasn't out to get him, too, was he?

"Well, is he mourning you? Or is he too busy with his 'social life'?"

Kate winced. Haswari definitely knew how to get to people. The man continued "I have talked to your boss. He seems particularly devastated. And you r family—don't you have several young nieces and nephews whom, I'm sure, miss you terribly?"

"Do you know everything about me?" Kate answered grudgingly.

"Oh, no. Not yet. I do want to know one something."

"What's that?"

"Why are you here?"

Kate smiled brightly. "Because you're 'incompetent' men brought me here."

"Why did you want to meet in the first place?"

"I brought you information."

Kate closed her eyes, for a moment, silently praying that this wasn't about to be the worse mistake of her life.

………….

Back in Alexandria, Special Agent Eric Bradsahw cuffed the surviving men, and looked at the dead bodies. A few of his own men lay, but the majority of them were Haswari's men.

Then he realized something. In the commotion he was focused on one thing—to apprehend the terrorists. But now, his mind drifted to the real reason why they had come to this place.

Where was Kate?

He whirled around, eyes watching and heart hoping that she would step forward, safely having hidden herself in some shelter. But his heart couldn't deceive his mind. She wasn't there. They couldn't have taken her…..could they?

He knew they had. The worse fears had come true, and he didn't know what to do now.

Eric grabbed an agent next to him. "Agent Forbes, is there any sign of 8-2-8?"

"No, sir." The agent shook his prisoner roughly. "Let's get them back to headquarters and see if we can get something out of them, sir?"

Bradshaw nodded at him, and headed for his sedan. "You head up everything, Forbes. I want them under the highest security possible. I'll be along later—I've got something to take care of first."

Within the hour, Bradshaw pulled into the paved driveway of a small, split foyer house. He didn't recognize the car that was parked in front of the house, but then there was a lot he had yet to figure out about his boss. Eric's sharp rap was answered by the housekeeper—which meant Fornell was once again in between wives.

"Agent Bradshaw, ma'am. " he flashed his badge. "Is Special Agent Fornell here?"

"He's with some company."

"It's important; I'll wait here."

………………………………….

Timothy McGee's initial shock wore off quicker than that of his boss and teammate. Maybe it was the fact that all along, he had felt this. Maybe he had convinced himself it was true, despite the other two's unbelief.

He watched Gibbs and Dinozzo's reactions carefully. Gibbs, surprisingly, showed more emotion than the younger agent. The boss had turned white—either in rage, or something unidentifiable, Tim mused. Tony, on the other hand, remained set, his face stony. Perhaps he was just paralyzed with shock—but a closer look showed him trembling with some emotion. And unlike Gibbs, this was not one of anger. It was the total opposite emotion.

However, neither man had time to open their mouths or further react, as a tap was heard on the door, and the housekeeper stuck her head in. "An Agent Bradshaw here to see you. Shall I let him in?'

"Perfect timing, " Fornell muttered, as he waved at the housekeeper to allow his agent in.

Bradsahw came in, eyes widening as he recognized Kate's teammates. "Uh…sorry, boss. Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, Bradshaw, you couldn't have come at a better time," Fornell replied sarcastically. In answer to his boss' dry tome, Bradshaw replied dutifully, "Well…..I'll leave you…."

"You might as well stay now, " Fornell sighed before continuing his reply," Since I was just informing these gentlemen that their beloved Agent Todd was alive. I hadn't quite gotten to the part where they find out she's under your experienced and capable protection…but…"

"You have Kate?" Tony spoke for the first time, and it was obvious he was having a hard time controlling himself.

The very "capable" agent gulped.

"Boss, it's why I came…we….we don't have her any more. Boss, the mission failed. Haswari has Agent Todd."

An explosion followed silence.

Gibbs spoke—rather loudly—first. "What is this, Fornell! You call me to tell me you have my agent, and now you say you have lost her to a terrorist? Which is it, Tobias? Do you have Kate or not?"

Tony, too, turned tables. He took Bradshaw by the collar and shook him. "You can't lost a person! How? Tell me how!"

McGee pulled Tony off the FBI agent, and he fell back, subdued.

Fornell spoke lowly. "Tell me everything, Bradshaw. Now. Everything.

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