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Chapter Twenty-One

"So far, he's spent the most time at two places," McGee told his audience of three: Tony, Gibbs, and Fornell, "One's a bar in Chantilly, the other is a three square mile section of Woodbridge.

"Good work, McGee," Gibbs said. "I want you to check it out."

"Me?" McGee gulped.

"Sure, Probie," Tony grinned. "If they caught you, they'd never guess you were a federal agent!"

"Gee, thanks, Tony." He replied dryly.

Gibbs interrupted the banter. "See anything, you call us in. You understand?"

Tim nodded. "I'll take the sedan."

………………………………

McGee had left the sedan at the police station in Woodbridge, and hiked the two miles to what appeared to be an old 19th century brick home. It seemed to be a family's home—with the rusting playset off the side and the minivan parked in the long, winding driveway.

However, the house was missing the laughing, happy family.

An eerie feeling came over McGee as he held the binoculars to his eyes and focused and waited. For whatever came.

He was about to give up when the side door opened. Two men stepped out; they were about to leave when the door opened again. Another man came out, stopped, and gave the two whispered orders. McGee had a chance to focus on his face before he turned his back. He immediately recognized the face.

Tim reached for his cell phone. "Boss, we need a SWAT team out here immediately. I've got a positive id on Ari."

……………………..

Tony threw the bulletproof vest on, while holding on to the side of the van, bracing himself as Gibbs turned a corner none too gently. The white letters that spelled "police" reflected the sun as he loaded his weapon carefully. Eric and Fornell were next to him, each preparing themselves for one of the hardest operations of their careers as LEO's.

McGee met them at the station, and they were followed shortly by the SWAT team. Gibbs gave hurried instructions to the men. "Remember, there is possibly a federal agent inside. And I want Haswari alive."

Within minutes, they had stealthily surrounded the house. However, before they could act, a volley of shots came out of several of the windows. The agents took cover while returning fire.

Tony fired his weapon, aiming towards a second story window, where the bullets had been coming rapidly. They soon stopped, and Tony, who was crouched behind the van, peered out. A bullet whizzed by his nose, scraping against the vehicle and taking some paint with it. Dinozzo immediately flattened himself against the trunk. He spotted Agent Bradshaw, who in turn caught his eyes. Bradshaw gave a nod, and leapt out from behind the shed, firing randomly at the windows. The time between the shots slackened, as Bradshaw obviously hit someone. He had almost reached the van to crouch by Tony, when a bullet slammed into his chest. Tony could see that it was caught in his vest, and it was just the force that sent Eric to the ground.

Tony took the situation into his own hands. He could almost reach Eric to pull him to safety. His only problem—could he dodge the bullets and save the agent? Swiftly, he stepped forward, grabbing Eric's leg. He pulled hard, and Eric was almost safe—and then a bullet struck Agent Bradshaw's head.

Tony yanked harder, but once they were both behind the shelter, he knew that there was nothing he could do for the wounded agent. He bent over him, and saw a trickle of blood flow from the corner of his mouth.

Eric struggled to talk. "I tried….to keep….." he breathed heavily between the words "…..her safe…for you…..go…you …go…find..her." Bradshaw closed his eyes, and Tony checked for vital signs. Eric was dead.

Dinozzo stared at him a moment. Eric had tried so hard.

"Thanks for taking care of her for me, partner," Tony whispered, touching Eric's forehead in a final goodbye and apology.

He hadn't noticed Gibbs' leaping across to him. When he finally saw Gibbs looking down at both of them gravely, he lifted his head. Looking around, he took a head count, then froze.

"Boss, where is Probie!" he asked, alarmed.

Gibbs scanned the area.

McGee was not in sight.

……………………………..

He had seen Bradshaw fall. He had seen the focus of the terrorists on the very falling. And Timothy McGee knew this was his chance—and he took it.

Unnoticed, he crept to the side of the brick mansion. Flattening himself against the cement steps that led to the side door, he gingerly reached for the door. Locked. Of course, these men weren't amateurs, he mentally chided himself. He glanced around; the bullets were flying again. Sorry, Gibbs, he thought to himself, no time to pick the lock this time. He aimed his Sig, clasped tightly in his hand, at the door, and shot at the lock.

Just as he expected, someone heard the door burst open, and came running to the door, weapon drawn. McGee quickly diminished this threat with four swift rounds in the chest. He overstepped the body, on guard and prepared to fight.

It was like that at times like these. You were ready to fight for that one person with no regard to your own safety. Which may be what always saved them—having not the time to focus on their own predicaments.

No other faces appeared, thanks to the silencer on McGee's firearm. He took another step, now unsure of the right thing to do. Should he hunt down Haswari, and put the bullet in him that he deserved, or find Kate? If anything he had learned over the past few weeks, it was to trust his gut. And his gut was not only telling him to find Kate, but to take the door directly in front of him.

He shut the door as quietly as he could behind him. Ahead lay a steep staircase.

McGee spotted her immediately, but was forced to turn his attention to the two armed men who seemed to be guarding her. They hadn't spotted him yet. He took the opportunity to fire at one of the guards. He fell, and the other's eyes had only a second to focus on McGee before he lay lifeless, as well.

McGee simply stared at Kate. She looked well, almost radiant. What he didn't know was that it was because of him. It was the best she had felt and looked in weeks.

"Are you going to stand there the whole time, McGee?" Her words were accompanied with a smile.

He stuck out his hand to help her up.

McGee's mind was whirling. Hadn't he said if he had to himself, he would find her? He'd done it. And even more important than his satisfaction. Caitlyn Todd was with them once more.

Footsteps pounded down the steps. McGee twirled around, ready for action.

"Good heavens, Agent McGee, get that gun off me!" Fornell exclaimed.

McGee sighed in relief.

"Todd," Fornell acknowledged the agent. "We've got everything under control upstairs. It's safe to bring her up now."

"Haswari?" McGee's face brightened.

Fornell didn't answer at first. "We can't find trace of hi—"

Kate interrupted Fornell. "When you released Fioli, he suspected something. Ari disappeared earlier."

McGee nodded. For some reason, it didn't really matter to him anymore.

Kate squinted her eyes when she stepped outside; growing accustomed to the bright light.

When opened them, she didn't see the many SWAT men, or the FBI agents, or the hostages and dead. Instead, she saw only one thing: her team.

McGee placed a hand on her shoulder and led her towards Tony and Gibbs. Tony had his back turned, having a heated discussion with a SWAT member. He turned around, and met Kate's eyes.

The grin disappeared from her face, and she blinked several times, before burying her head in Tony's chest. Dinozzo gingerly placed an arm around her. He met McGee's eyes over her head. McGee nodded at him, as if to say, "We've done our part. You are the only one who can do anything for her now."

"Thank you." Tony mouthed the words to McGee, who replied with a look of understanding.

He felt his shirt grow wet where Kate's head rested. She was crying. McGee watched curiously, marveling at how strong she could be one minute, yet the next an emotional wreck.

Kate soon recovered herself, however, and pulled away from Tony almost ashamedly. She wouldn't look at him, but turned towards the fallen body of Bradshaw. She stared at him for a moment. Tony watched her carefully. She bit her lip, fighting for control, and turned back to Gibbs.

"Ari got away." She stated hollowly.

Gibbs nodded, and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. He then took her hand and placed something in it.

Kate looked down and opened her palm. Her badge.

McGee laid her sig in her other hand, and she placed both at her waist.

Tony slung an arm around Kate and McGee's shoulders.

"C'mon, guys, we could call this one a day."

A/N And I could just end it right there…right? Wrong! I've got a little bit more things that need to be cleared up, some stuff to dive deeper in to, and a little bit more conflict to resolve (aka Kibbs or Tate?)