6.

Gibbs and Fornell had commandeered a banquet room for an office. After a lengthy discussion, Thomas Teasdale was allowed to stay in the room with his daughter. Teasdale had called the children's nanny, Jennifer Slocum, back from her vacation in Florida, sending his private jet to hurry her arrival.

"Mr. Teasdale, did Ms. Slocum know where you were going on your vacation with the children?" Ziva David asked suspiciously.

He wearily shook his head. "No, she never knows where we go. I give Jenny two weeks vacation each year."

"Who does know? I mean, who would know the specifics of where you and the children were going, where you would stay, what you would do?" Tim McGee pursued the line of questioning.

"My corporation vice-president, John Hudson, my executive secretary, Annabelle Giles, and my travel agent, Noe Gomez. The less people who knew, the safer it was supposed to be."

"We'll need their phone numbers and addresses, home and business."

"Of course. Rissa, do you think you could go sit at that table and draw while I help these people find Laurel?"

Clarissa looked at the table and back at her father. "O-okay. You won't leave, will you, daddy?"

"No, baby, I won't. You can see me from there."

"Clarissa?" Gibbs crouched next to the young child. "My name is Jethro. My…friend Tony is with your sister. He'll take good care of her, just like we'll take care of you and your father."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise. This is Tim. He'll take you to the table and get you some paper and crayons to draw with. Why don't you make some pictures for Laurel to see when we get her back?"

Clarissa looked at the tall man with the salt and pepper hair and the warm blue eyes. "I'll make one for you, too."

Gibbs smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you, Clarissa."

Tim took the little girl by the hand and led her to the table. He gave her a sketch pad and pencils from his backpack, then went in search of crayons. The restaurant, a family friendly place, provided him with a bucket full of well-worn crayons kept for their smaller patrons.

As he handed them to Clarissa, she tugged on his jacket. "Mister Tim?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"You'll bring my sister back, won't you?"

Tim hesitantly laid his hand on the child's baby fine blond hair. "We'll do our best."

"Jethro! Any word?" Dr. Mallard bustled into the room, followed by his able assistant, Jimmy Palmer.

"Not yet, Duck. I have some evidence ready to go back to the lab. Ziva!"

The Israeli handed over evidence bags containing items of possible importance. She held one bag back. "This one may have been from the kidnappers. It is a cigarette butt found in the approximate area the van was parked. It was relatively dry despite the snow on the ground. We need Abby to determine if there is saliva on it, for possible future DNA comparison."

"Of course, my dear. Mr. Palmer will expedite the items to Abby." Dr. Mallard nodded toward Fornell. "I see the FBI is here. Any problems?"

"No. Surprisingly, the FBI agents are cooperating on the investigation."

"Ahhh, indeed. Most unusual, but considering the situation, most advisable on the part of agent Fornell."

"Ducky, do you believe Tony is still alive? It seems unlikely considering his lack of…'salability'…even if they do not discover that he is a federal agent."

Ducky's face tightened. "I have to believe that Tony will survive. Our young friend has an innate ability to talk himself out of the most horrendous situations. And if talk and charm and guile doesn't work, he will employ talents he has learned over the years. Don't worry, my dear, Tony will figure out a way to survive."

"Ducky!"

"Excuse me, Ziva, it appears Jethro wishes to speak to me."

When Dr. Mallard reached Gibbs, the team's leader lowered his voice. "I'd like you to stay if you could, Duck. I have this feeling…"

"Of course I can stay. We'll get the equipment we might need out of the van and, if you're done collecting evidence, I'll send Mr. Palmer back to the lab." Mindful of curious ears, he also lowered his voice. "You believe Tony or the child could be injured?"

"Not yet. Not necessarily. I'd just feel better if a doctor I trusted was nearby."

Ducky chuckled. "you and Tony both have the same distrust of the medical community. They're not all bad, Jethro."

"Maybe not. I'd still appreciate you staying, for as long as you can."

"You didn't need to ask."

Gibbs stared out the rear picture window, noting the increasing snowfall. "We're coming for you, Tony. Just hang on."

TBC...