~Present

The elevator chimed, signaling Fornell's arrival. The FBI had been called in on Tony's abduction, and Fornell had made sure that Gibbs' team would be allowed to work the investigation jointly. His visit meant he must have some news.

Almost in sync they rose to face Fornell, waiting worriedly as he approached. Gibbs's anxiety ratcheted up a notch on seeing a box tucked under Fornell's arm, sealed with evidence tape. A thick file was tucked beneath the box.

Fornell entered the bullpen silently, his craggy features both grave and sympathetic at the same time. Gibbs steadfastly refused to acknowledge the knots twisting and curling in his stomach.

Ziva was holding herself stiffly. Her face was expressionless, the tension in her body the only sign she expected the worst case scenario. McGee wasn't okay either, and it showed in his pale face and the way he nervously clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Gibbs," Fornell greeted in a somber tone, then gave Ziva and McGee a brief nod before turning back to the team lead.

Knowing the others were waiting, deferring to him to voice the question, Gibbs just said one word.

"DiNozzo?"

Fornell's hesitance set off alarm bells and Gibbs held his breath and prayed they weren't about to get confirmation that Tony's body had been found.

Fornell shook his head, "We haven't found him."

The others exhaled in relief that they hadn't gotten the grim confirmation they'd expected. Gibbs allowed himself to breathe again, but could tell his friend had news and that it wasn't going to be good.

"But?" Gibbs prompted.

"Metro got a complaint about an abandoned car parked illegally and called us once they investigated," Fornell began. "DiNozzo's badge, wallet, and creds were found in the car," he said. "We believe he may have been transported in the trunk." Fornell shifted the box he was carrying out from under his arm, bringing it into view. "Evidence…for Abby."

Gibbs exchanged grim looks with his team. "You run the plates?" he asked, hoping Fornell could give them a lead on who had taken Tony.

"And more," Fornell nodded. "The car is too old for usable GPS data. When we ran the plates, we found they were stolen and didn't match up with the car. We ran the VIN, but the car's owner isn't going to be any help."

Gibbs frowned at the way Fornell worded his response. "Was the car stolen too?"

"You could say that. The car belonged to your missing sailor, Gibbs," Fornell added. "It looks like DiNozzo managed to find both the place she disappeared from, and somehow crossed paths with the person responsible."

Unbelievable. Only you, Tony. McGee shoulders slumped at the new information that seemed to make a bad situation even worse. "And we're no closer to finding him," he muttered. Even as he said it, Tony's teasing voice sounded in his head.

Giving up on me already, Probie?

Gibbs apparently agreed. McGee swallowed visibly at the ferocious glare from the lead agent.

"Boss…," McGee began, then stopped as Gibbs held up a hand, halting his attempt to backpedal.

Gibbs bit his tongue and held back the sharp retort. He didn't want to hear whatever McGee had been trying to say, but this waking nightmare wasn't his junior agent's fault. Desperate to find a lead on Tony's whereabouts, they'd been at it for twenty four hours straight, not counting the nearly full day spent working the investigation into Leigh Danford's disappearance. They were all angry too, tired…and afraid for Tony. Now it was certain they had good reason to be. Gibbs sighed and his eyes softened as he regarded McGee.

"We've still got a lead we didn't have before," Gibbs said flatly, still angry even as he tried not to show it.

"This may help," Fornell added, handing McGee the file he'd been carrying along with the evidence box. "It's a copy of everything we have so far."

"You two find out where that car's been in the last 72 hours," Gibbs growled at his team. "I don't care if you have to look at video from every security and traffic camera in Georgetown, something must have picked up that car and where it went. Start with The Den's videos the night Petty Officer Danford disappeared through the afternoon Tony went missing."

McGee swallowed thickly and nodded, but Ziva protested. "We have already viewed those, Gibbs."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her. "You weren't looking for a car at the time, were you, Officer David?" he snapped.

Ziva shook her head wordlessly, inwardly berating herself for what she'd overlooked in her exhaustion and worry. She also understood Gibbs' anger; that it was rooted in fear, but they were all doing everything they could to find Tony. She stepped close to Gibbs and regarded him steadily. "You are not the only one here worried about him, Gibbs," she said softly, before returning to her desk to go back to reviewing video footage.

McGee was glad Ziva had spoken up and saved him the trouble. He accepted that Gibbs was going to be relentless until they found Tony, but they were just as anxious to find Tony as Gibbs was. "It could be hundreds of hours," McGee pointed out, risking Gibbs' wrath again. "We'll need help to get through it quickly."

Fornell stepped in, recognizing his old friend was on the verge of blowing a gasket. "I've already got people on it," he told McGee. "Coordinate with the agents listed on the top page in the file. They're expecting your call." He turned to Gibbs and gave him a meaningful look. "Walk down to the lab with me," he requested firmly, gesturing at the box of evidence for Abby.

Gibbs turned his glare on Fornell and gestured back toward the elevator. "After you," he said, voice laced with sarcasm. As soon as the elevator began to move, Gibbs hit the stop button. The emergency light flickered and came on as the car shuddered to a stop.

Fornell sighed and nodded, expecting Gibbs would do that. He wasn't looking forward to telling his friend the rest. The others would find it in the file, but he wanted Gibbs to hear it from him.

"There's more."

Gibbs stood rigid with tension, staring forward at the doors and waiting.

The silence stretched uncomfortably until Fornell spoke again. "We found blood on the carpet in the trunk of the car. It's not your missing petty officer's type."

Gibbs' throat tightened. "What type is it?" he croaked, still staring forward.

"A positive."

Gibbs closed his eyes and pushed away the lurking sense of grief trying to gnaw away at his insides.

Fornell sighed at his reaction, an unwelcome confirmation. He felt indescribably weary all of a sudden.

Gibbs felt Fornell give his shoulder a sympathetic squeeze and he shrugged it away.

"Don't."

He didn't want sympathy. That meant accepting there was something to be sorry about, and he wasn't ready to do that.

"Jethro…whoever took him knows he's a fed, Fornell began. "He could already be…"

"Stop," Gibbs shouted, the sound reverberating loudly in the small elevator car. "Don't even think about finishing that sentence," he hissed. "Just don't."

Fornell gave a resigned sigh and started the elevator. "Alright," he said simply. He had his doubts. He thought it pretty likely that DiNozzo had already been killed. His friend had to know that too.

Gibbs clenched his jaw as the car descended to the lab floor. He could keep going in the absence of hope. He'd been doing it a long time after losing his girls, but he didn't think finding Tony alive was hopeless. Gibbs couldn't even consider the possibility Tony was dead; that he'd lost man he regarded as a friend and more than that, the son he'd never had. He'd know if Tony were gone, wouldn't he? He would, he was sure of it. As much as he felt sure Tony was alive out there somewhere, Gibbs was equally sure Tony's time was running out.

"Tony's still alive and we're going to find him," Gibbs insisted, finally finding his voice again.

"I know you will," Fornell agreed, averting his eyes so Gibbs wouldn't see his doubt. The 'will it be too late when you do?' remained unspoken, but the question hung heavy in the air between them.