Chapter 7
Sarah Jane huddled in the blanket, wrinkling her nose at the smell of her own urine and sweat. She had begun to fear that her Daddy wasn't coming, she had been here so long and he still hadn't come with his men to save her. The mean lady had come down a few times and told her that her parents didn't want her anymore. Sarah Jane had screamed at her, telling her she was a mean stupid lady and that her Daddy would get her. But as time crawled slowly on and her Daddy didn't come she began to fear that it was true. Her Daddy was a marine; he could save anyone that he wanted to. It was his job, so maybe the lady was right and her Daddy didn't want to find her she thought worriedly. She pulled the smelly blanket up further and pictured her Mommy and Daddy in her mind, a small smile creeping on her face. No the lady was wrong, her Mommy and Daddy loved her, and Daddy would soon come and get her, she just knew he would…wouldn't he?
- - - - - - - - - - -
Abby stood in her lab, waiting for the test she was running to end, they had been back two hours and although Abby had a headache she was fine after her dramatic foray into field work. Gibbs had torn a strip off her when she had come round, for putting herself into danger like that. He had informed her with graphic detail exactly what could have gone wrong and what could have happened to her. He had then pulled her into his arms and kissed her with a passion that had literally taken her breath away. As he had held her against his chest, she had felt the tenseness in his muscles, and for the first time she had realised just how hard it had been for Gibbs to remain dispassionate enough to do his job. She had laid her head on his chest and had trembled slightly. Not from the fear of what could have happened, but from the fact that he loved her.
Loving Gibbs was not something that she did lightly, nor was it an easy thing to do. But this had been the first time she had realised just what it cost Gibbs to love her back
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Gibbs sat in the interrogation room, calmly reading the file in front of him. Charles Freedman sat sweating on the other side of the table. He had refused to say anything since they had bought him in, but Gibbs knew that it was only a matter of time till he cracked. Gibbs watched as once more Freedman wiped his sweaty palms down his trouser pants, his eyes darting to the two way mirror, then back to Gibbs. They had been sitting here for over ten minutes now, and Gibbs had yet to speak. Tony had been the first in here to interrogate Freedman, but it had been apparent that it would take more than Tony to get him to talk. Ziva had wanted a crack at him, but although Gibbs respected and trusted her, he knew that she was not the right person for the job. She would end up trying to beat the confession out of him, which might get them Sarah Jane, but would also get Freedman off when the lawyers eventually got involved. And so Gibbs sat and waited patiently for the right time.
After five more minutes Gibbs snapped the file shut with a loud bang that echoed around the room, making Freedman visibly jump, his eyes darting to Gibbs with fear.
Gibbs sat back in his chair for a moment, appearing relaxed, watching as Freedman calmed down again. With lighting quick reflexes Gibbs spun his chair back, his hand hitting the table hard in front of him, his face appearing just inches away from Freedman's. Gibbs stared at Freedman, his eyes boring into his, daring him to so much as breath on him. He watched as Freedman's eyes darted around the room, as if looking for help.
"No one will come in" Gibbs said softly, his tone at odds with his recent actions. "No one will interfere in here" he informed him softly. He watched as Freedman swallowed nervously, his eyes once more darting to the two way mirror on the side wall. "It's just you and me" Gibbs whispered as he leant closer to Freedman, his breath warm on the man's cheek.
"What d…d…do you want?" Freedman asked nervously, trying for bravado and failing dismally.
"Sarah Jane" was all Gibbs said, as he stood and came to stand behind Freedman. Freedman tried to turn to keep Gibbs in his line of sight, but Gibbs placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, forcing him back round.
"I don't know any Sarah Jane" Freedman tried to say, the same line he had been repeating since being bought in.
Gibbs leant down and whispered something into his ear, before standing back and watching Freedman begin to visibly tremble. He waited a moment before crossing back to the other side of the table and sitting back down. His tone and demeanour once more clam and in control.
"Let's start again" Gibbs said softly, his eyes still hard and cold as they bored into Freedman. "Where's Sarah Jane?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sarah Jane lay on the thin mattress, her eyes shut tightly. The mean woman had been down earlier and told her that her Daddy was dead, that he had tried to come and save her but that the mean woman and her friends had killed him, that they would kill anyone who tried to come and find her. Sarah Jane tried hard not to believe her, but she knew that her Daddy would have tried to come and get her, that he would have found her by now. To her young mind it made sense that her if her Daddy hadn't rescued her by now then he surely must be dead. She didn't want to cry, she had seen the smile on the mean woman's face when she had cried before, and she didn't want the mean woman to ever see her cry again. And so she lay on the bed with her eyes tightly shut, trying to keep the tears in, not realising they seeped under her eyelids anyway.
She didn't know how long she lay there but suddenly she heard strange noises from upstairs, as if lots of people were running around, there was banging and muffled shouts as well. She sat up on the bed, wiping her eyes and strained to hear what was happening. She heard the sound of the door opening, the light slowly flooding into the cellar, and huddled closer to the wall, trying to get as far away from the mean woman as she could. She blinked rapidly as the light was flicked on, illuminating not the mean woman, but a man holding a gun. Her first reaction was to push herself further into the wall but suddenly she grinned as she saw the badge on the man's jacket.
Sarah Jane launched herself at the man holding the gun, snuggling into the man's arms as he hugged her tightly.
Daddy had sent men to get her, just as she had prayed he would. Suddenly though she leant back in his arms, and stared fearfully into his eyes.
"Is my Daddy dead?" she whispered in fear, remembering what the mean lady had said.
Gibbs smiled gently down at Sarah Jane
"No, he sent me to get you, he's waiting at home with your Mommy" Gibbs whispered, over the lump in his throat and the pain in his heart. Had his own child wondered why her daddy hadn't come to save her, had she too thought he was dead?
