Chapter Four
Past Revisited
A week ago seemed like an eternity ago as Gibbs leveled his gaze upon Ducky, his fingers gripped the white linen sheets he was currently laying upon. His grip tightened so much that his knuckles paled to look shock white, his cold blue eyes still held that predatory look, but they were losing their fight at the moment. Memories flashed through his mind, memories from a week ago, and those from a time before NCIS.
"We had just wrapped up the last few loose ends on the Drew case, you remember that one right Duck?"
"Ah, the young marine couple killed with their daughter. That was committed by a jealous lover correct?"
"Very good, so we had that case closed and it was about closing time for the office. A messenger came, dropped off a package on my desk. I opened it of course, inside the small box was a lock of Madison's hair and a letter addressed to L.J.G. Ducky, remember when I told you if everyone knew my past I wouldn't be allowed to hold a gun for any kind of reason?"
"I do Jethro, but what does that have to do with this?"
"Atalo Baldasarre, he is the reason I wouldn't be able to. I was away, probably when Madison was about five or six. Mission to a unknown destination, even us snipers didn't know where we were going until our feet touched the soft grass of the Mediterranean. We had landed on Corsica, and were supposed to assassinate the son of a local mob boss. The Baldasarre family was the biggest family in crime in the world at the time, and the up and coming second in command Atalo was deadlier than his old man. Our intel placed him on Corsica at 0600, and that's when we took our positions. He was landing, returning from a job we guessed, and as he started into the mansion we noticed something. There was a young American family gagged and bound behind him, his guards were bringing them in.
At that point we had to make an executive decision, there was a family in immediate danger and our hit right there. So, like good little marines we stormed the group. In the first wave we lost one, he took a shot to the throat and was dead before he even hit the ground. We were able to get the family, but in the confusion, I lost the hit. I had been stationed in a tree, the only one to stay back to make sure the hit was taken down. And I failed, first and last time I ever did Ducky, until now.
The family was Italian in origin, at the time the name meant very little but since DiNozzo started working for us, the DiNozzi name meant a lot."
"DiNozzi?"
"Yes, DiNozzi, they were big money in the northeast. Daddy DiNozzi, owned a few major banks throughout the nation. And the wife was a high official in a major company, they had two kids both sons. The eldest was only two at the time, his name was Anthony and the other was about six months old. We found out that only the wife and little Anthony were citizens of the United States, but there were in Corsica on business. You see the daddy was the banker for the Baldasarre family, since they were cousins and all. After the mission we got the family back to the states, the dropped the I and took on another O. No big change but it was enough to make them fall off the radar for a few years.
Once the family was secure we moved in on the mansion, I left my post and followed them in to possibly get an outlook position on the roof incase Daddy Baldasarre and his guards came home. Anyway, the house was cleared and I went to the roof to cover the guys exit. And guess who finds me?"
"Hmm, Mr. Baldasarre himself?"
"Precisely, I didn't even notice him when I moved into position. I suppose I was concentrating on protecting the boys, but the moment I felt cold steel against the back of my head I knew who was behind me. My first instinct was to pull my gun back into his ribs, but I had a wife and daughter to go home to so I hesitated long enough for him to take my rifle. He pinned my hands back, right next to my grenades and knife that I kept in the back of my flak jacket. So, patiently I waited until he turned to toss the gun off the building. In an instant I had my fingers wrapped around my knife and I took the best slash I could. Took a nasty cut of his cheek before kicking him back and throwing a grenade. I took my only chance at escape and leapt off the building. Shattered my left knee, career ender right there Ducky.
They took me home, and before I had even touched the soil gave me my orders to hit the road. Disobeying direct orders, failure to accomplish my mission, and lack of leadership under fire were just a few of their reasons. So, when I touched down I took my bag slung it on my shoulder and used my crutch to get me home. Walked, needed to release steam before I saw the Misses you know?
I knew something wasn't right, even before I saw the door standing open. But I couldn't help it, I was naive at the time and so pissed that I just didn't want to care. Horrible I know, but I was different then I was weaker..."
"Jethro you've never been weak, you were just young."
"That's nice of you Duck, but let me finish will you?"
"Go right ahead Jethro, I won't interrupt again."
"Sure Ducky, sure. Anyway like I was saying, I got to the door and noticed it was ajar. I figured maybe my wife had gotten word that I was coming home injured and just left the door open for me. That shot down the drain when I pushed it open, the house was torn apart. Broken glass and turned over furniture, I went for my gun but they had already taken it so I was practically useless at that point. I remember being able to drop my bag before a gun was rammed into my side sending pain shooting up my back like a thousand needles to the spine. I hit the ground, my bad knee hitting first causing me to scream out against them before they slammed the gun against my neck to make me topple. Between then and them taking me to the back room I don't remember much at all, but when I came to they had my family lined up on the opposite wall. It was in execution style Duck, and when I saw it I froze. I swear my heart literally stopped beating at that very moment, I fought against the two holding me but the pain in my leg caused me to scream out once more. That's when Atalo walked towards me, with that smirk on his face and my rifle in his hand. I recognized the rifle right away, it had my name engraved on it and it had been costumed to my specs.
The bastard walked over and pulled up my gun arm, he forced me to grab the thing. To pull the trigger twice while he aimed it for me..."
"Jethro...do you mean to say that you..."
"Yes Ducky, that's exactly what I mean to say."
