Apart from the split lip and the wrist bandages, it could have been any meeting in the bullpen. Abby and McGee put the images onto the plasma screen so that Ziva, Tony and Gibbs could appreciate the background and the problem.

"So our plan," began Abby.

"Is to send each of you guys out with a laptop and a receiver," McGee continued.

"And we'll set you up," Abby indicated on the map on the screen. "Here, here and here."

"The signals will be sent straight back to the lab," said McGee.

"Where we do the calculation and send the co-ordinates back to each of the three laptops," Abby concluded happily.

"When?" Gibbs was direct.

"Ahh, actually tomorrow," Abby admitted. "Somebody," she directed her stare in McGee's direction, "slept in today."

He raised an eyebrow at her for a moment but the movement hurt his sore lip.

"Won't someone detect us and try to say, kidnap us?" asked Tony pointedly.

"No, no, no," McGee assured him. "These are entirely passive systems; I observed them for weeks before I started ringing around. It was only then that someone realised I had detected them."

"He used the telephone as an active system," Abby explained.

"Who'd you ring?"

"Everyone I could think of," McGee stated simply.

"Who?" Gibbs tone took on that of an interrogation.

"Oh, um, ah government agencies mainly," he stammered. "I could, ah, make a list boss."

"Do it," it wasn't a suggestion.

"And so tomorrow, we hunt," Abby cut in.

"OK," said Gibbs turning his attention to her. "Tomorrow it is. Until then, I want both of you to stay in the lab tonight."

"Oh Gibbs," Abby wailed. "With McGee?"

"Thanks Abbs," McGee sighed.

"I get the mattress," she pouted.

"I'm sure we can get a second mattress Abby," said Gibbs. "I don't want either of you out and about tonight."

"You have the mattress," McGee volunteered. "I'll sleep here in the chair."

McGee snapped wake for what seemed like the fiftieth time, plagued by dreams of darkened rooms with no way out. Sleeping in the chair had been a bad decision; it reminded him far too much of the kidnapping. He'd tried lying on the floor but the darkness kept panicking him. Now he was sitting hunched behind his chair with the desk lamp shining. It wasn't helping. He couldn't sleep with all that light.

He had reached the point where he kept dozing off from exhaustion only to start awake every few minutes shaking in fright. The darkened shadows thrown by the lamp took on malevolent forms; everywhere he turned there were terrifying creatures. Half the time, he couldn't be sure if he was awake or asleep. One of the shadows started moving towards him and his heart started to thump in his throat.

"McGee?" it said hesitantly.

He relaxed slightly. "Abby?"

"I just came to see if you were OK?" Abby explained sitting next to him on the floor.

"Define OK?"

"Oh, you know, sleeping peacefully."

"Well, then no, probably not. Are there ominous dark shapes in the definition of OK?"

"For me, yes," said Abby. "For you; not so much."

He rested his head on her shoulder gently. He was so tired.

"Want me to stay with you?" he heard Abby's distant voice.

"Hands to yourssss," he mumbled as his head sagged.

Abby waited until McGee's breaths were long, slow and steady before she attempted to lay him down. His head had slipped halfway down her chest by then anyway. Slowly she slid to one side, supporting him as he became more horizontal. Once she had achieved her goal she reached up to the desk and killed the fog light that had been blinding her for some time.

She looked down to see McGee was already groping blindly for her. He hadn't quite woken up yet but if she didn't get back there soon, he would. She lay down with a sigh. She was sort of tired but with the sort of caffeine levels she maintained, not much sleep was needed. McGee reached over and found her. He hugged her close, sighed contently and fell back into a sound sleep again.

That was pretty much how Tony found them the next morning when he got in. McGee lying almost on his stomach and Abby crushed under one arm like an old worn teddy bear. Gibbs joined him as he looked down.

Abby opened her eyes. "Help," she mouthed

"Think we'll be needing the jaws of life to get her out of there, boss," said Tony lightly.