so sorry for the long wait but i had a big case of writers block, everything's back to normal and I only have one more chapter to write! Thanks to my beta Rinne, hope you enjoy.
Gibbs lifted the flashlight and scanned the ceiling as they walked quietly through the underground tunnels. McGee was keeping the larger flashlight trained on the ground in case they missed a blood trail. Ziva was waving hers around, and like Gibbs, she kept one hand on her gun, ready for anything. They hadn't gone far but it was already too dark to see anything, the light from the flashlights doing little to illuminate the corridors. Only the sound of a dripping pipe in the distance and Gibbs' determination pushed them further into the darkness. The place felt like a maze. They had no idea if they were going in the right direction or even if they were going round in circles.
"Gibbs," Ziva whispered. "How do you even know where you're going?"
Gibbs stopped and turned to the mossad agent. He stepped into her personal space and said two words, "My gut."
His gut had yet to fail them and Ziva wasn't sure how his gut actually worked. She had asked Abby once and had only received a very cryptic answer that Ziva took to mean that Abby had absolutely no idea.
"Which way now, Boss?" McGee asked. Gibbs tore his eyes away from Ziva and turned to look at what McGee was pointing at with his flashlight. The corridor split into six corridors all leading into black holes. Gibbs walked past each entrance, shining his flashlight into each of them.
"This way," he spoke, pointing down the last corridor.
"How do you know Tony's down that one?" Ziva questioned.
Gibbs gave his team a look and shined his flashlight on the wall, illuminating a chalked arrow pointing in the same direction.
"Guess we're not the only ones who get lost," McGee spoke.
"We weren't lost, McGee," Gibbs barked.
That's right, McGee thought, Gibbs never gets lost. He smiled to himself, glad that Gibbs couldn't see his smirk in the dark.
"Stop smirking, McGee!" McGee's smile faded almost instantly. His eyes widened at being caught out, but he said nothing. Gibbs turned his back and pulled his weapon. They were close now; he could feel it. He crossed his hands over, holding the gun and flashlight steady. Ziva and McGee obediently followed Gibbs down the corridor, their flashlights still watching out for any blood or any more chalk arrows and their guns now drawn.
Forty yards down the corridor Gibbs stopped suddenly, causing McGee to go crashing into his back.
"What is-" Ziva began. Gibbs held up a hand to hush her.
"You hear that?" Gibbs whispered. Ziva scrunched up her eyes and listened intently.
"Sounds like…crying?" she whispered back.
Gibbs nodded. They sped up, their guns still out in front of them. The crying got louder as they neared the next intersection. It wasn't long before they were right on top of it. Their flashlights sought out the sound, quickly finding a figure hunched over on the wet ground, his hospital pajamas covered in grime and blood.
"Kevin?" Gibbs asked. He recognised the man from the many interrogations he had participated in all those years ago. "Kevin Wickman?"
Kevin looked up at the team, his eyes bloodshot. It was obvious he was suffering from not being given his daily dose of antipsychotic drugs. "Kevin, where's Tony?"
Kevin flinched. "Tony was my friend," he spoke quietly.
"What do you mean was?" Ziva demanded, stepping forward, ready to beat it out of Kevin, but Gibbs put his arm out to stop her.
"We need him alive, Ziva," Gibbs spoke, ignoring Ziva's eye-roll. He turned back to Kevin. "Kevin, can you tell me where Tony is?" Before Kevin could answer a sound from their left startled them. Their guns and flashlights snapped up, the light revealing Nurse Windsor. "You!" Gibbs growled. "What the hell are you doing down here?" Nurse Windsor stepped further into the light, holding her hands up in the air.
"I saw Kevin come down here, so I followed him." She spoke calmly, even though there were three loaded guns in her face.
"Why?" Gibbs questioned, something in Gibbs was beginning to think that Nurse Windsor couldn't be trusted.
"He got lost down here once before," she explained. "I wanted to make sure it didn't happen again."
"My agent is down here somewhere."
"Why would he come down here?"
"Well, I don't think he came down voluntarily."
"What are you suggesting, Agent Gibbs?"
"Where is Tony?" he asked again. Behind him he could hear Kevin muttering Tony's name over and over again.
"I haven't seen him, Agent Gibbs, but if I do, I'll tell him you're looking for him. Now may I please escort Kevin back upstairs?" Kevin's mutterings grew louder.
"Not until I find my agent," Gibbs spoke through gritted teeth.
Nurse Windsor laughed. "These tunnels stretch across the whole of the hospital and its grounds; we'll be down here a while."
"However long it takes, Nurse Windsor," Gibbs replied. Her smiled faded when she realised he was serious.
"Tony was my friend!" Kevin shouted, silencing both Gibbs and Nurse Windsor. He lifted himself off of the ground and stared at Nurse Windsor. "Not this time." He shook his head violently. "Not this time," he repeated. "Lucy was my friend."
"Where is he Kevin?" Gibbs asked.
"You did this!" Kevin shouted, pointing at Nurse Windsor.
"Don't be silly, Kevin, you know I'm only here to help you," she spoke softly.
"No!" Kevin screamed. "Not this time!" Before anyone could react, Kevin charged forward and tackled Nurse Windsor to the ground. He grabbed her coat, lifting her body off the ground, before slamming it back down onto the concrete. He pulled her up again and slammed her back down one more time before Gibbs and McGee pulled him off her. Ziva crouched at Nurse Windsor's side and placed two fingers at her neck to check for a pulse. She shook her head at Gibbs and McGee. There was blood everywhere, her head had made contact with the hard ground and had split open. She never had a chance.
Kevin struggled against Gibbs and McGee, trying to get back to do more damage to Nurse Windsor.
"It's over!" Gibbs shouted, hoping Kevin would hear him over his screams. "It's over Kevin; she's dead!" He slowly calmed down, his screams turned to cries as tears rolled down his cheeks. With no more energy left, Kevin collapsed onto the floor.
"McGee, Ziva, sort this mess out," he ordered.
"Where are you going, Boss?"
"After Tony!" Gibbs shouted back as he ran down the corridor Nurse Windsor had appeared from.