CHAPTER NOTE: May contain slight disturbing content to some.

Chapter 7

The NCIS and Fornell's FBI team arrive close to the house where Peter McCloud was seen. Each person on both teams put on bulletproof vests and prepare for an assault on the house. A couple FBI agents sneak into positions to surround the house and also look for entry points. Tony, Ziva and McGee position themselves behind a car that's practically in front of the house. Gibbs and Fornell position themselves across the street. All units are in position. Each team begins to sound off over their radio.

"Alpha team in position." Team leader of the agents on the left of the house said.

"Bravo team in position." Team leader of the agents behind the house said.

"Charlie team in position." Team leader of the agents on the right of the house said.

"Delta team in position." Tony said from behind the car.

From across the street, Fornell points a heat detecting device at the house. He scans it across the entire house.

"We have multiple targets Jethro. Three to be exact, and they're definitely too big to be any of the children."

"The children are probably in the basement."

Gibbs gets on the radio.

"We have multiple targets. I repeat… Multiple targets, presumed to be armed and dangerous." Gibbs stated. "Do any teams have a visual on the basement or possible suspects?"

"That's a negative on the basement. No visual on suspects." Alpha team leader said.

"No visual on the basement. No visual on suspects." Bravo team leader said.

"Negative on the basement. We have a visual on one suspect in the living room toward the front." Charlie team leader said.

"Delta team has a visual on two suspects in the living room." Tony said.

"So where's the third?" Gibbs asked.

"Wait… Alpha team now has a visual on a suspect toward the back, in the kitchen." Alpha team leader said.

"Alpha and Charlie teams, move into position and toss flash bangs in the windows on my mark." Gibbs stated.

Both Alpha and Charlie teams move into position closer to the house and ready to throw flash bang grenades through the windows.

"Mark…" Gibbs said. "Move in. Move in."

Alpha and Charlie teams both toss flash bang grenades through the windows then secure the perimeter. The flash bangs go off as team Bravo and Delta enter through the back door and the front door. Team Bravo subdues the suspect in the kitchen while team Delta subdues the two suspects in the living room.

Gibbs and the NCIS team, along with Fornell, head into the basement. They first see a whole bunch of car fresheners hanging from the ceiling. There are also tons of scented candles all over the room.

"Where are the kids!" Tony exclaimed.

Gibbs looks to a bookshelf that seemed to be out-of-place.

"They're here." Gibbs said as he walks to the bookshelf.

Gibbs shoves the bookshelf to the floor to expose a door. He grabs a sledgehammer that was nearby. He swings the sledgehammer onto the lock that was on the door. The lock breaks. Gibbs opens and door then enters the room along with the team. McGee immediately feels sick, holds his hand over his mouth and runs upstairs. The rest of them are shocked at what they see.

"Oh my God..." Fornell said in shock.

There are 12 wooden crosses setup along the walls of the room. Each cross has a child nailed to it, except for one. Each child is wearing a crown of thorns and a dirty white or tan bed-sheet around their waist. Each child has a large cut on their right side made by the spear that's lying on the floor in the middle of the room. There's also a wipe in the middle of the floor that has blood on it. Eleven children in total each nailed to a cross with only one cross that has no body nailed to it.

"Ziva… Call Ducky." Gibbs said as those were the words he was hoping to not have to say.

Gibbs runs out of the basement room. He runs up the stairs and into the living room where the three suspects are being held.

"Stand them up!" Gibbs exclaimed in anger.

The agents force the three suspects to stand. Each suspect has the plastic ties around their wrists.

"Where's the 12th child!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"He was supposed to be sacrificed but Peter betrayed us." One of the suspects said. "Our mission isn't complete until the 12th apostle is judged."

Gibbs walks up to the suspect who talked. He grabs the suspect and rams him against the wall.

"The apostles needed to be judged." The suspect said.

Gibbs punches the man in the stomach.

"They weren't apostles! They were innocent children!" Gibbs exclaimed.

Gibbs pulls out his gun and grabs the man. He puts the gun up to the man's neck, below the jaw. He then steps into the man's face.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger?"

"The 12th boy is a kid by the name of, Max… Peter said the boy reminded him of himself when he was that age."

"Where's Peter?"

"I swear I have no idea where he went with the apostle."

Gibbs thrusts the gun upward into the man's neck even more.

"I mean… The boy." The man corrected himself.

Gibbs bashed his knee into the man's stomach and pushed him to the floor. He then looks at the other two suspects.

"Do you two know where Peter is!"

Both men shake their heads. Gibbs walks out of the room and out of the house. He looks up toward the night sky, breathing heavily and feeling like he wants to cry because he thinks he failed. Fornell walks out of the house.

"I failed them Tobias."

"You didn't fail them Jethro. It's not your fault."

"It sure feels like it."

"You know… There's still one little boy out there somewhere. We need to concentrate on finding and bringing him home."

"I know… I know Tobias."

Fornell walks away to give Gibbs some time alone. Both the NCIS and FBI teams begin to process the crime-scene and wait for Ducky to come for the bodies.