Chapter 6

When we go to my house Jethro, true to his word, called Jeff. Unfortunately there was nothing Jeff could do. His people were stretched to the limit and he couldn't afford to give any to protect me.

Jethro thanked him but I could read the worry in his eyes. He didn't like it and to be honest neither did I.

My thoughts kept rushing back to my conversation with Jeff before he left. I knew it would be tearing him up.

Jethro sent Nick and Ellie to get whatever they needed for the night. They'd be staying here with us.

After they left I wondered out loud as to where he thought they'd sleep. "Jay, where are they going to stay? I've only got the two bedrooms and you're using the other one, remember?"

His expression never changed. "I'm in with you. I want to be sure you're safe. I spent a week with that psycho bastard." He stopped talking and went somewhere else, like he was remembering his time with John Crandall. "No…I'm with you." His eyes lit up and he gave me his smirk. "What's bothering you? Ha…you're afraid you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself."

I walked past him and punched him in the arm. "Gibbs you are a funny guy. You're safe with me." But was I safe with him? That was the question I kept asking myself.

The frivolous moment was gone and the serious Gibbs was back. "Jeff has no one to be with you and I don't want to take the chance of leaving you alone. Do you have somewhere to go, say, a friend's house?

"That won't do, I have to work at the hospital tomorrow. I could stay there. There is security and the gift shop is central to the hospital. I should be safe there.

I could see the gears grinding in his head. "How do you get to work? Where's your car?"

I laughed inwardly at the idea of driving a half mile to work. "Jethro it's a half mile and I usually walk. But if you must know my car is in the garage out back."

His level of angst went up a notch or two. "Not tomorrow you won't and not until we catch this son of a bitch. I'll drive you and then come pick you up. You will not leave the hospital for any reason, nothing, do you hear me?" He rose from his chair and came to stand in front of me grabbing my shoulders. He looked right into my eyes…no, my soul. His tone softened. "Do you hear me?" He whispered those words like an endearment.

I'd never seen this man before. All I could do was shake my head yes. John Crandall had scared the bejezzus out of Gibbs. I didn't think anything could affect him that way but obviously I was wrong.

Nick and Ellie returned an hour later. Nick handed Gibbs a gun to replace his Sig Sauer. I'd noticed at the restaurant that the gun he used was not his service weapon.

Ellie took a moment to check us out, looking first to her boss and then to me.

I saw her nod as if there were questions but she didn't ask them.

She never stopped eyeing me. "So where are Nick and I sleeping?"

Jethro responded for me. "You both sleep in the guestroom. I'm in with Alex." He got up and went to move his stuff."

Ellie came and sat next to me. "Alex…are you alright with this?"

I shrugged. "There was no other option. The old Gibbs is back and the one with the healthy fear of Crandall is here as well. If that man can do that to Gibbs then I am okay with him being with me all night."

Gibbs came down the stairs as I uttered those words. He captured my eyes with his. "You said to me that I painted a target on you and your home and you were right. Once I knew this was your place I should have moved on...but I couldn't. I wanted to see you, talk with you and just be near you." It was like we were the only two in the room and his demeanor changed at that point. "I will not allow that man to harm you, ever. So that means I'm glued to you until I drop you off at work and see you to the gift shop. There is no other option."

Nick and Ellie glanced across the room to each other.

Again I wondered what that meant and how they would react to his words. I was sure there would be a conversation in their room tonight. I also wondered how I was reacting to those words and the tone of the speech. It was a heartfelt speech but I hoped it wasn't for the wrong reasons. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed up stairs.

Ellie followed along behind me carrying her bag. "Do you mind if I take a shower tonight? There may not be time in the morning." She gave me a sideways glance that was full of worry. "Are you really okay with this? I don't want you doing this if it is going to upset you."

I sighed yet again. "Listen, I think Jethro made it perfectly clear. There are no other options. Let's just hope you catch Crandall fast and we can all get on with our lives. I'll be here and Jethro will go back to his life in DC." I looked at the stairs and wondered what would really happen when he did go home. "It's been a crazy day and I for one am exhausted. Go take your shower and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." I let myself into my bedroom, got my clothing ready for tomorrow, put on my nightgown, opened the window and got into bed.

When I awoke there was no sign of Jethro. I must have slept like the dead to not feel him get into bed. Did he even sleep here?

I smelled coffee so I got up, showered, got dressed and made the bed. I know. I put off the inevitable but those things needed to get done too!

Gibbs, already in the kitchen, poured me a cup and slid it across the counter to me. "Did you have a goodnights sleep?" He wore a grin so I knew something was up.

I nodded and watched him. "I did. I missed where you got into bed so I must have been tired."

He just grinned more. "Yeah, you were sleeping pretty well when I came up. So I just sat in the chair watching you sleep. Before I knew it, it was time to get up."

My mouth dropped. "After all the pretty speeches last night you slept in the chair?"

He came around and sat next to me. "I gathered from your reaction last night that you might have preferred that to my being in bed with you." He took another breath. "I never want to do anything to hurt you or make you uncomfortable. I just want you safe."

I reached for his hand and held it. "Jethro, if you'd come on like it was ten years ago I would have stopped you and even been angry. That's not happening and I'd already wrapped my mind around that and being okay with you protecting me." I smiled up at him. "Thank you for thinking of my feelings." I withdrew my hand from his and drank my coffee. "Where are Nick and Ellie?"

I felt him chuckling and knew I said the wrong thing. "Why do you want to go back upstairs with me?" He keenly watched for my reaction.

I wasn't about to give him one and his response surprised me. It must be part of the new Gibbs. "No, I just wondered where they are. I know, they're still upstairs."

I sensed that Gibbs was shocked that I didn't take the bait but he covered it well with his coffee mug. "Nope, they're on the road watching for the truck from Fallon. It's supposed to be here this morning and then we'll go in."

"Thanks for letting me know. I worry a lot…you know." I looked at the coffee in my cup rather than look at him. "Hey I need a quick breakfast and then off to work. I need a lunch so I'll take some of the leftover pizza. Oh I get out of work at three but if you can't be there by then I can go up and see Tim." I got up to see about my breakfast.

Gibbs grabbed my arm as I walked by and swung me to him. He took my face in his hands and pulled me in for a brief but wonderful kiss. "You can worry." Then he let me go.

After that I wasn't sure what I packed for lunch. I ate my breakfast, went up to brush my teeth and by the time I came back down Gibbs was ready. I rummaged through my purse for my keys as we walked to the garage. I handed my keys to Jethro and he opened the garage door. There stood my burnt orange Jeep Renegade.

The look on his face was priceless. "Could you drive a more conspicuous car?"

I shrugged my shoulders, sighed and climbed in on the passenger side. "They are handy in the winter around here."

We arrived at the hospital five minutes later. As we walked through the front door Gibbs talked with the security guards.

I felt like I was five again. I can't go anywhere without my big brother, not that I had one. Oh I get it. He's keeping me safe but it was just that awkward feeling.

James, the security guard, seemed amused by it all. "So Miss Cross goes nowhere without you? She can't leave for any reason?"

Gibbs was serious but even he was amused by James questions. They had an almost unbelievable tone to them. "Nope, not for any reason, and if someone does try to take her don't stop them just call me. I won't be that far away. Here's my card." He took my hand and let me lead him to the gift shop. He came in looked around and then his phone rang. "Gibbs. I'm on my way." He kissed my forehead and sighed." "I've got to go and yes I'll be careful." With that he left.

I stood watching him go then I turned and went into the backroom to sign my time card, check on new stock and saw what needed to be placed on the shelves. I filled the till and opened the door for the day at nine. It wasn't the busiest of days. A few people came in to buy papers for their loved ones others bought balloons for other patients. Some people came through to browse while their family member's doctors were with them. Like I said not a super busy day but it kept me busy and my mind off of Jethro.

Around noon a man came through the door and began to shop around. He'd pick up an item, give it a good once over and put it down. He glanced at the front page of the newspaper but only a cursory look. His movements reminded me of someone but I couldn't place them. I could feel him watching me from the corner of his eye. He creeped me out in a way. Hesitantly I went to offer assistance. "Could I be of some assistance?"

He looked up at me and smiled "Yes you can, Alex, you can come with me."

Like I said…creepy. "I'm afraid I working and not allowed to leave. Is there someone else who can help you?" There was an evil aura about him and I knew I shouldn't go anywhere with him.

He still smiled but I noticed that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes and the smile was more of a sneer.

Then all of a sudden I knew him. He'd been one of the men who trampled my daffodils. He'd cut off his pony tail and wore dress pants, a sweater and a button down collar shirt but it was John Crandall. "I'm working and can't go anywhere." I stalled but it would only work for a short time or until another customer or a nurse came in. No one came.

He grabbed my hand and I felt paralyzed by fear. "You will come with me like a good girl or I'll do this." He put his thumb between my thumb and fore finger and pushed as hard as he could. The pain was excruciating. The evil aura went up a notch or maybe ten.

I nodded as I had no voice.

He smiled again. "Now that is settled we can go." He led me out of the shop and out the main doors. James wasn't there and I assumed he was at lunch. No help from him. I tried to make eye contact with the guard that was there but he was too busy cutting his nails. When in the parking lot he placed me in an old Ford pickup truck and we drove away with no one being any wiser.

A half an hour later Tim McGee rolled into the gift shop looking for Alex. She was nowhere to be seen. "Hey Alex, it's Tim. Where are you?" He rolled to the office door. All of Alex's belongings were there but no Alex. Since there's a bathroom attached to their office he thought she might be in there but the door was wide open. "Alex….Alex? Oh crap." He pulled out his phone and called Gibbs. "Boss, it's McGee. Alex isn't here. No not in the office and all of her stuff is here. I'm heading out to security to find out what they know. Yeah…James? I'll see if he knows anything. Call you right back." Tim rolled out of the gift shop and out to the front door. He met the security guards but James wasn't with them. "Did either of you see Alex Cross leave?"

One of the guards, Jase, nodded. "Yeah she left about a half hour ago. She was holding hands with the guy she left with.

That gave Tim the chills. What did the man look like?"

Jase stopped a moment to think. "He had shorter hair, late twenties to early thirties, neatly dressed, slacks and a sweater. They got into an older Ford pickup and drove off."

"Did you see which way they went?" Tim was glad for the description of the man but he needed more for Gibbs.

Jase shook his head no. "I got a call from the front desk to help with a bus in the back of the building. Sorry."

James came up at that moment. "Hey Agent McGee, how are you feeling?"

Tim shook his head. "I've been better. Did you see Alex Cross leave?"

James looked up from the paperwork on the podium. "No, did Agent Gibbs come for her?"

Tim let out a sigh. "Unfortunately not. She left with someone else. Thank you all for your help." He turned his chair away from the front door and called Gibbs. "Boss she left with a man in an older Ford pickup. I'm heading to the Security Office to view the tapes for this morning. Maybe we'll get something from them. I'll talk with you when you get here." He seriously hoped he had answers for his boss by the time he got here.

Twenty minutes later Gibbs walked into the Security Office.

McGee hadn't seen him in this state since…Kate's death. The Boss showed signs of anxiety and worry and in Gibbs it's not a good combination. "Boss, I watched the tapes and it's definitely Crandall. He's driving a blue nineteen eighty-nine Ford pickup. When he pulled out of the parking lot he turned right. Boss, why would he take Alex?"

Gibbs gave him the steely stare but it lasted only a second. "I got away…he's not done with me yet. He's using her to get to me." He gave Tim's shoulder a squeeze. "Thanks Tim. Hey get back to your room before the Doc gets upset with us."

Tim wasn't ready yet. He needed to know more about the mission. "Did you stop the shipments?"

Gibbs shook his head no. "They packed up before we got there. The truck on it's way here was dumped just outside of Bishop. It was wiped clean. Don't worry Tim we'll get them another time. There is too much money in these parts for them to give up. Now back to your room and I'm headed back up there to finish searching for clues.

After working for Gibbs all these years he understood about the bad guys getting away and still searching for them. "I'm going. I don't want to be late for Delilah's call. See you later?"

Gibbs nodded and walked him to the elevator and then out the front door of the hospital.

His cell phone rang. "Gibbs"

A voice he knew too well chuckled in his ear. "So Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs…what exactly would you do to get Alex Cross back?"