Gone
Chapter 11
A/n Sorry about the delay in getting the chapter up. But here it is. And a special thanks to Crokettsgirl for all her help.
"Captain Reynolds," Tony said with a snarl "I bet you are surprised to see me here. You actually thought that I'd just sit in that room and wait for you to come and finish me off later? Or do you think I'm that stupid." Tony looked at the captain, his head cocked while he hid the pain that weakened him.
"You don't really want me to answer that Tony, do you?" The captain continued to eye his prey before Tony could get another word out. The actions to answer Tony's questions came swiftly and were pushed by his anger.
Tony was caught off guard when his injuries wouldn't allow him to move fast enough to get out of the way from the quick kick Reynolds gave to his injured arm. He bit his lip against the terrible pain as he pulled himself up. Tony looked around to make sure that Carlson was okay. He hated that the man not only betrayed himself, but the F.B.I. as well.
However, Tony knew that Carlson probably helped save his life by coming back for him. He knew that the man could have left him to die and disappeared for good. He was thankful that he hadn't. Tony also knew that Carlson had risked a lot by his call to Gibbs. The thought of Gibbs gave him hope. The hope that his boss and the team would get there soon, he didn't know how long they could hold off Reynolds from killing them, or how they'd keep him there.
More than anything, Tony hoped there was a way to save Carlson's reputation. Yeah, the F.B.I. agent had screwed up big time, but he didn't want to see the man's family embarrassed or the man himself. Carlson's family would lose his pension if anything happened to him and if the F.B.I. found out that he was involved with Reynolds more than just with the undercover op. Tony wanted personally to try to have the man made a hero, regardless of what happened. A strange sound bought the NCIS agent out of her reverie and caused him to slowly turn around so he could see what that noise was.
Tony noticed that Carlson had left the room and that Reynolds hadn't realized. The F. B.I. agent appeared at a different door and kept a low profile. The man was good, a quick thinker, Tony thought with an internal smile.
Tony steadied himself and slowly slipped away from Reynolds line of sight as he anticipated Carlson's next move. Suddenly, Tony was knocked out of the way as Carlson launched himself into Reynolds. Tony tried to get up, but was light headed from the blood he'd lost as well as the concussion that still banged inside his head. His other injuries screamed throughout his body and made his knees buckle, until he met the floor.) All he could do was watch as Carlson and Reynolds struggled to reach the gun that had been knocked out of (his hand earlier. After he felt steady enough, Tony was able to get to his feet. He stood for a second to shake off the dizziness before he acted.
"Hey Reynolds" Tony said snarkily "Let Agent Carlson go. You know it's me you really want." Tony tensely called out in order to bait the captain.
"You don't know who I want, Agent DiNozzo," Reynolds answered, the look he gave Tony was dangerously filled with betrayal, rage and hate, "I want to get rid of both of you. You two have betrayed me and I can't allow you to get away with it."
"Reynolds!" Agent Carlson suddenly called out as Reynolds stood up and backed away which gave Carlson time to stand up. "You are trapped here. There is no way you are getting out of this room alive. There is a team of federal agents outside coming to arrest you as we speak. Right, Agent DiNozzo?" The F.B.I. agent waited for the NCIS agent to collaborate his story.
"That's Right" Tony answered with a huge smile on his face "I just hope I can be here when Agent Gibbs and the team arrive. The best thing about this, Reynolds, is that you're going down. That's right, the great and powerful Oz, that would be you, Reynolds. Who thinks he'll never be arrested. Well I have news for you. Agent Gibbs is better than you. He'll track you down, if by some chance you get away. Oh, he'll find you, there's no doubt about that, because he always gets his man, like the Mounties," Tony gave a leering smile, "Then he'll kick your ass until you whine like the wuss you are. And your men, what will they think of you then? Oh wait, I know, they'll see you as you are, a whimp that's nothing without his men that do his bidding. Then again, would they do that when they find out what a piece of shit you really are?" DiNozzo chuckled at the thought as he hid his pain and stared hard at the captain.
Tony watched as Carlson used the distraction to get closer to the weapon that lie on the floor. Tony didn't risk Reynolds seeing anything on his face as he locked eyes for a second with Carlson when Reynolds looked away. He knew what Reynolds was doing as the man work his way slowly to the other side of the room and towards the gun.
Tony used his belligerence as a distraction, even though he knew that a beating was on its way. That usually did when he acted this way. But this was the way he distracted people in order to save a team mate or anyone else in trouble. He continued to hone in on his skill that annoyed people and drew them to him and not anyone else. Again he had to laugh inside at this even though it wasn't something to laugh about, they could be killed. But he needed to give Carlson time to make his move.
"Reynolds!" Tony yelled to bring the man's attention back to him and buy Carlson the time he needed, "Why don't you just turn yourself in to us right now? You can save yourself a lot of trouble by surrendering." Tony gave the captain a cocky look.
Tony hated to use this method of distraction, but he had learned from previous experience with Reynolds that this method always worked. Besides, he was in an ungodly amount of pain and pissed off. He just wanted to get Carlson and himself out of there in one piece. So he took a deep breath and planted the smirk back on his face before he turned to stare at the man.
Neither Carlson nor DiNozzo noticed that Reynolds had) pulled a gun out from inside one of his boots. He slipped it in the back of his uniform pants and started to pace the room. He was furious at Tony for his smart mouth and would have loved to blow him away right then and there. But that would mean that he would lose control of his emotions and the situation, which he wasn't about to let happen. He stormed over to Tony so he could confront the jerk again and make him pay for his snide comments. No one insulted him, Captain Reynolds, and, got away with it.
"You're insane DiNozzo," Reynolds yelled as he tried to hang on to the little control he had left, "If you honestly think that I would just go and turn myself in, than you're dumber than I thought. You should know by now that I can't ever be caught. So I'll quickly finish you two off and then) I can be on my way. I'll be free and no one will ever see me again." (He gave DiNozzo a crazed smile.
Tony saw that the captain was trying to hold on to the little control that he had. The senior field agent also saw the false confidence in the captain, who believed it was real. Tony also knew by the short eye contact that Carlson knew the same.
"I don't think so." Carlson replied as he quickly reached down and grabbed the gun. He hid it quickly away in the waist of his jeans before Reynolds looked over at him with a demented smile.
"Oh," Tony started into his wise crack persona once again. He needed to focus his distraction ploy. This would be the only way that he and Carlson could get to the captain in order for them to escape to safety. And if that meant that Reynolds was shot in doing so, didn't matter one bit to DiNozzo. So he continued his taunting, "You honestly think that I am insane? Well you're the one who thinks he can just walk out of here and no one will be the wiser. You know, leaving two agents dead and all. You have to know they have your name, both agencies by the way. I know you've heard of them, NCIS and the F.B.I.?," Tony saw a glimmer of thought come from Reynolds as he tried to rationalize that he would get away forever with what he had done. Tony had seen it before in men, so he continued once again, "You're insane because you truly believe that you can just walk away forever. Gibbs will get you, trust me. Well, not just only Gibbs which in it's self is scary enough. But then there is the F.B.I. which I've been telling you about. Yeah, Fornell sent some good ones after you too. But hey, maybe you'll get the insanity plea?" Tony gave an amused laugh that he knew would throw the guy off balance. He knew his ploy was working. Reynolds face was contorted with fury. The look only confirmed what Tony had been working for. Tony happened to catch Carlson's look. He saw the eyes that told the NCIS agent he had gone too far. He chanced a look at Reynolds and quickly turned back to Carlson.
Reynolds used that moment to stealthy slip behind DiNozzo and shove him up against the wall. He pulled one hand away while the other kept Tony against the wall. He quickly pulled out the gun and held it against the side of Tony's head.
"Drop the gun right now!" Carlson said while he tried to hide the look of horror in his own eyes. He could tell that Reynolds was trying to induce more terror that the agent felt. Being injured as bad as Tony was, along with the shock caused by them and being held hostage, was not making the situation any better. Carlson knew that he couldn't allow himself to panic, if that happened Reynolds would not hesitate to blow Tony away. He needed to keep the promise he had made to himself earlier that he was going to get his friend out of this alive. "Drop the gun." Carlson pleaded again "Or I'll blow you away, right now."
"Yeah right" Reynolds hissed "How can you, when I'm the one with the gun and a very valuable hostage." He knew he held all the card and thought he always had.
Carlson was quiet as he discretely reached for the weapon. He also noticed that Tony was very pale and that his arm had started to badly bleed again. He saw that the agent had started to panic due to all the injuries which made it hard for the man to keep his head. Carlson also saw how shaky DiNozzo was and that this was not only due to the injuries and blood lose to his body but, the concussion as well. Carlson needed his friend to relax, but that would be hard to do with how bad the injuries were. He motioned in quick hand signals to his friend that conveyed the need for Tony to move as soon as he had a clear shot at Reynolds. Carlson pulled out his gun and took aim at his target. Reynolds had a tenuous hold that had evaporated as he shoved his hostage to the side and then fired his gun at Carlson. Carlson slumped against the wall and then slowly slid down as his eyes closed.
Ignoring the pain and fighting the growing panic inside of him, Tony jumped up. He gathered his remaining strength and launched himself at Reynolds, causing the other man to hit the wall with a loud crack. Tony laid there stunned for a few seconds before he was able to crawl across the hallway. He slowly made it to Carlson and placed a shaky had on the F.B.I. agent's neck to see if there was a pulse, to see if the man was still alive.
NNNCCCIIISSS
OUTSIDE
Gibbs waited impatiently for his team to meet him at the door. Thankfully they felt the sense of urgency emanating from Gibbs and suddenly appeared at his side. The four federal agents quickly cleared the area and started inside. Following the map that Carlson had given Gibbs, they quickly made their way through the maze of doors. Gibbs was about to split them up so they could search quicker when they heard a gunshot go off.
Gibbs and McGee instinctively ran forward with their guns in their hands. Jensen and Ziva followed in their footsteps. Gibbs had a gut feeling that things had gone wrong and that Tony was probably dead. He was sure that the others all felt the same way. No one was able or had time to express their fears, they knew that would be a danger and concentrated on the task at hand. Using the map they headed) off in the direction that the shot came from.
They'd been moving silently for several minutes when they heard another shot go off. The noise echoed in the huge building and seemed close to their position. Gibbs raised his hand up to signal to the others to hold their position and be quiet. They all listened quietly in order to pin point exactly where the noise came from. There was a very loud crash and then they heard what sounded like Tony crying out in pain. Only then was there silence. A moment later they heard footsteps from someone running away. The realization that all the noise came from a corridor that was left of their current position made Gibbs give the signal to move out. The team then quickly moved to where Tony was.
NNNCCCIIISSS
Tony's Location
DiNozzo looked back at the man that was lying on the ground to make sure that he was still unconscious. He was relieved to see that Reynolds eyes were still closed. Still not able to stand on his own he crawled to where Carlson was lying with his back against the wall. Once he was able to get to the injured man he quickly felt for a pulse. After confirming that it was slow and steady but still beating, he grabbed for the first aid bag that Carlson dropped onto the ground.
Tony quickly started to take care of his friend's injured arm. The gun shot thankfully was a through and through wound. He also realized that the blood loss wasn't too bad. He tore away his sleeve and used it to clean the wound before he bandaged it. He pulled off his shirt and tore off strips and then used them to tie off the wound and to keep the bandage in place.
As he finished his task with the bandage the other man started to stir. Tony moved back quickly, afraid that the pain from his ministrations would panic the injured man. Carlson quickly pulled away until he noticed who was sitting in front of him. Tony quickly bent closer down to help his friend up, but his hand was pushed away.
"DiNozzo" Carlson pleaded as strongly as his weak body would let him. His voice was quiet though he tried to force the urgency into it, "Get yourself out of here now. I'm sure that your team is looking for you. You just get yourself to safety, now! I mean it!" The F.B.I. agent fell back, spent by the use of his voice in strongly warning his friend.
"I'm not going anywhere without you" DiNozzo snapped back stubbornly, "Either we both stay or we both go. I'm not going to argue about this. Either you go with me now or I'll haul your ass up and carry you out of here!"
"Damn you DiNozzo" Carlson pleaded again, "Don't be stupid. Go and get yourself to safety. You have to go on your own because I'll just slow you down. Besides, you're not exactly able to carry me out. Look, you can hardly move yourself. Just get out of here now. Go now!" Again the man pushed his voice to the limit along with his energy.
"No" DiNozzo said as he slowly got himself up and reached down to pull the other man up. They needed to leave and now, "We're both going so put your damned arm around my shoulder so I can get you standing. We've got to go fast before Reynolds wakes up. So help me out here." Tony sternly told his friend.
"DiNozzo" Carlson laughed out loud "You are the most stubborn S.O.B. that I have ever met. Just help me up before it's too late." He knew that once Tony made up his mind there was no talking him out of it. He conceded and reached up for help. He just hoped they could both get away before they had another encounter with Reynolds. They were both wounded to badly to fight back or quickly escape. But they knew they had to try, it was better than waiting like sitting ducks for the inevitable of sure death.
Tony softly cried out in pain as he hauled his friend up. The two men were so focused on escape and didn't notice the man on the floor start to stir. Reynolds quietly pulled his gun out as he started to get up. He waited for DiNozzo to turn around so he could shoot him in the back. Tony was taking his time and turned in the opposite direction. But it didn't matter now who he killed, just as long as he quickly killed one of them. He knew it wouldn't take much since both were wounded and by the looks of it, both were bad off. The captain gave an evil smile as he pulled his gun out and fired. He laughed with insane satisfaction as Carlson slumped down on top of Tony. He noticed that DiNozzo wasn't moving. He figured that both agents were dead and quickly slipped out of the room.
NNNCCCIIISSS
Outside of the hallway
After the team heard the footsteps go in the opposite direction, they quickly made their way into the area the shots had come from. When they entered the area they saw the two men lying in a pool of blood. Gibbs ran into the room, his team behind him. Gibbs had to make sure that the two men were okay. He quickly pulled Carlson off of Tony and carefully laid him down on the ground. The lead NCIS agent spotted the two bullet holes in Carlson's back. He quickly checked several times for a pulse before he accepted the fact that the man who saved his Senior Field Agent's life was dead. Gibbs raised his head to his team, the look in his eyes told the other agents that the F.B.I. agent was dead.
"Damn it" Agent Jensen snapped as he ran in the direction they had heard the footstep go, his weapon drawn. Taking Jensen's lead Ziva and McGee followed him out to help pursue Captain Reynolds.
Gibbs closed the man's eyes and moved him over so he could check on his injured agent. Thankfully he found a pulse, it was weak, but at least he was still alive. The lead agent shook his head after assessing his agent's injuries. He could tell that Tony had been beaten at least twice by the number of bruises, along with an infected bullet wound in his arm. Gently he tapped his hand against Tony's cheek to try and bring him back to consciousness. His senior agent opened his eyes briefly and looked into the eyes of his boss before he slipped back into the safety of dark unconsciousness.
NNNCCCIIISSS
Ten minutes later
Gibbs sat there by Tony's side and quietly waited for the three agents to come back. While he waited he talked more than usual in hope that his agent would hear him and come to. Suddenly the three agents came bursting back into the area.)
"He's gone" Jensen announced while he tried) to catch his breath. "It's like he disappeared into thin air. A team of agents are out searching the area for him. Is DiNozzo alive?" He asked what the other two where thinking.
"He is, but barely" The lead agent said with a sigh of relief. "Just make sure Reynolds is found before he makes it back to the states. McGee, where are the medics?" Gibbs impatiently groused.
"I called them before we came in," McGee answered "I'm going now to bring them in." He turned around and then ran to the entrance so he could get the medics. He was worried about Tony and hoped they weren't too late.
"I will go with McGee, Gibbs" Ziva said quietly. "Tony will be okay. Yes?" She inquired as she looked from Tony to her boss.
"I need you here to help, Ziva" Gibbs answered, smiling for the first time in days "And yes, I'm sure Tony will be okay once he has medical attention."
Gibbs stood up and in an uncharacteristic move he reached and put his arm around Ziva. He didn't know who he was trying to comfort more when he brought her into a comforting embrace. The action did not go unnoticed by Jensen who grinned after taking one last look at his best friend. He then started to radio his team about Reynolds.
A few minutes later McGee came back followed by the medics. They quickly placed Agent Carlson into a body bag and Tony onto a stretcher. The medics stabilized Tony the best they could before they brought him out of the building. The team followed the medics and their fallen friend out into the sunshine. The lead agent looked back at the building and hoped that he would never have to come back to this God forsaken place again.