Anthony DiNozzo sat at his desk and patiently awaited Gibbs arrival. All watching the tapes had done was allowed for more anger to well up inside him and he couldn't wait till he had the opportunity to release it. Until then he continued to destroy office supplies.
Ziva David had put out the BOLO like Gibbs asked then took to helping McGee; to keep herself busy. She hadn't known Abby long, but her sense of duty to protect made her even more driven than usual. She also sat at her desk and patiently awaited Gibbs arrival.
Timothy McGee seemed to be the only one out of the group who was keeping his whits about him. There was a job to be done, and that job was to get Abby back. And no emotion, feeling or challenge was going to stop him from doing just that. He loved her, and that meant more to him at this point then any badge he carried in his pocket. He also awaited Gibbs arrival, but was the least patient of them all.
"Got something boss." McGee shot up from his desk and motioned towards the plasma. A few photos and symbols appeared on the screen seconds later. "I spoke with a few of Steeples inmates, and he apparently held a huge grudge against the two of you…he spoke often of his plans to get you when he got out. He also seemed to be obsessed with the limp; our very own DiNozzo gave him. He got in multiple fights with inmates who even looked at him the wrong way."
"He is pretty scrawny…" Tony offered. "But he can fight."
Gibbs agreed with Tony but shook his head. "This is what you got McGee?"
"There's more boss…seems Ziva and I weren't the only ones looking through the database for guys who you and Tony put away…turns out the database was hacked a few months ago…searching for inmates and parolees as far back as your career started…" He motioned towards Gibbs. "Looks like he's been recruiting boss…for a long time."
"That would make sense, considering all the help he's had along the way…he would need a lot of man power, to drop off Tony's father, and abduct Abby within such a short period of time." Ziva added.
Gibbs shook his head. "You're telling me this bastard has been planning his pay back for four years?"
"Let's face it boss, you've pissed off a lot of people over the years." Tony offered, trying to ease the tension of the situation.
"Yeah, and you're bout to become one of them DiNozzo…McGee…"
"Compile a list of felons out on parole since the start of your career that are alive and working in the DC area? Already got it." He reached for a stapled packet and handed it to Gibbs. "I also went through and highlighted those I think have the least to lose boss."
Gibbs patted him on the arm. "That's good work McGee."
"I want to find her." He said simply.
"I know Tim…we all do." Gibbs replied, taking a seat behind his desk. He then looked towards Tony and Ziva.
"BOLO is out…and may I say something?"
Gibbs shrugged. "Shoot."
"That's just it Gibbs…shooting…do you think it's possible to…"
"Fake my death?" Gibbs finished her thought. "I've thought about that, but I get the feeling they will have some fail safes in place. He has already shown that he isn't stupid enough to fall for a trick like that."
Tony stepped in. "I have to agree with Ziva here boss…shocking I know, but she's right."
"What do you think I've spent the last hour doing DiNozzo? Do you think I sat around and twiddled my thumbs? No, I've gone over every possible way to fix this in order to get Abby back…and honestly; faking my death isn't at the top of my list."
He finished his thought and the three of them stared at him questioningly.
"Boss you don't mean…" McGee began but couldn't finish.
"Unless someone here has something that will tell me where this bastard is holding Abby?" He stood up. "I didn't think so."
Tony was now in front of his desk. "We're not gonna let it come to that boss."
Gibbs came out and stood in the middle of the three of them. "I am not going to let her die."
He stared at each of them individually for a few seconds before going back behind his desk. No one said a word, until a familiar sound pulled them out of their trance.
"DiNozzo." He answered his phone and expressed that it was Steeples. "Hey, how's the leg?"
"You've figured out who I am…I'd like to say I'm impressed but I know you and Gibbs are good. Just not good enough to save your old man."
"You'll pay for that, I'm not worried." He replied. "But if you're thinking of hurting Abby, I'll be sure not to miss the next time I shoot you."
He laughed softly. "You're sounding more and more like Gibbs as you get older DiNozzo…but as long as I'm gonna talk to him, why don't you put him on the line too?"
Gibbs gave McGee a death stare insisting that he figure out a way to trace the call before he spoke into the receiver.
"Gibbs here."
"Good to hear your voice Agent Gibbs…how've you been?"
"Better than you will be if you hurt her."
"Aww come now Gibbs, you know me better than that."
"No actually I don't, but why don't you come down here to the office, and we'll get to know each other real well."
"I'm kinda busy, but can I get a rain check?"
"I can come to you." Gibbs offered. "And as soon as Abby is safe, you can do whatever the hell you want with me."
He sighed. "Oh Gibbs, I enjoy watching you suffer from a distance, all of us do."
"Well tell all of them, that if they harm her, there won't be an army large enough to stop me from killing every single last one of them."
"Oh they know the risks believe me…question is do you?" A few seconds of silence passed. "Now either DiNozzo brings me your body within the hour, or you can say so long to your precious forensic scientist."
"And just where do you want me to drop him off?" Tony asked, holding back the anger in his voice.
"I'll be in touch."
The phone went dead and the three of them stared quickly towards McGee. He worked frantically on his key board and took in a deep breath. "Sorry boss…"
"Damn." He slammed the phone down.
The three of them looked up at him. They wanted direction, they wanted an answer, and they wanted a solution. Gibbs responded by staring at Tony.
"Don't even think it boss…" he shook his head. "I can't."
Gibbs continued his stare.
"I won't." Tony said with insistence.
Ziva stepped in. "And I wont let him."
McGee got up. "Neither will I boss."
Gibbs put his arms out. "Then you guys must want the next time you see Abby to be down in autopsy."
Each of them shook their heads.
"Then either you deliver my body in an hour…or that's just where you will say your goodbyes."
"There's another way out of this boss." Tony replied. "There has to be."
"Well we got an hour DiNozzo." He stood up and headed towards the elevator.
"Where you going?" The three said in unison with a element of concern in their voice.
He smiled slowly. "Don't worry, I'm going down to Abby's lab…call me if you got something."
They stood there unsure of what to do next. Tony reached for the packet of names on Gibbs desk and pointed. "McGee, I don't care if you have to call the FBI for help…trace those damn calls…Ziva, you're with me."
"Where are we going?"
"Autopsy."
--- ---
Gibbs stood at the entrance of the lab to find a girl with black hair staring back towards him.
"Hi." She said with a smile. "I'm Amy." She put out her hand and Gibbs didn't take it. "Was just going to call you, you must have ESP or something."
"And you are?" He replied as he watched her put her hand back down.
"I'm from Metro, they just sent me here to process this evidence…I hear it's been a crazy day."
"You have no idea." He peered over her shoulder. "What do you got?"
"Well whoever they are, they weren't careful, they left oodles of trace evidence, from fingerprints to a background on the Polaroid."
He simply stared at her in return and she picked up on what he wanted. She pulled up the photo on the screen and zoomed in on the objects in the background. "Look familiar?"
But instead of an answer, all she got was his back facing her as he left the lab.
--- ---
Tony's cell phone rang as he about to exit the elevator.
"DiNozzo." He listened to Gibbs on the other end for a few moments and knew better than to interrupt. "On it boss."
Ziva looked over at him. "What are we on now?"
He shrugged. "He just said no one is to leave the building…the usual SOP for when someone's out to get us."
"Yes and…?"
"That's a good question…listen I want to you follow up on your solution to this mess with Ducky…I'm going after Gibbs." He sighed. "Not literally."
She shook her head. "Tony, Gibbs just said that no one is to leave the building."
"Yeah well, my gut is telling me something different…just talk to Ducky please?" He shooed her off the elevator.
"Fine but Tony…what about…"
"When the times right it will be right Ziva…my Dad's not going anywhere…but I am…so go." He motioned that she exit and she did.
"Fine, but when Gibbs see's you, it's gonna be your arm in a sling."
As the elevator doors closed he couldn't help but sigh. "Butt Ziva…butt in a sling…"
--- ---
"Probie…" Tony barked, as he approached his desk.
"I don't have anything yet Tony, and yes I am working as fast as I can, and yes I have called in some help…"
"I have no doubt you are doing all of those things Probie, I just need you to do one more thing for me and I need you to do it now…"
"But our first priority is finding Abby, and this is the best lead we have…"
Tony put his hand up to quiet him. "McGee listen, the boss just called and gave the SOP of no one leaves the building yada yada…and my guts telling me he's running down a lead on his own…I need you to GPS his phone."
"But if Gibbs said no one leaves the building then…" He pointed towards Tony.
"What? Are you and Ziva dating, cuz I swear you two are like mimicking each other…listen, saving the boss means more than getting reprimanded by him for disobeying orders." He thought for a second. "Then again, maybe not…but just get me the coordinates McGee."
As it came up on his screen, the two stared at each other for a few seconds.
When Tony turned to leave, McGee grabbed his arm.
"But Tony, what if you're not back before they call?"
He patted McGee on the shoulder. "Then do what a good agent should do Probie…"
"Improvise?"
Tony nodded. "Improvise."
He shook his head. "Maybe I should go after Gibbs?"
"I need you working that trace, and I didn't get an A in nerd school…so that just leaves you."
"Yeah thanks Tony, but if you don't answer, they could kill her and…"
"Listen, the more time I stand here and argue with you, the less time I have to get back in time…so get to work. I'll call you when I figure out what's going on."
McGee nodded and turned back towards his computer. It was then Tony yelled at him from the elevator.
"And McGee…"
He nodded. "No one leaves the building…got it boss…"
--- ---
The next thirty two minutes, and fifteen seconds went by slower than any incriminate of time McGee had ever experienced. He looked over at Ziva and Ducky as the clock hit twelve and Tony's desk phone rang.
"Perhaps I should answer McGee?" Ziva offered.
Ducky stepped in front of her. "I am better with my words Ziva…I will answer."
McGee shook his head. "No, Tony put me in charge of answering, so I'm answering." He took in a deep breath. "Hello."
"Where's Agent DiNozzo?"
"He uh, he's…"
Just then, Tony ran in and took the phone from his hand. "Right here Steeples…"
"I was worried there for a second DiNozzo…how nice of you to make it on time…did you take care of what you needed to take care of?"
"I did…now where am I dropping the body?"
He laughed softly. "You don't really think I believe you killed him do you?"
"Guess the only way you'll know for sure is if you tell me where to take him."
"Please, I may be cheap, but I'm not easy…you shouldn't have tried to trick me like this…"
McGee started to flail his arms indicating that he had opened a trace on the call.
"You cant kid a kidder Steeples…with Gibbs out of the picture it's my team, and I'm not about to let you hurt them…so give me a damn address and let Abby go."
"Remember what happened the last time you tried to stall me DiNozzo?"
It was then a shot rang out causing both Ziva and Tony to distance the receiver from their ears.
"Good luck keeping the rest of your team safe Agent DiNozzo…but most of all, good lucking living up to Jethro Gibb's legacy…"
As the line went dead, the only man able to speak was Donald Mallard.
"What have you done Anthony?"
---