Chapter 3: Train
- - - - -
There she is! Tim spotted Abby, about 150 feet away, down at the far end of the platform. He nearly, literally, jumped for joy. He restrained himself from calling her name, much as he wanted to. If Boyers hadn't spotted her yet, Tim didn't dare tip him off.
Abby! No! This when he saw her climb over the barricade at the end of the platform. Instantly he knew that she would try to walk along the tracks to the next station; an act of desperation. What was the schedule of the trains? He didn't know. How frequently did they run, at this time of day? He didn't know. All he knew, with certainty, was that there wasn't enough time for her to run to the next station before a train came through.
Maybe she's just going to hide beyond the barricade, and not get on the tracks… He hoped that would be the case, but he couldn't count on it. He had to stop her. That was all. He would stop her, and he would protect her from Boyers. It all sounded so simple that way.
The platform was swollen with the rush hour crowd now. Tim pushed his way through, quickly, murmuring apologies when he could. Despite his efforts, it was slow-going and Abby had too much of a head start. By the time he reached the barricade, she was out of sight.
NOOOO! he screamed, silently. She had signed her own death warrant.
A couple of people around him noticed his agitation, and tried to stop him, but he shook them off and scrambled over the barricade. Down the little walkway he ran, and was surprised to find a stretch of newly-under-construction platform: evidently new since his last green line ride a month or so ago. He brushed the thought away, concentrating on Abby. There she was! On the tracks, close to where the new platform ended.
"ABBY!!" he cried now as he ran toward the platform's end. "You've got to get out of there! Come on; I'll give you a hand up!"
- - - - -
Tony had come around the station crossroads from where the red line met the green line. He scanned the crowd, looking for Boyers, running in his mind what he remembered of the man from observing his interrogation. About 5' 9", 185 lbs., 40-45, thinning brown hair, bushy eyebrows, cold gray eyes, unpleasant demeanor. The platform was too crowded to study faces, so he switched to looking for someone who might be acting suspiciously.
Carefully he walked through the crowd, checking out person after person, and becoming rather surprised at just how many suspicious-looking people there were here. This wasn't helping, and no one quite matching what he remembered of Boyers was in sight. No sign of Abby, either. He was about to head back to the red line when a familiar-looking lope caught his eye. Probie! Just in time he saw Tim climb over the barricade at the far end of the platform and vanish.
Without hesitation, Tony ran through the crowds. "Move aside! Federal agent!" he cried, his heart pounding.
- - - - -
"Tim! Oh, my God! Tim!!" Abby sobbed. She stood, shaking, on the tracks; unable to move in her great relief and unrelenting terror.
"Abby, you've gotta get out of there! Now!!" Tim urged.
"But, Tim; Boyers—"
"I'll protect you. The whole team will protect you. We're all here."
"You're all—" Abby hugged herself. At long last, her nightmare was over, and she was safe. "Oh, Tim…"
A roaring filled the tunnel. A train was approaching.
- - - - -
The bright sunlight of the area outside the Archives/Navy Memorial station was like an interrogation lamp in their faces as Gibbs and Ziva exited the Metro station onto Pennsylvania Avenue. A very short walk brought them to the Navy Memorial Plaza, a large circle with fountains, plaques, and the statue of the Lone Sailor, all commemorating the history of the Navy. Crowds of tourists, fresh-faced young sailors, and lingering office workers walked around or sat on benches in the sun or under the trees in the neighboring little park.
A quick, visual check had failed to turn up Abby. "Check these shops," Gibbs directed. "See if anyone's seen her. I'll check the museum."
Ziva nodded, and went to the small cluster of shops on the far side of the circle. She asked the staff in each one about Abby and Boyers, biting back her frustration about not having pictures of either to show. The answers were inconclusive and unhelpful; so many people were in and out of the shops, and so many of them were dark-haired women in glasses. Even the mention of the light blue suit didn't trigger any memories.
For Gibbs, the Naval Heritage Center museum was cool and refreshing after the heat of the Metro station and the great outdoors. Like Ziva, though, he found his queries meant with blank looks. "I'm sorry, sir," said the young woman at the information desk, just inside the front door, sensing his impatience. "I just came on shift 15 minutes ago. There's been no one by that description through here in that time."
Gibbs was only half-listening as he looked out the tall, tinted windows of the museum. He sensed he was making this young woman, who was probably very new on the job, nervous. Not that that concerned him. Abby wouldn't linger here, even if she did come asking for sanctuary, he reasoned. This area was too visible. But the bulk of the museum, with the lecture halls and Heritage Center offices, were located downstairs, he knew. He thanked the young woman and trotted down the stairs.
His NCIS gear caught the eye of a Navy captain, who'd been chatting with an assistant director of the museum. The AD quickly rounded up her staff who were working in the public areas and grilled them, but no one indicated they'd seen anyone resembling Abby's description. "Are you sure?" Gibbs asked the group. "Are you 100 per cent sure? This woman's life is in danger." He scanned the faces, young and old, trying to read them and gauge their honesty. "If any of you are harboring her, promising her protection, I admire you and thank you for it. But I—and all of NCIS—are her protection. We're here for her now."
He let that sink in for a moment, and saw the sympathy on their faces. They weren't sheltering her. They honestly hadn't seen her.
"I hope you find your co-worker safely," said the captain, shaking Gibbs' hand. "Give me your phone number, and I'll call you if she comes in."
Back outside, Gibbs met up with Ziva, who shook her head. Gibbs pulled out his phone. "DiNozzo—anything?"
- - - - -
Tony regretted the delay when his phone rang. Had it been anyone other than Gibbs, he would have ignored the call. "Something's up. McGeek just went into an unauthorized area. I'm following him. I'll call you back." He then regretted not telling Gibbs not to call Tim, and hoped Gibbs would realize that this was not the time for such a call.
A train pulled into the station. Tony stared at it, dumbly, for a moment, and then realized the implications. There's a train in the station. It'll soon leave the station. "Move it! Sorry! Move it!!" he cried, trying desperately to get to the end of the platform. But the push of the crowd trying to get onto the train was too great. He wasn't making any headway.
- - - - -
Tim's heart shot up into his throat. They were out of time. "Abby! Get back against the wall! Into that indentation behind you! Make yourself as flat as possible!!" God willing, it just might work…
Her mouth was quivering, and her wide eyes on the lights of the oncoming train. "Tim…!"
"Abby!! Do as I say!!" he screamed.
Something in that scream got her moving, terrified as she was. Along the track walls were regular indentations, air shafts and escape routes. She needed to get herself into the nearest one, and make herself flat.
Tim could see what she needed to do, and saw that she wasn't in the right position. She wasn't flat enough. But if only…
He stepped backward on the platform, directly across from her position. "Tim!!" she screamed in anguish; terrified that what she was doing wasn't enough. And she cried, then, sensing it was about to be all over for her.
His attention was on the approaching train, though, so he didn't respond to her. Back he stepped, back back, to the far end, watching the train's lights come closer; judging its speed.
Chuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachugga… The train's sound grew and echoed in the tunnel.
Tim eyed the lights one last time, his heart wild, his mind calculating…one two three four NOW!!
He ran forward and, with all his might, flew off the edge of the platform, just feet in front of the train, his body making an arc in the air, coming down on the far side, in the indentation, just enough to push Abby the last bit of the way in. She screeched in surprise, but he held her in place, plastered against the wall just barely, barely fully within the air vent indentation himself as he shielded her. He knew he would likely die, but his dear, dear Abby would survive. He gripped the outer all walls, praying that if he lived, his hands wouldn't get broken.
Chuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachugga… Wind whipped him, his jacket, his pants legs; slapping his skin painfully. His NCIS swoop cap left his head and sailed off. The train sound picked up in pitch and then dropped as the train passed, due to the Doppler effect, which was one of the random, unnecessary bits of knowledge that rushed through his brain at the moment. All his upper consciousness wanted to think about was Abby. Abby. Beautiful Abby. Too wonderful to be allowed to die on the train tracks. Abby. He would do it all for her; all over again.
The train sound faded away, and Tim remembered to breathe. "Oh, Abby," he said, and loosened his white-knuckle grip on the air shaft frame. In his fear, though, he lost his balance and started to fall onto the track.
"NO!! No, Tim!!" Abby screamed. She grabbed him; grabbed his arm. "There's a third rail down there! After all that, this is no time to electrocute yourself!" Her attempt to make it sound funny didn't work; her voice shook too much.
With her help, he got back to his feet. "It's probably sheathed and harmless to us," he said. "In many systems, that's how they're built these days." But he looked a trifle uncertain and alarmed. "Now, let's get out of here."
"I'll give you a hand up. Come on over here."
"Tony!" They turned and saw him beckoning on the platform. Quickly they crossed the tracks and accepted his hand in pulling them up. They all sat on the platform, dazed and emotionally spent.
"I saw it all," said Tony. "Probie, that was either the bravest damn thing I've ever seen, or the most foolhardy thing."
Tim shook his head, and swallowed. He knew it was probably both.
"He saved my life," said Abby stoutly, giving Tim a hug.
"Yep. Bravest damn thing," said Tony, grinning slightly, and putting his arms around both of them. "Let me call Gibbs and tell him you're safe."
"You've caught Boyers?" asked Abby.
"Not yet."
"Then I'm not safe."
Tim held Abby close. All he could think was, One rescue at a time. Boyers isn't going to take you away from us, even if I have to jump in front of another train.