A/N: Hey, I'm not disappearing again. So here's chapter 7. Hope you all like it. Things are going to start heating up from here on out. The events leading up to the climax will soon be set in motion.

Disclaimer: So yeah, I don't own any characters of the story... not even Nick Collins. Damn... anyway, please enjoy! Or try to at least...

- Chapter 7 -

Timothy McGee went home at the end of the day, tired and disappointed. Jericho had slipped through his fingers yet again, and he offloaded three shots from his 941 pistol. He still had twelve rounds left in the clip. And, no matter how much he tried to deny it, Kate insisted on crashing at his place again. (This time bringing some spare clothes.)

"Damnit, I can't believe I screwed it up again!" He said, throwing his handguns onto the kitchen table as usual. "What if I never get another chance? You know he's going to keep killing people until the deal is over."

Kate sighed. "Oh relax Tim, it's getting a little old. I'm sure you'll get another chance."

McGee nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He mumbled. "Sorry, about dragging you into this whole thing... really."

"No problem... just don't be so hard on yourself about it." She said as she moved her hands up to his shoulders. "Besides, there are more important things in this world, aren't there?"

"Sure, I could think of one right now." He turned, sweeping her up bridal style, started for his bedroom. "Hungry?"

Caitlin smirked, holding his face. "Sure, what's on the menu?"

"I have absolutely no idea." He said, placing her on the bed exactly as she had been the previous night. "Just let me go to the bathroom first."

"Kay'."

McGee found his way quickly to the bathroom, where he pulled the door shut behind him. Rather that actually going to the bathroom, he simply looked in the mirror and sighed. He loosened his tie and leaned down, turning the sink on. After flushed some water over his face, he rubbed his eyes and stopped. There was a low muffled crashing noise. "Kate... you alright?"

There was a moment before he got his answer, which he wasn't to satisfied with.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He dried his hands and exited the room, heading back through the door.

He didn't get very far.

The second Tim entered his bedroom, he was nearly blindsided. Taking a blow from the grip of a pistol straight in his temple. McGee dropped to his knees and tried to crawl forward. It was not long at all before two black shoes appeared before him. His eyes traveled up the legs, and up to the face of the man. It couldn't be... Jericho.

"Remember me?" He asked. "I remember you. You're the agent, I'm the guy who said I'd find you."

McGee scrambled to his feet and glared at him. His eyes, they just screamed, "How did you find me?".

Jericho smirked, and held up McGee's own 941. "There's a tracker in the clip." He pulled the magazine out from the bottom of the gun's grip and showed McGee, before sliding it back in.

He took a step to the right, and showed Tim the scene behind him. Two men were holding Kate, gagged and watching helplessly.

"You piece of shit!" Tim shouted, reaching for Jericho's throat. The man shoved him off and smacked him in the back of the head with the pistol.

The poor man dropped to the ground, and the world grew fuzzy.

When Timothy McGee awoke, he rubbed the back of his head, and felt the nasty bruise on his noggin. He wondered for a moment why he had such a splitting headache, and looked around his bedroom. Seeing the messy sheets on his bed, and an empty pistol before him, his eyes went wide with horror, as memories came rushing back to his mind. "Kate... no..." He reached for the handgun and looked around. There was an empty clip next to him, no rounds left in it. "Shit..."

- NCIS Bullpen -

Tim burst into the near-empty squad room the second the elevator doors cracked open and made a sprint towards Gibbs' desk. "Boss!" He yelled. "Boss... how many rounds do you have in your gun?"

"Fifteen rou-"

"Give me one... just one. Please."

Nick saw Tim tear through the room and took a sip of his cup of coffee. He could see why Gibbs couldn't function without these things. Damn, they were good. "Mate!" McGee turned. "What's wrong?"

Tim ran a hand over his head stressfully as he turned to face his old partner. "Jericho broke into my apartment last night, he's got Kate."

"What?" Gibbs exclaimed.

Tony looked over. "What are you talking about probie? I just got a call from Kate now, she just told me she was riding in with you again."

McGee's ice cold gaze turned on Tony, as he ran across to his desk. "Call her again! Now!" He turned to Gibbs. "Trace the call as soon as it comes in!"

Jethro shook his head. "Now just wait McGee. You can't-"

"I don't care, about your damn rules anymore Gibbs! Me and Kate were together. We have been for a month or so now." He paused. "And that bastarad's kidnapped her! You might not care about her like I do, but she is your friend, so if you're not going to help me, then just stay out of my way!" He took a few deep breaths and looked down at his feet.

Tony went wide-eyed in awe. No one, not even himself, had ever found the guts to blow up on Gibbs like that. Absolutely no one. Maybe Ducky, but regardless. He was truly stunned.

"Nick, I need some nine mil rounds. Jericho emptied the clip I had for the 941, and stole my SIG." He ordered.

Collins nodded and reached for his P228. Tony smirked.

"Yeah, figures probie would lose his gun sooner or later. You still have your badge? Or did you get that at Chucky Cheese?" He asked mockingly.

McGee clenched a fish, and sighed. Reaching over, he slapped the back of Tony's head broadly and gave him a stern look. "One more remark, and I swear I'll shove sausages down your throat, and starving dogs up your ass!" He studied Tony for a long time, like a lion waiting to pounce. "What the hell are you doing? Call Kate's cell!"

A clip came hurling towards McGee from Nick. He caught it, and poured the 9x19 parabellum rounds into the small box magazine of his Jericho. He loaded the box magazine into the grip and racked the slide.

Tony was already calling Caitlin's cell phone. There was a ringing that seemed to go on forever, before anyone picked up. "Kate! Is that you? Are you there?"

McGee turned to face Tony

"I'm sorry, miss Todd is unavailable right now. I can take a message... from Timothy McGee only. Put him on, will you Tony?" He sighed and extended the phone.

"He uh... wants you."

Tim swallowed hard and took the phone. "Jericho." He said. "Listen here, you lay a finger on her and I'll-"

"Look I'm on a tight schedule, so I'm going to screw the small talk." He said. "I really don't care weather or not miss Todd lives or dies. But if you do want to see her alive again, then I want what you took from Rafferty's home."

McGee was puzzled. The only thing that Kate and him took from the petty officers house was his car, to be searched for evidence. That was still in the NCIS lock-up, he could hand that over to Jericho no problem.

The key word... "could".

He wasn't about to hand over an expensive sports car so Jericho could throw it out for his buyers, whoever in hell they were, to take the bait and drop down a small mountain of currency that he would use to kill and steal some more.

On the other hand, he also wasn't about to allow the most interesting, beautiful woman he had ever loved (and had loved him back for that matter) end up as another meaningless victim to the psychopath.

"Alright... I can get you the damned car but... just don't hurt her." McGee said, trying to negotiate.

"Very well, drop the car off at the depot off 14th street northeast." Jericho said. "Then we can all sit down and have a little chat."

- End Chapter 7 -

A/N: OoOoOoOoh... Kate's been kidnapped, Jericho's got his trump card, does McGee have a chance to get her back? Probably, or this story wouldn't have much of a point. Next chapter soon.