Wow! Thanks heaps for the reviews guys! It's odd how almost all of my reviewers say almost exactly the same thing! Lol! But never fear, faithful… umm… readers, I will not leave you in suspense for much longer. Just a little bit tho…

This is just a boring explanatory chapter, but I thought I should write it. And I still don't own any of it…

And no shoes, people.

Gibbs turned as he heard several pairs of feet shuffle into the NCIS office. He was rewarded by the sight of Tony being supported by two of the very attractive front desk secretaries. But there were two things that told him that this situation was wrong.

One, Tony was not flirting, was not even looking at the women, but started forward as soon as Gibbs was in sight.

Two, he was bloody, bruised and torn. His jacket was in rags, he had a magnificent black eye, and he was limping badly. Blood trickled down from his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth, and was seeping through his shirt.

As soon as they saw him, the entire team started forward. Gibbs had called everyone, even Ducky and Abby up, to be ready to look at the case when Kate and Tony brought it in. Obviously, this was going to be delayed a little.

As Tony lurched over to Gibbs, he said urgently, "Kate,"

"Kate's not here Tony. Did you find the case…?" McGee trailed off, as Abby squealed in dismay and Ducky took out his handkerchief to clean the blood off Tony's face.

"Where is she DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked dangerously.

"They've got her."

"Who's got her"

"The guys who got the case. They said, ow, Ducky, said that you had it, and that I had to come get it while they kept Kate." He collapsed into his chair, the wheels spinning madly. "Boss, if they did this to me, who knows what they'll do to Kate!" he looked wildly up and Gibbs, and tried to stand again, Ducky and McGee pushing him down. Abby shooed away the office girls, and the Bullpen settled into silence as Tony and Gibbs looked at each other.

"What do you mean, he said we had it?" Gibbs asked slowly.

Tony winced as Ducky probed his black eye. "We didn't find it. We were shot at and they rounded us up before we had a chance. The guy who spoke to us wouldn't tell us his name. He said he didn't know why you had sent us back there, cause he thought that we had taken the case back by then. There were about 14 or 15 guys there, boss. I don't know how we didn't see them. But then he said that he would keep Kate there until I brought the case back, and if I didn't come, he'd kill her. But boss- we don't have the case! Do we?"

"Did you believe him?" Gibbs asked quietly, watching Ducky clean Tony's face.

"About him saying he'd kill her? Yes." Said Tony simply, meeting blue with green.

"When did they do this to you?" asked Abby, hovering.

"It was the guys who brought me here. They roughed me up a bit."

"A bit!" cried Abby, but Gibbs said sharply,

"Brought you here?"

"They dropped me off about 3 streets away. It was all residential, and all the lights were off. No one would have seen it boss. But the car had a fake numberplate. It wouldn't be any help any way."

Gibbs glared at him for a few seconds, and then snapped, "And did they stay there, or leave?"

"Left, boss. They were packing up when they drove me off. But boss…"

"We need to send a team down there anyway, see what they can find, McGee," said Gibbs, cutting him off. "And Tony," he looked him up and down. "Go get stitched up, then go home."

"Boss…"

"Go home DiNozzo!" said Gibbs, walking to the elevator.

"Boss, they told me to meet them with the case at Willow Gorge at 8 tomorrow morning!" Tony cried desperately.

"Willow Gorge?" said Gibbs, backtracking.

"The gorge where they dropped the case. Gibbs, we don't have the case. How're we gonna get Kate back?"

Gibbs gave him a look before walking through the opening elevator doors.

Okay… so I'll be more interesting next chapter, promise! Please R&R! I like reviews:)