I'm glad I'm not the only one who had a problem with this week's episodes. But I was wondering, for the better part of Ziva's time on the show, is it me, or did anyone else think that her feelings for Tony were stronger than his feelings for her? I mean, he flirted, but he flirts with everybody. I didn't think that it got too bad until last season. Anyone else agree, or am I off my rocker?
Onto more pressing matters, the big climax! The story is almost done, I'm almost done writing it, and I desperately hope that you guys like this chapter. I mean, it would really suck if you didn't. Keep in mind, a lot is going down in this chapter, so I hope that it doesn't sound too rushed or anything. Why am I talking? You guys are here to read my story, not my author's notes, although I hope you guys enjoy my author's notes, maybe a little.
I just had a three year old press my face into her belly so I could blow raspberries on her. I am being attacked by small people!!!!! And now she has my nose.
Chapter Twenty Two
Jethro took another minute to stare at the body of Trent. He and Tony promised to help this poor guy. They were gonna get him outta here. And now he was dead, because he agreed to help them.
He stood up again, more determined than ever before. He wasn't going to let that bastard kill anyone else. When he found him he was gonna rip that piece of shit apart with his bare hands. And then shove the pieces through a meat grinder and make burgers out of it. Millworth was going to suffer. For hours, if not days.
"Where's your boss?" He asked the security guard.
Bernie stared up at him completely confused. "Millworth? You don't think—"
Jethro interrupted. "I don't think, I know, now where the hell is he?"
Bernie stood up, shaking his head. "Millworth loved Trent, there's no way that he would—"
Again, Jethro cut him off, this time with a shout. "Damn it, the man is psychotic, and he's got my agent! Now where the fuck is he?!"
For a moment, Bernie didn't move. He just stared at Jethro like he was the psychotic one. Finally, after what felt like hours, but was really only seconds, he answered, "He's usually in his office this time of day."
That was not useful in any way. "Let's just say that he shot his receptionist dead in the middle of the lobby, where would he go to hide?"
Bernie rubbed his face. Jethro raised the gun and pressed it to his temple and he simultaneously pushed the man into the receptionist's desk. Bernie let out a little squeak and his eyes widened in fear. "If you don't answer in the next five seconds you're getting a bullet to the head!"
"H-he has a cabin, not too far from here!" He could barely say the words he was shaking so bad.
Jethro cocked the gun. "Where?!"
"I-I can't t-te-tell you!"
Jethro pulled back, his finger finding the trigger and starting to squeeze.
Bernie put his hands up in surrender, tears falling in little rivers down his face. "I'm bad with directions. I can take you there, but I can't describe how to get there!"
Jethro didn't move his position, he stared at the man before him. He looked like he was telling the truth. Not that it really mattered. He was Jethro's only chance of finding Tony any time soon. He'd have to believe him, even if he didn't necessarily trust him.
He grabbed Bernie's collar and pushed him towards the exit. "Take me there. And so help me, if you try anything funny, I will shoot, you got it?"
Bernie nodded. "I got it."
"Good."
The two of them started walking towards the parking lot with Bernie in the lead and Jethro taking up the rear. He ignored the way the gun shook, or how heavy it suddenly felt.
Jethro didn't have his keys on him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to go back to the cabin to get them, so they took Bernie's car. It was a BMW. Jethro kept his eyes glued to the other man. There was no way a security guard should have been able to afford a car like this, at least legitimately.
"Drive fast, you take me in the wrong direction, and I shoot your fingers off."
Bernie visibly gulped before he nodded. He turned the key, put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.
Jethro watched out of his peripheral vision the scenery that whizzed by. They were on the dirt road he and Tony used to get to the farm. He figured there was only one road in and out. When they got to the end, they turned right. Bernie would glance at the gun every few minutes. No doubt he saw the difficult time Jethro was having holding it up. He was probably trying to determine if he could try and take the gun away. Jethro glared. He may not be up to par physically right now, but he knew he could still take some pudgy little rent-a-cop.
He saw Bernie's fingers twitch on the steering wheel. His gut told him the man was going to do something very stupid.
And sure enough, he did. He swerved the car off the road, successfully planting them in a ditch. Jethro's head slammed forward, ready to hit the dashboard when the airbag went off. His head smacked into the head rest with painful force. He probably had a concussion now.
Bernie pushed his door open and ran away from the car. Jethro cursed. He pushed the airbag out of his way and jumped out of the car. He didn't try shooting, he still needed Bernie alive.
The guy was actually pretty fast. But Jethro was faster. He tackled the man to the ground and slammed his head into the asphalt. Bernie was still struggling, so Jethro knew he wasn't dead.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Bernie?" He pressed the gun to Bernie's head again.
"Get off me!" He kept struggling, but Jethro wasn't budging.
"Why'd you run?"
"Because you're crazy! I'm not gonna help you kill my boss!"
"Hey! Hey!" He leaned down so he pressed his mouth to Bernie's ear. "Your boss, killed your friend. Trent was still only a kid, and Millworth shot him through the head in cold blood."
"You don't know that, where's your proof?"
"He kidnapped my agent, how's that for proof?" Bernie still wouldn't listen.
"I don't believe you. Why would Millworth give a damn about some fucking cop?"
"Because he's obsessed with Tony. He has been for ten years." Bernie still struggled, but not nearly as badly as before. "Help me find them, and I will prove it to you. But I need to find them first." He sighed heavily. "Please."
It wasn't often that Jethro said 'please,' and he never meant it as much as he did just now. He needed to find Tony more than anything else, and Bernie was the only one who could help him.
Bernie finally stopped fighting him. Jethro breathed a sigh of relief. He finally got through to the man.
He climbed off of him and waited for him to get up. Except he didn't move. Not so much as an inch. Jethro's gut started twisting again.
"No." He dropped to his knees beside Bernie and turned him over. The man's face was covered in blood when Jethro slammed his head into the asphalt, but that wasn't fatal. It couldn't have been. He hit his nose, all of the blood came from that. "No!"
He ripped Bernie's shirt open. His body was covered in bruises. Actually, it was just one big bruise. He had internal bleeding, apparently really bad internal bleeding. "No! Damn it!" He slapped at his face, trying to get him to wake up. How did he miss this? The accident just happened, he shouldn't have died so fast. "Damn it, wake up!"
This couldn't have been happening. Tony was going to die, and Jethro didn't know how to find him.
He felt defeated. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so lost. There was always something to lead him along, but now there was nothing. He had no car, no idea if Bernie was taking him in the right direction, no idea where to even begin looking. He was alone, and worse, Tony was going to die alone.
A thought came to him.
He pulled out his cell phone and called the number for Abby's lab. Again, Abby picked up before the first ring ended. "Did you find him?"
"McGee!" He barked.
It took a second for the younger man to answer. "Yes boss?"
"The security guard told me that Millworth has a cabin around the area, see if you can find it."
"Why isn't the security guard taking you there?"
"Because he's dead McGee!" He would worry about an ambulance later. As his adrenaline started pumping again, so did his anger. Bernie died turning on him. As far as Jethro was concerned, he was nothing more than road kill.
He heard the keys clicking on a computer followed by a ding. "Boss, the only place he owns is the farm."
"Can you get a map of the resort?" Maybe his cabin was somewhere off the path, but still maybe on the property. He heard more clicks of the keys. "Come on, McGee, there's gotta be a website. Anything!"
"I know, boss, I'm looking." More keys.
Jethro paced around. He didn't have time for this. He was about to shout again when he heard McGee curse. "The resort consists of one strip, there's nothing else surrounding it for miles."
Jethro lowered the phone. Fury was the only thing that was keeping his fear at bay. He was so damned terrified, but he had to focus on the anger. He moved over and kicked Bernie's body as hard as he could. If he wasn't stupid then he wouldn't be dead, and Jethro wouldn't be alone with no hope of finding his agent.
He paused. He brought the phone back up to his ear. "McGee, Millworth was married." His wife left him because he became obsessed with Tony.
The younger man understood. "The cabin could be in his ex wife's name." The familiar sound of keys filled his ear. Then he heard the ping. "Yes! Boss, I got it! Sandra Williams owns a cabin only a few miles away from the farm."
"Coordinates!"
"I'll do you one better, Boss. Just let me get your GPS location and…" he trailed off. "I got it, head southwest. In five miles, there should be a small dirt road, it'll take you to the cabin."
Jethro ran. He shut the phone and ran as hard as he could. Everything hurt, and now his head wouldn't stop pounding, but he wouldn't stop. He refused to slow down again. Even when he felt that he was going to just crumple to the ground and die, he pushed forward. He couldn't remember a time in his life when he fought so hard. Not even when he was in the Marine Corps.
He didn't cover the distance fast enough for his liking. It was like he was trying to run through a tar pit while dragging a tank behind him. Time sped up, but his feet kept going at the same pace.
He saw the dirt road. His heart leaped for joy. He was one step closer. He just had to keep moving. He turned into the road, forcing his legs to go faster. He stumbled a little on the larger rocks before he was able to catch his footing again.
The cabin came into sight. Jethro said a quick prayer that Tony was still alive as he ran forward. Soon he was barreling up the stairs and slamming his body into the door. It broke off its hinges, nearly sending him to the floor.
He grabbed the doorframe to stop from going down and held the gun out in front of him. His breath caught in his throat.
Tony stood near the bed, a fresh clean pair of jeans pulled up to his waist, the fly was undone. He was shirtless, and it looked like he was bleeding pretty badly.
But he was alive.
He turned to Jethro and put on a strained smile. "Hey boss."
Jethro dropped his gun and fell against the doorframe. He couldn't speak, he was too busy panting. His adrenaline stopped pumping and it was taking everything left in him not to collapse to the ground.
"What," he gasped. "The hell," another gasp. "Did you do?"
He did notice the slight shake of Tony's arms as he turned to face him head on. His hands were cuffed in front of him, and his wrists were bleeding profusely. But what really freaked Jethro out was the gaping wound at his side.
"What did he do?"
Tony sighed heavily.
"I think it's time we get you ready to move." Millworth got off the bed and crossed the room. He went to the chair where Tony's clothing was. He grabbed his boxers and jeans. Tony had tears in his eyes. The pain was excruciating.
"Gibbs isn't going to let you go, you know," he said between sobs. "He's gonna kill you."
Millworth smiled. "You don't have to worry about Agent Gibbs any longer, Tony."
If Tony hadn't lost so much blood, he probably would have paled. "What do you mean?" Millworth didn't say anything at first. He just went about pulling Tony's boxers up. Tony's voice shook as he shouted. "What the hell did you mean by that?"
Millworth looked up from his task to meet Tony's gaze. "He's a problem, Tony. We can't move on if he's going to follow us around." He pulled on Tony's jeans. He did everything under the blanket so he couldn't see Tony's nudity, but he pressed his hands too hard against his legs for Tony's liking.
"You really think you can kill him?" Tony chuckled, only a little desperate. "He's Gibbs. Some prick like you isn't gonna be able to kill him. At most, you'll just piss him off."
"You really think he has superpowers, don't you? Is that why you gave in to his advances?" He leaned over Tony again. There was sorrow in his eyes. "I'm sorry that you care so much about him. But I promise you, everything will be alright, once he's gone. Then you'll see the truth. He is not someone to be worshipped."
Tony spit at him again. Millworth leapt away, clearly angry. "You'll never get close enough to kill him!"
Millworth wiped the spit off his face. his breathing was heavy, as if he was trying to stay calm. It didn't work. He wound back and smacked Tony across his new wound. Tony cried out in pain, his eyes shutting tight and tears leaking out the corners. His scream turned into a sob.
"What makes you think I need to get close to him?"
He was a sniper. Millworth killed Spano and Keller without ever getting near them. He could very well kill Gibbs and the man would never know.
No. That couldn't happen. It was Gibbs. Gibbs couldn't be stopped. He just couldn't be.
He struggled harder against his restraints. The cuffs dug painfully into skin, but he could barely feel it. The wound to his side drowned out anything else he might have felt.
The wooden post on the head board broke in two, freeing Tony. He leapt off the bed and immediately tried to attack Millworth. The man had been standing at a bit of a distance away so he had to run to reach him.
Millworth grabbed his restrained hands and knocked him to the ground. Tony kicked him as hard as he could in the side, pushing him away. Millworth flew into the wall. Tony slowly moved to his feet. He was shaky standing, he almost fell over.
Slowly, Millworth stood up as well. He turned to Tony, his face full of hurt and betrayal. Tony gasped for air. "You're pathetic."
His attacker continued to stare at him for another minute or so, his hurt slowly turning into anger. With a cry, he leapt at Tony, ready to strike him down. Tony whipped his cuffed hands out and pelted him in the face. Millworth fell to the ground, unconscious.
Tony barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief when the door burst open.
He could barely move his body, so he settled with turning his head slightly. Gibbs stood in the doorway looking like he just got into a fight with a mountain lion. Still, his gun was raised and he was ready to fight.
Tony just smiled. "Hey boss."
Jethro listened intently to Tony's story. They had moved to sit on the bed. Jethro grabbed the key to the cuffs from Millworth to free his agent. Millworth was still unconscious, with his hands cuffed behind his back. Currently, he was wetting down the wound to Tony's side. Every layer of skin had been completely cut away, leaving the muscle visible.
Tony's voice shook with every word that he spoke, but he managed to get through his story. He looked Jethro in the eye as he finished. "I wasn't going to let him hurt you."
Jethro wanted to reach up and take possession of Tony's mouth, but he refrained. Now was not the time for that. They both needed a doctor. Tony especially.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. Tony dropped his head to the pillow and breathed heavily.
"Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?"
Jethro sighed heavily. "I need an ambulance."
The kid passed out watching Popeye, very cute. Evil little devil spawn. Anyways, how'd you like it? I kind of feel bad, Gibbs went through all of that, and Tony was already saved. But that's Tony for ya, he is not a quitter, you gotta give him that.