Ziva, McGee and Gibbs grabbed their weapons and gear and headed out. McGee took his lap top as well and continued to tap into it as they ran. Gibbs called Fornell,

"Fornell, pick up, damn you. Archibald is holding Tony hostage. Get down there, NOW!"

They scrambled into the car. McGee jumped in the back so he could continue to read the information that was coming up. Ziva phoned Metro to get an update. Gibbs drove as he had never driven before. They were about five minutes out from Seymour Boulevard when McGee said,

"Boss, we got it wrong. Archie wasn't in witness relocation because he was a crook."

"What?" growled Gibbs.

"He was a witness. Seems that the cinema chain he worked for was a cover for some pretty nasty stuff – drugs, prostitution, money laundering, loan sharks. Archie, I mean Arbuthnot, found out what was happening and went to the police. The family threatened him."

"Family? Is this a Mafia case, McGee?" asked Ziva.

"Doesn't look like it. Just a local family that seems to have terrorised a lot of people. The police seemed to think there was a genuine threat so ..."

"So, what?" asked Gibbs.

"So, he was allowed to give evidence anonymously and the FBI faked his death. Boss, he had to walk away from his wife and children."

"How long ago was this?" asked Ziva softly.

"Thirty years," said McGee.

"We're here," said Gibbs as he parked the car near the police blockade.

"Boss, what do you think is going on?" asked McGee.

"Don't know. Look, there's Fornell. Guess he picked up at last. Tobias, what's happening?"

Fornell had hurried up when he saw the NCIS team arrive.

"Not sure, Jethro. I've just got here. Panic alarm got activated about twenty minutes ago. Metro alerted us and we came in."

"Panic alarm?" queried Ziva.

"Standard practice for witnesses in the program, Agent David," said Fornell.

"Where's the alarm based?" asked Gibbs.

"Arbuthnot has a portable one, glorified cell phone. This was a pretty low key operation, Jethro. It's been thirty years since he testified, we didn't think there was anyone around who still cared."

"D'you think that's what happened here?" asked Gibbs, perhaps a little reluctant to let go of his picture of Archie as the bad guy in all this.

"Looks like it. That car-ramming this morning. Metro picked up the car on a traffic camera and identified the driver. It was the son of the man that Archie sent to jail all those years ago. Turns out his father died a couple of months ago and he's been on a bit of a bender ever since. Looks like everyone else in the family had laid it to rest but Billy, Billy Smith couldn't and then he saw a copy of the Washington Bugle with Tony and Archie's smiling faces on the front cover ... and well... Metro went round to his house but his Mom said he'd been back, grabbed his guns and went out again. I think we know where he turned up."

"Do we know who is inside?" asked Ziva.

"Don't know. Let's go and find out." Fornell led them towards the police and FBI cordon. They saw Radhika sitting in the back of an ambulance. She stood up when she saw them approaching,

"Tony and Archie are inside. Tony realised that something was wrong. I saw a man about to come in, waving something around and suddenly Tony shoved me into the kitchen and told me to get out. I climbed out of a window and ran round. I heard a gunshot – I think the chandelier came down, there was such a crash. I was going to call the police but before I could do that, all these cars arrived".

"Where did Tony and Archie go?" asked Gibbs.

"I don't know. I think Archie was in the projection room but I can't be sure. Tony ran upstairs," she said shakily.

"The projection room would probably be the most secure place," said Ziva, "the most easily defended."

"Until someone gets in," pointed out Gibbs, "and then there's nowhere to run."

"Has Tony got a gun?" asked McGee.

"Not here. He's got a permit for one in his apartment but he won't have it with him," replied Gibbs.

"Then he's helpless," said McGee.

"Not helpless," said Gibbs grimly, "not if I know Tony."

NCISNCIS

Tony didn't know what it was that had made him look out of the battered door, but he was grateful. He saw a stranger striding up to the lobby swinging some sort of shotgun or rifle. He didn't hang around to get more details, he shoved Radhika into the kitchen with instructions to get out and then ran up the stairs to find Archie.

Archie had been standing outside the projection room. Tony raced up to him, grabbed him by the arm and shouted,

"Arch, quick, get in the projection room!"

To Archie's bewilderment, Tony pulled him forward, slammed the door behind him as hard as possible and then dragged him along the corridor.

"What the hell's going on?" asked Archie.

Tony didn't answer but pushed Archie into a large closet just around the corner and followed him in.

"Sshhh, we've got a visitor with what looks like some pretty impressive firepower, let him think we've gone into the projection room."

"Why haven't we gone in there? Wouldn't it be safer?" hissed Archie.

"Hopefully this gives us the element of surprise. I'm hoping you've got some sort of alarm on you. I haven't found a panic button anywhere so I'm guessing they gave you a portable one."

"How did you know?" asked Archie.

"Shall we save this conversation till later?" suggested Tony, "if you've got the alarm, sound it now."

Archie reached into his pocket and pulled out something that looked like a cell phone. He tapped a code in. "Or we could just phone someone," he whispered.

"Good thought," said Tony, he drew his cell out of his pocket and took the battery out. "Where's your phone?"

"In the projection room," said Archie, "why did you do that?"

"Because someone is going to phone me soon and I don't want our friend out there to hear it".

They listened and could hear the intruder shouting outside the door down the corridor,

"Come out, you coward. Bastard!"

There was a shot that sounded as if it had been aimed at the ceiling, they could hear plaster falling down.

"Too much to hope that he'll bring the roof down on himself," muttered Tony.

"Why doesn't he try the door?" asked Archie,

"I'm hoping because he's an idiot and a coward. He thinks we're in there and we'll jump him if he tries to get in. Stay here, I'm going to see if I can see what he's doing," and before Archie could protest, Tony had gone.

He was back within seconds with a smile on his face.

"He's put a chair under the door handle, so he thinks he's locked us in. Sshhh!" They heard the gunman walk past their hiding place and they froze as he came back and seemed to stop by the door. After a few seconds they breathed again as he walked back towards the stairs again. Tony's quick hearing picked out as he went down the steps.

"What's the plan, Tony?" asked Archie,

"Plan? Well, we could sit here and wait to be rescued. My money's on Metro, the FBI and Gibbs being parked outside now and I don't think they've come for the afternoon screening of the 'Princess Bride'. Damn, what's he doing?" Tony broke off as he heard more smashing and crashing from downstairs.

"He's breaking the place up, If your friends don't hurry up, there won't be any of this place left," said Archie.

"What are you suggesting, Arch?" said Tony.

"Well, I'm a former marine and from what I hear, you're a former federal agent with a pretty inventive streak – you'll think of something. Gotta tell you, I'm getting pretty fed up with this closet".

"OK, stay here, and let me have a look what's going on." Again, Tony slipped out, he was gone a bit longer this time. Arch was about to go look for him, when he was back, his face grim.

"He's on a wrecking spree down there and I think he's getting ready for a bonfire. Ripped up curtains and covers and he's bringing them up to the projection room. Reckon he thinks he's going to cook us. I don't think we can get down stairs without him seeing us. Our best chance is to grab him when he comes up with his next load. Are you up for that?"

Archie just smiled, "Semper Fi!"

There were a couple of cardboard displays near the top of the stairs and they decided to hide behind those. It wasn't a good hiding place but they reckoned that their visitor thought they were safely locked away so wouldn't be looking for them. They crept out as they heard him going downstairs again and took their positions. Tony wasn't sure if this wasn't one of the stupidest things he had ever done but, like Archie, he felt angry at the damage being done and was determined not to wait to be rescued. He hoped that as soon as they had disarmed the intruder, a horde of armed police would flood in and take over. He had half hoped that the man would have left his gun by the door but he hadn't, he was taking it with him wherever he went.

Archie and Tony heard him pant as he climbed the stairs.

"Get ready for barbecue time, Arbuthnot," he puffed, "afraid I haven't got any burgers. You'll have to do instead."

He threw a pile of posters in front of the door and, as he did so, Tony and Arch made their move. Tony aimed a blow at the arm which held the gun but Smith turned out to be tougher than he looked and connected a vicious punch to Tony's head. Tony reeled back and Archie moved from behind to try to put the intruder in a head lock. For a moment or two it looked as if he had succeeded but it was a long time since Archie had fought anyone and he was soon struggling. Smith broke free and pushed Archie to the ground. He had kept hold of his gun and now aimed it at the prostrate Archie. He smiled in appreciation but had waited a second too long. Tony tackled him to the ground and they fought for the weapon.

As they struggled, Tony wondered if they would have been better off staying in the closet but he was still fuelled by anger at the destruction this man had unleashed and he kept on fighting. Finally he managed to get enough leverage on the gun to push it away. He aimed a punch at Smith and then pulled him to his feet,

"Arch, get something to tie his hands up," he panted.

The sight of Archie moving towards him seemed to enrage Smith once more who, with a manic burst of energy, pushed back and managed to shove Tony into a wall. Tony's head hit the wall with a sickening thunk and he slid down to the floor. Archie instinctively ran towards Tony to help, Smith picked up the gun again, shook his head and smiled,

"Well now, I'm gonna have me some target practice."

He raised the weapon and stepped back to get a better aim.

Tony would have known what movie it came from.

Smith had forgotten that he was at the top of the stairs, he stepped back into nothing and tumbled down, the gun going off as he fell.

NCISNCIS

Outside in the car park, the assembled police and federal agents had been about to storm the building. The sound of the gunshot kicked them into action and they rushed in, the NCIS team managing to be in first.

A scene of devastation greeted them. The chandelier had indeed been smashed, Posters had been ripped down, mirrors cracked, furniture overturned, blinds torn down and, at the foot of the stairs, lay the unconscious form of Billy Smith who would not be causing any more trouble for a while.

Gibbs stepped over his body and ran up the stairs and stopped in horror at the top. Archie was sitting propped against the bonfire Smith had piled up; he was holding Tony in his arms and tears were streaming down his face.