Chapter 6
"Alright, Probie. Are you ready?"
"Yes," Tim answered listlessly. He didn't care what he was supposed to be ready for. It was now Wednesday and the man had won, physically and mentally. He had no will to fight him. He was still blindfolded, so he didn't see the man walk to the webcam and turn it off. This was the part he did not want NCIS to see. Now he was ready to get down to business.
He began walking around Tim's prone body. "You were working on breaking into Lieutenant Dobson's files."
"I was?" This reminder of the outside world woke Tim up just a little. "Yes."
"What were you looking for, Probie?"
"Evidence to link him to an embezzling scheme."
"What had you found?"
"Nothing."
The man kicked McGee and then stepped on his broken arm. "What...did...you...find?" He emphasized each word with increased pressure on the broken bones.
Crying from the pain, Tim whimpered, "Nothing. I hadn't been able to break the encryption. I was working on it when you took me away." The pressure increased until Tim could feel the bone fragments being forced into his muscles. He screamed, "I was getting close, but I hadn't found the key yet!"
The man took his foot away. "I need you to find it. I need you to get into those files."
"I can't. I don't know what to do."
The man kicked him again. "You figure it out, Probie. Think about it while I get your equipment." He walked away and turned on the webcam again. Let NCIS see their agent whimpering and crying. Let them wonder what had happened during that blackout. Tim performed perfectly. Still crying, he curled into a fetal position with his arms still tied behind him, taking deep shuddering breaths. His clothes were little more than rags and there was crusted blood on his face along with the bruises and cuts. The last two days had not been kind to him.