Tony hurt.
His jaw ached.
And he knew blood had flowed from the side of his mouth where the lip split.
'Lou' stopped after a while though, afraid Campanelli would arrive and be angry that he wasn't the one doing all the damage.
Tony was still dizzy from getting the gun butt to the back of his head.
But he was trying to work out how they had caught up with him.
"So…You followed me to Vegas…and then here? What did you do, take a helocopter?" he murmured, almost to himself.
"No, Special Agent DiNozzo. The Boss was one step ahead. He had someone track you, and then we tracked Gibbs. Sort of, coverin' it at both ends. And the genius who checked you into the hotel, still managed to get the name 'Gibbs' into the hotel system." The huge man was rolling down and buttoning his cuffs, now that he was finished for the time being, beating on Tony.
He took in his prisoner's stony look.
"What? You Feds always think you're the only one with computer whiz kids at your disposal."
"Well, aren't you smart," Tony said in a low voice. "But…you know, someone's gonna know we're missing. And look for us. Here."
The man tilted his head, "Yeah, but that won't be until after you get what's comin' to you. That's why we got a room right here. Same floor. No one will think to look."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Tony said sullenly.
Just then, a card key could be heard opening the door, and Tony was horrified to see Gibbs, with blood down the side of his face, roughly pushed into the room. His hands were cuffed in front of his body.
"Nice job, Betty," the hulking man said, as his more medium built and bald friend continued to shove Gibbs into the room. He pushed Gibbs back until he was knocked into the edge of the bed and fell on it.
Gibbs quickly sat up, looking at Tony, but said nothing and then looked back at their captors.
"He came easy. I just told him we had pretty boy there," the man said in a nasal voice that reminded Tony of a bee trapped in a jar.
"Tie his feet ," 'Lou' said.
Betty opened the briefcase and took out a length of thin rope, and snarled at Gibbs while his cohort pointed a gun at Tony's thigh.
"One wrong move, Gibbs, and he gets a shot in the leg. Though, pity, I can't kill him yet. Boss' orders." He smiled ferally.
Gibbs said nothing, as the man called Betty tied his ankles together.
"Shouldn't we cuff him in back, Betty?"
"Eh, I'm gonna tie his hands to the ropes on his ankles. That should do the trick," he said plainly as he shoved Gibbs back on the bed again.
Lou shrugged. "That'll do too, I guess."
"He has nothing to do with this," Tony said in a low growl, eyes filled with anger, belying the fear he felt for Gibbs. He knew once Campanelli showed up, he would likely just kill Gibbs first to torment him.
Tony's head was slammed back into the chair, as the hulking man wrapped his hand around his throat, effectively pinning him and cutting off his air.
"You should keep your mouth shut, before I do something we'll both regret. I'm tired of hearing you." He stared at Tony for a moment, and then let go.
Tony coughed and choked for a minute, shivering at the memories that teased from the back of his mind…of other hands around his throat …
Great. That...again, he thought.
"You get the phone too?" Lou asked Betty.
"Yeah. Right here."
"Take this one," Lou gave him Tony's phone. "Take em' both, and then drive em' two miles out of town or so, to another hotel, and call one from the other. Then, dump em there. And come back."
"Okay," Betty said, looking a little nervous.
"Don't make a face like that. The Boss'll be here in a couple'a hours, and we get it all done and then gone. Then, just one more stop in Vegas."
Tony tensed, remembering what they planned to do to Sharlee.
Betty stared at him for a moment.
"Okay. What're you gonna do now?"
"I'm gonna' order up some room service. I'm hungry after my workout," he smiled maliciously at Tony, who scowled with his still bleeding and bruised mouth.
"Okay, but, you're not gonna' let em' in here right?"
"Nah, I'll call it up, and wait in the hall for a few minutes. Besides, I wanna' call Lexi."
"That stripper?"
"Yeah. She's just about getting off from work at this time…"
"Veet, you never date the strippers. Don't you ever learn?"
Ah, Tony thought, not 'Lou', but Vito. Didn't matter. He still regarded the man hulk-like, and would think of him as 'Lou' anyway. And wished desperately he could kill him before Gibbs or Sharlee were hurt...
Betty left with their phones, and Tony looked at Gibbs to see if he was alright.
Gibbs was sitting on the bed, with his knees drawn up to his chest, the only way he could comfortably sit with his hands attached to his ankles as they were.
While 'Lou' was on the phone, ordering room service, Tony whispered, "Boss, you okay?"
Gibbs looked a little pale, but seemed alert in spite of the head wound.
"Yeah, Tony, you?" Gibbs passed his pale eyes over the younger man, trying to appraise his condition.
"Got knocked around…but, I'm okay."
Lou hung up and looked at them. "I'm gonna step out to make a call. But," he said, pulling the phone line out of it's jack in the wall, and wrapped it up, putting it in his pocket. "I'll take this cord with me, though it looks like you're pretty incapaciatated, Agent Gibbs."
"Incapacitated?" Tony echoed, and then smiling, said, "that's an awful big word, Lou. How long'd it take you before you got it right?"
The man gave him an angry look, and then shook his head. He showed them both his gun again. "Don't try anything stupid. One of you is very expendable." He smiled again, leaving the room with his cell phone out.
When the door closed, Tony looked at Gibbs gravely.
"Boss, you can't be here when Campanelli gets here…" Tony reflected quickly, "actually, I don't think I wanna be here when Campanelli gets here."
Gibbs sighed, worry etched on his features.
"I'm a little 'incapacitated' here still, DiNozzo. Besides, thought you had a death wish."
The last words made Tony's mouth drop open a little, and he looked away from Gibbs.
Gibbs could see as his breathing became shallow, that Tony was actually angry at what he'd said.
"Come on, Tony. Let's be realistic here," Gibbs said softly. "Campanelli's doing you a favor."
Tony glared at him. "I can't believe you'd say that to me right now. Gibbs, this is not the time!"
"Why not? There's a good chance we're gonna' die before anyone's aware of what's going on. So why not now?"
Tony's mouth twisted in a grimace, irritated with himself that he didn't have an answer…exactly.
"You owe me."
"What?" Tony said with wide eyes.
Gibbs just stared into him for a moment. "If I'm gonna die in the process of protecting your sorry ass, don't you think you might consider fessing' up as to WHY I had to come across the country to find you screwed up on drugs and sleeping with hookers?"
Tony swallowed, looking around.
Gibbs was right. He shouldn't even be here. It should only have been Tony they got their hands on. And now Gibbs was hurt, and likely going to die because of him. And Sharlee was going to die too. Because of everything he'd done. Because of that stupid letter.
Tony sighed, eyes welling up, suddenly feeling lost again, and unsure of even how to explain it.
Not looking at Gibbs, he said thickly, "We need…need to figure how to get out of this…"
"Tell me."
"You can't be here…you can't…"
"Tell me."
Tony's brow knit together. He knew Gibbs wasn't going to let it go now. And he owed him, at the very least, an explanation.
Tony licked his lips, tasting the bit of blood on the corner of his mouth. He took a deep breath, and still didn't look at his friend.
They sat for a moment like that.
"When I…when I was young, you know, I used to…imagine…that I lived somewhere else…had different parents. I dunno'…I guess, I'd see other kids at school…going home with their parents. To the pretty houses in my neighborhood."
Tony's voice had become so quiet, that Gibbs almost strained to hear him. His heart was pounding, because he knew Tony was finally going to tell him what had been tormenting him so badly, what had driven him almost out of his mind.
"We'd pass them, in the course of the week. I'd look at those houses, and imagined how the other kids were home in them, playing, happy…safe. Not being…molested by their piano teacher. Not being taken to hotels, and..." he faltered. "Not being ignored by their drunk father. Not having to go to bed at night without a kiss from their mother…" He inhaled unsteadily through his nose and let it out. "And what gets me, is in the end, after he…practically throws me out, can't be bothered…he still had to get me. One. Last. Time."
Gibbs saw Tony was trembling, and was finding it more of a challenge to get the words out. He was grateful Tony wouldn't look at him though, at exactly what he was doing…
"What do you mean?" Gibbs urged him on gently,"You mean about what he told you in the letter?"
Tony nodded, as tears started to fall from his eyes.
"He…he could have let me have that life…" Tony said hoarsely, "I could have been one of those other kids…in the other houses…" he shook his head sadly. "Why…why would you adopt a kid, and then…treat him like that?"
Gibbs' eyes widened. He wasn't sure what to expect, but now it was all making sense. Tony's feeling of worthlessness, his disconnection from them all…
"You…weren't Senior's biological son."
"No…" he said brokenly. "I just…" he closed his eyes, because the pain was overwhelming him. "I dunno, Boss, maybe it was what happened with Tommy…and that fucking piano…Anselmo…my dad…all of it…and then he tells me.." his voice finally broke, down to a whisper in between gasps, "in a letter, when he's dead and can't...look me in the eye. That fucking bastard…"
Suddenly, there were arms around Tony, and he jumped a little. Gibbs was leaning over the chair, running his fingers in a soothing motion at the back of Tony's head. Gibbs frowned to himself when he discovered the goose egg sized bump on it.
"What…" Tony choked, confused and still weeping. "How did you just…"
Gibbs pulled back a little, wiping away some of the tears still drifting down Tony's face.
"I ah…" Gibbs looked down, just for a flash, "had the key."
Tony stared at him for a moment, still a bit breathless. Then it dawned on him.
"We're not gonna' die."
"No."
"How-"
"Fornell was tracking Campanelli's movements and phone calls the entire time. Betty clocked me good, but Fornell was right behind him. And they had it all recorded. They're nabbing Campanelli as soon as he sets foot in the ariport."
"So Betty, he-"
"Made a deal to help us..."
Tony's jaw dropped in shock. He closed it, staring at Gibbs, suddenly furious beyond measure. If his hands were free he might have strangled Gibbs right there.
"You're a sonofabitch."
Gibbs smiled sadly, agreeing, "The 's' does come after the second 'b'."