Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider/NCIS.

AN: Contains death! If you rather not read anything gruesome and/or icky, skip the chapter. Trust me. Love, W

Chapter 13: Hostage (~1,930 words)

In that chaos, Alex made it on to the street, racing away as fast as possible.

She didn't celebrate her escaping.

She wasn't safe yet.

Her foot didn't budge from the gas pedal for a long time.

And when she thought, maybe, just maybe, to be rid of any pursuers, she was captured.

Again.

And again it were angry Russians dragging her back to the damn hellhole of a house...

"I would suggest we split up in three teams. One is responsible to find as much information as possible on the Mob. How do they operate? What is their motivation? Who is known to be a member? And so on. The second team should look out for anything on the police channel that sounds like Sabina being found. Try to trace her mobile – I don't think there is much hope they left it with her, but it's worth a try – and get her here safely. Someone should probably notify the Pleasures. Three is responsible for finding out more about Hunter and possibly Ian Rider. What were their last missions? Who could still hold a grudge? Why? We need this information to have a chance at narrowing down people who chase Alex."

Gibbs, Wolf and Ben exchanged a quick look. Then they nodded. Eagle's plan was thought-through, thorough and better than anything they could have come up with.

"Alright. McGee, Tony – two. You are the best acquainted with the local police, Tony and McGee is our technology expert. Ziva, contact whoever to find out more about the mob and Hunter or Ian if you can.", Gibbs ordered.

"Snake, Lemming, you join group two. Snake, you have medical skills we might need and are the most soothing person in our team. Eagle, do whatever you think useful. I will try and work on the files again."

"I will call Mrs. Jones. Maybe she is willing to share some of the missing information."

They had a plan. Now they only needed it to work. And soon.

Alex was carried back, desperately trying to escape.

But the men didn't leave anything to chance, this time.

She was subdued, drugged, bound and thrown back in her cell.

The spy was bleeding sluggishly from several minor cuts she had acquired during the man-handling.

Her hair was a mop and she felt as if she was floating.

Sometimes she forgot what side was up and down, lying on the cot, flying away from all of this in her mind.

Ben had vanished over an hour ago to talk to Mrs. Jones privately. Tony and Eagle were busy trying to convince the Pleasures to calm down while McGee was hacking Sabina's phone. He managed to get a trace on it, only it kept jumping from twenty-three countries (so far) to another in some sort of chain reaction.

Edward Pleasure tried to remain calm as he thought about the situation. It was horrible to think this happened again – after France. If he felt horrible, Alex was sure to be excruciatingly hurting inside for putting Sabina in that position again.

Eagle brought them a coffe while they waited for something to happen.

The radio they had 'borrowed' from one of Tony's old acquaintances cackled to life.

"Unauthorized car chase, reported by state troopers. Does that fit your case?"

Eagle started to fight the hope that was building in him right away. She would have send him something if she had escaped. The police wasn't exactly the fastest in finding stranded vehicles.

He grabbed the radio. "Yes. What do you have for us?"

"Well, if it was your girl, she didn't escape them fully. There is residue suggesting at least two other cars. She wired the SUV and managed to dodge a lot of bullets. We're suspecting AK-47s or at least automatics. No blood, though."

Eagle's heart sunk again. But at least she wasn't shot. "That's... good. Where was the car coming from?"

"We don't know. The SUV isn't registered. But I can describe it to you."

"Please do that. We count on details," Tony reminded his friend.

"Well, black SUV, about 100 bullet holes in back and sides, a silver scorpion on the back."

Eagle swore under his breath. "She was right then. Darn. Can you send us the coordinates?"

"Sure. Sent. Can I do anything else for you?"

"Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. Shootings in supposedly safe 'hoods, car chases..." Tony answered.

"Thanks for your help. This might actually turn out to be a good lead."

"You're welcome. And, Eagle, we'll get her back."

"Oh, I don't doubt that. I just wonder if she's going to be alive or in a body bag."

Gibbs gave him a gentle cuff to the back of his neck. "Never give up."

The soldier sighed, sounding as tired as Gibbs felt. "I know. Anything new on your front?"

"Not yet. I have a friend at the FBI but he'll need permission for the files. He apparently has not the clearance needed." Gibbs snorted.

Eagle nodded. "I guessed as much. McGee couldn't hack in her file, so why would they not protect the others as much?"

Liz put a hand on his shoulder. "If you need someone to talk, contact us. We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we took Alex in. She is stubborn but she's got a heart of gold."

Eagle sighed again. "I know. I just hope her deal was followed through after the escape attempt."

The radio cackled again. "Hey guys I just got info on a girl, black-haired, blue eyes, about eighteen or so. She is unconscious but otherwise unharmed. They wait for someone to identify her and pick her up. Is that your friend?"

"It might be. I'll come over with the parents."

Tony, Eagle and the Pleasures left.

Gibbs and McGee were the only ones left. The American ex-marine got up and wrote the new information on the board.

When they came for Alex the second time, she was still too drugged to care. Her head still felt like it was floating on cloud nine.

Walker was back again, while Vlad was nowhere to be seen. He probably still had medics look at his knee.

"I always knew you had a flair for the dramatic. But shooting him in the knee?", Walker said.

Alex grinned at him, not really conscious yet. "I did what? (add in a giggle) Who shot... who in the knee?"

Walker turned to the guards. "Who subdued her?"

"Dmitri."

"Get him in here. He messed up. She's of no use like this. Look at her! She's not even coherently speaking!"

The guard obeyed.

Alex was left on the cot, listening to what was going on.

Walker drew his gun, waiting impatiently for the man to show. The guard returned with yet another black-clothed man.

"You idiot! She can't be interrogated like this! What did I tell you? Subdue her so much, she's not fighting back but don't overdo it. I don't know what the Mob taught you, but we're not forgiving failure."

And then he shot the man.

Brain matter painted a gruesome red splatter design on the formerly white walls. The guard who brought Dmitri in turned green and looked at his dead comrade.

Alex jumped at the gun shot. Her drug-induced happiness wore suddenly off and turned into fear. She was crying like a baby.

When she opened her eyes and the dead man was still there, she heaved the contents of her stomach in a bucket.

Brain was her least favorite décor by a long shot, she mused.

Eagle let the Pleasures enter first. After all, this was their daughter. Liz immediately grabbed Sabina's hand – no doubt it was her – and stroke her cheek gently. Edward sat in a chair, trying to get as comfortable as possible with his leg.

And it was true what Tony's friend had said. She was physically unharmed. But mentally?

Both men sat in chairs, giving the family their space. They would guard the three of them for now.

Tony's phone rang.

"Ziva found out something on Hunter and Ian."

"We're listening."

"Great. Hunter appears to be the dream of every film maker. Supposedly looked like Alex when she was younger. Blonde hair, brown eyes, tall, attractive. Was in the SAS before joining MI6. Code name Panther."

Eagle's eye brows rose almost to his hairline. "Are you sure she said Panther?"

"Yes," Ziva confirmed. The phone was on speaker then.

"Why? Does that name mean something to you?"

"Panther is the one holding most of the previous records at Hell. His code name has been put on hold and never given out again, after he left the SAS."

"Previous records?"

A dry smirk appeared on Eagle's face. "Alex broke some of them."

"Figures," Tony muttered.

"There are some articles on a bar fight before Alex was born. Panther was supposed to have killed a guy that insulted the army," McGee supplied from the background.

"That guy is the role model for everyone at Hell. I don't think he would have done something like that if he wasn't undercover."

"Considering that was right before he joined Scorpia..."

Tony stared at the phone, shocked.

When Alex finally came around, the dead guard was still lying on the floor of her cell. Walker and his companions had left an hour or so ago.

She was alone with the dead man whose brain was splattered all over the freaking walls.

If there was something left in her stomach, she would have retched it out.

The blood and brain had slid down the walls and pooled on the floor underneath.

She was somewhat used to seeing dead people, people who had been shot, tortured to death and killed in some gruesome way, but she didn't have to spend her time with them in a small cell.

Carefully she avoided stepping on the man or his blood to search for anything useful. It might be against her morale, against her ethics, to launder, but she had to get over her inhibitions to survive this mess.

She found nothing in the way of a gun or knife.

Probably Walker. He knows me too damn well.

She cursed lowly and sat back down on the cot. What now?

As if on cue, the cell door opened again.

Walker noticed that she was up and motioned the guards to tie her up and follow him.

"Nice to see you returned to reality. A drugged you is even worse than a flirtatious you."

"I'm sorry if I'm not meeting your standards. As you know I just recently have been turned into a girl. Their mannerisms still seem as foreign as Turkmenistan." (Seriously, no offense.)

"Never been? It's supposed to be a lovely country this time of the year."

"Well, if you're vacationing there, I seriously have to reconsider my plans for my next holiday."

"I regret to inform you that there will be no such thing as your next holiday."

"Oh, regret it you will."

"You are in no position to threaten me, Alex."

They had arrived at their destination.

And Alex prepared herself mentally for what had to come next.