Disclaimer on chapter one.
AN: Sorry bout the wait guys. Tough times, life seems to be cruel at times. Anyway, I got this one out. Hopefully more where it came from but no promises. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. Comments are always appreciated. dark rolling sea.
Chapter Fifteen
Zack was waiting for him in the doorway, looking rather pale. Grayson used the crutches to hobble up the front stairs and his brother stepped out to greet him. The smile on Zack's face was strained and forced and it made Grayson grimace inside. He knew his brother was going through a lot of turmoil. Zack wrapped an arm around Grayson as soon as he was close enough and the two embraced.
"Dusty told me you got hurt," Zack said as he pulled back. "Holy crap stain, Grady, wha'd you do?"
"I hit a car, it won," Grayson replied with a weak smile. "Doesn't matter now I'm ok. I actually hurt the leg while I was running."
"I'm glad you're back, you're staying right? Jeez, don't leave me with Dusty again," Zack started rambling as he looked over his shoulder. Grayson couldn't help but smile.
"What's wrong with Dusty?" Grayson asked innocently. Zack gave him a pointed look before putting his hands on his hips.
"Dude's insane," Zack replied shaking his head.
"Dusty isn't insane, Zack. He's just quiet."
"He's an odd one at best, Grady. Other than on the phone and telling me, very briefly, what happened, dude hasn't said anything else. Just sits there and stares out the window. Sometimes…sometimes he just flat disappears then scares the shit out of me when he's just back."
"I'm here now; NCIS won't take me up the mountain like this."
Grayson pushed forward on his crutches and entered the small cabin. Zack was right behind him, as he walked towards Levi and Dusty. He saw Dusty give him a once over, assessing the number of injuries. Grayson gave him a small smile and continued to the couch, he could feel Dusty's eyes on him.
"I told you not to play in the street," Dusty said matter-of-factly. Grayson looked at him with a slight annoyance as he sat down.
"Thanks for the advice, Dusty," he quipped harshly as he stretched out his sore leg. "Besides the worst part was because I ran not because I hit the car."
Dusty didn't answer, simply gave a slow nod before he turned and exited the cabin. Zack watched him go, but Grayson was looking at Levi. Levi was looking out into the front yard watching the agents as they conversed.
"Lee," Grayson said softly. Levi looked at him but didn't move. Zack sat down next to Grayson. "Are you sure you can take them into the mountain?"
"I have to. No way you can do it."
"There's too much to cover."
"We can split into two groups. Dusty knows this side of the mountain enough to take a group. I can find my way on the other side."
"Dammit," Grayson said as he blew out a breath. He felt the stress and anxiety pushing down on him full force.
"Easy. It'll be ok. We'll find her," Levi said softly. Grayson could simply nod. He wasn't so sure things were going to work out. He looked at Zack for a long moment, before returning his attention to Levi.
"Take two-ways. Stay in contact. The mountain can get feisty."
"I know. You stay put. It's you he wants. If we can get him to…" Levi was saying when he stopped. The ringing of a cell phone had caught everyone's attention. Grayson felt his pocket and frowned. Only three people had this number, and two of them were here at the cabin. He pulled it out and checked the ID screen.
"Who is it?" Zack asked noticing the curious looks on both Grayson and Levi's faces. Grayson slowly opened the cover and closed his eyes. He put the phone to his ear and through clenched teeth greeted his mystery caller.
"Yes?"
"Ah, what a way to greet and old friend, Grady, seems that you're feeling a bit of stress?"
"Christ, Jonas, how'd you get this number," Grayson spat angrily into the phone. He paused briefly before stumbling forward, his anger snowballing. "Where's my aunt? You'd better not hurt a single…"
"Oh, but you musn't let your anger drive you, Grady. It will only get you hurt in the end. Here I tried to set up a nice get together and you…you ran to the feds."
"Tell me where she is!" Grayson roared. Levi leaned out the front door and motioned for Gibbs to come quickly. The agent jogged up the steps and stopped just inside the doorway. He looked over the young man's face and saw the extreme hurt and anger brewing in his features. Gibbs stepped up next to Grayson.
"No."
"What do you want?" Grayson asked, battling fiercely to hold the tears burning his eyes in check.
"I want you, Grady. I want you dead. You tried to kill me…twice now. You should have learned. YOU are not good enough."
"I was ordered."
"Ordered. Such a good little solider, Grady. Fuck you. I was going to let the anguish end tonight, but on second thought…I'll call back in the morning. Sweet dreams."
Grayson dropped the phone as the tears spilled down his cheeks. He slammed his lids shut trying to stop the flood, and after a few moments succeeded. Gibbs bent down and picked up his phone, checking the number.
"No use, it's blocked," Grayson said as he clenched a fist against his side. "Fucker is toying with me now."
"You know this mountain best, where do you think he's hiding?" Gibbs asked calmly. Grayson looked up at the older man and thought a moment.
"There's about four, maybe five cabins scattered around, mostly used on weekends for hunting, or once a year for vacations."
"Which has the best probability?" Gibbs continued in the same soothing voice. Grayson felt himself coming back together, being able to think it through.
"Probly three of them would make likely short term housing. He wouldn't want anything that was main stream, but the three I got in mind are further off the road than mine, or even this one."
"Where?"
"One on this side of the mountain, bout six miles up mountain from here. Two on my side of the mountain. No one has used any of them in at least three years."
"Can Levi and the other guy lead up to them?"
"I can give Dusty directions to the one on this side. It's fairly easy going. The two on the other side, Levi can get to at least one of them, the other you have to follow the pass."
Gibbs nodded and headed towards the door. Grayson hobbled after him, making his way as quickly as the crutches allowed him. He stopped on the porch and leaned on the railing. Agent Gibbs was talking with his team.
"Tony and McGee go with Mr. Wells. Kate you'll go with Mr. Brown and me. Grayson says there are a couple cabins that we need to check that would be optimal for this guy to use as a safe house."
"What are we talking, Boss?" DiNozzo asked.
"Cabins in the woods that no one has used for years," Gibbs replied.
Grayson tuned him out as Gibbs continued to fill them in on what was happening. He instead looked off at the mountain and felt his anger brewing once again. How long would Storm toy with him, how long before he showed up? Grayson gritted his teeth to ward off the next panic attack before he shuffled back and took a seat. He felt Zack sit down next to him.
Looking over at his little brother he saw the fear etched in the younger man's face. Grayson didn't know what to say to him to comfort Zack, so he remained quiet. Waiting was the worst part he reminded himself.
Finally everyone was moving about. It was getting closer and closer to dark. Grayson knew how treacherous the mountain could become once the sun went down. He gave a look to Levi. Levi nodded his understanding and urged that they all get moving. Gibbs came up the steps and stopped. Grayson looked at him.
"Keep the two-way on," Grayson said, holding up his small pocket walkie-talkie. Gibbs nodded.
"Brown has ours. DiNozzo is carrying that group's," Gibbs replied. Grayson nodded and let out a small breath. He watched as Gibbs gaze fell on Agent Todd conversing with Levi.
"Be careful, Agent Gibbs. That mountain doesn't take prisoners."
"Keep an eye out. This could all be a ploy to lure all of us away from you."
"I've thought of that," Grayson replied. He looked back over his shoulder at the door before he continued. "One thing about Dusty, he's always well armed no matter where he is. There's an arsenal in there and I know how to use it."
Gibbs nodded and then turned and left. Grayson and Zack watched them depart, each group going in a separate direction. Zack shivered slightly as a light breeze picked up. Grayson pushed from the chair and moved inside, feeling the gnawing of helplessness getting the better of him. He should be out there. He should be looking for Jonas himself.
After he hung up the phone he smiled to himself. It was a slight deviation from his plan, but the fear and anger in Grayson's voice had been worth it. He originally had wanted to draw Grayson out tonight and kill him before the sun came up, but now, now he wanted to let him suffer, to stew all night wondering when it was going to happen. His grin expanded. He checked on his prisoner and knew he needed to put her somewhere else.
The agents would be checking. They would be looking for him and her. He closed his eyes and ran the mountain terrain over in his head. Caves, he thought. There were caves not to far from here.
He walked to her and she seemed to be asleep. Coming up behind her, quietly, he simply reached out and squeezed her dislocated shoulder. Her eyes sprang open and she let out a curdling moan. He came around her and squatted down to her level.
"We're moving," he said softly. She glared at him with tears in her eyes as he cut the duct tape from the chair. Once she was on her feet, he refastened her arms and gagged her once again. She fought and protested with him, but in the end he was stronger.
Jonas had her moving, slowly, through the wilderness towards his new destination. The caves would prove much easier to defend he thought to himself. It was slow going but eventually they made it and he picked a larger cave. He led her in, finding a place that he could secure her. Jonas couldn't believe his luck as he found a tree root coming through the rock in a loop. He fished a rope from his sack and tied her to the root.
"Won't be too long," he whispered before turning and exiting the cave. He needed to know the lay of the land. His expedition took him most of the next hour, as he investigated everything he possibly could. This would work he decided. If they came upon him here he would be able to defend himself. The grin worked its way over his features again.
The time had come for him to extract his revenge. At one point he and Grayson had been friends, but Grayson had too much good in him. Grayson had liked being the grunt that followed orders. Jonas on the other hand, had loved the ways of the solider, but not the ways of taking orders from idiots. He had viewed most of his officers as men that couldn't cut it in the field.
They weren't smart enough in his eyes. They were all politically driven. He had despised them from the beginning after boot camp and never been able to pull himself to simply follow orders. And then he had gotten into the money. It was good money to put his skills to use outside of the realm of simple orders. But they had tried to kill him, on numerous occasions, always failing.
"They will fail again," he told the wilderness with a wicked grin.
TBC…