Chasing Jack
Chapter Sixteen: Part II of the Conclusion
"Battle At Sacred Heart"
(Part 1 of 2)
Tim slowly made his way down the gradual slope of the alleyway leading away from the rental car. Ziva and Ro trailed closely at his heels. As he moved along he visually surveyed the area taking note of key details in regards to his surroundings.
To his left was the back of a building which sat adjacent to the church. The windowless brick wall of the single story structure ran about halfway down along the alley opposite the back area of the church.
At the far end of the alley stood a two story open air parking garage. The rear of the cement structure faced the back area of Sacred Heart. Between the brick building and the garage there was a passageway which appeared to arrive at nothing more than a dead end.
Shifting his gaze to the right and towards the church Tim once again found more of the ins and outs, nook and crannie type areas, like the ones he had seen while driving in. He could also see now that there was a stone archway which stood up ahead a bit. It spanned the gap between two sections of the building and likely served as an entry point of some kind.
Not seeing Fornell anywhere in the alley McGee headed over to the right intending to take a look through the archway to the opposite side in hopes of maybe locating the FBI agent. As he did so he pointed further up the street indicating to Moore and David to continue to check there.
Arriving at the archway Tim glanced through the short dim tunnel and discovered that a circular courtyard of sorts lay on the other side. Only a portion of it was visible through the archway though so McGee decided it was worth closer inspection.
He started to turn around to call out to the other two agents to let them know where he was going but the action was halted as his attention was drawn away from them and down towards the parking garage. He had caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Shifting his gaze further down the alleyway he visually sought out what it had been.
He found it almost instantly.
There making his way up the slight incline of the street from the northeast side of the church was Tobias C. Fornell. McGee released a weighted relief filled breath. Finally they were going to get some answers and, hopefully, some desperately needed help.
Abandoning the archway Tim began to head in the FBI agent's direction. But his progress and his relief were both abruptly cut short by what he spotted next. A large black cargo van had turned in off the main road and was moving up the street from the same direction Fornell had come from. The vehicle was slowly rolling up towards the FBI agent from behind.
Not liking the look of this Tim opened his mouth to call out to Fornell to alert him the van was there but Ziva beat him to it.
"On your six!" she called out across the distance between them.
For a split second a bewildered expression captured the FBI agent's face but he quickly realized what Ziva had said. Looking back over his shoulder he saw the van just as it came to stop a bit further back down the street. Every door on the vehicle seemed to fly open at the same instant and men dressed in bullet resistant vests and carrying assault weapons began to pour out onto the street. Without even an ounce of hesitation Tim knew who the men were – The Wheel.
Immediately Fornell was in motion running up the hill. All the while his gaze searched the alley for anything in the way of cover. In the next heartbeat the FBI agent had retrieved the firearm from the holster on his hip and had it at the ready.
Tim had also drawn his weapon. And he could see that Ziva and Moore had done the same. Several of the men from the van were headed after Fornell and still others fanned out to cover the width of the street. A small group of them began advancing up the incline of the alleyway towards where McGee was positioned near the archway and yet another handful of them made for where Ziva and Moore were located.
Tim was about to run for cover when his attention was snatched away by the screech of brakes and the grinding sound of tires skidding on pavement. The sound had come from the opposite direction up where they had left their rental car. Tim glanced that way for a split second and then back towards the men advancing on him. They were closing in and had their weapons raised and ready.
Springing into motion McGee made for the archway at a flat out run. Upon arriving at it he ducked inside and nearly skidded to a halt. Taking up position near the opening to the street he pressed his back up against the cold stone there. Looking out across the street he could see that Moore and David were completely caught out in the open and the men from the van were closing in on them as well.
"The car!" he heard Ziva call out to Moore. Both agents turned back and began running with all they had up the incline of the street. Tim closed his eyes for a split second, his breath caught momentarily in his lungs, fearing that their flight might bring them under fire.
When no gunfire erupted he opened his eyes again and looked up in the direction of their car. Moore and David had ducked behind the wall they had parked the car beside. At least they would have some level of cover there, crouched down in the space between the wall and the vehicle.
It was then that McGee spotted the source of the screeching brakes and skidding tires he had heard a moment earlier.
Just beyond where their rental car was parked a silver colored Lexus SUV had pulled in and come to a stop. All of the vehicle's doors except the one on the front passenger side stood open. A small group of men adorned with bullet resistant vests and assault weapons had gotten out and stationed themselves along the sides of the Lexus – seemingly posted as guards.
After a beat the last door opened. The man who emerged was at least as tall as Tim and of slender athletic build. His grayed hair was neatly trimmed into a military style and his squared away posture hinted at the same. Seemingly, many hours spent outdoors had tanned his features a golden brown. The man's face was slim but healthy and showed his age to be in the fifties.
And there was something about the way in which he carried himself that demanded attention. This was made even more evident by the way the other men watched their surroundings but at the same time also seemed to keep the man always in their sights – seeking out his guidance or instruction.
The man's body language spoke volumes. Even something as simple as his straight posture was noticeable yet somehow he appeared casual at the very same time.
As Tim watched he noted that the slightest nod of the head or shift in body weight from the man served as direction for the course of action the others undertook. With just a snap of wrist - waved gesture of the hand from this man the two men nearest him immediately took up protective positions – one on his right and one on his left.
There was definite command presence about this man. McGee knew without a doubt he was the one in charge.
Tim tried to take in a deep breath and failed miserably. His chest had tightened so far he just couldn't get the air in. The situation had gone from bad to worse. Not only were they completely outnumbered and outgunned the ambush appeared to have been well orchestrated.
He and the team had simply thought they were going to meet up with Fornell and had not even scoped out the building or its grounds properly before beginning their search. The FBI agent had warned them and Tim had not taken it seriously enough.
With the possible exception of himself everyone on his side was now trapped. Both ends of the alleyway which ran behind the church were blocked by a vehicle, the van at one end and the SUV at the other. The men from the van had fanned out over the width of the street and were advancing up the slope. Ziva and Moore were hunkered down between their rented sedan and the low concrete wall next to it. And Fornell had ducked into the only cover he had as an option, the dead end passageway between the building across the way and the parking garage further down the street.
Tim had a feeling that the man from the SUV was not just in charge of this operation but also a Wheel leader. And that meant that the men with bullet resistant vest and assault weapons were henchmen and they would not hesitate to carry out whatever the leader told them to do.
Tim tried to focus and see some way out of this situation. To find something – anything – that would turn the tides their way. But as his mind cycled through all the scenarios and their probable outcomes he came up completely empty handed.
God how he wished Gibbs was there.
The Boss never failed to find some move to make. Never failed to act. Never failed to come through for them.
Tim couldn't help but feel like he was letting Gibbs down in his absence. Couldn't help thinking he was failing his team – his family. The thought of that was unbearable. He had to think of something. Had to find a way to get them out of this relatively unscathed.
But before he could even begin to try to come up with something the chance was stolen away from him. The henchmen who had been making their way up along the street were closing in on the archway where Tim was hold up. He had no other option than to move.
The alleyway was out since he would be out in the open and he would certainly never make it to the other side to the passageway where Fornell was pinned down or further up to the car where Ziva and Moore had taken cover.
That left only the courtyard which lay on the other side of the archway. He stole one last peek around the corner out at the street at the henchmen and knew he had no time left to come up with a better option.
They would be upon him in a matter of seconds. It was now or never.
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Eyes squinted against the morning sunlight Gibbs looked up at the front of Sacred Heart. Given the size of the old church locating the team and Fornell was likely going to be no easy task. The impressive structure stood several stories tall and took up a fair portion of the block it set upon. And since they had no indication as to where the meet was supposed to go down the team leader could only pray they would be able to find Fornell and the team quickly.
Earlier at the hotel he and Tony had ended up deciding that "acquiring" a vehicle would draw far more attention than they could risk. So they had gone a street over from the Harborside and hunted down a cab. Fortunately, Tony had a few bucks in his pocket which he had taken from the stash of supplies at his safe house.
Their cabbie who drove in a fashion not unlike Gibbs' own style had wasted no time in getting to their destination, dropping them off a short walk from the church. Gibbs suspected that the speed of their arrival may also have had something to do with the disheveled and roughed up state of DiNozzo who kind of looked like he had been part of one seriously wild bar room brawl.
The cabbie had taken one glance in the rearview mirror at him and suddenly sprouted a lead foot. The poor guy probably just didn't want any trouble and hoped to get them out of his cab as soon as possible. He clearly didn't want any part of whatever they were into. He had spared no time in his departure either as Tony had barely paid the man and climbed out before the cab sped off down the street.
"You've been here before, right, DiNozzo?" he asked looking down from the church.
"Couple times."
"Any thoughts on a way in or on a likely place for a meet?"
"The way in I've got. Have to think a minute on the meeting place," the younger man replied.
"You've got until we're inside."
"That's very generous of you Boss but...," Tony began to respond before Gibbs cut him off. The senior agent's words were accompanied by a warning filled glare.
"But what?" he questioned.
"Nothing. I'm sure that will be plenty of time."
"Glad to hear it."
And with that Tony took the lead and headed down the sidewalk. When they reached the southwest corner of the building they turned right which took them down the west side of the church. About midway along they came to a set of concrete stairs which went down to what was likely the basement area of Sacred Heart.
Gibbs followed after Tony as he descended the steps. At the bottom they came to a door. In the small enclosed space they were below the level of the sidewalk and hidden from view fairly well.
Instead of moving to the door Tony turned back towards the steps.
"Forgot the key," he commented. Sitting down on the bottom step Tony lowered his gaze to the cement under his feet. Gibbs shifted his own gaze downward and spotted the intersecting network of cracks running through the concrete which the younger man was focused upon. After a moment Tony reached down and with his fingertips shoved into one of the cracks he pried up a small chunk of cement.
Once it was removed the team leader could see that there was something hidden away underneath it. With his free hand Tony picked up the item. It was a Ziploc baggie containing a small plastic case perhaps just big enough to hold a pair of glasses. After replacing the chunk of cement back into its place Tony unzipped the pouch in his hands revealing a set of lock picking tools.
"What else you got stashed around this city DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked. A hint of amusement lit his tone.
"Oh little of this. Little of that. Here and there."
Gibbs let out a sound akin to a chuckle. He was beginning to feel like he was in one of DiNozzo's movies. But at the same time the fact that the younger man had stashes of supplies hidden in walls, tools tucked away under broken pieces of cement and two safe houses set up shone light on what kind of life Tony must have been forced to live while on the run.
Although intriguing and entertaining in a movie Gibbs knew in reality it all came down to a desperate attempt at survival. It made his hatred of The Wheel all the more intense. And the ache of sadness for the younger man deepen. For someone like Tony life on the run must have been incredibly lonely.
"You want to do the honors or shall I?" Tony inquired and got up from his seat on the step.
"Your tools," Gibbs replied. He made it sound casual when in reality it was anything but. He knew if he attempted to pick the lock that there was a good chance the slight muscle tremors which had been rolling through his body off and on might happen to crop up at that particular moment and if they did then Tony would surely notice them. And unlocking the door with shaky hands would be difficult if not impossible.
He had to do his best to hide the effects of the poison as long as possible while they located Fornell and the team. It wouldn't be easy since DiNozzo already suspected he was ailing in some way. He had even refused to leave the safe house that morning until he had gotten a look at the wound on Gibbs' shoulder. The team leader wasn't sure what specifically had tipped Tony off. But even after Gibbs had finally allowed the younger man to check on the wound and he had found it well tended to and slowly healing DiNozzo seemed unconvinced that the team leader was physically alright.
While he had been caught up in his own thoughts Tony worked the lock on the door. A soft click sound resonating in the enclosed space where they stood drew the team lead out of his own head and back to the task at hand.
When Gibbs looked over to Tony he was just turning the knob on the door. Confirming that it was now unlocked he left it ajar. Then put away the tool and slipped the case into his pocket. Then he glanced over at Gibbs. After a silent beat both men retrieved the handguns which they had tucked into their waistbands.
Tony pushed the door the rest of the way open with his foot and covered Gibbs while he took over the lead and entered in through the doorway.
The light coming in over the threshold did not reach far so with every step he took the darkness grew. And when Tony closed the door at their backs it was near impossible to see.
"Hold up a second Boss," Tony whispered from behind him. It was followed by a collection of faint sounds that amounted to the other man rummaging around for something. A moment later the quiet fell back into place and the younger man tapped something against Gibbs' arm. Reaching back for it Tony placed a flashlight in his hand.
"Had it stashed here from my last visit in case I ever needed to come back. Only got the one though," DiNozzo stated quietly. Gibbs didn't respond verbally but he was grateful nonetheless. His eyes seemed not to be adjusting to the darkness as quickly as they normally did. It made Gibbs wonder if it was linked to the poison but since there was no way to know there was no point in thinking on it too long. So he clicked on the flashlight and used it to make a quick scan around where they stood. As suspected it was the basement of the church. Finding nothing in need of further investigation he spoke up.
"Which direction?"
"Stairs are up ahead. Go straight and then take the first left. Stairwell is the second right," Tony stated quietly behind him.
Gibbs shone the beam of the light out ahead of him and maintained his weapon at the ready as they moved slowly through the cold dark basement.
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With The Wheel henchmen closing in on him Timothy McGee ran out the end of the archway and into the courtyard beyond. Frantically, his gaze sought out some sort of cover. But found little in the way of offerings. There were two large decorative statues and a few stone benches but nothing else of any use.
Stealing a quick glance back over his shoulder he saw that one of the henchmen had stopped pursuing him and had his weapon raised in his direction. Tim knew the man was taking aim.
Coming upon one of the statues he dove behind it just as gunfire erupted. A spray of bullets impacted the edge of the statue and sent slivers of stone flying into the air. McGee raised his firearm out around the stone figure and let off a few rounds. Only one hit its mark – striking the closest henchmen in the right side of the vest. The man stumbled back but managed to grab onto the back of a nearby bench to keep himself from going down.
The impact of the bullet embedding itself in the vest certainly must have hurt but mostly just seemed to piss the man off. And his friends didn't seem pleased either since suddenly they were all advancing more rapidly towards the statue Tim was crouched down behind.
Using the base of the statue as cover McGee got a few more shots off. He knew his 9mm was no match for the assault weapons that his opposition carried. It was only a matter of time until they reached him. Desperately, Tim looked around at the circular courtyard and the church in search of an escape route.
As more gunfire erupted Tim suddenly realized that this time it had not been the men following him. He listened and could tell there was both the sound of assault rifles as well as that of semi automatic handguns. It was coming from the alleyway where Ziva, Moore and Fornell were pinned down. A firefight had been begun out there as well.
As much as he wanted to help them Tim knew he couldn't do much of anything for them right then. He would have to get himself out of this jam first then go back.
He could see that one of the doors leading inside the church off the courtyard looked in rough shape. There was damage to the door in the area of its handle. Gouge marks and chipped away paint made it look like someone had, at the very least, attempted to pry open the door to break in. The door wasn't particularly sturdy looking to begin with so Tim hoped perhaps it had been weakened by the damage.
Stealing a glance passed the statue he found there was no time to waste. He turned back to face the doorway he had just been inspecting. He raised his weapon and prayed that all that time at the range was about to pay off. He settled his breathing and took the shot. The bullet struck the door right on target into the lock mechanism.
He shifted around once again and let off several rounds at the group of men encroaching upon his location. Then staying as low as possible Tim made a run for the door. As soon as he was in motion the men began firing upon him.
Terror gripped on to him but he forced himself to keep moving instead of dropping to the ground. He didn't even slow as he closed in on the door. He prayed that the previous damage to the door and the round into the lock from his weapon would be enough to weaken the door and he would be able to bust through it.
McGee literally ran into the door. His shoulder connecting first and then the rest of his body with the momentum of his running behind the weight. It turned out to be enough and the door gave in and flew upon. The impact sent Tim hurtling forward and his balance lost to him he ended up in a heap on the floor on the other side of the threshold.
Lifting his head he could see The Wheel henchmen as they ran across the courtyard in his direction - their weapons at the ready. Reflexively, Tim rolled his body to the side out of the line of the open doorway and kicked the door closed with his foot.
His body ached from the impact with the door and for a beat he stayed down. The sounds of the firefight out in the alleyway were muffled now but it was still audible enough that Tim could tell it wasn't going well. The distinct sound of semi automatic handguns was far less than that of the rapid fire of assault rifles.
Back at the hotel Ziva had gathered up all the ammo supply they had brought to Portland and divided it up amongst the three of them. But in a gun battle up against assault weapons it didn't amount to much. And in all likelihood Fornell had the clip in his service weapon and maybe one spare on him.
The thought set McGee back in motion. He had to get back outside to help the others. Perhaps he could go through the building and find a way to come around back out into the street which would provide him advantage. But first he had to put distance between him and door to the courtyard. Any second the Wheel henchmen would be at its threshold.
Tim placed the palm of his right hand down on the floor intent on using it to help propel his aching body upward. But as soon as he put pressure down on it fiery pain tore through his arm.
Still holding the 9mm in his left he instantly grabbed onto his upper arm where the pain seemed to have originated from. His fingertips immediately felt the sticky moisture on his shirt sleeve. Blood. Tim looked down but the dim lighting didn't allow him to see much of anything. So as much as it hurt he probed his upper arm with his fingertips.
And suddenly realized that he had been grazed by a bullet somewhere along the line. He had been so focused and pumped up on adrenaline he hadn't even realized. It definitely hurt after the fact but, fortunately, it seemed he could still use his arm fully. It had been way too close for comfort though.
Shouted voices from out in the courtyard drew his attention away from the injury.
He had to move and without delay.
Scrambling to his feet Tim made his way deeper into the room and managed to locate a doorway which lead out into a corridor. Moving as briskly as he could manage he went about putting some distance between him and the door leading out into the courtyard. At the same time searching for another way out.
The interior of Sacred Heart Church was even more of a maze than the exterior. There were corridors off corridors and endless rooms which seemed only to lead into other deeper rooms. And if the outside had been shrouded in shadow than the inside was downright dark and creepy. The eerie quiet completed the tomb-like feel. The sense he was somewhere he shouldn't be spiked up in Tim.
The first floor where he had entered in on did have windows here and there but many of them were boarded up. Those that were not covered held a layer of dust and grime. They had been long neglected. This left the rooms and hallways of the building with little in the way of light. The faint glow the windows did provide was scarcely enough to move around by.
Tim firmly settled his grip on the weapon in his hand and wished he had a flashlight. The grayish glow from the windows was better than nothing but there were areas where the light did not reach at all. It was these corners and spaces that made him nervous about what threat may lurk in the darkness.
He needed to find another exit out of the building. The way in had been exposed, lacking any real form of cover, and he had been seen entering there so they could be waiting for him to emerge. Plus the faster he was out of this dark creepy maze the better.
His team needed him. And that thought helped him remain focused on the task at hand.
So Timothy McGee set out down along yet another darkened hallway in search of a way back out into the light.
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The intersection of the two corridors offered an excuse to stop moving for a moment. With his shoulder leaned up against the wall Tony blew out a long exhale.
He and Gibbs had made their way up from the church's basement and out onto the first floor. Once there they had gone about methodically clearing and searching each room and corridor they came upon. They had been making quick work of it but still had not discovered any sign as to the team's whereabouts.
While clearing what looked like some type of office the sound of gunfire erupting had stopped them both dead in their tracks.
Listening for a moment they had determined it had come from outside – likely somewhere at the rear of the building. Fearing the worst both men had taken off moving as rapidly as they could through the dimly lit network of rooms and hallways and headed in the direction of what was by the sound of it a gun battle between semi automatic handguns and assault weapons. There was not a doubt in Tony's mind that The Wheel and the NCIS team had become engaged in a firefight.
Their heightened pace had caused the difficulty Tony was having with his left leg to kick up tenfold and he had begun to lag behind. Several times Gibbs had glanced back over his shoulder to check that Tony was there and still a few other times the team lead had whispered back to ask for confirmation that Tony was with him. Each time Tony had been managing to keep up and assured the other man he was there.
But when they had come to a section of the floor laden with twists and turns Tony had lost sight of the team leader. Despite the pain in his leg Tony had pushed harder in attempt to catch up. And after several turns and then a bit of backtracking to check alternate routes he still hadn't caught even the faintest glimpse of the glow from the flashlight Gibbs carried or any sign of the man himself. Ultimately, Tony had decided to simply to continue to head in the direction of the firefight taking place outside and keep an eye out for an exit.
Gibbs had likely not realized yet that Tony was no longer behind him. And would be heading in that direction as planned. Hopefully, they would meet back up somewhere along the way.
For now though Tony had been forced to stop.
He rested his head against the wall and silently cursed his injured leg. Taking the weight off the leg seemed to help a little as the throbbing was slightly less than it had been only a moment before. But he knew he couldn't stay stationary for long. He needed to keep moving, find an exit leading to the back of the building and go help the team. Preferably locating Gibbs in the process.
After a few more deep breaths Tony straightened back up. Time to move on. He was at the crossroads of two hallways and he would need to take a look down the three directions offered and make a decision which was the best route.
But before he had the chance to do so a noise coming from further up ahead had Tony turning back down along the hallway he had only just come up. He ducked into the first room off to the right which he had gone through and cleared a few moments earlier.
Once inside he leaned up against the door frame and listened. There was definitely someone moving around. But the acoustics of the building were making it hard to discern exactly where they were currently located.
Tony stole a peek around the edge of the door frame and looked down the hallway he had come along earlier. He found nothing there. He shifted his gaze to the right and up beyond the intersection of the two hallways to the other side.
The corridor came to an end in a T. As he watched that portion of the hallway first one then two men appeared. Each wore a bullet resistant vest and carried an assault weapon. Wheel members Tony surmised.
Pulling back from peeking around the corner Tony knew the men would either turn down the corridor in the direction of the room he was hidden in or visually check that way and then continue along straight ahead and away from Tony's location.
After a few heartbeats he poked his head out once again. The two men had moved on straight ahead along the hallway at the top part of the T intersection. Tony was about to move back out into the hallway planning to take a left at the four way intersection. This would take him in the opposite direction from the two men he had seen. But he stopped upon noticing that there was a shadow cast along the floor at the crossroads of corridors. The soft glow of light there made it evident there must be a window off in that direction somewhere. That had been another reason Tony had intended to turn that way. He was about ready to give up on finding a door and start trying windows instead.
Tony adjusted the grip he had on the weapon in his hand. It was more to reassure himself that it was really there than anything else. If the person creating the shadow was another Wheel member he knew it was unlikely he would be lucky enough to go undetected a second time.
Just barely peeking around the doorframe Tony watched as the shadow shifted indicating the person it belonged to had moved closer. At the ready to quickly duck back inside the room out of sight or shoot if necessary Tony tried to settle his heartbeat which seemed to have made its way up into his throat. His breath hitched as the person arrived on the verge of clearing the corner.
As he finally settled his breathing the person stepped out into the open center of the intersecting hallways. Weapon raised the man pivoted quickly to the left and then to the right checking for threats.
The breath which Tony had only scarcely managed to recover a second before caught up again. The man's turn to the left had been brief but he had been in the light enough that there was no doubt in Tony's mind.
It was Timothy McGee.
The younger man had not seen him. The speed of his checking in Tony's direction and the darkness near the doorway he stood inside of had been enough to leave him undetected.
Tony could barely resist the urge to call out to McGee letting him know he was there and that he was coming out. Tony knew if he did that though a strong chance existed that the echo of his voice or of McGee's reaction could very well be audible to the Wheel henchmen he had seen a moment earlier.
Apparently, luck seemed to still be with him. The room Tony stood in had two doors since it stood at the corner of two intersecting hallways. One doorway lead out to each of the corridors. Tim had begun moving again and had apparently decided to go straight ahead. He would pass by the second doorway.
Tony swiftly and quietly darted across the room to the open doorway on the opposite side. He positioned himself near the edge of the door frame. Tucked away in the darkness there set him up to surprise Tim from behind. He listened intently to the faint movements as the other man made his way down the hall.
Tony would have to time it perfectly in order to silently restrain McGee without incident. Any noise and they would certainly be located since the Wheel members were likely still well within earshot. Also Tim had his 9mm at the ready and Tony would have to immediately strip him of the ability to use it.
Hearing that McGee was closing in on the doorway where he stood hidden Tony slipped his weapon into his waistband. He needed both hands free to carry out the assault. Fortunately, the day was mild and Tony had noticed that McGee wore a shirt and no coat. This worked in Tony's favor since a second layer would have potentially hindered his plan for subduing the younger man.
A few heartbeats passed by then Tony could tell that Tim had arrived near the doorway. The faint glow in the corridor would allow Tony to see when his target had cleared the edge of the wall and was at the door's threshold and, therefore, vulnerable.
And then suddenly Tim was outside the doorway and only a handful of feet away. Before the younger man had the chance to pivot around to clear the open doorway Tony was in motion. Springing forward he grabbed the other man from behind and pulled him into the darkened room.
Tony instantly wrapped an arm around Tim's neck and clamped a hand down over of his mouth to quash any surprised sound he may make. In the same heartbeat he seized McGee's left arm and quickly applied the necessary force to the pressure point on his wrist. The technique was effective in weakening Tim's grasp and the firearm slipped from his hand onto the floor. Its metal clattered loudly as it met with the hard surface. Tony silently swore as the noise echoed in the air around them. The sound would surely bring The Wheel henchmen.
Even before his weapon had been lost to him McGee had delved into attempting to fight off his perceived attacker. He struggled inside Tony's grasp. At first he simply tried to free himself by working to possibly pry the arm around his neck away and then attempted to twist around in the hold to gain advantage.
With the arm he had used to execute the pressure point technique Tony now utilized it to put a more effective hold in place around Tim's neck – or rather almost in place as it was marginally shy of actually containing the required pressure to choke him out or twist his neck.
Just as he did so there was movement out in the hallway. Faint footfalls coming in the direction of the room they were in. Dragging Tim along with him Tony moved further back into the large deep room and closer to the wall. This took them away from both doorways and any light that made its way in from the hallway. The darkness was much heavier there – a near pitch blackness.
McGee stilled inside Tony's grasp as he seemed to become aware of the presence of others nearby. Tony continued his hold – a hand firmly planted over the younger man's mouth. He wanted to whisper in Tim's ear that he wasn't the one to worry about. To tell him that the real threat was the rather well armed men roaming around the building.
But he didn't dare risk it should even a whisper be amplified and carried by the acoustics of the empty room they stood in. It already felt like his own heartbeats and breathing were so loud they probably could be heard all the way down the hall.
Tony could feel McGee's body tense even further and he seemed on the verge of resisting once again. Tony reigned in his hold giving the impression, at least from Tim's point of view, that it would not take but one motion and his captor could choke him out or even break his neck. He didn't like setting that fear upon Tim but desperate times required desperate measures. Tony had him gripped so tightly that Tony could actually feel the younger man's racing heartbeat pulsing in his neck and his distressed breathing rising up from his chest.
The younger man settled down once again inside his grasp as the footsteps out in the hallway became more distinct and closer by. Listening to their movements Tony could tell that they were not simply advancing but searching. The impact of the gun with the hard surface of the floor must have reverberated in such a way they could not tell precisely what it had been or where it had come from.
But regardless they would arrive at Tony and McGee's location soon enough. Adjusting his hold on McGee the best he could with his left arm Tony swiftly retrieved the Sig Sauer he had tucked into his waistband earlier.
He promptly pressed the metal of it against Tim's head – hard enough for the other man to recognize what he had. This knowledge would be sufficient enough to keep McGee from resisting further or making any noise.
Once he could tell that Tim had gotten the intended message - that if he moved he would be shot - Tony removed the weapon from his head and leveled its position to fire in the direction of the doorway if need be.
Only a few breaths later those searching out in the hallway arrived near the entryway to their room. McGee clearly could tell as well since he suddenly went thoroughly rigid inside Tony's grasp.
Tony knew that his one advantage would be that the men would be silhouetted in the doorway by the faint glow from the hallway at their backs. He'd be able to see them but they wouldn't be able locate Tony and Tim as they were concealed in the near blackness deeper in the room.
The downside, of course, was that these men had assault rifles and if they decided someone might be inside they could simply light up the room with gunfire.
It was all but certain that at least one of them would be inadvertently hit.
Both Tony and Tim stood frozen still in the darkness, listening and waiting.
After what seemed an eternity there was movement directly outside the doorway. It was slight but enough for Tony to tell they were to the left of the entryway and more than one man. He breathed in and slowly exhaled a few times attempting desperately to calm the pounding thump of the heartbeat inside his chest and the pulsing blood which coursed through his veins. The last thing they needed was for him to not shoot straight, miss his target and start a firefight - most certainly to end with them lying dead on the floor.
Suddenly two silhouetted figures stood in the doorway. Nothing more than featureless dark figures like those on the targets he had fired upon thousand of times at the practice range. The only exception was he could tell they carried assault rifles and looked to have protective vests based of the shape of there forms.
With the tip of his right index finger hovered a hair shy of the trigger on the weapon in his hand Tony fought the urge to just go ahead and put a couple rounds in each of the figures. Thus eliminating the risk of being spotted and fired upon before he could react. But he reigned in the urge as he realized if there were two there were likely more and the shots would bring their numbers descending upon their location.
No. He would only shoot if there was indication they had been detected. But he would have to be quick. Both his and Tim's lives depended upon it.
The figures, men by the frame of them, poked their heads inside the room and scanned the interior. Fortunately, they did not appear to have night vision goggles or flashlights. One of the two looked to the side of the room where Tony and McGee were tucked away in a darkened corner. His head almost immediately turned away toward the center of the room. But it was short lived as he turned back to look in their direction once again and the focus of his visual search stalled there. The man looked straight at the spot where they stood. Likely he thought he had seen something and was giving it a moment for his vision to adjust to the lack of light in order to confirm or deny his suspicion.
If Tony had been able to he would have willed himself and Tim to melt into the darkness of the far corner where they stood and make them seamlessly blend in with the surface of the wall at their backs. But the best he could do was to stare straight back at the man and be at the ready to squeeze the trigger.
The second man appeared to finish surveying the remainder of the room. Even silhouetted Tony saw him raise a hand to his ear and tap something there.
"Yeah nothing yet," he whispered a few seconds later.
It was apparent he had some type of communications device and it was likely connected to William Tucker Greene. Failing that then to one of his lead henchmen.
A few seconds passed in which the man seemed to listen then he whispered his reply.
"Right. Got it. Will do."
Then once again he tapped at the device at his ear. With his elbow he nudged his counterpart who still studied the far corner of the room.
"Hey man. Gotta keep moving. Lot of ground to cover."
"Yeah. Right," the second man responded. His partner stepped back out of the room and headed off down the hallway. The first man held the direction of his gaze for a moment longer.
Then finally he looked away and moved out of the doorway into the corridor. He stayed there for a long moment, seemingly reluctant to move on. But after poking his head in the room one last time and looking around he let it go and headed off.
When the sound of his movements had dissipated and silence fell back in Tony felt the tension in his muscles release somewhat. His heartbeat followed suit, settling into a calmer rhythm. He took a deep breath and let it out as he lowered the weapon in his hand.
He started to open his mouth to quietly tell McGee not to freak out or make any noise once the hand over his mouth was removed. But the words did not come quickly enough as the younger man began to fight to free himself. Tim had clearly decided that if he was going out he was going to put up a damn good fight on the way there.
All at the same time McGee jabbed his arm back elbowing Tony in the abdomen, stomped down hard on the top of Tony's foot and seized the arm around his neck with both hands. The blows to the abdomen and foot were jarring but it was the captured arm which Tim put substantial force into twisting that finally caused Tony's grip on the other man to loosen.
Using the captive arm as leverage McGee flung his body weight solidly into Tony. The impact sent Tony hurtling backwards. He slammed back first into the wall. Instantly pain exploded outward from the wounds on his back and raced across every fiber of his being. It seized up every muscle and stole the breath from his body. Any hold he had left on Tim instantly departed.
Tony attempted to recover and managed to push off the wall with his shoulder. But Tim had already spun around to face in his direction. The younger man swung on him and managed to solidly clip Tony's chin despite the darkness of the room.
Still rebounding from the pain radiating through his body and the blow to the head Tony put his arm up in attempt to block any further punches. But all it resulted in was McGee grabbing onto the arm and using it to gain further control.
Tony started to counter but before he could follow through McGee took out his leg with a sweep. And in the next heartbeat Tony was face down sprawled out on the cold hard floor. And Tim had planted a knee in his back pinning him there.
Tony struggled to take in a breath passed the lump forming in his throat. The searing white hot pain burning through his back brought tears to his eyes. He swallowed down hard on the lump choking him up and tried to force his voice to work.
After a few breathless and soundless attempts to speak to let Tim know that it was him Tony pushed beyond the pain and forced his voice outside his body. He quietly but firmly called out the one word he knew would grab the other man's attention.
"Probie!"
And suddenly McGee stopped dead still. His knee remained pressed into Tony's back but at least Tony had captured his attention.
"McGee I need you to take your knee off my back," Tony breathlessly forced out.
Initially, Tim shifted as if he was going to release Tony but then stilled again. He seemed stalled, almost torn, on what to do. Tony suspected that his reflexive response was to relate being referred to as Probie to Tony. But then his logical brain would have clicked in and he would have concluded that it being Tony was not possible. Tony realized he would have to offer some more evidence that it was actually true.
"Tim, listen to my voice. Just listen. Let yourself hear it. I need you to let up on the knee. My back is injured and as much as it pains me to admit it you're really hurting me."
It took a few silent beats for the younger man to process everything through his brain. Tony suspected Tim was perhaps thinking that his own mind was playing tricks on him. Tony prayed the evidence would win out over the skepticism quickly as he bore down with all he had to get through the agony brought on by the knee digging down into the lacerations and burns on his back.
After what felt like an excruciating eternity Tim's whispered voice broke the tense silence of the room. His tone near hesitant and drenched with disbelief.
"Tony?"
"Yeah McGee. It's me."
"What the hell? I don't understand. You're alive?"
"Yes. I'm alive. Now could you please get your knee out of my back!" Tony responded. It came out way more desperate sounding than Tony liked but if it worked than he could deal with it.
Clearly McGee still harbored some doubt because the next thing Tony knew was that the younger man had ripped the Sig Sauer out of his grasp. Then finally the rather pointy knee in his back was lifted away. Tim grabbed onto Tony's shirt at the shoulder and used it to yank him up onto his side.
Their tussle a moment before had moved them closer to one of the doorways. Enough light filtered in from the hallway for them to see each other and for the first time in four years their gazes met.
Tony was still recovering from the whole knee in the back incident and simply let Tim study him. He suspected that given the dim lighting, the bruising and swelling of his face and the blonde hair he might be a bit hard to recognize. And Tim's gaze was certainly scrutinizing – even questioning.
But after a long moment the look evolved into what Tony could only guess might be shell shock. And once that settled in thoroughly McGee finally said something. His voice shaky as he spoke.
"I don't…I don't understand. How? Tony...how?"
"Short version – my death was faked," Tony answered. Since the other man had finally decided it was really him Tony felt it was safe to move and worked his way into a sitting position.
"You faked your own death? How could you do that to us, Tony?" Tim questioned harshly.
"It was better than the alternative."
"The alternative? You make it sound like no big deal. We thought you were dead – murdered."
"Trust me I'm aware. That was sort of the point."
"What the hell Tony? So you've been out there this entire time! While we felt guilty about not saving you. Not being able to catch the people who supposedly killed you. You're completely unbelievable! Did you just think it was nothing as if you had just gone on vacation or something. Four years Tony. We looked for your body. We had a memorial service for you. We searched day and night trying to track down the people who killed you. And you were off somewhere just living your life like it was nothing. Like it – we - didn't matter. How self absorbed are you? You bastard!"
"First of all keep your voice down. And, second, I did what I had to do," Tony replied sternly. Then without any offer of assistance from McGee he got up from the floor. The room spun momentarily but he managed to stay on his feet. Once things settled down he looked over at Tim who hadn't said anything for a few beats. Stunned was really the only word Tony could come up with that did the expression on the other man's face any justice. Right then and there Tony knew reconnecting with McGee was going to be an uphill battle.
"That's the best you can do?" the younger man snapped out at him in a harsh whisper. Tony took in a calming breath and released it before replying softly.
"Tim, I understand your anger and I'd be happy to discuss this all with you at length. I'm sure it won't be pretty. You do deserve an explanation though. But right now is not really the time."
"Trying to weasel your way out of owning up," Tim tossed out accusingly.
"Actually, I was referring to the fact that there are a bunch guys with guns running around here."
A tense moment passed by before Tim almost seemed to deflate right before Tony's eyes. His reluctance to agree with Tony was evident even before he spoke. But logic won out in the end.
"I sort of…right…you're right …we need to focus on that."
"I promise, Tim, I'll explain. You'll see that there was no other option."
"Good luck with that."
"I have a feeling I'm going to need it."
"Just wait til Abby gets a hold of you," Tim offered up with a sharp bite to his tone.
"I may actually be dead after that huh?" Tony replied in an attempt at alleviating a bit of tension.
"I think maybe," Tim answered. Tony could tell he had made a dent by the wisp of playfulness in the other man's voice. But somehow the response had a razor sharp edge to it at the same time.
"Any chance of getting my gun back? I'm feeling a tad naked without it," Tony inquired.
"Oh right. Here. Mine's around here someplace," Tim replied and handed over the Sig Sauer to Tony. He then began looking around the floor for his own weapon.
Tony would have helped him but every last ounce of him hurt like a son of a bitch. At the moment his head in particular ached something fierce. He rubbed at his chin with his fingertips. He decided he would thank McGee for the newest lump in his ever growing collection.
"I was going to say I was sorry for the kick in the face back at Travelers but now that you just clocked me I'd say we're even," he offered.
"Kick to the face? Wait. That was you in that alley? Not Jack Cutter."
"No. It was Jack Cutter," Tony responded flatly.
"But…wait…it…you just said that…I'm so confused."
"I'd say at this point that's understandable. I'm Jack Cutter."
"You're Cutter?"
"Yes. One of my many and varied fake identities."
"You bastard."
"We've only been back together like a minute and half and you've already called me a bastard twice. I'm not really batting it out of the park here am I?"
"What'd you expect?" Tim grumbled. Then having located his gun he retrieved it from the floor.
"Good question," Tony offered in reply.
"The answer?"
"Haven't a freaking clue."
"Me neither!" Tim shot back at him.
"First order of business. We need to get out to the firefight. Can we at least agree upon that?" Tony questioned.
"Totally agree with that. It's bad. They're pinned down and by now likely low of ammo," Tim replied.
"Gibbs and I got separated. I'm betting he's already found a way out of this labyrinth. And so should we before we end up in Oz. Labyrinth – David Bowie and what's her name - quirky little flick. And The Wizard Of Oz – Judy Garland - creative yet disturbing somehow. Hey! I got my movie mojo back."
"Okay Scarecrow. Let's go. We have a yellow brick road to find," Tim told him sounding somewhat annoyed.
"Right behind ya Lion. If you see any monkeys shoot 'em, okay?" Tony replied. The flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz movie and The Wheel henchmen were kind of similar after all.
"With pleasure!" McGee declared as he led the way to the door. After a quick check to ensure the coast was clear they made their way out into the hallway – guns at the ready and partners once again.
To Be Continued...
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Author's Note: What in the heck are you doing reading a silly author's note when the next part is already posted. Go on now – get to reading.