Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.

A/N: Well, I thought this would be the last chapter, but as Sparkiebunny predicted, there was just too much to wrap up in one shot. So, one more after this one. I hope you enjoy!

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Twisted Brother

Chapter Sixteen

"Death Warmed Under"

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Motel in Jimtown, MD: Gibbs woke up at 0430. He had only been able to sleep for a few hours. Getting fuel, finding a place for them all to eat and getting settled in a small motel that had been happy to accommodate them had taken more time that he liked. He hadn't even tried to lie down until almost midnight. And sleep had not come easily. Knowing he was not likely to get any more rest, Gibbs did what he did best this early in the morning. He went in search of coffee.

As he was sitting in the town's one and only coffee shop, he thought back to Ducky's last phone call. Agent McGee had remained conscious, and was surprisingly cognizant of what had happened. The bullet had made a deep graze across the right side of his head, and the doctors had been worried he might have a skull fracture and a possible brain bleed. But CT scans had ruled out any fracture and so far there wasn't much evidence of any brain swelling or bleeding. He had been damn lucky. As soon as his initial confusion had cleared, Tim had passed on what he remembered to Gibbs over the phone.

McGee's voice had sounded thin and he was obviously exhausted and in a lot of pain. But he had been refusing most pain meds, wanting to stay as alert as possible. He remembered things all too well and would do anything to help his partner and best friend.

"Tony didn't look good at all. I think he already had or was getting pneumonia. And the beating he took was much worse than the one Mehi gave me. He was feverish and coughing—a lot. He was hurting real bad." McGee grew silent for a moment.

Gibbs knew the younger agent had been through hell and back and hated to have to push him. But he needed to know everything Tim could remember; and if he knew anything that might help them locate DiNozzo, he had to forge ahead. "Tim. Do you remember anything about where you were being held? How long did it take to get there from your apartment? What was the area like?"

McGee's long drawn out sigh told Gibbs what he didn't want to hear. "I, ah, I was unconscious a lot of the time before we got to the barn or whatever it was we were held in. Tony thought we'd been on the road a couple of hours or longer. It was dark when we got there, I couldn't really see much. I'm sorry, boss." He didn't even think about the rule he was breaking as he replied.

"It's ok, Tim. What's the last thing you remember before waking up?" Gibbs rubbed his eyes, wishing this nightmare would end.

Ducky's voice came on the phone. "Jethro, I do not like this. Timothy is already stressed and his heart rate is increasing. He needs rest and quiet, not interrogation. I know, I know. We need to find them. But not at. . . ." Before he could finish, McGee's voice came back on.

"No. I can do this. I want to do this. I don't care about my head right now Ducky."

Gibbs could hear Ducky sigh in the background and could picture his frustration. "Very well, Timothy. But only for a few more minutes, then I insist you take something for the pain and get some rest."

Tim's reply was immediate. "Sure Duck. Whatever. Listen, Gibbs, Mehi came for us and said time was up. Said he was going to kill one of us. Tony tried to get to his feet, but he couldn't. He's gonna be really pissed at me, because I wouldn't help him." McGee paused for a moment, hoping Tony was still alive to be angry at him.

"Mehi took me into the next stall, and, ah, it's kind of blurry after that. I think I remember Mehi hitting me. Then he called someone on the phone. You Gibbs? I think he called you. I don't really remember much after that, except, I was so angry. He was talking about Sarah and I wanted to kill him. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital." Tim's memory of the ambulance and helicopter ride was gone completely. "I wish I could remember more, boss. If something happens to Tony or Ziva, I don't think I could live with it."

"You did great McGee. You kept Tony alive. That's all I needed to know. Now, do like Ducky says and get some rest. I'll let you know when we find them."

Now, hours later, Gibbs was running out of ideas. All he knew to do was keep searching, bit by bit. He looked at the clock on the wall, almost 0530. Time the team was up and to work. It was almost dawn and he intended to be on the road at first light.

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DiNozzo and David: Agent Ziva David stirred, disoriented for just a moment. Why was she on the hard ground and why was DiNozzo's head leaning on her shoulder? But as quickly as that thought raced through her mind, her memory returned. Wondering what had awakened her, since for once Tony's cough was quiet, she listened. The only sound she could hear was his labored breathing.

That was it. His breathing sounded worse. Ziva knew they had to get Tony to treatment and soon. It was obvious his lungs were in very bad shape. She knew that if the puncture got larger, which it could easily do if he continued with the violent coughing, he would not have long to be treated before it became fatal.

"Gibbs," she thought as she eased Tony into more of an upright position from where he had slid down while they were both asleep. "You need to find us soon."

Tony stirred and started muttering. She wondered if he was delirious. His fever was so high, she knew that was possible. "Ziv? Where's Tim? Wha's goin' on?" If she didn't know better, she would think he was drunk by the way his words were slurred. She wished that was the problem.

"DiNozzo." Ziva deliberately let her voice take on a sharp tone. "I need you to wake up. You have to sit up and take in some more oxygen. Come on. You can do this." She helped him get into a more upright position, and gently rubbed her hand in circles on his back. She didn't know which was worse, his confusion or the look of pain that shot across his face before he was completely awake. Though his breathing eased a bit as he sat up, his coughing resumed. The moan that accompanied the attack tore at her, making her wish she could take his pain on herself. While Tony would complain incessantly over something like a paper cut, she knew that when he was truly hurt, he tended to gloss it over. Something everyone on Team Gibbs seemed guilty of. So to hear him not even try and restrain his groans, and see him clutch at his rib cage as the coughs shook his frame, broke her heart.

"I am sorry it hurts you so much, Tony. Gibbs will simply have to get here today. I do not think I can stand to see you like this much longer." To her surprise, Tony looked up as his coughing finally eased. He managed a slight grin, the corner of his mouth lifting in a grim reminder of his usual teasing. "Uh uh, Probie. Never apologize, 'member? Sign 'a weakness." He paused, taking a shallow breath. "'Sides, not your fault."

The next few hours passed slowly for the two agents. Ziva reluctantly gave him the last of the water, and watched helplessly as his coughing increased when it was gone. She was debating her plan to leave the knife with DiNozzo, unsure if he would have the strength to defend himself. But just as she had almost decided to take it back, the decision was suddenly taken from her.

The door was unlocked and it slammed open. Mehi stood silhouetted in the dim light. "Time's up, Agent David. It's time for you to watch DiNozzo die. Then I'll kill you and deliver the pieces that are left to your boss. Oh, and I want you to know, I decided not to kill McGee on purpose. I want him to know that he's the reason for your deaths. I wish I could have gotten my hands on his sister, but I knew Gibbs would never send her."

Ziva stood slowly, placing herself between DiNozzo and the madman threatening them. Tony slumped over and didn't move. She didn't know if he was feigning unconsciousness, or if he was really out. She just knew she would do everything in her power to protect him. Mehi didn't know it, but Ziva was an extremely formidable opponent. "Well, then, Mr. Mehi; you should have done better research. If you think I am just going to let you kill my partner, you do not know me."

Mehi leaned nonchalantly against the door frame. "Oh, I know all about you my dear. I made it my business to investigate everyone on Gibbs' team." He snapped his fingers and the two men who worked for him entered. "Search her."

While Ziva was thoroughly patted down, Mehi sauntered over to stand over Tony. Kicking at the man sprawled on the floor, he appeared angry that DiNozzo did not respond. Other than a few coughs that didn't seem to rouse him, Tony did not move.

"She's clean boss. Nothing on her." Mehi stared down at Tony for a moment more, contemplating. Then he turned and spoke again. "Fine. Get out. I'll be up in a minute." The two men left, and to Ziva's surprise, Mehi followed them. At the door, he paused, reached around and grabbed a shotgun that had been left there by one of the other men. Smiling, with nothing but pure insanity showing through, he nodded at Ziva. "Don't go anywhere, my dear. I'll be right back." He locked the door, and Ziva heard his steps as he ascended the stairway.

She had just turned back toward Tony, when she heard two very loud gunshots. She couldn't help herself. She jumped and exclaimed, "What the hell was that?"

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Surveillance Van: Gibbs had gotten back to the motel and found everyone up and ready to go. Grabbing a quick bite on their way out of town, they were ready to begin the search pattern again.

After only an hour or so, Gibbs suddenly grabbed Jenkins by the shoulder. "Doug. I think I know where to look." At Vance's questioning glance, Gibbs ran his hand through his hair. "Something's been bothering me. The last thing Ziva saw was trees and some sort of structure. We heard her say she didn't want to fall; that it was dark and she didn't want to go down somewhere. What does that sound like to you, Leon?"

Vance thought for a moment. "A bunker? Maybe an old storage facility? Somewhere underground, maybe a cement building? Or a metal one?"

Bryce shot a look back. "And that would explain why she stopped transmitting. Cement and certain kinds of metal would block the signal."

Abby was already up and staring at the computer screen in front of Jenkins. "I wish Timmy was here," she said quietly. "He could always find things like that, even faster than I can."

As the phone rang, Gibbs couldn't help but think it was uncanny as he glanced at the identification of the caller before answering. "Well, Abs, he might not be here, but he must be reading your mind. That's him on the phone"

He pressed the on button, and put it on speaker. "Gibbs. What do you have Agent McGee?"

"Boss, I've been thinking. Ducky filled me in this morning on everything that's been happening; said Ziva had gone in Sarah's place." He paused briefly. "Thanks for that, I should have known you'd never put Sarah in any kind of danger."

His voice a little more confident now, he went on. "Said something about transmitters and you losing track of Ziva. Mehi must have changed locations. Tony and I were in an old barn, and it was out in the open. If I know Abby, she put a strong enough tracking chip on Ziva that it should easily be picked up. So they must be in some sort of shielded building."

Gibbs couldn't stop the grin from forming. He knew he had the best team in the business. Nothing could keep them down for long.

"That's good, Tim. We just figured the same thing out."

They all heard Ducky as he obviously came into the room. "Agent McGee! What are you doing on your phone again? I specifically left instructions with the nursing staff that you were not to have access to it. Give me that."

"Atta boy, Tim." Gibbs' grin grew wider, and he nodded at Abby as she raised her eyebrows and exclaimed, "That's my Timmy!"

"Jethro, you need to let this boy get some rest. Though he is improving, he certainly is not out of danger and all this excitement is most definitely not good for him." The concern was evident in Ducky's voice.

"I know Duck. But he's onto something. Just let me talk to him for a minute. We need his help." When there was only silence, Gibbs tried again. "Duck. Tony's out of time. I can feel it in my gut. We have to find them and now."

McGee's voice came back on. "I knew learning how to sweet talk the nurses like Tony always does would pay off. Boss, have them narrow the search. Look for old storage facilities; something like a weapons cache, or an ammo dump. If you narrow the search to five square miles from where you last picked up Ziva's signal, you should be able to find something."

"Good job, McGee. Now you'd better give the phone to Ducky before he has a stroke. Thanks, Tim." Gibbs hung up and looked expectantly at Abby and Jenkins, nodding at them to start searching with the parameters McGee had just given them. A long 10 minutes passed before they found anything.

Jenkins, who was usually a very quiet and restrained agent, suddenly raised a fist in the air triumphantly. "I think I've got it. There are only two real possibilities. Look!"

Two sites were lit up on the screen. One showed an above ground bunker; but it was likely there were some underground areas there as well. It was farthest away from them, about two hours east of Thurmont, Maryland. The second one was a bit closer. While there weren't too many buildings visible above ground, it was spread out over a larger area.

Gibbs pointed. "That one. Zero in on it. Let's see what's there." Jenkins obliged and brought up an image that showed what looked like the ruins of some kind of an old military staging area. There were a few crumbling cement structures. But what caught Gibbs' eye was the number of staircases, obviously leading underground.

"Where is that? Exactly? How far away are we?"

Abby simply could not help herself. She leaned over Jenkins, and "helped" him type, the same as she had done with McGee so many times. A couple of minutes went by; then her victorious voice rang out.

"It's not far from South Mountain State Park. Boonsboro, Maryland. Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs. That's less than an hour away. Let's go! Drive, Bryce, drive!"

As Bryce took off at a speed that made Gibbs feel like he was driving them himself, following the directions called out by Jenkins and Abby, Gibbs called Ducky and told him to have an ambulance head their way, passing on the coordinates. He instructed him to have life flight standing by again as well, but made sure the doctor knew to wait to send the EMTs to the scene until Gibbs, or one of the other team members called them in. Vance called the local sheriff, and had them send a team out to the other facility to check, just in case Gibbs' famous gut would prove to be wrong, however unlikely that was.

But all were encouraged, almost sure that they now knew where their missing agents were. The feeling in the van was one of hopeful worry. Hopeful that they were finally closing in and that this nightmare was almost over. And worry that they would be too late.

"Just hang on Tony. We're coming for you." Abby's words expressed what everyone was thinking.

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DiNozzo and David: "Ziva." Tony's voice was very quiet, a mere whisper. She came to his side and squatted beside him, intent on helping him sit up.

"No. Don't let on I'm 'wake. Act like you're checking me when he comes in; try to make him think 'm out of it." Ziva smiled a little, while checking his fever.

"That should not be too difficult, Tony. You look like death warmed under."

That brought the slightest smile to DiNozzo's face, as she had hoped it would. "Over Ziva. Death warmed over." He shifted slightly, wincing as the pain grabbed at him. "I think he just killed his cronies; bet you can take him."

He managed to glance up and they shared a long look. "Let's get this guy and go home, Ziv. I got your six." Tony's confidence in her was heartening. Before she could reply, they heard the door being unlocked. They didn't have time for more, but she smiled and winked at her partner. Whatever happened, they would face it together.

Mehi opened the door, and stopped at the sight of Agent David bending over the wounded agent. "Tony." She let her voice fill with anguish that was not entirely fake.

"Please. You must wake up. Please." Hating herself for having to cause him more pain, she shook him. But he did not respond, other than tensing up and clenching his teeth to stifle any sounds of pain. Mehi came over, pointed the shot gun at her and motioned for her to get up. Ziva glared at him, but slowly stood, moving a few feet away. Keeping the gun trained on her, he kicked at Tony once, twice. When there was no response, he frowned.

"On your knees Miss David. Face the door." Ziva turned toward the door, and placed her hands on her head, but did not kneel. Spitting an obscenity at him, she taunted him. "Make me, Mr. Mehi. Or are you too afraid to face a woman?"

Mehi's own rage boiled over. He was exhausted and though the insanity had more or less taken over, he did not like having to kill the two men who had been in his employ. It had simply been necessary; and besides, he did not want to share the woman with them. But he wasn't going to take any sass from her either. Though he knew she was a well trained agent, he simply couldn't comprehend that a small woman could really be a threat to him. That, and his belief that Agent DiNozzo was out of it, would prove to be his undoing.

Turning his back on Tony, he approached Ziva. Shoving her forward, he pointed the shotgun at her back. "You will comply. Or you'll die now. Simple as that."

After that, everything seemed to happen at once. Ziva pretended to stumble, and as she did so, she reached back with her hands, grasping Mehi by his arm. Using her forward momentum, she continued into a roll, planning on throwing him over her head. But though he was insane, Mehi was a very, very strong man. At the last possible second, he realized her intent.

"No!" His scream of fury rang out. Even though he felt himself losing control, he managed to turn; pointing the gun toward the man he thought was unconscious and lying on the ground behind him. "I will kill him! I'll kill you both!"

Except that Tony wasn't unconscious. He had somehow gotten to his knees, and using his almost useless right arm to brace himself against the wall, he was in the act of hurling the knife straight at Mehi, glad for the training all agents were required to take. Without it, he didn't know if he could be accurate with his left hand. And truthfully, as bad as he felt, he didn't know if he would be accurate at all. But Ziva's life depended on it, and he forced himself to concentrate through the pain. As he let the knife go, everything slowed to a crawl as time almost stood still.

Ziva hears the shotgun go off, completed her roll, and turned all in one fluid movement, ready to strike Mehi a death blow. But he had dropped the gun and was frantically clawing at the knife that was now protruding from his neck. Ziva kicked the gun away from him, and watched as he collapsed, blood gurgling from his throat. He looked completely shocked and his mouth opened in wordless agony. Then he became unnaturally still, his eyes locked open in horror.

Ziva spared him no more than a fraction of a glance. She hurried to Tony who was in the process of collapsing himself. She spotted fresh blood and could not restrain a scream of her own. "Tony! No!"

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A/N: I apologize for yet another evil cliffy. But it was really the best place to break off. And, the last chapter is already written. I am just editing it now. If I have time I will post it later tonight. If not, tomorrow night for sure. Thanks for reading and reviewing